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Many Govt Officials Ready To Serve Free Of Charge – Dogara
A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, says contrary to popular belief among the members of the public, many politicians in Nigeria are not in government for money.
Dogara, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Friday, said many government officials are ready to work for free if people’s expectations on them are lowered to an extent.
“If we can cut the demands on some of these our government officials by 90 per cent I assure you that there are so many people there who are willing to work free of charge,” Dogara said on the programme.
“But the situation is that you cannot put a lot of burden on my head, and you knock on my leg which I am supposed to stand in order to carry the burden.”
On the current hardship and hunger in the country, Dogara said that President Bola Tinubu acknowledged the situation in their discussion during a recent visit of former national assembly leaders to him in Aso Rock.
According to the former Reps Speaker, President Tinubu promised that he is doing something about the hunger and hardship in the country.
‘Tinubu Didn’t remove petrol subsidy’
The President has been blamed by many for the removal of petrol subsidy which contributed to the galloping inflation that has seen prices of commodities skyrocket, but Dogara insisted that Tinubu isn’t to blame as the subsidy was not captured in the budget before his election.
“We must accept whether we like it or not, except we are disingenuous to say that the removal of subsidy itself, whether the president said that subsidy was gone or that he was removing subsidy, we all know that subsidy had been removed before he was elected.
“It wasn’t in the budget, so if there is no provision in the budget, how do you pay? It is illegal for the executive to appropriate money.
“They can only appropriate money in consequence of an express legislative authorisation which is the budget. And in this case, there was no provision in the budget,” he said.
He said the most important thing is that the president has admitted the challenges he is faced with, adding that accepting responsibility for a problem is the beginning of finding a solution for it.
[Channels Tv]
UNGA 79: Nigeria, Mastercard Partner To Support 1m African Farmers
Nigeria and Mastercard have announced a partnership aimed at supporting one million African farmers to improve yield and agricultural productivity.
The project plan includes support for one million agricultural workers across Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania, with a focus on enhancing financial inclusion and digital access to critical services, as well as support from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The partnership deal was sealed during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and executives of Mastercard Corporation on the sidelines of the ongoing 79th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York
Speaking during a meeting, the Vice President who is representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the annual global event in a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha noted that the initiative has transformative potential for Africa’s food security drive.
He said, “This partnership is an important milestone in our quest for comprehensive financial inclusion and agricultural empowerment.
“By leveraging Mastercard’s global expertise, we’re set to create unprecedented opportunities for farmers across Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania.”
Earlier, the Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, explained that the partnership will provide digital access to critical financial services for agricultural workers, which he said is expected to significantly boost productivity and economic growth in the sector.
“We’re not just introducing new technologies; we’re reimagining the entire agricultural value chain. Our goal is to ensure that every farmer, regardless of their location, has access to modern financial tools”.
He disclosed that the initiative also addresses existing challenges in Nigeria’s digital payment ecosystem.
“We’re aware of the trust deficits that have hindered the full activation of contactless payments by some acquirers and banks. This partnership includes specific measures to bridge these gaps and ensure widespread adoption,” Tijani added.
Also, the Country Manager for West Africa at Mastercard, Dr. Folasade Femi-Lawal, said a key component of the partnership is the rollout of contactless payment systems.
“We’re planning 160 contactless payment seminars starting next February. These seminars are crucial in educating stakeholders and preparing the market for this technological leap,” he stated.
[Leadership]
Artificial Intelligence Will Replace Unskilled Workers, Not Humans – Pantami
Former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, has addressed concerns about Artificial Intelligence (AI) displacing millions of jobs.
Pantami expressed his views while receiving participants in the PRNigeria Young Communication Fellowship at his office.
He said mentorship programs focused on skill development enhances career growth, improves problem-solving abilities and expands professional network.
“In the coming years, millions may face job loss as AI assumes various roles,” he noted.
“However, it’s crucial to understand that it will not be AI itself causing job loss, but the individuals adept at utilizing AI technologies. AI is ultimately a product of human ingenuity; it does not operate or evolve independently.”
Speaking on the fear of technology often described as Technophobia, Pantami said one of the characteristics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is that expertise in technology does not necessitate formal education in computer science.
“Similarly, you don’t need a degree in Mass Communication to become an award-winning journalist or an accomplished public relations professional. This revolution is centred around personal development and continuous learning,” he asserted.
