Holy Bible: Christ Embassy to launch pidgin version

The Christ Embassy church says it will soon launch its pidgin version of the Holy Bible to further propagate the words of God.

Head of the Warri Ministry Centre of the Christ Embassy, Pastor Eddie Owase, made this known on this on Tuesday night in Warri as part of activities by the church to mark Nigeria’s 59th independence.

“We have been able to translate the Holy Bible into pidgin, that is one of the biggest things we will give to the world soon,” he said.

Owase said that the annual Reach out Nigeria through the Rhapsody of Realities, a daily devotional of the ministry, had been translated into different languages in the country.

The cleric said that 2 million copies of the Rhapsody translated into Urhobo, pidgin, Ijaw and Itsekiri languages were launched in Delta in 2019.

“The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is the God’s power to save humanity,“ he said.

He also said that the ministry would continue to sustain the programme which it started 11 years ago, to win souls for Christ.

“Reach out Nigeria which started 11 years ago is a programme, designed to reach out to people, professionals, prisoners and those in the hospitals among others with the words of God.

“We know that God’s word is the power to change the life of the people and if there is going to be progress and prosperity, it is going to be through the power of God.

“We carried out various projects in orphanages, police, prisons among others in Delta and we are glad reaching out to souls in the country, we will continue to do that.

“There is hope for Nigeria, at 59; Nigeria is great, not diminishing nor disintegrating.

“It is our prayer that God will continue to sustain our leaders to do the inevitable and lead the country on the part of peace, progress and prosperity,” he said.

Owase appealed to the leaders to embrace the words of God and believe in the unity and greatness of the country.

“God loves Nigeria, irrespective of our differences, challenges, this country can only rise to be greater and stronger.”

Great Football Club of Warri won the 2019 Reach out Nigeria Football tournament organised by the ministry.

- PM NEWS

Indian police arrest another Nigerian with cocaine

Indian police in Bengaluru have arrested a Nigerian with cocaine worth Rs 5 lakh, about $7,200, Asian News International(ANI) reported.

The Nigerian was identified as Jekwu Michael and the banned drugs weighing around 50 grams was seized.

Further investigation showed that Michael’s visa had expired.

Bengaluru police have registered a case under relevant sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Foreigners Act.

Further investigation is underway, said ANI.

- PM NEWS

SERAP wins round one in battle to make CCB publish assets of public officials

A federal high court in Lagos has granted the application filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) seeking to compel the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to disclose details of assets declared by public officials since 1999.

SERAP had filed a suit against the CCB over its claim that it could not disclose details of asset declarations submitted to it by public officials.

Through a freedom of information (FoI) request, SERAP had asked the CCB to urgently provide information on asset declaration submitted to the bureau by public officials from 1999 to 2019.

But the bureau had said the information requested could not be provided on the grounds of “invasion of privacy”.

In an application filed by Adelanke Aremo, SERAP’s counsel, the organisation sought an order of mandamus directing and compelling the CCB to disclose details of asset declarations submitted to it.

The civil society organisation had argued that the assets declaration form is a public document and not private information as claimed by CCB.

“Public interest in disclosure of the details of asset declarations sought by SERAP clearly outweighs any claim of protection of the privacy of presidents and state governors, as they are public officers entrusted with the duty to manage public funds, among other public functions,”  the suit read in part.

“The CCB does not have reasonable grounds on which to deny SERAP’s FOI request, as it is in the interest of justice, the Nigerian public, transparency and accountability to publish details of asset declarations by presidents and state governors since the return of democracy in 1999.

“The right to information and truth allows Nigerians to gain access to information essential to the fight against corruption, institutionalise good governance and improve citizens’ confidence in public institutions.”

Delivering judgement on Wednesday, Muslim Hassan, the presiding judge, granted the order for leave following the hearing of the argument on exparte motion filed by SERAP.

“Going through the Application filed by SERAP, supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit, with supporting exhibits, statements setting out the facts, verifying affidavits and written address in support, I am satisfied that leave ought to be granted in this case, and I hereby grant the motion for leave,” the judge ruled.

Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP deputy director, said the order by the court has cleared the way for the organisation to advance its case against the CBB and challenge the grounds for its refusal to publish the information requested.

The suit was adjourned to October 16 for motion on notice.

- THECABLE

7 rescued as police uncover yet another baby factory in Lagos

The Lagos police command says it rescued seven pregnant girls believed to be from a baby factory around Cele bus stop, Oshodi-Apapa expressway, in the early hours of Wednesday. 

The police had earlier uncovered a baby factory, rescued 19 pregnant girls, and arrested two suspects in the state. 

The rescue of the new set of girls, the police said, happened around 1am on Wednesday when the  Isolo police station got alerted that seven pregnant girls were seen stranded at the bus stop. 

Bala Elkana, the command’s spokesman, said a team of detectives led by Folorunsho Gabriel, the divisional police officer (DPO) of Isolo police station, mobilised his men to the area to get the girls. 

“They are between ages 13 and 27. Five of them are from Imo state, the remaining two are from Abia and Rivers states respectively. A child of about 2 years was also rescued. They were all handed over to NAPTIP for further investigation,” he said.

