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Tag: Four

  • Four arrested for alleged human trafficking

    Four persons have been arrested by the operatives of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in connection with alleged human trafficking to Italy for prostitution.

    The command arrested Mrs. Mary Omowaye, 35, at its passport office in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday while trying to procure international passports for the victims to travel to Italy for illegal work.

    The victims included: Adegoroye Abiodun, 24, Akinsanmi Titilayo Blessing, 30, and Adeyan Motunrayo, 20, all from Idanre town in Ondo State.

    Addressing reporters while handing over the procurer and the victims to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) yesterday, NIS Comptroller Ekiti Command Mrs. Ifeoma Benedict Dibia said they were apprehended after her men got a tip-off.

    She added that her operatives have intensified efforts to rid the state of human trafficking, child labour and prostitution, considering the startling revelation by Governor Kayode Fayemi that Ekiti had become a transit state for the illicit business.

    The comptroller said most painful and disturbing was the fact that the trend of human trafficking was common among children from broken homes.

    She said Omowaye was operating in connivance with one Mr Jamiu, who normally processed visas for the victims in Lagos and her sister, Jumoke, who is based in Italy.

    “One of our responsibilities is to stop human trafficking and child’s labour. When these young women came to our passport section to get international passport, we interrogated them and suspected that this could be an illegal migration.

    “They said they are going there to do hairdressing and work as house-helps, but this was how they used to trick and traffic the victims to other countries, only to get there and used them for prostitution.

    “After interrogating them, we knew that they didn’t know what they were going there to do. Some of the victims are molested and died in the process.

    “What we normally do is to arrest people like these, profile them and hand them over to NAPTIP for prosecution.

    “We are going to work in tandem with NAPTIP to arrest the chief syndicates, Mr Jamiu in Lagos and Jumoke in Italy for prosecution. We are also going to reunite the victims with their families for protection,” Dibia said.

    While being quizzed by NIS operatives, the procurer, Omowaye, said it was not true that she tricked the victims to travel to Italy for prostitution.

    “This is not true; my younger sister there has been helping people to travel. Even my 19- year-old daughter is there, she works as a shop keeper. We are just trying to help them”, she said.

    One of the victims, Jumoke, said she is a hairdresser and her plan was to go there and do the job, adding that the issue of prostitution did not arise.

    “The woman in Italy is the one sponsoring us. We are going to work for her for six months when we get there and regain freedom. That was the agreement reached with us,” she said.

     

  • NPA sanctions Maersk, four other shipping lines

    The Nigerian Ports Authority has announced a 10-day suspension of the services of four shipping companies.

    A statement signed by Assistant General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications Division of the organisation, Isah Suwaid, on behalf of the General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, said the move was part of efforts being made to resolve the protest by truck drivers at the Lagos Port Complex and the Tin Can Island Ports, Lagos “in the first instance.”

    The affected shipping companies whose suspension takes effect from Saturday July 14, 2018, according to the statement, include Maerskline, Cosco Shipping, APS and Lansal.

    The suspension of the shipping lines, Suwaid said, followed the authority’s checks which revealed that the four companies had failed to fully comply with the directive to acquire and operate holding bays, “as they have either failed to utilise their holding bays at all or do not have adequate capacity to handle the volume of containers that they deal with.”

    He said that some of the affected companies had been found to import more number of containers than the empty containers exported, thereby making the country a dumping ground for empties.

  • Double celebration as EbonyLife TV clocks four

    AS black entertainment network, EbonyLife TV turned four, it was a time to celebrate and for its CEO, Mo Abudu, there was no better way than with a film festival.

    It was also an opportunity for the management to unveil its new season premieres of its productions like On The Real, Sons of the Caliphate, The Governor, Life 101 and Fifty – the series.

    Among guests who graced the event were Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Sola Sobowale, Ireti Doyle, Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, O.C Ukeje, Innocent and Annie Idibia, Toke Makinwa, Ayo Makun and a host of other A-list celebrities.

    Since its inception in 2013, over 4000 hours of original Pan African content has been created and produced by Ebonylife TV.

    Within this timeframe, TV series have been dished out to much critical acclaim. The first seasons of On the Real, Sons of the Caliphate, Dere and The Governor have been widely successful leading to an order of second seasons for the aforementioned.

