Nigerialabalaba: Imo communities rue missed windfalls as church moves popular crusade to Lagos.
The four-day crusade of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, which had overtime been hosted yearly in January at Umuaguma, Mgbidi, Imo State, will not be held in the town next year as announced by the General Overseer, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, as a result of what is believed to be security concerns in the South-East. GIBSON ACHONU, who visited the regional headquarters in Mgbidi writes on the change of venue and the negative economic impact it will have on the people of the area
indigenes and residents of Mgbidi, Emekuku, Orji, Awo-omama and Owerri in Imo State and Amorka and Ihiala in Anambra State were in a state of confusion when our correspondent visited the areas. They were not happy with the shift in venue of the yearly crusade of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement in the first week of January from the South-East regional headquarters of the church at Umuaguma, Mgbidi to the Ijeshatedo area of Lagos State. They prayed for the change of venue to be reversed to the original venue by the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Lazarus Muoka.
Though no official of the church has admitted it, our correspondent gathered that the prevailing state of insecurity in the entire South-East region might have prompted the general overseer to move the crusade to Lagos as the fair of attacks and kidnapping of worshippers gained ground.
The venue for the crusade in Mgbidi is an expansive one. It is located at Umuaguma Mgbidi, which also accommodates the Chosen International Secondary School.
The Regional Resident Pastor of the church, Victor Chinedu, said the crusade was a four-day event, but could last up to a week as a result of the series of meetings that usually take place after the main events between the many units in the church and the general overseer.
He said the import of the spiritual event was for people to rededicate themselves to their creator at the beginning of each year, noting, “The crusade is a four-day programme. It is always done in the first week of every January of the year. The whole church gathers in Mgbidi in millions to rededicate themselves and dedicate the year to the Almighty.”
Chinedu, however, said the entire branches of the Lord’s Chosen Church in Mgbidi received the announcement of change of venue with mixed feelings.
He also said that the change of venue announced by the founder of the church was spiritual, adding that since he had said it, the congregation had no powers to change it.
The regional resident pastor stated, “Since he (Muoka) has announced it as a man of God, who speaks through the Holy Spirit, we don’t have powers to change it but abide. We shall all prepare to go to Ijeshatedo in Lagos and be part of the crusade in January 2022.
“I cannot tell you the reason for the change. Having been speaking through the Holy Spirit, the reason for the change is best known to the GO. The only advantage to that is that those Christians and members, who have not been to Lagos, will use the opportunity to visit Lagos.”
He, however, prayed for the venue to be changed back to Mgbidi for the people in the area to benefit from the spiritual exercise, adding, “It is not yet concluded that the venue is changed. Believing God, anything can happen on or before January 3, 2022.”
On the acquisition of the large expanse of land at Mgbidi for the crusade, the Vice-Principal (Admin.), Lord’s Chosen International Secondary School, Mr Chris Ochije, said it was the work of the Holy Spirit.
He said, “Pastor Lazarus Muoka is from the Orsu LGA in Imo State and not from Mgbidi. The crusade is all encompassing as it accommodates other Christians apart from Lord’s Chosen adherents. For him to have acquired such an expanse of land in Mgbidi shows that he is a real man of God, who wants to use the land to propagate the word of God.
“The present crusade started as a one-day event, later two days, then three days and finally four days.”
Another pastor and tutor at the secondary school, Ononuju Patrick, stated that the theme of next year’s crusade, ‘What God has determined shall be done’, had been the same since 2015, adding that before 2015, the theme had varied from one year to another.
“As a man of God, Pastor Muoka knows why this theme, which started in 2015, has remained the same. People have benefitted immensely from this theme and the crusade as many cripple had walked, the blind seen and the dumb spoke. As he directs, so we follow,” he added.
The indigenes, especially landlords, were not happy because during the four-day crusade, they usually made huge sums of money as they rented out their apartments to members of the large congregation who partake in the crusade. Food vendors were also not happy for the change, because of the huge sales during the event.
Mechanics described the crusade as another “Christmas” in January as they work on many motor vehicles that break down during the religious festival. Other indigenes and residents are also not happy because Mgbidi bubbles a lot during the event.
