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Ondo: Confusion as Redeemed member heals leper, deaf In market place [Photos]
BY: Nmerichukwu Igweamaka
The city of Akure, the Ondo State capital last Friday erupted in wild excitement and jubilation when a 26-year-old woman, Bose Isaac who in the course of evangelism, preaching, prayed for a crippled man with leprosy and two deaf men who instantly received healings.
The rare occurrence which took place within the Erekesan Market popularly known as Oja-Oba, around First Bank junction attracted a huge crowd.
The crippled man who got healed was a popular beggar at the First Bank junction in the market while one of the deaf men known as Chidi was also said to be selling recharge cards at the same junction.
Traders and passers-by according to eye witnesses were said to have abandoned their wares and milled around the lady, requesting to be prayed for.
It was gathered that when the crowd became uncontrollable, the woman was whisked to Chief Elemo’s palace, a stone throw from the scene of the event.
Sources said the crowd continued to increase, as they protested why the miracle worker woman was taken inside the palace instead of allowing her to pray for many who gathered outside waiting to receive similar miracles.
At a point, when the crowd was becoming uncontrollable and almost degenerating into a stampede, people at the palace invited the police to rescue them from the impending violence that may break out .
Police at the ‘A’ Division, responded swiftly but faced a tough time before they could rescue the lady from the crowd and she was taken to the divisional headquarters at Alagbaka.
The crowd followed the police van swiftly and as they surged forward, the police had to resort to firing teargas before they could disperse the miracle seeking crowd.
The event which lasted for several hours almost paralysed commercial activities and vehicular movements along the Oba-Adesida ‘A’ Division road.
When our correspondent visited the ‘A’ Division, the police said that Bose had been taken to the police headquarters at Igbatoro road.
Eventually, the owner of a fashion designing shop at No 18, Adedeji shopping complex within the Oja-Oba where Bose is working as an apprentice, Mrs. Juliana Okoro from Enugu State was contacted. She told our correspondent that the lady sometimes ago approached her requesting to learn fashion designing.
Mrs. Okoro said: “I asked her to bring her relatives to sign on for her if she is really interested. In February this year, her brother later brought her to my shop.
Since that February, she has not been able to pay the N3,000 I demanded from her as the sign on fee for an apprenticeship. But I was not even eager that she pays the money, she added.
Bose’s brother, who brought her to the shop, a 39-year-old, Mr. Jacob Adolewa whom she is also staying with since she came to Akure, speaking with our correspondent, described Bose as a devout Christian, who always read her Bible. “She has always been encouraging me that there is nothing God cannot do.
In a chat with the 50-year-old crippled who got healed, Mr. Jehrome Ademeso, a father of five residing at the Leprosarium along Oba-Ile road in Akure said he had been living with his condition for the past 42 years.
While speaking, he brought out the clutches he was using, and declared “Now I can walk, my daughter has taken them from me.
He said he was also suffering from leprosy and deafness which is why he is residing at Ago-Ireti.
He said; “I was never born a leper, this condition had destroyed my life for 42 years, but I am very happy now that I am healed. I thank God for this and I need to thank that woman that prayed for me.
I was crippled, deaf with leprosy and the lady prayed and touched me, now I can walk and hear all what the people are saying, he declared.
Miss Bose Issac, a native of Isua Akoko who lived in Lokoja with an uncle came to Akure in February this year to live with her cousin as her aged parents were in Akoko who cannot afford her upkeeps.
She is a graduate of Government Technical School Lokoja and a devote member of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Akure. She was described as a very quiet young lady. In an interview with The Hope, she said: “My pastor has already told me that God will use me for my family.
She narrated to our correspondent how she came in contact with the Holy Spirit saying.
”I was in the shop one day, while working, I saw someone passed and came back to me, he directed me to read some scriptures from the Bible in book of psalms 19, Isaiah 47, in water for 10 days that I will discover the will of God for my life.
I started last week and the 10 days have not been completed. I never knew I would feel such because I was trying to locate where my brother was. I saw the leper on my way as he blocked my path. The rest that happened, I cannot explain.
I attend Redeemed Christian Church of God. My pastor had told me that God will use me greatly for his great works. But I was always laughing I did not understand, he was always giving me prayer.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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