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Tag: breakthrough

  • Breakthrough

    Breakthrough

    • Kudos to three professors for first Nigerian robotic surgery

    It is a breakthrough for Nigeria and West Africa, but it is a bang without a noise. Led by a Nigerian gynaecologist, Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, a robotic surgery gave a 30-year-old Nigerian woman a new lease of life.

    The team with two consultant gynaecologists, Professor Yusuf Oshodi and Professor Olaolu Aladade, removed two large ovarian tumours from the unnamed woman.

    Prof. Ekwueme first introduced the robot used for the procedure last year. The exercise was a cutting-edge onslaught away from the familiar open surgery with its complications.

    “Following our tradition of leading innovation in Nigeria and West Africa, we introduced the first surgical robot in the sub-region last year,” he said. “After focusing on men’s health and male-specific conditions, we are now transitioning fully into women’s surgeries. Today, we are proud to say that we have performed the first robotic gynaecological surgery in West Africa.”

    The woman had an ovarian tumour that caused pain, discomfort, and inability to live a normal life, Ekwueme explained. “With robotic surgery, we removed the tumours. She will go home today and return to work tomorrow.”

    “What people are used to is open surgery, where a patient may stay in hospital before surgery, spend five to seven days after surgery, and then require weeks of recovery at home,” Ekwueme said. “With robotic surgery, once vital signs are stable, within six hours the patient can eat and go home. Within 24 hours, she can return to normal daily activities.” Describing it as a “game-changer”, he said it saves women from suffering from gynaecological conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian tumours, uterine cancer, and selected cases of ectopic pregnancy.

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    “She is a 30-year-old woman who still intends to have children,” Oshodi said. “The tumour is benign, and the precision of robotic surgery allows us to remove only the affected tissue without compromising her fertility or damaging adjacent structures”, said Oshodi, a consultant gynaecologist at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

    According to Oshodi, this level of precision is critical in gynaecological surgery, where damage to surrounding organs can have lifelong consequences. “Many Nigerian women suffer silently from fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian tumours, and abnormal menstrual bleeding,” he said. “Fibroids are particularly common—affecting up to 70 per cent of women in some communities—although only about 10 to 20 per cent develop significant symptoms.”

    “Robotic and minimally invasive surgery offers us the opportunity to intervene early, treat precisely, preserve reproductive capacity, and allow women to return quickly to their normal lives,” he added.

    “With open surgery, you have more complications, longer recovery times, and potential reproductive issues,” he said. “With robotic surgery, patients recover faster, spend fewer days in hospital, return to work sooner, and experience better psychological outcomes. In advanced health systems, this is already standard practice. Seeing it firmly established in Nigeria is deeply encouraging,” said Aladade who is based in the United Kingdom.

    Aladade’s involvement shows how medical surgeries can be done in real time with a team comprising a doctor outside our shores. A lot has been said about our inadequate medical facilities. This gives a cheering comfort against the backdrop of the sad news about medical snafus recently like the deaths of the son of writer Chimamanda Adichie and a young woman Ifunaya Nwangene from snakebite.

    TPC has partnered with the Imo State Government to establish Nigeria’s first dedicated robotic surgery centre, currently under construction.

    The initiative, he said, is designed to drive innovation, research, and training, while reducing the country’s heavy reliance on overseas medical care.

    “This revolution has just started,” Ekwueme said. “When governments have the vision and will to form these kinds of partnerships, citizens benefit. It will drive innovation, create research opportunities, and help stem brain drain.”

    It is significant that TPC operated the woman at no cost as part of its corporate social responsibility. It is medicine with a conscience.

  • Breakthrough

    Breakthrough

    It’s cheery news that Nigeria is now exporting light vessels and cranes to Europe

    The reforms in the maritime sector appears to be yielding the desired results, as Nigeria has exported locally manufactured vessels, fire-floats and floating cranes worth about N326 billion, to two European countries.

    The Federal Government placed restrictions on the importation of 14 categories of marine support vessels at the end of December 2024. Currently, about 80 per cent of barges used in the country’s waterways are built locally.

    We commend the development of local content in the maritime sector.

