The National Vice President of the Pentecostal fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), South West Zone, Archbishop John Osa-Oni;President of Bishop Abraham Ministry, Bishop Abraham Olaleye; Continental Overseer for Continent 3 (South West, Nigeria & Middle East) in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Johnson Odesola; Pastor John Oluwadare; The President of Church Growth International, Dr. Francis Akin John, and others have been billed to speak at God’s Mercy Revival Ministries (GOMERM), ZION 24th 2023 annual power conference holding on August 14-20, at Mercy Revival Centre (MRC), Ikotun, Lagos.
Tagged ‘The Unlimited God: From Minimum to Maximum,’ will feature prayers, word rendition, and prophetic ministration.
Speaking with journalists, the General Overseer of God’s Mercy Revival Ministries (GOMERM), Dr. James Akanbi said that the annual power conference has specific purposes in the mind of God. “It is a time of evaluation of our activities and God’s impartation of mercy power. Mercy power is different from ordinary power. Mercy power is where God reaches out to the unqualified; those who do not have enough faith to grasp the things of God. “
According to the General Overseer of MRC, Mercy is not predicated on anybody’s merit. It is predicated on God’s own merit, adding that the power conference is also a sort of homecoming for the church members from all the branches to come together for a joint thanksgiving and celebration unto the Lord for His faithfulness.
He lamented the presence of charlatans parading themselves as pastor and coaches in the Christian fold, saying that the need for impactful training for ministers of God is imperative as it will help protect churches from spiritual and health disasters.
“The revelation and the burden that birthed the ministers’ conference are too heavy. Many people calling themselves performers are non-initiates. It is an anathema to call yourself a professional, a performer, or a coach in a field that you know nothing about. You see the unbuilt building people; apprentices calling themselves professionals and experts,” he said.
He stated further that “It is an aberration! And this is the cause of the discordant tune in the work of ministry in Nigeria today. The complications, abuses, and insults that ministers are receiving from the world are a result of the ministers who are not trained but want to reign and train others.
“They make a mockery of all the ministers of God before the world. The world insults, abuses, ridicules, and rebukes us because of those untrained and charlatan ministers among us. Frankly speaking, the way the untrained ministers do ministry calls for concern,” he said.
James further said that the participants at the programme should expect the unlimited God reversing irreversible cases. They should expect the unlimited God-reversing health issues that the medical world has written off as incurable; financial issues the financial world has declared bankrupt forever.
“The unlimited God will come forth at this conference for the hopeless, the despair, and those who have completely written themselves off. This is a time of recovery and restoration. It is a time the hopeless will become hopeful with God coming in a new dimension that is not regular to handle irregular cases.
“We have invited professionals, consultants, and experts in different fields of ministry. In the medical field, it is one thing to graduate in medicine and be called a doctor, it is another thing to move upward in practice to become a consultant. So, for the speakers at this year’s ministers’ conference, we are talking about specialists in different fields of ministry. They are generals and consultants in their different fields of ministry. They have reached the level that they are recognized as specialists in different areas of ministry.”
Bisshop Mark Anthony has been elected the sixth Metropolitan Archbishop of the North American Genuine Orthodox Church of Antioch by its Synod.
The ceremony was held at St Cyprian Monastery, Sharon PA with Seven Bishops, among others.
Archbishop Mark, whose name is Akinnugba Macfonse Osmond, was raised by devout Roman Catholic parents in Ondo Kingdom. He attended St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Mission Primary School, Ondo, Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, Akure, and St. Joseph College, Ondo.
Between 1993 and 1996, he worked at St Patrick Catholic Church, Ondo, St Mathew’s Catholic Church, and Saint John Bosco Parish of the Salesians in Oke Odunwo, Ondo.
He joined the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1996 and ministered to the people living in abject poverty, living with HIV/AIDS, those struggling to survive financial constraints, and those whose cases were considered hopeless.
He had worked at Kuwinda and Kibera slums in Kenya. In 2001, the Archbishop was accepted into the Byzantine Seminary in Northridge, California, United States to study Theology.
He also worked with Africa Peace Point (a Non-Governmental Organisation for children’s rights) in Kenya and also in Tanzania before coming to Nigeria.
In 2009, he completed his master’s in Pastoral Counselling at the California International University of Theology, Los Angeles.
He was ordained a Deacon by Archbishop Peter Tang in Yaounde and later to the priesthood.
He later completed his Doctorate in Divinity, from California International University of Theology, Los Angeles, and was entrusted with the establishment of the Byzantine Catholic Church in Nigeria and coordinated evangelism across the continent of Africa and beyond. +Anthony was consecrated on April 18, 2011, to the Episcopacy of the Byzantine Catholic Church by Archbishop Peter Tang and was co-consecrated by Archbishop Jean Ndjewel of the Byzantine Catholic Church of Our Holy Father Mark of Trachea at the Cathedral of Saint Catherine.
In April 2012, he was elevated to the rank of Exarch of Africa of the Byzantine Catholic Church.
Millions of worshippers from 196 countries are expected to attend the 71st Convention of the Redeemed Church of God (RCCG), holding at the Redemption City of God, Km 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.
The programme which started August 3 with the ministers’ conference continues today.
The convention tagged: ‘Beyond Expectation,’ holds between the 7th to 13th of August will feature bible teachings, song renditions, prophetic ministrations, bible Study, business and marriage seminars, ordinations of new assistant pastors, pastors, elders, deacons, deaconess, and the RCCG Bible School graduates, teenager and Pastor Seed Family presentations and others activities.
According to a statement by the church Traffic Mayor, those coming into and exiting the campground should adhere strictly to the regulations to avoid causing undue pain to other motorists.
A statement by the committee reads: “Access for Lagos worshippers will be through Christ Embassy Gate and Asese Moba roads while Ikorodu worshippers could access the camp through Oloparun/Ogijo Road. Worshippers from other parts of the country could access the camp through either the main gate or the Youth Center gate.
“To guide attendees and minimize congestion, we have strategically placed usage of visible road signs. This sign will provide directions to key venues, parking areas, and exit points.
The committee advised attendees to follow signs and directions”.
To reduce traffic around the convention ground, the church has arranged shuttle buses that will run between remote parking areas and the main venue at regular intervals. “This service will be complimentary, making it convenient for all. All traffic police will be present to control traffic.
“We encourage attendees to carpool or use public transport when possible.”
Also, as a way of encouraging worshippers to attend the programme and help in easing the pains of the high cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), the son of the General Overseer of the church, and who is also the Pastor in charge of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), The Bridge, Ikeja, Lagos, Pastor Leke Adeboye gave fuel to those interested in attending the programme.
According to a statement by the church, “It was an unusual church service on Sunday for many members of the LSC The Bridge: one of the RCCG’s vibrant youth churches led by Pastor Leke Adeboye.
“With the fuel price hike and cost of living crisis hitting hard on many Nigerians, Pastor Leke the Head of Christian Social Responsibility (CSR) for RCCG Youth Province 1 Lagos State came up with a brilliant initiative to support church members this season.
“Over 1000 litres of fuel were contributed to support anyone who came to church on Sunday with their vehicle. This was also a way of empowering young people and private taxi drivers who use their cars for businesses and rely on them for their daily upkeep/expenses.
