Lagos discharges 42 COVID-19 patients



The Lagos ministry of health has announced the discharge of 42 COVID-19 patients from the state’s isolation facilities.

The ministry made the announcement on its Twitter handle on Friday.

The patients, 20 females and 22 males, were discharged from isolation facilities at Onikan, Eti-Osa and Lekki.

The number of recoveries in the state has now increased from 406 to 448.

“42 more #COVID19Lagos patients; 20 females & 22 males; all Nigerians have been discharged from our Isolation facilities at Onikan, Eti-Osa (LandMark) & Lekki to reunite with the society,” it read.

“The patients; 2 from Onikan, 32 from Eti-Osa (LandMark) & 8 from Lekki Isolation Centres have fully recovered & tested negative twice consecutively to #COVID19. With this, the number of patients successfully managed & discharged in Lagos has risen to 448.”


LSMOH
✔
@LSMOH
#COVID19Lagos Update
Breaking!
*️⃣42 more #COVID19Lagos patients; 20 females & 22 males; all Nigerians have been discharged from our Isolation facilities at Onikan, Eti-Osa (LandMark) & Lekki to reunite with the society.@jidesanwoolu@followlasg@Fmohnigeria@NCDCgov@ARISEtv

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With 1,491 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of May 7, 2020, Lagos currently has the highest figure recorded in the country.

The state is also projecting a possible increase in the number of cases, which is expected to peak at around 120,000 cases.

Akin Abayomi, the Lagos commissioner for health, made this known at a briefing earlier on Friday.

“We definitely have not reached the peak of our outbreak. We suspect that the peak will happen sometime in July or August and so we are preparing for the oncoming; we are increasing our capacity and strategies to deal with this situation,” he said.

see more>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/05/lagos-discharges-42-covid-19-patients.html

Supreme court nullifies Orji Kalu’s conviction, orders retrial



The supreme court has nullified the conviction of Orji Kalu, former governor of Abia state.

Kalu was convicted and jailed 12 years for money laundering by a federal high court in Lagos. His conviction was upheld by the appeal court.

But the apex court nullified his conviction on Friday and ordered a retrial of the accused and his co-defendants.

In the judgment of a panel of seven justices led by Amina Augie, the court held that the conviction of Kalu was void as the trial judge, Mohammed Liman, lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.

It said Liman, who heard the case, was elevated to the appeal court at the time of the matter and was no longer a judge of the federal high court, and as such lacked the authority to preside over the trial.

In December, 2019, the judge sentenced Kalu to 12 years in prison for money laundering to the tune of N7.1 billion.

The judge also ordered that Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited, be liquidated and its assets forfeited to the federal government.

Kalu stood trial on a 39-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The senator, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Udeh Udeogu, a former director of finance and accounts in Abia were accused of diverting N7.65 billion from the purse of the state government.

He was also accused of illegally taking N460 million from Abia’s treasury.

see more>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/05/supreme-court-nullifies-orji-kalus.html

Yahaya Bello asks NCDC officials to go on 14-day isolation or leave Kogi immediately



Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, on Thursday asked a delegation of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the ministry of health to go on 14-day isolation or leave the state immediately

The federal government had sent a delegation to Kogi to assist the state which has not recorded any COVID-19 case to boost its testing capacity.

Kogi and Cross River are the only states which have not recorded any case of the disease in Nigeria.

Last week, Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the NCDC, had expressed dissatisfaction with the samples collected from the states, saying more tests need to be done.

But the Kogi and Cross River governments had indirectly accused the agency of plotting to infect residents of their states with the disease.

When the team visited him at government house, Lokoja, the state capital, on Thursday night, Bello said the rules laid by the World Health Organisation (WHO) would be strictly followed.

WHO had recommended a 14-day quarantine for travellers after which tests would be conducted.

Noah Andrew, leader of the delegation from Abuja, had presented a letter titled: “Deployment of Rapid Response Squad to help in fighting Covid-19”, to the governor, explaining the mission of the health officials in the state.

He said they were there to provide logistics just like they had done in other states of the federation.

He said two members of the team would be left behind to help the state and support her efforts of the state government already in place.

“We are here to support the state in shipping swabs and samples and ascertian the preparedness of the state in fighting Covid-19,” he said.

Speaking shortly after receiving the letter, Bello outlined steps taken so far by the state to fight the pandemic.

He said that the state is highly experienced in fighting infectious diseases such as Lassa fever and malaria, adding that the experience has been brought to bear in fighting COVID-19.

He consequently asked that the NCDC officials be subjected to testing and isolated in the state quarantine center or should leave the state immediately.

see more>>> https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/05/yahaya-bello-asks-ncdc-officials-to-go.html

Nigeria records 381 fresh COVID-19 cases — 183 in Lagos




The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 381 new COVID-19 cases, with Lagos having nearly half of the entire infections.

The agency made the announcement on Thursday night via its Twitter handle.

A total of 3,526 cases have now been recorded in 34 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The number of fatalities increased from 103 to 107, while recoveries increased from 534 to 601.

NCDC
✔
@NCDCgov
381 new cases of #COVID19;

183-Lagos
55-Kano
44-Jigawa
19-Zamfara
19-Bauchi
11-Katsina
9-Borno
8-Kwara
7-Kaduna
6-Gombe
5-Ogun
4-Sokoto
3-Oyo
3-Rivers
2-Niger
1-Akwa Ibom
1-Enugu
1-Plateau

3526 cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria
Discharged: 601
Deaths: 107

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The increase in the number of cases over the past few weeks has been attributed to the NCDC’s increased testing capacity.

While there have been concerns about the number of samples tested, Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the NCDC, states that the figures released as total number of tests done does not fully reflect the work that goes on in the laboratories.

Speaking on Thursday at the presidential task force on COVID-19 briefing, he said the figures released do not reflect repeated tests.

“The data shared is on people tested not on tests done. The data we share when we say we have done about 22,000 tested, those are on people tested. We don’t include all the series of tests,” he said.

“Every individual that is positive will have to be tested every three, four or five days. And some would have stayed in the hospital for about four weeks, so all those are tests being done as well and all of that are on the lab.

“So the numbers are really not fully representing the works being done in the labs across the country. We are not reflecting those numbers in the numbers we share everyday.”

see more>>> https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/05/nigeria-records-381-fresh-covid-19.html

NCDC officials ran away from COVID-19 test in Kogi, says commissioner



The government of Kogi has tackled the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) over the alleged refusal of some of its officials to be tested for COVID-19.

A delegation the federal government sent to the state on Thursday to boost its capacity returned to Abuja after the governor asked those in the delegation to go on isolation and be prepared for test.

In a statement, Kingsley Fanwo, commissioner for information, said the team chose to return to Abuja than to be tested or self-isolated.

Fanwo asked if the agency was hiding anything from the people of Kogi.

He said why the officials refused to be tested was a matter of concern to the government of Kogi, calling on the centre to investigate the issue.

“It was drama today at the Kogi State Government House as officials of the National Center for Disease Control sent to ascertain the COVID-19 status flee the state ” Fanwo said.

“The Officials said they were not ready to be tested for COVID-19 and went back to Abuja. Today, the Governor showed the statesmanship in him once again by appreciating the support of the NCDC and defending the health interests of his people.

“NCDC quarantined the Chinese professionals that came to give them technical support and also took their samples for test. It is a normal practice and protocol set by NCDC.

“So NCDC will have a lot to explain as to why its officials refused to test for COVID-19. How can we be sure of their status? What are their fears? Why did NCDC sent people who are afraid of test to our State? What was their intention? The officials that came have done an integrity blow to the works of the NCDC. Is there something they are hiding? It is time NCDC opened up and apologize to the good people of Kogi State. How will they encourage people to test when its own officials are afraid of test? This is sad.”

see more>>> https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/05/ncdc-officials-ran-away-from-covid-19.html

Not One Case of COVID-19 at the Church of Scientology in L.A.



Church of Scientology in Los Angeles
By adopting strict preventive measures early on, hundreds of Scientologists avoided coronavirus infection.
"While some places of worship are suing the state to allow them to hold services," says the teaser for the article on Los Angeleno's Facebook page, "this local church quickly shifted gears, stopped holding large gatherings in their buildings, used online means to reach their parishioners, and even created a music video to boost the spirits of their members."

Tony Pierce spoke to Bari Berger from the Church's public relations department to find out about their approach to this public health crisis. Here are some of the highlights:

What safety measures have you implemented for the people who work at the church there and the living quarters?

We're adhering to the safer-at-home order and applying, and exceeding, all regulations because the well-being of our staff, parishioners and community is our priority. One of the first steps we took was to identify the most powerful decontaminant and put this into use to disinfect our churches and staff living quarters from top to bottom every day, multiple times per day, including with special fogging equipment to reach all surfaces.


We suspended congregational gatherings in early March, implemented social distancing protocols and took the temperatures of each parishioner with a no-contact thermometer before they entered our church. Staff have their temperatures taken daily and all are wearing masks when outside.

Concurrently, we collected reliable information on effective prevention measures and published this in the form of booklets, which we provided to our staff and parishioners, including How to Keep Yourself & Others Well, How to Protect Yourself with a Mask & Gloves and How to Prevent the Spread of Illness with Isolation. We created an online How to Stay Well Prevention Resource Center to make these tools available to all, in 20 languages.

Each of the booklets can be downloaded on the website, along with signs on prevention protocols. You can also watch a number of videos there, for example, one on how bacteria and viruses are spread—the kind of thing you need to understand in order to grasp the importance of the preventive measures we're all being encouraged to take right now.

From what I understand, you hold classes at your building on Sunset Boulevard and L. Ron Hubbard Way. Have you limited the class sizes or done anything else differently due to the coronavirus?

