Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints elevates Chibundu to Area 70

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints had her 4^th Annual Stake Conference on Sunday, April 28, where the President of the Lagos Nigeria Ikeja Stake, Elder Christian Chiemezuola Chibundu was relieved of his position and elevated to Area 70, according to the church. CYRIACUS NNAJI reports.

The Conference which took place at the Opebi, Ikeja Headquarters of the Church was marked by praises on the outgoing president of the Lagos Nigeria Ikeja President, Elder Chibundu who has been elevated to Area 70.

According to Marcus B. Nash, President, African West Area said  “One of the central purpose of this conference is to reorganise the stake presidency, a stake is like a diocese, people from many geographical areas. There is a president who oversees the function of the church in the geographical area, we call it a stake to oversee the congregation. Today the stake president was relieved, and we call the new one. And that is one reason we are here.

“Chibundu was relieved of his position as stake president but has also been elevated to serve the church in a higher capacity call Area 70; he has supervisory responsibility over a number of stakes all over West Africa. And I will be working with him.”

Answering question on how the church leadership can influence the current state of the nation, he said “The lord said to his people, you are the salt of the earth, that is how we can bless this nation, you must live a life of honesty, integrity, keeping the commandments of God, being faithful to your wife, being faithful to your husband, being kind, raising children, to love God, these people who are salt of the earth can be salt of the nation.  Also the church does a lot of humanitarian relief; that is what we do to bless the nation here and now.

“Historically the church began in Nigeria in 1978 and since that time the church has given over $50m in humanitarian relief to the nation, and we continue to do this. And we are grateful for every righteous, every good effort the government makes to help the people, we just want to be good citizens in this country, bring blessings to this great nation.”

Elder Christian Chibundu, Area 70, said nothing would deter him from achieving his aims and objectives, knowing that the lord has called him. ”And knowing that I am doing the lords work, knowing that it is the lord that calls and qualifies, the one that gives strength, energy, nothing will ever deter me, because I know whom I am working for.”

Elder Adeyinka Ayodeji spoke on the church stand on the Trinity, he said “We believe that there is God in heaven, who is our loving father, and he has a son, Jesus Christ, who is not only our savior, but our brother. And we also believe that there is a third member; that is the Holy Ghost, whom the savior promised when he was going that he would send us a comforter. And that comforter is the Holy Ghost and we believe that our heavenly father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, the three of them work together in unity, but they are separate beings.”

Moses John Ekpa, the current Stake president while expressing thanks to God for elevating him to the position of the church President said “The church is a restored church of Jesus Christ, adding that the church existed while Jesus Christ was on earth. He also said the church is meant for both the rich and the poor.

“The church is not for the elite. I am as humble as you are. I came from a very humble background, I struggled to gain education, so you cannot classify me as one of the elites, but here I am today to lead over 2000 members of the church, so if the church is meant for the elite, I wouldn’t have been given that privilege. The notion that the church is meant for the elite is a wrong notion. 

"The church is actually meant for the poor of the poorest, it I meant for everyone, big, small, old, young, rich, poor, high class, middle class, low class. The saviour Jesus Christ was on earth and did not distinguish those who are elite, no wonder his birth was humble, he was born in a manger to show all humility, that he is the saviour, yet he is humble. The lord is welcoming all to come on to him,” Ekpa said.

Churches should go beyond revival meetings to do economic empowerment seminars, Pastor Ejiogu

Cyriacus Nnaji:

Lead Pastor of Evangel Pentecostal Churches, Pastor Iheanyi Ejiogu, has advised men of God to move beyond revival, crusades and outreach meetings to begin to do economic empowerment seminars for their members.

Pastor Ejiogo made the disclosure at the DogoodFriday empowerment programme held at Church at Okota, Lagos State recently.

He described poverty in Nigeria as mind burgling “An average Nigerian that earns N36,000 per month that is $100, he lives below the UN poverty line; someone that earns $200, that is N70,000, he lives below UN poverty line. What that means is that over 60% of Nigerians are poor, just by that statistics. That alone is mind burgling, the poverty is not percentile but endemic, it is system poverty, the whole system is poor.

