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I Am A Chosen: CAN Fumes Over Exam Malpractice Testimony

Published

11 months ago

September 21, 2024

Editor

The viral video of a suspected member of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry in Lagos has sparked outrage after the woman celebrated receiving divine assistance during a Federal Government examination and how she shared her answers with another candidate.

During the testimony, the unnamed member claimed an old man appeared to her in the examination hall and gave her answers to some questions.

The woman said the exercise was one of the promotional examinations of the military (Army, Navy, and Air Force) and that there were about 50 questions, of which 40 bordered on career and 10 related to current affairs.

“We all had written our career questions. It then came to these very 10 questions, which asked, ‘Mention 10 Francophone countries and their capitals.

“Brethren, nobody knew this question. So, all I did was to raise the question paper and declare to it: ‘I am a Chosen! I am a chosen!! I am a chosen!!! This question, who are you? Where is the God of my pastor power?’

“Then, suddenly, an old man appeared by my right-hand side in white apparel. He told me, ‘My daughter, begin to write.’ And I began to write,” she recounted.

She claimed that some of the invigilators, who suspected something was amiss, pulled off her apron, which made “the angel” disappear.

The action, she added, made her angry.

“But when they returned the apron and I wore it back, the old man appeared again and began to tell the rest of the answers. I completed 10 good questions. I wrote them correctly and accurately. To me, it was like a dream.

“Brethren, when I finished writing my questions, a sister who sat by my side was a Mountain of Fire member because of the logo on her clothing. As I took up the answer sheet and was cross-checking my write-up, I signaled to the woman, saying, ‘Sister, do anything you can do humanly possible.

“Any moment from now, I am going to submit my questions.’ While I was cross-checking, the sister quietly copied. And immediately she finished, brethren, I stood up and submitted my questions. Everybody in the hall was looking at me. That was how only two of us out of 102 were able to do this,” she added.

The church then erupted in celebration as she ended her testimony.

The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Lagos chapter, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, expressed shock that the church allowed the testimony, which he described as a fabrication.

He said God would not work supernatural miracles that way, adding that there were no shortcuts to academic success other than hard work and belief in God.

He noted that the Christian body would be meeting next Friday to address the controversies raised by the woman’s testimony and several other “unacceptable comments made by Pentecostal pastors on social media.”

“She is entitled to her opinion as she is the owner of her mouth. But for anyone to say such, we must verify that. We must see the people in the hall, and they must testify against her that that was never the situation.

“But looking at it ordinarily, that is a foolish talk, and nobody should accept that. There are testimonies you don’t allow to be given in the church. And that is why before people give their testimonies, you should invite them and know what they want to talk about.

“If it is something that is good for public consumption, you should allow it to go. But if you know that the story they are telling can only be told to monkeys, you should ask the person to go and face the monkeys and say that, not in the church. So, that type of testimony should be served to the monkeys and not to human beings,” the Lagos State CAN chairman declared.

When asked his thought on such miracles, he said, “God doesn’t act that way. I have a Ph.D. Which God of Chosen will appear to you and give you answers to your examination questions?

“The God of Chosen will give you strength to read your books and go for the exams. There is no shortcut to success in life other than hard work and belief in God.”

There have been other trending videos of members of the church sharing testimonies that social media users considered wild.

In one, a member of the church narrated how a lion miraculously saved him from kidnappers. In another video, another testifier recounted how bullets did not penetrate his head.

The CAN chairman insisted that the testimonies were all fallacies.

“Anybody that wants to prove such a thing should bring a gun to the church. Let the person stand and let us release the bullets. We will see whether the bullets will enter or not. They are all blatant lies from the pit of hell,” he declared.

“We will be meeting probably next Friday. It is going to be a CAN general meeting in Lagos, and we are going to address it. We will speak about the madness going on among Pentecostal pastors,” he added.

Reacting in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Head of Public Relations and Media for the church, Pastor Chidi Louis, said the testimony videos were doctored to tarnish the image of the church because some of the incidents happened in the testifiers’ dreams.

He said the church allowed members to share their testimonies the way they wanted without gagging them because it believed that such narrations should not be censored.

