The Nation Newspaper

Tag: President

  • Osinbajo is promoter of selfless leadership – Aregbesola

    Osinbajo is promoter of selfless leadership – Aregbesola

    Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state has congratulated the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on his 60th birthday.

    The felicitation is in a massage by Mr Semiu Okanlawon, the governor’s Media Aide in Osogbo on Wednesday.

    The governor described Osinbajo as a prominent promoter of selfless leadership, whose contributions would continue to be a source of reference in the country’s development.

    Aregbesola said Osinbajo’s trajectory in service saw him taking up worthy causes for no personal gains as long as they served humanity.

    He added that “in public and personal lives, Prof. Osinbajo has demonstrated that the most worthy service is that carried out for the good of fellow human beings even for no personal gains and comfort.”

    Recalling the acting president’s role in Lagos State law reforms as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Aregbesola said “the face of judiciary in the state
    changed after eight years of Osinbajo’s intensive reforms as chief law officer.

    “It is gratifying to note today that his pioneering efforts in that sector influenced similar reforms in other parts of the country.

    “This is one crucial aspect of our national life as a people where the acting president has tremendous impact”.

    According to the governor, Osinbajo has demonstrated that he is a man of the people, always identifying with the grassroots across the country.

    “On this occasion of your birthday, I join you and your immediate and political families in celebrating the abundant grace of God on your life.

    “Your life has been an eventful one, dotted by numerous achievements and accomplishments.

    “Nigeria has benefitted immensely from your fountain of knowledge, wealth of experience and leadership acumen.

    “The remarkable impacts you made in all spheres of human endeavour will continue to remain a reference point in the nation’s development history.

    “You are indeed a cerebral academic per excellence, a judicial revolutionary leader,  a stabilising force, a bridge-builder, an embodiment of and astute observer of the rule of law.”

    “On behalf of the government and the people of Osun, I congratulate you on the attainment of this age”, the governor added.

    Born on March 8, 1957 at Creek Hospital, Lagos, Osinbajo is a professor of law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

    His early years in primary school were spent at Corona School, Lagos, between
    1969-1975 and attended Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos, where he won the State Merit Award (1971); the School Prize for English Oratory (1972) and the Adeoba Prize for English Oratory (1972-1975).

    He also won the Elias Prize for Best Performance in History (WASC, 1973), the School Prize for Literature (HSC, 1975); and African Statesman Intercollegiate Best Speaker’s Prize (1974).

    Thereafter, he went for undergraduate degree at University of Lagos between 1975-1978 when he obtained a Second Class Upper Degree in Law, and also won the Graham-Douglas Prize for Commercial Law.

    In 1979, he completed the mandatory one-year professional training at the Nigerian Law School and got admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of Nigeria’s Supreme Court.

    In 1980, he attended the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he obtained a Master of Laws degree.

    Osinbajo is a scholar, a teacher, a lawyer and an administrator and is one of the nation’s leading experts in Law of Evidence, National and Regional Corporate Commercial Laws and Public Law.

    He became Vice President of Nigeria on May 29, 2015.

    He is married to Oludolapo Osinbajo (nee Soyode), granddaughter of the late sage and statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

  • Mbang: Obasanjo best President Nigeria ever had

    Mbang: Obasanjo best President Nigeria ever had

    A former Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President, Sunday Mbang, yesterday declared that ex – President Olusegun Obasanjo was the  “best president Nigeria has ever had”.

    Mbang said he owed no one any apology on his position, adding that one of the things that ensured the former President’s success was his habit of always bringing government’s policies and programmes first to God in prayer before making them public.

    The former Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, during a sermon at a thanksgiving service at the Chapel of Christ the Glorious King (CCGK) within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library(OOPL) to mark Obasanjo’s 80th birthday.

    The service was attended by former President Goodluck Jonathan; former Head of Interim National Government Chief Ernest Shonekan; Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf; Governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel.

    Also in attendance wereAlake of Egbaland Oba Aremu Gbadebo and Ooni of Ife Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, among others.

