2019: Sell your PVC, mortgage your future, says Ebonyi APC governorship candidate

PVC
By Douglas Okoro
Mgbo (Ebonyi) Dec. 25, 2018 (NAN) Sen. Soni Ogbuoji, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi, has charged the electorate in the state to resist any attempt by politicians to buy their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2019 polls.
Ogbuoji gave the charge in his goodwill message to the people of the state during the Christmas celebration.
He said that to sell their PVC would amount to mortgaging their future and children’s future.
The message, which was signed by Sen. Anthony Agbo, the Director-General of the Sen. Soni Ogbuoji Campaign Organization, admonished the electorate not to allow unscrupulous political office seekers to induce them with money or material things.
The APC governorship flag bearer said: “Our people should shun those that would come to lure them into selling their PVCs with money, rice and other material items.
“When you give out your PVC for N1,000 or N2,000, remember that the money can only last for a day or two, leaving you with great uncertainties in future.
“If somebody asks for your PVC, tell him that the card is for you and you alone; please do not exchange your PVCs for any price.
“It is your private weapon. It is your ‘AK 47’ to shoot down the enemy preventing you and your children from enjoying the dividend of democracy and good governance in Ebonyi.
“So, don’t give it out to anybody because the person coming to ask for it is asking for your tomorrow and your children’s tomorrow”, he said.
The law maker cautioned politicians in the state against hate speech and campaign of calumny. He advocated issue-based campaign which, he said, was the only way to convince the electorate and win their vote.
He expressed the need for the people to utilise the upcoming polls to enthrone just and credible leadership in Ebonyi.
He promised to provide quality and visionary leadership that would facilitate the process of development and emancipation of the state from “bad leadership”, if voted into office.
On the Christmas message, Ogbuoji felicitated the people of the state and admonished them to emulate the virtues of Jesus Christ.
He further urged the people to use the period of the Yuletide “to pray for peaceful general elections in the state and Nigeria in general.”
He said, “I greet our resilient civil servants, founding fathers, youths, physically challenged and all the good and loving people of Ebonyi.”
“As Christmas signifies the arrival of Christ to set humanity free from the bondage of sin and Satan and offer us hope of eternal life, Ogbuoji and APC in Ebonyi have come to set the people free from bad leadership and impoverishment.
“The change is at hand and we assure the people that this is the last Christmas they will celebrate in tears, poverty and anguish.” (NAN)
ODO/USO
Edited by Sam Oditah

Celebration
By Ibukun Emiola
Ibadan, Dec. 25, 2018, (NAN) Mrs Florence Ajimobi, wife of the Oyo State Governor, says celebrating babies born on Christmas day is a veritable way of showing love as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ajimobi made the statement in Ibadan on Tuesday while giving three babies born on Dec. 25 in the state hospitals cash gifts and baby items.

The governor’s wife was represented by Mrs Atinuke Osunkoya, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

She said: “This is a season of love and peace; I can only pray that peace and love will continue to reign in Oyo State.

“We brought gifts for the mothers and the babies on behalf of the Oyo State Government to our lovely children born on Dec. 25, the same birthday as our Lord Jesus Christ. ‘’

Mr Adegoke Bamiteko and Mr Olutope Adetuyi, who were fathers of the new born babies, appreciated the Oyo State Government for the kind gesture and love displayed on Christmas Day.

NAN reports that the state officials also visited Jericho Specialist Hospital and Adeoyo Yemetu Hospital to present gift items and cash to mothers and babies born on Christmas Day as well as to children on hospital admissions.

Mrs Oritoke Bamiteko gave birth to the first baby boy born at 12:02 a.m. with the birth weight of 3.4kg; Mrs Nafisat Amole gave birth to a baby boy at 2:20 a.m. with the birth weight of 3.0 kg.

The third baby was a female delivered by Mrs Elizabeth Adetuyi at 3:31 a.m. with the birth weight of 2.8 kg. (NAN)
IBK/FF/AJA
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Edited by Fela Fashoro/Adeleye Ajayi

See differences as asset, not danger, pope says in Christmas message

Pope
Vatican  City, Dec. 25, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) – Pope Francis, in his Christmas message to the world, urged people on Tuesday to see differences as a source of richness instead of danger and called for reconciliation in places torn apart by conflict.

Pope Francis delivered the traditional papal “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message to tens of thousands of people in a sunny St. Peter’s Square from the same basilica balcony where he first appeared as pontiff shortly after his election on March 13, 2013.

