ACTING President Yemi Osinbajo has declined approving four bills the national assembly forwarded to the executive for assent.


Osinbajo conveyed his decision in a letter read on the floor of the senate by Bukola Saraki on Wednesday.

The bills are – Dangerous Drug Amendment Bill, 2016; National Lottery Bill, 2016; Currency Conversion Freezing Order Amendment Bill, 2016, and Agricultural Credit Scheme Bill, 2016.

The acting president said assent to some of the bills was withheld due to “concerns regarding words and phrases, and the spirit behind the amendment”, and due to “the existence of pending legal issue”.

Speaking on the refusal of the acting president to sign the bills into law, Dino Melaye, a senator from Kogi west, said the executive must respect the principle of separation of powers.

He said it was the responsibility of the executive to assent to bills made by the legislature or go to court to challenge them.



However, the senate president said the matter would be referred to the legal department of the national assembly for advice and interpretation.

SexyNairalander:
booked



patiently waiting for enugu

A total of N465.149 billion has been distributed as Federal Allocation for the month of January 2017 among the Federal Government, State Governments and Local Government Councils.

The communiqué issued by the Technical sub-Committee of Federation Accounts Allocation Committee at the end of its meeting indicated that the gross statutory revenue received is N324.990 billion, which is higher by N76.275 billion when compared with the N248.635 billion received in the month of December 2016.

The shared amount comprised the month’s statutory distributable revenue of N282.406 billion, Value Added Tax of N73.522 billion, exchange gain of N48.371 billion and Excess PPT Account of N60.850 billion.

There was also a N6.330 billion refund to the Federal Government by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.



Therefore, from the Net Statutory Revenue, the Federal Government received N133.192 billion (52.68%), States received N67.557 billion (26.72%), Local Government Councils received N52.083 billion (20.60%); while the Oil Producing States received N20.620 billion as 13% derivation revenue.

Furthermore, from the revenue available from the Value Added Tax, the Federal Government received N10.587 (15%), States received N35.291 billion (50%), while the Local Government Councils received N24.703 (35%).

The Communique further explained that there was a revenue increase of $74.91 million in federation export sales due to a rise in the volume of crude oil export by 1.490 million barrels and an increase in the average price of crude oil from $47.30 to $49.57 per barrel during the period under review.

However, the Force Majeure declared at Forcados, Qua Iboe and Brass Terminals remained in place.



Federation revenues increased despite the Force Majeure and the shut-down of pipelines for repairs and maintenance due to leakages and sabotage.

PPT collection increased significantly, while revenues from Companies Income Tax, Value Added Tax, Import Duty and Royalty decreased slightly.

Lalasticlala

THE ‎Federal Government ‎has appealed to Nigerians to stop referring to Nigeria as “Najia” to keep its originality.

‎Making the appeal the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Garba Abari told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that the new trend of making funky the original name of Nigeria was worrisome and not in the best interest of the country.

“We try in all our advocacy visits to insist that Nigeria must be referred to as Nigeria and not Naija.



“So, our schools have a role to play in this; the media itself has also got a very fundamental role to play because it is the media that helps in the propagation of this kind of misnomer.

“All of us, as individuals, as corporate organisations, as media, whether broadcast, print or online, must wake up to the reality.

“That the more we use these misnomers referring to our country, the fallout of it is that, a significant percentage of our younger ones will not even remember that Nigeria is the original name of our country,” he said.

“I want to appeal to all Nigerians, young and old to always refer to our country as Nigeria.”

Mr. Abari also urged parents to key into the efforts to preserve the country’s original name by discouraging their children and wards from referring to Nigeria as “Naija”.

Stop lying nah

A witness in the ongoing trial of a Federal High Court judge, Adeniyi Ademola, has told the court that operatives of the State Security Service did not investigate an alleged gift of N500, 000 given to Mr. Ademola by President Muhammadu Buhari’s lawyer.

Mr. Ademola is facing trial for alleged abuse of office alongside.
His wife, Olubowale, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joe Agi, are also being tried for alleged corruption.

An operative of the SSS, Babatunde Adepoju, who led investigations into the allegations, confirmed on Tuesday that he had been told, during interrogation of Mr. Agi, that a gift of N500, 000 was sent through Mr. Buhari’s lawyer, Kola Awodehin, to Mr. Ademola.