    The former prelate said Obasanjo succeeded because he recognised the place of God in man’s affairs.

    He recalled that God was with the two-term President not only to help him excel, but also to ensure that all conspiracies and plans to impeach him failed.

    Mbang said whatever  was being done to move the country forward – be it the anti – corruption crusade or reviving the agricultural sector since Obasanjo left office, were continuation of all that the elder statesman started.

    The cleric lamented that his successors did not even handle some of them right.

    “This is a man I have known for a very long time. I fell in love with him when I discovered that he held morning devotion daily in Aso Rock when he became president.

    “The devotion was attended by his family and other people. That was why he succeeded in government. God never allowed them to impeach him.

    “Obasanjo is the best president Nigeria has ever had. I have no apologies about it. He built a chapel inside Aso Rock within three months of getting there,” Mbang said.

    According to him, if successive governments had followed Obasanjo’s agricultural policies, such as the Operation Feed the Nation, with the same vigour and diligence, the country would not have been in a precarious economic condition today.

    Mbang, in his sermon titled: “Quality of a gratitude to God,” urged Nigerians, irrespective of status, to imbibe the attitude of gratitude to God.

    CAN National President Rev. Supo Ayokunle said the Christian community would never forget what Obasanjo did for it, saying “he gave us a symbol of unity.”

    He recalled that Obasanjo and the late former Head of State Gen. Murtala Muhammed in 1976 called Christians together to form  CAN, adding that he also initiated the fund raising ceremony for building of the National Ecumenical Centre (NEC) now called National Christian Centre (NCC).

    Obasanjo praised  guests, OOPL Board of Trustees, clerics, children as well as his family, saying “Thank you all and I pray God will honour us all.”

    Other dignitaries present were Ogun State Deputy Governor Yetunde Onanuga; former governors Adebayo Alao Akala (Oyo); Segun Oni (Ekiti); Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun); Senator Godswill Akpabio(Akwa Ibom); Pastor Enoch Adeboye; Osiele of Oke-Ona Oba Adedapo Tejuoso; Oluwo of Iwo Oba Abdul Rasheed Akanbi; Christopher Kolade; Prof. Akin Mabogunje; Andy Uba; The Guardian publisher Maiden Ibru; Toke Ibru; former Minister Sharafa Tunji Ishola and a former commissioner Gboyega Isiaka.

  • Obasanjo, best President Nigeria ever had, says Sunday Mbang

    Obasanjo, best President Nigeria ever had, says Sunday Mbang

    Former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN), His Eminence, Dr. Sunday Mbang, on Sunday declared that ex – President Olusegun Obasanjo remained the “best president Nigeria has ever had” since independence.

    Mbang who said he owes no one any apology about his opinion on Obasanjo and leadership in Nigeria, added that one of the things that ensured the former President’s success was the habit of always bringing the government’s policies and programmes first to God in prayer before making it public.

    The former Prelate of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, spoke in Abeokuta while delivering a sermon during Thanksgiving Service at the Chapel of Christ the Glorious King(CCGK) within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library(OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to mark the 80th birthday ceremony of Obasanjo.

    The church service was attended by former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Chairperson of Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ellen Johnson – Sirleaf, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Abia State, Victor Ikpeazu, Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Governor Gbenga Daniel, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi among others.

    The retired christian leader said Obasanjo succeeded as leader because he recognised the place of God in the affairs of man and accorded it to him through regular morning devotion in Aso Rock as well as getting some men of God to also join him to seek God’s favour on every of his decision and programme in government.

    He recalled that God in his mercy was with the two term President of Nigeria on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), not only to help him excel, but also to ensure that all conspiracies and plans (by the National Assembly) to impeach him failed while his tenure lasted.

    He said whatever that is being done in the country to move it forward – be it the anti – corruption crusade or the reviving of the agricultural sector since Obasanjo left office, were not new but just a continuation of all that the elder statesman had started.

    He noted that his successors did not even handle some of them right.

    According to Mbang, if successive government after Obasanjo had followed the agricultural policies with the same vigour and diligence displayed while in office, the country would not have been in a precarious economic condition today.

