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 I didn’t ask Christians to stop tithing – Adeboye The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has denied claims that he asked Christians to stop paying tithes. The cleric on Thursday apologised for saying in one of his messages that anybody who does not pay tithe will not make heaven. However, he said his apology message was misinterpreted stating how surprised he was by how quickly false reports spread online, claiming he had discouraged tithe payment. Making clarifications during the church’s October Holy Ghost Service on Saturday at the Redemption City on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, Adeboye addressed the misrepresentations that has now stirred controversy among social media users. Adeboye acknowledged that he apologised for any previous statements on tithing that may have been misunderstood. He said: “The issue of tithing became contentious, and I decided to apologise for anything I might have said wrong.  “Yet, w...

 Fresh protest against LG poll rocks Rivers    Hundreds of stakeholders against the conduct of the local government elections in Rivers State have trooped to the streets to protest the decision of Governor Siminialayi Fubara to go ahead with the controversial exercise. The stakeholders, mostly chieftains and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike, first gathered at the Polo Club in Yenagoa before embarking on the protest. They were seen marching along the popular Aba Road in Port Harcourt carrying banners and placards with inscriptions that called on Fubara to obey the Federal High Court judgement that cancelled the poll. It was also gathered that hundreds of the APC members were gathering at the party Secretariat in Port Harcourt to embark on a similar protest.

 LG poll: Men in police uniform disrupt voting in Port Harcourt Officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission and voters, on Saturday, ran for their lives as armed men dressed in police uniform arrived at Elekahia Primary School in Port Harcourt City Local Government shooting teargas and seizing election materials.  About 21 Hilux Patrol Vans with heavily armed men were spotted driving into the venue from Elekahia Road and immediately fired several tear gas.  RSIEC officials who had set up their stand to begin accreditation in Ward 19 which has 10 units scampered for safety as the operatives chased them out of the entrance.  One of the armed men harassed an INEC official saying, “Come here, remove that vest. What are you doing here?”  The armed men, some of whom were masked, also asked the officials to remove their vests and hand them to them as they ensured that they carted away all election materials and fired more teargas. Hunger protest: Pro...

 APC releases Rivers congresses timetable, pegs chairmanship form at N3m The ruling All Progressives Congress unveiled the official timetable for the 2024 Rivers State Elective Congresses on Friday, set to commence on November 2. This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by the National Organising Secretary of the APC, Malam Suleiman Argungu. Recall that the ruling party appointed a caretaker committee, headed by Chief Tony Okocha, a few months ago to oversee the process of electing new leadership for the state chapter following the dissolution of the Beke-led executives. Despite being reinstated by a recent court judgment, the National Working Committee of the APC has vowed to recognise the caretaker committee, insisting that the court has no jurisdiction over party affairs. In Friday’s statement, the APC announced that aspirants for the chairmanship and vice chairmanship positions are to pick up the Nomination and Expression of Interest forms for N3m and N2.5m, respective...

 Pastor Adeboye’s apology reignites tithing debate The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has apologised for saying tithing is a prerequisite for making heaven. The apology came after a video clip of his sermon surfaced online. In the clip, the cleric declared that paying tithe was critical for going to heaven. The sermon sparked outrage, with many criticising him for prioritising financial gain over spiritual guidance. The Founder of Power City International Ministry, Pastor Abel Damina, is among pastors who have been preaching against the payment of tithe. Damina argued that Jesus never paid or accepted tithes in the Bible. “Why are you (pastors) asking for tithe; if you look at the book of Acts, nobody paid tithe to anybody. Jesus didn’t pay tithe, Jesus didn’t receive tithe,” he said. But Adeboye, in a new video, issued an apology for his statement linking the payment of tithes to salvation. The revered cleric admitted that...

 A government school headmaster was arrested in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday for allegedly sexually harassing students. Muhammad Asgar Ali, headmaster of Government Secondary School (GSS) in Gautampur was arrested after a joint complaint by students alleging mental harassment, implied or explicit threats, blackmail, and sexually coloured remarks. On October 2, the police received the complaint in which students described repeated inappropriate behaviour and sexually coloured remarks made by Mr. Ali and the impact on them. The headmaster’s conduct had caused them “immense distress, frustration, sleeplessness, powerlessness, anxiety and forcing us to lose confidence and self-esteem, social withdrawal and isolation, suicidal thoughts and attempts, increased absenteeism from school to avoid harassment,” the students said in the complaint. A Class 7 student was allegedly called by Mr. Ali to clean his room in exchange for financial aid and the promise of a mobile phone. A Class 10 stud...

 Tension has spread in a village in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district after the body of a Class 4 girl was found in a canal. Locals, angered by the discovery, alleged that the young girl had been raped and murdered while returning home from her tuition in Kripakhali. Police were informed after she went missing on Friday evening. Senior police officials said the girl’s parents reported her missing at 9 P.M., and an investigation began shortly after. By midnight, a case was filed, and the police arrested a suspect. The girl’s body was later found near the riverbank, confirming the tragic incident. The Baruipur Superintendent of Police, Palash Dhali, assured that the police were doing all they could, and any concerns from the public would be addressed. The incident has sparked outrage across the state, with BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar expressing shock. He criticized the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, blaming it for the deteriorating law and order situation in ...