TheNewsGuru

Tag: Family

  • Family announces TB Joshua’s burial for July 9

    Family announces TB Joshua’s burial for July 9

    The late general overseer and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet Temitope Joshua may be buried on July 9, 2021 on the premises of his church in Lagos State.

    Joshua died last week in Lagos State at the age of 57.

    A member of the family, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Sunday, said the date was fixed after the immediate and extended members of the family of TB Joshua met at the residence of the deceased in Lagos State on Friday.

    The family’s decision is different from the expectation of the monarch of Arigidi Akoko, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, and some other traditional rulers in the Akoko area, who wanted the late pastor buried in his hometown, Arigidi Akoko.

    The traditional rulers were of the opinion that if the late cleric was taken to his hometown for burial, it would further give the town global recognition as the deceased’s worshippers all over the world would want to visit it to see his tomb and would also make the church to continue the project already embarked upon by the late founder.

    But the family member said the wife, Evelyn, and the children of the late prophet prevailed on the other family members over the burial place and date at the meeting.

    The source said the burial plans would take place between July 5 and July 9, 2021

    He said, “The extended family members, his (Joshua) wife and children held a meeting on Friday and it was decided that he should be buried in Lagos and the burial programme will be between July 5 and 9.

    “It was on the insistence of the wife and the children that the other family members agree on the place of burial because they said they saw revelations that he should be buried in Lagos. Since they said it was spiritual, the family agreed with them.”

    Meanwhile, SCOAN did not hold any of its three services on Sunday as the church remained shut.

     

  • Only my sisters and I are alive in my family-Kanayo o Kanayo

    Only my sisters and I are alive in my family-Kanayo o Kanayo

    Veteran actor, Kanayo O Kanayo has said only he and his sisters are alive in his immediate family.

    He took to Instagram on Saturday to share a never-before-seen black and white photo of his family members.

    “My lineage. My father, Mr Donatus Onyekwere, My mother , Ezinne Isabella Onyekwere, my elder brother, John Onyekwere, and my younger sister , Chinasaokwu, Cordelia was not born as at this time, 1965/66,” he captioned it.

    “To God be all the glory, it’s just me and my sisters that are still in this land of the living. I am a full Orphanage, having lost both parents and only brother.”

     

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Kanayo had said the fact that he acts as a cultist in movies does not make him one.

    “Whether we like it or not, this is Africa where we respect seniority, especially when an elder or leader has not brought themselves to a point where they would be insulted. I guess some of these people were raised in places where they don’t know about cultural values.

     

    It is most unfortunate that even when one plays certain roles, some youths cannot distinguish between one and the character. Just because one acted as a criminal on TV, some persons see the actor as a criminal. Meanwhile, an actor has to be flexible. Acting as a ‘ritualist’ does not mean one is a ritualist in real life. Anyway, I see those who think that way as uneducated, uninformed and having complex problems. We need to redefine the word, ‘youth’, in Nigeria. Being a youth does not mean one has to be irresponsible”, he said.

  • My desire to prove a point to my family motivated me to succeed-Bolanle Ninalowo

    My desire to prove a point to my family motivated me to succeed-Bolanle Ninalowo

    Bolanle Ninalowo is one actor who is captivated with his family and doesn’t hesitate to show it.

    Ninalowo in a recent instagram live chat with ‘FiftyandfearlessTola noted that his desire to prove a point to his family pushed him to succeed.

     

    The actor who is a year older today said: ”The moment you understand your purpose, I feel like you are already successful. You will overcome so many hurdles ahead of you. Funny enough, my purpose was to leave America and come to Nigeria and be successful. I remember when I met my wife 17 years ago. I told Bunmi, I am going to make you a queen one day. I told her, the world will look at you as a queen. Being a queen in this context is not sitting on the throne, you will be celebrated as a queen.

     

    “I am a sucker for love. That was more important to me than even chasing money. I wasn’t from a poor home, so I figured out that I was always going to be alright.I wanted to achieve love and choose that to grow myself. The crazy thing is that everything that I did was to achieve that. Now I am asking ‘What’s all these fame about’? I am asking because that wasn’t my goal.

    “I don’t see myself as a super star.I see myself as a normal person. I want to give my son everything in the world, I want to give my daughter everything in the world. I don’t want them to be limited to anything. I don’t want them to have to know someone before they get what they want. My goal is not to come out there and sign autographs. However, achieving my goal has now gotten me all these.