    In 2015, Ebonylife TV joined the movie scene with its first offering titled, Fifty. The movie went on to generate ₦400million return on investment shattering records in the process.

    Another movie, The Wedding Party was released in 2016. It went on to break even more records. It grossed a whopping N450million from the box office alone earning it the number one spot on the highest grossing Nigerian movies of all time.

    Both movies have led to much anticipated spinoffs. Fifty has been adapted for TV while a sequel to The Wedding Party is billed to be released in December.

    Ebonylife Films is the brainchild of media entrepreneur, Mo Abudu.

  • 83-year-old gets eyeglass four years after diagnosis

    ‘We are moving away from curative medicine to preventive medicine. It is so gratifying that the state is moving into Health Insurance Scheme’

    For over five years, 83-year-old Mr Samuel Oluwole Odunlami could not afford a pair of reading glasses. He is a retiree who lives in Epe but a native of Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State. His pension is N8, 000 per month.

    The elated Mr Odunlami could not hide his joy, relief and appreciation when the team of Eko Health Mission handed him a pair of glasses penultimate Wednesday.

    Recounting his experience, Mr Odunlami said he was 79 years old when he was told he needed a pair of reading glasses for presbyopia which is an age-related eye disease. Presbyopia is caused by a decreased elasticity in the eye’s lens, making it more difficult to focus on objects in a close range. Presbyopia generally is believed to stem from a gradual thickening and loss of flexibility of the natural lens of the eye.

    After the diagnosis and prescription, he could not afford the pair of glasses due to lack of fund. Days roll into weeks, and weeks into years. When it was exactly four years after the reading glass was recommended, fortune smiled on him.

    He heard, through his daughter, about the Eko free Health Mission put in place by the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

    The crowd was massive at the Epe Local Government Area, venue of the event. But that did not deter Mr Odunlami.

    Mr Odunlami said: “Right from the eve of getting the information, I became restless. I could not sleep very well. I kept vigil. And by 6:00 a.m., I had taken my bath and arrived early to pick number. When the medical team came, they sorted us out to our needs. I was then taken to doctors who examined my eyes. They said I needed glasses. In less than an hour, my glass was presented to me. I pray for Governor Ambode. His children will not experience hard life. This is the first time I am benefiting from government programme. Epe has transformed with all the infrastructure development taking place here.”

    The Director of Eko Free Health Mission, Dr Dolapo Fasawe said the mission which is in its 14th outing, is meant to bring health care closer to the grassroots.

    “We are moving away from curative medicine to preventive medicine. It is so gratifying that the state is moving into Health Insurance Scheme. Nobody will be left behind. So far as you are a resident in Lagos and you have the registration done for your residency by Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) and issued the card, you are qualified.

    “Another thing is that for the people of Epe, malnutrition is not their problem; they feed well. There are cases of Prostate enlargement. I want to use this opportunity to inform that any man over 40 years should go and do screening for prostate enlargement. That way, there will be no need for emergencies,” Dr Fasawe said.

    She said so far over 127, 000 people have been attended to.

    Her assistant on the Eko Free Health Mission, Dr. Tolu Ajomale revealed that nobody should wait to be sick before taking proactive steps in ensuring health healthy.

    “It starts with knowing your numbers- Bp (Blood Pressure), cholesterol level, BMI (body mass Index), doing exercise, watch closely one’s diet in tandem with the health indicators. If you are hypertensive or diabetic, the role of nutrition, especially salt, carbohydrate and sugary foods should be regulated. The best way out is fruits, vegetables, water and active life in the form of exercise.

    “Shun sedentary life. Just find an exercise you are comfortable with,” Dr Ajomale said.

    The Sole Administrator of Eredo Local Council Development Area, Muyiwa Okusanya said his people are grateful to the state government for bringing the programme to their door step.

    “That is an indication of a responsive and responsible government that will always prioritise the health of the people,” Okusanya said.

  • Four rescued from Mali hotel; nine killed in attack

    Mali’s special forces yesterday rescued four people who hid in a hotel for nearly 24 hours after extremists stormed the building and launched a rare attack far from their northern strongholds that killed nine people, officials said.

    Three attackers were also killed in the fighting.

    The four rescued U.N. employees are two South Africans, a Russian and a Ukrainian, said U.N. mission in Mali spokeswoman Radhia Achouri.

