OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY MAY 1ST 2017 By Pastor E.A Adeboye

THEME: OVERRIDING DOUBTS

Memorise:

Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? Isaiah 43:13

Read: James 1:5-8

1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

MESSAGE

God can make you laugh when He decides to overrule your doubts. Going by the standard set in today’s Bible reading, if you are double minded over an issue you brought before God, you should not expect anything from Him. However, if you doubt God in a given situation and He overlooks your doubt and grants your petition, know for sure He is doing it solely because of His grace. In Genesis 18:9-15, when God visited Abraham and said his wife Sarah was going to have a baby in nine months’ time, she laughed. She could not believe that she could ever be pregnant at age 90. She laughed because she had never seen such a thing happen before. Are you laughing over God’s promises and declarations over your life? Are you laughing because you have never seen anyone who experienced that kind of miracle? Stop your laugh of doubt and believe God today! Why? If there is no precedent to follow, God can make yours a precedence that others would refer to.

A life of faith is so important to God that four different times in the Bible, He repeatedly said “The just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38). However, as a manifestation of His sovereignty, He also says that whenever He makes up His mind to do something, nobody and nothing can hinder Him – not even your doubts (Isaiah 43:13). I pray that every good plan and purpose of God for your life shall be established in spite of your doubts in Jesus’ Name! We see this truth demonstrated in 2 Kings4:8-17. When Elisha declared to the Shunammite woman that she would have a son after nine months, she replied, “Man of God, please don’t deceive me”. This meant that she did not believe Him. Although Elisha did not say anything after that, God had already spoken, and so the matter was settled. She thereafter, had her baby in accordance to Elisha’s declaration. This season, God will overrule your doubts and give you that expected miracle. There are some people who believe God’s promise for a little while then fall into doubt again. Over the years, they have continuously swung back and forth between faith and doubt and so have not been able to receive God’s promise. This season, by the mercy of the Most High God, the Lord will override our doubts and make the impossible possible in your life in Jesus’ Name. God’s mercy will show up for you today! Your laughing season starts now.

Prayer Point:

Father, in your mercy, override my doubts and every stumbling block on my way, and cause my laughter to begin today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 30-31
Jeremiah 23:23-40

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
O may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life's dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow's tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4. When life's swift race is run,
Death's cold work almost done,
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then, in love,
Fear and distrust remove.
O bear me safe above,
Redeemed and free!

AN UNRESOLVED CONFLICT, BATTLE OF THE TWO KOREAS

US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, has called on the rest of the world to help force North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Speaking to the UN Security Council, he called on China in particular to leverage its trade links as influence.
But the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, said the solution did not lie with his country.

Tensions increased lately, with both North and South Korea conducting military exercises.

The US has sent warships and an anti-missile system to reassure the South, where thousands of American soldiers are stationed.

North Korea has made repeated attempts to miniaturise nuclear warheads and fit them on long-range missiles capable of reaching the US.

Mr. Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of “catastrophic consequences” if it did not act, saying it was “likely only a matter of time before North Korea develops the capability to strike the US mainland”.

 The US would use military force if necessary, he added.

He urged other countries to suspend diplomatic ties with Pyongyang and isolate its financial institutions and, in comments that seemed directed at China, accused Council members of not fully enforcing sanctions against the North.

UN sanctions include a ban on selling North Korea arms, fuel, a host of items that could be used for weapons-making and luxury goods including pearl jewellery and snowmobiles worth $2,000 (£1,540) or more.

Since last year, all cargo entering or leaving North Korea must also be inspected.

But a recent UN study found that fragments from a North Korean missile test included electronics that had been sourced either from or via Chinese enterprises.

Asked on Friday by US broadcaster NPR if the US was prepared to hold direct talks with North Korea, Mr. Tillerson replied: “Obviously, that would be the way we would like to solve this. But North Korea has to decide they’re ready to talk to us about the right agenda.”

China’s foreign minister warned against military intervention, saying: “The use of force does not solve differences and will only lead to bigger disasters.”

“Peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula through dialogue and negotiations represents the only right choice that is practical and viable,” he added.
He also repeated a Chinese offer to halt Pyongyang’s military programme in return for a freeze on joint US-South Korea military drills.

The US has rejected the idea in the past, saying the nuclear programme must be halted first.

Earlier on Friday, in a wide-ranging interview with Reuters, US President Donald Trump said he feared a “major, major conflict” if negotiation attempts did not work.

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Caution Pilots,Airline Operators Of Danger

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has cautioned pilots, airline operators and Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) to comply with directives on the recent inherent danger associated with severe thunderstorms in the country.

NCAA in a statement by its General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye in Lagos, said that the weather hazards include severe turbulence, microburst, low level wind shears and hail events that could affect the safety of flight operations.

“Therefore, this weather alert is necessitated by the fact that raining season, at onset, is usually accompanied with severe thunderstorms and many other hazardous weather phenomena".

Adurogboye noted that NCAA’s cautionary statement was in line with the Advisory Circular (AC) was based on the 2017 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

He further explained that the prediction by NiMET indicated that the raining season was expected to begin in March/April and May/June 2017 in the Southern and Northern parts of Nigeria.

According to him, pilots, operators and ATCs therefore have series of responsibility toward enhancing safety.

“ATCs may temporarily close airspace when hazardous weather conditions such as severe thunderstorms, squall lines microburst or low level wind-shear are observed or forecast.

“Flight crews/operators and ATCs shall ensure adherence to aerodrome weather minima while pilots shall exercise maximum restraint, whenever adverse weather is observed or forecast.

“Pilots and flight crew members shall obtain adequate departure, enroute and destination weather information and briefing from NiMet Aerodrome Meteorological Offices prior to flight operations”

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL SUNDAY 30TH APRIL 2017 By Pastor E.A Adeboye

THEME: SPIRITUAL BLESSING

MEMORISE:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Ephesians 1:3

READ : Ephesians 1:1-14

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known into us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
NUMBERS 28-29  & JEREMIAH  23:9-22

MESSAGE

From our memory verse today, we understand that there are physical blessings and there are spiritual blessings. The best way to distinguish between these two categories of blessing is to look at their lifespan. Physical blessings are temporal, while spiritual blessings are enduring and eternal in nature. An example of a physical blessing is the rain that God sends on all of humanity. Another example is the air we all have access to breathe. Having a wife or a husband also falls under the category of physical blessings, and so also is having children. Both physical and spiritual blessings come from the Lord.