The money, reportedly sent as a gift for Mr. Ademola’s daughter’s wedding, was delivered to the judge by Kola Awodehin, a lawyer who represented the president in a case of alleged forgery of secondary school certificate before the 2015 elections.

At least 10 suits challenging the eligibility of Mr. Buhari to contest the 2015 presidential election came before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.



The suits were later consolidated into two, since they all sought similar actions from the court of law.

In one of the suits, Chukwunweike Okafor sought an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove or delete Mr. Buhari’s name and that of the All Progressives Congress from the list of persons and political parties running for the office of president.

Mr. Okafor asked the court to hold that the information supplied by the APC flag-bearer in Form C.F 001 that his West African School Certificate was with the Nigerian Army was false and should be disqualified from the race.

In another suit, Max Ozoaka asked the court to disqualify Mr. Buhari on the ground that the INEC Form Cf 001 the APC candidate submitted to INEC was incomplete.

The suits were, however, struck out days before the general election in April 2015.

Messrs. Hubert and Bassey had been identified on Monday as donating $150,000 to Justice Ademola for his daughter’s wedding. The money was later converted into N37 million.

Mr. Adepoju, who stated this in court, could however not trace the donors of the money to any case involving Mr. Ademola, or any of the defendants.



On Tuesday the prosecution closed its case against the judge, after presenting all its witnesses.

Lawyer to Mr. Ademola, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, thereafter told the court that his client would like to make a no-case-submission.

The trial judge, Jude Okeke, adjourned the matter till March 15 for hearing of the application.

THE All Progressives Congress on Tuesday said it welcomes the emergence of Senator Ahmad Lawan as the Senate Leader.
‎
Lawan emerged on Tuesday at the Senate plenary after the APC caucus in the upper chamber shoved aside Senator Ali Ndume.
‎
The APC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said it welcomed the development in the Senate, which led to the replacement of Ndume with Lawan.
‎
The statement said the party views the change as a “concrete expression of faith by the APC Senate Caucus in our efforts to resolve the lingering issues that have trailed the election of the Senate leadership. We believe this is a major step forward in our efforts to reunite the various interest groups in that Senate election, thereby presenting a common legislative front for our great party.
‎
“We are particularly delighted that the consultations that were initiated towards the end of 2015 between the party caucuses in the national assembly and the party executives as well as other leading stakeholders of our party has yielded this results and the Senate has demonstrated its willingness to finally submit to the will of the party in this regard.
‎
“It should be recalled that soon after the issue of election of the Senate occurred, the party leadership had resolved that Senator Lawan be compensated with the position of the Senate Leader. Sadly, that directive was not fully complied with at the time. But we are happy to see this change effected, which represents a significant progress in our efforts to build a strong and united party. With this development therefore, we are confident that the issues arising from the elections in the Senate in 2015 have been put to rest.
‎
“We thank Senator Ndume for his service and sacrifice to our party, which would not be forgotten. We also congratulate Senator Lawan, the new Senate Leader on his election by the APC caucus in the Senate. We hope he will use his vast experience and knowledge to enhance legislative works to further our party’s agenda of change.
‎
“We assure Nigerians that we will continue to work assiduously under the leadership and guidance of President Muhammed Buhari to resolve any other pending issues that may have affected our party at different levels. 
‎
However, with this latest development, APC has demonstrated its resilience and capacity to resolve its internal differences in order to realise the true change and transformation that we promised Nigerians.”‎

He questioned the speed at which the President reacted by sacking the FRC boss, asking: “Why was there no such swiftness in his action on Southern Kaduna killings where a race was almost wiped out, with people killed like goats? Why didn’t the President react swiftly to the Senate indictment of the EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu?

EKITI State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has described the sack of the Executive Secretary of the Financial Regulatory Council of Nigeria, Jim Obazee, in connection with the implementation of the controversial Corporate Governance Code 2016 as an afterthought and cover-up to stem the tide of negative public reactions to the implementation of the controversial law that stripped the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, and others of their positions.
‎
This was contained in a release issued in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday and signed by the Governor’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.