    “Our contractors survived because at no time was their presence discovered by the terrorists in the hotel,” she said adding there was not much resistance yesterday  during the rescue. The four would  soon go to Bamako, the capital, she said.

    Additional U.N. personnel may still be missing, said a U.N. official not authorized to speak to the press on the matter. Some personnel could not be reached, and some of the attackers left Sevare after the initial attacks Friday morning, the official said.

    A 38-year-old South African who died in the attack worked for an aviation company that was assisting the U.N. contingent in Mali, Nelson Kgwete, spokesman for South Africa’s foreign ministry, said on Twitter. Kgwete declined to reveal the identity of the dead South African. Two other South Africans caught up in the attack are safe, he said on Twitter.

    A South African member of the Gift of the Givers charity group was at the hotel at the time of the attack but was unharmed, Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of the South African organization, told South African media.

    The Russian former hostage is “alive and well,” Viktor Gorelov, spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Bamako, told the Interfax news agency. The state news agency Tass said he worked for the Russian airline UTair.

    Islamic extremists started the attack Friday at the Hotel Byblos in Sevare, about 600 kilometers northeast of the capital, Bamako.

    Mali’s army surrounded the hotel and fighting went into the night Friday. Mali’s special forces were transported to Sevare from Bamako early yesterday  and launched an operation to rescue the people inside the hotel. It is unclear how many fighters were involved.

    After the operation four additional bodies were found in the hotel, including three hotel staff and one jihadi, said Lt. Col. Diarran Kone. Officials had earlier announced that five Malian soldiers were killed, two jihadis and a U.N. contractor, bringing the total death toll to 12.

    “The operation ended around 5 a.m.,” he said. “The operation was led by Mali’s gendarmerie with our partners.”

    The government said Friday that forces detained seven suspected militants.

    Northern Mali fell under the control of jihadis in 2012 but a French-led offensive ousted them in early 2013. Remnants of the extremists have staged attacks on U.N. peacekeepers and Malian forces, but Friday’s assault on a hotel popular with U.N. pilots marks a serious escalation.

     

  • Four dead in Ibadan accident

    A truck yesterday lost control on the overhead bridge on Onipepeye Old-Ife Road Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, killing four persons and injuring six others.

    The accident occurred at 10am at the spot where some traders were trying to board a bus to Lagos.

    An eyewitness, Mrs. Ronke Salako, said the truck ran into the 18-seater Lagos bound bus, killing four passengers and traders immediately.

    Mrs. Salako said the truck driver lost control of the vehicle and swerved to the other side of the expressway.

    Another eyewitness said the brake failed and the driver lost control with the truck skidding off the road, ramming into the waiting bus.

    Another eyewitness, Sunday Badru, said among the victims was an expectant mother, who died on the way to the hospital.

    Badru said six others were taken to the Ibadan Central Hospital on Ring-Road. The victims’ remains have been deposited at the Adeoyo mortuary, Yemetu.

    The police could not be reached for comments.

  • Four die in Ogun multiple accidents

    Four persons, including a commercial motorcyclist, have died in multiple accidents at the Sagamu stretch of the Lagos -Ore Expressway.

    Two bodies were deposited at the mortuary of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, a source at the Morbid Anatomy unit said. The others were taken to Sagamu.

    The accident, which occurred on Monday night at the steep and sharp bend near the Sagamu junction – Old Toll Gate, involved a cyclist, a truck carrying diesel, a cement truck, a commercial bus and a lorry carrying flour.

    It was gathered that the accident was caused by the diesel truck, which fell and emptied its content.

    Motorists travelling to Ore ran into the oil-filled lane and were swept off the road. Some crashed into the concrete median; others plunged into a valley nearby.

    The driver of the cement truck, Abubakar Umar, said it was a miracle that he was not hurt when he lost control of the vehicle.

    He said: “I drove into the slippery road unaware. My truck lost balance, skidded off the road before plunging into a valley. It rolled many times over and hauled the bags of cement in the valley.”

    Operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), police and the state’s traffic management agency (TRACE) were controlling the traffic even as some labourers were covering the oil – filled road with sand.

    Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the motorcyclist died on the spot.

  • Boy, four others burnt to death

    No fewer than five persons, including a six-month-old baby boy, died in two separate fires last Saturday in Lagos, Director of the state’s Fire Service, Mr Rasak Fadipe said yesterday.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that four of the victims were burnt to death when a commercial bus popularly known as ‘Danfo’ caught fire at Costain, Lagos.

