The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has praised Governor Aminu Tambuwal for feeding orphans and the needy during Ramadan.

Tambuwal yesterday said his administration has expended over N339 million to provide foodstuffs and clothing materials for orphans and needy persons across 87 districts of the state.

He gave the figures at the inauguration of the 2021 Ramadan support to orphans and the needy under the state Zakkat and Endowment Commission.

Sultan Abubakar thanked the governor for sustaining the gesture.

He assured the government of proper collaboration with individuals and organisations to continue to support the less privileged in the society.

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Abubakar described the gesture as a great opportunity for the Sultanate Council to perform the most important job and serve Allah in the holy month of Ramadan.

He called on the people to continue to pray for leaders, most especially in the present month of Ramadan, to be able to address all challenges in the country.

Tambuwal said the gesture was to provide the needs of the society.

“The state government last year spent over N258.8 million for Ramadan exercise through Zakkat commission, which is now expanded to over N339.9 million for the same exercise this year.

“However, I want to use this medium to appreciate the Sultanate Council and the staff of the commission, for their commitment towards ensuring the sustainability of such projects,“ he said.

Chairman, Sokoto State Zakkat and Endowment Commission, Malam Muhammad Maidoki, said more than 100,000 beneficiaries in the 87 districts of the state, are expected to benefit from the gesture.

“In each district, 100 bags of grains will be shared to needy persons, with a cash donation of N5,000 each, and 100 clothing materials to 100 orphans for Sallah clothes, and N2,000 each for sewing”.

Maidoki added that the inauguration also consists of the distribution of individual Zakkat received through the commission and distribution of mattresses, grinding machines and freezers for empowerment of the needy.

By Adeola Ogunlade

The Archbishop of Lagos, Methodist Church Nigeria The Most Revd Dr. Isaac Ayobami Olawuyi, as well as The Presbyter, Wesley Cathedral Olowogbowo  Lagos, The Very Revd John Olanrewaju Solubi, have assured Nigerians of a secured prosperous Nigeria, provided they diligently and religiously key to the expectations of God in Obedience to His dictates.

They also advised that Nigerians should promptly emulate the total sacrifice of the life of Jesus Christ as well turn around and abstain from sins and by being their Brothers’ Keepers at all times.

The clerics respectively made these remark recently at the Wesley Chapel Lekki  Lagos State, as well as at the Wesley Cathedral Olowogbowo Lagos.

They stated the loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Universe as well as His Obedience to the will of God, especially the sacrifice of his life to the point of death on the cross of Calvary which should be emulated by all.

They duo reiterated the need for the leaders in authority to abstain from reckless, Godless spending and be responsible and listen to the yearning of the masses through the  sacrifice of  their service to the teaming masses they rule over.

They sympathetically out lined the wickedness of man to heartlessly torture and crucified our Lord Jesus Christ to the point of death on the cross of Calvary, to which Jesus Christ remained submissive to the obedience to God’s will and to which some corrupt soldier deceived and denied his sympathizer even in his Death and Resurrection.

By Joseph Eshanokpe

A stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Chief Remi Williams on Tuesday celebrated his 92nd birthday at his Methodist Church in his hometown Agbowa in Lagos State.  In a message, the nonagenarian used the opportunity offered by the event to thank God for his benevolence, noting that many of his contemporaries were no more.

Pa Williams advised politicians to play by the rules of the game. A firm believer in the late governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, who he called his leader, he said politicians and leaders should imbibe the good ideals left by the former governor.

Reminiscing on the life and times of Jakande, Pa Williams said: “Jakande was one of the best governors and a friend I have ever seen. He was very honest and diligent. He was not a money grabber, and widely consulted before embarking on any project. He was a man of the people. His was a government without blemish.’’ He corrected the impression that Jakande unilaterally joined the late General Sanni Abacha, saying that he consulted many people and they urged him to take the position.

On the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Pa Williams said: “He is good, young and dynamic and has what it takes to be president.”

Pa Williams decried the insecurity in the nation, advising the government to tackle the challenges with dispatch.

By Adeola Ogunlade

The General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Rev. Sam Aboyeji has advised Nigerians to shun the cry of secessions and pray for good leaders, stressing that secession is not the solution to Nigeria’s problems

Aboyeji gave this charged at the just concluded 2021 International and Ministers and Leadership Conference of the church held at the church headquarters in Lagos.

