by Onovae Akpoesiri | Jun 23, 2021 | world Church
Adventist youth in Gelendzhik, Russia held an event on May 31, 2021 to to mark World No Tobacco Day.
On the first day of this event, the rain prevented it from being held. With God’s help, towards evening, the event still managed to take place as the weather improved and the sun came out.
The pastor and youth wore white t-shirts with anti-smoking slogans and went to the waterfront of the city. They set up stands, one of which clearly showed how much money a person spends on average on smoking over a period of time. This amount was compared to the cost of useful things. This comparison made the people passing by ponder.
Another stand showed how smoking is harmful to health and shortens a person’s life span.
Booklets motivating people to quit smoking were distributed to all those who were interested.
During communication, people shared how they repeatedly tried to quit smoking but failed. The promoters gave these people brochures that offered 21 tips on how to quit smoking.
Several people who thoroughly decided to quit smoking broke their cigarettes during the event. There were also people who exchanged cigarettes for fruit. Each person was presented with an invitation booklet to the weekly online smoking cessation program.
The two-day event was successful. Many participants thanked those who operated it.
We are glad the Lord blessed this event, which, we hope, will help people quit smoking forever, relying solely on His power in this difficult process, as stated in the Holy Scriptures: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11, 12, NKJV).
This article was originally published on the Euro-Asia Division’s news site
by Onovae Akpoesiri | Aug 7, 2020 | Food for thought, Members Writeup
Six short lessons from Ecclesiastes chapter 4
Vs 1-3, Evil and oppression are in this world and those who oppress seem to have more power on their side to oppress. The only ones that are free from oppression are those that are dead but the most privileged are those that have never exited (not born). Why because even those that are dead only just had rest from the evil and oppression in this world but they that have not exited had neither experienced evil nor oppression. But for us alive today, in this world we would experience oppression and evil, don’t be part of those that oppress others.
1. Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors — and they have no comforter.
2. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive.
3. But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
Lesson 2
Vs 4, Your labor should not be as a result of envy. It’s not a compitition, the labor that is motivated by envy has no joy; it is exhausting and empty.
4. And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Lesson 3
Vs 5-6, it’s only a fool that folds his hands and destroys himself with laziness and idleness. Work hard but it’s very important that you learn how to rest and be patient than running around with too much work and no rest in pursuit of success. All the toiling and business is not worth it at last,
5. Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves.
6. Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
Lesson 4
Vs 7-8, Work hard but learn to enjoy what you have also labored for, don’t be carried away with gathering riches without end. Let us take time to ask ourselves who we are gathering for because at the end it is all emptiness with no one to share it with. Wealth is sweeter when we share it with others.
7. Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
8. There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with is wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless — a miserable business!
Lesson 5
Vs 9-12, Life without a true friend or companion is not satisfying. Two are better than one. Learn to connect with others and build good relationships because life is sweeter with friends; success is fulfilling when you have someone to share it with. The advantage of togetherness cannot be overemphasized; remember, one broom stick can be broken without stress but a stack of broom sticks cannot be easily broken.
9. Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
10. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
11. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
12. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Lesson 6
Vs 13, Be open to receive instructions and friendly rebuke or warning, for a young one who listens to advise is wiser and better than an old foolish person who will not listen to advise or warning. Wisdom involves learning and listening to others, it involves humility to listen to the warning and rebuke of others. If you are wise to listen to others it will bring you riches and the position of a foolish king will be yours. Shalom!
13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
by Onovae Akpoesiri | Aug 4, 2020 | Food for thought, Members Writeup
The namw “Ecclesiastes” comes from a Greek word indicating a person who calls an assembly, so it makes sense that the author identified himself in Ecclesiastes 1:1 by the Hebrew word qoheleth, translated as “Preacher. King Solomon wrote the book and it holds so many lessons. Lessons that can guide us through the struggle of this world. Today we will be focusing on Ecclesiastes 3.
Lesson 1
There is time for everything vs 1-8. God has made everything beautiful in it’s time.
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2. a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3. a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4. a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5. a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6. a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7. a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8. a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Lesson 2
No one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. We cannot know everything about God or what He does. vs 9-11
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Lesson 3
Rejoice, and do good with what you have and with your life. Enjoy the fruit of your ‘good’ labor_it is the Gift of God. Vs 12-13.
12. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
Lesson 4
Vs 14, whatever God does stands forever, we cannot add to what God has already made, neither can we subtract from it.
14. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.
Lesson5
Vs 15, what we see today has been in existence; and what we would see in the future had already been in existence. In essence, there is nothing really new in this world. What we call new and futuristic is what we modify from what God has already created. That’s why He demands us to give account of everything.
15. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.
Lesson 6
Vs 16-17, wickedness may overcome righteousness, but God will judge the righteous and the wicked. There is a set time for (to judge ) every purpose and every work (what we do).
