SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER AND KEEPING THE FAITH - Fani- Kayode

    SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER AND KEEPING THE FAITH

My paternal great grandfather (my grandfather's father), Rev. Emmanuel Adelabi Kayode, was an Anglican priest. He was educated by the Christian missionaries and the Anglican Church and he studied theology at Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leonne which was at that time a satellite campus of the United Kingdom's Universty of Durham. In 1892 he graduated with honors with a Master of Arts degree in theology.

He was the first Anglican priest to introduce Christianity to the ancient town of Ile-Ife in the Osun province of the western region of the old Southern Protectorate of Nigeria and he was the first to build and Pastor a Church there.

He pastored the Church in Ile-Ife for many years before he was later transferred to Ondo province to head another branch of the Anglican Church for a further 16 years. After that he was posted to Ijebu province where he headed the local branch of the Anglican Church until he went into retirement in the old Lagos colony.

He was a deeply courageous man who loved the Lord passionately, who was totally dedicated and committed to the spreading of the gospel, who served the Church all his life and who was a great, powerful and fiery orator and preacher.

My second paternal great grandfather was
Rev. Joseph Suberu Fanimokun. He was my grandmother's father. He was also educated by the Anglican Church and he also graduated with honors in 1892 from Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leonne.

He was also later ordained as an Anglican priest. He was appointed Principal of the famous Christian Mission Society (CMS) Grammar School in the Lagos colony in 1896 and he remained principal until 1914. CMS Grammar School is the first and oldest secondry school in Nigeria.

These facts, coupled with the fact that I am a devout and practising Evangelical/Pentecostal Christian, are a  pointer to my rich Christian heritage and I am very proud of that.

It is precisely because of that heritage that I have profound respect for the Body of Christ and that I revere all genuine men and women of God.

I have the deepest affection for each of them even where and when I do not totally agree with all their views, actions and submissions.

Yet despite that once in a while that affection is put to the test and my patience and good faith is exhausted.

The picture below provides a good example of this. Frankly it is difficult for me to fathom or fully comprehend what is going on there.

I see the much-loved and highly respected Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi of Deeper Life (one of the greatest Churches on the African continent and a pioneer Church within the Pentecostal denomination in Nigeria) and his wife felicitating with a man under whose watch more innocent and defenceless Nigerians, and particularly Christians, have been slaughtered than any other in the history of our country.

So much innocent blood has flowed under Buhari yet Pastor Kumuyi is still comfortable with smiling and shaking hands with him and neither has he said one word publicly about Leah Sharibu.

I and many others are saddened by this. This is all the more so because I happen to love Pastor Kumuyi and the Deeper Life Church. I always have and I always will.

Yet sadly I also feel a deep sense of shame and outrage about this outing. This is especially so when it has been reported by the media that he told the President that under his leadership "Nigeria is safe".

Is this the same Nigeria that President Donald Trump of the United States of America was constrained to tell its leader pointedly and publicly that "the killing of Christians must stop?"

Is this the same Nigeria that Vice President Pence and senior members of the American House of Representatives described as "the most dangerous place in the world for Christians to live?"

Is this the same Nigeria where Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen thrive and and in which a courageous young Christian school girl from Dapchi was not released by her terrorist Boko Haram abductors simply because she has refused to renounce her faith?

Is this the same Nigeria where thousands of Christians have been butchered in their homes, hundreds of Christian clerics slaughtered whilst preaching and thousands of Christian communities and Churches burnt to the ground in the last 3 years and six months?

For how long must a few of  our clerics embarass the Body of Christ and Christendom by bowing before our oppressors and encouraging them to continously torment, afflict and terrorise our people.

Pastor Kumuyi's photoshoot with Buhari reminds me of the famous picture of Pope Pius X11 shaking hands with and commending Adolf Hitler during the course of World War 11. The Catholic Church never lived it down and was compelled to tender a public apology for this grave error almost 50 years later.

Let us hope that one day every man and woman of God, whether he or she be a Pastor, Bishop, General Overseer or Archbishop, that has in any way supported, encouraged, applauded or colluded with the evil tyrant that has afflicted, scourged and plagued our land and our people over the last 3 years and six months will find the decency and courage to apologise for it.

