Pope celebrates New Year's Eve vespers and Te Deum prayers

Are you in church yet? Pope is.

Pope Benedict XVI on Monday celebrated the traditional New Year's Eve vespers and Te Deum hymn of praise. The Catholics the world over would be looking forward to a new year that will see the pontiff visit Brazil, issue an encyclical and canonise a record number of saints.

During the traditional rite in Rome's Basilica of St. Peter's, the 85-year-old pontiff spoke of the need to meditate and reflect on the fact that "in spite everything, there is still good in the world''. ``Of course, it is at times difficult to gather this profound truth, since evil makes more noise than good." A ``brutal murder, widespread violence and grave injustices'', he went on to say, ``make the news. ``On the contrary, acts of love and service, daily labours endured with faith and patience often remain in the shadow and do not emerge." 

Fashola signs 2013 budget into law

Gov.Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Monday in Ikeja signed the state`s 2013 Appropriation bill of 499 billion into law. 

The figure was 1.828 billion higher than the 497.227 billion naira originally presented by the governor to the State House of Assembly on Oct 31. NAN reports that 269.376 billion naira of the signed budget, tagged``Budget of Poverty Eradication and Economic Growth,`` is earmarked for capital expenditure,while 229.729 is for recurrent expenditure. 

Speaking shortly after signing the bill,Fashola noted that the budget was tailored to address some of the developmental issues in the state, and further impact positively on the lives of residents. He promised to make the budget work for the people of the state through proper implementation, and charged public servants to buckle up and be dedicated to achieving the objectives. ``Effectively implementing the budget cannot be done without the commitment of the public servants. So it is time for our men and women in the public service to lace up their boots and get set for work,``he said. 

"Gov. Wada will be discharged in a few days time" - Doctors

Dr Felix Ogedengbe Chief Medical Director Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja, where Gov. Wada is recuperating from injuries he sustained in an autocrash on Dec. 28. told newsmen on Monday that the governor was doing well after a surgery and would be discharged from hospital ``in a few days time". 

Ogedengbe made this assertion shortly after the visit of President Jonathan to the Governor. 

"He is already doing step-climbing. He is doing very well at the moment. You know it was a severe injury. "We have continued to watch out for any other problem that he might have, but at this stage, we have not seen any other problem at all" he said.

‘Islamists’ slaughter 15 people in their sleep

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Yobe on Sunday said four insurgents had been killed and 59 suspects arrested in an operation in Yindiski area of Potiskum Local Government.

A statement by Lt. Eli Lazarus, JTF spokesman, stated that one policeman died and a soldier, who sustained injury, was receiving treatment.

The statement said “four AK 47 rifles, one double barrel gun, 16 magazines and 380 rounds of ammunitions were recovered”. It said other items recovered in the operation included two gas cylinders and materials used for improvised explosive devices.

Gunmen attack police station in Hong

Three days after an attack on Maiha Divisional police station in Adamawa, the state Police Command’s Public Relation Officer, Mohammed Ibrahim, has confirmed another attack on Hong Divisional Police Station in Hong Local Government Area by some unidentified gunmen on Sunday. 

Ibrahim told newsmen in Yola on Monday that the gunmen attacked the station at 8 pm on Sunday but were repelled by policemen who engaged them in a shootout. 
"They were forced to retreat in different directions and were disorganized after they were forced to abandon their mission. "They scattered and could not regroup to attack other places as they planned", Ibrahim said. 

Cleric condemns 'pants and bras', nudity at Calabar Carnival

Many have praised the Cross River state government for the colourful Calabar Carnival but a spiritual watchdog has cautioned the state and the nation as a whole, against the show of nudity during the festival.

Bishop Archibong Archibong, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Cross River chapter, on Sunday criticised the nudity in the just concluded Calabar Carnival, saying that it was not the culture of Africa. Archibong made the comments while addressing newsmen in Calabar, saying that nudity in carnival was not the best for the state.

He noted that there was no nudity in Calabar Carnival when the former Governor, Donald Duke, started it. ``We need to be very careful because the way we are going now in this carnival thing, we are completely forgetting about morals. “The way people dance is now sexual, it shows that there is no shame among our women, there is no modesty.

Luxury bus hits FRSC official to death in Ogun

Death, as I have earlier noted on this blog, is no respecter of anyone; either those who tried to stop it or those who intentionally venture into it. And so it was that an official of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on Sunday lost his life while controlling traffic along the Ososa River, in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun.

Cleric charges FG on job creation

The President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Supo Ayokunle has urged the Federa; Government to create employment for the teeming population of youth and graduates in the country. Ayokunle gave the admonition on Sunday while speaking during the end of the year celebration of Immanuel Baptist Church, oyo tagged "Eagles in the Tabernacle".

#Sunday: Covenant University expels 200 students for not attending Church service

About 200 students may have been expelled by the authorities of Covenant University, Cannanland, Ota, Ogun State, recently for what was described as “disregard of paramount core values.”

Frustrated and angered by the development, some of the affected students who gave account of what happened battled emotions while narrating their situations recently. They however pleaded with the school authorities to tamper justice with mercy in order to save their future.

Welcome to Witchcraft International Prayer Church

Witchcraft International Church! You wonder where that is located? Don’t wander far, they are everywhere in Nigeria. Just attend any Church’s revival or prayer service and watch out for their attributes, for as Jesus said, “by their fruit ye shall know them” (Luke 6:44).