South African Pastors Welcome T.B Joshua's Donation

According to a South African new source, Nigerian preacher TB Joshua's pledge to donate R50 000 to the families of the victims of his church's collapse is welcomed, the Mahikeng Ministers Fellowship (MMF) said on Saturday.

 

“Mahikeng Ministers Fellowship has welcomed the donation of over R4-million announced by the Synagogue Church of All Nations to assist families of victims of the church building collapse in Nigeria meet funeral expenses...,” chairman of MMF Zandisile Mpame said in a statement.

“The announcement of aid to the families that lost their loved ones during the tragic incident does not come as a surprise to those of us in the church who are familiar with Prophet TB Joshua's global humanitarian and philanthropic activities which have contributed over US200 million over the years towards various causes to alleviate the plight of those in need.”

On Friday Joshua's church released a statement saying a R50 000 donation would be paid towards funeral expenses of each family of the victims of the church building collapse.

The church's spokesman Kirsten Nematandani said they had done a full audit of each family's financial needs and assisted with various household expenses as many of the deceased were breadwinners. He said household expenses varied from rent money to school fees and groceries.

It is believed 85 people from South Africa were among those killed when a multi-storey guesthouse attached to the church, run by Joshua, collapsed in Lagos on September 12.

On Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe announced that DNA samples of the 116 victims had arrived at a laboratory in South Africa for analysis.

The DNA process was in the hands of the Nigerian authorities, who had appointed a laboratory in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, to do the analysis.

Nematandani said the church had travelled to all provinces in the past few weeks to visit, counsel and assess families' financial needs and assist where possible.

What is your view on this?

 

Liberia's Gay Population Is Being Blamed For Ebola, And Punished With Violence

Anti-gay discrimination has reared its ugly head again, this time in Liberia, one of four countries currently stricken with Ebola. Why this time, you ask? Well, for causing Ebola, obviously.

Local Christian leaders have said that Ebola is God’s punishment for homosexuality, and since then, members of the community have been harassed, physically attacked, and even had their cars destroyed.

Reuters reported that Liberian LGBT campaigner Leroy Ponpon said he stays at home, fearful of both catching the deadly virus and being attacked for his sexual orientation:

Since church ministers declared Ebola was a plague sent by God to punish sodomy in Liberia, the violence towards gays has escalated. They’re even asking for the death penalty. 

We’re living in fear. In a July meeting of the Liberian Council of Churches, religious leaders put out a statement that said “God is angry with Liberia,” adding: Ebola is a plague.

Liberians have to pray and seek God’s forgiveness over the corruption and immoral acts (such as homosexualism, etc.) that continue to penetrate our society.

An Amnesty International representative in West Africa, Francois Patuel told Reuters that there were reports of threats and violence against the LGBT community in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, since Christian leaders weighed in on the Ebola outbreak. He said,

 

Amnesty has received pictures of cars that reportedly belong to gays with their windows smashed as well as reports that gays have been forced from their homes and had to go into hiding.

  According to BBC World, Liberia is the country worst hit by the Ebola epidemic — about 50 new cases are reported everyday in Monrovia. With its healthcare system in shambles in large part due to the virus outbreak, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, told Reuters that the country “entered the epidemic with only about 50 doctors for 4 million people” — a imbalance so stark that it actually made me gasp.

Back in 2012, Liberia’s president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, sent shockwaves throughout the international community when she said in an interview that she would not decriminalize homosexuality, citing the preservation of traditional values in their society. President Sirleaf is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Africa has not been kind to the LGBT community. Jay Michaelson at The Daily Beast reported that of the 78 countries that ban homosexuality, “almost all anti-gay laws are a vestige of European colonialism, and date back approximately 150 years.” Funnily enough, anti-gay leaders in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone have denounced gay rights and homosexuality as a “Western” concept that must be opposed to preserve “traditional African values.”