    When I set a goal, I must achieve it, that’s how dogged I am.Me trying to prove a point to my family made me go ten times harder, motivated me.I wish I was doing it for the fame.I did it for something bigger that meant something else to the world, but to me alone. In life, you have to create reasons known to only you, that is bigger than the world”, he said.

     

  • The mystery of the heart – Francis Ewherido

    The mystery of the heart – Francis Ewherido

    By Francis Ewherido

    I was a very relieved man when I got married, especially to the one I loved and have deep feelings for. The love and feelings remain deep.

    One of the irritants some of us had during our bachelor days was having deep feelings for girls who either could not reciprocate or did not even give a hoot about us.

    To add to our frustration, we got loved by girls whose deep feelings we could not reciprocate. We were like “God, why don’t you just transfer the deep feelings Girl A has for me to Girl B, who I have deep feelings for, but is not reciprocating, so that I can just get married and move on with my life.” I am not sure God answers such prayers of “transfer of love.”

    But once in a while, some of us did meet girls who also had deep feelings for us. Some of these relationships with mutual feelings eventually hit the rock, while some led to marriage. I guess even in our sinfulness, God’s mercy was still very present with us. Some of these marriages are still waxing stronger like old wine.

    But some of those who went ahead to marry those they did not have deep feelings for out of sympathy have a different story to tell. Those who forced themselves on their current spouses, using traps like money and pregnancy also have different stories to tell. It takes fundamental love for a loving marriage to endure. Every marriage goes through turbulence.

    Among other factors, fundamental love helps it to overcome the turbulence.

    That is partly why I can never understand how any normal person can go into a marriage where it is obvious from the beginning that your spouse will not love, celebrate, respect and honour you.

    These are some of the fundamental ingredients of a happy marriage. It is foolish to go ahead and get married when there are red flags like these. Unfortunately, this foolishness is driven by desperation, and desperation is more blinding than river blindness.

    But history keeps repeating itself. Many of those coming behind have learnt nothing from those ahead of them. They still want to get married to people who do not have deep feelings for them and vice versa.

    And when they are rebuffed or jilted, they dig themselves into a mess because of desperation, anger and sometimes unforgiveness. Recently, I read a story of a lady who poisoned and killed her herself and her former boyfriend, a week to his (former boyfriend) wedding to another lady.

    What message was she sending? If I cannot have you, no one else will. You take your own life because a man jilted you? What foolishness? The man was never meant for you in the first place, that was why he left you. As we say in Warri, water when you go drink nor go pass you.

    I have said it before, I believe that for every woman who is destined to get married, God created a man for her. It is your responsibility to pray for God, to lead you to that man through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

    When you meet that your prospective husband, no woman, born of a woman, can take him away from you. So, those men and women committing suicide because of the loss of a lover are just killing themselves for nothing.
    Do not get me wrong, being jilted is traumatising; it can lead to suicidal tendencies. I have been there before and I know the pains and agony first hand.

    But I also know that nothing lasts forever and time heals. When you get jilted, even in your pains and agony, give God thanks giving, because we are admonished to praise God in all situations (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Having done your thanksgiving, turn to God; He is a great burden carrier, if you take refuge in him (Matthew 11:28). Finally, God has a way of replacing what you lost with something equally good or better. There is absolutely no need to kill yourself or maim, poison or burn a lover who dumped you.

    The best and sweetest form of revenge is to be successful. Become the rejected stone that became the cornerstone. That is best form of revenge for anybody who rejected you, whether in a relationship or other aspects of life. Rather than wallow in self-pity, build yourself, improve yourself, work harder, get better. It is a sacrilege for anyone who rejected you to meet you where he left you after a while. Success is from God and he gives it liberally.

    God uses people to bring others success, but if the person he sent to you refuses, God will either force him like he did with Jonah or fleshen dry bones to get it done (Ezekiel 37). Why will you commit suicide or homicide because someone rejected you? Is that person God? Does He have the final say?

    Bad as being jilted is, young people must realise that being jilted is nothing new. It has been with man from time. Sometimes, it is just a mystery of the heart. At other times, it is just the heart of man being desperately wicked. Jeremiah 17:9 captures it succinctly, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick, who can understand it?” While I was growing up, I heard the stories of artisans who sent their fiancées to the university. The thinking was that it is not good for both husband and wife to be uneducated. By the time the women graduated, they refused to marry the men who sponsored their education.

    There were also women who took care of the home and supported their husbands for higher education. By the time they came back, the husbands dumped them because they were “beneath their new status.” Some of these women were lucky to remain in the marriage while their husbands married second wives who “matched” their new status. Nothing is new under the sun. Your life is precious. Do not waste it because of a man/woman who cannot love and appreciate you.

