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Tag: Oritsejafor

  • Oritsejafor to Jonathan: amnesty for Boko Haram won’t work

    Oritsejafor to Jonathan: amnesty for Boko Haram won’t work

    PRESIDENT of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor had a piece of advice for President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday.

    He urged the President not to dissipate his energies on amnesty for Boko Haram. The efforts, he said, is an exercise in futility.

    The cleric, who accused the President of pampering members of the Boko Haram sect by trying to grant them amnesty said: “the amnesty programme will not work.”

    Oritsejafor spoke in Abuja after receiving an award – “A True Servant of God” from the Christian Elders’ Forum of Northern States (NOSCEF).

    He also pushed for the establishment of cattle ranches for itinerant Fulani helmsmen.

    Oritsejafor, who wept for victims of Boko Haram insurgency, said the “arrogant and deriding manner with which Boko Haram members dismissed the amnesty deal coupled with the earlier quoted statement by Abu Qaqa have both reinforced our stance that the sect’s only interest is to eliminate Christians and enthrone and Islamic state in Nigeria.

    “This is why we are again calling on President Goodluck Jonathan not to waste the tax payers’ money on a futile exercise.

    “He should review the amnesty deal for Boko Haram in view of the bravado by the sect leader, Mallam Ibrahim Shekau. Boko Haram is not only a local terrorist organisation; it has a ring of international connection to it. Do not waste time pampering the sect members because amnesty deal will not work.

    “Permit me to call on President Jonathan to beware of some Muslim leaders in the North and their very few Christian allies, who always go to him in droves to seek regional concessions with religious biases; people who do not see anything wrong in Boko Haram killing Christians but want amnesty for the murderous and bloodthirsty sect members.

    “Amnesty plan is aimed to divert the attention of reasonable Nigerians and the world from the cruelty of Boko Haram to Christians.”

    According to the CAN President, the President should beware of those who kept mute when Odi and Odioma in Bayelsa State and Zaki Biam in Benue State were destroyed by soldiers but now want Heavens to fall when Baga. Village came under military attack.

    “He should beware of those who kept mute when Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and other Muslim leaders in the North said the country will be made ungovernable if President Jonathan becomes the president in 2011, but wants him to arrest Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo for repeating what they said earlier. Such hypocrisy should never be tolerated in a secular country like Nigeria.”

    He disagreed that poverty was responsible for the Boko Haram insurgency, saying; “if we agree that poverty, injustice and inequality are the causes of the insurgency, a largely Islamic group, the question would be: are Muslims the poorest people, the most deprived? What about Christians? Can the claim of poverty be justified if the weapons and arms being used by the Boko Haram sect are calculated in terms of naira and kobo?

    He however reiterated that CAN believe in peace and would continue to work for peace because without peace there can be no good governance that would yield the dividends of democracy.

    Oritsejafor dedicated the award to “the memory of victims of Boko Haram, those injured and are living, their widows, widowers, orphans and those whose businesses have been terminated because of the activities of the sect and indeed, to all persecuted Christians in Nigeria.”

  • Boko Haram amnesty act of wickedness, says Oritsejafor

    Boko Haram amnesty act of wickedness, says Oritsejafor

    • Northern Govs demand expansion of committee

    • FG, sect talks set to resume

     

    The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said yesterday that the planned amnesty for members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, by the Federal Government amounts to an act of wickedness.

    He wondered how government could be talking of amnesty for the fundamentalists without any thought for the welfare of victims of their insurgency.

    But the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) is in full support of the planned amnesty and wants the committee set up by the Federal Government to work out the modalities expanded to include ‘critical stakeholders.’

    Speaking as a special guest at the 80th birthday of the President, Apostolic Church of Nigeria, Pastor Gabriel Olutola, in Lagos, yesterday, Pastor Oritsejafor advised the federal government to first consider the welfare of victims of Boko Haram insurgence and ensure that Boko Haram embraces peace before considering amnesty for it.

    The CAN president faulted the circumstance surrounding the setting up of the amnesty committee.

    He said: “I don’t know if the president has actually set up a committee. It is still a rumour to me. But if he has, I think that is a bit dangerous because some of us are stakeholders. I think it is important to consult with all those who ought to know so that they can share their own opinion and also be able to speak on what amnesty is all about.”