    According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the policy was geared to save $3.3 billion spent annually on importation of marine vessels, since some of the ships and equipment can be manufactured and repaired in local shipyards in the country.

    The bureau indicates that in the first quarter of this year, Netherlands and France purchased vessels worth N212.04 billion and N24.1 billion, respectively, from Nigeria. Also, submersible drilling or production platforms worth about N90.43 billion were exported to Equatorial Guinea.

    We consider this a positive development and an indication that Nigeria is slowly but surely becoming an exporter of manufactured goods, instead of just raw materials.

    Listed amongst the banned maritime support vessels are drag head suction hopper, dredger suction hopper and trailing suction hopper dredger, since indigenous local shipyards have the capacity to build them.

    The government ordered the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to enforce the ban.

    The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has shown its determination to diversify the nation’s economy and encouraging export of manufactured goods confirms that.

    At the recent United Nations General Assembly, the administration made a strong argument for a better world economic order, to include the processing of minerals and other raw materials by African countries, before they are exported.

    We agree with the president that without a fair balance of trade amongst developed and developing nations, conflicts among nations would fester.

    As we have argued severally on this page, Nigeria’s industrialisation hinges on the local production of steel. The efforts to produce the maritime support vessels would be a lot easier if the nation’s steel plants are producing.

    Sadly, the Ajaokuta Steel Company, which was designed to thrust the nation on the part of sustainable industrial development remains work in progress, after more than four decades. We earnestly urge this administration to slay the delay monster.

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    There is no doubt that the macroeconomic policies of the Tinubu administration have started to affect the economy positively. While foreign exchange has substantially stabilised, the naira is incrementally gaining strength against major foreign currencies. Conserving foreign exchange and enhancing import substitution in the maritime sector, add more value. As imports reduce, and foreign exchange reserve increases, more investors will come into the country.

    We urge the Federal Government to enforce the new policy in the maritime sector for the benefit of Nigeria’s economy. Many indigenous companies have over the years developed the capacity to build light vessels and their ancillary products, and they should be patronised.

    The successful export of locally produced maritime products to developed European countries shows the high quality of such products. The order to the CBN to stop granting foreign exchange to importers of jack-up barges, offshore supply vessels, tug boat, tankers of below 10,000 gross tonnages, must be enforced.

    We urge all stakeholders to support the government’s effort to diversify the nation’s economy. With concerted effort, Nigeria’s over 180 million people, with about 70 percent under 30 years, can be mobilised to catapult the country to an industrial giant within a few decades.

    To achieve that, local content industrialisation will be the chief driver.

  • Breakthrough for dogged artist Okoye

    Artists do not come of a harder hue than light-skinned sculptor, painter and poet Chidi A. Okoye. A firm believer in the creative enterprise, Okoye has applied his art diligently in Nigeria, Canada and the United States, surmounting all kinds of institutional obstacles. He remains undaunted in his quest for excellence, daring all odds. His drive brought him in contact with the equally determined Dr Sally Mbanefo, the Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Indigenous Artworks, Culture and Tourism of Anambra State. Mbanefo, who incidentally started painting as a tender teenager, knows an original when she sees one.

    The collaboration of Mbanefo and Okoye could not have come at a more opportune time. Okoye has since set to work, rebranding Mbanefo’s ministry in the Jerome Udoji Secretariat, Awka, Anambra State into a permanent art exhibition centre with exquisite sculptures, paintings, lush carpet, grass and flowers.

    Governor Willie Obiano had headhunted Mbanefo into the service of Anambra State after her posting as the Director-General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) in Abuja by adding to her portfolio the novel “Indigenous Artworks” facet. It is in the pursuit of the promotion of indigenous artworks that Obiano took personal charge of commissioning Okoye’s “Mmilioma Anambra” foundational exhibition during the Anambra Homecoming Festival on Friday, December 14.

    The Mmilioma Anambra Statue at the centre of the exhibition rotunda depicts a young maiden carrying a clay pot bearing water from the original source which she is poised to pour into a larger communal pot to be shared in the rhythms of life. The communitarian essence of Okoye’s Mmilioma symbolises the watering of the Igbo spiritual bond of the land (ala), to wit, Mother Earth. This represents the renewal and restoration of Anambra as a new paradise holding aloft the light of the nation.

