Watchman Youth Ministry Provokes Intense Bible Reading Among Youths With Lamp And Light Bible Trivia

 By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

***And the winner is Miss Chioma Chukwudi from Onitsha Diocese!!! 

When the Watchman Youth and Children Ministry announced in 2024 that it was unveiling a project known as the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia, not a few wondered what they really meant by that. But as it turned out, they had set up some mouth-watering prizes for the Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement (WCCRM) youths between the ages of 15 and 18 who would distinguish themselves by excelling in a quiz competition based on the Bible.

The competition would start in the various Watchman dioceses and those who emerge the top winners would come to Lagos for the final stage which would see the overall winner go home with a million naira, while the first runner-up would be given N700, 000 and the person who took the third position would get N500, 000. They would also be given a tablet (iPad) each.

And it happened just that way, igniting widespread excitement and enthusiasm among the youths (and even adults) towards the programme. The Youth Ministry was emphatic that the cash awards would be deployed to finance the academic pursuits and other forms of empowerment of these youths. It closely supervises their use to ensure that this objective is achieved. This  it meticulously ensured in the first edition of the competition the previous year and have equally sustained the practice with this second edition of the programme which ended a few months ago. The remaining five finalists go home with N150, 000 consolation prize each. 

*Lagos Diocesan Overseer, Pastor Protase Opara, and his wife, Mrs. Blessing Opara, present the N1,000, 000 cheque to the overall winner of the LLBT 2025

Between the 17^th and 30^th of August, 2025, contestants from the various dioceses were in Lagos again for the second edition of the programme. This time, they were joined by contestants from Ghana and Benin Republic. The Watchman News visited their lodging place and was impressed to hear some of them who had participated the previous year confessing that even though they did not win the star prizes, the teachings and spiritual exercises they were made to undergo at the camp affected their lives very significantly. They were so excited to be part of the programme.

An analyst told the Watchman News that he sees the programme as a major revolution in the Watchman. 

“Imagine a programme that would make the youths devour the whole Bible as if they are preparing for a very important examination. You can imagine the impact such an exercise would register on the youth’s spiritual life, even if he or she did not win any prize,” he said.

After an intense session on the final day of the competition with Mr. Val Okafor as the “Quiz Master”, Miss Chioma Chukwudi from Onitsha Diocese of the Watchman emerged the overall winner, closely followed by Miss Divine Ekpaha from Uyo Diocese and then Master Christopher Ebubechukwu from Lagos Diocese.

Mrs. Carllister Ejinkeonye, WCCRM National Youth and Children Director and Producer, Lamp and Light Bible Trivia 

A visibly impressed Diocesan Overseer of Lagos, Pastor Protase Opara, stepped forward to the podium with his wife, Mrs. Jewel Opara, to present the star prize of One Million Naira to the winner. He told the contestants that by participating in the exercise, they were all winners.

It was such a happy occasion as the winners took away their prizes cheered and celebrated by the happy audience comprising some Watchman pastors, parents of the finalists, representatives from the various dioceses and other Watchmen and supporters.

*The happy contestants pose for the camera 

The National Director of the Youth and Children Ministry and Producer of the show, Mrs. Carllister Ejinkeonye, told the Watchman News that “the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia, is a journey,” she is “very happy to embark upon.”       

According to her, “Many of our youths could be seen now as ‘walking Bibles’, studying and discussing the Scriptures, discovering things they never knew were in God's Word. In fact many of them were surprised that they could sit down to read some of the Old Testament books they had been reluctant to open before.” 

“It was glorious!” she continued. “Spiritual teachings, career and entrepreneurship seminars by professionals, guidance and counselling sessions were all arranged for them during this period with the aim of having them well prepared for the life ahead…” 

*Some officials of the  Lamp and Light Bible Trivia 2025: From Left: Pastor Innocent Ohiri, Mrs. Chinwengozi Nnabuihe-Okoro, Pastor Ethelbert Obi, Mrs. Carllister Ejinkeonye and Mr. Emmanuel Aloysius 

“It was thrilling to follow through to the end to see the winners emerge. Let's be on the lookout when the show will be aired on TV and other approved platforms…,” Mrs. Ejinkeonye said. 

According to her, “right now,” their minds are set on Season Three of the competition.” 

