An Abuja Mag-istrate’s court, Wednesday, sentenced Awwalu Ali to 90 days imprisonment for stealing a toilet door at the Calvary Faith Baptist Church, Life Camp, Abuja.
The magistrate, Mr Abdullahi Illela, who convicted Ali, said that it would serve as a deterrent to others.
Illela, however, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N2,500.
Earlier, prosecutor Simon Emmanuel told the court that one Adebiyi Laniyan of the Calvary Baptist Church reported the crime at the Life Camp Police Station on August 24.
Emmanuel said the convict broke into the church compound and removed the door to the toilet, but was arrested before he could escape with it.
The 20-year-old Ali of Pape village pleaded guilty to the charge and urged the court to pardon him.
“I am a family man with a wife and two children; they will starve to death if I go to jail, please, have mercy on me, my Lord,” he said.
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Nigerian Christian Body Begs Lecturers , Health Workers to Suspend Strike
Bauchi State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU, to sacrifice their interests and consider the plight of the masses who are victims of ongoing strikes.
State Secretary of CAN, Rev. Joshau Rai Mains, who made the appeal, yesterday, in an interview in Bauchi, lamented that education and health sectors in the country were in shambles and if
nothing was done to salvage the situation, Nigerians would be worse for it.
Joshau argued that continuous strikes were not healthy for the development of the country, as such the striking unions should reconsider their stance and call off the strikes.
He said: “The health and education sectors are very important in the development of any country and if these two sectors are grounded, how can we progress in the country? You will never hear a time that the
health and education sectors in developed countries are going on strikes because these countries know how vital these sectors are.
“In Nigeria, the reverse is the case; every sector of the country, once they are pursuing their personal interests, they forget about the plight of the common man.
“The Medical and Health Workers union in the country should reconsider the distress the strike has put patients in. I know this strike might have led to the death of some people, who did not get urgent medical attention.”
The group called on the Federal Government to be sincere in implementing its agreement with the two unions so that the workers could return to work.
State Secretary of CAN, Rev. Joshau Rai Mains, who made the appeal, yesterday, in an interview in Bauchi, lamented that education and health sectors in the country were in shambles and if
nothing was done to salvage the situation, Nigerians would be worse for it.
Joshau argued that continuous strikes were not healthy for the development of the country, as such the striking unions should reconsider their stance and call off the strikes.
He said: “The health and education sectors are very important in the development of any country and if these two sectors are grounded, how can we progress in the country? You will never hear a time that the
health and education sectors in developed countries are going on strikes because these countries know how vital these sectors are.
“In Nigeria, the reverse is the case; every sector of the country, once they are pursuing their personal interests, they forget about the plight of the common man.
“The Medical and Health Workers union in the country should reconsider the distress the strike has put patients in. I know this strike might have led to the death of some people, who did not get urgent medical attention.”
The group called on the Federal Government to be sincere in implementing its agreement with the two unions so that the workers could return to work.
Gov, Catholic Doctors at War over Abortion Law
Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, and Catholic Medical Practitioners Association are at daggers-drawn over the abortion bill the former just signed into law.
The law, among others, permits women to procure abortion at will.
Sponsored by the Majority Leader and member representing Ahiazu Mbaise state constituency, Mrs. Adekunle Ihuoma, the law is to be cited as “Imo State of Nigeria, Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law Number 12 of 2012”.
According to the new law, every woman shall have the right to enjoy reproductive rights, including rights to medical abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest and where the continued pregnancy endangers the life or the physical, mental, psychological or emotional health of the mother.
The law also stipulates that “every woman shall have the right to take decisions about her health needs and requirements.”
The law was very specific that a woman “shall have the right to determine the processes concerning reproduction in her body.”
Okorocha also approved that every woman should have a right to health, which should be understood to mean enjoyment of the highest level of physical, mental and social well-being and healthcare services.
These provisions include everything relating to family planning.
Chairman, Catholic Medical Practitioners Association, Dr. Phillip Njemanze, has reacted angrily to the law, arguing that “the law is anti-God, dehumanizing and totally unacceptable to the association.
“The law is devastating. With its signing into law by Governor Okorocha, abortion has been legalized in the state and anybody, just anybody can now ask for abortion as a right in the state.”
While recalling that the National Assembly had earlier rejected the bill, especially as it was against humanity, Njemanze reasoned that the law would encourage human egg trafficking.
The law, among others, permits women to procure abortion at will.
According to the new law, every woman shall have the right to enjoy reproductive rights, including rights to medical abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest and where the continued pregnancy endangers the life or the physical, mental, psychological or emotional health of the mother.
The law also stipulates that “every woman shall have the right to take decisions about her health needs and requirements.”
The law was very specific that a woman “shall have the right to determine the processes concerning reproduction in her body.”
Okorocha also approved that every woman should have a right to health, which should be understood to mean enjoyment of the highest level of physical, mental and social well-being and healthcare services.
These provisions include everything relating to family planning.
Chairman, Catholic Medical Practitioners Association, Dr. Phillip Njemanze, has reacted angrily to the law, arguing that “the law is anti-God, dehumanizing and totally unacceptable to the association.
“The law is devastating. With its signing into law by Governor Okorocha, abortion has been legalized in the state and anybody, just anybody can now ask for abortion as a right in the state.”
While recalling that the National Assembly had earlier rejected the bill, especially as it was against humanity, Njemanze reasoned that the law would encourage human egg trafficking.
Monday, 26 August 2013
Sex Scandal: COZA Pastor Fails to Make Concrete Denial,Says 'God Said I Should Be Quiet'
Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of Common Wealth Of Zion Assembly was in Church this morning and commented on Ese Walter's Sexual Affair accusations with him. He said he will make an official statement soon. Below is what he said to his congregation.. "...I am sure you have read a lot about me on Twitter and social networks. You can't imagine how many people have called me...everyone is telling me, don't talk, that is the painful part but because I am your pastor and I don't like to take you for granted, I still want to bend it a little bit to talk about it. Even up until this morning, calls from everywhere, even when I switch off my phone, they call my associates, tell him to ignore it, he should just move on. Some have been to our land and they are like wow, we understand"Church erupts into clapping & shouting...
Pastor Fatoyinbo continues..."Now read my lips, I know there are people here that are not part of our church, read my lips, we are going to speak but we are consulting to come out with a robust reply. Before then I will not say anything, but I owe it to you as members that have made me proud and have made God proud"Church erupts into clapping & shouting.....
"One thing you can be sure of is that my wife and I love u."Church erupts into clapping & shouting....."Now you may sit down and say, why would they tell you that, in the first place. From this pulpit there are some things we don't say. Maybe you remember that 2 years ago, we lost somebody in our family, I came to church, I preached, I danced, I didn't say it. That was even deeper for me because my destiny is not in anybody's hand...that loss was deeper for me than even this and I didn't talk so don't think it is a makeup. That is what we have been asked to do. When we asked God, God said be quiet. Thank you"Church erupts into clapping & shouting.....
Meet Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, the man in the eye of the storm
From almost all accounts, Abiodun Fatoyinbo is an amazing guy. This is what makes it all the more difficult to believe the recent allegations of sexual impropriety leveled against him by Ese Walter, a former member of his church.
The revelations have led to a lot of inquisitions and widespread curiosity and many people want to know who Pastor ‘Biodun Fatoyinbo really is and why news of his alleged affair has caused disbelief and outrage among the bulk of the populace.
‘Biodun Fatoyinbo started his university education at the University of Ilorin and finished up at the University of Benin. He is married to Modele Fatoyinbo and they have 3 lovely children; 2 girls and a boy.
Fatoyinbo established the first branch of the General Overseer of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly on the 14th of February 1999 in Ilorin, Kwara State, and can now boast of 2 other branches in Lagos and Abuja. He left Ilorin to head the newly established Abuja branch about 3 years ago.
Pastor Biodun has been described as an amazing preacher with a depth of insight, a good father to all his children, spiritual and physical, and a great husband to his wife, Pastor Modele.
Many visitors to his church describe the charisma of the man that is ‘Biodun Fatoyinbo and this has led to the growth of his congregation which now numbers in the thousands.
It is all these thousands and many more that have been left in shock by allegations of sexual misconduct that the upward moving pastor now finds himself embroiled in. The country is still reeling from the news and mixed reactions which has trailed these allegations among which is this Facebook post:
“It is imperative for everyone who has got a mother, a sister, a girl child and even a boy child to stand up for them. If indeed Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo abused Ms. Walter, let him simply own up to it and be ready to answer for it.”
The post was published on a newly created Facebook page titled, “Stop This Abuse in the Name of God Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo” and it mirrors the thoughts of many people who are waiting for pastor Fatoyinbo’s side of the story.
See some of his previous tweets below will give you an insight into the mind of a man who knows the importance of the family unit and is keenly aware of his religious calling.
So, where did it all go wrong? That is, if something indeed went wrong.
PASTOR BIODUN FATOYINBO OF COZA.
‘Biodun Fatoyinbo started his university education at the University of Ilorin and finished up at the University of Benin. He is married to Modele Fatoyinbo and they have 3 lovely children; 2 girls and a boy.
Fatoyinbo established the first branch of the General Overseer of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly on the 14th of February 1999 in Ilorin, Kwara State, and can now boast of 2 other branches in Lagos and Abuja. He left Ilorin to head the newly established Abuja branch about 3 years ago.
Pastor Biodun has been described as an amazing preacher with a depth of insight, a good father to all his children, spiritual and physical, and a great husband to his wife, Pastor Modele.
Many visitors to his church describe the charisma of the man that is ‘Biodun Fatoyinbo and this has led to the growth of his congregation which now numbers in the thousands.
It is all these thousands and many more that have been left in shock by allegations of sexual misconduct that the upward moving pastor now finds himself embroiled in. The country is still reeling from the news and mixed reactions which has trailed these allegations among which is this Facebook post:
“It is imperative for everyone who has got a mother, a sister, a girl child and even a boy child to stand up for them. If indeed Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo abused Ms. Walter, let him simply own up to it and be ready to answer for it.”
The post was published on a newly created Facebook page titled, “Stop This Abuse in the Name of God Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo” and it mirrors the thoughts of many people who are waiting for pastor Fatoyinbo’s side of the story.
See some of his previous tweets below will give you an insight into the mind of a man who knows the importance of the family unit and is keenly aware of his religious calling.
So, where did it all go wrong? That is, if something indeed went wrong.
Cleric charges youths on Godly living
The Lagos Area Bishop and Coordinator of Mount Zion Lighthouse Full Gospel Church, Dr. A.I.R Umondia has admonished youths to imbibe Godly and good principles that would bring about the change needed in the country, stressing the vital role the youth have to play in the development of the country.
He made this call at the Lagos Area Youth Association (LAYA) annual youth camp in Lagos (from August 14 – 18, 2013) with the theme “on the wings of Double Honour”. The camp which drew participants from various denominations within and outside Lagos state featured many interesting and educating programmes during the course of the camp.
Similarly, the LAYA Coordinator, Pastor Daniel Ekanem advised the participants to be good ambassadors of the country in conduct and other aspect of their lives, shuning evil vices and becoming change agents in furtherance of the country’s advancement.
The youth members had an interactive session with a dynamic Youth development coach, Mr. Abiodun Odunuga who counseled the youth on career advancement, stressing that “there is a place for all”. He made the participants to understand that there is urgent need for individuals to locate their place of relevance and stay focus to achieve optimal success in a bid to moving the country forward.
The camp played host to other prominent voices in youth’s development and talented youth Gospel artistes including El-Levite.
The attendees were all thrilled as they all wished the camp had never ended. Every day of the camp came with a fresh program and a promising fulfillment of purpose. The climax of it was Sunday, August 18, 2013 when all danced and jubilated to the achievement of success recorded in the camp.
Culled from Vanguard Newspaper
He made this call at the Lagos Area Youth Association (LAYA) annual youth camp in Lagos (from August 14 – 18, 2013) with the theme “on the wings of Double Honour”. The camp which drew participants from various denominations within and outside Lagos state featured many interesting and educating programmes during the course of the camp.
* Participants
The youth members had an interactive session with a dynamic Youth development coach, Mr. Abiodun Odunuga who counseled the youth on career advancement, stressing that “there is a place for all”. He made the participants to understand that there is urgent need for individuals to locate their place of relevance and stay focus to achieve optimal success in a bid to moving the country forward.
The camp played host to other prominent voices in youth’s development and talented youth Gospel artistes including El-Levite.
The attendees were all thrilled as they all wished the camp had never ended. Every day of the camp came with a fresh program and a promising fulfillment of purpose. The climax of it was Sunday, August 18, 2013 when all danced and jubilated to the achievement of success recorded in the camp.
Culled from Vanguard Newspaper
Oshiomhole tasks religious leaders on peace, unity
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has urged religious leaders and groups in the country to help build bridges of unity and peace to enhance development.
Speaking to a delegation of Majlis Ansarullah Ahmadiyya Nigeria who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Friday, Oshiomhole said he believes that religion should be used as a tool for peace and progress.
According to the Governor, “I hope that your deliberation would help to contribute to the cause of peace and justice in Nigeria, particularly at this time, when it is an open secret that we have problems in different parts of the country involving people who are restless, peoples who are hungry and angry and there are all kinds of worrisome signals and also coming on the eve of electioneering with the tendency of politicians to put themselves first before the nation, which is unfortunate”.
Oshiomhole noted “it is my hope that various religious groups will continue to help build bridges and help us to build the morals of our younger ones so that we have leaders who are God fearing.