    Chidi Okoye gives voice to his vision thus: “I pray and believe that Mmilioma Anambra will compel our visionary Governor and our royal fathers and mothers to see our highly needed place of Arts and Culture as a befitting state art gallery in Awka and engage a professional artist to manage our Arts Department for the economy we seek.”

    Okoye got his higher training in art at the esteemed Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu when “IMT was IMT, the place to be for gifted artists.” A native of Nimo town in Anambra State, he undertook his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year after graduation in 1988 at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, where he then lectured for six years.

    Mobil Producing sponsored his 1993 exhibition, “Textures of Life”, at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos. The then Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria took a liking to Okoye’s work and facilitated his travel to Vancouver, Canada, in 1994.

    Settling into the artistic life in Canada was indeed difficult as he needed a work permit to sell his art. Even when a lady helped him to procure the work permit she tied into it the clause that he could only operate through her company without the option of leaving. Okoye had to perforce survive a herculean two-year immigration battle.

    Even so, he had to face the daunting reality of refusal from Canadian gallery operators who declared: “We don’t do African art but modern art.” Okoye refused to be cast aside, and devoted time to convince the doubters that the modern art of Picasso owed a lot to African art by way of cubism.

    He had to devise out-of-the-box means of survival. He saw some Ghanaian immigrants making cross-border travel to Seattle in the United States. He took his art to the streets, showcasing his works in restaurants, banks, different public places, anywhere people could see it. It was then the journalists started taking notice of him and writing about his uncommon enterprise. The galleries could not but now start asking for his works. A Vancouver journalist wrote a full-page article on him. Even in the US a Miami art dealer took charge of selling his works in the ship.

    He persevered to create an outstanding body of work in sculptures, paintings, mixed media, drawings and poetry in the private and public art collections in Canada, USA, Italy, France, Ireland, Israel and Hong Kong. His 2006 “Drums and Dance” adorns the Head Office of Delta Airline in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

    Okoye came back to Nigeria in 2015, and instantly saw that things had really fallen apart in the country. His beloved alma mater IMT was now a poor shadow of its old self. The British Council that used to host artists in Enugu had left the town. He found that artists were now angling to become professors instead of creating artworks and exhibiting.

    It dawned on him that Lamentation, the title of his first collection of poetry in 1992, came too early. Now was the real lamentation.

    It was against the general disillusionment that Okoye met Sally Mbanefo. Believing that art should propel the land, Okoye dares to lead by example without placing any premium on money.

    He is now poised to build a gallery and generally turn the entire Anambra landscape into an estate of art.

    He strongly believes that with the art-loving Governor Obiano, everything is possible, starting from the highly successful Mmilioma Anambra initiative.

     

  • FUNAAB records major breakthrough with new chicken breed

    The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), said it has recorded a major breakthrough in its First Improved Indigenous Chicken Breed after 24 years of research and named it “FUNAAB Alpha”.

    Speaking at the presentation of Certificate of Registration for FUNAAB Alpha, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako, said the achievement which spanned 24 years is a blend of hard work and persistence.

    He noted that the breakthrough would positively affect the common man and the nation in the poultry market and of course, food production in the country.

    According to Salako, the university having found the breed acceptable by rural and commercial producers, went ahead to register the project as FUNAAB Alpha on July 26, by the National Center for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB).

    “Our university has successfully placed on the Nigerian poultry market a dual purpose breed of chicken, tested under rural households from September 2016 to December 2017, and was found to be one of the breeds preferred for egg production under semi-scavenging and scavenging conditions.

    “The dual purpose FUNAAB Alpha attains 2.1 to 2.6kg at 20 weeks for males; 1.6 to 1.8kg for females, while eggs are improved from white to brown from 60 to 120 eggs per annum to 200 to 250 eggs per annum,” he said.

    He commended the team of scientists, led by Prof Olufunmilayo Adebambo, who worked tirelessly on the project for 24 years.

