Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday advised his associates not to take paid advertorials in the media to congratulate him on his 70th birth anniversary.

Instead, he said in a statement in Abuja by his media office, such money should be channelled to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the North-East.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the former vice president would turn 70 on Nov. 25.

Besides the IDPs camps, Atiku said that such resources should also be spent to other charitable causes.

He urged his friends to celebrate him “in the service of humanity instead of devoting money to adulatory and self-glorifying advert messages’’.

“God has been wonderfully kind to him for sustaining his life and keeping him in good health to witness yet another birthday event.

“Giving back to humanity has been his passion; his friends and associates can honour him better if they spend their resources on charitable causes to celebrate his special day,’’ the statement said.

It added that the former president`s birthday, besides being a special day to him, was one for reflection, thanksgiving, prayers and inestimable gratitude to God.

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The statement quoted him as saying “touching lives of others is the best expression of gratitude to God for His boundless favours and blessings.

“I will forever cherish your prayers for more years in good health to enable me undertake whatever assignment God and humanity have set for me."