General News
Expert recommends preferential COVID-19 vaccination for SCD patients under 16
Dr. Patrick Obinna, an hematologist, based in Abuja, has suggested that Nigerians with Sickle Cell Disease(SCD), who are below 16 years old, should be eligible for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination.
Obinna in an interview with News Agency Of Nigeria(NAN) on Friday, in Abuja said that SCD patients were vulnerable to severe COVID-19.
NAN, reports that SCD is a collective name for a set of inherited chronic conditions.
It covers a spectrum, from milder to severe forms of SCD but with support, people with SCD can have a good quality of life.
SCD is associated with episodes of severe pain called sickle cell painful crises.
The expert said that the impact of COVID-19 on the routine management of SCD patients in the country had been substantial and complex.
He added that clinicians now needed to ensure that patients received appropriate care for SCD in balance with the challenges posed by the pandemic.
“News is evolving rapidly about COVID-19 and its vaccines. Early results from the COVID-19 vaccine trials are very promising, although the true benefits and risks will not be known until a larger number of people receive the vaccine.
“ I am surprised that SCD patients were not listed as one of the populations vulnerable to severe COVID-19, to be vaccinated immediately in the country.
“Sickle cell disease raises the risk for serious problems with COVID-19, especially when compared to the same age in the general population,” he said.
According to him, Nigerians with health condition such as kidney failure, sickle cell anaemia or type 2 diabetes should be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in the country and should be contacted for the vaccine.
Obinna recommended that, based on current information across the globe, people with sickle cell disease should receive COVID-19 vaccination immediately.
“I have patients that have been held up in their homes since the beginning of this pandemic.
“They are afraid to go out because they know that if they were to get COVID, their chance of being hospitalised, getting really sick or dying is higher than the average population.
“Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder that causes red blood cells to be misshaped. The red blood cells are not able to carry oxygen well, which affects the whole body.
“The benefits of vaccination outweighs the risks for people with SCD. Vaccination is worthwhile compared to the risks of having COVID-19 disease in people with SCD,” he advised.
He advised that people with SDC should consult with their doctors or health care providers about whether their personal medical condition causes an exception to this general recommendation.
He stressed that the fact that SCD affects the immune system should not cause a safety problem for COVID-19 vaccines.
Obinna urged SDC patients, who have receive their jabs, and not to relax their precautions right after getting the vaccine.
“They might still get infected in the few weeks following vaccination. You could still give infection to those around you.
“Continue to wear a mask covering your nose and mouth. Wash your hands often. Maintain physical distance. Avoid crowds, and avoid people who are ill,” he advised. (NAN)
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.
