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Tag: Sunday Oguntola

  • Oke Ogun tennis club holds inaugural tournament October

    Oke Ogun tennis club holds inaugural tournament October

    The newly established Oke-Ogun Tennis Club will hold its inaugural tournament in October 2024.

     According to a statement by Bola Olalere, the Project Coordinator of Oke Ogun Green Revolution, the parent body for the club, the tournament which is tagged OKE OGUN OPEN will hold in Iseyin, Saki and Okeho between October 1 and 26. 

    The  Tennis Club  which is one of the initiatives of Oke Ogun Green Revolution, is to serve as an avenue for social networking among members while they play the game of lawn tennis and engages in Agribusiness. 

    “With a good number of our youths  relocating home for the purpose of Agribusiness and several other Agriprenuer trooping into the region, we do not want them to miss anything from the city and that is why we are creating green estates with modern facilities like tennis courts across the region.

    “It is therefore our pleasure to announce the formation of ‘OkeOgun Tennis Club’, The formation comes with the construction of a state of the art Tennis Court that guarantee safe and enjoyable experience for players inside the Commonwealth Green Estate, Elewure, Okeho where the inaugural tournament finals will be played, ” the statement reads. 

    Read Also: Nigeria sets world record for highest number of lactating mothers breastfeeding

    Olalere said that the club will create platforms that will generate networks that will make farming easier, attractive and profitable to members. 

    He however stated the membership of the club is not limited to indigenes of Oke Ogun only but open to all citizens of the world who shares in the green revolution ideology.

    He also revealed that the club will have tennis courts and club houses in all their green estates in Iseyin, Saki, Igboho, Kisi, Sepeteri, Igbeti, Ilero, Iganna, Ago Are, Ipapo and Ado Awaye.

  • SportingLife: Ade Ojeikere discusses Sarri’s rant

    The Nationa Newspaper Sports Editor, Ade Ojeikere and Online Editor Sunday Oguntola, discuss on sports issues around the world.

  • ‘How Nigeria can become top export-nation’

    President of Koinonia Global Services Inc., Canada, Olufemi Boyede, is a certified International Trade Professional with over 30 years of professional experience in international trade and strategy with bias for export business.

    He spoke with Sunday Oguntola on how Nigeria can maximise export opportunities. Excerpts:

    What in concrete terms do you think should be done to effectively promote non-oil sector?

    Non-oil export development is a direct function of a broad-based consultative and generally agreed and adopted National Export Strategy.  Such a strategy will have a National Strategy Team driving it.  This does not imply a vote of no confidence in the National Agency charged with responsibility for non-oil export promotion.

    Rather, it helps first and foremost to establish collective ownership (and therefore, collective responsibility for success or failure).  It establishes synergy (of all MDAs and the Private Sector Associations and sub-groups with stake in the growth of the country’s exports.

    Of course, a perfect strategy will also contain an action plan, a monitoring and evaluation mechanism and be flexible enough to be subjected to regular, if not continuous modification.  Resources for its implementation will have to be budgeted for (and must be outside the usual running budget of the NEPC.

    Above all, the team as a whole must be made to report to an authority higher than the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.  In the case of the United States of America that I am so fond of citing, the team was actually of Cabinet status and reported directly to President Obama.

    The lowest ranking member was the Secretary (Minister) in charge of the relevant agency and Heads of the Private sector players.

    Until we understand the National Export Strategy team must be unique, deliberate and vibrant (more like a task force) we are very unlikely to get any results.

    Looking at our non-oil sector and the global trend of doing business do you think as a country we have a chance in making a statement in the global front?

    Based on what is on ground now, my answer is a categorical no.  International Trade (exports) thrives on competitiveness.  There is no way an average Nigerian exporter can favourably compete as of today in the international market.

    Apart from the myriad of challenges back home that culminate in unduly high unit cost of exports, our reluctance to sign some agreements that bestow zero or preferential tariffs on our products has also negatively impacted our ability to compete globally.

