Nigeria Content Online

As the nation prepares for the 2011 general elections, the Ondo
State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has called for fervent prayers for the
sustainability of the nation’s unity.

Mr. Mimiko, who made the call while playing host to the
executive members of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in the South
West, led by its Vice President, Francis Wale Oke, said religious leaders have
crucial roles to play towards ensuring a free and fair election.

The governor said electoral reform that would guarantee true
democracy is crucial to sustaining the unity and future development of the
country. He stressed that the religious class should support the politicians in
achieving this.

“The people of this state prayed corporately. There was no time
in the history of the state that children of God will rise to pray like they
did during the struggle for the restoration of our mandate. It is marvelous in
our eyes.

“Bringing dividends of democracy to the doorstep of our people
is what God will rejoice at. The investment that will have direct bearing in
the lives of our people is the basic philosophy of our administration,” he
said.

The governor noted that his greatest joy was the ability of his
administration to fulfil the excitement and expectation of the people,
promising to sustain the tempo with a view to bringing more joy to their lives.

He enumerated some of the achievements of his administration in
the last one year to include the Mother and Child Hospital and provision of
infrastructure.

Religious leaders’ help

Mr. Mimiko also urged religious leaders in the state to be a
vanguard of orientation of the people on the need to adhere strictly to the
urban renewal programme of government, saying that trading along major roads in
Akure, the state capital, has been abolished.

Mr. Wale Oke said his team came to present the new state executive of PFN to
the governor, and advised him to continue in the fear of God and also continue
to cater for the need of the people in order to make the state a pride of
Nigeria and Africa. He also promised to continue to pray fervently for the
success of his administration.