    Salako also appreciated the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the major stakeholders who funded the establishment of the “Pearl-FUNAAB Chicken Breeding Center” in the University for the Project in 2014.

    He called on other stakeholders and the Federal Government to support the movement so as to ensure the sustainability of the project.

    “I know that this project needs to be sustained for the next 20 to 25 years with the chicken products available to meet the demands of rural households.

    “The sustainability shall be a culinary delight to Nigerians who still prefer local chicken and the university management is already meeting with Adebambo on the sustainability of the project,” he added.

    Adebambo, the Lead Researcher, said the project was borne out of a challenge given to her by the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Nimbe Adedipe, to work on the genetic improvement of local chickens in Nigeria.

    According to her, the expected national concept of the project is innovation solutions for indigenous animal breeds.

    She, however, lamented the non-availability of funding for research programmes as well as Nigeria having just one Animal Research Centre.

    “Nigeria spent 18 million dollars on chicken importation in 2009 alone. If the government spends half of that money on developing local breeds; imagine what that will translate to,” she said.

    She appealed to the Federal Government to establish an indigenous breeding centre for the South and also involve stakeholders in poultry and research development.

    NACGRAB Director Dr Sunday Aladele, while presenting the certificate to the vice-chancellor, commended the university for supporting the principal breeder to come up with this achievement.

    He said FUNAAB was one of the few universities that came up to register its crop varieties and advised it to work with relevant agencies so as to popularise the chicken breed.

  • Scientists record breakthrough in cancer war

    SCIENTISTS at Stanford University in the United States have raised hopes that the war against all forms of cancer may soon be won, following the result of an amazing experiment using mice. The scientists found that by injecting directly a combination of two immune boosters into solid mouse tumours, all traces of the specifically targeted cancer vanished, according to the research paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

    “When we use these two agents together, we see the elimination of tumours all over the body,” Ronald Levy, senior author of the study told the Stanford Medicine News Centre. Levy hailed the result as “amazing.” The researcher believed the local application of very small amounts of the agents could serve as a rapid and relatively inexpensive cancer therapy that is unlikely to cause the adverse side effects often seen with body-wide immune stimulation.

    “This approach bypasses the need to identify tumour-specific immune targets and doesn’t require whole sale activation of the immune system or customisation of a patient’s immune cells,” the professor said. The “vaccine” has shown results in mice bearing lymphoma, breast, colon and melanoma tumours. “I don’t think there’s a limit to the type of tumour we could potentially treat, as long as it has been infiltrated by the immune system,” Levy said. Of the two immune agents used in the study, one has already been approved for use in humans, and the second is currently involved in a lymphoma treatment trial.

  • Air Force records breakthrough in helicopter, spare-parts production

    Air Force records breakthrough in helicopter, spare-parts production

    •Millions saved from local partnership, says Abubakar

    NIGERIA is saving about N38 million it would have spent on importation on every six hydraulic accumulator diaphragms for MI-35 helicopter produced locally by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

    Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, who said this yesterday, explained that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), also being manufactured locally, has capacity to be airborne for eight to 10 hours.

    He said the UAVs can fly at an altitude of 10,000 feet and cruise speed of 55 knots, equivalent to 102-kilometre per hour when operational.

    Sadiq spoke at the Ninth Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Colloquium at the Eko Hotel, on Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The Air chief, who was the keynote speaker at the event tagged: “Make it in Nigeria”, stated that the NAF has through its research and development efforts, as well as partnership with 22 tertiary institutions, has manufactured about six vital spare parts locally.

    Aside saving the nation millions through the initiatives, Air Marshal Abubakar said the service has been able to vigorously prosecute the war against insurgency and militancy, without nursing the fear of aircraft without spare parts.

    On research and development efforts of Nigerian Air Force towards self-reliance, Abubakar said the effectiveness of the NAF, on the long-term, depended on the extent of the growth of its home-based technology.

    He said: “The research and development efforts of the Nigerian Air Force, in partnership with various tertiary institutions and other local organisations, have resulted in notable breakthroughs.