Security has been tight around the Vatican for the Christmas season, with military jeeps stationed at key access routes and tourists undergoing metal detector and bag searches.

Last week police in southern Italy arrested a Somali man suspected of having been a member of Islamic State and who had threatened to bomb churches in Italy, including St. Peter’s.

In his address, in what appeared to be a reference to the shrill political climate in a number of countries, Francis called for “fraternity among people with different ideas, yet capable of respecting and listening to one another”.

Francis, the first pope from Latin America, alluded to polarisation over migration, saying God wanted “love, acceptance, respect for this poor humanity of ours, which we all share in a great variety of races, languages, and cultures”.

“Our differences, then, are not a detriment or a danger; they are a source of richness,” he said.

Francis, 82, called for the resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians to “undertake a journey of peace that can put an end to a conflict that for over 70 years has lacerated the land chosen by the Lord to show his face of love”.

He urged the international community to work for a political solution in Syria and said he hoped a truce brokered in Yemen’s civil war could bring relief to a population exhausted by violence and famine.

The Argentinian-born pope also called for social harmony in Nicaragua and Venezuela, both racked by internal political conflicts.

The millions of refugees or displaced people in Africa who are in need of humanitarian assistance and food security should not be forgotten, he said.

In Ukraine, he called for “a peace respectful of the rights of every nation”.

Ukraine’s relations with Russia have been locked in a downward spiral since Moscow annexed Crimea 2014 and backed pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine.(Reuters/NAN)
DCU
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Edited by Donald Ugwu

HIV: Group seeks Law to stop stigma, discrimination
By Lydia Ngwakwe
Stigma
Lagos, Dec. 25, 2018 (NAN) The Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has advocated for a Law that would protect people infected by HIV/AIDS from stigma and discrimination.
The group also urged the National Assembly to make the enactment a priority in 2019.
Mr Peter Obialor, the Lagos State Coordinator of the group, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
According to him, if governments can come up with a law that will make it a crime to discriminate against clients, there will be hope and a sense of belonging to us all.
“I am pleading with our lawmakers to come up with a law that will protect and guide People Living with HIV (PLHIV) against every form of stigmatisation and discrimination.
“After the National Assembly has made the law, State Assemblies can domesticate it so that the implementation will be effective and taken seriously in the country.
“Currently, many children have stopped going to school because of stigmatisation and discrimination,” Obialor said.
He urged governments to also institutionalise special scholarship programmes for children living with the condition.
He said: “Governments should grant scholarship to youths living with HIV and also come up with empowerment programmes for orphans and vulnerable children that their parents died due to HIV.”
However, he commended the Lagos State Government on efforts done to ensure the state Assembly passed a bill that would stop stigma on HIV persons.
He hoped that the bill could be fully implemented to end the increasing stigma on PLHIV.
He however expressed worry that PLHIV were being sacked from work.
He said: “The increasing stigma on people living with HIV is something very disheartening and has got to even work places.
“When a company or organisation finds out that you are PLHIV, you are finished because you are going to be relieved of your work.
“One thing people should know is that HIV is not a sickness that kills faster like malaria does, it is the fear that kill.
“Also, HIV cannot be transmitted through eye contact nor touching, it can be acquired through sex and sharing an infected sharp objects,” he said.
NAN reports that Nigeria is one of the countries with high number of people living with the scourge. (NAN)
LED/CHOM/MST
Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Centres
By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko
Ibadan, Dec. 25, 2018 (NAN) Leisure centres in Ibadan, including the popular Agodi Gardens and shoprite were beehive of activities as many fun seekers thronged the venues in celebration of Christmas on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there were crowd at many of the fun spots in Ibadan metropolis.

At the Agodi Gardens, there was a large number of people at the entrance in spite of the N500 entrance fee.

Also at shoprite, many parents brought a good number of their children in spite of the N300, N500 amount paid by the children to access the playing ground.

A father, Mr Victor Eze, who brought six children said he went the extra mile to ensure that his children celebrated the season.

“It is not easy at all but we did our best to make sure that the children were happy to an extent.

“Things are really hard this year compared to other years and that is because the economy is not favourable. The costs of virtually all food items in the market were high.

“The government should please do all it can to improve our economy to help us, ‘’ Eze said.

Also speaking, a business woman, Mrs Shola Adigun, who brought three children and Christmas accessories to sell as well, said this year’s Christmas was not as interesting as the other years.

“I managed to bring my children so that they can at least have fun with others because I don’t have a choice. Truly, this Christmas is not filled with fun as before because of financial issues.

