Lagos Speaker Receives ANAN President, Charges Members On Integrity

– Obasa says accountants must do more to help Nigeria

– ANAN president praises Lagos Assembly for achievements

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has charged members of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) to always uphold the virtues of honesty, integrity and trust as components of their practice.

Dr. Obasa said these three virtues, if practised with a deep sense of patriotism, would contribute to making Nigeria greater and having a more positive global image.

The Speaker gave the advice when he received the executive members of ANAN led by its president, Dr. James Ekerare Neminebor, at the State Assembly complex.

“I congratulate you for the level you have taken your association to make your members capable of favourably competing with their counterparts across the world. Training people alone is a major task. It is an exercise we embark on regularly at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

“I want to urge you to continue to sustain the practice of learning, because learning does not have an end.

“Without people of your profession, there is hardly an organisation or institution including this House of Assembly that can stand in Nigeria. This is because records of transactions must be kept.

“However, we must all be ready to address the issues of honesty, integrity and trust. I am very sure that with your association, this can be achieved.

“Where your people carry out their duties with honesty, integrity and trust, they would assist Nigeria tackle what confronts us in this nation. We have been labelled to the extent that when you mention Nigeria, what people think of is corruption.

“With your association, we can change the tide and send positive signals to the rest of the world. You know nothing can happen in any organisation without being noticed by an accountant,” Obasa said.

He expressed joy that the association chose Lagos for the last leg of its training programme for its members saying the State remains open and receptive.

Earlier, Dr. Neminebor, who said they were at the House to inform the Speaker of their training programme holding in Lagos, commended the Assembly for helping to advance the growth and progress of the State through its legislative activities.

“I came to Lagos first in 1985. I have also visited in the recent past. But, I can see the wonderful things happening, because, you, a good man, decided to offer your service. Some of us who feared to come to Lagos in those days are now struggling to come.

“A colleague once said if a neck sits fine for a good head to stand on, the head will always succeed. The governor is working very hard because the House of Assembly provides him the ambience to succeed, thank you sir,” he said while commending the House for the safety currently enjoyed by visitors and residents of the State.

Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

JUBILATION GALORE AS SCOAN HOLDS 2023 THANKSGIVING SERVICE IN GRAND-STYLE

It was a jubilation galore on Sunday as members of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), including well wishers across the globe gathered to celebrate God’s faithfulness and grace upon the church at the 2nd thanksgiving anniversary.

The event which was to commemorate the reopening of the ministry after the glorious passing of its founder, the God’s General Senior Prophet TBJOSHUA on June 5, 2021 and to celebrate the great and mighty works of God still heralding the ministry under the new leadership of Pastor Evelyn Joshua.

The colourful event witnessed a huge turn out of members, well wishers, guest artistes and invited guests from all over the world with an array of kaleidoscope of group members in scintillating colours of different attires.

The elated Evelyn Joshua, cladded in a simple but elegant pink attire in her speech expressed gratitude to God, ministers and members of the church who have stayed with the church even in the time of challenges.

She promised that the church’s new administration would continually strive to preserve the legacy of the church’s founder, Prophet TB Joshua.

“The legacy of Prophet TB Joshua shall live forever” she said

Quoting from the book of Psalm 107:1 Pastor Joshua enjoined the people to give thanks to God “for He is good and His mercy endureth for ever”.

She also expressed profound gratitude to Emmanuel TV Partners for their unquantifiable support.
Highlighting various activities undertaken by the SCOAN in the year, Pastor Joshua mentioned the ministry’s including special meetings at The Prayer Mountain, outreaches in Ghana, Spain, Zambia and Kenya, and numerous charity events in Spain, Turkey, Malawi, Ukraine, Kenya and other parts of the world. The woman of God also commended the different groups in the church for their faithfulness and steadfastness making the church to continue to move forward in God’s grace.