    The last word is for people who kill or maim former lovers. The truth is you are not marriage materials. Marriage is an institution where you forgive, forgive and continue forgiving. And you do not get into marriage before you learn the act of forgiveness. It is a habit you should bring into marriage. So if you do not know how to forgive, marriage is not for you.

    Second, love partly means protection. You protect what you love. If you can kill or maim someone because he/she jilted you, then you never really loved him/her before; your feelings were different. Some married people, who were jilted by their exes before they got married to their spouses, still maintain cordial relationships with these exes. They wish them well. It does not matter how the relationships ended. Whatever happened is in the past.

  • I feel like part of the Chelsea family – Tuchel

    I feel like part of the Chelsea family – Tuchel

    Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has spoken about his dream start and future at Stamford Bridge after reaching the FA Cup final in his first three months as the manager in West London.

    Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening and will now play Leicester City on 15 May in the finale.

    However, the former PSG manager signed just an 18-month contract after replacing Frank Lampard in January, but he isn’t worried about the length of his deal as he is hoping to earn talks over new terms through success on the pitch.

    “The point is that I had these concerns [about the length of my contract] and after five, maybe 15 minutes, I said to myself that it changes nothing how many years this contract is,” Tuchel told reporters.

    “I demand from myself to deliver, to have an impact and to be the best I can. So this will not change in the future. If I deserve to stay, I am super happy to stay and I will try to stay as long as possible. I feel like a part of the Chelsea family.

    “The club feels super professional here, we have unbelievable quality of support, amount of support and we have a team which it is a pleasure to be at the side-line of and to fight with this team, so honestly, I don’t care what it says in my contract. I need to deserve to stay longer.

    “If I deserve to stay longer, I will stay longer, no matter what it says. This is what I demand from myself and I feel free at the moment also and I feel good. I am at the right place at the right moment. Everything else will fall into its place when it is there. If I want to stay longer, I deliver week after week.”

  • What is the fuss about next-of-kin? Ozioma Onyenweaku

    What is the fuss about next-of-kin? Ozioma Onyenweaku

    By Ozioma Onyenweaku

    She sounded quite desperate on phone. She is a quiet cool lovingly lady enjoying a good relationship with her husband even as the husband is battling with terminal disease. What could be the problem? She insisted it was urgent that I came to the office.

    “Would you rather come to the house”, I suggested. She was like “this is not a social visit; it is a serious business.” So I headed straight to the office. Few steps up the staircase, my client/friend was already panting.

    She was about to start speaking, when I stopped her and asked her to calm down and settle down first. I had earlier, over the phone, asked her if anybody died, and she said “No”. I parted her back and reminded her that nobody had died, and we still have our lives. More particularly, whatever thing it was, we were in it together; and together we shall overcome. She managed a smile.

    Generally, the next-of-kin is someone who, by his appointment as the next-of-kin, has been positioned to make some immediate medical decisions in the event of incapacitation; at the demise, to ensure steps are taken for proper burial and so on.
    When I had seen that she was more settled, I requested to know what was trying to drain colour out of this beautiful God’s handwork sitting right with me. Her smile this time was broader.

    “Can you believe what I just discovered?” She went on without waiting for an answer.
    “Would you believe that my husband did not use me as his next-of-kin; rather he used one of his relations, not me, as next-of-kin?”
    “I never believed he could do this! Kenneth!! And I have him all over my affairs as the next-of-kin!” She started real cry.

    I offered her a new handkerchief, while watching her.

    I allowed her to pour out her heart without me interrupting. Then, she stopped talking and looked at me and I was there just quiet.
    Then, I asked if she had more to say as I was all ears. She said that was it. I mean was that all that was bothering her at the moment?
    She shot at me, “Did you just say ‘Is that all’?” My husband using one of his relations as next-of-kin is not enough to hurt me?”
    “Have you forgotten that I started this family with him from the scratch? Can’t you try and imagine what it means that after all your toil, someone else is positioned to inherit your sweat?”

    I made her understand that I was not belittling her hurt; that I would feel the same way if I were in her shoes (of ignorance of course; I did not say that out)

    “But he has not said his relation should inherit his property”, I chipped in.
    “He made him the next-of-kin! Don’t you get it?”

    “Don’t forget that we are in it together.” I got up, tapped her on her back, “Cheer up! You have nothing to worry about”, I said.
    “Really? How do you mean?”

