Tag: Anglican Church

Killers Of Ondo Anglican Church Bursar Will Be Arrested, Police Say

The police have given assurance that killers of the Bursar of the Akure Diocese of the Anglican Communion would be arrested.

The spokesman for the Ondo State Police Command, Femi Joseph, said this in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday in the state capital.

“We have swung into action as a command and as I speak with you now, our men embarked on a manhunt to ensure that the perpetrators of such a wicked act are brought to justice,” he said.

He added, “We just want to express our deepest condolences to the relations of the deceased. We are quite sure, and we are pledging that we will make sure that the culprits do not go unpunished.”

READ ALSO: Gunmen Kill Anglican Church Bursar In Ondo

The interview held shortly after yet to be identified armed men killed Mr Gabriel Abiodun at the premises of the Diocesan Office at Alagbaka GRA in Akure.

The incident was said to have taken place after Abiodun returned from a bank where he had gone to collect money meant for the church.

His remains have since been evacuated and taken to the mortuary by a team of policemen.

Confirmed the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer explained that the gunmen escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash after killing the victim.

He described the incident as unfortunate, stressing that men of the command were already on the search of the assailants.

Joseph, however, appealed to the people of the state to always be security conscious and seek police escort when they want to move huge cash.

He gave assurance that the culprits would be apprehended and brought to justice.

Ooni Of Ife Celebrates First Anniversary With Thanksgiving Service

Ooni Of Ife Celebrates First Anniversary With Thanksgiving ServiceOba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II rolled out the drums to celebrate one year since he was chosen to become the 51st Ooni of Ile-Ife.

A thanksgiving service held at the St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where friends, family and well-wishers from far and wide converged to celebrate with him, the ‘journey so far’.

The excited monarch could not hide his joy as he took the microphone and sang praises to God.

The Ooni was born on October 17, 1974. He was selected king out of 21 contenders on October 26, 2015 and received his staff of office on December 7, 2015.

The Accountant and Real Estate developer since become king has dedicated the past year to the service of humanity and particularly unifying the Yoruba nation.

He has instituted a number of progressive courses in Osun state which he hopes to continue throughout his reign as king.

Rivers Governor’s Wife To Establish RivEthics Clubs In Schools

Rivers Governor's Wife To Establish RivEthics Clubs In Schools Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike has stated that an initiative called RivEthics Clubs will be established in secondary schools across the state with the objective of guiding children to be responsible citizens.

She revealed this at the Government House in Port Harcourt while receiving the Women of the Diocese of Evo of the Anglican Church.

Justice Nyesom-Wike said that the first RivEthics Club will be established at the Archdeacon Crowther Memorial Grammar School (ACMGS), Elelenwo in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

“A RivEthics Club established in ACMGS.  We also plan to replicate it across other schools.

“The idea is to guide our children, to strengthen them to boost their confidence and to make to abstain from joining cults. We are working to ensure that they become responsible citizens”.

The Governor’s wife noted that teachers of the pilot school would be trained by RivEthics on how to impact positive values on the students.

She informed that RivEthics and Old Students of ACMGS have resolved to open accounts for all the students of ACMGS to encourage the students to imbibe a saving culture that will support their pursuit of education.

Anglican Bishop Advocates Better Investment In Education

Anglican Bishop, EducationA new Nigeria will be born if state and federal authorities are prepared to invest significantly in the development of the nation’s education sector.

This is according to the Archbishop of Jos province, Most Reverend Benjamin Kwashie.

He said this while speaking at the 2016 mid-year prayer conference of the Anglican Church‎ for the Nigerian nation.

He blamed the challenges being experienced by Nigeria as a nation on the inability of past military governments to sustain the good educational standards inherited from Britain.

Bishop Kwashie also advised youths to imbibe good morals that will empower them to fulfil their potential as future leaders.

He said that this would lead to the rejuvenation of Nigeria.

President Buhari Meets With Anglican Bishops

Anglican BishopsAnglican bishops led by Archbishop Nicholas Okoh have held a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa.

Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the Primate of the Anglican Church in Nigeria, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh said that the issues discussed included the herdsmen attacks, killings across the country and oil pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region.

Anglican Bishops

Anglican Bishops

He said that the issues were of great concern to the citizens and therefore it has become necessary to have explanation for the people whom they lead.

Anglican Bishops

He noted that the President used the first year to clear the table. He is optimistic that things will improve in the country in the next one year.

The President also held a closed door meeting with former president Olusegun Obasanjo who refused to speak to state house correspondents after the meeting.

