The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Christians

  • Body urges Christians, Muslims to avoid crisis

    Christians and Muslims in Osun State have been urged to eschew religious crisis, to allow Governor Rauf Aregbesola deliver more dividends of democracy.

    The Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Religion (Christian), Dr. Sam Ogedengbe, spoke yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja.

    Ogedengbe, who is also the national president of the All Christian Leaders and Ministers Forum (ACLMF), said Christians and Muslims in Osun should not allow the wearing of hijab at Baptist High School, Iwo to degenerate into a crisis.

    He said before Aregbesola became governor, the educational sector was in a shambles.

    “That was why he merged secondary schools. Aregbesola is trying to revive the education sector. The indigenes should not distract him. They should not act as an obstacle to development.

    “Aregbesola is not a religious fanatic. He is a dynamic governor, who is determined to develop the state. Baptist High School, Iwo is a government school. If Christians are interested in taking it over, they should allow Aregbesola to finish the resuscitation he is doing and write him that they want to take over the school from government,” Ogedengbe said.

    He advised religious leaders in Osun to meet regularly with the governor to iron out sensitive issues, adding that this would prevent crises.

  • A guide for Christians

    A guide for Christians

    Book review

     Title: B.E.C.O.M.E  affirm, invoke, release, the power of Christ within you

    Author: Oluseye Amusa

    Reviewer: Gbenga Aderanti

    Publisher: Reveal Publishing, Lagos, Nigeria

    Pagination: 76

     

    Never judge a book by its cover, so they say, but ‘B.E.C.O.M.E affirm, invoke, release, the power of Christ within you’, written by Oluseye Amusa,  a lawyer and business consultant is an exception to this rule.

    The 75 page book gives you an idea of what you are likely to get inside. It is a book a typical bookworm is not likely to ignore.

    ‘B.E.C.O.M.E affirm, invoke, release, the power of Christ within you’ is about daily reality of life of Christians. The author, who is a Christian, explains how a Christian should live daily, especially in a society where you cannot live in isolation.

    “I fight with words-words of faith, prophecy, confidence-taking inspiration the Holy Bible like David when he faced the pompous Philistine, pompous giant, Goliath, or the young Jewish lad, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego when they stood before the authoritarian Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar…”

    He brings his experience to bear in analyzing issues. He also provides space in the book for readers who are interested in following his recommendations to gauge their own experience too.

    The author takes time to explain to the readers how certain issues could be tackled, therefore making references to his experience and those with the similar experiences from the bible.

    It is a material that will be useful to Christians and non-Christians since it is a complete material about life.

    The author does not pretend to be immuned from the happenings in his environment as he writes about his experience too, thus his account about two powerful men in Page four of the book. ‘You may be wondering why would such tale interest and excite? Well, I realised as if for Christ time the implication of my status as a ‘born again’ Christian…The Jewish Pharisee Nicademus once asked Jesus, ’Can a man enter into hi s mother’s womb and be born again?” Obviously he hasn’t been to Abeokuta…’

    On page 11 of the book, he chronicles the life of a believer, writing from personal experience. He says “it is not what you write or try to do that affect the change, it is who you are. The anointing responds to who you are. It is activated by your faith and sustained by your acts of righteousness (power to fulfill destiny precedes you as you walk in obedience to him, you will see god in action).

    Lucid, written in very simple English and well edited, for the fast readers, it is a book that one can read and digest in less than 30 minutes.

    Sequentially written, the chapters blend and they make the reader wants to know what the next chapter will say.

    The author refrains from boring the readers with lots of bible verses, rather whatever reference he wants to make from the bible, he tries to tell the story, he is probably considering people that are non-Christians.

    Apart from making use of good graphic on the cover, the cartoons and illustrations  make  the book attractive to Christians and non- Christians alike.

    Except for the type font that the designer used in designing the inside of the book which makes it look like a kindergarten pupils’ materials and could be hostile to people with bad eye sight, the book is something everybody should read.

