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My Stewardship
By Prince Clem Ikanade Agba
HIS EMINENCE, ELDER CLEM IKANADE AGBA, CON IMMEDIATE PAST HONOURABLE MINISTER OF STATE FOR BUDGET AND NATIONAL PLANNING RECENTLY AT THE GRAND LAUNCH OF THE ESOCS CENTENARY ENDOWMENT FUND HELD AT MUSON CENTRE, RACE COURSE, 8/9 MARINA, ONIKAN-LAGOS SATURDAY, 10TH JUNE, 2023 DELIVERED A KEYNOTE ADDRESS WHERE HE HIGHLIGHTED SOME SUCCESSES HE RECORDED AS MINISTER.
It gives me great pleasure to be here with you today on this auspicious occasion of the ‘Grand Launch of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim (ESOCS) Centenary Endowment Fund’ which is part of the programmed activities for the centennial celebration of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church Worldwide, 1925-2025. This landmark event is preparatory to the establishment of the foundation for an investible sovereign fund by the Church with a vision to advocate, encourage and propel the growth and development of the ESOCS Church given emerging global uncertainties.
I am truly and particularly honoured, to be standing here as the Keynote Speaker and would like to express my profound gratitude first to the Almighty God for His infinite mercies upon me, then to His Most Eminence, Baba Aladura Dr. David D.L. Bob-Manuel (Moses Orimolade IX & Prelate of ESOCS Worldwide and indeed, the Advisory Board of the Holy Order for initiating this novel ESOCS Centenary Endowment Fund (ECEF).
The centennial celebration programme themed ‘Achieving Institutional Excellence and Pursuing Development through Planning, Budgeting and Sustainable Funding’, is germane and consistent with the growth agenda of the Church and our country. The pursuit of institutional excellence through a framework for sustainable funding and planning is a worthwhile commitment involving many dedicated stakeholders aligned by a common vision of continuous improvement and institutional effectiveness of the church.
It is a statement of fact that different Institutions (both public and private) the world over, are currently facing challenging and complex financial and economic situations with growing stress on growth and sustainability. Institutions therefore, rely on strategic planning, budgeting, performance measurement, internal/external controls, oversight (monitoring and evaluation), communication, and regulatory compliance to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in service delivery or meeting set objectives and achieving institutional excellence which inter-alia include:
(i) Ensuring transparency of the funding system;
(ii) Institutionalizing performance-based management;
(iii) Ensuring cost efficiency in service/project or programme delivery;
(iv) Catering to the needs of different institutional profiles;
(v) Strengthening quality assurance;
(vi) Ensuring institutional autonomy; and
(vii) Developing a strategic approach towards strategic planning, budgeting, performance measurement, internal/external controls, oversight (Monitoring and evaluation), communication, etc
His Most Eminence, Advisory Board Members, Excellencies, Captains of Industries, Distinguished Personalities, Ladies and Gentlemen, the ESOCS Centenary Endowment Fund (ECEF) is the foremost professional endowment cum investible sovereign fund set up by the Church with a world class vision to navigate through acute poverty, deprivations among others, and guarantee a secured future for the ESOCS Church at summer and winter times. Thus, this is the time to invest for the future of the Holy Order to hedge against challenging times.
Without any iota of doubt, this is the auspicious time to institutionalize ESOCS Centenary Endowment Fund. With strong leadership and enthusiastic support from stakeholders, the chances for success are very high. In order to sustain the current momentum, it has become exceedingly necessary to get more people on board to key into this vision. Every member of this Church has a role to play in this regard to achieve the intended objective.
It is incumbent on me to state that the primary business of the church is to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ, and this is underpinned on investment in evangelism and outreach to the unchurched. Jesus Christ ordered the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 ‘Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ It is expected that a greater chunk of the proceeds from the ESOCS Centenary Endowment Fund will be dedicated to evangelism and church planting. Deliberate and strategic planning and investment in evangelism is primary to the growth and relevance of the ESOCS church. At the end of our time, God will not ask us how much money we were able to generate, but how many people we were able to win for His kingdom.