You're right, our church has numerous course rooms where parishioners study Scientology scriptures. In the "Scientology Network Launch Special," cameras take you inside our Los Angeles church so you can see what those spaces are like—the best way to do so while everyone is at home.

Before safer-at-home orders went into effect, all of our course rooms were adjusted to accommodate social distancing guidelines. This involved physically spacing out chairs and tables and will enable us to be prepared for when we reopen our doors.

As for right now, the primary way Scientologists are currently progressing on their religious services is through extension courses. These courses can be done online and involve studying one of many books written by L. Ron Hubbard and listening to Mr. Hubbard's recorded lectures on the subject of those books, allowing Scientologists today to learn the principles of Scientology from its founder himself—just as Scientologists who originally attended those lectures did—and from the safety of their own homes.

Why was it important to the Church to react so early and swiftly in response to the coronavirus before similar measures were adopted elsewhere?

Because an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure, which is why from the get-go, the goal of our ecclesiastical leader, Mr. David Miscavige, has been a ton of prevention so as not to require an ounce of cure. He has been the driving force behind the Church's response to this crisis.

In terms of fast action, while this pandemic is unlike anything we have ever experienced in our lifetimes, it is, at its core, a public emergency and the Church has a long history in the field of emergency and disaster response.

Our Volunteer Ministers have been in virtually every major disaster worldwide since 9/11, and we are often among the first to arrive. In 2018, for example, Volunteer Ministers were on site within 24 hours of the Woolsey Fire breaking out, with a total of 500 Volunteer Ministers providing disaster relief services across Agoura Hills, Camarillo and Thousand Oaks. So we have never been ones to wait for instructions to do what needs to be done. We act fast and that can make all the difference.

Does the Church have a message that it has sent to its members about the pandemic like "It's going to be OK," "This will make you stronger" or anything like that? Or does the Church not say things like that?

Our Church's message to its members is: An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. Set a good example, employ all possible precautions and take care of your neighbors, families and friends. Even though we are all keeping our distance, we are all in this together.

see more>>> https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/05/not-one-case-of-covid-19-at-church-of.html

France reports 369 more COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours



France reported 369 more coronavirus deaths on Saturday, a drop on previous days, with the number of people in intensive care falling for the 17th day in a row.
While 22,614 people have died from the virus in France since the beginning of March, health officials said the mortality rate in hospitals was the lowest in a month, with 198 deaths in 24 hours.

However, 171 died in retirement and care homes, and officials said they were worried by an increase in critically ill patients suffering from other conditions.

More than 7,500 people are now being treated in the intensive care units across France — which is 50 percent more than the country’s total capacity before the epidemic struck.

Despite some encouraging, the system was still under strain, officials said.

“The rise in the number of patients in intensive care shows the necessity for those with chronic diseases to be looked after as well as taking care of those in emergency situations,” a statement said.

“If the care… (of those with chronic problems) is interrupted for a long time, their illnesses will become more serious.”

Officials urged people with chronic diseases who are sick not to be afraid of contacting their doctors or medical carers.

(AFP)

see more>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/france-reports-369-more-covid-19-deaths.html

UPDATED: Obiano relaxes lockdown, asks churches to resume activities



Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has relaxed the coronavirus lockdown imposed on the state and has asked churches to commence full activities.

The governor stated this in a broadcast to the people of the state on Saturday evening.

Before the broadcast, church activities had been restricted for 14 days as one of the measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

But on Saturday, Obiano asked churches to resume full activities, stating that the worshippers must wear face masks and observe the World Health Organisation’s guidelines during worship.

The governor announced that movements around the state were not restricted, stressing, however, that all boundaries in the state remained closed.

He said, “With regards to religious groups, leaders of the church should ensure that worshippers comply with the standards protocols of COVID-19 which includes wearing of face masks to church, use of hand sanitizers, social distancing and regular washing of hands.

“Church leaders should decide how best to conduct mass and service in strict adherence to the principles of social distancing to ensure that worshippers are not endangered. Please note that there should be no crusades and vigils for the time being.

“All food and drug markets in the state are to open with immediate effect.

“I will meet with market leaders on Monday, 27th April, for further discussion. When to re-open the schools as well as when civil servants will be allowed to go back to offices will be announced soon.”

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Anambra has recorded one case of over 1000 cases of coronavirus in the country.

see more>>> https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/updated-obiano-relaxes-lockdown-asks.html

We’re old, poor and hungry, yet we’ve received no cash from FG –Lagos’ vulnerable persons




Flanked by the National Theatre to the East and a high-rise Lagos Mainland Hotel to the West, Otto-Ilogbo community sits lowly on a swampy, filthy site in the heart of Ebute-Metta. But for a few decent houses on Jones Street overlooking the slum to the outskirts, the neighbourhood reeks of penury–one that defines the daily life of Mrs Florence Njoku, 65, and worsens it amid lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

Njoku and her husband relied on their eldest son, who is into furniture work, for their daily meals. Unfortunately, that source of income has been put on hold since the state was on lockdown about four weeks ago.

Days into the lockdown, the native of Owerri, Imo State, picked used plastic bottles and sold them to get money to prepare food for her husband, their two young children and four grandchildren living with them. It was a hard task. At N50 a dozen, Njokus leaned on the paltry income and little help from friends to battle hunger.

The grey-haired woman has heard of government palliatives, food and a sum of N20,000 the Federal Government is giving out to vulnerable people like her to cushion the effect of lockdown but none has yet to come her way. “I have not received any palliatives from government,” she disclosed.

“I have become sick because of hunger. If not for God and help from some generous people, maybe I would have died by now,” the grandmother bemoaned as she began to share her ongoing excruciating moments.

She said, “I used to sell drinks but I stopped three months ago when thieves broke into my shop. I have three children. Only one of them is working. He is into furniture making, but since the lockdown started, he is unable to get money to take care of us.

“The first two weeks of the lockdown, I went out to pick used plastic bottles and sell them so I could get some money to feed my younger children and grandchildren living with me. I sold a dozen for N50. One day while I was going to Oyingbo to sell five dozen I picked, I fell on the road around Railway. Since then, I stopped picking plastic bottles. It was one of my husband’s friends who came to give us some food last Sunday.”

The Federal Government has been giving N20,000 relief fund to vulnerable persons to cushion the effects of the lockdown after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), imposed lockdown on Lagos, Ogun states, and the Federal Capital Territory. Other state governors have also initiated similar measures to contain the spread of the virus.

According to a report by The ICIR, as of April 9, the North-West region is the highest beneficiary of the Conditional Cash Transfer in the country, with 561,758 households benefitting from an allocation of N500bn.

Others are North-Central, 321,434; North-East, 109,442; South-South, 67,696; South-West, 37,904; and South-East, 27,977.

The report further showed that the highest number of beneficiaries is in Katsina State, Buhari’s hometown, at 133,227.

Other states with the highest number of beneficiaries are Zamfara, 130,764; Jigawa, 99,044; Kano, 84,148; and Plateau, 78,430.


A section of Otto-Ilogbo community
As of 12pm on Tuesday when Njoku spoke with Saturday PUNCH, the family was hoping on providence for breakfast. These days, eating twice a day is a luxury for the family sheltered in a makeshift wooden structure.

“Even when my husband’s friend brought food for us, we ate two meals per day. We ate one late morning and took another meal in the evening. I heard that government promised to give vulnerable people like us N20, 000 each but I have not received anything.

“Apart from our CDA (Community Development Association) chairman who gave us some foodstuffs, we did not get any palliatives from government. As long as the government insists people should not go anywhere and we did not get anything from them, it is like they want to kill us,” she added.

Her husband, John, relived the same sad tale. Pale and worried, the hunger his stout posture concealed was exposed by his forlorn looks.

He said, “I have a small shop at Iddo (a neighbouring community) but I can’t go to shop since the lockdown started. Feeding is a problem. It’s my friend who gave us some staples. We are just managing whatever we get. We have not received any cash from government; not even food.

“If government wants us to stay home for now, they should provide what to eat for us. Government promised to give poor people N20,000 but I did not receive anything.”

The couple’s plight reflects the grim reality thousands of poor people in Lagos with a population of about 22 million have been battling since rising cases of COVID-19 forced the nation’s commercial hub into lockdown.

Their neighbour, Ayoka Ajide, said to be in her 70s, has grown frail as a result of sickness worsened by hunger and inability to get prescribed drugs. She leaned on the shoulder of a youth to come out of her hut that Tuesday noon. Her gloomy voice was evident of someone in dire need of rescue from the grip of poverty.

“I am from Oke-Onigbin in Kwara State. I started living in this place some months ago when I fell sick,” she croaked, taking a long pause to muster some strength.

“My children live in Lagos and they are petty traders. They give me some money which I use to survive. They have been trying their best but since the lockdown started, they could not do their business again. I have been eating whatever comes my way for three weeks now.

“I rely on little food I get from my neighbours; I have not received any food item from the Lagos State Government let alone N20,000 cash from the Federal Government. I am appealing to them to assist me. I am sick and need to get drugs,” she appealed.

Locked in hunger’s grip

Donning thin-framed dark glasses and decked in a blue polo with white stripes, 78-year-old Abiodun Ajimuda emerged from a small wooden kiosk where he sold provisions. His wife sat behind him, folding her arms and covering her chest with a long blue wrapper.

For about 26 years, the couple, who hailed from Igbokoda in Ondo State, had been living in a slum Ifesowapo, Otto/Ilogbo Extension in the Oyingbo area–an old residential neighbourhood in Lagos beautified by colonial architecture.

Since the lockdown started, Ajimuda also said he and his wife had been expecting the N20,000 relief package promised the vulnerable people by the Federal Government but had not received a dime.