“After fueling the souls of everyone who attended church service with God’s word, Pastor Leke directed members who drove to church with their cars to the designated filling station.
“More than 1,000 liters of fuel were contributed to support those who attended church with their vehicles. After receiving spiritual nourishment at the church service, members with vehicles were directed to a designated filling station where their tanks were filled with fuel. In addition to fuel, over 500 people were also treated to good food.”
The 2023 RCCG Annual Convention, being both virtual and physical convention, will be streamed live across various media and digital platforms.
Gospel artiste Love Mireille Lasme has immersed herself completely in her latest song “Your Grace.”
The cofounder of the Church of God, believes her songs are her testimony, proof that when we walk faithfully with God; we can overcome any trial and challenges.
‘With God all things are possible to him who believes,” the mother of three affirmed.
Releasing the soul-stirring single “YOUR GRACE” Mireille explained: “As I reflect on my journey with Christ, my soul overflows with gratitude for one resounding word: “Grace.”
“Indeed, I marvel at the thought, “Where would I be…” if it weren’t for your boundless grace, O Lord.”
This captivating song serves as a poignant testament to God’s incomprehensible love for us, illuminating our path through life’s trials and triumphs.
Mireille launches a highly anticipated album titled “YOU ARE HERE” produced by ace music producer, Manus Akpanke.
Amidst my joys and happiness, you are here with me.
“Embrace these words within your heart, knowing that trials are stepping stones to blessings, and from them flow our powerful testimonies. Hallelujah!
“God’s unwavering presence accompanies us through every moment and in every place, so let us press on, unwavering in faith, for the best is yet to come.”
“Your Grace” offers a captivating glimpse into the forthcoming album project, “You Are Here,” slated for release in September 2023.
The Founding Shepherd of Celestial Church of Christ (C.C.C), Overcomers Parish, Ajah, Lagos, James Aso has revealed why he refused to flee during the attack on his church by an irate mob when a labourer accidentally died in his church while evacuating soakaway.
Aso, speaking to some journalists in Lagos, yesterday, said the resolve not to flee from the scene of the unfortunate accident was to preserve the name of the church and prevent those with sinister motives from taking advantage of the accident.
The late labourer, popularly known as Dogo in the community, died while working in the church’s premises.
Aso insisted that the church knew nothing about Dogo’s death.
It will be recalled that a few weeks ago, a mob looted and burnt down a branch of CCC Overcomers Parish Ajah in Lagos over the accidental death of Dogo.
In the attack, the shepherd was seriously wounded and it took the intervention of the police to stop the irate mob to stop mob from setting the shepherd ablaze.
The case is currently being investigated by the police at State CID Panti, Lagos while the Celestial Church of Christ led by Pastor Mobiyina Oshoffa has insisted on the autopsy of the deceased, and the matter be taken to court for prosecution.
Revealing his ordeal during the encounter with journalists recently, Aso said fleeing away could have caused more damage to his name and the name of the Celestial Church of Christ across the world.
“I’m happy to be alive, my dead body wouldn’t have defended the name of Christ,” said Aso.
“If I had not stayed, the mob could have taken the deceased away and removed his body parts and dumped God knows where.
“Nobody defended me, it was Christ that preserved my life. The mob came to kill and loot the church, apparently, my presence after the death of Dogo didn’t allow them to fulfil their mission.
“We didn’t kill Dogo, and God has shown me mercy to escape death.”
Speaking of several attacks on the Celestial Church of Christ after the incident, the popular shepherd said: “Those attacking CCC are ignorant, Celestial churches don’t do rituals. We have our tenet and doctrine; those involved in such rubbish are not Celestial members. When you practice the doctrine of the church accordingly, you don’t need any diluted powers to be a shepherd or prophet in a Celestial church. “
Aso expressed delight to everyone who stood up against lies over the popularity of the church. “I thank the pastors, and all members of CCC who believe in pure gospel and stand up against lies and evil manipulation against the church. I am glad.
“As for me, I remain the Apostle of God, this will not bring me down, I remain, James Aso, Every Living Soul. Thank you,” the Founding Shepherd of the Celestial Church of Christ (C.C.C), Overcomers Parish said.
Rev. Dr. Augustine Ebido is a Catholic priest, member of the Board of Trustees of the Dominican University and director of the University’s Education Foundation. Yetunde Oladeinde spoke with him during a recent walk for life which was organised by the Dominican University in Lekki, Lagos. He shares some personal experiences about the importance of a balanced lifestyle, good character formation, entrepreneurship, and more.
What does the campaign for healthy living mean to you?
It is a beautiful experience for me to do this. We coordinated this Walk Initiative for the university. The inspiration behind it is very personal because, after the COVID season, we began to see signs of a lot of deaths especially among young people. I have heard of people coming back from work or the market, sitting in their parlour and dying. In the last two years, I’ve buried so many young people as a priest; and it breaks my heart! Unfortunately, there are no statistics. So there is no way to find out what is the reason for these strange deaths! I am not talking about older people dying. I am talking about young, active, and relatively “healthy” people dying.
Could this be depression or frustration considering the current situation of things?
I wish I could answer that question. In other climes, they will research and find out the reason. But, I think that as a country, we need to know that each of us can do something to build a better country. If we look up to the government for everything, then we forget that we are agents of change for our country. Nobody is going to build this country for us. We have to build it ourselves; and the university thought that there is something we could do as an institution, to create awareness for our people. If you are dying and you don’t know the reason why the deaths are happening, you can at least take the most reasonable cause of action like exercise. Exercise has been proven to be very helpful in improving mental, physiological, and cardiovascular health. A little but regular exercise can therefore prolong your life.
Though I am not a physician, I personally feel that many of these deaths are simple cholesterol problems because many of them are either heart attacks or strokes. That is something that could easily be managed through exercise. So, this DU WALK is to create awareness that we can prolong our lives by making it a routine culture to do some form of exercise every day, or at least every week. As an institution when people see us do something like this on a regular basis, it sends out signals to people that the ongoing hype on exercise is no longer a joke. That is how bad cultural habits change: we want to initiate a gradual change of lifestyle in a healthy direction.
The vision for Dominican University is to promote not just academic excellence but also good character formation. It is owned by a Catholic organization (the Dominicans, an international organization) but it’s open to everyone, not just Catholics. Our mission is to help build a better society by providing good, holistic education (education of mind, heart, and hands) to all who pass through the University. The Catholic Church is known for good education. In fact, the universities we see today are the product of Catholic education initiatives because universities started from monasteries, or monastery schools (in Bologna, in Paris, all then spread in Europe).
Dominicans have an 800 years history of being involved in education worldwide. Our founder, Dominic de Guzman, a Spaniard, sent his first followers to Universities in Bologna, Paris, in Oxford, to learn and teach there. We still have Blackfriars in Oxford today, they are Dominicans. It is ideas that rule the world.