Governor Fayose said: “When they realised the implication of their action on President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 ambition, especially a personality like Pastor Adeboye that’s involved, they quickly sacked an innocent man who must have acted on instruction.
‎
“Obviously, their attention is more on 2019, not on justice and any love for the sustenance of Christianity in Nigeria. Mind you, they have only suspended the implementation of the regulation, they did not abrogate it. It is obvious that they have an agenda. And if you look at the president’s pattern of life, he is a sectional leader, whose appointments reflect sectionalism and nepotism.”‎
‎
Fayose said it was funny that a president that is over 70 years will be the one to implement a regulation limiting the age of General Overseer of Churches to 70 years, asking: “If men of God like Pastor Adeboye, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, Bishop David Oyedepo, Bishop Mike Okonkwo and others cannot be GO of their church beyond 70 years of age, how do we now justify a man like President Buhari who is over 74 and still willing to be president beyond 2019 that he will be 77?”‎
‎
Governor Fayose, who described those defending President Buhari by claiming that the law was made when Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was president as hypocrites, asked: “Even if the law was made before President Buhari assumed office, who is to blame for its implementation? Could President Buhari have implemented a law he does not believe in and could the sacked FRC boss that they have now used as the sacrificial lamb have implemented the law without the consent of the Presidency?”‎
‎
He questioned the speed at which the President reacted by sacking the FRC boss, asking: “Why was there no such swiftness in his action on Southern Kaduna killings where a race was almost wiped out, with people killed like goats? Why didn’t the President react swiftly to the Senate indictment of the EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu?
‎
“Obviously, it was an afterthought, which was aimed at dousing the negative outcry that greeted the action by using the sacked FRC boss as the fall-guy.
‎
“This has further made it very clear and evident that Buhari is not a leader, he is ruler. He is a religious apologist that believes that he must silence anybody that does not believe in his line of thought either politically or religious wise.

“Sadly, all those things that we have forgotten and never thought will happen again in this country are now happening. The country is now badly divided more than ever before.
‎
“Nigerians have been able to read through President Buhari in this short time to realise that all he is doing now is to destroy this country like he did in 1984, but God will not allow him.”‎

NIGERIA’S Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has reacted to the allegation that he received gratification to approve the controversial Malabu Oil transaction during his tenure.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Ikechukwu Eze, in Abuja on Tuesday, Mr. Jonathan said he did not send businessman Abubakar Aliyu or any other person to receive bribe on his behalf during or after the negotiation.

The former president also said he held no secret meeting with parties in the transaction at anytime.

The statement reads; ‎Our attention has been drawn to news reports published mostly by online media which suggested through innuendo, rather than factual evidence, that former President Goodluck Jonathan received kickbacks in the $1.3bn OPL 245 oil block deal involving oil giants ENI and ‎Royal Dutch Shell.

‎With regards to the publication, we wish to make it clear that former President Jonathan was not accused, indicted or charged for corruptly collecting any monies as kickbacks or bribes from ENI by the Italian authorities or any other law enforcement body the world over.



‎In the first place, we have to categorically state that the negotiations and transactions for the oil block deal predate the Presidency of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan which began on 6th May 2010 and ended on 29th May 2015.

‎It may interest those promoting this false narrative to know that all the documents relating to the transactions, issues and decisions of the Federal Government on the Malabo issue, during the Jonathan administration, are in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation/Minister of Justice.

‎As President of Nigeria, there is no doubt that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan met with executives of all the oil majors operating in Nigeria and urged them to, amongst other things, support the growth of the Nigerian oil industry by ramping up their investments and comply with the Local Content Act that he promoted and signed into law.

‎We however wish to state, for emphasis, that at no time did the former President hold private meetings with representatives of ENI to discuss pecuniary issues. All the meetings and discussions former President Jonathan had with ENI, other IOCs and some indigenous operators were conducted officially, and in the presence of relevant Nigerian Government officials and were done in the best interest of the country.

‎We make bold to point out that the former President never sent any Abubakar Aliyu, as the innuendoes in the false report suggest, to ENI, the IOCs or any indigenous operator to seek favour or collect any gratification on his behalf.

‎We will like to point out for the umpteenth time that whether in office or out of office, former President Jonathan does not own any bank account, aircraft or real estate outside Nigeria. Anyone with contrary information is challenged to publicly publish same.

‎As the President who signed the Freedom of Information Act into law, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan lifted the veil on governance and encouraged transparency knowing that evil breeds in secrecy. It is the opinion of the former President that journalists and media houses should take ‎advantage of this law in their investigative journalism, rather than rely on hearsay.

