Pastor Kumuyi

The General Overseer of the Deeper Life Church, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi whose church was last month attacked in Okene, Kogi State spoke last week after Youths success camp at church’s headquarters in Abuja. He said the federal government must change tactics to tackle the rising insecurity in the country. Excerpts:

What is your comment on the state of the nation?

Everybody knows that we need some progress and we also need the clarification on the vision of the direction the country ought to go. Instead of mourning the past, or having self-pity or national pity, we should begin to think together what can the leadership of the country do. When I say leadership it could be from the number one to the rest of us.

We won’t ask people from outside to make our country better. They have their own challenges. This is our country, there should be people who will rise up and say what to do, not just condemning or criticising or lay blame or throw stones at anyone or at any section of the leadership but to positively be proactive and say what can be done to tackle the challenges.

Insecurity is one of the major challenges in the country, and obviously I have always said that if we do what we always do the same way, we will get what we always get. So if we apply the same method we have always applied we will get what we always get.

We look at other countries that have gone through the same process. I am a Christian and I am a pastor and I know that we can pray and I know that prayer changes things and people.

God has also given us intelligent and sound minds. We have all things at our disposal to make use of, so while we are praying on the one hand we also brainstorm and think of what can we do. God can give us wisdom on how to move ahead.

The church seems to be at the receiving end of the security situation in the country?

We say the church is at the receiving end. Of course, when something has happened it has happened. We are generally inward looking and then we forget other people. It is like when somebody is having headache and it is so terrible that he will feel that he is the worst hit person in the world. But if that person manages to go to hospital, he sees that there are others who have lost their legs. He will know that he is not the only person in the world that is suffering.

So to say we Christians in the church have been at the receiving end, people may look at it like that. But when you look at it critically, this insecurity has not hit the church only. You can see that in the FCT, there are many who were affected when the UN building was hit. The police headquarters and even Muslims too have been affected in some states.

But we are interested in finding solution to the problem so that freedom of worship entrenched in our constitution is observed. Everybody should have fair chance to live and to live the best way he or she wants to live. I think that is the most important thing.

All citizens of this country are creation of God and God wants the security fulfilment for everyone whether it is in the church or not. We want really holistic national development that gives fair chance to the people to make the best of their lives.

What are your concerns on the proposed constitutional amendment and sovereign national conference?

Whatever name you call it, I will say we fight over semantics. I may say this is not coming from my party. It is coming from the other party. But we might be saying the same thing. All we want is solution. Even in our families, husband and wife may have problem, they are not talking to each other. How do you solve the problem? Can you solve the problem without dialogue?

Now, in a whole country, we know that the problems are there. How do we solve the problems? Nobody just rises up to say he wants to destroy property, destroy lives. There must be something that worries the people. It is when we begin to talk that we will know why the attacks and where they are coming from. Then we might see that we are fighting for nothing and if at all we are fighting for on something we may then realize this approach is not going to give us what we are fighting for.

You want to live and some one wants to live as well. How can you and I then have a fulfilled life? I feel this is the best way to live. The other fellow also wants to live the same kind of life so it is when we dialogue and talk that we can resolve to tackle these issues.

Full Story

An Ilorin Magistrate’s Court, Kwara State, on Monday sentenced a pastor, Oloruntoba Ibitoye to nine months imprisonment for stealing a sheep.

The pastor with the stolen sheep

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According to the prosecution, the complainant, Mrs. Florence Adebiyi, reported at the police station in Ganmo, near Ilorin, that the convict stole her sheep valued at N3,000 in front of her residence at Amoyo area of Ilorin.

The prosecution said the sheep was recovered from the convict by the police.

The New Agency of Nigeria reports that the convict pleaded guilty to the offence and begged for leniency.

Police prosecutor, Insp. Mojisola Olamokun, applied for summary trial, which was granted by the court.

The Magistrate, Mrs. Mariam Qudus-Salahu, sentenced him to nine months imprisonment without an option of fine.

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Those of you who go to your pastor to pray for you and tell you who to marry, if care is not taken, you will become a victim of lies. You are simply lazy. No pastor or prophet should tell you who to marry. They are to pray along with you, counsel and guide you using the Word of God. If you fail to pay the price to hear from God on that matter, you may be deceived. God can use your pastor or a genuine prophet of God to confirm what He had already told you. Many homes have been established on falsehood and that is why things are falling apart and the center can no longer hold. Some pastors are seriously into match-making. They have taken over from the Holy Spirit. Match-making remains God’s prerogative and He has not delegated it to any pastor.

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A knight of the Catholic Church, who is a parishioner at St. Mary’s Catholic church, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu has gone underground since he reportedly ‘conscripted’ from Lagos State three armed robbers who allegedly carried out a midnight operation inside the church.