Universities are incubators for ideas. We want to raise young people who have good ideas about how to rebuild this nation. But it’s not just about ideas, but about the character of people with these powerful ideas. We want to raise future leaders who are responsible and accountable. If there is anything that is lacking in our country today, it is accountability in our leadership. So, we want to form a new generation of Nigerians, who will know that Nigeria is our heritage. It is in our power to build the kind of country we want to live in. If we want Nigeria to be a place where everybody is relatively happy, because everybody has a fair share, then it begins with good character formation. Catholics have been champions of a good education worldwide. Good education is not just about academics but it includes the formation of good character. At Dominican University we concentrate on academic excellence and good character formation. We call it integral formation or holistic education.
It seems this University is a few years old…
Yes and No. It started as a university in 2017 after we got our NUC license (in 2016). But over and above that, there has been an Institute called Dominican Institute (DI) that has been in existence since 1996, affiliated with the University of Ibadan, Angelicum (Rome), and Duquesne University (USA). But it was like an ecclesiastical institution, though it admits men and women from all walks of life into Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Studies. We share a boundary with the University of Ibadan. It is this institute of over 25 years of experience that eventually transitioned to a full-blown university when we got our license. I think it is a beautiful thing because it provides us a platform to contribute our quota in solving some of the problems of nation-building.
Our goal for Dominican University is to provide a first-class education and moral formation for future leaders and citizens of this country. In addition, this will over time save huge funds (capital flights) moving out to fund educating our children abroad. Everywhere you go around the world, Nigerians are there studying. The reason is not only that we don’t have quality education, but that many eligible youths cannot find admission because of a lack of space in existing universities.
Furthermore, those who get admitted are not sure when they will graduate due to constant strike action. The last one lasted almost a whole year! Private universities like DU are here to provide parents with real alternatives.
Do you have a provision for adult education?
You know that the university is a universe of its own. We start small and then expand as we respond to the needs around us. Dominican University is here to partner with Main Street (public) to find solutions to the problems of our society. For example, you know that priests used to major only in Philosophy and Theology. However, given the real needs of our society, they are now moving into professional areas like accountancy, architecture, engineering, and law, among others. Why? While I am not particularly happy about this development because of its possible adverse consequences in time, it is a response to need. At the core of our problem in nation-building is a lack of trust or honesty. I have many people who tell me they will easily open up big businesses here that can employ people, but the problem is who will run it? The average Nigerian you employ today is ready to liquidate your business for his selfish gain. That is why we must get back to a good education. Without good character formation, we cannot build a good society. So, at DU we are going back to the drawing board, to raise leaders and citizens who are responsible knowing that in the end, the quality of a country is a statement about the quality of the people in it.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I studied what is called systematic theology but with a moral-ethical background. I studied in the United States and came back to be a part of the change that we seek because change doesn’t happen until people take responsibility for the kind of change they desire.
How long have you been a priest?
I was ordained a priest in 2001 but it takes about nine years to ordain a Catholic priest.
In the past few weeks, we have had attention on cooking and chefs like Hilda Baci. What do you have to say about this?
Cooking is a beautiful thing. This is what we also want to look out for and ensure at the Dominican University. Anyone who graduates from DU must have a skill, another skill apart from their major. We have found out that people come out of the university without skills. They just have theoretical knowledge and even that is often questionable. So, we want to ensure that it is not just about theoretical education, but that they should have relevant skills. MDs of corporations are looking for people who “can do things”. The question is, “What can you do with your hands?” Cooking is one of the things you can do with your hands. Even if you don’t find a job because of the job drought, you can employ yourself and employ others too. That is the idea – while we expect DU graduates to easily find a job if they so desire, the mindset is that you can be an employer! So, we are interested in entrepreneurship, to train people in different skill areas, so they start off with a mindset of being a job-creator after graduation.
The General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Pastor Sam Aboyeji has charged Christians to continue to seek the Lord and face continually if they hope to finish the Christian race without blemish.
Aboyeji said this at the 14th Ifako District Convocation of Foursquare Gospel Church, Ifako District, Lagos.
The programme tagged: ‘Without Blemish,’ brought together thousands of Christian faithful.
The programme featured Bible teaching, prophetic ministration, song rendition, and prophetic ministration.
According to the GO, “many of us started our Christian race well but the most important thing is how we will finish the race. It is obvious that the devil is constantly trying to stop Christians from reaching the finish line without blemish.”
He noted that there was nothing God did not start that he did not finish. “The Christian race is a battle and a journey that finishes without blemish and attracts great prize from God.”
He warned that the greatest challenge to finishing without blemish is sin, disobedience, and self-help, stressing that “there is nothing we can do without the help of God. Every other help is inferior and secondary.”
Aboyeji reassured Christians that as they seek the Lord and depend on His strength continually without looking back, they will finish well.
In his sermon, The Director of Postgraduate Studies at LIFE Theological Seminary, Rev Oluwagbemiga Bukola appealed to church leaders to redirect their messages and teaching toward the revival of the church.
According to him, the church today must place more emphasis on the teaching of revival, mission, and holiness that will prepare men for heaven and not messages of prosperity, healing, or supernatural breakthroughs that are immaterial to eternity.
He said that the trials and persecution facing the church in parts of Nigeria and beyond should be a wake-up call on the content of our messages and teachings. “We must be intentional in raising faithful men and women who will raise up the banner of Christ high even in the face of death, anguish, and pain.”
Bukola lamented that “we in the last days and many in the church profess Christianity but look nothing like their Lord and Saviour. Church service will be about pleasing people instead of pleasing God. People will plan worship primarily with the thought of getting and keeping people and their money instead of truly worshipping God.”
The cleric further posited that the craving of the church in the end time is a warring church, witnessing church, worshipping, wake church, warned church, worthy, washed, watchful, waiting, and a winning church.
He charged church leaders to remain stewards and guardians of the truth, adding that any attempt to lose our guard, there will be every wind of doctrine blowing through the church.
The District Overseers’ of Ifako District Headquarters Church, Foursquare Gospel Church, Pastor Adeyemi Adetomiwa said that the convocation was symbolic and crucial as fourteen is a number that is so crucial in God’s agenda with every generation in times and seasons.
“We, the Ifako District Headquarters Church and the entire Ifako District now make a total individual and collective allegiance to God as we come to experience, exalt and embrace his word, his way, his works: his strategy warfare and his love during this year’s convocation,” he said.
Says she’s not bothered by rumours of husband’s extra-marital affair with Abuja lawyer
Despite the allegations and rumours of dalliances with several women that have dogged their marriage in recent times, Biola, wife of billionaire businessman, Olatunde Ayeni, decries such inglorious labelling of her husband and declares emphatically that he is no flirt. Rather, she describes him as a good father, husband, and person whose good nature has been exploited for far too long, writes MUUJEEB OYEDEJI.
The charm of a trusty wife strikes at first sight but it is her merit that wins the heart. Through war and peace, thick and thin, she submits herself to the task of protecting her husband and her marriage. Biola Ayeni does this with the valour of a trooper and the passion of a poet. Thus it may be said that her love for her husband is true as the needle to the pole or the dial to the sun.
The fashion entrepreneur and wife of former Skye Bank Chairman, Tunde Ayeni, commits diligently to upholding the sacred tenets of their wedlock with the devotion of one who understands that the best moments in life are spent in the glory of a worthy spouse.
