By Adeola Ogunlade

The General Superintendent of Holy Spirit Mission, (Happy Family Centre), Bishop Charles Ighele, has called on the federal government to shun divisive polices and body language so as to ensure sustainable peace in the country

Ighele gave the charge in a chat with members of Association of Christian Correspondents of Nigeria (ACCoN), who paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Akonwonjo, Lagos as he clock 66, said that the underlying problem that is facing the country is hinge on increasing spate of social inequalities across the country.

Ighele said “there is a class war currently going on in Nigeria. The rich have eaten the poor enough, and now, it is the turn of the poor to eat the rich.

“The government needs to go take urgent action by jettisoning divisive polices and body language, so as to ensure peace in the land. No nation grows by the philosophy of who you know, rather, by who is qualified”, he said.

He said that social institutions like banks, army, police, others should be made inclusive rather than exclusive, adding that no nation grows by the philosophy of who you know rather than who is qualifies.

Ighele noted that Nigeria currently lacks all the indices that make great nations of the world

He said: “Nigeria is currently lacking all the indices that make great nations of the world. The only panacea that would liberate Nigeria from the status of a failed nation, is when a a strong benevolent and nation builder is enthroned as leader. The Nigerian elite know nothing of nation building, but nation funds accumulation”,

On social decay witnessed in the country, Ighele said Nigeria has become more uncivilized than it used to be, adding that the whole system took a u-turn to the bad side, when the military took over the mantle of leadership in the country.

Speaking on the eroding quality of education, the bishop noted that without sound and solid education, a country or people cannot progress.

“Education is key. Education equips you on how to at issues. Without education that is solid and sound, the country or its people can go nowhere”, he said.

The Bishop advised President Buhari to write his name in history, by making right the wrongs witnessed during his administration.

He said: “a nation which has failed can rise again. I want President Muhammed Buhari to succeed in office, but at moment, the president has reached the peak of his capacity, and he should seek ways to increase his capacity. The president should consult other nations on how they extricated their nations from their own problems.”

The cleric noted that Nigeria’s political structure has been configured in such a manner that honest youths and well-read Nigerians cannot penetrate into politics.

Bishop Charles Ighele, who was born in Warri, Delta State in 1955, officially became the Presiding Bishop of the Holy Spirit Mission in January, 1997, after the Founder, the late Bishop Michael Marioghae handed the mantle of leadership of the Church over to him in December, 1996. He was consecrated a bishop on December 4, 1998.

He is happily married to Rev. Carol Ighele (nee Marioghae). The union is blessed with children and grandchildren.

By Adeola Ogunlade

The Parish Priest of St Anthony  Catholic Church,  Rev Monsignor Bernard Okodua has charged church leaders to remain committed to the preaching of the truth of God’s word and shun mundane thing.

Okodua has said this at a press conference announcing the commencement of the 60 days celebration as part of the event lined up to celebrate the Diamond Anniversary celebration of St Anthony  Catholic Church, Gbaja, Surulere in Lagos, said that  ministers of the gospel are expected to preach the undiluted message of Jesus that saves and prepare men for heaven.

The programme will featured A Day with elder, 70 years and above slated for 27thth April, 2021, Parish Youth Day will hold on the 2nd of May, Men’s Day with the Parish Priest, 8th, May and Children’s Day Celebration on the 23rd of May, among others.

He cited the words of Paul to Timothy when he admonished him to preach the truth and insist on it whether they want to hear or not because a time is coming when people will be tired of hearing the truth and will be looking for teachers who will teach what they want to hear.

He noted that we must continue to close the moral gaps that exist in the society through the gospel, we must not be enmeshed in the corruption in the society so that our message will be effective and impactful/.

He asserted that the Holy Bible teaches us not to lose hope and not despair or be dismayed. The risen Christ has brought light to the world and we must let his light shine by proclaiming the good news among men.

He posited that part of this good news is that our Parish has continued to grow in leaps and bounds from the humble beginning of 1961 into prominent Parish within the firmament of Lagos Archdiocese.

He said our anniversary day is our annual feats day, the feast of St Anthony, we have decided to celebrate in a grader day of celebrations. We have also decided to begin early as a build up to the D-day, hence 60 to 60 catchphrase.

In his words, the Associate Priest of St Anthony Catholic Church, Rev Fr Victor Okhiria noted that the celebration of our Diamond anniversary is not merely simplistic but a strong assertion of our values and belief which we held for the past 60 years: the contributions of the Parish to its immediate environs: and more emphatically a message to all about our unrelenting commitment and continuous response to needs and growth of the immediate community.

He started that the role of the church in the modern world as a transformation and change agent cannot be exaggerated. All over the ages, the church has been involved in the life of humanity, structuring of society with its functions and institution and in shaping the form and quality of political systems.

