News
Nigeria to Host Catholic Communications Assembly for Africa
Lagos, the commercial centre of Nigeria is set to host Catholic Bishops and communication experts across Africa, as they gather to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pan African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (CEPACS).
According to the President of CEPACS, Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo, Bishop of Oyo Diocese, the event, which is billed to hold between November 18 and 21, 2023, will be attended by the Bishop Chairmen from each region of Africa; the Standing Committee of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM); invited heads and officers of various communications outfits and schools in Africa, including other expatriate dignitaries from outside the assembly.
Founded in 1973 by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) for the Church in Africa, CEPACS was given the mandate of promoting the use of modern means of mass communications as tools of evangelisation in the African Church.
To ensure a hitch-free 50th celebration, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, who chairs the Continental Organising Committee recently constituted a Local Organising Committee in Lagos, comprising astute Communications experts, both priests and lay faithful and other Church functionaries. He saddled them with the responsibility of ensuring the participants to be drawn from the eight regions of Africa enjoy an unforgettable experience during the historic celebration.
The Committee is headed by the Founder/Chairman of Lumen Christi Television Network, Sir Robert Soji Olagunju, KSG, while a renowned Chartered Accountant, Mr. John I. Nejoh is to serve as Secretary.
The National Director of Social Communications, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Umoh, the Director of Social Communications, Lagos Archdiocese, Very Rev Fr. Anthony Godonu, Rev Fr. Andrew Kante from Kenya and Rev. Fr. Dieu-Donne Kofi Davor, Director of Communication, GCBC are part of the Committee to ensure that it delivers on its mandate.
Other members of the LOC include Sir Tony Chiejina, Mr. Seyi Martins, Barr. Mrs. Philomena Omorodion, Mr. Tony Agbugba, Lady Neta Nwosu, Mr. Philip Nwosu, Mrs. Anthonia Okonkwo, Dr. Mrs. Bisi Olagunju, Mrs. Henrietta Okonkwo, Mrs. M.O.D. Ewumi, Engr. O.M Otabor, Mr. Kola Akindele, Barr. Hannibal Uwaifo, Sir Ben Nkwo, Mrs. Adesuwa John-Nejoh. Also on the LOC are: Mrs. Veronica Afolabi, Mrs. Catherine Alabi, Mrs. Adewunmi Kissiedu, Mr. Peter Dada and Mr. Linus Okeke, Engr. Eliza Peters, John Achu and Peter Dada.
Already, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), are excited at the prospect of hosting to the delegates which will also include high ranking Church officials from the Vatican City, Rome.
Similarly, the Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins has lauded the choice of Lagos as venue of the 50th celebration. He has also given his full support and enjoined the LOC to be at their utmost best. He promised to be on ground to welcome the delegates from across Africa to Lagos, Nigeria.
“We are happy that CEPACS has chosen Lagos as the venue for their 50th-anniversary celebration. By the grace of God, with the quality of personalities serving on the LOC, and with the support of the entire people of God in the Archdiocese, I believe that the event shall be a resounding success,” the renowned clergyman added.
The Thanksgiving/opening Mass will take place at The Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos and will be broadcast live!
By Eric Elezuo
Amid crisis rocking the local government administration in Osun State, the state Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has insisted that the local government elections scheduled for Saturday will proceed as planned. This is inspite of an appeal from the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to suspend the polls, and allow the alleged reinstated chairmen, who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to complete their tenure.
Adeleke’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, in a statement made available to The Boss, on Friday advused all parties to abide by democratic norms while reiterating that democracy is guided by the rule of law, and that no individual has the authority to override the courts.
“My advice to all parties, including local and national stakeholders, is to abide by democratic norms,” he said.
He further informed that the PDP as a party are willing to play by the rule of law, insisting that the elections will hold.
“As for me and my people, we stand by the rule of law, not illegal self-help. Election is going to hold, and the outcome will be a fast-tracked development at the local level. I urge our people to remain peaceful. Osun is a truly peaceful state,” the statement read.
But the AGF, in a statement on earlier on Thursday, had urged Adeleke to instruct the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission to halt the election, warning that it would be invalid and a violation of the Constitution.