“I had to reduce the prices of the Christmas accessories just to lure people to buy. The good thing is that we are alive and have to do all we can to join others and celebrate,” she said.

Also, Mrs Rachael Adebeku, who brought two kids, thanked God for the gift of life.

“We have more fun this year than last year in spite of the hard economy. The period gave us time at least to be with our family and friends; so have to appreciate God.

“We really pray that the government improves the economy because if the economy is improved we will enjoy ourselves more,” she said.

One of the operators at the children’s RidesRus playground, Shoprite, Miss Lizzy Abiona, said operators made brisk business.

“We really do wish and pray for such festive periods because we always have a large number of people who patronise us.

“There is no dull moment this period at all. As you can see, people are really trooping in and will continue to come even after Christmas day.

“With the patronage, we are sure of receiving salary as the end of the month,’’ she said.

NAN reports that many fun seekers were also sighted at Bubbleplus, RingiiRingii as well as other recreation centres in Ibadan metropolis. (NAN)
CC/FF/AJA
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Edited by Fela Fashoro/Adeleye Ajayi

Indonesian rescuers use drones, sniffer dogs as tsunami death toll tops 400

Death
Labuan, Indonesia, Dec. 25, 2018 (Reuters/NAN)  Indonesian rescuers on Tuesday used drones and sniffer dogs to search for survivors along the devastated west coast of Java hit by a tsunami that killed at least 429 people, warning more victims are expected to be uncovered as the search expands.

Thick ash clouds continued to spew from Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island where a crater collapse at high tide on Saturday sent waves smashing into coastal areas on both sides of the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java.

At least 154 people remain missing. More than 1,400 people were injured, and thousands of residents had to move to higher ground, with a high-tide warning extended to Wednesday.

Rescuers used heavy machinery, sniffer dogs, and special cameras to detect and dig bodies out of mud and wreckage along a 100-km (60-mile) stretch of Java’s west coast and officials said the search area would be expanded further south.

“There are several locations that we previously thought were not affected,” said Yusuf Latif, spokesman for the national search and rescue agency.

“But now we are reaching more remote areas, and in fact there are many victims there,” he added.

The vast archipelago, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, has suffered its worst annual death toll from disasters in more than a decade.

Earthquakes flattened parts of the island of Lombok in July and August, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed more than 2,000 people on a remote part of Sulawesi Island in September.

It took just 24 minutes after the landslide for waves to hit land, and there was no early warning for those living on the coast.

Authorities have warned of further high waves and advised residents to stay away from the shoreline.

“Since Anak Krakatau has been actively erupting for the past several months additional tsunamis cannot be excluded,” said Dr. Prof Hermann Fritz, from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the U.S.

Rescue efforts were hampered by heavy rainfall and low visibility. Military and volunteer teams used drones to assess the extent of the damage along the coast.

Food, water, blankets, and medical aid is trickling into remote areas via inland roads that are choked with traffic.

Thousands of people are staying in tents and temporary shelters like mosques or schools, with dozens sleeping on the floor and using public facilities. Many remained traumatised by the disaster.

“We can’t sleep at night, and if we get to sleep a car goes past with sirens and we wake up again, on edge,” said Enah, a 29-year-old woman who managed to survive with her family.

A local official in the city of Labuan, Atmadja Suhara, said he was helping to care for 4,000 refugees, many of whom had been left homeless.

“Everybody is still in a state of panic,” he said. “We often have disasters, but not as bad as this.”

“God willing,” he said, “we will rebuild.”

Destruction was visible along much of the coastline where waves of up to two meters (6 feet) crushed vehicles, felled trees, lifted chunks of metal, wooden beams and household items and deposited them on roads and rice fields.

Out in the strait, Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) was still erupting and authorities imposed a 2-km exclusion zone around it.

The meteorology agency said that an area of about 64 hectares (222 acres), or about 90 soccer fields, of the volcanic island had collapsed into the sea.

In 1883, the volcano, then known as Krakatoa, erupted in one of the biggest blasts in recorded history, killing more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis, and lowering the global surface temperature by one degree Celsius with its ash.

Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the area in 1927, and has been growing ever since.

President Joko Widodo, who is running for re-election in April, told disaster agencies to install early warning systems, but experts said that, unlike tsunami caused by earthquakes, little could have been done in time to alert people that waves were coming.

