CHIEF GRACE OYELUDE, FIRST MISS NIGERIA HITS 93 YEARS

ELIZA DD

PRESS RELEASE

17/11/23

The Miss Nigeria Organisation has celebrated Nigeria’s First Beauty Queen Grace Atinuke Oyelude as she Clocked 93 Years on the 16th Of November 2023.

Chief Oyelude emerged the winner of Miss Nigeria Beauty Pageant held in 1957.

This warm gesture was made known by the Miss Nigeria Organisation on an Instagram post:

“We are immensely delighted to celebrate the evergreen beauty and brave leader, Chief Grace Atinuke Oyelude on her 93rd birthday.

“Her courage, resolve, and great strength of character are excellent qualities that have endeared her to us and many others.

“Happy birthday, once again, to the first Miss Nigeria, Chief Grace Atinuke Oyelude.

“Thank you for paving the way and setting the standards that all Miss Nigeria Queens walk through, as well as your priceless contributions towards women’s empowerment.”

FINANCE MINISTER SAYS NIGERIA CAN NO LONGER RELY ON BORROWING 

DRESS RELEASE

17/11/23

SHINA JO

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance Wale Edun says Nigeria is not in a good position to continue to relying on borrowings.

The Minister stated this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance led by its Chairman, Senator Sani Musa to defend details of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework , MTEF and the Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP the executive submitted to the Senate ahead of the presentation of the 2024 budget.

Edun admitted that Nigeria’s debt servicing has reached an all time high of 98% of the country’s revenue and it will simply make a bad situation worse if the country continues to rely on borrowing.

He says Nigeria is subsisting borrowing plan from 2022 to 2026 it is yet to exhaust and that it is not the right time for more,

He pointed that it would be too expense for Nigeria to secure foreign loans at this time when international lenders and richer countries of the world ar trying to stabilize their money economy.

He however told the federal lawmakers that the way out lies in shoring up government revenue to enable the government increase its spending.

He added that at the moment, Nigeria’s government spending to GDP ratio is one of the lowest in Africa and that it needs to improve.

Edun’s remark was in response to remarks by the Chairman the Senate asking him to provide answers to issues of leakages, poor remittances and arbitrary waivers his committee had observed in the MTEF document.

GOSPEL CORNER: IN THE MORNING, LORD, YOU HEAR MY VOICE; IN THE MORNING I LAY MY REQUESTS BEFORE YOU AND WAIT EXPECTANTLY.PSALM 5:3, NIV

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Psalm 5:3, NIV

LIVE EXPECTANTLY
It’s easy to live with a forever mind-set that’s negative. “It’s never going to work out. Maybe I’ll get a good break in a few years. The damage to this relationship is permanent.” Switch over to a soon mentality. Some things take time, but you have to come to God with an expectant faith. He’s about to do something out of the normal time frame, something unusual, sooner than you think. “What if I believe and this doesn’t happen?” What if you believe and it does happen? It probably won’t happen if you’ve already accepted that it’s going to be a long time to get out of this trouble, to get well, to meet the right person, to accomplish your dream. That’s limiting what God will do. You have to believe for sooner rather than later. Even if it doesn’t happen as soon as you like, you have to live with a soon mentality. You have to keep releasing your faith, reminding God of what He promised, knowing He is listening and you’re about to see His favor.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that everything You’ve promised me will be released in my life because You are faithful. Thank You that You hear my prayers and that the answers are on the way. I am looking for Your goodness and believing for Your favor today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO


Frances Havergal wrote the well-loved hymn, Like a River Glorious. Read the lyrics of this beautiful hymn and see how her revelation of the ever-cleansing blood of Jesus ushered in the richness of God’s perfect peace into her heart and mind:

“Like a river glorious, is God’s perfect peace,”

“Over all victorious, in its bright increase;”

“Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller every day,”

“Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way.”

“Refrain:”

“Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest”

“Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.”

“Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,”

“Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;”

“Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,”

“Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.”

“Every joy or trial falleth from above,”

“Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;”

“We may trust Him fully all for us to do;”

“They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.”

Frances’s last words before she went on to be with Jesus were, “It is all perfect peace. I’m only waiting for Jesus to take me in.” What a way to enter into glory—possessing a perfect assurance of salvation, because she knew in her soul that all her sins were forgiven, and that every moment of her life she stood forgiven before God!

My friend, if you’re living life in the valley of despair today, believing that your sins are separating you from intimacy with the Lord and miring you in defeat, I want you to know that because you have put your faith in Christ, you are under the fountain of the ever-cleansing blood of Christ! Every sense of defilement or stain of sin will be washed away from your conscience when you know and believe what Frances discovered.

