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“Christians Must Live Exemplary Marriage Life” – Apostle & Reverend Lizzy Johnson Suleman
Love is not a fickle feeling. Once you’ve decided to go all in, you move from feelings to commitment. The decision to stick with your spouse is not based on emotion; it’s based on a commitment you made to your spouse and the Lord. In the inspiring world of the First Family at the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson and Dr. Lizzy Suleman, ‘love, by its very nature, is not a fairy tale feeling but a commitment. Love is simply a story with no ending.’ In this interview, the clergy couples share the secrets of their 19 years courtship which developed into a successful marriage, still waxing strong 13 years after. Excerpts…
Apostle Suleman:
If the founder has a successful marriage, what impacts could it have on his ministry?
Marital successes are parts of life stimulators and rest of mind enhancers. When a pastor marries a satanic daughter, his father-in-law (Satan) would definitely come for a visit. And one thing with satanic visit is that it’s very embarrassing and deadly. The impacts the church founder’s healthy marriage could have on his ministry are very many as marriage is the oldest institution on earth. The breakdown of marriage is a breakdown of society; it’s a breakdown of governmental structures. Marital breakdown produces hooliganism and anarchy. So, when a pastor’s marriage is faulty or collapsed, there is no way he can lead the congregation well. Many congregation members would pattern their lives after their p divorce, marital disharmony, failure etc. On the other hand, when a pastor’s marriage is working, the grace and the power that make his marriage to work will make the congregation’s marriages work also.
Dr. Lizzy Suleman:
How does it feel like being married to a man whose job is completely spiritual and public?
One thing we should understand in life is that God made us according to the assignments which He prepared for us from the foundation of the world. Being married to a man whose job is completely spiritual and public is a privilege and it’s a thing to always thank God for.
Apostle Suleman:
Pastor-idolizing is common in the ministry. While some say it is in order, others believe that such practice puts those in the vocational ministry (the founder, other top pastors and their families) in an isolated position. What is your say on this?
We need to get the right context of the word ‘idolizing’. If the word idolizing is used within the framework of honour, respect or love for the pastor, it is not bad at all because men of God should be honoured and celebrated. But putting pastor in the place of God is deadly and it’s a very serious evil in the sight of God. As a matter of fact, idolizing a pastor or his family from the second perspective is a way of saying his congregational members are pushing him very early into his or her grave. This is so because it’s the easiest way of comparing a man of God with God of man which has no basis at all. My counsel to every man of God and their families is that they should not allow themselves to be killed early. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says: 23 Thus saith the Lord, ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man gloryin his riches’. 24 says; ‘But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercises loving, kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. Therefore, men of God should not be idolized to the detriment of their calling.
Dr. Lizzy Suleman:
Being a pastor’s wife, have you ever had any course to fear about your husband’s ability and spirituality on the pulpit?
Not at all. But that does not mean that l don’t pray for him before and while ministering. I know he has God, he knows God and God will always guide him by His Spirit. That, as pastor’s wife, allays all forms of fear within.
Apostle Suleman:
You’ve been married for how long, and what was the attraction to Dr. Lizzy?
I have known her for 19 years but we have been married for 13 years. The attraction was the fear of God and her prayer life. Also, she is the most humble woman I have ever seen. She doesn’t give me trouble and has never talked back at me.
Dr. Lizzy Suleman:
It is said that the Bible does not provide a specific job description for a pastor’s wife. What are the qualities needed of a pastor’s wife to attract development in the church, love and harmony among congregants?
The duties of pastor are the duties of pastors wives if they have congregations they are ministering to. However, when a pastor’s wife is with her husband in the same congregation, she has separate roles that will enhance the work of the husband. This will bring synergy in successes and achievements. There are basic qualities a pastor’s wife should have in order to achieve the above described successes. Some of them are to be prayerful, show love without sentiments, humility, sincerity, self control etc.
Apostle Suleman:
The Scripture’s position on same-sex marriage is very clear, yet sections of the Church still do not condemn the practice. How does this affect the society?
Same sex marriage from the biblical and natural point of views are very wrong, it is an abomination. That some sections in the church still romance and refuse to condemn it does not make it right. All these are happening because we are in the end time where people go for what they want and not what God wants. And it’s happening also as a result of lack of knowledge of the word of God. This affects the society in adverse ways. The church should be a place to mould the society but if the society gets rotten because of the evil lifestyle and practices of the church leaders then the so called same sex lovers are not worthy to be in the church authorities. This people have directly joined Satan to work against God no matter the title they bear.
Dr. Lizzy Suleman:
As a leader in the Church, how should a Christian woman handle controversy surrounding her marriage since the man is believed to be the stronger sex?