‎We hope that these clarifications will help guide future reports which should be factual.



‎Ikechukwu Eze

‎Media Adviser to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan

‎(President 2010-2015)‎

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THE All Progressives Congress caucus in the Senate has sacked Senator Ali Ndume as the Senate Leader.
‎
In Ndume’s place, Senator Ahmad Lawan has been chosen.

‎
The decision to sack Ndume was contained in a letter to the Senate by the APC caucus on Tuesday.



‎
But Ndume, who was not at plenary when the decision was announced, expressed shock at the development.
He said he was not consulted.

He told newsmen after plenary: “I don’t know whether I have been removed as the Senate Leader.



“This announcement came to me as a surprise.”‎

THE details of bank transactions of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, a Federal High Court judge standing trial over alleged corruption, were on Monday revealed at an Ikeja High Court in Lagos.

The details were revealed before a packed courtroom during the continuation of the evidence-in-chief of her account officer, Ademola Oshodi, a banker with Diamond Bank Plc.

Ofili-Ajumogobia and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Obla, are being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged corruption.

They are jointly being charged for perverting the course of justice by the anti-graft agency.

However, Obla is facing an additional two-count charge of offering gratification of N5 million to Ofili-Ajumogobia, a public official, during her service as a judge.

Meanwhile, Ofili-Ajumogobia faces a 26-count charge of unlawful enrichment, taking property by a public officer, corruption by a public officer, forgery and giving false information to an official of the EFCC.

Both, however, denied all the charges.

Ofili-Ajumogobia is being prosecuted by the EFCC for allegedly enriching herself by illegally receiving $793,800 from various sources from 2012 to 2015.



During Monday’s proceedings, Oshodi, while being led in evidence by counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, revealed how he helped the judge to deposit large sums of foreign currencies into her three accounts with Diamond Bank.

The account officer narrated to the court that he collected large sums from the judge at her chambers at the Federal High Court, Lagos, and her residence.

Oshodi said: “I made cash deposits into the accounts on behalf of Hon. Ofili-Ajumogobia; the monies that were deposited were received from her at her chambers or her house.”

The banker read out to the court various transactions he had made for the judge on her Diamond Bank account with number 0029928474.

He said he had paid in various sums ranging from N670,000 to N22 million into the said account and on most occasions, those sums were converted to naira from dollar.

Oshodi stated: “Hon. Ofili-Ajumogobia would normally call if there is a need for me to assist her in changing other currencies and I will either go to her house or office to pick up the US dollars.

“A colleague of mine called Alex Agu also helped with these transactions. On December 17, 2015, N1 million was picked up by Agu on behalf of the judge and was credited into her account.”

Oshodi also revealed the details of Ofili-Ajumogobia’s second account with the bank; a dollar account with number 003091183.

He narrated with the guidance of the EFCC counsel on how he had deposited on numerous occasions various sums ranging from $4,800 to $150,000 into her dollar account.

He said: “$139,815 was transferred outside the country into the account of Silversteps Incorporated, a company domiciled in the United Kingdom.

“The transfer was done on the instruction of the judge. I’m not familiar with the company or had any dealing with them.

“On May 10, 2013 I received the sum of $120,000 from the judge and had to pay into her dollar account installments of $10,000 over 12 days.

“The first installment was on that day while the 11 other installments were from May 14 to May 28.

“I had to pay in the dollars over 12 days because the bank had a daily maximum deposit of $10,000 and during this transaction; the undeposited dollars were in the custody of the bank.”

The account officer noted that when depositing the money for the judge, he filled a bank teller on Ofili-Ajumogobia’s behalf, writing her name as the depositor.

He said: “However, on March 29, 2014, I received $150,000 from Hon. Ofili-Ajumogobia and credited it into her dollar account, but following her instruction, I wrote one Donald Ofili as the depositor.”

Oshodi also gave details of a third account of the judge which was a corporate account, called Nigel and Colive.



He said: “There is a corporate account which was opened in September 2013 called Nigel and Colive with account number 0036103635.

“The address of the company is No. 18, Lai Bende Street, Fadire Estate. The corporate account opening form had to be filled and the company documents verified before it can be opened.”

According to Oshodi, Diamond Bank waived some requirements for the opening corporate accounts because of their relationship with the judge.