Simply identified as “Sir Joseph” by the suspected robbers who were apprehended some hours after their “very successful” operation at God’s house, the man who is said to be a strong member of the Kinght of Saint Mulumba at the popular church in Enugu State decided to vanish into thin air, apparently for fear of being arrested by security forces.

Although the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the incident, he declined further comments on the run-away knight for now. However, a reliable source in the police told our reporter that no matter how fast or hard “Sir Joseph” runs, the long arm of the law will surely catch up with him. “If he likes, let him go and live under the lagoon, the long arm of the law will certainly catch up with him,” said the insider.

The three suspects, Efe Best, Nester Uvieghara and Ben Kalu, are currently helping detectives at the Enugu Police Command on all they know about the robbery that occurred midnight, July 8, 2012 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in the Trans-Ekulu area of Enugu.

The young men claimed that they had left their Lagos base on the invitation of one ‘Sir Joseph’, who they alleged, used to be their ‘partner-in-crime’ at the Wharf, Apapa, Lagos where they used to cannibalise and vandalise imported second-hand (tokunbo) vehicles. This was aside snatching cars violently from their owners, for decades before Joseph reportedly left Lagos and relocated to Enugu where he eventually became a knight.

By having the bravado to rob right inside God’s own church, the robbers confessed, they had sinned greatly against God and come to the end of the road.

When our reporter visited St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Trans-Ekulu, last Wednesday, August 8, 2012, the young assistant priest in the parish, said he was not competent to speak with journalists, although he admitted that the robbery really took place inside the church.

Saying that he was actually a victim of that particular robbery operation, the young priest who declined further comments on the incident, advised our reporter to come back in two weeks when the main parish priest would have come back from his trip outside the state.

He could not confirm whether a certain ‘Sir Joseph’ existed in the church or if the wife of the said Joseph is actually related to one of the priests in the church.

But, it was like an action-packed movie, as the three suspected robbers narrated to the detectives at the Criminal and Investigation Department (CID), of the Enugu State Police how their alleged former ‘comrade-in-crime’, Sir Joe reportedly smooth-talked them into coming down to Enugu to execute the operation.

The suspects said their sudden arrest at Ore, Ondo State after their rather ‘lucky’ robbery operation in Enugu, was like an act of God or a divine intervention.

According to the suspects, they were once professional vandals at the Apapa Sea Port (Wharf) in Lagos where they worked as labourers/off-loaders and also used the opportunity to steal vital parts from imported vehicles without luck running against them for several years. Now, the table was turned against them in view of the federal government’s ports reform.

Recalling how they got entangled in the invasion of God’s own ‘holy altar’, in the midnight of July 8, 2012 on the secret and ungodly invitation of one of the parishioners, the gang leader, Ben Kalu, remembered that the said Sir Joseph “used to be our gang member in Lagos. We used to steal cars and vandalize all the parts and sell them in a place called Coconut in Lagos and we have been with him for the past eight years before he relocated to Enugu and we haven’t been in touch for sometime until he came to Lagos three weeks ago to invite us to Enugu to vandalize some cars.”

However, they claimed ignorance of their host plotting a robbery operation which they would execute right inside a place of worship, an act that eventually caused their being apprehended by the police at far away Ore, Ondo State on their way back to Lagos.

Ben Kalu, a married man with one child, and native of Ohafia, Abia State, narrated, “One Sir Joseph invited me and my friends. We are staying at Lagos. We came into Enugu in morning bus on Sunday July 8. Sir Joseph was one of our co-workers in Lagos. We worked as maritime workers inside the ports where we offloaded tokunbo cars and containers from the ship. Sometimes we vandalized the cars and sold the parts.”

According to Kalu, “Along the line, about three years ago when the federal government sold the ports to the private sector they employed their own workers and drove away all the former maritime workers. Then I began to look for an alternative means of livelihood. I went into vandalizaion of cars. When I see the one which I know is okay for me I vandalized it; I removed the vital parts which I sold to make money. I used the money I made from the sale to buy Okrika (second hand clothes) from Cotonou.”

Kalu said they usually sold the vandalised automobile parts to their customers very early in the morning at the place called Coconut area of Lagos. “There are some people who will come very early in the morning between 5 and 5.30 am after we have returned from offloading ships at night to buy the parts. I was not alone in the business. We were more than 100 labourers doing the same thing. On our own part, we worked together in one group,” he said.

He said as at this time in the operation, they hadn’t actually started vandalising vehicles but that Sir Joe and his boys were already inside ransacking offices when they eventually saw church security men outside who gave two of them serious matchet cuts.

