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 Ahiara Catholic Diocese: Pope Bows, as Bishop Okpaleke Resigns

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Pope Francis has bowed to rebels of Ahiara Diocese in Imo state and abandoned Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke, after priests and laymen rejected his appointment for six years.

In a reaction, Okpaleke has resigned from his post.

A Vatican statement said the pope had accepted the resignation. It said the position had been declared vacant and that a papal administrator would run it for the time being.

The embattled priest resigned after the Vatican failed to quell fierce objections over his nomination because he did not belong to the local clan of the Igbo ethnic group. Okpaleke is from Anambra State.

The Vatican announced the resignation of Okpaleke on Monday, six years after Pope Francis’s predecessor Benedict XVI named him to the post.

Okpaleke was never able to take up the post because the priests and laypeople of the diocese insisted that their bishop must be from their clan.

Pope Francis initially took a firm stand in defending the nomination, summoning Ahiara clergy to the Vatican in June last year.

He demanded “obedience” and gave the rebel priests 30 days to “ask his forgiveness” and accept Okpaleke’s appointment or face the sack.

Those who did not write such a letter would face suspension from the priesthood, the pope told them at the time. Francis also demanded that the rebellious priests write a letter of apology to Okpaleke.

But the row was not resolved, and Cardinal John Onaiyekan, archbishop of the Nigerian capital Abuja, has run the diocese as a temporary measure since July.

Fides, the Vatican’s missionary news agency, on Monday published excerpts from Okpaleke’s resignation letter, saying he had not been able to take possession of diocese or even live within its territory because of continuing “violent reaction and resistance”.

Fides said some 200 priests had written to the pope promising their obedience. But many had also told the pontiff that they had “psychological difficulty in collaborating with the bishop after years of conflict”.

The agency, which is controlled by the Vatican, said the rebellious priests should “reflect on the grave damage inflicted on the Church” through their “unreasonable actions opposing a bishop legitimately appointed by the Supreme Pontiff”.

In his resignation letter, Okpaleke said remaining bishop in Ahiara would not be beneficial to the Church.

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Dangote Foundation Donates 80,000 Bags Of 10kg Rice To Communities

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The Aliko Dangote Foundation has donated 80,000 bags of 10kg rice to support vulnerable communities in Lagos State.

The Special Adviser on New Media to the Lagos State Governor, Jubril Gawat, disclosed this on his X handle on Wednesday.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; founder and chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; and Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Holdings Plc, Femi Otedola, were present at the event of the food distribution.

Dangote has reportedly spent about N15bn on the food intervention programme with beneficiaries across Nigeria.

The food intervention programme by his foundation was first launched in Kano State on Saturday, and will see over one million bags of 10kg rice distributed across the 774 local government areas of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory.

Here are pictures from the event.

We appreciate Dangote for this kind gesture.

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36-Year-Old Lady In Shock After Her 19-Year-Old Daughter Welcomed A Baby Without Her Knowledge

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She wrote: “My 19year old daughter made me a granny at the age of 36 😭😭 im still shook and traumatized

She hid the pregnancy for 9months up until her water broke. After God fear ama 2000.

Amid so many reactions from netizens, she also wrote;

“Lol some comments amuse me .. I’m not ashαmεd or embarrassed that I had my daughter at the age 18 , yes it was not planned but she has been the biggest blessing to me

I’m a mad that she got pregnant, yes any parent would be . Because I still wanted her to achieve more.

I’m also mad that she hid it from me because I could have planned better . And as for that little baby boy , I will love and raise him as my own son . He’s a huge blessing to me and the family.”

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Chinese Man Sentenced To Death By Hanging For Killing Nigerian Girlfriend

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Geng Quandong, a Chinese man standing trial for the murder of his Nigerian Girlfriend named Ummukulsum Buhari, has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Kano High Court, Daily Nigerian is reporting.

On September 16 2022, Mr Quangrong stαbbed his 23-year-old girlfriend to death at her family residence in Janbulo quarters, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano.

According to him, He said he had spent millions numbering upto 60 million naira on her.
All the expenses he made included buying her a car worth 10 million naira, Getting her a house worth 4 million naira, Opening a business worth of 18 million naira. Plus other millions he spent planning for their weddings and extra spendings he’s done for her.
And he did all that with hopes that they will get married to each other, But she married someone else instead. So he was really heartbroken which led to his actions.

Mr Quandong, 47, was found guilty of the offence of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law of Kano State and convicted accordingly.

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