General News
GREATER LAGOS FIESTA KICKS OFF NEXT WEEK IN EKO ATLANTIC CITY, AGEGE STADIUM, THREE OTHER CENTRES
Lagos State Government on Monday said its annual end-of-the-year entertainment event tagged “Greater Lagos Fiesta” will hold next week in all the five divisions of the State.
Speaking to journalists at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Femi Martins, said the Greater Lagos Fiesta, aimed at engaging and entertaining Lagos residents as the year winds down, will be held from Thursday, December 29 into the wee hours of Sunday, January 1, 2023, to usher in the New Year.
He said the event where a lot of Grade A artists are expected to entertain Lagosians, was in continuation of Governor Sanwo-Olu administration’s passion to meet the yearning of the public and promote tourism, arts and culture through entertainment in line with the fifth pillar of the Greater Lagos developmental agenda, which is Entertainment and Tourism.
Martins, who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Pharm. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, and other state officials during the press conference, said the annual fiesta which started in 2012 but could not hold in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 restrictions, will take place simultaneously this year at designated centres in Ikorodu, Epe, Ikeja, Badagry and Lagos Island.
He said over 10,000 fun seekers are expected to throng each of the venues of the Greater Lagos Fiesta daily in Ikorodu Town Hall, Epe Recreation Center, Agege Stadium, Badagry Grammar School and Eko Atlantic City.
Martins said the Greater Lagos Fiesta will further open up economic opportunities for small and medium scale operators, adding that adequate security arrangements have been put in place for all attendees in all five divisions.
Martins, who assured all Lagos residents and beyond of a well-loaded Greater Lagos Fiesta filled with fun and entertainment, said the event will promote and have a positive impact on the economy of the State, which would result in a boom and therefore appeal to willing corporate organisations to partner with Lagos State Government to make the event successful.
The Special Adviser to the Governor also hinted that with the Q4 Initiative launched in September, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture will be able to collate data for attendees to enhance planning and project to the world the traffic Lagos State attracts to tourism and entertainment.
Martins while responding to questions from journalists on the name successive governments have called the fiesta in the State, said Mr. Governor would be briefed on the need for a bill to be sponsored and sent to the Lagos State House of Assembly for the current name to be backed by law for continuity.
Greater Lagos Fiesta was designed to provide a platform to promote commerce, arts, culture, unity, and happiness among the people of Lagos State in celebration of the yuletide.
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.