“When they heard my shout that security men had come, they jumped out. But before they came out, we had crossed the main road and entered into one small bush and hid there. When they came there, Joe said see, see, see. He gave us a yellow nylon bag and another black bag containing a laptop. We didn’t know how much they collected from there because there was no chance to count the money there. And that one you cannot take it to the hotel because there will be people at the hotel. He just cut the money, put it in the nylon bag and put the rest inside the bag containing laptop and gave us.”

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It appears that Charly boy is doing some kind of church tour. I had been told that he also visited the Redeemed church in Asokoro, Abuja a few months ago, where he talked about faith and family values. He also told the congregation to separate his showbiz persona from his real self. Its the same kind of message he gave in this church, difference is that he added a third person to the mix – the so called Linda. Charly boy is had to figure out jo. But he is right, you can never judge anybody’s heart by their outward appearance. Lesson learned.

News of Charlyboy’s invitation to one of the new generation churches in Abuja on Sunday was no doubt visited with a lot of criticisms from some people who believed that it was rather a waste of time having the acclaimed Areafada in church.

The heavy criticisms that visited his invitation to ThisRanch Sunday service was due to the latest nude picture of the social activist that has gone viral on the social media. Even with the objection, and the wave of gossips going round the internet, Pastor Gbenga Adenuga, the General overseer of ThisRanch church had insisted on bringing Charlyboy to church in order to share his deep experience with his church members. Speaking with our correspondent Gbenga said “Many of my friends have asked to know why Charlyboy was coming to church. They had demanded to know if Charlyboy was a Christian, and I said, no! Charlyboy is a ghost. I brought Charlyboy to church to get the congregation inspired through his rich knowledge”

Speaking on his understanding of Church, the gospel artist said “the church of God is not about what people wear, not what is said about them but what is in the heart. It is not about sentiment but about everybody, Charlyboy is one of those whom God loves and he is needed in church”

Despite people’s objection which the Areafada had considered normal, ThisRanch church hall at the silverbird gallery was filled to capacity as different people trooped to the church in order to hear, and probably speculate about the Areafada’s preaching.

Areafada who was in church with his father, Rtd Justice Oputa, his mum, Lady D and staff of New Wave Productions and Taakra Academy arrived amid cheers from the congregation.

After some heavy prayers and worship songs, Charlyboy took the central stage, attending to some sensitive questions from the Pastor, Gbenga Adenuga. According to the Areafada “he was in church to share his experiences with the congregation who were mostly young people whom he believed needed to be encouraged. In his opening speech, the areafada said “ I came to pray and to share my experiences with you, most important I came to pray that God should forgive us-Nigerians, our sins for all we have done to the country politically.

Responding to the question on whether Charlyboy believes in the hands of God in the life of an individual, the enigmatic social crusader had avowed that God, during creation had given each and every one of us our various gifts, and that it was left for that individual to get connected to the good things God has provided for them. According to the Areafada “ we are all have been created in the image and likeness of God, and if that is the case, then God created all of us for a purpose, and that purpose can only be realized when one gets connected to it, through his own creative ingenuity.

Responding to the question on his recent nude picture, Charlyboy said, I wonder if people are creative in this part of the world at all, stating that some of the shows put up by the brand were actually meant to express the freedom that Nigeria so desires but never came. He affirmed that no such nude picture was sent by the brand to the internet, but however advised Nigerians to begin to look at the most pressing political issues and all other positive things he had done in the country instead of wagging their tongues over some naked picture whose origin cannot be traced. According to CB, “It is all about the mindset, and I want to say that Nigerians of this generation only see, and believe in the façade and not in the reality”

Encouraging the congregations on how he got to where he is today, Charlyboy says “ it took sheared determination, consistency, doggedness and tremendous focus to stand where I’m today” He narrated how he had spent 7 years in the village just to begin what his parents never really wanted him to do.

The shocking revelation in the church by Charlyboy was that he doesn’t smoke, drink alcohol nor womanize. He gave the difference between Charles oputa, Charlyboy and Linda, stressing that Charles Oputa is that responsible family man, with eight children and 12 grand children. Charlyboy, he said is never allowed to Mr. Charles Oputa’s house, referring to Charlyboy as a creation and a character. According to Charlyboy, there is a woman in him whose name is Linda. It is that Linda that wears make-ups. He said that Linda directs him on how to be compassionate like women. He stated that Linda was responsible for all the humanitarian works he had done over the years. According to him, without Linda, he couldn’t have done all that. “Linda was created to have to be compassionate like a woman” CB asserted

Speaking on the present reality in the country, Charlyboy said, despite the rot, he was confident that things will one day change for the better. He stressed that he lives in Nigeria, but will never let Nigeria to live in him.

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Mr Oibe Sundayth them in prayer and believe that this nightmare they are facing shall pass soon. Amen.

Mr. Oibe Sunday, the spokesperson of Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Director of Research and Planning of the organization at the national level, speaks to Hassan Ibrahim on issues touching the coexistence of the two major religions in the region.

