General News
FG trains Ebonyi yam farmers on new production technique

The Federal Government has trained 20 yam farmers in Ebonyi on new production technique known as the “sackbag’’ yam production.
The training, which was organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) was held in Abakaliki on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that farmers were drawn from the 13 local government areas of the state.
NAN also reports that other key stakeholders in agriculture attended the training.
Alhaji Muhammad Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in his speech, noted that the innovation was aimed at promoting all year yam production to ensure food security.
He said that the training would equip the farmers with the relevant skills needed to enhance yam production through the use of the innovation.
The minister, represented by Chief William Obasi, a director in the ministry in charge of Ebonyi office, said that the farmers were selected for the training due to their contribution to food production in the country.
Nanono said that those trained would step down the training to the grassroots.
“You are selected to be apostles of the new technology where we grow yams in bags, every farmer, everybody, even if you are landless, you will have an opportunity to grow yam in your compound if it is properly ventilated.
“We are here to train our yam farmers in Ebonyi on this new innovation so as to make yam farming a good business.
“We want to make food available for our population and reduce food insecurity, we want to engage our farmers and youths positively through the training,’’ Nanono said.
He urged them to make judicious use of the knowledge received from the training and retrain others.
The minister enjoined the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to address food insufficiency and food insecurity in the nation.
Earlier, Mrs Karim Babangida, a director in the ministry in a keynote speech noted that food security was the most important form of guaranteeing the sovereignty of a state.
The director, represented by Dr Perpetua Iyere-Usiahon noted that guaranteeing food security also required the security of farmers who were saddled with the responsibility of feeding the teeming population of over 200 million people.
She said that in most developing countries such as Nigeria, agriculture was an essential sector considered as the backbone for rural economy as many relied upon it for survival.
“Food insecurity and unemployment remain pressing problem in many parts of Africa with malnutrition identified as primarily being caused by food insecurity.
“Clash between hunger and malnutrition is not caused by insufficient food, instead, it is because certain categories of individuals and households do not have adequate access to food.
“Food insecurity affects both humans and livestock, an attempt for herders to seek for feed for their livestock has led to clash between them and farmers,’’ she said.
Babangida noted that clash, if not well managed could escalate to greater crisis, stressing that it was on that basis that the Federal Government was promoting yam production through the use of sack to ensure food security and address insecurity.
She explained that the innovation had made it possible for all year round production of yams and allowed for the use of small spaces in and around the homes.
“Nigeria is listed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as one of the 20 countries where acute hunger is expected to soar, we must do everything to avert this prediction.
Meanwhile, Iyere-Usiahon, the yam desk officer in the ministry told newsmen that the innovation involved planting of yam of any specie in bag filled with soil and kept anywhere around the home.
She noted that any variety of yams could be planted using the technique which is also allowed for all seasons planting.
One of the participants, Mr Shadrack Nkwuda commended the Federal Government for the initiative, noting that the innovation would boost yam production in the state. (NAN)
Rabi’u Sani Ali
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.