It is also instructive to apprise this august gathering of beloved children of God that endowment gifts demonstrate one’s belief that we are never ultimately proprietors, owners, but only stewards, lifetime guardians entrusted by God to use wisely what God has placed in our hands. Such gifts and donations, declares to the present and future generations the importance of our faith and trust in God. We have each drawn water from the wells we have not dug; we have sat under shades of trees we did not plant and we each have a wonderful opportunity to provide the means for the Church to have a strong and empowering Ministry for posterity and generations to come.
Passages in the Holy Bible give credence to the importance of the foundation we are laying today. For instance,
Matthew 2:11b – “Opening their treasures, they offered him gifts…” Read this passage in the third person, then in the first person. Endowment gifts usually come from treasures, our accumulated assets. Also,
Genesis 26:17-25 – “And Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of Abraham his father…” Leave something behind which is better than what you found.
I am confident that this ESOCS Centenary Endowment Fund will enable effective endowment management for our Churches, Provinces, Schools, and Church-related Organizations who seek to honour the past and build the future. It will support developing structures, enabling investment, and generating growth.
In drawing inspiration from Proverbs 29:18 which says “where there is no vision, the people perish,” would you give money to a cause not knowing how it would be spent? Most people give to causes that affirm their cherished values, but donors are more likely to give when they know an Organization will use their gift wisely … and believe the gift will make a difference. Churches face increasing competition for the time, attention, and money of their Parishioners. Donors who care will give when they are moved by your mission, understand your plans, and trust you. As such, as leaders we must ensure that we utilize these funds for the primary work of the Kingdom and what we have avowed that they will be used for.
While endowment giving requires a special kind of trust, it is not a rainy day Fund. Some Churches may occasionally use it to supplement their annual operating budget. Such use to shore up budget shortfalls may be misperceived by potential donors and diminishes the purpose of having an endowment. Successful endowment programmes, those that make an impact and intended to last in perpetuity, are created where there is consensus and congruence in implementing the short- and long- term goals for the endowment. When the vision and purpose of the endowment are well-communicated and understood not only by the endowment committee but also by the whole church community, it creates engagement.
His Most Eminence, Advisory Board Members, Excellencies, Captains of Industries, Distinguished Personalities, Ladies and Gentlemen, in creating a healthy Endowment Fund that inspires giving, we must develop a vision for it, establish a clear purpose for each specific Fund, create effective oversight and talk about what the endowment makes possible. In this regard, there are four keys issues to consider in achieving institutional excellence in the establishment of the Fund. First is the development of a long range Plan that involves critical stakeholders and consistent planning. Developing a participatory and collaborative effective planning is essential and a sine-qua-non for ownership by stakeholders in actualizing the vision and objective of the
ESOCS Centenary Endowment Fund.
Second, a Plan without a budget has little chance of success and great ideas need resources to materialize. Once we have stakeholders collaborating to boost the growth of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, we need the support of a budget to bring our objectives to life. Budgeting in-line with the strategic plan guarantees that the Plan is funded for efficient execution.
Third, is the need to assess our results and use them for improvement of the project. What is not monitored and assessed is not done. It is therefore, important for continuous monitoring to assess the effectiveness of implementation. The path to institutional excellence is a circular one where assessment results are evaluated to improve on implementation for better outcomes.
Fourth and the last, is getting the right people on board to handle the ECOCS Centenary Endowment Fund. Competence is a critical part of institutional excellence because the core mission is to have a sustainable endowment Fund for the Church. In order for this to happen, the Fund Managers must have the requisite knowledge, experience, and credentials to drive this course.
The four ingredients just enumerated above greatly enhanced the success story of my tenureship as Honourable Minister of State for Budget and National Planning. I was responsible for developing medium and long term plans for the growth and development of our country Nigeria.
The Plans contain the vision, mission, objectives and strategies for growing and developing our country. This also involves developing a framework and mechanism for executing the Plans, providing a strong oversight through having a robust monitoring and evaluation framework.