  

Uganda gained notoriety a few years back for a video of one Pastor Martin Ssempa denouncing gay sex as his research showed him that it involved, among other things, eating the “poo poo.” Seriously. The video has garnered over eight million views, and was subject to ridicule and criticism when it came out. Ironically, Pastor Ssempa was recently accused of promoting “gayism” through his lectures and gay porn screenings at churches.
The rise of anti-gay sentiment in Africa is in large part due to the spread of American evangelism. Kapya Kaoma, a priest and human rights activist, wrote in an LA Times Op-Ed of the homophobia exported from the U.S.:

In recent years, millions of dollars have been funneled from anti-LGBTQ evangelical conservatives to Uganda, funding local pastors and training them to adopt and mirror the culture-war language of the U.S. Christian right. 

And of course, trust the Christian right to convey a similar hate-filled, discriminatory narrative on the Ebola outbreak back here in the U.S., too. In August, conservative radio host Rick Wiles said in his talk show that there was a silver lining to the epidemic:

Now this Ebola epidemic can become a global pandemic and that’s another name for plague. It may be the great attitude adjustment that I believe is coming. Ebola could solve America’s problems with atheism, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, pornography and abortion.

Source: 

Do You Think Churches and Other NGOs Should Be Taxed?

For some time now it has been all over the news, that churches and other NGOs should be taxed because of the rate of income these Non-Governmental Organisations make from their activities.

 

 

Some days back, it was on air and some Nigerians called to speak their minds on this issue. Some called to say that Churches, Mosques and other NGOs should be taxed because some of these organisations make hell of money from church offerings and donations, which are neither used to better the lives of members of the organisation nor the members of the society.

Some also called to say these NGOs should not be taxed, except in cases where these NGOs are engaged in extra activities such as running Educational Institutions, Cyber Cafe and other money making activities that that brings in extra income.

 

Others said that these institutions should be left alone and should not be judged by whether their leaders make money or not from their activities, it should be between them and their Creator.

Now as we all can see this case is a sensitive one which can hardly lead to a conclusion.

What is your own take concerning this issue of taxing these NGOs, Should they be taxed or not?

Let us hear the Voxpop!!!

Baby Born With a Qur’an In His Hand, Ibadan Mother Claims

An Islamic preacher in Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr Dawood Amoo, has described the birth of a baby boy holding a pocket-size Qur’an in his hand.

Amoo told journalists that the boy was unique, because mini Qur’an contained all the 114 chapters in the holy book. The baby’s mother went to deliver him at a church because she feared of hospital bills.

 

The woman who took the boy saw the ‘strange’ object and threw it away as something devilish, but soon the baby became restless and continued to clutch and empty fist.


The child’s parents who were not practicing any religion before, now say they will revert to Islam as this was a sign directly from Allah.

The baby, who was named Ismael, attracted huge crowd when the news filtered around town that he was born with a holy book.

The residence of the baby’s parents has become something like a mecca as Ibadan people go there to have a glimpse of the little boy.

 

Nigerians react in different ways to such ‘wonder’. Some of them believe that wonders shall not end.

 

Really, Wonders shall not end!

source

Pastor Adeboye Defends Oritsejafor Over $9.3 Million Arm Deal

According to The Vanguard Newspaper today, GENERAL Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, yesterday, defended the national president of the Christian Association, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, following the controversy surrounding the seizure of $9.3 million arms purchase funds by South Africa.


Pastor Adeboye who spoke in London during an ecclesiastical visit said, “Pastor Ayodele Joseph Oritsejafor is a man of God I trust and I can personally vouch for him. I believe on the issue of his aircraft being chartered and the purpose it was used for he had no prior knowledge.

I’m sure God will continue to build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail in Jesus name. One anointed cannot attack another anointed. A pastor cannot attack another pastor. Touch not my anointed is what God said. Some Nigerians have questioned the use of Pastor Oritsejafor’s private jet by the Federal Government to convey the money to South Africa, accusing him of involvement in money laundering.”

