General News
SOFPON provides free surgical intervention for Lagos residents
The Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria (SOFPON) has conducted free surgical intervention for 60 residents of Lagos State to reduce morbidity and risk of death from common medical conditions.
Dr Sixtus Ozuomba, Chairman, SOFPON, Lagos chapter, said this during the association’s surgical outreach in celebration of the World Family Doctors Day on Saturday in Lagos.
The day celebrated annually on May 19 has as its theme: ‘Family Doctors: The Heart of Primary Care’, emphasising the critical role of family doctors in delivering compassionate and patient-centred care to their patients.
Ozuomba noted that basic surgical procedures were among the most cost-effective health interventions that could prevent avoidable deaths, boost welfare and economic productivity.
He, however, said that poverty and affordability of surgical care was a huge challenge for many Nigerians, irrespective of the part of the country where they resided.
According to him, to bridge the gap of accessibility to surgical procedures, SOFPON organised free surgical intervention for lipoma, breast lump, ingrown toenail, ganglion, hernia and other day cases surgery.
He said that 60 people would benefit from the intervention which was held at Onikan General Hospital and General Hospital, Odan, Lagos.
Ozuomba said the surgeries funded from the dues and levies of SOFPON members was to complement the Lagos State Government’s efforts in ensuring qualitative healthcare for its citizens.
Speaking on the theme of the 2023 celebration, Ozuomba said that family physicians were reputed for providing comprehensive, continuous and coordinated healthcare to individuals, families and communities.
Ozuomba said that family doctors also advocated on behalf of their patients as it regarded government’s policies and actions.
“We have a lot of competent areas, what people have been saying is the medical aspects, we are not limited by disease entity, age or sex of the patients.
“Surgery is also an aspect of the competent areas of a family physician. We decided to showcase that this year and let people benefit from it.
“Some people that have been finding it difficult to get into the healthcare system are seizing the opportunity to come in,” he said.
He noted that brain drain was affecting all specialties of the health sector, especially the family doctors whom he said were in high demand due to their competence that cuts across specialties.
Similarly, Dr Oghide Oziegbe, Secretary of SOFPON, said the free surgical intervention would relieve many beneficiaries from pain and discomfort which they have had for years but could not treat due to paucity of funds.
Oziegbe noted that the beneficiaries had undergone free laboratory tests and assessments to assess their fitness for the surgery.
He noted that 40 per cent of the patients were booked for hernia surgery, while breast lumps took the other number followed by procedures for ganglion, lipoma and ingrown toenail.
Also, Dr Madewa Adebajo, Medical Director, Onikan General Hospital, said the surgical intervention had assisted to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for beneficiaries, advising residents to register for the Ilera Eko health insurance plan to ensure access to healthcare services.
He also appealed to healthcare personnel to shun braindrain, saying that the state had improved its infrastructure and curriculum to encourage career progression.
Earlier, Prof. Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, said the state was committed to ensuring the provision of quality and affordable healthcare services to residents, irrespective of their socio-economic status.
Abayomi said that Ilera Eko which connoted the wellbeing and health of all residents of Lagos state was created to achieve universal health coverage for Lagos residents.
He called on all residents to prioritise their health and buy into the Lagos State Health Scheme, while commending SOFPON for its efforts in supporting government to bridge access to quality medical care for citizens. (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.