The former minister stressed that mentorship can transform lives, even through brief interactions, and encouraged young citizens to seek guidance from older persons who are professionals in their respective field.
“Mentorship bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Education lays the groundwork, but applying theoretical knowledge requires hands-on experience,” Pantami noted.
The scholar further pointed out that while tertiary/university education provides the essential theoretical frameworks, practical skills are cultivated in the private sector in most cases.
“I have consistently emphasized that practical skills—not just degrees—drive success. There is a need for personal development, constant learning and retraining to stay competitive in the job market in today’s fast-paced environment.
“You need essential skills, including social abilities rooted in empathy, emotional intelligence, communication, as well as digital skills such as AI, programming and critical thinking. Staying updated with industry trends and technologies is imperative.
“I commend all of you for pursuing the PRNigeria Young Communication Mentorship Programme following your university graduation. While degrees are valuable, skills are equally important. Pursue formal education, but prioritize practical experience and continuous learning for success.”
Mr. Yushau Shuaib, Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), praised Pantami for accommodating the fellows on short notice and for providing copies of his latest book, “Skills Rather Than Just Degrees,” to them.
Shuaib said the PRNigeria Young Communication Fellowship was designed to broaden cohort members’ knowledge across various aspects, focusing on modern communication methods, emerging technologies, and multimedia sessions.
“The fellowship explores strategic communication and social media engagement while incorporating AI and machine learning to enhance communication. Additionally, we include multimedia sessions to address the transition from print to audiovisual.”
Shuaib added that the fellowship, hosted at PRNigeria Centres in Abuja, Ilorin and Kano, provides a platform for participants to connect with industry professionals through sessions at media houses and PR departments for practical learning opportunities.
[DailyTrust]
Edo Election: Ighodalo turns down Okpebholo’s friendship offer, to seek redress in court
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the just concluded Edo State governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, has registered his dissatisfaction with the election results, stressing that he intends to seek redress in court.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ighodalo claimed his mandate was stolen by the All Progressives Congress, APC, with the help of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
DAILY POST had reported that Ighodalo finished second in the election with 247,274 votes, while the APC’s Monday Okpebholo was declared the winner with 291,667 votes. Labour Party candidate, Olumide Akpata, secured 22,763 votes.
Ighodalo cited several issues, including the failure to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, in over 160 polling units, the skipping of proper collation procedures from ward to state level, and alleged collusion between INEC, the police, and the APC to suppress the will of Edo voters.
He stated that his party refrained from engaging in vote-buying, unlike the APC, which he accused of offering cash incentives to voters ranging from N25,000 to N50,000.
Speaking on his next steps, Ighodalo declared his intention to take the matter to the tribunal, where he believes the evidence will prove that the PDP was the rightful winner of the election.
He dismissed Okpebholo’s offer of friendship, stating that accepting such overtures would be impossible while the mandate remains contested.
“Because the mandate is stolen, there is no way you can accept these hands of fellowship or friendship.
“I will stay with the people of Edo State who fully gave me the mandate of their free will, and I will go into the courts and the tribunal to reclaim our mandate and then form the government,” he said.
[DailyPost]
Stop monitoring my net worth, Davido tells netizens
Afrobeat sensation Davido has warned netizens against trying to calculate his net worth because they’ll never get it right.
His post on X sparked a flurry of reactions, particularly from his rival, some mocked him, saying his wealth comes from his family, while others doubted his financial stability.
“Stop watching my pockets, you won’t ever understand,” he said.
Fans and followers responded.
@DanielRegha stated: “Watching ur pockets, & rendering financial advice are two different things; It never hurts to put oneself on a budget, especially since no-one knows tomorrow. Life happens.”
@reallest_gee said: “Na if you don broke you go drop coin wey go rug or beg 1x bet for gigs then drop game wey go spoil.”
@lifeofolaa wrote:: “Them wan count your money, them don forget say money na water.”
@RespiratoryDafe asked: “OBO, how Yankee stadium go be on Saturday?”
@wizkidfc_stated: “Your matter just dey make me laugh.”
@dammiedammie35 wrote: “Who dey watch your pocket OBO ?”
@honest30bgfan_ said: “You don later broke?”
@Philips_Teq wrote: “David, you don’t really have a pocket, na adeleke pocket you de use guide.”