“Nigeria may be said to be poor, but we have enough resources, if managed prudently with the fear of God, our condition need not be a hopeless one. That is what we are trying to do in Edo and we are committed to sustaining it”.
The Governor explained “we have seen that our people are ready to support any government that is committed to addressing their welfare and contrary to the general view that we are divided along religious and ethnic divide, the truth is that Nigeria is divided between the rich and the poor, those who have hope and those who have become hopeless, those who are educated and those who are wallowing in ignorance.
“I think your group like other religious groups should continue to sermonize on the side of moral re-armament on the part of leaders and followers. I am a believer that religion is a tool for progress and unity. It cannot be used for division.
When a Muslim commits an offence, treat that offender as an individual. We must separate criminals from religion because a true believer will not go tyo the church and kill innocent people, go to the mosque and kill innocent people or go to schools and kill children”, he added.
The Governor noted that people bring ethnicity to shield criminals, adding “don’t be tired of preaching the word of God, of remanding us that the essence of our existence is to love one another and to use any privilege we have to deliver comfort to those who are in pain and provide hope to those who are hopeless”.
Earlier, the leader of delegation, Alhaji Mashhud Fashola said the leader’s forum is in Benin to hold their convention.
Alhaji Fashiola said “Muslims are supposed to protect the freedom of every citizen. Fundamentally, every citizen has equal right to decide where to belong and Islam must protect this freedom. Muslims are supposed to be at vanguard of justice and equality”.
He noted that “Islam means peace and if anybody does anything else, it is not Islam.”
Speaking to a delegation of Majlis Ansarullah Ahmadiyya Nigeria who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Friday, Oshiomhole said he believes that religion should be used as a tool for peace and progress.
According to the Governor, “I hope that your deliberation would help to contribute to the cause of peace and justice in Nigeria, particularly at this time, when it is an open secret that we have problems in different parts of the country involving people who are restless, peoples who are hungry and angry and there are all kinds of worrisome signals and also coming on the eve of electioneering with the tendency of politicians to put themselves first before the nation, which is unfortunate”.
Oshiomhole noted “it is my hope that various religious groups will continue to help build bridges and help us to build the morals of our younger ones so that we have leaders who are God fearing.
“Nigeria may be said to be poor, but we have enough resources, if managed prudently with the fear of God, our condition need not be a hopeless one. That is what we are trying to do in Edo and we are committed to sustaining it”.
The Governor explained “we have seen that our people are ready to support any government that is committed to addressing their welfare and contrary to the general view that we are divided along religious and ethnic divide, the truth is that Nigeria is divided between the rich and the poor, those who have hope and those who have become hopeless, those who are educated and those who are wallowing in ignorance.
“I think your group like other religious groups should continue to sermonize on the side of moral re-armament on the part of leaders and followers. I am a believer that religion is a tool for progress and unity. It cannot be used for division.
When a Muslim commits an offence, treat that offender as an individual. We must separate criminals from religion because a true believer will not go tyo the church and kill innocent people, go to the mosque and kill innocent people or go to schools and kill children”, he added.
The Governor noted that people bring ethnicity to shield criminals, adding “don’t be tired of preaching the word of God, of remanding us that the essence of our existence is to love one another and to use any privilege we have to deliver comfort to those who are in pain and provide hope to those who are hopeless”.
Earlier, the leader of delegation, Alhaji Mashhud Fashola said the leader’s forum is in Benin to hold their convention.
Alhaji Fashiola said “Muslims are supposed to protect the freedom of every citizen. Fundamentally, every citizen has equal right to decide where to belong and Islam must protect this freedom. Muslims are supposed to be at vanguard of justice and equality”.
He noted that “Islam means peace and if anybody does anything else, it is not Islam.”
Pope urges world to help find solution to war in Syria
Pope Francis appealed Sunday to the international community to help find a solution to the civil war in Syria while denouncing a “proliferation in massacres and atrocities” there.“It’s not confrontation that offers perspectives of hope to resolve the problems but the capacity to meet and hold a dialogue,” the pope said after traditional Sunday prayers.“I launch an appeal to the international community to be more sensitive to this tragic situation and to commit itself to the maximum to help the dear Syrian nation find a solution to a war which spreads destruction and death,” he said.“I continue to follow the situation in Syria with suffering and worry,” he said.He denounced the “increase in violence in a war between brothers” and the “proliferation of massacres and atrocities”.The Syrian opposition has alleged that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime carried out a chemical weapons attack near Damascus last Wednesday that killed hundreds of civilians. Syria denies the charges.“The terrible images of these days again causes me to raise my voice so that the sound of weapons stops,” the pope said without mentioning the chemical weapons claims.
Boko Haram: Cleric sad over Shekau’s death
FOLLOWING the alleged killing of the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau by the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, in the forest of Sambisa, Borno State, General Overseer, Abuja Breakthrough Chapel, Bishop Ben Oruma said he was not excited over the death of the sect’s leader.Oruma told Vanguard that the death of Shekau pained him as a man of God who does not rejoice over the death of somebody, because he was also a creature of God and a fellow countryman.Oruma said: “What I can tell you is, as a man of God, I should not be happy that somebody (Shekau) was killed.“All those people out there, Boko Haram and others, they should see others as brothers and desist from killing people but if they want to continue, I pray that it should not be me or you.“I want this country to be at peace, we should try and be together, not allowing anything to divide us.”He said in 2015, Nigeria will remain as one united country despite the scheming of some politicians who want to use their influence to traumatize and cause mayhem amongst the people to score cheap political points.“This country will be at peace in 2015, says Bishop Ben Oruma, there is nothing that is going to traumatize this country. We have passed that stage, you can go to America and throw a bomb, and America will still be at peace.“I have a strong belief in a solid coherent country, regardless of which party that is ruling. This is Nigeria, so one man alone cannot traumatize her,” Oruma stated.He urged politicians and political parties not to incite violence amongst the electorates and called on them to play according to the rules of the game.“Politicians should be careful and not to turn brothers against brothers. We do not need anybody to tell us that we are brothers, so we should not turn people against the other. If any politician has a message, he should bring it to the people and let them decide whether your message is popular or not.“The politics this generation is a politics of ideology, not tribal politics for evil money. As leaders aspire to lead, they should also aspire for us to live because if not that, we will not have people to live and not to be burnt,” He added.
Cleric denies receiving N250m from Imo govt
Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna, has denied ever receiving N250 million from Imo State government for distribution to Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta youths.
Archbishop Obinna, who was reacting, in Owerri, to a recent government statement that appointed him chairman of a committee that would disburse the money to youths of oil producing communities, also explained that his clerical duties did not include disbursement of government money.
Dr. Obinna said: “I want to state clearly that I did not touch the N250 million. I did not accept the offer and it is not my duty to distribute money to Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta youths.”
The Catholic cleric wondered why the state government went ahead to announce his name, even after he warned them against it before travelling overseas.
He said: “It is a matter for regret that despite my warning, the government still went ahead to announce my name as the chairman of the committee that would distribute the purported N250 million to youths.”
Apart from saying that his mentor, late Bishop Mark Unaegbu, warned him against accepting such appointments, Obinna also explained that he is not a local government functionary.
He added: “I am not a local government agent and not in any position to distribute money meant for the youths in the areas mentioned by the state government.”
He further explained that when he got wind of the planned appointment, he quickly advised the administration against it because he was not interested in any such thing.
Continuing, Archbishop Obinna said: “Under normal situation, government has a duty to give subventions to the church to support mission work in schools, hospitals and some other projects. The money is public money and not governor’s money.”
Obinna stressed that he had been very careful in his relationship with the state government as 2015 approach.
Reacting to the directive by Governor Rochas Okorocha that Imo people should pause at 12 noon to say the Angelus, Archbishop Obinna cautioned against politicization of the Catholic prayers in the state.
The Archbishop said: “Government must be told in very clear terms that prayers like the Angelus is not part of government business. Catholics in politics, especially those who work against the church, are expected to do the will of God and not the will of the president, governor or commissioner.”
Archbishop Obinna, who was reacting, in Owerri, to a recent government statement that appointed him chairman of a committee that would disburse the money to youths of oil producing communities, also explained that his clerical duties did not include disbursement of government money.
Dr. Obinna said: “I want to state clearly that I did not touch the N250 million. I did not accept the offer and it is not my duty to distribute money to Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta youths.”
The Catholic cleric wondered why the state government went ahead to announce his name, even after he warned them against it before travelling overseas.
He said: “It is a matter for regret that despite my warning, the government still went ahead to announce my name as the chairman of the committee that would distribute the purported N250 million to youths.”
Apart from saying that his mentor, late Bishop Mark Unaegbu, warned him against accepting such appointments, Obinna also explained that he is not a local government functionary.
He added: “I am not a local government agent and not in any position to distribute money meant for the youths in the areas mentioned by the state government.”
He further explained that when he got wind of the planned appointment, he quickly advised the administration against it because he was not interested in any such thing.
Continuing, Archbishop Obinna said: “Under normal situation, government has a duty to give subventions to the church to support mission work in schools, hospitals and some other projects. The money is public money and not governor’s money.”
Obinna stressed that he had been very careful in his relationship with the state government as 2015 approach.
Reacting to the directive by Governor Rochas Okorocha that Imo people should pause at 12 noon to say the Angelus, Archbishop Obinna cautioned against politicization of the Catholic prayers in the state.
The Archbishop said: “Government must be told in very clear terms that prayers like the Angelus is not part of government business. Catholics in politics, especially those who work against the church, are expected to do the will of God and not the will of the president, governor or commissioner.”
CAN President excited over ‘Oritsejafor Road’
In a brief remark before unveiling two sign-posts of the road, Transition Committee Chairman of Warri South Local Government, Dr. Augustine Uroye, noted that the formal unveiling in honour of the CAN President was the first in the history of the local government.
According to him, Pastor Oritsejafor has contributed immensely to the development and positive projection of Warri both within and outside the country.
Pastor Oritsejafor, who was flanked by his wife, Pastor Hellen Oritsejafor, stated that he felt elated and excited, stressing that a man could not be said to have achieved anything until his people honoured him.
According to the former Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria President, even Jesus Christ could not do many miracles in his own town because the Jews had no value for him.
An emotional Pastor Oritsejafor, who prayed for continuous peace in Warri, declared that with the honour done him, every good thing that left Warri would return.
The four-kilometre-road, which runs from the Police Barrack Junction axis of the popular Warri-Sapele Road terminates at the Mabiaku road in Warri GRA.
According to him, Pastor Oritsejafor has contributed immensely to the development and positive projection of Warri both within and outside the country.
Pastor Oritsejafor, who was flanked by his wife, Pastor Hellen Oritsejafor, stated that he felt elated and excited, stressing that a man could not be said to have achieved anything until his people honoured him.
According to the former Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria President, even Jesus Christ could not do many miracles in his own town because the Jews had no value for him.
An emotional Pastor Oritsejafor, who prayed for continuous peace in Warri, declared that with the honour done him, every good thing that left Warri would return.
The four-kilometre-road, which runs from the Police Barrack Junction axis of the popular Warri-Sapele Road terminates at the Mabiaku road in Warri GRA.
Boko Haram: Cleric sad over Shekau’s death
Following the alleged killing of the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau by the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, in the forest of Sambisa, Borno State, General Overseer, Abuja Breakthrough Chapel, Bishop Ben Oruma said he was not excited over the death of the sect’s leader.Oruma told Vanguard that the death of Shekau pained him as a man of God who does not rejoice over the death of somebody, because he was also a creature of God and a fellow countryman.Oruma said: “What I can tell you is, as a man of God, I should not be happy that somebody (Shekau) was killed.“All those people out there, Boko Haram and others, they should see others as brothers and desist from killing people but if they want to continue, I pray that it should not be me or you.“I want this country to be at peace, we should try and be together, not allowing anything to divide us.”He said in 2015, Nigeria will remain as one united country despite the scheming of some politicians who want to use their influence to traumatize and cause mayhem amongst the people to score cheap political points.“This country will be at peace in 2015, says Bishop Ben Oruma, there is nothing that is going to traumatize this country. We have passed that stage, you can go to America and throw a bomb, and America will still be at peace.“I have a strong belief in a solid coherent country, regardless of which party that is ruling. This is Nigeria, so one man alone cannot traumatize her,” Oruma stated.He urged politicians and political parties not to incite violence amongst the electorates and called on them to play according to the rules of the game.“Politicians should be careful and not to turn brothers against brothers. We do not need anybody to tell us that we are brothers, so we should not turn people against the other. If any politician has a message, he should bring it to the people and let them decide whether your message is popular or not.“The politics this generation is a politics of ideology, not tribal politics for evil money. As leaders aspire to lead, they should also aspire for us to live because if not that, we will not have people to live and not to be burnt,” He added.
Catholic Archbishop SaysThose who use Church’s resources to buy private jets have questions to answer
…Says ‘I paid over 100 priests’ school fees’
*Warns against hasty judgment on clerics owning jets *Killings by Boko Haram, inexcusable
A retired Archbishop of Benin Catholic Archdiocese, His Grace, Archbishop Patrick Ebosele Ekpu, recently, marked 50th anniversary as a priest. Since his retirement three years ago, the Uromi born cleric has dedicated his life to praying for the Church. On October 26, 2013, His Grace will be marking his 82 birthday. Sunday Vanguard met him last weekend for this interview. He spoke on how he trained over 100 priests in school, the crisis in Benin Catholic Archdiocese, insecurity in some northern states, the acquisition of private jets by men of God, gay priesthood and some national issues. Excerpts:
How is life in retirement?
We thank God it has been very pleasant, restful as I will like it to be.
What motivated you into priesthood?