He said, “We are aware of the coronavirus lockdown and since it started, we have been observing all the directives from the government, including hand-washing and social distancing.

“We heard about the N20,000 promised the vulnerable aged people like us but we have not collected any money from the Federal Government. My wife and I have just been coping with the meagre foodstuffs that we have. Since the government said we should not go out to work, we’ve been staying indoors but they should also fulfil their own promise. We don’t have any money.”

Ajimuda said he and his wife would have not relied on the Federal Government’s relief money if their six children had been able to work and send them stipends as they usually did.

“Our children send us stipends but they too are complaining that they can’t go out to work due to the lockdown. We have spent all the little money they sent before the lockdown started,” he said.

“We need government’s help and that is why we are obeying all the rules they laid down. I have not eaten any meal today (1pm on Tuesday). We are suffering too much.

“As we are cooperating with the government, they should also help us. If they can give us the N20, 000 they promised us, we will use it to feed during this lockdown,” he added.

It had also not been easy for Lambe Amosa, a widow from Ora, Kwara State, who lives at Oyingbo.

Although she trades in palm kernel nuts, Amosa said she had been unable to sell since the coronavirus lockdown began. Because she is poor and unable to eat even two meals in a day, the widow, who is perhaps in her 70s, pleaded with the Federal Government not to forget aged people like her who had not received the relief fund.

“I have not collected the N20,000 the Federal Government promised us. They should help me with whatever they have. I am hungry and my children too are unable to send me anything,” she said.

Living every day on the off chance

Similarly, Moruf Bello, a widower from Oyo town who is in his 60s, said he had been unable to feed himself and two grandchildren living with him because of the lockdown.

“I have two children who usually send me stipends but since the lockdown started, they couldn’t give me any money because there is no money. My wife who used to take care of me died about two years ago.

“I have been managing the foodstuffs I have at home. I have not collected any N20,000 from the Federal Government but I hope they remember me and other aged people. I don’t eat three meals a day. Sometimes once, sometimes twice,” he said.

For another widow, Abebi Akinpelu, who lives at Ebute Metta, if not for some foodstuffs that her church donated to her when the lockdown started, she said she might have died of hunger.

She also complained that even though she was a poor elderly person, she had not received the N20, 000 money that the Federal Government promised to give people like her.

She said, “I don’t have anybody. My church helps to provide certain foodstuffs for me once in a while. I have not collected the N20,000 from the Federal Government.

“I have not been given a dime. I was only given three small paints of rice and beans each some days ago by some people.”

As of 1 pm on Tuesday when Saturday PUNCH spoke with Akinpelu in her slum dwelling, she said she had just gone to buy noodles on credit to have her first meal for the day.

“I am suffering. My only child is in Côte d’Ivoire and she sends money once in a while but this coronavirus has disrupted everything. I want the government to support me with the N20,000 they said they are giving the poor and the vulnerable. The money will help in some ways,” she said.

Experts fault FG’s palliative sharing method

A lawyer and social commentator, Mr Liborous Oshoma, stated that the Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer was fraught with controversy and shrouded in secrecy.

He said it was laughable that a government lacking a comprehensive list of underprivileged people could claim to have disbursed millions of naira in one week.

The lawyer said, “First and foremost, it is shameful and disgraceful that we don’t even have data for sharing anything to the vulnerable. We don’t have the number of the vulnerable among us. We can’t even say for sure the number of retirees despite the fact that the government does the audit of these retirees year-in-year-out.

“The first time they said they wanted to share money to 2.5m Nigerians; in less than one week, the Federal Government said it had shared money to more than a million people. Some people even raised a poser that the Federal Government that finds it difficult to share voter cards has suddenly become effective in sharing cash.

“It was shrouded in mystery and controversy so much that the National Assembly wants to get involved. ‘’

Oshoma said the government ought to address the controversy surrounding the disbursement by setting up mechanisms conforming with the realities across the country.

He added, “The government said they would give cash to the poor of the poor. That means you can be poor and not be poor. Some people have said the North is the poverty capital of the country. If you have six geopolitical zones, does that mean there are no poor of the poor in other geopolitical zones apart from the North? Can’t you take like 200,000 people from each geo-political zone rather than concentrating it in one place?

“Even in the North, I have many friends who complained that they didn’t receive a dime. That now takes us further to the fact that where was the money shared? It seems they just go to IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps, give money to few people there and then tell the rest of Nigerians that they have shared the money in the North. Why is it difficult for the money to get to Lagos, Ondo, Oyo and the entire South?

“With the data they brought out, what was shared in Katsina State alone was almost at par with what they shared in the entire South. And if you go to Katsina now, you will find it difficult to get 100 persons in Katsina who received that money.”

The lawyer also urged the government to make provisions for those engaged in small and medium scale enterprises, noting that more people would be pushed further down the poverty ladder if it failed to address the effect of the lockdown.

An activist and political commentator, Mr Tunde Esan, said it was leadership failure for government to ask the vulnerable, as well as every other citizen to stay at home without providing any palliatives for them.

He also said the Federal Government was not displaying accountability in the manner it was distributing the relief fund.

Esan said, “We have failed leadership in Nigeria because figures are being thrown out without any facts to back them up. Personally, I have yet to see a beneficiary of the N20,000 palliative. Recently, there was a member of the House of Representatives who complained that there was nobody in his constituency who had received the money. He asked if the money was being given to ghosts. Also, the National Assembly recently faulted the Social Investment Programme for excluding poor Nigerians. This is billions of naira we are talking about.

“I think it’s a high level of irresponsibility to lock people down without feeding them. You are asking them to stay indoors without making provisions for them? Even in the North, who are those being given the money? Let them publish their names. Why is there so much secrecy about this whole thing? Let each state publish the names of those being given the money and the amount spent so far. At least, provide some accountability. I think the government has failed the people.”

In this period, Esan said governance meant leading and providing solutions, amid economic uncertainties such as the future of the price of oil, which the country heavily depends on to make income.

“If coronavirus doesn’t end today with oil price drop and no vaccine discovery, how will the government feed the people? In other places, be it in the Middle East, North America, or Europe, their governments are telling their people not to bother about feeding.

“They are feeding them. But we are not ready in Nigeria. We have failed leadership. You’re asking the people to stay at home without feeding them. In other countries, people want to get out of home because of boredom, not because of what they want to eat,” the activist said.

A professor of sociology at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Stephen Omorogbe, said it was a fallacy that some people in a region were poorer than some others in another region.

“We don’t have any statistics to determine that. As a matter of fact, some people who think they are rich are poor if we go by the indices of poverty. There are poor people everywhere,” he said.

Omorogbe said a good way to alleviate the suffering of poor people was to distribute the palliatives across the country to those who really deserved them.

He said, “Also, the government should reexamine the method of the palliatives distribution, and this is where they should bring experts in. The government may have good intentions, but do the people implementing the intentions have the expertise?

“It is not about how much is available for distribution but how well planned the process of distribution is. If you want to give money to the people, why don’t you transfer it to their accounts, rather than making them queue?”

The don pointed out that lack of data could hamper the effective distribution of the palliatives.

“In the United States and other countries, they have data of everybody, including the aged. Hence, it is not difficult to reach everyone. Here in Nigeria, we need to do more so that when interventions of this kind come again, we can have a blueprint that we can use so that the people who really need the interventions can be reached,” he added.

Another sociology lecturer at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr Omobowale Ayokunle, said the government’s definition of poor Nigerians appeared to be premised on the World Bank definition of people living under $1 per day.

The scholar urged the Federal Government to reconstruct the social intervention list of the poor to include those living on the fringes of poverty.

He said, “The first thing we have to address is the social intervention list of the poor which is based on the World Bank definition of poverty of people living under $1 per day. You find people living at that level more in the North but it does not mean the South does not have people who are poor.

“They (Southerners) may not be living under $1 per day but they are on the fringes. They may be working as porters and conductors earning N400-N1,000 per day. But with the lockdown, they cannot work again and they are poorer now. So, what is supposed to be done is to have another list that will accommodate those people.

“I think Southern governors should engage the Federal Government on the need to reconstruct the welfare list of the poor in Nigeria. We need an urgent poverty reduction agenda that will capture those who are on the fringes. By the definition of World Bank, they may not be poor but in actual fact, they are poor.”

We’re working on expanding social register – FG

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Rhoda Iliya, said the N20,000 relief fund was being paid to people who were already on the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, an initiative of the Federal Government which started since 2016.

She explained that there were 2.6 million beneficiaries in the social register and they were usually paid N5,000 each per month.

“But because of the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, the President directed that instead of giving them N5,000 each per month, they should be paid N20,000 at once for four months. So it is for people who are already in the social register,” she said.

However, Iliya said the President had directed the ministry to expand the social register to accommodate one million more vulnerable persons, thereby increasing the number of beneficiaries to 3.6 million.

“It’s a new directive and it’s being worked on right now. The persons will be selected from the 36 states based on the modalities that are on the ground.

“There is an agency called the National Social Investment Programme, which is under our ministry handling this new directive. It is working right now to add one million more vulnerable persons to the social register,” she said.

see more>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/were-old-poor-and-hungry-yet-weve.html

COVID-19: Abuja, Lagos hotels close doors to Nigerians returning from abroad


Amid preparations for the evacuation of Nigerians abroad due to the raging coronavirus disease across the world, hotels in Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory have refused to make their rooms available for the isolation of the returnees when they eventually arrive in the country.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Friday that finding hotels to quarantine the returnees had been a serious challenge because the hotels believed using their facilities to isolate the returnees could damage their brand.

Over 2,000 Nigerians in the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, China and other countries had registered with the Nigerian missions in their country of residence for their evacuation after agreeing to subject themselves to mandatory coronavirus testing and 14-day quarantine on arrival in Abuja or Lagos. Most of the countries where the returnees are coming from have far more cases than Nigeria.

