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LASG says sports can be used to rekindle hope in youths

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The Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Oluwatoyin Gafar, has said that sports can be used to rekindle the hope of, youths especially with the political situation in the country.

Gafar said this at the one-day 2021 Table Tennis Renewed Hope Top-16 Invitational Challenge competition which ended on Saturday at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 16 players performed in the men and women categories respectively.

NAN reports that for the men’s category; Taiwo Mati came first, Samuel Boboye, second, and Ahmed Bello came third. They were awarded cash prizes of N200,000, N100,000 and N50,000 respectively.

In the women’s category, Bose Odusanya placed first, followed by Bisola Asaju and Fatimo Bello. They won cash prizes of N200,000, N100,000 and N50,000 respectively.

The director said that it was important to tell the youths that their hope could still be renewed which was what gave birth to the competition.

“Thirty-two top players in Nigeria and by extension, four of them ranked in Africa, participated in the competition.

“We need to continue encouraging them and giving them hope by rekindling their interest in sports instead of being on the streets constituting a nuisance to the society.

“The rigour of the game meets International standards which they are supposed to be exposed to,” he said.

Gafar said that the one-day competition was the first of its kind in Nigeria in accordance with International standards and that more of such competitions will be organised in future.

Wahid Oshodi, a former president of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), said that he was impressed with the performance of the athletes and would like them playing for the national team.

“I think not more than five people outside Nigeria can match these boys,” Oshodi said.

He said that he was confident that most of the players that excelled at this competition would perform well at the African Championship in September.

“I can bet you that we are going to see one or two of these young kids wearing the jersey along Haruna Quadri and this will give us great pride,” Oshodi said.

Martin, the winner of the boys category and also African Junior Champion, said that he saw the prospectus of the tournament and knew that it was going to be a difficult and rigorous one.

“So, I have been training in cardiovascular exercises to improve my stamina which helped me in completing the matches and focusing more on my rythm,” Martin said.

Fifteen-year-old Boboye and NTTF Championship cadet, said that he was proud of himself for getting to the finals for which he thanked God.

“I was so proud of myself because the tournament was tough. I played my best and got to the finals which is a big achievement for me,” he said.

Odusanya, winner of the women’s category, said that she did not believe she could win the competition because she was recently discharged from hospital.

“I give glory to God for winning this tournament because I was recently discharged from the hospital.

“I didn’t believe that I could get to the finals but glory be to God for this great win,” she said.

Ama-Ebi Ebikpolade, Chairman, Bayelsa State Table Tennis Association, applauded the performance of the athletes which he described as exhilarating.

“However, for me, Boboye is the star of this tournament because he is the most improved player and I am sure that he will go places,” the chairman said. (NAN)

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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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…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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