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My child’s illness made me go to Redeemed Church + I had uncountable Girlfriends – General Overseer RCCG, Pst E.A Adeboye reveals

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General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor E.A Adeboye has a lot of stories to say about his past which a lot of people don’t know.
In this interview with Sunday Alabi, Adetunji Adeyombo, Tunde Opalana, Tolu Olamiriki and Taiwo Olanrewaju , he explained how he met his wife, his first encounter in RCCG, and how he used to have a lot of girlfriends.
Talking about what made him choose the work of the ministry over his teaching career, he said,
”Well, I have shared the testimony that I had a problem that all my mathematics couldn’t solve.
The problem had to do with one of my children who had a sickness that the doctors couldn’t handle and somebody referred me to the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I got there, they prayed for the child and the child was made whole. Well, they were alright, I must confess I didn’t like their mode of worship, their worship was too noisy for me. But the first
thing that attracted me to the Redeemed Christian Church of God was their sincerity and their fervour. Whatever they were doing, they were doing it with their whole heart, they were not pretending. I also saw in the faces of the leaders, they were always contented, they looked as if they had no problem in the world at all, they had peace more than anything else.
Fortunately for me, they didn’t solve the problem of my child immediately, they kept on saying I must surrender my life to Jesus Christ, I must confess my sins to Him, which irritated me to start with because I felt that I didn’t know about sin. What they were calling sin then by my own interpretation was just a way of life. We were doing everything everybody was doing. You have a wife in the house, one or two girlfriends by the side. That was what everybody was doing. But after about one month, suddenly the message penetrated and I suddenly realised that they were not asking me to surrender to any man, they were asking me to surrender to my God, my maker. I grew up in a home where you can’t call it holiness but at least where they taught us to fear God. After I grew up, particularly around the time I was about to enter the university, all these pranks became the order of the day. I remembered those days when early piety became the order of the day and I thought it was a good time really.Then I felt if what these people are saying is that I should return to those days, then why not.
I went forward, gave my life to Jesus Christ and everything changed. Everything changed since then till now.’

Talking about the first miracle God performed through him, He said,
Oh! you are talking about the first healingmiracle. The first one I can say is spectacular, because there are several others, the first was the healing of a dumb child. The mother brought the child, the child was babbling a lot, the child was eleven or twelve years old and has never spoken all her life and the mother brought her, she said this my child is dumb. I
was going to pray like any other pastor and believe that over the next weeks or months, the child will begin to talk or something. As I lay my hand on that child and I said, “In The Name of Jesus”, the child said “Amen”. This frightened me that I nearly jumped out of the window because I was not expecting the child to speak even after I have prayed and I have not prayed.
All I have said was, “In The Name of Jesus” and the child said “Amen”. Of course, the mother was on the floor rolling and there was no need to pray any more. I believe God did it that way so that I won’t take any credit for it. Not just because I prayed, but because God just wanted to perform the miracle.
When exactly was that sir?
It was a long time ago. I am sorry I cannot remember.

Furthermore, he was asked about his past relationship with girls and how he met his wife, He said,

”That is quite an interesting story, so I will tell you. I said when I was growing up, I grew up where piety was the order of the day. I can still say very proudly today that all my elder sisters, when they got married, they were virgins. That was how rigid my parents were. I was raised up like that. Then as I grow, I became a sports man, my hobby happens to be photography.
That is a dangerous combination for a young man because it opens the door to having as many girlfriends as possible. Ladies love a sportsman particularly if he is winning medals and if you are a photographer and always take pictures of women. So, I ended up having so many girlfriends to the extent that at a point in time, I didn’t even know their numbers And I have fun of giving them various days of the year as my birthday. To one girlfriend, my birthday will be January something, to another, it may be September something. The reason of course is that when I’m celebrating, only one girlfriend would show up. So, the birthday is for you as a particular person. And I expect of course on my birthday, that the girlfriend should bring a gift. When it was the turn of the lady I married, she sent me a gift. I was at
Nsukka when she was in Ibadan. She posted the gift to arrive on my birthday and it was a small parcel. As soon as I collected the parcel at the Post Office, I said ah, this one has lost. She wants to marry me an undergraduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and she is sending me this kind of a gift. Then I opened the gift and it was a New Testament Bible and two snow-white handkerchiefs. I said she has lost double now. Can you imagine sending a Bible to me on my birthday? But before that day was over, I have written off the other girls. It was as if the Bible was charmed (I’m using the word charmed the way a sinner will use it). I just found that from the Post Office to my hostel, something came over me and all of a sudden I began to remember my days when I used to be a holy boy and said this girl is calling me back to my former days, the handkerchiefs were so white and of course I knew this is the girl I would marry. I didn’t sleep that night until I have written the others to tell them sorry, no quarrel but let us go our various ways. That is how that one happened.”