If you ask her, she would tell you that suspicion lowers the most promising matrimony to the petty level of the meddling Joneses. She would tell you that love’s transcendent bliss while surreal must scorn the fungus of distrust in order to fully thrive. Thus her decision to stand by her man in the wake of disconcerting allegations by an Abuja-based lawyer, claiming to be his wife and mother of his child. Beyond family, Biola asserts herself in her craft with matchless ingenuity. The mother of three competes convincingly with the leading brands in the United Kingdom and the United States. She has won the most sceptical fashion buffs over even as she titillates the interests of the random enthusiast with her inventiveness and entrepreneurial depth. Ultimately, she has even her most ardent critics eating from her palms. In this interview, Mrs Ayeni bares her mind on several issues including the travails of Nigeria’s fashion industry and rumours of her husband’s alleged infidelity. Excerpts…
Married to a billionaire whose business tentacles spread all over the world certainly comes with challenges. What is the experience like?
What I want you to understand is that life is a package, and just like the pineapple, despite being known for sweetness, it has different segments that come with it. The first and the sweetest part is the bottom. The upper part of it is not that sweet, and when you cut it into two halves, you have the hard core, and when eaten, it has a mixture of bitter sweetness; it can cut your tongue or itch you. The outer skin is also another part of it that itches and can poke you, and the crown of the pineapple another part that is basically useless. Six parts all in one fruit! Such is life.
Being married to a successful man will definitely come with its own challenges, but how you manage everything that comes with it makes you a happy and fulfilled person. As for me, I woke up to that reality early in life when my husband started moving up the ladder of success and tended to travel a lot and I felt this is not what I bargained for in marriage. But I had to tell myself that if you have a husband that is always at home, you will not get some of the comforts you enjoy. It is the choice life has made for me, and i had to adapt to the unpleasant side of it.
If you ask those whose husbands are home and around all the time, they would probably tell you they prefer to have a husband who is hardly around with all the comfort you get. The earlier one understands that finding satisfaction in what life throws at you is the only way to be happy in life, the better.
It was one thing for me to come to term with this reality and it is another thing to make our young children understand why their dad is not around most times like they see other parents do. When Iyiola was in the kindergarten, his graduation from nursery clashed with Bolaji’s graduation while she was doing A Level in London and I had to travel for a week to stay with her for that period. I told my husband to ensure he attended Iyiola’s graduation but a meeting came up that he needed to attend that day, and he tried to delegate someone to attend the meeting because he felt it was only a nursery graduation. So he told my sister to attend on his behalf.
Iyiola, went to wake his dad up in bed early in the morning and said: ‘Dad, you mean you won’t be at my graduation?’ He was about four years old at the period. My husband said he was compelled to shelve everything and attend the event because the way the boy put the question to him convicted him like it was a crime he was about to commit. At that young age Iyiola knew how to demand his rights. Sometimes he came home insisting his dad had to come and pick him from school because his friend’s dads used to come to pick them up from school and he couldn’t understand why his dad couldn’t do that. I had to sit him down at that age and explain to him that his friends’ fathers are not in the same line of business as his dad. The fact that your Dad doesn’t pick you up from school doesn’t mean he loves you less than those whose father made out time to pick their children from school either because they didn’t have a driver or they just felt its right to do so.
These are some of the challenges I faced because of his business. I passed through the phase of suspicion of extramarital affairs, checking phones and insisting on accompanying him on a trip, and I grew up to see that those were mere traps and distractions that destablise peace in marriage. And finally come to realise that the best way to follow a man around is through prayers
One thing you have to understand is that a handsome, successful and prominent man doesn’t have to be a flirt for him to start cheating on his wife, because even if he doesn’t chase women, women will chase him. And if they don’t, friends will influence him. And in these days of desperate runs girls using diabolical means to seduce innocent men, it is only a naive wife that will be blaming or fighting her husband over women.
These girls even go as far as trying men of God! So when married to a successful man, you CAN trust your husband with everything but NOT with women! Its time to shift that trust to God and TRUST GOD concerning your husband that He will not allow him to hurt you or Let you down
What is the greatest sacrifice you have made in life?
You just hit something. The greatest sacrifice I have had to make in life is having to give up my own career as a lawyer to obey my husband’s directive to stay with the children because we can’t both be running after money, leaving home at 8 am and leaving the children in the hands of nannies. However, when I flash back or see some of my mates who are now Judges and Justices or SAN, the sacrifice hurts. But I thank God today that my children are well mannered and are doing well to the glory of God, And in the line of business that I chose for flexibility to work around the children, I found fulfillment.
Because of your husband’s prominence, he is always in the news. Only recently, a an Abuja-based lady alleged that your husband is the father of her baby. How do you react to such news and how has this affected you?
Let’s take it one step at a time. Thank God you said because of his prominence he is always in the news. When a man is successful, you know he will have a lot of enemies and they would write a lot of things about him. When you have made a name, you will become a target for traducers. And that is when it’s good for you to know whom you are married to. It’s important to know the kind of person you are married to.
There was some publication about some incident and people started calling me to make inquiries. They asked me how I was feeling or coping and I told them that I was fine. I don’t listen to what they say about my husband outside and I don’t need anyone to tell me who my husband is outside. I have my husband beside me. When I need to clarify things, we talk about it. We don’t hide anything from each other. I prefer to hear it directly from his mouth no matter how bad. He has no reason to lie to me because he knows I will stand by him any time, any day.Thus no matter what anyone says about him, it doesn’t bother me.
I know my husband to have a good heart and will stand by you through thick and thin once you are his friend. He is a loyal person to a fault. And even if you decide to make yourself his enemy by letting him down or cheating him, you will never find him looking for your downfall.
There was a friend of his who was even living with us when we newly got married, to tell you how close they were. They set up a business. My husband put down the money and the guy had the skills, and he ended up cheating him out of the business. They fought and parted ways. Four years down the line, my dad broke the news of the death of the guy and I was shocked.
When my husband returned from work that night, I broke the news to him without thinking of how he would react to it because I thought they were enemies, and he broke down and cried all night. I was so shocked that his anger over the friend on the issue of money had nothing to do with his love for the friend, because this was someone who hurt and offended my husband. If he can have some empathy for someone who offended him, imagine what he could do for someone who didn’t offend him.
So he took up the education of his late friend’s kids at age 4 and age 2 and sponsored their education in private universities till they graduated. In the area of compassion you cant fault my husband. In the area of loyalty, you can’t fault him. My husband can be too trusting, and I warn him every time that it is not everybody that has a good heart towards you like you have towards them; but I see that he can’t change himself. It is his nature, so i just always pray that God gives him discernment of spirit to know who to run away from in his endeavours.
As for the impostor you mentioned, I will not glorify her by calling her a lady but somebody’s child. Because the age gap between her and my husband makes it more of an insult to refer to her as a lady. Her matter is not something I want to entertain. As per your question on how I reacted to the news of her claim, truth be told, the first thing I did when I heard the news was to check with God if truly He would fold His arms and let anyone destroy a home He used His hands to build and guard jealously for 31 years, and He told me it is a lie, disregard it.
