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Revenue Allocation: Governor Emmanuel Calls For Upward Review

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Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel
Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State  has asked the Federal Government to upwardly review the revenue allocation to states in order to improve economic growth and enhance industrialization in the country.

Governor Emmanuel made the call on Thursday when members of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) visited him at Government House in Uyo.

He urged the team to reflect the major challenges of the states in their input and work towards its implementation to further assist states tackle pending financial issues.

The governor further appealed to the Federal Government to review the revenue allocation of the state to address the issue of population increase, marine security along the coastal lines, and erosion menace to reduce the burden on the state government.

“Honestly, the current sharing formula is not helping matters at all especially for us in the oil-producing areas. What you sign into law from the center is also a major problem. How can you say that a community will take only 3% of the proceeds of the NNPC? This is generating a lot of heat here but we are trying to manage that.

“So, I hope this won’t be a similar exercise and that what we contribute will be taken into consideration. What we should do is to build and unite the country, coordinate economic activities for our growth and for the interest of everybody so that we can live in peace. I welcome you to the state; be rest assured you will have all our cooperation and the exercise will go smoothly. Please, let it be an exercise that will yield success and not another fruitless labour,” the governor explained.

The governor regretted that the state does not receive revenue from its large gas reserve, and VAT from international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the state.

“Gas is a major issue; I can’t be a state that sits on the largest quantum of gas in this country and I am not getting anything. 36.1% of oil and gas reserve in Nigeria is in Akwa Ibom State and I am not getting anything from gas. So, how is it computed? There is something wrong somewhere; it is wrongly computed.

“These are raw data that can be verified anywhere. Now there is another controversy of VAT. All VAT from these IOCs, where are they paying them to? They are not paying them to us. So, there are many things you should look at and develop for the Federal Government. So, VAT from IOCs, from oil and gas should actually go to the states these things are produced,” the governor added.

In his remark, the RMAFC team leader and Federal Commissioner representing Akwa Ibom State, Sunday Ayang, stated that the visit was to sensitize people in the state on the review of sharing formula between the federal, state, and local governments. He noted that stakeholders will send in their inputs to capture grey areas.

According to Ayang, the constitution provides for the exercise to be carried out in five years to further improve revenue among the three tiers of government.

He noted that the team is working towards presenting memoranda before President Muhammadu Buhari for assessment and necessary actions.

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General News

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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Anglican Church logo

…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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