As of the time of filing this report, the coronavirus had spread to 26 states and the FCT, with 1,095 cases recorded across the country by the NCDC. While 208 patients had been discharged, 32 had died.

The new cases were 80 in Lagos, 21 in Gombe, five in FCT, two each in Zamfara and Edo, and one each in Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna and Sokoto states.

Some countries had equally evacuated their citizens from Nigeria amid the raging virus.

Onyeama had said on Monday that the evacuation would commence next week, noting that two airlines had agreed to bring back the citizens at affordable rates. He noted that the returnees would be brought back in batches of 200 but that their accommodation was the next challenge.

But, while giving an update in Abuja on Friday, the minister said the government was facing the challenge of securing hotels where the returnees could be quarantined.

He explained that he sought the assistance of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, but that the governor could not get hotels in the state to release their premises as isolation centres.

Onyeama said, “The numbers (of Nigerians awaiting evacuation) in the UK alone is about 2,000 and the simple fact of the matter is that we don’t just have the isolation centres, the hospital beds and hotels to accommodate them all.

“We have been looking for hotels in Abuja and Lagos. I spoke this afternoon (Friday) with the governor of Lagos State and it is a real challenge even for the governor to find hotels that are willing to take these people in for 14 days.

“A lot of hotels clearly feel it would damage their brand or it would have some effects on their business. That has been a real problem for us now.”

The minister said the task force tinkered with the idea of directing the returnees to go on self-isolation, but noted that there was no guarantee that they would stay at home.

Onyeama said, “The other alternative is for people to come back and be isolated in their homes. But when you have such numbers, some members of the task force feel there is a risk; that you cannot guarantee that they would stay at home in quarantine and it would be very difficult to monitor that number of people for two weeks.

“So, this is a real dilemma we are facing and you can imagine, if they start coming back and the numbers of positive cases start increasing, then the government would be blamed that why did you bring so many people back? These are all the issues we are grappling with.”

Commenting on the issues facing Nigerians in China, the minister said the Federal Government was addressing the extension of the quarantine period for some Nigerians, adding that the Chinese government had promised to assist them.

On the number of Nigerians who tested positive for the virus in China, he said, “When I met with the Chinese ambassador and he talked about the plane that came to their country in which there were Nigerian passengers who subsequently tested positive, it was within the range of nine, 12 and 13.”

However, a diplomatic correspondence from the Guangzhou Municipal Government to the Federal Government obtained by our correspondent indicated that 72 Nigerians tested positive for COVID-19 in Guangzhou city.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has announced the discharge of 10 more COVID-19 patients, having tested negative twice for the virus.

The state Ministry of Health made this known via its Twitter handle @LSMOH on Friday.

The ministry said the number of discharged patients from the isolation centres in the state was now 117.

The ministry said, “Ten more COVID-19 Lagos patients; three females and seven males, including three foreign nationals – two Indians and one Filipino – were today (Friday) discharged from our isolation facilities at Yaba and Onikan to reunite with the society.”

Ekiti buries COVID-19 victim, bans inter-state movement of corpses

Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, on Friday said the health worker that died of COVID-19 on Wednesday had been buried in strict compliance with the World Health Organisation recommendations.

Yaya-Kolade said the 29-year-old woman, who went into a coma during labour before being diagnosed of coronavirus, was buried on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti by the government and the woman’s family, adding that “Ekiti State Government will liaise with the family on how to raise the surviving baby.”

The commissioner, who spoke in Ado-Ekiti during a COVID-19 update press briefing, said, “The 45-year-old doctor infected by the dead victim is responding to treatment in our isolation centre.”

There was panic in Bayelsa State on Friday following reports of two suspected index cases of COVID-19.

It was gathered that the two suspected cases reported themselves at the state Specialist Hospital near the Government House, Yenagoa, claiming to have contracted the virus.

The incident was said to have caused pandemonium as workers in the hospital, including doctors and nurses, took to their heels upon hearing the claims of the two persons.

A source, who witnessed the incident, said, “Even the doctors, everybody ran away. You need to see people running away from the hospital. We saw when the governor came out of Government House, angry.”

The two persons were said to have arrived in the state last Saturday as a result of the alleged porosity of the boundary points.

Chairman of the state COVID-19 Task Force Implementation Committee, Dr Inodu Apoku, confirmed the incident but said the two cases did not fall within the protocol of coronavirus testing.

“Still, we took their blood samples and we are sending them to Irrua (Specialist Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State). But actually, they don’t fall within the protocol of reporting,” Apoku said.

Although the state has yet to record any confirmed case of COVID-19, the incident was said to have prompted Governor Douye Diri to storm the boundary points with neighbouring Delta and Rivers states to enforce the inter-state lockdown directive.

The acting Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah, who confirmed this in a statement on Friday, said Diri first visited Adagbabiri, the boundary community to Patani in Delta State.

Ogun State Governor, Mr Dapo Abiodun, said on Friday that the state had recorded its first COVID-19 death.

The governor, in a statement on Friday, said the state had recorded 29 cases, out of which six had been discharged while 22 were in the isolation centres in the state.

He, however, did not give details of the death.

The statement reads, “Out of the 29 cases, six of them have been discharged to rejoin their families and restart normal life; one is dead and there are 22 active cases who are currently receiving efficient treatment from our medical officers.

“For us in Ogun State, we thank God that our efforts towards fighting the COVID-19 pandemic to a standstill are achieving desired results but we cannot also drop our guard.

“In the last one week, the number of confirmed cases in our dear Ogun State has risen to more than double. As of Thursday, April 23, there are 29 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ogun State as against 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Friday, April 17.”

He said the increase in the number of cases was due to the increase in the pace of testing, adding that it was better to detect and treat people already infected than leave them undetected, which would lead to community transmission.

He added, “Let me also state that the majority of these new cases are detected on immigrants coming into our country through land borders. The lesson thereof is that the peculiarity of our dear state as the next-door neighbour to Lagos State, the epicentre of the disease, and a gateway from Lagos to the other parts of the country, and being a window to the West African sub-region, puts us at a vulnerable position.”

US coronavirus deaths tops 50,000

The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic surpassed 50,000 in the United States on Friday as President Trump signed a bill to release fresh relief funds for small businesses and some states began reopening parts of their economies.

Confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide Friday exceeded 2.76 million, with more than 194,000 dead, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The Wall Street Journal reported that the US accounted for nearly a third of the cases, exceeding 883,000 and more than a quarter of the deaths, at 50,114.

see more>>> https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/covid-19-abuja-lagos-hotels-close-doors.html

With 9,000 COVID-19 tests, Nigeria’s capacity below that of 20 African countries



Although Nigeria’s COVID-19 testing capacity has improved, it is not good enough when compared to other countries in Africa and across the world.

With 8,934 tests conducted at the end of Tuesday, Africa’s most populous nation has tested only 0.004 percent of its citizens for COVID-19, lagging behind at least 20 countries on the continent.

However, an analysis of data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) shows that with daily tests of about 350 in recent days, Nigeria’s testing capacity has improved over the past few weeks.

Nigeria now has 13 molecular laboratories with the capacity to test for COVID-19, seven of which were created in the last one month. Also, a number of states have established more testing centres to increase access.

A study of the COVID-19 testing trend across Africa shows that Nigeria is not among the top 20 countries that have tested the highest percentage of their population.

Djibouti, which tops that chart of Africa’s best performers, has carried out 8,955 tests, which translates to 0.91 percentage of its 974,000 residents.

This means that no African country has tested up to one percent of its population, a far cry compared to what is obtainable globally: Iceland, for instance, has tested 13 percent of its population, while the United Arab Emirates has tested 8.1 percentage of its residents.

Countries on the continent that have tested higher percentage of their population more than Nigeria are:

Mauritius: 0.81 percent
Mayotte: 0.75 percent
Ghana: 0.23 percent
South Africa: 0.21 percent
Botswana: 0.19 percent
Tunisia: 0.15 percent
Guinea-Bissau: 0.078
Equatorial Guinea: 0.063
Eswatini: 0.062 percent
Togo: 0.057 percent
Rwanda: 0.055 percent
Egypt: 0.054 percent
Morocco: 0.051 percent
Uganda: 0.033 percent
Zimbabwe: 0.028 percent
Kenya: 0.027 percent
Gabon: 0.026 percent
Mauritania: 0.021
Namibia, 0.02 percent.
Also, concerning the number of tests carried out so far, at least 10 African countries have carried out more COVID-19 tests than Nigeria, despite recording their index cases long after the country did. Nigeria, which recorded the first case of the coronavirus in Sub-Saharan Africa on February 28, the third African country to record a case of the virus, has carried out less than 10,000 tests so far.

South Africa, with a population of 58.6 million people, has tested 126,937 people, the highest in Africa, according to data from Worldometres, global statistics platform.

Some other countries which have recorded higher tests than Nigeria are Ghana with 68,591 tests; Egypt, 55,000; Morocco, 18,946; Tunisia, 18,165; Kenya, 14, 704.

Others are Uganda with 14,761 tests; Ethiopia, 9,771; Mauritius, 9,755; and Djibouti, 8,955 tests.

WHY MASS TESTING IS IMPORTANT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has continued to advocate for mass testing — which experts say has a number of other benefits — as one of the key measures to curb the spread of the disease.

Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, re-echoed that recommendation in March.

“We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test. Test every suspected case. If they test positive, isolate them and find out who they have been in close contact with up to 2 days before they developed symptoms, and test those people too,” he had said.

A CNN report detailed how mass testing helped some countries which are said to have managed the coronavirus pandemic effectively.

