₦airaland Forum

When the day of separation comes, none would count Christmas celebrating or any other celebrations of men for any points. For all those that fear the Creator of existence, please take note. . .

All na showers of blessings

Ermmm, lets not get confused here. The factuality of Jesus' existence is beyond argument. I dare say that Socrates, according to the French philosopher, Jean Jacques Rousseau (I guess y'all know this one), who was sort of like a contemporary of Jesus does not have as much verifiable documentation of his existence as does the Christ, neither does Alexander the great. But we see the relic of their existence all through history such as the evidence of Jesus' existence is obvious for all to attest to in these contemporary times. Having said that,

Now, to the issue of hell, fine the Christiandom and also the Mohammedanism all claim hell to be real, mind you I am not talking about Christ nor Mohammed here, but their ideologies that was hijacked by the politicians of the day to hoodwink their followers and to whip them in line for further expoloitation as all worldly authorities are wont to do.

I might not claim absolute knowledge of the Quran, but I know a little bit about the Bible and I know that the words that were transliterated to mean 'hell' were three different words of sheol, gehenna and hades. None of these words actually mean a place of eternal torment if taken in the context in which they were applied in the Bible. Okay, if we add the Greek word 'Tartarus' that was used in Revelation, it is not meant for humanity but it becomes the tool used by the Creator to totally annihilate the satan and he's demons.

It is appointed unto man once to die and after death the judgement. This judgement is not and can never be a place of eternal torment, had it been, maybe Jesus might have told us explicitly. Never for once was such a place mentioned, neither in the Hebrew scriptures nor in the Greek Scriptures. Moses, Elijah, Jesus, Paul, John no one mentioned a place of everlasting torment. Rather, the burning that mankind is destined to experience is that occurence of great heat that would totally consume all of creation, as even the seas would be burned up in this heat. Na so the present system go take end (2 Peter 3:7). I see no correlation here between this incident and the reality of a hell.

After this global cataclysmic event renders the Earth desolate, all the dead who were unsaved would be raised up, wetin go happen after that, we have to witness it to comprehend it. Remember, before this occurence, the dead in Christ and the righteous who are alive would be caught up to meet the King.

Now for some contradictions to the theory of hell. Those that die as sinners go to hell, abi? What about those that die righteous? Someone might say heaven I guess Na lie, anybody that dies has died awaiting either a resurrection to life or a resurrection to experience the second death. Were Lazarus in heaven, I doubt if Jesus would have deprived him the enjoyment he must have been experiencing before the raising up (I think I made this point earlier). On the other hand, if to say him dey hell, then would one say that he was repatriated from there? I guess not. He was neither in any of these two places, rather, Jesus told his disciples the status of humanity at death when he said in the St. John 11:11 that "our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may awake him from sleep", I do not think that this simple sentence needs further clarification.

Even Jesus, when he died, why did he not go to heaven until the ascension? Because as mortal man, he had already died and was only raised up with a glorified body, signifying the kind of form that mankind would emerge into the next system.

No hell, it's just one of the ruse that religion and politics employ to put the fear of authority in the hearts of men. The only assurance of salvation is Fear God, that was exactly what Jesus preached, that was exactly what Mohammed preached and that is exactly what the church and religion today is not preaching, rather they play politics and preach intolerance and cavort with the powers of this world, trying their best possible to skew the message of hope so as to lead the multitude astray.

Hell is a myth of idol worship, imported from ancient Sumeria, transported to Egypt, adopted by the Greeks and Romans, totally debunked by the early followers of Christ before the hijack by the established religious/political authority of the dark ages. Having been entrenched in doctrine and tradition now being made to look like divine revelation, more like demonic revelation if I might add.

Do not listen to hear say and I was told stuff, the Bible is there for all to peruse dammit. Just pick it up and flip through the pages, and all the hypocrisy of religion, even the way it has always been, would be laid bare before all. Brood of Vipers, thats what they were calld by the Son of man, thats what they still are today, even till the end of this system, until Shiloh comes, amen. . .

Whatever happened to this brilliant idea?

ok Mr. Bam, you won me with that tortoise adventure tale there. And the repertoire of your cinematographic viewings evoke butterfly flutterings in my bowels and my menduloids are bundled over when even these works of celluloid perfection are indeed some of the titles that an avid collector of classics would be extremely envious of.

