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Lent: Priest tasks faithful on self-denial, prayer for nation
By Francesca Hangeior
The Catholic Priest-in-Charge, Saints Peter and Paul Church, Tedi, Ojo, Lagos, Rev. Fr. Anthony Thompson, has urged the faithful to exhibit self-denial and charity and pray for the nation during the Lent season.
Thompson spoke during a Mass celebrated in the church to mark Ash Wednesday as Nigerian Catholic faithful joined others across the world to celebrate the beginning of the season.
The Mass offered a faithful opportunity for faith renewal in God.
At Saint Peter and Paul, people came in early to take part in the 6.30 a.m. Mass and the administration of ash on the forehead.
Speaking during the Mass, Thompson described the lent period as a public and regular fasting and prayer season used to ask God for the forgiveness of sin for the common good.
He said that the ash administration on the forehead was a show of one’s commitment to the rules and observation of the period.
“The act of self-denial is expected of you, especially during this time, as one of the observances that will earn you quality Christian character.
“The quantity and quality of your food intake should be reduced to correspond to the season and build in your personal traits devoid of materialistic drive.
“Savings made from a reduction in your excessive intake and luxurious lifestyle during this period should be donated to charity without making such almsgiving public.
“This is the right time to pray for your country for God to grant its leaders grace to lead the people right.
“Fast and pray for the development of society.
“Atonement for one’s sin and that of others during this period draws the attention of heaven for forgiveness and blessings,” he said.
The preacher said there were various benefits and rewards attached to the individual and community that participated in the yearly ritual.
He said that the scriptures enjoined the faithful to cater for the poor in society.
“This is the period to exhibit that directive more, to give them a sense of belonging,” he said.
He noted the insecurity in the land and asked the faithful to make it a daily prayer point for God to wipe it out.
According to him, such financial mishandling not only disrupts critical public services and projects but also results in major losses to the nation’s purse—resources that could have been channelled into crucial services and developmental efforts, as laid out in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution.
Speaker Abbas, thereafter setup a Special Committee to be chaired by Rep. Chinedu Martins to immediately launch a probe into the “Utilisation of take-off grants, bailout funds, and interventions allocated to MDAs, government institutions, and GOEs from 2015 to present.”
The FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, expressed satisfaction with the progress on the Abuja light rail project, reaffirming its May 29 delivery as sacrosanct.
He made these assurances after inspecting the ongoing construction of access roads to the train stations on Wednesday, from Metro Train Station in the Central Area to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Reassuring journalists accompanying him, the minister reiterated that President Bola Tinubu would commission the rail project on May 29 to mark his second year in office.
The visited stations were Wupa station near Idu and Bassanjiwa station near the airport.
“This is part of our routine inspection of ongoing projects to see the contractors’ progress,” Wike explained.
“We are working day and night to fulfill our promise to President Tinubu and FCT residents. By May, Mr. President will ride on the Metro line.”
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen are currently invading some communities in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to sources, the herdsmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the community around 04:15pm on Thursday.
“Our lives are in danger this evening, armed Fulani herdsmen, about 600 in numbers have taken over our communities this evening,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
“They’re currently moving around towns in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state. No security personnel at all, Governor Alia didn’t send security, they said operation will start soon once they (herders) have observed the place.”
The insecurity situation in Benue has been alarming in recent weeks with attacks from gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.
The media had reported that suspected herdsmen again unleashed terror in Benue State, attacking three communities in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) on Wednesday, just a day after 11 people were killed in a deadly raid on Otobi community.
The latest victims of the escalating violence were Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju, communities that had previously suffered an attack in February, which left five people dead.
However, the renewed attack has created fear and mass displacement among residents, with women and children fleeing to safety.
Local sources say the death toll from the fresh attack remains unclear, but several casualties are feared.
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