Nigerians have been urged to keep their faith in God and continue to demand good governance as the nation faces a bright future despite its current challenges.

The President, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Nigeria and Overseas, Pastor Samuel Oladele, advised in Ibadan on Sunday while addressing newsmen on the forthcoming 2024 General Council of the Church.

The CAC president said the country still had a bright future ahead despite the difficulty and hardship confronting the citizens.

He urged Nigerians to stay resolute, steadfast, prayerful and continue to play their roles as responsible citizens of the country.

“As the saying goes, ‘tough times do not last, only tough people do’, I will advise members of CAC and Nigerians in general to keep their eyes upon God.

“They are to continue to pray and play their civic roles as responsible citizens but also to keep asking for good governance.

“We must be resolute in the face of difficulties and remain steadfast. Remember that what awaits us, if we remain steadfast to the end, is more glorious than all the afflictions that we may be passing through now, he said.

He also called on Nigerians not to lower the standard of faith because of the challenges pervading the atmosphere, adding that there was still a bright future ahead.

Oladele called on President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, tackle the challenges of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, and all forms of corruption in the country.

He called on governments at all levels to develop their political will, not minding whose ox is gored in combating the country’s challenges.

“Sometimes ago, a list of the names of persons purported to be sponsors of terrorists and bandits was said to have been found but nothing else was heard about it.

“Nobody was prosecuted; nobody had been jailed – it shows the lack of will on the part of the government.

“There is the need to arrest some people who are found to encourage banditry, terrorism, kidnapping in any way and prosecute them accordingly to serve as deterrents,” Oladele said.

Concerning the forthcoming general council meeting, he said the council, being the highest consultative body of the church, will receive reports from all its units and departments.

This, he said, would present the opportunity to review the corporate performance of the church in the past year with the intent to improve in the coming year.

… TINUBU APPOINTS NEW LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE INDUSTRY, TRADE, AND INVESTMENT SECTORS

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new Chief Executive Officers of several agencies and parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in line with his resolve to base Nigeria’s economic revival on the foundation of trade expansion through small, medium and large scale industry facilitation in the country:

Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) — Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN

Industrial Training Fund (ITF) — Afiz Ogun Oluwatoyin

National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) — Kamar Bakrin

Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) — Olufemi Ogunyemi

Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) — Nonye Ayeni

Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) — Aisha Rimi

Oil & Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA) — Bamanga Usman Jada

Small & Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) — Charles Odii

Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) — Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke

Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) — Rabiu Olowo

Nigeria Commodities Exchange (NCE) — Anthony Atuche, CFA

Lagos International Trade Fair Complex (LITFCMB) — Veronica Safiya Ndanusa

Tafawa Balewa Square Management Board (TBSMB) — Lucia Shittu

National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) — Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin

In view of the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration, President Bola Tinubu expects all new appointees in this critical sector to optimally deliver in accordance with new key performance indicating benchmarks as established by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

By this directive of the President, all of the above listed appointments take immediate effect.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

[contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]

Amid  occasional sexual scandals that rock the pulpit, President of the Christ Apostolic Church of Nigeria, Pastor Samuel Oladele, has offered counselling on how clerics can stave off crises.

According to him, temptation is not a sin, yielding to it is what is sinful.

In an interview with ‘The Punch’, he said:

Before one becomes a man of God, one is first and foremost a man. And when you put on this load of flesh, you are prone to all the temptations that any man who is a man can face. The Bible says Elijah was a man of passion. There is nothing different in what they are experiencing or encountering in terms of temptations that people like Elijah did not encounter. We do not have a high priest who has not been touched by the feeling of infirmity. He feels infirmity because he also has put on this load of flesh. Temptation itself is not a sin. It is when you yield to temptation that becomes a sin. The Bible says if you yield yourself to the demand of the spirit, you are controlled by the spirit but you can easily yield yourself to the demand of the flesh as well.

However, certain guidelines will safeguard us if we want to counsel members of the opposite sex. These were simple teachings when I was in a Bible college as a pastor. When you want to counsel female members, don’t be alone with them. Let the windows be open. If God sees you, let men see you as well. The Bible says we have to be aware of all appearances of evil. Something may not be evil but may appear evil. So, anything that will give room to suspicion, be aware of it. Let us be conscious of this that men of God are first and foremost men. When the twins, Jacob and Esau, were in the womb of Rebecca, the Bible says the two children were struggling in their mother’s womb. They went to the House of the Lord because they didn’t know why, and God said there were two nations in her womb, one representing the flesh and the other representing the spirit. And you know when you become a Christian, the fact that you are a human is not eliminated. You are still subject or prone to all these temptations as I’ve said earlier.

So, every Christian, including ministers, has two nations in their wombs – the flesh and the spirit. The Bible says the spirit wars against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit.

