The Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), Gombe State chapter, on Wednesday, commenced a five-day prayer session over low rainfall being experienced in the state.
Pastor Solomon Ayanwole, the state’s secretary of CAN stated this in an audio message made available to churches and monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the state.
Ayanwole said that the call became imperative given the low rainfall which could have a serious impact on agriculture and food security in the state.
The message reads: “We wish to call on all denominations and churches in Gombe State to assemble and pray for God’s intervention over the shortage of rainfall in the state.
“The prayer is scheduled to take place from Wednesday to Sunday in our various denominations and church services,” he said.
The secretary also called on CAN leadership at the local government levels to mobilise Christians and offer prayers in their various Councils.
“We pray that God shall answer our prayers through Jesus Christ, Amen,” he said.
NAN reports Mr Banyula Hala, the chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Gombe State chapter, had on June 24 in a statement decried the low rainfall in the state.
Hala attributed the situation to the effects of climate change which had become a cause for serious concern.
He said the situation might negatively impact productivity in this year’s wet cropping season, hence appealed to farmers to seek divine intervention through prayers.
“The low rainfall will affect wet farming this year, but since rains are from God, farmers should turn to God and be optimistic that in a week or thereabouts, there will be more rainfall,” he said.
The AFAN chairman said that some of the farmers, comprised of Christian and Muslim faithful from the state, had started organising special prayer sessions for improved rainfall.
Hala noted that the low rainfall had forced many farmers in Gombe State to migrate to Taraba State where the weather was more favourable.