Okay for the flattery, see ya head go begin to dey big now

Munkyyyyyyyyyyy, thanks jare for having my back, see the guy never know say na special somethings naim u and the Iice be as we dey say for Benin, 'oma easy'. But the guy be like him sabi jamming Come oh, we dey arrange small neighborhood fun gathering, maybe we fit invite Bam to come perform, abi?

Mr. Bam, what say you?

Ooops, sorry, just received some classified information that the Nimbus manufacturing Company are going bankrupt and in need of some of the bail out packages to keep em afloat. Now, even the global financial meltdown wan dey affect the winchdom

Bamsyle:
Na so mama just leave me for pulpit comot for church

Hey Bam, are you sure that you're not a long lost relative, becos we get one aunty wey dash pastor her baby some few years ago and from the way your mendulus and oblangatan permutations dey let you down, na one kind genetic disorder wey Mungo Park transmute give our great grand mama of the twenty generation after some ephemeral coitus (pardon my lingua) but it runs in the family

If perchance you happen to be that long lost relative, we are willing to absorb you into the community of brethren when that lineage don spew forth into humanity

Muki, e be like u don get new people to dey bully, dat your ram wey you wan sell so, hope the price no too exhorbitant oh, cos ebay dey offer me some rock bottom prices meeen. If I no see ram chop on monday, I go borrow nimbus 2009 model from Ikamefa come siddon chop your ram for Gambia since we no fit afford the hajj

In the name of the Father

In a time such as this, where developmental objectives has been identified and and possible road maps whereby such objectives can be met are being brainstormed over by all well meaning citizens, it beats my imagination hollow that those who should be at the fore front are behaving like the proverbial ostrich, hiding their heads in the sand while exposing the greater parts of their body, chiefly the hind quarters.

This piece, rather than harboring any untoward intentions towards individual faith based belief systems, is intended at making an appeal to those in authority to divorce officialdom from personal sentiments and pet ideologies. Personally, I really do not believe that all those who make believe that their holy than thou attitude would earn them a place at the banquet hall of the great feast of redeemed mankind fully grasp the tenets of the teachings handed down to humanity by individuals who were to have existed today would distance themselves far away from the activities of the new holy men and women who straddlle the corridors of power within the Nigerian socioeconomic and political terrain.

It has become some sort of unofficial competition the way that these folks have sought to outdo themselves in their superficial show of righteousness, amassing awards and recognition, making us ordinary folks feel that were salvation to be measured by human standards, any chance at us making the list would be near impossible.

What am I talking about? Well, that government officials, presumably elected to provide the very barest necessities for poor, impoverished citizens who are most in need of the states presence in their lives have turned to identifying most with constituencies that hold no significance with the true relevance of their positions. That official office hours have been transformed to prayer sessions and that even standard protocol have somewhat found a way to accommodate the personal idiosyncrasies of individual leaders claiming one sort of religious ideology or the other.

The hypocrisy here is obviously glaring as their actions both in office and out of it have falen far short of the minimum expected from true adherents of these faiths. From independence till date, we have had the opportunities of witnessing our leaders openly flaunt their religious affiliations, meanwhile, their lifestyle reek of corruption, perverse sexual appetites, bad governance, insensitivity and a total lack of rationality that belies the intellectual capabilities of humankind. Or how else does one explain the current state of the nation, underdeveloped, disoriented and disjointed in every ramification? This is a situation that has bedeviled the developmental aspirations of sane folks around and it is a rot that has eaten deep into every strata of leadership in every sector of this unfortunate nation.

The fact that these guys have shrouded their crimes with robes of religious hypocrisy is evident given the zeal at which we find them running to give thanks giving at every given opportunity, whether to give thanks at successfully manipulating electoral results or to give thanks after managing a feat of embezzlement that would make one cringe at the size or maybe for obtaining a piece of choice property in one of the Western Metropoles of the world, because we have been told recently that some of our own saintly officials have fashioned out their own unique and special response to the financial crisis by buying up choice properties in these cities in Europe and America. When would all these deceit end.

One never would have bothered with making any bones about these incidents as it is our belief that salvation is personal and that each and every one, some fateful day would ultimately answer some questions about our conduct while on terra firma's sphere of existence. But when one reads that some 300 Million Naira is expected to be generated for the construction of a church building for the National Assembly (Vanguard, Saturday November 29, 2008, Page 5), one is duty bound to raise some issues. With the names of personalities such as the Vice President, the Senate President and certain State Governors mentioned, it is not too far fetched to expect that this target amount would be realized and probably exceeded as the roll call of expected donors include the money moguls of society.