A summary of some of the things we achieved and to keep our citizens abreast of Government activities while in Government include the following:
i. Hosting of a high-level roundtable to discuss government’s programmes and policies to get feedback. It is usually an opportunity to discuss with CSO leaders, donors, bilateral partners and citizens to gather useful feedback;
ii. Continuation of effort to rebuild trust and ensure transparency, we began publishing all payments above a certain threshold on the Open Treasury Portal;
iii. Increased monitoring and evaluation process to ensure that we are not only getting value for the money but that we are also strategic in resource allocation;
iv. Development of EyeMark app to sustain the monitoring and evaluation process and allow citizens to also provide feedback, a web application that will allow citizens to report progress on Government projects by simply using an online application that is GPS enabled to take pictures with date and timestamp was built. The application is also designed to point to challenges with Government’s projects and for geotagging them. There is the iMonitor Platform on the Budget Office website for citizens to provide feedback to the Government on the budget, as well; and
v. Reversion to predictable regular budget calendar. The Federal Government of Nigeria has now achieved a standardized budgetary calendar (January – December Budget Cycle).
To remain competitive, we developed a Medium and Long Term National Development Plan that serves as a road map for economic and social transformation of the country. Nigeria Agenda (NA) 2050 is a Perspective Plan designed to transform the country into an “Upper-Middle Income Country”, with a significant improvement in per capita income. The Plan aims to fully engage all resources, reduce poverty, achieve social and economic stability. It also targets developing a mechanism for achieving a sustainable environment consistent with global concerns about climate change. The Plan therefore, presents the road map for accelerated, sustained and broad-based growth and provides broad frameworks for reducing unemployment, poverty, inequality, and human deprivation. Ensure linkage between perspective plan, medium-term plans and the annual budgets. The Nigeria Agenda 2050 is poised to integrate the Global & Regional Commitments namely: Addis Ababa Action Agenda (African Union), Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations), Paris Declaration on Climate Change etc. Importantly, the Nigeria Agenda 2050 will be implemented through six Medium Term Plans : NDP (2021-2025) (already developed, published and subsequent National Development Plans covering (2026-2030), (2031-2035), (2036-2040), (2041- 2045), and (2046-2050).
. His Most Eminence, Advisory Board members, Excellencies, Captain of Industries, Distinguished Personalities, Ladies and Gentlemen, before rounding up my address, let me plead with us all that as members of Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim, we should bring our wealth of experience from both the private and public sectors to bear to ensure that the ESOCS Centenary Endowment Fund (ECEF) is a huge success. As a child of destiny who cheated death at the tender age of eleven when I was poisoned, I promise to give my all to the service of God, humanity and ensure I walk the talk as a member of the church,
At this juncture, I like to express my sincere gratitude to the ESOCS Church for its untiring effort in the propagation of gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of God and the growth and development of His Church. I also want to acknowledge God Almighty and His grace upon my life and the benevolence of the immediate past President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for appointing me as part of his Cabinet. Therefore, I thank the Almighty God, Mr. President, and my lovely wife, Mother-In-Israel Catherine Orobosa Agba and entire family who have always supported me.
In conclusion, His Most Eminence, Advisory Board Members, Excellencies, Captains of Industries, Distinguished Personalities, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to make a clarion call to individuals, groups, organisations and as a Church at large, to make concerted efforts to ensure the viability and sustainability of the ESOC Centenary Endowment Fund (ECEF) being launched today. It is my prayer that you will experience Open Heavens as you have graced this event and sown generously towards this noble and novel cause for the growth and development of the Church and advancement of the work of God’s kingdom. Remember, God loves a cheerful giver. So cheerfully give and generously so and receive God’s abundant Grace, Mercies and Favour.