Let us hope that more of our clerics can find the courage of the late Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the late Apostle Ayo Babalola, the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa, the late Rev. Musa Asake, the late Rev. Jolly Tanko Yusus, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Bishop Emmanuel Bolanle Gbonigi, Bishop Jasper Akinola, Prelate Sunday Mbang, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor David Ibiyomi, Dr. Paul Eneche, Prophet T.B. Joshua, CAN President Rev. Samson Ayokunle, Pastor Paul Adefarasin. Bishop El Buba, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Apostle Samson Suleiman, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, Pastor Rhoda Awiliki and so many others.

They and countless other leaders of the clergy from all over the country that have remained true to their calling, stood firm in the face of tyranny, refused to bow to evil, spoken truth to power and stood up against the manifest injustice that has gripped the land are our pride and joy.

Fellowship - Faith Food Devotional

Faith Food Devotional
Fellowship
October 3, 2018

"God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor. 1:9).

The highest honor God has conferred upon you is to be a joint-fellowshipper with God the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit in carrying out God's plan for the redemption of the human race.

By virtue of the New Birth, you became related to the Creator of the universe! You became God's child. You have a relationship with Him. But relationship without fellowship is a lifeless thing. It's like marriage without love or fellowship.

Fellowship with God is the mother of faith. And God has called you individually into fellowship with His Son.

Confession: God has called me into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. I will walk in fellowship and communion with Jesus. I will talk with Jesus. I will work with Jesus. I am a joint-fellowshipper with God the Father, with Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit in carrying out God's great plan of redemption for the human race.

Source: Faith Food Devotions by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications

God Is Your Abba, Father - Pastor Prince

Daily Grace Inspiration

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!
Galatians 4:6
- OCTOBER 2 -
GOD IS YOUR ABBA, FATHER
Have you ever realized that God was never known as “Father” until Jesus came to earth and revealed Him as such? In His prayer to His Father, Jesus said, “And I have declared to them Your Name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). What name was Jesus referring to? It was the name “Father.” If there was anything close to Jesus’ heart, it was to introduce God as “Father” to us.

In the Bible, Jesus said, “Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’…For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:31–32). Once, He said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11).

Jesus wants you to always have this image of God in your mind—that He is your Abba, Father. Why? Because He wants you to know that there is nothing more important or too insignificant for the Father when it comes to His children.

Imagine a father playing with his five-year-old son, when he notices a splinter embedded in his little boy’s thumb. The concerned father asks, “When did you get this?”

“A few days ago,” the boy answers.

“Why didn’t you tell Daddy about it?”

“I thought you were too busy and that I shouldn’t bother you.”

If you were that father, wouldn’t it break your heart to hear your child say this to you?

A splinter in one’s thumb may be a small thing, but there is nothing too small when it concerns your child because if it affects him, it affects you too. Now, no matter how old you are today, you are still God’s child, so don’t think that your problem is too small for God. If it is important to you, it is important to your Father too. Beloved, always remember that He is your Abba, Father!

Why I Support Sanwo-Olu - Lagos Deputy Gov

Idiat Adebule, deputy governor of Lagos state deputy governor, has abandoned Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos state, for Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the rival of the governor.

The battle for the 2019 ticket of the APC in the state is between Ambode and Sanwo-Olu.

Speaking at ward A and D in Iba local council development area where she participated in the governorship primary of the APC, she announced her endorsement of the candidate chosen by the party.

“The party has chosen a man and it is that man that I will support and follow,”she said.

“I have no doubt that anybody who emerges today as the candidate of the party will have my support. I have no doubt as exhibited by my people today that they are standing with the party’s position on this primary and with that position I stand.

‘’I stand and I choose to stay with my party at this time, my party has spoken and I have no doubt to state that on the position of the party I stand, It is a very clear election as you can see, people are voting in line with the dictates of the party. We have voted for the person who the leaders of the party have chosen. It is an overwhelming experience as you can see it and we will continue to support the party and abide by its rules.”

Sanwo-Olu enjoys the support of key members of the party in the state, including Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the APC.

This is the first time that the deputy governor would comment on the contest between Ambode and Sanwo-Olu.
The Cable

The 12 Wells and 70 Palm Trees

Daily Grace Inspiration

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.
Exodus 15:27
- SEPTEMBER 30 -
THE 12 WELLS AND 70 PALM TREES
Would you like to know an important biblical key to divine health? It is found in today’s verse, which comes right after God says, “I am the Lord who heals you.” He said this to His people after He brought them out of Egypt (see Exodus 15:26).