Oshodi said: “We did a physical visitation to the address and we found out that the site of the building was still under construction.

“However, because Hon. Ofili-Ajumogobia is our customer and we knew that the property was hers, we proceeded to open the account.”

Justice Hakeem Oshodi has adjourned the case to January 30 for continuation of trial.

PRESIDENT of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has fired his Communications Director apparently, for plagiarism of his inaugural speech and for causing great international embarrassment to the new Head of State.

Nana Akufo-Addo taking the oath of office, photo: BBC News


Videos showing President Addo delivering his inaugural speech now discovered to be a work of Plagiarism from two USA past Presidents, has gone viral.


An announcement stated that the Communications Director, Eugene Arhin was relieved of his duties.

The inaugration speech has become a pun of media jokes and split screens have been made showing Addo repeating the words of President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton.

Earlier Eugene Arhin, Communications Director at Golden Jubilee House issued a statement on his Facebook page attempting to pass off the plagiarism as a mere case of lack of referencing and attribution.

He wrote: “My attention has been drawn to references being made to a statement in the speech delivered by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at his swearing in on Saturday, January 7, 2017, which was not duly acknowledged”.



“I unreservedly apologise for the non-acknowledgement of this quote to the original author. It was a complete oversight, and never deliberate. It is insightful to note that in the same speech were quotes from J.B Danquah, Dr. K.A. Busia, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the Bible which were all duly attributed and acknowledged”.

WIFE of Nigeria’s President, Aisha Buhari in a respond to another publication done on her by Sahara Reporters, has stated that the £3,500 spent on her, is a far cry from the £32,000 spent in the past for former First Ladies as landing cost for their private jets by the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom.

Sahara Reporters had detailed how Mrs. Buhari and some top officials in her husband’s government receive irregular funds from the Nigerian High Commission in London.

‎The First Lady’s office issued a rejoinder disputing the report.

Responding the news portal published another documents showing the President's wife misled on financial burden on Nigerian High Commission in London.

In a statement signed by Adebisi Olumide Ajayi  the SA Media to the Wife of the President, she said; “The continuous publication of unfounded stories by Sahara Reporters against the Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, is becoming a great concern. After our last rejoinder, we expected the paper to come out with concrete evidence of deliberate fraud or abuse of privileges, or be bold enough to own up and apologize for such hazy and unsubstantiated report.”

“Alas, what Sahara Reporters came up with was another conjecture of a purported internal memo within the Consulate, which has no direct link to Her Excellency. The new accusation, however, has still not been able to substantiate where Aisha Buhari made any direct contact with the mission for anything.”‎

The statement further said; “The High Commission has its internal administrative procedure, and it’s not within the purview of the wife of the President to ask for diplomatic files.



“Furthermore, that the said memo showed little or no knowledge of Her Excellency’s itinerary proves the simple fact we earlier submitted that she had no direct business with the embassy to warrant the accusation of waste or corruption insinuated in the report.

“Part of the wife of the President’s trips abroad are for her NGO, which is not funded by the Government, and It is not uncommon to have stop over in Britain like any other country as the case may be. According her VIP treatment is simple protocol for a personality of her status, which is done all over the world, and at no point was she offered anywhere else.

“The High Commission provided the lounge and Hajiya Buhari was not involved in the transaction. This is even a far cry from the £32,000 expended in the past as landing fees for private jets of former first ladies.

“Attending an international women function with the Governors’ wives couldn’t have been linked to the bogus allegation of corruption made by Sahara Reporters’ spurious headline earlier on, as these are approved trips.

“It will be to the credit of Sahara Reporters to carry out a thorough check if the so called monies (£3,500) spent for whatever reason by the High Commission has any direct link with Hajia Aisha Buhari.



