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Pastor Adeboye Leads RCCG In Thanksgiving For Osinbajo After Crash
Enoch Adeboye, general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), on Sunday morning led the congregation to thank God for saving the life of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in a helicopter crash in Kogi State yesterday.
He recalled that the word of prophecy came during the church’s Holy Ghost Service on Friday that no matter how hard the enemy would try there would be no mourning in our families this year.
“Would you please join me in thanking God that there is no mourning in our family this morning,” he said, inviting the congregation at the headquarters at the church at Ebute Metta, Lagos, and others who participated from various perishes of the church around the world to pray.
On Friday night, he had said: “The Lord has asked me to tell someone tonight that it doesn’t matter what the enemy might try there will be no mourning in your family this year.”
He had also called for prayers for the forthcoming general elections.
Calling for congregational prayers during his sermon, Adeboye said: “Pray for mercy for Nigeria. Pray for mercy before the elections, pray for mercy during the elections and pray for massive mercy after the elections. Nigeria needs mercy.”
He urged people to cast their votes and ensure the votes are counted before they leave polling centres if the security situation permits.
Earlier, his wife, Folu, who is also a pastor of the church, had prayed for peaceful elections during a congregational prayer for all nations. RCCG has a visible presence in 198 countries.
Preaching a sermon on Isaiah 60:1 – 3, under the theme, “Swimming in Glory 2,” the General Overseer reiterated a message he preached in January, that one can only arise and shine in light or Jesus and not in Satan, who represents darkness.
When he made an altar call for people to come into light, hundreds responded in the old and new auditoriums at the Redemption Camp.
The night’s sermon dwelt on one word from the text, “Arise,” which he said is not an advice or plea but a command from God for us to move ahead from whatever position we are in.
Taking the various positions one after the other and what the command means, he said arise to someone who is dead means come back to live; to someone to who is mentally dead is come back to your right senses; and to someone who is materially or financially dead is be debt-free.
“Arise materially means for loses to be restored,” he continued. “Arise to those who are dead spiritually is to come out of sinful life; arise from physical death, which symbolizes hopelessness is to refuse to lose hope in life.”
He illustrated this with the testimony of his uncle, who lost hope in life and planned to commit suicide but had an encounter with God during a church service.
He recalled: “There was this uncle of mine. He was very poor, so poor he could not afford decent clothing. One day he asked his wife to use her wrapper to make buba and soro with which he had planned what to do.
He had decided that enough was enough. So, he made up his mind he was going to die but that he was going to do so in style. He planned to go to church where he would sing and dance so much that everybody would notice him, and then come home and commit suicide so people would say, “Oh, we didn’t know he was celebrating his departure.”
Fortunately, my uncle was struck by the words of the preacher that fateful Sunday. When the preacher told of how Shedrack, Meshach and Abednego said, ‘We don’t know how God will deliver us but we know He will,’ my uncle changed his mind.
He said: “Aaah, I don’t how God can bring me out this storm, but I refuse to die.”
And the Prince of Peace spoke peace to his storm.
The day he was sharing his testimony, he had just purchased fourteen cars for his company.”
Continuing, he said arise to one who is sleeping means to wake up. He likened sleep to an invitation for the enemy to sow into one’s life; and could also mean unfulfilled dreams.
“Arise to someone sitting down means stand up. Sitting means resting too soon, or complacency or even retrogression.
“Arise to someone who is standing means jumping into action; keep moving or for one to take steps to fulfill their potentials.
“Arise to someone who is walking means start running; arise to someone who is running means to accelerate or do greater things.”
He recalled how he started serving God with zeal soon as he gave his life to Christ. He said at the University of Lagos, where he was teacher, he started prayer and Bible studies in his office during break periods with a small group of his staff, but his office soon became so small that they had to move to a classroom.
He said the numbers continued to grow with such rapidity that the late Chike Obi, who was his head of department complained it was difficult to get typists to work for him during Adeboye’s prayer meetings.
“Arise to someone who is already running means begin to fly, which also means for the Holy Spirit to take one to a height in life never imagined, a height one would know only God could make possible.”
Illustrating this point, he said earlier in life, the best he could do was to fast for three hours, and when he saw a small girl testify that she got a miracle after dry-fasting for three days, he was amazed. But by the Grace of God he can now fast for 40 days without food.
Finally, he said arise to someone who is already flying means move from glory to glory. He cited the example of Peter, who became increasingly powerful, performing miracles.
The general overseer rounded up the sermon with congregational prayers with 10 prayer points he gave.
Much earlier youth pastors from among the children from the headquarters of the church preached to the large congregation.
Testimonies shared by some members of the church that night included miraculous healings, raising the dead, and children for the barren.
News
Lagos state government seals Ile Iyan restaurant over waste disposal violations
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has sealed off Ile Iyan, a restaurant in the Sabo Yaba area of the state, for “non-compliance with waste disposal regulations”.
Lagos Waste Reporters, a publication focused on waste management, reported that officials discovered invoices and food waste from Ile Iyan at an illegal dumpsite.
The dumpsite is located near Aje Comprehensive High School, Yaba.
“Despite the establishment’s claims of registration with LAWMA, no corroborative evidence was provided,” the report reads.
LAWMA has now mandated Ile Iyan to formally register and comply with established waste management regulations.
“It is essential to maintain cleanliness in Lagos. Businesses must register with LAWMA and adhere to proper waste management procedures to prevent closure,” the report added.
