Written by admin on 12 April 2010
I was in Government College Keffi last Sunday to take the pictures of the College for a story the new magazine Nigeria Calabash.com (www.nigeriacalabash.com). What I saw in the College was not really very different from what I had seen in other schools. For those who care to know the school system has almost collapsed in Nigeria and its no use saying that we need to repair the schools.
I have so much believed in Keffi and its products that I have committed myself to the repair of the school, planning to donate books and computers. In the last four years I have borne the entire cost of registering the keffi old boys domain name, designing the website and hosting the site online. Every opportunity that I have in the last few years I have spoken about the school and the work that had been done there. Indeed my only tenuous connect to Yar’adua, hence my sympathy for him, is the keffi connection, where we had religious tolerance. Christian prefects helped Muslim students to wake up and pray or prepare for their fasting.
While I was a student there was no Christian chapel. The Muslims had a mosque. Christian students used any of the science theatres, class rooms and the Assembly hall called Patient Hall for their activities. Sunday services, Easter activities, evening prayer meetings, Christmas carols and even conferences held in Patient hall. Now Keffi has changed, and taken a turn for the worse.
Now there are three mosques in Keffi and no chapel. Suddenly the fellowship of Christian Students, (FCS) to which belonged while schooling in Keffi, no longer has a place for worship. Besides, their three mosques, Muslim students have commandeered the Patient Hall, with the apparent support of the authorities. On Sunday mornings, Muslims students congregate in the Patient Hall for activities at the same time that service is supposed to be held. Christian students were asked to use the dining hall. Some students I spoke with told me that whenever the school has need for the dining hall they do not have a place of worship.
How did this start? In 2006 or therabout, a teacher punished a Muslim student for committing an offence. A normal situation in Keffi, where people are subjected to all types of disciple, which we now think did us a lot of good. However, Muslims students thought otherwise. They burnt down school buildings, burnt down the house of the teacher and of course, burnt down the FCS office and all its files and bibles. It is instructive that none of the three mosques in the College were burnt down. What as the reaction of the Government of Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu? The teacher, I am told was demoted and transferred out the school and demoted. What will the Muslims students? They area a law unto themselves and can do as they please.
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Written by admin on 09 March 2010
I have read people articulate and explain in great details the ills that have fallen upon this nation. I have heard very knowledgeable, and sometimes loud and ignorant people tell us the things that are wrong with Nigeria. They tell us how bad things are and how the people ruling have done so much wrong.
I have heard very few people tell me or explain what new Nigeria they want. the military boys who seized power from the civilian governments told us, for instance, how hospitals had been turned to “mere consulting clinics”…..Now for God’s sake, because they did not tell us where they were taking us, Nigerian found themselves in a forest where the clinic shave disappeared….. and no longer exist.
With the type of military incited carnage and genocide in Jos (Pray they columnists calling for vengeance and blood have seen some now) we must begin to stand up and SAY NO to the military.
I pray Goodluck Jonathan would wake up and tell us where he is taking us. With Obasanjo appearing to be peeping down his shoulders all those who cherish democracy and the sanctity of life as well as good governance and even application of the law must be very wary
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Written by admin on 12 February 2010
At long last there calm in the Nigerian presidency. GoodLuck , true to his name is now acting President and his supporters are hoping that he would become president. Again, within four years replacing his unfortunate bosses.
There is however nothing to celebrate. Jonathan has simply been saddled with responsibilities that are historic. He has both the challenge and opportunity to change the face of this nation, challenges, his godfather, General Olusegun Obasanjo bungled.
There is the pressing need to keep the nation going, infuse confidence in the Nigerian project, set on course the good governance, ensure credible elections and tackle corruption which has pervaded every area of the Nigerian society. He has the chance to prove wrong the predictions of western security agencies that Nigeria will fizzle out.
Everything he needs to succeed are available to him. He has sympathetic public, a national Assembly that needs his leadership and direction, and of course, the oil money can be turned from being a curse to blessing. The international community has pledged its co operation and the service chiefs have pledged loyalty to him.
What is left is his individual resolve. He alone can decide whether to succeed or fail.