The Federal Government had to come out in defence of the CAN president, arguing that Oritsejafor who is also the founder of Word of Life Bible Church has no hand in the deal.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan (Public Communication), Dr. Doyin Okupe, told newsmen in Abuja: “Oritsejafor is the President of CAN and head of all Christians in Nigeria who is representing at least, 50 per cent of people in this country. When it comes to a man like that, people should be cautious and circumspect.”

Okupe also advised Nigerians to stop playing politics with every issue of national concern, saying it is not in tandem with patriotism.

What is your view on this issue?

Place Comments below!

 

West, Central African Leaders Step Up Boko Haram Fight With Troops, Command Centre

Leaders of Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Benin on Tuesday announced plans to step up the fight against Boko Haram with an additional battalion and a command centre to tackle the militants whose insurgency has spread beyond Nigeria, a statement said.

Boko Haram’s violent five-year campaign for an Islamic state has killed thousands and is threatening the stability of countries in the West and Central African regions.

 

According to Channels Television, in the past two months, it has progressed from bombings, raids and kidnappings to trying to seize territory in remote areas near the Cameroon border, possibly inspired by similar moves by Sunni Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria.

The militants have also carried out incursions into Niger and Chad, and authorities fear the attacks will continue to spread if left unchecked.

The four heads of states and a representative of Cameroon’s president said after meeting in Niger’s capital Niamey that a command centre for an already agreed-upon multinational force, led by a chief of staff will be in place by Nov. 20
.
“The heads of state regrets the persistence of Boko Haram Islamic sect’s atrocious acts of terror on people and security forces in Nigeria and other neighbouring countries,” the statement said.

The leaders agreed to finalise the deployment of troops promised by member states to form the multinational force within their national borders by Nov. 1.

Benin, Nigeria’s western neighbour, whose border stretches from the Atlantic to the Sahel north, was also asked to deploy a military battalion to its border with Nigeria.

The Niamey meeting is a follow-up to a May summit in Paris where the leaders promised to improve cooperation in the fight against Boko Haram after the group kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls and threatened to destabilise the wider region.

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Muslim Groups in Britain Denounce Beheading of Aid Worker Alan Henning

Muslim groups across Britain have united to condemn the beheading of aid worker Alan Henning by Islamic State (IS) insurgents, with one leading cleric calling it a "despicable and offensive act".

 

Prayers for the 47-year-old taxi driver from Salford in northern England were said in mosques throughout the country at the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival.

Mr Henning had been held captive in Syria for nine months before a video was posted on YouTube showing him kneeling before a masked knifeman against a desert setting.

Britain's prime minister David Cameron said Mr Henning was a gentle, compassionate man who had simply tried to help others.

In a message broadcasted after meeting the heads of Britain's armed forces and intelligence agencies, Mr Cameron emphasised that Britain would do all it could to destroy Mr Henning's killers.

"We will use all the assets we have ... to defeat this organisation which is utterly ruthless, senseless and barbaric in the way it treats people," he said.

The video is almost identical to those released after three previous murders, including those of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

In the video, Mr Henning's masked killer spoke briefly with the same southern British accent as that of the killer of previous hostages widely dubbed Jihadi John.

Mr Henning was the fourth hostage to have been beheaded by IS, which has faced air strikes by US, British, French and Arab fighter jets since seizing swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Six Australian F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets are on standby in the United Arab Emirates ready to carry out air strikes that are expected within days.

The case had prompted a wave of appeals from British Muslim leaders and several expressed their shock at the murder.

Muslim Council of Britain secretary-general Shuja Shafi described it as a "despicable and offensive act".
"He helped Muslims," Dr Shafi tweeted.

"My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

A group calling itself Muslims of the North of England called Mr Henning a "national hero", while 
Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation that aims to help young Muslims, said: "This barbaric killing is an attack against all decent people around the world."

 What is your take about this?