 

 

Schoolgirls’ Rescue: Anglican Primate Commends Police

AnglicanThe Anglican Primate, Arch Bishop Nicholas Okoh, has commended the Governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode and the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni for the rescue of the three girls abducted from Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary.

Arch Bishop Okoh, who led a delegation from the Anglican Church, praised the promptness of the rescue efforts for the abducted schoolgirls.

Describing his visit as a “thank you visit”, he told Channels TV that the Church was grateful for “what the Police has done under the leadership of the Governor of the state”.

“We believe that they have performed exceptionally well,” he said.

Speaking about the kidnap of the girls, he said, “I was very devastated because (they were) young women out in the cold day and night. We couldn’t sleep.

“So when we got the news that they have been rescued, we bounced back.”

He disclosed that the Anglican Church has since raised the standard of security at the school in terms of physical structure and also employed more security personnel to guard the school.

“We seek to work more closely with the Police and other security agencies,” he added.

In his reaction, the Commissioner of Police said that the visit was a morale booster which would encourage the Police to do more.

Jonathan Says Boko Haram Must Go

The Federal Government of Nigeria has reassured citizens that the current administration will do its best to ensure that Boko Haram insurgency becomes a thing of the past in the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan gave the assurance while addressing Christian faithful at the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in the Federal Capital Territory, where he participated in the service to mark the first Sunday in the New Year.

President Jonathan, his mother, and some members of the cabinet joined the congregation to thank God for the New Year and to identify with the church at the beginning of the year.

The President commiserated with families hit by the terrorist group, most of them members of the church. He also called on well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with the administration so that the war against terror would collectively be won.

The leader of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Reverend Dachollom Datri, delivered a message in which he commended the President for his “giant strides” in the administration. He expressed hope that the New Year would be crisis free, so that the church would suffer less as has been the case since the inception of terror attacks in the North.

He also declared the theme for the church in the New Year; ‘knowing the will of God’, emphasizing usefulness as the purpose of God.

The President appreciated the leadership of the church, and called for more prayers for the country, promising that in the midst of challenges especially in the North, Nigerians would soon witness the end of the Boko Haram sect.

The President also reiterated that development cannot be achieved overnight, but that his administration is committed to it, despite the daunting challenges.

The COCIN referred to Dr Jonathan as God’s gift to Nigeria, pledging to support him at all times with the belief that only the will of God shall prevail in the country as the year 2014 unfolds.

Apart from the typical praise, worship and bible readings expected of the service, the congregation, who were excited about the visit also said prayers for the President.

Jonathan Predicts Great Future For The Nigerian Child

Nigeria’s president, Doctor Goodluck Jonathan, has seized the opportunity of the season’s religious festivities to predict a brighter future for Nigerian children.

The President, joined residents of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, to worship at the Apostolic Faith Church in Jabi, and there he called on Christians to continue to pray for the continuous peace and unity of the country, in the midst of daunting challenges.

He said that despite its diversity, Nigeria has remained as one nation. Therefore citizens need to shun the barriers created by the diversity and embrace togetherness at all times.

The president, who uses the holiday season and yuletide to worship in any church he likes, stressed that if he could make it to the highest place in the land, then no Nigerian child should surfer.

The service, which had all the trappings of end of the year and the festive season, with the traditional over 100-man orchestra, with rich accompaniment of musical instruments, also saw the children presenting a special rendition for Mr President.

The General Overseer, Reverend Emmanuel Adeniran, while noting in his message that the visit of the President on the last Sunday of the year is of great significance, also reminded the congregation that one’s closeness to God matters a lot, above all.

The special guest, while promising to continue to do his best, thanked the church for their prayers and called on Nigerians to join in the prayers while hoping for a better 2014. He shared with the congreation more of his great expectations for Nigerians in the new year, especially the children.

Remarks About Terrorism: Media Misquoted Jonathan – Presidency

The Presidency has called on the Nigerian media to “eschew undue negativity and join hands with the government to promote peace, national security and political stability.”

In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Reuben Abati, the Presidency condemned reports in the media which quoted President Goodluck Jonathan as accepting defeat, expressing helplessness and underestimating the magnitude of challenge posed by terrorism in the country, during a Christmas church service he attended with his family on Christmas day.

Abati said that the reports are “completely untrue and a mischievous misrepresentation” of the President’s actual words.

“President Jonathan’s verifiable remarks at the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Life Camp Abuja were to the effect that in comparison with some other countries which have experienced the scourge of terrorism, Nigeria has made remarkable progress in dealing with the security challenges posed by terrorism and insurgency.”

