General News
Again FCTA cancels Eid-il-Fitr public prayer
The Federal Capital Terriory Administration (FCTA) has declared that there would be no Eid-il-Fitr prayers at the National Eid prayer ground along the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Expressway (Airport Road).
This is contained in a statement by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Bello said the directive was part of resolution reached at a meeting between FCTA and the FCT League of Imams Initiative led by its Chairman, Imam Tajudeen Adigun
He explained that the objective of the meeting was to discuss the modalities of holding Eid prayers for the upcoming Eid-il-Fitr celebrations.
Bello said that all worshippers are enjoined to hold Eid prayers outdoors within the premises of their neighbourhood Juma’at mosques
Acccording to him, indoor worship are to be limited to less than 50 per cent of installed capacity.
Religious authorities are advised to regulate the flow of people entering and exiting places of worship.
” All non-pharmaceutical intervention protocols of facial coverings, physical distancing and hand washing are to be observed
” All other Eid celebrations and activities should be confined to homes as all public parks, recreation and entertainment centers are to be closed
On his part, the Chairman of the FCT League of Imams Initiative, Adigun, said “In Islam, you listen to experts, those who are specialists and those who have actually discussed with us are experts in the field of medical sciences.
” In Islam, you also abide with the commands of leadership. Based on this and what we are convinced of, we urge Muslim Ummah to also respect this stand of the Administration by observing our Eid prayers within our localities.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in 2020, the FCTA cancelled eid prayers to mark the Eid-el Fitr celebration in the FCT.
This is sequel to the statement by the Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), under the leadership of His Eminence, The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, regarding the suspension of the Eid Congregational Prayers in towns and cities across the Federation.
The decision, the FCTA said, was in tandem with the guidelines, issued by the then Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, that all places of worship in the FCT and other high risk States of the Federation should remain closed during the recently extended period of lock down.
NAN also reports that the federal government on Monday, reintroduced the restriction on mass gatherings after a spike in COVID-19 cases recorded in in Brazil, India and Turkey.
The Head of the Secretary of Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Dr Mukhtar Mohammed, who announced this said effective Tuesday May 11, said event centres and non-essential public places such as night clubs would remain closed till further notice.
Mohammed said that gathering of religious groups, weddings, have been reduced to 50 per cent attendance, while official engagements, meetings and conferences should continue to hold virtually.
He said government had also reintroduced curfew from midnight of Monday to 4p.m.
The committee directed security personnel to enforce the measures while state governments to set up a mobile tribunal for the prosecution of violators.
Mohammed said: “the National Response continues to focus on achieving a balance between preserving lives while working on a long term epidemic control. Effective from 00:01 hours on Tuesday, this phase four of restriction of movement shall come into effect.
“We shall maintain restrictions on mass gatherings of sidewalk settings, with a maximum of about 50 people in an enclosed space,” he said. (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.
