Archbishop Taiwo Akinola of Rhema Christian Church and Tower Int’l, Otta, Ogun State, has called on Nigerians to shun activities that could heat up the polity, saying if the nation is turned into a theatre of war, a lot of citizens would have nowhere to run to.

This is even as the Provost, Life Theological Seminary, Ikorodu, Prof. Cletus Orgu, has assured the Nigerian government of the continuous support of the Church for quality education and healthcare services, noting that the government cannot do it all alone.

Speaking at the opening of the 34th convention of the church, which coincided with its 34th anniversary, held with the theme, ‘The God of All Possibilities,’ Archbishop Akinola prayed for the restoration of the nation’s glory.

He also called on the youth not to allow themselves to be used by self-centred politicians to cause crisis in the country, saying such politicians would always find their ways out of the country after causing mayhem.

He called on governments at the federal, state and local council level to invest massively in youth vocational training, digital skills, entrepreneurship, mentorship and value-based education, saying this would not only boost employment, but also empower the youth to create new jobs, instead of being job seekers.

Rounding off the week-long event which began on November 2, Akinola urged the Federal Government, private sector and faith institutions to collaborate to unlock young people’s potential and restore hope in the nation.

Stressing that the youth are divine assets and not a burden, he called on the government to restructure school curriculum at all levels to make vocational training and entrepreneurship compulsory subjects.
He also called on the Federal government to find a lasting solution to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, adding that the recent nationwide warning strike held in October and the threat of an indefinite strike had once again disrupted learning and affected thousands of students.

“Decades of unresolved funding and welfare disputes have weakened public universities. We urge both government and unions to put the future of our children first. Education must be treated as a sacred trust — adequately funded, efficiently managed, and free from endless disruptions. Nigeria must commit 15–26 per cent of its yearly budget to education, as recommended by UNESCO, to rebuild a strong and credible system,” he said.

Addressing a press briefing to announce the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Life Theological Seminary, Ikorodu, which will be held with the theme, ‘70 Years of Training Men and Women for Effective Ministry,’ Orgu stated that kudos should be given to the Church for her relentless contribution to nation building in the area of providing quality education as well as healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

“In addition to that, this seminary has been providing water for our immediate community and has made available a computer to the police station.  We also painted their office among others,” he said.

Orgu listed some of the activities set up to mark the 70th anniversary to include inaugural anniversary lecture, thanksgiving service,  honorary doctoral awards and launch of a Festschrift in honour of the outgoing Provost, Prof. Cletus Orgu, on November 8.

He said the seminary was founded in 1955 under the visionary leadership of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria.

He described the 70th anniversary as “a milestone of grace, growth and global relevance,” underscoring the seminary’s continued commitment to producing spiritually grounded, theologically sound and mission-driven leaders.