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Ponmile Adebayo Launches Her Debut Album Today

Up and coming gospel musician, Ponmile Funso Adebayo believes that in the nearest future, her music will impact on the lives of people positively. Ponmile, a make-up artiste, says her music talks about the love and faithfulness of God upon her life. She says she is set to launch her debut album, entitled: Wonders, at Samak Halls & Events Plot 12, Ikosi Road, opposite Daystar Christian Centre, Oregun Ikeja Lagos.
In a chat with The Entertainer, Ponmile speaks on her views about gospel music in Nigeria, how she combines her music with her make-up business among others.

 

Biography 

My name is Ponmile Funso Adebayo and I am the leader of gospel group called, The 12 Wonders Band, a gospel music band. As a child, I have always been in the choir with Celestial Church of Christ, Odo Ona Apata. I composed my first song when I was five years. When I was seven years, I performed my song at an in-house party on  Christmas day. I later joined Faith Agbala Itura branch and later became a soloist and a backup singer  for about three years.

I am a graduate of Fine and Applied Arts from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State and when I was still in school, I was a member of a band as the lead vocalist. Presently, I am the Choir Director for the Yoruba Church at Daystar Christian Centre, Ikeja, Lagos State.

How would you describe your music?

I will describe my kind of music as Naija Hip-hop fused with gospel songs. Although, we also sing various genre of music such as AfroJuju, Reggae etc.

Gospel music in Nigeria

Well, gospel music in Nigeria needs to still improve because we need to look at it how we can profit from the gift of God in terms of soul winning. I believe as a servant of God, you are sent to a particular people and as gospel artistes, you need to know whom you are sent to minister to through your songs. Gospel musicians need to do good music so that they don’t just become local artistes alone but artistes of international reputation.

My debut album

It is a nine-track album with three bonus tracks entitled Wonder. Wonder is all about praising God who answers by fire. I composed it years ago when I had a challenge and I prayed to God and He answered my prayers. The way and manner that He did it was a wonder to me and that is why, I titled my album, Wonder.

Other tracks in the album include Nigeria and it is a song everyone should have on their phones and listen to. This year has been challenging in the country such as the insecurity and the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) but in all we still give thanks to God for seeing us through these challenges. Another track is Spiritual Something, because it is a song about the spirit of David. If you are familiar with the story of David, he did so many things but God still called him a man after his own heart because he knew how to get God in a place of unrepentant worship and praise. Dancing your heart out, dancing is a spiritual something .so worship of God in the place of dance is a big thing. We also have ‘your praise’ which is a song that reminisces on the love of God. His arms are always wide to open wide to accept you as long as you are ready to come to him.

What are the messages in your song? 

Basically it’s the love and faithfulness of God for me as a person, for Nigeria as a country and for anyone who buys the album.

Who are your target audience?

The Youths.

Don’t you think you are deviating from the normal music style of gospel music?

No. Your message is what makes your music gospel and gospel is good news. I don’t sing secular music and I wont.

How do you combine being a Gospel artiste and make-up artist?

I see my self as a businesswoman. By God’s grace, I also work with the Deputy Governor of Lagos in the area of empowering women and youths in Lagos. As Christians, our calling involves impacting on the lives of people.

After your album launch what’s the next thing?

Well I have not discussed with the band but I hope to have concerts and tours in United Kingdom next year with the remaining five songs we have kept aside.

How do you intend to break free with all other gospel artiste around?

I am not in competition with anybody. I believe when God gives you a vision, He also gives you the provision, location and the right people to help you do what you can do best.

In the next five years where do you intend to see yourself?

I see myself as an International Gospel Artiste winning souls for Christ and impacting the lives of Nigerian youths both here and in the Diaspora. I would want the youths to say, I bless God for the life of this lady for what she has helped me through her music. So in the next five years, I want to see myself as an international and national figure in the Nigerian music industry.

VConnect Deals For 2014 Sallah Celebration

I was listening to Radio Nigeria News yesterday were the Journalist asked him how, he was going to celebrate Sallah? His answer was that "there is no hope on celebrating sallah because the situation on Nigeria is too hard to even think of celebration when a man has family members to take care of".