“That is responsible journalism,” the statement said.‎

As at the time of publication, Sahara Reporters is yet to respond as it has always did.‎

Ayloaded04:
Let the comments roll in

WHY the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Worldwide decided to step aside from overseeing the affairs of the church in Nigeria was as a result of a code in the Financial Regulation Council rules.
‎
The FRC was established by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act, No. 6, 2011.
‎
It is under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
‎
The Council is responsible for, among others, developing and publishing accounting and financial reporting standards to be observed in the preparation of financial statements of public entities in Nigeria and for related matters.
‎
One of the rules stipulates a maximum period of 20 years for the heads of all registered churches, mosques and civil society organisations.
‎
The Governance Code 2016 of the Act encompasses three sectors: the private, the public and not-for-profit.
‎
It is the not-for-profit sector, sometimes referred to as the Benevolent Sector, the Third Sector or the Civil Society Sector, that religious bodies fall under.
‎
This is covered by section 9.
‎
Section 9.1. states: The Founder or Leader of a NFPO occupies a special position in the Organisation and is committed to the success and longevity of the NFPO. Accordingly, a Founder or Leader should not take on too many responsibilities in the organisation or have an indefinite term in the running of the organisation.‎
‎
9.2. Where for any reason, a Founder or Leader of NFPO also occupies any of the three governance positions of Chairmanship of the Board of Trustees, the Governing Board or Council, and the Headship of the Executive Management (or their governance equivalents), the following provisions shall apply before the end of the organisation’s financial year in which this Code takes effect.‎
‎
9.2.1. The Founder or Leader shall cease to occupy these three governance positions simultaneously. This is to ensure the separation of powers and avoid possible concentration of powers in one individual.‎
‎
9.2.2. The Founder or Leader may, however, choose – subject to the agreement of the organisation’s apex authority as expressed in the Annual General Assembly, Annual Meeting, Annual Stakeholder Engagement, Annual Conference, Annual Synod, Annual Fellowship Assembly or their equivalents – only one of these three governance positions subject to his current tenure. This is to ensure a clear division of responsibilities at the head of the organisation between the running of the governing body and the executive responsibility for the management and fulfilment of the organisation’s mission.‎
‎
9.3. Where the Founder or Leader has occupied all or any of these three governance positions for more than twenty years, or is aged seventy years or above, the choice in Section 9.2.2 above should only relate to the Board of Trustees as in section 9.4(c) below, except the constitution of the organisation otherwise provides. In the case of religious or cultural organisations, nothing in this code is intended to change the spiritual leadership and responsibilities of Founders, General Overseers, Pastors, Imams and Muslim Clerics, Presidents, Bishops, Apostles, Prophets, etc. which are distinguishable from purely corporate governance and management responsibilities and accountabilities of the entities.‎
‎
9.4. Conflicts with Founders or Leaders should therefore be addressed by: (a) recognising and respecting past achievements and strategy of the Founder or Leader with assurances that change has become inevitable to enable his dream live on; (b) making provisions if not already in existence, or drawing the Founder’s or Leader’s attention to the maximum tenure already stipulated by the Charter and imploring the Founder or Leader to respect it; (c) considering and ensuring Founder’s or Leader’s continued advisory or spiritual role by creating a Board of Trustees (BOT) for which the original Founder or Leader can become the First or Life Chair; and (d) elevating deserving and senior members of the organisation to the Board of Trustees.‎
‎
Adeboye alluded to this when he spoke at the Annual Thanksgiving of the church at Redemption Camp on Saturday.
‎
He said the “new law that has been announced, they said that nobody can be overseer for more than a certain number of years.
‎
“And according to that law, people like me, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, we are already gone.”‎
‎
Apart from Oyedepo of Living Faith Church, Kumuyi of Deeper Life Bible Church and Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, other leaders to be affected by the law are;
‎•Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor of the Word of Life Bible Church;
•Rev. Chris Okotie of the Household of God;‎
•Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Centre;‎
•Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Believers’ LoveWord International;
•Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre;
•Pastor Tunde Bakare of Latter Rain Assembly and 
•Pastor Paul Adefarasin of House on the Rocks.
‎
They have spent between 21 and 43 years as the head of their respective churches.
‎
While Adeyemi founded DCC a little over 21 years ago, Kumuyi has been at the helm of affairs at DLBC for 43 years.

Olukoya has put in 22 years as the General Overseer of MFM, Okonkwo 35 years, Oritsejafor 29 years, Okotie same as Oritsejafor, Ashimolowo 24 years, Oyedepo 35 years, Oyakhilome 26 years, Bakare 27 years and Adefarasin 22 years.‎

THE General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has warned the Federal Government on meddling in church matters.


