Category: Lifestyle

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has prayed that God might ensure the safe return of the lone Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, remaining in the captivity of Boko Haram.

The terror sect refused to release Leah, a Christian, with other abductees on Wednesday because she would not renounce Jesus Christ and her religion.

Adeboye, in a tweet on his official handle, prayed that the Lord should ”visit the camp of the captors and “in a way that You alone can, see to the safe release and return of the missing girl, Leah Sharibu, in Jesus name.”

In another tweet, he said: “Isaiah 49:25: But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.”

On his part, the Catholic Bishop of Oyo, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate Leah’s release.

”The biggest litmus test for President Buhari and the APC government in this Dapchi girls saga is the case of Leah Sharibu, the only kidnapped Dapchi girl yet to be released by Boko Haram,” Badejo told reporters.

”Leah, on the evidence of her colleagues, was not freed because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.

“Anyone who thinks this is just a Christian problem will be making a big mistake,” he said.

“No amount of accolades will suffice to congratulate the girl and her parents who nurtured her to be that strong in her faith as to demonstrate such courage.”

Zambia’s main opposition party has filed a motion seeking the impeachment of President Edgar Lungu, accusing him of constitutional breaches, the presidency said on Friday.

The motion by the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) got signatures from a third of the members of parliament in the 166-member house.

It would need the backing of two-thirds of the lawmakers to succeed.

“This is just a continuation of the UPND’s failed court challenge of President Edgar Lungu’s election victory,” presidential spokesman Amos Chanda told Reuters.

“It is not going anywhere.

“The UPND knows that the charges are defective and the motion cannot succeed but still brought it because they are not interested in the political dialogue,” he said.

The notice says Lungu abrogated the constitution by not handing over power to the speaker of the national assembly when the opposition challenged his victory in court in 2016.

The document filed and circulated by UPND indicates that the motion would be debated on March 28.

According to the document, the motion was expected to be moved by UPND parliamentary Chief Whip Garry Nkombo and seconded by the ruling Patriotic Front’s Chishimba Kambwili.

Kambwili was arrested on Thursday by Zambia’s Anti-Corruption Commission on charges of corruption, which included having property suspected to be proceeds of crime.

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the Abebe family, as well as the government and people of Edo on the death of Dr Christopher Abebe, aged 99.

The president’s condolence message is in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina in Abuja on Friday.

He also commiserated with the in-laws, friends, the organised private sector and the Iruekpen community in Edo over the passage of the astute and dedicated community leader and business mogul.

The president said he believed that as the Odionwere (community leader) of Iruekpen and first indigenous Chairman and Managing Director of United Africa Company (UAC), Abebe was a shining light and worthy example of hard work, positive influence and patriotism to his local community, the private sector and the nation.

Abebe was also a onetime Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of three Nigerian Universities (Benin, Nsukka and Calabar).

Buhari urged family members, business associates and the Catholic Church in Nigeria where he served as Papal Knight of St Gregory and Supreme Knight of St. Mulumba to honour Abebe’s memory by upholding his lifelong dedication and passion to human development.

He prayed that almighty God would grant the soul of the departed eternal rest and comfort all who mourn him.

Abebe died on Thursday at the age of 99 in Iruekpen, Esan West local government area of Edo  after a brief illness.

He was the father of late wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Stella Obasanjo.

Until his death, Abebe was the Odionwere (community leader) of Iruekpen.

The deceased was survived by his wife of nearly 75 years, Mrs Theresa Abebe, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday expressed his readiness to offer amnesty to members of the Boko Haram sect that are willing to drop their arms.

Mr Buhari said this at a meeting he had with the recently released schoolgirls which were abducted from their school in Dapchi, Yobe.

“I have tasked all the security agencies to work to ensure that we do not witness any reoccurrence of these incidents,” he said.

“Security chiefs have been warned in clear terms that any lapse on their parts will be viewed seriously.

“To the rescued students, we want to reassure you as our daughters that you will freely live and pursue your dreams in Nigeria of peace and order without fear of violence or molestation,” he said.

Assurances to Parents of Chibok Girls

Mr Buhari also stated that while the parents of the Dapchi girls rejoice because of the reunion with their children, the parents of schoolgirls kidnapped in April 2014 in another school in Chibok, Borno state should not lose hope.

While the girls are believed to have been kidnapped by a faction of Boko Haram led by Al-Barnawi, the son of the late founder of the sect, Chibok girls were abducted by a faction led by Abubakar Shekau.

“I want to appeal to the Chibok community never to lose hope or despair. We are determined as never before to bring back our remaining Chibok daughters.

“And this, we must accomplish. And that will be soon by God’s grace,” he said.

Mr Buhari also thanked Nigerians, who, he said, “in spite of political differences, prayed and showed solidarity with families of the abducted students, during the period of the abduction.