  • Christians urged to seek peace

    A cleric, Rev. Fr. Innocent Oyibo has urged Christians to seek the face of God as it is Him that they would get lasting peace.

    Rev. Fr Oyibo gave the advice in his homily during a Mass to celebrate the beginning of the New Year at St John Mary Vianney Quasi Catholic Church Kubwa. He stated that peace was embedded in the face of God and would be unveiled only to those that seek his face.

    “Peace is hidden and embedded in the face of the Lord. One cannot have any peace until the face of God is uncovered in the hearts of those who seek Him.  If you want to know peace, search for the face of Jesus Christ which has been revealed to us by the virtue of His birth through His mother, Mary,’’ he said.

    He revealed that on January 1 every year has been dedicated by the Catholic Church in Nigeria to celebrate the Feast of Mary, the Queen of Peace in Nigeria, adding that it gives the Catholic faithful the opportunity of praying for peace in the country.

    “We all pray that peace will continue to reign in our hearts, in our families and our country. If there is no peace in our hearts, there won’t be peace in our families and our country in general,” he said.

    Rev. Fr Oyibo also urged Christians to present their New Year resolution to God who would aid them to fulfill them, even as he prayed that God should bless people’s good intentions.

    Earlier during the vigil Mass, the Parish Priest, Rev Fr. Sebastian Musa had urged Christians to always live a life of thanksgiving, adding  that despite various problems they had experienced during the past year, they should always thank God for the gift of life.

    “Even with the various problems we face, we should always thank God for keeping us alive from the beginning of the year to the end.  Some started the race with us and are dead but we are still alive. It is neither because of our might or righteousness, it is through the privilege we received from God,” he said.

  • Christians urged on freedom

    Christians urged on freedom

    The President/Convener of the Eternal Gospel Believers Associations African Zion (EGBAAZ), Rev. David Olutade, has urged Christians to be freedom-conscious.

    Olutade, who spoke at the African Missionary Day Congress at St Jude Anglican Cathedral Hall, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, said: “It is when Christians proclaim freedom and pray for God’s guidance for our leaders that we will enjoy peace and our country will be great.

    “The problem of this nation is not in the hands of President Goodluck Jonathan or any leader, but in our hands. Churches should wake up from their slumber and possess their spiritual revolution.”

    The cleric said the only way this could be achieved is to spread the good news through evangelism.

    Evangelist Olalekan Amusan said Nigerians should engage in missionary work “so that we can take what belongs to us.”

    The chairman of the occasion, Apostle Lord‘s Light Osinbowale, said Nigerians should pray for divine peace in the New Year.

  • Cleric tells Christians to wake up from political slumber

    Christians in Nigeria in general and Lagos State in particular have been challenged to wake up from their political slumber, and take active part in politics if they are really desirous of establishing a government that will care for the generality of the people instead of what is obtained now.

    Rt. Rev. Solomon Gbetoso Kuponu, Bishop of Ijebu North, Anglican Church, stated this at a lecture he delivered last week at St John’s Anglican Church, Iju-Ishaga, during the silver jubilee of the Young Men and Women Christian Association (YMWCA) of the church. He spoke on the theme: Terrorism as it affects social and political life of Nigeria: Christian perspective.

    He described terrorism as an act of violence or threat that is unlawful and has an objective of exacting revenge, intimidating or influencing an audience. “Terrorism is one of the most challenging problems of our time and its effects are global in nature. Each time you take a plane, bus or train, you can’t help wondering whether this could possibly be your last journey,” he said.

    He stated the possible causes of terrorism as poverty, undemocratic government, alienated intelligentsia/intellectual class of people, indoctrination, ethnicity and charity but added that some of these reasons do not hold at all places. On the argument that poverty breeds terrorism, he stated that there are many places around the world where there are no terrorists at all despite the poverty level in these places like some poor countries in South America, Africa and Asia. He pointed out that North Korea and China are not democratic yet they don’t have terrorists, adding that those that kill do not only kill other people but kill even people of their own ethnic group and religion.