In an effort to assert the Jonathan administration’s view of the war on terrorism as one it can win and which it is already winning, it frowned at headlines that read ‘Terrorism Has Come to Stay’ and ‘Insurgency Far From Over – Jonathan’, referring to them as inappropriate representation of the President’s remarks, which amounted to taking “extreme editorial liberties” with his comments.

The statement continued: “It is apparent that in their indecent haste to cast the most sensational and negative headlines, some editors never paused to consider that it would have been most absurd for a President whose administration has done so much to reverse the tide of terrorism, to publicly assert the contrary.”

“Interpreting those remarks, which are clearly in tandem with facts available to all objective observers of Nigeria’s war against terrorism, as an expression of defeat or helplessness, amounts to reckless scaremongering which can only serve the purpose of needlessly instigating fear among the populace and bolstering the confidence of criminal and unpatriotic elements,” Abati stated.

It insisted that President Jonathan simply highlighted the global challenge that terrorism has become as increasing source of concern in many countries. Therefore, in comparison to some of these countries, Nigeria has done reasonably well at reducing the rate of terrorist attacks within its territory.

The statement assured that the government, Armed Forces and security agencies will continue to build on the successes they have so far achieved against terrorists, insurgents and their sponsors.

Jonathan At Christmas Worship, Calls For More Prayers

President Goodluck Jonathan, today joined other Christian faithful to worship in one of the Anglican churches in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The Church of the Advent plays host to the President and members of the first family every year and the 2013 service had all the elements of Christmas, from popular carols to songs of praise and thanksgiving.

The First Lady read the first Bible lesson from the book of Isaiah chapter 9, verses 2 and 7, while the President read the second lesson from the book of Hebrews.

The Primate of the Anglican Church, Nicholas Okoh, spoke about the joy and peace that Christ brought, as they affect Nigerians.

“Do not join anybody to cause trouble, because you may be a recipient of the evil of the trouble. Do not join anybody to cause confusion because we have nowhere to go.”

While reminding the congregation and all Nigerians of the need to shun being used as political pawns, he said: “some of you don’t have international passports, do you? And the people who are telling you to do this, do that do not only have international passports, they have bank accounts, and houses abroad; they can go and stay there and at the end of the whole matter they come back.”

President Jonathan, in his goodwill message after the session called on the Nigerian clergy not to allow politicians to plunge the country into chaos as they want to do.

The president cited examples of events in countries like South Sudan and Pakistan and pledged that his administration will continue to do its best to ensure that the country does not degenerate into crisis.

He made the promise especially now that bitter criticisms of his administration and what he called unwarranted letters appear to be the order of the day, when according to him “we the politicians begin to think about our next elections, doing what we ought not to do, making statements we are supposed not to make, and writing letters we are supposed not to write.”

The President added that the country does not belong to politicians alone and called on men of God to continue to pray for the reign of terror to stop.

Anglican Church Threatens To Sue Break Away Church

The Anglican Church has threatened to sue a sect of its organisation named, the Orthodox Anglican Church.

The Anglican primate, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh made this known at a meeting in Abuja, where registrars and legal officers of the church were gathered to deliberate on ways of moving the church forward.

According to the religious leader, the activities of the sect, orthodox Anglican Church, contravenes the rules of the Anglican Communion.

He asked legal experts in the church to contribute their quota in creating stability in the church.

Reverend Okoh also appealed to Bishops of the church to ensure prompt payment of salaries and entitlement of the church workers in the country.

Legal officers in the church took turns to bear their minds on issues affecting the church including same sex marriage and child molestation.

 

Gowon Urges Christians To Be Active In Nation Building

A former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon has urged Christians in the country to be pro-active in building a better Nigeria.

Speaking at a Christian gathering in Ondo state, Mr Gowon said he has been reflecting on the current political occurrences in the country but believes the situation can be changed for the better.

Mr Gowon who addressed the 11th synod of the Anglican diocese of Owo in Ondo state, challenged Christians to speak to God about the worrisome situation in the polity.

“I want to believe that inspite of the gloomy situation made manifest by the escalating security and political challenges in our nation the church in Nigeria, given its spiritual and human resources, occupies a strategic position aimed at the re-making of Nigeria,” adding that “it was not too late to re-order the country.”

The former head of state and the governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Mimiko, were both honoured for their meritorious service to humanity by the Bishop of Owo dioceses of the Anglican Church, Reverend James Oladuntoye.