The Nation Newspaper

Tag: cleric

  • Cleric warns politicians

    The Bishop of Evo Diocese, Anglican Communion in Rivers State, the Rt. Rev. Innocent Uchechukwu Ordu, has cautioned politicians on the politics of bitterness and provocative utterances. He said they should prevent the country from becoming a theatre of violence.

    Bishop Ordu spoke yesterday at the synod convention organised by the Evo Diocese, Anglican Communion, at Rumuobiokani in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

    The prelate said it was regrettable that the politicians had cultivated the habit of carrying themselves as if they were greater than the country, adding that they had been distracted.

  • Cleric seeks unity against terror

    The General Overseer of Shiloh Word Chapel (aka Faith Nations), Prophet Ikechukwu Samuel, has urged Nigerians to unite against the Boko Haram terror ravaging the nation.

    Samuel, who spoke with reporters in Abuja ahead of the forthcoming third anniversary of the church, appealed to members of the Boko Haram sect to have a change of heart and stop bloodshed to avoid the wrath of God.

    He said: “If members of Boko Haram want to release the Chibok girls, it is a change of heart that will make them do so.

    “Let Nigerians pray because this country is a nation with faith. Every citizen of Nigeria has faith; let us use our own faith, irrespective of our religious beliefs to ask our God to change their hearts.”

    He added: “Boko Haram insurgents are still in the dark because they will still do more and we will keep exchanging. Yet, it will not solve the problem.

    “Let our leaders and every citizen show love. Releasing people in places of evil will in turn increase the problem. It is not the solution; we should kneel down and pray for a change of heart.”

    The church, he assured, has been raising a generation that will change the nation.

  • Nigeria needs prayers, cleric declares

    The District Superintendent of the Apostolic Faith Church in West Africa, Rev. Emmanuel Adeniran, has called for intense prayers to save the nation.

    Nigerians, he stated, need prayers that move the hands of God and flow from pure hearts.

    He spoke at the West and Central (WECA) District Headquarters of the church in Anthony Village Lagos with reporters on the camp meeting that commences today.

    The meeting ends on August 24, according to him.

    Adeniran said: “At the, moment, the stability of our nation is greatly threatened and the future will forever remain lost in oblivion, should we fail to heed the call of our creator.

    “For every fabric of our society to experience true salvation and transformation, we must all resolve to experience the true transformation and cleansing from within through the shed blood of our lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.”

    This year’s meeting, according to Adeniran, commemorates the 70th anniversary of the church.

    On what to expect at the camp, he said: “It is a period of spiritual rejuvenation wherein we converge with great expectation to hear, receive and be blessed of God.

    “It is a time set aside and ordained by God through His divine purpose to bless, heal and deliver both the spiritually and physically oppressed.”

  • Nigeria will rise again, says cleric

    The General Overseer of God’s Mercy Revival Ministries (GOMERM) Idimu Lagos, Dr James Akanbi, has assured that Nigeria will rise again.

    The nation, he stressed, will not go down despite the socio-economic challenges bedeviling it.

    He urged Nigerians to stand firm and patiently wait on God to fix the seemingly intractable problems in the country.

    Akanbi spoke on Thursday with reporters ahead of the 15th anniversary of the church with the theme “Arise and glow.”

    He noted that the country is bleeding but assured that the phases will come and pass because “the sons of Baals cannot hand-on for life.”

    According to him, all the terror attacks and insecurity in several parts of the nation will soon disappear.

    “Nigeria,” he reiterated, “will arise again and glow. All the things we are witnessing now will drop down and go away.”

    On why no man of God has been able to make a prophetic declaration that will lead to demise of Boko Haram, Akanbi explained such declarations will create chaos.

    He said: “If you expect a Thou Saith the Lord on Boko Haram issue, you will be creating an Armageddonic situation.

    “The maximum a man of God can do is to speak to the conscience of those in power. None of us can speak and expect government to listen.

    “The most we can do is to pray and hope our leaders listen to the voice of God”.