    The baby was burnt to death when fire gutted House 52, Shagari Estate in Mosan-Okunola, Ipaja, Lagos.

    According to him, the bus was carrying nine passengers when it caught fire.

    He said the bus was coming from Lagos Island on top speed while heading to Costain when the driver suddenly lost control and hit the pavement.

    The bus somersaulted severally, Fadipe said, adding: “The bus burst into flames, burning to death four men beyond recognition. Five others that sustained serious burns were rescued and taken to the General Hospital, Marina, by the Lagos Emergency Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS).

    “The police from Iponri Division removed the bodies to the same hospital. The incident happened on Saturday at about 12.12 p.m,’’ he said.

    The director said the Shagari Estate fire was caused by a candlestick lit by the baby’s mother, who claimed to be taking fresh air outside, when the incident happened.

    Fadipe cautioned the public against candle use, saying many lives have been lost to it.

    He urged parents to always keep an eye on their children while sleeping, advising them against locking up children and leaving home for long.

  • Big four in big battle for Senate

    Big four in big battle for Senate

    In the 2011 general elections, the Anambra Central Senatorial District was a straight fight between Dr. Chris Ngige of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the late Prof Dora Akunyili, who contested on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). Now Ngige’s opponents are Chief Victor Umeh of APGA, Hon. Uche Ekwunife and Senator Annie Okonkwo, who are both laying claim to the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). NWANOSIKE ONU x-rays their chances. 

    With the calibre of candidates lined up by the various political parties, the Anambra Central senatorial race promises to be a battle of the titans. In the race are the incumbent Senator Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Victor Umeh of the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the duo of Annie Okonkwo and Hon. Uche Ekwunife laying claim to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket. With the exception of Umeh, all of them have won elections in the constituency at one point or the other and are capable of clinching the senatorial slot. Even at that, Umeh is not a pushover. The former National Chairman of APGA decided to take the gauntlet against Ngige to prevent the APC, which has no doubt become a formidable platform all over the country, from establishing itself in the state.

    Observers say the Anambra Central race may be a replay of the 2011 contest, where Ngige squared up against the late Information Minister Dr. Dora Akunyili in a fiercely-contested election that could not be concluded in the first ballot. It was eventually decided in favour of the APC flag bearer at the second ballot. The Ngige versus Akunyili contest attracted the attention of the international community not only because of the calibre of the contestants, but perhaps also because it was the first keenly contested election in the state since the return to civil rule in 1999. Akunyili had contested on the platform of APGA, while Ngige flew the flag of then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the opposition parties that came together to form the APC.

     

    Ekwunife

    Ekwunife, popularly known as Iyom, is the member representing Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. Though, her name is not on the final list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but the Amazon of Anambra politics has been campaigning vigorously for the contest, believing that the court would eventually award her the ticket. Senator Okonkwo is the PDP candidate recognized by INEC.

    But, political analysts believe that Okonkwo will not make much impact in the race, given the calibre of candidates fielded by the APC and the APGA and that Ekwunife would have been a better option. Okonkwo’s name appeared on the INEC list because the Ejike Oguebego-led faction of the party is the one recognized by the court.

    For now, the PDP still parades other acclaimed candidates for the senatorial race, including Sylvester Okonkwo and Dikeora Obiora Okonkwo in the same Central zone, alongside Ekwunife.

    The division within the PDP may be its undoing. There is a consensus among observers that Ekwunife has all it takes to defeat any of the candidates, but her major headache is the crisis tearing the PDP apart since she dumped APGA for the party.

    She is believed to be the anointed candidate of the national leadership of the party. But, INEC keeps insisting that it had no hand in the party’s primaries that produced her.

    In spite of this handicap, she continues to soldier on, traversing all the wards in the district to sensitise her supporters that she is still in the race. Indeed, Ekwunife has been meeting with all traditional rulers, market leaders, the youth, women groups and faith-based associations in the seven local government areas that makeup the zone. Her billboards and posters adorn all the nooks and crannies of the state. Anambra State Governor Chief Willie Obiano and the state House of Assembly have done everything humanly possible to stop her, but all to no avail.