  • ‘Our president is sick, everything in us as a nation is sick’

    ‘Our president is sick, everything in us as a nation is sick’

    The Forum of Chief Imams of all Juma’at  mosques in the 25 Local Government Areas of Niger state converged at Minna central mosque on Saturday for special prayers for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prayers were also offered for the development and progress of the nation at the session.

    “Our president is sick, everything in us as a nation is sick. All that is expected of us is to include him in our daily prayers,”Sheik Ibrahim Fari, Chairman of the forum, told NAN.

    He said that the prayers were aimed at supporting the prayers of all Nigerians asking God to restore the president’s good health.

    “The entire nation needs him to accomplish his mission of re-positioning the country towards ending corruption in our lives.

    “Corruption has been the major factor responsible for our collective setback.

    “This gathering is very important to ask Allah to strengthen the current administration in it’s efforts at ending the senseless killings of innocent Nigerians especially in the Northeast and North central.

    “Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religious  and political differences, should come together and pray for our leaders,” Sheik Ibrahim stated.

     

  • Tinubu: I’m not getting set to run for president

    Tinubu: I’m not getting set to run for president

    I stand behind Buhari in confidence, says APC stalwart

    All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will never stand in any contest against President Muhammadu Buhari or support anyone against him, his Media Office said yesterday.
    Tinubu pledged his continued loyalty to the president and the APC in a statement to debunk Thisday’s story published yesterday.
    The statement titled: “Response to Thisday false news report” added that the former Lagos State governor was neither planning a team nor holding consultations with the intention of planning any presidential campaign.
    It also said Tinubu would never join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any mega party, having laboured hard to bring the APC to life and power.
    The statement said: “The front page story of the February 28 Thisday newspaper alleging that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is actively planning a presidential run is an example of bad fiction masquerading as professional journalism.
    “The story is a manufactured tale weaved by its authors to try to create division where there is none.
    “Those who wrote this fantasy seek to place Asiwaju Tinubu at odds with President Buhari. Writing such a baseless report is a very foul and wrong thing to do.
    “The story carried the headline ‘Tinubu Prepares for Presidential Run, Dumps PDP, Mega Party Alliance’. The headline is remarkable in the fact that every bit of it is utterly wrong.
    “First, Asiwaju Tinubu is not gearing up for a presidential run. So there will not be any doubt about this core matter; we shall state Tinubu’s position clearly and unequivocally so that even Thisday reporters cannot misinterpret his position.
    “As long as that patriotic and committed man named Muhammadu Buhari holds and seeks to hold the mantle as our president, then Asiwaju Tinubu stands behind him in unwavering support and confidence.
    “Asiwaju Tinubu remains faithful to the mission of progressive reform and change that President Buhari, he and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have started.
    “Tinubu was instrumental in the formation and success of the APC. His toil and efforts helped establish this government.  He is not one to tear down something he laboured so dutifully to build.
    “Instead of trying to convey the truth, the THISDAY report opted to gain false sensation by completely mocking the tenor of the brief banter Asiwaju Tinubu had with journalists at the inauguration of Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. When asked about future political office, Asiwaju said he could not discount that possibility if the nation called upon him for such service, provided, he emphasised, that all political conditions were appropriate; particularly the office in question would have to be vacant, even if it’s local government chairmanship. In our political lexicon, this means the office is not held by a member of the APC in good standing.  We all know this.
    “Moreover, if you really listen to his words, Asiwaju did not mention any office or any time-frame.  The conditions he mentioned may not become ripe for years to come and they might not pertain to the presidency. In effect, all Asiwaju said was the position that any political figure would hold.
    “As a politician, he cannot preclude the possibility of running for office in the future because no man knows what the future will hold. To translate this general statement of political reality into a tale that he is actively preparing for a 2019 presidential run is reckless in the extreme.
    “For that newspaper’s reporters to have engaged in this great leap of counterfeit logic means they purposefully bowed to the pressure to create false headlines instead of following the ethics of their craft to follow the truth even if the truth is more pedestrian and less volatile than what the reporters would have liked to hear. “They have turned themselves into newsmakers instead of remaining true to their calling of being neutral conveyors of events.
    “Asiwaju Tinubu has not held any planning meetings for any such presidential campaign and is not contemplating any such meetings. He has no present list of possible running mates because he has no present intention of running.
    “The headline also libels Asiwaju by asserting he was going to join the PDP.  This is as shameless as a lie can be. Asiwaju is acknowledged to be the intellectual father and the driving force behind the APC.
    “It makes no sense that he would abandon the party that he worked hard to build in order to enter the dilapidated building the PDP has become. Asiwaju worked for over 16 years to break the PDP yoke on the nation.
    “After breaking that yoke, it is not in his nature to voluntarily place it back on our necks. Anyone who has followed his career, even his staunchest critics, knows Asiwaju for his partisan consistency. He is not a party hopper. He is loyal and sticks with the party to which he belongs.
    “After fighting for so many years to elevate his party to the position of national leadership, he would not give that away in order to join with those who blame him for their currently bleak political circumstance.
    “We understand all too well the genesis of this false news report. For their own reasons, THISDAY has joined with those who seek to put Asiwaju Tinubu at odds with our President.
    “This scam will fail. Asiwaju supports and stands behind   President Buhari. He wishes the president well and that he returns soon. Whether the president is here or away, he has the full loyalty of Asiwaju Tinubu.
    “President Buhari can rest assured on this point: Asiwaju Tinubu will never contest against him nor will he support anyone who does.”