[OPINION] We beg bread, they belch beer - Lasisi Olagunju
Are Nigerians hungry because they’ve been drinking too much free beer and now the brewery is bankrupt? I ask because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu waxed rhetorical Thursday last week as he dissected the very bad hunger wracking his country and its more than 200 million people. “I understand we are hungry, but no free beer parlour anymore,” he said. Except the president is suggesting that we are a nation of drunkards, I am tempted to wonder what shred of meaning connects “hunger” and “beer” here.
What the president said was a rhetorical gaffe that deserves a rebuke. When a person says what he said and in the context he said it, the Yoruba would look at him and wonder why he is talking ìrù (tail) when we are talking irú (locust beans). What are we saying, what are they saying? We are begging for bread; they are belching beer. The old man saw liquid when his people cried solid. The president’s ‘learned’ supporters will insist that ‘beer’ is the president’s metaphorical substitute for ‘food’. That will be interesting. We’ve always suspected that metaphor serves as a ready refuge for the flawed – especially in the very slippery terrain of politics. But the Emilokan rationalists should remember to tell the president that a successful metaphor is one that is apt. When the vehicle and the topic cohere in semantic peace, we congratulate the metaphor birther for a successful delivery.
His preference for “beer parlour” where ‘food bank’ should be was a tragic subversion of aptness in metaphorical deployment. A mandatory credit pass in Literature is recommended for whoever would be president after this one. ‘Beer’ does not collocate with ‘hunger’.
The beer-parlour talk of the president may be one of his lasting contributions to language and the field of political rhetoric. You never can tell. He already, during the 2023 campaigns, dropped ‘balablu’ as one of his hit singles. Sometimes, what the enemy thinks is blemish ends up embellishing one’s memory. We call it èébú d’olá in Yoruba. William Archibald Spooner lived between July 1844 and August 1930. Between those years, he served as a clergyman, author and professor of ancient history, divinity and philosophy at the University of Oxford. He was described as “a well-liked, respected, genial, kindly, hospitable man” but blessed with “a head too large for his body.” Spooner was brilliant but was equally very absent-minded, and he got famous for it. He, in 1879, from the pulpit, famously gave out the first line of a popular hymn as “Kinkering Kongs their titles take” (instead of ‘Conquering Kings Their Titles Take’). And he did it, not intentionally.
When Spooner died, his obituary in the 1 September, 1930 edition of Manchester Guardian contains this passage: “All sorts of stories, probable and improbable, were invented… Of the well-worn ones, the best are those which made Spooner declare that he was leaving Oxford by ‘the town drain,’ that some unauthorised person was ‘occupewing his pie,’ that at a marriage it was ‘kistomary to cuss the bride,’ and that he was tired of addressing ‘beery wenches.’ Much better authenticated and not even a Spoonerism is his famous reply to a young lady who asked him if he liked bananas. He is said to have retorted, ‘I’m afraid I always wear the old-fashioned nightshirt.’”
That Guardian obituary was not only how Spooner was remembered. Because he said all he said, before he died, the English Language got enriched with one more permanent word – spoonerism. The word proceeded to get a barge of honour as a rhetorical device in literature – and a mention in neuro science.
Who knows, courtesy of our president, ‘beer’ may enter the English Dictionary as a synonym for ‘food’ just as the president’s social media enemies, irreverent children of anger, use ‘agbadoan’ as a collective name for his long-suffering fans. Agbado is the Yoruba name for corn. The president, before his election, recommended it as a solution to the hunger on the streets.
Now, more seriously, let us ask the president and his defenders: Can beer replace dinner? Or could it be that we are hungry because our leaders have been taking too much freebies from our liquor bank? Or could it be that our president has been too far removed from the caked reality of the scorched earth for him to know that the world is about to end courtesy of his apocalyptic policies? When the president said what he said and ended it with a demand for patience from the hungry, I heard a loud applause from his fawning followers. The president enjoyed that applause. How I wish he would read Shakespeare in ‘Pericles: Prince of Tyre’. The playwright says: “They do abuse the king that flatter him.” He says again that “kings should let their ears hear their faults.” Clapping when the leader spoke beer when food was needed was distressing; it numbs the soul. But you would ask who made up that adulating audience? Former principal officers of the National Assembly. They are plaintive ex-eagles desirous of new feathers for fresh flights and feasts. They are men who are ready to kneel lower than their knees. A high-five for what the president said shames all – especially the eight million plus who elected him last year.
