Nigeria Renews
Commitment To Service Delivery
The
Nigerian government has renewed its commitment to service
delivery to the people in the New Year.
Vice President Goodluck Jonathan pledged in a New Year message,
hat service delivery would be felt in the areas of poverty
reduction, youth empowerment, security, power and energy
necessary for development.
While regretting the failure to deliver the 6,000 megawatts of
electricity to the people as promised in Year 2009, the Vice
President attributed the failure to certain unforeseen and
unavoidable constraints.
Dr. Jonathan said that in line with President Umaru Yar’Adua’s
desire, Nigeria would continue to pursue the fight against
corruption, to make the public service an epitome of sacredness
and public trust.
Vice President Jonathan expressed appreciation to Nigerians for
the prayers offered for President Yar’Adua’s good health as he
recuperates in a hospital in Saudi Arabia.
From the lawmaker
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole his
message, urged Nigerians to remain resolute to those virtues
which bind the nation together.
He said it was important for Nigerians to continue to display
love for one another and be more patriotic.
According to him, ’’true patriotism and brotherly love are
the main ingredients we need as a people to continue to live
together as one big family…It is only in the atmosphere of peace
we can attain greatness and ultimately become the envy of other
nations.’’
The Speaker also implored Nigerians to see themselves as their
brother’s keeper, adding that it was the basis of a united and
prosperous nation.
Bankole urged all religious faiths to pray fervently, more than
before, for leaders at all levels, for Allah’s guidance and
protection.
He thanked Nigerians for their support in 2009, saying he would
continue to do his best as a true representative of the people.
From the Church
In its message, the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion urged
the government to ensure that the welfare of the Nigerians is
taken into consideration before the introduction of deregulation
policy in the downstream petroleum sector.
The Archbishop of the Anglican Communion, Diocese of Lagos,
Reverend Ephraim Ademowo said that for the deregulation of the
downstream sector to be meaningful, all refineries in the
country must be functional at full capacity.
He also called for the urgent resuscitation of some major
companies and repairs of roads.
The Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Sunday
Makinde urged the government to censor religious preaching, as
part of measures to end religious crisis.
He said the incessant religious crises, as demonstrated in the
recent outbreak of religious crisis in Zango area of Bauchi
state in Northern Nigeria, is ‘giving Nigeria a bad image’.
He urged the government to monitor and stop preachings that
could offend the sensitivity of adherents of other religions.
The cleric also called on Islamic religious leaders to educate
their members to understand that killing in the name of Islam is
unislamic. He urged political leaders in the northern part of
Nigeria to muster the political will to separate politics from
religion, as a means of forestalling religious crises.
PR/NAN/Qasim/Yinka
