Ekiti Govt Shut Seven Catholic Schools, as Church Sues Govt

 Ekiti State Government has shut seven schools run by the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti for failure to pay the Education Development Levy.

Under the new tax regime, pupils in primary and secondary schools are to pay N500 and N1,000, respectively.

The catholic schools had requested the government to exclude its schools from the payment, a request that was rejected.

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Most Reverend Felix Ajakaye, who broke the news in Ado Ekiti, accused the state government of being insensitive by shutting the schools when students were preparing for their National Examinations Council Examinations

Ajakaye said, “I am concerned about the propriety of imposing any development levy on pupils and students in Catholic mission schools in Ekiti State, moreover when our schools are paying various levies and taxes demanded by both the local and state governments respectively.

“The closure of the schools is very painful personally to me. They are writing exams and government is closing down their schools. That is insensitivity.”

The Diocese operates 15 primary and seven secondary schools in the state.

Confirming the development, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Jide Egunjobi, said, “It is true we shut the catholic schools that failed to pay. Some of them have paid and are operational. We only shut those that refused to pay.

“We all agreed to the development levy at the education summit, so, there is no going back.”

Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese has sued the Ekiti State Government for imposing education development levies on pupils in its primary and secondary schools.

In an originating summons filed at Ekiti State High Court by the Incorporated Trustees of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, the plaintiff asked the court to declare that imposition of levies as illegal, unconstitutional and null and void.

It contended that the action violated Section 2 of Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act 2004 and Section 19 of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Law.

The defendants are the Attorney General of Ekiti State and the Commissioner for Education.

The Church asked the court to determine “whether every child of primary school and junior secondary school age in Ekiti State is not entitled to free and compulsory basic education under Section 2 of Compulsory Free Universal Education Act, 2004 and Section 19 of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board Law.”

“If the imposition of education development levy or any tax or levy on pupils and schools in Ekiti State, including the claimants schools, by the defendants, does not violate Section 2 of Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act 2004 and Section 19 of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Law.

“Whether the defendants could impose education development levy or tax on pupils and schools “without a law validly passed by the Ekiti State House of Assembly” in view of some sections of the Nigerian constitution.”

While praying the court to declare that the defendants could not impose education development levy or tax on pupils and schools, the palintiff also sought an order restraining the defendants from further demand of the levy.

The Church also sought an order of mandatory injunction directing the defendants to endorse and approve the applications of students of its schools for the 2016 NECO examination pending the determination of the substantive case.

It also sought a similar order for its pupils in the various primary schools run by the church in Ekiti Diocese.

Culled from Punch Newspaper,Nigeria

Two American missionaries murdered, dumped in bushes outside a church in Jamaica

 

 Two U.S. missionaries Randy Hentzel and Harold Nichols, were found slain on April 30 in Kingston, Jamaica - a rural area m that has long struggled with high rates of violent crime.

The battered bodies of the missionaries, who lived and worked in Jamaica for a Pennsylvania-based religious organization called Teams for Medical Missions, were found in separate areas of St. Mary parish.

The two men and their families did evangelism, Bible ministry and built homes for the less privileged. They were reportedly murdered on their way to check on the foundation of a house they were building for an impoverished family.

There have been no arrests made in connection to the case so far and the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica said officials were in touch with the victims' families and the ambassador had contacted the leadership of the island's security establishment

Osinbajo shares his journey to becoming Nigeria's Vice President

Prof.Osinbajo

  Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday April 30th, shared the journey that led him to become the Vice President of Nigeria. Speaking at the Platform Abuja, Osinbajo narrated how his drive for integrity and forthrightness led him and some others to form a group of concerned professionals that will speak against corruption. According to Vanguard, Osinbajo also narrated his clash with the Abacha government and how providence brought him and Buhari together as running mates

“Permit me to begin (the speech) with a story about myself. All my adult life, I have always believed that our country was performing far below its potentialities, in practically every aspect of life. In governance, corruption was always so outrageous that it made the majority poor and development almost impossible. Law and order was always a problem, usually no consequence for wrong-doing. Doing business and even our daily existence have always been difficult, no power, no fuel. Getting anything done in government establishments, a nightmare of delay and extortion. So as a conscious decision, I joined various pressure groups. From human rights groups to good governance advocacy groups. In 1995, I co- founded an organization called Integrity, an anti-corruption organization. I joined various think tanks and professional groups, including the Concerned Professionals. Under the Abacha regime we Concerned Professionals, one day gathered at Yaba Bus-stop and some were thoroughly beaten by Police and the Army. From that day on, people disappeared and did not show up again. I served as a two-term Attorney- General in Lagos State and pushed reforms in governance and the justice sector, I believed and continued to believe that the Nigerian people deserve better lives. In December 2014, the unexpected happened; I was nominated as Vice Presidential candidate to then General Muhammadu Buhari.”