  • Buhari has not disappointed me, says Obasanjo

    Buhari has not disappointed me, says Obasanjo

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says that the current Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari, has not disappointed him since he assumed office in 2015.

    Obasanjo stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta.

    While reflecting on the Buhari administration since 2015, Obasanjo said that the president had done his best to move the country forward.

    “Whatever anybody says, President Buhari has not disappointed me from what I know of him,’’ he said.

    He said the president had delivered on his core areas of strength and ability, particularly in the anti-corruption crusade and the war against insurgency.

    “In my book, I have said that Buhari is not strong on the economy and I did not write this to run him down.

    “I also used to think that he is not strong in the area of foreign affairs, but I have realised that he has improved very well.

    “He has actually done his best in the areas where we know him to be strong,” he said.

    The elder statesman urged Nigerians not to relent in their support for Buhari and not to give up on Nigeria.

    “Whatever you might see as bad in Nigeria, other societies have gone through the same at some period in their history.

    “It is not for us to begin to condemn but to begin to join hands together and consider how we can make the best out of our present.

    “”Our present situation is a passing phase and we need to be resilient to ensure that we are not consumed by it.

    “I will be the first to admit that we have not been where we should have been, but note that we have also been far from where we could have been because it could have been worse.

    “It is the height of ingratitude for people to say Nigeria has not achieved anything or much as a nation.

    “The generation before mine fought for Nigeria’s independence, that is great.

    “My own generation, which is the next, fought to sustain the unity of Nigeria.

    “Since 1999, Nigeria had enjoyed 18 years of unbroken democracy.

    “We witnessed in 2007 a transition of power from one individual to another in the same party.

    “We witnessed in 2015 a transition of power from an individual in the ruling party to another individual in the opposition party.

    “All these should not be taken for granted,” he said.

    Obasanjo also decried the call for national conferences or assemblies to negotiate the continued unity of Nigeria.

    The former president who, described such conferences as distractions, said he did not bother to read the report of the last one organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    ” We Nigerians need ourselves and if anyone thinks he does not need another person, good luck to him.

    “What I see in all those groups trying to break away is that they want more of the national cake.

    “The fact that you want more of the cake means that it is good and you like it, else you will not be asking for more of it.

    “I do understand the agitations of the youths in that the increased facilities that now exist as against our own time have not translated to adequate opportunities for them.

    “But I think that rather than engage in violence, they should think of how to build on the sacrifices of the generations before them,” he said.

