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LAGOS HAS A SPECIAL PLACE FOR YOUTHS – OMOTOSO  

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Gbenga Omotoso, Information Commissioner

“Lagos State has a special place for young people, who are doing great things.” Those were the words of the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, when he appeared on Real Talk With Kike, a Silverbird Television talk show.

Omotoso recalled Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s visit to some Tech Hubs, saying he accompanied Mr. Governor and discovered how youths are using technology to resolve everyday challenges. He said it is an indication that quite a large number of jobs can be created in the Education and Technology pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S development agenda.

His words: “The Government will do everything possible to support these youths to achieve their dreams in Lagos State.”

“As part of strengthening this sector, the State Government is poised to establish a Technology Cluster in Yaba. The cluster – Knowledge, Innovative Technology and Entrepreneurship (K.I.T.E), will be sited on 2,200 square metres of land.”

“As part of its Smart City Project, the Lagos State Government is laying a six-kilometre fibre optic cable around the State. Of the first-phase 3000 kilometres, 1,800 kilometres have been completed. With this, 100 schools and 12 hospitals have been connected for faster internet. Service providers are queuing up to take advantage of the system.”

According to Omotoso, the Fibre Optic Cable project is a major component of the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda of the administration and it is the key infrastructure that will drive the strategic policy document, particularly the Third Pillar ‘E’, which stands for Education and Technology. It will also drive the ‘M’ Pillar – Making Lagos A 21st Century Economy.

While stating that 150 CCTV cameras have been installed and activated to test-run the Fibre Optic initiative, Omotoso said that the Smart City Project will further enhance the penetration of technology and empower youths in their activities.

Speaking on the operations of commercial motorcycles popularly called Okada, the Commissioner asserted that Okada is not part of the “Greater Lagos Journey”, but the riders will not be sent out without the provision of alternatives, which include the First Mile and Last Mile buses to take people to their final destinations. He noted that there is planned upskilling of youths willing to drop Okada riding, to embrace other vocations, including being part of the new bus initiative.

He affirmed that the personnel of the Lagos State Taskforce are still enforcing the law, which prohibits Okada and tricycle (Keke) operators from plying certain routes, highways and bridges but the impact is yet to be felt due to the huge number of Okada riders flooding the State daily.

The Commissioner said, “We have seen how Okada has led to accidents while the police have released statistics that affirmed Okada is being used for crimes, which should not be allowed to continue.”

On street begging, Omotoso acknowledged that it is an organised business, adding that the Government is doing a lot to discourage the practice along with others such as street trading, hawking and child labour.

“Lagos, as a sub-national, cannot stop citizens of other States from coming into this State, but our emphasis is that they must obey the law and desist from illegal activities,” he said.

The Lagos State Government, he noted, frowns at the negative practices of using children to beg and revealed that the administration initiated Project Zero to ensure no child is left behind in basic education by going after out-of-school children and those on the streets to bring them back into schools.

In response to the recent suspension of Twitter operations by the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Omotoso affirmed that he is an absolute believer in free speech and would not support the stifling of the press, but there is no right without responsibility.

According to the Commissioner, Sanwo-Olu’s administration has good relationships with media organisations and would never take media freedom for granted or do anything that will hinder free flow of information to Lagosians.

He said, “As an editor, I don’t agree with the broadcast of contents that are not fit for public consumption, including sourcing for contents on social media without credible sources” and advised that social media should be used for the development of society and in the interest of the nation.

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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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