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Second-hand smoke responsible for non-communicable diseases – Minister

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The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has said that exposure to second-hand smoke from tobacco is a leading preventable risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Ehanire said this on Monday in Abuja during a news briefing to mark the 2021 World “No Tobacco Day” with the theme “Commit to Quit”.

He listed some of the diseases as hypertension, stroke, cancers, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

Ehanire said that the objective of the day was to advocate strong tobacco cessation guidelines and programmes.

He said others were to promote increased access to tobacco cessation services such that at least 100 million tobacco users worldwide were offered help and empowered to make successful attempts to quit the use of tobacco.

According to him, it will help raise awareness on tobacco industry tactics.

Ehanire quoted the World Health Organisation data as saying:

“There are more than 1.3 billion tobacco users in the world, and that tobacco is in one way or another responsible for more than eight million deaths each year.

“Also more than seven million of which are as the result of direct tobacco use, while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being indirectly exposed to second-hand smoke”.

He said further that findings from the 2012 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) showed that 5.6 per cent Nigerians, 15 years and older, currently use tobacco products of which 3.9 per cent are smokers.

“The GATS result further shows that 45.4 per cent of the smokers had attempted to quit in the past 12 months prior to the survey, of which 61.1 per cent attempted to do so without any assistance.

“Also, 15 per cent tried counseling and 5.2 per cent tried pharmacotherapy.

“The death toll from tobacco is high in Nigeria as the Tobacco Atlas of 2018 report estimates more than 16,100 deaths from tobacco-related diseases every year.

The minister said that another research finding published in 2021 by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa showed that 29,472 deaths in Nigeria were attributable to smoking.

Ehanire said that in other to tackle the tobacco menace Nigeria signed and ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

According to him, in furtherance of the WHO FCTC, Nigeria enacted the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019.

He said that the offer of support to quit tobacco use was one of the best buys in tobacco control measures, collectively called the MPOWER.

“M = Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies; P = Protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke; O = Offer help to quit tobacco use by tobacco cessation services.

“W = Warn people about the dangers of tobacco use; E = Enforce full ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and R = Raise excise taxes on tobacco products.’’

According to him, the ministry in collaboration with WHO and Nigeria Tobacco Alliance (NTCA), will be conducting some activities to help address tobacco issues.

He listed them as virtual tobacco cessation webinar and setting up a tobacco cessation toll-free call centre in the ministry to offer cessation services to tobacco users.

Others are: to set up a mobile tobacco cessation (mCessation) services, whereby tobacco users can access quit support using WhatsApp number +41 79893 1892.

He said it would also provide support to five States: Kano, Ogun, Imo, Edo and Bayelsa to organise the “World No Tobacco Day”.

“Beyond cessation services Nigeria will, as from June 23, start implementation of graphic pictorial health warning messages and tobacco product packaging to replace the age-long health warning texts.

“Increasing excise tax on tobacco products to make it more unaffordable is a strong way to discourage tobacco use. (NAN)

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Clergy Urged To Put Members’ Welfare Above All Else

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Anglican Church logo

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.

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1,000 Prayer Warriors Storm Ilorin for Tinubu, Nation’s Deliverance

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

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.

 

 

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Nigerian Anglicans Condemn Lesbian Archbishop of Wales, Deepening Global Anglican Rift

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…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.

 

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