General News
LAGOS PAYS N14.2 BILLION ACCRUED PENSION RIGHTS TO 3,494 RETIREES
. . . Disburses N4.2bn Under Defined Benefit Scheme In Two Years
The Lagos State Government has paid N14.71billion as accrued pension rights to 3,494 retirees, an official has said. Besides, N4,203,784,514.49 was paid through the Defined Benefits Scheme, otherwise known as ‘Pay As You Go’, between May 2019 and March 2021 to ensure that those who retired from the Civil Service enjoy life after diligent service to the State.
Reeling out figures of government expenditure on retirement benefits for public servants, the Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle, said: “The present administration also approved a pension bailout of N13 billion in the Year 2020 Budget. A new increment in the Retirement Bond Redemption Funding Rate from 5% to 10% of the total emolument of active workers was implemented to clear the backlog of outstanding pension obligations. This is in addition to the payment of accrued pension rights of N14.171 billion to 3,494 retirees.”
Mrs. Ponnle spoke at the ongoing Y2021 Ministerial Press Briefing at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, organised as part of activities to mark the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s tenure in office.
She said: “Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu approved the payment of 33% increment for all State pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme and also paid the balance of the 25% rent allowance for officers on Grade Level 07 and above, who retired between May 2000 and August 2004. The Payment took effect in January 2020.”
The Commissioner explained that there are 15 approved Pension Funds Administrators (PFA) and seven approved Insurance Companies that render pension funds management and annuity services to retirees in the State, maintaining that Lagos State is a trailblazer and pacesetter in pension matters in Nigeria, having won awards as the most pension compliant State in the Federation on several occasions.
She stated that in line with Governor Sanwo-Olu’s policy of inclusion, the State Government ensured that pensioners over 70 years old were among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccination, and frequently engages relevant stakeholders such as the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries on behalf of retirees.
While noting that the State Government has earned recognition for its efforts to enhance the welfare and wellbeing of pensioners, Mrs. Ponnle said the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), at its 11th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference in Abuja, honoured Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu with the distinguished award of “Excellence and Greater Commitment to Pensioners’ Welfare”.
Speaking on steps taken to boost employee skills and knowledge, Mrs. Ponnle said the State Government launched the Learning Management System, an IT-based training platform with over 4,500 courses available to train staff on various subjects.
According to her, the virtual training platform has 26,076 employees already enrolled for various courses that would sharpen their skills in areas of interest and at their own pace.
Mrs. Ponnle said that a virtual interactive session between members of the Lagos State Executive Council and Civil Service employees was introduced by the Ministry to enable the exchange of ideas on chosen subjects every month. She stated the sessions have been interesting and provided participants the opportunity to familiarise themselves with EXCO members who had engaged staffers since the initiative was introduced.
General News
Clergy Urged To Put Members’ Welfare Above All Else
At a solemn ordination service in Abuja, senior church leaders have called on pastors to make the well-being of their congregations a top priority, following the example of Jesus Christ.
Speaking during the priesthood ordination and installation of a Sub Dean at the Cathedral Church of Advent, Life Camp, Abuja, the retired Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Okene, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ajulo, described pastors as shepherds charged with the care of their flock. He urged them to shun worldly distractions and focus on meeting the spiritual and material needs of their members.
Bishop Ajulo also encouraged the newly ordained priests to remain faithful to their calling by teaching God’s word without compromise.
In his charge, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, urged the new clergy to preach the undiluted gospel and foster religious harmony wherever they serve. He expressed confidence that their new roles would help promote peace and unity in society.
The service also featured prayers for national leaders and divine intervention in addressing the current global economic challenges.
General News
1,000 Prayer Warriors Storm Ilorin for Tinubu, Nation’s Deliverance
In a dramatic show of faith and patriotism, over 1,000 fiery prayer warriors from across Nigeria will descend on Ilorin, Kwara State, this Saturday, lifting their voices in intense intercession for President Bola Tinubu’s success and Nigeria’s survival in the face of biting economic woes and mounting insecurity.
The spiritual siege, themed “Walking in Domini”, is the maiden convention of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), with its Kwara State Chairman, Evangelist Thomas Adeboye, vowing that “heaven will hear and respond to Nigeria’s cry.”
Aside from marathon prayers, the gathering will roll out free medical outreach to locals across Kwara’s LGAs, a gesture aimed at touching both body and soul.
Adeboye, lamenting Nigeria’s “troubling economic and security realities”, called for a nationwide prayer uprising, insisting that Tinubu has shown the will to revive the nation but needs massive divine backing to succeed.
“Banditry, a collapsing economy, and political tension demand we seek God’s face like never before,” he declared. “We will storm heaven for wisdom for the President and governors to steer Nigeria to safety.”
The convention will also feature awards to distinguished personalities, soul-lifting worship, fiery sermons, and unity-driven lectures—all capped with thunderous prayers for Nigeria’s redemption.
Adeboye urged the President to ensure every policy has “a human face,” stressing that Nigerians must not only endure but also enjoy the fruits of governance.
With the OAIC promising to reaffirm believers’ authority in Christ and rally spiritual boldness in the face of national challenges, Ilorin is set to become the epicentre of a powerful spiritual warfare for Nigeria’s destiny.
General News
Nigerian Anglicans Condemn Lesbian Archbishop of Wales, Deepening Global Anglican Rift
…Church leaders accuse Welsh counterparts of “spiritual decadence” and “abandonment of faith”
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has issued a forceful condemnation of the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the Archbishop of Wales. The move is the latest in a series of developments that have deepened divisions within the global Anglican Communion over sexuality and doctrine.
In a statement from Primate The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, the church denounced the election as a “serious departure from biblical teaching” and a sign of “spiritual decadence” and “an outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints.”
Archbishop Ndukuba warned that Bishop Vann’s elevation compromises the Anglican Church’s global mission and could obstruct evangelism. He compared the situation to the controversial tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, former Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, who also faced intense criticism from conservative Anglicans for her progressive views.
The Primate accused Bishop Vann of being complicit in the “ongoing crisis” around same-sex issues, stating that the election is a “clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
The Church of Nigeria called on Anglicans worldwide to reject “rebels” and “apostates” and to instead support conservative bodies like the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).
“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects, and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales,” Ndukuba declared. He concluded with a solemn warning that without repentance, the Church in Wales risks losing “complete relevance” and its leaders will face judgment.