“It tells you that glossing over issues of economy is the greatest disservice we can do to ourselves as Nigerians, and we cannot look the other way, churches should go beyond revival meetings, beyond crusades, beyond outreach meetings to begin to do economic empowerment seminars. How do you teach a man to turn 5k to 50k? How do you teach 10 people that have 50, 50k, how they can put it together and come up with a small industry that will pay more people on the long run? Because sometimes Christians are carried away by this spiritual dimension of it and forget that there is social responsibility clause inside spirituality.”

“Continuing on the poverty in the land he said “If you are a spiritually minded person, you should be aware of the needs of the other man. That is what makes you spiritual, you are sensitive that other people have struggles, so if you are so sensitive to sin, but you are not sensitive to poverty, you are selectively sensitive. We are not allowing our full sensitivity manifest. I can only take care of 2000 people, if we have more, we could do more, but that suggests that we are in a time where beyond preaching  to the heart and ears of the people let us also preach their strategy, lets preach their capacity to earn, lets teach work ethics.

“I remember in the 80s, dignity in labour , war against indiscipline , lets begin to teach a cleaner to be proud to clean, because that is how she will earn pending when she will move to a better position in life, so the teaching is not tallying with reality. So the church should become more socially responsible, after the healing service organize in the weekend economic empowerment, after deliverance service begin to teach people apprenticeship, a lot of unemployed young people don’t understand the culture of apprenticeship, so they don’t know that they can go and work for a company free to learn how it works and once you do well they will retain you, once they retain you they would pay you. When they pay you, you are employed.

Speaking on DogoodFriday, he said it is a vision planted in his heart by God “DogoodFriday is an event that God put in our heart to reach to our the world. I strongly believe that one of the hallmarks of Christianity is selflessness and love. God told us to reach out instead of just talking Good Friday, God told us to do good Friday, let us do something practical, that will show people that God loves them, even if they don’t come to our church tomorrow that is not the primary purpose, the primary purpose is that somebody who is tired today can realise still that God is still interested in them.”

 Ejiogu stated that the event was the second since conception in 2018.

The empowerment designed to be part of the Easter celebration was made up lawyers, medical personnel, barbers who were on hand to render services to attendees. There were gift items which include rice, spaghetti, Indomie and others. The children were also given Excise books, math-sets and sandals. In the end there were smiles on the faces of the people.

The General Overseer said about 2,300 people were registered in order to receive gift items at the event as against last year’s 2,000.

Ejiogo said DogoodFriday is an annual event. He also hinted of plans to commence what he called DogoodNigeria which would be observed every October 1 being Nigeria’s Independent Day.

“It is annual, but at the same time I always listen to what God is saying, how God is saying it. Two of our churches have also started it, so it is becoming two in a year.

On sponsorship of DogoodFriday he said it is based on donations 

“The first time I announced in the church, first one month nothing was coming, I used my own money bought 10 cartons of Indomie and put it in the store, so somebody saw it and came out and announced there are things happening in the store o, four weeks late, there were hundreds of cartons of Indomie, bags of rice, so I think people just wanted to see how sincere the vision was before they got on board. So we are trusting in God that corporate organizations can get involved.

Other corporate social responsibility by the church include helping in grading the road in conjunction with Okota community.

Jumia dismisses allegations of inappropriate disclosures, expresses optimism for growth

Success Damian:

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jumia Nigeria, Juliet Anammah, has dismissed allegations of inappropriate disclosures leveled against the online market place giant.

Anammah stated that there is nothing hidden in the activities of the organization which can easily be seen in the company’s prospectus, even as she stressed that the company is moving on the part of growth.

She described as ‘selected, biased or unverified facts’ the report by Citron saying it was aimed at damaging the rising image of the Jumia brand.