The president also spoke about “free bowl” which he said hungry Nigerians “cannot just take”. Then he spoke about the closure of Nigeria’s “free beer parlour”. The tone, texture and context of Tinubu’s beer-and-bowl statement trivialized the people’s travails. Who will help Nigerians tell their president that their hunger is not for beer and the inebriation it offers? That the starvation cries in town are not a craving for free meal. That Nigerians do not seek, and are not demanding indebtedness to charity. All they seek are policies with a human face, a government that cares.
The town writhes in agony because government has lost its meaning. Every citizen has a personal reason for voting in elections. One of those reasons is what English philosopher, Bernard Bosanquet (1848-1923) explains as the hope by the citizen that the government would help him to become “what he has in him to be.” Not all who voted for Tinubu last year did so for party, tribe or money. Some genuinely thought he would make a positive difference in their lives. Now, everyone is stranded because the government crashed the car.
The country is in deep trouble. What is broken in our economy is brittle beer bottle, not calabash. It cannot be mended. It doesn’t look like the government is worried as we are about the present darkness. Where leaders do not care, we would be right to inquire what they have where a heart ought to be. If there is a heart there, then it must be made of something very hard. William Bascom wrote of the Yoruba concepts of the wicked and the hard-hearted: “A hard-hearted person is bad-tempered, easily offended, willful and stubborn, doing what he likes and paying no attention to what others say. When an ordinary person in anger would throw a small lump of dirt, a hard hearted person throws a large stone. Worse than the hard-hearted person is one who is ‘wicked’ (ìkà). A wicked person loves no one but himself; he advises others to sell things for less than he knows they are worth; he injures others and destroys their property without cause…” I agree. The wicked counts the number of stars he shoots down.
Last week, US vice president, Kamala Harris, told talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, that a leader’s real strength lies in “who he lifts up, not who he brings down.” She said the same, and much more, in another interview in April this year, long before she became the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate:
“We need a protector”, the interviewer told Kamala Harris.
And she replies:
“Yes. Sadly, over the last many years, there has been this kind of perverse approach to what strength looks like, which is to suggest that the measure of one’s strength is based on who you beat down instead of what we know that the true measure of your strength is based on who you lift up. You know, and if you ever want to measure, if you ever want some objective indication of your individual power, see what you can do to help other people, people in need. It could be some simple act, like just listening to how people are feeling and to sincerely, sincerely have some interest and concern about their well-being or their suffering. That’s what we want from leaders…That’s really what strength looks like and that’s the kind of strength that we want.”
That is the kind of strength Nigerians demand to see in their president. They do not desire a leader who sits somewhere far in the sky and speaks in tongues about hunger and patience; about beer, bowls and booze. A leader should not preen like a god while his people reel in pain.
We also read the president declaring last Friday that he was in government to work and not to make money. I read him and said great! A leader should take less and give more. “The less a man needs, the nearer he is to God who needs nothing,” said Socrates. But we read of our leaders’ stories of grasping and taking that leave us to wonder if some people’s needs have a limit.
About 50 years ago, Sakara music legend, Yusuf Olatunji, had cause to sing: “You said there is no food but your own children feed to satiation (E ní kò sí, kò sí, omo yín ńyó…).” Between the 1970s when the song was sung and now, what has changed is that things have grown worse. Our presidency is famed as the most powerful in the history of presidential democracy. It is also sadly, the most unfeeling. Ghanaian writer, Ayi Kwei Armah, asks: “Is it always true that it is impossible to have things strong and at the same time beautiful?” Our Federal Government is strong and powerful but so are wolves and lions in the jungle. We think our president should be king – or god – and we have him so invested. That should explain why a president says the wrong things and all palms turn zombie, clapping.
In a careless republic as ours, a president can easily become a virtual monarch, or even a god. We will soon be there – if we are not there already. It is possible some people have a shrine where they make offerings of kola and liquor to the Nigerian president. If they do, they would have several pages of history to guide them. One of them is in the West Africa magazine of March 3, 1945 which published a piece in celebration of the memory of an Alaafin who had just joined his ancestors. “The highest oath that an Oyo man could take was to swear by the head of the Alaafin,” the magazine wrote, and added that the people believed the late oba was divine. The oba himself thought himself so and he said so and acted so. How?