“This undoubtedly is the Nigerian spirit. We can and should sustain it beyond moments of sorrow,” he said.

One of the released girls, Fatima Bashir, who spoke earlier, thanked the president for making it possible for them to be released.

Mr Buhari said this when he received the girls as well as a boy and one other girl on Friday at the State House in Abuja.

The girls were released on Wednesday, after members of the outlawed group abducted them from the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, in Yobe State on February 19.

President Muhammadu Buhari, however, assured them of their security and that efforts are on to also secure the release of the remaining Chibok girls and other Nigerians in captivity of the terrorists.

“To the rescued students, we want to reassure you as our daughters that you will freely live and pursue your dreams in Nigeria of peace and order, without fear of violence or molestation,” he said.

“While parents of the Dapchi girls rejoice because of the reunion with their children, I want to appeal to the Chibok Community never to lose hope or to despair. We are determined as never before, to bring back our remaining Chibok daughters and this, we must accomplish and that will be soon, by God’s grace,” he added.

Unconditional Release

The delighted President formally announced that 105 Dapchi schoolgirls and two others previously abducted by the insurgents were unconditionally released by their abductors.

He noted that the development which he described as “cheering and hearty” signifies the commitment of his administration to the security and well-being of all Nigerians.

President Buhari further recalled his visit to Yobe State on Wednesday last week during which he sympathised with the parents, families, and people of the state on the tragic abduction of the students in Dapchi.

He added that he had made a solemn pledge “on my word of honour” that the Federal Government would do everything possible to ensure their unconditional release of the girls.

“We are never in doubt about our focus and direction since the assumption of this administration – security, anti-corruption and revamping of our economy are the main focus of our government,” President Buhari avowed.

On the approach taken to secure the girls’ release, he said: “We reached out to our contacts at home and abroad, we embarked on backchannel shuttles with a clear view to bringing to an end this tragedy.”

“We entered into negotiations solely to make sure that no single girl was hurt. This strategy paid off as the girls have been released without any incidents,” the President added.

Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Aare Gani Adams, on Tuesday, gave reasons for the celebration of Eledumare festival.
Speaking at the grand finale of the festival held at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Adams, restated the need for the Yorubas to celebrate God by organizing a festival solely for the Supreme Being.
He said the 8th edition of the festival began 21 days ago, with a series of activities, including Harvest of Praise, Football Competition and Fashion Show among others. The event, he added, was climaxed with the grand finale.
“God is worthy of worship, praise is the only key that opens all doors. Our organization, the Oodua People’s Congress,( OPC), the Olokun Festival Foundation,( OFF),is the only group that celebrates Eledumare Festival and I am indeed, very grateful to God that we are all alive to witness this glorious day. Considering the tremendous growth in our group, most especially, on the strength of our group in the Diaspora, the Oodua Progressive Union (OPU), in 79 countries in the world, I am pleased to tell you that our best is yet to come”, he stated.
Adams also harped on the need to promote the Yoruba Language and identity, saying about 28 universities in the world studies the Language.
He also charged the government, particularly, in the southwest states to promote sports and agriculture, by establishing what he named Southwest Agric Commission (SWAC).

“By this, we can leverage on the agricultural potentials in the west. I have it on good authority that Lagos state alone consumes between 13,000 and 15,000 cows daily, totaling about 3billion naira, while other states in the southwest also consume about 10,000 cows totaling 2billion naira daily. These are huge investments that we can leverage on. We can, as well, develop our tourism and sports by establishing tourists’ centres like the cinemas and stadiums with over 7, 000, capacities in our local governments across the states. This is a strong mechanism for grassroots sports development, which can also help in reducing crime rates in the country, “he said.

The Guest lecturer, professor Oguntola Laguda, from the Lagos state University, LASU in his speech, said the Yorubas are the most cultured people in the world. He explained further that the Yorubas had a better understanding of God as the creator of heaven and earth long before the introduction of Islam and Christian religious into the country. “In the past and up to the present moment, the Yorubas have a way of communicating with God who they call by different names such as Eledumare, Olu Orun, Eleda,and Aseda.

There are other names too numerous to mention. These names simply tell us the various attributes of God as the supreme being.” He urged the Yoruba leaders, including teachers in all the schools in the south west to join Aare Gani Adams in his bid to promote all the unique identities of the race.
Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Ayoade, Zaki of Arigidi, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, The Onigbaye of Igbaye in Osun State,Oba Moronfoye Joseph, representatives of Ojora of Ijora and Iganmu,Oba Fatai Aromire, the Eze Ndigbo of Lagos state, and other top Igbo chiefs across the states, Former Commissioner for chieftaincy affairs in Oyo state, Prince Adeleke Ajala, as well as all members of the National Coordinating Council of the OPC, and other prominent dignitaries were present at the occasion.