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Fubara, Odili Eulogise Apostle Numbere At 10th Memorial Lecture
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has described the founder of the Great Evangelism World Crusade, Apostle Geoffrey Dabibi Numbere as a true Apostle of God who always stood for and preached what was right.
Governor Fubara noted that the legacy of the pioneer International Director of the Greater Evangelism World Crusade would remain indelible as he was a remarkable servant of God, hero and father of faith whose commitment to the vineyard of the Lord impacted positively on the society.
Represented by the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joe Johnson, Governor Fubara said: “Today, we gather not only to remember the life and legacy of this remarkable servant of God, hero and father of faith, but also to reflect on the powerful ways in which his Ministry continues to impact us all. Apostle Numbere was not just a Missionary Leader. He was an embodiment of the New Testament Apostolic coming. A true epitome of what it means to serve God with undivided commitment, humility and passion in contemporary times.
“As we reflect on his remarkable legacy today, it is also a moment to draw inspiration and motivation from his life and Ministry. Apostle Numbere’s work was not just for his time but continues to challenge us in the present, urging us to be faithful stewards of the gospel, diligent labourers in the vineyard of the Lord, courageously standing for the truth in a rapidly changing world and untold generations.”
He said that Apostle Numbere’s lifestyle is one that is what we call a true Apostle, saying the truth in a every situation.
”Our State is where we are today, because of some of your love for the Governor. It is particularly the prayers of the church that is keeping us. I wish Apostle Numbere were to be alive, I can imagine what he would have been saying now, at a time when everybody is a lawyer, at a time when the police will abdicate their responsibilities and all that. I know that he must be in heaven.
“His prayers for Nigeria has not waxed cold,” Governor Siminalayi Fubara noted.
The Governor promised to stand by the Apostle Numbere’s family and the church, pointing out that, “because it is the church and the Almighty God that have been keeping us and the state.”
He thanked Pastor (Dr.) Mrs. Nonyem Numbere and the International Director, Pastor Isaac Olori and the Church leadership for sustaining the legacy and the Ministry, 10 years on after the transition of its Founder/pioneer International Director, Apostle Geoffrey Dabibi Numbere who was one of the pioneers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the occasion and former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, traced their long standing relationship to the early 1990s when the great man of God was introduced to him by the late Catholic Bishop of Port Harcourt, Bishop Edmond Fitzgibbon, a relationship that blossomed over the years until the passage of the great charismatic Apostle.
He used the opportunity to applaud the Special Guest of Honour and Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara as a young, vibrant and heavyweight, performing Governor, who God has used to liberate the state.
“Your Excellency, the young, vibrant, heavyweight, performing father of Rivers State. The man who has come to liberate our State.
Let me begin on a celebrating note of appreciation to the Numbere family, for doing us the honour of inviting us to chair this occasion, an occasion in memory of my very dear friend, Apostle Geoffrey Numbere.
“I am delighted and indeed honored to be here to identify with this celebration, and to lead the role of the chairman of the occasion.”
He thanked Pastor (Dr.) Mrs. Nonyem Numbere for the honour of inviting him to chair the 10th Memorial Lecture held in honour of his friend, Apostle Geoffrey Dabibi Numbere, noting that even though he is a Catholic knight, it never affected his relationship with the Apostle.
“When in 1998, I decided to take a shot at the governorship campaigns, Apostle Numbere was one of my closest confidants, advisor and spiritual director. He worked hard for that election as though he was a contestant, and God answered his prayer,” he added.
Dr. Odili noted that Apostle Numbere succeeded in his mission because he was a true soldier of Christ, observing that like Paul who encountered Jesus on his way to Damascus, Apostle Geoffrey Dabibi Numbere encountered Jesus while pursuing a degree programme at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), and never looked back afterwards as he abandoned his studies to go into full-time evangelism that later gave birth to the Greater Evangelism World Crusade.
”Today, the mission he started is an international mission, why did he succeed? Because of his absolute faith in Christ. He held Christ gloriously, the courage, the tenacity, absolute devotion, in honesty, integrity, discipline, compassion, he won many souls to Christ, that is why yes he has passed on, but his glory will continue till eternity. I want to thank especially the family for keeping the faith of his vision alive.
“Let me specially congratulate all of you who have held this vision, I commend you and urge you to keep it to the end. You know when we are doing a good work, there will be challenge, some people will be beside you, and if you are convinced that you are working for God, nothing, no obstacle can stop you.
“Faith is the key, absolute faith in Christ is the key, those of you who were privileged to have come in contact with him while he was with us can tell that he is such a nice man. 10 years ago he left us, but his good work has brought us here we are to respond to this invitation the way we have come, it reminds me of this celebration, it will not just end with celebration, it will become a new impetus to lead the Nation to another level.”
He promised to continue to support the church. “Let me assure you that we will continue to stand with you, we will continue to support you by the special grace of God, all of us collectively will ensure that his memory remains forever. I urge you to participate fully and actively in every activity of this celebration.”
In his welcome address, the International Director of the Greater Evangelism World Crusade, Pastor Isaac Olori, paid glowing tribute to the Apostle Geoffrey Dabibi Numbere, describing him as a “visionary leader and an embodiment of the new testament Apostolic calling, a true epitome of what it means to serve God with undivided commitment, humility and passion in contemporary times.”
Pastor Olori noted that Apostle Numbere dedicated his life to the advancement of the gospel and underscored the need to reflect on his remarkable legacy as well as draw inspiration from his life and Ministry.
In his memorial lecture titled: “Apostle Geoffrey Dabibi Numbere: An Epitome of a New Testament Apostle in Contemporary Times,” the Guest Memorial Lecturer, Prof. Danny McCain, traced his association with Apostle Numbere and gave detailed analysis of his Apostolic calling and how he gave his all for the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The event which was held in the Atlantic Hall of the Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt on Saturday was attended by dignitaries from across the world, including captains of industry, top government functionaries, traditional rulers and members of the Christian community as well as kinsmen and women of the great Apostle.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.