    The anniversary, which starts tomorrow, holds at the church’s headquarters.

    The grand finale holds at Mercy Camp ground KM 4 Papalanto-Shagamu road, Ofada Ogun state, next Sunday by 10am.

    The prophetic impartation service will also witness the ordination of over 200 pastors, assistant pastors, elders, deacons and deaconesses.

  • Serve God, humanity, cleric tells Fayose

    The General Overseer of Rapture Assurance Ministry (RAM) Lagos, Pastor Daniel Ikpe, has urged Ekiti State governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose, to remember his vows to God and serve humanity in his second-coming.

    He reminded him that God played His part in bringing him back to power against all odds.

    Ikpe recalled how he met Fayose in 2006 at the peak of the impeachment plot through a domestic aide attending the church.

    He claimed that God told him then that Fayose would be impeached but restored if he retraced his steps.

    “When the impeachment issue was on, this man introduced Fayose to me and we were invited to Ado Ekiti. I and five other pastors in the ministry went to see him.

    “After seven days of prayers, God told me he would be impeached but that He, God, will bring him back to power,” he recalled.

    He stated that many doubted the prophesied impeachment because several other men of God were making pronouncements to the contrary.

    Ikpe called on political leaders to dissect prophecies by men of God through discernment, saying many of such prophecies are fuelled by greed.

  • Council chiefs, cleric seek peace

    The Chairman, Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Hon. Olumuyiwa Oloro; his Oto-Awori counterpart, Hon. Bolaji Robert and popular Islamic cleric, Alhaji Muyideen Bello, have urged more prayers for the country.

    Oloro, who made the call yesterday, said the various troubled besetting the nation call for fervent prayer during the ongoing Ramadan. He added that he had just given some donations to over 300 Muslim faithful in his domain in support of their fasting.

    Robert and Bello spoke at the sixth Annual Bibiire Ramadan lecture and special prayer held at Ijankin, a Lagos suburb. “Today‘s lecture is timely due to the incessant security challenges in the country. We should learn how to dwell peacefully with one another. We should be tolerant of one another’s belief and be a worthy example of responsible citizenry,” Robert said

    On security, he said the council had stepped up arrangement to protect lives and property, adding that strategic measures were being taken to forestall breakdown of law and order in Oto- Awori LCDA.

    In his lecture, Bello warned politicians against making statement that could cause mayhem in the society.

    “As Muslims, this is the period to devote ourselves to Allah to cleanse the land of the terrorist activities of Boko Haram and other forms of violence perpetrated in the country. We should abstain from sin and worship our creator with our hearts,” he said.

  • Cleric dies at 84

    Cleric dies at 84

    The death has occurred of Ven. Samuel Afolabi Adebayo of Osi-Ekiti in Ido-Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State. He died on June 8. He was 84.

    The deceased was one of the dedicated teachers at Christ School, Ado-Ekiti in the late 70s and early 80s.

    He worked as a clergyman in Ilesa and as an archdeacon in many Anglican churches, including Ikere, Ise, Ijero–Ekiti, among others before retiring in the late 80s.

    Ven. Adebayo is survived by many children and great grandchildren, including Mrs. Ayo Sotonwa of the Lagos State Broadcasting Corporation.

    Funeral programme will be announced later.

     

  • Cleric carpets Boko Haram

    Cleric carpets Boko Haram

    The Chief Imam of Offa, Kwara State Sheikh Muhydeen Salima has chided Boko Haram for causing havoc in the society. He faulted those linking Islam with the insurgent, saying Islam is a religion of peace and it maintained its peace among other religions.

    Salima who spoke in Ijebu ode at the 30th anniversary and annual Ramadan lecture of the National Council for Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) said it is high time people rise against insurgency regardless of their religion and ethnic background.

    The clergy who condemned the activities of the insurgents called on Muslims to be united and cooperate with relevant agents of government to overcome the security challenges facing the country.

    “Boko Haram has nothing to do with Islam because Islam do not teaches people to kill, maim and cause great havoc on the lives of their fellow beings,” he said.

