President Bola Tinubu has congratulated political scientist, public administrator and Federal Civil Service Commission Chairman Prof. Tunji Olaopa as he clocked the milestone 65 years on Friday, December 20, 2024.

In the president’s congratulatory message signed by his Special Adviser on
Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Friday, he lauded Olaopa as a reputable intellectual and advocate of public service reforms and institutional strengthening who rose to the zenith of his civil service career.

According to the statement, before Olaopa’s retirement, “he served as Permanent Secretary in various ministries before proceeding to establish the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy – ISGPP. He later lectured at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, near Jos.

“President Tinubu commends Prof. Olaopa for his contributions to nation-building through his engagement in public service and interventions and his scholarly contributions including numerous books and writings, which have helped shape public policy.

“The President charges Prof. Olaopa with instituting reforms that adequately position the service as the bedrock of purposeful administration and governance.

“President Tinubu extends his warmest wishes to the esteemed professor, hoping for many years of good health and meritorious service to the country.”

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches  (AfAW) has condemned  a court ruling in Enugu that acquitted, Michael Chukwuilo, a suspected murderer of Ms Mgboebuba in Enugu. Ms Mgboebuba was accused and subsequently beaten to death and buried in the forest for witchcraft.

In a statement by AfAW’s Director Dr Leo Igwe, he said that “In 2022, an informant drew the attention of AfAW to the accusation, persecution, and murder of Ms Mgboebuba: ‘Mgboebuba ate witchcraft and was killing our people. The number she killed was a lot. Through the efforts of her daughter (‘Chikwado’ and her husband) whom she was preparing to kill too, that was how it was discovered what she was doing. Awgu people caught her and questioned why she was killing innocent people who have clean hands, she said that her enemies were the ones that she killed. The names of the people she was preparing to kill were numerous. She had killed too many people and was going to kill more before she was caught. My father and mother, Okeke Kele, and his son, Onyebuchi, his daughter, and his grandchild were among the names found in the book of the people she had killed. The people of Awgu joined hands to drag her to Orie Awgu marketplace, mocked her, dragged her to her father’s compound in Obugo village, and beat her to death, then they carried her corpse and threw it away in the evil forest at the farm settlement of her husband’s village, Ululor’.

“Since 2022, AfAW has been working with the relatives of the victim to bring all those implicated in the murder to justice. As in many cases, the police were reluctant to intervene, arrest, and file charges against the suspects.

“AfAW worked with the widower to pressure police and other state agencies to arrest one of those who masterminded the brutal murder of this woman. Yesterday, the family’s legal counsel sent this message: ‘Good day, the court finally ruled against us, the judge said that the evidence given by our witnesses could not prove the ingredients of the offense of murder and that there was no confessional statement from Michael Chukwuilo. I was surprised to hear such a ruling today in court because he admitted in his statement that he reported your wife to the village council and his statement was admitted before the court.’

“AfAW is deeply saddened by this development because it is a huge setback to efforts to end witch persecution and murder in Nigeria. The police and courts must rise up to their duties and responsibilities to diligently investigate and prosecute cases of witch hunts. Witch killing persists because of impunity. Witch hunting continues because perpetrators get away with their crimes. This court ruling is a serious blow to measures to hold witch hunters accountable. It is unfortunate that, as in many cases of witch persecution and murder, the justice system in Enugu has failed Ms Mgboebuba and her family. The justice system has failed the advocates against witch-hunting across the country, continent, and the world.

“This court ruling is a painful instance of justice delayed and eventually denied. Look, Mgboebuba’s matter is a murder case and a serious crime under the law. It was publicly committed. Mgboebuba did not die while sleeping. A local mob beat her to death and buried the body in a forest. The police were nonchalant. AfAW believes that the police compromised in investigating this capital offense. It took intense pressure and mobilization before the police made an arrest. The government of Enugu was indifferent and negligent in prosecuting the case. It showed no interest in bringing the killers to justice. The government is sending the wrong signals to the world. It is saying that it is unable to protect and defend alleged witches in the state. Mgboebuba’s family members say that they would fight on; they would appeal the judgment. And the Advocacy for Alleged Witches would support them every step of the way.”

By Dare Adejumo

This Sunday, December 8, SCOAN at its Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos headquarters will roll out drums in soul-inspiring songs and praises to express gratitude to God for His  faithfulness as the rock upon which the church was founded.