    He also spoke on the much speculated second term ambition of President Jonathan.

    He said: “Well, I don’t know about his (Jonathan) second term ambition because I am not a politician. I am a pastor. But that would be wicked. I don’t see why he would have to consider that, because we are facing a very serious situation in Nigeria.

    “I don’t see why he would have to do that (grant amnesty). Let us not turn this situation into politics. Let’s face it for what it is. The security of the people is the number one responsibility of the president. And I think at this point, Jonathan must wake up and just face it and do what he has to do. But these people who are putting pressure on him left and right, may God help them and deliver Nigeria from their hands.”

    Stressing that CAN is not in any way opposed to amnesty, Oritsejafor, stressed: “When you talk of amnesty, you are also talking about forgiveness. But if you read Luke 15, the Bible is talking about the prodigal son and in verses 17 and 18, the Bible says, ‘when he came to himself.’ In other words, he realised that what he had done was wrong.

    “But the people we are dealing with, do they accept that what they are doing is wrong? When he (the prodigal son realised it, then he came to his father to ask for forgiveness.”

    Reacting to a call by former First Lady, Turai Yar’Adua, that President Jonathan should extend the same gesture her late husband granted the Niger Delta militants, Oritsejafor said, “Comments like this show that those who hold those views either don’t know or pretend not to know what is really happening. If they don’t know, they should meet those who know.”

    Oritsejafor said it was wrong to draw a parallel between the Niger Delta and the Boko Haram situations. The Niger Delta militants, he explained, were identified by leaders of the area and agreed to lay down their arms within the period specified by the government before they were offered amnesty.

    “The leaders in the North, instead of talking and talking, they should go and identify these (Boko Haram) boys. Jonathan cannot do that. He doesn’t know where to go. That is why he must be careful the way he gets involved with some of these agitators,” he said.

    Going down the memory lane on how the Niger Delta militants were appeased, Oritsejafor said, “Amnesty did not just happen. What happened was that the leaders from the Niger Delta were able to identify the leaders of these militant groups. Yar’ Adua did not identify them. The leaders in the area identified them and brought them to Yar’ Adua and said ‘these are the boys.’

    “Jonathan himself was given the marching orders by Yar’ Adua. He came to the Niger Delta. Incidentally, I’m from that area-and some of us took him to the creeks. I went personally. He went with these boys, he talked with them. Yar’Adua now said, ‘you have three months to drop your arms. If you drop your arms, then we would start discussing amnesty or any other issue. But if you don’t, you will all be killed.’

    “People like Chief Edwin Clark and several others went into the creeks, discussed with the boys, convinced them and within the three months grace, most of them dropped their arms. That was what gradually gave birth to amnesty. So, what are we talking about now? That a committee would just come out and say ‘now there is amnesty.’ I don’t think that is what Jonathan wants. I would be surprised if that is what some of these Northern leaders themselves want.

    “I think we should be concerned about the victims. How are we going to take care of them? How are we going to compensate the people they left behind? What about the churches that have been burnt? There are so many unanswered questions that I am wondering why we are putting the cart before the horse.”

    The CAN leader also urged the government to intervene in the spate of attacks by Fulani herdsmen on several communities in the country.

    His words: “What we hear today about Fulani herdsmen is a very dangerous trend. Government and security agencies should look into it. Is there a connection between them and Boko Haram? The Fulani herdsmen we used to know went about with their sticks and guarded their herds.

    “But today, they are killing and maiming in places like Kaduna, Plateau, Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Delta, Benue, Nasarawa and even inside Abuja. And now they are carrying AK47. Who are these people? Leaders of the Fulani community should look into this. Government should help us with these issues.”

    The Northern governors in expressing support for the planned amnesty yesterday said President Jonathan was on the right path.

    The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Danladi Ndayebo said the move “underscores the resolve of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led government to restore peace in the region.”

    He said a peaceful atmosphere would reinvigorate the region’s development.

    It said: “The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) encourages President Jonathan in his effort to find a lasting solution to the Boko Haram crisis, with the hope that members of the sect would make themselves available for dialogue.

    “The Forum calls for the expansion of the committee’s membership to include critical stakeholders in the region whose input would facilitate quick resolution of the crisis.

