Faith
FOMWAN Trains 180 Bayelsa Youths Against Child, Women Abuse

From Mike Tayese, Yngagao
The Bayelsa chapter of the Federation of Muslim Women Association ofNigeria (FOMWAN) has enlisted the support of youths in its campaign against Child and Women abuse in the society.
Some 180 youths drawn from the Niger Delta states of Imo, Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa are participating in a training programme with the theme : “The Fight against Children and Women Abuse; A Task for All Muslims” in Yenagoa.
The four-day holiday programme organized for youths by FOMWAN is holding at the Bishop Dimieri Grammar School, Ovom Yenagoa.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event on Thursday, Prof. Isa
Ibrahim , Chairman of the occasion noted that children and women are tender and must be treated with utmost care, attention and love.
Ibrahim, a don at the Niger Delta Teaching Hospital in Bayelsa encouraged parents to invest in the education of their children as its an integral part of their care.
He advised mothers to be observant and allow their children talk to them rather than reproach them in order to detect any form of abuse cases.
According to him, in the Islamic tradition the best of Muslims are those
who are kind to young ones and women.
In her lecture Dr. Qaabilah Lawal , a medical practitioner at the Federal
Medical Centre, Yenagoa describes abuse as both physical and emotional, emphasizing that those who often exploit these young ones are often relatives or close friends of the family.
Lawal advised parents to properly inform and educate their children on what constituted abuse as well as encourage them to report it.
She urged parents not to quarrel or argue in the presence of their children as it is a form of emotional abuse. This could constitute dangers in their growth and well being undermining their self worth.
Also speaking on a paper titled “Legal Remedies for Victims of Abuse”
Barr. Kamalideen Adekilekun assured that there was legal remedies for victims of abuse under the legal system to protect children and women..
Adekilekun urged victims of rape to report incidence of abuse as many cases of violation are unreported due to the associated stigma.
Speaking on ‘The Future Youth”, the Chief Imam of Nigeria Navy School, PortHarcourt, Sheik Sikirullah Adekilekun said the future belongs to the knowledgeable as the modern world is knowledge driven.
The cleric advised participants to seek knowledge to secure a place of honour for themselves in the future.
He also urged them to shun extremism and other conducts that undermine personal security and public safety.
Earlier, in her welcome address the chairperson of the organizing committee FOMWAN South-South Youth Forum camp, Hajia Abimbola Bakare commended the participants for their interest in the programme.
Abimbola Bakare urged them to use the camping period to acquire skills and tips on how to prevent abuses and applauded donours who supported the association to host the holiday youth camp.
Faith
Catholic Church Kicks against Rumours, urges Politicians to Respect Sacred Lines

The Catholic Diocese of Warri on Saturday, appealed to political actors in Delta to respect the sacred lines as they go about their campaigns.
The Parish Priest of St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Effurun, Delta, the Very Rev. Fr. Mark Ikeke made the appeal in a statement issued in Warri.
The church was responding to rumours that Sen.
Ovie Omo-Agege, All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate is not a Christian.Ikeke declared that Omo-Agege is not only a Christian, but a baptised, practicing and dedicated member of the Catholic Church.
“Our attention has been drawn to a rumour that one of our parishioners, Sen. Omo-Agege, the Deputy President of the Senate is not a Christian.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Sen. Omo-Agege is a baptised, practicing and dedicated member of the Roman Catholic Church.
“He is a member of and a communicant in St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Government Reservation Area, Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta,’’ Ikeke said.
He added that the church recognises that this is an election season and encourages political leaders and their supporters to strive to uphold decorum, respect sacred lines and show love to all in their campaigns.
According to him, the sole purpose of the press statement is to encourage decorum and uphold the truth regarding Sen. Omo-Agege’s religious identity.
“We hope and pray that our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ should thoroughly guide our actions and inactions,’’ he added. (NAN)
Faith
Lent: Priest Preaches Forgiveness for Improved Christian Life

The Catholic Priest in charge of Holy Spirit Church, Onireke, Lagos, Rev. Fr. Anthony Okereke, has urged Christians to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness for spiritual growth.
Okereke, a Soul Revival and Healing Gospel Preacher, made the call while celebrating an early morning Lent Mass on Saturday.
He said the essence of the mass was to reposition Christian faithful to partake in the blessings of the Lent season.
The priest said the Lent seasons should be used by Christians to atone for their sins and be better positioned to communion with God.
Okereke said that the season was an important period in the life of every Christian, adding, ”it’s a time to make peace with God and humans”.
”The fasting and prayers that we undertake during Lent will be meaningless if we still harbour acrimonies against our neigbhours.
”If we expect God to forgive us of our misdeeds, we must first forgive those who have wronged us.
”We must remember that God created man in His own image and likeness, so we must begin to make peace with your fellow humans,” he said.
The catholic clergy further urged Christians not to relent in praying for national unity, peace and development.
”If there is a man to pray, there is God to answer. Let us use the Lent season to seek the face of God,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lent is a 40-day period of fasting and prayer which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar.
The 2023 Lent season which began on Feb. 22, would end on April 6.(NAN)
Faith
Catholic Archbishop Tasks Christians on Unity, Cooperation

Catholic Archbishop of Calabar, Most Rev. Joseph Ekuwem, on Sunday at the FCT urged Christians to shun divisions in the body of Christ and embrace unity for national development.
Ekuwem made the call at the 2023 annual Lecture and Merit Award of the National Missionary Seminary of St.
Paul in Gwagwalada.The lecture was entitled: “Missionary Cooperation and Integral Development’’.
Ekuwem said the essence of the lecture was to reposition the Church and its members on its outreach and services to people within and outside the Church, especially in Nigeria.
According to him, the greatest achievement of the Church is not about structure and properties acquired, but consistent drive on evangelism and converting people to Christianity through words, prophetic impartation and counselling.
“Being Missionary implies bringing the good news of salvation to the people by preaching the proclamation among those who have not known Jesus Christ.
“People of God are expected to cooperate with one another in the exercise of missionary activities for an effective realisation of the mission of Christ entrusted to them.
“The aim is to examine the concept of mission and missionary cooperation and its theological and missiological ramifications, theological principles for missionary activities and apply them for integral development,’’ he said.
Missiology is the academic study of the Christian mission history and methodology. It began to be developed as an academic discipline in the 19th century.
Ekuwem enjoined Christian leaders and their congregations to always examine issues that promoted cooperation and better understanding among different denominations in Nigeria.
He noted that: “where there is unity there is progress’’ and stressed that Christians should walk together in love and purity as it would assist in national development.
In his address, Mr Hyacinth Ichoku of Veritas University, Abuja, said the Church, as an agent of peace, reconciliation and healing has to contribute in addressing the political, cultural, ethnic and other fractures within Nigeria.
He said theologians must begin to think of adopting the approach of social scientists, if they were to address fully, the limitations of human responses in the society.
Ichoku emphasised the need for denominations to jettison competition among themselves and embrace cooperation.
“We should emphasise things that will unite the Church and shun things that can divide us,’’ he stressed. (NAN)