Eshugbayi Eleko was deposed as the Oba of Lagos in 1925 by the British. He was subsequently banished to Oyo town but he didn’t go quietly into the night; he went to court. During the ensuing celebrated case, evidence on some historical issues was needed in support of the deposed oba. It was to the Alaafin of Oyo that counsel to Oba Eshugbayi went.
The Alaafin was asked to swear before his evidence was taken.
Alaafin queried in anger:
“By whose name?”
“God’s name or by the name of your idol,” the lawyer told him.
“I myself am God!” the oba replied.
By calling himself god or God, the Alaafin of 1925 had not said what no one had ever said. About 300 years earlier, King James I of England uttered something weighty about the king occupying a throne almost as powerful as God’s. King James told the English parliament on Wednesday, 21 March, 1609 that “kings sit upon God’s throne, but even by God himself they are called gods.” A king, he said, could make anyone “beggars or rich at his pleasure; restrain, or banish out of his presence…” And he used that power, and faced resistance – from the Catholic Church and from other churches. He fought and won. He enjoyed exercising that divine right, quashing opposition, bringing people up, casting people down. But his son, Charles I, who succeeded him didn’t have the grace he had. History says Charles was fought, defeated, arrested, tried by a parliamentary court and found guilty of charges which included devising “a wicked design to erect and uphold in himself an unlimited and tyrannical power to rule according to his will, and to overthrow the rights and liberties of the people”. At his execution at about 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 30 January, 1649, Charles insisted that he did no wrong, that the people were his subjects who should really have no “share in the government.” He stressed that “a subject and a sovereign are clean different things.” May God give Nigerians the sense to continue to have a share in their government.
Police summon officers over N1m extortion of corps members
The Lagos State Police Command has summoned four of its officers to account for their alleged involvement in the extortion of N1 million from some National Youth Service Corps members.
In a Twitter post shared late Thursday, a user tweeting as #YemieFash, identified as Olúyẹmí Fásípè, revealed the incident.
Fásípè stated that the corps members were threatened by the officers and later taken to the Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu House, Area C Police Command, where they were “robbed.”
He added that one of the corps members had failed to present a hard copy of his driver’s licence, which allegedly prompted the extortion.
In a video seen by PUNCH Online, the driver is shown presenting some vehicle documents to one of the officers, who asked, “What of your driver’s licence?” The driver responded, “I’m renewing it.”
The officer then requested the renewal papers, which the driver could not present in hard copy. Subsequently, a man dressed in plain clothes, not immediately identifiable as a police officer, was seen removing the vehicle’s number plate, after which an argument ensued.
The corps members were then led to the police station, during which an accompanying officer ordered them not to use their mobile phones, warning that they would be required to write statements at the station if they did.
One of the officers informed the corps members that it was an offence of “impersonation” to wear only the NYSC cap without the full uniform.
Fásípè’s tweet read: “Dear #BenHundeyin, your officers today in Surulere extorted one million naira from three corps members. They were threatened with firearms, kidnapped, and taken to the Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu House, Area C Police Command of the #LagosPoliceNG, where they were robbed. Their offence was not having a physical copy of a driver’s licence. This is evil!
“According to the victims, the officer in mufti is the one who collected the money (their boss).
“Ben, #BenHundeyin, here are the transaction receipts and a voice note of one of the victims explaining how the rogue officers extorted money from the three corps members.”
In response, the spokesperson for the state command, Benjamin Hundeyin, tweeting as #BenHundeyin, wrote on Friday: “The men have been summoned, and their trial has commenced. We urge the complainants to visit the Complaint Response Unit at the state headquarters to testify at the ongoing trial.”
The actions of the police officers have drawn widespread condemnation from netizens.
[Punch]
[OPINION] Bishop David Oyedepo @70: His life secrets that many don’t know - Olabisi Deji-Folutile
David Olaniyi Oyedepo, founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide and Presiding Bishop of the Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun state turns 70 years old today. The name, David Oyedepo, registers differently in different people’s minds. To some, he is that controversial and flamboyant prosperity preacher with an array of vehicles, properties-home and abroad, and multiple aircraft. To others, he is seen as a strong voice in Nigeria’s Christian charismatic movement. And to many, Oyedepo, a PhD holder in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, United States, is a revolutionist especially in Nigeria’s educational system where he championed the establishment of Covenant University, a leading educational institution in Nigeria and Landmark University, in Omu Aran, where a new form of agricultural revolution is being rebirthed in Nigeria.