The girls, according to the police, were about 20 in the facility and had been tricked to come to Lagos. 

“They were all brought under different guises, mostly employment. Some of them were promised help,” he said.

“The 13-year-old among them said she was raped in her village and she became pregnant. When she was confused on how to handle the situation, somebody offered to help her and that was how she was brought to Lagos, not knowing that she was deceived.

“When they all discovered that it was a baby factory and their babies would be sold, they wanted to go, but the madam held them hostage. However on their own, they plotted their escape and eventually fled last night.”

Elkana urged Lagos residents to look out for the other girls who might as well be stranded somewhere within the state. 

- THECABLE

World War II plane carrying 13 passengers crashes in US

At least seven people were killed when a World War II bomber carrying 13 passengers and crew crashed at an airport in the northeastern US state of Connecticut Wednesday, local media reported.

The Boeing B-17 aircraft, which the US Air Force deployed against Germany and Japan, crashed at Bradley International Airport while trying to land around 10:00 am (1400 GMT).

Ten passengers and three crew were on the aircraft, which was operated by the Collings Foundation, a group catering to aviation buffs who pay to experience vintage planes, officials said.

James Rovella, a Connecticut state disaster emergency official, told a news conference that there had been fatalities but added it was too early to say the exact number.

“Burn victims are very difficult to identify. We don’t want to make a mistake,” he said.

A maintenance officer working on the ground was also injured, Rovella added.

Local media later cited officials as saying that the crash left at least seven dead and nine injured, including three people who were on the ground at the time.

Ten minutes after the flight took off at 9:45 am, the pilots radioed the control tower to say they were experiencing problems, said Kevin Dillon, director of the state’s airport authority.

“We could see they could not gain altitude. Upon touchdown they obviously lost control, struck our de-icing facility here as well as a maintenance facility,” he told reporters.

A spokesman for Hartford Hospital, situated 15 miles (25 kilometres) from the airport, told AFP the facility had received six patients, three of whom were critical.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

According to excerpts of a cockpit conversation reported by several news outlets, the pilot had asked the control tower for permission to land urgently because of an engine problem.

Photos circulating on social media and carried by US media outlets showed a thick black plume of smoke billowing from the crash site.

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal said the plane was one of only 18 B-17s left in the country, and that the crash might have implications for the flying of vintage aircraft.

“If there were defects or improper maintenance as a cause, it is a very strong red flashing light for others who are flying these planes,” he said.

The airport was closed for several hours before later reopening.

- PM NEWS

Sen. Abaribe cries out, says soldiers now help kidnappers in Nigeria

Senate Minority Whip, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has alleged that soldiers were helping kidnappers across Nigeria.

Abaribe, who is representing Abia North in the Senate, claimed that rescued kidnapped victims can no longer be handed over to soldiers for safety.

He made the allegation while contributing on a motion on insecurity along Abuja-Lokoja road during plenary session yesterday.

According to Abaribe: “What else do we do aside from getting up and making this presentation? As I stand before you, I do not know but I can only say what is that abnormal thing we will do?

“I know on this floor when I was on the other side, sometime in 2008, we raised a motion on Abia state and the president agreed and sent soldiers. They helped reduce the kidnapping.

“But all of a sudden, we now see that some soldiers are helping kidnappers. We are in a very big and difficult situation. We sympathise with the people killed.”

Stating that most lawmakers have abandoned the Abuja-Kaduna road because of insecurity, Abaribe said: “This means we have yielded to the bandits. Some state governments have even gone to negotiate with the bandits.”

- DAILY POST

Sanwo-Olu: Less than 700,000 people pay taxes in Lagos

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos state, has urged more residents to pay their taxes to enable the state government to carry out its developmental projects.

Sanwo-Olu gave the advice on Tuesday while answering questions on ‘The Platform Nigeria’, an event organised by The Covenant Christian Church Place, Iganmu, Lagos.

According to the governor, less than 700,000 out of 4.5 million taxable adults in Lagos are currently paying tax.

“We are not saying that we should increase tax, but we encourage people to be on the tax net,” he said.

“We are also appealing to our tax agency to be more proactive and reach out to people who are not paying tax.”

Sanwo-Olu appealed to Lagosians to be patient over the bad state of roads in the state, saying that continuous rainfall was slowing down rehabilitation and palliative work on the roads.

He assured that there would be extensive and massive rehabilitation of roads after the rainy season.

The governor said that state government was working on a multi-modal transportation system comprising rail, water transportation and bus transit system to remedy the traffic problem in the state.

”On water transportation, we are encouraging the building of a lot of jetties and we have just acquired six to seven new passenger boats that can take 60 to 70 passengers at a time,” he said.

On commercial motor-cycle operators, the governor said since his administration wanted to give everybody a chance to be part of the state development plan, he was trying to harmonise and come up with a regulation system.

”This is designed to know who they are, their activities and how to manage them to ensure that they don’t add to the problem of traffic flow in the state; we don’t want to disenfranchise anybody,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He said that through the ongoing Metropolitan Fibre Initiative of his administration, public institutions in the state, such as schools and hospitals, would have access to high-speed internet service.

Sanwo-Olu said that the initiative, which was technology enabler, would help to manage traffic and other security issues in the state.

- THECABLE