Mbah tasks Ohanaeze leadership on unity
The Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has tasked the new national leadership of the apex Igbo socio-political group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, with a commitment to Igbo unity.
Mbah made this known during the Ohanaeze election held in Enugu, where he urged the organisation to “prioritise our collective interest above partisan politics and narrow affiliations.”
While congratulating Senator John Azuta-Mbata and Chief Emeka Sibeudu on their emergence as President-General and Secretary-General, respectively, Mbah said that the socio-political circumstances that led to the formation of Ohanaeze in the 1970s remain as relevant today as ever.
He noted that Ohanaeze Ndigbo represents the soul of the Igbo people, “a testament to the enduring vision of our forebears, who understood that unity is a formidable force.”
He said that from the Igbo Federal Union to the Igbo State Union, and now Ohanaeze, “our collective strength has always been rooted in our sense of brotherhood and shared purpose.”
He stated that the organisation will certainly achieve far more when it fully embraces the value of speaking as a collective voice, not as lone, discordant voices.
He tasked the leaders to draw inspiration from the leadership pedigrees of Igbo leaders such as Dr. Michael Okpara, the Premier of the old Eastern Region, who demonstrated how much could be achieved when patriotism and statesmanship are at the core of leadership.
End of the road: 109 terrorists killed, 81 arrested in one week
The Armed Forces of Nigeria have neutralised 109 terrorists, apprehended 81 suspects, and rescued 43 hostages over the past week across various theatres of operation in the country.
This information was disclosed in a statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, on Friday in Abuja.
According to Buba, the troops also arrested six individuals involved in oil theft, preventing an estimated N618.7 million in losses. Additionally, 21 weapons and 124 rounds of ammunition were recovered, including nine AK-47 rifles, five fabricated rifles, four dane guns, and several locally-made pistols.
Gay men can train as priests, but don’t flaunt it – Italy Catholic Church
Gay men can train as priests, but don’t flaunt it – Italy Catholic Church
Young homosexual men can train to become Catholic priests in Italy but not if they “support the so-called gay culture”, according to new Church guidelines approved by the Vatican.
While stressing the need for celibacy, the guidelines from the Italian Bishops’ Conference — posted online on Thursday — open the door for gay men to attend seminaries, or divinity schools that train young men to become priests.
But they came with a caveat — that those who flaunt their homosexuality should be barred.
A section of the 68-page guidelines was specifically directed at “persons with homosexual tendencies who approach seminaries, or who discover such a situation during their training”.
“The Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary and to Holy Orders those who practise homosexuality, present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture,” read the document.
The goal of training priests-to-be is “the ability to accept as a gift, to freely choose and live chastity in celibacy”.
Tinubu mourns ex-Speaker Bankole’s mother
President Bola Tinubu has expressed sorrow over the death of Alhaja Monsurat Bankole, mother of a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Oladimeji Bankole.
The Iya Adinni of Egbaland passed away on Thursday at the age of 78 after a brief illness.
In a statement issued by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Friday, the President extended condolences to the Bankole family and the people of Ogun State.
He described the deceased as a woman of great virtue who dedicated her life to community development and lived by the tenets of her Islamic faith.