Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Sunday promised that his administration would continue to ensure that adequate security was provided for the citizenry of the state.
Akeredolu said this during the church service to mark the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebrations held at St. David’s Anglican Church Cathedral, in Akure.
He said everybody was welcomed into the state, but there would be no room for criminal elements.
The governor also appreciated the armed forces for their sacrifices to the nation.
“You are making great sacrifices for us. We pray that God will grant eternal rest to those that had paid the ultimate sacrifice for us.
“We all need to take care of some of them that suffered infirmities. For this week, our churches should devote all their collections to them to show appreciation.
“Some of them are suffering, let us find time to visit them because we owe them a lot,” he said.
Akeredolu also said his administration would confront the herdsmen that wanted to cause crises in the state with everything available if dialogue with them failed.
He said that the state government was at present engaging in dialogue with the herdsmen, with the help of security operatives.
“We are engaging some of their leaders in dialogue with the security operatives, and we are making headway. But where that fails, we will confront them with all we have,” he said.
In his sermon titled, “The new way of Christ”, Revd Cannon Adedoyin Adeyemi, Canon in Residence of the church, said the new way of living, brought by Christ, remained the only way to have access to the kingdom of God.
He said except a man received the new birth, he could not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
“This new birth makes man a new creation. Old things have passed away. This is what separates a true Christian from a counterfeit.
“It separates a good man from an evil one. You cannot be walking in God’s way and it will be hidden”, he said.
He advised everyone to give their lives to Christ and walk in the way of Jesus, for the kingdom of God was at hand.
Retired Col. Olu Apata, Chairman, Nigerian Legion, Ondo State, also told newsmen after the church service that the relevant authorities were looking into solving the welfare challenges of the legionnaires.