“It is God’s grace. Only God calls and one responds and it is also His help and inspiration that keeps one going.
Are you not worried that the Catholic Church is losing its followers to the Pentecostal churches?
We lose some faint hearted members but the majority remains. If you look at the Catholic Church, say in Benin- City, you will see that as some people are dropping out, others are coming because the number of the parishes is increasing which is a sign that the Church is alive and growing stronger every day.
While you were the bishop, many new parishes came up. How did you achieve that?
“It was God at work, one tried to propagate the gospel and people listened and accepted it.
How do you view the crisis in the Catholic Church in Benin- City which has seen some persons calling for the installation of a Benin bishop?
I have always told them that they should pray for a good bishop no matter where he comes from because, to me, the Catholic Church is like a university. If you establish a university in a place, what the university needs is the best brains available to help to bring up the youths in the place not whether he comes from there or not. It is worrisome and I will say it is lack of faith; if you believe in God and do what is right, the correct thing will come up, not by our chosen but at God’s own time.
But why is it that there has not been a Bini bishop just like they are agitating? There is a similar case in Mbaise, Imo State where the people said they want a bishop from their area.
“Well, we are trying to politicize something that is essentially spiritual. If you take the case of Mbaise for example, was a Bini man sent there to be the bishop? Or was he an Hausa man? Isn’t it an Igbo man that was sent there? But they said no, they want a particular tribal or ethnic origin of the person, it is lack of faith and that is why I said spiritual problems have to be tackled with spiritual forces and what is happening is a question of lack of faith. If they have faith, they will not be agitating. If we accepted somebody who is from Ireland, or from England to be a bishop, why will you say you don’t want a fellow Nigerian as bishop? Don’t you see that something is wrong somewhere?
The way forward
I was active as a bishop in Benin Archdiocese. At that time, the archdiocese encompassed the whole of Edo State. Each time I wanted to translate the mass into Bini language, I had only one Benin priest who was able to assist me in the translation, all those who are complaining, some of them cannot read and write Bini language. And that is why I laugh each time they try to politicize church activities.
Shouldn’t the Church train more Bini priests for this purpose?
“The Church will if you find the candidates. If the candidates are not there, will I come and take your child and make him go and speak Bini? But the Church has always trained Binis who are interested in priesthood and we will continue to do that.
What do you say about the Edo Liturgical Group that is championing this cause?
In the Catholic Church, it is the bishop of a place that is the head of the liturgy. Liturgy means public worship, so the bishop is ultimately responsible for the liturgy in the Church. Who appointed them as Edo Liturgical Group or who authorized them? Such people have no basis to arrogate to themselves a position they do not have. They do not know the principles of what they claim to represent. Who guides them?
The Church is also facing the issue of gay marriage. How do you react to that?
We all are responsible for the development and better enlightenment of our citizens because we are throwing our culture away; if you are a biologist, have you ever heard where a male cow is going after a male cow or a male camel going after a male camel? If we saw a lot of that practice, then we might say it is natural for a man to do that, but you know that the issue of procreation is such that it is social, it is the environment that affects people’s behaviour and if the social environment encourages what you are doing, or promotes it, then one easily falls into but if it does not, then it will not develop.
“Boko Haram
Even if you remove Christianity, does the African culture promote the killing of your neighbor just because you disagree? What are they using to kill these Christians? Is it their own manufactured ammunition or those manufactured by the very Europeans you said you don’t want their culture? The dresses they wear, where are they from? The food they eat, what is it served on? Is it not got from western civilization? They are not sincere and they have no love for their fellow Nigerians. And their actions being politically motivated cannot be eliminated. What they are doing is evil and is inexcusable.
Are you satisfied with the Federal Government’s handling of the situation?
The security situation in the country could have been better managed but, as it is said, who is government? You and I are the people who elected those representing us and managing the government, therefore, to some extent, we the populace are also liable for the defects we see in government because when elections comes, somebody comes and gives you money and you take and go to vote for him, you forget your future and the future of your children and children’s children. Who is to blame? Is it just those hungry for power or those of us who accept bribes to vote for them?
We are all liable and co-responsible for whatever deficiencies we may notice in society. I think Nigerians should seek more of their fellow Nigerians and of their future and therefore be circumspect in whom they vote into power to represent them. Again talking about governance, government should have the political will to put the right persons in the right positions. If somebody is found wanting in any of the sectors, send the person packing and put the right person there.
What is your view on the growing acquisition of private jets by pastors in Nigeria?
If they bought private jets, how did they come about the money? Félix Houphouët-Boigny built a basilica. I remember visiting Abidjan and from there I went to Yamoussoukro. It was the Nigerian ambassador to Cote D’Ivoire who told us that the man built the basilica from the resources of his family, that his father had a large expanse of land and that they had a lot of cocoa from which they made their wealth. But an outsider will say that he used government money to build it.
So if that pastor had also bought a private jet and used the resources of his family, you probably will say he has used his followers’ money, but if indeed he uses his followers’ money and his followers allow him, then they have endorsed what he is doing. It may not be a good example he is showing others, but he has not abused his position or somebody else’s right. But if he uses the Church’s resources, I will say he has some questions to answer to his worshipping community and his God whom he claims to serve. Churches are springing up every day in Nigeria, but they don’t seem to be able to check corruption and immorality.
Why?
As you very well know, the Church does not have a police force, a CID or FBI or CIA; it is lack of commitment, lack of faith on the part of those who claim to be Christians or Church goers but really are not convinced or converted to the truth.
How do you see churches owning schools and tuition fees are beyond the reach of many members?
The easiest approach would have been that you give a peanut salary to the teachers and you know what will happen, they will not do their work, they will not be there; so if they are going to be retained and do an honest day’s work, they have to be paid good salaries and since those churches or schools do not receive subvention from government, well, I don’t know where you want them to get the money from to pay good salaries to the teachers.“So where does that leave the children of the poor who are members of that church?“If there are really deserving ones, you give them scholarship. And how do you know they are not giving them scholarship?
Even the Federal Government, with all the oil money and all the taxes it collects, has it been able to give scholarship to every citizen? It is not done anywhere, nowhere, as they say in America, there is no free lunch; somebody pays for it. In Nigeria, we want every problem solved, but, as Christ himself said, the poor will always be with you, you cannot be able to answer all the needs of all the poor people in the world at once, it has to be gradual and the more people they train, people are more conscious of the defects of their neighbors and those followers will be able to take care of some of them and the Church takes care of the rest and the government with its social welfare programmes takes care of the others.
Marriage for Catholic priests
The position of the Church is that if you want to be a Catholic priest in the Western right, you do not get married, so, before you become a priest, you have a long time to think about it, whether you want to make the sacrifice or not. It is a sacrifice, not God’s law. Therefore, we should adhere to the tradition and discipline of the Church. If you know you cannot adhere to the rules, you have a choice to go into other vocations. But the rule of the Church remains the rule.“
If you had not been a priest, what would you have been?
I would have liked to be a lawyer and an administrator. That is what appealed to me, that is a profession you have to be free, even your parents have no right to decide for you what you have to do, they can advise but the ultimate decision lies with you. I felt God was calling me to be a priest and that is where I can make my own contribution to God’s glory and work out my own salvation. And I have no regrets being a priest today.
What have been your most challenging and happiest moments?
Challenging moment will be when you find the people or leadership cadre that you have prepared disappointing you and following a course that is contrary to what you have prepared them to handle. One of my happiest moments was when I ordained 14 priests at a time at the University of Benin chapel in October 2, 1998. If you look at all the Nigerian priests in Archdiocese of Benin City, Father Patrick Osinbor and Theophilus Uwaifo are the only ones that I did not ordain and train, any other one, by the grace of God, passed through my hands.
It was very difficult because I had to look for money to pay their fees and then it came to a time that, in the seminary in Bodija, Ibadan, I had over a hundred students whom I had to pay for and it was by no means easy. I tried to harness all the resources available and appealed to friends and members of the Church who understood what my goal was and they assisted. ASUU strike“I would humbly request them to sit down and talk over their different problems and when decisions are reached, they should be followed. Government should honour agreements they reached with ASUU.
How do you assess Oshiomhole’s administration in Edo State?
I hear many people praise him, I think he is a sincere man, he had been on the other side of government, he was a labour leader and therefore knows the problems of the workers and I think he tries to respond to them. He is doing very well, people are not disappointed.
Message to Nigerians I say let us take some moments off and think about what we think is best for us and how we, together with government, can move the nation forward. For the Catholics, I want them to go back to the basics, renew their faith in God, be loyal to God and be sincere in truth and in spirit to follow our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
*Warns against hasty judgment on clerics owning jets *Killings by Boko Haram, inexcusable
A retired Archbishop of Benin Catholic Archdiocese, His Grace, Archbishop Patrick Ebosele Ekpu, recently, marked 50th anniversary as a priest. Since his retirement three years ago, the Uromi born cleric has dedicated his life to praying for the Church. On October 26, 2013, His Grace will be marking his 82 birthday. Sunday Vanguard met him last weekend for this interview. He spoke on how he trained over 100 priests in school, the crisis in Benin Catholic Archdiocese, insecurity in some northern states, the acquisition of private jets by men of God, gay priesthood and some national issues. Excerpts:
How is life in retirement?
We thank God it has been very pleasant, restful as I will like it to be.
What motivated you into priesthood?
“It is God’s grace. Only God calls and one responds and it is also His help and inspiration that keeps one going.
Are you not worried that the Catholic Church is losing its followers to the Pentecostal churches?
We lose some faint hearted members but the majority remains. If you look at the Catholic Church, say in Benin- City, you will see that as some people are dropping out, others are coming because the number of the parishes is increasing which is a sign that the Church is alive and growing stronger every day.
While you were the bishop, many new parishes came up. How did you achieve that?
“It was God at work, one tried to propagate the gospel and people listened and accepted it.
How do you view the crisis in the Catholic Church in Benin- City which has seen some persons calling for the installation of a Benin bishop?
I have always told them that they should pray for a good bishop no matter where he comes from because, to me, the Catholic Church is like a university. If you establish a university in a place, what the university needs is the best brains available to help to bring up the youths in the place not whether he comes from there or not. It is worrisome and I will say it is lack of faith; if you believe in God and do what is right, the correct thing will come up, not by our chosen but at God’s own time.
But why is it that there has not been a Bini bishop just like they are agitating? There is a similar case in Mbaise, Imo State where the people said they want a bishop from their area.
“Well, we are trying to politicize something that is essentially spiritual. If you take the case of Mbaise for example, was a Bini man sent there to be the bishop? Or was he an Hausa man? Isn’t it an Igbo man that was sent there? But they said no, they want a particular tribal or ethnic origin of the person, it is lack of faith and that is why I said spiritual problems have to be tackled with spiritual forces and what is happening is a question of lack of faith. If they have faith, they will not be agitating. If we accepted somebody who is from Ireland, or from England to be a bishop, why will you say you don’t want a fellow Nigerian as bishop? Don’t you see that something is wrong somewhere?
Archbishop Patrick Ebosele Ekpu
I was active as a bishop in Benin Archdiocese. At that time, the archdiocese encompassed the whole of Edo State. Each time I wanted to translate the mass into Bini language, I had only one Benin priest who was able to assist me in the translation, all those who are complaining, some of them cannot read and write Bini language. And that is why I laugh each time they try to politicize church activities.
Shouldn’t the Church train more Bini priests for this purpose?
“The Church will if you find the candidates. If the candidates are not there, will I come and take your child and make him go and speak Bini? But the Church has always trained Binis who are interested in priesthood and we will continue to do that.
What do you say about the Edo Liturgical Group that is championing this cause?
In the Catholic Church, it is the bishop of a place that is the head of the liturgy. Liturgy means public worship, so the bishop is ultimately responsible for the liturgy in the Church. Who appointed them as Edo Liturgical Group or who authorized them? Such people have no basis to arrogate to themselves a position they do not have. They do not know the principles of what they claim to represent. Who guides them?
The Church is also facing the issue of gay marriage. How do you react to that?
We all are responsible for the development and better enlightenment of our citizens because we are throwing our culture away; if you are a biologist, have you ever heard where a male cow is going after a male cow or a male camel going after a male camel? If we saw a lot of that practice, then we might say it is natural for a man to do that, but you know that the issue of procreation is such that it is social, it is the environment that affects people’s behaviour and if the social environment encourages what you are doing, or promotes it, then one easily falls into but if it does not, then it will not develop.
“Boko Haram
Even if you remove Christianity, does the African culture promote the killing of your neighbor just because you disagree? What are they using to kill these Christians? Is it their own manufactured ammunition or those manufactured by the very Europeans you said you don’t want their culture? The dresses they wear, where are they from? The food they eat, what is it served on? Is it not got from western civilization? They are not sincere and they have no love for their fellow Nigerians. And their actions being politically motivated cannot be eliminated. What they are doing is evil and is inexcusable.
Are you satisfied with the Federal Government’s handling of the situation?
The security situation in the country could have been better managed but, as it is said, who is government? You and I are the people who elected those representing us and managing the government, therefore, to some extent, we the populace are also liable for the defects we see in government because when elections comes, somebody comes and gives you money and you take and go to vote for him, you forget your future and the future of your children and children’s children. Who is to blame? Is it just those hungry for power or those of us who accept bribes to vote for them?
We are all liable and co-responsible for whatever deficiencies we may notice in society. I think Nigerians should seek more of their fellow Nigerians and of their future and therefore be circumspect in whom they vote into power to represent them. Again talking about governance, government should have the political will to put the right persons in the right positions. If somebody is found wanting in any of the sectors, send the person packing and put the right person there.
