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Senator Olujimi wants 30% women representation in ECOWAS Parliament enforced

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Senator Abiodun Olujimi

Senator Biodun Olujimi, a Member of the ECOWAS Parliament representing Nigeria, has said that the 30 per cent women representation in the Parliament must be enforced, in line with ECOWAS’ gender policy.

She stated this while speaking to journalists at the end of the ECOWAS Parliament’s High-level Seminar at its Second Extraordinary Session in Winneba, Ghana.

Olujimi, representing Ekiti South in the Nigerian Senate, decried the low representation of Nigerian female legislators in the sub-regional Parliament, as compared to their male counterparts.

She said that out of the thirty-five-member Nigerian delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, only two were women, adding that the ECOWAS Parliament must ensure that Member States complied with the provisions of the ECOWAS gender policy.

“It has been a very big issue for us because the eighth National Assembly had about five women in Parliament out of 35. We thought that was low, until we came and found out that we were only two this time.

“And ECOWAS has a gender policy that says at least 30 per cent must be given to the chamber.

“But, Nigeria is a signatory to all forms of protocols from all over the world, but has never been able to domesticate them and make use of the protocols.

“At times I wonder what benefits are in signing protocols when you know that you will not do anything about them.

“I believe that the time has come for ECOWAS to inform the National Assemblies of each of the 15 Member States that a gender policy exists, and that whenever consideration is being made for Parliamentarians, 30 per cent must be given to the female gender.

”And that will also evaporate down the line, because it means that if you are electing people into Parliament in your country, you now know that you must be able to put enough room.

“So that when you get there, you can always get enough to go into ECOWAS or the Commonwealth Parliament. That is essential,” Olujimi said.

The senator also expressed optimism on Nigeria producing a female President in the not too distant future, saying that women were already beginning to gain momentum in the Nigerian political space.

She, however, urged women to continue to support each other, soliciting the support of men to ensure that women seized some of their opportunities.

“I see hope, a bright future, because for a very long time we did not agree we have a problem, we were all busy fighting each other rather than fighting the system that has refused to bring us out.

“But, now we have seen that the system is not willing to do anything for us unless we do it for ourselves and, so, we have started working hard at it.

“In my party, all women came together and said we want Deputy National Chairman and today, they are at the party secretariat, lots of them, returning the form of a woman and saying, you must give us this one.

“By the time we build such movements, people will know that we are not joking. And the minute the parties know we are not joking, then the coast will be clear.

“I see it in the horizon because it is working across political divides,” Olujimi said.

Olujimi, who also intends to run for the Gubernatorial seat in the June 18, 2022, in Ekiti state elections, said she is hopeful she will win.  (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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