Gospel / News

‘TB Joshua asked Nigerians to pray for 2023’

• Shocked worshipper relives last moment before collapse
• Buhari, governors, church leaders mourn
• Losing a loved one is never easy, wife mourns

A carnival was expected this weekend on Nigeria’s Democracy Day, June 12, to celebrate the 58th birthday of Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua against his wish, but in a twist of fate, the ‘Man’ in the Synagogue breathed his last on Saturday night, seven days to his birthday.

It was a throng of shocked worshippers and well-wishers who gathered yesterday, at the Ikotun location of the sprawling Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), where they stood nonplussed, gazing into space. Some, finding it hard to absorb the news knelt at the entrance to the church in silent prayers as many others betrayed emotions and wept uncontrollably.

The news of the popular televangelist’s death had filtered in at midnight and by dawn of yesterday, the church in a Facebook post said: “God has taken his servant Prophet TB Joshua home – as it should be by divine will. His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for. His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God,” the church wrote without giving further details.

According to a source who pleaded for anonymity, the cleric had urged members and indeed all Nigerians to pray for the country, especially as the country moves towards the 2023 general elections.

The source said: “He asked the church and indeed Nigerians to pray. According to him, politicians have plotted some evil plans ahead of the elections. He gave series of prophecies. At some point, he started speaking in parables. The message he preached was centered on time, and he took his Bible reading from Ecclesiastes 3, noting that there was time for everything – ‘time to come here for prayer and time to return home after the service.’ It was as if he knew he will die.”

The source continued: “When he finished speaking, he handed …

Breaking News / News / Telecommunication

$12b e-commerce suffers as Twitter ban costs N7.5 billion in three days

• FG in talks with China, considers Internet firewall to block VPN access
• A4AI Nigeria says situation creates $1.2b loss for MSMEs
• Raises questions of our readiness for investors, says ALTON

 

The suspension of Twitter, a leading micro-blogging platform, has begun to take its toll on struggling Nigeria’s economy, leading to a loss of N7.5 billion in the past three days.

Nigeria’s decision to suspend Twitter, at first indefinitely but later temporarily, could backfire for the government and cost the country economically in terms of new investment into its technology sector. The ban may threaten Nigeria’s status as one of the best-performing African countries in attracting investment for technology start-up businesses.

According to Net Blocks, a watchdog organization that monitors cyber-security and governance of the Internet, each hour of the social media gagging costs Nigeria about $250,000 (N102.5 million), bringing the daily loss to N2.5 billion. It means the economy would have lost approximately N7.5 billion in the past three days.

The suspension has already created a market access gap for millions of small and medium scale enterprises (SMSEs) that use the platform to reach their customers. This could potentially complicate the challenges COVID-19 and other structural defects had imposed on businesses. Also hit is the e-commerce market in the country, estimated at $12 billion.

But within hours of the ban, internet searches for ‘VPNs’ – virtual private networks, which allow users to disguise their online identity and evade country-specific limits, surged across the country. Multiple videos appeared on YouTube explaining the ins and outs of VPNs to Twitter-hungry Nigerians. Nigerians also have plenty of other digital options to share opinions and information, from the popular WhatsApp to the Indian micro-blogging service, Koo, which has quickly announced plans to expand into the country.…

News

South East Governors will approve Biafra Day – Umahi

Following the sit-at-home ordered by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra to commemorate the 54th anniversary of the declaration of the Sovereign State of Biafra, the South East Governors’ Forum Chairman, Dave Umahi, has said May 30 would be set aside as a day to remember millions of Igbo that lost their lives during the civil war.

Governor Umahi of Ebonyi State, who stated this during a television interview on Tuesday, said there was the need to set aside a date to honour the Igbo who died during the three-year war, insisting there was nothing wrong with it.

He said if a proposal to do so comes before the South East Governors, they would give it consideration.

Explaining the reason May 30 should be set aside in Anambra, Abia, Enonyi, Enugu and Imo States as a day to remember the dead, he said if the country can recognise June 12 as Democracy Day to honour M.K.O. Abiola, winner of the 1993 presidential election, there was nothing wrong in setting aside a day to remember five million Igbo, including children who were killed during the war.…

News / politics

Those who want to destroy my government have shock coming their way — Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday issued a stern warning to those bent on destroying the country through promoting insurrection and burning down critical national assets: a rude shock awaits them, and very soon too.

The President spoke after he received briefing from the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, on series of attacks on facilities of the electoral body round the country.

“I receive daily security reports on the attacks, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail,” President Buhari said.

“Insecurity in Nigeria is now mentioned all over the world.

President Buhari recalled that he visited all the 36 states of the country before the 2019 election, “and majority of the people believed me, and the election proved it.”

He promised to continue leading the country in accordance with Constitutional provisions.

He said those misbehaving in certain parts of the country were obviously too young to know the travails and loss of lives that attended the Nigerian Civil War, adding: “Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.

“We are going to be very hard sooner than later.”

The President said the Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police have been changed, “and we will demand security from them.”

On the dangers posed to future elections by the burning of INEC facilities, President Buhari said he would give the electoral commission all it needed to operate “so that no one would say we don’t want to go, or that we want a third term.

“There will be no excuse for failure. We’ll meet all INEC’s demands.”

“Most of the attacks happened in the last seven months, and they are unrelated to protest against previous elections.