    The elder statesman, who would turn 80 on March 5, said he had no regrets at such an age.

    He said that his hope that Nigeria would still be a great nation was still intact. (NAN)

  • Hush! Our President is resting, don’t disturb

    This column had gotten into trouble early in the life of this administration. A crippling inertia had bedevilled the President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) administration early in the day – from inauguration day on May 29, 2015 up to the end of that year. But not many noticed.

    The first 100 days often marked with fanfare and a showcasing of early results by most governments was dismissed gruffly as a no event by the PMB people.

    All the low-hanging fruits most new governments pick and process quickly were all lost on the new regime. The appointment of a new cabinet which often signposts the character and substance of any new helmsman as well as critical appointments to strategic positions could not be achieved in the first 100 days. Even some key agencies that drive socio-economic activities are still void of boards till today – almost two years of the PMB era.

    This column, befuddled and nonplussed at this crippling slow pace and loss of clear opportunities, wrote many pieces about it. Numerous easy wins were glaring but painfully neglected. One must have been branded to be among the ‘wailers’, who are impatient and seeking to stampede the new administration into derailing from its ‘methodical’ approach. Many readers all but branded this column a saboteur.

    One hundred days rolled into 200, and to one year going on to two. And everything goes from bad to worse. The exchange rate, the most critical indicator of the state of health of Nigeria’s economy galloped from N198 to a dollar to about N500 currently. And still rising. What this means, it must be said, is that in 18 months of PMB, the economy is in a complete mess. There is absolutely no justification for this ruinous slide other than sheer incompetence. Our expectations crashed, we wanted to see pithy changes happening quickly but, zilch!

    From the foregoing prognosis, every jigsaw may have fallen into place now with the ill-health of PMB becoming protracted and obvious. What all this betokens is that the President must have been seriously ill all this while. Recall that Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State raised the alarm about the President’s health in the heat of the 2015 electioneering, but Nigerians railed at him, drowning his (wake up) call in the politics of that moment. But the point remains that if PMB battles with a serious health situation he could never function at the optimum. This must explain the months of inertia when basic things seemed so difficult to execute and the country bled profusely.

    Today, it has all come to a head. The President’s illness cannot be concealed anymore and here we are told to watch and pray while he recuperates. Do not disturb, our president is resting: that is the bold sign place in our face. Yet we would naot be apprised with the true situation of our President’s health. From taking a 10-day annual leave to waiting for test results and now, to needing further time to rest.

     

    Of plastic rice and Indian ‘gari’

    The first point to note about the Indian garri discovered in a super market in Nigeria is that it is incorrectly spelt as ‘gari’ instead of garri. Last December, we were assailed by rumours of plastic rice emanating from China and dumped on our shores. But let’s not be overly alarmed as this place has long been the dumping ground of the world.

    From toxic waste to smelly fuel. Go to any supermarket or the new mega ones; they are filled with imported items – about 90% of over a thousand items you find in them are from other countries.

    While we feign alarm at the novelty of Indian ‘gari’, do we have a cassava industry or value chain? No. Do we not import over 80 per cent of what we eat still? Do we have a serious agric sector? No. Let’s get serious.

  • Not all judges are corrupt -Justice Abdullahi

    Not all judges are corrupt -Justice Abdullahi

    The former President, Court of Appeal, Justice Umaru Abdullahi, on Saturday said that not all Nigerian Judges were corrupt.

    Abdullahi made the remark during a public presentation of the journal on Private and Comparative Law, organised in his honour by the Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

    According to him, the Nigerian judiciary has come of age as a very solid institution.

    He said that in any human society, there must be good, bad and worst elements.

    “So, the judiciary is a human and Nigerian institution.

    “Therefore, it is not surprising that some few judicial officers are been picked up for going out of their parameters of the judicial function.’’

    He said the judiciary had been delivering services to the continuity of the country and was in the forefront in providing solutions to some of the problems facing the country.

    “We are not disputing the fact that there is no bad element in the judiciary, but not all in the system are bad.