    Ask a Nigerian exporter of Cocoa. The EU remains Nigeria’s biggest importer of Cocoa and other agricultural products.  Since we out-rightly rejected (in whole) the Economic Partnership Agreement proposed by the EU, Cocoa, (beans and other value-added derivatives) now attract as high as 7% import duty in the huge EU market.

    Worse still, the Export Expansion Grant, the only one of 18 existing (by law) export incentives in Nigeria, has never really worked smoothly.  I can tell you categorically right now that the last time any Nigerian exporter enjoyed the EEG was in 2014.

    Commendably, the NEPC succeeded in getting the backlog of unpaid grants (2007-2016) incorporated into the Federal Government’s domestic debt profile.  The Council has pushed for this to be paid via promissory notes but despite promises that exporters would receive these PNs before the end of 2018, access remains a mirage.

    Along the line, the NEPC modified the scheme, reducing the grant rate from a possible 30% of repatriated proceeds to 15% (with exporters required to pay a 2% Administrative fee (before collection, mind you).

    The grant was to be paid via a newly introduced instrument tagged the Export Credit Certificate.  Again, despite all the motions we have seen, no movement has been achieved.  We are gradually approaching a third export year now (another set of backlogs) and yet, no one has seen the colour of the Export Credit Certificate.

     

    How do you assess the current administration’s policies in the sector?

    For an administration that came in when Nigeria was just clawing herself out of the throes of economic depression, it was expected that more serious attention would be paid to non-oil exports.

    Unfortunately, the administration seemed to immediately distance itself from non-oil export orientation by basing its diversification agenda on non-oil revenues, particularly tax thereby trivializing the non-oil export sector.

    I am not playing on language and connotations here.  There is a clear distinction between non-oil revenues and revenues from non-oil exports.

    Mr. President recently presented the 2019 Budget to the National Assembly.  In the breakdown subsequently released by the Minister of National Planning, only 5.2 billion was earmarked for payment of export incentives, particularly the Export Expansion Grant.

    Going by the trend of EEG paid-outs over the past ten years, I am shocked that government by this singular action seems to be establishing a threshold beyond which Nigerian exporters are not allowed to go.

    Ironically, a whopping N305bn has been earmarked for payment of subsidy on imported petroleum products. The ERGP is a 142-page document.  The first time the word “non-oil export comes up in the entire document is on page 73 and it was just a passing mention of the government’s commitment to pursuing the NEPC’s zero-oil plan.

    The zero-oil plan itself has been evaluated by the International Trade Centre and this United Nations Global Agency for (Export) Trade Development has told NEPC categorically that it does not qualify as an export strategy.

    That is why Nigerians have been saved the noisome cacophony of zero-oil- that was nearly all over the place for two full years.  So as it stands, we really still do not have a National Strategy on Export Development and Promotion.

    You have been part of some state’s summit on non-oil export. What from your view is stopping states and even individuals from invading the world with their products? The Ogun State adire industry readily comes to mind?

    Let me start by stating emphatically it is not only Ogun State that has an exportable product in the adire you referred to.  The 36 states and FCT have at least 2 products that can make waves in the global market.

    Niger State is the world’s largest producer of shea nuts butter.  Paradoxically, 95% of this product grows in the wild.  Why is Niger State not the world’s largest exporter of shea butter?  Ondo State produces 65% of Nigeria’s Cocoa and Nigeria is rated as the world’s sixth largest exporter of Cocoa.

    What is the ranking of Ondo State in World Cocoa deliveries?  Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers States between them have the capacity to catch up with Malaysia on Palm Oil.  What is the share of these states in world trade in palm oil?  Lagos State has the longest/largest natural beach along West Africa.

    Cocoanut grows in the wild and even with its Coconut Development Agency Lagos State is yet to feature officially as a world exporter of Coconut (and derivatives).  I could go on and on.