The CEO made the disclosure during a press conference at the company’s Head office in Lagos on Wednesday.

Anammah asserted that the company remains resolute in the disclosures made in the Company’s prospectus during the IPO, which correctly describe the business and the related risks in all material respects.

Recall that Citron Research recently alleged that in 18 years of publishing, it has never seen such an obvious fraud as Jumia.

The Citron report said media in the United States is naive for anointing Jumia the “Amazon of Africa”, after the e-commerce giant successfully launched its IPO in New York Exchange.

In disagreement with Citron’s report, Jumia says, “Some recent allegations were made about Jumia on the basis of selected, biased or unverified facts with a clear objective of damaging Jumia.

“We held our earnings call on Monday May 13th and we published our first quarter results, which we are very pleased with, and provided information to demonstrate that those recent allegations are wrong.

“We encourage you to download our results and access the transcript of the call, both of which are publicly available. We stand by the disclosures we made in our prospectus, which accurately describe our business and the related risks in all material respects.

“We are very excited about the future and our prospects. We will not be distracted from executing on our strategy and carrying out our mission by people who seek to create doubt to profit at our Company’s expense,” Anammah said.

On other related issues Anammah said “Citigroup Global Markets Inc., an investment bank for Jumia Technologies, has also responded to the citron allegations leveled against the online market place giant by Citron Research.

Citi Group in its analysis of the allegation said claims by Citron were manipulated.”

Anammah also stated that results of the first quarter 2019, indicated that Jumia has continued to deliver on its so many fronts, strong growth, monetization increase, cost efficiency, JumiaPay development.

She stated that in March, BCG published a report explaining that online marketplaces had the potential to create 3 million new jobs across the African continent by 2025.

“We very much believe in the positive impact of technology, and of Jumia, for the continent, and we look forward to continuing to create positive impact in the future”.

Jumia which currently operates in 14 countries has over 5,000 employees exclusively focused on making a platform tailored to the African consumers.

The influx of employment generators like Jumia is a necessity as population growth accelerates on the continent as well.

In Africa, the youth constitutes about 37% of the total labor force, but make up about 60 percent of total unemployment, a report from the African Development Bank stated.

As youth population increases, this could be a worsening crisis on the horizon, unless employment at growing enterprises like Jumia can stem the tide.

Convocation: You have been equipped to meet challenges ahead, Fagbohun tells graduating students

Success Damian: 

Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU) Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, (SAN) has assured graduating students of the institution that they have all it takes to meet the challenges of the competitive world.

“The world without doubt has become more competitive, but, you have also been equipped to meet the challenges ahead,” Fagbohun stated.

Fagbohun made the disclosure in his address at the 23rd Convocation Ceremony of Lagos State University which was held on Wednesday at the main campus in Ojo.

He told the teeming crowd that graced the occasion that apart from awarding degrees and diplomas, the institution would also reward excellence and efforts “At this year’s convocation ceremonies, we shall award diploma, first degrees, postgraduate diplomas and other higher degrees across faculties and disciplines. We will also be rewarding the effort, brilliance and outstanding performance of some of our graduands who have excelled in their various disciplines by giving them prizes and awards.”

Fagbohun said 57 students made first class and that the institution has never had it so good. “With particular reference to first degree graduands, we will be graduating fifty seven (57) first class students. Never in the history of the Lagos State University have we had it so good. This convocation is unique in the sense that two graduands, Ridwan Oladotun Ola-Gbadamosi from the Faculty of Engineering and Nneka Karen Enumah of the faculty of Science graduating with a CGPA of 4.88 to emerge as overall best graduating students.”

According to the VC, in the Faculty of Arts, Faith Chidinma Uzuegbu and Adenike Anthonia Abati both of the Department of English emerged the best graduating students in the faculty with a CGPA of 4.41, adding that there was also a tie in the Faculty of Social Sciences where Abosede Muinat Onifade and Omowunmi Ayomide Kassim both of the Department of Sociology graduated with a CGPA of 4.78 to emerge the best graduating students in their Faculty.