In Taiwan, for instance, authorities carried out widespread testing in addition to tracing the contacts of infected people and putting them all under quarantine.

This piece is based on data available as of April 21, 2020.

see more: https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/with-9000-covid-19-tests-nigerias.html

Adeboye: Nigeria, Africa will recover from COVID-19 before the rest of the world



Enoch Adeboye, general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, says Nigeria will recover from COVID-19 before the rest of the world.

In a broadcast to church members on Sunday, the preacher said the country has begun its journey to normalcy.

“I believe that I have good news for us. I believe that the journey to normalcy has started,” Adeboye said.

“I am believing God that your pastors will soon return to their normal duties probably at most, I will spend one more Sunday with you after which the pastors will be back to their duties in Jesus name.

“The return journey to normalcy might not be very rapid or sudden. It might be gradual but it will be steady. I sincerely hope that when the battle is over, we will give all the glory to God.”



He encouraged members to continue to maintain basis hygiene and avoid non-essential travel.

“After the lockdown has been lifted, any journey abroad that is not essential, please suspend it.

“God is going to grant Nigeria and Africa healing before the rest of the world so stop jumping up and down. If the journey is not essential, don’t go.”

Advising members to pray against fire outbreaks, he said: “We have seen some but the really big one is on the way and we don’t want it to happen at all.

“Please against fire outbreaks and floods.”

He also urged members to clear their gutters and drainages before the rains begin.

As of Saturday, April 18, Nigeria had 356 active cases; having recorded 541 confirmed cases with 166 patients discharged and 19 deaths.

see more>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/adeboye-nigeria-africa-will-recover.html

COVID-19: Governors ban inter-state travel for two weeks



Governors have agreed to ban movement between states for two weeks as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

They took the decision at the sixth teleconference meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) which held on Wednesday.

Kayode Fayemi, NGF chairman and governor of Ekiti state, said the action became necessary because of the increasing evidence of community transmission of coronavirus.

“Following an update from the NGF Secretariat on the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, members expressed serious concern over the rising spread of the virus among health workers,” read a communique issued at the end of the meeting,” the communique issued at the end of the meeting read.

“The governors resolved to work with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to ensure that health workers are adequately provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) and are constantly trained on the use of protective gears.

“In order to strengthen coordinated implementation of necessary public health recommendations across states, Governors resolved to set up COVID-19 Committees at the regional level, headed by their State Commissioners of Health.

“Regional Committees will continue to interface with the State Task Force Committees on COVID-19 already established in each state.

“The Forum also received briefing from the Governors of Lagos, Bauchi, Oyo and Ogun states who shared their experiences and lessons from the fight against COVID-19.

“Governors unanimously agreed to the implementation of an inter-state lockdown in the country over the next two weeks to mitigate spread of the virus from State to State. Only essential services will be permitted.”

Fayemi briefed the forum on the coordination efforts with the federal government, multilateral and bilateral partners, and the private sector through the Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID).

The forum held a minute’s silence in honour of all Nigerians who had lost their lives to COVID-19 complications, especially health personnel, who were frontline workers.

The governors also conveyed their condolences to President Muhammadu Buhari and the people of Borno on the death of Abba Kyari, former chief of staff to the president, who passed away on April 17 and congratulated Nasir el-Rufai, their Kaduna counterpart, who recovered from the disease.

see more>>> https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/covid-19-governors-ban-inter-state.html

‘Nine laboratories in ALL LGAs’ — what N500bn COVID-19 intervention fund can do for Nigeria



Just like many other countries, Nigeria is currently in an unpleasant situation with the rise in cases of Coronavirus pandemic. The virus, spread across the world, has infected over two million people and more than 180,000 have died. Across many nations, authorities have ordered many individuals to stay at home to curb the widespread of the deadly virus.

As of April 21, 2020, Nigeria had recorded confirmed 665 cases, of which 188 have been discharged and 22 deaths recorded. Experts have repeatedly warned of a possible spike in cases in the country amidst difficulty to enforce lockdown in many states.

COVID-19 is a respecter of no one regardless of age, position or gender as many nations’ leaders also have their share. In fact, last weekend, Nigeria lost Abba Kyari, chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, to the deadly virus. While experts are still in search of a vaccine, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the only vaccine at the moment is to “stay at home”.

In April, the federal government had targetted 500 billion special funds for the fight against coronavirus. Meanwhile, DATAPHYTE analysis shows that if properly managed, the funds have the potential of boosting Nigeria’s health sectors across all local government areas in the country.

The funds could provide each of the 774 local governments in Nigeria nine ventilators, construction and equipment of nine laboratory centres, employment of 18 health workers and at least one laboratory scientist, DATAPHYTE analysis shows.

Provided the N500 billion intervention fund gets legislative approval, it would require strategic management to respond to the immediate crisis with COVID-19. Meanwhile, it is of utmost importance that necessary quarters charged with the responsibility to contain the virus use the funds judiciously to respond to key challenges in the health sector.

If shared equally across all Local Government Areas (LGAs), each will get about N640 million which can help in providing a complementary healthcare system to successfully contain the spread of the virus in the country.

Using cost estimation sourced from the budget document of the federal government and reliable web platforms, DATAPHYTE computes what N640 million could do for each of the LGAs.

The shortage of ventilators in the country has been a source of concern for many Nigerians including lawmakers and public health experts. Currently, there is a global scramble for ventilators following the outbreak of the coronavirus. Countries like the United States and China have ramped up the manufacture and supply of ventilators to deal with the growing cases of the disease in their countries.

Though the exact number of ventilators in Nigeria is unknown, the number of functional ones in the country is estimated to be under 500. Experts have said Nigeria needs 10,000 Ventilators and based on the estimated number, the country has a deficit of 9,831 ventilators. With the N500 billion, the country can afford 6,966 ventilators at N10 million each. If properly shared, each of the LGAs will get 9 ventilators at the total cost of N69.6 Billion and the country will still have N430 billion balance.

6,966 Testing Centres and Laboratory Equipment

One of the most criticised aspects of Coronavirus menace in Nigeria is testing centres. The country has so far tested less than 10, 000 residents in comparison to countries like South Africa and Ghana with less population. Our inability to do this cannot be disconnected from lack of enough testing facilities as the country has thirteen (13) laboratory centres across states which is not enough to fight the pandemic.

According to Olarinde Joshua, an architect, it would cost N9 million to construct a mini laboratory. A laboratory will require health equipment like testing kits including microscope electrophoresis machine, micro Hematocrit Centrifuge, incubator, weighing scale, reagents, etc, DATAPHYTE’s Price review and checks showed that these laboratory equipment will cost about N11.3 million, this means the government will construct and equip a mini laboratory for N20.3 million.

From N430 billion remaining, each local government can have nine laboratory centres with equipment, worth N182.7 million and the required biosafety materials such as biosafety cabinets and personal protective equipment needed to keep frontline healthcare workers safe in all states in Nigeria and help increase testing capacity in the country.

With N20.3 million for construction and equipping of a laboratory, it will cost N141.4 billion to have the same in 774 LGAs. By simple arithmetic, added to the 69.9 billion for ventilators, the sum will be 211.3 billion. The balance from N500 billion is N288.7 billion.

A total of 6,966 fully equipped primary health centres

With the inadequate health care centres in Nigeria and going by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Nigeria needs more than enough well equipped primary health centres across local government areas for easy accessibility of people in the community.

These health care centres are crucial during and post COVID-19. They serve as the first point of call for ailing residents. According to Architect Olarinde Joshua, it would cost N15 million to build a standard Primary Health Centre.

DATAPHYTE’s research showed that a Primary Health Centre would require basic health equipment like Emergency equipment and supplies (airways, aspirators, oxygen, mask, resuscitation bag/mask, etc.) Electrocardiography (ECG) unit and accessories, Personal Protective Equipment (gloves, facemasks), Stethoscopes, Microscope, sonogram machine, labour bed, Scaling machine, ambulance, Washing basin, running water, toilet, light and etc. According to Olatunji Omololu who works at Grover Medical’s Lifestyle Clinic Victoria Island, Lagos, and our price survey of these equipment shows that equipping a primary healthcare centre is estimated to cost N17.3 million.

Therefore, with N15 million for construction and another N17.3 million to equip, It makes a total of N32.3 million for a well equipped primary health centre in Nigeria. A careful analysis shows that the country can afford 6,966 primary health centres across LGAs with each having nine Primary Healthcare Centres at the estimate of N225 billion in total, remaining N63.7 billion.

N63.7 billion to hire 13,932 health officials

While many people can afford to stay home, this is not the same with health workers in different isolation centres in different states with confirmed cases. From the remaining N63.7 billion, the government can afford to employ 13,932 health officials and pay them an annual salary of N3,000,000.

With this, each local government will have at least 18 health officials to operate in the new primary health care centres to be built at the cost of 54 million, 2 health officials per primary health centre.

The cost of employing additional 13,932 health officials across LGAs with an annual salary of N3 million is estimated to cost N41.7 billion.