    He enjoined Muslims not to stop seeking for knowledge which he noted is a major instrument of religion and liberation.

    According to him, “Islam implore us to engage in learning and improve our education status even if our teachers are not Muslim. Education is what we need for our liberation.”

  • Cleric to Fed Govt: make security a priority

    The founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has urged the Federal Government to make security its priority.

    Primate Ayodele spoke during the presentation of the 2014/2015 prediction booklet at his church in Lagos.

    He said the country would not break up next year.

    Primate Ayodele said: “I foresee a political revolution that will happen in the nearest future in this country. The solution to Nigerian problems is at hand only if the government will listen to divine messages.”

    He said if security was not given the utmost attention, another terrorist deadlier than the Boko Haram would surface.

    “There is hope if we follow instructions and do what God wants us to do as a nation.”

    The General Overseer said nothing tangible would come out of the on-going National Conference in Abuja.

    He advised the leaders and governors of the All Peoples Congress (APC) to work hard and  pray fervently for them to retain Edo and Oyo states.

  • Renounce idolatry, Cleric urges Christians

    Renounce idolatry, Cleric urges Christians

    The Bishop in charge of Christ Holy Church (C.H.C) International Province III, Rt. Rev. Aaron Eziuzor, has urged Christians to renounce idolatry and worship the true God who is the Creator of all things.

    Bishop Eziuzor gave the advice while preaching during the 2014 Fathers’ Day celebration of the church at the Aba Superintendent Headquarters of the church. He noted that Christians are suffering and being defeated today by Satan because they have abandoned worshipping the true God to depend so much on powers of fake gods.

    The cleric, who quoted copiously from Psalm 37:25-35, called on parishioners to emulate Abraham, Noah and David whom he said were able to attract the love and protection of God and knew His secrets because they believed and did His will at all time.

    The cleric said: “Noah and his family were the only people saved from destruction when God destroyed the world with water because he listened to and adhered to the instructions of God. Because of Abraham’s faith and righteousness, he is today known as the father of faith because he listened and followed the instructions of God.

    “Goliath was insulting and abusing the God of Israelites because he prided on the powers of the pseudo-gods of the Philistines among others. The Israelites were all afraid to confront him. But it took the courage of a man like David to confront Goliath and bring him to his knees.

    “David did not kill their enemy at that time because of his might, but because he depended and trusted in God. Even when Saul was after his life, he still refused killing a man God has anointed to rule over Israel because he fears God.”

    While urging members of his church to renounce their evil ways and eschew deceit and cheating in their ways of lives, he advised them to deploy their resources in the propagation of the Gospel of God, stressing that he had not seen anyone who was committed to the work of God that was forsaken by God.

    He also cautioned against division in the church, pointing out that the church would achieve a lot when the congregation come together to fight a common cause.

    In an interview, the chairman of Men’s Fellowship of the church Ibo Road Station, Mr. Christian Madukwem said they carefully chose the theme for this year’s celebration.

    He revealed that the theme “Noble Father” was carefully chosen to remind men of the importance of their places in the family, adding that many men are found wanting today because they have entrusted such responsibility to women.

    Madukwem further urged Christian fathers to live exemplary lifestyles which their children would emulate. This, he said, should not only be exhibited only in their families and the church, but in other places of endeavour where they are expected to show exemplary leadership.

    Earlier in an address Mr. Emeka Enemor urged men to love their wives as Christ loves the Church, be a role model to their children, family and the society at large, avoid cursing their children; but speak good fortunes and God’s blessings to them at all times and also to emulate the good virtues and footsteps of their leaders in the church. He added that their failure to do so would translate to their reaping the negative rewards of their actions later in life.

    “Therefore, fathers will bear the accountability–the consequences for failing to carry it out or even the rewards for doing so. Let us never forget, ‘it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrew 10:31),’” Mr. Enemor stated.

    Highlights of the event were special thanksgiving, song/drama and presentation of gift items to 10 indigent members of the church by the men’s fellowship.