    “First breakthrough has to do with the production of hydraulic accumulator diaphragms for MI-35 helicopters.”

    The Air Force boss said: “This is a very important component of the Mi-35 helicopter, which is one of the main platforms being employed in the Northeast. Aside from being very expensive, the diaphragm requires frequent replacements to assure safe conduct of flying operations. Often times, Mi-35 helicopters become grounded due to faulty hydraulic accumulator diaphragms.

    “Efforts made to procure the diaphragm from the manufacturers of the helicopter revealed that it was scarce to source and very expensive. The NAF eventually had to procure six diaphragms only at the cost of $106,000. That situation led to the commencement of in-house research on the production of the diaphragm.

    “In the course of the research, the NAF collaborated with some mechanical and rubber technologies outfits in the country, resulting in the production of the first prototype. Ever since, the production has undergone many modifications and I am glad to announce that we have now produced a better version of the one from the original equipment manufacturer at a cost of just N25,000.

    “Second breakthrough has to do with the challenge of incompatibility of camera and multi-function display on Agusta 109 helicopter. The Agusta 109 helicopter is frequently employed in the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance role in the Northeast and other theatres of operation. The helicopter’s camera and its Multi-Function Display, which displays various aircraft parameters, were integrated by the Original Equipment Manufacturer. However, with time, a conflict arose between these systems with attendant adverse effect on operations.

    “The foreign firm, which was contacted to rectify the snag, submitted a bill of N158 million, an amount that the NAF considered as being prohibitive. Consequently, the Nigerian Air Force, looking inwards, set up a Research and Development Committee led by Air Vice Marshal I Bukar, to try and rectify the snag. “The committee was able to successfully separate the camera from the Multi-Function Display while providing an additional monitor for the camera. Both of them now work independently without any operational hitches and N5 million only was spent to accomplish this feat as against the N158 million that was demanded by the foreign firm.

    “The F-7Ni aircraft is a fighter aircraft employed in deep interdiction role in the Northeast. Among the challenges faced in the operation of the aircraft was the maintenance of the Airborne Alkaline Batteries supplied by the Original Equipment Manufacturer. The battery had a service life of one year and shelf life of two years, making its durability very poor.

    “The battery also required regular charging and topping of its electrolyte, which had to be procured from overseas. The impression given by the manufacturers was that the electrolyte had special additives and could neither be tampered with nor sourced locally. Meanwhile, the corrosive nature of the electrolyte made it difficult to import, as shippers were always reluctant to ship it, thereby leading to increased aircraft downtimes.

    “To resolve the problem of electrolyte, which rendered most of the batteries un-useable, the NAF commissioned a Research and Development Team in collaboration with the Benue State University, Makurdi. The research team was able to successfully produce a replacement electrolyte for the F-7Ni aircraft batteries. It is gladdening to note that we do not import electrolyte for the F-7Ni aircraft batteries again.”

     

  • Engaging the breakthrough power of the word! (2)

    Last week, we began this teaching with this understanding: all that God is, is all that His Word is. That is, anything that cannot stop God, can’t stop His Word from having its way. We also established that God’s Word is ordained to thoroughly furnish, beautify and decorate us when it is received, believed and engaged (Psalms 114:3-4; Genesis 1:1-3; Exodus 14:14-15).

    In this week’s edition, we shall examine the Word as a weapon of war. 

    The Bible says: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

    God’s Word is the sword of the Spirit that raises a standard against all satanic uprising. This makes the Word a weapon of war in our hands. When we launch the defensive weapon of the Word in faith against the offensive forces of hell, we become more-than-conqueror. For instance, we saw how Jesus Christ, after a 40-day fast, engaged the sword of the Spirit against satan and He conquered (Matthew 4:1-14).

    This is why we need to develop the required skill in engaging the Word of God. The Bible says: For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:13-14).

    It is so important for us to know how to engage the Word of God in battle against every satanic uprising of the wicked targeted at our lives and destinies (Isaiah 59:19; John 6:63).

    But, what is in the Word that wins the war?