300 Million, for a church in Apo quarters, would the poor be allowed entry to worship in this church? Okay, maybe they would, but how would this venture contribute to the increased spirituality of individuals and if it does, would this translate to better legislating, I seriously doubt, not when some of these guys are doing their best possible to hide under the carpet a scandal that makes the Ettehgate incident look like mere childs play.

Not to deviate too far from these issues, I would expect that a 300 Million naira church fund is far from achieving the "love thy neighbor as thyself" doctrine that religions propagate. How many projects around the country are in dire need of such an injection of funds? Would it not be of more relevance if these funds are channeled towards the execution of projects that would make meaning to the lives of real people and not some artificially hallowed egos of those who claim a monopoly of ecclesiastic knowledge?

One is no expert at road construction, but I cannot help but to wonder how many kilimetres of road that this amount can construct. At least I know what it cost to build a bore hole, at the cost of 200,000 Naira per drill, 300 Million Naira would drill 1,500 bore holes, imagine 1,500 communities having access to portable water supply. A classroom block would not exceed 1 Million Naira, or scholarships for the training of manpower. A`30,000 Naira scholarship per student would sponsor 10, students for an entire academic session! Think of the ripple effects on the family who has gotten a weight lifted off their shoulders or the contribution that beneficiary would make to society. What other infrastructure can be put in place by such an amount of money in areas of health, amenities, security, does one glorified house of worship hold more significance than the truly lofty ideals of rendering help and assistance to those who are most in need?

I stumbled on the Vanguard`Newspapers of Friday, November 9, 2007 where the President of the Republic reportedly presented the 2008 budget, if my memory serves me right, this same budget was passed finally just a while ago, who were those responsible for this? Definitely not the streetside saloon lady who has been left with no electricity to conduct her business and I know that she constantly laments her fate to the hearing of this same God whom these holy government people claim to be want to impress. Now where will justice lie?

I apologize if by this write up some sensibilities have been offended, but methinks that if these folks want to carry on with their claim of spiritual accomplishments, they should at least endeavor to have the proverbial "brother" in mind and make the effort to cater for his needs.

Every one has a right to decide how to expend capital irrespective of the way that it was accumulated (at least our experience as Nigerians has corroborated the notion that anything goes in this society of ours), but the but still needs to be sounded as spirituality will not be measured by the grandiose of physical structures and architectural masterpieces which sinful man erects to prove to his creator that he is indeed a true reflection of the divine almighty. The ancient Israelites knew too well that the Lord had departed from his sanctuary of bricks even when they continued to offer their burnt offerings, in fact, the Lord caused the once grand temple to become desolate due to the abominable ways of his chosen people. When the heart is decadent, the entire being becomes lost.

Were this to be a sane society, the reported church bazaar would not be for the launching of a 300 Million fund for soothing and massaging egos that have identified the moral and ethical vacuum in their conduct, rather it would be a forum where our esteemed lawmakers would be lambasted for their failure at performing their constitutional duties expected of them by the people. But what can one say when we have self styled men of God compromising the standards of worship for filthy lucre like the servant of Elisha?

Only God can help Nigeria.

In a time such as this, where developmental objectives has been identified and and possible road maps whereby such objectives can be met are being brainstormed over by all well meaning citizens, it beats my imagination hollow that those who should be at the fore front are behaving like the proverbial ostrich, hiding their heads in the sand while exposing the greater parts of their body, chiefly the hind quarters.

This piece, rather than harboring any untoward intentions towards individual faith based belief systems, is intended at making an appeal to those in authority to divorce officialdom from personal sentiments and pet ideologies. Personally, I really do not believe that all those who make believe that their holy than thou attitude would earn them a place at the banquet hall of the great feast of redeemed mankind fully grasp the tenets of the teachings handed down to humanity by individuals who were to have existed today would distance themselves far away from the activities of the new holy men and women who straddle the corridors of power within the Nigerian socioeconomic and political terrain.

It has become some sort of unofficial competition the way that these folks have sought to outdo themselves in their superficial show of righteousness, amassing awards and recognition, making us ordinary folks feel that were salvation to be measured by human standards, any chance at us making the list would be near impossible.