What is your view on the growing acquisition of private jets by pastors in Nigeria?
If they bought private jets, how did they come about the money? Félix Houphouët-Boigny built a basilica. I remember visiting Abidjan and from there I went to Yamoussoukro. It was the Nigerian ambassador to Cote D’Ivoire who told us that the man built the basilica from the resources of his family, that his father had a large expanse of land and that they had a lot of cocoa from which they made their wealth. But an outsider will say that he used government money to build it.
Bishop Ekpu
Why?
As you very well know, the Church does not have a police force, a CID or FBI or CIA; it is lack of commitment, lack of faith on the part of those who claim to be Christians or Church goers but really are not convinced or converted to the truth.
How do you see churches owning schools and tuition fees are beyond the reach of many members?
The easiest approach would have been that you give a peanut salary to the teachers and you know what will happen, they will not do their work, they will not be there; so if they are going to be retained and do an honest day’s work, they have to be paid good salaries and since those churches or schools do not receive subvention from government, well, I don’t know where you want them to get the money from to pay good salaries to the teachers.“So where does that leave the children of the poor who are members of that church?“If there are really deserving ones, you give them scholarship. And how do you know they are not giving them scholarship?
Even the Federal Government, with all the oil money and all the taxes it collects, has it been able to give scholarship to every citizen? It is not done anywhere, nowhere, as they say in America, there is no free lunch; somebody pays for it. In Nigeria, we want every problem solved, but, as Christ himself said, the poor will always be with you, you cannot be able to answer all the needs of all the poor people in the world at once, it has to be gradual and the more people they train, people are more conscious of the defects of their neighbors and those followers will be able to take care of some of them and the Church takes care of the rest and the government with its social welfare programmes takes care of the others.
Marriage for Catholic priests
The position of the Church is that if you want to be a Catholic priest in the Western right, you do not get married, so, before you become a priest, you have a long time to think about it, whether you want to make the sacrifice or not. It is a sacrifice, not God’s law. Therefore, we should adhere to the tradition and discipline of the Church. If you know you cannot adhere to the rules, you have a choice to go into other vocations. But the rule of the Church remains the rule.“
If you had not been a priest, what would you have been?
I would have liked to be a lawyer and an administrator. That is what appealed to me, that is a profession you have to be free, even your parents have no right to decide for you what you have to do, they can advise but the ultimate decision lies with you. I felt God was calling me to be a priest and that is where I can make my own contribution to God’s glory and work out my own salvation. And I have no regrets being a priest today.
What have been your most challenging and happiest moments?
Challenging moment will be when you find the people or leadership cadre that you have prepared disappointing you and following a course that is contrary to what you have prepared them to handle. One of my happiest moments was when I ordained 14 priests at a time at the University of Benin chapel in October 2, 1998. If you look at all the Nigerian priests in Archdiocese of Benin City, Father Patrick Osinbor and Theophilus Uwaifo are the only ones that I did not ordain and train, any other one, by the grace of God, passed through my hands.
It was very difficult because I had to look for money to pay their fees and then it came to a time that, in the seminary in Bodija, Ibadan, I had over a hundred students whom I had to pay for and it was by no means easy. I tried to harness all the resources available and appealed to friends and members of the Church who understood what my goal was and they assisted. ASUU strike“I would humbly request them to sit down and talk over their different problems and when decisions are reached, they should be followed. Government should honour agreements they reached with ASUU.
How do you assess Oshiomhole’s administration in Edo State?
I hear many people praise him, I think he is a sincere man, he had been on the other side of government, he was a labour leader and therefore knows the problems of the workers and I think he tries to respond to them. He is doing very well, people are not disappointed.
Message to Nigerians I say let us take some moments off and think about what we think is best for us and how we, together with government, can move the nation forward. For the Catholics, I want them to go back to the basics, renew their faith in God, be loyal to God and be sincere in truth and in spirit to follow our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
Culled rom Vanguard Newspaper
Catholic Priest Dies From Own Gun
The Parish Priest of St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church, Sobe, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Rev. Father Peter Ayala, was, Sunday morning, found dead in his apartment, few hours before he was due to conduct the 7a.m mass.
Vanguard gathered that the cleric was said to be cleaning his double-barreled gun inside his apartment within the church premises, when the gun reportedly went off and killed him.It was gathered that the incident took place in the early hours of Sunday before the Priest dressed up for the mass even as worshippers were said to be gathering for the service.
The incident, it was learnt, threw the church into confusion as mass servers and church elders made frantic efforts to know what went wrong with congregation waiting for the mass to begin but found the priest lying death in his apartment.
The Elders were said have later reported the incident to the Bishop of the Auchi Diocese, Dr Gabriel Duniya, who it was gathered conducted a quick investigation with security agents and confirmed that the priest died when the rifle he was cleaning went off.
Meanwhile, Sobe was still in mourning, yesterday, as the worshippers, irrespective of their denominations, on hearing the tragic news gathered near the church premises, discussing the incident in hush tones.
Contacted, the Edo State Police Public Relations, DSP Moses Eguavoen said the incident was unfortunate, adding that the state command was yet to get the full details of what transpired before the Priest’s death.
Yerima has no respect for womanhood – Nigerian Pastor
Apostle Johnson Suleiman is the founder of the Auchi, Edo State based Omega Ministries. In this interview, he gives his views on some national issues. Excerpts:
Recently, the Senate passed the bill seeking that under aged married girls be regarded as adults, thereby encouraging girl child marriage. What is your opinion on the matter?
One of the major problems of Nigerian government which has adversely affected the Nigerian people is that we push the cart before the horse. We have issues bothering the lives and development of Nigerians and Nigeria to tackle, but rather than nipping them in the bud we are addressing relegated and inconsequential issues.
Nigeria is not an Islamic country. Nigeria can never be an Islamic country. If somebody is talking from an Islamic point of view he should not pin it on Nigeria. He is free to have his personal views. There are no Christian views passed into law, because we live in a multi religious and plural society.
If you look at section 23 of the Child Rights Act, it says any man betrothed to an under aged girl should pay a fine of N500,000 or sentence to jail or both. So, when we now have pedophiles in Government who now impose their private lifestyles on the public space, it is sad. What they did is simply a reflection of their private lifestyles. Are they saying if a girl is 13 she should be married? There is so much VVF all over the North, and for them to privately mess up the girl child is enough. But to further imprison and hoodwink them with such Act is an absurdity that will not hold.
Most Nigerians even question the fact whether any of these Senators like Senator Yerima, can marry out their 13 year old child?
The issue is that Senator Yerima should be arrested. When he got married to an under aged girl in Egypt, he was escorted there by some senators. But in case they have forgotten, Islam says when you marry a girl under 18 years, you do not touch her until she is 18 years. It is when she is 18 years that you will have access to her body. Is he saying he has not touched that little girl now?
They are just being ritualistic and barbaric. Even if Yermia can give his daughter out at age 13, that does not justify it. I will not be surprised if a man like Yerima gives his daughter out at 10 years. He definitely has no respect for womanhood.
What is your opinion on the agitation for power shift?
Nigeria is not owned by a secluded few. Nigeria is not a private enterprise where people will say it is my turn or your turn. I donft believe in zoning. The present administration has done its best, but it is not good enough. It is not what was expected by Nigerians. They expected things to be far better than this. We hoped for something higher.
When President Jonathan told Nigerians he had no shoes they expected that when he comes to power he will remember the shoeless. Sadly, the shoe of the average Nigerian is now in his kitty. I believe God will give us a good leader. But if you ask me, I donft think President Jonathan should run. But it is his constitutional right to run, if he wishes.
What is the way forward for Nigeria?
The way forward is to drop ambition for service. We have rulers in Nigeria and not leaders and leadership is not position but personality. Hence leadership is not just sitting on one high chair. It is the man not the office that is a leader. We should have people who are ready to serve Nigeria. In the past we had rulers stealing millions, but now they steal in trillions. The level of robbery is so much and nothing is done to checkmate it. Christians should pray and nobody should stand by anybody who has no pedigree.
Culled from Vanguard Newspaper
Recently, the Senate passed the bill seeking that under aged married girls be regarded as adults, thereby encouraging girl child marriage. What is your opinion on the matter?
One of the major problems of Nigerian government which has adversely affected the Nigerian people is that we push the cart before the horse. We have issues bothering the lives and development of Nigerians and Nigeria to tackle, but rather than nipping them in the bud we are addressing relegated and inconsequential issues.
Nigeria is not an Islamic country. Nigeria can never be an Islamic country. If somebody is talking from an Islamic point of view he should not pin it on Nigeria. He is free to have his personal views. There are no Christian views passed into law, because we live in a multi religious and plural society.
Suleiman
Most Nigerians even question the fact whether any of these Senators like Senator Yerima, can marry out their 13 year old child?
The issue is that Senator Yerima should be arrested. When he got married to an under aged girl in Egypt, he was escorted there by some senators. But in case they have forgotten, Islam says when you marry a girl under 18 years, you do not touch her until she is 18 years. It is when she is 18 years that you will have access to her body. Is he saying he has not touched that little girl now?
They are just being ritualistic and barbaric. Even if Yermia can give his daughter out at age 13, that does not justify it. I will not be surprised if a man like Yerima gives his daughter out at 10 years. He definitely has no respect for womanhood.
What is your opinion on the agitation for power shift?
Nigeria is not owned by a secluded few. Nigeria is not a private enterprise where people will say it is my turn or your turn. I donft believe in zoning. The present administration has done its best, but it is not good enough. It is not what was expected by Nigerians. They expected things to be far better than this. We hoped for something higher.
When President Jonathan told Nigerians he had no shoes they expected that when he comes to power he will remember the shoeless. Sadly, the shoe of the average Nigerian is now in his kitty. I believe God will give us a good leader. But if you ask me, I donft think President Jonathan should run. But it is his constitutional right to run, if he wishes.
What is the way forward for Nigeria?
The way forward is to drop ambition for service. We have rulers in Nigeria and not leaders and leadership is not position but personality. Hence leadership is not just sitting on one high chair. It is the man not the office that is a leader. We should have people who are ready to serve Nigeria. In the past we had rulers stealing millions, but now they steal in trillions. The level of robbery is so much and nothing is done to checkmate it. Christians should pray and nobody should stand by anybody who has no pedigree.
Culled from Vanguard Newspaper
Wife of pastor jailed in Iran slams Obama’s silence
The wife of an Iranian-American pastor imprisoned in Iran said Monday she was “extremely disappointed” that US President Barack Obama had remained silent on the case.
The statement by Naghmeh Abedini followed reports from Tehran that an Iranian appeals court had upheld her husband Saeed Abedini’s conviction and eight-year prison term.
“The news out of Iran is devastating to our family,” she said in a statement released by the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing the family.
Abedini, a naturalized US citizen who converted from Islam to Christianity, was sentenced to prison in January for his role in establishing underground Christian churches in Iran.
His Iran-based lawyer Nasser Sarbazi said the Tehran appeals court confirmed the verdict.
“As a consequence, the sentence of eight years in prison is definitive from now on,” Sarbazi said.
Naghmeh Abedini, who lives in Idaho with the couple’s two children, said the family would be consulting with lawyers to determine whether to appeal to Iran’s Supreme Court or Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader.
She called in the meantime for stepped up international pressure in the case, and sharply criticized Obama for not speaking out on her husband’s behalf.
“My husband is serving eight years in the notorious Evin prison and facing daily threats and abuse by radicals because he refuses to deny his Christian faith,” she said.
“And yet, my president, President Obama, has not spoken a word about him,” she said.
“I am extremely disappointed that President Obama has chosen to remain silent on this critical human and religious rights case of an American imprisoned in Iran,” she said.
The statement by Naghmeh Abedini followed reports from Tehran that an Iranian appeals court had upheld her husband Saeed Abedini’s conviction and eight-year prison term.
“The news out of Iran is devastating to our family,” she said in a statement released by the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing the family.
Abedini, a naturalized US citizen who converted from Islam to Christianity, was sentenced to prison in January for his role in establishing underground Christian churches in Iran.
His Iran-based lawyer Nasser Sarbazi said the Tehran appeals court confirmed the verdict.
“As a consequence, the sentence of eight years in prison is definitive from now on,” Sarbazi said.
Naghmeh Abedini, who lives in Idaho with the couple’s two children, said the family would be consulting with lawyers to determine whether to appeal to Iran’s Supreme Court or Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader.
She called in the meantime for stepped up international pressure in the case, and sharply criticized Obama for not speaking out on her husband’s behalf.
“My husband is serving eight years in the notorious Evin prison and facing daily threats and abuse by radicals because he refuses to deny his Christian faith,” she said.
“And yet, my president, President Obama, has not spoken a word about him,” she said.
“I am extremely disappointed that President Obama has chosen to remain silent on this critical human and religious rights case of an American imprisoned in Iran,” she said.
Saturday, 24 August 2013
The Church may back civil revolution – Archbishop Adewale Martins
ARCHBISHOP Alfred Adewale Martins, born on June 1, 1959, was the choice of the Holy See as the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos to replace His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Okogie who resigned on attainment of the age of 75. Martins was consecrated archbishop on July 5, last year. In this interview to mark the first anniversary of his consecration, the Abeokuta, Ogun State-born cleric speaks on the state of the nation, saying the Church may throw its support behind a civil revolution if need be.
How has the journey been?