N16.7 billion for 6,966 laboratory scientists

see more>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/nine-laboratories-in-all-lgas-what.html

Kaduna discharges fifth COVID-19 patient



The Kaduna ministry of health says one COVID-19 patient has recovered and has been discharged in the state.
Amina Mohammed-Baloni, commissioner for health in the state, said the number of patients who have now been discharged is five.
Mohammed-Baloni said three new cases of the disease have also been confirmed in the state, bringing the total number of active cases to four.
The commissioner said among the confirmed cases is a 23-year-old male “who came into the state from Istanbul via Dubai sometime in March”.
“The second patient is a 51-year- old male who was tested in Samaru, Sabon-Gari local government area, after coming in from Kano,” she said.
She added that the third patient, a 42-year old male from Unguwan Geza, Kaduna, had travelled to Kano too.
“These new cases reflect the danger that interstate travels pose to efforts to contain COVID-19,” she said.
“Such travels spread the virus from place to place, complicate contact tracing and risk implanting the virus in communities.”
She said the decision to lock down the state is based on the logic that during a pandemic “the less contact there is with others, the safer everyone is”.
She warned residents to avoid interstate travels and to promptly report to the authorities any person who has recently travelled from an affected state and develops symptoms of cough, fever or sore throat.
The commissioner reiterated the importance of hand-washing, personal hygiene, social distancing and the avoidance of large gatherings in helping to protect against the disease.
She said: “Such reports can be made to the COVID -19 call centre in the state, on the following numbers: 08051217710, 09058008251, 08118588175, 08118588176 and 09032102632.”
“It is important to stay home, stay safe and save lives.”

see more>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/kaduna-discharges-fifth-covid-19-patient.html

COVID-19: Open letter to Adeboye, Kumuyi, Oyedepo, Olukoya, Hezekiah



I am writing this letter to you because I strongly believe that you neither see as the world sees nor hear as the world hears. This is why only you and others who see and hear as you do will understand this message.

What do you think is happening to the world? Have you asked God and why, especially at this time? At a time like this, the world is bound to focus on the symptoms rather than the cure. This virus – whatever it is called – is only a symptom and one that Satan is at present glorying in.

Is it that the devil does not understand the time that we are in? Far from it. He clearly does. However, it appears that many who are called by the name of God are not familiar with the time, hence Satan has crept in and appears to be winning at the moment.

This virus has shown that when the time comes, the world will have no answer. But those who see and hear differently, who are the true children of God, will have that answer, but only if they hope differently. We must not hope as the world hopes. This virus, if anything, bears witness to that fact. See as it has brought so-called great nations like China, USA, the UK, Italy, Canada and many more to their knees. These are countries that would sneeze and the world would catch cold. But who is sneezing now and the world, in spite of covering its nose, is still catching cold?

The world as we know it is changing, just as Jesus Christ said, but that does not mean the end has come. This virus will go, but it will not be the last. Jesus never said ‘pestilence’, rather he said ‘pestilences’. In confirmation of the word of Christ, coronavirus is not the first pandemic to so beset the world and it will not be the last. However, it is a sign that the world is in its last throes.

As churches are being shut, the message is that God’s people should not get carried away by not being of sound mind, letting fear prevail and being distracted from God because of what is happening around them.

Many now run away from the house of God, but they still patronise busy markets and malls, many of which are still open. Heaven knows how many items are picked, examined and later dropped without being bought. Who knows where those hands have been. Won’t someone else come and buy those items?

Those who are called by the name of God must be vigilant by not letting their love wax cold. While they obey the stay-at-home order by government, they should not get comfortable and let that which they see now distract them from that which the world does not see, but which only they can see. For this time shall pass and it will be terrible if they pass with it. That is the message.

see more>>> https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/covid-19-open-letter-to-adeboye-kumuyi.html

No new corona virus case in 24 hours – Lagos health commissioner



According to data from the NCDC, Lagos has recorded 376 confirmed COVID-19 cases and discharged 97 patients.

The PUNCH also reports that the state has recorded no fewer than 15 coronavirus-related fatalities.

Apart from Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Borno, other states that have recorded fatalities from COVID-19 are Edo, Katsina, Kano, and Delta, and Abuja.

Abayomi tweeted, “No new case of #COVID-19 was confirmed in Lagos on 20th April, 2020. However, #COVID19 related deaths were recorded in Lagos.

“One of the deceased was a 45 years old Nigerian male who returned from India in January 2020.”

The NCDC on Monday said 38 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 665 in Nigeria.

However, Lagos was not part of the states where the new cases were recorded.

According to the centre, three new states – Gombe, Sokoto and Abia – have joined states with reported cases of the virus, as the number of states with confirmed cases now reached 25.

It stated that of the 38 new cases from eight states, 23 were reported in Kano; five in Gombe; three in Kaduna; two in Borno, two also in Abia, while one each was recorded in FCT, Sokoto and Ekiti.

It said, “On the 20th of April 2020, 38 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Nigeria. Till date, 665 cases have been confirmed, 188 cases have been discharged in Nigeria.

“Breakdown of cases by states: Lagos – 376, FCT-89, Kano-59, Osun-20, Oyo-16, Edo-15, Ogun-12, Kwara- nine, Katsina-12, Bauchi- seven, Kaduna- nine, Akwa Ibom- nine, Delta- four, Ekiti- four,
Ondo- three, Enugu- two, Rivers- two, Niger- two, Benue- one, Anambra- one, Borno- three, Jigawa- two, Abia- two, Gombe – five, and Sokoto- one.”


see more>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/no-new-coronavirus-case-in-24-hours.html

COVID-19: ICYMI: Bishop Oyedepo, others are ‘contraveners of common sense’ — Soyinka





Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described religious leaders who held services despite the ban by Government amid the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria as “contraveners of common sense”.
The Founder of Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo; Founder of Victorious Army International Ministries, Dr. Joseph Agboli, and many others in Lagos, Ogun and Osun States held services last Sunday with the usual large crowd in attendance.
In the case of Victorious Army International Ministries in ACME area of Ogba, Lagos State, the members of the church attacked operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu, who were there to enforce the Government’s order limiting such religious and social gathering to a maximum of 50 persons.
Speaking with the British Broadcasting Corporation, Soyinka said it was now up to Government to rein in those flouting the laws as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria rose to 46 on Wednesday.
He told the BBC: “They have been treated with kid gloves for too long… I think there is too much political correctness going on.
“What the government should do in such instances is to take note of these contraveners of common sense and ensure that they are punished after this crisis is over or at some point or the other.
“We have to take on churches and mosques, religions of any kind, including traditional religions, that misbehave and let them understand that they are living in very different times than that of their imagination.”
Soyinka himself has been in self-isolation since returning from the United States nine days ago.

see more>>> https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/covid-19-icymi-bishop-oyedepo-others.html

Uranta calls for Oyedepo’s arrest over COVID-19



Nigerian National Summit Group (NNSG) Executive Secretary, Mr. Tony Uranta, has called for the arrest of the Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winner’s Chapel, David Oyedepo for disregarding government’s ban on large gatherings of people to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement on Tuesday, Uranta said, “Bishop Oyedepo is one of my more respected Nigerian Christian leaders. But his excuse for disobeying the commonsensical Federal Government ban on large gatherings gave the Church in Nigeria a very bad image and the government should arrest him to let the World know that we are taking the coronavirus threat seriously, and prove to all Nigerians that nobody is above the law, especially in this dire season of the global pandemic.”

He added that the cleric’s foolhardy decision has irredeemably belittled him (Oyedepo) in one’s eyes, and the government will be shirking its primary responsibility of keeping Nigerians secure if the bishop is allowed to get away with the act, which must have put, at least, thousands of gullible Nigerians that heeded his call to worship in danger, not to even begin to imagine the, at least, tens of thousands of other Nigerians that these ones could make secondary contacts for the scary disease!

“If the government lets this slide, many of us will be irresistibly opposed to it, and this could lead to the Buhari Administration’s demise faster than a lot of other things, should it eventually turn out that Nigerians fall sick or die from the quirky action of one man and the perception of impotence in our country’s security agencies where the elite is concerned,” he said.


see more>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/uranta-calls-for-oyedepos-arrest-over.html

COVID-19: Oyedepo donates ambulances, test kits, others to Lagos, Ogun



The Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide also known as Winners’ Chapel International, David Oyedepo, has donated medical equipment and relief materials to Lagos and Ogun States.

This is as Lagos State begins the lockdown directive of the President, while Ogun State would commence its 14-day lockdown beginning Friday as part of measures to contain the community transmission of COVID-19 which has infected over 130 persons in the country.

In a statement by the Chairman of the Church’s Editorial Board, Prof Sheriff Folarin, the cleric donated ambulances, test kits, thermometers, amongst others to the two states, maintaining that the Church would continue to render support to the government and the Nigerian people in the fight against COVID-19.

The statement read in part, “Living Faith Church as a faith-based organization with a global outreach wishes to register its support, in entirety, to the Nigerian government and global efforts to win the war against this unseen but common enemy of mankind.

“Among the medical/health resources are two state-of-the-art ambulances with capacity for first aid, test, and treatment of those infected or on emergency resulting from the infection.

“Each of the ambulances will be donated to Lagos and Ogun States to boost the disease control measures and treatment.

“Other items include 20 cartons of latex hand gloves, 10 cartons of disposable face masks, 40 pieces of infrared thermometers, 500 pieces of personal protective equipment, Hazmat suit, two boxes of pulse oximeters and two cartons of blood pressure monitor.

“Also donated are foodstuffs meant for immediate distribution as palliatives to the less privileged who are likely to be the worst hit by the lockdown. These are 400 bags of rice, 150 bags of beans, 400 bags of garri, 500 gallons of vegetable oil, among other items.”

SEE MORE>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/covid-19-oyedepo-donates-ambulances.html

Churches Deserted As Christians Mark Low Key Easter


Churches were deserted in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday as Christian faithful celebrated the Easter in their homes in compliance with the state government’s directives to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus.
The Oyo State Government had placed a restriction on gatherings and imposed a 7 pm–6 am curfew on the state among other measures to check the spread of the raging pandemic.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, which backed the restriction order, urged members to emulate the character of Jesus Christ while obeying the government’s directives.
The CAN Chairman in Oyo State, Pastor Benjamin Akanmu, said that the resurrection of Jesus was a crucial part of the gospel, pointing out that if He did not rise from the dead, the faithful would still be in their sins.
“The way for sacrifice was to use animals to appease God but none of was acceptable to God till Jesus surrendered Himself as a living sacrifice.
“Jesus resurrected as a real physical body, not a disembodied spirit. Christians will one day also experience the physical resurrection from the dead; the power of resurrection is showing that God is unstoppable.
“A day is coming that the redeemed will be with God forever,” he said.