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ZENITH BANK REWARDS HACKATHON WINNERS WITH N77.5M CASH PRIZE AT ZENITH TECH FAIR 4.0

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ZENITH BANK REWARDS HACKATHON WINNERS WITH N77.5M CASH PRIZE AT ZENITH TECH FAIR 4.0

 

A total sum of N77.5 million in prize money was won at the end of a keenly contested hackathon session at the Fourth Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 4.0: Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity & Growth Imperatives – The Impact of AI “, which held on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The prize money was shared among ten finalists who emerged from the over 1,700 contestants that took part in the hackathon, with JumpnPass, a self-checkout technology solution reshaping the retail landscape in Africa emerging as the overall winner and taking home the grand prize of N25 million. This is in addition to a six-week mentorship and incubation program designed to help them grow and scale effectively, which will run from December 2024 to February 2025.

The first runner-up, CreditChek, a credit and verification service provider which leverages AI and open banking to streamline income and credit history verification for financial institutions, won N20 million and a mentorship programme, while the second runner-up, Salad Africa, a start-up which offers seamless integration of credit products for digital platforms and software companies won N15 million as well as a mentorship programme. Other finalists who took home N2.5million each include Regxta, CashAfrica, Middleman, Messenger, Pocketfood, Famasi Africa, Kitovu.

Earlier during the programme, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, in her welcome address expressed her appreciation to the Founder & Chairman, Dr Jim Ovia, CFR, for birthing the idea that led to the establishment of the Tech Fair initiative 5 years ago, she thanked him for his vision and foresight in utilizing technology to revolutionize the world of business and banking.

Commenting on the Hackathon, she said, “This prestigious annual event was created to empower and nurture young fertile minds. We hope to produce the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk from the Zenith Bank Hackathons in the nearest future. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, 70% of Nigeria’s population are youths which is an economic asset when properly harnessed. This is part of the reason why Zenith Bank is hosting this event to support the development of technology startups. Their success not only fosters innovation and growth in Nigeria, but it also plays a vital role in creating employment opportunities for our youth.” She also stressed on the importance of innovation and embedded finance in ensuring strong and enduring institutions. According to her, “it is paramount that we adapt and adopt technology to stay ahead of the curve. We have seen various cases of companies that failed because of their lack of innovation. It is quite obvious that when companies fail to innovate; they can easily be displaced, so this is not the time to be orthodox, innovation should be a top priority for us.”

In his goodwill message, The Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu called for a global approach to doing business in the country. According to him, “What we need to do is to be able to enhance our product and services in order to compete in the world. We can’t continue to act local, we need to think global. Anything that we’re doing now, we need to be able to know that we are not just serving a local market, we actually want to serve the global market, and that’s why I’m glad that consistently, for the past four years, I have kept up with the Zenith Tech Fair. I am sure 5.0 should be bigger and better than what we have today, but for us as a government, what we need to do is to continue to use platforms like this to reassure you of our readiness to provide an enabling environment for your ideas and innovative solutions.”

Described as a huge success by participants, the Fair featured the launch of the bank’s digital wallet, EazyByZenith, which will help to support the bank’s retail and financial inclusion strategy. The fair also included presentations on the leading technological innovations that cut across different aspects of life, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Risk Management, Compliance, Financial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and Communication Technologies, with the keynote address, “Banking Transformation in a Digital World”, delivered by Robin Speculand, a renowned Strategy & Digital Implementation Specialist.

The event also featured goodwill messages by Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank; His Excellency, Hon. Kashim Shettima, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (represented by Dr. Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to the Presidency on Economic Matters). Other eminent IT practitioners from top global brands who also made presentations include; Robin Speculand, renowned Strategy & Digital Implementation Specialist; Danilo McGarry, Global Expert on Digital Transformation and AI; Jania Okwechime, Partner, Africa, AI & Data Leader, Deloitte; Rupert Nicolay, Director, Microsoft Worldwide Financial Services.

The panel session had Wole Odeyele, Client Technology Lead for Microsoft Inc. as its host, and featured six discussants including Ada Jabaru, Founder & Director, Nistad Limited; Funke Opeke, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, MainOne; Guy Futi, Chief Executive Officer, Orda; Dr Auwal Adam Sa’ad, Founder, ZamzamPay; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General/Chief Executive Officer, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The Zenith Bank startup pitch competition and incubation program seeks to identify and fast-track the growth of high-potential Nigerian startups innovating in key sectors, including Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity, Fintech, HealthTech, Agritech, E-commerce, and more. The program provides an ideal platform for startups to showcase their groundbreaking ideas and gain access to invaluable resources to scale their businesses.

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NEW BPP DG COMMITS TO EFFICIENCY AND STAFF WELFARE FOR IMPACTFUL SERVICE DELIVERY

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NEW BPP DG COMMITS TO EFFICIENCY AND STAFF WELFARE FOR IMPACTFUL SERVICE DELIVERY*

*_…begins review of bureau processes to enhance government procurement systems_*

The Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, has outlined his vision to drive efficiency, enhance staff welfare, and reinforce the Bureau’s regulatory mandate in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed hope mandate and his commitment to improving Nigeria’s economy. This was made known during an interactive session with staff of the Bureau at the State House Banquet Hall on November 20, 2024. Dr Adedokun emphasised the urgency of delivering results as well as improving trust in the government procurement system to support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, declaring, “Let us work together to get value for money for Nigeria’s developmental processes and achieve President Tinubu’s mandate of making Nigeria’s economy better.”