    “You are married to Ken under the statutes, isn’t it?” “Yes! So?”
    Many people have this misconception, as my friend here, that a next-of-kin is automatically someone who would inherit the deceased estate. A next-of-kin is simply explained as the first contact point in case of any misfortune. Definitions, though, vary as per jurisdictions. The next-of-kin is not entitled by law to inherit just for the mere reason of being the next-of-kin.

    Generally, the next-of-kin is someone who, by his appointment as the next-of-kin, has been positioned to make some immediate medical decisions in the event of incapacitation; at the demise, to ensure steps are taken for proper burial and so on.

    A next-of-kin can only inherit if he is entitled to inherit by law; such as when the spouse or child is the next-of-kin or he is named in the Will as a beneficiary.
    Where there is a Will, Next-of-kin becomes useless because the estate of the deceased would be shared according to the Will. If there is no Will, sharing of the estate of the deceased will then be according to the Administration of Estate Laws.

    As I pointed out last time, no matter the custom and tradition of the spouses, once they are married under the Statutes (popularly called Court wedding), if any one of them dies without a Will, the applicable law in sharing the estate of the deceased will be the Administration of Estate Laws.

    My friend is married under the Statute. They have four children. The husband has written no Will. He used his relation as next-of-kin before getting married. So in the event of intestate, his estate remains for his wife and children to the exclusion of every other person.

    All these I explained to my friend, and gave her a print out of the section of the applicable Administration of Estate Law.
    The hug from my friend was breath-taking!

  • TRENDING VIDEO: Fayose, family in open prayer session at the beach for 2023 presidency

    TRENDING VIDEO: Fayose, family in open prayer session at the beach for 2023 presidency

    Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and his family having a spiritual bath at the beach in a trending video clip.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the former vociferous Governor of Ekiti State is also eyeing President Muhamnadu Buhari’s office in 2023.

    The video clip vividly depicts the message embedded in the prayers.

    Watch video Below:

    https://twitter.com/tngbreaking_mu/status/1378282499529449474?s=20

  • What truly is life? – Francis Ewherido

    What truly is life? – Francis Ewherido

    Francis Ewherido

    My birthdays are always times to reflect on my life and life generally. No birthday is complete without that. But I also like to make my birthdays public. The avalanche of prayers and well wishes I get mean the world to me. But making it public and using it to reflect are inversely related and does create challenges.

    Last Tuesday, I almost could not do my birthday reflections. First, I decided to sleep like it was a weekend. By the time I woke up, it was almost 9am and I had many messages and missed calls to return already. From when I woke up till after midnight, when I slept, there was not much time for reflection.

    After responding to calls and messages, I went to church with my wife. With the number of deaths in this country, it has become a miracle how people live into their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and on. Life is cheap here and when you still have yours, you cannot take it for granted. It is purely the mercy of God at work and I felt an obligation to thank Him.

    In part, life is about meaning the world to your spouse, life is about having siblings who love, respect and treasure you, love is about having friends who genuinely wish you well, life is about having friends who are better described as brothers and sisters, life is about being loved and appreciated…”

    Once I stepped out of the church, my mother called to wish me a happy birthday; she also sang a birthday song and prayed for me. Hers was followed by a call from my mother-in-law, who also prayed and sang a birthday song for me. All my brothers called to wish me happy birthday. My sisters-in-law also called or/and sent messages.

    Many friends also called. Emma Esinnah, my friend (he is now a brother) of 37 years was at the house waiting when I got home. All the social and professional bodies I belong to (Urhobo Social Club, Lagos; old students of mass communication, UNN; Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, etc) celebrated my birthday with me on their WhatsApp pages. Even the Marriage and Family Life Unit of my parish, where we placed a ban on posting of birthdays, broke the rule to wish me a happy birthday. Even when I reminded them, one stubborn sister disobeyed me, their coordinator. On Facebook, there were even more goodwill messages, prayers and well wishes. I just love the prayers and well wishes that come with birthdays. I have never pretended about that. The prayers of the righteous availeth much, how much more many righteous people and children of God praying for you?

    In the evening, I was pleasantly surprised to see my eldest brother, Fr. Tony, who had called earlier to wish me happy birthday. He came all the way from Ibadan, in spite of his busy schedule, just to be with me on a normal birthday. That was touching. My youngest brother and eldest nephew also came around. My older cousin (I call her my Lagos Mummy), Mrs. Joyce Tuedor, was there too. It was apparent my wife was at one of her best past times, birthday coup plotting. Where military coups to still be in vogue in Nigeria, the plotters would made her their consultant by now. She had managed to get the phone number of one of my tailors for my Lagos mummy. As I was getting out of the bathroom, I saw a new dress on the bed. That was what I wore to church and it did not leave my body until I went to bed.