SEE MORE>>>https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/churches-deserted-as-christians-mark.html

Coronavirus: Bishop Oyedepo predicts end of COVID-19 in Nigeria



Pastor Oyedepo has predicted the end of the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria - The respected man of God, who spoke through his son who is also a senior pastor, said COVID-19 will soon become a thing of the past in the country - Oyedepo disclosed this while donating an ambulance and Personal Protective Gears (PPE) to the Ogun state government The presiding bishop of the Living Faith Church International, popularly known as Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, says coronavirus would soon become a thing of the past in Nigeria. The Guardian reports that Oyedepo stated this while donating an ambulance and Personal Protective Gears (PPE) to the Ogun state government to help in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The items were presented to the state government at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital, on Wednesday, April 1. Oyedepo said the gesture was part of the church’s commitment towards ending the scourge of coronavirus in the state. The items were received by the Ogun state deputy governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, on behalf of the state. The deputy governor commended the church for the generous donation and reiterated the government’s commitment to partnering religious organisation and individuals in the curtailing the spread of the virus. PAY Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Enoch Adeboye, said on Sunday, March 29, that the current COVID-19 outbreak ravaging the world will end soon. The respected man of God said only those “whose time has come” will die of the corona virus disease.

see more>>> https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/coronavirus-bishop-oyedepo-predicts-end.html

Adeboye Predicts End To COVID-19 Pandemic



The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, yesterday, urged Christians and Nigerians to be careful and not to be “unwise amid the Coronavirus pandemic”.
In his Easter message, broadcast live on the church’s DOVE cable television, yesterday, Adeboye, said the pandemic would not end until God proves to the world that he is God.
He said that although some prophets had said the pandemic would end at the end of March, God told him that there would be Coronavirus until the world goes on a compulsory holiday.
The cleric maintained that although some prophets had claimed that the disease would be wiped out by rain, Coronavirus will not die.
It would be recalled that Prophet T. B. Joshua had on March 2 disclosed that he had a vision that the killer virus would be wiped out the same month.
The cleric, in a post on his Facebook page said: “Since yesterday, when the Lord brought the revelation about the rain and that this rain will wipe away the epidemic Coronavirus, I asked the Lord to make this happen in the place where the Coronavirus started which is Wuhan, China”.
But Adeboye, yesterday said, “It will be unwise to be careless.
“They were those who said it would be over by the end of March; then, a prophet said there would be heavy rain and Coronavirus would be over.
“But God told your papa who is not a prophet but a pastor that it will be there until the whole world has had a compulsory holiday.
“Until He proves to the whole world that He is God. He wants to prove to the world that He is in charge. Some people don’t know how to slow down, and God knows how to apply brakes.
“I want to assure you that tomorrow will be alright. I hope you are enjoying your holiday because I am”, Adeboye emphasised.

source: https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/adeboye-predicts-end-to-covid-19.html

Eye-opening COVID-19 exposes fake prophets



I STRONGLY believe the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has opened the eyes of the world, especially Africans and offered them an opportunity to discard the over-reliance on the so-called ‘prophets’ and pastors in order to seek the face of a true Creator of heaven and earth.
Coronavirus prophecy: Are we living in the end times - Clock is ...
I am not mincing my words!
All this madness from people calling themselves ‘men or women’ of God must seriously be stopped.
These holier-than-thou Christians have been exposed and must be stopped forthwith.


Honestly, if I had permission from Jehovah Himself, I would go church-to-church, from Cape-to-Cairo, physically beating the hell out of every church founder, so-called prophet, pastor, bishop, evangelist, and elders, who tell lies and deceive people of the Most High God.
I would descend on them until they openly confess they are not true representatives of Jehovah God but they are ambassadors of darkness being used by the wicked one – Lucifer- to use the word of Jehovah God for own personal gain and self-enrichment.
It has become clear the majority of these so-called prophets, pastors, bishops, and founders of mushrooming churches have nothing to offer in terms of the word of God but have an attachment to Baal.
Instead, they use their own wisdom to mislead the ignorant congregants for their own selfish interests.
They operate without any voice whatsoever from Jehovah God.
Matthew 7:21-23 of the New International Version confirms this True Gospel: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven (Jehovah God). Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
People of God, especially Africa, do you now clearly see why Jesus Christ will transparently reject your so-called ‘papa’, ‘mama’, ‘man of God’, blah, blah, blah because their names are not whatsoever written in the book of life?
Though I’m not qualified to judge anybody, I have spiritual eyes to see clearly there is something wrong with the church of today.
Revelation 20:15 of the New International Version says: “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”


This is why at some point the true prophet of Jehovah God, Elijah, had to openly challenge these fake prophets in order to expose that they were not of Yahweh. They were for Baal.
1 Kings 18:25-28 of the Berean Study Bible states: “Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire. And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.”
“At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened! So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom until the blood gushed over them.”
If you read clearly on 1 Kings 18:29 of the New International Version, it says: “Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, and no one paid attention.”
My question remains, so, why all this noise from hordes of so-called prophets in Africa and the world prophesying about yet in actual fact they see nothing and hear nothing from Jehovah?
Clearly, pointers exhibit almost all of today’s so-called prophets are nothing but fake soothsayers using the powers of Baal.
In order to expose the false prophets, on 1 Kings 18:33 of the New International Version, Prophet Elijah arranged wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to the dubious prophets, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”


34. “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. 36. At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.”
“37. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again. 38. Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.”
Clearly, this is what true prophets of Jehovah God do under difficult circumstances even when confronted with deadly coronavirus pandemic. This is unlike all these fake breed of prophets today, who I personally liken to the brood of vipers we have from Cape to Cairo.
These bogus, counterfeit, hoax and fraudulent prophets of today are only good at pocketing money from unsuspecting worshippers for their jets, mansions and expensive cars. There is no Jehovah in them whatsoever.
I strongly believe 90 percent of the Pentecostal churches established less than 2 000 years ago are not true churches of Jesus Christ. They are fake churches founded by greed individuals to enrich themselves, their kin and kith.
A true church of Jesus Christ has precise, error-free, meticulous, reliable, authoritative, authentic, fact-based, inch-perfect, distinct and clear-cut prophets, who directly hear from Jehovah God, coupled with visible, tangible and noticeable spiritual solutions to any crises befalling the earth.
I’m saying this because the Holy Spirit neither lies nor seeks sympathisers, collaborators, backers or well-wishers to authenticate these hallucinations, fantasies and imaginations being churned out as prophecies yet, in fact, they are just mirage from the prophets of doom.
Honestly, as a scribes-man of Jehovah God, I am bursting with anger after all church founders, prophets, bishops and pastors in the continent and beyond now have tails gone between their legs since the outbreak of COVID-19.
My spirit is bleeding profusely because as I write this True Gospel column, we have more than 1,7 million confirmed COVID-19 cases with more than 108, 000 deaths worldwide to date. Worse still, there is no sign whatsoever this disease is ending soon unless Jehovah God intervenes at His own time table.
Yet, some among us still hero-worship these greedy individual church founders, pastors and so-called prophets making money out of biblically ignorant and gullible Christian followers.
I truly admire and salute Tanzanian President, His Excellency John Magufuli, who since the advent of the pandemic confidently declared the blood of Jesus Christ was as antidote to the ‘satanic’ virus, while the rest so-called prophets and pastors had their tails between their legs.


I have to question whether we still have prophets in this world today, or what we are seeing are just greedy church founders only using the name of Jesus Christ to make money.
Jehoshaphat, on 2 Kings 3:11, previously asked this question: “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”
Seriously, I wonder if there are any prophets today in the world. Can they save the world from this deadly COVID-19 pandemic?
Clearly, this epidemic has exposed the fake prophets that are so much trusted in their churches.
All they are only good at is collecting money from gullible believers who strongly believe in pastors and church founders instead of putting their trust in Jehovah God.
Look how the creator of heaven and earth (Jehovah God) has exposed all the rich but false prophets. They have no clue whatsoever how this pandemic COVID-19 can be stopped.
Isaiah 10:3 of the Berean Study Bible concurs with this True Gospel I’m preaching in this platform: “What will you do on the day of reckoning when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?”
It is now clear why Jesus Christ, the torchbearer of the Pentecostal gospel movement, did not own a church.
He never requested those that he converted into Christianity to belong to his 12- disciples’ churches or ask them to start a church with them. He transparently told them to be righteous to Jehovah God only, his heavenly father, and not to dare become associates of human beings.
Dear reader, do you know that Jesus Christ himself did not have a particular church. Neither did the old prophets right from Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, Isaiah, Hosea, Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, Daniel, Obadiah, Jonah, Ezekiel, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, among others.
They were just preaching the gospel of salvation, repentance, righteousness and Jehovah God-fearing. They did this without owning churches.
Why is it that today’s individuals own churches yet Jesus Christ said it is only him who would build a church? Why can’t we all just have a universal church that worships the same Jehovah God, with same doctrine?
From my research, I realised there are an estimated 37 million churches in the world today with more than 50,000 new ones being added every year. Why can’t the world just have one true church of Jehovah, abiding by the same true teachings of Jesus Christ?