    The Nigeria Export Promotion Council, one of its presentations, listed at least twenty products where Nigeria is top-five largest producer in the world.  But in not a single one of these does the country feature even on the top-fifty list of exporters.

    The answer is simply where there is no plan, there cannot be results.  And plans will come as a result of the leadership’s understanding and prioritization of non-oil exports as an economic roadmap.

    Talking about incentives for exporters what is the current situation?

    As I had stated in answer to one of your questions earlier, the situation is dim and gloomy. Again let me reiterate that this situation is sad.  Check the world’s largest players in export trade.  The USA, Australia, China, Malaysia, India and Ghana next door, all have very fantastic and functional support instruments, programmes and incentives to push their products into the world markets.

    South Africa, the last time I checked, had thirty-four separate Export Promotion Councils, each dedicated to a sector where the country deems herself to have high potential.  Nigeria has only one.

    Australia incentivizes exports to the level of refunding a telephone call made by an exporter, or the cost of visit of a potential importer, once these lead to actual export sales.  Australia and USA have a yearly Presidential Exports Awards instituted over fifty years ago.

    Recently, Nigeria, through the NEPC, decided to activate the never-started Export Development Fund.  I am not sure if the Fund has been endowed and how much the Federal Government is dedicating to this only pre-shipment catalyst for export growth.  Permit me to say in pidgin English – our road still far.

     

  • 4th Miss Nigeria Ghana pageant holds Nov 10

    4th Miss Nigeria Ghana pageant holds Nov 10

    The final of Miss Nigeria Ghana pageant holds on November 10 in Accra.
    The event endorsed by the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana holds at the main auditorium of the National Theatre, Accra.
    It is aimed at organising these young beauties towards projecting the bilateral relationship of the two nations, foster more cordial relationship among youths of the two countries and creating a platform for general entertainment and business promotion.
    The communications director of Miss Nigeria Ghana, Jessica Ogbogu, told reporters after the last audition the process that led to the emergence of the finalists was rigorous.
    The judges were led by Ghana Supermodel Victoria Micheals, Stephanie Karikari Miss Ghana 2010, Yemmy 1Baba PR guru/ blogger and Nancy blaq, one of the leading makeover artists in Ghana.
    According to her: “We took our time in selecting personalities entrusted with the responsibility of judging and selecting capable minds among the girls present today to represent different states of Nigeria at the pageant.
    “Our judges are proven professionals in their fields with impeccable moral values and I must repeat the fact that in order for one to be crowned Miss Nigeria Ghana.”
    On the kind of queen beauty that will be unveiled at the finals, she said: “She has to exhibit a discipline and commitment to the goals of the pageant and has to be a person with high moral values.
    “The prettiest sometimes do not win the crown because other factors than physical looks are put into consideration.
    “The purpose is to select the person who embodies the closest qualities and the personality that is capable of enhancing the social cause of the pageant.”
    The winner of the pageant embarks on a one- year community engagement service.
    The previous three winners concentrated on breast cancer awareness campaign targeting all regions of Ghana.
  • ‘Why I closed down our church’s branches’

    ‘Why I closed down our church’s branches’

    General Overseer of The King’s Chapel Ibadan, Rev. (Dr) Lekan Babatunde, was a former lecturer at the University of Ibadan. He speaks with Sunday Oguntola on his exploits in the ministry and sundry issues. Excerpts:

    Who did you find yourself in the ministry?

    I studied Hospital Management and Philosophy in the US. When I came back, I was working in UCH for some time. I was in charge of the clinical services but I wasn’t fulfilled. Then I decided to go back to the academics.

    By His grace I happened to be a brilliant student. As a matter of fact, I went to the US with the Federal Government scholarship. When I got to UI and they saw my performance, they offered me a teaching job straightaway.

