WARRI—THE Tuomo Federated Community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State has abandoned all forms of ancestral worship in the community to accept Jesus Christ. Leaders of the Community, the Amanana-Owei-in-Council, Chief Akpola Ekperi and the Community Chairman, Mr. Clement Ereide in collaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Tuomo Chapter, organised a two-day crusade tagged, Niger Delta in God’s Agenda, at which the community renounced its relationship with the gods.

The crusade, which featured community deliverance, salvation and manifestation of God’s glory were among programmes meant to break the community away from the covenants of juju worship. According to the Amanana-Owei, the crusade, which had the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, in attendance and a combined team of intercessors from Abuja, was to discover and reclaim the land of Tuomo for Christ.

Chief Ekperi stated that time has come when the people of Tuomo sever their ties with all forms of idol worship, adding that the crusade was organised to declare and allow the Almighty God take control of the community.

“We saw the glory of God in the community, therefore, we have to embrace God for that Glory to continue to shine in Tuomo,” he said.

The Amanana-Owei said it has become necessary for the people to reject and refuse being committed or lead in the ways of the gods by any individual or group.

The traditional leader, however said, though everyone has the right to freedom of worship and association, but he was quick to point out that it should be left at the individual level. He declared that the community would no longer be led or committed to take part in performing rituals and festivals having the undertone of ancestral worship.

The Amanana-Owei while recounting history said before 1951 when oil exploration activities were to be carried out on Opu-Ogbo, a land suspected to have a large deposit of oil, the community under the control of juju worshipers claimed it was a sacred land of the gods and forbids anyone even indigenes from going there.