    “If you compare the number of the bad ones, the good ones outnumber the bad ones.’’

    Abdullahi, therefore, said it was unfair to condemn the judiciary because of the few bad ones, as there is no sector in Nigeria that was insulated from corruption,

    He, however, said, “There is the machinery the government can use effectively to flush out bad elements in the judiciary.”

    Abdullahi added that the government also has the machinery to ensure that only credible persons were appointed as judges.

    Meanwhile, the President, Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, said the judiciary had been trying its best in the fight against corruption.

    Bulkachuwa said the judiciary has a standard of measuring judges.

    “We have our code of conduct the judicial officer is expected to abide with, If you see anything different from our code of conduct, that officer would have gone astray.

    “If you go strictly by the code of conduct you can’t go wrong; So, we are committed to the fight against corruption,’’ she said.

  • Lions president installed

    Lions president installed

    A media consultant based in Lagos State Adedeji Olukokun has been installed president of Ikeja Dynamic Lions Club. The event, which held at Ikeja Business Club, was attended by Leos and Lions Club members from the multiple District 404 Nigeria.

    The club became the first Leo-Lion conversion club and the first to be chartered in the District. Since 2005, when the District was first bifurcated, Olukokun made history as the first past Leo District president from District 404B to be installed as a Lions Club president.

    District Governor (DG), Taiwo Adewunmi was happy that the newly formed club had 70 per cent former Leos who became strong members of Lions. Also, it was the first time a Leo Past District President would install and present another Past Leo District President in the history of Lions in Nigeria as the District Governor and the new president serves as the head of the youth arm with the latter serving as the Pioneer District President of Leo District 404B2 Nigeria.

    Olukokun praised the Ikeja Dynamic Lions Club members for picking him. He promised to sustain the legacy of service for the benefit of humanity. He said he would engage in projects revolving around relieving hunger, engaging the youth through various empowerment programmes, sharing the vision by fighting against blindness and protecting the Environment.

    The chairman of the occasion Adediran Olukokun, an engineer, charged the president not to relent in his quest for infusing diverse innovation to the Lions programme and that he must strengthen the pride of service by bringing smiles continuously to the face of the needy.

    An inaugural lecture titled: “Promoting service culture as a panacea for national development” was delivered by Ladi Awotinde. It was preceded by the presentation of the clubs charter certificate, decoration of Olukokun and an official parade around the hall by the DG.

    Other members inducted along with Olukokun were Senbanjo Tolulope; Oluseun Onigbinde; Team Lead of Budgit; Ayoola Sogbesan, Sanyaolu Caleb, Owoyomi Olamide, Adebimpe Balogun.

  • ‘God will disappoint those who wish the president death’

    ‘God will disappoint those who wish the president death’

    Apostle Daniel Aguocha of Divine Solutions With Favours Assembly, Kaduna, on Sunday led a prayer session for President Muhammadu Buhari`s sound health.

    The priest appealed to God to elongate the President`s life with good health to enable him fulfil his God-assigned assignments.

    Aguocha led the prayer during a thanks giving service in honour of Mr Charles Uka, a civil servant and a member of the Church, who turned 58 years.

    He said that no man can cut shot the life span of President Buhari until he fulfilled what God had ordained him to accomplish on earth.

    ‘‘I assure you that God shall disappoint those who wish the President death before his time.

    ‘‘God shall replenish his health and he will be with us until his time is right, ’’ he said.

    He assured Nigerians that better days lay ahead in spite of the current hardship being experienced across the nation.

    The clergy urged the people to be patient, adding that things would get better at the appointed time.

    ‘‘What is expected of us is to intensify our prayers for God to increase the strength, health and wisdom of our leaders to lead us well, ’’ he said.

    He called on parents to inculcate good habits and entrench noble character in their children, to grow and become useful to themselves, their communities and the nation.

    Uka explained that he was in the Church to thank God for keeping him thus far.

    He equally urged Nigerians to be grateful to their leaders and pray for their success for the good of all. (NAN)