Source: Daily Independent

Lagos — One of the unique features of this year's Women of Destiny Conference, organised by the Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos, last weekend, was the move to lend a feminine voice to the agitations of Nigerians for the release of the over 200 girls abducted over two weeks ago in Chibok, Benue State.

The move, which was championed by the Deputy Senior Pastor of the Church, Pastor (Mrs) Nike Adeyemi, who was the host of the conference, came in the form of a petition to the National Assembly for the lawmakers to utilise their oversight functions to ensure that the girls are rescued and reunited with their families in peace. Speaking with newsmen at the end of the three-day event, Mrs Adeyemi stated that the move was a way of backing prayer with action and also encourage members to speak out their feelings. Prayers were also offered to God for the safe return of the girls, peace for their mothers and loved ones and strength for their communities. She expressed delight at the number of signatories to the petition during the three-day conference, which cut across both the clergy and the laity. "Already, Pastor Funke Felix-Adejumo, Pastor Ifeanyi Adefarasin, Pastor Omowunmi Idowu and a host of others have signed the petition," she said. Pastor Adeyemi also added: "As a woman and mother, I feel bad and can't help but think about what their mother would be thinking. I feel bad about the depth of the wickedness of the Boko Haram members. "We need to step up the security of the nation by installing CCTV everywhere, so that the perpetrators of this evil could be seen when these CCTV's are played back". On the part of the church, Adeyemi stressed the need for worshippers to be security conscious. "A lot of people come to worship in the Church and over the years, we've come to believe that we all simply want to come and pray and worship God. But times have changed. "We must also encourage members to be on the alert to look out for any suspicious move. Don't be naïve and believe that everybody is nice. "I am looking forward to that time when Nigeria, as a nation, will have that central security three-digit number just as it obtains in other parts of the world, so that people can call that number and get prompt help," she said.

The theme for this year's conference was "Blessed to build" and had as speakers, eminent female clerics such as Pastors Nike Adeyemi, Funke Felix Adejumo, Ifeanyi Adefarasin, and Omowunmi Idowu, who bared their minds and spoke powerfully to ensure that all those present were empowered to exercise their innate building power and maximise their voice. Pastor Ifeanyi Adefarasin, wife of Paul Adefarasin, Senior Pastor of House on The Rock, who spoke at the opening of the conference on Friday, focused on the fact that "When God created you as a woman, He created you as a solution to someone's problem. You are a problem solver." She charged participants to be builders of nations by "first building their children, family, Church and by extension, the nation." "Keep building generational leaders with Godly values. Naomi didn't know the future while she was building Ruth," she stated. Speaking specifically to the youths, Pastor Omowunmi, wife of Pastor Bolaji Idowu of The Harvesters International Christian Centre, charged them to use their time; money, gifts and ideas to build themselves first rather wait to be married before doing anything.

"Rather than keep waiting to get married as most of you are doing, get busy with your carrier and discover whom you are and why you are here on earth."

She observed that many youths are under too much pressure to get married and this is because they are focusing on the wrong things. "Marriage is not a bed of roses and singleness is not a disease. The value you add keeps you indispensable. Don't be a woman of vogue, be a classic woman." She identified five questions that every youth must ask herself as: Who am I? Why am I here? What does the future hold for me? What do I have? And, what must I do to be fulfilled? As to when it is time to choose a life partner, she said: "Be the person you are looking for. Look for a man who has the image and word of God; a man who is hard working and smart working; a man who has direction, a man who has values; a man that can make you a better you and protect you.

Pastor Idowu submitted that women are blessed already but these blessings attract the devil's attack. So instead of sitting, complaining and crying, it is time to deal with the attacks. "Crying is not a medium of exchange in God's kingdom, faith is. Make sure your responses to life's issues are different. "Search the scriptures as that is what gives you life and pleasure. We are blessed to build but you can only build if you know who you are and who has blessed you."

Guest speaker at the summit, Pastor Funke Felix-Adejumo of Agape Church, Akure, enjoined women to use their God-given "power of intuition, utterance, emotion, sex, reproduction and creativity" more to build themselves, family and the nation. Quoting from Luke 2: 49 and Ruth 4: 11, she stated that "God is businessman and is very profitable conscious."

She highlighted ways to build as a woman to include:

*Build with worship (Matt 21:7)

*Build with words (Prov. 18: 21-23)

*Build with wealth (Eph 1:3)

*Build with womb.

"Improve on your worship because whatever you worship God for does not perish; build the lives of your children with words, appreciate your husband as well as the people around you and generally speak well about the nation."

• Nigeria