The celebration which is the third of its kind is not only going to hold in Lagos but also across the nations and continents where members and Emmanuel TV Partners will gather respectively to rejoice too in the Lord.
SCOAN has many reasons to celebrate. The church like other churches in the country was closed down by the government for a long time during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even when all churches nationwide were later authorized to open, SCOAN still closed its doors obviously because of the thirsty crowd for Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) from several countries who were all scrambling to come to Nigeria. If allowed at such a time when the world was not totally out of the Covid-19 miasma it could generate unholy brouhaha which the man of God Prophet TB Joshua would not want. In God’s wisdom he simply diffused the pressure by saying: “I will not reopen the church until I hear from God”. Yes it was clearly not suitable to open at the time because of these massive foreign visitors looking at the genesis of the rampaging pandemic that killed several people worldwide.

The greater devastation that jolted the entire world suddenly happened! The God’s general, the enigmatic spiritual giant who bestrode the world like a colossus by bringing Jesus Christ in action to the doorsteps of the world like early apostles and his uncommon love for humanity that touched and blessed the lives of millions all over the world suddenly passed on, just shortly after conducting a symbolic “parting” worship at his prayer mountain where he had been meeting with worshippers in batches since the nationwide reopening of the churches.

That was indeed a big storm; the unfathomable spiritual earthquake that be-clouded the world and the church’s firmament. Many, who were being ruled by flesh and those of the dark world to which Joshua was a puzzle and thorn in their flesh by the radiant light of God in him which put their satanic powers and kingdom on their knees with the name of Jesus Christ had ignorantly concluded that the end of SCOAN had finally come not knowing that greater is He in the SCOAN than he that is in the world. Satan and its agents tried to terrorize the church, but the church could not be cowed.  God would never forsake His own. The grace, wisdom, power and love of God paved the way for the leadership mantle of SCOAN like that of Elijah to Elisha to fall upon Evelyn Joshua.

Pastor Evelyn Joshua without mincing words is a woman of virtues, one in a million. The quintessential woman, who had quietly gone through the spiritual mills, was well-equipped and fortified for the new role beyond human imagination. The life of Evelyn Joshua today shows clearly that TB Joshua never made a mistake in her choice as wife by their conjugal life as he was led by the Holy Spirit to marry her. That God was the foundation of the church, that God is ever with the church and His grace would for ever be sufficient for His chosen ones is today very palpable and gratifying in the joyful activities and flow of anointing from His throne of grace with the presence of the Holy Spirit in the dumbfounding demonstration of God’s power, blessings, healing and miracles whenever and wherever Pastor Evelyn Joshua chooses to worship, evangelise or hold a crusade as led by the Holy Spirit. A woman of propulsive energy, unassuming, firm, calm, intelligent, and loving, Evelyn Joshua has no eyes for frivolous or wanton desires. She is spiritually endowed and full of joyful activities. With time, people that have not discovered will see very clearly that TB Joshua is in Evelyn Joshua.
This is the secret of the joy of members and Emmanuel TV Partners worldwide  today as the church is increasing daily with several countries requesting  a crusade in their respective domains!
The celebration is bound to be colourful with the members’ enthusiasm to praise God .

“We are overwhelmed with gratitude for all that God has done for The Synagogue Church Of All Nations SCOAN,” said the woman of God, Evelyn Joshua. “His faithfulness has brought healing to our bodies, deliverance to our souls, blessings to our lives and salvation to our spirits. He has preserved and multiplied our families including several open doors of breakthrough. We are therefore celebrating His unfailing goodness”, she added.

In the last three years when the church reopened a lot of giant strides have taken place under Evelyn Joshua. Some of these, just to mention a few are:: The Akure branch that was comatose was joyfully rebranded and opened for members and public who are till today in high spirit.. ⁠Crusades, partners meetings and charity works were held in Ghana South Africa, Zambia, Spain, Kenya, and Argentina. There have been massive charity works in different parts of Nigeria, Anointing Water was distributed to partners with charity works in different countries; regular meetings with the elderly people with welfare packages for them;; birthing of Women of Grace Conference which was initiated by Evelyn Joshua towards the reawakening of womenfolk for true womanhood ; International Youth Conference for the purpose of achieving greater and peaceful future for our world has been planted. Evelyn Joshua believes that both the government and the society must not fail in proper moulding of the youth.

The thanksgiving service will be preceded on Friday with “healing and deliverance service”. Like the “Living Water Service” of the church, the Friday service is a dedicated and unique one that will draw crowds from different parts of the country and beyond. One of the major landmarks in SCOAN is Pastor Joshua’s unquenchable yearning and her uncompromising stand for a sound spiritual life for members. Each group in the church is today made to regularly spend time with God on TB Joshua Mountain where both in spirit and knowledge including prayer lives of participants are greatly enriched. She has also tenaciously upheld the lofty legacies of her late husband for which he lived and died .

Without doubt, SCOAN is a mystery. It is a tree planted at the riverside by God. It is hound to bring out its fruits in the seasons and its leaves shall never wither. As the gate of hell cannot prevail against it because of Christ, the church of God is joyfully waxing stronger day by day.