    “State Governors, traditional rulers, the clergy – Christian and Islamic – academics, retired military men, businessmen and former public officers should form part of the current effort at fashioning out strategies to address the disturbing state of insecurity and to proffer practical and enduring solutions to the insecurity in the region.”

    Recalling that the NSGF had, last year, inaugurated a 41-man peace committee headed by former Director General of the NIA, Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim whose membership cuts across people with diverse backgrounds, it said:”Although the committee is yet to submit report of its findings, its interface with some stakeholders in the troubled states in the North East is responsible for the progress so far made.”

    The governors spoke as Northern elders called for the establishment of a permanent amnesty commission to address the issue of pardon for deserving people from time to time.

    They have already sent their proposal to President Goodluck Jonathan, in black and white, according to a former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof Ango Abdullahi.

    The commission will be different from the committee constituted last week by President Goodluck Jonathan last week to work out modalities for granting amnesty to members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.

    Professor Abdullahi told the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitored in Kaduna that the proposed commission, expected to be backed by law, would be operating independent of government.

    He said: “We went with this advice in writing. Our thinking was that if the government felt it would be granting amnesty just like that, then there should be an independent body whose responsibility will be to set up how this amnesty will be granted, and also those affected will not be afraid to come out.

    “We suggested the establishment of an amnesty commission. A commission is different from a committee but I hope it is a step that will lead to the commission.

    “If a commission is established by law, it is independent and with honest individuals appointed to lead it, they will set up the process through which the desired objectives would be achieved.”

     

  • Oritsejafor to Fed Govt: fish out members, sponsors of Boko Haram

    Oritsejafor to Fed Govt: fish out members, sponsors of Boko Haram

    The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor yesterday urged the Federal Government to expose members of the Boko Haram sect and their sponsors.

    Oritsejafor described Kano’s suicide bombing as “utterly evil, tragic and condemnable”.

    He urged the Kano State government to be more circumspective to forestall recurrence.

    He said: “Those pro-terror people grew up among these Islamic religious leaders and are Muslims. Whatever new kind of transformation they have undergone that they have become terrorists should be blamed on these leaders. Why are they rebelling against human values? Why do they blow themselves up as suicide bombers? These leaders must re-examine some of their weak points and deficiencies in their method of preaching.”

    According to a statement in Abuja by the Special Assistant, Media and Public Affair to the CAN president, Kenny Ashaka: “The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor commiserates with the victims of Monday’s suicide bomb attack, the families and friends of those who lost their lives and the Kano State Government. He prays that God should repose the souls of the departed and console their grieving families and loved ones.

    “Pastor Oritsejafor notes the prevalence of attacks on Christians and their Churches in the northern part of Nigeria in recent times, one of which is the burning of a Church belonging to the Redeem Christian Church of God, RCCG by unknown persons in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital and the unconstitutional suspension of the only female and Christian legislator in the Bauchi State House of Assembly on charges of opposition to the relocation of the headquarters of a local council.

    “In as much as his heart goes to the Muslim victims in this latest suicide attack in Sabon Gari, Kano, a ward predominantly occupied by indigenous and non-indigene Christians, he feels the attacks in Kano, Gusau and the travails of the only Christian female legislator were a signpost of the intended extermination of Christians and Christianity from northern Nigeria.

    “The Federal Government cannot continue to condemn these heinous acts of the enemies of unity and agents of death without prosecuting those already arrested. This does not add up in any way. The Federal Government should do the right thing by prosecuting those already in its net with proven record of complicity. I plead with the government to fish out the sponsors of Jama’atul Ahlis Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal commonly called Boko Haram and the Islamic group, Jama’atu Ansaril Muslimina fi Sudan better known as Ansaru, an al-Qaeda-aligned group and a splinter group which specialty is the kidnapping and killing of Christian foreigners. Those betraying others by working underground with enemies of the nation should also be fished out and dealt with in accordance with the laws of the land.

    “The barbaric and sustained bomb and gun attacks on innocent Nigerians are the reason why we in CAN are calling on the Federal Government to support our call for the branding of the Boko Haram sect as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, FTO.”

     

  • Fish out members, sponsors of Boko Haram – Oritsejafor

    Fish out members, sponsors of Boko Haram – Oritsejafor

    The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, on Tuesday advised Federal Government to expose members of the Boko Haram sect and their sponsors.