He said, "anyway I am going to try my best to do what I can to kip my family members happy by making sure we celebrate it"

The Journalist also interviewed many Muslim folks who confessed that they had nothing to celebrate with.

But as I was going through my mail box today i discovered an amazing deal from VConnect Nigeria on how you could celebrate your Sallah without robbing the bank or going to steal from a neighbour

   

 

 

Now you could by a RAM @ #5,000 through VConnect Deals. log on to VConnect Today and search for great sallah deals and enjoy this Sallah celebration to the fullest.

Please Share this post to help our Muslim folks celebrate.

Thank you for sharing!

 

    

Lake Mysteriously Appears in Drought-torn Tunisia

Hundreds enjoy Gafsa Beach, a mysteriously lake that appeared out of nowhere in Tunisia. Photo is from the Lac de Gafsa Facebook page

Local shepherds in the drought-stricken region of Gafsa in the African country of Tunisia recently stumbled upon an incredible and mysterious sight: a beautiful lake, which emerged out of nowhere.
Some locals are calling it a miracle. Others are calling it a curse.

Hundreds of people are flocking to the new lake dubbed Gafsa Beach (a.k.a. Lac de Gafsa) to go swimming, diving, and scuba diving, or to simply find relief from the heat, this despite warnings by local authorities who claim the lake could be radioactive.

A swimmer at Gafsa Beach in Tunisia jumps into water. Photo is from Lac de Gafsa Facebook page

Public Safety director Hatef Ouigi told France 24 that the warning was a cautionary measure until experts can verify the water is not contaminated.

The lake, which covers 2 1/2 acres and is 32 to 59 feet deep, was discovered three weeks ago and already has its own Facebook page showing people enjoying the water, but officials are at a loss to explain its origins.

A swimmer dives into water at Gafsa Beach in Tunisia. Photo is from the Lac de Gafsa Facebook page

Lakhdar Souid, a journalist in the region, told France 24 that he contacted a geologist from Gafsa’s college of science in an attempt to find an answer.

One of the theories presented to him was that seismic activity upset the water table, causing groundwater to rise to the surface, Souid said.

“For the time being, the origins of this lake remain a mystery, but our biggest concern right now is the quality of the water,” Souid told France 24. “This region is overflowing with large deposits of phosphate, which can leave behind radioactive residue [phosphate mining is the region’s main industry].
“So, there is a real risk that this water is contaminated and carcinogenic. On the first few days, the water was a clear, turquoise blue. Now, it is greenish and filled with algae, sure signs that the water is stagnant, which means it’s a perfect breeding ground for parasites and disease.”

Unfortunately, the warnings weren’t enough to keep people away.

“The site is certainly stunning and there are many large rocks perfect for diving,” Souid told France 24. “So to truly dissuade people from coming, we’ll need something more convincing than a little warning.”

Let’s just hope Gafsa Beach turns out to be a blessing and not a curse. Only time will tell.

Faces and Names of Chibok Girls Now Released

The faces and names of more than 200 kidnapped Nigerian eight weeks ago have finally been made public, putting faces and names to an international shame. The plight of these schoolgirls point to the massive injustice young women and girls face in seeking an education in developing nations.

                                       There is increased global awareness on crimes committed against young women and girls in developing nations.

Abducted from their school dormitories almost two months ago, each of these students had a future they had planned, coupled with a family anxiously awaiting their release.

"I was shown these pictures after visiting Nigeria this week. I met the leader of the community council in Chibok, the town from which the girls were abducted," Gordon Brown, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education says.

Gospel Singer Kefee, Kokoroko Mistress is Dead

Gospel Singer Kefee is dead .....

As I was watching the TV today, I saw where Gospel Singer, Sammie Okposo was being interviewed on Lagos Television.

He talked about how the great Gospel Singer died in the Presence of her husband and how well she lived her life , during her days on earth

Well I do not have much to say, but to say Rest In Peace. And I pray your work on earth for God will not be in vain.

If you are a fan of Kefee, wish her well.