I pray he chooses to succeed. For him to succeed he must choose to step on the toes of the godfathers who do not want change and are comfortable with the way things are done in Nigeria. The arbitrariness in government manifesting in extra judicial killings and uneven application of the law must be addressed. The neglect of key infrastructural sectors such as education must be addressed immediately.
Our prayers are with Jonathan. He , however, must work hard to ensure that our prayers are answered.
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Written by admin on 27 October 2009
What good news!!! Finally the courts have come up with something good. A Lagos High Court, presided over by Justice Joseph Oyewole has found Chief Olabode George, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, guilty of fraud during his tenure as chairman of the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). George and five of his cohorts were found guilty on 40-count charge and sentenced to two and a half years each in prison without an option of fine.
This is the must cheering news in this era of institutionalised corruption that has besieged this nation
those of us that thought that the military was corrupt have been shamed by the brazen thievery that has characterised the last ten years of democracy in Nigeria. Governors have made no distinction between their private accounts and the accounts of the state governments. They stole and stole till they left office. The Governors that replace them have not been any better.
The theft that is going is simply impossible to manage.
The people of the country have been left impoverished and traumatised. The poverty level is so high that almost every sector of the polity is oozing out some terrible stench. Governors and government officials have simply acted as 410 scammers.
But what did we really expect? If these people could steal the right of the people to vote what other property of the people would they not steal?
The courts have done well therefore by jailing Ali Baba and company (Olabode George etal) for their actions while they were to serve the people. Of course there are more Ali Babas roaming about in the country. I am yet to recover from the shock that the security agencies left a two time convicted common thief rule this country for eight years as Governor. I don’t believe that there is nothing that can be done. In filling his INEC forms to contest elections, the former Governor was asked to state whether he had ever been convicted. It is obvious that he perjured himself by saying no. Now that evidence has emerged that he was once convicted and he lied about it, he can be taken in for perjury, and I believe, forgery. That the Attorney General,and Minister of Justice, and the police force as well as the INEC have kept quite over this International scandal means that they were accomplices either before or after the act or are hiding more people who should be in jail rather than in the corridors of power. Why would the international community take Nigeria seriously when such revelations are made and the appropriate government agencies fail to take action?
And how about the judges that have prevented some of these Governors from investigation? Should they not resign honourably? Are they happy that this nation is being destroyed by their actions?
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Written by admin on 13 October 2009
Finally the amnesty deadline has passed. The militants have handed over their weapons (or those they cannot hide) President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua must be having some sound sleep.
Let’s hope that in two months time, the power situation in Nigeria will improve; no more Nigerians and foreigners will be taken hostage.
Of course the oil export numbers should improve and the money available to spend should also increase very considerably.
For the militants? They can now move freely; chase the most beautiful girls on the streets of Abuja; but the most fashionable cars around and avail themselves of the choicest properties around. Of course for those who know they can have the best economic advisers to help them wash the money they stashed up blowing oil fields, extorting from oil companies, conniving with thieves of oil and largesse from government agents.
For us, the wretched of the earth, let us hope that the militants have truly repented and will no longer abduct people, even innocent kids. Let us pray that they will no longer have a reason to take up some of the arms they have hidden and let us pray that those arms don’t blow up in the face of innocent people. Above all, we need to pray that this handshake across the creeks does not encourage other dispossessed youths in other parts of the country to take up arms also. For they may just imagine that militancy maybe the easiest route to a presidential handshake.
However, it would be greatly appreciated if the repented militants would be given a facility tour of Nigeria to see how their oil has enriched places like Taraba, Jigawa, Sokoto, Plateau, Gombe, Adamawa and Borno states. When they go round and see that all parts of Nigeria are in dire need of development, they may just consider joining the fight for electoral reforms. For it is only when the people can select, discipline or remove their leaders that we can begin to consider issues of development.
Of course President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua knows very well that if the current state of anomie continues and the poverty sinks its teeth deeper into the skin of Nigerians, militancy will outlive his amnesty. In any case, militancy simply put is lawlessness, as defined by government. How lawful is the current government and its official… not simply about elections? Militants in a state that is failing like Nigeria, simply do by other means what government officials and even security agencies are doing. Thank God, at least Yar’Adua does not have the excuse not to give us 600 megawatts of power by December.