“There is no need for us to begin to doubt someone’s testimony. If anybody comes and says he wants to give a testimony, we give that person the opportunity; we don’t guide people on what to say or how to say it. They are free to say it as they like,” Louis stated, adding that the church was unperturbed by social media trolls.

News

NAS Offers Free Medical Services To Over 800 Residents In Imo Community

Published

8 hours ago

August 3, 2025

Editor

National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) has provided free medical services to more than 800 residents of the Orogwe community in the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State as part of the association’s humanitarian service.

The medical mission, held at the National Primary Healthcare Centre, was part of the association’s 49th National Konverge and Annual General Meeting in Owerri.

The event offered diagnosis, treatment, and essential medications to hundreds of community members, many of whom had been unable to access healthcare due to financial hardship.

NAS Cap’n, Dr Joseph Oteri, said the initiative was part of the confraternity’s broader vision to support vulnerable communities and bring healthcare directly to those most in need.

“This programme targets those who ordinarily cannot afford basic healthcare, especially treatment for non-communicable diseases,” Oteri said.

“Today, we attended to a child with a serious condition. Thankfully, we had a paediatrician on the ground who stabilised her and referred her to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri. We’ve also identified a few cases that will require surgery, and we plan to support their hospital bills.”

He emphasised that NAS, formed in 1952 by seven young idealists including Imo-born Ralph Opara, has evolved into a formidable force for social advocacy, committed to humanitarian and civic interventions.

Dispelling common misconceptions about the association, Oteri said: “We are not a cult group. We exist to protect the downtrodden and drive positive societal change.”

The association’s Chief Programme Officer, Chief Bart Akelemor, echoed this commitment, stressing that the NAS legacy is one of access, equity, and community service.

“Our mission is to promote a just society where citizens can access resources such as healthcare, education, and employment,” Akelemor said.

“With Nigeria’s growing population and the acute shortage of doctors and functioning medical facilities in rural areas, bringing this medical outreach to Orogwe is both timely and necessary.”

According to him, 41 volunteer doctors, drawn from across Nigeria and the diaspora, participated in the programme, attending to hundreds of patients with ailments ranging from malaria and hypertension to vision and dental issues.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Chizoba Igwe, who received treatment for malaria, described the initiative as a “life-saving intervention.”

“With the way things are in the country now, I couldn’t afford hospital bills or medication,” she said.

“This free treatment is a big relief. Many people here share the same feeling.”

Another resident, Mrs Mmesoma Njoku, received medicated glasses after undergoing an eye test.

“I’ve been struggling with my sight for a while, but couldn’t go to the hospital because of money. Today, I not only got tested, but they gave me glasses that now help me read tiny print. I am truly grateful,” she said.

NAS Medical Pyrate, Dr Chiazor Odoemene, confirmed that over 800 residents were treated during the outreach, with critical cases referred to public hospitals for further management.

Beyond healthcare, the association also launched an arts exhibition aimed at promoting awareness around good governance, security, poverty alleviation, and Nigeria’s path to a more prosperous future.

The medical outreach has been lauded as a meaningful complement to the efforts of the Imo State Government in improving healthcare access and delivery, particularly in underserved areas.

News

2027: Otuaro Urges N’Delta Youth To Resist Politicians’ Ploy To Destabilise Region

Published

9 hours ago

August 3, 2025

Editor

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro, has warned ex-agitators in the Niger Delta to resist being manipulated by desperate politicians plotting to destabilise peace in the Niger Delta, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of a three-day strategic Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Mediation training organised by the PAP in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, Otuaro expressed concern over the recent rise in politically-charged rhetoric and some politicians’ coordinated attempt to pit ex-agitators and beneficiaries of the programme against the Federal Government.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Igoniko Oduma, on Sunday, he added that such moves were “reckless and unnecessary,” especially in light of President Bola Tinubu’s demonstrable commitment to the region.

“There is no basis for anyone to cause destabilisation. We can all see the commitment of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to the Presidential Amnesty Programme. Ex-agitators and beneficiaries in general should not be deceived and distracted by some politicians,” Otuaro told the ex-agitators and stakeholders.