By Taiwo Alimi

St Mark’s Anglican Church Magboro, Diocese of Egba West is rolling out the drums to celebrate its 10th anniversary and thank God for the grace to march on.

Billed to hold at the church auditorium on Sunday, April 25th, 2021, the anniversary celebration will be marked with a launching of N25million church building project.

According to the Vicar, Rev. Canon Jacob Oladejo, the Father of the Day will be no other than the Diocesan Bishop Rt. Rev. Samuel Ogundeji, to be ably assisted by the Ven. Emmanuel Akinyele, Archdeacon Ibafo Archdeaconry.

Chairman, planning committee, Sir George Amadi, said the chief launcher of the day is Dr. Adeolu Adeyeye while Barr. Joseph Eneigbose is the chairman of the day.

He noted that special thanksgiving events to thank the Lord for upholding His church in this trying period have been specially prepared and uppermost in their mind is to finish the building project and dedicate it in the shortest possible time.

“We want to thank God for sparing our lives after all that has happened around the world. It is by his grace that we are alive and the best way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of His church is to give back onto His glory,” added Rev. Canon Oladejo.

By Sunday Oguntola

Presiding Bishop of Rhema Christian Church and Towers Ota, Ogun State, Taiwo Akinola, has urged the Federal Government to criminalise ransom taking and payment to stem the tide of abductions and kidnapping across the nation.

He lamented kidnappings have become so attractive that only criminalisation of ransom taking and payment will serve as deterrence to those involved.

Akinola also challenged the Federal Government to deal ruthlessly with criminals regardless of their status and origin to arrest rising insecurity.

He spoke last Sunday during a briefing in the church ahead of its mini-convention slated for May 8 at City of Zion on Molufinrin,  Wasimi along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

The cleric said the mini-convention is a prelude to the 30th anniversary of the church billed for November.

Bemoaning the spate of insecurity in the nation, he said: “Nigerians in the present times are being inundated with reports of killings, herdsmen/farmers clashes, robbery, communal strife, ransom-taking, with resultant disasters and economic depression. Farms are being emptied and the means of livelihoods of many citizens destroyed in many parts of the country.

“In fact, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of terrorism have escalated in the nation in recent times, with school children and students being traumatised with harrowing experiences in the hands of these criminals.

“The impression all these give is that our Government is so helpless, despite the fact that the duty of securing lives and property should be the number one duty of government.”

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To change the tide, Akinola, a former lecturer, said there were needs to criminalise payment and collection of ransoms.

According to him: “The bandits have continued their reign of terror on the innocent citizens just because of the money they get out of it.

“They see it as a lucrative venture. But if they see that their gains  from  criminality  are  far  out  of  sight,  they  will  most probably retrace their steps.

“I am quite aware that making and implementing such laws may appear tough and inhuman at the beginning but where sustained,  I  believe  that  within  a  short  space  of  time, kidnapping for ransom will go down drastically, and eventually become a thing of the past.”

He also said criminals should be ruthlessly dealt with saying government cannot afford to let people believe it has lost its power of force.

“If criminals are regularly made to taste the brutality of the law through frontal  punitive  measures  and  public  disgrace,  it would serve to deter these criminals and others who are planning to tow such lines.

“It is important to say that if government wishes to succeed in its war against criminality in the society, it must be fair and seen to be fair to all citizens alike. Criminality must be tackled without consideration for ethnicity, region or religion.

He called for a day of national repentance and prayer because there is nothing God cannot do.

Such prayers, he said, would be offered at the mini-convention with the theme “The power of covenant.”

The Assistant General Overseer, Administration  and Personnel of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Johnson Odesola, has called on the federal government to wake up to its responsibility of securing the lives and property of the citizens as the whole system in Nigeria is collapsing.

Odesola said this after a thanksgiving service held recently at the RCCG, Throne of Grace, National Headquarters, Ebutte-Metta, Lagos. The programme ‘Destined to win’.

According to him, looking at what is happening in Nigeria, if not that God has destined Nigeria to win; it would have been worse off. It’s very disheartening that the whole system is collapsing, not just the health system.

The cleric noted that the primary responsibility of any government was the security of its citizens and to improve their living condition.

Odesola said “no security, the state of education is in comatose, nothing seems to be working in Nigeria except people want to lie and be mischievous, nothing is working. This is the only time we have people in government who don’t address any issue regaining its citizens except talking about their ambition.

“That’s very disheartening. That does not mean God will not work out things. But at the moment, nothing is working; security is nothing to write home about. There is a challenge with our educational system; we have problem too with our healthcare delivery and the economy isn’t in good shape at all.”

The cleric charged Nigerians to continue to pray and choose right in future elections, even as he reiterated the need to restructure the country.

He noted that the present challenges facing the country should not make us hopeless, God has already destined it in the spirit world but we need to download it and that’s why prayers is very adequate and that’s why we need to keep praying..