In the end, the truth will prevail. She knows the father of her child. And when i checked with my husband he told me the child is not his! GOD has spoken and my husband has also spoken, nothing else matters. So I am not moved by naysayers or rumour-mongering or her claims
She claims that she is Mrs Ayeni and her child is Ayeni’s daughter. How would you react to that?
I am not surprised she is parading herself to be who she is not, because by so doing, it becomes clearer that she is a desperate gold digger who thinks she can become Mrs Ayeni by merely pinning a child on her highest paying victim. And its quite surprising to know that despite her degree in Law, she needs somebody to tell her that a child is not a marriage certificate. Neither is it a security to maintain a fake lifestyle that she has become accustomed to. And to now think the child does not belong to my husband makes her claim more embarrassing.
Anyway, she has been warned through our lawyers to desist from parading herself as Mrs Ayeni, because she is not and she will never be as the Lord lives.
My husband and I are legally married. And as for her calling her child by my husband’s surname, Ayenis are many. The child is not Tunde Ayeni’s child. Period!. When she is tired of calling the child the borrowed name she will change it to her father’s name.
You said that your husband is quite generous and has a good heart and people take that for granted to say different things. It is alleged this particular impostor gets things from different men and claimed it’s your husband who buys her all this stuff…
(Cuts in) Let me tell you something; I didn’t want to go to this length before. But since you asked, I will answer. Hear is my take: it may appear as if my husband’s name is always associated with being in a messy affair with one lady or the other. It doesn’t change my opinion of my husband and you cannot convince me that my husband is a flirt, because i didn’t marry him as a flirt. Even if you show me all the evidence of how many women he has been with. Why? Because money makes a man misbehave, Friends make a man misbehave, and strange women seduce men with all manner of jazz to make a man misbehave! Rather, I pity my husband as an unsuspecting, and naive victim of the level of desperation and diabolical tendencies of this kind of woman he got association with because even with men, my husband is too trusting. So you can imagine level of his nonchalance that led to the mess.
I mean you too take a look at it. How can a man who is happily married in his right senses be spending lavishly on a woman of that age? Such magnitude of spending should raise the question “in return for what? five-minute pleasure?” When spending becomes unusual, you should suspect that a man is under a spell. So whatever she claims my husband bought for her, she knows what she did to get it from him. But that season has ended. I promise you.
To answer your question on whether the allegation has affected my marriage or my home, I am happy to let you know that Christ is the bedrock of my home. He has built a wall of fire around it and I can confidently assure you that my home is not threatened, My marriage is solid, my husband’s love for me is not threatened, my husband is not lost. My children are unmoved by the claim, and my husband has no children outside of the three children we have together.
Do you have any advice for young ladies out there?
My advice is that they should marry their own friends and know what your husband is capable of doing or not doing so that you can properly defend him. In addition, build your home on Christ, not on trust. Trust may fail you along the line!
When you marry your own friend, it’s easy to see their pain and struggles rather than their faults and the injury they inflict so that you can render them the necessary support they need to live up to your expectation. That support is prayer. You cannot have a successful man or marriage without being prayerful.
A lot of people get into marriage praying for their husband to be rich without being prepared for what success brings with it. You need to know who your real spouse is. If I didn’t build my home on God and put my trust in God and have the power to differentiate an action that is my husband’s from what he did under influence, the enemies would have succeeded in their plans. But I thank God for his faithfulness in my life and the life of my husband and children.
As a fashion expert, can you describe Nigeria’s position in the world of fashion?
What I can say about the fashion industry in Nigeria is it has improved tremendously from what it used to be, but we are very far from what obtains in the western world because the improvement is wrongly channeled to made-to-measure that we have been practising since the colonial era!
If you look at the fashion industry in the Western world and compare it with the fashion industry in Nigeria, you will see that we are not even ready to compete. In Nigeria, as we speak, the leading designers are still practising made-to-measure and freehand cut and are making garments that cannot be sold abroad. Why? Because the focus is on Nigerian market and getting little money here and there. And because a lot of our designers still practice measure and sew for client, and do not have any defined sizing they can use to compete abroad, because sizing forces you to update your skills. We need to develop our skills and bring it at par with the Western world standard where garments are made through pattern making and computer-aided designs.
I have a passion for fashion designing, and when my husband mandated me not to practice I saw it as a great opportunity to practice what I enjoy doing. So because it was something i enjoyed doing form young age, it’s a talent i developed. My driving force was to develop my skills to be at the same level with what obtains in the fashion industry abroad. So I introduced pattern making to my business as far back as 1997 and I switched to computer aided design in 2014.
If you want to compete with global brands, stop thinking locally. Think outside the box. If you don’t compare yourself with fashion designers abroad, you have not started. It’s not about making fantastic designs alone for individuals without being able to produce such in different size range within the shortest possible time and at the lowest possible cost.
I can understand that some people chose to be in made-to-measure to cater for celebrities and high end clients. But the kind of tailoring they practice to achieve it still leaves much to be desired compared to made-to-measure designers abroad. Divine Endowments started with made-to-measure in 1999 and has given birth to four arms of fashion industry to take care of diverse needs in the Nigerian fashion industry. Namely the ready-to-wear where we make our local ankara fabrics into ready-to-wear Western styles in blouses, dresses, men’s shirts, trousers, suits, children’s wear available in UK/US size ranges all located at international airports, new and old terminals in Lagos airports, MM2 Lagos and old domestic airports and Abuja International Airport in Nigeria, thereby ensuring foreigners who love to wear our ankara can bypass having to go to a tailor before they can have an ankara dress or African souvenir to take back to friends.
We also have the children brand, BJREMY, which takes care of children and young people’s fashion, and we have the Owambe by divine endowment, which takes care of the aso ebi and party wears of individuals
Lastly we discovered a need in the area of uniforms and we launched DEuniforms, established to take care of all professional uniforms, namely construction and site uniforms, hotel and catering uniforms, outdoor catering uniforms, medical uniforms, domestic staff, security, ‘corpers’ and force uniforms, school uniforms.
How would you say the economic reality of Nigeria has affected the fashion industry as described by you?
Basically the economic situation has affected a lot of things. COVID-19 especially changed a lot of things as a result of ban on large party gatherings, which made people to organise parties without aso ebi and with less crowd. I’m sure that this affected a lot of people whose line of business depended on made-to-measure. But for me, I practice more of ready-to-wear, and with the introduction of uniform line, we are grateful to God He has kept us busy and flourishing.
Are you a member of the fashion association and do you relate ideas like these back home to Nigerian designers? What do you think can be done to help the fashion industry?
I will not lie to you, when I used to have the time, I registered as a member of the FADAN, and as I widened my scope, it became very difficult be an active member.
What are your other business interests?
I am involved in the hospitality business. I like looking after people. Having attended parties and observed lapses, I decided to open an event centre.
Now that the kids are done with school, as a strict Christian, what are you looking at?
Face my husband, my business and my ministry, because I am a pastor, and also guide my children to become firebrand Christians and become successful in life.
What does money mean to you?
Money is a good thing to have because it gives you comfort and respect. Money is something everyone needs and values. But the Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil. So for me, the rule is “never value money more than relationships”. Relationships outlive money. And that is one thing I see in my husband.
