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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it regretted not joining the #EndBadGovernance protest held in August.
The Head of Information of the NLC, Benson Upah, said it was regretful that President Bola Tinubu-led federal government does not want opposition’s voice.
Upah noted that the practice of using the Department of State Services (DSS) and Police to arrest voices challenging the government policies shows dictatorship is creeping into Nigeria under President Tinubu’s regime.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, on Tuesday, the NLC spokesman stated that the federal government wants to use the continued arrest of its leaders to distract the organized labour.
“It is a diversionary tactic to sway us away from the path of focus and concentration. You know, the government has just introduced another band of PMS pricing, and does not want us to focus on that. So, it has to look for something else to divert our attention, so, it is part of this process that this has happened, and we consider it illegal, unlawful.
“This is how dictatorship starts, it creeps in. People look the other way believing that it will not come to them.
“Quite amazingly, this is being practiced by those who held themselves out yesterday as promoters of democracy. They should be ashamed of themselves. These are the very guys who went into exile doing this to innocent citizens believing that we will be cowed, but we will never be cowed. The Nigerian spirit is in us, it is a robust spirit, nobody is going to defeat this spirit in us. We are Nigerians, and we will continue to do the right thing,” he said.
The NLC leader maintained that Ajaero was not given any invitation, nor was he avoiding the security agencies. He explained that even as of Tuesday, the DSS has not given any explanation for arresting and detaining Ajaero.
“For us, as far as we are concerned, no invitation was extended to us before this arrest, and up till now, no reasonable explanation has been given. We can only speculate. As I have said earlier on, the government has some policies that it wants to unravel and does not want any opposition voice to be heard.
“Government has been battering us and wants to be cheered, wants us to cheer it into our own graves. But we keep insisting, we’re not going to be cheerleaders, we will keep on protesting, even to the last drop of blood in us
“We can only speculate the motives of the government. Even if there was an interrogation that this was linked to the end hunger protests, I mean, we keep on seeing it as a façade, because I tell you, on July 22nd, we issued a statement stating clearly that we are not part of the protest. In the 23rd, we issued another unambiguous statement. On the 1st of August, we issued a clearer one, and everything points to the fact that we were not part of this protest,” Upah added.
He explained that the allegations of terrorism, treasonable felony and cybercrime were all framed up. He claimed the government knew who the criminals were but would not go after them.
“Looking back now, perhaps we should have joined this protest, because had we joined this protest, they would not even have had audacity to raid our headquarters in the first place had we joined this protest, because they know our capability, they know our capacity, and they know they will never underrate our will.
“We’ve got nothing to do with all of this, we’ve got nothing to do with subversion, we’ve got nothing to do with treasonable felony, we’ve got nothing to do with cybercrime, terrorism financing and all that, and these guys know it, they know those who are involved. They know them, but they are scared of going after them,” Upah stated.
The Cherubim and Seraphim, C&S, Church Worldwide has urged its prophets to cease conducting rituals for youths involved in internet fraud, commonly referred to as “Yahoo Yahoo.”
This call was made during a pre-centenary revival in Osogbo on Monday.
Making the call, Senior Apostle Samuel Onigbinde, Chairman of C&S Unification in Osun State, emphasised that the church’s mission is to eliminate unorthodox practices within its fold.
Onigbinde noted that fraudulent rituals conducted by so-called prophets are against the true teachings of the church’s founder, Moses Orimolade, which focused on healing through prayer, fasting, and divine intervention, not spirit conjuring.
He said, “One of the key goals of the Unification is to combat strange practices among our members. C&S is not a refuge for ‘Yahoo boys,’ and prophets using our white garment to perform such rituals must stop.”
He added that a committee has been formed to ensure all members adhered to the doctrines of Prophet Orimolade.
Pastor Olusegun Elijah, the convener of the pre-centenary revival, spoke on the proliferation of churches, attributing it to widespread unemployment in Nigeria.
He warned that many individuals, driven by joblessness, were opening churches for personal gain rather than spiritual leadership, contributing to rising crime rates.
“The surge in crime despite the growing number of religious centres reflects the failure of religious leaders to focus on salvation.
“Additionally, many clergy members are now aligning with the political class, making it difficult to hold politicians accountable,” Elijah remarked.