This was just as the renowned cleric advised the members of the church to register as card-carrying members of political parties.
‎
Speaking at the 2017 Ministers’ Annual Thanksgiving on Saturday at the Redemption Camp, Km 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Mowe, Ogun State, Adeboye expressed worries over deliberate anti-Christian laws being churned out by the Federal Government to interfere in church affairs.

‎
“The government has been showing increasing interest in church affairs. Unfortunately, for us in RCCG, it might not be very helpful,” Adeboye said.

‎
He further accused the government of not allowing the church (RCCG) to continue with its innovative lifetime 100 per cent salaries to its pensioners.



‎
He said: “For example, when I decided on what will be the pension of our pastors, what I decided is not done anywhere in the world. That somebody will retire and continue to earn full salaries all his lifetime.

‎
“This, I started, but government stepped in and made a law that we should be contributing to pension fund.

‎
“We have to obey and we started doing that. The result is that pastors don’t get as much as they were getting under our own previous arrangement. But what can we do? We have to obey the law.”

‎
Speaking further, Adeboye disclosed that other fresh laws had been enacted by the government to ruffle the feathers of the church in the country, with some particularly targeted at the RCCG.

‎
According to him: “Now there are fresh laws. We have a rough idea of what the law is about.

‎
“Some people believe that RCCG is becoming too influential and we’re going to be more influential. When you get home, tell members to join a political party.

‎
“Join a party and become a card-carrying member of any party. Just join any party. We shall decide issues right from the ward level.

‎
“Enrol in any party of your choice and have a card.

‎
“When holding meetings at ward level to choose delegates, be there.

‎
“One Muslim in Ibadan said years ago that he didn’t know what’s wrong with Christians; that we help them to occupy political positions and refuse to capitalise on our population. That’s going to change from now.”

‎
On the tenure of General Overseers of religious bodies in the country, Pastor Adeboye disclosed that in the “new law that has been announced, they said that nobody can be overseer for more than a certain number of years.

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“And according to that law, people like me, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, we are already gone.”

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Adeboye, thereafter presented Pastor Joseph O. Obayemi as the new General Overseer of RCCG (Nigeria), now designated as National Overseer; Pastor Johnson Odesola as Secretary; and Pastor Adeyokunnu as Treasurer.

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Pastors Obayemi and Odesola were former Special Assistant to the General Overseer on Finance and Special Assistant on Administration and Personnel respectively.

Speaking further on the new law, Adeboye, while presenting the new appointees, said: “They also said we must have a secretary; they said we must have a treasurer too. So, I present to you Pastor Obayemi, Pastor Odesola and Pastor Adeyokunnu.

“As God will have it, the people have been prepared for the jobs for years. For instance, Pastor Obayemi has been in charge of the salary review committee for years and inland missions.‎



“He’s been our representative at the Christian Association of Nigeria for years, so he’ll be doing what he’s been doing.”

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Adeboye, who did not specifically announce his new position, said he has no problem performing his God-given role.

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He said: “About me, no problem. RCCG is in 192 nations of the world and the Overseer in Nigeria will not drive me out of the camp.

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“He won’t stop me from doing the Holy Ghost Services and he won’t stop me from visiting you.”

Adeboye joined RCCG in 1973 and was appointed the General Overseer in 1981 after the demise of Ondo State-born founder of the church, Reverend Josiah Akindayomi.

‎MAGNUS‎ Abe, George Sekibo and Osinakachukwu Ideozu, has been sworn in as elected senators from Rivers State.

The three lawmakers were elected in the Rivers legislative re-run elections that held on Saturday.

The oath of office was administered to them by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.‎



The exercise – still ongoing as results are yet to be known for nine constituencies – was characterized by widespread violence and irregularities.

Mr. Abe represents Rivers South East; Mr. Sekibo; Rivers East; and Mr. Ideozu, Rivers West.

The seats for the three senatorial districts from Rivers State had been vacant since December when the Court Appeal invalidated legislative elections held during the 2015 general elections in the oil rich state.

“They just came from a tough election,” Mr. Saraki said after congratulating the newly sworn in Senators.

Mr. Sekibo (PDP) is in the Senate for the third time, Mr. Abe (APC) the second time and Mr. Ideozu (PDP) is a first time senator.



Meanwhile, the Senate has adjourned sitting till January 10.

The resolution for adjournment was reached after the Senate reconvened Thursday afternoon to approve votes and proceedings of the day.‎‎