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Tag: catholic

  • Catholic church to establish agro-based vocational schools in Calabar

    The Catholic Archdiocese of Calabar, Cross River State, has resolved that vocational schools that are agro-based be established in the archdiocese.

    This was resolved Maiden Archdiocesan Education Summit which held in Calabar, the state capital.

    Archbishop of Calabar, Most Rev Dr Joseph Ekuwem, said educational policy should clearly articulate social, political religions and cultural ideologies that will stimulate the Nigerian child during the learning process and prepares the child adequately to step into the society to function these capacities.

    Ekuwem said there was need for the Catholic Education Board, the highest policy making body in education matters in the Calabar Archdiocese, to take active interest in educational matters in the state and country.

    He said programmes should take cognizance of the environmental endowments and natural resources such that children from that community shall appreciate and participate in.

    The Archbishop also stressed the need for the board to form a lobby group to interact with lawmakers to push their positions on education matters.

    He also called for parents to provide quality home environment towards functional learning, prepare children for formal education and show concern for their children’s progress in school.

    He said parents owe children and the entire society the obligation of disciplining children to give them the right values.

    A communiqué at the end of the summit read in part, “Supervision has to be frequent in Catholic schools for effective teaching and learning performance. School management should evaluate the inspection processes with their staff. Schools should establish internal supervision units to prepare for staff external inspection.

    “The Catholic Schools Board Archdiocese of Calabar should adequately train the teachers in order to broaden their knowledge on the curriculum development and the content. Teachers should endeavor to assess and prepare themselves effectively before presenting their lesson in the class. The Catholic Schools Board should ensure that playgrounds with aesthetics are provided in all the Catholic Schools.

    It is the right of the child to be trained, educated and taught religion for sound moral upbringing. A child that is properly taught and evaluated by the teacher does not really need to be involved in examination malpractice.

    “The school should provide quality teachers and properly remunerate them. The school should cultivate serene environment for better teaching and learning. Parents should provide quality home environment in learning process for their children. Parents should be committed in the discipline of their children for their overall welfare. They should inculcate good values in their children.

    Parents should create a home environment suitable for learning through designing an area to do home work. They should provide ready materials. Also there should be genuine interest and active engagement from parents.

    “Government should pay living wages to enable parents live up to their family obligations. Children should develop the passion to learn and be committed. Home where parents do not speak refined English Language should be encouraged to speak the local dialect and norms to their children before going to learn English in school.

    “Our teachers must be oriented with the right attitude to supervision. The Catholic Church must as a matter of urgency create an inspectorate unit to achieve the desired change and assure improved quality of teaching and learning in all Catholic Schools. To identify suitable teachers in the system and avail them the necessary trainings for inspectorate duties.

    “Capacity building be modified to include scholarship to produce highly qualified professionals ad provision of adequate modern equipment and instructional materials in the schools. Funds need to be made available to remunerate inspectors as an incentive. Follow up inspection should be done to find out the effectiveness of their earlier exercise. Capacity building by way of training and retraining of teachers will enhance functional literacy in Catholic education.

    “The Catholic Schools should endeavor to focus on the training of teachers, especially Tourism teachers. Government or the national policy makers also should endeavor to involve qualified private sectors in preparing sound curriculum that will produce sound functional literacy in teaching and learning process.

    “Expulsion in primary level should be an extreme unction last resort. Teachers should be proud of their profession, thus disciplining themselves so that their children will be disciplined.

    “Since most students don’t line reading books, the Catholic Schools Board should encourage open book test to enable them be acquainted with their textbooks.”

    Odey said the State Priority Actions set out the short-term and long-term strategies for the state to more effectively prevent and respond to violence against children.

    She said the Priority Actions not only define the role of each stakeholder in ending violence against children, but also acknowledge that no one entity can end VAC alone.