He said this while reacting to the Self-determination agitators, who declared Ibadan, capital of Oyo state as the headquarters of Yoruba Nation, said that if you see all over the world, nations that have broken are even longing to come together because there is strength in diversity. Each regions and tribes have their strengths and uniqueness. When we strong together.

He stressed that you don’t value what you have until you lose it. Each of us have our good and weaknesses. We can live together; the problem is that we do not have good leaders.

Aboyeji pointed out that Malaysia had a leader who came on the scene and made the difference. The country did not have anything. They came to Nigeria to pick the palm oil seedlings and develop it, adding that, that nation today is one of the front line nations in the world today.

He posited that America, which has become the world power today, had some of their leaders who came and took courageous decision to make the country great.

“We have everything complete in Nigeria, but we lack good leadership. If we split, it will not be to our favour. This strength we have built together when we split, we will not discover that for you to get groundnut oil from Kano, you will have to look for foreign exchange because you will have to import it”, he said.

He stressed that we need good leadership, God will give true leadership. 2023 is around the corner, I pray that God will give us good leadership.

He went further to charge the church to refocus their attention toward reaching out to youths with the message of the gospel that transform a man.

Aboyeji lamented that majority of the crime committed in Nigeria are perpetuated by youths who are below 30 years.

He cited the words of the President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina who stated that 70% of the population in Nigeria is youths and they are seen as a challenge, noting that they can become transformed and useful to the society if we target them with message of Jesus that can transform a man.

He said as our newly ordained pastors go out with the power of God to reach out to the youth, they will change from occultism to godliness and from banditry to useful members of the society.

“We are planting grand assemblies across the nation, located in a conspicuous place, standard built and everything put in place that will appeal to youths. The message will be the same but the packaged will be different, adding that we will not tamper with the message but we will make it attractive to them”  he said.

By Adeola Ogunlade

Prophet Timothy Abass Arabambi, Assistant General Evangelist, Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C) Worldwide and General Overseer, C.A.C Reformation Land, Olunloyo, Akanran, Ibadan, Nigeria, has said that the state of the nation presently is worrisome and calls for a great concern, as the nation continues to witness negative trends, moreso as we battle with the post effect of COVID -19 Pandemic and its second wave in Nigeria and around the world, and  as a stakeholder in the Nigeria project, I want to call on the Federal Government alongside the State Governments on the need to proffer immediate solutions to the plights, pains and agonies the masses are going through, coupled with the inflation, hunger, insecurity, and other social vices, instead of thinking of another lockdown, which might add to the pains of Nigerians.

Prophet Timothy Arabambi who stated this in a press release added that on the hard times Nigerians are facing, we now hear unpalatable news of terror, anguish, sadness, kidnapping, bare faced wickedness and hopelessness, such that frustration is written on the faces of many people, there are dashed hopes, thus, it has become clear to many people, that, there is no solution from man, but only solution to the numerous hardships facing mankind, is in Almighty.

Prophet Arabambi added that there is no doubt that most Nigerians are passing through hard and tough times, enduring much pains and sufferings and even a lot – like – lack of electricity to power their homes, high cost of food stuffs, joblessness, a high poverty incidence and hunger, as all these have overbearing and negative multiplier effects on the people’s livelihood.

Prophet Arabambi also pointed out that government should make some moves to salvage the situations and ensure that the nation is healed, of many people who placed their trust and hope in earthly authorities have had their hopes dashed, and the numerous hardship and challenges that the world are experiencing today, are the fulfillments of the Scriptures.

Prophet Arabambi also urged Nigerians to always respect constituted authorities, rather than wishing them evil, thus, we should trust in God for the country to overcome its socio-economic and spiritual challenges.

Prophet Arabambi advised the Federal Government on the need to declare state of emergency on unemployment, as Governments at all levels, must put in place sound economic frame work to tackle unemployment.

Prophet Arabambi also admonished Nigerians that they should not dwell in hopelessness to the point of seeking solutions to their problems in wrong quarters, as the situation demands divine intervention, also, we need not shed innocent blood in our desire to make it in life.

By Adeola Ogunlade

Over 50 million Christians in Nigeria under the Christian Council of Nigeria in partnership with United Nation’s Children Fund under the European Union and United Nation Spotlight Initiative have concluded plans to kick start a three months campaign toward ending violence against Women and Girls.

