Nigeria’s minister of information, Labaran Maku looks set to dump his ministerial position as he prepares to contest the 2015 governorship election in Nasarawa state, most likely on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), even as he declared today that being governor will not add anything to his name since he had made all the name he could make in Nigeria.
Maku who made this declaration at a special mass thanksgiving at the Catholic Diocese of Lafia, St. Patrick’s Parish, Akwanga, Nasarawa State indicated that he would resign from the federal cabinet on October 20 to pursue his new ambition
“It is time to make my interest known. By the grace of God, I will sacrifice the comfort of a minister, to go into the wilderness.
“I want to sacrifice the comfort of the high office that I am in now to join my people in the wilderness in Nasarawa State to fight for peace and justice in this state.
“There is too much blood being shed here; there is too much evil taking place here; there is too much destruction going on in Nasarawa State. The time has come for us to ask God to bring this era to an end. And it is only God that can do it. We are asking God that as we step out voluntarily which is very very important to me, that as we go into the wilderness, that God as He did for Moses, will lead us to cross the red sea of politics, rip water from the rock, give us manner of heaven, pull down the wall of Jericho.
“There may be giants out there, all over, but like Caleb, we trust God, we are able to conquer, we are able to subdue. So all we need is prayers and thank God for what He has done for me, not for what we are looking.”
Maku, who made a personal donation of N7.6 Million to the church made it clear that the sacrifice he is about to make is for his people: “to liberate my people.”
The information minister who said that he was a typical example of a man that grew from grass to grace because of God’s favour, said that he was born to peasants farmers who did not even record the date of his birth in a village that he likened to the biblical reference of “can anything good come out of Nazareth.” He assured that he is not going into politics for the gains of office but to liberate his people, adding: “Just thank God for me; just pray for me because by next week, October 20th, anyone in the (federal) cabinet that wants to contest election must step down because the time has come for us to do that.”
Earlier in his sermon, Rev, Fr. Jerry Ngbaya assured that with God, a meaningless life, ebola, terrorism, marginalisation is something that will not last for ever in Nigeria. “In His time, God will remove all obstacles from our country Nigeria.
“This gospel is a warning to all Christians that it is not enough to go to church; we must work for our salvation.”
He said that the fact that there are churches everywhere is not enough but that Christians must live their lives according to the dictates of Christ.
“Nigeria is rated one of the most religious nations in the world but it is an irony that it is among the most corrupt. Her citizens are insulted as a result of corruption. Even countries that are not religious have warned their citizens of doing business with Nigeria, yet Nigeria has the largest religious people in the world with the largest contingents to pilgrimage.
“It is important that we must detach ourselves from material things. Some of us make material things take the place of God in our lives.
“The Catholic Church is to pray for good leaders and not to identify with any political party.”
He commended Maku for coming out to thank God for what He has done for him since 1999 till date, adding: “Thanksgiving remains the best thing you can give to God. It is an opportunity to think of the degrading situation our citizens are condemned to live in our land. Everywhere you go poverty is steering into the eyes. It is our sincere prayers that God will raise true men of God who will work for the people.
“We continue to pray for peace so that the current situation will not consume us.”
[myad]