“From the pattern and frequency of the most recent attacks, they appear to be targeted at future elections.

“The intention is to incapacitate the Commission, undermine the nation’s democracy and precipitate a national crisis.”…

News / politics

Ripples over Southwest APC leaders’ position on Oduduwa Republic

Recently some Southwest leaders in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) met in Lagos and implored groups involved in agitations for self-determination to desist forthwith. Their position have, however, triggered several reactions form concerned Yoruba groups and individuals.

In the second of nine resolutions arrived at the meeting, convener, Chief Bisi Akande expressed strong opposition to separatist agitations and hate speeches. The leaders directed those indulging in such to desist forthwith while expressing their belief in the unity, stability and sustainability of the country.

But there have been mixed feelings that the Southwest leaders failed to engage the separatists groups on how take the country out of its present security predicament, which is believed to have been aggravated by the menace of armed Fulani herdsmen,whose activities have been perceived as threat to the existence of other ethnic groups in the country, especially the southern region.

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Breaking News / politics

We’re targeting more 3m children for free feeding, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said his administration was expanding the homegrown school feeding programme by targeting additional three million children for a free daily meal.

He made the disclosure at an event to mark the 2021 Children’s Day celebration organised by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Social Development Secretariat in Abuja.

Represented by the FCT Minister, Mohammed Musa Bello, the President said the menace of out-of-school children was being given attention through a comprehensive programme where the affected kids are enrolled in school and supported to continue their education wherever they are.

He disclosed that a full range of social intervention programmes would be deployed across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to achieve the vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030.

Also speaking, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Rushnan Murtaza, urged Nigerians to see the occasion as an opportunity to commit to the wellbeing of children in policy and practice, as well as put enforceable measures in place to protect their interest.

According to Murtaza, children are protected when they are registered at birth, urging the government to make the process easier for vulnerable families.

RELATED to that, a group, Save the Children International (SCI), has sought innovative local solutions, strategies and International cooperation to redress the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on children.

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Football / Sports

Psychic pig who predicted Trump’s victory picks Nigeria, Argentina for semi-final

The psychic pig Mystic Marcus that predicted President Donald Trump’s victory has picked Nigeria, Argentina as semi-finalists for the 2018 World Cup.

The psychic pig has a history of sniffing out winners – and is hoping to continue his unbroken record for this summer’s World Cup.

Mystic Marcus has a 100 per cent track record of predicting sports results according to his owner Juliette Stevens.

The black micro pig had previously guessed the winner of the 2014 World Cup and the Wimbledon tennis finals by picking apples.

 

And the eight-year-old prophesier even predicted Brexit and that Donald Trump would win the US presidential election.

Now Mystic Marcus is putting his skills to the test once more by forecasting the semi-finalists for this summer’s World Cup in Russia.

With bad news for England fans, Mystic Marcus expects Belgium, Argentina, Nigeria and Uruguay to make it through.

 

Farmer and micro pig breeder Juliette from Heage, Derbyshire, said: ‘Marcus is the seventh child of a seventh child and apparently they’re gifted with special powers so maybe that’s where it comes from.

‘A few years ago I was invited on a radio show because of Paul the octopus predicting results and they wanted to see if I had any animals that had the ability.

‘I hadn’t tried the seventh child theory out so thought I’d give it a go.

‘They used apples and oranges and Marcus predicted the football results, it was amazing.’

Juliette, 50, said after that first result they changed the method to make it more scientific.

Now Mystic Marcus, who has about 30 children and grandchildren, will pick from apples of a similar size and colour to make it as fair as possible.

 

The apples will include markers – such as pictures or flags – and Marcus will gobble down the winner.…

News

‘Nigeria is safe and secure for tourism’ – President Buhari, Says

President Buhari today in Abuja declared that Nigeria is safe and secure for tourism, citing improved security and country’s burgeoning economy.

Receiving Zurab Pololikashvili, the Secretary-General of United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) at the Presidential Villa, the President said it would have been inconceivable to host an international tourism conference in Abuja four years ago, because of security concerns.

‘‘I am pleased that the country is now sufficiently safe and secure, and the message should go out to the world for all tourists and business travellers. The first thing tourists look out for is security and I am happy we have it now. Minister Lai Mohammed has been trying to convince the world that Nigeria is safe and has great potentials for tourism and investment. I am glad that you and your team have come here to see things for yourself,’’ the President told the UN tourism chief, who is in Abuja for the 61st UNWTO Commission for Africa (CAF) conference.

Highlighting the nexus between tourism and sustainable development, the President said Nigeria would not be left behind in ensuring that communities and businesses benefit from tourism development.

In his remarks, Pololikashvili commended Nigeria for the successful hosting of the conference which brings together African Ministers of Tourism, principal executives of the global tourism body and other stakeholders in the tourism sector.

The UN tourism chief told the President Nigeria had huge potential to develop the tourism sector considering its large economy.

‘‘We can do it in Nigeria, we can create, convert Nigeria to the main tourist destination in Africa. There is a huge potential here. Culture, nature, food you have everything here. You are investing in agriculture, improving seamless travel through visa-on-arrival programme, reforming the economy and doing so much on security. Nigeria is safe,’’ Pololikashvili said.

Also speaking, the Information and Culture Minister said 166 delegates, including 26 tourism ministers from Africa are attending the UN tourism conference, holding from June 4 to June 6 in Abuja.

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