A Methodist Church Clergy, Very Rev. Ernest Onyeukwu, has enjoined Journalists in the country to offer their best professional practice this year with the fear of God in order to excel.

Onyeukwu made the call during a thanksgiving service organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council, Thursday.

The service was organised to officially mark the beginning of 2017. Preaching on the theme “Noble Service”, he maintained that Journalists render noble service because they represent and fight for people that may be handicapped to come back to show appreciation.

He emphasised that for a Journalist to excel, that Journalist must practice with the fear of God.

“The only thing that will make you do things differently is the fear of God. God is the principal witness. Noble service is one rendered in the fear of God,” he said.

“Bring out your best to serve in 2017,” he urged the men of the pen profession.

“Journalists render noble service because they represent people who may not be able to represent themselves,” he added.

For beginning the year with God, the clergyman prophesied that Journalists in Abia would record huge successes this year.

“God will see to it that anything that starts with Him will succeed. God will cause to succeed, anything that is done according to His will,” he said.

Onyeukwu told the journalists that their reward may not necessarily come from man, but God, adding: “Now that you have the time, do your best.”

He said Journalists who obey the will of God would reap His promises as outlined in Exodus Chapter 23:20-22, 25, stressing that “God will do for you what no man can.”

In his remarks, Abia NUJ Chairman, Comrade John Emejor, reminded Journalists that "with God, all things are possible.”

Emejor said God will bless Abia journalists beyond measure this year since they deemed it fit to begin the year with the Almighty; and charged them to always abide by the Code of Ethics of the profession while discharging their professional duties.

A veteran Journalist and a retired Permanent Secretary, Sir Chimdi Oluoha, a former Vice President of NUJ Zone C, Comrade Ambrose Nwachukwu as well as pioneer Chairman of Abia NUJ, Elder Ogbonnaya Iheaka, were among dignitaries that attended the service held at the No. 1 Aba Road temporary secretariat of the union in Umuahia.

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