The Nation Newspaper

Tag: cleric

  • Egypt crisis: cleric slams US, UN leaders

    A renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Dhikrullahi Shafi’I has berated the United Nations (UN) and American leaders for their “anti-democratic stand on Egypt crisis.”

    Sheikh Shafi’I spoke during Tafsir session in Lagos.

    The Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), Mufti believes the stand of the leaders of UN and American government is dangerous to the practice of democracy anywhere in the world.

    “It is unfortunate that the type of democracy which the United States of America and its Western allies are preaching is different from the conventional one known worldwide. The events unfolding in Egypt is a slap on democracy and an aberration to democratic values. Since the day the military overthrown a democratically elected government, America and its allies have not acknowledged that act as coup till date. It is something that is really disturbing. Can UN and US tell us what is the definition of Coup d’état?” he asked rhetorically.

    He wondered why the UN is paying a lip-service to the military-backed Interim Government’s abuse of human rights.

    “Under the UN conventions, there are rights to life, property, lawful and peaceful gathering and protest. If you observe those that were killed on Friday and Saturday, you will realise that they were not in possession of any ammunitions. They were shot on vital parts of their body like head and chest. Irrespective of the arguments provided by the Interim Government, the security officers that killed those protesters went beyond limit, one could see that America is being biased on what is called democracy,” he said.

    According to him, governments are removed through balloting and not guns.

    “There is no government in the world that has no opposition; when masses protested against the removal of subsidy by President Goodluck Jonathan last year, no one called for military intervention. Have there not been protests against some governments in Europe lately mainly on economic crisis, even in America, there was a protest some time ago, why did the military not take over? It is glaring that not all Egyptians are against the ousted government. The military just exploited people’s ignorance with the help of the media propaganda to return to power,” he stated.

  • Cleric urges wealthy Muslims on Islamic duties

    A good Muslim should use his wealth to remove his family from poverty, the Chief Missioner, Ansar –ud- Deen Society of Nigeria, Fadeyi branch, Alhaji Abdul-Lateef Ekundayo, has said.

    Speaking at the annual Salvador Ramadan lecture in Lagos, Ekundayo said “there is no reward for a rich man who neglects his family and goes about giving Zakat (alms).’’

    According to him, it is not enough for a Muslim to give Zakat when his family is suffering.

    Muslims give a small percentage of their annual savings as alms or charity, called Zakat.

    It is considered to be a personal responsibility for Muslims to ease the economic hardship of others and eliminate inequality.

    The missioner urged Muslims to be more spiritually-inclined and be guided by Islamic injunctions in their daily activities.

    He advised wealthy Muslims to serve God diligently and assist those in need by giving Zakat.

    Ekundayo said good Muslim should endeavour to live above board and give his or her children good education.

    “What will it profit a man who inherits the whole world but loses his soul.’’

    He advised them to take great pains to investigate the wealth of donors, noting that “some make wealth righteously, while the sources of some could be through evil deeds.’’

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • ICPC arraigns clerical officer over pension scam

    ICPC arraigns clerical officer over pension scam

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Wednesday arraigned Henry Oruh, a senior Clerical Officer with the Police Pension Office, before an Abuja High Court for alleged fraud.

    The anti-graft agency alleged that Oruh lied to officers of the ICPC, when in his suspect data form, he said that he only had a salary account with the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), which had less than N50, 000.

    The prosecutor, Mr. Paul Bassi, told the court that while executing a search warrant in Oruh’s house, officials of the ICPC, also discovered several other bank booklets with his name, including Fidelity Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and also Zenith Bank Plc.

    Bassi said that during investigation, the officials, found over N50 million in the various accounts.

    The prosecution said that when asked about how he came about the money, Oruh, could not give a satisfactory answer.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that ICPC is also charging the accused for lying under oath, where in the suspect data form, he lied that he had no other account under his name.

    The offence, according to the ICPC, is contrary to Section 25 (1) and punishable under Section 25 (1b) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission Act.

    If convicted, Oruh shall be imprisoned for two years or with an option to pay a fine of N100, 000 or with both.

    Oruh, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    After arraignment, Oruh’s counsel, Mr. Perry Ikoro, urged the court to admit his client to bail.

    Ikoro, assured the court that if granted bail, the accused would not jump bail.

    Bassi, opposed the bail application.

    However, in his ruling, Justice Hussieni Baba-Yusuf admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N500, 000 and a surety in like sum.