It is no longer news that Covenant University in barely two decades of existence is ranked above most federal and state universities in Nigeria. It was ranked the 7th best university in Sub-Saharan Africa during the first Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa Rankings 2023. The university has consistently ranked among the best 800-1000 universities in the world between 2019 and 2024, according to Times Higher Education. His impact in the educational sector is not limited to universities alone as the church also runs a network of primary and secondary schools known as Kingdom Heritage Model School and Faith Academy not only in Nigeria but outside its shores.
Yet to many others, Oyedepo, who incidentally was born inside the church, although his father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim, but his mother, Dorcas, was a member of the Holy Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (C&S), is that bold preacher that speaks to power without any iota of intimidation. He got lots of flaks from some quarters for his position on COVID-19 pandemic especially when authorities failed to reopen churches despite the re-opening of other institutions. But his continuous interventions led to the reopening of churches with regulations put in place to curb the spread of the deadly virus. His voice was also loud during the plan of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to introduce Ruga, a settlement scheme for the Fulani across Nigeria. He spoke against Boko Haram and openly prayed that God would give former President Goodluck Jonathan the heart of a lion to tackle the issue frontally during his administration.
While the above summations and much more could aptly describe Bishop David Oyedepo, those who really know the bishop will describe him as a consummate lover of God and an insatiable hunter for souls. Only real WINNERS – the moniker for members of the Living Faith Church worldwide, can tell you the extent of his love for God and how he drives them to win souls which according to him is the true proof of the believer’s love for God. He will tell you, “if you love God, you will love what he loves, God so loved the world that he gave his son. Prove your love for him by ensuring that you bring one soul to church next Sunday.’’
To show the extent of his passion for souls, he boldly announced that church members should not bother to give him any gift for his platinum celebration- all he wanted from them was just ‘one soul per person for Christ.’ “Don’t give me gifts, I don’t need them, don’t bother to give me cake, I don’t eat it. Give me souls. Make that your birthday gifts to me. That’s all I want from you,’’ he had announced. To press this home, a week preceding his birthday was declared, “A week of Sacrifice For Soul.’’ Trust him, he will always do what he asks the church members to do. So, in fulfilment of his own sacrifice for souls, he still went out a week to his birthday to haunt for souls for Christ and he got 177 souls according to his testimony shared on the pulpit. The bishop still goes on the streets of Ota and environ to haunt for souls for the kingdom. He has his target for every year and he always delivers beyond target. Thousands of souls in the church today are his direct converts and he nurtures them to remain in the faith as any would like to nurture a new believer. This is a total assignment aside his pastoral roles.
You may think his passion for souls is just an avenue to keep the church growing which ordinarily isn’t even a bad idea if you ask me, but the bishop has always been a consuming lover of God. Imagine this. As a teenager, in less than three months, he singlehandedly built a church in a village where he had gone to work, from the scratch to the finish. He practically led the villagers to Christ one by one. The villagers gave him a bush lamp as a gift and told him that the light he brought to them would shine across the world. That is exactly what is happening now. The light is shining across the world. The Living Faith Church has its network of churches in 147 countries across the continents. The church has 38,000 house fellowship centres in Lagos alone.
Although his ambition was to be a businessman supporting the works of God, fate had another assignment for him. You don’t have to be close to the bishop to know that everything about God moves him. He demonstrates this in different ways. I can’t tell the number of churches the bishop and his family have built. Only him and his family would have the details but going by his testimonies, they must be in thousands. These churches are also not necessarily branches of the Living Faith Church- they could be for other denominations. He is simply a violent kingdom promoter.
I have been a member of the Living Faith Church for over two decades now and I still wonder where outsiders get this impression that the only thing preached in Winners is prosperity message. Is Bishop David Oyedepo rich? The answer is a capital Yes. He was named as Nigeria’s wealthiest pastor by Forbes magazine in 2011 with over $150m but the bishop will dispute this figure and tell you that his wealth is underestimated. His point is that he is worth everything in God by redemption. In other words, such wealth is unquantifiable. Are Winners rich? The answer is also in the affirmative. But does the bishop pursue prosperity? The answer is No. Every living Winner knows the scripture that rules the bishop’s life. It is in Mathew 6:33 which says “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things ( that men are dying to have) shall be added unto you.’’ I am not sure I have attended any service in my last over 20 something years in Winners where this scripture is not quoted by the bishop.