Because Jesus’ blood continually cleanses you, you cannot bounce in and out of the light of Christ, in and out of being seated in the heavenly places in Christ, in and out of being forgiven, justified, and made righteous, and in and out of fellowship with God. It is not a sometimes-yes-sometimes-no salvation, but a salvation that has secured a yes to all of God’s promises because of the blood of Jesus (2 Cor. 1:19–20)!

Today, with all of your heart, beloved, say yes!

NIGERIAN WIGMAKER HELEN WILLIAMS SETS WORLD RECORD BY MAKING LONGEST WIG

15/11/23

PRESS RELEASE

“Helen William has achieved a new record for the longest handmade wig which stretches an incredible 351.28 metres (1,152 ft 5 in).

Helen Williams is Said to have spent 11 days in making the wig spending over two million naira to get the hair accessory ready.

She made the wig using 1,000 bundles of human hair, 12 cans of hair spray, 35 tubes of hair glue and 6,250 hair clips; a job she found tasking but she was able to complete the challenge as an experienced Wigmaker.

Helen said finding a space to lay the wig in a straight line and accurately measured was a big challenge; as none of the venues she visited was spacious enough to accommodate the wig.

She eventually got the wig done on the lay by along the Lagos Abeokuta expressway; a feat she described as remarkable.

The Guinness World Records has taken to its “X” account to confirm Helen Williams’ victory in a post accompanied by a video of the wigmaker.

GOSPEL CORNER:WHOEVER IS SLOW TO ANGER IS BETTER THAN THE MIGHTY, AND HE WHO RULES HIS SPIRIT THAN HE WHO TAKES A CITY.PROVERBS 16:32, ESV

15/11/23

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32, ESV

WHAT’S IN YOUR ATMOSPHERE?
You have a space that belongs only to you. It’s your thoughts, your attitude, your emotions. It’s who you spend time with, what you watch and listen to. That’s your atmosphere. That’s what you have control over. Some people live worried, offended, and negative because they let all that in—the bad news, the negative medical report, the criticism from coworkers. That sours their life. The problem is they’re not ruling their atmosphere. They’re not careful what they allow into their spirit. You can’t stop everything from coming, but you can stop it from getting down in your spirit. You need to keep your atmosphere full of faith, full of praise, full of hope, full of victory. Anything or anyone that tries to poison that atmosphere, you have to say, “No, thanks. You’re not welcome here. I’m not letting that offense in. I’m going to stay in peace. I’m going to enjoy this day.” You don’t have control over what people do, but you have control over your thoughts, your attitude, and how you respond.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You for the ability to control my atmosphere. I can’t control what others say or do or control negative circumstances around me, but I can rule my spirit. I’m going to stay in peace and say no to whatever tries to poison my atmosphere. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
The apostle Paul tells believers who have been born again in Christ that God the Father “has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13–14).

Notice that there has been a change of location. You used to be under the power of darkness. But the moment you believed in Jesus, you were moved and placed under the blood of Jesus, where there is perpetual forgiveness of sins.

To understand the total forgiveness of sins, we have to understand the value of the person Who sacrificed Himself on the cross for us. He alone, because He was sinless, could pay for all the sins of every man.

When our Lord Jesus died at Calvary, He took all of humanity’s sins with one sacrifice of Himself at the cross. He took the judgment, punishment, and condemnation for all sins upon Himself. That’s the value of the one Man, Jesus. He is an overpayment for all our sins.

Jesus is the only way to salvation. There is no other way except through Jesus and His shed blood.

Now, does that mean that everyone is automatically forgiven? Of course not! While everyone’s sin is paid for, every individual needs to make a personal decision to receive the forgiveness of all their sins by receiving Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

There is no ambivalence in scripture as to how a person becomes a born-again believer in Christ. To be saved, you have to confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.

Therefore, anyone who tells you that everyone’s sin is automatically forgiven and that you don’t need to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior in order to be saved is scripturally inaccurate. Such teachings are heretical and are lies from the pit of hell.

There is no salvation without Jesus. There is no forgiveness without the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. There is no assurance that all our sins have been forgiven without the resurrection of Jesus.

But today, as born-again believers in Christ, there is forgiveness and the amazing assurance that our salvation is secure and we will never be put to shame! This is our reality today—we can enjoy His presence, His righteousness, and His help every day and in every season.