    “I take this opportunity to call upon State and Local Government level actors, civil society, religious and traditional leaders, faith based organizations, community based organizations, the private sector, the media, families and local communities to join the Cross River State ‘End Violence Against Children Campaign’ to ensure all of our children are able to grow up free from violence. I am filled with hope that together we can eradicate violence against our children in Cross River State,” the Commissioner appealed.

  • Catholic Church to sue Ekiti govt for taxing pupils

    The last has not been heard on the tax imposed on pupils in both private and public schools in Ekiti State as the Catholic Church is warming up for a legal action against the Ayo Fayose-led administration.

    The Catholic Diocese of Ekiti is demanding the exemption of its schools from payment of the tax which the state government described as “education development levy”.

    The Fayose administration imposed a levy of N500 on primary school pupils while their counterparts in secondary schools must pay N1,000 per term.

    The Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, the Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, yesterday issued a notice to file a court action against the government “in the circumstance that any of the schools under my custody is disturbed” for the payment of the education levy.

    The bishop argued that under the Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Law 2005, the government had the mandatory obligation to provide free and compulsory education for every child of primary or junior secondary school age.

    According to him, “No law empowers the government of Ekiti to impose education development levy on pupils of mission schools in Ekiti State.”

    Expressing serious concern on the propriety of the new levy, Ajakaye said the Church viewed the new tax as another burden on parents who he said were already overwhelmed with taxes in various forms by the government.

    Ajakaye recalled that the government under the military regime in 1975, “forcibly” took over 106 Catholic primary schools with seven secondary schools and one technical school without compensation.

    The clergyman insisted that the new tax was “unnecessary” more so that new schools established by the Church had been paying various levies and taxes demanded by both local and state governments.

    Ajakaye added: “The Catholic Church in Ekiti implores the state government to see the Church as great contributor to quality education and a formidable partner in the development of education in the state.

    “Therefore, the status of the Catholic schools must be recognised as defined by their purposes and they should be treated accordingly.”

  • Live up to your vows, Catholic Archbishop urges priests

    Live up to your vows, Catholic Archbishop urges priests

    The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos Archdiocese, Most Reverend  Alfred Adewale Martins   has urged Catholic priests to ensure that the values and virtues of the church are preserved.

    He gave the address during the Chrism Mass at Saints Michael, Rapheal and Gabriel Catholic Church (Archangels’), Satellite town.

    Archbishop Martins said  Chrism Mass is an opportunity for every priest to renew their priestly vow and commitment to God while rededicating themselves to the service of God and humanity.

    “What they have renewed today should be kept afresh, and the light should shine incessantly in them, so that they shepherd the people of God in the right direction,” the Cleric stated.

    The Archbishop advised the priests never to be distracted but remain faithful to their calling.

    Commenting on the Easter celebration and the state of the nation, the  Archbishop said  Easter is an expression of hope and that by the grace of God, whatever is dead in mankind, will resurrect and come back alive.

    “Whatever that is old in us, can be renewed by God. It tells us that our hope in life is based on the risen Lord,” he said and urged leaders in the country to emulate the virtues of Christ and reduce the suffering of the people they serve.

    The Archbishop noted that Nigeria is faced with worrisome numerous challenges and there was need to ask questions, particularly to our leaders, who have responsibilities for the welfare of the masses, and the country.

    “ There is too much despondency poverty and suffering in the land, and if care is not taken to remedy the situation, the people will one day stand up and revolt because their expectations from the government  has not been met. The suffering masses expect policy implementation that will improve their living standard vigorously”

    Archbishop Martins noted that Nigeria cannot afford to go back to the era of deceit and advised leaders to work harmoniously and take responsibilities of the welfare of our people.

    The preacher of the Chrism Mass, Rev. Fr. Kanu Anthony , from, St. Vincent Catholic Church, Olodi Apapa, who is also the Executive Secretary of the Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Nigeria, reminded the priests that they should  make up again as priests through this holy privilege provided by the universal church.

    “We must see yourselves as priest of the Most High God- and then make ourselves look at Christ as our hope of the words of God.  Let us understand that there is a strong connection between the priesthood and sacrifice we make,” he said.