And by extension, this has become the mantra of every “Winner.’’ It works like fire. Winners don’t pursue wealth. They simply obey the covenant of prosperity, obey scriptures and God pours His blessings in unimaginable and undeniable ways. Mind you, this wealth is not measured in monetary terms only, they are riches that are all encompassing. In Winners, it doesn’t matter what you do, you will prosper, albeit everyone at their own levels. That is basically the secret behind the wealth of Oyedepo and members of the church that are truly committed to his teachings and walk by them. I have seen and heard countless of testimonies from ordinary church members -testimonies of exploits that are not shared on the pulpit-people doing marvelously well in their chosen fields. The bishop describes such testimonies as though noiseless but undeniable.
The secrets of men are in their stories. The Bible says if you see a man that is diligent in his work, he will stand before kings, and not mere men. Bishop David Oyedepo is an epitome of diligence. It is impossible for a man as diligent as him not to be wealthy even if he is a pure water seller. He prepares for every service as if it is his first sermon. He works minimum of 16-18 hours daily. I once attended a vigil where the bishop flew in from outside the country and came straight to the pulpit to preach. He once laid hands on people from morning till evening standing on his feet for more than 10 hours.
The bishop is a workaholic if I’m permitted to use that word. He takes his assignment with every sense of commitment and seriousness. He quotes scriptures effortlessly. As editor of the Saturday Punch title, I once asked the bishop during an interview how he was able to do this. Was he cramming the scriptures, I wanted to know. To my dismay, he said, “I don’t read scriptures, I eat them.’’ For those who don’t know, the bishop does not go to bed until he reads certain chapters of scriptures. To him, he does this to cleanse any debris that might have entered him in the course of the day.
Such is the level of his diligence in taking care of himself as well as the congregants. Let me share this interesting story here. My family moved from our previous place of abode in Lagos to another area and we joined the Winners zonal centre in our new area as newcomers. Soon, we interacted with other members and my husband discovered that one of the pastors at the zone was unusually meticulous, organized and of course prosperous. We found out that the pastor, Mike Ewewie, was Bishop Oyedepo’s personal assistant for 17 years. That is how contagious the bishop’s organizational prowess is. In the Living Faith Church, time is precious. Service starts by 6am. Nobody waits for anyone. And that has been the order of the church since inception even when they were less than four members in church.
Bishop David Oyedepo is also bold and audacious. The church planted 10,000 churches during the COVID-19 lockdown. At the beginning of the year, the bishop had announced that God told him that the church would plant 10,000 churches. When the lockdown came unexpectedly, one would have thought that it was impossible for this to happen again. But alas, the church planted 10,400 churches amid lockdown. “We do not do anything unless it is commanded, and whatever He commands, He creates,’’ he always says. That also explains the movement of the church from town to a so-called wilderness now known as Canaan land. And not just that, it was responsible for the audacious declaration of building a 50,000 – seater auditorium within one year—the first of its kind in world history.
Today, Bishop David Oyedepo and by extension, the Living Faith Church is fulfilling prophecy. The things that were told of God and documented more than 40 years ago are seen coming to pass. It is easy to refer to past prophecies and confirm them in the present. God spoke about the 50,0000 -capacity auditorium, ‘aircrafts,’ global connectivity and many other prophecies at the inception of the ministry. It is indeed gratifying seeing these prophecies fulfilled word for word.
The church has four aircraft and those who know how expensive it is to maintain an aircraft will tell you this is no cheap feat. For those who think the bishop flies around the world in jets, let me shock you.
The bishop has not stepped out of Nigeria—not even to Togo or Benin Republic which is very close to Ota—in the last five years. Why? God says so. It is impossible to share all I know about Bishop David Oyedepo. But let me say a little bit about his giving lifestyle. His family started giving scholarships to students in 1992. He doesn’t even know most beneficiaries of his scholarships. In 2016, he gave all first-class graduates of Covenant University scholarships to pursue their Master’s programme. My son was a beneficiary of that slot. We didn’t even Know. We had paid his tuition. We got our money refunded. Till date, he has a scholarship fund for the indigent and beneficiaries don’t have to be Winners’ members.
To the man whose ministry has been of immense blessing not only to me and my family, but millions of others across the world – to the man who is an epitome of what it means to walk by faith, live by the word and demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit–to the man who has made the Bible as real as ever, teaching and leading by example, to the man, who I am ever proud to call a father in the Lord, and many more, this is wishing you a very happy platinum celebration. Your target is 120. You will live it in health, strength and grace if the Lord tarries in the name of Jesus.
