Religion
10 Things To Know About RCCG Pastor Appointed As Soun Of Ogbomoso Land
RCCG pastor, Prince Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye was appointed as the Soun of Ogbomoso by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
In a statement on Saturday by the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, noted that the emergence of Ghandi followed the long-drawn processes specified under the law.
The Commissioner said the exalted position had placed the Soun-elect in the position to facilitate harmony, understanding, and tolerance amongst his people.
He, therefore, called on all sons and daughters of the ancient city of Ogbomoso to work with the monarch to consolidate the successes of his forefathers.
In this article, Naija News highlights ten things you might not know about Ghandi Olaoye, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG).
- Prince Ghandi was born to the royal family of Olaoye, one of the five royal families alongside the Oyewunmis and Ajagunlades in Ogbomoso.
- He studied English Language at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria (formerly known as the University of Ife) before moving abroad for postgraduate study in Industrial and Labour Relations.
- Olaoye had been pastoring for about 30 years, starting from 1992, when he began his pastoral duties at the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
- Before moving to Germany and overseeing another RCCG Parish in Bonn, Germany, he had served as the pastor of three RCCG churches in Nigeria.
Currently, he pastors the RCCG, Jesus House, in Washington DC, United States. He is also the coordinator of Convention and Special Projects for RCCG, North America.
- Until 1992, when he became a pastor under RCCG, he was an accomplished entrepreneur cum motivational speaker.
- Ghandi served on the National Council on Privatization (NCP), the Board of the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) from 2017 to 2021.
- Prince Ghandi was born on August 23rd 1961.
- He is the CEO of Peculiar People Management (PPM) and GihonRiv Limited, Management and Human Resource Consulting Companies based in Lagos, Nigeria and Dallas, U.S.A.
- Ghandi is a member of the Board of Trustees of Strategy for Mentoring Initiative & Leadership Empowerment (SMILE), a young entrepreneurship for development and a non-profit organization.
- Prince Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye is happily married to Omo, a pastor, and they are blessed with two children.
Religion
Not Everything on Social Media Should Feed You- Cleric
The Senior Pastor of Streams of Joy International, Jerry Eze, has urged Christians not to feed on everything they see on social media.Eze made the call during his sermon at the church service on Sunday in Abuja.He noted that certain contents on social media could corrupt the minds of God’s children,negatively influencing their thoughts,spirit and behavior.
“Don’t let everything feed you. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Not everything on social media should feed you.“You remember the vile words of the enemy more than you remember what is in the word(the Bible).“I didn’t even want to talk about it, but I do recognise that when you head Equatorial Guinea, it fed you and re-fed you, “he said.He said that God has unique plans for His children, but required them to be in tune with Him.He added that they also need to be intentional about the information they consume on social media, the company they keep, and the places they go.Eze urged the congregants to guard their vision in accordance with God’s instructions, just as a pregnant woman was advised on what to consume to keep her body safe and healthy.The cleric prayed for wisdom and understanding for the congregants, asking God to guide them on their unique life paths.He added that they should not dwell on their fears and insecurities, but instead look to God for the fulfillment of their new seasons.According to the pastor, some difficulties are allowed by God to build and prepare his children to handle greater responsibilities in the future.(NANReligion
Bigard Seminary has Produced 4 Cardinals, 37 Bishops– Rector
The Rector, Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu, Very Rev. Fr. Albert Ikpenwa, says the seminary has produced four cardinals, 14 archbishops, 37 bishops and thousands of priests since it officially opened in 1924.
Ikpenwa disclosed this on Tuesday at news conference to give insight on Bigard Centenary Celebration scheduled to begin on Nov.
10 in Enugu.He said the seminary had also produced thousands of priests working in Nigeria, Europe, America, Australia and other parts of the world.
Ikpenwa listed the Cardinals to include Francis Arinze, Dominic Ekandem, Christian Tummi and Peter Okpalaeke.
According to him, some of the archbishops are Valerian Okeke, Bishops Callistus Onaga, John Okoye, Albert Obiefuna, among others.
He added that the seminary had also served in the formation of seminarians from Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Liberia and produced professors in many universities as well as other individuals who studied there but did not serve as priest.
The rector said Bigard Memorial Seminary started as St. Paul’s Seminary, Igbariam, Anambra, in 1922, an initiative of Bishop Joseph Shanahan, the then Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Southern Nigeria.
“The seminary was, however, officially opened in 1924 to teach theology and philosophy following Pope Benedict XV’s 1919’s letter that emphasised the need and urgency of establishing indigenous clergy in mission lands.
“In 1928, the seminary was moved to Onitsha and a senior seminary was opened at Eke in Enugu State in 1934 to separate it from the junior seminary.
“The senior seminary was later transferred to Enugu in 1939, then to Okpala, Imo, in 1942, and finally back to Enugu in 1951 where it has remained as Bigard Memorial Seminary,” he said.
He explained that seminary was named Bigard to honour Stephanie and Jeanne Bigard, the mother and daughter foundresses of the Opus Sancti Petri Apostoli society, which funded the building of the seminary.
Speaking on the 100 years anniversary, the Chairman Planning Committee, Rev. Fr. Kelvin Udenwagu, said the event was going to be a great and unique one as it would be a reunion of the people that passed through the seminary in the past 100 years.
He listed the activities to mark the event to include inaugural Mass, inauguration of academic year and award to distinguished students, cultural event, Biblical quiz, symposium, football match and dance.
The clergyman added that the celebration would begin on Nov. 10 and end on Nov. 21.
The highlight of the conference was a media facility tour that included the new student hostels built by Ikpenwa. (NAN)
CRIME
Chief Imam’s Sallah Ram Stolen in Jos
There was a drama as the sacrificial ram of the Chief Imam of the Mista Ali community in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, Imam Abdulkadir went missing on the eve of the Ed-el-Kabir.
Abdulkadir’s ram was reportedly stolen during a downpour in the area on the eve of the Ed-el-Kabir.
An Imam in the community, Haruna Yaqub, disclosed this during the sermon, shortly after the two Raka’at prayers.
Yaqub, who condemned the incident, described it as “insensitive”.
He added that the act showed that people lack fear for God.
The Imam said, “The Ram of our Chief Imam, which he purposely brought to sacrifice, has been stolen in the night.
We are really shocked by the incident. We were surprised to hear this story. This means that people are not God-fearing.“It is scary that people have gone to the extent of stealing ram meant for religious activity.”
Speaking further, he urged people to be God-fearing and not engage in either stealing or any act of criminality.
He stressed that everyone will account for their actions on earth and hereafter.
“It is high time people repented and took the path of Allah. It is not too late. People should stop committing bad things and act according to Allah’s commandments,” he urged.