    The Assembly even went to the extent of passing a law, which was given accelerated hearing by going through the first, second and third readings same day, to discourage her. But, Ekwunife has proved that she is equal to the task.

     

    Umeh

    For Umeh, the election is like navigating in uncharted territory, not having contested election at any level within the constituency before now. He has been at the helm of affairs in APGA for over 10 years. But, his long reign as the National Chairman of the party has been punctuated by one controversy after another. Some of the APGA faithful in the state believe he has done well for the party as its leader, while others insist that he has ruined their party.

    The two biggest obstacles standing before Umeh and the senatorial seat are former Governor Peter Obi and Chief Sylvester Nwobu-Alor, the former APGA National Chairman’s uncle, who is also the national coordinator of APGA Elders forum.

    Umeh’s quest to occupy the senatorial seat is believed to have been prompted by Obi’s decision to quit APGA for PDP, where he has been made President Goodluck Jonathan’s Deputy Campaign Director General in the Southeast.

    Another is Umeh alleged role during the primaries, where the ambitions of many aspirants were shattered. But, some p[arty stakeholders insist that Umeh had no hand in the injustice that were meted out to virtually all the aspirants. They say Governor Obiano, who has taken over as the leader of the party in the state with the exit of Obi, is to blame for what transpired at the primaries. Following the declaration of Umeh as the party’s flag bearer in the Anambra Central senatorial race, some of them vowed that it was payback time.

    But, the effects of such threats remain to be seen, as the former National Chairman is believed to have become a moving train in the politics of Anambra State. So far, his campaign has been attracting overwhelming crowd everywhere he goes.

    He has accorded a rousing welcome in all the communities he visits within the district in the course of the campaign. In fact, he has been offered chieftaincy titles by traditional rulers of most of the communities. Before now, he has acquired more than 25 chieftaincy tittles from different states and communities.

    Another factor that has worked in his favour is the APGA battle cry of protecting the interest of Ndigbo. Hate him or love him, many people believe that Umeh is the type of person who will not allow what belongs to Ndigbo to elude them at the Senate.

     

    Ngige

    Since he mounted the saddle of leadership in Anambra State as governor between 2003 and 2006, Ngige has not looked back. Today, he represents Anambra Central on the platform of the APC.

    The battle he fought in 2011 to clinch the senatorial seat at the expense of the late Akunyili is still fresh in the minds of the people. Indeed, some people refer to him as Anambra’s political oracle. He is one of the leading lights politically in Igboland today. He was one time the president of Aka-Ikenga, an Igbo socio-cultural organization, in Lagos.

    His followers see him as prudent, but his opponents describe him as “tightfisted”. He is still very popular among the masses. As one of the pillars of the APC in Anambra State, Ngige is a beneficiary of the growing popularity of the party in the state. The recent presidential campaign of the party in Awka, the Anambra State capital, was an eye opener to many about the growing popularity of the party.

    The crowd was awesome, even those who do not belong to the party marvelled with many others from different parties wearing the APC colours, singing and praising the APC standard bearer, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    But, Ngige’s only challenge is that his popularity appears to be limited to Anambra Central. Nevertheless, one of the things he has going for him, as he campaigns for his re-election in the Senate is the life scholarships he gave to over 5,000 students in secondary and tertiary institutions in the zone.

    He is also credited as being instrumental to the near constant power supply in Awka and the communities within the Central senatorial district. This was made possible through the provision of transformers to several communities.

    Besides, many people still remember how Ngige opened up and linked many communities with good roads during his reign as governor of the state. Many political analysts believe that he has done well for Ndi-Anambra and should be backed by the electorate for a second term.

    Thus, the APC strongman stands the chance of retaining his seat, with many of the aggrieved members of other political parties working underground for him.

     

    Okonkwo

    The business mogul-turned politician grabbed the PDP senatorial ticket in the zone as published by INEC. But, observers believe he is merely playing the role of a spoiler in the race. Such observers say his mission is to split the Idemili North and South votes with Ngige and that he still bears grudges against the APC chieftain, following the manner he left the APC.

    Okonkwo’s candidacy does not appear to have the backing the masses, who prefer the more colourful and charismatic Ekwunife. They believe that the PDP would have been better off, if it were her that is on the INEC list.

    Many of the stakeholders are disenchanted with Okonkwo’s snobbishness attitude, which has led to some of his ex-allies working against his ambition. He is leaning towards the enfant terrible of Anambra politics, Chief Chris Uba, to assist him.