The President of Christian Council of Nigeria, Most Rev Benebo Fubara-Manual said this at a press conference announcing the project at his office in Surulere Lagos.

The project tagged: The Role of Faith based organization in Ending Violence against Women and Girls, focusing particularly on the role of the church. It will run from April through June, 2021 in Sokoto, Adamawa, Abuja, Lagos, Ebonyi and Cross River States.

Fubara-Manual said we have realized that violence against women and girls is not what the churches or faith based organizations alone can solve: it calls for multilateral efforts and initiatives and every form of support is a move in the right direction.

He said that we believe that this collaboration will assist many non-religious persons to discern clearly how they have been trapped in the same declining culture and do all that they can to stop this evil.

He said “Jesus, our Saviour and Lord was born of a woman and lived a life here on earth as a child under the care of loving parents but knew in his own childhood experience, the evil of the violence of adults especially that of King Herod.

“Jesus, during his life time adjusted the social role of women in his time, loved then and worked with then in spite of the explosive and sensitive setting in which he ministered. He challenged the stereotypes against women by showing them as reliable witnesses and even used them as the first witnesses to the most crucial  event of his resurrection and presented them as worthy of love and care”, he said.

He noted that this example of Jesus stands against every form of marginalization of women and girls today and this is a strong guide to the Christian Council of Nigeria in its pursuit of social justice and its manifestation of the kingdom of God in the world today.

He noted that for us and for UNICEF, this is in furtherance of our previous collective effort between 2017 and 2019 in ending violence against Children with the support of USAID and European Union.

“We are not convinced that the governments of the nations of our world are sufficiently tackling the challenges with respect to violence against Women and Children. The political and social systems are not skewed in the favour of women and girls but rather against them”.

“We shall collectively seek to reject all forms of abuse of women and girls including women’s forced domestication, discrimination in religious, political and social settings, girl child neglect, exploitation, abuse and trafficking, and all shades and colours of violence against women and girls-be they physical, emotional, sexual or  psychological”, he said.

Fubara-Manual said further that we name violence against women and girls as a real evil confronting all communities of our country today. We admit that it happens in our homes, institutions, religious organization.

“In these months, we shall expose all forms of it and re-examine the existing policies of all the bodies to which we belong and the policies of our nation with a view to discerning whether or not these policies perpetuate violence against women and girls in any form”.

Fubara-Manual said “we shall engage in the selected focal states and Local Government Areas in street rallies and meet Christian religious leaders who can initiate positive changes in this regard. We shall train vanguards of injustices everywhere we go. We shall hand out fliers and stickers that would send out our messages and pray to our one and only creator and redeemer in our churches so that by the grace of God, we shall see an age in which violence against women and girls”.

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Lagos State Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his Osun State counterpart, Mr Gboyega Oyetola and Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi will lead other eminent personalities to a book presentation organised by the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN).

The book, entitled: Islam in Yorubaland: History, Education & Culture, will be presented on  April 28 at Radisson Hotel (formerly Protea) in Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

A statement by Chairman Organising Committee, Alhaji Lere Alimi, said the book was sponsored by MUSWEN to keep the proper history of Islam in Yorubaland and to serve as reference point for generations unborn.

Alhaji Alimi said Oba Adeyemi will lead traditional rulers to the event.

According to him, Founder of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) as well as Founder and Chairman of the FATE Foundation, AlhajI Fola Adeola will chair the event.

National Missioner / Chief Imam, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Imam Abdur-Rahman Ahmad, will deliver a lecture while Provost, Fed College of Education Iwo, Prof. Rafiu Adebayo will review the book.

Former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Jubrila Ayinla will be the Chief Book Presenter.

Other guests are Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr Obafemi Hamzat; his Ogun state counterpart,  Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele; MUSWEN President-General, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo; Executive Secretary Prof. Muslih Yahya, Baba Adinni of Lagos Sheikh AbdulAfeez Abou, Chief Imam of Lagos, Sheikh Sulaimon Abou-Nolla; JAMB Registrar Prof Ishaq Oloyede; Mr Yusuf Ali (SAN) and Mr Ahmed Raji (SAN)

The event will be broadcast live on MUSWEN social handles.

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

Minister of  the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has praised the management of Jaiz Charity and Development Foundation for its humanitarian gesture.

Bello spoke during the 4th and 5th Zakat Distribution Closing ceremony at the National Mosque Auditorium, Abuja.