Well, there is nothing that is completely without its challenges, as long as we are human beings living in the world in which we find ourselves. But I believe that there have been more ups than downs in the one year that I have been here. I have in many ways, on many occasions, and in many circumstances enjoyed the cooperation and collaboration of the people of the Archdiocese—clergy and laity. In very many ways, there have been opportunities to express our unity of purpose and our unity of focus.
Everyone recognizes the fact that we have a mission given to us by Christ, that each one must play his or her own part. But in the midst of these, there have been the usual human challenges that you go through; but that is nothing compared to the ups that God has given us.
You must have set out some goals and targets at inception. What are some of such goals and how well would you say you have succeeded in achieving them?
My attitude has always been that whatever task that one is given by God or by the Church is an opportunity to carry on the ministry of Christ; the ministry of salvation; the ministry of contributing to the welfare of God’s people; the ministry of ensuring that worship of God is done in spirit and in truth; and that purity of worship is also part of what one considers as one’s task. Of course these include the administration of the goods and properties of the Church; and the administration of God’s people.
These are the main tasks that naturally one has the responsibility of carrying out. We try to ensure, in practical terms, that there is unity in the management of God’s people; to ensure that there is a common focus and common goals and that the goods of the Church are managed in the best possible ways, and that, basically, the mission of Christ in the Church is advanced.
What will you say has been the main thrust of your one year in office?
First of all, my idea is to get to know where I am working and the people with whom I am working; to be familiar with the strain of thoughts and the flow of people; to be able to know… to feel the people that I work with. That is the first thing that was upper most in my mind. And then of course to sell the idea or rather continue to build upon the idea that every single individual in the Archdiocese has a role to play.
Virtually the administrative structure left behind by your predecessor is still intact. Why is that so? Is it part of the studying process?
The fact of the matter is that there is the general wisdom; that is, the native wisdom, that when you enter a new place, the chicken stands on one foot and observes its environment. And, in any case, the fact of the matter is that a good number of these people who are taking responsibilities in these areas have been there over the years; they have the experience and, therefore, it is good to see how they carry on their work, and then of course observe others who are also able, who are also growing within the system, such that there will be minimal disruption and maximum results.
So, do we expect a change of focus in your second year in office?
Well, the focus remains to build the kingdom of God in the Archdiocese. If by change of focus you mean administrative; you see, there are certain circumstances in which certain people are doing some work that need not be interrupted in order that it be brought to a good conclusion. You don’t just change for the sake of change. You change for the sake of bringing greater growth to the life of the institution. That is not to say that there is no need for change, or there won’t be change.
Lagos Archdiocese is cosmopolitan in nature. What is your perception of the level of inter-relationship among the flock in the Archdiocese?
My perception of it is that there is a good working relationship among the different groups that are there in the Archdiocese. And I believe that, that is the way it ought to be, considering the fact that Christ is not divided. We were all baptized with the same baptism and it is the blood of Christ that binds us together. So, one expects that there should be collaboration amongst the people.
But then, of course, we are human beings who may have differences of opinion and step on one another’s toes. But those are not so fundamental to the life of the Church. Our Church is over 2,000 years old. There is nothing that is new. Whatever happens has happened before and you only need to look at them with the eye of the present moment in order to deal with them.
The Church is one and universal. Let’s therefore look the situations in the Owerri and Benin Provinces where there have been internal rifts among some priests, religious and laity in Ahiara and Benin Dioceses over the choice of bishops. Is it permissible for a group of people to openly reject their bishop?
Obviously, it is an aberration. It is a conflict that should not have happened. And it should not have gone to the extent to which it did. I believe that the Church has a procedure by which it does its things; such procedures have been established over the years.
There should therefore be no need for such rifts. That is not to say that people should not express themselves. But I think people ought to be able to see matters from the point of view of faith. I believe the Church, as old as she is, will continue to make itself relevant and act appropriately in every given circumstance.
Does the refusal of the priests to accept bishops posted to them by the Mother Church mean that the vow of poverty, chastity and obedience no more hold water?
No! The vow of obedience, poverty and chastity remains very fundamental to the priesthood. But as we have seen in these circumstances, people, out of various kinds of weaknesses or failures, may stray. The vows are as strong and effective as they ought to be.
Majority of priests are faithful to their vows of obedience, both in this nation and all over the world. The problem is not with the vow of obedience itself! And the Church knows how to deal with this situation and I am sure they are studying it and the Mother Church, the Church universal, will take appropriate action.
Pope Francis has shown exceptional love for the poor; forsaking personal comfort and calling on the world to embrace charity. What’s the import of this on the Church?
I am one person who believe very strongly that nothing happens by chance. God has a purpose for whatever it is that happens. God has a purpose for giving us Pope Francis at this time. He has a purpose for helping to refocus our attention on areas we need to work on.
And I think that, that is the purpose that he is fulfilling in our Church today. His emphasis is on the need to love the poor; the principle of caring for the down trodden, and the principle of ensuring that those who are disadvantaged are taken care of. That principle has been there and it continues to remain valid. But, obviously, as I said, with time, we tend to slow down on some of these important things.
The Pope recently declared his intention to canonize Pope John Paul II later this year. Some Nigerians are already asking questions as to why our own Blessed Tansi is yet to be canonized, several years after his beatification. What is your take on this?
I think we should realize that there is a process for beatification and then canonization. It depends on how quickly the process is concluded. I know that the body that is responsible for facilitating the canonization of Blessed Iwene Tansi has been working very hard. I know for sure that they have not relented in their efforts to ensure that the canonization of Blessed Michael Iwene Tansi takes place as soon as possible. And indeed we have been constantly encouraging people to also pray for it.
Because it is not just a result of all our effort, but rather, through our prayer and the will of God; all of these are essential. Remember that right from the death of John Paul II, people have been clamouring for his canonization but it doesn’t just come that way. It is not how popular you are that determines it, but rather due process must be observed.
Not too long ago, there was this report of a reverend sister who experiences stigmata. There have also been reported cases in recent times of apparitions of Jesus and Mary in some churches in Benin City. What do these incidents portend for the Church?
In the first instance, apparitions, stigmata and all extraordinary religious experiences are personal to those who have them. And, therefore, it is important that the Church as an institution with its own understanding, with its own principles founded upon the scriptures and traditions, looks at these religious experiences, evaluates them properly and be able to give appropriate direction or appropriate pronouncements on them. However, the fact that they come up at all is an indication of the fact that people have faith. People are very disposed to experience God and His action. And, therefore, for that reason, it’s a good thing that such things happen.
But we must guide against fraudulent religious experiences. We live in a country in which people are sometimes carried away or susceptible to gullibility. And that is why we have all kinds of false miracles and charlatans at work. So when those experiences come, the Church will not dismiss them outrightly but will evaluate them properly, using scriptures, using the traditions, using the teachings of the Church in giving directions as to what people should make of those experiences.
Your predecessor was very critical of the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria and other excesses in the Church. But there are some gifted priests in the Catholic Church. How do you ensure there is decorum in the use of such powers or gifts?
I think what we should look at is: what does the scripture say? What does the Church say? What does the Holy Church in Nigeria say about these things? The scripture says to us that we have a variety of gifts and people have a variety of ways of explaining and making God present. And so, we cannot dismiss it outrightly, that these gifts are there. But at the same time, you have to put the gifts to test… so to say.
If an individual says he has the gift of healing but he does not have the gift of obedience in terms of being ready to submit that gift to the relevant authorities, then you wonder; is such gift from God or from somewhere else? It is important to be able to put the gifts to test, to know their authenticity. No gift that anybody gives will contradict that which the Church and God stand for. And there are practices within the Church with regards to liturgy.
For example, if a person is exercising the so-called gifts in a way that goes contrary to the rules and regulations of liturgy, then naturally that person has gone beyond his bonds. And so, if there are such individuals or such persons that are found, naturally you would correct them, call them to order and help them to recognize the fact that whatever it is that they call their gifts are supposed to be exercised within the boundaries of the Church; otherwise, if you want to take your gifts outside, that is another story entirely.
So, basically, we must recognize the fact that gifts are given by God for the good of God’s people. Even St. Paul said that if you have the gifts of tongues, the gifts of healing, etc, but you don’t have love, your gifts are useless; you are just like an empty gong. Every gift needs to be tested for its authenticity and the exercise of it also needs to be seen to be in tune with the institution to which you belong.
Child marriage has generated much debate lately. What is your take?
We must go back to the fact that this whole discussion started from, whether Section 29, 4b of the Constitution should be expunged or not. That’s where it all began from, and so if, indeed, it has been expunged, that in itself is an indication that there is a willingness to deal with the problem of early marriage. However, whether there will now be a deliberate insertion of a Section or Sub-section or whatever it is, into the Constitution is another story entirely. And I think that is what majority of the people have been advocating since this whole issue started and I believe that the Senate ought to listen to the people. Otherwise they give us the impression that all their traveling around the country, pretending to be listening to the views of people was just a waste of money and time.
Nigerians are said to be among the most religious people on earth. Ironically, there is so much crime and corruption in our land. What do you think is responsible for this disconnect?
I think to be religious is one thing. To be religious in terms of carrying out one’s religious obligation is another thing. To be truly a friend of God; one who surrenders himself to the will of God and does the will of God is a separate thing entirely; and I think that, that is where the problem lies. You see people carrying out external religious activities, showing piety and acts of piety but, right in the depth of their hearts, they are not making efforts to follow the dictates of Christ and the dictates of the scripture. That is where the problem lies. We need to constantly remind ourselves on the need to rise above our human weaknesses that tend to make us run contrary to the will of God. Mere religious practices and religious activities without love is useless.
People have consistently called for a drastic cut in the cost of governance, especially in the salaries and emoluments of political office holders, as a way of bridging the disparity between the leadership and followership. Is this realizable?
It is important that those who lead us are, as it were, conscious of what the people are going through and how they are living and put that into consideration in any decision that they make. I was listening to news recently, and it was said that political office holders in Africa earn by far higher than others in the rest of the world; and that Nigeria has the highest paid political officers in the whole of Africa. It is therefore imperative for our legislators, the executive; and all those who occupy political positions to recognize the fact that, if they continue to award themselves huge salaries and emoluments, they are by so doing setting the people further apart from them. And people look at them as if they are not the same stuff as the rest of the nation.
Therefore it is important for them to ensure that funds are not diverted into payment of huge emoluments and salaries; but rather into development of infrastructure and social structures within the nation. These are what impact on the lives of the people.
What can you see on the unity of Nigeria beyond 2015?
The unity of Nigerian is obviously something in my own estimation that is not negotiable. I think we need Nigeria to be one united country and focused. We need a Nigeria in which everyone feels a sense of belonging as part and parcel of the nation. But the system of government we now run does not take care of these. And that is why we cannot but continue to talk about the fact that federal character should be brought back into the forefront of our national life. Federal character has been rubbished, as it were, now because everybody has to go to the centre to be able to do anything or make anything.
If this nation were allowed to flow according to the pace of the different geographical zones now, then I believe that we’ll be better off and development would be more rapid; there would be more accountability and the leaders would feel more responsible to the people. So, while the unity of the nation is beyond negotiation, we need to put in place the structures that will make that happen.
Can you lead a revolution?
Obviously my job is to be a priest. My job is just to be a priest. The point is, the Church has a responsibility to empower its people. The Church has a responsibility to speak to the minds and the hearts of the lay faithful. And it is their own role to ensure that these things that we are talking about happen. Of course the Church will give a backing but I don’t believe that it is the responsibility of the Church to say, `okay, let us go into the streets’.
We know of priests that have led revolutions.
That is true, but we also know the challenges that have come with taking that kind of responsibility. We saw the problem in Haiti and in other parts of the world.
We saw what happened. Even in our nation, people who think that they are priests and, therefore, can be governors, you saw how they were rubbished. And that is why we say that the important thing is to ensure that we create an atmosphere by which our people would be thoroughly imbibed with the spirit that is necessary. And, therefore, do the work.
Some Christians in Lagos State have been clamoring for a Christian governor. What is your take on this?
I have heard about the need to have a higher Christian presence at the helm of affairs in Lagos State. We generally have looked at governance from the point of view that the most efficient and capable should take the position. But, of course, the time comes when you also ask: Are there not also others, like Christians, who are equally qualified to be in positions of leadership? I think it is important for the political office holders and those who exercise political power within the state to also ask themselves that question such that we don’t find a situation in which there is a wide disenchantment. Our political leaders need to pay attention to this clamour and do something about it.
How is your typical day like?
My typical day is a full day. I begin about 5.30 in the morning and work till about 4.00 p.m. when I take a break to attend to other less official matters. But my days are often loaded with meetings and engagements. So it’s usually a full day by the grace of God.
How do you relax?
I try to! I have a treadmill in the house that’s sometimes gathering dust; so I am trying to redefine myself as far as that is concerned. But then…I do other exercises within my own environment. Perhaps one day I’ll also begin to play squash or something.
Culled from vanguard Newspaper
How has the journey been?
Well, there is nothing that is completely without its challenges, as long as we are human beings living in the world in which we find ourselves. But I believe that there have been more ups than downs in the one year that I have been here. I have in many ways, on many occasions, and in many circumstances enjoyed the cooperation and collaboration of the people of the Archdiocese—clergy and laity. In very many ways, there have been opportunities to express our unity of purpose and our unity of focus.
Everyone recognizes the fact that we have a mission given to us by Christ, that each one must play his or her own part. But in the midst of these, there have been the usual human challenges that you go through; but that is nothing compared to the ups that God has given us.
You must have set out some goals and targets at inception. What are some of such goals and how well would you say you have succeeded in achieving them?
