Rivers
New Book, ‘Spiritual Instructions’ Launched In Rivers Community
A new Christian book, ‘Spiritual Instructions’ was successfully launched on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Umuechem Community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The writer of the book and Music Director of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Umuechem, Catechist Cornelius Chinedu Iroegbu used the opportunity to thank God profusely for the unveiling of the new package, which he said has the capacity of providing solutions to mankind’s numerous spiritual, financial and health problems, among others.
The book launch, which attracted people from all walks of life was chaired by an illustrious son of Etche ethnic nationality, Chief Promise Akpasobe while the chief launcher was Mr Obinna Nwachukwu.
Very articulate Sir Austin Amaechi reviewed the book while the royal father of the day was Chief Bartholomew Onwuli.
A freelance journalist, simply addressed as Mr Julius excellently anchored the programme whereas the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Umuechem, Rev Father Paul Iroulor served as the spiritual father of the day, as he ensured that everything was functionally in place for the ceremony.
Incidentally, the book got special endorsements from highly placed men of God in the State and the wider society including no less a personality than the Auxiliary Bishop of Port Harcourt Diocese of the Catholic Church, Most Rev (Dr) Patrick Eluke whose imprimatur is contained in the book; Rev Father (Dr) Tochi Theo Nwosu, who wrote the foreword of the book; and Rev Father ( Dr) Sixtus Chikwe of the Port Harcourt Diocese, who artistically wrote the preface.
Speaking shortly after the book launch, the author, Catechist Cornelius Iroegbu said in an interview that God inspired him through the Holy Spirit to write the book on discovering that a lot of people were growing cold in their faith.
On discovering that, he said as somebody called by God, he had prayed more to God for a solution, particularly against the backdrop that the world also was satanically deranged.
According to him, God had equipped him through the Holy Spirit with strength, knowledge and inspiration on a daily basis to write the book.
Iroegbu, who is popularly known as Ntuoyi disclosed that it took him over three years to put together the book, which he described as a manual for people’s lives and essentially for people who want to grow spiritually and those who want to know God and get solutions for their spiritual, financial and health problems.
The Catechist of St Michael’s Catholic Church, Abara Etche further indicated that the book is capable of providing solutions to people’s spiritual, financial and health challenges, among others.
“There is no problem this book is not capable of providing solutions to”, he said, hinting that his target is to reach out to the entire world, to both Christians and non-Christians, saying, “It is good that people who do not know Christ would know Him through this book so that we all should be happy”.
He said the book is deliberately laced with Biblical quotations to demonstrate the power of God through the Scriptures and how it works.
Iroegbu expressed gratitude to the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Umuechem, Rev Father Paul Iroulor for his moral and spiritual support, particularly in ensuring that the book was successfully launched in his parish, describing him as a good father to all and a lover of all.
He also commended his father, Elder Raymond Nwairoegbu Amaechi for being physically present during the book launch, and assured that he would churn out many other books to truly make him proud.
On his part, the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Umuechem, Rev Father Paul Iroulor narrated how he first met the writer over 10 years ago at a filling station and encouraged him to start a youth devotion in the area, with the aim of evangelising Etche by being more involved and devoted to the things of God.
The cleric described Iroegbu as a hard working and committed servant of God, who is deeply involved in his spiritual life, and admonished the people of the area to toe the path of God and hold Him firmly as the writer had done.
A parishioner, Dame Benedicta Eze Nwala, who was visibly elated over the accomplishments of the writer, praised him for making his community proud, and expressed optimism that in the nearest future, the church would boast of a league of writers.
An indigene of the community, Mr Eddy Enoch described the writer as a brother, and enjoined the people to continue to support the author with their prayers.
The reviewer of the book, Sir Austin Amaechi expressed delight that the book has the imprimatur of a renowned man of God, whom he described as a friend, Most Rev(Dr) Patrick Eluke, saying, “It is to tell you that the book has gone through the crucibles of the Catholic vehemence of denouncing heresy and apostasy”.
