Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has bagged the Diamond Award of Pastors Forum For Sustainable Development (PFSD) where he called on leaders to have the fear of God.

Governor Okowa at the award ceremony which took place on Thursday in Asaba, notted that “any man who does not have the fear of God cannot be a good leader.”

“Wisdom comes from God, it is only God that can guide you right, so, as a leader, you must seek the face of God always, be humble and respectful,” he said.

The governor thanked members of PFSD for the honour and their prayers for his administration. He urged Nigerians to show love to one another as instructed in the Holy Bible noting: “If you love your neighbor as yourself, everything will be all right.”

Okowa advised men of God should always pray for those in positions of authority as they are exposed to different challenges that only God can combat.

Governor Okowa noted that such prayers will either impact directly or indirectly on those who offer the prayers, emphasising that “it is not a waste of time to pray for those in positions of authority.”

Vice Chancellor of Delta State University, Prof. Victor Peretomode, in a lecture at the event, said: “Peace is necessary for development to take place, building peace is not easy, but, Governor Okowa has done a lot to achieve a peaceful state.”

Earlier in an address, the President of PFSD, Bishop Jude Akhere, said: “The PFSD Diamond Award which comes up every four years was instituted to honour those whose inestimable contributions to nation building should be recognised and celebrated to help motivate them to doing more for our country, Nigeria; we are double sure today that the recipients of this prestigious award, being the first in the series, will surely justify the intent and purpose of PFSD.

“PFSD believes absolutely in politics, we do not only pray, we participate in politics; we have been involved openly in the past; some say religion and politics do not mix but, that is not true; Jesus Christ is the Lord of all aspects of our lives including our political life and that includes the decisions we make in voting booth; as we play our part, we trust God to play His part; we are very committed to the re-election of Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and his team across Delta State.”

Update news