The timing of the disaster over the Christmas season evoked memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004, which killed 226,000 people in 14 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.(Reuters/NAN)
DCU
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Edited by Donald Ugwu

Residents
By Reporters
Abuja, Dec. 25, 2018 (NAN) Some residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have taken advantage of celebrations to bond with family members and friends, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The residents who had fun at the Millennium Park, Abuja on Tuesday advised Nigerians, especially workers, to always create time to relax with their loved ones.

According to them, sit-outs and other forms of entertainment should not be only during festive periods.

One of the fun seekers, Mr John Alhassan, said Christmas Day is the birthday of Jesus Christ and it should be celebrated well as a season for love.

“It is a difficult year, full of expectations which has not been achieved but thank God for all his mercies.

“I am happy there was no fuel scarcity this year which means the government is working,” Alhassan said.

Another fun seeker, Mrs Favour Ogbona, said Jesus Christ’s birth brought joy and happiness, adding that people should find more time to stay with their families.

“I am happy at the turn up of people and some people at yet to come.

“Having fun also helps our kids to be educationally, morally and socially sound and should not be encouraged only during festivities,” she stressed.

Ogbona also urged the government to provide more facilities at the park to attract more fun seekers.

NAN recalls that the patronage at the park was higher in 2018 when compared to 2017.

Another fun seeker, Master Isaac Emmanuel, said that he was happy to be out on a day like this and encouraged other kids to tell their parents to take them out.

“Fun centres are not only meant for kids, parents can also use the opportunity to ease stress and bond with families,” he said.

Emmanuel said that having fun in places such as the Millennium Park would help promote peace and unity in the country.

In Gombe, clerics called on Christians to love one another, expressing optimism that better days await Nigerians in years ahead.

They said Christmas is a celebration of God’s love, so every Christian needs to show love.

Pastor Olayinka Olasehinde, Pastor in-charge of Winners’ Assembly Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) said that love brings peace.

He therefore emphasised the need for Nigerians to love one another.

‘‘Christmas is a time for love. So my message to everyone is to show love irrespective of who the person is; whether he shares your belief or not. The Bible says love your neighbour as yourself.

‘‘If you declare your love to everyone whether they are Christians or not, Nigeria will be better. The problem we have in the country can only be solved if we love one another.

‘‘The genesis of Christmas is giving. Nigerians must learn to give. Give love, patience, tolerance, kindness, and forgiveness. If all these are considered, we will be in peace,’’ he said.

He said: ‘‘Nigerians must build Nigeria. We must pray and work for the progress of the nation, respect our leaders and seek God’s face at all times.’’

Olasehinde advised those who were yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to collect them before the 2019 general elections.

Deacon Abraham Kayode of Love Assembly Parish of RCCG, Yola, Adamawa, who was on a visit, urged Nigerians to follow the path of righteousness.

He declared that righteousness would exalt the nation.

‘‘Christians should always be happy and let the birth of Jesus show forth in their life by expressing love to one another and live in peace,’’ he said.

Mrs Esther Olasehinde, a staff of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe State said, ‘‘Christmas is a time for sober reflection and a time to show love.’’

Olasehinde lauded the governments at the federal and state levels for the peaceful atmosphere in the country, adding that the security in 2018 was better compared to the previous years.

NAN reports that residents of Yelenguruza Quarters in Gombe were seen gathered in various locations within their vicinity playing music and celebrating with family members and friends.

In Ile-Ife, Osun, the Superintendent, Christ Apostolic Church, (CAC), Iloro Zonal Headquarters, Pastor Timothy Bakare, admonished all Christians to contribute their quota to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bakare gave the admonition during the Christmas Service at the Church Auditorium in Ile-Ife on Tuesday.

He said that many people contributed both positively and negatively to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ including Mary, the mother and Joseph, her husband.

According to him, King Herod has an impact in Jesus’ birth by trying to destroy Jesus so as to disturb God’s plan for the salvation of the universe.

He said that God saw holiness and faithfulness of Mary and Joseph, this led to their being chosen to bring forth Jesus Christ the saviour.

He stated that Christians should perform their own part in the second coming of Jesus by staying away from worldly things and focus on the hereafter.

‘‘Allow Holy Spirit to dwell and direct your path, persevere, separate yourselves from evil doing, control your tongues.

‘‘Ensure you emulate the attitude of Jesus when alive, so that eternity shall be yours at the end of your race on earth,’’ he advised. (NAN)
Reporters/MOL/IS
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Ismail Abdulaziz

NOSDRA

By Ebere Agozie

Abuja, Dec. 25, 2018 (NAN) Mr Peter Idabor, the Director General, National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) on Tuesday called for assent to the agency’s amendment bill to ensure criminalisation of oil-spill in the country.