The wells of water and palm trees speak of refreshment. They paint a picture of an oasis in the desert. The Israelites rested and were refreshed there. But why the numbers 12 and 70?

There are no insignificant details in the Bible. The 12 wells of water and 70 palm trees represent anointed ministries that refresh you with God’s Word. So if you want to know Jesus as the Lord who heals you, sit under anointed preaching of God’s Word because when His Word goes forth, it will heal you. His Word is medicine to all your flesh (see Proverbs 4:22)!

How did I make that connection? Let the Bible interpret the Bible. Matthew 10:1 says that when Jesus had “called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” He sent out the 12 and said to them, “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons...” (Matthew 10:7–8).

Then, in Luke 10:1, the Lord “appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.” He also said to the 70, “And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’” (Luke 10:9).

In other words, Jesus anointed the 12 and then the 70 disciples to preach God’s Word and heal the sick. Today, if you want refreshment, if you want health and healing, don’t sit under ministries that tell you that God doesn’t always want to heal and that He sometimes gives you diseases to teach you lessons. Instead, sit under anointed ministries that preach the good news and practice healing the sick. My friend, that is how you can begin to walk in divine health!

BLESS THE LORD - Copeland

Bless the Lord
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
– Hebrews 13:15

Great things happen when you continually confess the mercy of God. Faith rises up on the inside of you. The reality that God loves you begins to sing through your spirit.

What's more, it brings honor to your Father when you believe His Word and magnify His love and mercy. You honor Him when you speak of His goodness and lovingkindness, when you talk about Him as your Father of love who does only good. It blesses Him when you praise Him as the great God of the universe who is eager to bless and who even gave His own Son because He so loved the world.

David was a man after God's own heart. He knew how to praise his God. Until you have the Word dwelling in you richly so that you can speak psalms and praises out of your own spirit, use the praises of David to magnify God. Speak them or sing them out loud to the Father.

Put His words continually on your lips. You will soon begin to experience the thrill and the joy of realizing that God is indeed "rich in mercy" because of His great love with which He loved us. Your faith will rise to new heights and your Father will be blessed! And you will be blessed.

Gloria Copeland

Scripture Reading: Psalm 89:1-18
© 1991 Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc. aka: Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved.

OSUN RERUN: NBA Report Indicts INEC, Security Agencies

REPORT OF THE NBA AD-HOC ELECTION WORKING GROUP ON THE RERUN GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN OSUN STATE HELD ON THURSDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2018