    Oritsejafor explained that condemning the bomb attack in Kano by government without serious action is creating more problems for the country.

    The CAN President believes that the suicide bombing of a Lagos-bound 59 seater luxury bus which killed 25 people by “those whose inhumanity and vicious behavior terrifies Nigerians”, is utterly evil, tragic and condemnable.

    He asked the Kano State Government to be more circumspective and to liase effectively with security agencies in the state in order to forestall future occurrence: “since the city has become one of the critical stages of Boko Haram violence, a place where violence is likely to break out suddenly.”

    Orisejafor, who expressed sadness about the activities of the Boko Haram sect said: “Those pro-terror people grew up among these Islamic religious leaders and are Muslims. Whatever new kind of transformation they have undergone that they have become terrorists should be blamed on these leaders. Why are they rebelling against human values? Why do they blow themselves up as suicide bombers? These leaders must re-examine some of their weak points and deficiencies in their method of preaching.”

    The proponents of Amnesty to Boko Haram sect members, he said should have a rethink and join concerned Nigerians to fish out these bloodthirsty and callous killers that reside among them.

    According to a statement issued in Abuja by the Special Assistant, Media and Public Affair to the CAN President, Kenny Ashaka, “The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor commiserates with the victims of Monday’s suicide bomb attack, the families and friends of those who lost their lives and the Kano State Government. He prays that God should repose the souls of the departed and console their grieving families and loved ones.”

     

  • Seven states refused to sponsor Christian pilgrims, says Oritsejafor

    Seven states refused to sponsor Christian pilgrims, says Oritsejafor

    Seven states in the North declined to sponsor Christian Pilgrims last year, it emerged yesterday.

    The Federal Government delegation to the 2012 Christian pilgrimage to the Holy land listed the states as Jigawa, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Benue and Gombe.

    The delegation, led by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, submitted its report to President Goodluck Jonathan.

    It announced that 16,372 Nigerians participated in the Christian pilgrimage.

    Promising to discuss with the states, President Jonathan maintained that the Federal Government cannot force any state government to sponsor pilgrims if they do not want to do so.

    But he cautioned that such a decision not to sponsor pilgrims must affect both Christian and Muslim pilgrims.

    He said: “Government cannot force state governments to sponsor pilgrims if they don’t want to do so. If they decide to pull out from sponsoring pilgrims, there is nothing we can do. But if some state governments are sponsoring pilgrims of one religion and leaving out the other, that is against the law. Nigeria is a secular state and so nobody should be discriminated against based on religious belief.”

    Jonathan also promised the National Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) for its efforts in winning the confidence of the Italian authorities.

    “I am pleased to hear that Italian authorities now rely on the commission to issue visa to intending pilgrims. It is a sign of confidence in the commission, led by John Okpara and, indeed, in the country,” he added

    He also listed other achievements of the NCPC to include the absence of cases of pilgrims absconding during pilgrimage to the holy land and improvements in the organisation of the annual exercise with no negative report emanating from the program.

    Indicating interest to attend this year’s pilgrimage, Jonathan said it would afford him the opportunity to engage authorities of the State of Israel on the need for a Bilateral Air Service Agreement between Nigeria and Israel to make the journey from Nigeria less stressful.

    He promised to consider the recommendation that members of the Federal Government delegation be given a two-year tenure instead of the present arrangement where members are appointed yearly.

    He said: “We shall look at your suggestion that the government delegation be given two-year tenure. There is a sense in the suggestion because there will be continuity and memory. Such decision will also help me because I won’t keep appointing people everyday.

    “It was for the same reason of continuity and institutional memory that we decided that the Sultan, by virtue of his position, be the permanent leader of the government delegation for Muslim pilgrimage while the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria leads that of Christian pilgrimage every year,” he said.

    Presenting the report, Pastor Oritsejafor said there was a sharp reduction in the number of Christians who participated in the 2012 pilgrimage when compared with the figure of the previous year. He recommended the need for the Federal Government delegation for every year to be inaugurated early enough to give them ample time to plan.

    Pastor Oritsejafor was accompanied by the Chairman of the NCPC, the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh; the Executive Secretary, Mr. John Okpara; the Chaplain to the President, Ven. Obioma Onwuzuruba; Minister of Water Resources Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe and other members of the 11-man Federal Government delegation.