    He laid emphasis on religious indoctrination, alienated intelligential/ intellectual class of people and some misapplied charities as fuelling terrorism globally.

    He said Boko Haram has killed thousands of Nigerians and non- Nigerians since 2009, destroyed churches and businesses. Nigeria is a multi-religious country with many problems but that the most worrisome is terror attacks, he said.

    Terrorism as it affects Nigeria is more religion-based, he stated, adding that Islamic extremists are bent on Islamising the whole country except we stand up to stop them.

    Bishop Kuponu said the kind of government that Christ approves of is the type that cares for the people in general, especially the poor and the less-privileged in our society as Christ used to do and not the elitist, self centred and religion-biased government prevalent in Nigeria.

    He said unless Christians rise up as a body politically, evil will continue to reign in Nigeria.

  • Christians advised on love, unity

    THE third annual Adult Harvest Thanksgiving Service of the Holy Order of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (Ayo Ni O), Chapel of Divine Blessing, Victory District, Olabode Olubu Crescent, AIT Road, Alagbado, Lagos, has been marked amid praises and worship.

    Christians were advised to live in love and unity.

    With the theme: Harvest of Love 2013, the church urged Christians were admonished to live a godly life, epitomised with divine love, which is devoid of rancour, pettiness, hatred, backbiting, fighting, malice, gossip, covetousness, lust and other worldly and ungodly things.

    The only Bible reading for this year’s harvest thanksgiving was taken from II Corinthians 9:6 -15.

    During the harvest, at the church main auditorium, the clerics on hand included Special Apostle D. A. Awode CMA, Chairman Victory District; Special Apostle J. A. Oyeku JP, Leader-In-Charge; Special Apostle J.O. Idowu; Most Special Apostle G. Akadiri, Harvest Chairman; Special Mother-In-Israel, E. F. Odeyinka, Harvest Matron; Most Special Apostle S. O. Adesulure, Harvest Patron; Most Special Apostle A. Akinsanya, Harvest Secretary and other leaders from sister churches.

    In his sermon, titled: Harvest of Love, the preacher, Senior Apostle Prophet E. O. Olaosebikan, from C & S Victory Chapel, Amukoko, Lagos, said a Christian life without divine love for Jesus Christ, on one hand and for one another, on the other hand, is a mere heresy and cannot take such Christians to the kingdom of heaven.

    Without love, the cleric, who noted that Christians are like empty vessels, which has no blessing before the Almighty God, however, warned that such Christians would not inherit the kingdom of heaven which is the utmost dream of all Christian faithful.

    He said: “The love God is talking about transcends that between a man and woman, or between husband and wife, but the divine love that abhor hatred, gossip, malice, quarrelling, sin, greed, wickedness, lustfulness and so on. I am talking about divine love that covers all sins and evil deeds. That is, love which forgives sins of those who trespassed against us.”

    Olaosebikan stressed the need for Christians to serve God with utmost love, quoted I Peter Chapter 4 verse 8; John Chapter 3 verse 16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son ….”, as well as I John Chapter 4 verse 24, saying “if you don’t love your neighbours as thyself and you continue to pray and fast, such prayer and fasting will not be acceptable to God.

  • Many things are wrong with Nigeria, says Sultan

    Many things are wrong with Nigeria, says Sultan

    The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar said on Sunday the country has stagnated because leaders have refused to allow things to work.

    The Sultan spoke just as the Kaduna state governor, Mukthar Ramalan Yero admonished Islamic scholars to refrain from using the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to cast aspersions on people without proper investigations.

    Speaking at a national conference on the role of Muslim Scholars in fostering unity, peace and security in Nigeria organized by Jama’at Nasril Islam (JNI) in Kaduna, the Sultan said that the nation cannot move forward when leaders are made to believe that they are always right.

    “We cannot move forward when we tell a leader he is always right. No leader is ever right in this circumstance. So many things have gone wrong in this country, and they are still going wrong. So many things are not working because the leaders refused to allow them to work”.