However, the better of these two categories of blessings is spiritual blessings. Spiritual blessings, though manifesting in the physical world, transcend the present age. This is why Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:19 thus:
"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Spiritual blessings cannot be quantified in material or monetary terms. They include the Holy Spirit and His gifts, power and victory over principalities and powers, redemption through the Blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, etc, The crux of all spiritual blessings can be seen in this response of our Lord Jesus Christ to the question about reward for sacrifice which Peter asked Him:
"And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospels, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come eternal life." Mark 10:29-30

The spiritual blessing of eternal life crowns the physical blessings we have access to through our followership with Christ. No matter how long we live on earth, we shall depart from it one day. The question is, "Where will you spend eternity?" Would it be in Heaven or in Hell? My prayer for you is that you will not spend eternity in Hell in Jesus' Name.

ACTION POINT :

Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour today, and you will be blessed with spiritual blessings. If you are saved, pray that the Lord will load your life with His spiritual blessings today.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Refrain:

O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

[Refrain]

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

[Refrain]

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

[Refrain]

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

[Refrain]

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

[Refrain]

Eleven People Have Died & Five Are In Hospital In Liberia, The Cause Is Unknown Yet "WHO".

11 people have died and five are in hospital, Liberian and World Health Organisation officials said in an update on the mystery illness that hit some people who attended the funeral of a pastor in Greenville, Sinoe County.

A spokesman of the World Health Organization (WHO) said initial results reported by Liberian authorities had ruled out Ebola as the cause, but could not say whether samples were being sent to other laboratories for confirmation.

On Wednesday, the WHO said Liberian health authorities were taking rapid precautionary steps after the people died of a mystery illness, 10 months after the end of a two-year Ebola virus outbreak.

“It seems all of these people were attending the funeral of a religious leader,” WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told a briefing in Geneva.

“They have taken samples from the dead bodies, and all the samples came back negative for Ebola. They will be looking of course for other haemorrhagic fevers and for bacteria, if there was any common exposure to water contamination or food contamination".

Eight people remain under observation in J.F. Grant Hospital in Sinoe county, a four-hour drive southeast of the capital Monrovia, with symptoms including fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, she said.

Hospital staff are wearing protective equipment and contacts of the sick are being traced in the community to see if they have fallen ill, Chaib added.

“WHO, CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control) and other partners are providing technical and logistical support to the rapid response team that has been activated at district and county levels,” she said.

In June last year, the WHO declared Liberia free of active Ebola virus transmission, the last of three West African countries at the epicentre of the world’s worst outbreak of the disease.

 The epidemic killed more than 11,300 people and infected some 28,600 from 2013 as it swept through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, according to WHO data.

A WHO advisory group of vaccine experts is due later on Friday to issue their findings after a three-day regular meeting on vaccines. The statement would include an update on “efficacy, safety and timelines for licensing Ebola vaccines”, Chaib said.

According to Dr. Francis Nah Kateh, the chief medical officer of Liberia, based on initial investigations and the signs and symptoms presented by those affected, the Ministry has ruled out Ebola as the cause of deaths.

“We have gathered additional specimens and are working with other line agencies, most especially the police, in toxicology analysis,” he said. “

We want to know if it’s a toxin involved,” Kateh said in a briefing reported by a Liberian online newspaper, BushChicken.com

The investigation, he said, will take some time.
Bushchicken.com said  the victims suffered from stomach pain before dying.

Kateh has cautioned the public to continue practicing all preventive measures instituted by the Ministry that helped to contain the spread of Ebola.

He stressed that people must wash their hands frequently, as well as report sicknesses and deaths of relatives.
Liberia was struck by the Ebola Virus Disease in 2014, a strange disease that claimed an estimated 4,500 lives in Liberia.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL SATURDAY 29TH APRIL 2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

SATURDAY 29TH APRIL 2017

THEME: PRIVILEGES OF GOD'S CHILDREN II

MEMORISE:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
 Romans 8:14

READ : Romans 8:14-17

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
NUMBER 26-27 & JEREMIAH  22:24-23:8

MESSAGE

There is a song that was popular among children of God some decades ago which reveals not only a privilege meant only for the children of God but also their appreciation of that privilege. It goes thus: "Something more than gold; The Spirit of God in the heart of man; Something more than gold.” According to our memory verse, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the children of God. In other words, only those who are children of God have the privilege of being directed and guided by the Holy Spirit. Conversely, only those who are guided by the Spirit of God are genuine children of God. If you take a look at the account of how God formed man from the dust of the earth, you will observe that in spite of the fact that every part was properly fixed and fitted man could not fulfil the purpose of his creation until God put His Spirit in him. Genesis 2:7 says,
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

After man fell, the Spirit of the Lord departed from him, and he became a shadow of his glorious past. Man became afraid of himself. Adam and Eve lost trust in each other, so much so that they were ashamed of seeing each other's nakedness. Fear ruled the heart of man because the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him. Man lost his sense of purpose and direction. God appeared in the cool of the day and man took cover with his wife, who he now viewed as the source of his troubles (Genesis 3:12). The certainty of what tomorrow holds eluded humanity, and man groped in darkness, being tormented by different taskmasters until God decided to have mercy on us through the grace of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The moment we accept His grace of adoption, we begin to enjoy the privilege revealed in Romans 8:15-16:
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"

I believe you now understand the reason why the old-time believers sang with great excitement that the Spirit of God in the heart of a man is something more than gold. The Spirit gives us the assurance that we are children of God. This consciousness gives us the impetus to live like Him in this world, and also grants us boldness based on the assurance that with God, our Father, on our side, no evil can come near us. So, if you are yet to become a child of God, don't delay further; give your life to Christ today, and you will be adopted into the household of God.

ACTION POINT :

Thank God for His precious gift of the Holy Spirit and for all that His Spirit does in your life.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 15: THE COMFORTER HAS COME

1. O spread the tidings 'round,
Wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts
And human woes abound.
Let every Christian tongue
Proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!

Refrain:

The Comforter has come!
The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav'n,
The Father's promise giv'n,
O spread the tidings 'round,
Wherever man is found:
The Comforter has come!

2. The long, long night is past;
The morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail
And fury of the blast,
As o'er the golden hills
The day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!

[Refrain]

3. Lo, the great King of kings,
With healing in His wings,
To every captive soul
A full deliv'rance brings;
And thro' the vacant cells
The song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come!