The River Niger glides with a chilling hum. Fast and reptilian, it may seem cordial at first sight but beneath its seductive wavelets, it is pitch-dark and deathly cold. Ask Umacho Idris, who lost nine relatives to its vicious current. Straddling opposite ends of Kwara and Niger States, the river on Monday, June 12, snarled and swallowed a boat bearing 270 passengers. Only 144 people made it out alive excluding Idris’ mother, Adeshatu; his two wives, Hawau and Ramatu; his four children: Abdullahi, Zainab, Rakiya and Idris (Jnr.); and his younger sisters Aisha and Fatima.
The deceased were part of a wedding train returning from Egboti in Niger State to Ebu in Patigi Local Government Area (LGA) in Kwara. While official estimates pegged the casualties at 106, the Emir of Patigi, Etsu Ibrahim Bologi, disclosed that about 150 people got drowned in the mishap.
The tragedy which occurred around 3 am on Democracy Day, June 12, cast a dark pall on the memorial. Communities along the coastline rued why the picturesque river that elicits a heartwarming recall to nature had suddenly morphed into a blood-guzzling predator. A postcard of aquatic splendour had become a shattered keepsake, a memory of beloved travellers who never made it home.
But Umacho Idris made it home. The 27-year-old was one of the 270 casualties of the boat mishap. But while he survived, his family of nine didn’t. There are no words to describe his agony; overwhelmed by grief, his sleeping and waking hours are afflicted by constant recall of those dire minutes when all of his four children, his mother and two wives got pulled under by the vicious current. His second wife, Ramatu, had barely spent one month with him as a new bride before she drowned and for that, he feels responsible too.
Idris constantly curses his luck. His impotence at watching his family die was emasculating. It left him wholly hollow and eviscerated.
Speaking with The Nation exclusively in Ebu, Idris disclosed that he couldn’t bear to sleep and wake in the same home that he shared with his deceased family. “Even now, I can’t go into their rooms or any parts of the house we shared together,” he said.
Idris avoided his home and stayed with a friend immediately after the mishap. Afterwards, he fled Ebu in a bid to escape the painful memories of his loved ones. He returned to the village a day before The Nation’s visit and encounter with him.
Muhammad Abubakar was also on the boat with his family. Although he lost his wife A’ishatu, and his daughter and son: Ramatu and Nago; he was able to save Hadiza, five, and Abu, six. His older daughter, 17-year-old Adi was also rescued but she subsequently fled their community with her mother, Sadiya. According to Abubakar aka Ndagifa, “We boarded the boat around 3 am. We were over 200 (about 270) that boarded it from Egboti to Ebu. We went to a wedding ceremony. I’m a bonafide son of Ebu, I was born in Ebu. But about two minutes after we boarded the boat, we heard a loud creak from the bottom of the boat. Suddenly, we saw the boat split into two,” he said.
“We don’t know what God had arranged. We said those that know how to swim should dive down into the water and swim to safety and those that couldn’t swim should wait and hang on to something while we all looked for help,” said Abubakar.
Major casualties of the boat tragedy were residents of Ebu (61), Dzakna (38), Kpadna (4), Kuchalu (2), and Sampi (1)communities, all of Patigi council area of Kwara state, according to initial reports. Dozens are still missing. Among the dead were men, women and children.
The horror and the chill
Due to the timing of the incident, the wee hours of dawn, it was hours before the locals got wind of it thus leaving the drowning travellers at the mercy of the ruthless tides.
By the time help arrived from nearby villages, several passengers had disappeared beneath the waters, never to be found. Notwithstanding, rescuers dove into the river to save whom they could, rescuing 50 people at first. By the next day, June 13, they had rescued 100 people.
Police spokesman, Okasanmi Ajayi, said that a team was deployed to the area to assess what happened and that the search would continue until the night of June 14. By June 15, 144 people had been rescued.
The boat was leaking before it set out…
The Nation’s findings revealed that the ill-fated boat was derelict and in no condition to cruise at odd hours. Water leaked into it even before it sailed into troubled waters; this among other factors quickened its split on impact with a tree set adrift in the river.
Some of the survivors interviewed by The Nation revealed that water leaked into the boat rising their ankles where they sat. But they weren’t bothered as such leakage is a common affliction of boats plying the Patigi coastline.
“Water leaked into the boat where I sat. It covered my feet and rose to my ankles but I wasn’t worried because I have crossed the river so many times in leaking boats and they didn’t capsize,” said Idris, stressing that he has accepted the June 12 mishap as an act of God that no one could question.
The Nation’s findings affirmed that a good number of the boats are set to sail on the channel with water leaking into them. The boat that conveyed the reporter from Usugi (Kwara) – a village 146 kilometres from Ebu – to Kutigi (Niger), for instance, was filled with water to the passengers’ ankle level.
This should be a significant cause of worry to a country seeking effective regulation of inland water transportation in tandem with global best practices.
How the calamity could have been averted
Expert analysis of the mishap held that the boat must have developed gaps through which water seeped into it. But having such gaps doesn’t mean that the boat must take in water capable of sinking it. Lack of attention to its repair must have weakened the boat over time, said Yakubu Ahmedu, a Niger-based boat builder and repairer.
Some boat skippers, he noted, actually try to patch over the gaps with strips of wood but oftentimes, these are crude measures and inappropriately done.
Boat repair is both a science and an art requiring the commitment of any safety-conscious boat skipper. According to Ahmedu, since wooden boats gain and lose moisture, once a boat gets wet in the sea, the gaps at its seams ought to disappear as the wood absorbs water and expands. If the gaps do not close, it may require caulking the seams (joining between planks) with oakum, that is, a loose fibre made from untwisting old rope soaked in tar or pitch (a dark sticky substance obtained from tar and used in the building trades, especially for waterproofing roofs and boats).
If the leak is severe, there is the need to sand and re-coat the vessel with a generous coating of tar or pitch. The coating will wick its way into the cracks and help seal them. The skipper could also simply build up the small damaged areas, lightly sand the surface, and then use a thick coat to blend.
But if the cracks in the boat are severe and badly dried out, they may need to be stripped, bleached, oiled, and then dried and varnished.
Being in water all the time swells the wood and makes the joints more watertight. If left high and dry in sunlight, there is also the danger that the wood would dry out and pull back from the seams thus weakening the overall structure of the boat, rendering it porous and vulnerable to splitting and getting sunk on impact with an obstruction in the waters, as was the case with the ill-fated boat.
It’s never advisable, however, to use fibreglass to seal the leaking bottom. I it gets wet, it will buckle or crack the glass and further compound the vessel’s deterioration. The use of fibreglass is consequently ruled out by boat skippers and owners spread across Kwara and Niger States’ coastlines, principally because it is expensive.
“It’s very costly to use fibreglass coating to seal leaking boats. The best we could do is patch the gaps in the seams or simply leave them. We barely make enough to survive let alone afford such expensive repairs,” said Audu Maiko, a boat skipper shuttling the Usugi-Kutigi axis.
Tragedy foretold?
In the wake of the disaster, speculations abound if it could have been averted had the state government and coastal communities heeded the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)’s warning, earlier in May. The agency’s Minna Operation Office alerted Kwara residents, especially coastal communities, to an impending flood this year, advising village and district heads to make necessary preparations to mitigate the effect of the flood.