He called on religious leaders to disengage from political fraternisation and maintain their role as moral watchdogs.
The Dangote Refinery is set to begin polypropylene production by the end of October 2024, effectively curbing Nigeria’s imports of the product which is a crucial raw material in various industries, including packaging, textiles, and automotive parts.
Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, announced that as the refinery edges closer to full operational status, it will meet the local demand for polypropylene, previously reliant on imports valued at approximately $267.7 million annually.
This shift is expected to significantly benefit various industries, including packaging, textiles, and automotive manufacturing, which have faced challenges due to foreign exchange issues and long shipping times.
Dangote emphasised that the refinery is prepared to supply the market fully, alleviating the struggles of local manufacturers who have had to stockpile due to import delays.
The production of polypropylene will not only reduce costs associated with importation but also enhance the stability of the Nigerian economy by decreasing reliance on foreign products. With this development, Nigeria aims to become self-sufficient in polypropylene production, marking a significant milestone in its industrialisation efforts.
“Let me assure you of one thing, Nigeria from October will not import any more polypropylene, which used to be about a quarter of a million tons,” he said. “No more imports of polypropylene.”
Polypropylene, a versatile plastic used in a wide range of applications from packaging and textiles to automotive parts and medical equipment, is currently imported in large quantities by Nigerian manufacturers.
Annual polypropylene import into Nigeria is estimated at $267.7 million, according to TradeMap, which peaked at $407 million in 2022.
The latest data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that the country brought in the product valued at N99.6 billion in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, placing it at number 12 on the top 15 products imported by Nigeria from the rest of the world.
“We will satisfy the market 100 percent,” said Dangote. “This is so because these industries that are struggling and having to go and look for FX that they will not get and still have to keep stock for four or five months because it’s not easy shipping, clearing, and whatever, can buy as they need.”
He noted that the refinery is determined to do this because it will reduce the cost of importation and scramble for foreign exchange.
“We are also in the business. And our demand also as Dangote is huge. We have Dangote Packaging and are one of the biggest demand users of polypropylene,” he added.
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, China, and Vietnam were the top importers of polypropylene into Nigeria in the first quarter of 2024, covering 90 percent of Nigeria’s demand.
Polypropylene is a versatile plastic used in a wide range of packaging applications. It’s often preferred over materials like cellophane, metal, and paper due to its flexibility, durability, and cost-effectiveness.
It is used in food and confectionery, tobacco, and clothing industries in flexible form while in rigid form, polypropylene can be found in caps, closures, pallets, crates, bottles, JIT storage solutions, and containers for products like condiments, detergents, toiletries, and yoghourt.
Polypropylene’s versatility and benefits make it a popular choice for packaging across many industries.
“The polypropylene market is growing rapidly owing to the rising demand from the packaging industry. This high demand is associated with the increasing consumption of packaged food and beverages,” said Fortune Business Insights, a research firm.
“It also helps in reducing the possibility of food deterioration and quality loss.”
Suspected kidnappers have murdered a businessman, identified as Sunny Taxman, after reportedly collecting N10m ransom from his family.
The deceased, said to hail from Alor Agu in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, was based in Onitsha, Anambra State, was said to have been kidnapped three weeks ago.
Although the details of the incident remained sketchy, sources told PUNCH Metro that he was kidnapped inside his vehicle by the yet-to-be-identified assailants.
A source who pleaded anonymity, because he was not permitted to speak with the media, said the suspected kidnappers dumped his corpse inside a dry gutter at the boundary of Nkwelle Uke, near RCC in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
This was corroborated in a trending video currently circulating on social media and showing where the bizman’s lifeless body was lying on the floor of the gutter, with passers-by taking a closer look at it.
One of the sources close to the family of the victim, who craved anonymity, confirmed to journalists that the deceased was murdered after the sum of N10m was sent to them, after spending three weeks with his captors.
The source said, “They might have killed him after he recognised one of them so as not to get exposed.
“They kidnapped him on his way to a function three weeks ago and demanded a ransom. The sum of N10m was paid to the kidnappers. Still, they killed him. So sad.”
When contacted on the development, on Monday, the spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, could not confirm the incident as he said the command was not aware of the incident.
Ikenga, however, said he would make further enquiries on the development.