He cautioned that any calls for confrontation or disaffection at this time were “not only misplaced but also harmful to the gains we have recorded,” urging stakeholders to focus on peace, stability, and progress in the region.

According to Otuaro, the Tinubu administration has backed its support with tangible action.

“Be assured that nobody will do it better than President Tinubu. As Niger Delta people, we have to thank the President for his genuine love for the Presidential Amnesty Programme and our region as a whole.

“The President has expanded the budget of the programme, allowing us to reach more beneficiaries and strengthen our reintegration and rehabilitation initiatives,” he stated.

He also pointed out that the inclusion of Niger Delta citizens in key federal positions was further evidence of Tinubu’s goodwill.

“Furthermore, Niger Deltans have been appointed to strategic positions in key ministries and agencies. This level of inclusion is unprecedented and deserves acknowledgement. All we need to do is to be united for the President,” Otuaro declared.

The PAP boss, who presented certificates to participants of the training and later hosted them at a reception at the PAP headquarters, reiterated his commitment to sustaining peace and building human capital in the region.

He further called on traditional rulers, community leaders, and other stakeholders to keep sensitising the youth to reject political manipulation, stating that “Lasting progress can only be achieved through cooperation, not conflict.”

News

Afenifere Hails UN For Declaring July 7 World Amotekun Day

Published

10 hours ago

August 3, 2025

Editor

The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Sunday, commended the United Nations following its declaration of July 7 of every year as “World Amotekun Day.”

Afenifere’s position was contained in a statement released by its national publicity secretary, Jare Ajayi, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

It would be recalled that Amotekun’s formal recognition by the UN was made public last week by the President of the World Peace, Ambassador Peer Stafsen, while presenting the certificate of affiliation to the Commandant of the Ondo State Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, in Akure, the state capital.

Represented by the Director of Information and Communications of the association, Ambassador Markwili Mgbara, Stafsen said the recognition was due to the activities of Amotekun corps in “promoting safety and protecting lives and property across Nigeria’s South-West region.”

The affiliation certificate was issued under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the International Association of World Peace Advocacy.

Afenifere’s statement said the recognition of Amotekun by the UN was unprecedented in this part of the globe.

“Amotekun’s invitation to attend meetings of the body’s affiliates on security and human rights is a big morale booster.

“It is also a testament that those who brought it about and have been sustaining it were exemplary, as further attested to by some states in Nigeria who have shown interest in replicating the concept in their respective areas.

“The World Peace is part of the global body, the UN. Ondo State is significant on the issue of Amotekun as its former Governor, late Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), was pivotal in the establishment of the corps.

“With this recognition, the South-West Security Network (Amotekun) will now be officially attending the United Nations’ annual general meeting starting with the one coming up in New York, United States of America, on September 22, 2025, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the global body,” the statement partly read.

Afenifere said the certification of the security outfit confirmed the affiliation of the Ondo State Amotekun Corps as a trained security unit recognised by the UN.

Ajayi also lauded the late former Governor Akeredolu, who, along with his fellow governors in the South-West, then were steadfast in ensuring that the security outfit took off and was sustained, in spite of the obstacles placed on its ways in various guises.

“Amotekun was launched on January 9, 2020, in Ibadan, Oyo State, by the governors of the South West, i.e. Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States.

“The establishment of the security outfit emanated from the regional security summit that took place in Ibadan in June 2019 under the auspices of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission,” Ajayi stated.

Afenifere’s spokesperson submitted that the formal invitation to attend annual security meeting is a clear indication that the establishment of the outfit was a very good step to take.

He recalled that Amotekun, in its early formation, faced a lot of avoidable challenges, especially from the Federal Government then led by the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ajayi praised the governors in the region for not succumbing to intimidation then.

In his words, “Their not succumbing to intimidation has helped greatly in checking crimes in the region and in reducing the menace of armed bandits, including unscrupulous Fulani herders who are making going to farms perilous.”

The national publicity secretary then called on the governments of the southwestern states to leverage on the latest international recognition.

“We seize this opportunity to also call for an expeditious action on the establishment of state police and the provision of all that is needed to ensure that crime and banditry are reduced to the barest minimum,” he added.