[Refrain]

4. O boundless love divine!
How shall this tongue of mine
To wond'ring mortals tell
The matchless grace divine -
That I, a child of hell,
Should in His image shine?
The Comforter has come!

[Refrain]

Reed Dance Festival Where The King Had To Chosen A Virgin

No fewer than 38 virgins have been killed in an auto crash on their way to the festival where Swaziland King chooses wives.

DAILY POST reports that a long time tradition in Swaziland (Swazi) permits the King, Mswati, to choose a new bride every year (August) , in the Swazi Reed Dance Festival where the King parades and tests topless under aged virgin girls publicly to ascertain that their virginity was still intact.

The Sherburne-educated king is known to pick his wives from the girls who perform for him at the traditional dance, a tribute to the queen mother.

The King had chosen a 19-year-old virgin from the dancing maidens last year August, who became his 14th wife.

Times of Swaziland reports that dozens of girls and young women were killed during the weekend, as they travelled to the traditional festival where the King of Swaziland was to pick a new bride from thousands of topless, dancing virgins.

“When the open-topped truck collided with another vehicle, before being hit by a second truck as it travelled along a motorway between the Swazi cities of Mbabane and Manzini earlier this weekend, at least 38 girls who were to partake in the annual event, lost their lives,” according to the report, “and about 20 survivors were being treated.”

As the story goes, the authorities in Swaziland are being accused of trying to cover up the accident from human rights group.

The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) claimed the police attempted to discourage media report on the deaths.

Photographers were however, restricted from the scene according to Swazi journalist, for security reasons, but reports on the tragedy, described the scene as chaoic, as parents began to arrive at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, in Manzini.

One of the survivors, Siphelele Sigudla, 18, told newsmen,
“We were about 50 on board the first truck that smashed into the Toyota van.”

The SSN has called on the royal family to reconsider going ahead with the festival, which sees about 40,000 participating in the eight-day ceremony.

“We hope that the families of the deceased girls will hold the royal family accountable for the deaths of their children,” the SSN group said in a statement, as it alleged a similar incident had been covered up previously.

“The least that the royal family can do at this moment is to cancel this year’s reed dance.”

The King in his condolence statement, said:
“We all have heard about the dark cloud that has befallen the ‘imbali,” he said, using the Swati language word for flower, used to refer to the groups of women dancers.

Speaking at the opening of an international trade fair in Swaziland’s economic center Manzini, he promised that the affected families would be compensated, adding that investigation into the accident was ongoing.

7000 Thousand Ghanaians Deployed From USA For Series Of Alleged Cases

The United States ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson said about 7,000 Ghanaian immigrants in the country face deportation for visa-related offences including staying illegally, over staying their permits.

Jackson disclosed this during a meeting with Ghanaian media men, africanews.com reported.

“In fact about 7000 of them are currently at different stages of the deportation process. And we are not apologetic about that,” Jackson said.

The US planned move comes hours after the United Kingdom blacklisted three serving legislators of Ghana’s Parliament over visa fraud. The MPs had left their relatives to live in the UK illegally after travelling with them to the country.

“The British High Commission considers the actions completely unacceptable. In some cases these behaviours may arguably be criminal in nature,” the British High Commission noted.

Last year, the United States deported 108 Ghanaian immigrants for reasons including drug-related offences, staying illegally, over staying their permits and other crimes.

They were returned to the Kotoka International Airport in November, the deportees refused to disembark from the plane in protest of alleged inhumane treatment including shackling before and during the journey.

It took the intervention of Ghanaian security and immigration officials to convince them to disembark after over an hour.

U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to deport illegal immigrants and immigrants with criminal records as part of his immigration policy, the roll-out of which is being challenged in the court.

Despite former President Barack Obama’s push for immigration reforms, a record 2 million deportations were executed during his administration.

Demolition Of Computer Village At Lagos State...

Lagos State Government says it has concluded plans to relocate the popular Computer Village from Ikeja, before the end of 2017.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Wasiu Anifowose, said on Tuesday that the relocation would reduce gridlock.

Anifowose noted that the market was situated in a residential area – Otigba Street – saying that it would be moved to the ICT Park, Katangua in Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area.

“If at the end of this year, the Computer Village is not moved from that Otigba Street in Ikeja to Katangua, I will not come here next year.

“It is a done deal; we have held a stakeholders’ meeting with the traders and they agreed to the relocation plan.

“It is an 11-year project that different administrations attempted to undertake but the present governor is a go getter.

“The relocation will deliver a world class computer and allied activities park. The process leading to the commencement of the development is in the concluding phase,” he said.

The official also said that massive construction was ongoing in Imota – the permanent site of the Mile 12 Market in Ketu – to relocate the market.

“If you go to Imota, you will be amazed at the level of work done”.

On demolitions, he said that the state government had begun paying compensation to those whose houses were consumed by government projects and right of way recovery.

“The state government pays billions of naira for compensation,” he said.

59 Inmates Release In Ogun State For Missing Case File.

The Chief Judge of Ogun State, Olatokunbo Olopade, on Thursday pardoned 59 inmates of the five prisons in the state.
Mrs. Olopade had visited the prisons located at Ibara and Oba in Abeokuta as well as Ilaro, Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode during the tour which started on Wednesday.

She said the gesture was aimed at decongesting the prisons.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 15 inmates were released from Oba prisons, 14 in Ilaro, eight in Sagamu, 12 in Ijebu-Ode and 11 in Ibara.

Mrs. Olopade said those who regained freedom were imprisoned for various offences ranging from wandering, robbery, stealing, rape and other sundry criminal acts.

According to her, negligence of legal department of the Nigeria Police was responsible for the prolonged detention of many of the inmates.

She decried the attitude of police in duplicating case files of the inmates which she said was making efforts at releasing those unjustly detained difficult.

Mrs. Olopade said many inmates had been in prison for years because the police refused to duplicate their files or on the excuse of “no case file.’’

“Issues of missing case files, and the prison officers not bringing the inmates to court at the appropriate time are responsible for the delay in the judicial process.

“These are some of the reasons why prisons are congested,” she said.

The chief judge said any criminal matter brought to court without the police first duplicating it would not be registered as from May 2.

She added that the police should make use of the fast track clinic which is located in various courts with their facilities, to make the duplication easier and faster.

“The attention globally now is on criminal justice; we in Ogun State would not want to be left out, that is why we are playing our part’’, she said.