Idabor made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

“At the moment, what we have is just a civil offence, so oil companies know it’s just a civil offence and they pollute the environment with impunity.

“But with the amendment bill, it will criminalise any company that pollutes the environment.

“And if they know that it is a criminal offence and that they can be sent to jail for polluting the environment, they will be more careful in their operations,’’ he said.

According to him, oil companies, and their managing directors, should be held responsible for such acts which are in defiance of NOSDRA orders.

“It will give NOSDRA more powers to protect and respond to environmental pollution, help support the clean-up of Ogoni and also enable remediation of communities impacted by the oil industry in the Niger Delta.

“The bill will enforce increased fines and penalties for defaulters as well as monitor the decommissioning of oil facilities and hold oil companies accountable.’’

He also said that most of the loopholes in NOSDRA’s operations had been blocked in the amendment bill so that oil companies would be made to obey the law.

“What these oil companies do here, they cannot do in their home countries.

“So we are still looking for ways to enable the communities of the Niger Delta get what they deserve in terms of compensation.

“At the same time we also want them to cooperate with us and know that what they are getting is nothing compared to the damage that is being inflicted on the host environments.

“We are concerned about the impact on the people. If the oil spill is sighted by the community members, they should immediately report to us, either by telephone or by making any other contacts.

“We have regional offices in Port Harcourt, Warri, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Kaduna and Gombe and so you are to report to the nearest office.’’

Idabor said that any oil company that failed to stop the spill within 24hours would be sanctioned.

“We have been doing that and they have been paying.

“There is an oil company that failed to report a spill and we sanctioned it and it paid N250million and we sanctioned another oil company N3.6billion recently.

“We also have others in court,’’ he said.

Idabor also cautioned Nigerians on the dangers posed by crude oil pipeline vandalism.

“Pollution is very dangerous; here in NOSDRA, we’re concerned with the health of the people because most of them are not aware of the dangers of crude oil pipeline vandalism and its by-products.

“Several of its products are metallic and casinogenic and they have hazardous substances.

“One of our primary jobs is to create awareness, because some communities give their children crude oil to consume when they have convulsions.’’

He urged people of oil producing areas not to expose themselves to crude oil and to desist from pipeline vandalism.

He warned that the environment would be damaged adding that the damage would be detrimental to future generations.
NAN reports that NOSDRA is the Nigerian government agency responsible for monitoring and responding to oil pollution in the Niger Delta.

The NOSDRA Amendment Bill has been passed by both arms of the National Assembly and is awaiting the president’s assent. (NAN)
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Edited by Hajia Sani

Masked youths attack Bangladeshi journalists covering election campaign

Attack
Dhaka (Bangladesh), Dec.25, 2018 (ReutersNAN) – Some masked youths attacked a group of Bangladeshi reporters with hockey sticks and batons, injuring about 10 of them, when they were resting at a hotel after covering an election rally, the journalists said on Tuesday.

The incident, which occurred late on Monday in the town of Nawabgonj about 40 km (25 miles) from the capital Dhaka, is the latest in a series of violent attacks that have marred campaigning for a national election on Dec. 30.

The youths, numbering about 24 and whose identity remains unclear, also smashed hotel windows and vandalised more than 12 vehicles belonging to media outlets or privately owned, the journalists said.

“Some of us had to take shelter inside the toilet out of fear,” Abdullah Tuhin, a journalist with a local TV channel, told Reuters.

“The attackers threatened our colleagues and asked us to leave the place immediately or face serious consequences.”

Dhaka Reporters Unity, a union body, said many of its members had been “seriously injured” in the assault. Reuters could not immediately confirm the nature of the injuries.

Dhaka district’s top police official, Shah Mizan, said a police team sent to the hotel after the incident had not been able to immediately determine who the attackers were. No arrests have so far been made in the case.

Opposition parties have complained of violent attacks against their workers by ruling party activists and the arrests of candidates on what they say are trumped-up charges during the election campaign.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, which is seeking a third straight term in power, has denied accusations of trying to intimidate opposition candidates and journalists.

One opposition lawmaker, Salma Islam, whose husband owns a leading newspaper and a TV channel, said she would file a police complaint soon over the hotel attack.

“It’s unfortunate and unwanted. They also tore off my banners. We will lodge a written complaint,” said Islam, who is contesting the election as an independent after quitting her Jatiya Party, which is part of the ruling coalition.