    My wife also organised a few friends and relatives who live nearby – the Ojeros, Onuorahs, Sargins, Amadis, Oludemis and Adekeyes – to celebrate with me what I had initially planned to be a quiet birthday. I had my initial inkling last Saturday that I was not going to have things my way. My Lagos mummy called that she was coming on Tuesday. Looking fiftyish, but hovering around 70, I have advised her to go out only when it is absolutely important because of the worsening Lagos traffic. When I told my wife that she was coming, she was not surprised. That was when I knew she was plotting again. Luckily, all my children were home and joined in the celebration.

    Every year, my little baby gives me a hand-made card on my birthday. The message in this year’s card melted my heart: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Thank you for always being there to lend a helping hand. I hope today brings you lots of love, happiness and smiles, dad! I hope the year ahead brings your most exciting adventure yet. To my amazing dad before you blow out the candles take a moment to remember what a wonderful father you are.” She also wrote a birthday “poem” which blew me away:

    Ever since my life began,

    I realized that ‘‘You da man”

    I saw your wisdom, your courage too

    And I learned I could rely on you

    Your tolerant nature is really great

    Nevertheless, you’d not hesitate

    To let me know when I’d been bad

    It must have been hard, but that’s being a dad

    You are strong, smart and filled with love

    A gift to me from up above

    So here’s a greeting from your biggest fan

    Happy Birthday, dad, cause ‘‘you da man.’’

    As I read her birthday messages, I saw maturity that was beyond 11 years. Her command of English was far better than mine at age 11. Yet we argue that the standard of education is falling. But that is discussion for another day. What gladdened my heart most in her “poem” was her realization that those times I was very hard on her, it was harder on me. We do have our battles when she wastes food or eats and does not wash her plate; when her room looks like a mad house and when she is rude to her seniors. I also felt good that she realizes I scold and discipline her out of love.

    After, the last guests left, I went to bed to reflect a little before I slept off. What truly is life? In part, life is about meaning the world to your spouse, life is about having siblings who love, respect and treasure you, love is about having friends who genuinely wish you well, life is about having friends who are better described as brothers and sisters, life is about being loved and appreciated, life is about having friends who publicly affirm you, life is about having Facebook friends you have never met yet celebrate you on their Facebook and other social media pages. Life is about being acknowledged and celebrated by your elders. Life is about being showered with so much love that traducers and those who deliberately diminish you fade into oblivion. Life is about being saturated with so much love you just want to live on and on. Thank you, family; thank you, friends; thank you every one who was part of this celebration of love. God bless you all.

  • We’re not racist — Prince William supports royal family

    We’re not racist — Prince William supports royal family

    Prince William has supported the UK royal family against the recent racism allegations by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that the Duchess of Sussex had sparked Wide outrage when she claimed that members of the royal family mulled about not naming Archie, her son, a prince over his skin colour.

    She made this known during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

    “When I was pregnant… we have in tandem the conversation of ‘he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title’ and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” she had said.

    However according to BBC, Williams said that the royals are “very much not a racist family.”

    The Duke of Cambridge was speaking on the issue for the first time on Thursday during a visit to an east London school.

    When asked if he had spoken to his brother yet, Prince William replied: “I haven’t spoken to him yet but I plan to.”

    On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace had expressed concerns over the claims raised by the couple, adding that it would be addressed “privately.”

    “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately,” the statement, issued on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, read.

    In the explosive interview, Meghan had failed to mention the royal who had the conversation about Archie’s skin colour with Harry.

    The Duke of Sussex, while confirming what his wife said, clarified to Oprah that the remarks were not made by either Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

     

  • Gunmen invade Sokoto Commissioner’s residence, abduct family members

    Gunmen invade Sokoto Commissioner’s residence, abduct family members

    Unknown gunmen suspected to be bandits in the early hours of Wednesday stormed the residence of Bashir Gorau, Sokoto State Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development.

    Gorau disclosed this on Wednesday via his verified Facebook account.

    He said that the armed men took away his sister-in-law and brother.

    His post reads, “Innalillahi wa Inna wa innalillahi Rajiuun!!!.

    “It was about 12:45 am, bandits attacked our House in Gorau Town, Goronyo local government area and abducted the wife of our elder brother Alhaji Lawali Gorau and one of our brothers, Hassan Manya.

    “May God protect and return them to us safely, Amin. We are in need of your prayers fellow Muslims.”

    Gorau did not disclose if anyone else was taken from the village.