    Baba-yusuf ordered that the surety must be resident within the FCT and must produce proof of ownership of a landed property

     

  • Cleric blames crimes on leaders’ selfishness

    Cleric blames crimes on leaders’ selfishness

    The increasing spate of kidnapping, robberies, the Boko Haram monster, among other violent crimes in the society, has been blamed on the criminal neglect of the downtrodden by succeeding leaders whose overriding motive borders on narrow personal interest.

    The General Overseer of the Mountain of Thunder Prayer Ministry, Ogun State, Prophet I.O. Aransan, declared this at a special prayer session organized by the church for the nation and Ogun State in particular.

    “The problem with our leaders, apart from the fact that they don’t fear God, is that they are severely shortsighted. They fail to realize that long after they might have gone, the children they leave behind are still going to co-exist in the same society with children of the poor, and in that situation, the safety of their own children cannot be meaningfully guaranteed as their children will still be at the mercy of the frustrated children of the oppressed who would have no option than to unleash their frustration on children of the rich.

    “Our leaders and indeed the privileged class in the society have become prisoners of their wealth, as they move about in fear, while they hardly sleep with two eyes closed, for fear of armed robbers and kidnappers,” Prophet Aransan stated further.

    He stated further that the Mountain of Thunder Prayer Ministry has mapped out monthly programmes exclusively devoted to prayer for the nation and Ogun State in particular.

  • Cleric calls for sacrifice to save Nigeria

    The District Superintendent of the Apostolic Faith, West

    and Central Africa, Rev. Adebayo Adeniran, has urged

    Nigerians to make personal and collective sacrifices to save the nation from the brink.

    The cleric advised the nation’s leaders to emulate the life of Jesus Christ, which centred on exemplary leadership.

    He noted that Nigerian leaders need to ensure godliness in governance, as God gave Jesus to the world to redeem it from corruption – the reason for Easter.

    Adeniran spoke in Lagos on Sunday evening at this year’s annual Easter concert of the church, with the theme: I Gave My Life for You.

    The cleric urged leaders to purge themselves of sins and corruption, to show that they were called by God to eradicate the nation’s suffering.

    “A nation without corruption is what is befitting to us. Only righteousness exalts a nation and only God can free us. So, we must turn to God as a corporate entity and avoid corruption, which is a reproach to us and God. Thus, Easter is the most important feast of Christendom,” he said.

     

     

     

  • Ojukwu’s Will: Leave property for Bianca, says cleric

    The Anglican Bishop of Amichi Diocese, Rev. Ephraim Ikeakor, has said it is unfortunate that the family of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu has been feuding over his will.

    The cleric urged Emeka Ojukwu Jnr and others to relinquish the property of their late father to his wife, Amb. Bianca, and work for their property.

    He said: “Let them forget what their father has. If I were them, I would even ask the wife to take everything. Let them struggle on their own. I don’t encourage the crisis; it is not worth it. It is not fair.

    “I don’t think I would want to comment on Ojukwu’s will because it is a private matter. I don’t even know why journalists want to publicise the will that way. A will is supposed to be a private issue. Why are they interested?

    “The only advice I have for the Ojukwu family is that there are people whose parents died without leaving a kobo for them. And they survived. So, why should a reasonable man or woman kill himself or herself because their father left something for them? Without the property, they can still survive.”

    But the Chairman of the Nnewi North Transition Committee, Pat Ubajiaka, noted that the furore about the late Ojukwu’s will is unnecessary.

    The council chief said elsewhere, especially in Europe, people will their property to dogs without anyone causing trouble.

    He said: “I don’t know the implication and I don’t know what the tradition says on that. Over there (Europe), people can will their property to a dog. Some of these things are neither here nor there. Ojukwu can say in his will that he has nothing again…”

    The Chairman of Nzuko Ora Nnewi, Chief Agu Onyeka, said since the late Ojukwu has children, the property given to his wife is for the upkeep of the children.

    He added: “That was Ojukwu’s saying and not our tradition. This is because Bianca has children and cannot carry the children to a new man, if she remarries. Our tradition is that if she remarries, the children from her marriage to Ojukwu would not be transferred to another man. Nothing will happen, because the proceeds of the relationship would be used for the upkeep of the offspring from that relationship.