    • The Word of God is fire that consumes all satanic stubbles: It is written: Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29)

    Remember, our God is a consuming fire and all that God is, is all that His Word is. Thus, God’s Word carries consuming fire and when it is launched against any situation, it consumes every opposition of the enemy on the path of our glorious destinies (Deuteronomy 4:24; 1 kings 18:38-39; Hebrews 12:29).

    • The Word is the stone in Zion: The Word carries divine stones that grind into powder all oppositions to God’s glorious plan for our lives. Jesus said: Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (Matthew 21:42-44).

    That rejected stone is Jesus and He is the living Word of God. When we invoke the Word in faith against any situation or adversary, they are grounded into powder, thereby destroying everything resisting our redemptive heritage in Christ.

    The Word does not only carry divine stones but it also makes believers lively stones on the earth. The Bible says: To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-5). This means, we can develop ourselves in the Word so much that we are turned to lively stones.

    • The Word is light that shatters all gang-ups of the powers of darkness: And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world (John 1:5, 9; See also Isaiah 60:1-3).

    Every man is ‘lightable’ and when we are ‘Word-lighted’, we become ‘unassaultable’ by the powers of darkness. Remember that darkness has no capacity to contend with the authority of light. This is why when we engage the light of the Word in battle, our unquestionable triumph is guaranteed. However, it is important to understand that we can graduate from the revelation of the Word (light) to being illuminated by the Word.

    Let’s recognise that the gang-up of darkness against the believer is simply because of the absence of light; but when we graduate from revelation to illumination, the assault of darkness ceases because it cannot stand the power of light.

    In conclusion, it has been prophetically declared in this year of ‘From Glory to Glory’, that every winner is entitled to minimum four remarkable change of levels. That is, one every three months after the order of Obededom. However, this is only possible as we walk in and engage the light of God’s Word (2 Corinthians 3:18).

    This is because it is the Word of God we receive, believe and engage that delivers our desired turnaround. One way we engage the Word is by speaking it boldly against every situation of concern in our lives. When we speak God’s Word boldly, He confirms it openly. As I have often said, ‘A closed mouth is a closed destiny,’ and one cannot be oppressed and afflicted except with a closed mouth. Therefore, it is time to boldly engage the breakthrough power of the Word against every ‘fig tree’ mocking our glorious destiny in Christ (Isaiah 53:7-8; Mark 1:19-22; Luke 21:15). As we do so, I see God’s prophetic agenda for us this year delivered with speed in Jesus’ name! Remain ever blessed!

    Are you born again? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. If you haven’t, you can say this prayer and you will be born again: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

    For further reading, please get my books: The Force Of Freedom, Walking In Dominion, Possessing Your Possession, Towards Mental Exploits, Ruling Your World and Born To Win.

    I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. respectively.

    I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

  • Engaging the breakthrough power of the word!

    According to scriptures, all that God is, is all that His Word is. That is, anything that cannot stop God, can’t stop His Word from having its way. For instance, God is the Creator and His Word creates solutions. During the first appearance of the Word, in the story of creation, it created solution to a battered world. As it is written: In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light (Genesis 1:1-3; See also John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:3).

    Likewise, God’s Word still creates solutions today. This is why when we believe Him, His Word continues to create solutions in our lives.

    We also understand that God is Spirit and so is His Word. That means God’s Spirit is domicile in His Word. The Bible says: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

    Jesus speaking on the potency of the Word said: It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63; See also Ezekiel 2:2).

    God’s Spirit dwells in His Word which we engage in battle. Thus, when we say, ‘It is written,’ the Spirit of the Word goes forth to challenge our challengers, confront our challenges and bring us victory. As it is written: So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him (Isaiah 59:19).

    For instance, when Jesus went on the mountain for a 40-day fast in preparation for His Messianic mission, the devil was all out to bring Him down. However, when Jesus engaged the Word, the Spirit of the Word went forth, set up a standard against satan and the Bible records: Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him (Matthew 4:11).

    The Spirit of the Lord in the Word levels every mountain of the wicked on our paths and empowers us to win the war. Therefore, when we engage the Word in battle, our triumph is guaranteed (Zechariah 4:6-7; 2 Corinthians 2:14).