    Given the presence of Ngige and Umeh in the race, Okonkwo is not likely to make any appreciable impact.

  • Nigeria’ll be a better place in four years, says Jonathan

    Nigeria’ll be a better place in four years, says Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan has said Nigera will become a better place in the next four to five ears.

    He said that Nigeria was steadily making progress as a result of the policies of his administration.

    The President spoke at the Christ Apostolic Church, Garki Area 1, Abuja, where he observed his last Sunday church service for the year.

    Even as he expressed optimism that Nigeria will overcome its challenges, he said that 2015, which is an election year, will be a tempting one.

    The President later yesterday afternoon left Abuja for a private visit to the United Kingdom.

    A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the President was accompanied on the trip by some of his principal staff and personal aides.

    Jonathan is expected back in Abuja today ahead of official engagements at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, including scheduled audiences with groups from Delta and Lagos states.

    Speaking at the church service, Jonathan said: “As a nation, we have not reached where we want to go; definitely not. But we are coming up with a number of policies. Those who are taking pain to look at what we are doing will agree with us that if we progress as a nation steadily in this manner, in the next four or five years, this country will be a better place.

    “Only a few days back, the Vice President was in Port Harcourt to flag off the Eastern railway. The Western one moving from Lagos to Kano has been running. We will start using the modern one from Kaduna to Abuja by the first quarter of next year and the one from Port Harcourt.

    “When we were small, there were railways. But I believe most of our children of about 30 years only see railway as cartoons in the television but now, they are seeing it.

    “We relied on agriculture before the oil boom or doom and all that died. We are reviving it and the whole world has appreciated that we are moving forward in agriculture.”

    He went on: “When they start something, people do not see the benefits immediately. We know that as a nation, we have a lot of challenges in terms of getting jobs for our young graduates and we have set up a lot of programmes that can bring job opportunities for our young men. The result may not be obvious immediately but God willing, job opportunities will continue to increase and many more young people will be engaged.”

    On falling oil prices, he said: “We have talked about the drop in global price of oil. Of course, if there is a drop in oil price, it will affect us in one way or the other. We tell our people to bear with us. It has happened before in 2008, 2009 that was almost about $40, we survived as a nation.”

    The President reassured Nigerians that the falling oil prices will not go as low as $40 and that Nigeria will survive it.

    According to him, his economic team is already working very hard to stabilise it.

    He said: “Although there may be temporary inconveniences, it will definitely not bring the economy down.”

    Stressing that 2015 is a tempting year, Jonathan said: “Elections year in Third World countries is always a turbulent year with all kinds of predictions. I, however, believe that the God who brought us to this level will see us through.”

    He urged the congregation to continue to pray for politicians from all political parties.

    The President said: “Pray for God to guide us in our utterances and what we do so that we will not sacrifice the lives of Nigerians because of our ambitions. Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian.”

    “Pray to God to give us that wisdom and mind to make sure we conduct ourselves in a way that will not set the country ablaze because of our own personal ambition.”

    “There are so many good Nigerians that can hold the offices we are occupying or aspiring to occupy; it is by privilege of God that we are here in positions to ask for the mandates of Nigerians.”

    He went on: “None of us should begin to think that he is the best person to be anywhere from state houses of assembly to the president. There are a thousand and one Nigerians that are super qualified more than those people who are even aspiring to occupy offices.

    “If the idea is to help the people, grow the economy and make the people happy, you won’t want to kill, you won’t want to maim or burn down houses, vehicles and property. Human beings may see things differently but God can guide us.”

    He noted that instead of the challenges abating, the problems started increasing for one reason or the other.

    “But I am convinced that it would have been worse than this but for your prayers. With the prayers you continue to offer to God, God will see us through, he said, adding:

    “I always say that whenever I read the Bible, especially the Old Testament, particularly the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land, the kind of challenges they faced; the confrontation, the wars up to the days of King David, people were always fighting and you will ask why children of God will continue to be fighting.”

    “I believe what is even happening to us is not even as serious as sometimes the passages we read in the Bible and God was able to see them through.”

    “The God we believe will see us through. What I will request from you is to continue to pray for us. For me and members of my team, in spite of the challenges, we will continue to do our best.” he stated