Tokunbo Wahab, commissioner for the environment and water resources in Lagos, has ramped up enforcement of environmental regulations in the city, with markets, clubs and eateries often sealed over purported violations.
News
‘I’ll show you the way out’ — says EFCC chairman as he sacks two corrupt officials
Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has announced the dismissal of two officials over alleged corruption.
Speaking on Tuesday at the annual criminal law review conference organised by the Rule of Law Development Foundation in Abuja, Olukoyede said the staff were sacked two weeks ago.
He said the commission is undergoing significant reforms, including addressing staff misconduct.
Olukoyede challenged Nigerians to come forward if they had evidence of him receiving bribes.
“Just two weeks ago, I have cause to dismiss two staff. You can’t be fighting corruption and your hands are dirty,” Olukoyede said.
“He who comes to equity, your hands must also be cleaned. And I say I will not only be dismissing them, I will also be prosecuting them because that is what we prosecute others for.
“So, you will see that we are preparing the case files of some of the people we have dismissed.
“If an EFCC staff will not be able to stand publicly with his two hands up and challenge the entire public… whose goat have I collected? Whose bottle of water have I taken illegitimately?”
“And I have said this to Nigerians; who has ever given me one kobo in the course of my work, come out and say it. I stand to be challenged.
“I can’t be easily influenced by things like that. That’s why we must make up our minds to work together to do the right thing.
“Any staff that is corrupt, I will show you the way out. Again, there are some people who may want to be overzealous. Out of 12, you must have Judas.
“I can’t stand here and say all is perfect. As many as you see, report them to us and we will do justice.”
Olukoyede shared his personal experience of being investigated for two years while serving as the commission’s secretary.
“I am not just sitting there as chairman of EFCC. I have been on the other side,” he said.
“I have been subjected to investigation myself for two years. So I know what it means to subject people to investigations.
“My major objective is to use the instrumentality of this mandate to stimulate the economy and to also follow the rule of law.
“Integrity is not about law, it is not about your advocacy ability to write beautiful briefs. No.
“It is about law and morality. Your conscience must tell you to do the right thing. That is what integrity is all about.
“Finally, ethics, value and standard of legal practice must also be reviewed. These are essential to me because the job of EFCC is to ensure that corruption does not find space in our national life.”
Olukoyede said he welcomes constructive criticism of the agency, emphasising that he is not opposed to scrutiny.
“But let us do it in a responsible way. What do we benefit from running down our institutions? If you notice EFCC is doing anything wrong, come to us,” he said.
“We will sit down and I will explain some reformed agenda we are carrying out. Upon my resumption of office, we have put some reformed agenda in place.
“We have reviewed our arrest and detention policy. I have had cause to investigate a whole ministry; minister, directors and all of that without detaining anybody over night.
“And I got all the information I needed and the matter is going on fine without detaining a single soul.
“But that does not preclude that if there is the need to detain, we do not detain. We have also had cause to equip all our interrogation rooms in compliance with judgment of court.”
’CHARGES LIMITED TO 15 COUNTS’
Olukoyede said the EFCC no longer files “100-count or 150-count charges” which were common in the past.
The chairman said no prosecution should exceed a 15-count charge under his directive.
“If your case is water tight, that is why I will never rush to court until I am sure of my proof of evidence,” he added.
“I vet case files myself, particularly high-profile cases, and the lawyer must give me a draft of the charge.
“We will look at it together, compared with my proof of evidence, sleep over it before I give my go-ahead.
“If we are losing a case, it shouldn’t be on grounds of lack of diligent prosecution.
“If there are other technical issues, fine. But I will be sure that I have done my job and it’s done in such a way that I can defend long after I leave office.”
Joseph Daudu, coordinator of the foundation, said the conference aims to provide a platform for reviewing developments in crime apprehension, prosecution, adjudication, and other post-adjudicatory processes.
On November 15, the supreme court dismissed a suit filed by 16 states challenging the constitutionality of the EFCC Act.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Uwani Abba-Aji, who led a seven-member panel of justices, ruled that “the EFCC Act, which is not a treaty but a convention, does not need the ratification of the houses of assembly”.
News
Lagos state government seals off three water factories for breaching quality standards
The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) says it has sealed off three water factories in the Lekki axis for breaching operational and quality standards.
Funke Adepoju, the executive secretary of LASWARCO, told journalists on Tuesday that the facilities were sealed after failure to meet the commission’s operational and approved quality standards.
Adepoju added that one out of four facilities inspected in the area met the approved standards.
She noted that the facilities must operate in a clean environment with functional treatment machines and good packaging, as well as batching to know the date of water production.
Adepoju reiterated the commission’s commitment to ensuring that water consumed by Lagos residents is safe.
She added that the commission would not hesitate to take action against producers who engage in substandard practices.
Mosaku Omolabake, chairperson of the association of table water producers in Lagos, said the enforcement was not targeted at specific individuals but to ensure that all factories adhered to quality standards.
Omolabake expressed the association’s commitment to upholding ethical standards and protecting public health.
The facilities sealed include H. Life Water, House 3, Road 4, Oguntayo Estate, Eputu, lbeju Lekki; Belwu Water, 1 Alhaji MKO Street Oribawa Phase 2, lbeju Lekki; and Aquadon Water, Mega Tea Road, lbeju Lekki.
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