Furthermore, in a bid to strengthen operational efficiency, the DG also announced key reforms, including introducing Service Level Agreements for the bureau’s processes ensuring that letters are treated within 3 (three) days, and ensuring reports are completed within 14 (fourteen) days. He also highlighted plans to secure a sustainable budget that would improve the working environment and provide better welfare for staff.

Dr Adedokun firmly stated the Bureau’s resolve to uphold its regulatory integrity under his watch. He warned that officers are prohibited from visiting Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) unless on official assignments stressing the need for officers of the Bureau to stay above board. He further declared that contractors are no longer allowed within the Bureau’s premises to ensure that officers can perform their duties without undue interference and influence.

Calling for a collaborative approach, the DG urged staff to embody the Bureau’s regulatory values by adhering to procurement guidelines, avoiding delays, and striving for excellence. “As a regulator, you must be seen to be guided by the procurement process,” he stated. He assured the team of an open-door policy, encouraging innovative ideas that could propel the Bureau to greater heights.

The session also featured a visit from former DG, Engr. Emeka Ezeh, OFR, FNSE, who led the Bureau from 2009 to 2016. Engr. Ezeh commended President Tinubu for appointing Dr Adedokun and urged staff to provide their full support to the new leadership. He encouraged staff to focus on leaving a legacy of excellence, saying, “Work in a way that you will be celebrated wherever you go in life.”

Senior Directors, including Engr. Nasir Bello and Engr. Isaiah Yesufu reiterated the importance of supporting the DG’s vision while emphasizing adherence to the Bureau’s operational guidelines. Staff also welcomed the session, sharing their perspectives on improving the Bureau’s operations and pledging their support for the new leadership.

In a related development, Dr Adedokun sought collaboration with the Presidential Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy (PODES) led by its Head, Mr O’tega Ogra, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital/New Media, during a courtesy visit to his office on November 21, 2024. The DG emphasized the need to enhance the Bureau’s public engagement and visibility in line with the all-of-government communications approach being espoused by the PODES.

Mr Ogra congratulated Dr Adedokun on his appointment and highlighted the key role BPP plays in advancing Nigeria’s development agenda. O’tega further expressed his commitment to collaborating with the Bureau in amplifying its communication efforts and ensuring Nigerians understand and appreciate its critical role in national governance.

Dr Adedokun’s leadership marks a new chapter for the Bureau of Public Procurement, focused on accountability, efficiency, and impactful service delivery. His vision aligns seamlessly with the Federal Government’s goals of economic transformation and sustainable development as well as President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.

Janet McDickson
Director, Information & Public Relations/Head, Media-BPP

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Abducted Rivers bizman rescued, suspected robber arrested

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Abducted Rivers bizman rescued, suspected robber arrested

 

The Rivers State Police Command said its men rescued a businessman identified as Julius Madabuchi, who was kidnapped by a four-man gang at a filling station in the Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.

The police said the man was abducted when the miscreants who were driving in a Black Toyota car stormed the area and started shooting discriminately before executing their plan.

The rescue of the man, the police said, followed a distress call sent to the command control room about the activities of the hoodlums on November 17 and immediately mobilised operatives to the scene, saying the abductors engaged the police in a shootout.

The spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Wednesday.

 

The statement reads, “On the 17th of November, 2014, at about 2023hrs, operatives of the command received a distress call from the Room indicating that a gang of armed men numbering about four operating in a Black colour Toyota Corolla car shot sporadically and kidnapped one Madabuchi Julius at Sabbath Filling Station, Oyigbo.

“Operatives were swiftly mobilised to the scene and the hoodlums on sighting the police operatives drove off, but they were given a hot chase by the operatives and subsequently intercepted along Egbu Street, Oyigbo and a gun duel ensued between the operatives and the hoodlums.

“The hoodlums could not withstand the police’s superior firepower and eventually abandoned the victim and their operational vehicle with registration number RIVERS PHC 938 AH and escaped. The victim was rescued unhurt and the vehicle recovered. He has since reunited with his family.”

 

The state police image maker however said an investigation is ongoing while concerted efforts are being intensified to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang and recover their operational weapons.

In a related development, Iringe-Koko said the following day, precisely on Monday, operatives of the command acted on credible information, coordinated a covert operation at the St Lorinta Street, Oyigbo and arrested one Gabriel Morris, aged 25, at Mercy Ground in Kom-Kom, Oyigbo LGA of the State.

The state police spokesperson stated, “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to being a member of a syndicate that had been terrorising Oyigbo and its environs in recent times.

 

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, listed items recovered from the suspect including one locally made pistol and a quantity of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.

She added, “Investigation is ongoing, while concerted efforts are intensified to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.

“This successful operation further demonstrates the effectiveness of the Rivers State Police Command in combating kidnapping and all other forms of crime in the state.”

 

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