According to him, the writer presented the materials to the world in such a way that the entire package is self-explanatory.”
“This book is simple to read, Ntuoyi made it easy for its readers in 11 Chapters, prudently presented in 62 pages as the font is sizeable to accommodate all visual shades of readers.The cover page is pictorially evident as we see the Master, minister to a rapt-attention audience. The sentence and grammatical patterns are simple and cheap. Therefore, making every chapter easily readable and understandable,” he said.
Rev Father(Dr) Sixtus Chikwe, in the preface, said the book is a momentous text for spiritual revival and re-awakening of God’s people, as the author writes for God’s spiritual revival and re-awakening of God’s pilgrim people.
He further underlined the fact that “reading through the work, one cannot but agree with the writer that the ways of the spirit are ineffable and patently inscrutable. Yet, nudged by an abiding docility to God’s ways, anchored on a healthy life of prayer and virtuous living, they are not after all, incomprehensible to the humble, faithful and desirous soul”.
This is why, he noted, the writer’s exhortation that the faithful need to adopt a more pliable, malleable disposition to the diverse manifestations of God’s ways, including in adversities or unfortunate twists in life’s ways is commendable.
According to him, “the faithful discipline is never alone through the rigors of life. Though high the billows of life’s storms or deep their reaches, the Divine is always nearby to intervene at the most divinely auspicious moment for the focused.”
Little wonder, the erudite cleric intoned, “So why quake while the master still rides closely by you in the boats of life? Enduring faithfulness to God, therefore, is vital for weathering through the fleeting storms of earthly pilgrimage”.
This, indeed, appears to be what ‘Spiritual Instructions’ is all about.
The Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, says the state judiciary has a total of 23,870 cases pending in various courts in the State.
This figure includes all cases pending in Magistrate, High, and Customary Courts, as well as Customary Court of Appeal in the State.
Justice Amadi stated this while presiding over a special court session held to mark the comencement of the 2024/2025 new legal year held at the auditorium of the High Court in Port Harcourt, Thursday.
The State Chief Judge, while giving the breakdown of performances by the Judiciary in the last year ended, revealed that the stastics of the cases brought before the courts from October 30, 2023 to 30th September 2024 is 31,886, while cases filed stood at 14,791 and cases disposed in the period under review is 22,725.
He further disclosed that the State Judiciary and the customary courts generated a total of #525,322,478,83 as revenue in the last judiciary year under review.
He described the special court session as an annual ritual of the judiciary marked to herald the beginning of a new legal year, stressing that it affords the judiciary and all stakeholders the needed opportunity to take stock of the activities of the judiciary in the past one year in order to improve, with a view to strengthening the justice administration.
The number one state judiciary officer stated that the judiciary had undertaken a lot of capital infrastructure in the year ended to ensure the comfortablility of the workers and judicial officers, and announced that additional high courts would be constructed at Okehi and Degema to ease the challenges of numerous cases coming from such jurisdictions.
Justice Amadi further disclosed that the state judiciary has a total of 51 judges, 57 magistrates, 30 Chairmen of customary courts, and 60 presiding members, adding that the state judiciary has 12 judicial Divisions, 37 magisterial Districts, and 30 customary courts.
“We lost seven judiciary staff, Port Harcourt NBA lost 16, Okehi branch 1, Bori branch 2, and Ahoada branch 2 . Creation of a judicial Division is based on cases filed from such area and we recommend for approval of such and not for politically based”, he stated.
The State Chief Judge used the opportunity to thank the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for the support given to the judiciary in the state, noting that the success recorded by the judiciary in the state was attributed to the huge support from the State Governor.
He also appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and the media for their various cooperation and support and urged them to sustain such in this legal year .