The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, has disclosed that there will soon be a formal registration into the movement for members and intending members.
He confirmed this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, stating that they intend to build the movement into a proper structural format to be able to properly identify its members.
“Within the next few months there will be announcement for registration, formal registration. We want to identify you where you are and what you do,” Tanko said.
Tanko was recently named as the coordinator of the political movement by Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 election. He said the Obidient Movement is all about good governance which Obi preaches.
He explained that once an individual believes in good governance in Nigeria, automatically they identify as an Obidient and that the movement is looking to admit people “who have a capacity to respond in a very formal way.”
He also noted that most of the current members of the movement are from the Labour party but acknowledged that it is beyond only the Labour Party.
Speaking further, Tanko said that the Obidient movement is for good governance, citizen engagement, having a country that is united, where fairness and equity are supreme, and also to build a country would be respected in the comity of nations.
Asked whether the Obidient movement is similar to the Kwankwasiyya movement, Tanko added that the level of the acceptability of the Obidient movement is larger than that of Kwankwasiyya.
He acknowledged the fact that majority of the labour party members contributed to the development of the Obidient movement, but said that going further, there will be a discussion to know the fee that will be attached to the membership.
Suspected armed bandits invaded the Primary Healthcare Centre in Kuyallo, Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State in the early hours of today, September 9.
During the attack, the criminal elements kidnapped a number of patients and two nurses.
The bandits, who reportedly arrived around 9:00 am on Monday, first targeted the nearby Government Day Secondary School but found it empty.
According to Musa Alhassan, a leader of a local vigilante group, the gunmen then shifted their focus to the healthcare facility.
“They came looking for students, but when they discovered the school was vacant, they went straight to the health centre and began abducting people,” he said
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers were armed with guns and machetes and caused widespread panic as they took their victims, including two female nurses. The total number of patients abducted remains unclear.
A middle-aged man, simply identified as Alfa Ahmed, has reportedly slaughtered his grandfather and uncle in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, for an alleged money ritual.
Investigations by The PUNCH revealed that the incident happened at the back of a popular market in Apete, in the Ido Local Government Area of the state, on Sunday evening.
It was further learnt that the late grandfather was visually impaired before the incident occurred.
An eyewitness told our correspondent, “The suspect, popularly called Alfa Ahmed in the area took advantage of his grandfather’s condition because the man was visually impaired, while his uncle too was not feeling fine when the incident occurred.”
Unconfirmed reports added that the mission of the suspect was to use parts of their bodies for money ritual.
Another source said, “The victims reside in the same place with the suspect at the back of popular market in Apete when the incident happened around 6.pm to 6.30pm yesterday (Sunday). And people alerted the police about the unfortunate incident because the whole place was tensed.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident.
He said investigations had commenced on the incident, and an update would be provided.
“Investigation has commenced into the matter. Updates will be provided accordingly, please,” he stated.
The federal government of Nigeria spent a total of $2.78 billion on debt servicing in the first seven months of 2024, data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed.
These figures were disclosed in the CBN’s recent ‘International Payments Data’ report, which also showed that Nigeria recorded $1.18 billion in total direct remittances from January to July 2024.
Analysis of the CBN data showed that in January, the government allocated $560.52 million to debt servicing, setting the tone for the year. This was followed by a reduction in February, where $283.22 million was spent, marking a 49.5 per cent decrease from January’s expenditure. March saw a slight decline, with $276.17 million allocated to debt servicing, representing a 2.5 per cent decrease from February. The trend of decreasing expenditures continued in April where $215.20 million was spent, reflecting a 22.1 per cent reduction compared to March.
In May, there was a sharp reversal of this downward trend, with debt servicing costs soaring to $854.37 million. This marked a significant 297 per cent increase from April’s expenditure, making May the month with the highest debt servicing outlay during this period. However, June experienced a dramatic drop in spending, with only $50.82 million allocated to debt servicing, a 94 per cent decrease from May. This was the lowest monthly expenditure recorded in the seven-month span. The spending picked up again in July, with $542.50 million spent on debt servicing, marking a substantial 967 per cent increase from June’s low point.