We understand that CAN and the apex Muslim organization, Jama’atul Nasrul Islam (JNI) have embarked upon a series of mobilization for peace and harmonious coexistence between Christians and Muslims against the backdrop of recent unwholesome developments in the polity. Can you provide an insight have an insight into what is happening?
Well I don’t know which chapter of CAN you are talking about that is mobilizing for peace. All I do know is that there is a body called Nigerian Inter-religious Council where Pastor Ayo Oristejafor is co -chairman with the Sultan of Sokoto. There, they bring eminent religious scholars. They have been meeting and it is not just for these recent challenges we are having, but also to see how they can forge ahead by bringing the country together particularly the two major religions. That has been on going, and it has been wonderful.

From the Northern CAN, what have you been doing in this regard to see that peaceful coexistence is sustained?
Our leader has been doing a good job but certainly not wanting to publicize it. The reason is that in this country, everybody looks for the opportunity to use every little opening to advance himself and his people for the purpose of making money. That is not the concept by which we have been brought up in Christendom. What the Christians in the North and the Northern Nigerian Christian Elders Forum have been doing is that, quietly we have been meeting with some great Muslim leaders who understand, who love this country passionately, who want this country to remain together, particularly those of us from the North. The unity, the collaboration and the peaceful coexistence that we witnessed during the Sardauna, we want a rebirth of it .That has been eroded because of the greedy, self serving individuals in the name of the so called leaders of the North which of course, they are not true leaders.

We have been working quietly to see how we can push on with some of these challenges, so that we can go back to that peaceful. There are a lot of challenges; a lot of hiccups because there are some self-serving individuals who occupy leadership position. But we are prayerful; we have gone underground, rubbing minds together. It is not for me at this level to say these are the Muslim leaders or these are the Christian leaders, but I can tell you that a great job is being done. Our leaders have been fasting and praying for the peace of the North in particular. You can see that activities are no more the same; businesses are not like before and that has been a great challenge. We spend one hour everyday to pray that peace must return to the North and I tell you the truth, it is a matter of time that peace will return; we are going to witness it.

Are you aware of what happened to Pastor Tunde Bakare?
Yes, I am aware that he was invited by the State Security Service. The reason why I don’t want to talk about Pastor Bakare is that he doesn’t belong to anybody; he is an individual on his own; he is a politician; a pastor in quote so I don’t want to talk about him. I think he is able to carry his cross.

We should speak in a way that would heal wounds, surmount the current challenges so that the government would be assisted to chart a course towards peace. The political leaders cannot do it alone. So if truly I am a man of God, I should do whatever I can from my spiritual level to help them so that peace can be restored because if there is peace I will be able to worship well and do my business well.

Are you aware that some pastors in Kaduna are putting heads together to see that some of their colleagues recently arrested are released?
I am not aware.

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His vice president John Dramani Mahama has since been sworn in as President this evening.

We extend our sincerest condolences to all Ghanians.

Well the video below compares the two versions side by side. Hmmmm!

My people, abeg shine ya eyes well well o. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived. Hopefully a word is enough for the wise.

I went to Niger State this week to do some work . Let me tell you, this country is beautiful o. The landscape is varied and gorgeous. I took this picture in one village with bad roads in Niger. If I told you that I took it in the French or English countryside, you will not doubt me. Problem is these pockets of natural beauty are in the hands of people with no vision. The road leading to this place for instance is in bad shape. The people complain of little or no govt presence. But just look at that view! Can you imagine yourself having a little picnic? What a waste abi?  And the landscape is just a gorgeous. Green and beautiful. And wasted. Hungry people don’t care about aesthetics. Isn’t it sad?

Senator David Mark

Senate President David Mark yesterday described the endless bombings of churches as a threat to national unity.

He urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to, as a matter of urgency, explore all necessary measures to halt the carnage.

A statement by his media adviser Kola Ologbondiyan, said Mark was reacting to yesterday’s bombing of churches in Wusasa, Zaria and Kaduna in Kaduna State.

Urging victims of the attacks not to engage in reprisals, Mark said: “Resorting to vengeance will demean your faith as the Lord has said vengeance is His. More so, reprisal attacks can only help the course of your attackers.

“I believe they want to ignite a religious war and threaten our national unity.

“Those who have turned places of worship as targets of bombings should know that they are fighting God and the Lord will surely at an appropriate time give His own judgment.”

Mark urged those behind the attacks to have a rethink and accept the dialogue proposed by the Federal Government.

He said: “No matter the amount of anger in a man’s mind, killing another man cannot be a remedy”.

Mark urged the governments at all levels as well as security operatives to rise up to the challenge and forestall needless and further destruction of lives and property.
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