  • CATHOLIC PRIEST MAKES WAVES WITH AFRO POP

    CATHOLIC PRIEST MAKES WAVES WITH AFRO POP

    LIKE the popular Fr. Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, another Catholic priest, Fr. Albert Ofere, is keeping faith with his passion for music, a talent which he says was honed to keep the Nigerian catholics within the church, especially in the United Kingdom where he currently resides.

    Making a debut with a six-track album which he unveiled to the media at Ojez, National Stadium, recently, Fr. Ofere’s song comes with the Afro pop tune which has helped in encouraging immigrants in London, as part of his evangelism mission.

    The album which includes songs such as, God Dey My Side, When I Think, Where Were You, Jesus Lamb of God, God You are Good and Oghene me do, featuring popular Nollywood comic actor Nkem Owoh,  according to the singer, is not for commercial purposes,  but whatever comes from it will go into charity.

    “As a Reverend Father, your life is charity already and this helps to just reach out the more,” he said.

    Asked how he would get money to make more music, he said, “When I launched myself into this, I didn’t have money, but God did it. My friends have supported the project. If I am going to make more music, I know God will do the same.”

    On how it all started, Fr. Ofere who hails from Delta State explained. “While working in the UK as the Chaplain to the Nigerian Catholics in England and Wales, my love for music developed even more. I like to sing, music is part of the family, it’s always been in the genes. My dad was once a choirmaster. His younger brother, Fr. Richard Ofere who is now a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Benin sings a lot too. In fact, he was a choirmaster in the seminary. I never joined the choir but I was occasionally invited to lead some songs or choruses in my seminary choir. As a deacon, I sang a lot in Sacred Heart Cathedral, Warri.”

  • Port Harcourt Catholic Knights caution Biafra agitators

    Catholic Knights of Saint Mulumba (KSM) of Port Harcourt diocese have called on pro-Biafra protesters to desist from acts capable of bringing back the ugly experiences encountered during the war.

    The knights spoke at a news conference held at Dr. Obi Wali International Conference Centre Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    The head of Supreme Knight of Saint Mulumba, Bro. Anthony Onuh, said those advocating for Biafra were young people who did not even witness the war.

    Onuh explained that the challenges ravaging the country which ranges from Boko Haram insurgency, nonpayment of salaries are some of the issues which need to be addressed.

    He noted that even as they have disagreed with pro-Biafra protesters, it is necessary that government at all level must be proactive to address so many challenges affecting Nigerian youths especially the welfare of Nigeria Citizen.

    Onuh said: “I went to the war, I was a lieutenant on the Biafra side and had a bullet wound. And when the war ended I said thanks be to God. So I won’t want anybody to drag us to that experience again. No matter what the problem may be.

    “We are facing insurgency in Nigeria, which everybody is praying should be over soon. We have challenges in every phase of our lives. So we are praying that things will be better for all of us. It touches us and we pray that this issue of Boko Haram should be a thing of the past.

    “Most of the retired people are collapsing and dying just because they want to get salary from the government. While oversees, they will seat in their houses and receive their salaries through their banks, because they have worked when they were strong.”

  • Catholic bishops decry high cost of governance

    Catholic Bishops in Nigeria have decried high cost of governance in the country, saying it is unjustifiable.

    They lamented a situation whereby enormous sums are paid to public office holders while a large percentage of the population lives in dehumanising poverty.

    The Catholic Bishops stated these in a communiqué they issued at the end of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) which took place at the Pastoral Centre, Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

    They also said that it is highly regrettable that legislators pass bills “in view of future pension benefits for themselves and members of the executive arm of government” without putting other workers into consideration.

    In the communiqué jointly signed by Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama and Most Rev. William Avenya, President and Secretary respectively of CBCN, and released yesterday in Port Harcourt, they also condemned a situation “where so many workers are not paid the recommended basic salary and where massive decay of infrastructure has put much stress on the citizens and their lives in danger,” adding that this represents a gross injustice against the poor.