  • Omobude is new PFN president

    Omobude is new PFN president

    The President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has announced Rev. Felix Omobude as the new President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).

    He made the announcement on Friday at the end of the PFN’s 12TH National Biennial Conference held in Uyo.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Oritsejafor was until this announcement, the PFN president for three years.

    He appealed to members of the PFN to give the new president the maximum support to enable him to “shepherd the flock.’’

    The outgoing PFN president urged the church leaders to expunge corruption from the church to keep it pure.

    Prior to his elevation, Omobude was the General Superintendent of New Covenant Church in Benin City, Edo State.

     

  • PFN: Who takes over from Oritsejafor?

    PFN: Who takes over from Oritsejafor?

    From Monday, February 4th, thousands of ministers and church leaders under the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) will gather in Uyo, the capital of Akwa-Ibom, for the biennial conference of the body.

    Though the conference will feature many ministrations and sessions, most of them will be more interested in the closing ceremony when the new national president of the body will be unveiled.

    The outgoing president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, whose tenure ends at the conference, many believe, took the bloc within the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to greater heights.

    Under him, PFN gained more national prominence, culminating in his emergence in July 2010 as the first pentecostal leader of CAN in a keenly-contested election.

    The achievements of Oritsejafor as leader of the body has raised the stakes for those interested in the seat.

    Investigations revealed that the leading contenders for the post are: National Secretary, Pastor Wale Adefarasin; National Vice President (South West), Bishop Wale Oke, renowned evangelist, Uma Ukpai and a member of the National Advisory Council (NAC), Bishop Felix Omobude.

    Culture of secrecy

    None of them, however, was willing to confirm interest in the seat.

    This is because emergence of leaders in the pentecostal body is always well-guarded. Unlike CAN or even secular politics, there is no open campaign in the PFN.

    Leaders in the body also do not go through election. Rather, the National Advisory Council (NAC) determines who becomes who in the PFN.

    The influential body consists of past presidents and notable pentecostal leaders in the country. Though it is considered an advisory body, NAC wields enormous influence over the leadership and composition of PFN.

    NAC members intervene at crucial moments in the body, making critical pronouncements that go unchallenged.

    Sources said members of the powerful organ are already beaming the searchlight on who to succeed Oritsejafor.

    It was gathered that Adefarasin remains the biggest contender, having succeeded in stabilising the Lagos chapter of PFN, which was rocked by serious crisis some years in the aftermath of the Evangelist Benny Hinn fiasco.

    Adefarasin not only stabilised Lagos PFN but also restored confidence in the body, bringing back many members who left in annoyance.

    Tales from the camps

    Those who believe in him say he is the man who can get the job done for now in National PFN.

    One of them said: “Pastor Wale is calm, cool-headed and reliable. He is the only one that can bring order and sanity to the body.

    “Don’t forget he sanitised Lagos PFN and recorded many achievements without being abrasive or rubbing it in on anyone.”

    Those against the urbane preacher, however, said he lacks the muscle to assert discipline and impose sanctions on erring members.

    According to one of them: “Yes, he is a good man but being good is never enough for a complex organisation like PFN. We need someone who can put his foot down and ensure discipline across board.”

    Unconfirmed reports said he is the preferred candidate with the backing of the incumbent.

    Firmness might be Adefarasin’s weak point but it remains the strongest qualification of foremost evangelist, Uma Ukpai. Ukpai, they say, is about the only founding father of the PFN that has not led the body.

    “With someone like him, you can be sure we are home and dry. He is a source of inspiration, strength and steel for upcoming ministers.

    “He is a man everyone will willingly surrender to because of his stature, disposition and wide contacts,” a source stated.

    Those against him, however, said he is too old to lead the body.

    “He is an elder that should sit back and watch the younger ones work. He should just concentrate on his crusades and leave politics for the tough-minded,’’ another source said.

    Besides, many said he does not have a church, which makes it difficult to lead the PFN.

    A member of the anti-Ukpai camp said: “We have a history of choosing church leaders. It would be a departure for someone like him to emerge. Without a church, how can he fund the organisation?”

    Going by charismatic and friendly appeal, Bishop Wale Oke of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries Ibadan would easily emerge the new PFN leader. He is also perceived as close to Oritsejafor and government leaders.