There is one thing every woman or man of God who wishes to succeed in life must have; it is divine wisdom which money cannot buy. A Christian woman should handle controversies surrounding her marriage with wisdom by not making it an issue to the public. Also both couples should agree to make things work.
Apostle Suleman:
How should a man of God handle temptations since it is believed to be a test that would come in the mission?
Yes, temptations are part of life, even if you don’t like them or want them, they must come. Temptations are life-assessment score sheet for promotions and enduring next level. There are two ways to handle temptations from the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:13; “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” One, pray that you should not be led into temptations because temptations itself are a suggestion to do evil or anything against the love and the will of God. Two, if you are already inside temptations, pray to be delivered from the evil so that it will not swallow you.
Dr. Lizzy Suleman:
When you hear of divorce happening in high places, especially in clerics’ homes, what strikes you as the possible reasons; and why do you think it shouldn’t happen in the Church?
There are several reasons that lead to divorce both in the world and in the cleric homes, though divorce itself is not the will of God or the last results to marital crisis. Honestly speaking, every marital crisis can be resolved if the proper steps are taken. Some of the factors that bring divorce are: incompatibility in marriage; imagine a male pastor married to a female politician or a female model, how would the pastor cope? Then, bad friends or evil counselors, family third party, impatience on the part of the couples, foundational curses and demonic attacks, insincerity and more. As for the reason why it should not happen in the church; it is very simple. Like I said in the beginning, God hates divorce.
Apostle Suleman:
Every union has its primary challenges, what are the mechanisms that you apply to ensure the home is calm at all times considering the multitude that look up to your leadership?
It’s all about unfeigned love, patent, having marital understanding and wisdom application. It’s wisdom to pray in marriage, it’s wisdom to apologize to each other when things go wrong, it’s wisdom to be patient with your partner and it’s wisdom to believe in yourselves. You cannot have all these and there will not be calmness in your home.
Dr. Lizzy Suleman:
Would you like to share some testimonies concerning peace and the love in your union?
We know that marital success is a function of an agreement between husband and wife. It is not solely the woman’s responsibility or the man’s making. Several testimonies abound in our marriage. We have peace of mind, there are no unresolved issues. No third party coming in to settle issues. The love for one another is on the daily increase. Parents are not on one side and children on the other side. There is unity. Praise God.
Apostle Suleman:
You had barely released the 2017 prophecies than some were beginning to happen. Do you think people are not doing enough in terms of praying to avert certain events from happening?
There are two ways to this issue. Number one, most people don’t take prophecies serious, as a result of that they don’t pray to avert the evils. Some of them don’t pray for the mercy of God and for divine intervention. The other way to it is that there are issues in the calendar of God that prayers would not change, because they have been designed to happen. These are the two major issues that make negative prophecies or warning to still happen but majority of them are tied to inability to seek the face of God as and when due.
Dr. Lizzy Suleman:
Please, would you like to share with us those programmes that you administer in the church and how the Lord has been taking glory regarding their success?
To the glory of God we have several programmes where I have ministered and Jesus’ name is glorified. The sick healed all manners of afflictions gone. The lame walks, the blind sees etc. These happened in our women programme, Nation Conventions, Fire Nights, and other special progammes.
The Couple:
Do you have pet names for each other that promotes your union the more?
Yes, we call each other ‘Honey’ (laughter).
Apostle Suleman:
From the Biblical perspective, do we consider remarriage as adultery?
Not really, depending on the conditions underlying the remarriage. If a man or a woman remarries as a result of the death of the partner, it is not an adultery case. There are other genuine cases before men to qualify one for remarriage but in the sight of God they are seen as a case of adultery. God always wants us to have peace and reconcile disputes. The basic way to qualify for remarriage is to follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ on the subject matter in the Gospel and in the epistles.
Dr. Lizzy Suleman:
How would you advice young girls who would like to become pastors’ wives?
Well, being a pastor or a Pastor’s wife is a calling that only God can initiate. If or when they are called for that, it’s a laudable assignment. For me as mother, it is good if they are pastors because Working with God and for God is the best profession on earth as God has made us to witness that.
Apostle Suleman:
What would you say on pastors who would force their wives to attend theological school so they could run the church together, in a case where the husband alone was called to serve?
Knowledge is a weapon that saves men from captivity. Pastors calling their wives to join them in theology seminaries are not taking wrong decisions. Going to seminaries does not make you a called person, it could be for knowledge acquisition and encounter with God. A pastor’s wife could be doing secular job while her husband is a full time pastor. She needs to know what the man knows in order to be properly carried along in the race of life.
