By John Michael Ojo

Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye on Sunday appealed to farmers to avoid bush-burning as they prepare for the planting season.

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, made the call during the church’s February thanksgiving service held at the Throne of Grace Parish, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

Adeboye who asked the church and the nation to pray against potential disasters, such as storms and floods, said: “I must share something very urgent.

READ ALSO: Pastor Adeboye Reveals How He Was Defrauded

“At the beginning of this year, one of the prophecies was to pray against fire outbreaks, storms, and floods.

“We’ve only spent one month, and we’ve already seen the rate of fire incidents across the world. Nigeria is part of the world, and we must be prayerful.”

To the farmers who are preparing their lands for the farming season, Adeboye said, “Don’t joke with any form of naked fire around you.”

“And farmers, please don’t burn bushes while preparing your farms.

“Don’t say I didn’t tell you. May the Almighty God answer our prayers and grant our requests.”

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Reprieve has come for the wife of a former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu as she has been freed from the United Kingdom’s prison.

It was learnt that Mrs Beatrice Ekweremadu who was sentenced to five years in UK prison, returned to the country on Tuesday.

READ ALSO: Relief As Court Vacates Order For Interim Forfeiture Of Ekweremadu’s Properties

Mrs Ekweremadu and her husband were jailed in the United Kingdom after being found guilty in a case of human trafficking in an attempt to harvest an organ of the victim to treat their sick daughter.

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The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has urged support for education as government alone cannot meet the challenges of the sector.

Olaopa made the appeal in Abuja on Thursday in an address as the Chairman of the 80th Fundraising Dinner for the Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo.

While noting that the school was in need of support for development, he acknowledged that the entire educational sector in the country was faced with the same fate.

He said: “To have been established in 1945 and to still retain some measure of its old glory, given what the lamentable fate of public schools in Nigeria, is no mean feat. In another breath, that the generations of we old students, that are here today, are alive to witness this momentous celebration of a school that has so greatly impacted our formative years and all we have become in life calls for reflection. A reflection on the clear fact that if Olivet had impacted us so profoundly, is it not evident that the school now needs us to give back to it, in measure that will impact at this its trying time, in a manner of speaking? And Olivet is not alone in this challenged state, as restoring the glory of the old famous schools nationwide including the more recent, the Unity Schools of FG Colleges and states’ model schools is now the concern of all stakeholders and policy makers. ”

According to Olaopa, public schools and indeed public education institutions are not just challenged, “they are failing on every education achievement parameter: content/curriculum and pedagogy; infrastructure/technology for learning and for school administration; funding and sustainability; quality assurance; teacher professionalism and teacher education; certification, relevance and employability. Indeed, a huge chunk of teachers in these schools are provided and sustained by PTAs, and government is making effort to formalise the recruitment of those who are qualified by government standard within the limit of availability.

” It is unhelpful to therefore keep heaping blame on governments. What the times and tides require is for all hands to be on deck, even as the need for policy innovation and creativity on the side of government cannot be overemphasized.”

While commending the Dr. Wale Okediran-led leadership for mobilizing the different sets and chapters to rise up to the task of lifting Olivet to greater heights, he urged those present at the event including guests, well-wishers and old students to donate gtenerously to the 80th anniversary fundraising.

” I can assure you that every kobo contributed will be justifiably and accountably utilised towards restoring the glory of OBHS, Oyo”, he added.