I thank you all for your kind attention and God bless
By Kassim Omomia
The House of Representatives Committee on Steel has assured that it will effectively oversight all subsidiaries, agencies, especially research and development centres conneted to Ajaoukuta steel company and Steel development in the country, in order fulfil the long dream of making Nigeria a global steel producer
Chairman of the House Steel Sub- Committee on National Metallurgical Development Centre, NMDC , Hon Abdulmaleek Danga, stated in Jos during an oversight and investigation of petitions of contracts allegedlly awarded, paid- for, but not completed
He stated that the current Committee on Steel in the National Assembly was committed to ensuring proper oversight of steel devevelopment related agencies and research institutions so as to make Ajaokuta work this time around
Hon Danga told staff and top management cadre led by the Director General of the National Metallurgiical Develoomemt Centre, Professor Linus Asuquo, that the Committee was at the Centre in Jos, to carry out a thorough oversight and investigation , following a petition
He reminded the management , staff and Unions of the NMCD of the importance of the establishment of the Centre as a critical support base to sustain Ajaokuta Steel company
“We are here. We will do a thorough job here to sustain Ajaojuta and make it work. This place, (NMDC) must work first before we go to Ajaokuta”
Adressing the petition, Hon Danga pointed that with the avalanche of petitions against the NMDC, the place cannot work
He noted that petitions without facts and figures are retrogresive and create backwardness and stunt growth of any organisation
He noted that even though petitions have become the order of the day in our public life, they are undesirable, create backwardness ,stunt growth and as well create impressions that government agencies are wasting resources, especially when the petitions are without facts and figures
He added that the House was set to ensure the sustenance of NMCD and other ancillary steel agencies. so that Ajaokuta which is so dear to the current government can come on full stream
The subcomittee oversighting NMCD,Jos, which also included Honourable Ayuba Danba, Hon Domimic Okafor,embarked on a facility tour of the massive centre after a thorough session with management, top Staff, contractors, visiting the various departments, laboratories and workshops and projects executed by contractors especially those disputed in the petitions currently investigated by the sub-committee.
The Committee also addressed some aggrieved union leaders, who laid siege on the committee members in one of the sections of the Centre to express their grievances and alleged mismanagement of the Institute by the Prof Asuquo management
Hon Danga, however, appealed to both sides to work harmoniuosly , so that the current efforts of reviving Ajaokuta are achieved by the House of Representatives Committee on Steel and the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
According to the lawmaker, there is a noticeable lack of communication between the management and some critical stakeholders in the institute, which can result to misunderstanding, misconception about the Centre ,and thus, the avalanche of petitions
“Please work together, so that the current administration can revive Ajaokuta and make Nigeria a steel producing country, which is a dream long sought” he, advised
About 1000 Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, under the auspices of Coalition Of Civil Society Organisations, CCSOs, on Saturday Faults President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Economic Team and called for immediate reconstitution.
Expressing deep concern and worry over the state of the economy and escalating fuel prices compounding the hardship of Nigerians despite the recent protest, the groups said Tinubu must act now to avert disintegration.
The groups said the current situation across the country has cast doubt on the competence of the Tinubu economic team and called for urgent review.
The CCSOs in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mallam Ibrahim Mohammed, pointed out that the plight of Nigerians is sinking low and their patience is wearing off following the deteriorating economy.
The statement reads in part, “The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) is deeply concerned about the deteriorating state of the Nigerian economy, which is becoming increasingly unbearable for millions of citizens.
“It is evident that the recent hike in fuel prices and the unstable exchange rate are the direct results of economic mismanagement by those responsible for overseeing our nation’s financial policies. The ripple effects of these failures are being felt in every household across the country, worsening poverty and crippling economic activity.
“The floating of the Naira, which was initially sold to Nigerians as a means of stabilizing our currency, has done little to prevent the continued devaluation of the Naira. In fact, the exchange rate disparity has widened significantly, with the Naira losing value daily, impacting the cost of living, basic commodities, and inflation.
“While this policy was expected to ease foreign exchange pressure, it has instead deepened economic challenges due to poor implementation and lack of strategic foresight.”
The coalition also expressed concern over what it described as death trap of indebtedness of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, which also they claimed had slowed down importation of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, hence the current shortage of PMS across the country.
“Of equal concern is the precarious position of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which finds itself in a debt trap, with global suppliers of petroleum products losing confidence in Nigeria’s ability to honour its obligations.
“Reports have shown that NNPCL has accrued debts totalling over $6 billion, causing petrol supply shortages. International suppliers are now reluctant to continue providing fuel on credit, exacerbating supply chain issues and pushing up the price of petrol at the pump”, they claimed.
The CSOs also asserted that, “We hold the managers of the Nigerian economy responsible for these disturbing developments. Their inability to provide sound policies and long-term solutions has left the nation in this predicament.
“It is clear that there is no cohesive strategy to address the rising debt, the growing imbalance in the foreign exchange market, or the country’s heavy reliance on importation for petrol supply. The recent hike in fuel prices reflects the collapse of responsible economic management and accountability.