The head of NEMA Operation in Minna, Zainab Suleiman-Sa’idu, said the alert became necessary following the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) released by the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency and the 2023 seasonal climate prediction by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NMA).
“Prevention is not only better but also cheaper, the agency strongly believes that when these warnings are heeded, the lives and properties of people will be saved,” she said.
Beyond this pert warning, there are posers to NEMA’s preparedness for any eventuality in such risk-prone coastlines. What provisions have the government made for the natives’ relocation? Did the government provide a resettlement camp for them pending the abatement of the flood?
Conflicting data, same grim record
The Patigi disaster further emphasises the need for more effective regulation of the country’s waterways in rural areas. Nigeria has over time witnessed increased patronage of water transportation, particularly in the rural areas with the poorest road infrastructure.
This increased patronage has put pressure on boat operators and water travellers leading to an intolerable escalation in the number of boat accidents and deaths.
For instance, no fewer than 701 persons reportedly lost their lives in about 52 boat accidents that occurred in the country in 2022. In 2021 alone, unconfirmed reports put the number of persons killed in different boat-related accidents across the country at 250. If these figures are to be taken into account, this means about 951 died in boat accidents between 2021 and 2022 alone.
A 2021 study observed that a total of 2,346 lives were lost to 266 causalities of boat accidents between 2010 to October 2021 – stressing that the highest number of fatalities was recorded in 2021. The study titled: Trend Analysis of Boat Accidents and Causes in the Waterways of Nigeria by Dr Chijioke Akpudo of the Department of Logistics and Transport Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo, and published in the International Journal of Scientific Research in Multidisciplinary Studies established that the major cause of boat accidents in Nigeria is human-related factors (67.21%) followed by natural factors (22.13%). The study indicates that passenger boats (52.46%) and cargo boats (14.21%) are the highest boat types responsible for accidents in Nigeria’s waterways.
Why boat accidents persist
Maritime experts adduce the increasing boat mishaps in the country to a number of factors including the use of rickety boats and ferries, overloading, illicit night journeys, reckless piloting and non-adherence to safety standards, including the absence of life jackets.
In the wake of recurring boat accidents, many stakeholders in the maritime sector have clamoured for better regulation of water transportation and the provision of safety infrastructure in line with global best practices.
On its part, the federal government responded through various policies and institutions. For instance, it established the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) with headquarters in Lokoja, Kogi.
The agency which hitherto functioned as the Waterways Department of the Federal Ministry of Transport is tasked with the improvement and regulation of the country’s inland waterways.
Pundits argue that tragedies like the recent Kwara boat mishap reveal shortcomings in the agency’s operations. But in a swift reaction, the Head of Press and Public Affairs of NIWA, Jibril Darda’u, claimed that the authority had been doing its best. Darda’u said NIWA has commenced the training and certification of boat drivers nationwide, adding that the authority had engaged in regular safety awareness and sensitisation campaigns across the country.
“NIWA has established nine search and rescue stations in Lagos, Lokoja, Port Harcourt, Yauri, and New Bussa among others for timely rescue operations. The authority has standardised its inspection of vessels to ensure standard and safety compliance, including determining the river worthiness of the vessels before registration and permits are given.
“It has also deployed its personnel to various loading terminals to provide pre-loading safety talk to passengers and prevent overloading and night sailing as well as the provision of life jackets to boats,” he said.
Contrary to Darda’u’s claims, there is no discernible presence of NIWA at the loading terminals in Ebu and Usugi in Kwara State and Hausawa, Kutigi, in Niger State – despite the very busy maritime traffic along these coast belts.
If NIWA truly had functional “search and rescue operations” along the coastline, the number of casualties could have been minimised perhaps during the June 12 tragedy. Initial rescue operations were run by residents of nearby villages and this was the situation for the first two days.
Another federal agency tasked with the sanitisation of the waterways is the Hydropower Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC).
Reacting to allegations of inadequacies in its operations, the commission’s Head of Press and Public Affairs, Nura Tanko-Wakili, said it has commenced the clearance of water logs in the Shiroro, Kainji and Jenna lakes to ease the movement of boats.
Tanko-Wakili said the commission is partnering with NIWA to educate stakeholders and the general public on safety guidelines and the use of life jackets.
“We are sensitising the boat and jetty managers on the dos and don’ts of water transportation and the need to avoid overloading and night journeys. By 6.00 p.m., movements on waterways are supposed to stop as the boats have no navigation equipment and proper lighting.
“Some of them have been operating for over 30 years and they are not even aware of the importance of life jackets, while some don’t want to use them because of some beliefs,” he said.
According to him, as part of its intervention, the commission has distributed 12,500 life jackets to communities and boat operators to encourage safe travels on waterways.
“A life jacket has a six hours floating capacity within which a victim can be rescued in the event of a boat mishap,” said Tanko-Wakili.
Both NIWA and HYPPADEC would find it very hard to convince bereaved families and communities in Patigi. NIWA’s absence in Patigi’s waterways has been a recipe for disaster. Despite the hefty budget allocations to the agency (N5.397 billion in 2023; N7.3 billion in 2022), it is yet to extend its services to the risk-prone coastline.
Even so, the Managing Director (MD) of NIWA, George Moghalu, sought its exclusion from the federal government’s recurrent allocation (comprising both overhead & personnel costs) effective from the 2022 Budget, with a view to becoming fully autonomous by 2023.
He reiterated this while appearing before the Joint Committee of the Senate on Marine Transport and House of Representatives Committee on Ports and Harbours/Inland Waterways to defend NIWA’s budget, arguing that NIWA’s exit would help the federal government save money for capital infrastructure development.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Inland Waterways at the period, Patrick Asadu, however, faulted NIWA’s budget, stating that it was not in tandem with the requirements of the agency.
“We put money where money is not needed and abandoned where money is needed. You know what flood did to Nigeria a few months ago, as we look at that budget there was no provision for flooding and emergencies,” he said.
Several lawmakers complained of the clumsiness of Moghalu’s presentation. Senator Smart Adeyemi specifically told him that the report was not presented in a way that could be easily understood. Adeyemi also opposed NIWA’s request for operational autonomy arguing that: “Most of the agencies that have autonomy; that is where you find corruption. NIWA is located in my Senatorial District. There were a lot of complaints against the agency. I can’t understand why you present a total of an agency as zero. I have never seen a budgeting system where you have zero.”
Implementation is key
While Nigeria cannot be said to be starved of quality policy ideas, the nation’s maritime administrators could learn a thing or two from the planning and implementation of the United States Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which recently established a Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program. The initiative makes federal resources available to states to ensure basic essential ferry service is provided to rural areas.
The funding is expected to benefit millions of Americans who depend on coastal waters, rivers, bays, and other bodies of water to connect to their communities. The initiative is geared to make funding available to replace old vessels, expand fleets, and build new terminals and docks, as well as boost service in rural areas and support the transition to low and zero-emission technologies.
Beyond reactive measures
In the wake of the Patigi boat mishap, the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, pledged to deliver 1,000 life jackets to support safe travels on the water in the area.
The Nation findings, however, revealed that of the 1,000 life jackets promised for immediate delivery to Patigi, just 22 were delivered to Ebu, for instance. This barely addresses the immediate safety needs of the community and neighbouring coastal enclaves.
Speaking with The Nation, both the Emir of Ebu, Seriki Ibrahim, and youth leader, Al Hassan Bala Muhammad, disclosed that although the state government and other well-meaning citizens have offered valuable support since the incident, there’s still much to be done.
“Many of the deceased also left behind orphans whose upkeep have become a major source of worry to the community. We want government to educate them because those that will take care of them and their school expenditures are not alive,” he said.
The Nation’s tour of Ebu and Usugi revealed that the communities truly lack crucial amenities. So bad is the situation that when the state government delegation, led by Governor AbdulRazaq, visited Patigi in the wake of the boat mishap, they couldn’t get to Ebu because of the bad road.
Beware! Survivors’ mental health
The cost of NIWA and other maritime agencies’ policy lapses are discernible in the fates of various human casualties resulting from their total absence from the country’s inland waterways. At the receiving end are victims of the Patigi boat mishap among so many others.
Beyond agency failure and bad roads, a coastal community like Ebu is at the threshold of a social human crisis. But while the government and other stakeholders ramp up their monetary and donations, efforts must be made to cater for the mental health of the survivors of boat accidents. This is a very crucial step required for the survivors and communities to heal, noted Rekiya Hussein, a trauma psychologist.
“Some of those who survived are currently grappling with survivor guilt. They feel responsible and culpable for not being able to save their loved ones. Survivor guilt is a common experience following traumatic events in which others have died. Many PTSD sufferers are caught in a continual battle to make sense of their survival, leading to persistent guilt and feelings of disentitlement to life,” she said.
According to her, the feelings of guilt and inadequacy experienced by parents like Idris who watched nine members of his family drown are understandable and “he must seek help fast.”
A more curious issue manifests in the case of Baba Idris, who deserted his home and Ebu after watching his wife Fatima, and two children: Mama and Fatima (Jnr.) drown. Nobody knows his whereabouts to date.
Of the 61 that died in Ebu, 27 were women who left behind between one and seven children each. Lest we forget the husbands whose lives have become a constant struggle to embrace or make sense of their survival after watching their loved ones perish beneath River Niger’s deadly rip tides.
In Idris’ compound, all of the rooms remain closed. He lacks the courage to enter. He avoids the kitchen too lest he sees the hearth where his mother and two wives prepared their family meals.
When The Nation visited his compound, an iron pot sat gingerly on a mud hearth. About six pieces of firewood nestled beneath the pot. “They were placed there by my mother. She intended to cook for everyone immediately after we got back from the wedding,” said Idris.
Hasana Aliyu also lost three of her children to the boat mishap. She persistently beats herself up over the incident. “It should have been me, not my children,” she said.
In Ebu, life is a waking nightmare
To witness the impact of the boat mishap on Ebu is to be lost in a wakeful nightmare. The dials on this hapless journey are the quiet courtyards, deserted kitchens, empty rooms, and palpable grief of survivors.
Then, there is the spectre of fatigue and faded lives, the twin affliction of the hapless commune. Under the thick pall of bereavement, however, hovers a more grotesque phantom: the ghosts of 61 neighbours: fathers and husbands, wives and mothers, sons, daughters, farmers, fishermen, and breadwinners that drowned on June 12, 2023, in River Niger’s deathly currents.
It’s 48 days today since their sad demise and their chilling howls echo through the coastal commune like a staccato of savage deaths. All those drowned torsos, bloated innards and frantic limbs thrashing about in pitiless waters, jabber back like darksome memories of doom and death.
They encircle the muddy pathways into Ebu as you read, making them even more impassable to the living.
Memories of the deceased diminish into a grave of nostalgic sternness in the hearts of their neighbours and bereaved relatives like Idris, Aliyu and Muhammad to mention a few.
Survivors like Idris, Muhammad litter Ebu, Dzakna, Kpadna, Kuchelu and Sampi among others. They share a common sense of loss and want to repair or make amends in some way for surviving. But very few find a means to do so.
Those who had seemed able to break out of the constant sorrowing struggle to revisit its depths, occasionally, hoping it would atone for their survival or diminish their guilt.
For Idris, memories of the “good old days” spent with his family peter out in his constant recall of their drowning. The 27-year-old has learnt to cringe from the chimaera of the good old days, his wordless despair shimmering like a crystalline mirror to his troubled soul.
A seemingly harmless journey to party across the river had suddenly transformed into a funeral song about his four children, two wives and mother. The ghostlike pitch of their wailing continues to haunt and recall him to the darkness of their drowning.
Like Idris, Muhammad suffers a constant recall into the darkness. Muhammad recalls the fleeting gleam of his wife’s thrashing limbs before she disappeared beneath the river with two of their kids clinging to her.
“This is what it’s like to watch loved ones drown,” he mourned, watching them disappear in the savage swirl of the current. “I asked myself if I should go after them,” he said. And the answer came to him in a rush of severe awareness.
With the wind pulsing eerily across the river, he darted towards his other two children whom he begged to cling to the split planks of their capsized boat. Muhammad began to move with the current and through it. He would not leave Abu, six, and Hadiza, five, to drown. And together they survived. They did not become part of the river.
No fewer than 5,000 participants, including top Christian business and financial experts, converged at this year’s edition of The Youth Aflame Conference (YAC), hosted by relationship expert and wealth creation agent, Pastor Daniel Olawande.
In attendance at the event with the theme: ‘The King’s Envoys’ were former Education Minister, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; Founder, Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi; CEO of Opportunik Global Fund, Kola Oyeneyin; senior Pastor and founder of The Covenant Nation (TCN), Pastor Poju Oyemade and a gospel saxophonist, Beejay Sax.
According to the organisers, this year’s event held in Lagos, was aimed at empowering participants to dominate their sphere of influence and take centre stage of global relevance. The event saw participants receiving knowledge and impactation to succeed.
The 2023 conference, which was third in a series, witnessed the sharpening and grooming of over 5,000 Christian professionals, both in person and virtually, to become believers with great competence backed up with consecration.
Other speakers included the Founder, Premium Trust Bank, Emmanuel Emefienim; Lead Pastor of RCCG Living Seed Church and senior team lead at Expert Beam Nigeria, Pastor Abolaji Adeola; Pastor Oluwanifemi Daniel Olawande, a fashion entrepreneur and Coordinator of the Prophetic Maidens Group; Minister Sunmisola Agbebi Okeleye, a gospel singer and multi-talented musician and psalmist, Adebola Shammah.
Speaking during the conference, Pastor Daniel Olawande laid emphasis on how believers should develop their competence and consecrate themselves to the service of God and humanity.
According to him, “the cycle of revival is only complete when it leads to societal transformation.”
Pastor Olawande has a vision to empower youths, foster growth, and transform societies. He also runs the Young Ministers Retreat (YMR), a global annual retreat for the equipping and raising of a burning generation of giants.Others include, the Envoys which is a new expression of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) committed to raising Kingdom Emissiaries who are burning for God, are anointed and stupendously wealthy and will carry the mandate of the king into every sphere of influence and sector, the Flaming Youth Empowerment Initiative, amongst others.