WORLD DIABETES DAY: DICOMAI RAISES ALARM ON PLIGHT OF NIGERIANS LIVING WITH DIABETES

PRESS RELEASE

DANIELS OG

Diabetes Control Media Advocacy Initiative (DICOMAI), a media-based Non-Governmental Organization formed by a group of Nigerian journalists to assist in the control of diabetes, has raised the alarm on a looming epidemic of diabetes complications in the country if the Federal and State Governments do not act fast to assist people living with the disease to effectively manage their conditions.

In a statement signed by the Chairman Board of Trustees, Dr. Afoke Isiavwe and Executive Director, Sam Eferaro to mark the 2023 World Diabetes Day, DICOMAI announced that feelers from its commissioned reports from the nation’s six geo-political zones revealed that many persons living with diabetes can no longer access much needed diabetes medications and monitoring devices to control their blood sugar as the current economic realities bite harder.

Also visits to some hospitals and diabetes centres across the country revealed that most persons living with diabetes still have to pay out of pocket for their diabetes medications, as only a few have health insurance cover.

The statement reads in part: “As Nigeria joins the rest of the world on November 14, to mark the 2023 World Diabetes Day, (WDD) the Diabetes Control Media Advocacy Initiative (DICOMAI),will like to draw the attention of governments and the general public to the plight of many Nigerians living with diabetes. We are worried that a large number of them cannot identify with the theme of this year’s WDD which advocates “Access to diabetes care” as it has become very difficult for these Nigerians to obtain essential diabetes medications and blood glucose monitoring devices for their treatment and management.

We are shocked to discover that people especially in the rural communities in virtually all the geographical zones have to travel far distances to towns and cities to obtain their medications with prices now beyond their reach. This is because diabetes medications and blood glucose monitoring devices are becoming difficult to access because of spike in costs as majority are imported into the country.

Some people on daily insulin injection, especially children are now being forced to reduce their doses as the cost of insulin have increased and being sold between N6,000 and N15,000 per vial. Some need more than one vial a month to achieve glycemic control. Price increment of between 15% to 40% was observed in different states. Some families are now faced with making difficult and painful choices to either buy insulin for their children, or buy food, pay for school fees or house rent.

As the nation marks the World Diabetes Day, it is our wish that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health will at a minimum inform the nation about the current status of diabetes in the country through a national diabetes survey to reveal the real picture. This, we believe, is urgently required to be able to face the serious challenge of diabetes in the country.

Once again, we call on the Federal Government to adopt some pragmatic measures to immediately assist Nigerians living with diabetes and prevent unnecessary deaths and a wide range of complications associated with poorly managed diabetes. These will include introduction of policies such as import duty waivers on diabetes medications and blood glucose monitoring devices alongside incentives for local production, and free treatment for children and the elderly across the nation in Government-owned hospitals. From our observation, we believe that the current situation of diabetes scourge demands realistic policies such as the HIV/AIDS free treatment care for all patients.

We therefore urge both the Federal and all State Governments, including Abuja, to seize the opportunity of the 2023 World Diabetes Day (WDD) to urgently step up efforts to provide access to people living with diabetes in these hard times. Not to act now could spell doom for the country in view of the nature of the disease.

Diabetes remains one of the largest global health emergencies of the 21st century, largely because of its severe and deadly consequences. This is a disease that affects virtually all organs of the body, resulting in loss of vision, dental problem, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, lower limb amputation, sexual dysfunction, among others, when not properly controlled – sadly a situation faced by Nigerians living with the condition today. We cannot afford to ignore its potent danger.” DICOMAI raises alarm on plight of Nigerians living wi

FINDING A LASTING SOLUTION TO NIGERIA’S HOUSING DEFICIT

PRESS RELEASE

ELIZA DD

14/11/23

The President Bola Tinubu led Government has expressed commitment to closing the housing gap and ensuring shelter for the vulnerable population.

Mahmuda Mamman, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works and Housing made this known at the 12th Meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing, and Urban Development in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria.

The 12th National Council of Land, Housing and Urban Development meeting provided a platform for in-depth discussions on various aspects of housing development in Nigeria, policy frameworks, financial models, and collaborative efforts, needed to stimulate the real estate sector and provide adequate housing for the growing population.

The Permanent Secretary, Mahmuda Mamman, expressed optimism about the meeting’s outcomes, deeming it a crucial step towards achieving sustainable and inclusive housing development in Nigeria.

Expectations are high that the insights gained, and decisions made during the deliberations, will lead to tangible progress, in housing development, positively impacting the lives of millions across Nigeria.