While Hasina’s administration has won plaudits globally for welcoming hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in neighboring Myanmar, critics accuse her of cracking down on free speech and adopting an increasingly authoritarian style.

In interviews Reuters conducted with 32 local journalists and editors in recent weeks, the vast majority said a recent strengthening of defamation laws had spread a climate of fear in Bangladesh’s media.

The government denies freedom of speech is under attack in the country of 165 million people.(Reuters/NAN)
DCU
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Edited by Donald Ugwu

Minimum wage: Clergy advocates slash in political office holders’ remuneration
By Mohammed Lawal
Message
Zaria (Kaduna State), Dec. 25, 2018 (NAN) Rev. Isaac Gbadero, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Sabongari, Zaria, Kaduna State, on Tuesday advocated a slash in political office holders’ remuneration to comfortably accommodate the N30,000 minimum wage demanded by organised labour.
He made the call in a message to the Christian faithful in commemoration of the 2018 Christmas, shortly after Christmas Church Service in Zaria.
Gbadero said the appeal became extremely critical in view of the importance of workers not only to national growth and development but also to sustainable democracy.
The clergyman expressed serious concern over the meager amount being given to Nigerian civil servants as monthly salary, advising that government must holistically give the issue a firsthand treatment.
“See how much they are paying themselves in the House of Representatives and the Senate (National Assembly) and see the chicken change they are giving as basic salary.
“Look at the current argument now, some governors are saying it is hard to get, what is wrong for them to slash their own salary, what is wrong for the president to reduce his own money, what is wrong for the senators and reps to reduce their own salary.
“Let them slash their salaries and give us what belongs to us, have they come to lead people who are suffering? If not, why can’t they sacrifice for the sake of the nation?
“If they desire good things for themselves they should also desire good things for Nigerians too. People should know, those who are not leading us well, we can change them at the polling booth, therefore, there is no need to make trouble.”
He stressed the need for Nigerians to tolerate, accommodate and embrace one another irrespective of religious, tribal or ethnic affiliation.
“Let’s come together, there is no need to fight ourselves, whether you are a Muslim, Christian, Pagan, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Kanuri, Ibibio or Calabaree, we go to the same market.
“But these people don’t come to market, they use our tax money to buy all what they want, why can’t we get wiser day-by-day, let them stop using us to kill ourselves, let’s come together and elect credible people who care for us.
“Wherever I go, I use to tell people don’t vote people by party but vote people you know they can work for you based on what they have done before, not politicians who deceive us by doing things when elections draw closer.”
Gbadero cautioned Nigerians against money politics, saying collecting money or any form of bribe for vote is just like mortgaging the lives of unborn children.
He encouraged Nigerians to purify their hearts and pray for successful and peaceful conduct of 2019 elections.
The clergyman, however, said prayer was not everything but Nigerians should collectively desire peace in their hearts.
He sad: “For me, I have a principle, yes, I am a Clergyman, but yet, I tell people, prayer alone is not everything, if you pray and you don’t act, even Jesus Christ tells us: “Watch and pray”.
“If you pray for the conduct of peaceful elections and you don’t have peace in your heart, you don’t desire peace, all you go to the polling booth for is to make trouble, then what is your prayer for? It means such prayer is useless.
“We, as Nigerians must all decide and understand that these politicians that give us money to make trouble, they sit at home, their children are not there, when they will come to the polling booth they come with security escorts.”
On Christmas, the clergy said the birth of Jesus was meant to correct certain things in the world, adding that part of the things he came to correct is the issue of leadership.
According to him, from Adam, it was discovered that men messed-up leadership, because God gave man leadership to dominate the earth.
Taking his text from Genesis chapter 1:28c, “Dominate and Rule”, Gbadero however said in Genesis chapter 4, what man used his leadership to do from Ken and Abel, for example was to kill and to destroy.
“And God had made us not to destroy but to build, so, Jesus Christ came, according Luke chapter 2, when the Angels were announcing, the Bible made us to understand from verse 10, it says peace to all men.
“Therefore, leaders must seek for peace for all the people they lead and that’s part of the things that Jesus Christ came to bring to us.
“In verse 12 he said he brought joy, so, leaders must look for ways to give joy to the people, but the question is, the leader cannot give what he doesn’t have, it is what you have that you can give.
“So, if the leader doesn’t have peace, he doesn’t have joy in his heart, he can’t have all these to pass on to the people and the leader is supposed to protect because Christ has come to protect us, to save us from evil and from people who have oppressed us,” he admonished. (NAN)

KLM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola