The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday magazine

  • ‘We have invested heavily in Nigeria’

    ‘We have invested heavily in Nigeria’

    On the sidelines of this year’s CNN Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Award held in Cape Town, South Africa, Nico Meyer, CEO, MultiChoice Africa, shed light on the company’s activities in Nigeria in a chat with selected journalists. FESTUS ERIYE was there.

    How would you assess your operations in Nigeria?

    We have been operating in Nigeria for the last 20 years and our philosophy is partnership. This has worked very well in Nigeria. In terms of employment, we have a further philosophy of employing local management and local staff to ensure that we are able to get a proper understanding of what happens in a country. It is wrong for us to stand back and an assume that the entire continent is the same. This is because each country has its own peculiarities. From the investment perspective, we have done a lot in 20 years. We have set up multiple offices and we have been running the satellite business. The satellite business creates employment opportunities, both direct and indirect. You have installers, the informal retailers and sellers as well as the super dealers.

    Running an operation like MultiChoice Nigeria creates a lot of opportunities in the country. Over and above that, we have also developed the industry quite significantly. Let’s take content development, for instance. We have set up studios in the country. The setting up of studios has provided a springboard for new content development. This has helped Nollywood and assisted the export of its products to the other parts of the continent. We have invested in studios like the M-Net Studio and the Supersport Studio. We also have plans to expand the studios to ensure the set-up is much bigger.

    In technology, we are very proud of what we have done. We started way back in the 90s with digital satellite TV. That was a springboard for digital migration. It was our foundation to bring in digital content to Nigeria. It is important for us to be leaders from in technology. That is why we bring the best technology to any country where our services are offered. We invest heavily in new technology.

    We have adopted DVB-T2 standard, which has proved to be the leading technology. We have also brought products like the PVR, which allows our consumers to record content. We have similarly invested heavily in networks. We have launched our mobile services in Nigeria and we continue to set up terrestrial sites all over the country to bring in new technology and make things easier for the consumers to consume content. There are a lot of things we have done over the last 20 years and we continue to improve in terms of our service delivery. We have continued to expand our call centres as well as introduce improved payment methods.

    We appreciate that it is sometimes very difficult for somebody to get to a particular pay point to pay for our service. One thing that is true about Nigeria is the propensity of people to use mobile devices. I am not just talking about smartphone devices, but also audio devices. So, we have been working hard to make payment easier for consumers. This, we are doing along with InterSwitch so that people can make mobile payments. Our drive has always been to make things easier for the consumer and I think we have been relatively successful in achieving that.

    It is believed that the cost of subscription is higher in Nigeria than in other parts of the continent. Why is this so?

    This is not true. I want to use a very good example. Let’s take a decoder which we import into Nigeria. I want to contrast that to, for instance, with East Africa. In East Africa, we want to promote the digital migration. For that, we were exempted from paying import duties on decoders. For the decoders that we bring into Nigeria, we pay 20 per cent import duties. So, you can see the difference. You can see the challenge that I have. On one product, I pay 20 per cent in one country. On that same product in another country, I pay nothing. We have always been keen to work with government. We say to them, for instance, if we are going the way of digital migration, consider also exempting us from import duties. Our business is not the sale of hardware. In fact, we very often would subsidise hardware going into various countries because our business is really about content. So, using that example, you can understand that I have a challenge with what is particular to a country. Now, there are many other taxes.

    But it is important to us bring the price to a level that is attractive to the consumer. As such we don’t have a single price across the continent. We look at all these different dynamics in determining the price. But the price in Nigeria, talking about subscription, is not the highest In Africa, certainly not.. Even then, we continually have been working to keep the price low. One thing I think is very important is content. I buy local content and I also buy international content. International content obviously comes with a price. All these are brought into the offering that we bring to the consumer.

    Shouldn’t the price of your subscription be lower in Nigeria, given its huge population of subscribers?

    It does not exactly work that way. Let’s take CNN for example. I pay per subscriber. If I have a hundred subscribers on this side, I will pay for the hundred subscribers at the same rate that I will pay for, let’s say, 10 subscribers elsewhere. So the fact that we have a much bigger size somewhere does not necessarily mean much. It is not the case that Nigeria will attract a much higher fee per subscriber. Those fees are still the same. The import of a product is almost like a one on one relationship. If I bring decoders into and Nigeria, a much bigger market, I will bring many more decoders into the market. But each decoder still attracts import duty.

    I think the benefit we have in Nigeria is that when you a large subscriber base, some of the overhead costs incurred in the country get reduced. The cost per subscriber is comparatively less in Nigeria than in smaller countries.

    In what country do you have the largest number of subscribers?

    We have completely separated the South African business from the African business. We have completely separated the CEOs. We have a separate CEO for the African business and another for the South African business. We even use different satellites to service the two different businesses. So, the two core structures are completely separated. There are some commonalities like the billing system, but it is quite limited in terms of common cost that we have for the two businesses. The content in Africa is also different from the content we broadcast in South Africa. So we look at the African business as a separate leg from the South African business. Though they have common shareholders, they are completely separate.

    Now, in terms of which of the 50 countries that we operate is our largest market. It is simply determined by the number of consumers that we have in each country. Nigeria is a very big market for us, so we focus on the country. A lot of our investments actually goes to Nigeria. That is why, in terms of studios, it is where our biggest investment lies. In term of network roll-out, that is where we put the most money. I think the fact that we have been in Nigeria for the past 20 years shows that we believe in Nigeria and that is why we continue to invest in the country.

    For a long time, you had the field all to yourself. Now the Chinese are here with StarTimes. What do you make of their arrival?

    We have always welcomed competition and it is a crazy statement to make. What it does is that it makes the industry grow up and that is what we are interested in. The more the players, the more the market and the more opportunity it is for growth in the country. Competition makes the quality of content grow. That is hugely beneficial to us. If you have a very small industry, it is very little content that comes out of it. Competition actually helps the industry to grow and that is exactly what is happening in Nigeria. Nollywood content is growing, so we started AfricanMagic. As it grew, you saw other operators coming on stream and even content providers. It started in Nigeria and now we’ve taken it to the continent. The vision we have is to take around the globe. The stronger the content, the better the industry.

    We have the PVR technology which allows you to record content. We are also going to bring Box Office to Nigeria. Box Office is not only going be international content; I also want to take the best of Nollywood and also put that into the offering. This, again, gives content producers the opportunity to continue to expand. This is what helps the industry to become stronger.

    Many are of the view that you launched GOtv as a response to StarTimes…

    Let me talk a bit about our strategy. If you look back, when we launched our satellite service, it was perceived to be catering for the higher end of the market, with the price ranging from $70 to roughly $100. But there is big component of the market which we still want to address and that component is the low end of the market. It desires a more affordable product, a product much easier to install. I think our plan around GOtv is to make available much affordable product and one that is easier to install. This product will address a much bigger slice of the population.

    How is your organisation coping with the piracy of its content?

    Piracy is something that has been there for a very long time and we are aggressively fighting it. Piracy has evolved overtime from the approach of simply connecting a cable to the highly sophisticated system used to distribute pirated signals. It is quite prevalent in the market. The distribution of pirated signals has also evolved overtime. Now, it has started on mobile devices. But as the pirate has evolved, so have we and we are aggressively attacking what the pirates bring to the market. I think the important thing to understand is that piracy is really bad. It is bad for the industry because if you have piracy in a particular market, it will completely destroy the broadcasting of content in the market. This is because producers will produce content, but will never be able to monitor the content because that content will easily find its way unto a pirate network. And if all the content is for free, it will completely destroy the industry that we actually want to grow. It is fundamental for us to conquer piracy.

    Piracy is almost like a game. It flares up, we bring a counter-measure and it dies down. But again, it flares up and it dies down. What is important is the counter- measures we adopt.

    In Nigeria, movie producers have had cause to complain that they do not get what is due them from the screening of their films. How are you handling this?

    I think the fact that you have seen how AfricaMagic has grown shows you how this has been addressed. We continue to get more and more content from producers. I think producers are very comfortable with working with us in terms of producing content and making it available on our platforms. We have many platforms and as such, they have more opportunities to bring content.

    What has your company done in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility?

    MultiChoice Nigeria is a strong supporter of the Sickle Cell Foundation – Nigeria. We have done many things in terms of giving back to the society. The biggest one is the Multichoice Resource Centre (MRC) project, which we have built in schools and have trained teachers to use them. We have built over 300 of such in 21 states. We also provide content, instructional materials, television sets and TV recorders to ensure that the children learn. Channels like Discovery Channel and History Channel are provided within a framework to enable the training of teachers as well as to get the children educated.

    We have also been part of the ‘Adopt a School’ programme in Lagos State and we continually support several causes around the country.

  • Olaiya leads Northern Christian elders’ forum

    Olaiya leads Northern Christian elders’ forum

    Northern States Christian Elders’ Forum (NOSCEF) last week inaugurated its new executives at HEKAN headquarters, Kaduna.

    Olaiya Phillips, a business magnate, emerged the chairman of the apex pan-Northern Christian pressure group commissioned to protect the interest of Christians suffering attacks and abuse in the region for years.

    A three-man electoral committee chaired by the National Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. (Dr) Musa Asake, conducted the election.

    Participants hailed the emergence of Philips whom they confirmed is a detribalised Nigerian with a huge passion to help fellow Christians.

    A medical doctor from Kebbi State, Dr. Mica Ango, was elected vice chairman of the body

    Ango is the current chairman of the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board in Kebbi State.

    Barrister Emmanuel Danjuma emerged secretary of the body.

    Danjuma has served as a Chief Magistrate in Bauchi State for about 12 years and has been actively involved with organisations promoting Christian awareness and management cum conflict resolution.

     

  • ‘I can run Anambra with my money and achieve 50 percent success’

    ‘I can run Anambra with my money and achieve 50 percent success’

    Controversial businessman, Ifeanyi Ubah, is defying all the odds to forge ahead with his campaign to be governor of Anambra State in the November 16 gubernatorial election on the platform of the Labour Party. He talks about his oil business and plans for his people in this interview with Waheed Odusile.

    How would you assess the Peter Obi administration in Anambra State?

    For me, I can judge the government as a government that is not accountable to the people, and I will tell you why. Any government that its state assembly would ask to submit two years audited account and it failed to give it immediately has some skeletons in the cupboard. But it happened in Anambra State. It took the Accountant-General of the state two months to produce 2011 audited accounts of the state and up till date we have not received 2012 reports. It is very bad. It is not a government that is close to its people.

    I heard the governor in America (recently) and he said so many good things, (how) he is getting money from the World Bank, getting money from this and that, for me I challenged him. I told him, look, when you get all this money, tell Anambra people this is what I collected and this is what I used this money to do, then it gives value to people. But if you are getting this money and it is getting into your pocket, how would I be clapping for you, because the poor man on the street is not feeling the money?

    We from Anambra do not need too much of help, we can help ourselves, all we want is a level playing field where we can have government touching the lives of people. If you give any Anambra man N10 million (ten million naira) today, be sure that in six months he will give you N30 million (thirty million naira), but we don’t want N10 million that if you produce N30 million the bank will take N20 million.

    If that is the situation on ground, how do you intend to turn things around to the benefit of Anambra people?

    If I am in government, I would be giving quarterly reports every three months. This gives room for you to be giving people hope of freshness (in their government). You don’t leave any stone unturned because you bring out everything that happens within a quarter, but if you leave it to extend to six months, one year, two years, three years, that means you’ll even forget a lot of things. It doesn’t even help. It is just like if somebody doesn’t conduct local government election and you think you are doing yourself good. You are not doing yourself any good, you are just chasing people away from their government. Now tell me who in Anambra State today can access government? Nobody. You can’t access government because the man on the street who wants to talk to his local government chairman doesn’t know who to talk to because he didn’t elect the local government chairman. So, if you want to say I want to talk to my local government chairman to go and tell the governor some things, there is no chairman because the chairman there is a puppet.

    But some people would say Governor Obi has done well …

    The man that would tell you that Governor Obi has done well is somebody that is from the Obi family. But go to the streets in Anambra and the real people would tell you (how he is doing). How can you tell me that a governor that has not shown me the audited report of my state for two years is doing well? Even the one that his Accountant-General presented to the state assembly, they indicted him.

    In specific terms, in which areas do you intend to make a difference in the lives of the people of Anambra State?

    I want to bring government closer to the people; they deserve to have government close to them. I want to do local government election; it is one of our problems. Another problem is that they (the government) are not good managers of money; they don’t know how to make money. As a governor, you must be enterprising, you must know how to create money. You can see, Lagos today does not depend on federal allocation; that is government, they are working. I must be fair to you, Governor Fashola is working, Jigawa State governor (Sule Lamido) is working.

    But why do you think you are in a better position to do this for Anambra? In essence why do you want to be the governor?

    Nobody is doing it. I am tired of all this nonsense (going on in governance in Anambra State), it is irritating me. I am going to give my people everything because that is my final constituency. It is irritating me.

    Some people would ask who is Ifeanyi Uba.? Really, who is he?

    Ifeanyi Uba is a humble poor boy that grew up from the ghetto, but God has blessed me, there is no doubt about it and my yesterday doesn’t matter anymore. Ifeanyi Uba is a man that has the love of his people in his heart. Ifeanyi Uba is a practical human being. Ifeanyi Uba is a man of Anekwuekwu Anememe (what you say is what you do, a man of his words). That is Ifeanyi Uba.

    What exactly should the people expect from you if you become the governor,? that break it down- not just that I want to give my people everything, or I want to bring government closer to the people.

    I want to promote trade, but before I promote trade, I want people to feel safer in Anambra because it is not just about the internal (local) people but also about expatriates. The in-thing today is that anybody coming to Nigeria must Google (search for information on the internet) to know the state he is going to. So, I want to be part of that (making Nigeria safer). And also if we love our country Nigeria, then the total restructuring of Nigeria should not be left alone to the presidency or the people at the federal level. A state can start promoting Nigeria, no state is promoting Nigeria. No state is helping the federal government (to make Nigeria safer). The responsibility of making Nigeria safer should not be left in the hands of President Goodluck Jonathan alone.

    So, I would want to see how I can go in and see how I can help our president (in this regard), he is a good man.

    Some would argue that Ifeanyi Uba, who can’t even run his own businesses now  wants to run Anambra State, that how can he run Anambra State if something as private to him as his businesses, he can’t run it?

    They are blind people because they are uninformed. If I don’t have good thoughts about my business, my business will not continue to hold its strong position in the downstream sector of the Nigerian economy. And let me even say something, Capital Oil is not the only company in Ifeanyi Uba’s Group; Ifeanyi Uba has over 15 companies in his Group, even in the Oil and Gas sector, Capital Oil is not bigger than some of my companies in the downstream. Why are people trying to run me down?  You are just bringing about 10 per cent of a man and you are talking about that. Let me say that Capital Oil and Gas that even people are talking about is still holding a firm command in the downstream sector of the economy. The problem is not about not running it very well. If government policy does not support business, there is no way that business can stand. If you claim that you were going to be selling rice in your restaurant and they (government) ban the importation of rice, will you sell that rice again?

    Now let me put it in proper perspective. Capital Oil and Gas has no problem at all and if people are saying that (it has problem) then they should go to the company to know if there was any problem. The (so called) problem Capital Oil has is that it cannot repay its debt based on the fact that the asset is ten times more than even its liability. In asset we are five, ten times more than our liability, so you cannot even call the company a bankrupt. In America Chrysler Motors, General Motors, Citi Bank, they are under, they have even filed for bankruptcy, still they are working and (the USA government) government is supporting them.

    In Nigerian, we are not doing that. If AMCON comes in… Ok, take TINAPA for instance.  Today, can you say TINAPA was a bad business? No. It was because government has failed to dredge TINAPA and nobody can come and invest in TINAPA. Will you carry the cargo on your head to go and drop in TINAPA? It must come through water.

    We built Capital Oil up to its present enviable status based on deregulation, in line with government’s preferred deregulation and when government didn’t put up that deregulation which the president implemented, but unfortunately they abandoned the man in the middle of the sea. If deregulation was to take root in Nigeria today, Capital Oil might even be bigger than Dangote. I am telling you the truth. Because by virtue of our status, we hold the biggest structure in the downstream. In waterways, we hold 60 per cent of the waterways in the downstream. In dispensing capacity, nobody has come half of us in the whole country. In terms of storage, in terms of fleet, we have up to 20 ships floating in front of Capital Oil today doing nothing. For two years nobody has turned the engines on and all these equipments were bought for deregulation. And government today is giving us allocation and the allocation they are giving us is not up to three percent of our capacity. So, how can I survive because I can’t trade on my own, on what government is giving me in terms of allocation?  It is not up to three percent of our capacity. I will challenge whoever that would come and say we did not run Capital Oil very well. So, it is politics and it is only in politics that people can use such for political gains. If you say Capital Oil is not running well, I will challenge government and I will sue government.  I would sue government and I will win because it (deregulation) is a government policy and not because of the president. It was government policy and it was being implemented, but some of these governors, when the heat was on, they couldn’t support the president.  Meanwhile, they were there telling the president to do deregulation.

    It is all about history now but  for me, I am quiet about it and anybody can say whatever he likes, but for me you can’t say I didn’t run Capital Oil well but other companies (in the Group) are running well.

    What exactly is the problem between you and Coscharis?

    Coscharis, issue is one that Anambra politics brought somehow along the line and it is political. And it has been corrected.

    The election is around the corner, how would you rate your chances?

    I am winning. Are you doubting me? Everything is working well. I am waiting for the day they will swear me in.

    What is your relationship with the Villa?

    I’ve always had a good relationship with the Villa, mutual relationship with the Villa. I am one of the Villa’s anointed. They are all our fathers.  You can never say the president hates you. Any Nigerian that does not have one with the Villa should work hard to have good relationship with the Villa. I am one of the Villa boys. I am not in an opposition party.

    But your party, the Labour Party, is not part of the federal government?

    Labour is a part of everything. We don’t have a presidential candidate, so, Villa (President Jonathan) is our presidential candidate. We don’t have a presidential candidate in the Labour Party. Have you seen a politician saying he is a presidential aspirant/candidate in the Labour Party? And so, it is until the day we have a presidential candidate (in Labour Party). So, for now Villa is our party, our candidate.

    Why were you shopping for ticket in parties before you eventually got the Labour Party’s nod?

    I didn’t shop for ticket. I was waiting for God’s direction. God said this is the party (Labour) you will go to, that all these parties with a lot of holes… you could fall into a trap. I saw the holes (in PDP) and I ran away but unfortunately some of my colleagues (like) Charles Soludo entered and the hole swallowed him. But for us that are streetwise boys we escaped the hole and today I am a candidate within the next 30 days. Every Nigerian should give me kudos for that, a first timer, I am in the contest and if they call first, second and third, they will call me.

    Having been part of Anambra politics in the last seven years, according to you, will it be right to say you are a godfather and…

    I am a holy father in Anambra politics and I will tell you why. I have never been involved in any government contract. I have helped a lot of people to gain political mileage. I am part of every  political process, in fact winning elections in Anambra State because my people love me and I have always been delivering my town Nnewi. You cannot win election in Nnewi without using Ifeanyi Uba, without calling me because I need to assess you and feel that you want to give my people the best. With due respect to my mentor, Mr Cletus Ibeto, you can’t talk of Nnewi politics without Ifeanyi Ubah, outside Mr Ibeto.

    That means you are tired of being a holy father, now you want to…

    If the holy father is blessing boys and they don’t want to change; you are blessing people and they don’t want to change. I now say let me even get involved, let me wear the regalia and go and preach. That is why you see me here because I have a mandate, I have a vision, there is something pushing me to go and change a lot of people (things). There is no more room to play.

    You have been promising a lot in your campaign. Can you achieve all of them in four years and where would the money come from?

    I will even do more. It is just for my people to trust me and give me the mandate. If I don’t deliver, they shouldn’t vote for me again.

    But where will the money come from?

    I am a money maker, a magician trained by God. In fact, let me tell you something, if I can gather all my resources, what God has blessed me with, I can do 50 percent of Anambra without anybody’s money. If I gather my worldwide resources and I am given a free hand to change Anambra, I promise you that I will do 50 percent of what is in my manifesto without touching one kobo of Anambra State government.

    From your purse?

    I am telling you the truth.

    That would be fantastic.

    May be people are underrating me. If I gather my resources and I have the seal of government without collecting one kobo from federal government, I will complete 50 percent of everything in my manifesto without one kobo. And to prove a point, I can challenge you that I can run Anambra government without security votes till I raise the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Anambra State from a mere N300 million to N5billion monthly, quote me. In life you challenge yourself.

    Is it true that Madam at the Villa is the one behind you?

    No. She is my mother and she is the mother of every Nigerian. You see, Anambra people are trying to put problem between me and the Villa. Madam is the mother of every Nigerian and people should give that woman respect. She is the mother of this country. We have seen first ladies that were not outspoken in Nigeria; we have seen first ladies that have not done 30 percent of what she has done. That woman is a real woman.  Go and check among all the first ladies in Nigeria who is more loved than any other first lady. If they say your mother is doing well, won’t you want to embrace her? And now that I don’t have a mother, my mother is dead, I adopted her.

    What would be your message to Anambra voters, come November 16?

    That Ifeanyi is a man God has blessed from a very humble beginning to where I am today, and I decided to leave where I am today to do what no one has ever done. That I don’t have a godfather, but my godfathers are Anambrarians, the poor masses, the widows, the Okada riders, the Keke NAPEP people; that I am coming to Anambra to stay with them, to be practical with them, to give them values of governance, to give them a quarterly statement about their government, to change their lives, to give them security, to give them employment, to touch their lives and to give them hope.

  • Orelope challenges civil servants

    Orelope challenges civil servants

    The deputy governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has charged civil servants to be diligent, upright and prayerful in the discharge of their statutory duties.

    She spoke with journalists recently at the Special Prayer and Thanksgiving for civil servants at the National Headquarters of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Throne of Grace, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

    The service attracted hundreds of civil servants in Lagos State with Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Kayode Opeifa and Head of Service, Mrs. Oluseyi Williams, in attendance.

    There were prayers, bible teachings and prophetic ministrations during the service.

    She said the civil service is a crucial sector that executes government plans and programmes, stating it requires people of high integrity, innovation and exceptional ingenuity.

    According to her: “Civil servants need to be more diligent, proactive and take their work seriously because any mistake at all that we make could involve lives and paint the country in bad light.”

    Although, she noted that God has been faithful to us as a country in the midst of our challenges, the deputy governor said: “occasionally we need to ask God for divine wisdom, knowledge and understanding as he alone can help us.”

    The general overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, charged Nigerians to keep their hope and confidence alive in God.

    Adeboye noted that God will always stand by men who remain faithful, loyal and committed to the course of Christ in any field of endeavour they find themselves.

    “God is looking for true and trustworthy ambassadors who will represent his interest and desires in government and God in turn will celebrate and take the person to the top even in the face of opposition,” he said.

  • ‘Emulate women of the Bible’

    A Prophetess, Mother-in-Israel Olusola Adeyemi, has admonished women to imitate the deeds of women like Dorcas and Deborah as recorded in the Bible.

    Speaking at the first anniversary of the bands of Deborah and Dorcas of the Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church, Ogba-Ikeja Lagos last Sunday, she said contemporary women can learn a great deal of leadership qualities from the two biblical figures the bands are named after.

    She said: “Deborah was a mother, a wife, a judge, a prophetess and she was still able to lead the children of Israel to battle.

    “This shows that God is interested in using women to make positive impacts as leaders in the society and the nation at large.”

    Adeyemi, who was the preacher at the anniversary, tasked women to emulate the virtues of kindness, humility and tolerance found in Dorcas.

    Addressing members of both bands, she told them to look beyond the fanfare of the anniversary celebration by making a personal commitment with God to model their lives in holiness.

    “As pioneer members of these bands, the examples

    you set will go a long way in making the difference required to

    transform this nation,” she stated.

  • ‘Only leadership is wrong with Nigeria’

    ‘Only leadership is wrong with Nigeria’

    The nation will continue to wallow in lack until the right people occupy leadership positions, the general overseer of Love of Christ Chapel International Ministries, Lagos, Prophet Peter Olowoporoku, has declared.

    He stressed that nothing is wrong with Nigeria apart from leadership challenges.

    Olowoporoku spoke last Wednesday with reporters ahead of the annual convention of the church slated for 3rd November 2013.

    The theme of the convention is ‘Emergence of champions”.

    He said a nation devoid of real champions is doomed to fail, urging Christians with passion for politics to join the fray to save the nation.

    Olowoporoku urged them to take their rightful places in the affairs of the nation and stop being back benchers.

    According to the cleric: “The right way to be a champion of God is to abhor corruption, have integrity and be truthful.”

    The chairman of the planning committee, Pastor Kunle Akinbowale, said the 20th edition of the convention is significant.

    Ministers expected include Rev Albert Oduwole of Triumphant Assembly; Pastor Femi Emmanuel of Living Spring Chapel and Pastor Laitan Aromolaran of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Rev Bolaji Akinyemi.

     

  • ‘How Nigeria can work better’

    ‘How Nigeria can work better’

    The Presiding Bishop of Rhema Christian Church and Towers, Ota Ogun State, Bishop Taiwo Akinola, spoke with Sunday Oguntola ahead of the 22nd convention of the church and dedication of its 10,000-seater Champion Cathedral. Excerpts: 

    Government universities across the nation have been shut down for over three months. What is your reaction to this?

    I believe the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has made its point. They should return to classes in the interest of the nation and our children. No parent can be happy seeing his children at home for this long. They have made their point and I think they should resume since government has made them some offers.

    ASUU is not the only pressure group in the country. The hospitals are there. The roads are there. Every sector is asking for massive injection of funds and I know as head of an institution that money is not easy to come by. You never have enough to address all the needs.

    So, I am pleading with ASUU to return to class and save our children. I have a very brilliant child who had to spend seven years to get a degree. I mean, that is very sad. Isn’t that why our children now have to go to Benin Republic and Ghana to study? Yes, government should do something but I think that ASUU too should stop all these perennial strikes.

    If universities had been shut down in other places, government would have responded before it gets this long. Don’t you think the government is also being too insensitive?

    You see I cannot speak for government because I don’t work for them. But I am saying if some money has been given to the lecturers, they should start with that and call off the strike. I read the lecturers rejected the offers made by government. They should accept and start with that first. Because when two elephants fight, the grasses suffer. I had been in the business of lecturing before and I know that when you resume, some students would have become rustic. Some would have become pregnant and disconnected. To be out of school for three months is too long. I have a child studying law and we have to get him engaged in tutorials to keep fresh. My position is, we should be sensitive to these poor children. Both parties should resolve the impasse and open our schools.

    The proposed national conference has been condemned as a mere talk shop in many quarters. Do you think we really need the conference?

    Well, these same people were busy calling for it and now that it’s been granted, they are condemning it.

    They were calling for a sovereign national conference?

    Whether sovereign or not, I believe it is the same thing. It’s just semantics as far as I am concerned. I know politicians have their way with intimidation, mockery and condemnation. I know many were calling for it and now they are against it again. If it were in the clergy that I am part of, we would have said ‘thank you for granting requests’ and move on.

    But the critics wonder why the National Assembly will still need to ratify the resolutions from the conference. So why have it in the first place?

    But that makes sense for me. The National Assembly has elected representatives and should ratify whatever we agree on, I know the president may also have political undertone for granting the request but we should give the move a chance.

    Is Nigeria working as far as you are concerned?

    To the glory of God, Nigeria is working. I know that there are failed states but we are not only of those. Things are not what they should be but I believe Nigeria is working and can work better.

    How can it work better?

    With more prayers and we doing our parts, this country will work better. If we are less political in our thinking and actions, Nigeria will work better. With God on our side, we’d work better. If we face facts and act with facts, we’d do better.

    Why do we always need to involve God, considering that countries with no allegiance to God are doing better?

    I have heard that many times and my response is always that there is no country without challenges. I mean, problems are part of human existence. But we need God. Without God, nothing works. If God had not been on our side, we won’t be together. I don’t believe there is no nation where they don’t call on God. We may have more people calling on Him.

    When I get to nations, I see how they organise themselves and how bureaucracy works better. I think we only need to do better with law enforcement and we would get there too. With God, we can do better. Anyone with God is a majority. Those who work against Him always have a harvest of troubles.

    The cathedral has taken six years to stand. Can you recall some of the tough times during the building project?

    I’d rather recall some of the gracious moments because you don’t get anything except it is given to you by God. We never had money saved anywhere when we started but God kept providing. Our people are very generous. They don’t want to be coerced or pressed to give. I have no troubles to report but to say we give glory to God.

    But when you have a structure of this size in Nigeria, you always have issues with artisans and workmen. Those are common and everywhere. But above all, we thank God.

    Would you say the project operated on speed considering its magnitude and the time it took to be completed?

    It depends on what you mean by speed. It took 70 years to complete Solomon’s Cathedral. Some churches were built in one year. It all depends on God’s plan, but as far as I am concerned, we operated on divine speed.

    God has been so gracious. I give all praise to God. We could not have done it without Him. You cannot coerce people. My people are very refined and sophisticated. You cannot force them to give.

    How did you convince them to buy into the project, considering how many others struggle to get people committed? What was the magic wand?

    No, there was no magic wand. It is all down to God. He does not pay for what He does not order. We knew God was here before we started building. It was not my pet project or idea. It was God’s project and He provided for us. Sometimes, we had headaches and before we left the prayer room, God would have provided.

    What will the dedication portend for the church?

    You know whatever you dedicate to God, you don’t take back from Him. For us, it is an honour to invite God to take His place. It is an opportunity to refresh His power among us. I mean, He built this place for Himself. You cannot come to Lagos without seeing the cathedral. I have told people to come that day bringing their requests to God. Nobody can build for God without His expressed desire.

    Since churches hardly get over projects, what would be the next one for you? Will it be a university or something else?

    After the dedication, it will be another level of God’s grace. It will be another level of fulfillment. I think I am excited that churches are doing these projects. We are going to the City of Zion by the grace of God. A place where there will be a trade centre and vocational institutes where those destinies can be moulded and God can take people to their Promised Land.

    Where is it to be located?

    It is God that will take us there Himself. He has not revealed it yet to us. When the time comes, all of you will be there. Those who are uptight about God sees among churches haven’t seen anything else. God will do much more with His people.

    Since the theme is the High Places, are we going to see an archbishop emerge from the dedication?

    An archbishop will not emerge. I always say it is not about titles or entitlement but the tasks. There is time for everything. This is the time to work and do more for God. Of course, there is nothing wrong with being an archbishop. By the time our bishops have taken over nations, an archbishop will emerge and nobody will be able to stop him.

  • Nine steps to effective prayer

    Nine steps to effective prayer

    Dear Reader, last edition I taught on the Eternal Power of Prayer and I believeit has revolutionized your attitude to prayer. You must know that prayer is the foundation of your life;God says my house shall be called a house of prayer, not a house of salvation, healing, deliverance or prosperity as these are got through prayer. You are that house of prayer.

    Prayer is a fellowship, acommunion, a commitment and a command from God(1 Thessalonians 5:17). There is an approach to prayer which means it could be wrongly or rightly approached.

    The Right Approach

    Right approach to prayer ispossessinga believing heart filled with faith according to His will (1 John 5:14-15) and is profitable in all things (i.e. from sickness to health, from bondage to freedom, from barrenness to fruitfulness, from lack to abundance and from poverty to prosperity).

    Wrong Approach to Prayer

    Prayer with an unbelieving and faithless heart isWrong approach to prayer; it’s unprofitable in all things (i.e. no healing, no deliverance, no prosperity only by grace,if prayers are answered).Though the power of prayer is limitless butit does not come very easy except with daily practice and perseverance.God can do nothing without your prayer. You can do nothing without God, and nothing leaves heaven without prayer. Today, I pray as you read this article God will anoint you, make you vessels of prayer. Amen.That is why I will be showing you the Nine vital steps to effective prayer series. We begin today with Thanksgiving.

    Step One -Thanksgiving

    What is Thanksgiving?

    Thanksgiving is gratitude expressed to God for His faithfulness, which is basic element in a believer’s life (Philippians 4:6). We must thank the Lord morning and evening for salvation through His son Jesus; for His loving kindness and grace; and for His faithful guidance andcare. We should express our gratitude for the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13) and for His spiritual gifts. All believers must give thanks in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17).

    Thus, for prayer to be effective you must begin by entering into His presence with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4). Appreciate Him for what He did in the past, present and future.

    Reasons for Thanksgiving

    1. You were one of the many people that had cancer, diabetes etc. others died, but you survived.

    2. Ten years barrenness rolled away, you are now a mother of five children.

    3. You were once a molue and danfo commuter but now you are a car owner.

    4. You were once jobless but now gainfully employed.

    Count your blessings and name them one after the other and see what God has done for you.Think about where you came from and where you are now. Even our Lord Jesus Christ recognized the importance of thanksgiving and rewarded the only cleansed leper for his gratefulness (Luke 17:15-19).

    Give thanks always, eitherin good orbad times – It could be done in the office or at home, before and after prayer. (1Thessalonians 5:18). Make thanksgiving your way of life. Always remember that praise and worship are thanksgiving and weapon in disguise. (2 Chronicles 20:21-24)

    Total freedom can only come if you are connected to God. You get connected to God as you give your life to Christ. You can be born again today by saying this prayer:

    Lord Jesus, I confess to you that I am a sinner. Forgive my sins and wash me with your blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan. I invite you into my heart. I accept you as my Lord and personal saviour. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I thank you Jesus for saving me. Write my name in the Book of Life. I am born again in Jesus name, Amen.

    Join me on the next edition for the continuation of this teaching – Step 2

    Write and share your testimony with me through: Pastor Amanda Ogunro, Rivers of Living Water Ministries, 540 Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Lagos. P.M.B 2854, Surulere Lagos, Nigeria.Or Call this number08093167675. Also Email us at info@rlwm.org.

  • Covenant Gateways to supernatural restoration!

    Covenant Gateways to supernatural restoration!

    Every lover of God is a candidate for His restoration agenda. His lovers are His priorities in executing His restoration agenda. So, anything that belongs to you cannot be successfully held down by any man. The release is mandatory and it is dangerous for anyone to hold back what belongs to you.

    God’s lovers will not just get back what they have lost; they will also get them back with supernatural extras. For instance, when Abimelech returned Sarah, he returned her with extra treasures, men servants, maid servants, a thousand talents of silver, and any land of Abraham’s choice (Genesis 20:14-18).

    Some outstanding Biblical testimonies of restoration:

    •Abraham: Abraham was in love with God, so, he was called God’s friend (James 2:23; Isaiah 41:8). When Abimelech took his wife, God said to Abimelech, ‘You are a dead man, restore the man his wife.’ The enemies are not permitted to hold back anything that belongs to His lovers. Every seed of Abraham, who operates in the love of God as a lifestyle, is entitled to supernatural restoration. If you are Abraham’s seed, you will do the works of Abraham. Abraham was the friend of God, are you a friend of God?

    •Job: He had a heart for God. When he was challenged, his wife told him to curse God and die, but he refused (Job 2:9). The more difficult things were for Job, the hotter his love for God. That’s all you need to flow in this great wave of restoration season that we are in. In Job 42:10-14, God visited Job with a strong wave of supernatural restoration. As long as nothing shakes your relationship with God, your restoration is sure.

    •David: He was a man after God’s own heart. In 1 Samuel 13:14, the Amalekites came and invaded the city and took away all their wives, children, and belongings. And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all (1 Samuel 30:8). Every addicted lover of Christ cannot be robbed; whatever is taken from them must be returned.

    Gateways to Supernatural Restoration:

    •New Birth (Romans 6:23): New birth is a fundamental requirement for every candidate of restoration. So, until you are saved, you are not a candidate for restoration.

    •You must be baptized in the Holy Ghost (Isaiah 61:1-3): It is not enough to be saved, you must be empowered to qualify for restoration. You need baptism in the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in new tongues, to qualify for full-scale restoration.

    •The Blood of Jesus (Zechariah 9:11-12): You can engage the Blood of Jesus in warfare, against the forces holding back what belongs to you (Revelation 12:11). The blood is God’s last card in the battles of life. So, you can engage the Blood of Jesus in warfare against the strong man sitting on your belongings.

    •Kingdom stewardship (Job 22:21-25): Every true steward is God’s candidate for restoration. Kingdom stewardship is one of the gateways to supernatural restoration (1 Corinthians 2:9). God is not looking for whom to use; He is looking for whom to bless (Psalm 65:4).

    •Prophets: They are agents of restoration any day, anytime and anywhere (Isaiah 42:22). So, God has positioned men to command restoration. They are called prophets, as proven all through scriptures. Elijah visited the house of the widow of Zarephath and restored her dignity in the time of famine (1 Kings 17:8-15). Her son died and by the ministry of the prophet, life came back to him (1 Kings 17:17-24). When you open your heart to the ministry of a prophet, you have opened the door of your life to a life of restoration (2 Chronicles 20:20).

    Friend, the power to benefit from the above gateways, is the preserve of those who are saved. You get saved by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. If you are set for it, please say this prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Wash me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You, Jesus. Now, I know I am born again!

    Friend, come for a life-changing encounter at Faith Tabernacle in Canaan Land, Ota, from December 10-14, at Shiloh 2013, an annual prophetic gathering of the Winners’ family worldwide. At this event, God will surely visit you and deliver you from stagnation, frustrations, failure and destitution. Be there!

    I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

  • Army chief’s daughter marries UK-based heartthrob

    Army chief’s daughter marries UK-based heartthrob

    Tosin Oyebade, the United kingdom-based daughter of the Commandant of Nigerian Army Cantonment, Ikeja, Brig. Gen. Adeniyi Oyebade, on Saturday joined the exclusive group of married women when he walked down the aisle with her heartthrob, Titus Festus Agbara.

    The groom is also based in the UK.

    The colourful ceremony which attracted several dignitaries within and outside the military took place at the Nigerian Army Command Secondary School located within the cantonment premises.

    One of the major highlights of the event was the grand entry of the bride’s parents – Gen. Oyebade and his wife, accompaigned by friends and well wishers into the beautifully-decorated hall, used as venue of the reception.

    Those in attendance were – the General Officer Commanding, 81 Division, Major. Gen. Obi Umahi, Major. Gen. Martins (rtd), Major. Gen. M.B. Obi (rtd), Major. Gen. O. Adebayo (rtd) and Brig. Gen. L.C. Iloh.

    Others were – the Commander, Nigeria Air Force Base, Ikeja; Air Commodore Ukwanga, Air Commodore Zakari and the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Security, Major Badmus (rtd), among others. Major Badmus represented Governor Babatunde Fashola at the occasion.

    In his address, the chairman of the occasion, Gen. Obi, urged the couple to draw inspiration from the bride’s father, whom he described as a gentleman officer.

    He also enjoined them to remember God in their new journey.