Also, a month-by-month analysis on the total direct remittances showed varying levels of remittance inflows throughout the seven months showed that A breakdown showed that in January, Nigeria received $138.56 million in direct remittances. However, February saw a sharp decline, with inflows dropping to $39.15 million, a 71.7 per cent decrease from January’s figure. March witnessed a rebound, with remittances increasing to $104.91 million, marking a 168 per cent rise from February.
The upward trend continued in April, where $193.31 million was received, a significant 84.3 per cent increase from March. The month of May saw the highest remittance inflow during this period, with $365.44 million recorded. This represents an 89 per cent increase from April, highlighting a strong surge in remittances, potentially driven by improved global economic conditions or favorable exchange rates. In June, however, remittances declined to $270.52 million, a 26 per cent decrease from May’s peak. Despite this drop, June’s inflow remained robust compared to earlier months. The downward trend continued into July, where remittances further decreased to $72.29 million, marking a 73.3 per cent decline from June.
The Kano State Government has indefinitely postponed the resumption date for both primary and post-primary schools for the 2024/2025 academic session.
The government cited “urgent reasons” for the postponement but did not provide specific details.
The decision follows a similar move by the Edo State Government, which also postponed school resumption due to rising petrol prices and challenges faced by parents and guardians.
Schools in most parts of Nigeria are set to resume on Monday, September 9.
Balarabe Kiru, Director of Public Enlightenment at the Kano State Ministry of Education, announced the postponement in a statement on Saturday.
He explained that the Commissioner for Education, Umar Doguwa, would announce a new resumption date soon.
Kiru stated, “I wish to inform pupils, students, and parents that the previously scheduled resumption dates of September 8 and 9, 2024, have been postponed.
“This decision is based on urgent reasons aimed at enhancing the learning environment for our children. A new date for resumption will be communicated in due course.”
[DailyTrust]
Nigeria and other African countries have been advised to be mindful of strategic national interest and take a more strategic approach to Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, from China and other global investors.
This is even as the President Bola Tinubu’s administration has been cautioned to be careful with Chinese deals.
The call was separately made by former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Kingsley Moghalu, and foremost Professor of Political Science, Bolaji Akinyemi.
The statements come on the heels of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing from Wednesday, September 4 to Friday, September 6.
The 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit themed “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build High-Level China-Africa Community with Shared Future,” had Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in attendance.
According to the Nigerian government, Tinubu’s high-profile visit to China was aimed at fostering economic ties and securing investments for Nigeria.
DAILY POST reports that China is Nigeria’s largest creditor, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO) among the five global powers, including France, Japan, India, and Germany.
Nigeria’s debt to China is primarily for infrastructure projects such as railways, highways, and power plants, with analysts fearing the debt burden poses challenges.
Speaking via a post on his X handle over the weekend, Moghalu stressed that the guiding hand of the state remains imperative even in the most capitalist economies.
The former Deputy Governor explained that foreign investment into African countries should be channeled to focus on electricity provision, education and skill development, amongst others.
He said: “As African heads of state and government meet with Chinese leaders in Beijing and China makes another round of investment and financing promises to African countries, US President @JoeBiden ‘s looming decision to block Japan’s Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U.S. Steel on “national security” grounds reminds us of the role of strategic national interest exceptions in the (overall, welcoming) stance of advanced economies (including China) to foreign direct investment. Note that Japan is an American ally.
“The lesson is that, while market forces have created the most wealth of nations in global history, the guiding hand of the state remains imperative even in the most capitalist economies.
“This, of course, presupposes that the state itself is a competent one in the first place. African countries need to take a more strategic approach to FDI from China and other global investors.
“All too often, and with very few exceptions such as Rwanda, Ethiopia and Tanzania, they trade and negotiate away their long term strategic interest in these transactions which also fail to deliver real development and transformation.
“Foreign investment into African countries should be channeled to focus on (a) electricity provision; (b) education and skill development; (c) single-digit financial credit, and venture capital that boosts wealth creation and jobs at the bottom of the pyramid; (d) agriculture value chains.
“This kind of focus would provide the strategic levers to industrialization and other kinds of infrastructure that can be provided through public-private partnerships, leaving governments to focus on social services such as health, basic education to boost literacy.”
On his part, while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, Akinyemi warned that Tinubu could not afford to repeat the mistakes of successive administrations in the country.
