Tag: urges

Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has urged Christians to seek the face of God and pray for political office holders to deliver the dividends of democracy.

Openning the Global Mega Prayer Quake 2013 in Port Harcourt, Amaechi said there was no need for clerics to predict danger for political office holders voted into office by the people and saddled with the responsibility of discharging good governance and rendering stewardship.

He went on: “Pray that God should do something new in our lives and keep the governors alive to lead the people, because I read in the newspapers that clergymen prophesied that two governors would die this year. But I tell you, if Nigerians know that governors are fighting for the people to improve their welfare, nobody will pray that they should die. We need your prayers to live. God will reward you through his blessings.”

Recounting his experience before he became governor in 2007, Amaechi said he is the only governor that came into office without election, as he took over the mantle of leadership through the Supreme Court judgment of October 25, 2007, which he described as the handiwork of God.

“I fasted and obtained favour through financial breakthrough to sponsor my case in court. I had no money to give my lawyers, but somebody paid N200 million into my account, and I paid my lawyers. The miracle is that I’m the only governor that came to power without election in 2007. God used me to tell the world that he is God,” he said.

An industrialist, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas has urged the country’s leaders to to deliver their electoral promises as they were elected to serve.

Speaking at the End-of-the-Year get together of the Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos Island, at the weekend Okoya-Thomas, who is the chairman of Board of Trustees, said leaders cannot keep making promises to the people and fail to keep.

“You owe a lot to the populace, you cannot keep telling them it will be better tomorrow and not do anything today, it’s very sad,” he said, urging Nigerians and the media to play their roles and expose corruption in all phases.

He said: “When we tell the truth, even if it’s for a few months, they will understand what we’re saying. We must not be scared to tell the truth no matter the circumstance.”

Some countries with lower budgets than some states in Nigeria, he said, were making steady progress because of the synergy between the government and the governed.

Okoya-Thomas relived the history of the Hall, saying it has lived up to expectation of the founding fathers.

“For many years it was left untouched and converted into a trading centre where all manners of things were sold. This is one of the historical edifices of this country. The likes of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and other nationalists held their political debates in this place and we must cherish and preserve this memory,” he said.

Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed has urged event managers, planners and organisers to identify potential hazards so as to protect lives and properties.

Dr. Ahmed spoke at an Events and Gatherings Stakeholders Safety Forum held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

The commissioner, who represented Governor Babatunde Fashola, urged the stakeholders to make safety a priority in all their activities.

Director-General (DG) Lagos State Safety Commission, Mrs. Dominga Odebunmi said safety must be enforced in the public’s interest.

The forum, she said, was expected to expose key players to the risks inherent in events management.

She said it would serve as an avenue to introduce how to organise and manage events safely by laying the foundation for integrating health safety and environment management into event execution.

Mrs Odebunmi said there were lots of risks inherent in the event industry, urging event planners and organisers to “make safety the first and last agenda in the planning stage rather than repair syndrome.”

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties, Dr. Remi Desalu, said the recent fire outbreak at Jankara Market on Lagos Island was an avoidable man-made disaster, blaming the incident on negligence and non-compliance with safety requirements.

Government, he said, is determined to curb such incidents, adding that the Commission was established to, among others, ensure compliance with safety standards always.

Mrs. Tenidade Eboda of Events Basics called for more safety parametres because of rise increase in the number of events centres in the state.

She enjoined event planners to carry out risk identification.

Tagged: “You Are There…You Are Involved,” the forum is scheduled to take place at Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State and Awori-Ajeromi Grammar School on January 14 and 15, respectively

The running mate of the standard bearer of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State, Dr. Paul Akintelure, at the weekend urged party members to remain steadfast in the “struggle to guarantee a brighter future” for the people.

Akintelure spoke during a “Thank You” visit to party members in the Southern Senatorial District.

He said ACN is the only party that can improve the people’s lot.

The medical doctor was optimistic that ACN would govern the state in the future and get an opportunity to implement its development blueprint.

He said: “There is great hope for the party in the future. We urge the people to continue to support the ACN, so that Ondo will not be left out in the Southwest integration.

“We urge the people to remain steadfast in this struggle, as it is not just a fight to liberate our state from an unpopular government, but also a struggle to guarantee a brighter future for our children.

“As we indicated throughout the governorship campaign, we restate our avowed commitment to the promotion of strong democratic ideals in our dear state and beyond.

“In our march to make Ondo State a reference point in good governance, we will remain extremely focused, undaunted and determined. We believe that by the grace of God, our state will surmount the current setback through the strong collective will of our people to ensure that truth, justice and fair play triumphs.

“I have confidence in the party’s standard bearer, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), as the best among the candidates. He is the leader the people need to bring unprecedented development to the state.”

The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning, Mr. Toyin Ayinde, has urged churches to mobilise members to develop their communities by clearing gutters and drainages, to prevent flooding.

Ayinde, who spoke yesterday at the Revival 2012 Ministers’ Conference with the theme: “Rebuilding the Waste Places”, organised by the Upper Room Baptist Church, Ketu, Lagos and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in conjunction with the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) of Chicago, United States of America (USA), said churches have a role to play in the development of the communities.

He said government alone could not develop the communities, adding that churches should complement its efforts by embarking on developmental projects.

The General Overseer of the Upper Room Baptist Church and Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Kosofe province, Pastor Leke Akinola, said members of his church ensure the development of Ketu, Kosofe and environs by embarking on community development projects.

Speakers at the conference are Mr. Dave Clark from USA, Dr. Bethany Dudley from USA, Prof. Timothy Nubi and Mr. Gregory Ijiwola.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, yesterday urged the management of Medview Airlines to be conscious of safety, zero fatality and accident among airlines.

Demuren, who spoke at the inaugural flight of Medview Airlines at the new domestic Terminal Two of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, said the pursuit of air safety is the collective responsibility of the airlines, industry regulators and aeronautical service providers.

He enjoined the carrier to offer premium services that will fill the gap created since the crash of DANA Air, leading to drastic measures in the industry that have reduced the number of domestic operators.

Demurin said passengers were finding it difficult to secure seats on airlines after the steps taken to reposition the industry for profitability.

He added that the commencement of flights by Medview will offer alternatives to passengers.

Demuren said it took the NCAA a rigorous process to issue an air operator certificate to the airline, adding that the authority scrutinised the manuals to ensure that the operations would be safe.

He said the airline carried out 50 hours and 45 minutes of demonstration flights without carrying passengers to ensure the safety and competence of the airline, its aircraft and flight.

The NCAA Director-General said it took the aviation authority 18 months to look at the books of the airline before approving its operations, which he explained would reduce the burden of passengers in the sector.

The inaugural flight was also witnessed by Oba of Lagos Rilwan Akiolu, who urged the management to adhere to safety procedures.

The Chairman of Medview Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, solicited the cooperation of industry players to keep the airline afloat.

He promised that the airline would offer prompt and reliable services that will add value to air transportation.

The former Managing Director of the Nigeria Airways, Mr. Yomi Jones, enjoined industry players to cooperate to guarantee the progress of the aviation sector.

The Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, Mr. Olu Owolabi, promised to provide ground handling services that will enhance the operations of Medview.