“The youths are excited and eagerly waiting; many have set out strategies on how to study their Bibles deeply. All the Youth Ministry is asking is for more Watchmen to buy into this vision and mission and support us to make Season Three of the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia a reality,” she said. 

*Pastor Emeka Onuchukwu, Patron and Executive Producer, Lamp and Light Bible Trivia

Mrs. Ejinkeonye thanked the General Superintendent of the Watchman, Pastor A.C. Ohanebo, for giving his blessing to the project, the Diocesan Pastors for their support and the several other Watchmen whose support and encouragement have continued to fire their resolve to sustain the programme. She also appreciated the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia team for their special dedication and hard work  that made the programme a success.   

Pastor Emeka Onuchukwu doubles as the patron of the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia Project and the Executive Producer Lamp and Light Bible Trivia Show. He told Watchman News that his interest in the project was motivated by the awareness that “the greatest gift to the world is light” and that the “Word of God is the Light of the world.” 

*Paul Igwe, Director, Lamp and Light Bible Trivia 

“I believe that as we make our children to study God's Word, we are establishing them in the light. Surely their path in life will be bright. They will prosper in all their ways. This is my conviction for supporting the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia. Let there be light!” he said. 

Also, speaking to the Watchman News, Mr. Paul Igwe who directed the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia averred that the show has remained “a powerful and engaging tool for spiritual growth, especially among the youth.” According to him, it “combines fun, learning and healthy competition to deepen Biblical knowledge, encourages the retention of the Scriptures in the memory of these youths” and “builds confidence and love for the Word of God in a generation that needs strong spiritual foundations.” 

*Quiz Master, Mr. Val Okafor, with the three top winners 

Watchman News also reached out to Pastor Ethelbert Obi, the Project Coordinator of the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia. He is of the view that the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia is reawakening the interest of youth in the Bible and godliness and redirecting their interest from the world back to God. 

“Planning the show,” he said   “started in October 2023 and the first season was aired in 2024 with great success…” According to him, “lives have been transformed, youths have been financially empowered, and, most importantly, their knowledge of the Bible has deepened,” as a result of participating in the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia.

*Pastor Sunday Balogun, Training Supervisor  

In a review of the two editions of  Lamp and Light Bible Trivia held so far (published here), an assistant project coordinator and associate producer of the show, Mrs. Chinwengozi  Nnabuihe-Okoro, stated that the term, Lamp and Light, was “taken from Psalm 119:105.”

“Watching that light shine through the competitive spirit of our community has been a true privilege,” she said. 

She added that the show “has evolved into a cornerstone of our participants’ spiritual engagements, proving that the study of Scriptures can be as exhilarating as it is transformative.” 

*Cross section of the audience at the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia 2025

Pastor Sunday Balogun, a training supervisor of the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia is happy to report that the last two editions “witnessed a tremendous success as lives have been greatly transformed in the Bible Camps held [for the participating] youths] in the last two years. 

According to Pastor Balogun, it was indeed encouraging that teens “left the camps with eyes off the trophy but glued to the Scriptures." "

So many wept bitterly”, not because they were evicted and so could not clinch any prize, “but for missing the Scripture fellowship due to the intense spiritual hunger the camp had achieved in them," he said. 

*Another section of the attentive audience 

Despite looming challenges, the organizers are poised to execute an even more successful show with the "Season 3" of the Lamp and Light Bible Trivia. They are confident that given the resounding impact of the two editions held so far, more people would be eager to invest in this project that is aimed at achieving the spiritual reclamation of the youths in this fast decaying age and deepening of emphasis on the eternal Word of God as a great panacea to the many debilitating challenges many people, especially, the younger generation, is grappling with. 

*Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye, a journalist and writer, contributed this story to the Watchman News (scruples2006@yahoo.com)

How Safe Are Instant Noodles?

By Carllister Ejinkeonye

For many years now, instant noodles appear to have become one of the most favourite meals in many homes in this part of the world, and seem to have retained the capacity to greatly endear many mothers to their children.  

Ask any child out there the particular meal he expects his mother to serve him once he gets home and he will not hesitate to name his favourite brand of instant noodles. Also, among students faced with several lectures in a day and workers hurrying off to their offices and sundry assignments, instant noodles remain a readily available, easy-to-prepare, meal to quickly assuage biting hunger before rushing off to the next lecture or assignment. 

