General News
GOVERNORS’ FORUM TEAM VISITS LAGOS TO UNDERSTUDY IGR TEMPLATE
In order to address the decline in distributable revenue from the Federation Account to governments at all levels, a 30-team from the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and the Federal Ministry of Finance has visited the Lagos State Ministry of Finance to understudy the State’s Internally Generated Revenue template and exchange ideas on how to ameliorate the present economic meltdown in the country.
Welcoming the NGF team to the State, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, explained that the State Government had introduced a lot of innovation to drive its cashless revenue collection policy, adding that the State’s financial system has been fully automated, giving no room for cash transactions in any government financial deal.
Olowo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Yemi Ayoola, stated that Lagos had standardised its revenue collection system, through the introduction of different modes such as Point of Purchase System (POS), Single Treasury Account (TSA), different bank-payment opportunities and application of standard sharing formula between the State and local governments, to eliminate multiple taxation in respect of revenue from Land Use Charge.
While stressing that the State needs huge revenue to meet the infrastructure requirements of its teeming population, Olowo told the visiting team that the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration has not only put in place a very strong financial management system that is technology-driven but has also engaged financial risk managers. He maintained that the administrative ingenuity and perfect accounting system made it possible for the State Government to pay its workforce every month without fail.
“Technology has helped us a lot, every transaction is done through an electronic tax system. We have blocked possible leakages with the introduction of revenue codes while all revenue is traceable due to a single treasury account. We have committed professional accountants handling all the Ministry’s activities both in revenue data collation and full implementation of the budgetary system”, the Commissioner said.
Also speaking, Mr. Abayomi Yusuf, the Ministry’s Head of Revenue and Taxation Department, disclosed that the State has an application for the enumeration and capturing of property, adding that the government has five consultants working as field officers for the enumeration of property while the Ministry handles the administrative aspects.
On the legal backing to the State revenue generation system, Mrs. Olayemi Oni, the Head of Legal Department, told the visiting team that the LUC is a child of the law and its operations are wholly and entirely guided by its dictates.
“We are constantly working to bridge the lacuna and every three years, we review the law. We also have an Appeal Tribunal to resolve all complaints made by Lagosians”, she said.
Responding, the leader of the 30-man NGF delegation, Mr. Olanrewaju Ajogbasile, noted that the visit funded by the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Finance is aimed at exchanging ideas as well as learning how the Lagos State Government drives its economy and the strategies adopted to grow its Internal Generated Revenue (IGR), despite the global economic meltdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the destructive #EndSARS protest.
“We are here in Lagos to learn from the innovative strategies of the Lagos State Government. We have come to learn, adopt and follow Lagos State template in revenue generation because it is the best template in the country today”, he stated.
While commending the State Government for adopting technology in its revenue drive, Ajogbasile stated that Lagos IGR technique should be a standard template for achieving sustainable economic growth for the country, saying “The decision to visit Lagos was informed by the giant strides Lagos State is making in growing its Internally Generated Revenue despite the corrosive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy”.
He said it was highly inspiring to note that Lagos still grossed a total of N418.99 billion, which accounted for 32.1 per cent of the total N1.33 trillion IGR recorded by the 36 states in Y2020, despite various challenges faced by the State last year.
Representatives of State Governors from six Geo-Political zones, namely Gombe, Nasarawa, Delta, Ebonyi, Sokoto and Ekiti States were present during the team’s visit.
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.