High profile Gospel artiste including Christina Shusho from Tanzania performed at The SCOAN Shusho sang beautifully in Swahili language the popular southern and east African tongue to the excitement of the mammoth overflowing audience.

Guest artiste Akintayo Akinwande performed a medley of Nigerian praise songs while SCOAN youth deployed choreography to offer a dance offering to God and to illustrate a message by Prophet TB Joshua.

The Congregants also watched clips highlighting God’s goodness in various amazing dimensions.

De creme de la creme from all works of life including Bishop Micheal Fleming of Church On The Street, a charity based in the United Kingdom graced the earth-shaking thanksgiving service.

Foreign visitors from all over the world, different groups of the church danced to the altar with their thanksgiving offering as the SCOAN Chorister sang like never.

All who attended the service were richly blessed and filled with joy. The church has continued to wax stronger under the leadership of Pastor Evelyn Joshua.

Coalition condemns campaign of calumny against Mallam Yusuf Bichi; DG, Department of State Services.

The Coalition of Civil Society Groups Against Terrorism in Nigeria has described the unfounded rumours and various sponsored campaign of calumny against the Director General of the DSS, Mallam Yusuf Bichi as an attempt by mischief makers to smear his name.

The group in a statement signed by it’s Convener and Secretary, Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi and Barrister John Atani, described the detractors and some highly partisan purveyors of those fake news and false narratives against Mallam Bichi and most importantly the
Department of State Services (DSS), as visionless and unpatriotic attention seekers.

One of such sponsored propaganda, is the myopic insinuation that the Director General siphoned an imaginary payment of Thirty-five thousand naira (₦35, 000) meant for the payment of wages approved by President Bola Tinubu for personnel of the service, while an average Nigerian knows that the statement is a figment of the imagination of the enemies of this great Country and criminal elements who are afraid of the work of the Service. The personnel of the DSS have been enjoying an improved welfare package since the assumption of office of Mallam Bichi. While it’s a statement of fact that the personnel of DSS cannot be classified as Civil servant rather a security organization rendering essential services to the nation. Staff welfare, allowances and packages has been one of the cardinal programmes of Mallam Yusuf Bichi, hence we condemn this insidious attempt to cause disaffection within the service and it’s leadership.

This is to also condemn the activities of a certain, Jackson Ude who on his X (Twitter) handle @jacksonpnb, posted, accused the person and office of the DSS Director-General Mallam Yusuf Bichi of increasing an imaginary “goodbye allowance” for outgoing DG from N120million to N200million.

According to him Bichi would pocket N200million as he prepares to leave the agency he had once retired from.

Ude insiated that the operatives are angry at the level of corruption under Bichi, maintained that it is the worst in the history of the DSS especially with the involvement of his wife and other family members in contracts in the spy agency.

But the Coalition of Civil Society Groups Against Terrorism in Nigeria said the allegations is baseless, careless and unfounded and should not be taking serious by any discerning mind. The said Jackson Ude is on a voyage of self destruction and he does not care to drag an innocent soul into the mud with him.

The group maintained that, Under Mallam Yusuf Bichi, the DSS operates within the bounds of the law and adheres to international best practices because he is an astute and versatile administrator, a resourceful, a highly detribalized Nigerian, an Intelligence Officer of immense repute and more importantly a transparent and prudent leader,.who possesses a high level of experience and exposure that has no doubt repositioned and made the Service one that Nigerians and the personnel are proud of.

The Coalition urges the said Ude and all other sponsored characters and their team to desist from tampering with the credibility of Mallam Yusuf Bichi whose tenure have witnessed tremendous progressive changes and reforms in the Services.

In concluding the Coalition reiterated that, it’s a statement of fact that Mallam Yusuf Bichi and the DSS enjoys a high level of confidence from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian populace, and what Mallam Yusuf Bichi and the DSS deserves from Nigerians are accolades, and not mudslinging and wicked propaganda from highly partisan characters.