Mrs. Olopade admonished the freed inmates to be of good behaviour and make positive impacts in the society.

“I did not release you because you are innocent or guilty, but because your case files cannot be found,” she said.

She appealed to police to work with the Ministry of Justice toward speedy dispensation of justice to eliminate congestion in prisons.

Adeyeye Olayinka, the officer in charge of Sagamu Prison appealed to the Federal Government to help with infrastructure.

Mr. Olayinka called on the government to provide enough and good vehicles to covey inmates to and from court at the right time.

Edo Refinery Get $2b

Mr Charles Ihaza, U.S.-based businessman, has acquired about 453.9 hectares of land to establish a modular refinery in Eghudu, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo.

At a forum organised on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed refinery in Benin, Ihaza said that the project would cost over two billion U.S. dollars.

He added that the refinery would produce about 80,000 barrels of refined petroleum products daily.

“I know what it takes to establish and manage a refinery, and we are already discussing with the relevant Federal Government’s agencies on the immediate commencement of the project.

“I decided to site the refinery in Eghudu so as to help our people back home in Nigeria, and I am very passionate about this project.

“As part of our social corporate responsibilities to the host community, we are going to construct roads, build satellite clinics, standard primary and secondary schools and a functional international market’’.

Ihaza, therefore, called for the cooperation of the members of the community, and urged the people to work with the site engineers and other workers toward the successful execution of the project.

Earlier, Mr Larry Edosomwan, who presented the EIA Report on behalf of the consultants, Vokosen Ltd., said that the report had captured all the socio-economic needs of the host community.

“We have looked at the positive social and economic needs of the community, the aquatic environment, drainage and sewage management and treatment of effluents.

“Forests will not be destroyed and wherever it happens, we will plant new trees.

“We have ensured that we met all the requirements of the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). We will mitigate all negative environmental impacts,’’ he said.

Mr Joshua Taiwo, spokesman for the Minister of Environment, said that he was particularly happy that the project was named after the community.

Taiwo said that the refinery project would provide jobs for the people and improve the socio-economic lives of the residents of the area.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY 28TH APRIL 2017

THEME:  PRIVILEGES OF GOD’S CHILDREN I

MEMORISE :

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 

Galatians 4:7

READ : Mark 7:24-30

24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

NUMBERS  23-25 & JEREMIAH  22:11-23

MESSAGE 

Without a doubt, the responsibilities associated with being a child of God in this present age of spiritual perversion are highly demanding. Nevertheless, our benevolent Father, knowing our frame, has placed several pleasant privileges at our disposal as His children, to ease our sojourn through this wicked world. The first privilege we enjoy when we become children of God is that we are moved from the position of servant or slave to that of a son and an heir of God (Galatians 4:7). This is the reason why we must have passion for evangelism, especially to Muslims, who believe that they are slaves of God. God did not create us in His image for the purpose of making slaves out of us. Anyone who has not come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed a slave to sin and not a slave of God (Romans 6:16-18).

In the story of the Syro-phoenician woman in our Bible text, Jesus Christ did not mince words in revealing her true spiritual state to her as a slave of sin, in order to cause a change in her spiritual life. Fortunately for this woman, she admitted her spiritual poverty, and she was therefore given the hand of fellowship in adoption, so that she could be a partaker of the food meant for God's children. Matthew 5:3 says

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

Another striking thing in this story is that this woman was likened to a dog and she accepted it. Do you know why? It's because this verdict came from the Way, the Truth and the Life Himself; when He speaks, He speaks with valid authority. So, when Jesus calls a sinner a dog, that is exactly what he or she is. This is why the liberal theologians who want to be 21st century compliant would want to rewrite the Bible so that it can be "politically correct". Take note of the fact that what is politically correct can be spiritually bankrupt.

In light of these truths, you can therefore see how great your privilege is when you are a child of God. Being a child of God grants you access to the food of salvation, deliverance, healing and prosperity that is meant only for children of God. If you are not yet a child of God, don't delay further; today is the day of salvation and adoption. Give your life to Christ today, admit your spiritual poverty and let Him cleanse you in His Blood.

PRAYER POINT :

Father, I call You Father because you are a Father indeed. Make me Your own child through Jesus Christ, and bestow upon me the privileges of being Your child today.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 13: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1. Wonderful story of love;

Tell it to me again;

Wonderful story of love;

Wake the immortal strain!

Angels with rapture announce it,

Shepherds with wonder receive it;

Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?

Wonderful story of love.

Wonderful! Wonderful!

Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;

Though you are far away;

Wonderful story of love;

Still He doth call today;

Calling from Calvary’s mountain,

Down from the crystal-bright fountain,

E’en from the dawn of creation,

Wonderful story of love. 

3. Wonderful story of love;

Jesus provides a rest;

Wonderful story of love;

For all the pure and blest,

Rest in those mansions above us,

With those who’ve gone on before us,

Singing the rapturous chorus,

Wonderful story of love. 

Nnamdi Kanu (IPOB) Droven Back To Prison Even After Court Judgement

Operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, and men of the Nigerian Prisons Service,returned the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, back to Kuje Prison after he was granted bail by an Abuja Federal High Court.

The decision shows that until Kanu meets his bail condition, he cannot be set free.

Kanu alongside three other pro-Biafra agitators were whisked away in a green prisons vehicle escorted by four other black hilux vans carrying men of the secret police.

Recall that the Justice Binta Nyako-led Court had earlier granted the IPOB leader bail on health grounds.

In her ruling, the judge had ordered Kanu to provide three sureties one of who must be a serving senator, a jewish religious leader and highly respected person.

She held that they must own property anywhere in Abuja, but put the bail bond at N100 million for each surety.

Justice Nyako also ordered the IPOB leader never to grant any press interview pending the outcome of his trial.

Noting that Kanu should not be in a gathering of more than 10 persons, the judge warned that the bail granted the IPOB leader would be revoked if any of the orders are flouted.

Four Youths Drown In A Well: The Acts Of God?

Four youths drowned in a well at Duk quarters in Pankshin town of Plateau on Wednesday.

An eye witness, Gonjir Goper, told NAN that the deceased – Tonzum Ngwalamba, Nentawe Leptak, Sati Tongleb and Ngompang Ngoshim – aged between 18 and 25, died while trying to push the nozzle of a water pumping machine into the well.

He said that the first victim was trying to push the nozzle when he fell into the well.

“The second victim jumped into the well to rescue the first but did not come out. These rescue efforts continued till the well swallowed the four of them within a very short while,” he said.

Goper described the incident as “shocking and mysterious”.
NAN sources indicated that one of the victims was a son of the owner of the well, one Mr Lamba.

Mr Sa’ad Ibrahim, the Divisional Police Officer of the area, who confirmed the incident, said that the corpses of the victims had been removed from the well and deposited at the Pankshin General Hospital.

Chairman, Interim Management Committee of Pankshin Local Government, Mr Stephen Jings, equally expressed shock at the incident which he said was very unfortunate.
Jings urged parents of the victims to accept it as an act of God.

Ex-Nigerian President's Wife Patience Jonathan Allegedly Accuse Of Money Laundering

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday withdrew its application seeking the stay of execution of a court order which unfroze the Skye Bank account of the wife of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience with a balance of $5.9m.

A counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, appeared before the Federal High Court in Lagos which on April 6 unfroze Patience’s account, stating that the commission had changed its mind about appealing the unfreezing order.

Responding, Patience’s lawyer, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe, confirmed being served with the EFCC’s application to withdraw its application for stay of proceedings.

Adedipe said in view of the EFCC’s action, he would also withdraw the Form 48 and Form 49 he filed to cite Skye Bank for contempt of court for not allowing Patience access to her account in spite of the court order.

After hearing both parties out, Justice Olatoregun granted their prayers to withdraw their respective applications.

With the development, Patience Jonathan now has unfettered access to her bank account.

At the instance of the EFCC last year, Justice Olatoregun had made an interim order freezing multiple accounts linked with Patience.

The order was pursuant to an ex parte application by the anti-graft agency, wherein one of its operatives, Abdulahi Tukur, had told the judge that the funds retained in the said accounts were suspected proceeds of crime.

Tukur had told the judge that intelligence report by the anti-graft agency necessitated that the accounts be investigated, adding that it would be in the interest of justice that the accounts be frozen.

The accounts, opened in the names of companies and an individual, had a cumulative balance of N7,418,829,290.94 (N7.4bn) and $429,381.87.

Apart from Patience’s personal account, also affected were five companies, namely: Finchley Top Homes Limited, Aribawa Aruera, Magel Resort Limited, AM-PM Global Network Limited, Pansy Oil and Gas Limited.

Finchley Top Homes Limited’s account numbered 1102001996 in Ecobank, with a balance of N226,376,700.23 and a fixed deposit of N1,099,511,484.88 was frozen.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY 27TH APRIL 2017

THEME: RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOD'S CHILDREN II

Memorise:

Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

MESSAGE

Yesterday, we looked at some of the responsibilities of the children of God in ensuring that they finish the Christian race in triumph. Another of these responsibilities is that children of God must be on the lookout for whatever appears to be evil and run away from it. Anything that can lead to fornication or adultery, anything that has a shade of idolatry, or anything that has to do with the love of money falls into the category of things you should flee from (1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 10:14, 1 Timothy 6:9-10). Living a holy life is not automatic as some presume; we have to make a conscious effort to live holy. We wrestle not against flesh and blood; rather, we wrestle against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). To be effective in our warfare, our strategy has to be both offensive and defensive in nature. How do we engage in defensive warfare? It is by tactically abstaining from the world of darkness and sin.

In today's Bible reading, we are exposed to the practical way of engaging in defensive spiritual warfare. The first thing is not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers because the Bible expressly says that friendship with the world is enmity against God, and that whosoever will be a friend of the world is an enemy of God (James 4:4). It is however unfortunate that some Christians don't see this as an eternal truth. Even some pastors will tell you that we must be friendly with the world in other to win them. The question is, ever since we have been making friends with worldly people, how many of them have we won? Instead, on arrival, they pollute the Church, and we end up becoming more like them! The problem is that the Church does not want to take the lonely stand for the truth anymore; we want to be world-compliant. Have we forgotten that the Almighty God assures us that even if the world forsakes us, He would be with us (Hebrews 13:5)? How happy our God would be, if His Church would take the stance that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took in Babylon, when they were faced with Nebuchadnezzars great fiery furnace (Daniel 3:16-18).

Beloved, it is your responsibility not only to rebuke the works of darkness but also to run away from all appearances of evil when necessary. Joseph did this successfully, and although he suffered for it for a while, he was later exalted to become the Prime Minister of Egypt (Genesis 39:11-23). That will be your story in Jesus' Name. As you separate yourself to the Lord in holiness, your purity will stand you out from the crowd and cause you to be exalted in Jesus' Name.

Action Point:

Read Psalm 1 meditatively and pray that God will help you to always shun the presence of evil and its agents.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 22
Jeremiah 21:11-22:10
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Refrain:

O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
ln Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

[Refrain]

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

[Refrain]

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

[Refrain]

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, WEDNESDAY 26TH APRIL 2017 By Pastor E.A Adeboye

 THEME: RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOD'S CHILDREN I

 Memorise: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby: 1 Peter 2:2 Read:
1 John 3:1-3 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

 MESSAGE All those who have accepted the Lordship of Jesus Christ over their life are children of God, by the grace of adoption through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5).

 As children of God, while God has some responsibilities to make a success of our walk of faith in this world, we also have some responsibilities we have to bear in this regard.

Peter, in today's memory verse, points out that one of our responsibilities as children of God is to desire things that are beneficial to our spiritual growth.

 When some new converts become children of God, due to zeal without knowledge, they begin to nurse some good desires which are inappropriate or unhealthy for sustaining their victory in the Christian race.

For example, some converts after giving their lives to Christ immediately begin to desire the office of a pastor, evangelist or Christian minister of any sort.

Although these are good desires, they are inappropriate and ill-timed, The first responsibility of a believer when he or she becomes a child of God is to desire the sincere milk of the word so that he or she can grow to maturity through it.

 It is after this that he or she can think of rendering service to the Kingdom work. Physically speaking, when a little baby desires to eat bread, yam, or rice, he or she desires what could kill him or her.

In the same vein, when a newborn believer desires to be a pastor or an evangelist overnight, he or she would not last long.

This is the mistake some Christian organisations make when they make converts out of Muslims and traditionalists and immediately turn them into tools of evangelism.

 The resultant effect is that such converts, without having depth in the word of God, would begin to see themselves as evangelists.

Based on my experience and observations, more often than not, such converts don't last. For this reason, children being born into God's family must take time to study the word of God and become well grounded in it. In our Bible reading today, we see another responsibility of children of God, which is that they must keep themselves pure (1 John3:3).

 After being cleansed and purified by the Blood of Jesus, children of God have the responsibility of not going back to their old vomit or staining their garment of righteousness with the filth of this world (Ephesians 5:26-27).

 Practically, you achieve this by measuring your every action against the standard of God's word. Anything that is contrary to the word of God is filth that must be avoided.

This is the more reason why all children of God need to be grounded in the word first before anything else.

 Action Point:
 Make sure you read, study and apply the word of God to your day-to-day living as a child of God, and you will grow in faith. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 20-21 Jeremiah 21:1-10

 AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
    HYMN 6:

DEEPER, DEEPER 1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus Daily let me go; Higher, higher in the school of wisdom, More of grace to know.

1.  O deeper yet, I pray, And higher every day, And wiser, blessed Lord, ln Thy precious, holy Word.

 2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit, Take me deeper still, Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus, And His perfect will.

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials, Deeper let me go! Rooted in the holy love of Jesus, Let me fruitful grow.

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus, Till all conflict past, Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image Perfected at last.

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus, Holy faith and true; In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom

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Nnamdi Kanu's Bail Conditions

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday admitted the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to bail on health grounds.

Kanu was arrested on October 15, 2015 in Lagos and charged with treason and terrorism.

The 47-year-old leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who also operated a pirate radio Biafra.

In a brief ruling, Justice Binta Nyako, said that she was convinced that Kanu was ill and needed more medical attention than the Nigerian Prisons was giving him.

“The first defendant, Nnamdi Kanu, has appealed to the court for bail based on health grounds and it is only the living that can stand trial.

“So I am minded to grant him bail so that he can attend to his health and face his trial alive,” Nyako said.

She, however, ordered that while on bail, Kanu must not hold any rallies, grant any interviews or be in a crowd of more than 10 people.

Nyako gave other bail conditions to include three sureties in the sum of N100 million each.

She added that one of the sureties must be a senior highly placed person of Igbo extraction such as a senator.

The other surety must be a highly respected Jewish leader since Kanu said his religion was Judaism, while the third person must be a highly respected person who owns landed property and is resident in Abuja.

The judge further ordered that Kanu must deposit both his Nigerian and British passports with the court and that a report on the progress of his health must be made available to her on a monthly basis.

However, she refused bail to the three other defendants standing trial with Kanu, namely Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi.

The judge maintained that the only reason she admitted Kanu to bail was because of his ill health.

She said that although the charge of terrorism had been struck out against the defendants, the charge of treasonable felony hanging over them was a very serious offence.

She also refused a second application by the three defendants seeking a review of her earlier ruling that witnesses who were security personnel should be protected.

She said although the defendants had made the application for variation of the ruling based on the grounds that the charge of terrorism had been dropped, the charge of treasonable felony was equally a grave one.

Based on this, she said she would stick to her earlier ruling that as long as the witnesses were security personnel, they would testify behind a curtain or wear a mask.

She adjourned the matter till July 11 and 12, for definite commencement of trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, and former Minister of Aviation, Mr Osita Chidoka, were in court according to them, as a sign of solidarity with Kanu.

Kanu was arrested in 2015 on an 11-count charge bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony.

Six of the charges, including that of terrorism were struck out early in 2017.

Kanu had also been previously granted bail by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, but was never released by the Federal Government.

North Korea; The Show Of Readiness

North Korea has conducted a big live-fire exercise on Tuesday to mark the foundation of its military as a U.S. submarine docked in South Korea in a show of force amid growing concern over the North’s nuclear and missile programmes.

The port call by the USS Michigan came as a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group steamed toward Korean waters and as top envoys for North Korea policy from South Korea, Japan and the United States met in Tokyo.

Fears have risen in recent weeks that North Korea would conduct another nuclear test or long-range missile launch in defiance of UN sanctions, perhaps on the Tuesday anniversary of the founding of its military.

But instead of a nuclear test or big missile launch, North Korea deployed a large number of long-range artillery units in the region of Wonsan on its east coast for a live-fire drill, South Korea’s military said.

North Korea has an air base in Wonsan and missiles have also been tested there.

“North Korea is conducting a large-scale firing drill in Wonsan areas this afternoon,” the South’s Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The South Korean military was monitoring the situation and “firmly maintaining readiness”, it said.

The South’s Yonhap News Agency said earlier the exercise was possibly supervised by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
North Korea’s state media was defiant in a commentary marking the 85th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People’s Army, saying its military was prepared “to bring to closure the history of U.S. scheming and nuclear blackmail”.

“There is no limit to the strike power of the People’s Army armed with our style of cutting-edge military equipment including various precision and miniaturised nuclear weapons and submarine-launched ballistic missiles,” the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a front-page editorial.

North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threat is perhaps the most serious security challenge confronting U.S. President Donald Trump.

He has vowed to prevent North Korea from being able to hit the U.S. with a nuclear missile and has said all options are on the table, including a military strike.

Trump sent the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group for exercises off the Korean peninsula as a warning to North Korea and a show of solidarity with U.S. allies.

South Korea’s navy said it was conducting a live-fire exercise with U.S. destroyers in waters west of the Korean peninsula and would soon join the carrier strike group approaching the region.

China, North Korea’s sole major ally which nevertheless objects to its weapons development, has repeatedly called for calm, and its envoy for Korean Affairs, Wu Dawei, was in Tokyo on Tuesday.

“We hope that all parties, including Japan, can work with China to promote an early peaceful resolution of the issue, and play the role, put forth the effort, and assume the responsibility that they should,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said in Beijing.

Japan’s envoy on North Korea, Kenji Kanasugi, said after talks with his U.S. and South Korean counterparts that they agreed China should take a concrete role to resolve the crisis and it could use an oil embargo as a tool to press the North.

“We believe China has a very, very important role to play,” said the U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, Joseph Yun.

South Korea’s envoy, Kim Hong-kyun, said they had also discussed how to get Russia’s help to press North Korea.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 27, the Kremlin said. It did not elaborate.

A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman said those meetings called by U.S. officials clearly reflected the U.S. pressure that could “ignite a full-out war” on the Korean peninsula.

On Monday, Trump called for tougher U.N. sanctions on the North, saying it was a global threat and “a problem that we have to finally solve”.