Graduands with the best results in other Faculties, according to Fagbohun include Shukrat Opeyemi Kannike (4.36) - Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences/Physiology; Moshood Adekunle Bakare (4.75) - Faculty of Education/Accounting Education; Oluwagbotemi Boluwatife Fasominu (4.31) - Faculty of Law.

Others include Ismail Owolabi salami (4.85) -Faculty of Management Sciences/Insurance; Titilope Aishat  Adebisi (4.47) -School of Communication/Mass Communication; Emmanuel Adeoye Oyeleke (4.12) - School of Transport/Transport Management and Operations.

Ugorji ordains 16 priests, says no more crisis in Ahiara Diocese

After close to five years of ecclesiastical battle occasioned by the appointment of Bishop Peter Ebele Okpaleke as Catholic Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, activities resumed in top gear in the diocese, most visible was the recent ordination of 16 priests by His Lordship Most Rev. Lucius I. Ugorji. SUCCESS DAMIAN reports.

Recently the entire Mbaise in Imo State was avid with activities in preparation for the epoch-making moment being the ordination of 16 of their sons into the Catholic priesthood, some of those to be ordained having spent 23 years in their search of the priesthood, especially as a result of the Ahiara crisis.

The joy was as ecstatic and exciting as was expected inside the massive Cathedral of Maria Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral, Ahiara on the 4^th of May when the Ordaining Prelate, His Lordship Most Rev. Lucius I. Ugorji, the Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara Diocese confirmed the priests ordained.

Ugorji said “My prayer is there should be no more crises, never again will there be crises in Ahiara, Mbaise, it will be forward ever, backward never. We thank God for ensuring peace which made it possible for the ordination of these our brothers, 16 of them. So we thank God for the peace in the diocese.”

Referring to the book of Jeremiah being the first reading of the Sunday, Ugorji said God is concerned about His people and that was why he sent prophets, adding that prophets are messengers of God, those God has chosen to bring message to His people.  “God chose Jeremiah, today He is choosing those He will send for the dissemination of His word, because of the concern God has for His people, for the salvation of his people in Ahiara Diocese,” Ugorji stated.

Among the 16 people ordained was Reverend Father Christogonus Chinonso Okonko, who on the second day after the priestly ordination, celebrated his 1^st Holy Mass of Thanksgiving at Christ the King Catholic Church Okpofe, where he thanked God and all those visible and invisible who helped in one way or the other to ensure his attainment of priesthood. He prayed to almighty God to take over those responsibilities which he would have shouldered in his family.

While thanking those who nurtured the young priests especially their parents, Ugorji stated that the process of ordination of priests is a serious and delicate business when he said “I asked the question if these ones are qualified to be priests and the answer was in affirmation. I asked those responsible for ordination of priests and they affirmed that they are qualified, I asked the Christian community through communication of bans, I asked their trainers, they also bore testimonies. So it is on the basis of all that we are doing what we are doing today. It will be an exercise in futility if the bishop goes ahead to ordain them without these witnesses according to the demands of the canon law of the church”

He went further to explain that it was wrong to put pressure on the bishop to ordain any particular person as priest “If you push the bishop to ordain somebody as reverend father, it is not valid. If it is done without the recommendation of those concerned, it can be valid but illicit, illegal, so it is a very delicate process, so we do this according to the direction of God, and those that make recommendation must also do so without fear or favour, Ugorji stated.

Ugorji urged the new priests to live a life worthy of emulation. “The people must see Christ in your actions, in your speech, there must be integrity, living in imitation of Christ and in holiness”

He also told them that the church recommends a life of prayer, 

“You must live a virtuous life and growing in holiness. The church recognizes a life of prayer,” Ugorji advised.

In the end the new priests were asked if they were prepared to serve the lord and they agreed that they were prepared.  He urged the newly ordained priests to respect their respective parish priests and the bishop.