Happy 70th Birthday, Bishop David Oyedepo. We love you.
Olabisi Deji-Folutile (PhD) is the publisher of Franktalknow.com and a director at AF24NEWS. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Court grants N5m bail to whistleblower PIDOM
A federal high court in Abuja has granted bail to Bristol Tamunobifiri, popularly known by his X name PIDOM.
At the court session on Friday, Emeka Nwite, presiding judge, granted PIDOM N5 million bail with one surety in like sum.
Nwite said the surety must be a resident of Abuja and depose to an affidavit of means. The surety must also provide evidence of three years of tax clearance with two passport-sized photographs.
The judge also ruled that the defendant must deposit his passport with the court.
PIDOM was arraigned on September 3, on a nine-count charge brought against him by Olukayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police.
He was accused of “mobilising and soliciting support to unduly compel the government to act or abstain from certain acts through the #EndBadGovernance protest”.
The police said the whistleblower also laundered N970,000 deemed to be “proceeds of an unlawful act”.
Other charges include false money laundering allegations against President Bola Tinubu, and unlawfully obtaining, retaining and disseminating classified secret documents in contravention of the official Secret Act 1962.
The defendant was remanded in Kuje correctional centre. His bail application was moved by Deji Adeyanju, his lawyer.
[TheCable]
[OPINION] Teachers, doctors – first beneficiaries of consumer credit scheme - Fredrick Nwabufo
Trust is an essential quality. It is a valuable non-commodity asset. It is the diviner of promise and fulfilment. A government that succeeds is one which holds sufficient public trust and exerts itself considerably to keep it by delivering on its promises.
Introducing the consumer credit scheme was one of the foremost pledges of President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential campaigns. The President had said: “Corruption will be addressed when an individual does not need to have cash readily available to buy a vehicle, for instance, if there is a credit facility to finance it. Credit financing, in turn, will stimulate productivity and demand. We can, and we will. We will change the inefficiencies. We will drive Nigeria’s potential to delivery.”
Within a few months after assuming office, President Tinubu went to work in fidelity to his promise. In April 2024, the president approved the take-off of the Consumer Credit Scheme with the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) as the institutional apparatus.
The reason for this is obvious. This segment of workers forms the core of the nation’s workforce and provides essential services. But the credit blanket will spread further to cover the majority of Nigerians in subsequent phases as the scheme was conceived by President Tinubu for all Nigerians.
According to data by CREDICORP, credit was provided for a slew of needs, such as the procurement of petrol alternatives (solar panels, CNG conversion, tricycles), home improvements, school fees and medical needs, as well as the purchase of household items.
The CREDICORP data also shows that over N1.5 billion has been disbursed to federal and state workers in the education sector; administrators in federal and state MDAs over N755 million; medical doctors in federal and state services over N600 million; police/paramilitary officers (police, civil defence, customs, immigration, and correctional service) over N367 million, and Nigerians in specialised services (judiciary, EFCC, ICPC, traffic authorities, environment) over N273 million.
Additionally, in the education sector, over 4,700 Nigerians are beneficiaries; in administration over 2,800; in health over 1,300; police/paramilitary over 1,260, and specialised services, over 750. More Nigerians are being enlisted as beneficiaries of this epochal scheme.
President Tinubu’s vision is to spread prosperity, create a robust credit system, strengthen the financial architecture, and empower Nigerians sustainably while removing the incentive for corruption.
In full apprehension of the concerns of citizens, the President Tinubu administration has sustained its interventions in critical sectors and directly in providing relief to vulnerable Nigerians. It is ratcheting up effort on social investment programmes to lift the most vulnerable population out of poverty. So far, additional payment has been made to about one million verified recipients under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) programme.
President Tinubu has remained true to his pledges. He pledged to introduce the student loan scheme to remove financial impediments to higher education for Nigerians. Today, this pledge is an actuality.
The president affirmed public good and trust as his motivation when he met with the Forum of Former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, led by former Senate President Ken Nnamani at the Presidential Villa, on September 20.
He said: “I did not come to look for money and exploit the situation; I came to work. I asked for the votes, and Nigerians gave them to me.”
President Tinubu is working for Nigerians.
Fredrick Nwabufo is the senior special assistant to the president on public engagement