Some people have even become so addicted to these noodles that even where they have all the time in the world to prepare another meal, they would still settle for their favourite brand of instant noodles. 

(pix: wikipedia)

Whatever the brand – Indomie, Chikki, Mimee, Honeywell, Tummy Tummy,etc, – it has, no doubt, become the magic word that can instantly wake a child from sleep to take his meal when ordinarily he wouldn’t have loved to.  For many children, adolescents and even adults, these noodles qualify as the “real meals” in the family menu.

Not too long ago, I heard some people talking about how these instant noodles do not constitute the healthy diet their consumers have always assumed they are.  This got me really troubled. As is the case in many other homes, instant noodles were also enthusiastically consumed in my own home. 

This now compelled me to research this popular meal, and what I discovered was quite astonishing.  As one with a deep passion for children and youths who of course are the major consumers of this product, I cannot but cry out just like I did in one of my articles last year titled “The Child, The Youth and The Country,  Nigeria.”

I would be glad if the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Ministry Of Health and all other government agencies entrusted with the duty of determining the healthiness of what are offered to consumers, and indeed, concerned well-meaning Nigerians, would look at my findings and see if indeed we are not all running after this favourite, easy-to-prepare, delicious meal to our own hurt?  If indeed my discoveries are valid, then many kids and adults are already at the waiting hall of future health disasters.

Now, these instant noodles contain very high amount of sodium, in fact, more than 50% of the recommended limit for adults and even much more for children.  This means that as one consumes other meals that equally contain sodium, it would amount to excess intake which then exposes the consumer to the high risk of hypertension, other heart diseases, stroke, kidney damage, etc. 

Also, these noodles are coated with waxes that are considered very injurious to health. Some findings have even suggested the wax could cause cancer. Now do this little experiment.  Get a pack of instant noodles and put into a bowl, and pour hot water on it which should cover it and wait for a few minutes. You will see the wax coating which was probably used to stick the noodles together separating themselves and floating on the water. 

A look at a pack of instant noodles will also show that one of the ingredients it contains is the toxic preservative known as Tertiary-Butyl Hydroquinone (TBHQ).  The amount of it in the product as stated on the pack may appear small but considering the quantity of instant noodles consumed regularly by many people, soon, several consumers may discover when it has become too late that the amount of this TBHQ in their bodies have become excess and therefore harmful. And according to experts, restlessness in children, nausea and actual vomiting could be some of the indications that one has got this substance in excess in one’s body.  Also, the seasoning that accompanies each pack of instant noodles contains Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). This serves to enhance the flavour of the noodles, thereby increasing its demand and consumption and also the negative effects it has on consumers.  Interestingly, this same additive is found in several prepared and packaged food.  MSG operates on the brain and may affect the brain cells as more doses are consumed over a considerable time.  Its impact on the brain can also lead to several other diseases.

Nigerian Youths, ‘Shine Your Eyes’

By Carllister Ejinkeonye

The rescheduled elections is here with us. An opportunity to exercise one’s democratic rights by helping to decide in whose hands the affairs of the country should be in the next couple of years ought to be an exciting period totally devoid of fear and dread. That is why the desperation saturating the political atmosphere needs to be defused. While not begrudging the politicians the opportunity to seek to be voted into power, they should try not to stifle the excitement that should accompany every democratic exercise in our country.

Why for instance should people be consumed with fear for their lives and those of their loved ones each time Nigerians are going to the polls? Yes, some of the politicians may be genuinely interested in improving our lives and society if voted into office, but they should also duly respect our right to reject them at the polls, despite their noble intentions. And when that happens, they should accept our verdict with grace and equanimity and wait for another opportunity to repackage and represent themselves to us more attractively.      

It is not and should not be a do-or-die affair. There have been reports of clashes between supporters of rival parties here and there. Some politicians have not helped matters too. Provocative statements oozing from their mouths tend to be viewed by their misguided supporters as a signal for “war.” And as one encounters the reports of some ‘battles’ already staged even while the elections are still a couple of weeks away, one is deeply pained that in the event of any struggle between giant ‘elephants,’ it is always the tender grasses that  suffer and get destroyed.  When lives are snuffed out, what once looked like rosy futures are brutally aborted.