Deadline of Compliance: Nigeria’s Urgent Call for Tax Return Filing
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
“Shift or Structural Demand? A Declaration of Civic Duty in a Nation at a Fiscal Crossroads.”
In the unfolding narrative of national development and economic reform, few instruments are as defining as tax compliance. For Nigeria, a nation perpetually grappling with revenue shortfalls, structural dependency on a single export commodity, and entrenched informal economic behaviour, the Federal Government’s recent clarification on tax return deadlines is not mere bureaucratic noise. It is a deliberate and inescapable declaration: the social contract between citizen and state must be honoured through transparent, lawful and timely tax reporting.
At its core, the government’s pronouncement is stark in its simplicity and radical in its implications. Federal authorities, speaking through the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, have made it unequivocally clear that every Nigerian, whether employer or individual taxpayer, must file annual tax returns under the law. This encompasses self-assessment filings by individuals that too many assumed ended once employers deducted pay-as-you-earn taxes from their salaries.
This is not an optional civic suggestion, it is mandatory, backed by statute, and tied to a broader vision of national fiscal responsibility. Citizens can no longer hide behind ignorance, apathy, or false assumptions. “Many people assume that if their employer deducts tax from their salaries, their obligations end there. That is wrong,” Oyedele warned, emphasizing that the obligation to file remains with the individual under both existing and newly reformed tax laws.
The Deadlines and the Reality They Reveal.
Across the federation, state and federal revenue authorities have reaffirmed statutory deadlines in pursuit of compliance. The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, for instance, moved to extend its filing date for employer returns by a narrow window, reflecting the reality that compliance often lags behind legal timelines. The extension was intended not as leniency, but as a pragmatic effort to allow accurate and complete submissions, underscoring that true compliance rises above mere mechanical ticking of a box.
At the federal level, Oyedele’s intervention was even more fundamental. He reminded Nigerians that annual tax returns for the preceding year must be filed in good faith, with integrity and in respect of the law. This applies regardless of income level including low-income earners who have historically believed that they are outside the tax net. “All of us must file our returns, including those earning low income,” he stated.
Herein lies one of the most challenging truths of contemporary Nigerian governance: widespread tax non-compliance is not just a technical breach of law, it is a deep cultural and structural issue that reflects decades of mistrust between citizens and the state.
The Root of the Problem: Non-Compliance as a Symptom.
Nigeria’s tax culture has long been under scrutiny. Public discourse and economic analysis consistently show that a significant majority of eligible taxpayers do not file annual returns. Oyedele highlighted that even in states widely regarded as tax administration leaders, compliance remains strikingly low, often below five percent.
This widespread non-compliance stems from multiple sources:
A long history of weak tax administration systems, where enforcement was inconsistent and penalties were rarely applied.
A perception that public services do not reflect the taxes collected, eroding the citizenry’s belief in reciprocity.
An informal economy where income often goes unrecorded, making filing seem irrelevant or impossible to many.
Lack of awareness, with many Nigerians genuinely believing that tax liability ends with employer deductions.
The government’s renewed push for compliance directly challenges these perceptions. It signals a shift from voluntary or lax compliance to structured accountability, a stance that aligns with best practices in modern public finance.
Why This Matters: Beyond Deadlines.
At its most profound level, the insistence on tax return filings is about nation-building and shared responsibility.
Scholars of public finance universally agree that a robust tax system is the backbone of sustainable development. As the eminent economist Dr. Joseph E. Stiglitz has observed, “A society that cannot mobilize its own resources through fair taxation undermines both its government’s legitimacy and its capacity to provide for its people.” Filing tax returns is not a mere administrative task, it is a declaration of participation in the collective project of national advancement.
In Nigeria’s context, this declaration carries weight. With the enactment of comprehensive tax reforms in recent years (including unified frameworks for tax administration and enforcement) authorities now possess broader statutory tools to ensure compliance and accountability. These measures, which include electronic filing platforms and stronger enforcement powers, have been framed as fair and equitable, targeting efficiency rather than arbitrariness.
Yet the success of these reforms depends heavily on citizens embracing their civic duties with sincerity. And this depends on mutual trust, the belief that paying taxes yields tangible benefits in infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and social services.
Voices From Experts: Fiscal Responsibility as a Public Ethic.
Tax law experts and economists, reflecting on the compliance push, have underscored a universal theme: taxation without transparency is inequity, but taxation with accountability is empowerment. When managed with fairness, a functional tax system can reduce dependency on volatile revenue sources, stabilise national budgets, and support long-term investment in human capital.
Professor Aisha Bello, a respected authority in fiscal policy, notes that “Tax compliance is not a burden; it is the foundation upon which social contracts are built. A citizen who honours tax obligations affirms the legitimacy of governance and demands better performance in return.”