“Of course, we should be careful but don’t isolate the debt to China. There are also debts we owe the United States, there are also debts we owe even some of the medium-power countries.
“What we need to do is to be careful about two things: one, we shouldn’t default on that debt. A month before this African-Chinese Summit, Nigerian Sovereign Goods were being impounded all around the world at the instigation of a Chinese company.
“So, China is not going to serve us anything on global butter; we have to be careful that we fulfill our part of the bargain, not only to China but with all the other countries that we may be doing deals, it will impede on our status, our pride, our sovereign goods to be seized because we are defaulting from fulfilling our part of the agreements.”
DAILY POST recalls that a French court recently ruled in favour of a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng, to seize three presidential jets belonging to the Nigerian government.
The development followed a dispute between Zhongshan and the Ogun State government.
[DailyPost]
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The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, on Monday, debunked claims that the rate for Value-Added Tax (VAT) has been upwardly adjusted to 10 per cent from 7.5 per cent.
In a statement on Monday, Edun clarified that the current VAT rate, as stipulated in the country’s tax laws, remains at 7.5 percent.
He said: “The current VAT rate is 7.5% and this is what the government is charging on a spectrum of goods and services to which the tax is applicable.
“Therefore, neither the Federal Government nor any of its agencies will act contrary to what our laws stipulate.
“The tax system stands on a tripod, namely tax policy, tax laws and tax administration. All three must combine well to give us a sound system that gives vitality to the fiscal position of the government.
“Our focus as a government is to use fiscal policy in a manner that promotes and enhances strong and sustainable economic growth reduces poverty as well as makes businesses flourish.
“The imputation in some media reports on the issue of VAT and the opinion articles that have sprouted from them seem to wrongly convey the impression that the government is out to make life difficult for Nigerians. That is not correct. If anything, the Federal Government has, through its policies, demonstrated that it is committed to creating a congenial environment for businesses to thrive.
“In fact, it is on record that the Federal Government, as part of efforts to bring relief to Nigerians and businesses, recently ordered the stoppage of import duties, tariffs and taxes on rice, wheat, beans and other food items.
“For emphasis, as of today, VAT remains 7.5% and that is what will be charged on all the goods and services that are VAT-able,” Edun said.
[TheNation]
The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned one Ibrahim Shuaibu before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna State for fraud.
According to a Monday statement on EFCC X.com handle Shuaibu is facing prosecution on a seven-count charge, including criminal breach of trust, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretence, amounting to N100 million.
Count one of his charges reads, “That you, Nuhu Ibrahim Shuaibu (a.k.a Ishaku Abdulrazak) (M) and lIya Garba (now deceased) sometime in 2017 in Kaduna within the judicial division of this honourable court did conspire between yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit: obtaining money under false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Another reads: “That you, Nuhu Ibrahim Shuaibu (a.k.a Ishaku Abdulrazak)(M) sometime in 2018 at Kaduna within the judicial division of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, obtained the total sum of N47,050,000.00 (Forty-Seven Million and Fifty Thousand Naira) from one Faisal Safiyanu, when you claimed to supply him petroleum products, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges when they were read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel, M. Lawal to urge the court to fix a trial date. His counsel, AbdulKareem Audu failed to file a bail application.
Justice Khobo afterwards ordered the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.
Shuaibu’s path to prosecution began in 2017 when he falsely represented himself as the Group Executive Director of NNPC, offering to help his victim acquire over 2,000 litres of petroleum products.
The victim subsequently transferred the agreed payment to Shuaibu’s bank accounts in instalments.
However, after receiving the funds, Shuaibu neither delivered the products nor refunded the victim’s money.
[Punch]
Ace comedian and entertainment guru Gbenga Adeyinka has stated that President Bola Tinubu has nothing to gain or lose if the country fails to progress under his leadership, adding that the president is still the right person to steer the affairs of the country.
Adeyinka, speaking on a podcast released by TheCable over the weekend, disclosed his membership in the All Progressives Congress, emphasizing that President Tinubu’s previous achievements as Lagos governor qualify him to tackle Nigeria’s economic issues and drive the nation toward success.