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, retrained the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) from suspending or appointing trustees of the Christian Association of Nigeria and the churches.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, held that the provisions of Sections 17 (1), 839 (1) and (7) (a), 842 (1) and (2), 851 and 854 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020 and Regulations 28, 29 and 30 of the Companies Regulations (CR), 2021 were not applicable to CAN and the churches, including mosques, as a religious body.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Registered Trustees of CAN, in the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/84/2022 field by Joe Gadzama, SAN, had sued the CAC and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment as 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.
The plaintiff, in the suit, had posed five questions for determination.
CAN had asked the court to determine that whether Section 839, Subsections (1), (7) (a) and (10) of the CAMA, 2020 and regulations 28 – 30 of the CR, 2021 are inconsistent with Sections 4 (8), 6 (6) (b) and 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which guarantees the its right to freedom of association and the right to seek redress in court, among others.
It, therefore, sought 13 reliefs which include a declaration that Section 839 (1), (7) (a) and (10) of the CAMA and Sections 28 – 30 of the CR are inconsistent with |Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, and thus unconstitutional, null and void.
“An order striking down Sections 839(1), (7) (a) and (10), 842(1) and (2), 843, 851 and 854 of the CAMA for being unconstitutional.
“A declaration that Section 17(2) (a) and (d) of the CAMA demand an impossible and impracticable action; thus, void and for being impracticable and unknown to Law.”
CAN also prayed for an order of perpetual injunction restraining and barring the defendants from taking any step to give effect to the provisions of Sections 17(2) (a) and (d), 839(1), 842(1) and (2), 842(1) and (2), 842, 843, 851 and 854 of the CAMA against it as mentioned in Article 4 of its constitution, to prevent further contravention of the provisions of Sections 4(8), 6(6)(b), 251(1)(e) and 251(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
It argued if CAC was allowed to suspend its trustees and appoint interim managers to manage its affairs, it would be usurping its powers under the constitution and the powers of the standing committee and the plenary session which would not be in line with the constitution.
NAN reports that though Mr Gadzama was not in court, Albert Uko held his brief.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Ekwo said that the CAC did not controvert the averment of CAN that it was constituted by the churches.
“It is settled law that averments without contradicting evidence or averments are deemed admitted.
“There is need at this point to define what a church Is in order to see how applicable the provisions of the CAMA 2020 can be applicable to it,” he said.
Citing a previous case, the judge said “achurch in its true definition is the body of Christ. One person cannot constitute the body of Christ; it connotes a congregation, an assembly of people. An individual cannot own a church. A church property must be the collective responsibility of all the members.”
He said the summary of the above was that “the church is an ecclesiastical being.
“Each church is characterised by its distinct dogma or creed and same for each congregation and denomination that constitute the church.
“It is on this ground that it is impossible for one church to be administered by another church and the church being what it is for the soul of man, the doctrinal distinctness and difference must be respected by the authorities within and without.
“This being so, it is then impracticable for the church or a denomination thereof to be administered by secular arrangement such as interim manager or managers stated in Section 839 of the CAMA 2020 or any other arrangement put in place by the CAMA which does not take into account the doctrinal composition of the church.
“It is also my opinion that to suspend the trustees and appoint an interim manager or managers to manage the affairs of the church will conflict with the sacerdotal order of its divine administration and desecrate same.”
Justice Ekwo, who observed that the Minister of Trade (2nd defendant) neither filed any application nor represented in court despite being served by the plaintiff, held that the effect of the failure of a defendant to file pleadings is that the assertions of the claimant stands unchallenged and are deemed admitted and established.
According to him, therefore, the case of the plaintiff succeeds on the merit.
The judge, consequently, made a seven declarations, which include a declaration that Section 839 (1), (7) (a) and (10) of the CAMA 2020 and Regulations 28, 29 and 30 of the CR , 2021 are not applicable to religious organisation as CAN and the churches as they violated the right to worship guaranteed by Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He also made an order of perpetual Injunction, “restraining the defendants from taking any step to give effect to or implementing and/or continuing with any act to implement the provisions of Sections 839 (1), 842 (1) and (2), 842, 843, 851 and 854 of the CAMA 2020.
Justice Ekwo, however, did not make the generic order striking down the sections of the CAMA 2020 as prayed by the plaintiff.
He said such order would affect other bodies and organisations registered under Part F of the Act.
“These provisions are applicable in respect of the administration, supervision and regulation of other bodies like company, limited liability partnership, business name or incorporated trustee registered for other purposes stated in Section 823 (1) of the CAMA 2020.
“The court is also unable to strike down the provision of Section 17 (2) (a) and (d) of the CAMA 2020 which provides for mandatory pre-action notice to the 1st defendant, as prayed, as the practicability of compliance with such provision depends on the circumstance of each case thereby affected,” he said.