Honestly, I smell gross manipulation of the devil in today’s church, which I strongly believe lacks spiritual eyes ‘that see’.
I also entirely in agreement with the Lord Jesus Christ’s warning that there shall come a period when false prophets would emerge to deceive the entire world. Even the most educated persons would be made fools by these bogus church founders, pastors and so-called prophets impersonating representatives of the kingdom of Jehovah yet they are from Gehenna.
Matthew 24:24 of the New Living Translation entirely agrees with this True Gospel I’m preaching here. It states: “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.”
Now I clearly see why at some point our Lord Jesus Christ physically beat the hell out of these money changers during his time and overturning tables and benches of those selling doves in church.
As I write this week’s True Gospel, I’m feeling the same emotions Jesus felt running riot in his spirit. I’m deeply enraged with spiritual anger.
At the end of the current pandemic, when I see Christians donating money under the guise of offerings, upkeep of false prophets and their pastors including tithing, then I would know we still have plenty of spiritual buffoons.
I vehemently stick with my spiritual guns because I have clearly seen we do not have true prophets at all, let alone genuine church founders who would call unto Jehovah God and be heard hence failing to stop this dirt cheap and shameful coronavirus pandemic, an epidemic which can be easily cleansed away by common and traditional soap.
I’m insisting on this because Mark 16:17-18 of the New Living Translation supports this True Gospel.
The two verses state: “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
So, why is that the so-called prophets of today can’t heal COVID-19?
Those who believe in this True Gospel, say amen!

see more: https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/eye-opening-covid-19-exposes-fake.html

COVID-19 forces some churches to find alternative means of worship Easter Sunday



(WPDE) — The deadly coronavirus has forced churches across the Pee Dee, Grand Strand, and border belt to find alternative ways to worship.

Many churches, like First Presbyterian Church in Florence, are live streaming their services.

The church's associate pastor, Rev. Chris Handley, said they've been live streaming since the pandemic, and it's really gone well.

“Certainly, this is an interesting season. We will be streaming live our service and so people in their homes will have an opportunity to watch. That’s the plan. A part of being in the church is being together. So, it is difficult to be separate like this. But, I guess what I’m finding the church is figuring out how to be together during the season even though they aren’t all in the same room. The message is getting out. The word is being preached, people are tuning in," said Handley.

Rev. Jerrod Moultrie is the lead pastor at Oak Grove Baptist Church in the Fairmont community of Robeson County.

Moultrie said he plans to hold his services outdoors. He added they've done in recent weeks and turnout has been great.

"We tried to abide by all of the orders that Governor Cooper, of course, has given to us. We reduce the size when we were in the sanctuary, and then he told us to move out to the parking lot. We did that. We will have a worship experience. But, we will have it in the parking lot. We will have a drive-and-worship service in which our parking lot ministry will ask everyone to park the cars, make sure that everyone is six feet apart. Make sure that everyone is staying in their vehicle. We never stop having church because I believe that the church is the only hope that the community has right now. And when that hope is gone, believe because we have to stay home and pray, and people are not going out shopping, and the children are out of school. There’s a whole lot going on. People are being laid off. They are frustrated right now dealing with the silent killer but I believe that the word of God is the only message of hope," said Moultrie.

Pastor Marsden "Jay R" Alexander, II is the co-pastor of Greater Highway Church of Christ in Florence.

Alexander said they will hold resurrection services, as usual, in the church.

"We have followed the Governor's Executive Orders and given heed to that. He himself has come out along with the attorney general to convey that a lot of those orders do not apply to churches, and so we've are still meeting, business, as usual, letting our saints galvanize their faith by gathering. We trust that God can heal us from anything or deliver us from anything," said Alexander.

He added they'll practice social distancing, but that's something they've always done.

Alexander said they always encouraged members to stay at home if they're sick, wash their hands and practice a safe distance from other parishioners.

He believes Sunday's worship service will be an experience like none other.

source: https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/covid-19-forces-some-churches-to-find.html

Here I Am To Worship lyrics - Christian Gospel TV


Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came to the earth You created
All for love's sake became poor
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
Well, I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
Well, I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
Well, I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
Well, I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross

kindly share

source: https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/here-i-am-to-worship-lyrics-christian.html

Epistles Of The EndTime: A False Hope To Sinners



SIN is no peripheral issue as far as salvation is concerned; IT IS THE ISSUE. In fact, the distinctive element of the Christian message is the power of Jesus Christ to FORGIVE and CONQUER Sin. Of all the realities of the Gospel, none is more wonderful than the news that enslaving grasp of sin has been broken.

This is the crust and the lifeblood of the Christian message. Any gospel that softens the sins of the people just to make them feel good is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. The mission statement of Jesus Christ is “TO SEEK AND SAVE THE LOST”, not to pamper sinners.

In the Bible, those who met God were invariably confronted with an overwhelming sense of their own sinfulness. Peter, seeing Jesus for who He was, said, “DEPART FROM ME, FOR I AM A SINFUL MAN, O LORD (Luke 5:. Apostle Paul said “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, AMONG WHO I AM FOREMOST OF ALL” (1 Tim. 1:15). Job, whom God himself called a righteous man, said after seeing God face-to-face, “I ABHOR MYSELF, AND REPENT IN DUST AND ASHES” (Job 42:6) and Isaiah, seeing God, gasped, “WOE IS ME, FOR I AM RUINED! BECAUSE I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS, AND I LIVE AMONG A PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS, FOR MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING, THE LORD OF HOST. (Isa.6:5). The truth is anyone who have truly encountered Jesus, first acknowledges his nothingness and sinfulness because until you are delivered from sin your riches are useless.

When JESUS CHRIST began to preach, the opening statement of His message was “REPENT” (Matt 4:7). When JOHN THE BAPTIST appeared, his message was “REPENT” (Matt 3:2) and when THE APOSTLES appeared the message was “REPENT” (Act 3:19).

Today, we gather gamblers, drunkards, prostitutes, thieves, fetish priests in suits, Drug Barons and wicked people who keep rebelling against the counsel of God, and instead of telling them “ REPENT”, We pour anointing oil on their head and tell them to sow a seed for a breakthrough. These guys are on their way to hell and we are still telling them they will be millionaires. What is money to a hell-bound candidate? What is good health to a hell-bound candidate? What is an estate to a hell-bound candidate? You see the kind of Gospel we preach? As rich as Nicodemus was, when he met Jesus, Jesus never pampered him not even to acknowledge his academic accolades. The message was simple “BE BORN AGAIN”. What is a scholarship to a student going to hell?

One of the most malignant by-products of the debacle in contemporary evangelism is a gospel that fails to confront individuals with reality of their sin. Even the most conservative churches are teeming with people who, claiming to be born again, live like pagans. The contemporary Christians has the idea that salvation is only the granting of eternal life, not necessarily the liberation of a sinner from the bondage of his iniquity. We tell people God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives, but that is only half-truth. GOD ALSO HATES SIN AND WILL PUNISH UNREPENTANT SINNERS WITH ETERNAL TORMENTS. No Gospel delivery is complete if it conceals those facts.

Hence, no one who neglects to call sinners to repentance is preaching the gospel according to Jesus Christ. Thus, Jesus came to expose us all as sinners. That is why His message was so penetrating, so forceful. It tore our self-righteousness away and exposed our evil hearts so that we might see ourselves as sinners.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus! Forgive me my sins and deliver me from the power of sin and hell. Let your saving Grace abide with me. Come into my heart and make me your own. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

see more: https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/epistles-of-endtime-false-hope-to.html

A 66-YEAR-OLD Pastor who slammed the coronavirus 'hysteria' has died from the disease, after he travelled from Virginia to preach at Mardi Gras.

Pastor Landon Spradlin died in a North Carolina hospital on Tuesday, after eight days in intensive care battling the deadly virus.




Pastor Landon Spradlin died of coronavirusCredit: Facebook
Spradlin collapsed with pneumonia as he made the 900 mile journey from Louisiana to Virginia.

He had performed with his family band in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras celebrations before he fell ill.

Jesse Spradlin, the Pastor's daughter, told the BBC: "We just never thought out father would pass because of this.

"But he wasn't the type of person to just live in fear and let it rob him of the joy of the life that he had."

Spradlin spent eight days in ICU
4
Spradlin spent eight days in ICUCredit: Facebook
She also spoke of his father's mission, saying it "was to go into pubs, clubs and bars, play the blues and connect with musicians and just tell that Jesus loved them."

In a social media post on March 14, the pastor shared a photo comparing swine flu with the coronavirus, and dubbing criticism of President Donald Trump's coronavirus management being politically motivated as "mass hysteria".

Naomi Spradlin, another of the pastor's daughters, said: "I don't even remember us talking about the virus.

The Pastor shared the post on March 14

The Pastor shared the post on March 14Credit: Facebook
"With what's happened we keep looking back, and we didn't talk about it once."

Landon Isaac, the pastor's son, said: "He didn't put up that post because he was frustrated that the media was propagating fear as the main mode of communication.

"I want to say outright though, dad didn't think it was a hoax, he knew it was a real virus."

source: https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/a-66-year-old-pastor-who-slammed.html

Root of coronavirus is cursed – Oyedepo



Nigerian Bishop, David Oyedepo has said the root of Coronavirus disease has been cursed and that Nigeria will soon experience a liberation.

In one of his preaching, Oyedepo, Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church Worldwide said “The root of coronavirus is cursed. It took 24 hours but when they came, they saw it dried up from the roots Mark 11:21. Every curse we have inflicted on that virus is established.

“We will see it wither now in the name of Jesus. Isaiah 62:6-7 We will keep engaging in fervent declarations of Faith and indepth thanksgiving for answered prayers as individuals, as family members. With the lock down, we have the time to be with the Lord,” he said.

Oyedepo said he expected every family to have at least a prayer hour in the course of the day and also expected every prayer partnership that “we have here and there to engage. Don’t let us give any place to the devil. You keep giving thanks, the prayer is answered.

source: https://christiangospeltv..com/2020/04/root-of-coronavirus-is-cursed-oyedepo.html