By Victor Akinkuolie,Ado-Ekiti

The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has described the spiritual growth of citizens as a pivotal weapon that can be successfully deployed to achieve national peace, unity, and development.

In his view, Oyebanji believes that this concept can help achieve national rebirth and character rebranding among citizens, which will curtail incidents of corruption, banditry, internet fraud, drug abuse, insurgency, smuggling, and other nefarious activities that are permeating society.

Oyebanji spoke on Thursday while hosting a delegation from the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), who paid a courtesy call to his office in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

Addressing the delegation, Oyebanji, represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, commended the state government for supporting the activities of the Ekiti State Pilgrimage Welfare Board in fulfilling its statutory obligations to citizens.

He challenged the delegation to do its best in ensuring a hitch-free pilgrimage for Christians to the Holy Land of Israel, describing this as a way to ensure that the commission’s vision is accomplished.

“I am indeed happy to welcome this delegation to my office today on a courtesy call as part of the mandates for interactions and consensus building on the operations of your commission to bring radical development to the lives of the Nigerian populace,” Oyebanji said.

“I appreciate you on behalf of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, a man who has tremendous passion for the spiritual growth of his people. He has demonstrated this through his enormous support for the Ekiti State Pilgrimage and Welfare Board in all its programmes and operations.”

“The spiritual rebirth of the citizens of any nation contributes significantly to development. It helps attain attitudinal change, character molding, and rebranding, which can help a nation checkmate incidents of crimes, corruption, smuggling, robbery, drug abuse, internet fraud, and other social ills negatively affecting our nation.”

Oyebanji assured the delegation that his administration would continue to support any innovative actions aimed at boosting the spiritual growth of the citizens of Ekiti State.