    “I advise our late brother’s children and family to be careful. This is because the owner of the property has the right to share his property. That was what Ojukwu did when he was alive. Whoever that is closer to one gets the best share of one’s assets so it is natural.”

    Another cleric, Evangelist Uche Onwedi, said he was not interested in the content of the will or who takes what.

    He said he was concerned that the family of a great figure like Ojukwu should be in disarray before the world over his will.

    Onwedi said: “They are not organised. They should have met and reconciled things the way they want to be seen and heard in public about their father, instead of washing the dirty linens in public…”

     

  • Cleric calls for peace, unity

    After 52 years of sharing the same national values and identity, going through the same challenges – comic or tragic – we cannot for any reason toy with the future of our children. No matter our divide, be it creed, politics or tribe, collectively, Nigeria is far above all these. This was the admonition of the Most Rev. Dr Camillus Raymond Umoh, Bishop of Ikot Ekpene Diocese.

    He spoke at a special mass held at the cathedral to celebrate Nigeria and pray for her peace and unity.

    Bishop Umoh, who was represented by the Parish Priest of Saint John Catholic Pro-Cathedral, Abak, Rev. Fr. Peter Cosmas Tombere, said there is the need to love one another and live in peace and that approach to serving one God may be different but God is the same. “In my little knowledge of all religions none that I know that is founded in any way to encourage his followers to employ any form of violent as a means of spreading the message,” he said.

    The bishop appealed to those perpetuating evil using religion as a cover to repent for their own good because God is watching. He stressed that the peace and unity of Nigeria are collective responsibilities and not that of government alone. He called on leaders to live by example by practising what they preach, rather than paying lip service for selfish interest.

    He frowned at the attitude of some parents who will encourage their children or wards to commit crime instead of teaching them the right values. He accused the younger generation of imbibing worthless western cultures and values that are exposing them to diverse dangers and in the process ruin their God ordained future.

    He noted that ‘our children should be given proper sex education starting from the home during their formative years rather than allowing them to grow and then advertise in the media the need and why they should use preventive sex materials…The best way to stay free from the ills of illicit sex is abstinence’

    Bishop Umoh advised parents to spend some quality time with their children and teach them the principles of their religion, their cultural and traditional norms and values, trusting that it would make them better persons and good leaders with humane heart. He observed that if those entrusted with the educational duties of bringing up the children are passionate about their callings as it used to be then things are bound to look up. He called on government not to trample on the welfare of the teachers because everyone was taught by a teacher.

  • VIO, cleric arraign for N750,000 fraud

    A 47-year-old Vehicle Inspection Officer Mr. Olushola Ojelade, and a 25-year-old Muslim cleric, Akorede Azeez, were yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate, Court for alleged fraud.

    They were alleged to have collected N750, 000 from Aminu Oseni under false pretence. Oseni is a supervisor/cashier officer at Stream Brooks Nigeria Limited, a company selling LAGBUS ticket at Odongunyan, Ikorodu.

    Ojelade and Akorede, are facing a three-count charge, which includes fraudulently obtaining money under false presence.

    The police prosecutor, Okoi, said the accused defrauded Oseni by claiming that he could double N1million investment by N500million. He said the accused.

    The offence, he said, committed between June and July, at LAGBUS/VIO office, Odogunyan, Ikorodu, contrary to Sections 312(a), 314(b), and 385 of Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2011. Magistrate A.O Akinde granted the accused N500, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum. She adjourned the matter till October 29.

     

  • Promote peace, cleric tasks religious leaders

    The Presiding Pastor of Mantle Prayer Ministry, Pastor Isaac Olaomo, has called on church leaders to be at the vanguard of promoting peace and love in the society.

    He spoke with our correspondent during the special monthly prayer service of the interdenominational outreach ministry in Sagamu, Ogun State.

    The cleric frowned at increasing waves of terrorist attacks and violence across the globe, saying religious leaders can help reverse the trend by challenging their followers to be law-abiding. He said the world has been worse off with attacks and violence.

    According to him: “We may have our differences as a people but we can live together in an atmosphere of peace and shun all forms of violence that may hinder the much anticipated growth and development within thecontinent”.

    Olaomo said church leaders particularly have a responsibility to promote peace, love and tolerance among their flocks.

    “The world looks up to the church to remain resolute and forthright in bringing hope in a world full of despair, fears, shame and all forms of injustices,” he stated.

    The cleric said the world will be a lot better if people learn to co-exist and shun all differences in opinions and practices.