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Written by admin on 01 October 2009
Everybody on this planet earth goes through trying moments. There is no uniformity in the nature of the trials that we face. It is also obvious that no one person faces a situation that other people are not facing. The experiences are often unique. Our reactions to them are also unique.
For some it is the end of a relationship, rejection by a spouse or lover, the death of a beloved person, demotion in the office or stagnation. For others it may be the spurning or rejection of love. The experiences are usually heart rendering and only the persons going through them would really appreciate and understand.
Reactions to such trials can either lead to the strengthening of a person or weakening. The pressure building lead to depression or even death. Much as we would like to, no one can really stop trying moments from knocking on his or her door. If you have passed through them, it is time to prepare for more to come. If in the improbable situation that you have successful avoided them, then it is time to begin to prepare, the next knock on your door may be such a pleasant surprise.
1. Be like the ant
The bible speaks of the wisdom of the ant- especially of its skill in gathering up its food in summer. Winter for those who live in the climate will surely come. What do people do when winter begins to knock. They heat up their houses; change their clothing, long dark and damp nights. We prepare for know that trails will come. People will betray us. The sizzling love affair will wane and the excitement will reduce. We should build up our emotions for these untoward events.
2. Spring will come again
Winter never lasts forever. Every problem has an expiry time boldly imprinted on it. As surely as the sun will rise tomorrow, and the dark ominous clouds above us will disappear, be settled in your mind that, though the beloved person has died, you will have joy again, laughter will come to your mouth again. The better, if you are a born again Christian! Your promotion will come; they will be great and mighty in the land! Your poverty will develop wings and fly away. Are you in captivity or prison, why not sing with the children of Israel “when the Lord took away our captivity, we were like them that dream dreams”
3. Dream
See the light at the end of the mind. It is good to see a head not psychic. You will reach where you see. So what are you dreaming about? Are you focussed on the dark damp winter? Or the spring that is ahead? Don’t you know that, if you just fly a little bit higher you rise above the clouds. The clouds are low flying objects. They don’t reach up so high. They are more frightful than real. Dream victory! Dream success! Dream joy! Wake up with a smile on your face and say it is well.
4. Consider other people
Often times when people are going through trials, they get too focused on themselves. Instead of looking at yourself and your situation, you may consider thinking kindly about other people going through your situation. You just discover that you are neither alone nor the first person going through such situation. If you can pray, pray for people in such similar situation; you can lend a helping hand. This will help to bring healing faster than you think.
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Written by admin on 30 September 2009
Many people live without any zeal to be alive. They dread life and wish they had not been born after all. This is especially true of those who have been told that they are “accidents”. Their parents did not plan to have them. Some have even been born with deformities following futile attempts to abort them. Pastor Oyakilome told the story recently of a fifty two year old woman who tearfully told him that she was an accident. Her mother had actually attempted aborting her. She was devastated
Some other persons were luckier. Their parents wanted them and had brought them up. Now, they are feeling very unfulfilled because those same parents had drummed into their ears that they would amount to nobody. They were told that they are incompetents never do wells who would not succeed in life. Now they go about with minds filled with so much filth.
The truth however is different. Just think about these facts… you came from the long line of victors. Several millions of sperms were released by your father – all died except you. (One or two others, if you are twins)
You won the first battle!!! Cheer up; the Bible says that you were fearfully and wonderfully made in the express image of God. Just take a trip to the mirror or pull one up from your bag. What do you see? That is the image of God. You are God’s master piece. He breathed his life into you. He is actually your father. The channel through which you came into the world is not that important in this race. What is important is that you are here.