GOSPEL CORNER:THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED TO HIM AND SAID TO HIM, “THE LORD IS WITH YOU, VALIANT WARRIOR.”JUDGES 6:12, NASB

14/11/23

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

Today’s Scripture
The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, valiant warrior.”
Judges 6:12, NASB

VALIANT WARRIOR
A man named Gideon was hiding in the winepress, afraid of his enemies, when the angel called him the valiant warrior who was to deliver the people of Israel from the Midianites. Although Gideon felt overwhelmed, weak, and intimidated, the angel was saying, in effect, “Gideon, you are stronger than you think. You’re letting this situation convince you that it’s too much to handle, but you have what it takes. You’re courageous, you’re talented, you’re favored, and you’re well able.” Gideon was only seeing the opposition that looked insurmountable. The angel showed up to remind him of what was in him, and that is what he became.

God won’t let you get in a situation that feels overwhelming if He hasn’t already equipped you for it. The fact that you’re in it means you can handle it. You are stronger than you think. You are more powerful than you think. The Most High God is breathing on your life. He’s saying to you today, “Valiant warrior, rise up. Valiant warrior, stand strong. Valiant warrior, you are well able.”

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that You know me and what I am capable of becoming. Thank You that You have equipped and empowered me to be strong where I feel weak and less-than. I believe that You are transforming me into a mighty warrior. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

SECTION TWO

My dear friend, do you have a revelation of God’s personal love for you today? His love has to be experienced in your heart.

Head knowledge—just knowing intellectually that God loves you because He loves everyone—isn’t going to cut it. It is when you really encounter the person of Jesus and His grace, and really know in your heart that He loves you, that positive and profound changes begin to happen in your life.

Is there a scriptural basis for saying this? Yes, there is. The Bible tells us clearly, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Pet. 1:2). The word for “knowledge” here is the Greek epignosis, which refers to a heart experience of what and Who God is, rather than mere intellectual knowledge of facts about Him.

It is a knowledge that is gained through an intimate and personal relationship with God. In other words, when you hear and hear until you know in your heart that the Lord loves you and is for you, you will experience His unmerited favor and supernatural peace in the area of your challenges. That is when you will find His strength, wisdom, and supply multiplied tangibly in your life.

Do you remember Gideon, who saw himself as least in his family and who was threshing wheat in a winepress for fear of being seen by the Midianites?

We read his story in the book of Judges and see how he overcame his insecurities and fears and singlehandedly saved Israel from the Midianites, because he first heard gracious, encouraging words from the Angel of the LORD: “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor! . . . Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man” (Judg. 6:12, 16). When he began to see how the Lord saw him, and believed that the Lord was with him and for him, he fulfilled his destiny!

If, like Gideon, you feel small and powerless in the face of your challenges, I encourage you to keep hearing how, because of Jesus’ sacrifice and finished work, nothing can separate you from God’s love. I want you to know right now that He has already made you more than a conqueror in Christ (Rom. 8:37–39).

When you know who you are in Christ and believe in God’s love for you, you will become strong and you will see God do great things in and through you. When you know that God is with you and for you, who or what can stand against you (Rom. 8:31)? You will surely win the fights of life and live the amazing destiny God has prepared for you!

WAEC COMPUTER BASED EXAM TO BEGIN SOON

13/11/23

BENEDICTA TD

PRESS RELEASE

The West African Examination Council WAEC has called on all prospective candidates to hone their computer skills and be fully prepared to embrace the new Computer Based Examination innovation

The National Office Of West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) gave the advise while disclosing that plans have been concluded to migrate it’s West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates from Paper and Pencil to Computer Based Examination (CBT) by the Year 2024 .


According to The Press Statement,The first set is slated to hold in February 2024.

The objective tests will be fully Computer Based,the essay and test of practical papers will be hybrid in which examination questions will be delivered on screen and candidates required to write answers on the answer booklet given to them.


Candidates with special needs have also been factored into plan, for Registration and the examination which is expected to begin next month.

For Candidates to get familiar with the new Examination System , The Council said arrangement have been made for A Mock Examination to be conducted February 2024 before examination commences

FEDERAL GOVT TO ESTABLISH ALMAJIRI EDUCATION COMMISSION

13/11/23

SHINA JO

The Government of Nigeria is set to establish a National Commission for Almajiri and out-of-school children.

According to The Minister Of Education Professor Tahir who disclosed this to the world on the floor of the 42nd session of UNESCO, This will help solve the problem of out of School Children and help Nigeria maintain steady progress in her education Sector

Professor Tahir said Nigeria is fully committed to UNESCO’s ideals, programmes and policies to achieve the sustainable Development goals and other global development agenda.

Tahir also said the country ‘s Education is going green and Advancing, with the introduction of climate related programmes and Artificial intelligence subjects in schools curriculum