Hoteliers are not left out as their turnover will take a huge hit due to the absence of guests to take up the accommodation they offer to people who come from different parts of the country as well as from the United Kingdom, Dubai, France, Australia, Canada and Indonesia, among others, to participate in the spiritual exercise.
A resident of Ihitte Mgbidi, Mrs Jovita Ndimkoha, noted that the shift of venue would negatively affect the people.
Ndimkoha, a mother of four and a widow, said the crusades had in the past helped to better her life and those of her children.
“It is in that crusade that I make money as a food vendor to pay the second and third terms’ school fees of my children. I make a lot of sales during the crusade. But with this change of venue, how will I pay the school fees in 2022?” she queried.
A landlord, Chief Isaac Ndulue, who hails from Umuehi Mgbidi, regretted the change of venue, saying he was renting out accommodation to over 200 persons during the crusade.
“Members of the church always book accommodation ahead of time. I used to charge N5,000 per room for the period of the crusade. With this change in venue, I will lose lots of money and I don’t know when such windfall will come again,” he said ruefully.
A mechanic, Jude Isiocha, a native of Umuadobaihi Ihiala, regretted the change in venue as he used to make a lot of money during the period of the crusade.
He said, “The crusade time is when big Molue buses from Lagos come to the East. Since there are not many that specialise in the repair of that type of motor vehicle, I make a lot of money as many of them spoil. I am always busy during that period.
“Owing to that crusade, I come back from my village immediately on January 2 of every year so as to make money from the Lord’s Chosen congregation.”
For the traditional ruler of Alienyi Mgbidi, Eze Samuel Meghamobi, the change of venue of the crusade is not a step in the right direction.
The monarch said he had over the years benefitted from the crusade, stating, “I love the yearly spiritual exercise. Pastor Lazarus Muoka is a real man of God. Most times, I take my cabinet members to the event and even invite traditional rulers from other communities to attend the crusade. The spiritual exercise in no small measure has helped in the cleansing of Mgbidi land in particular and Imo State at large.
“I am not happy at the way the venue was changed, but Muoka being a man of God, knows why. Though I am not among those who do business or rent out houses during the crusade, the spiritual benefits I get from it are second to none. Even if the venue is changed from Umuaguma Mgbidi to Lagos, I don’t mind going to Lagos to be part of it.”
A hotelier in Owerri, Mr Chima Chukwunyere, said he would lose money as his hotel of many rooms was always filled up during the crusade.
dre11: Nigeria’s Anti-graft Agency, ICPC Recovers 301 Houses From Two Civil Servants In Abuja
ICPC boss made the disclosure at the inauguration of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Investigation of the Operations of Real Estate Developers on Thursday.
Iyiataata92: FFK just landed in APC and is already attacking someone that has been a member for years. He should just tread carefully else the official bandits in Aso Rock remember him for the wrong reasons
He did not Attack someone. He attacked a Terrorist
Nackzy: Very stupid app, there's nothing in this country that can be seamless, imagine downloading the app, filled my information, no space to fill email, but at the end they said my activation link has been sent to my email,
A pig kidney has been transplanted into a human being for the first time ever, without triggering immediate rejection by the recipient's immune system, according to Reuters.
This is a potentially major advance that could eventually helpalleviate a dire shortage of human organs for transplant.
The procedure done at NYU Langone Health in New York City involved use of a pig whose genes had been altered so that its tissues no longer contained a molecule known to trigger almost immediate rejection.
The recipient was a brain-dead patient with signs of kidney dysfunction whose family consented to the experiment before she was due to be taken off of life support, researchers told Reuters.
For three days, the new kidney was attached to her blood vessels and maintained outside her body, giving researchers access to it.
TMSMedia: Not less than 18 persons were killed after bandits attacked a mosque in Mazakuka village in Mashegu local government area of Niger State on Monday morning 25th October 2021, IgbereTV reports.
IgbereTV gathered that the gunmen invaded the community in motorcycles while the residents were performing their morning prayers.
According to report, the attackers shot victims at closed range inside the mosque.