Fagbemi referenced the recent Court of Appeal ruling in Akure, which overturned an earlier Federal High Court judgment that nullified the previous local government elections conducted under former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. The ruling effectively reinstated the sacked council chairmen, whose tenure, according to the AGF, remains valid until October 2025.
Fagbemi noted that any such election that may be held will not only be invalid since the term of office of the elected officials just restored by the judgment of the Court of Appeal will still be running until October 2025, but it will also amount to an egregious breach of the Constitution, which Governor Adeleke has sworn to uphold.
He further cautioned against any actions that could lead to violence, urging Adeleke to uphold the rule of law and maintain peace in the state.
Meanwhile, a High Court in Ilesa, also on Friday, gave the state’s electoral body Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), the go-ahead to conduct the polls, urging the security agencies to ensure adequate security.
The court directed OSSIEC to conduct elections to fill the vacant positions of local government chairmen and councillors in all the 30 local government areas as well as local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.
The order issued by Justice A. Aderibigbe on Friday, February 21, 2025, followed a suit filed before the court by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against OSIEC and its Chairman, Hashim Abioye.
But while the APC claimed that the verdict of the court reinstated its officials that were sacked, Governor Ademola Adeleke, and the ruling PDP denied the claim.
Some APC political functionaries however, have since resumed at the secretariats of about 14 local government areas.
Osun State Government has, however, insisted on proceeding with the scheduled local government elections slated for Saturday against the position of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who warned against holding the elections until after the expiration of the tenure of supposedly reinstated local government chairmen later this year.
Recall that violence erupted in the state on Monday following the interpretations of the ruling of the Court of Appeal of February 10 on the tenure of local government chairmen elected on the platform of APC.
Nigeria may face tanker shortage as the Federal government, on Wednesday, hinted of plans to ban 60,000- and 45,000-litre capacity trucks.
While most tankers hauling petroleum products across the country are around 45,000 litres, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said such capacity would be outlawed.
Coming amidst rising tanker accidents that have been causing deaths and the destruction of properties, NMDPRA issued an immediate ban on petroleum products tankers with a 60,000-litre capacity.In the absence of pipelines, Nigeria relies on tankers to haul petroleum products across the country, a development that has remained a menace to road infrastructure and the lives of citizens.NMDPRA’s Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Ogbugo Ukoha, told journalists in Abuja that the action on the 60,000-litre capacity would take effect from March 1, 2025, while the 45,000-litre capacity would be allowed to load products until the fourth quarter of 2025.
Reports said between 2010 and 2025, over 2,500 truck accidents claimed more than 3,500 lives in Nigeria, with the deadliest incident occurring in Jigawa in 2024, where an overturned fuel tanker exploded, killing dozens and leaving a scarred mass grave.
While stakeholders had agreed in 2020 to cap truck loads at 45,000 litres, NMDPRA said tankers exceeding 60,000 litres have continued to ply the roads, worsening the accident crisis.
The authority said there would be a phased approach, beginning with the 60,000-litre ban and gradually scaling down to 45,000 litres by the fourth quarter of 2025.
“We cannot fold our hands and wait for pipelines or railways to become viable alternatives,” the official stressed.
“Every life lost is one too many. This is the work we must do, and we will not back down,” Ukoha said.
The 2023 Labour Party, LP, governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has alleged an attempt to use the Department of State Services, DSS, to force the Speaker of the state Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, to step aside or resign.
Rhodes-Vivour said the invasion of the Lagos State House of Assembly by DSS operatives was a major blow to politics in the state.
Operatives of the DSS and the Nigeria Police, on Monday, took over the Lagos State House of Assembly
The invasion followed a leadership crisis between the Assembly and its former speaker, who was impeached on January 13.
Meranda had replaced Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker.
Obasa was impeached while he was in the United States.
Upon his return to Nigeria, Obasa had insisted that he was not impeached, stressing that the lawmakers failed to follow due process in his removal.
However, featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Rhodes-Vivour said lawmakers must not owe their loyalty to godfathers.
He said: “It was a major low for politics in Lagos State today.
“What we saw today was an attempt to intimidate the speaker to step aside and resign by using armed men and threats of violence.
“Whoever is behind this should solve this problem in a civilized fashion because the State Assembly must owe its loyalty to its constituents and not any godfather.”