    Even my first degree was in teaching as a graduate assistant. But the call of God upon me was so urgent that I had to leave and submitted my PhD thesis to United Bible University in Lagos. Then after I taught in UI for four years, I abandoned it for full- time ministry.

    Philosophers and theologians hardly meet. How did you cope?

    That is true but don’t forget God can do all things. When He needs you, He takes you. He takes you even if you were born by atheists. He still takes you and uses you regardless of the philosophical background. When it has to do with my God, philosophy bows. God is first and any philosophical theory bows.

    When it comes to priority, the word of God is above all and philosophical theory comes next.

    How did the call come, was it when you are in UI?

    From my childhood, I have always known that God was going to use me. One of the very unfailing experiences I had that authenticated the call was when I was visiting my aunt in Abeokuta. All of a sudden, I was about to enter the house and three big angels appeared to me. They were very big and massive not standing vertically.

    They were standing horizontally. Then all of a sudden the one in the third position flew to number one and was facing me as if to give a message. But as an immature Christian, I just shouted to my aunt to come and see angels. By the time she rushed down to look, they had vanished.

    One time again, I was going to my place of work in UCH and at the secretariat roundabout, I met this crippled guy. Something in me just said ‘go and help that man.’

    I knew it was God asking me to pray for him but I was afraid. I thought suppose I pray for this man and nothing happened. I ignored it and left. I got to my place of work. I could not do anything. The burden was so overwhelming to the extent that my boss asked what the problem was.

    So I went back to pray for him.  Just like Acts 3, he stood up and walked. All those were among the signs. The third one that actually pushed me was that of a girl called Agatha, who was dead in the house opposite us in Bodija.

    My daughter was there because we heard weeping and she said, ‘daddy something is telling me Agatha will rise up.’ So, I went there and prayed for her. In fact, they have brought the ambulance that will take her to the mortuary. She woke up and the parents started coming to church.

    With all these happening one after the other, I was doing God’s work part time but I said no more. No more philosophy, no more teaching. Then I tendered my resignation and left the university services.

    And would you say you are fulfilled in full time ministry?

    I wouldn’t say that because each time I looked at what I have done and what is still ahead, it is like I am still like 10 percent. I am not fulfilled yet but I am satisfied that I answered His call. I have no regret because there is still a long way to go.

    But some people would say if you are still in the academics, you certainly would have become a professor.

    My students are professors and of course I know.

    Do you look back and say I wished I was on the other side?

    To be sincere, once in a while when you meet one or two challenges, I will say to myself, ‘if I were still in the academics I will have become a professor by late 90s or early 2000’. But I will quickly repent and apologise to God.

    So once in a while that happens especially when you see your colleagues that you are more even brighter than. We are human beings. It is only God that has no fault and we all stand by His grace.

    Are you pleased with Christianity today?

    When we were coming up as believers, we knew how the body of Christ was. When you do business with a Christian then, you can sleep at ease. You leave your property or wife with any Christian in those days and it just will not occur to you that something could go wrong.

    You don’t have to do that today. Things have changed drastically. It is painful when you try to say let’s go back to the drawing table and then put off what needs to be put off. You offend some people who think you are old school. Some would think that things have changed that it is not what it should be.

    So it is a lot of frustration but one thing is certain the Christianity practiced today is not what the fathers handled over to us. Today, people run after signs and wonders.

    But are you not old school?

    That is the frustration I get all the time. Jet age and all those have changed things but we still try to maintain God’s standards. God does not change. Countries change and Presidents changes but God remains the same. He is still the old school God. He has not been modernised and they need to understand and face that reality.

    Do you get insinuations that your church is not massive because of your stance?

    I do but one has stood tall and counted the costs. For me, it is either you are moving with the crowd or God. I am not even moved by what they are saying. It doesn’t even bother me a bit.

    But these days every pastor wants a mega church?

    Yea

    Not having one doesn’t move?

    At all

    Why?

    I am not moved because we are not in the days of numbers. I don’t even give it a thought.