Similarly, a leading tax scholar, Dr. Emeka Okon, argues that “The era when Nigerians could evade broader tax responsibilities simply because automatic deductions occur at source must end. For a modern economy, every eligible citizen must be part of the formal tax fold not as victims, but as stakeholders.”
These authoritative voices point to an unassailable truth: filing tax returns is both a legal requirement and a moral responsibility, an expression of citizenship in its fullest sense.
Challenges on the Ground: Compliance and Capacity.
While the rhetoric of compliance is compelling, the reality on the ground demands nuanced understanding. Many taxpayers (especially in the informal sector) lack meaningful access to digital platforms and resources for filing returns. For others, the fear of bureaucratic complexity and perceived punitive enforcement deters participation.
The government, for its part, has responded by promoting online systems and pledging greater taxpayer support. Tax authorities are increasingly engaging stakeholders to demystify filing processes, explain requirements and offer assistance. This mix of enforcement and facilitation is essential. As one seasoned revenue specialist observed: “The state cannot compel compliance through force alone; it must earn it through education, simplicity and fairness.”
The Broader Implication: A New Social Compact.
Ultimately, Nigeria’s renewed emphasis on tax return filing transcends administrative deadlines. It is an unequivocal declaration that national development is a shared responsibility, that citizens and state must engage in a transparent, accountable, and reciprocal relationship.
Tax compliance, therefore, becomes far more than a legal act; it becomes a moral claim on the nation’s future.
When citizens file their returns honestly, they affirm their stake in the nation’s destiny. When the government collects taxes transparently and deploys them effectively, it strengthens not only public services but civic trust itself.
In this sense, the deadlines proclaimed by Nigeria’s fiscal authorities mark not an end but a beginning; the beginning of a civic epoch in which accountability replaces apathy, participation replaces indifference and national purpose triumphs over fragmentation.
The road ahead will not be easy. But in demanding compliance, Nigeria is demanding more than tax returns. It is demanding commitment and that, ultimately, is the foundation on which nations are built.
BUA Foods Records 91% Surge in Profit After Tax, Hits ₦508bn in 2025
By femi Oyewale
Business
Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards
Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards
In celebration of the season of love, Adron Homes and Properties has announced the launch of its special Valentine campaign, “Love for Love” Promo, a customer-centric initiative designed to reward Nigerians who choose to express love through smart, lasting real estate investments.
The Love for Love Promo offers clients attractive discounts, flexible payment options, and an array of exclusive gift items, reinforcing Adron Homes’ commitment to making property ownership both rewarding and accessible. The campaign runs throughout the Valentine season and applies to the company’s wide portfolio of estates and housing projects strategically located across Nigeria.
Speaking on the promo, the company’s Managing Director, Mrs Adenike Ajobo, stated that the initiative is aimed at encouraging individuals and families to move beyond conventional Valentine gifts by investing in assets that secure their future. According to the company, love is best demonstrated through stability, legacy, and long-term value—principles that real estate ownership represents.
Under the promo structure, clients who make a payment of ₦100,000 receive cake, chocolates, and a bottle of wine, while those who pay ₦200,000 are rewarded with a Love Hamper. Payments of ₦500,000 attract a Love Hamper plus cake, and clients who pay ₦1,000,000 enjoy a choice of a Samsung phone or a Love Hamper with cake.
The rewards become increasingly premium as commitment grows. Clients who pay ₦5,000,000 receive either an iPad or an all-expenses-paid romantic getaway for a couple at one of Nigeria’s finest hotels, which includes two nights’ accommodation, special treats, and a Love Hamper. A payment of ₦10,000,000 comes with a choice of a Samsung Z Fold 7, three nights at a top-tier resort in Nigeria, or a full solar power installation.
For high-value investors, the Love for Love Promo delivers exceptional lifestyle experiences. Clients who pay ₦30,000,000 on land are rewarded with a three-night couple’s trip to Doha, Qatar, or South Africa, while purchasers of any Adron Homes house valued at ₦50,000,000 receive a double-door refrigerator.
The promo covers Adron Homes’ estates located in Lagos, Shimawa, Sagamu, Atan–Ota, Papalanto, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Osun, Ekiti, Abuja, Nasarawa, and Niger States, offering clients the opportunity to invest in fast-growing, strategically positioned communities nationwide.
Adron Homes reiterated that beyond the incentives, the campaign underscores the company’s strong reputation for secure land titles, affordable pricing, strategic locations, and a proven legacy in real estate development.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, Adron Homes encourages Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to take advantage of the Love for Love Promo to enjoy exceptional value, exclusive rewards, and the opportunity to build a future rooted in love, security, and prosperity.
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