Secondly, just consider the fact that you are alive. If you live in Africa you survived the mosquitoes, the snake bites, the genocide, ethnic conflicts, religious riots, motor accidents and kidnapping. You could have been a plane crash or even among the 3000 people trapped and murdered in the twin towers (911). You outlived the floods, the fires, and the armed robbery attacks. Surely God must be preserving you for something
What did you do that kept you alive? If you would be sincere, you are alive today not because of what you have done…the same divine hands that kept brought you into this world are the hands that are keeping you…for good reason. You are specially made in the image of God, designed to achieve a purpose. You very well know that you are unique. Your DNA makes you unique and your finger prints have no duplicates in any part of the world. There cannot be another you. Your purposes and assignments in this world are unique. There are things the one who sent you into this world wants you to do. He has given you everything you need to carry out the assignments. You are equipped to achieve. He has lined up help, people and resources to ensure that you succeed. Therefore don’t worry about yourself seeming lack today – keep planning, keep trusting and keep working. Don’t even bother about those who are unable to help you.
Remember that you alone are destined to perform the role God destined for you to play.
They may not be ones God has sent along your way. Your setbacks may actually be the stepping stones you need.
Jesus himself said no man receives anything except it is given to him from above.
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Written by admin on 30 September 2009
What do you do if your father rejects you? This is the question, indeed, a very serious issue for a growing number of young people in Nigeria today. Infidelity is obviously on the rise or rather, people are now more aware that, somehow, both men and women cheat on their spouses.
It is no longer strange in the developed countries – especially in Europe where modernisation has nuclearised the family, and created a gulf between spouses. In the United Kingdom, it is understood that about 70% of all paternity tests fail. Divorce rates are high, and people change spouses like they now change clothes. Several conditions have combined to create fertility problems for men and women who now depend on the thriving sperm donor business to get children.
Most of Nigeria is however still traditional even though no survey have been done to determine the rate of success of paternity tests. It is obvious that Nigeria has a large number of people who are not sure who their fathers are.
Several men have denied and rejected pregnancies of their girlfriends or spouses. Some men accuse their spouses of unfaithfulness as if they (the men) are faithful. Some have gone on to deny or reject their children – without recourse to any form of scientific proof that the children are not theirs. Some of the rejected children resemble the fathers rejecting them.
These actions normally have devastating impact on the children. Several grow up insecure, constantly searching for father figures; some work hard and even allow themselves to be abused to gain acceptance. What really should such children do?
Recently, a tearful young woman spoke to me about her father insinuating that she might not be his child. She was devastated. How could he do that to her?
My response to her was straight forward. Her father (whoever he is) and her mother are mere instruments in the hands of the Almighty God who desired and decided that she should be born. Just come to think of it. Not every sexual encounter – no matter how well calculated to fall on the woman’s “ripe period” results in pregnancy. Completely healthy and normal fertile couples do all they can without getting pregnant. No matter what anyone thinks or says, pregnancy (or the beginning of life) is a mystery that only God can explain. The Bible says that Sarah was barren and well advanced in age. Yet she gave birth by the decree of God to a baby. No one should be deceived into believing that he or she came into the world as a result of some accident of drunken or pleasurable sex. After all, the Bible says that before we were formed in the womb, God knew us, called us by name and has laid out a plan for us.
How far we go in life does not depend on who our parents are. Admittedly children from ‘normal families’ may do well initially. History, however, provides us with ample examples of successful people who were initially rejected or do not have what we may consider as good or proper background. Jephtah, a judge in Israel before kingship was instituted was driven away by his brothers because, according to them, his mother was a prostitute. He stayed focused on his skills and God given abilities. The same people, who chased him away, went begging him to deliver them from their enemies and lead them.
Some of the most prominent persons in world history, and indeed, in Nigerian history did not have “good backgrounds”. Some don’t even know their fathers. Joel Osteen, recently spoke of a Governor in the USA and Israel, the award winning worship leader, who did not know their fathers. It is sufficient to know and trust God. Orphans do well in life. Refugees do well in life. It is a choice that we need to make. Rather than waste all your energy trying to win someone’s approval or acceptance, it is needful for children or people in such situations to do the following urgently.
1. Move out of toxic environment. People trapped in rejection environment would need to move out of such environment. They need to be around people who value them and accept them as being wonderfully made in the image of God. Once someone rejects you, it means he has moved out of your life. Anyone who moves out of your life was not meant to be there, anyway. Anyone who moves out of your life has nothing to offer you. God usually sends a better replacement.