    Some people will also point Jesus had a crowd-pulling ministry.

    He had a crowd pulling ministry but at the end of the day, how many people remained? He met with thousands but at the end of the day, 500 were left and he gave them instructions.

    At the end, only 120 in the Upper room received the Holy Ghost. So if I had 10,000 people and 900 go to heaven, I’m just deceiving myself. But if I have 1000 and I take all to heaven, is that not a great work? That is the way to look at it.

    Some people will say your disposition is why there is no financial prosperity to show

    Of course, you count the costs before you go ahead. All these I have counted and I am ready for. It doesn’t bother me as long as the bible says godliness with contentment is a great gain. As long as it befits God, it befits me. He takes care of me. He meets my needs and that is all I am after.

    But sometimes when you have needs, does it come to your mind it couldn’t have happened if you had a 1000- seater congregation?

    Because we are human beings, we are flesh and blood, it comes. But like David, I say my soul be still. Certainly when I see some of my colleagues that don’t understand the Scriptures as you do, they have not seen the signs and wonders that you see and they can boast of millions, you begin to wonder if there is anything wrong with you. But then you count the costs and you talk to yourself.

    Is it that you have been hiding all these years?

    It is not that I have been hiding. I tried as much as possible to do things at God’s pace and whatever He asks me to, I do. It is not that I have been hiding but I am just not noisy.

    By nature?

    By nature and even the things of God are not noisy.

    You have been in full time ministry since 1987. How many branches does your church have?

    We used to have many across the country, even outside the country. But we shut them down because of the frustration. So I said we need to go back to the drawing table so that if we need to take 100 or 1000, we know that these are the ones going to heaven.

    I called all parish pastors to retreat to the headquarters and those that wanted to leave should feel free to.

    And then people left?

    Yes.

    Why?

    It is one of those problems that this one does not want to change at all or is too rigid. I heard a very honest man of God preached one time. He said if we were to go back to those messages we used to preach in those days, we will lose all of these big congregations.

    And I agree we will lose two-third of them and I know what he was saying because I used to know them even before I became a pastor. I used to follow them to meetings and all. But it is not everybody that is ready to pay the price, which is too bad.

    If you have done over 30 years of preaching, you should have ministers coming for guidance

    That is the thing about it again. Those people, even if they are not doing the right thing, they know how to talk. They come but sometimes they don’t listen. They recognise me. They know I am different but they may not change.

    When you shut down the branches locally and overseas, did some people wonder if you were okay?

    A friend called me from Italy and said ‘Rev, you have to take it easy. We can still go ahead and make corrections.’ One of the things that really pushed me to do was our church is a conservative one.

    It‘s not that we don’t believe in prosperity, faith, miracles and all those things. But we are not all out there for considering prosperity as the end. They are means to whatever you want to achieve.

    I started seeing strange things in our branches. In one of our conventions, there was choreography. I was put off by the dancing steps and all that. I said it is better we come back and look at where we have started. But the pastors didn’t feel that way and left.

  • Xenophobia: Pastor donates $7,000 to Nigerian victims

    Xenophobia: Pastor donates $7,000 to Nigerian victims

    General Overseer of Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministries AKA Liberation City, Dr Chris Okafor, has donated cash worth $7,000 to at least 20 Nigerians affected by the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

    He made the donation recently in Polokwane with the Minister Consular & Immigration Anthony A. Ogbe, in attendance.

    Okafor, who prayed with the victims and sympathised with the plights, said the donation was to offer them succour as they recover from varying degrees of injuries sustained during the attacks.

    Completely overwhelmed with grief by the horrific encounters of the victims, he said: “I never knew it was this bad.

    “Nobody should have to go through this level of horror. We are brothers and should not do this to ourselves. If blacks are killing blacks, how can we then convince the world that ‘Black Lives Matter’?”

    The cleric ran into the plights of Nigerians when he paid a courtesy call on the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg after a mega crusade on April 8.