    But many say he will not get the nod because of undisclosed issues bordering on the past.

    For Bishop Felix Omobude, many say he will be a worthy leader, giving his long years of experience in the ministry and fatherly disposition.

    He is seen as a man that younger and older elements in the body will easily submit to. But sources close to him say he might not be interested.

    “The man will just face his ministry because he is already winding down after years of service in the vineyard,’’ a competent source stated.

    The flamboyant general overseer of House on the Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, is also said to be eyeing the office.

    But many dismissed his ambition as misplaced, stating that it is not yet the turn of his generation.

    The younger Adefarasin was removed few years ago as the National Youth Leader of the PFN under hazy circumstances.

    It is believed that the forces that removed him will never allow the energetic preacher return to any leadership office in the PFN.

    There are talks the National Vice-President, Rev (Mrs.) Mercy Ezekiel, will also be in contention.

    But it was learnt power brokers in the body will never hand over the leadership of the PFN to a woman.

    “Mama has done her best. It is time for her to step out graciously. There is no way a woman will lead us. How will men submit to a woman as the leader?

    “Forget gender discrimination. The Bible is clear. A woman cannot lead in the multitude of men in such a strategic body as PFN,” a source hinted.

    There is no doubt whoever is anointed by the NAC will get the post. He will surely have many fences to mend before settling down to business.

  • Oritsejafor: Nigerians should exemplify Christ’s virtues

    The insecurity in parts of the country yesterday dominated religious leaders’ goodwill messages to the nation, as Christians mark the birth of Jesus Christ.

    In their messages, clerics spoke on the need for peaceful co-existence among Nigerians, which the nation’s founding fathers fought for.

    The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, enjoined Nigerians to exemplify Christ’s virtues. He admonished Nigerians, irrespective of religious differences, to see the celebration as a period for peace, reconciliation and justice.

    In his Christmas message, through his Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Kenny Ashaka, Pastor Oritsejafor urged Christians to preserve the fundamentals and true spirit of reverence which, he noted, many displayed towards Jesus Christ.

    The message reads: “I rejoice with Christians on this joyous season, which marks the birth of our saviour and master, Jesus Christ.

    “I pray that as God loves the world so much and sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, who came and lived among us, bringing salvation to mankind, we should also be the sign and instrument of reconciliation, justice and peace.

    “May this Christmas bring forth joy, hope, peace and harmony in our land. I urge all Nigerians, irrespective of our religions, to display the true spirit of reverence, which springs from our faith as enshrined in the Holy Books.”

    The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, called on Nigerians to pray for lasting peace and unity in the country.

    He urged the political class to be more responsive to the yearnings of the masses.

    The Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, Most Rev. Sunday Ola Makinde, said: “It is important that as we celebrate Christmas with food, drinks and all forms of merriment, we need to hold in focus what the season represents. Christmas should be a time for us to remember that we as Christians have an obligation to leave the comfort of our everyday life to help the less-fortunate just as Jesus did for all of us.”

    The Dean of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Ephraim Ademowo, bemoaned the myriad of challenges facing the nation, ranging from neglect to suffering, poverty, diseases, robbery, kidnapping, communal clashes, religious wars, political fracas, insurgency, militancy, violence, plane crash and natural disasters. He said such problems “are fast becoming part of our daily lives.”

    Ademowo expressed worry that at 52, Nigeria is yet to stand on its feet despite the resources the nation is blessed with, noting that the lessons of Christmas must be geared towards overcoming “the challenges confronting us.”

    The Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo, urged Nigerians not to lose hope “in our collective project, called Nigeria.”

    He added: “The key motivating factor that has kept my hope alive is God’s finger upon our nation. Nigeria is endowed with the resources to make us a great country and become the envy among the comity of nations.”

    The Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Rev. Monsignor Gabriel Osu, said: “We are in that special season once again. A season of joy, peace and great tidings. A season when we celebrate the birth of Christ the King, the redeemer of mankind. Jesus is the reason for the season.”

     

  • Jonathan lauds Oritsejafor on 40th anniversary

    Jonathan lauds Oritsejafor on 40th anniversary

    •CAN president gets private jet gift from church

    President Goodluck Jonathan has asked Nigerians to be steadfast in prayers and seek strengths in the country’s diversity, despite the numerous challenges confronting the nation.