    While noting that the Muslim world was facing  daunting challenge, the Sultan said  “we are very aware just like any other people across the world of the challenges facing us as Muslims, not only in Nigeria; we believe somebody somewhere is pulling the string”.

    The Sultan who is also the Co-Chairman of the Nigeria Inter-religious Council also said “we will not allow anybody to stop us from being Muslims because that is what God brought to us and that is what we chose to be, we will not allow anybody to turn our lives upside down, and whatever anybody does that affects Islam and Muslims.”

    He expressed concern over the level of disunity among Muslims saying “if there is unity among Muslims, there will be peace, and if there is peace, there will be development and progress in our country and there will be total security in Nigeria.

    “If there is security, definitely, there will be development. What is happening in the Northern part of the country is an unfortunate incident which has been forced on us, may be for so many reasons, may be the Almighty Allah (God) wants to correct our ways.

    “I believe it is high time all of us come together and discuss those things that have been pestering our lives as Muslims in this country. I want to state here that our main problems have been lack of unity, lack of consensus in whatever we do, and of course, viz-a-viz so poor in our lives as Muslims in this country.

    “We are begging Allah for constant prayers from all of you, you are all distinguished Ulamas, we need constant prayers from the downtrodden to any other person, we shall overcome all these challenges and move to greater heights by the special grace of God.

    “We are committed to ensuring justice in whatever we do, we are committed to ensuring that whichever leaders God Almighty blessed on us to do what is right, and we must tell them when they go wrong”.

    While lamenting the failure of leadership in the country to provide purposive leadership, he said “as Muslim leaders, we know what the holy Koran said about leadership, we know how our noble leader lived his life which we are all striving to copy in the minutest way, and I believe totally that if we imbibe the virtues of the holy Koran and the virtues of our noble leader, nobody will go wrong.

    “I believe it is high time we put aside so many differences in understanding of Islam, put aside so called promise of big manism, put aside hatred that permeated people’s heart, and put aside personal interest. Put Islam above all, and if you do so, we will find the end of all the problems facing us that we will enable all of us to observe our religious obligations and duties in a peaceful manner.

    “We refuse to accept time without number whenever any violence take place anywhere in the world, if committed by a Muslim, you will hear Islamic terrorist, or Muslim terrorist or Islamic fundamentalist. But when worst violence is perpetrated by somebody who is not a Muslim, we don’t hear the same coinage, or the same factionalization of the same criminal activity linking it to that particular religion.

    “And we believe so many criminal activities have taken place in the name of so many other religion, but Islam has been singled out and it is a challenge for us to wake up, stand together, stretching our hands of unity and face such problem squarely. We can only do that if we put aside our personal differences.

    “I don’t want to talk so much, but I really have so much in mind on such issues, but suffice to say, today we have an opportunity to bare our minds to the President, Commander-In- Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who set up a committee to look into insurgency activities particularly in the North.

    “I believe that committee should also look at other things that are happening in other parts of the country. But this is the first step.  Let us stabilize north in particular, then move to other places, ” the Sultan stated.

  • North’s Christians to honour Oritsejiafor

    Christian elders in the North, under the aegis of the Christian Elders of Northern States (NORCEF), yesterday said they will honour the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejiafor, for identifying with the church in the North.

    Chairman of the forum, Evangelist Matthew Owojiaye, told reporters in Kaduna that the Christian elders in the North will confer on the CAN President the award of “True Servant of God” for his courage and steadfastness.

    Owojiaye noted that despite the intimidation from various places, Oritsejiafor has continued to identify with the church and the region in the fight for their cause without minding all the names he was being called.

    He said: “Christian elders of northern states will give an award of ‘True Servant of God’ to CAN President, Pastor Oritsejiafor. The award will take place on May 9 at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.

     

  • 39 feared killed, 30 injured in Taraba crisis- Police

    39 feared killed, 30 injured in Taraba crisis- Police

    A fresh orgy of religious violence was on Friday recorded in Wukari, Taraba state with no fewer than 39 persons killed and over 30 injured.