    He received important briefings on the much- talked about xenophobic attacks on Nigerians during the call from the Consul General, Mr Godwin Adama and Ogbe, who had just returned from a visit to Polokwane.

    Okafor (middle) during this visit to the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg

    Polokwane is a city in the Limpopo province, about three hours drive from Johannesburg.

    A Nigerian had just been killed and many others critically injured in a xenophobic attack only days before.

    Okafor offered prayers for peace and indicated the willingness to visit the troubled region to demonstrate solidarity and help fellow Nigerians.

    A week later, according to a statement from the church last week, Okafor returned armed with relief materials and cash for the victims.

    They met at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) building.

    Peter Idowu Kolawole almost lost his right leg to the attack, sustaining deep machete cuts on his head.
    He struggled to walk with crutches during the meeting.

    Kayode Showunmi, a fashion designer, had arrived South Africa only a week before for the first time to visit his brother, Razak Ajao.

    He escaped death with machete cuts all over his body and almost had his manhood cut off. The attackers also burned his international passport.

    Ajao was however not so lucky. He was murdered in cold blood, leaving behind a young widow, Basirat and four children.

    Raphael Nwachukwu, like most Nigerians in the region, was no longer sleeping in his home.

    He slept wherever he felt safe around the city. He was spotted out in his new hiding place and given the beating of his life with two massive machete cuts to his head, a swollen arm and cuts to his stomach.

    The attackers took away his car and all belongings in it.

    Wale Adewara, a science teacher, was also mercilessly attacked with his wife.

    A South African who played the Good Samaritan tried to stop the attackers from killing Peter Idowu.

    But he was beaten with his right arm dislocated for protecting a Nigerian.

    The community exploded with joy as, according to them, no one has ever done anything that closes for them since they’ve been crying out for help.

    It was a brief moment of huge relief from so much pain. They thanked the man of God and prayed God’s blessings on him and his ministry.

  • Protest: 1004 Estates residents reject HORA managers

    Protest: 1004 Estates residents reject HORA managers

    Residents of Africa’s largest high rise, 1004 Estates in Victoria Island Lagos have rejected the current Home Owners and Resident Association executives running the estate.

    They said the executives who forcefully took over the Estates from 1004 Estates Limited almost two years ago have left the luxurious apartments in a more sorry state.

    They decried the absence of power supply and poor water supply despite the high service charges to the current managers.

    Most of the residents, who spoke with our correspondent, said they were tired of the current regime.

    The residents, who staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday, said: “We say enough is enough to this unprecedented level of mismanagement.

    “When you illegally forced out the original managers, you made us believe things would be better but instead, things have gone from good to worse.

    “The estate is not designed to be managed by a deceitful and corrupt clique of few homeowners.”

    Water is now for sale in the estate

    The protesters under the auspices 1004 Estate Forum, said: “We say no to bad quality water. You have destroyed new functioning water plant in just one year.

    “We say no to over 50 power shortages in a day by 1G4 power Ltd which destroyed all our appliances.

    “We say no to broken down lifts due to mismanagement and the very dirty surroundings.

    “We say no to horrible security services with the vandalisation of our vehicles and home burglaries. We say no to the deterioration of 1004 Estate due to the selfish interest of the HORA executives.”

    They called for the return of 1004 Estates Management, saying the apartment was way much better when it was in charge with lower service charges.