My attitude has always been that whatever task that one is given by God or by the Church is an opportunity to carry on the ministry of Christ; the ministry of salvation; the ministry of contributing to the welfare of God’s people; the ministry of ensuring that worship of God is done in spirit and in truth; and that purity of worship is also part of what one considers as one’s task. Of course these include the administration of the goods and properties of the Church; and the administration of God’s people.
Archbishop Adewale Martins
What will you say has been the main thrust of your one year in office?
First of all, my idea is to get to know where I am working and the people with whom I am working; to be familiar with the strain of thoughts and the flow of people; to be able to know… to feel the people that I work with. That is the first thing that was upper most in my mind. And then of course to sell the idea or rather continue to build upon the idea that every single individual in the Archdiocese has a role to play.
Virtually the administrative structure left behind by your predecessor is still intact. Why is that so? Is it part of the studying process?
The fact of the matter is that there is the general wisdom; that is, the native wisdom, that when you enter a new place, the chicken stands on one foot and observes its environment. And, in any case, the fact of the matter is that a good number of these people who are taking responsibilities in these areas have been there over the years; they have the experience and, therefore, it is good to see how they carry on their work, and then of course observe others who are also able, who are also growing within the system, such that there will be minimal disruption and maximum results.
So, do we expect a change of focus in your second year in office?
Well, the focus remains to build the kingdom of God in the Archdiocese. If by change of focus you mean administrative; you see, there are certain circumstances in which certain people are doing some work that need not be interrupted in order that it be brought to a good conclusion. You don’t just change for the sake of change. You change for the sake of bringing greater growth to the life of the institution. That is not to say that there is no need for change, or there won’t be change.
Lagos Archdiocese is cosmopolitan in nature. What is your perception of the level of inter-relationship among the flock in the Archdiocese?
My perception of it is that there is a good working relationship among the different groups that are there in the Archdiocese. And I believe that, that is the way it ought to be, considering the fact that Christ is not divided. We were all baptized with the same baptism and it is the blood of Christ that binds us together. So, one expects that there should be collaboration amongst the people.
But then, of course, we are human beings who may have differences of opinion and step on one another’s toes. But those are not so fundamental to the life of the Church. Our Church is over 2,000 years old. There is nothing that is new. Whatever happens has happened before and you only need to look at them with the eye of the present moment in order to deal with them.
The Church is one and universal. Let’s therefore look the situations in the Owerri and Benin Provinces where there have been internal rifts among some priests, religious and laity in Ahiara and Benin Dioceses over the choice of bishops. Is it permissible for a group of people to openly reject their bishop?
Obviously, it is an aberration. It is a conflict that should not have happened. And it should not have gone to the extent to which it did. I believe that the Church has a procedure by which it does its things; such procedures have been established over the years.
There should therefore be no need for such rifts. That is not to say that people should not express themselves. But I think people ought to be able to see matters from the point of view of faith. I believe the Church, as old as she is, will continue to make itself relevant and act appropriately in every given circumstance.
Does the refusal of the priests to accept bishops posted to them by the Mother Church mean that the vow of poverty, chastity and obedience no more hold water?
No! The vow of obedience, poverty and chastity remains very fundamental to the priesthood. But as we have seen in these circumstances, people, out of various kinds of weaknesses or failures, may stray. The vows are as strong and effective as they ought to be.
Majority of priests are faithful to their vows of obedience, both in this nation and all over the world. The problem is not with the vow of obedience itself! And the Church knows how to deal with this situation and I am sure they are studying it and the Mother Church, the Church universal, will take appropriate action.
Pope Francis has shown exceptional love for the poor; forsaking personal comfort and calling on the world to embrace charity. What’s the import of this on the Church?
I am one person who believe very strongly that nothing happens by chance. God has a purpose for whatever it is that happens. God has a purpose for giving us Pope Francis at this time. He has a purpose for helping to refocus our attention on areas we need to work on.
And I think that, that is the purpose that he is fulfilling in our Church today. His emphasis is on the need to love the poor; the principle of caring for the down trodden, and the principle of ensuring that those who are disadvantaged are taken care of. That principle has been there and it continues to remain valid. But, obviously, as I said, with time, we tend to slow down on some of these important things.
The Pope recently declared his intention to canonize Pope John Paul II later this year. Some Nigerians are already asking questions as to why our own Blessed Tansi is yet to be canonized, several years after his beatification. What is your take on this?
I think we should realize that there is a process for beatification and then canonization. It depends on how quickly the process is concluded. I know that the body that is responsible for facilitating the canonization of Blessed Iwene Tansi has been working very hard. I know for sure that they have not relented in their efforts to ensure that the canonization of Blessed Michael Iwene Tansi takes place as soon as possible. And indeed we have been constantly encouraging people to also pray for it.
Because it is not just a result of all our effort, but rather, through our prayer and the will of God; all of these are essential. Remember that right from the death of John Paul II, people have been clamouring for his canonization but it doesn’t just come that way. It is not how popular you are that determines it, but rather due process must be observed.
Not too long ago, there was this report of a reverend sister who experiences stigmata. There have also been reported cases in recent times of apparitions of Jesus and Mary in some churches in Benin City. What do these incidents portend for the Church?
In the first instance, apparitions, stigmata and all extraordinary religious experiences are personal to those who have them. And, therefore, it is important that the Church as an institution with its own understanding, with its own principles founded upon the scriptures and traditions, looks at these religious experiences, evaluates them properly and be able to give appropriate direction or appropriate pronouncements on them. However, the fact that they come up at all is an indication of the fact that people have faith. People are very disposed to experience God and His action. And, therefore, for that reason, it’s a good thing that such things happen.
But we must guide against fraudulent religious experiences. We live in a country in which people are sometimes carried away or susceptible to gullibility. And that is why we have all kinds of false miracles and charlatans at work. So when those experiences come, the Church will not dismiss them outrightly but will evaluate them properly, using scriptures, using the traditions, using the teachings of the Church in giving directions as to what people should make of those experiences.
Your predecessor was very critical of the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria and other excesses in the Church. But there are some gifted priests in the Catholic Church. How do you ensure there is decorum in the use of such powers or gifts?
I think what we should look at is: what does the scripture say? What does the Church say? What does the Holy Church in Nigeria say about these things? The scripture says to us that we have a variety of gifts and people have a variety of ways of explaining and making God present. And so, we cannot dismiss it outrightly, that these gifts are there. But at the same time, you have to put the gifts to test… so to say.
If an individual says he has the gift of healing but he does not have the gift of obedience in terms of being ready to submit that gift to the relevant authorities, then you wonder; is such gift from God or from somewhere else? It is important to be able to put the gifts to test, to know their authenticity. No gift that anybody gives will contradict that which the Church and God stand for. And there are practices within the Church with regards to liturgy.
For example, if a person is exercising the so-called gifts in a way that goes contrary to the rules and regulations of liturgy, then naturally that person has gone beyond his bonds. And so, if there are such individuals or such persons that are found, naturally you would correct them, call them to order and help them to recognize the fact that whatever it is that they call their gifts are supposed to be exercised within the boundaries of the Church; otherwise, if you want to take your gifts outside, that is another story entirely.
So, basically, we must recognize the fact that gifts are given by God for the good of God’s people. Even St. Paul said that if you have the gifts of tongues, the gifts of healing, etc, but you don’t have love, your gifts are useless; you are just like an empty gong. Every gift needs to be tested for its authenticity and the exercise of it also needs to be seen to be in tune with the institution to which you belong.
Child marriage has generated much debate lately. What is your take?
We must go back to the fact that this whole discussion started from, whether Section 29, 4b of the Constitution should be expunged or not. That’s where it all began from, and so if, indeed, it has been expunged, that in itself is an indication that there is a willingness to deal with the problem of early marriage. However, whether there will now be a deliberate insertion of a Section or Sub-section or whatever it is, into the Constitution is another story entirely. And I think that is what majority of the people have been advocating since this whole issue started and I believe that the Senate ought to listen to the people. Otherwise they give us the impression that all their traveling around the country, pretending to be listening to the views of people was just a waste of money and time.
Nigerians are said to be among the most religious people on earth. Ironically, there is so much crime and corruption in our land. What do you think is responsible for this disconnect?
I think to be religious is one thing. To be religious in terms of carrying out one’s religious obligation is another thing. To be truly a friend of God; one who surrenders himself to the will of God and does the will of God is a separate thing entirely; and I think that, that is where the problem lies. You see people carrying out external religious activities, showing piety and acts of piety but, right in the depth of their hearts, they are not making efforts to follow the dictates of Christ and the dictates of the scripture. That is where the problem lies. We need to constantly remind ourselves on the need to rise above our human weaknesses that tend to make us run contrary to the will of God. Mere religious practices and religious activities without love is useless.
People have consistently called for a drastic cut in the cost of governance, especially in the salaries and emoluments of political office holders, as a way of bridging the disparity between the leadership and followership. Is this realizable?
It is important that those who lead us are, as it were, conscious of what the people are going through and how they are living and put that into consideration in any decision that they make. I was listening to news recently, and it was said that political office holders in Africa earn by far higher than others in the rest of the world; and that Nigeria has the highest paid political officers in the whole of Africa. It is therefore imperative for our legislators, the executive; and all those who occupy political positions to recognize the fact that, if they continue to award themselves huge salaries and emoluments, they are by so doing setting the people further apart from them. And people look at them as if they are not the same stuff as the rest of the nation.
Therefore it is important for them to ensure that funds are not diverted into payment of huge emoluments and salaries; but rather into development of infrastructure and social structures within the nation. These are what impact on the lives of the people.
What can you see on the unity of Nigeria beyond 2015?
The unity of Nigerian is obviously something in my own estimation that is not negotiable. I think we need Nigeria to be one united country and focused. We need a Nigeria in which everyone feels a sense of belonging as part and parcel of the nation. But the system of government we now run does not take care of these. And that is why we cannot but continue to talk about the fact that federal character should be brought back into the forefront of our national life. Federal character has been rubbished, as it were, now because everybody has to go to the centre to be able to do anything or make anything.
If this nation were allowed to flow according to the pace of the different geographical zones now, then I believe that we’ll be better off and development would be more rapid; there would be more accountability and the leaders would feel more responsible to the people. So, while the unity of the nation is beyond negotiation, we need to put in place the structures that will make that happen.
Can you lead a revolution?
Obviously my job is to be a priest. My job is just to be a priest. The point is, the Church has a responsibility to empower its people. The Church has a responsibility to speak to the minds and the hearts of the lay faithful. And it is their own role to ensure that these things that we are talking about happen. Of course the Church will give a backing but I don’t believe that it is the responsibility of the Church to say, `okay, let us go into the streets’.
We know of priests that have led revolutions.
That is true, but we also know the challenges that have come with taking that kind of responsibility. We saw the problem in Haiti and in other parts of the world.
We saw what happened. Even in our nation, people who think that they are priests and, therefore, can be governors, you saw how they were rubbished. And that is why we say that the important thing is to ensure that we create an atmosphere by which our people would be thoroughly imbibed with the spirit that is necessary. And, therefore, do the work.
Some Christians in Lagos State have been clamoring for a Christian governor. What is your take on this?
I have heard about the need to have a higher Christian presence at the helm of affairs in Lagos State. We generally have looked at governance from the point of view that the most efficient and capable should take the position. But, of course, the time comes when you also ask: Are there not also others, like Christians, who are equally qualified to be in positions of leadership? I think it is important for the political office holders and those who exercise political power within the state to also ask themselves that question such that we don’t find a situation in which there is a wide disenchantment. Our political leaders need to pay attention to this clamour and do something about it.
How is your typical day like?
My typical day is a full day. I begin about 5.30 in the morning and work till about 4.00 p.m. when I take a break to attend to other less official matters. But my days are often loaded with meetings and engagements. So it’s usually a full day by the grace of God.
How do you relax?
I try to! I have a treadmill in the house that’s sometimes gathering dust; so I am trying to redefine myself as far as that is concerned. But then…I do other exercises within my own environment. Perhaps one day I’ll also begin to play squash or something.
Culled from vanguard Newspaper
Pastor in court for duping congregation
A 37-year-old pastor, Kolawole Olugbenga, on Friday appeared before an Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, charged with defrauding a member of his congregation of N214,000.
Olugbenga, who lives at No. 19, Arowoshola St., Imota area of Ikorodu, is facing a charge of fraud.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Iyabo Johnson, told the court that the accused committed the offence sometime in 2011.
According to him, the pastor obtained the amount from a businesswoman, Mrs Mosunmola Fashola, on the pretext of praying over it.
She explained that the amount was to be her initial capital with which the complainant intended to use to start a small business.
The prosecutor said that after collecting the money, the pastor converted it to his personal use and had since not refunded it.
Johnson said that the offences committed contravened Sections 312, of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Section 312 provides a penalty of 15 years imprisonment for fraud.
However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Magistrate, Mr B.A. Sonuga, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000, with one surety in like sum.
Sonuga adjourned the case to Sept. 5 for trial.
Olugbenga, who lives at No. 19, Arowoshola St., Imota area of Ikorodu, is facing a charge of fraud.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Iyabo Johnson, told the court that the accused committed the offence sometime in 2011.
According to him, the pastor obtained the amount from a businesswoman, Mrs Mosunmola Fashola, on the pretext of praying over it.
She explained that the amount was to be her initial capital with which the complainant intended to use to start a small business.
The prosecutor said that after collecting the money, the pastor converted it to his personal use and had since not refunded it.
Johnson said that the offences committed contravened Sections 312, of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Section 312 provides a penalty of 15 years imprisonment for fraud.
However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Magistrate, Mr B.A. Sonuga, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000, with one surety in like sum.