    At least 70 houses and commercial centres were torched.

    Wukari shares boundary with Benue and Narasawa states.

    Although more more than 100 persons were reportedly killed and about 60 injured  in the violent clash, police said 39 corpses have been recovered and 30 persons confirmed injured. The bodies were seen being deposited at the Yam Market –along Wukari-Jalingo Road.

    Some of the bodies have been beheaded, with body parts removed.

    A joint force of police and the army kept watch in the  the area.

    Eye-witnesses said the crisis began on Friday when a Jukun Chief Warder –a monarch third to the Aku-Uka died and was about to be buried.

    The mourners alleged that the Muslims barricaded the way to the burial ground.

    This triggered retaliatory attacks that led to many deaths. But a Muslim spokesman told The Nation that they were gathered only for their Jumai (Friday) prayers.

    A dusk to dawn curfew has been imposed to quell the uprising.

    The troops said they arrested over 30 suspected rioters while making  efforts to prevent a spill of the crisis to neighbouring states.

    “We are now patrolling Wukari town -to maintain law and order”, Police Spokesman, Joseph Kwaji, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) told The Nation.

    Kwaji said the severely injured are receiving treatment at the General Hospital, Wukari.

    Christian and Muslim residents of Wukari have been up-in-arms against one another in recent times.

    Apart from attacks on residences, fighters mounted roadblocks along the Wukari-Jalingo Road where they eliminated “enemies” plying the route.

    Thousands of residents have fled Wukari. Particularly the Muslim escapees have taken refuge in Zaki-Biam, Kyado and Jootar areas of Benue state. While others are running to Jalingo –the Taraba state capital.

    A Christian woman police who spoke to The Nation said her husband was trailed throughout yesterday night by rioters. She said: “I slept in the bush to escape with these kids”, (pointing on two males and a female).

    Only in February, over 300 persons were feared killed and properties worth billions of naira destroyed in Wukari in a similar religiously claimed hostilities.

    Taraba State Acting Governor Alhaji Garba Umar is said to be shock and saddened by the unfortunate development.

    Umar had on Thursday inaugurated a seven-man ‘Judicial Commission of Inquiry’ to investigate the previous crises in Wukari and Ibi local government areas, only for a fresh orgy of violence to begin to shine off the following day (Friday).

     

  • Orji urges Christians to pray for nation

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has advised Christians to pray for the nation’s peace and unity.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Ugochukwu Emezue, the governor noted that Christians need to use the resurrection of Jesus Christ for prayer to end bombings in parts of the country.

    He said human and material resources have been destroyed in such violent acts.

    Orji said one of the solutions to the nation’s security challenges is prayer so that God would make those who are bent on destroying life and property to have a change of heart.

    The governor said there is no problem that prayers cannot solve.

    He urged the residents to show love to the less-privileged during the festive season, adding that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

    Orji reassured Abia residents, including non-indigenes, that his administration would ensure their security because security agencies have been placed on the red alert to ensure that law and order are enforced during the Easter celebration.

    Also, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in the last election, Chief Reagan Ufomba, urged those in authority to remember the less privileged during the Easter period.

    The politician said such public office holders need to reflect on the virtues for which Christ died on the cross, for the celebration to be meaningful.

    He appealed to Abia residents to pray for God’s intervention in the affairs of Nigeria and the state to extinguish negative forces that hinder progress.

    According to him, such negative forces include avarice, maladministration and unwarranted waste of life and property by religious fanatics.

    Ufomba said: “Just as Christ remained committed to his mandate, people in authority must see it as their duty and a sacred opportunity to serve through exemplary conduct and not for selfish acquisition of wealth, power and pursuit of policies that affect negatively on the citizens, which in turn increase suffering and poverty.”

    The politician urged those in authority to make Easter a time to make amends and assist the less-privileged with gifts as well as create the environment for improved socio-economic, political and spiritual development.