    It is also important to note that God’s Word carries sanctifying virtues. We understand from scriptures that God is Holy and so is His Word. Thus, it cleans up and perfects the lifestyle of God’s people. The Bible says: Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee (Psalms 119:9, 11; See also 1 Peter 1:16).

    This is why when the Word of God comes alive in us, we become naturally sanctified. As it is written: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth (John 17:17).

    It is also written: Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you (John 15:3).

    Furthermore, God is light and so is His Word. It is written: …God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).

    The Bible also says: In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world (John 1:4-5, 9).

    When God’s Word is put to work, the powers of darkness are shattered. Let’s recognise that the dominion of light over darkness is instant and unquestionable. For instance, when we turn on the light in a room, darkness gives way instantly. Likewise, when we turn on the light of the Word on the powers of darkness, they surrender to the authority of the Word.

    God personifies breakthrough and so does His Word. Every Word received, believed and engaged becomes as unstoppable as God. Remember, from the story of creation, we understand that the earth was without form and void but at the instance of God’s Word, it took shape and colour. Also, after the Israelites left Egypt, they were stranded at the Red Sea; meanwhile they were being pursued by Pharaoh and the host of the army of Egypt. Then, God commanded them to go forward. When they obeyed the Word of the Lord, the Bible records: The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs (Psalms 114:3-4; See also Genesis 1:1-3; Exodus 14:14-15).

    In the same way, God’s Word is ordained to thoroughly furnish, beautify and decorate us when it is received, believed and engaged. As you study God’s Word, the blessings therein will not elude you in Jesus’ name!

    However, it is important to know that only God’s children have access to God’s Word, and to become one, you must accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. That is what being born again is all about. If you are set for this new birth experience, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the Living God. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

    For further reading, please get my books: The Force Of Freedom, Walking In Dominion, Possessing Your Possession, Towards Mental Exploits, Ruling Your World and Born To Win. I will continue this teaching next week

    I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have five services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. respectively.

    I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

  • Breakthrough that can end serial miscarriages

    Medics are thought to have found the cause of miscarriages, paving the way for inexpensive treatments.

    •Warwick University aims to have test and treatment available in five years

    •One in 100 women trying to start family suffers from recurrent miscarriage

    •Researchers looked at lining of womb tissue, key to achieving pregnancy  

    •Women who suffered recurrent miscarriages had fewer womb tissue cells

    One in 100 women trying to start family suffers from recurrent miscarriage

    Researchers looked at lining of womb tissue, key to achieving pregnancy

    Women who suffered recurrent miscarriages had fewer womb tissue cells

    Thousands of women could be spared the heartbreak of serial miscarriages thanks to a breakthrough by British doctors.

    The Warwick University medics believe they have found the root cause of the devastating condition, paving the way for inexpensive treatments.

    Researcher Siobhan Quenby, who aims to have a test and treatment available within five years, said: ‘Recurrent miscarriage is incredibly destructive. This offers real hope.’

    One in 100 women trying to start a family suffers from recurrent miscarriage, defined as losing at least three pregnancies in a row. Blood tests flag up the cause in 15 to 20 per cent of women, but in most cases there is nothing doctors can do to help, other than offer more frequent scans.

    To find out why some women’s pregnancies fail time after time, the researchers looked at the lining of the womb tissue, key to achieving and maintaining a pregnancy. Stem cells in the lining lead to it being constantly replenished and renewed throughout a woman’s life.

    The women who had suffered recurrent miscarriages had fewer of these cells, and those they did have were genetically different.

    As a result, the lining of the womb was older and less able to prepare for pregnancy, the journal Stem Cells reports. Study leader Jan Brosens, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, said: ‘We have discovered that the lining of the womb in the recurrent miscarriage patients we studied is already defective before pregnancy.

    ‘I can envisage that we will be able to correct these defects before the patient tries to achieve another pregnancy. In fact, this may be the only way to really prevent miscarriages in these cases.’

    The researchers hope to develop a test to determine how many stem cells a woman has in the lining of her womb. They are also poised to run trials of two potential treatments.