    While commending the initiative of some States in cutting the cost of governance, they also called on the Federal Government (FG) and other state governments to do the same for the betterment of the country.

    In the 10- point communiqué which Kaigama who is also the Archbishop of Jos and Avenya, the Bishop of Gboko signed on behalf of their colleagues, they noted that the Nigerian economy is in distress at the moment, thus making it difficult for many families to have their basic needs while unemployment, which they said is now beyond control, has made many citizens, especially the younger ones, to migrate locally and to other countries.

    In the course of this migration, they said, the people are exposed to inhuman conditions and other forms of immorality and criminality, thus making many young promising lives to be “wasted on our streets, in the deserts of some African countries and on the shores of Europe.”

    This, they said, is why they appreciate the desire of the government to re-invest in the agricultural sector and to seek other alternatives to oil and gas “which have fared very badly in recent past.”

    Continuing, they stated that “it is a welcome development that the present government has made the fight against corruption and insurgency central to its programme”, affirming that “the war against corruption is not just a battle for virtue and righteousness in our land but a fight for the soul and substance of our nation.”

    They further urged all Nigerians to transcend ethnic, religious, regional affiliations and sentiments and join hands in fighting against this malaise “in order that we may recover our wasted opportunities.

    While congratulating Nigerians on the peaceful 2015 general election, they also praised the Nigerian government and all security agencies on the achievements recorded so far in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency, noting that this has made it possible for the refugees and internally displaced persons to be returning to their homes gradually.

    On same sex-union, they expressed deep concern on the rising wave of this and used the opportunity to reiterate their “unreserved condemnation of all acts of homosexuality as sinful and opposed to the natural law of creation.”

    They therefore called on government to continue to resist the attempt by some external governments and agencies to impose an acceptance of same sex-sex unions and maintained that “persons with these orientations should be assisted pastorally, spiritually and psychologically, with respect for their dignity as human persons created in the image and likeness of God.”

  • Catholic bishops back Buhari’s anti-corruption battle

    Catholic bishops back Buhari’s anti-corruption battle

    President Muhammadu Buhari has got the backing of Catholic bishops for his anti-corruption crusade.

    The bishops urged Nigerians to cooperate with the Buhari Administration to ensure sanity in the polity by rejecting corruption.

    Acting under the aegis of Catholic Bishops Conference of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, comprising Ibadan Archdiocese, Ondo, Ilorin, Oyo, Ekiti and Osogbo dioceses, the clerics canvassed a “regime of justice and equity, where merits are respected and the rule of law exalted”.

    The call was made in a communique issued at the end of the second plenary meeting of the bishops held at the Jubilee Conference Centre, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State from August 17 to 18.

    The communique, signed by the Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin  and the Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, President and Secretary, with the theme “Choose today whom you will serve” was made available to reporters by Rev. Ajakaye in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday.

    The bishops said: “We note the renewed hope for a new Nigeria generated in our country since the last general elections. We thank Almighty God for the relatively limited violence and bloodshed during the exercise.

    “We call on our compatriots to cooperate with the current administration to bring sanity back into our country by showing common determination to reject corruption, nepotism, favouritism and to enthrone in our country a regime of justice and equity, where merits are respected and the rule of law exalted.”

    Noting that the country had been recognised as one of the most religious in the world, the bishops said: “Our prayers can only truly be answered if we do the will of God as He has commanded.”

    Reiterating the Catholic Church’s unmitigated belief in the sanctity of human life and family life, the bishops emphasised the need for the government to ensure that lives are protected from conception to natural end.

    They said: “The society must do everything possible to facilitate the growth of family living as a way of promoting responsible parenthood, good upbringing of children and reducing juvenile delinquency.”

    Deploring youth involvement in violence, delinquency and sundry misdemeanour, the bishops challenged Catholic youth to strive to become credible agents of change and apostles of God’s mercy to families, the country and to the world through positive engagement with modern media and a deliberate commitment to good morals and behaviours.

