Nation
Lalong Charges Pilgrims To Pray For Nigeria To Overcome Insecurity
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Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has urged the 2020 Christian pilgrims to Jordan to pray for the nation to overcome its security challenges while in the Holy Land.
Lalong also urged the pilgrims to pray for the improvement of the nation’s economy.
He made the call while officially flagging off the 2020 Christian Pilgrimage last Saturday at Yakubu Gowon Airport , Heipang near Jos .
“You are embarking on this spiritual exercise at a time when our nation is in dire need for prayers and rejuvenation because of the myriad of security and economic challenges we are facing.
“ It is very important that you present our nation before God and solemnly reflect on your role as believers in building a better Nigeria.
“Indeed, when we turn to God with a sincere heart, our land will be healed. Please pray earnestly for Plateau and Nigeria while you are there,” he said.
The governor also urged the pilgrims to see the trip as an opportunity to develop themselves spiritually, and have a closer relationship with God.
He described the event as historic, as it was the first time the state was hosting the departure of intending pilgrims to the Holy Land.
Intending pligrims from Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states were transported from the Yakubu Gowon Airport.
He said the event was an attestation of the restoration of peace in Plateau and its place as a tourist site.
“It reaffirms the fact that Plateau State is back to its pride of place as the Home of Peace and Tourism.
“Secondly, it shows that the efforts of our Rescue Administration in restoring peace, confidence and stability are yielding the desired results,” Lalong said.
He said even though the initial plan was for direct airlift of pilgrims from Jos to Jordan, which was not actualised, their airlift to Abuja would ease the rigours for intending Pilgrims of traveling to their designated take off points from their states.
“Hopefully, all the outstanding issues should be sorted out before the next exercise to make the dream of direct flight come true,” he said .
He expressed optimism that the development would herald the Yakubu Gowon Airport to international service, considering that it had already been designated as one of the cargo airports in the country.
The governor lauded Rev.Yakubu Pam, the Executive Secretary , Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission(NCPC), for seeking holy sites in Jordan as an alternative to Israel before its lockdown directive is relaxed .
“I am told that a total of 600 intending pilgrims from Plateau will be performing the pilgrimage during this exercise.
“Out of this number, 200 were carried over from those that were not airlifted to the Holy Land to participate in the 2019 pilgrimage, as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr Adamu Bulkachuwa,urged the Pilgrims to strengthen their spirituality from the exercise, saying ‘Do not return the same’.
Bulkachuwa, who was represented by Sen. Nora Daduut, the Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District, prayed for the pilgrims’ faith to be deepened, while urging them to pray for the country and the world.
2,500 Nigerian pilgrims will perform the 2020 pilgrimage in Jordan.
Special Prayers were conducted for the intending Pilgrims by clerics, led by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, who is also the spiritual leader of the Pilgrimage.
Nation
Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
Nation
Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
Nation
AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.
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