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Semenitari Flays Wike’s Dedication Service
The Greater Together Campaign Organisation, the campaign team for the governorship of Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State has declared the purported Dedication Service by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate as a deliberate mockery of God and Christians in Rivers State.
The Campaign Organisation said the decision by Mr. Ezebuwon Nyesom Wike to dedicate his ambition to God is not only deceitful since he had already launched his campaign without any thought for God.
“How would Wike claim to be dedicating a campaign he has almost concluded? How would Wike be talking of dedication to God when his god is The Presidency? How would Wike suddenly abandon his god of cash and bags of rice to seek the intervention of a just God Who honours those that honour Him”?
This last-minute attempt to seek God’s face, is what Wike should have done first, is nothing but indicative of and acceptance of glaring failure and imminent collapse starring him in the face”, the APC said.
A statement by Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, Director of Communications for the Campaign Organisation, yesterday in Port Harcourt likened the PDP move to “playing church”. For Wike to return to the same God he snubbed while relying on his acclaimed presidential connections and large war chest is pitiable”, Semenitari said.
The statement continued, “We want to tell the PDP and its governorship candidate that God is a jealous God Who deserves and demands first place. Pity Wike surrounded himself with men like him who have no regard for the Almighty God! That indeed, is nothing but an affront on God, and we are convinced that God honours only anyone who honours Him. Wike has no history of association with God and so should not mock Christianity.”
While advising Wike to show true repentance and restitution if he wants God’s attention, the statement condemned him for what it described as “this latest pretentious move meant to hoodwink Rivers residents and Christians at large”. The statement warned Wike to remember that God is not man and though He is merciful, He is also a consuming fire.
“Rivers people will not succumb to deceit no matter how subtly couched, Semenitari said.
Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has received 119 stolen artefacts from the Netherlands.
The Oba who disclosed this on Wednesday in Benin, the Edo State capital, said plans by some international cartel to re-loot the artefacts were thwarted after he prayed to God and the ancestors.
He said, “I thank President Bola Tinubu for supporting and committing to the efforts former President Buhari put in place to ensure the artifacts are not re-looted because there were groups in this country believed to be an international cartel that had all sorts of conspiracy to re-loot our artifacts.
“They stole and burnt our Kingdom. They killed my people and tried to kill their spirit and their morale. Today, the boldness, courage, and bravery of the Benin people are still there. Events of 1897 reduced that to a significant level that Sometimes when I see my people, they are afraid of the unknown.
“The return of these objects has reawakened the courage we had in our people. We do not want modern-day politics and partisan politics to diminish the courage of our people.
“The Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments has been doing wonderful work. His predecessor was part of the conspiracy to re-loot our artefacts. We had a running battle in this hall.
“I addressed my Chiefs in Benin language, and I said these artefacts belong to my ancestors, and I will not sit on the ancient throne and watch the artefacts re-looted. They would rather remain where they are than be re-looted. I thank the government of the Netherlands for working with us. This is part of the efforts to reawaken the morale and spirit of my people.
“After 1897, the kingdom was reduced. There was a government in this state that wanted to reduce the kingdom more and scatter it. I am angry when I speak about it. Why would anybody want to scatter the kingdom.
“The youths were courageous like the youths of those days. They were not afraid of anybody. I vowed that it would not happen. Not in my reign. Not while I am sitting on this throne. God heard my prayers. My ancestors heard my prayers. This throne is not partisan, but I should support what is good for my people.
“I urge the youths to be tough and strong in the face of adversity. This is not for anybody else. It is for my ancestors.”
The Benin Monarch further prayed for the return of more artefacts.
The NCMM DG, Olugbile Holloway, said the commission and the Benin Royal Palace were working hard to ensure more artefacts were returned.
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, who was represented by the Secretary to State Government, Barr. Musa Ikhilor said his administration would continue to build necessary infrastructure to preserve the returned artefacts as well as collaborate with the Federal Government to improve the storage system for the artefacts.
The General Director of the Wereld Museum, Marieke Van Bommel, said, “The artefacts are looted, and we have a policy in the Netherlands to bring them back. We are bringing back 119 artefacts. We don’t have more. These are the collections in the Netherlands. There are more collections in Europe, but that is not up to us. They have been with us for over 100 years.”
The Nigeria Education Loan Fund said its Student Loan Application System has now been fully digitised to streamline and accelerate the student loan processing experience for institutions and applicants.
“With this upgrade, all accredited institutions are now required to request access to SLAS to verify and upload student data related to loan applications. This is a critical step that ensures the timely processing and disbursement of approved student loans,” NELFUND said in a statement by its Director of Corporate Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi.
The Fund also said that institutions that have not yet onboarded the system are kindly requested to send an access request to registration@nelf.gov.ng without delay.
He said once granted access, institutions will be able to view a real-time dashboard of their students’ loan applications, verify submitted data, and track the status of each application.
“We urge all institutions to take immediate action in the interest of their students, as verification and data upload by the institutions are mandatory steps before final approval and disbursement can be completed,” the statement said.
The implementation of the student loan scheme is President Bola Tinubu’s flagship project in the education sector.
Barely a month after his inauguration as president, Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act, which creates a legal framework for granting loans to indigent or low-income Nigerians to facilitate the payment of their fees in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The law, reenacted, created the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
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