Governor Udom Emmanuel, on Tuesday led members of the State Executive Council, including his Deputy, Mr. Moses Ekpo on a condolence visit, to the family of Late Pastor Ezekiel Atang who died suddenly while on an evangelical mission to Onitsha over the weekend.
The Governor while recalling memories with Pastor Ezekiel Atang, expressed grief over the passage of the clergy describing him as a dependable friend, brother and a credible pastor whose demise remains a colossal loss to the State and the Christian faith at large.
The State Chief Executive prayed God to comfort the wife Mrs. Dara Atang and children, stating that the family should take solace in the fact that he has gone to be with the Lord, although his demise has caused pain and grief.
“Honestly I lack words, I got confused yesterday when I got the message during an official engagement in Abuja, my colleagues noticed what happened, I couldn’t recover at all but I summed up courage and strength.
‘’Pastor Ezekiel was one of the fewest credible pastors we have around here in all ramifications and it is just so painful, it is a difficult thing and if I feel this way, only God knows what the wife and children will feel.
“There is nothing that happens that God doesn’t know the end from the beginning, we can’t question God, but I know he is in heaven, because he was such a credible Christian in all standard by all means, but our prayer is that God will not forsake his family, the wife, brothers, mother and his children.
“On behalf of all of us, we came to say let God be the one to take over this matter, let God be the one to step in and strengthen this family and console you all.
“We his friends, will do our best to see how we can help but nothing can replace a father, nothing can replace a husband, nothing can replace a brother, nothing can replace a son.
“On behalf of all of us we say our sincere condolences to the family of Pastor Ezekiel Atang’’.
Speaking on behalf of the bereaved family, Pastor Emmanuel Atang, an elder brother to late Pastor Ezekiel Atang, mourned the passage of his brother, describing him as a light that God raised to play the role of a father to them.
Pastor Emmanuel Atang appreciated Governor Udom Emmanuel who led his Executive Council members to condole with Atang’s family and appealed for prayers and support to the family of the late cleric.
The Late Pastor Ezekiel Atang who until his dead, was the Senior Pastor at the God’s House of Refuge, is survived by his wife, Dara, and three children.
