Ugwuanyi, Omobude, Bob-Manuel, Akintola preach hope

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has urged people in the state to renew their faith in God and promote peace, unity and progress.

In a goodwill message, the governor pledged to sustain good governance and improve the living standard of the people.

He said: “Enugu State is in the hands of God. In all we do, we give God the glory, honour and adoration.”
To the national president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and General Superintendent of Gospel Light International Ministries (aka New Covenant Gospel Church (NCGC), Rev. (Dr.) Felix Ilaweagbon Omobude, the nation will be better this year, adding that the citizens would break new grounds. He called on Nigerians to shun vices, honour God and imbibe the spirit of sacrifice.

During an interview in Benin City, Edo State, the cleric stressed that Nigerians must continually be thankful to God.

The PFN president, however, wished for a constant power supply, water supply, employment for the youths, improved educational system, provision of basic social amenities and a corruption-free nation this year, just as he called on the political class to eschew hate speeches prelude to the 2019 general elections.

He said: “Every believer must look up to God for today and tomorrow. I believe that Jesus Christ of 2017 is gone ahead of us into 2018. People prophesy, I appreciate the gift of prophecy but I believe that 2018 will also conquer it better than 2017. It is my belief and that is what I pray and hope for. 2018 is as a pre-election year in Nigeria. A lot of campaign and activities will be on but I want Nigerians to conduct their political campaigns and aspiration in a godly manner.”

Also, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) envisioned a peaceful and brighter future.

Its director, Ishaq Akintola, in a statement, said: “The past year encapsulated all the negative propensity anyone has ever imagined about our dear country and its people. We proved extremely difficult for a honest leader to rule but easy to manipulate for a thief. We want good roads but we celebrate those who stole the money meant for roads. We know the value of flyovers in reducing traffic gridlocks but we idolise those who misappropriate money voted for them.

“We appreciate state-of-the-art public health care systems but we award chieftaincy titles to those who pocket money intended for modern hospital equipment. We worship 419ners and despise hardworking compatriots. Nearly everybody collects bribe and almost everyone expects to be bribed before doing the needful. We shamelessly crown international thieves as kings.

“A past leader told us that stealing is not corruption. He went ahead to demonstrate this by giving state pardon to a man already convicted for corruption and also followed it up with a national merit award. Yet we are not ashamed to hobnob with this man. A few among us even want him to come back as president. Where is our honour? Where lies our conscience? In the city of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. But in Nigeria’s city of the blind, the king must not only be blind in both eyes, he must be deaf in both ears and lame in both legs.”