Members of the community have shared photos of some of the victims of the gruesome attack.
Everyone should ignore the News. It's fake! Niger state is very safe and all law abiding citizens should go about there Daly business as law enforcement officers in Niger state have vowed to deal with these fake new peddlers soon
TMSMedia: Police Recover Skeletal Remains Of Rivers Monarch Kidnapped Two 2 Years Ago (Graphic Photos)
The Rivers State Police Command has recovered the remains of Chief Robert Namene Loolo, the Paramount Ruler of Luuwa community in NyoKhana District of Khana LGA, who was abducted in 2019, IgbereTV reports.
The decomposed body of Chief Robert Loolo,61, was exhumed at a creek linking Luwa, Bera, and Bane Communities on Monday, October 25, by the DPO of Bori Police Station, Inspector Gbako Amgbasim and his team.
It was gathered that the monarch was abducted from his residence on the 27th of June 2019, by irate youths of the community.
The deceased son, Dr Douglas Fabeke, told reporters that ransom was paid twice to secure his father’s release from his captors.
Fabeke said that his father was tortured and tied to a stick inside the creek and left to die without help.
"He was kidnapped from his house by a youths group in the community who were fighting over the position of a youth president. We tried to beg these youths to release him for us; we had to pay ransom twice,"he said.
"We reported the matter to the police and to all the security agencies in the state; they got involved and tried to make sure he was released but after some time, there was silence. We went into more action and after about a few months; we were able to arrest a native doctor who confessed that he had been killed but did not know where he was buried
"Ever since we have been on this issue, but two months ago, we renewed effort through intelligence gathering to make sure we locate where he was buried, and by the grace of God, today, we were able to mobilise forces from the Bori divisional police headquarters, with a combined team, and they stormed the forest.
"We were able to discover where he was buried. Everything to identify him with was there, we noticed he was tortured. He was tied to a tree.”
Spokesperson of the Command, SP Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incident said that the deceased remains were recovered by police operatives.
Another son of the deceased, Barine Eric Loolo described his father as a good man with generous and kind heart.
Rupertek: This letter was written over 2 months ago, you are just seeing it in the public now. So, how about that UN charter on rights to self determination by indigenous people? Kanu used that to scam you people. When is the UN comming to enforce it?
I wanted to reply you normally but then when I read your second line....I knew where your coming from and it's a waste of time.
chrisvic007: The Yoruba have said it many times that the agitations of Ipob is not similar to theirs'. The Igbo should paddle their canoe because Igboho has not ordered the killing of his people, he has not destroyed any symbol of the state and in short, he is not a terrorist.
Moreover, igboho is not in the hands of Nigeria's security agency. He is in Benin republic with his kith and kin.
Thus, it would be proper if everybody paddles his canoe. We are not interested in attachment by force.
Foot note: I am in possession of the audio recording of 20th October 2020 from Biafra Radio where KANU ordered the Igbo to "attack and raze Lagos". He also told them to "bring Tinubu down and demystify him" and of course, the rest is history.
How many Yorubas were killed during the Nigerian Biafran War
Sometimes una go just wake up to write bullshit. Even though I know you're nothing but a Fulani
ebukajay184: Kano State Government Offers Automatic Teaching Job To Blind Teacher, Dahuru Idris (Photo)
Dahuru Abdulhamid Idris, a blind English teacher who was recently interviewed by Daily Trust TV has been offered an automatic teaching job by the Kano State Government, IgbereTV reports.
Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his Commissioner of Education earlier met with Dahuru Abdulhamid Idris.
A statement from Kano State Government House reads;
Iyaebe: Are these men truly men of God?They are so materialistic,flashy and wealth conscious.I wonder if this is what Christ lived for.Humans should reach out to God directly and not through any medium(men of God) because there's no barrier between God and anyone and He needs no medium to seek him.Be wise.
He has other profession Oga. So all men of God should crawl on the street before you believe they're from.God abi
Christianity Etc › Re: IPOB/UGM/ ESN Killings: Chosen Church Moves Popular Crusade From Imo To Lagos by Thunderfayayou: 7:56am On Oct 29, 2021