What am I talking about? Well, that government officials, presumably elected to provide the very barest necessities for poor, impoverished citizens who are most in need of the states presence in their lives have turned to identifying most with constituencies that hold no significance with the true relevance of their positions. That official office hours have been transformed to prayer sessions and that even standard protocol have somewhat found a way to accommodate the personal idiosyncrasies of individual leaders claiming one sort of religious ideology or the other.

The hypocrisy here is obviously glaring as their actions both in office and out of it have fallen far short of the minimum expected from true adherents of these faiths. From independence till date, we have had the opportunities of witnessing our leaders openly flaunt their religious affiliations, meanwhile, their lifestyle reek of corruption, perverse sexual appetites, bad governance, insensitivity and a total lack of rationality that belies the intellectual capabilities of humankind. Or how else does one explain the current state of the nation, underdeveloped, disoriented and disjointed in every ramification? This is a situation that has bedeviled the developmental aspirations of sane folks around and it is a rot that has eaten deep into every strata of leadership in every sector of this unfortunate nation.

The fact that these guys have shrouded their crimes with robes of religious hypocrisy is evident given the zeal at which we find them running to give thanks giving at every given opportunity, whether to give thanks at successfully manipulating electoral results or to give thanks after managing a feat of embezzlement that would make one cringe at the size or maybe for obtaining a piece of choice property in one of the Western Metropoles of the world, because we have been told recently that some of our own saintly officials have fashioned out their own unique and special response to the financial crisis by buying up choice properties in these cities in Europe and America. When would all these deceit end.

One never would have bothered with making any bones about these incidents as it is our belief that salvation is personal and that each and every one, some fateful day would ultimately answer some questions about our conduct while on terra firma's sphere of existence. But when one reads that some 300 Million Naira is expected to be generated for the construction of a church building for the National Assembly (Vanguard, Saturday November 29, 2008, Page 5), one is duty bound to raise some issues. With the names of personalities such as the Vice President, the Senate President and certain State Governors mentioned, it is not too far fetched to expect that this target amount would be realized and probably exceeded as the roll call of expected donors include the money moguls of society.

300 Million, for a church in Apo quarters, would the poor be allowed entry to worship in this church? Okay, maybe they would, but how would this venture contribute to the increased spirituality of individuals and if it does, would this translate to better legislating, I seriously doubt, not when some of these guys are doing their best possible to hide under the carpet a scandal that makes the Ettehgate incident look like mere childs play.

Not to deviate too far from these issues, I would expect that a 300 Million naira church fund is far from achieving the "love thy neighbor as thyself" doctrine that religions propagate. How many projects around the country are in dire need of such an injection of funds? Would it not be of more relevance if these funds are channeled towards the execution of projects that would make meaning to the lives of real people and not some artificially hallowed egos of those who claim a monopoly of ecclesiastic knowledge?

One is no expert at road construction, but I cannot help but to wonder how many kilometres of road that this amount can construct. At least I know what it cost to build a bore hole, at the cost of 200,000 Naira per drill, 300 Million Naira would drill 1,500 bore holes, imagine 1,500 communities having access to portable water supply. A classroom block would not exceed 1 Million Naira, or scholarships for the training of manpower. A`30,000 Naira scholarship per student would sponsor 10,000 students for an entire academic session! Think of the ripple effects on the family who has gotten a weight lifted off their shoulders or the contribution that beneficiary would make to society. What other infrastructure can be put in place by such an amount of money in areas of health, amenities, security, does one glorified house of worship hold more significance than the truly lofty ideals of rendering help and assistance to those who are most in need?

I stumbled on the Vanguard`Newspapers of Friday, November 9, 2007 where the President of the Republic reportedly presented the 2008 budget, if my memory serves me right, this same budget was passed finally just a while ago, who were those responsible for this? Definitely not the streetside saloon lady who has been left with no electricity to conduct her business and I know that she constantly laments her fate to the hearing of this same God whom these holy government people claim to be want to impress. Now where will justice lie?

I apologize if by this write up some sensibilities have been offended, but methinks that if these folks want to carry on with their claim of spiritual accomplishments, they should at least endeavor to have the proverbial "brother" in mind and make the effort to cater for his needs.

Every one has a right to decide how to expend capital irrespective of the way that it was accumulated (at least our experience as Nigerians has corroborated the notion that anything goes in this society of ours), but the but still needs to be sounded as spirituality will not be measured by the grandiose of physical structures and architectural masterpieces which sinful man erects to prove to his creator that he is indeed a true reflection of the divine almighty. The ancient Israelites knew too well that the Lord had departed from his sanctuary of bricks even when they continued to offer their burnt offerings, in fact, the Lord caused the once grand temple to become desolate due to the abominable ways of his chosen people. When the heart is decadent, the entire being becomes lost.