  • ASUU faults OAU council dissolution

    ASUU faults OAU council dissolution

    A visitation committee set up by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has faulted the dissolution of the Governing Council of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
    The committee said President Muhammadu Buhari erred when he dissolved the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo Univeristy and approved the suspension of an already concluded process for the appointment of a new vice-chancellor.
    The actions, it insisted, contravened the ASUU-FGN agreement.
    The committee, which submitted its report to the NEC at a meeting in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma last weekend, noted that “the Governing Council followed the process of selection of Vice Chancellor to its conclusion.”
    It recommended condemnation of the action of Buhari, who is the Visitor to the institution, stating that it violated the Universities Autonomy Act (UAA), which was a product of the agreement reached between the ASUU and the FGN.  
    The committee headed by the national vice president of ASUU, Prof. V. E. Osodeke, had eight members, including two zonal coordinators and three immediate past zonal coordinators.
    The committee was set up in the wake of the crisis that rocked the university following the appointment of a new VC.
    The Non-Academic Staff of Universities (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and some members of ASUU (OAU Branch) had expressed strong displeasure against the process that produced Prof. Ayobami Salami as the 11th VC of the institution.
    They alleged the Prof. Tale Omole’s administration and the Governing Council skewed the process in favour of Salami who was subsequently appointed.
    The union bodies took the matter to the High Court at Osogbo, Osun State and embarked on a strike which led to the closure of the university for weeks.
    A faction within the OAU branch of ASUU headed by Prof. Peter Akinola sided with the two non-academic unions.
    It wrote a petition to the national body, claiming certain wrongdoings against the branch executives.
    But a High Court at Osogbo penultimate Monday struck out the case filed by NASU and SSANU challenging the appointment of Salami as VC.
    In his verdict, Justice M. A. Onyetenu stated that the court did not have jurisdiction to entertain the case.
    He asked the appellants to take the case to the Industrial Court at Ibadan Oyo State.
    Buhari, on July 1, in an advertorial published in a national daily announced the dissolution of the Governing Council of the University.
    He also ordered that the process for the appointment of a new VC to replace Prof. Omole be suspended “pending the outcome of the subsisting court case”.
    This was after the appointment process had been concluded with Salami announced as the new VC.
    In August, following the instruction of the Visitor, the Senate of the University met and appointed Prof. Anthony Elujoba as VC in acting capacity.
  • Holy Ghost Party started in a Soweto Village

