FCT Province 3 of The Redeemed Christian Church of God recently marked 10th anniversary of its creation. CHUKS OYEMA-AZIKEN reports that a free medical outreach was part of events to mark the ceremony.
As part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Province 3 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), no fewer than 200 residents have benefitted from free medical services recently organized in Takalafia community in Nasarawa State.
Takalafia village, which is remotely located about 12kilometres from Karshi in the FCT, is mainly inhabited by farmers. Accessing the community in the rainy season can be a tortuous trip, due to the very bad nature of the road. The village is without electricity, pipe-borne water and any health facility.
In the village, Gbagyi and Hausa languages are the major means of communication.
RCCG has a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department which aims at bringing succor to communities and individuals, which are in need both within and outside the church.
The Mission department of the Province headed by Pastor Andrew Gandu organised a week long outreach in Takalafia. To round it off, residents were offered free medical serves.
The RCCG Parish in the community was the venue of the free medical services with adults and children and residents of adjoining villages coming out enmasse. The residents were offered free diagnostic tests to ascertain their blood sugar level, blood pressure, eye and malaria tests among others by a team of medical diagnostic experts assisted by some medical doctors. The patients also went home with free drugs after detailed examinations as their health challenges demanded.
The medical intervention was extended to people of different faith, including Muslims and pagans.
Some residents commended the kind gesture of the church, describing it as a timely intervention. The Sarki Takalafia Gbagi, Markus Galaza who was also attended to by the church commended the programme. He said the church has promised to treat his eyes. “I want to read, but cannot because of my eyes, the church has promised to take care of me. I am grateful.”
Adanma Musa, a Muslim who also benefited from the medical services, appreciated the church for the intervention. She urged the government to provide them with basic amenities including road.
Another appreciative Muslim beneficiary, Mohammed Abu said, “we plead with the church to come back another time. We are happy to have them do this in our community.”
The pastor in charge of the province, Pastor Oluwajobi Olajide said the people in the villages need care and intervention. “Our Lord Jesus Christ said those who are whole need no physician, we discover in the cities we have semblance of amenities that can cater for the population, these people if only for reason of their remoteness, they lack basic care and attention. So we decided to get up and come to where these things are not very much available.
“The project is part of our CSR as shared with us by our father in the Lord, Pastor E. A. Adeboye that we should strive to give back to the communities we are operating and attend to the holistic need of man.”
He advised the people of the community to continue to thirst for the truth. “This turn out is not because of the free medical services, but their desire to get the truth,”he said.
Pastor Dan Ogun, Assistant pastor in charge of Province (CSR) urged the government to care for the citizens in the hinterland, noting that “the care should not only be during elections. All through the about two hours drive from Abuja to this remote area, you discover the roads are bad, no water, and no hospital.
“The people have made appeals for one intervention and the other. Government should be more responsive to people at the remotest part of Nigeria. They need a lot of the presence of government here.”
Ogun urged Nigerians to support the ‘change begins with me campaign’.
“We must all embrace the campaign, which is why we have come here so this change begin with them through us. More seriously government should visit ancient ways of communicating programmes, like communication vehicles coming into the villages, mobilization, cinema, public enlightenment, open air enlightenment etc.”
Responding to appeal by some Takalafia residents to hold the medical outreach more often, Ogun who is saddled with the CSR programmes of FCT 3 said their intervention is ongoing and that the Province would continue to reach out to Nigerians, especially to those in the FCT.
Pastor Gandu, Pastor in Charge, Christ Embassy Zone, the host, said mission was a compulsory activity for all Christians.
“You cannot say you are a born again Christian and not be engaged in reaching out to lost souls. It is a command of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and we must be involved in it one way or the other.”
Other senior pastors in attendance included the head of the Prayer Unit of the Province, Pastor (Mrs.) Adeputu and A/P Olumodeji Moses, who is an Area Pastor in the Province.