“Nigerians are left to bear the brunt of these failures. Businesses are shutting down, transportation costs have skyrocketed, and citizens are spending an increasingly larger percentage of their income on basic necessities. This state of affairs is unacceptable.”
The group therefore placed some demands; Immediate intervention from the government: There needs to be a comprehensive and transparent plan to stabilize the Naira, restore confidence in the petroleum supply chain, and negotiate a restructuring of NNPC’s debts to ensure continuous fuel supply.
“Accountability for economic mismanagement: Those responsible for the reckless management of our foreign exchange policies and NNPC’s debts must be held accountable. The government must also disclose its plan to mitigate the rising fuel costs and economic burden on Nigerians.
“A return to sound financial policy: The floating of the Naira has proven ineffective under current conditions. We call for a re-evaluation of monetary and fiscal policies to stabilize the economy, reduce inflation, and attract foreign investment.
“In conclusion, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations reiterates that without immediate corrective measures, the economic situation will continue to deteriorate, leading to further hardship for the average Nigerian. The government must act decisively and responsibly to reverse this downward spiral”, they added.
…..Says They ‘re Bunch of Hypocrites,
By Sim Omo
A group known as Patriots of Nigerian Democracy has lambasted the 2023 Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and other leaders of the party for saying they will take over Lagos State in 2027.
It will be recalled that Rhodes-Vivour while speaking to journalists in Umuahia, Abia State capital at the end of LP’s extended stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday said that they will take over Lagos.
“LP is now well structured, not just to win but to take power in 2027. What we have come to do here in Umuahia is to bring everybody on the same page. We are set for new victories in 2027.
“I believe Labour Party will win Lagos State more convincingly in 2027. Since after the 2023 elections, work has not stopped; we have not gone quiet. Every day, we are getting stronger and stronger.
“So, we are not just going to win but stand up and take power”, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour had said in Umuahia.
Reacting to the statement, the group said that LP leaders are a bunch of hypocrites who pretend to be on the side of the people but neck deep in their selfish interests.
The statement jointly signed by the President of the group, Comrade Olaolu Esan and the Secretary, Engr. Abdullahi Rabiu recalled that LP and its supporters recently attacked the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu for urging the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC), vowing that the ruling party will win the State in 2027 in a viral video.
“All hell was let loose recently when the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu in a video that went viral called on the Governor of his own Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti to rejoin APC.
“Kalu came under heavy criticism and attacks by LP and its supporters. They criticized him for speaking his mind. They made Nigerians to see him in bad light as if what he said was a taboo.
“But here we are. Just about one or two weeks afterwards, the same LP leaders assembled in Umuahia, the Abia State capital to issue a quit notice to APC in Lagos.
“So, where is their nobility? Where is their shame? They abandoned governance for politics of 2027. How does that make them the “Saints” of the Nigerian politics? Are they for the people or against the people?
“We had thought that the LP leaders gathered in Umuahia to discuss the biting economy and the solution. We had thought they gathered to tell Nigerians how they will entrench good governance in Abia State but didn’t know their meeting was about strategies to take over Lagos, an APC controlled State. We have waited for Abia Governor, Dr. Alex Otti to call Rhodes-Vivour to order or to at least tell him, it is not yet time for politics but more than 24 hours, none of the LP’s leaders has done that.
“We want to say that this is very unfortunate. It simply means that politicians irrespective of their political parties and leanings are all one and same. They always think about the next election and not about good governance. They are always after their personal agenda and selfish interests.
“If this will be tolerated, it simply means that the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Kalu is vindicated. Labour Party supporters owe the Deputy Speaker a collective apology for attacking what he said and saying what they attacked. This is hypocrisy.
“Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour’s comment indicates and gives a feeling that the media attacks on Kalu were actually sponsored even though it was highly unnecessary. LP leaders can’t be a bunch of hypocrites.
“Our concerns are good governance and the welfare of the Nigerian people. While we are not saying that politicians should not “battle” themselves over 2027, they must ensure that Nigerians get the dividends of democracy. Good governance should not be sacrificed on the altar of politics. Nigerians should not be shortchanged in anyway rather their lives should be improved by every means possible. That is our position”, the statement stated.