Sonuga adjourned the case to Sept. 5 for trial.
Pope Francis plans conference on modern slavery
Pope Francis will call a conference in November to discuss an “action plan” against human trafficking and modern slavery, Vatican radio reported on Thursday.
Newly elected Pope Francis I, formerly Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires.
In an Easter message shortly after his election earlier this year, Francis said human trafficking was “the most widespread form of 21st century slavery”.
He has referred to the issue several times, railing against particular aspects of the problem like forced domestic work, prostitution and child labour.
At Last Prophet Ajanaku Is Confirmed Dead
The confidence exhibited by his wife notwithstanding, it was gathered that the founder and
spiritual leader of Christ Revival Victory Chapel, Prophet Iretiola Ajanaku is
dead!Also, latest revelations from his hometown indicates that the Pastor might have been a member of the Oro cult. It may sound incredible, read the report below:
Incredible! Oro Worshippers Hold Funeral Rites For Pastor Ajanaku
by Jumu’ah Abiodun of Gazelle News:
Residents of Ikola Odunsi, where Ajanaku lived before he breathed his last on Saturday evening at Gbongan in Osun State, were surprised early Tuesday morning when Oro masquerades went to town in funeral rites for the departed ‘Pastor’.
The funeral rites which began at about 12.30am ended between 3am and 4am.
The Oro worshipers chanted the name of Ajanaku throughout the night. The worshipers marched through the streets of Ikola Odunsi, Ikola Gbenaje, and landed at the deceased’s street, Folarin Williams Close.
They were chanting, “Ajanaku lo, o di gbere”, which translates to “Ajanaku is gone forever, adieu
Pastor Ajanaku Confirmed Dead, 27 Ogboni Fraternity Visit His Home
This was confirmed by a team of medical doctors late yesterday. The mystery that surrounds his death is still unimaginable, reason being that, the deceased was highly respected by his congregation even the popular gospel singer, Tope Alabi, gave him series of hypes in all her albums et al. What is so amazing is the role the occult group popularly called Ogboni Fraternity played in his demise.
A very reliable source whispered that, two days ago, 27 Ogboni members visited his place and were said to have asked every occupant to evacuate his room. Having spent some time with his corpse, they left, a close source revealed. We also confirmed that the deity that comes out and is forbidden to be seen by women (Oro), since his travails, has been shouting his name with all sorts of chants to appease their god.
The man, according to his church members, was confirmed finally dead last night and his remains, the church publicist said, has been deposited in the morgue but the Ogboni group, a source hinted, has warned the church members not to go ahead with his funeral without consulting them first; what this simply implies is that, the late pastor might have got his power from them and not directly from God.
Below is official statement issued by the church to announce his demise:
‘The death has been announced of Prophet Elijah Iretiola Ajanaku whose death was confirmed by a team of doctors on Thursday night after several vigil of prayers since Saturday evening when his health deteriorated.
Prophet Ajanaku who hailed from the Owo Ope family in Gbongan is survived by his wife, Joy and two children Stella and Apotieri. His remains has been deposited at the Military Mortuary, Yaba, Lagos.
Though he was born a Moslem over 40 years ago in Gbongan, he moved to Lagos in the 90s and settled in Ipaja Ayobo area where he acquired skills in many vocations and engaged in several trades before his encounter with God.
He founded and shepherded the Christ Revival Victory Chapel International, Ayobo, Ipaja, Lagos and rose to become the President of The Ajanaku World Outreach, a ministry devoted to the spread of the gospel outside the church. His last mission unaccomplished was Idoani For Christ, slated for September 30 and October 1, 2013 in Idoani, Ondo State.
Until his death, he was a widely travelled evangelist with remarkable crusades and prophetic healings around the world. Burial arrangements will be announced by the family and the church soon’
Signed:
Oluwatosin Faleye
CRVCI Public Affairs Dept
Culled from Nigerifilms.com
Pray for Jonathan, Nigeria,Minister Urges Nigerian Christians
Senator Mohammed remarked that there wasn’t any need for the thank-you visit because all he has been doing was to carry out his responsibility as their son and representative.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Christian Association, Bauchi State Chapter, Rev. Lawi P. Pokti said that they were in the FCT to appreciate the Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed for what he has been doing for the Christian Community in Bauchi State since 2007. According to the Chairman, President Goodluck Jonathan did not make any wrong choice in appointing Senator Bala Mohammed as FCT Minister and representative of Bauchi State at the Federal Executive Council.
Rev. Pokti specifically thanked the Minister for always identifying with the Christian Community in Bauchi State especially during the Bomb Blast that rocked the Living Faith Church, Bauchi sometime ago as well as their annual sponsorship to Jerusalem, Israel for Christian Pilgrimage. He said, “If it were possible, we would have come with the entire Christians in Bauchi State to thank you for all you have been doing for us”.
Aregbesola donates N35m for Prophet Obadare’s burial
The statement reads in part, “The sum of N35 million is earmarked for the construction of the mausoleum, burial ceremonies and intervention works of the late Spiritual leader who joined the saints on Thursday, March 21, this year.” The statement described the late cleric as one of the greatest spiritual icons the stated had produced. The burial ceremony will be held between August 9 and 17 at the World Soul Winning Evangelistic Ministry Theology Centre in Ilesha.
“He had promoted the name of Osun beyond the shores of Nigeria during his missionary duties as C.A.C General Evangelist.
“We believe that the mausoleum of the late Prophet will be a great benefit to Osun in terms of tourism development as it could attract the influx of tourists to the state,” he added.
(http://dailypost.com.ng)
Family Says Obadare’s Grave’ll Become Miracle Centre
Pastor Paul, first son of renowned televangelist, Prophet Timothy Oluwole Obadare has assured that after the burial of his father today in Ilesa, Osun state, the burial ground, on which the state government is erecting a mausoleum will turn to a healing centre for the sick.
He said the mystery behind the mausoleum to be built in memory of his late father by the Osun state government was necessary because the grave of the late spiritual icon would perform signs and wonders, the same way he did while on earth.
The young Obadare who spoke to Saturday Sun said “We are sure that papa’s grave will heal the sick and many oppressed people will receive deliverance and breakthrough for having an encounter with his grave. So, it is important to preserve such grave and that is why we appreciate the state government for deeming it fit to construct a mausoleum in his honour. The place can also be used for prayer and other spiritual activities by those who believe in the ministry of our dear Father.”
Towards this, the Osun state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has given the family of the Apostle the sum of N35 million to facilitate the burial ceremony as well as the building of the mausoleum.
Born in 1930 to a family of an orthodox belief in Ilesa, Prophet Obadare began his ministry with foremost Evangelists like the General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Apostle Ayodele Babalola, Prophet Simeon Akande and Prophet Elijah Babajide, all of blessed memory.
Married and blessed with seven children, Apostle Obadare had the most challenging part of his life time when he lost one of his sons some
years ago. However, the renowned prophet never allowed the challenge to affect his ministry as he moved ahead putting all challenges behind him. Today, six of his biological children who are all Pastors in various locations in Nigeria and abroad have continued from where he stopped when he answered the supreme call of his maker on 21st March
this year, having put in over 50 good years in evangelism.
Before breathing his last, Apostle Obadare had an encounter with his eldest son, Pastor Paul whom he specifically told to ensure that he was taken to his home town whenever he died, an instruction that is being carried out today with the burial of the cleric in Ilesa.
The young Obadare in an interview with Saturday Sun said “I was privileged to have an interaction with Papa before he died. I moved close to him and he told me so many things as if he had known that he would die. One of the things he told me was that we should ensure that we bring him back to Ilesa whenever he dies and his remains should be buried inside his church in Ilesa, his home town.
“Papa told me that I should tell the family that he insisted that his body be brought to Ilesa whenever he goes to be with his Lord and saviour. He maintained that he would want to be buried in Ilesa and that is why we have all agreed that he should be brought to Ilesa, even though he spent better part of his life and ministry in Akure, Ondo state, where we have headquarters of the church. Today papa was not just an indigene of a particular place but an international man with reputable achievements spread across various areas of human endeavours.”
He said his late father died when he completed his assignment on earth, having reached many lives and preached to many souls in his over 50 years of ministry, adding that he has no doubt that his late father was already resting in the bossom of the Lord who he said strengthened him throughout his life and ministry on earth.
According to him “The late Apostle Obadare was a fervent man of God, and there was no dull moment with him. Every time you had with him was always very interesting and exciting. He will be greatly missed by those who knew him, especially those of us who are his biological children and several other spiritual children in various parts of the world.”
Pastor Paul described his late father as a role model and a spiritual icon, saying he would specifically miss his mentorship and guidance which he said would be too difficult to get from other sources on earth.
He said further that “He was a soul that represe nted so many things to us as a family and even he represented so many things to the body of Christ on earth. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) would miss papa, so also many individuals and organizations would miss him.
Meanwhile, in recognition of the good works of the late Evangelist while on earth, the Osun state government has released a whooping sum of N35 million for the burial of the late spiritual icon.
Giving a breakdown of the financial contribution of the state government, the state commissioner for Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Mr Sikiru Ayedun disclosed that the sum of N15 million was set aside for construction of the mausoleum, N10 million for logistics for the burial ceremony and N10million for intervention work on the premises to accommodate the multitude and the adherents coming for the burial from far and near.
Defending the state government decision to spend such huge amount on the burial of Late Obadare, the state Commissioner for Finance who is also a member of the committee, Dr Wale Bolorunduro said Obadare was not just an icon but also an institution and a blessing to the whole world.
He said the state government decided to institutionalize and immortalize him because the late spiritualist was the linkage between the present and future, and most importantly the arrangement was part of the tourism development agenda of the state government.
As the icon of christian gospel evangelism in Nigeria and across the world, Apostle Timothy Oluwole Obadare, goes home in a blaze of glory today, men who were close to him and other beneficiaries of his ministry, have poured encomiums on him. This is even as one of his children, Pastor Paul Obadare opened up on the last moments of the renowned cleric.
Obadare, a world televangelist and founder of World Soul Winning Evangelical Mission, WOSEM, and General Evangelist of Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, died in Akure, the Ondo state capital on March 21st at the age of 83. The prophet who was the second-in-command to Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola at CAC, was popular for his monthly crusade, Koseunti, that drew Christians from all denominations to Akure.
Saturday Sun spoke with his son and a number of his protégés who all lauded Obadare’s zeal in evangelism, teaching and preaching God’s word in its pure nature, adding that his service to God greatly motivated everyone around him to serve God.
“Apostle T.A Obadare is a man I admire so much” said Reverend Paul Tunde TiOluwani (a.k.a) Lesekese, and General Overseer, the Bibleway Christian Church International.
According to him, “I always wonder how greatly God was using him despite his disability. How God was able to make him perform far greater than those who do not have such limitation. He was able to climb beyond his limits and turned his scars into stars.
“He was a man that was matchless with achievements that were staggering.
He was a proof of a living prophetic icon. He was a global icon. This is in the sense that when he gives a prophecy, it happens instantly. And then, the way he quotes the bible remains a mystery to me.
“Initially, before I got close to him, I used to think that he reads brain Bible, the one read with fingers. But when I got close to him and was sleeping in his house, I discovered that there was nothing like that. And later when I probed further into his life, I discovered that when he was called by God, the Lord just opened his chest and placed a giant Bible there and He said from today, you would start quoting from Genesis to Revelation. I admire him greatly.
“I admire his exploits in the area of miracles and grassroots evangelism. Baba never rested. He spent and he was spent for the gospel. And I have always wished to be like him. And I keep praying that God would make me be like him.
The church has lost a great icon: A man that preaches Jesus raw: unwatered and undiluted. Many pastors are political preachers, they talk to favour the government for their own interest but Obadare preaches Jesus without mixing anything with it. And not that alone, throughout his life, he anchored his ministry on holiness. He was not materialistic and never gathered empires around himself , like other pastors do. So, with his glorious exit, a great vacuum had been created that would be very hard to fill, except by God’s intervention.”
Pastor Micheal Adeyemi is the Zonal head, Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C), Lagos. He described Obadare as a man blessed with unrivaled prowess for soul winning and evangelism. His words “We will miss Baba Obadare a lot. We will miss his motivation, drive to carry us along and make us work for God. We will also miss the power of God graciously bestowed on him by God. We will miss his advices for us to work for God. He was a great shepherd who taught so many to be great disciples of Christ and did it so well. The legacy he left behind is so great and we are making a great effort to preserve it. His was a very big shoe for just anyone to wear.”
Obadare’s mentorship and fatherly love that had planted many firmly in christendom is what Pastor Jare Laoye, presiding pastor of the C.A.C, Ketu, harped on. “I will miss Obadare for so many reasons; his mentorship is the greatest of the things I will miss him for and he was like a father to all who drew close to him, unlike other men of God, he had a great fatherly care and concern for everyone.
“Most people would miss him greatly for this. You hardly could differentiate between those of us his children and his biological children, he treated all of us the same way. That is a very unique virtue of his. We will equally miss his sound instructions in encouraging us to be forthright and focused in God’s work. Describing him as a workaholic is an understatement for when you see him doing the work of God, no one will tell you to join him immediately and do it too. He motivated us to work for God. Above all, his love for evangelism was unrivaled and was one of the great things he gave to us.”