16 And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice — wickedness was there.
17 I said to myself,“God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”
Lesson 7
Vs 18-21, after all, there is no difference between us and the animals when it comes to death. We all die and return to the dust from where we were taken. The only difference is that our breath goes back to the source (goes up) God. And that of the animals goes down to the earth since God did not breath into their nostrils the breath of life. But the bottom line is we all breath, so we all die.
18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
Lesson 8
Vs22, so in conclusion, nothing is better than rejoicing in the work of your hand and the delighting yourself in the good of your labor which is a gift from God; this is your heritage and only reward here on earth, to use very well what God has blessed you with to do good. Because when you die, you cannot come back to see how those who inherited all you have acquired will use it. So do the best that you can now that you are alive. We only have one life, live it to the fullest in glory to God. May God bless and keep us to His Glory. Amen.
22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
by Onovae Akpoesiri | Aug 2, 2020 | Clifford University
Pastor and Mrs. Jesse Clifford from England, were the first missionaries to proclaim the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) message in Eastern Nigeria after being sent to work in West Africa by the General Conference (GC) in 1905. After ministering in Sierra Leone and Ghana, the Cliffords arrived Abua in Rivers State in 1920 and later relocated to Oghor-Hill Aba, in 1923 which became the cradle of Adventist work in Eastern Nigeria. With their Bible, a projector, and prayers, they settled in the home of a missionary friend, Pastor A. V. Wilcox, after whom Wilcox Grammar School Ehere, Aba, was originally named.
At Aba, Pastor Clifford started a primary school and developed the foundation for Adventist education in Eastern Nigeria. Some of his students were: Nelson Ihmuka, Wilson Uzuegbu, Sunday Ubani-Ukaoma, Rovert Nnamdede, James Nwambu, Abraham Nzotta, Adonija Cookey, Josiah Evoh, Daniel Onyeodor, Robert Abaribe, and Philip Onwere, among others. With the assistance of Robert Abaribe and Daniel Onyeodor, he established a Bible School and additional primary schools. Not long, Rovert Nwosu and P.E. Onwere under his tutelage qualified as pupil teachers and B. I. Tikili (from Nembe) became a headmaster. Through Chief Nwogu and his kindreds of Umuola Egbelu in North-east Aba, the Cliffords got a piece of land on lease hold for their house.[AdSense-C]
The Beginning
In January 2008, at a Management Meeting of Adventist Secondary Technical College (ASTEC), Owerrinta, the idea of actualizing the “College” aspect of the School’s name culminated in the need to establish a College. This matter was discussed and referred to the Executive Committee of then Eastern Nigerian Union Mission (ENUM). Thus during the 2008 ENUM Mid-Year meeting, ENUM Executives under the leadership of Pastor Gideon C. Nwaogwugwu (President), Pastor (Dr.) Bassey E. O. Udoh (Executive Secretary), and Elder Emmanuel G. Manilla (Treasurer), inaugurated a Committee for the establishment of a Vocational College at Owerrinta. Members of this Committee were: Pastor Kanelechi C. K. Nwangwa, Ph.D. (Chair), Professors Christian U. Iroegbu, Nathaniel C. Nwezeaku, Friday M. Mbon, C. N. Bariko, Arthur Nwafor, Mathew Wegwu and Gabriel N. Okwandu. Others were Elder Naboth H. A. Nwafor, Ph.D., Engr. Kevin N. Nwaiwe, Elder A. C. Ogbonna, Ph.D., Elder M. N. Agbarevo, Ph.D., Mrs. Kate Ndukuba, Ph.D., and Mrs. Yetunde E. Alozie, Ph.D.
This Committee recommended that instead of establishing a “College,” it was better to have a conventional university at Owerrinta. At the Year-End meeting in 2008, the Executive Committee of ENUM voted to accept the recommendation of the Committee and subsequently extended its mandate. The Committee now became statutory and it was called “The Technical Committee for the Establishment of a University in Eastern Nigeria Union Mission.” The Committee further considered several names and finally proposed the name “Clifford University,” in memory of the evangelical, sacrificial, and educational exploits of Pastor and Mrs. Jesse Clifford. The ENUM Executive Committee equally approved the recommendation that the proposed university be sited at Owerrinta. A major reason for choosing Owerrinta was because of the vast land which the Adventist Secondary Technical College, under the leadership of Dr. K. C. K. Nwangwa (Principal), Elder James Onyendi (Vice-Principal Academic), and Elder Daniel Nwaejike (Vice-Principal Administration), had acquired from the Umuogbu kindred.
By 2010, there was a slight change in the administrative structure at the Union. Pastor (Dr.) Bassey Udoh became the President, Pastor (Dr.) Kingsley C. Anonaba became the Secretary, Elder Emmanuel G. Manilla remained as the Treasurer, while Dr. (Mrs.) Yetunde Alozie became the Education Director. The leadership of the Technical Committee changed and Prof. Benson O. Oluikpe became the new Chairman and Dr (Mrs.) Yetunde E. Alozie, the new Education Director became the Secretary. More members were co-opted into the Technical Committee, including Elder Josiah O. Anonaba, ENUM Associate Education Director and Ms Ngozi Dike, then a Principal in the Abia State Ministry of Education. After a while, Prof. B. O. Oluikpe withdrew his membership and Dr. (Mrs.) Yetunde E. Alozie took over the leadership of the Committee.
