Ekweremadu Urges Pilgrims to Pray for Peaceful Elections, Fall of Boko Haram

Ekweremadu Urges Pilgrims to Pray for Peaceful Elections, Fall of Boko Haram By Okechukwu Jombo Deputy Senate president , Senator Ike Ekweremadu has enjoined Christians participating in the2015 Easter Pilgrimage to Jerusalem to pray for the peaceful conduct of the2015 general elections. He also charged them topray for the total fall of the Boko Haram insurgency while in the holy land. Senator Ekweremadu spoke during the flag-off ceremony of the 2015 Easter pilgrimage toIsrael, Greece and Rome at the Akanu Ibiam International airport, Enugu, yesterday. Praising the courage of the Nigerian military in the ongoing war against the Boko Haraminsurgency and terrorism, Ekweremadu noted that with God, Nigeria would havepeaceful elections contrary to the negative predictions in some quarters. Hesaid: “I want to ask you to pray for our country, especially for apeaceful, free and fair 2015 general elections and concerning the war againstinsurgency and terrorism. With your prayers, God will not only grant uspeaceful elections, but will have only good men and women elected into offices. “Today our soldiers are doing very well in the onslaught against Boko Haram in the North East. Onbehalf of the people of the South East, I commend their gallantry. But whilethey are engaged in the physical warfare, I urge you to take the spiritualwarfare for the soul of the country and fall of Boko Haram to the holy land." In a relateddevelopment, the Deputy President of the Senate has described the departure ofthe pilgrims from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, as a dream cometrue. He therefore commendedPresident Goodluck Jonathan for upgrading the Enugu Airport to an international status, adding: “As the then Chief of Staff, Government House, Enugu, part of my responsibility then was to coordinate pilgrims leaving from Enugu. ‘’ One evening, I got a call that the vehicle taking our pilgrims to Port Harcourt had an accident and some people died. “When years later, I found myself in the Senate, one of my visions was to ensure that the people of South East would not have to travel for pilgrimage from outsideEnugu; all of us at the National Assembly and the South East political leaderscontinued to pursue it until late President Musa Yar’Adua sanctioned it andPresident Jonathan saw to its fruition”. He assured that the Jonathan Administration would see to the completion of theinfrastructural transformation of the Airport and called on the pilgrims topray for the President. While encouraging the pilgrims to hold their heads high in the holy land, he urged them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria and desist from any actions capable of tainting the image of the country