For Pastor John Adegbite, Zonal Secretary of the Christ Apostolic Church, Lagos, Obadare’s unparalleled motivation for work was what endeared him to the cleric. “He did not believe in failure. He didn’t believe in no for an answer no matter how difficult the situation may be. He never believed in impossibility, because he served a God of possibilities, especially, when it has to do with evangelism: Obadare was evangelism and evangelism was him. When you talk about grassroots motivation for winning souls in Nigeria, Obadare has no rival. He towers above all other colleagues. I have been with Obadare since 1977 when I first met him at a crusade in Ilesa. He was an erudite when it comes to exhalting people with the word of God. I still remember the title of his sermon that day: it centered on have faith in God’s word. Obadare was always instructing people to believe God’s word other than himself as a servant of God. Since I have known him then, I have personally come to realize that he is a man of God to follow. He was a man that tells you to do something on a certain issue and when you do it, you get results immediately”, he stated.
Edo State-born Pa Adeniyi Odihiri who is currently a security guard with the Lagos branch of the C.A.C, told Saturday Sun that he would miss the signs and wonders God had performed through Obadare: “ I was a wretch when I encountered Obadare and he turned my life around for good. I was practicing vodooism and was also a terrible drunk but God used Baba Obadare and some of his ministers to turn my life around for good. I have been in this church since mid 70s and I have no regret whatsoever”, he said.
He said the mystery behind the mausoleum to be built in memory of his late father by the Osun state government was necessary because the grave of the late spiritual icon would perform signs and wonders, the same way he did while on earth.
The young Obadare who spoke to Saturday Sun said “We are sure that papa’s grave will heal the sick and many oppressed people will receive deliverance and breakthrough for having an encounter with his grave. So, it is important to preserve such grave and that is why we appreciate the state government for deeming it fit to construct a mausoleum in his honour. The place can also be used for prayer and other spiritual activities by those who believe in the ministry of our dear Father.”
Towards this, the Osun state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has given the family of the Apostle the sum of N35 million to facilitate the burial ceremony as well as the building of the mausoleum.
Born in 1930 to a family of an orthodox belief in Ilesa, Prophet Obadare began his ministry with foremost Evangelists like the General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Apostle Ayodele Babalola, Prophet Simeon Akande and Prophet Elijah Babajide, all of blessed memory.
Married and blessed with seven children, Apostle Obadare had the most challenging part of his life time when he lost one of his sons some
years ago. However, the renowned prophet never allowed the challenge to affect his ministry as he moved ahead putting all challenges behind him. Today, six of his biological children who are all Pastors in various locations in Nigeria and abroad have continued from where he stopped when he answered the supreme call of his maker on 21st March
this year, having put in over 50 good years in evangelism.
Before breathing his last, Apostle Obadare had an encounter with his eldest son, Pastor Paul whom he specifically told to ensure that he was taken to his home town whenever he died, an instruction that is being carried out today with the burial of the cleric in Ilesa.
The young Obadare in an interview with Saturday Sun said “I was privileged to have an interaction with Papa before he died. I moved close to him and he told me so many things as if he had known that he would die. One of the things he told me was that we should ensure that we bring him back to Ilesa whenever he dies and his remains should be buried inside his church in Ilesa, his home town.
“Papa told me that I should tell the family that he insisted that his body be brought to Ilesa whenever he goes to be with his Lord and saviour. He maintained that he would want to be buried in Ilesa and that is why we have all agreed that he should be brought to Ilesa, even though he spent better part of his life and ministry in Akure, Ondo state, where we have headquarters of the church. Today papa was not just an indigene of a particular place but an international man with reputable achievements spread across various areas of human endeavours.”
He said his late father died when he completed his assignment on earth, having reached many lives and preached to many souls in his over 50 years of ministry, adding that he has no doubt that his late father was already resting in the bossom of the Lord who he said strengthened him throughout his life and ministry on earth.
According to him “The late Apostle Obadare was a fervent man of God, and there was no dull moment with him. Every time you had with him was always very interesting and exciting. He will be greatly missed by those who knew him, especially those of us who are his biological children and several other spiritual children in various parts of the world.”
Pastor Paul described his late father as a role model and a spiritual icon, saying he would specifically miss his mentorship and guidance which he said would be too difficult to get from other sources on earth.
He said further that “He was a soul that represe nted so many things to us as a family and even he represented so many things to the body of Christ on earth. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) would miss papa, so also many individuals and organizations would miss him.
Meanwhile, in recognition of the good works of the late Evangelist while on earth, the Osun state government has released a whooping sum of N35 million for the burial of the late spiritual icon.
Giving a breakdown of the financial contribution of the state government, the state commissioner for Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Mr Sikiru Ayedun disclosed that the sum of N15 million was set aside for construction of the mausoleum, N10 million for logistics for the burial ceremony and N10million for intervention work on the premises to accommodate the multitude and the adherents coming for the burial from far and near.
Defending the state government decision to spend such huge amount on the burial of Late Obadare, the state Commissioner for Finance who is also a member of the committee, Dr Wale Bolorunduro said Obadare was not just an icon but also an institution and a blessing to the whole world.
He said the state government decided to institutionalize and immortalize him because the late spiritualist was the linkage between the present and future, and most importantly the arrangement was part of the tourism development agenda of the state government.
As the icon of christian gospel evangelism in Nigeria and across the world, Apostle Timothy Oluwole Obadare, goes home in a blaze of glory today, men who were close to him and other beneficiaries of his ministry, have poured encomiums on him. This is even as one of his children, Pastor Paul Obadare opened up on the last moments of the renowned cleric.
Obadare, a world televangelist and founder of World Soul Winning Evangelical Mission, WOSEM, and General Evangelist of Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, died in Akure, the Ondo state capital on March 21st at the age of 83. The prophet who was the second-in-command to Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola at CAC, was popular for his monthly crusade, Koseunti, that drew Christians from all denominations to Akure.
Saturday Sun spoke with his son and a number of his protégés who all lauded Obadare’s zeal in evangelism, teaching and preaching God’s word in its pure nature, adding that his service to God greatly motivated everyone around him to serve God.
“Apostle T.A Obadare is a man I admire so much” said Reverend Paul Tunde TiOluwani (a.k.a) Lesekese, and General Overseer, the Bibleway Christian Church International.
According to him, “I always wonder how greatly God was using him despite his disability. How God was able to make him perform far greater than those who do not have such limitation. He was able to climb beyond his limits and turned his scars into stars.
“He was a man that was matchless with achievements that were staggering.
He was a proof of a living prophetic icon. He was a global icon. This is in the sense that when he gives a prophecy, it happens instantly. And then, the way he quotes the bible remains a mystery to me.
“Initially, before I got close to him, I used to think that he reads brain Bible, the one read with fingers. But when I got close to him and was sleeping in his house, I discovered that there was nothing like that. And later when I probed further into his life, I discovered that when he was called by God, the Lord just opened his chest and placed a giant Bible there and He said from today, you would start quoting from Genesis to Revelation. I admire him greatly.
“I admire his exploits in the area of miracles and grassroots evangelism. Baba never rested. He spent and he was spent for the gospel. And I have always wished to be like him. And I keep praying that God would make me be like him.
The church has lost a great icon: A man that preaches Jesus raw: unwatered and undiluted. Many pastors are political preachers, they talk to favour the government for their own interest but Obadare preaches Jesus without mixing anything with it. And not that alone, throughout his life, he anchored his ministry on holiness. He was not materialistic and never gathered empires around himself , like other pastors do. So, with his glorious exit, a great vacuum had been created that would be very hard to fill, except by God’s intervention.”
Pastor Micheal Adeyemi is the Zonal head, Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C), Lagos. He described Obadare as a man blessed with unrivaled prowess for soul winning and evangelism. His words “We will miss Baba Obadare a lot. We will miss his motivation, drive to carry us along and make us work for God. We will also miss the power of God graciously bestowed on him by God. We will miss his advices for us to work for God. He was a great shepherd who taught so many to be great disciples of Christ and did it so well. The legacy he left behind is so great and we are making a great effort to preserve it. His was a very big shoe for just anyone to wear.”
Obadare’s mentorship and fatherly love that had planted many firmly in christendom is what Pastor Jare Laoye, presiding pastor of the C.A.C, Ketu, harped on. “I will miss Obadare for so many reasons; his mentorship is the greatest of the things I will miss him for and he was like a father to all who drew close to him, unlike other men of God, he had a great fatherly care and concern for everyone.
“Most people would miss him greatly for this. You hardly could differentiate between those of us his children and his biological children, he treated all of us the same way. That is a very unique virtue of his. We will equally miss his sound instructions in encouraging us to be forthright and focused in God’s work. Describing him as a workaholic is an understatement for when you see him doing the work of God, no one will tell you to join him immediately and do it too. He motivated us to work for God. Above all, his love for evangelism was unrivaled and was one of the great things he gave to us.”
For Pastor John Adegbite, Zonal Secretary of the Christ Apostolic Church, Lagos, Obadare’s unparalleled motivation for work was what endeared him to the cleric. “He did not believe in failure. He didn’t believe in no for an answer no matter how difficult the situation may be. He never believed in impossibility, because he served a God of possibilities, especially, when it has to do with evangelism: Obadare was evangelism and evangelism was him. When you talk about grassroots motivation for winning souls in Nigeria, Obadare has no rival. He towers above all other colleagues. I have been with Obadare since 1977 when I first met him at a crusade in Ilesa. He was an erudite when it comes to exhalting people with the word of God. I still remember the title of his sermon that day: it centered on have faith in God’s word. Obadare was always instructing people to believe God’s word other than himself as a servant of God. Since I have known him then, I have personally come to realize that he is a man of God to follow. He was a man that tells you to do something on a certain issue and when you do it, you get results immediately”, he stated.
Edo State-born Pa Adeniyi Odihiri who is currently a security guard with the Lagos branch of the C.A.C, told Saturday Sun that he would miss the signs and wonders God had performed through Obadare: “ I was a wretch when I encountered Obadare and he turned my life around for good. I was practicing vodooism and was also a terrible drunk but God used Baba Obadare and some of his ministers to turn my life around for good. I have been in this church since mid 70s and I have no regret whatsoever”, he said.
More Messy Allegations trail Coza Pastor as Another Victim Comes forward With Pictures
This Ese Walters story is true. I was introduced to the church in Abuja by my childhood friend, who moved to Abuja from Calabar two years before I did. When I joined, she was also a PCU worker. I really felt welcome in the church up until my friend started having problems with other women. She told me it was because Pastor Biodun trusted her with so many official things even above workers that were there before her. I believed her until the day she had an misunderstanding with another worker who called her 'Ashewo Mary Magdalene' in the church. After that, her enthusiasm for church started waning while mine was getting stronger till the day she told me she was leaving the church and shortly after she left. By that time, Pastor Biodun had developed an interest in counseling me and then started telling me to take my friends place as a PCU worker. I was reluctant because I didnt feel like coming to church early and leaving late but Pastor biodun assured me that his personal driver will pick me and drop me off and so I agreed. I started work as arranged but after a while, I noticed that the pastor did not respect personal space when talking to me when we were alone.
He would stand soooooo close and rub my upper arms or my back which made me very uncomfortable. The final straw was when he said I should go with him to Lagos to take notes and transfer same online immediately for some Pentacostal thing he was attending and he knew I was very computer literate. I was excited till we reached Lagos and I realized that only one room was booked at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi. Of course I complaint and the Pastor called the front desk ( or pretended to) to demand for another room. He said they would call back when the room was ready. He then told me to help massage his back becos he has back ache from sitting on the flight. I said I was tired since it was already after 8. He then insisted I lay down on the bed to rest while waiting. I said I preferred to sit at the desk and he laughed saying that I was acting like a small girl or a village uneducated girl.
He then went in to take a shower. I then called the front desk to remind then about the extra room. I wasn't surprised when I was told that they had vacant rooms and that nobody had requested for an extra room. By this time, I knew what was up and was ready for the fool. I opened his pouch and saw his wallet which had his lisence. Took a picture of the wallet and the Lisence on the pillow on the bed with my head in the shot. I opened the door and took several pictures of myself, the wallet and the Lisence with the room number. Came back in, once I heard the shower stop, I started audio recording on my BB. He came out with a towel around his waist and started telling me how attracted he was to me. He said many deregatory things about his wife, calling her a postcard...pretty on the outside but flat and empty upstairs. He said sex with her was like having sex with a cold dead fish...he tried to kiss me and I stood up, picked up my travelling bag, moved to the door, opened it and quickly took a picture of him, standing with a towel around him. He started begging. I called him all sorts of names and insisted he give me money for a separate room or I would scream 'rape'. To cut a long story short, he asked me to shut the door, I refused, he brought out 2 bundles of N1000 and asked me to delete before he gives me the money.
I told him he was in no position to negotiate. Got the money, left the Randy goat with a deflated erection and checked into another room. First thing the next morning, I left for ABJ. By the way, remember my childhood friend that introduced me toCOZA? I narrated my experience to her and she confessed that she was sleeping with Biodun for over a year, even on his marital bed when his wife travelled. Oga Pastor, try and deny my story publicly and see American wonder....I still have the pictures and our conversation on tape. Thank God for technology!!!!!! Franca E
After Revelation of Sexual Intimacy With COZA Pastor,Ese Walter Delete Twitter,Facebook Accounts
She has also closed her Twitter account as sources close to her said she has “broken her public sim”.
She made a confession about an ‘abuse’ by the man of God whom she accused of “playing the ‘don’t touch the anointed one’ card” as they began the illicit affair.
For the most part, Nigerians have sympathised with Ese Walter and in general criticised the immoral clergymen.
All the same, some blamed the lady with even others dismissing her story as lame and fictitious. Perhaps the backlash has taken a toll on her already thus the reason why she’s decided to close her Facebook and Twitter accounts.
It will be interesting to hear the pastor’s version of events and put the issue into perspective
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)