    Jonathan spoke yesterday in Warri as special guest during the 40th anniversary of the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and founder of Word of God Bible Church, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, on the pulpit which also coincided with his birthday.

    The CAN President during the occasion also joined the league of clergymen who own private jets. He now has a 10-Seater Bombardier/Challenger 601 Aircraft.

    According to him, the country would overcome her challenges if the people could draw positively on their areas of strengths.

    The President, who attended the programme till the end, also extolled the virtues of Oritsejafor, stressing that since he started his ministration 40 years ago, he had stayed on course and remained to his calling.

    Apart from being a shining example of priesthood, the President stated that Oritsejafor had spent his four decades on the pulpit propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ, building bridges and serving as an interface across the religious divide.

    He said: “40 years in the service of God Almighty is a remarkable feat achievable only through the grace of God. Pastor Ayo is a respected national Christian, visionary leader, a great man of faith that preaches the word of God pleasantly. I also thank the Lord for giving him as a gift to the generation of Nigerians.

    “I can say without any equivocation that Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, from the very humble beginning about 1972, has moved from strength to strength. Today, he is a Christian visionary leader who preaches the word of God clearly and eloquently as a good shepherd, a man of vision who has served as an interface across the religious divides.

    “He has earned his respect among his peers and this explains why he is holding the two very important positions in Christendom in Nigeria as a President of Christian Association of Nigeria and President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria.

    “You will continue to be a source of inspiration to many people in many years to come. When he started this ministry many years ago, Nigeria was just emerging from the anguish of civil war. Although, today we are enjoying the benefits of democracy, we still need to overcome our challenges. We must seek strength from our diversity.”

    Oritsejafor said if Nigeria must reclaim its lost glory and be great again, all Nigerians must be ready to put the nation first and be ready to make sacrifices.

    He said rather than dwelling on the things that are capable of dividing the country, he admonished the people to begin to do thinsg that would impact positively on the lives of the people.

    The CAN President said, “If Nigeria must reclaim her destiny, then everybody must be ready to make sacrifices. We must be prepared to inconvenience ourselves; we must be prepared to forget about ourselves and put Nigeria first. We must begin to do things that will make positive impact on the lives of our people. Nigeria is great and our sacrifices will bring out the greatness of the great nation.”

    During the service it was announced to the congregation that Oritsejafor has joined the league of pastors with private jets in the country. Others who have been in the league before him include David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel, Enoch Adejare Adeboye of The Redeemed Christian Church of God 2nd Bishop Mike Okonkwo of the Reedemed Evangelical Mission (TREM).

    Oritsejafor’s jet, marked N431CB, was said to have been manufactured in the United States, the announcement elicited loud ovation and applause from the congregation.

    The luxurious and spacious cabin of the Bombardier/Challenger 601 is perfect to conduct meetings or simply relax.

    Although the cost of the aircraft was not disclosed, an updated version of the 1994 series is said to cost $4.9m.

    The jubilant congregation spent over 15 minutes congratulating one another while the recipient did not make any comment on the jet said to have been purchased for him by the Church.

     

  • Eid-el-Kabir: Oritsejafor, Makinde greet Muslims

    The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and the Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN), Dr Ola Makinde, have congratulated Muslims on the celebration of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir.

    Oritsejafor, in a statement by his Senior Assistant, Media and Public Affairs, Kenny Ashaka, wished the President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Saad Abubakar and indeed all Muslims a fruitful celebration.

    He urged the Muslim Ummah to seize the occasion to pray fervently for peace, security, good governance and development in the country.

    According to him: “Your prayers should centre on the re-establishment of the pillars of love and tolerance for which Islam is known.”

    He tasked Muslims to shun harshness and bigotry, which are attributes that are alien to Islam and use this occasion to understand the Prophet.

    In his Eid-el-Kabir goodwill message by the Church’s Media and Public Relations Officer, Rev. Oladapo Daramola, Makinde felicitated with Muslims on the celebration.

    He urged them to embrace tolerance and peace at all times.

    According to him: “As we know, this is a festival that all Muslims are commanded to celebrate in joy and happiness by Allah Almighty Himself!

    “This in itself portrays its importance. And that is why I will also like to preach to all people of faith to embrace peace and religious tolerance so that the joy and happiness which this festival stands for will be enjoyed by all and sundry”.