  • 40 years in Catholic vineyard

    40 years in Catholic vineyard

    They call him Melody and it is all the same to Rev. Fr. Dr. John Osinachi Amadi, who has celebrated his 40 years of priesthood in the Catholic Church.

    The event took place at his newly-built St. Jude Catholic Church, Amechi-Awkunanaw, Enugu State.

    Although, the church service to mark the occasion was billed for 10am, the hall was already filled at 8am with worshipers, relations, Catholic priests, friends, traditional rulers, nurses, students, and Egede people, the hometown of Rev. Fr. Amadi.

    At the sermon, a visiting priest, Rev. Fr. Prof. Augustine Akubuo, of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, said that anybody who lives to celebrate Silver Jubilee or 40 years should be thankful, considering the short lifespan in Africa.

    He said, “St. Paul has called on us  to celebrate Fr. Amadi. His choice was that of the lord while he was still in the womb, and so his ordination 40 years ago was by destiny. Fr. Prof Akubuo showered praises on Fr. Amadi’s parents and all those who helped him to reach this stage.

    Describing Fr. John Osinachi Amadi, as a priest with a sound credential, big masquerade, and God-gift to the parish, the catholic legend, further stated that “He that is mighty has done many things; 40 years ago, you were nothing, but now, you have so many things to bequeath to humanity and you have passed through breaking points without breaking down”.

    While attributing all his achievements to the power of the Lord, the clergy man, noted that the past 40 years was time of trying to keep company with Christ, adding that the Lord was also using the occasion to remind you that the struggle continues, providing another window of opportunity to serve God.

    According to him “ priesthood is challenging, tasking, spiritually, intellectually and time consuming, age will change, but these  virtues stand, remember God’s mandate to be the salt of the earth and to be the ambassador of the Lord”.

    Elder sister of Fr. Amadi, Rev. Sister Mary Ikechukwu Amadi of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Ihiala, Anambra State, expressed joy that her brother had fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a catholic priest,and recalled that when they were kids, both of them had always said  they would wish to serve the Lord throughout their life time and described her brother as the light and pride of the family.

    Also speaking, Miss Sandra Amadi, the daughter of his late elder brother, Peter Amadi, who flew in from London, praised God for the huge successes achieved by her uncle, but regretted that her dear father, Peter Amadi, was not alive  to witness the celebration. She also prayed God to guide Fr. Amadi to his diamond jubilee in 2024.

    Earlier, the chief celebrant Rev. Fr. Dr. John Amadi, alias Melody, said the crowd in the church, was a practical demonstration that he was appreciated by his people, and prayed God to also guide him to his diamond jubilee in the next ten years.

    He re-affirmed his commitment to the service of God, and wept that his caring elder brother and mentor, Peter Amadi, was not alive to be a part of the history he helped to build, after training him.

    Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of a KIA  caper car to Fr. Amadi by the St. Jude Parish as a token of appreciation. Managing director of Umuchinemere Pro-credit community bank, Enugu,Mrs. Ngozi,  Mr. Fela Ogbuke and wife of Enugu State Football Association, Mrs. Juliet Egbo of Anambra State Broadcasting service, Awka, students, nurses, and over twenty catholic priests and Rev. sisters were among personalities at the event, as well as a media icon, Ben Ilechukwu.

  • Catholic group offers scholarship

    A GROUP, the Young Christian Workers Movement (YCM) of Nigeria, has offered scholarship to some secondary pupils in Ajegunle-Apapa, Lagos.

    The highest award winner gets N100,000, while the second and third runners up  got N50,000 each. The number of winners has increased to six and September 2  has been fixed for the sixth edition.

    According to YCM president, Clementina Ego, the initiative is meant to inculcate in the children the spirit of competiveness. It is open to both Christians and Muslims. She said participants must be residents of Ajegunle

    She said:  “Interestingly, a Muslim child has won in this project at our centre and other winners had emerged from non-Catholic denomination. The spirit is for people to embrace it as our project and not just a Catholic thing.