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted the Osun Governorship Election on the 22nd day of September, 2018. The election was declared inconclusive by INEC and a supplementary election was held on the 27th day of September, 2018in seven (7)polling units in four (4) Local Government Areas of the State, namely, Osogbo, Orolu, Ife North and Ife South.
Members of the NBA Election Working Group, who had observed the elections on 22nd September 2018 and had prepared a Report thereon, were deployed to the affected Local Government Areas to observe the supplementary elections.
OBSERVATION REPORTS;
    OSOGBO;
Members of the NBA EWG arrived at Osogbo polling unit 17, ward 5, at about 7:00am. There was massive armed security presence with movement around the polling unit restricted to voters and observers. All the election materials were made available for the election. The electoral protocols for voting were fulfilled by the electoral officers at the unit.
Accreditation and voting commenced at about 8:02am. The voting process went on smoothly till about 11:30am when some hoodlums invaded the area in an attempt to disrupt the process. The situation was brought under control by the security personnel present. In spite of the seeming and subtle form of intimidation, voters were undaunted as they did cast their votes. There was substantial compliance with the election process and procedure at the polling units.
    OROLU:
The team deployed to observe the rerun election at Orolu, Ward 8, polling units 1 and 4 and ward 9, polling unit 3, set out for the assignment at about 6:30am. The team’s enthusiasm was dampened by their harassment and subsequent arrest by mobile policemen en-route Orolu. They were taken before Ali Janga, Commissioner of Police, at a Police Post. CP Ali Janga is in charge of Kogi State Police Command. Incidentally, the Secretary of the NBA ad-hoc EWG, Liman Salihu Esq. the immediate past chairman of the NBA Lokoja Branch, Kogi State, recognized the CP and showed his Identification Card to him but surprisingly the CP ordered that the team be taken to the INEC Office.
At the INEC office, it took one of our own, Festus Okoye Esq. who is currently the INEC Commissioner representing South-East Geopolitical Zone, to secure their release; he also facilitated the team’s movement to Orolu.
The road to Orolu is barely motorable and appears to have been recently graded for the purpose of the election. The location of the polling unit at Ifon Orolu Kajola was in a farm house inside a thick bush and there was only one unoccupied residence with a distance of about 80meters from the said polling unit. The materials for the election arrived on time at the respective units and voting proper commenced at the stipulated time of 8:00am.
There was heavy security presence with about thirty (30) armed Police officials at Orolu. At about 10:00am, while figuring out how to get to Idiya Polling Unit in Orolu, four (4) Toyota Hiace buses packed with about fifty (50) fierce looking men, drove in and the men alighted and walked towards the polling unit without any PVC in their hands.  In spite of the heavy security presence of the Nigerian Police, these men were not stopped nor asked if they were going to vote neither were they asked for their PVCs. This however aroused our suspicion.
A member of the NBA Ad-hoc EWG who attempted a recording of the happenings (a few seconds was recorded though) was almost attacked by about six (6) of these men. Surprisingly the Police officials stood aloof and did nothing to stop the invasion by this group of men. The reason given by the security men (Police officials) for their inaction was that they could not act without formal complaints from us.
Another observation at Orolu was that most of the voters had identification bands on their left arms and ring bands on their thumbs. Those with the said identification bands were allowed access into Orolu while those without the bands were not allowed access and so could not vote. Although these voters without the bands displayed their PVCs to the Police men on ground as evidence that they had been registered to vote at that particular polling unit, the Police personnel adamantly turned them back and as such they could not exercise their right to vote. Voters that were allowed to vote without the bands were those who had arrived earlier before the commencement of voting.
    IFE NORTH;
Election in Ife North was conducted in a village called Oyere. It was deep in a forest barely accessible by vehicle and was about two and half hours from Ile-Ife. There was strong security presence (The Nigerian Police Force) in and around the polling unit. Our representative observed that on his way to the polling unit, officials of the Nigerian Police force barricaded the road alongside some civilians. People were screened before they were allowed to proceed further; some were beaten because they had their phones with them which were seized. Some people were allowed to pass the checkpoint, but some others were turned back.
Although our representative introduced himself to the security personnel, they merely scoffed at him.  Our representative, for safety reasons, had to turn back as he was not given the opportunity to observe the rerun election at the aforementioned polling unit.
    IFE SOUTH:
The polling unit was at Olode, Adereti Village, Ward Code 16, Polling Unit 12, Area Code 07, LGA 07. The polling unit was divided into two polling points (polling unit 12A and 12B). The total number of accredited voters was Eight Hundred and Twelve (812). Materials arrived at about 7:00am and there was proper display of ballot papers. INEC provided the requisite materials for the polling unit and the presiding officer/other Supervisors confirmed they received the full complement of their materials.
The team observed that the armed officials (Nigerian Police, Army, Civil Defense Corps, FRSC, NDLEA) were about 10meters away from the polling booths. Voters turnout was quite impressive in spite of the rain and there was a good sense of gender balance.  Party agents present were the ACD, APGA and APC. There was no representation from the PDP. However, one of the party agents told us in confidence that he had to use another party’s name tag to conceal his identity as a PDP agent.

Voters’ education was duly conducted for voters present. The voting commenced at about 8:00am. The last voter on the queue cast his vote at about 12:05pm. The INEC officials waited till 2:00pm before declaring voting exercise closed. Cancellation of unused ballot papers commenced immediately while sorting of used ballot papers followed suit. Thereafter, vote counting, and announcement of election result was done by the presiding officer. This procedure was done in unit 12A and was repeated in unit 12B.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion the Rerun of the Osun state Gubernatorial Election fell far short of a free and fair election compared to what transpired in the election of the 22ndday of September, 2018 in Osun State which was however declared inconclusive. From the actions and inactions of the Nigerian Police Force they appeared to have been compromised given the fact that the Police did not question the activities of the about fifty (50) fierce-looking men who invaded the area at Orolu.
SUGGESTIONS;
Polling Stations sited in the bush or where less than 20 residential places or houses which are not within a minimum of 50meters radius, should be relocated in future elections. Illustrative example is the above-mentioned polling units at Orolu.
There should be proper sensitization, training and orientation programs for all security personnel deployed for election purpose. A special unit should be established within the security agencies for election purpose and other civil engagements.
Tawo E. Tawo SAN
 NBA-EWG