A Nigerian Church in New York, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), under Goke Food Pantry, has distributed over 750 turkeys and food items to some families to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, is an annual national holiday in the United States to celebrate the harvest and other blessings of the past year.

In a statement by Deacon Babatunde Adebiyi, Goke Food pantry’s coordinator, in New York, said the Church located at 622 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn, had kept the tradition of supporting families for Thanksgiving for over 10 years.

“Today we distributed about 750 turkeys but we wish we could share more. The most important thing is that no one left empty handed and that makes us happy.

“We appreciate the support of our community partners and Taptap Send and hope to continue serving Brooklyn Community for years to come,” Adebiyi said.

Led by Pastor Timothy Famojuro, the Goke Food Pantry has been operating for over 10 years and serves about 15,000 families every month. This year, the food pantry was able to share over 750 families with turkey and food items to celebrate Thanksgiving.

ALSO READ: Why we established College of Education – Anglican Church
“We have been serving the community for over 10 years. We are honored to be able to serve our community here in Brooklyn.

“We often read a lot about Nigerians doing well in the Diaspora that is why it is so important for us to give back to our communities,” the statement quoted Famojuro as saying.

Similarly, the statement quoted Deaconess Obadina, the pantry’s general secretary as saying, “We appreciate all the support we have received over the years from our staff, volunteers and community members.

“We are always seeking support so that we can keep serving our community.”

According to the statement, volunteers, Director of Faith community for the Brooklyn Borough office, Rev. Zac, also assisted volunteers.

Money transfer company, Taptap Send, along with community partners, Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN), and the Ajid Foundation were also present to support the efforts of Goke Food Pantry.

“Taptap Send is a community driven company; supporting efforts such as these is ingrained in our DNA.

“We think it is important to support the communities we serve internationally in our receiving countries as well as our communities in the diaspora,” the statement also quoted Olayinka Sarayi, U.S.-Nigeria markets coordinator for Taptap Send, as saying.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Goke Food Pantry (GEP) is named after the late Rev. Dr Adegoke Oyedeji, and it opened its doors to serve the Kensington community of Brooklyn on June 8, 2013.

GFP was initially funded and staffed by members of the church. Since then, GFP has expanded to include volunteers from the community and has partnered with outside organisations to provide food for those in need.

Also, Taptap Send is an app that enables people send money to Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean at low prices.

Taptap Send is available in the UK, EU, U.S. and Canada.

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) says it has commenced registration of private schools as limited liability companies and not as a business entity to ensure continuity.

Head of CAC Zonal Officer in Kaduna, Mr Abdulkadir Modibbo, disclosed this in Kaduna on Thursday at a two-day consultative meeting on the formulation of policy to guide operations of private schools in Kaduna State.

The meeting was organised by PLANE, a seven-year education programme funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to invest in a more inclusive and effective education system in Nigeria.

Modibbo explained that the new development which took effect from March 2022, showed that private schools were essentially a corporate body capable of contracting businesses and could sue and be sued.

He further said that schools issued certificates in their names, adding that those attributes were not in a business name.

He stressed that above all, registering schools as a limited liability company would ensure the continuity of a school even if the owner dies.

“For example, if the owner of a private school dies, the children can inherit the school and may decide to either continue the school or close it.

“This will affect the learners and those that long graduated from the school in case an organisation wants to verify if certain individuals graduated from a particular school.

“But a limited liability is not like that. The directors or the shareholders will continue the school even if the founder dies.

“So, anyone that wants to register a private school, will have to register it as a limited liability company with shareholders.

Mr Ja’afaru Riyoji, Chairman, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Kaduna State Chapter, expressed concern that the development would pose a challenge as private schools fell within small scale businesses.

Riyoji then asked what would happen to the schools that were already registered under a business.

Responding, Modibbo, explained that CAC was yet to take a stand on schools that were already registered under a business name.

Earlier, PLANE State Team Lead, Mrs Diana Agabi, said that the policy was very crucial considering that private schools had been left out of most donor’s support programmes in the country.

According to her, private schools play a major role in the educational development in the country, pointing out that about 40 to 50 per cent of school age children attend private schools.

“It is, therefore, critical for the government to understand what they are doing, and they also need to understand the stand of the government and how to engage.

“Majorly what we see is the controversy between the government and the private schools who were being seen solely as business enterprises and not adding value to the society.

“The government needs to see private schools as a sector that is adding value to the education sector and contributing to nation building and not as business enterprises.”

Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Alhaji Garba Abubakar, has said the use of common seal by companies is no longer mandatory.
Abubakar said this in statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, signed by Mr Rasheed Mahe, CAC’s Media Head, after declaring open a one-day Customers’ Stakeholders Forum.
Abubakar was represented by Mr Abdulhakeem Mohammed, Director Compliance.
He enumerated a series of reform initiatives embarked upon by the commission, pursuant to CAMA, 2020.
Abubakar said that notable features of the new law included the dispensation of the appointment of company secretary by private companies in pursuant of Section 330 of the new law.
According to him, while electronic signature has been introduced by the new law, one man is allowed to register a private company, adding that incorporated trustees amalgamation with similar objectives is now possible under Section 849.
The Registrar-General also said that the minimum share capital for private companies was increased to N100,000 and two million for public liability companies.
He said it was upgraded to two million respectively under Section 27 sub-section 2 of the act.
Abubakar said that small companies and one-man company were now permitted to hold statutory and annual general meetings abroad.
He said the provisions of Sections 705 and 707 which introduced the registration of accredited insolvency practitioner, liquidator, receiver
or receiver-manager stated that such professionals could only practice upon obtaining due accreditation from the CAC.
Abubakar said key reforms contained in the new law also stated that there was now prohibition of the combination of the office of the chairman and chief executive officer in one and the same person for public companies.
He said the commission, in collaboration with its software provider, was making strenuous efforts to fine-tune its processes in line with global best practices.
Abubakar reiterated its resolve to continue to initiate and implement enduring institutional reforms tailored not only for the demands of ease of doing business, but to establish a registry that would rank as one of the best 10 in the world.
He said the commission had resolved to ensure complete digitisation of its operations to further provide efficient and effective services in 2022.
In their separate goodwill messages, Dr. Balogun Abdulrasheed, Chairman, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Acting Managing Director, Abuja Enterprise Agency, Mr Shehu Abdulkadir, represented by Aisha Yusuf, applauded the initiatives and urged the commission to sustain the tempo.
Speaking in the same vein, representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Folarinwa Aluko, Mr Tony Idoko and Mr Clement Owowo, applauded the CAC for the engagement and stressed the need for more frequent engagements.
They restated their commitment to partnering with the commission and described as world class, the ability of a customer to register and download CAC registration certificate anywhere in the world.
The stakeholders, however, implored the commission to review its post incorporation processes, as well as enhance its customer engagement mechanism to become real time.
Other speakers, who similarly applauded the commission’s reform initiatives and charged it to sustain the tempo, included the representative of the Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN).
ALSO READ: CAC partners Pakistani investors on economic diversification
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in addition to the Abuja Forum, the commission has held Customers’/Stakeholders forum in Kano, Port Harcourt, Lagos (Ikeja and Ikoyi) and Enugu where it has Nodal offices.

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has reinstated its readiness to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to lift 100 million citizens out of poverty, as the nation sets to hold the Nigeria Industrialisation Summit-2021.
This is contained in a a statement signed by CAC’s Head of Media unit, Mr Rasheed Mahe, on Saturday in Abuja.
Mahe quoted the Registrar General/CEO of CAC, Alhaji Garba Abubakar, as saying this when he received members of the summit’s Local Organising Committee led by David Erewa, the National Vice President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).
Abubakar, who described CAC as the gateway to any foreign or local investment, stated the commission’s readiness to provide services at the event to facilitate Nigeria’s dire desire for industrialisation.
He used the forum to highlight the commission’s reform initiatives geared towards making the CAC attain the status of a world class companies registry.
He also assured of the commission’s support to the organisers in accordance with provisions of the law.
Earlier, leader of the delegation, Mr David Eweta , National Vice President of NACCIMA, said the summit was being organised in accordance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within 10 years.
He revealed that, to support Nigeria realise the objective, the African Development Bank (ADB) under the leadership of its President, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, would provide 520 million U.S dollars grant to support small businesses in some selected states across the country.
He further disclosed that in order to encourage participation, attendance would be free, adding that the event scheduled for November 2021 was expected to draw participants and resource persons from across the globe.

President Muhammadu Buhari was, on Friday, presented with the rich financial profile of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC.

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) said the NNPC Limited had made history for being the company with the highest share capital in the country.
The Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Alhaji Garba Abubakar, revealed this on Friday, in Abuja, while presenting the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company to the President at the State House.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, during the presentation ceremony, organized by the Management of the NNPC Limited headed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Malam Mele Kyari, the CAC chief executive told President Muhammadu Buhari that the company was registered electronically within 24hrs, with an initial share capital of N200 billion Naira.
Responding, President Muhammadu Buhari noted with delight the feat attained by the NNPC Limited and therefore, charged the Management of the Company to ensure that it was adequately capitalized.
He pledged his continued support to the company which, he noted, was strategic to the economic development of the country and therefore, prayed for its success.
NAN reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had on 16th of August, 2021 signed into law, the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021.
Section 53(1) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, requires the Minister of Petroleum Resources to cause for the incorporation of the NNPC Limited within six months of the enactment of the PIA, in consultation with the Minister of Finance on the nominal shares of the Company.
The Registrar General, had earlier revealed that the CAC completed the Registration of the NNPC Limited on 22nd September, 2021.