    “The movement has both married and singles as members and we put our resources together and all spent by our centre for the past five years had come from our members. We have not received anything from anybody, whether from a corporate body or the church. But we feel we have got to a level where we will need corporate sponsorship for the sixth edition because we plan to increase the number of scholarship and the money to be awarded in the spirit of the next edition.

    Ego, a former head of the education committee of theYCM, continued: “We also plan to make it more embracing by reaching out to more schools because this will increase the competitiveness. This fifth edition was able to increase enrolment from 25 to 48 schools.

    “Sincerely, it has not been easy but, we are glad that it is a project that has come to stay and we are not stopping on anything less than giving our very best to the project and to children of this local government. Initially, when we started, it used to include both junior and senior pupils, but along the line, we observed unseriousness in the senior ones, so we concentrated on Primary Four, Five and Six.

    “The idea, again, is that the money being given might not be too much, but we are confident that the money covers tuition for the winner for three terms in any school in Ajegunle. From our survey, an average tuition for schools in Ajegunle is N15,000 and the prize money for our third position is N50,000, so you see the that prize is able to cover three terms for the third place winner.

    “But with a corporate sponsor, we should be able to increase the number of beneficiaries and possibly the amount, and in that vein, we target to increase winners to 10. Then, we plan to include a Charity Award: this type will automatically go to any participating child that has lost both parents. But in the spirit of the fifth year edition, we planned to include the Charity Award, but incidentally there was none that qualified.”

    The group was founded by the late Catholic Priest, Cardinal Joseph Card Jin in Belgium in 1925.

    She said: “The scholarship arm of St. Mary Catholic started five years ago. Though we started very small, it has grown to an enviable level, as we have used it to impact on the entire community. In terms of both registration and attendance, this fifth edition recorded the highest enrolment for the examination and qualification for the scholarship does not exclude anybody; whether a Catholic or not. It does not matter whether in public schools or private. It is immaterial whether male or female.”

    “We have been very careful not to host the examination at a given school to avoid the sentiment of being accused of promoting any particular school, even as several schools, have volunteered their halls.”

  • Watch out for bombers in Catholic Sisters’ regalia- DSS

    Watch out for bombers in Catholic Sisters’ regalia- DSS

    The Department of State Security (DSS) has called on members of the public to be on the look out for female suicide bombers they may disguise in the traditional Catholic Sisters’ regalia to bomb some unsuspecting targets.

    A statement on Saturday signed by the spokesman of the DSS, Ms. Marilyn Ogar said some unidentified persons broke into a tailoring shop located at No. 55, Odutola Street, Sabon Gari, Kano.

    According to the DSS, the invaders stole 13 pieces of the regalia from the shop and had since disappeared.

    “With the recent trend of female suicide bombings in the country, the theft of these regalia heightens concerns about the possibility of terrorist elements using same to perpetrate acts of terror.

    “Consequently, this Service wishes to draw the attention of the public to this development and to call on all citizens to be more circumspect and exercise greater vigilance with users of such peculiar attires.

    “We therefore enjoin all to continue to cooperate with law enforcement agencies through the provision of useful information on suspicious activities within their immediate environment.

    “This Service will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders as we strive to keep our country safe,” the statement added.

    In a related development, the police authorities have opened investigation into alleged attempt on the life of the Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Ade Abolurin.

    A statement yesterday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu said outcome of the investigation would be made public in due course.

    The NSCDC, had raised the alarm, accusing an unnamed Police Inspector of attempting to open fire on the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Mr. Ade Abolurin.

    An earlier statement by the spokesman of the NSCDC, Mr. Emmanuel Okeh had added that the said Police Inspector also threatened the lives of over 200 persons that were with the NSCDC boss at the time.

    Okeh described those with the NSCDC boss to be committee members made up of representatives of the Army, EFCC, ICPC and office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.