SHAIBU ADVISES THE YOUTHS AGAINST VIOLENCE

By Besiru Enakhimion.

 "By the grace of God, democracy has come to stay and we that fought for this democracy will continue to sustain it. Institutions must be strengthened, anti-democratic forces must be flushed out and by the grace of God, we will succeed ." 

Above declaration was made by the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu,

while speaking with journalists after his thanksgiving service at  St. Paul's Catholic Church, Benin City, on Sunday. 

Speaking on his victory at the high court, the politician who pride himself as a homeboy said : 

"I know my God and I know my God will never forsake me . I am a child of God in truth and in spirit . I challenged God and I told him that I want him to prove His name in my life, that people who are anti-God and anti-democratic are at it again and they want to use me as a scape goat. I said, God, show to the world and show to them that truly I am a son and truly I serve you in truth and in spirit . And I told God, I said I need you to perform your miracle . They said they will impeach me and I will go to court and that by the time judgement will come , the tenure would have been over.

" I now challenged God. I said if truly I have been serving you in truth and in spirit, prove to them that this one for them to touch His anointed child that has the grace of God, that the judgement for the impeachment should come earlier than anybody expected. I said I will need the judgement to come before the election. Last month, I told God that I am seeing your work already, I need this judgement to come in July. I was specific because something told me to be specific. When I went to the court the following day, it was looking very impossible, but on that day it was miraculous to hear the judge say, I will be delivering my judgement on the 17th. I actually went emotional and something told me inside, is it not you that asked God that you want this judgement in July, why are you now emotional ? The next thing was, God grant me victory and by the grace of God we got victory."

On the recent attack that led to the death of a police officer along the airport road in Benin City, the Deputy Governor, urged the President and the Inspector General of police to set up an enquiry to investigate the killing, adding that the  Vigilante group in the state should be proscribed .

Rt. Hon. Comrade Shaibu left this message for the youths :

"I think I will speak more to the youths.I would want the youths to know that you can be who you want to be, only to the extent you are consistent  and you must do what is right at all times . If anybody comes to you to disrupt this democracy, they want to destroy your future . You must stand your ground to make sure that democracy succeeds. If you vote them in and they are not doing well, vote they out but don't go to the streets to want to disrupt peace because when you go to the streets to disrupt peace , and there is war, you and I will be the victim. Nigeria cannot afford to have war, we have too many economic problems that we need to solve . The only way we can solve it is when we go on our knees, pray and we work towards it. 

"So for them, this election is a time to change anti-democratic forces, and you must do it through the ballot. Don't engage in violence . I have preached to you for the past one year when intimidation and harassment came and I said don't go to the street, use your brain, think, be strategic."

As one who believes in the miraculous work of God, the number 2 citizen in the state, sent out a message :

"This message is to everybody. Hold on to the garment of God. Don't believe in your strength. You have no strength if God does not give you the strength . Mine is a living testimony and by the grace of God I will continue to do the work of God. I will continue to do what is right .

"God is with us . Use your brain, don't use force. The only force that we have that can work, is the force of God. If there is no force of God, nothing, nothing can make anything work. They can boast and boast and boast, the only boast that  you should rely on is that of God . They impeached me but the court said there was never impeachment . The only impeachment that can succeed is the impeachment of God and may we never have God impeach us."

Earlier, the Deputy Governor said he was in the church to thank God for what He has done for him and his family as well as those who are the vanguard of democracy.