Umezurike disowns Ogbonna over comment on Igbo origin, says statement not representing Ebonyi

Success Damian:

Comrade Umezurike Austine Umezurika, a political Engineer and Igbo stakeholder has said that the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos Chapter, Chief Solomon Ogbonna, did not represent the position of Ebonyi State by his public support to the claim by the Ooni of Ife that the Igbos originated from Ile-Ife.

Speaking at a press conference called by Igbo leaders of thought in Lagos on Wednesday, to address issues raised in an article in The Sun Newspaper of May 6, in which Chief Ogbonna, gave his firm support to the claim by the Royal Father of Yorubaland, Ooni of Ife, that the Igbos are from Ile-Ife and not from Israel.

In his words Umezurike said “Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene is the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State, elected to represent Ebonyi slot, but Ebonyians from the governor to the last person do not know indeed what he is doing, he does not participate neither has he organized anything that has to show Eboyians that he is their representative in Ohanaeze, but I want to say something as Ebonyian, I also apologise to Ndigbo as onye Ebonyi, the other six Igbo speaking states, I sincerely apologse to them because I know quite well that they have been blaming Ebonyi that this man is from Ebonyi State, Ebonyi is causing us all these things.

“I want to say something here and now, I want everybody to understand that this is not the position of Ebonyi State for the president of Ohanaeze Lagos to take money on behalf of Ohanaeze without remitting such money to Ohanaeze purse, it is not also to the interest or in partnership of Ebonyi people to say that the Igbos originate from Ile-Ife,” Umezurike stated.

He stated that the Igbos are the most mobile tribe in Nigeria. ”You See, one thing we know is that the Igbos are the most mobile tribe in Nigeria, they go any place, develop the place and make such a place their home. It might interest you to note as the pioneer president of Ohanaeze Lagos said, if you go to Gabon you see Igbos, In Ivory Coast you see Igbos, everywhere in the world. There is one popular saying, which Nigeria has adopted, that anywhere you go in the world and you did not find an Igbo man, please don’t stay there, it is not habitable.”

Umezurike traced the biblical origin of the Igbos saying “Let me make one point, if you read the Bible very well, and you are a very good Igbo man, you will understand that there are researches already made by distinguished professors who have carved out a niche for themselves who have made so many presentations in so many conventions in the world and all accede to the fact where the Igbos came from. If you know about the twelve tribes of Israel, you will understand that the number six person, Gal, how he had the man call Nri, Arodi, Aleri, and these three men migrated to the western part of Africa, and they established clans, towns, cities, and people, and this still exist in Owerri, Arochukwu, and the riverine part of Anambra State.

“What are we saying, How can somebody because Ooni who is a monarch is trying to buy a favour for is people, for reasons best known to him which I know Obi of Onitsha will reply him and I am using this opportunity to call on Obi of Onitsha to reply as quickly as possible before this thin becomes a fact, because once you allow this thing to exceed now Google will carry it, and once Google carries it represents us, whether you like it or not.

“What I am saying is, I am talking as an Eboyian, nobody sent me, neither the governor nor any group but because I saw this thing and I saw what is going on, I am saying that Eboyians are not n support of such claim.

“If he claims that he has 3000 artifacts to prove we are from there because of ‘okute’, ‘ekuta’, ‘eti’, ‘nti’, it is ridiculous. I can assure you Eboyians are not part of it,” Umezurike stated.

Other Igbo leaders of thought who were present at the press conference were High Chief John Uche, First President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos; Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State and Vice Presidential Candidate of Alliance National Party (ANP) in the just concluded 2019 General Election, Evelyn Okere; Pastor Okey Anoruo, Babaloja of Tejuosho Market and President of Imo State Towns Development Association Lagos (ISTDAL) and Hon. Kalu Uguru, Ex-Officio Ohanaeze Abia State.

Okere tackles Ohanaeze President over comment on Igbo ancestry, says a curator is not a historian

Success Damian:

Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State and Vice Presidential Candidate of Alliance National Party (ANP) in the just concluded 2019 General Election, Evelyn Okere, has come out to dissociate the Igbos from comments credited to Chief Solomon Ogbonna.