The official China Daily said it was time for Pyongyang and Washington to take a step back from harsh rhetoric and heed calls for a peaceful resolution.

The Emir Of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi Summoned By EFCC

Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Agency (KSPCACA) is set to investigate the Muhammadu Sanusi-led emirate council over an alleged misappropriation of billions of naira supposedly left behind by his predecessor, the late Alhaji Ado Bayero.

Summons signed by the agency’s Director of Operations, Sulaiman Gusau, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), and written to Sanusi, the agency is to probe activities in the emirate since 2015 when the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor ascended the throne.

The summons ordered the secretary and treasurer to the council to report to the agency’s headquarters on May 2, 2017 to explain the alleged financial recklessness and perhaps, justify the legal framework under which the expenditure was made.

Speaking to journalists on the development, the Kano state anti-graft agency’s chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado, neither denied nor confirmed the summons, but said he was not ready to dwell on any issue under investigation.

Asked what prompted the probe at this time, he maintained that the agency was acting on a petition from a citizen accusing the emirate council of financial recklessness under the current emir.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to the emir, Alhaji Manir Sanusi, declining to provide detailed comments due to his incapacity to speak on the subject matter, however,n stated that the emirate was ready for a probe into its expenditure as planned by the state anti-corruption agency.

He further referred journalists to the financial controller of the emirate, Alhaji Mahe Bashir Wali, who later confirmed receipt of the summons.

Wali said: “We actually received a letter from the commission, I mean the anti-graft agency, Kano State-owned, yesterday requesting the secretary and treasurer of the council to appear before them next month, that is all.”

The probe comes a few days after an online publication allegedly disclosed plans by some northern governors to dethrone the monarch.

They were said to have been embarrassed by the position of the emir on their planned foreign loans, particularly the alleged $1.85 billion facility to be taken from the Chinese government for a light rail project in the state.

The monarch reportedly said at the just-concluded Kaduna Investment Summit that the proposed foreign loan would be a wasteful venture and misplacement of priority.

He was further quoted as saying that the plan would never add any impetus to the socio-economic value of the people but, rather, leave the state with an incurable infectious debt.

Shortly after Sanusi’s public outburst, another publication was reported to have shown online a supposed outrageous spending and extravagant disposition of the emir.

The report indicated how the monarch authorised billions of naira from the emirate council’s coffer.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Information Muhammad Garba, however, denied government’s involvement in the probe.

He insisted that the anti-graft agency was an independent
 body entrusted with a responsibility to be discharged without fear or favour.

Nigeria South Africa Pastor Arrested For A Rape Case

South Africa Magistrate’s Court has denied a Pastor Tim Omotosho, a Nigerian, bail who was arraigned for alleged sexually abusing 30 female members of his congregation.

The 58-year-old Nigerian miracle worker, Pastor Tim Omotosho, the senior pastor of the Jesus Dominion International, was arrested in South Africa.

The pastor based in Durban, who was arrested inside the toilet at the Port Elizabeth Airport shortly after his flight landed,
He was arraigned in court on Friday and was denied bail.

According to South African newspaper, The Herald , it is understood that the miracle worker, who cures the sick, reforms criminals and lives like a rock star in one of South Africa’s richest suburbs, had arrived Port Elizabeth airport around 3 pm from Durban where his church is situated.

The police alleged that Mr. Omotoso over the years trafficked about 30 young girls from various branches of his church to a house in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal where he allegedly exploited them sexually.

It was further gathered that he allegedly handpicked the girls and instructed them to live in his house where they were forced to have unprotected sex with him.

Meanwhile, he appeared in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court yesterday where his case was postponed to May 3.

Mr. Omotoso, who is the founder of a 24-hour satellite TV station, Ancient of Days Broadcasting Network (ADBN), which is aired across the Caribbean, Africa, Mexico, Middle East, Europe and the United States, is married and has three children.

Kenya Road Crash As 27 Died

Kenyan police say 27 people have been killed in a collision between a passenger bus and a trailer truck.

Police say the accident took place along the major road linking two of Kenya’s biggest cities, capital Nairobi and the port of Mombasa.

Leornard Kimaiyo, the police chief in the Kambu area of Maukeni county, says the bus was heading to Mombasa and the trailer in the opposite direction when they collided on Tuesday.

Road accidents kill around 3,000 people in Kenya every year,

Deaths through road accidents have increased in recent years despite a crackdown on drunk driving, including tougher fines and breathalyzer tests at random police roadblocks.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY 25TH APRIL 2017 By Pastor E.A Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

TUESDAY 25TH APRIL 2017

THEME: GOD IS NOT INTERESTED IN THIS

MEMORISE:

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:17

READ: Ezekiel 33:14-16

14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
NUMBERS 18-19 & JEREMIAH  20:7-18

MESSAGE

Expectedly, you may be wondering what God is not interested in. God is not interested in the death of a sinner (2 Peter 3.9). Many sinners don't even know that God has no delight in condemning them. It is therefore necessary that those who know this truth should make it known to them.
"Again when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.” Ezekiel 33:14-15

It is clear from the above Scripture that God is not interested in the death of any sinner, but desires that the sinner repents and turns away from his or her wicked ways. It is amazing that God Almighty promised that none of the sins committed by a converted sinner will be remembered any more. God is always wanting to restore fellowship with His human creation back to what it was in the beginning, if only they would appreciate His love for them. Jesus Christ in John 15:13 said:
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

If indeed we are the friends of Jesus, we then must do whatever He commands us to do (John 15:14). Are you a friend of Jesus or willing to be one? lf you are willing to be a friend of Jesus, you must accept Him today, because tomorrow may be too late. The Bible says:
"For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2

For believers who would aIways pray that sinners should "fall down and die", I will like to admonish you to stop wasting your time, because if the fellow you are praying against is a candidate for salvation in the future, your prayers may be an exercise in futility. This is why the Lord God said vengeance is His (Romans 12:19). May God fill our hearts with the compassion of Christ, so that we can be more concerned about the salvation of sinners rather than their death!

PRAYER POINT:

Father, fill my heart with the compassion of Jesus, so that I would care for sinners even as You do.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer!

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge-
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield you;
You wilt find a solace there.

Sambisa Forest (Borno) Now A Place To Be- Nigerian Chief Of Army Staff

No fewer than 4,200 officers of the Nigerian Army, Air Force and other special forces took part in the operation to uproot the Boko Haram terrorists from their Sambisa Forest.

President Muhammadu Buahari, on Saturday broke the news of the capture of Boko Haram’s last stronghold in a goodwill message to soldiers of the Operation Lafiya Dole over the victory.

Buhari said he had received the long-awaited and most gratifying news of the final crushing of Boko Haram terrorists in their last enclave in Sambisa Forest.

The president said he was delighted at the news and was most proud of the gallant troops of the Nigerian Army.

“I want to use this opportunity to commend the determination, courage and resilience of troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole at finally entering and crushing the remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents at ‘Camp Zero’, which is located deep within the heart of Sambisa Forest.

“I was told by the Chief of Army Staff that the camp fell at 1:35pm on Thursday, December 22, and that the terrorists were on the run and no longer have a place to hide,” the president disclosed.

Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that in the build-up to the operation to storm Sambisa, the United States donated five mine detecting armoured vehicles to the Nigerian Armed Forces, which enabled the military to clear “thousands of improvised explosive devices” that laced the vast Sambisa Forest.

Other powers like Germany also contributed “vital information and logistics” that led to the capture of the forest, sources said.

“The operation to take over Sambisa Forest did not start overnight,” one of the sources said.
Among other places, the Sambisa Forest had been used as fortress by the leader of the Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau and members of the Shura (Supreme Council) since 2003, after they were dislodged from Maiduguri and environs, shortly after the declaration of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

The source, a sniper, who returned to Maiduguri from the fringes of the liberated forest on Friday, said while hundreds of Boko Haram fighters were killed during the offensive that began about a month ago, many others were captured alive while attempting to flee.

He said: “A ‘white man’ was also arrested in the forest. “The man is under custody and providing positive information.
“Hundreds of Boko Haram captives, including men, women and children have been freed and taken to safety.

“All I can tell you is that no big Boko Haram commander is alive in the Sambisa; we are in control of the forest.
“It took months of planning and mapping because of the size, difficult weather and other factors in the Sambisa Forest.”

The source said that one of the major factors that delayed the takeover of the insurgents’ hideout was the thousands of people, including those living in villages around the vast forest that were being held as human shield by the Boko Haram leaders.

It was gathered that the 4,200 troops were deployed to the Sambisa Forest through various fronts, including Ngurosoye, Konduga/Aulari, Bama, Fulka and Damboa.

“The 151 Battalion of the Nigerian Army advanced into Sambisa through the Banki-Darul Jamal axis, the 27 Battalion advanced through Mafa, the 152 Battalion advanced through Pulka, while the 222 Battalion approached the dreaded forest through the Maiduguri axis,” another soldier, who participated in the operation, said.

He said the operation was carried out day and night.
“When mine detectors cleared the way, troops moved in to confront the insurgents, who were equally well armed with sophisticated fighting equipment.

“Luckily, we always had an edge over them at night because there were fighter jets with night vision devices that were deployed. And whenever the insurgents attempted to flee, there were booby-traps in all the exit points, and we caught or killed them like chickens,” he said.

The political class, the military high command and the Nigerian soldiers celebrated the capture of the infamous ‘Camp Zero’ at the heart of the Sambisa forest.

A source said though the ‘Camp Zero’ comprised a cluster of dreaded camps and cells, the strongest and most fortified of all of them was a huge structure with underground cells and armoury built for the disbanded National Guards in the 1980s.

“The building has about two layers of underground buildings. It was actually built by the military government in the 1980s for the training of the National Guards. Unfortunately, the place was left like that after the National Guards were disbanded.

“Therefore, after they were forced out of Maiduguri, the Boko Haram found the place as an excellent fortress because everything was there, including water, tunnels for escape and fertile land for farming,” a soldier familiar with the terrain, said.

The National Guard was established by a decree in 1989 by a former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, to combat crime and terrorism.

The Sambisa Forest stretches across six states in the North-East and North-West parts of Nigeria, including Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa and some parts of Kano state.

It got its name from the village of Sambisa in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, which shares borders with the Republic of Cameroon.

In his message, President Buhari urged the troops to maintain the tempo by pursuing the terrorists and bringing them to justice.

He also called on all Nigerians to cooperate and support the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies by providing useful information that would expose all the terrorists hiding among the populace.

The president said further efforts should be intensified to locate and free the remaining Chibok schoolgirls still in captivity, praying: “May God be with them.”

He congratulated and commended “the able leadership of the Nigerian Army in particular, and indeed, that of the Armed Forces in general, for making this possible.”

Buhari added: “This, no doubt, will go a long way in improving the security situation, not only in the North-East, but the country in general. But we must not let our guards down.

“Once more, congratulations to our troops and all, who, in one way or another, contributed to this most commendable and momentous effort. May the Almighty continue to be with you.

“I wish you a Merry Christmas and a most rewarding and peaceful Year 2017 ahead.”
Buhari’s statement did not say anything about the fate of the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, who was suspected to be directing the activities of the group from his hideout in the 60,000square-kilometre forest.

The Nigerian security forces had, on many occasions in the past, claimed to have killed Shekau, who subsequently appeared in videos debunking such claims.

N’Golo Kante Named PFA Player of The Year Season16/17

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has been named the PFA Player of the Year at a ceremony in London on Sunday evening.

Kante, 26, wins the award after being on the shortlist of six last season when winning the Premier League title with Leicester City, before teammate Riyad Mahrez was eventually crowned.

The France international edged out competition from Eden Hazard, winner of the award in 2014-15, Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton’s Romelu Lukaku and Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez.

Kante had been the bookmakers’ heavy odds-on favourite for some time. Credited as the key signing to transform Chelsea from a team which finished 10th into Premier League leaders, his energy in the middle of the park has been the driving force. He has made more interceptions in the past two seasons than any other player.

Accepting the award at Grosvenor House, Kante said: “It’s a huge honour to be chosen by the other players. It’s really special to get this award. My first two seasons have been very beautiful. We have to finish well but so far it’s a very good season.”

He is hoping to become the first player in the Pemier League era to win the title with different clubs in successive seasons. Mark Schwarzer did it the other way around with Chelsea and then Leicester last season, but his win with the Foxes doesn’t officially count as he didn’t qualify for a medal after making no appearances.

Dele Alli picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year award, while Manchester City’s Lucy Bronze won the women’s player of the year award for the second time having also won it in 2014, and Birmingham’s Jess Carter topped the voting in the women’s young player category.

Former England captain David Beckham received the PFA’s Merit award for his contribution to the game.