    Holy Ghost Party started in a Soweto Village


    Every month, an interdenominational group, comprising mostly of young professionals gather for seven hours of pure worship which is called the Holy Ghost Party. The coordinator, Femi Akioye, the Executive Officer Lugar Rico Group, a real estate, logistics and financial management group explains to Sunday Oguntola. How did Throne worship begin? The first time I had an idea about it was in 2002, I went for a personal retreat at Cannanland, to pray about another thing entirely, then I began to see visions of people Worshiping God, I told myself that on any of my birthdays that happens to be a landmark, I will celebrate by organizing one of the biggest worship concert the world has ever seen. Then in 2007, I went to South Africa for a programme called MegaFest organized by Bishop T. D. Jakes’ church. On the last day of that programme, we went for a missionary retreat in a small village in Soweto; I saw a lot of poor people. We wanted to preach to them but they were hungry and therefore did not want to listen to the gospel.  We were told not to give them money and these people said they were hungry; they could not listen to what we had to say. Then I saw someone selling bread and drinks, so an idea came, I bought the bread and drinks and gave to the people to eat. At the end of the day, we bought every bread, drink and cooked food in the whole village and shared to the people. Then the whole village came to us to sell, we began to worship God, then they joined us, it was a three-hour Christian party, even those who were smoking weed left their weed to join in the worship. I was 35 years then and decided to do the worship concert on my 40th birthday. Two years ago that came but unfortunately I was so broke I could not even have a party.  But God had a plan; He was already giving me a better understanding of the vision. I had planned to set up a Trust Fund that would see to the financing of a monthly worship programme because I had set up some non Governmental organizations trying to help the poor in the past, but as soon as I run out of money, the NGO also collapse. Three days after my 40th birthday, some brothers from my church visited and when we began to pray the heavens opened and for about eight hour straight we were doing this unplanned worship. The Holy Ghost said we should call another meeting like that and God said that was what He has been asking me to do. We began a seven-hour worship, third Saturday of every month.   What was the form of this programme? We have a monthly interdenominational worship programme every third Friday. We do not ask for anything but just to worship God for whom He is. We call it, Holy Ghost party.   What do you mean by Holy Ghost Party? What do you do when you have a party? You dance and have fun; ironically, music does not originate from man but from God. So if music is the main ingredient in making a good party, then there is no party like the party where music originated from. We call it Holy Ghost party and enjoy ourselves; the good thing is this one has no side effect. In fact, the only side effect is a positive one, you have peace and your worries are gone.  So every third Friday of every month, we go clubbing, hanging out with Jesus all night, we don’t spend our money but our heart, we shower God with gratitude and he pays us. On our first year anniversary, God said we should have Celebration worship and this year, God said every year, we should be celebrating Him. This is season two and it is a twelve-hour worship to celebrate the faithfulness of Jesus. That is why we have termed it “Jesus, the centre of it all.” How have you been able to fund these monthly programmes since your Trust Fund is not set up yet? We have a 12 member board and about 70 percent of the funding is from those members. But God has been faithful, we have some people who have been coming to our programmes and God has laid it on their heart to support us. We raise money within ourselves and friends and those that God has touched to be part of it. People are getting increasingly cynical about giving for religious purposes, they see it as a way of feasting off gullible people, how do you react to this? Yes I can relate to that, I can only talk about Throne Worship which is self sponsored. We have the tapes of the programmes which God said we should not sell. We have had instances where someone had called in saying he felt led to support the work of God, we never ask for it. In Exodus 25:1-2, God underlined the willingness in giving in the building of the tabernacle. I always say, if you cannot give willingly better use your money to buy something to eat. The offerings we receive are not up to 10 percent of the cost of the programme, the programmes we have during the day are usually accompanied by fasting and we break with real good food. In our night vigils, we serve breakfast in the mornings so you can see that we spend more. But God has been faithful. Isn’t it a lot to ask from Lagosians 12 hours of worship, is it sustainable? Yes it is. Our monthly programme is seven hours and people do come, we have testimonies of people saying they have been waiting for this kind of programme, people are hungry to worship God, forget about their problem, experience peace and joy. Last year, we had 12 hours praise worship and by 5:am people were not ready to go. If your worship is spirit filled,  the people get blessed, they don’t complain about time when they are getting blessed. You are asking people to just worship God in a dire economic situation instead of praying for help, will that solve their problems? Yes, it is a surer way than praying the “give me” prayer. It is more blessed to give than receive and the only time we give to God is when we worship. When you sow you reap as guaranteed in Genesis 8:22 Peter was in the prison, the church prayed and an angel came to set Peter free. In another situation in Acts  16:25, Paul and Silas worshiped and God Himself visited the prison. The birthing scripture for Throne Worship is Revelations 4 and 5. The four living creatures and 24 Elders bow their kneels and cast their crown and worshipped. The people that are in the throne room of God are Worshiping and they carried the prayers of the saints like incense. Look at it in form of access; it is worship that grants you the easiest access to the throne of Grace. To live smart, it is better to worship God, you are giving to God and He will give you back. Do you see Throne Worship is will become a church? No, that is not our mandate, it is an interdenominational thing. This celebration worship, what should people expect? It is going to happen on November 13, 2015 at Yard 158, Oregun, it is 12 hour of pure worship, it is not negotiable. We are celebrating Jesus, who is the centre of it all. We would be celebrating His faithfulness in our lives and upon Nigeria. We will be touching heaven with our gratitude and praise. What is wrong with the church which has been ineffective in positively influencing this country? The church is trying but we can do better. Why is Nigeria still standing and we have not gone to war, why are we not Syria, Libya or Sudan right now? It is the prayer of the church, whether you like it or not we are still one today because of the church. I told someone that the fact that God could not find a Christian to clean up this country is an indictment on the church, but I must say that the church is doing something even though we can do better. 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