He commended the foundation’s support to the less privileges members through the Zakat.

“Your dedication to the provision of support to education, economic empowerment, health and other humanitarian services to the poor and needy across the country is indeed laudable. The FCTA will continue to support organisations that are committed to alleviating the hardship of residents and the development of the FCT,” he said.

The minister urged wealthy Nigerians to assist the needy.

This, he said, will remedy many societal ills confronting the nation.

The foundation’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Mallam Adamu Bello, said the sum of N43.5 million Zakat proceeds was disbursed to 499 beneficiaries in Lagos, Nasarawa and Adamawa states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“While it is no news that millions of Nigerians are living below the poverty line, members of the Jaiz Foundation are concerned about the plights of the poor and vulnerable people and of particular interest are the people in the conflict affected regions of the country who are suffering from deprivation and lack of access to quality social services. Be that as it may, myself and my colleagues on the Board of the foundation are determined to continue to bring succour, relief and hope to the voiceless poor families who are unable to meet their basic necessities of life through the instrumentality of Zakat,” Mallam Bello said.

Chairman of Jaiz Bank Plc, Alhaji Umaru Abdul Mutallab, urged the beneficiaries to make good use of their Zakat funds or items.

This, he said, would enable them to be self-sustained.

He hailed the management of the foundation for a wonderful job.

Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Dr Abdullahi Shuaib, said N75 million was disbursed in 2019.

Adding 2020 to it, Shuaib said N118.9 million has been distributed to 2,755 beneficiaries.

According to him, the philosophy of Zakat was to promote social justice, equity and income redistribution.

The foundation, he noted, has institutionalised an Educational Waqf (Endowment) in Katsina State to the tune of N51 million as part of its contribution to provide access to quality education for the children.

The beneficiaries described the gesture as befitting Ramadan gifts.

A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rotimi Abiru, has promised the League of Imams that the state government will employ more Arabic teachers.

At a meeting with the clerics in his Somolu Constituency, the Imams lamented the dearth of Islamic Studies and Arabic teachers in public schools in the state.

Abiru, while responding, assured them of his efforts to ensure the state government increase the number of Arabic and Islamic Studies teachers for the benefit of the Muslim students.

He reiterated his commitment to the quick completion of the permanent site of the cemetery for the Muslim community.

The lawmaker urged the league of Imams to continue to pray for Lagos State and Nigeria on challenges facing the nation.

According to him, the effort of the federal and state governments in curtailing the spread of the COVID-19 was highly appreciated.

He appealed to the clerics to sensitise the Ummah to continue to abide by the protocols.

The Chairman of the League of Imams and Arabic Teachers in Bariga, Imam Isiak Olohuniyo, appreciated the lawmaker’s gesture and promised to take his message to the faithful.

By Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde yesterday said tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness.

He spoke during the 7th Annual Omituntun Ramadan Lecture at the Government House Arcade, Agodi, Ibadan.

Makinde said: “Some people came to meet me that the people of Oyo State deserve to be treated with iron hands. But I am very sorry to say I am not wicked because I believe that if we approach the challenges, which we met on the ground tactically and calmly, it will be a manifestation of strength and resolution for us. That is the only way that every one of us can get what belongs to us.

“Of course, our country is faced with all kinds of challenges, particularly the issue of insecurity and ethnic/religious crisis. Farmers/herdsmen crisis also spring up almost on a daily basis but I thank you for not allowing all the challenges to affect our attitudes to those living together with us. And I believe this is part of why this state is still peaceful.”

The guest speaker, Prof Afis Oladosu, called on Nigerians irrespective of tribe or creed to be accommodating, willing to assist others, promote justice, fair and be of good behaviour for the country to achieve a united front.

Oladosu who also is the Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, also said the quest for a united nation will continue to be a mirage so long selfishness, injustice and sentiments are still found in the polity.

The Don identified greed, discontentment, and self-centeredness as the major challenges bedevilling the attainment of a united and indivisible Nigeria.

Former Oyo State Governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who chaired the occasion, urged the people irrespective of religion or political leaning, to continue to pray for the state.

The  lecture had in attendance Makinde’s deputy, Mr Rauf Olaniyan; Chief Imam of Ibadan land, Alhaji Abdulganiyy Abubakri; Aare Musulumi of Yoruba land, Edo and Delta, Alhaji Daud Makanjuola; Islamic clerics among other personalities.