However, in 2012, there was a divine intervention. The then Governor of Abia State, Chief T. A. Orji decided to hand over some schools to the original missionary owners. Thus, on Friday, September 14, 2012 by 11:00 a.m. in Umuahia, the State Capital, our schools at Ihie were returned to the Adventist Church. These Institutions were established on the same campus formerly as Nigeria Training College (NTC), in 1948 and Adventist High School (AHS) in February 1953, respectively, with 28 students and Canadian-born Lawrence Downing as the first Principal of Teachers Training College (TTC). With the return of the land at Ihie by Governor Orji, and the existence of some old buildings, the Technical Committee, in consultation with the ENUM leadership under Pastor (Dr.) Bassey E. O. Udoh, recommended that the facilities at Ihie be used as a take-off Campus of Clifford University. Later, following a passionate appeal from the Church through Elder (Dr.) Emmanuel O. Adaelu, MFR, Governor Orji signed the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for the two campuses of Clifford University at Ihie and Owerrinta, on July 16, 2013. The amount the Church would have paid for this (in millions of Naira) was graciously “waived” by the Governor because “of the good education the SDA Church is bringing to Abia State.”
The Church voted to temporarily leave the 112.16 hectares of land already acquired at Owerrinta as a campus of the University, and to take off at Ihie after renovating the old buildings and constructing new ones and to start the development of Owerrinta as funds became available. Some of the old boys of the defunct Adventist High School include: Prof. Christain U. Iroegbu, (Rtd. Professor of Microbiology, the consultant for laboratory furnishing and pioneer Dean, Faculty of Science, Clifford University; Prof. Friday M. Mbon, University of Calabar (Visiting Professor of Religious Studies and pioneer Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Clifford University); Hon. Emeka Wogu, (former Minister of Labour and Productivity); Navy Commander Ebitu Ukaiwe (Second-in-Command to General Ibrahim Babangida); late Engr. Uzoma Azuogu; Senator Enyinna Abaribe (current Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria); Dr. (Mrs.) Salome Okwubunka (former Director of Education, ENUM); and Dr. Okezie V. Ikpeazu (present Executive Governor of Abia State), among others.
VISION STATEMENT
To be a leading Institution driving the frontiers of knowledge anchored on the values of excellence, service and faith.
MISSION STATEMENT
To prepare graduates who are adequately and holistically empowered and equipped to serve God and humanity.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
The philosophy of Clifford University is anchored on holistic, harmonious education through the integration of faith and learning for the redemption and restoration of humans. The University shall achieve this by promoting the principles of equity and justice, creating an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence and scholarship, and promoting excellence by advancing knowledge through high quality teaching and research activities. The University shall develop and prepare its students intellectually, occupationally, aesthetically, physically, socially and spiritually.[AdSense-A]
OBJECTIVES
The law establishing Clifford University has outlined its objectives aimed at meeting its vision and mission. The objectives of Clifford University are to:
Be a centre of academic excellence committed to the achievement of accelerated development based on Christian values and principles;
Promote the fear of God, through education and information dissemination;
Promote international cooperation through linkages in pursuit of research, staff and student exchanges;
Encourage the advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction the opportunity of acquiring a higher and liberal education;
Provide courses of instruction and other facilities for the pursuit of learning in all its branches, and to make those facilities available on proper terms to such persons as are equipped to benefit from them;
Encourage and promote scholarship and conduct research in all fields of learning and human endeavour;
Relate its activities to the social, cultural and economic needs of the people of Nigeria;
Establish a centre for entrepreneurial studies to stimulate job creation and innovative abilities in students from onset of their studies, in such a way that graduates shall be resourceful, self- reliant and job creators; and
Undertake any other activities appropriate for a university of the highest standard.
ANTHEM
Clifford University, a centre for divine knowledge,
An institution built and sustained
By the same faith that Elder Jesse Clifford had,
We praise thee Almighty that established thee,
We are associated with thee,
To prepare us for earthly and eternal excellent service,
God bless every foot that steps into thee,
May your peace and progress be our portion,
And so shall it be.
by Onovae Akpoesiri | Aug 2, 2020 | Babcock university
2020 Babcock University Post UTME Screening scheduled to hold on your chosen Date and Time has been shifted to commence from Monday, August 24. This was revealed in a statement by the registrar.
It states;
Dear Applicants, please be informed that the 2020 Babcock University Post UTME Screening scheduled to hold on your chosen Date and Time has been shifted to commence from Monday, August 24 in line with the directive from JAMB. Kindly note that candidates whose screening dates are August 3, 5 and 7, 2020 are NOT required to go online to reschedule Date and Time. They are only required to check the correct Date and Time on https://applications2.babcock.edu.ng
Thank you.
Registrar
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