Osinbajo recalled that he was still a young man when Buhari became head of State

“As a young university lecturer, then I was impressed by his, President Buhari’s single-minded fight against corruption and indiscipline. There was a serious war against indiscipline. For the first time, government held corrupt officers accountable. 30 years later, providence brought us together. A retired general now and a Professor of Law. We both believed that our country needed to change. We argued about how and what needed to be done. We reached consensus on many of the major issues. Certainly our country need a different set of values; a new way of doing business; an economy that is able to give opportunity to young people to work in their chosen professions and to build strong and profitable businesses. We knew that we had to provide social protection for the poorest and the most vulnerable. We recognised that innovation and change will be key, and that we must implement and not just talk about diversification of our economy. So we led our party’s campaign on that single, simple, but profound word, CHANGE! Nearly a year on- there are many problems and many have asked where is the change? Is this the change we voted for? Even some fifth columnists in our midst have suggested bring back corruption! “But let me just say here for the records that the government of Muhammadu Buhari is completely and irrevocably committed to change".

An example for the modern church – Part 1

Pastor Kumuyi

 Every church must aspire to be exemplary, to be a model Church, a church that is pleasing to God, a “crown of rejoicing and glory” to her ministers. Such a church exists in Thessalonica, in the early years of the New Testament. The church stood because of the divine work of grace, genuine conversion of its members, their lively faith, love and hope, patience and perseverance in persecution, their obedience and practical holiness, their well-known evangelistic zeal and focused expectation of Christ’s return for the saints.
Nothing is said about their large membership, financial strength and wealth, their political power or impressive position in the society or popularity in their community. Indeed, the Thessalonian Church was a persecuted church (1 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:4). What made the church great in God’s sight was their clear experience of salvation, sanctification, steadfastness, and unwavering commitment to the whole counsel of God as “taught of God” and as taught by the Apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 4:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:15). They were teachable and their lives reflected what they had been taught of God and by the Apostle.
This second Epistle, our text today, was written some months after the first Epistle. The Apostle had prayed for their growth and he had also exhorted them to grow (1 Thessalonians 4:1,10). Now he commends them for growing exceedingly. He was really pleased with their progress and he wrote this Epistle to guide them into fuller revelation, while encouraging them to stand firm and remain faithful to the Lord in persecution and trials.
Although Silvanus and Timothy were co-workers with Paul (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1: p19), he was the sole author of the Epistle (2 Thessalonians 2:5; 3: 17). Silvanus or Silas was a faithful missionary partner and he ministered effectively with Paul (Acts 15:22,27,32-34,40,41; 16:19-26; 2 Corinthians 1:19). Timothy was Paul’s faithful son in the faith, who frequently served as his emissary and representative (1 Thessalonians 3: 1,2; 1 Corinthians 4: 17; 16: 10; Philippians 2: 19-24; 1 Timothy 1: 3). This team of supportive ministers working whole-heartedly and faithfully with Paul had raised up heavenly-minded churches in Thessalonica and in many other cities. The
Thessalonians had genuine repentance (Thessalonians 1:9) and were brought into vital union and relationship with God and our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1).
“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. Grace is God’s undeserved, unmerited favour to us. When we were sinners, enemies of God and enemies of righteousness, God in His grace granted us repentance and forgiveness (Acts 5:31). “By grace are ye saved.” We are “justified freely by His grace.” The “manifold grace of God” is available to all of us to keep us victorious in all circumstances. His manifold grace includes saving grace (Titus 2:11), sustaining grace (Hebrews 4: 16), supplicating grace (Zechariah 12: 10), sanctifying grace (Hebrews 10; 29), serving Grace (Hebrews 12:28), strengthening grace (2 Timothy 2: 1), sufficient grace (2 Corinthians 12:9), great grace (Acts 4:33), more grace (James 4:6), super abundant Grace (1 Corinthians 15:10). We receive peace and grace from the same Source. From Christ and in Christ, abiding peace, abundant peace can always be ours.
Further Reading (King James Version): Thessalonians 1:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:1,2; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 2:11-14; Acts 13:43; Hebrews 13:9; 2 Peter 3:17,18; Colossians 3:15-17; Philippians 4:7-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Romans 1: 16,17; 3:23-28; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Galatians 2:20; Acts 15:9, Ephesians 6:16; Colossians 1:21-23; Hebrews 10:22, 35-39; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:9,10; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8,13; Matthew 22:37-40; John 13:34,35; Romans 12:9,10; 13:8-10; 1 John 3:11-18; 5:2,3.
Culled from The Guardian Newspaper,Nigeria