In their various speeches at the event, the State Attorney General and Commissoner of Justice, Dagogo Isreal-Ibroma, SAN; the Leader of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Rivers State, OCJ Okocha, SAN; and the Chairman of NBA, Port Harcourt Branch, Mrs. Eke Cordelia, commended the achievements recorded by the state judiciary and urged that more measures be put in place to enhance speedy dispensation of justice.
The special court session was preceded by a church service.
By: Akujobi Amadi
A religious body in Rivers State, the House of Jesus Christ Ministries, has appealed to the warring politicians in the State to stop the orgy of violence over leadership supremacy and embrace genuine dialogue.
This is contained in a recent statement by the Parish Church Council (PCC) meeting of the church.
The statement, which was signed by the General Overseer, Apostle Joseph Emmanuel; Secretary, Evangelist ThankGod Akpanowoh; Parish Women Leader, Mrs. Promise Aniebet William; and Parish Evangelist, Elder Aniefiok Benneth, noted that the spate of violence witnessed across the state has taken unimaginable dimensions with the recent killings, wanton destruction of properties, and the burning down of Council Secretariats.
It said if care is not taken, the crisis could extend to homes, and therefore called on the warring parties to stop and gove room for a lasting solution.
Blaming the Federal Government under the watch of President Bola Tinubu, who it said had been seemingly passive in handling the political difference between the former Governor of the State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“The kind of crisis we are seeing cannot be rationalised. Whether in Rivers or Lagos, whether we are talking of state violence of political upheavals rocking the state, we plead as a church with the contending politicians to pull back their hatchets of indifference for the sake of peace, unity, stability and progress, and allow the possibility of genuine dialogue to begin, and lasting peace restored”, the church said.
Noting that the xurrent wind of democracy blowing in the state is one of the legacies of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and others who preach peace, love and development in the state, the Church cautioned against further crises “in the once peaceful state for posterity”.
It urged the current politicians in the country to emulate the peaceful disposition and virtues of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which is instrumental to the prevailing peace in the state, in the face of continued provocations.
By: Bethel Toby
Rivers State has topped the performance chart in the implementation of the Nigerian Community Action Resilience And Economic stimulus (NG -CARES) programme in the South-South and Nigeria.
This was contained in a report released at the just-concluded two-day peer learning and experience sharing event in Port Harcourt.
According to the report, Rivers State performed excellently in all aspects of the programme implementation.
The state was followed by Delta State, which emerged second both in the South-South and the country at large.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has approved an additional $500million for the extension of the programme for the next three years.
World Bank Task Team leader, Dr.Lire Ersado, said at the event that the programme has lived up to expectations as it has gone along way to alleviate the sufferings of millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Ersado, who was represented by Professor Folorusho Okumadewa, said NG CARES has gotten the right strategies and approach in making sure that poor and vulnerable Nigerians can smile.
He said the programme, which was initially setup to address suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is even more relevant today with a view to addressing the plights of Nigerians affected by flood and other natural disasters.
Ersado said the Port Harcourt meeting, which is the sixth in the series of meetings held across the country, will provide opportunity for all states in the country to cross check their performances with each, as well as learn from the successes and failures of each other.
Also speaking, Rivers State Commissioner for Commerce And Industry, Barrister John Otamiri, said the programme was in line with the State Government programme of alleviating the sufferings of the people.
He also said the government is ready to partner with NG CARES to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Otamiri said also assures that Rivers State is safe for investment.
While reeling out its performances, National Coordinator, NG CARES, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje, said the world Bank is passionate about the programme , adding that the bank has graciously extended the programme for another three years with an additional $500 million.
He said within the last three years $750 million was disbursed to the 36 states and FCT in 160 delivery platforms.
Obaje added that 9.2 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians also benefited from the programme across the country in the last three years.
Earlier, Rivers State Coordinator, RiV CARES, Mrs. Ephraim George Imaonyani, commended the delegates for choosing Rivers State for the South-South meeting.
By; John Bibor