She said as somebody who claimed to be a Curator, Ogbonna is not in the position to speak on the origin of Ndigbo as he is not a Historian or Archaeologist. She therefore called on the president of Ohanaeze Lagos Chapter to resign.

Speaking at a press conference called by concerned Igbo leaders of thought in Lagos on Wednesday, to address issues raised in an article in The Sun Newspaper of May 6, in which Chief Ogbonna, gave his unwavering support to the claim by the Royal Father of Yorubaland, Ooni of Ife, that the Igbos are from Ile-Ife and not from Israel.

While stressing the fact that there is crack in Ohanaeze Lagos leadership, Okere disclosed that Chief Ogbonna has carried himself in a very irresponsible manner in so many ways. “But the one that has come to the forefront is the embarrassment by concurring with a monarch that the Igbos originated from Ile-Ife based on word syllables and similarities.”

Okere stated that for the fact that everybody eats yam or plantain does not give him the audacity to say that these people are from the same place or same culture.

“Igbos are migrants in nature. To go back to history, history tells it all. Even during slave trade, Igbos have been traders; they trade in palm oil, slaves, kolanuts, they trade in so many things, and as early as 15^th century, the Igbos in the hinterland had already started slave trading, they conquer a village, they sell slaves, when people were coming through the waters, from Calabar axis, Port-Harcourt, so people were coming and, again we are here trading with the people.

“So certified historians and archaeologists have been able to prove their researches over time that this is where they believe Igbos came from. From the religious angle also, and in every school of thought there are different diversions, everybody with their own research, but whatever research it is you share with the world, there is a proper procedure for it. You don’t wake up because you buy artifacts from the market or you deceive people and go to shrines and collect masks, that gives you the authority to claim that because you have 3000 artifacts you bought from the market, or you went to Ile-Ife and bought one, that gives you the power or leverage to say that Igbos are from wherever, there are procedures,” Okere analyzed.

She challenged Solomon present his certificates to the people. “I am challenging the President if he wants the Igbos to believe what he is saying; he must give us certificate, primary, secondary, university, PhD, Masters, where he has tendered papers. He says he lives outside Nigeria, he is a Curator, my brother, if you go and check the definition of a Curator, it means someone who looks after Art works, Paintings, Status or sculptural pieces, I look after it every day and open it for people to see, I am a Curator.

“If you are not a certified Historian or Archaeologist, whose job it is to research, go to a site, where he has heard about certain things happening, culture, he excavates the land, finds artifacts to prove the culture of that race or people of whatever he is researching on and tells the world and share paper, and give speeches about his project, recorded, give empirical summations and conclusions, so that different school of thought can share from the idea. We are talking about intellectuals, who have studied overtime and this takes years to build, that is why you credit university graduates, you credit master degree holders, you credit PhDs, and you credit professors because they stay years to be able to prove whatever they want to prove to you.”

Okere stated that it is an insult to our people, adding “I want to apologise because no matter how you see it I am in the Exco, so I want to officially apologise to our people, that in the face of all these we should all take heart and we should be calm, it is in order to make things better. You heard from everybody here, I think he should tender his resignation for this huge embarrassment and give unreserved apology to Igbo people because this is going round the whole world right now.

“I am giving him a challenge, in two weeks to produce his certificate to prove what he is saying. Having 3000 artifact does not give people the right to change the course of history; you change the course of history with certification, proving that you have that authority, that mantle to change history,’ Okere asserted.

Other Igbo leaders of thought who were present at the press conference were High Chief John Uche, First President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos; Comrade Umezurike Austine Umezurike, a political Engineer; Pastor Okey Anoruo, Babaloja of Tejuosho Market and President of Imo State Towns Development Association Lagos (ISTDAL) and Hon. Kalu Uguru, Ex-Officio Ohanaeze Abia State.