2. Put Cotton wool over their ears. What we constantly hear affects us. Besides, moving out of toxic environments, where possible, they need to block their ears to the negative things being said. They need to retune their ears to new channels and messages. It does help to be around people who see the good that you have and acknowledge the good things that you do. The more good things you hear, the more good things you will do. Move near people who believe you and encourage you.
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Written by admin on 25 September 2009
Kaduna:gggg What is happening?
Thursday the 25th September 2009, another person was abducted … a popular businessman in Zaria city, he is Alhaji Bala Bello. Kaduna has seen so many ‘funny’ things – religious conflict, ethnic and religious chauvinisms and now kidnapping.
Alhaji Bala is the third person to be kidnapped this year alone. First the Canadian Woman, then the Secretary to the State Governmegghhnnnt and now the businessman. Who knows – may be several other persons who are not known because they don’t have money or are not holding senior government positions. Now the level of insecurity is sure to increase. Many more people are now living in fear, and of course it should be obvious to people in the security that, these successful kidnapping will elicit more kidnapping.
It is unfortunate that government has been caught napping again. And these successful kidnKaduna: What is happening?
Thursday the 25th September 2009, another person was abducted … a popular businessman in Zaria city, he is Alhaji Bala Bello. Kaduna has seen so many ‘funny’ things – religious conflict, ethnic and religious chauvinisms and now kidnapping.
Alhaji Bala is the third person to be kidnapped this year alone. First the Canadian Woman, then the Secretary to the State Government and now the businessman. Who knows – may be several other persons who are not known because they don’t have money or are not holding senior government positions. Now the level of insecurity is sure to increase. Many more people are now living in fear, and of course it should be obvious to people in the security that, these successful kidnapping will elicit more kidnapping.
It is unfortunate that government has been caught napping again. And these successful kidnapping now make it more impossible for anyone to argue that Nigeria should become a member of the United Nations Security Council. It shows that the Nigerian project is failing. And it is worrying because government appears to be working to fulfill the prediction of the United States Security that Nigeria, as it is now, may disappear from the map.
What responsible government would joke with the health of its people. Read how snakes are killing people in the North Eastern states of Nigeria or how Islamic terrorist abducted people, forcefully converted them, and killed those who refuse to convert. These are things that can only happen in failed states like Afghanistan and Somalia.
I hope President Yar’Adua will return from Saudi Arabia energised to stem the tide.
apping now make it more impossible for anyone to argue that Nigeria should become a member of the United Nations Security Council. It shows that the Nigerian project is failing. And it is worrying because government appears to be working to fulfill the prediction of the United States Security that Nigeria, as it is now, may disappear from the map.
What responsible government would joke with the health of its people. Read how snakes are killing people in the North Eastern states of Nigeria or how Islamic terrorist abducted people, forcefully converted them, and killed those who refuse to convert. These are things that can only happen in failed states like Afghanistan and Somalia.
I hope President Yar’Adua will return from Saudi Arabia energised to stem the tide.
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Written by admin on 24 September 2009
commityWonders, they say shall never end! So President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua is off to Mecca? And to do what? I am told to commission a University. Ordinarily as an educationist and a teacher, President Yar’Adua should be interested in education and therefore the commission of a University should be of interest to the President. Indeed, as far as I am concerned, the President skipping the jamboree of Heads of States at the United Nations in New York for an educational purpose is commendable. It is a known fact that education is the enabler of all sectors of a modern economy. Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister stressed this fact when he listed his three priorities as Education, Education, Education! All economies that have modernised, grown and developed depended on education. Iran is speaking up to the USA today because of its educational system. China has becomes the biggest economy today because of education. India is also standing tall in the commity of nations because of the attention it pays to education. As a matter of fact some countries, such as Ecuador, budget as much as 600 million dollars per annum per university for their education. In a few weeks time, President Yar’Adua will launch the Vision 20:20:20 documents. It should be obvious to the President by now that there is no way Nigeria would not slip further down without some drastic action on education. It is therefore surprising that the President and his henchmen do not seem to have realised that there is need for the declaration of emergency for the education sector. Besides the ASUU, other trade unions without the university system are on strike. Not for a few days but for three long months and counting! Why then would the President travel out to commission a University when all his own are under lock and key? Haba!!!
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