    In one, women will undergo a slight scratching of the lining of their womb, in a bid to spur sleeping stem cells into action. In the other, they will be given drugs that are already used to treat diabetes and are thought to boost stem cells. Professor Quenby hopes the test and treatment could be offered for under £1,000 a woman, adding: ‘That is very, very cheap if we are right – and incredible if the outcome is a baby.’

    She said that while most people can cope with one miscarriage, the highs of becoming pregnant only to lose the baby time and time again can be much harder to deal with. Prof Quenby added: ‘Recurrent miscarriage can cause an awful amount of suffering and grief, as well as anxiety and depression and time off work for the mother and the father. It is an awful thing to keep going through and there are very few answers at the moment, which is why I hope this is going to be such a big step forward.’

    Jane Brewin, chief executive of the baby charity Tommy’s, said: ‘Finding an underlying cause for miscarriage could revolutionise screening and care and potentially lead to treatments which could prevent couples experiencing recurrent miscarriage which devastates their lives.

    ‘Parents around the UK will now have real hope and that’s the most precious gift of all for the many thousands of couples struggling with miscarriage.’

     

    • Culled from: www.dailymail.co.uk

  • A breakthrough indeed

    Discovery of vaccine for prevention of malaria among the young is a great relief, but a call to duty for African scientists and governments to adequately fund researches

    News that scientists have at last resolved the puzzle posed by malaria in the past centuries has been well received all over the world. The fact that Europe has endorsed the findings and a vaccine produced for the purpose by GlaxoSmithkline has been licensed by the European Medicine Agency (EMA) must have brought relief for many in Africa. By last year, not less than 20 researchers were said to be approaching a breakthrough in the quest to come up with a vaccine that could prevent the disease.

    Malaria has been a major source of worry for parents, especially in Africa, who usually have the unpleasant task of burying their children lost to malaria. The young ones are the most vulnerable as they are exposed to the fury of the Plasmodium parasite responsible for transmitting the deadly ailment that claims the lives of about 600,000 young ones in Africa every year because they are yet to come up with the immunity required. The high mortality rate made malaria the leading killer disease in the continent and thus a major challenge to all – governments, employers, workers, civil society groups, medical authorities, scientists, families, traditional authorities and the general public.

    In many of the least developed countries in the continent, treatment of the patients remains a huge challenge as the drugs are either unavailable or unaffordable. They are thus forced to rely on age-long herbs that have not benefited from advances made in science. While the efficacy of the herbs is not in doubt, there are genuine concerns about appropriate dosage, toxicity and side effects. There have been suggestions that multinational drug manufacturing companies in the West have blocked final endorsement of local researches, this might not fully explain the lethargy by the authorities and thus the slow pace of advances.

    Malaria is not ravaging only the young ones, adults have not been spared either. Although they largely survive, so many man-hours are lost by workers who come down with it. The continent loses so much of its inadequate resources to treating the sick, thus necessitating the quest for a vaccine.

    The endorsement by the European authorities is a critical step forward but it is not time to halt research. The adults, too, deserve a relief. Besides, the mosquitrix still calls for fine-tuning as it has to be regularly reinforced to be effective. Careless parents could forget to top it up, thus leading to failure.

    The region deserves to free resources for the challenge of development and the scientists must continue until they achieve a total breakthrough on an ailment that was once the nemesis of colonialists and missionaries from Europe. Many took ill and died before they could receive help. And, that was at a time that there was actually no potent cure.

    It is an irony that the theatre for waging the scientific war is mainly in Australia, Europe and North America; not much is being done, let alone achieved in this wise in Africa that is bearing the brunt. This attitude must change if we expect the world to respect us. African medical challenges deserve more serious attention by her scientists, backed by the governments. It is not enough to complain that research efforts were being frustrated by European authorities and the World Health Organisation. African leaders must take the lead in the crusade for relevant development. Local research efforts into other largely tropical diseases such as the sickle cell anaemia must be stepped up, while the spread of those ailments and diseases hitherto considered foreign, too, must receive adequate attention.

    While we welcome this cheering news, we note that the challenge is still enormous. It is not yet time to drop the guard.