He said, “If I’m passionate about you, I’m passionate about you. That’s my problem. And I believe that, and please take this to the bank, if Asiwaju (Tinubu) cannot set Nigeria right, then we’re in trouble. With his capacity, with what he knows, with the fact that he has nothing to gain or lose anymore, if he cannot set Nigeria right, then we’re in trouble. I’m scared for Nigeria,” Adeyinka said.
“Even before the election, people were taking sides. Am I happy with the policies of the government? I suffer too. People should not forget that I’m a Nigerian too. Now, am I happy with the policies of Asiwaju? Some yes, some no.
“The man explained something. He said, we have two options. We go the way we are going. I’ll be attacked for this one, but I’ll say my mind. We go the way we have always gone. We keep borrowing money. We keep using our crude, for instance, I’m told has been used to borrow money. We can change that and have a better tomorrow. Or, we continue this way and everybody is happy, and your children suffer.
Adeyinka, who praised certain policies of the current administration, such as subsidy removal and local government autonomy, also criticized the government for being wasteful.
“Do I believe he should have ended subsidy, although he was not even the one that ended the fuel subsidy thing. I support fuel subsidy removal totally because of the amount of corruption that was in it.
“Do I think they’ve done a good job by tightening their belts when we need to tighten our belts? No. I believe that those cars that were bought for members of the national assembly was an unnecessary oppression of the people, of the people who are suffering. What else have they done? I see a lot of restructuring taking place.
“Local governments are to get their money directly. If you have a vibrant local government, you can build the country from bottom up, which is the way they do it abroad. Will governors allow the money get to the local government? Some governors have said no, nine or so.
“If you get the local government right, it’s like getting a family right. Society will be better. Should people have gone on the streets to protest? There’s a fundamental right of protest. Should they have said the summit should be cancelled? No.
“Those are constitutional issues that should be dealt with constitutionally. I think what should have been done is to ask for a constitutional review. You can’t use illegality to remove someone legally elected.”
Speaking further, Adeyinka urged the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, and others, such as Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress and Kingsley Moghalu to vie for National Assembly seats to help rewrite the country’s laws.
“There are some people who are professional politicians. That is their job. You now wake up and say you want to come and… they will not even give you ticket. With our current structure, it takes the grace of men for you to become president,” he said.
“That’s why when I see them Sowore, saying they want to be president, Fela Durotoye wants to be president, Peter Obi wants to be president, and there’s one very intelligent guy, Moghalu wants to be president… I think we need to get these young people into the house of reps, into the senate, to rewrite our laws.
“If Peter Obi becomes president of Nigeria with the same structure we have in place, there’s nothing he’s going to do.”
[Vanguard]
Sharon Ooja, the Nigerian actress, has revealed how she met Ugo Nwoke, her husband.
The film star tied the knot with Ugo in June.
Ooja shared her marriage testimony during a recent service at the Harvesters International Church, headed by Bolaji Idowu.
The movie star said despite her beauty and financial stability, she prayed tirelessly for a life partner until a transformative encounter with the Holy Spirit in the desert.
She said she was filming in the desert when the “Holy Spirit asked me to let go of my burdens” and to focus on personal growth.
The actress said “God gave me the best husband in the world” while encouraging other church members to trust God for their heart’s desires.
“Before I got married, I was one of those girls who felt I was playing God in my own life. I would think I knew it all. People think that because you are a beautiful girl you should get everything. Several times I would have conversations with God and say you have given me work, you have given me financial stability, and there is just one thing I am looking for,” she said.
“I had a conversation with pastor B about six years ago. He asked what I wanted in a man and I said someone that would take care of me. And he said I was looking for money, bank and that is not wanted for me. I needed to work on myself. I kept on building and growing.
“Fast forward, I was filming in the desert last year and I had a heavy encounter with the Holy Spirit. We were not with our phones because anytime we went into the desert there was no network. So, I was detached from people. And I remember the Holy Spirit telling me to leave my burdens here on a land where it will never grow. It is not a fertile ground. I prayed and I told God that I was ready.
“I thought I was wise but God stripped me. He gave me the best husband in the world. I am testifying this because when you are in line with the Holy Spirit, it is between you and Him.
Ooja previously revealed that Ugo proposed to her after two months of meeting each other.
She said her sister introduced them shortly after she had gone through a severe heartbreak.
The actress stated that she was initially hesitant but Ugo persistently tried to reach out to her.
[TheCable]