Were this to be a sane society, the reported church bazaar would not be for the launching of a 300 Million fund for soothing and massaging egos that have identified the moral and ethical vacuum in their conduct, rather it would be a forum where our esteemed lawmakers would be lambasted for their failure at performing their constitutional duties expected of them by the people. But what can one say when we have self styled men of God compromising the standards of worship for filthy lucre like the servant of Elisha?

Only God can help Nigeria.

At the dawn of a paradigm phenomenon in the history of the world, we are being witnesses to global events that will continue to be the subject of discourse for a long while to come. How these events shape the world as we know it to be or how significant the changes that are bound to occur will affect our lives, can only be conjectured as even events continue to unfold over the next forth coming years.

Now, what is change if one might ask? Is it a transition from one situation to another? Or is it a deviation from a status quo? If it is any of these, can the new situation provide some improvement on the former one? To what degree if at all can change be measured? Who defines change and can someone become a catalyst for change?

The word change has come to be very popular over the past few weeks. This was not unrelated to the campaign slogan for the candidate of the Democratic Party in the United States presidential elections. The uniqueness and charisma that was brought into the race by the campaign endeared itself into the hearts of most people. The fact that the outcome of the elections challenged some very entrenched misgivings and upturned the applecart of 'established prejudices' actually gives some hope that at least, some things can actually change. How these translates in the politics that goes on at the level of the international system of which the United States is steadily losing it's hegemonic status will unfold before our very eyes.

Closer home now, the Nigerian State is in the process of reviewing the what is supposed to be the social contract that binds the nation together. There is no gainsaying that the subsisting arrangement has really done nothing exciting as regards the aspirations of a people so endowed but who keep languishing in the lower rungs of the global developmental index. The participation that greeted the meetings held in the six geopolitical zones of the nation underscored the need for some amendments, especially since the current 1999 constitution suffers some crisis of legitimacy as it was a bequeathal of a military decree. There is bound to be some changes coming from there, definitely. It is our hope that this task do not become more enormous than those on whose shoulders such a responsibility fall.

At the end of the day, what people basically need is a steady and reasonable income, available amenities, effective and efficient infrastructure, affordable services and a public service that is accountable to dedicated leadership. With the privilege of pedigree, the land should brace up for the challenges that confront her. It would be nice to talk about some things that actually changed for good come years from today. . .

Edo is agog, the guy is being sworn in and there is an assemblage of the people at the Ogbemudia stadium grounds, come see people. How dem for do these crowds if to say no be the comrade win? I just hope that this honeymoon would last the next four years. The man should be careful not to be a politician, but rather, he should become a leader. Anyways, time would tell ain't it?

Free Press Under Siege?

Now I hope we are not seeing the beginnings of the chickens coming home to roost. After barely two years in the saddle, is the government of Shehu Umar Yar Adua beginning to bare it's fangs? First, we were witnesses to the unlawful and illegal closure of Channels Media house after there was a report that ruffled the feathers in Aso Rock. The fact that incessant calls to the public relations team of the president refused to refute the perceived misinformation after persistent inquiries were made only goes to show the attitude of those folks charged with providing the nation with information about the presidency and state affairs that is perceived as relevant to the populace whom the presidential mandate represents under a presidential system of democratic governance.

We would not dwell here on the less than satisfactory conduct of these guys during the absence of the president from the country for God knows what, at least the president told us he was undergoing the lesser Hajj, although most might want to argue to the contrary. Anyways, the point being made is that the signals emanating from state house is that some information are best left unrevealed, even when these information are relevant for the people to understand the activities of a president representing the dreams, hopes and aspiration of the over 140 Million Nigerian citizens. The oath of secrecy that was undertaken at the Rock some time ago was justified as enshrined somewhat in some constitutional Act, but Nigerians want to know why they cannot aspire to a better life in the midst of plenty and if a secrecy oath would mean a fresh attempt at sincerely prompting those policies that would engender a stable environment for sustainable economic development, then let the oaths be taken.

Okay, we undertand that actually, there are some information that are classified due to security considerations, we know about the Central Intelligence Agency and the M16, even the Mossad and those guys from Moscow. These outfits have been known to take extreme measures at critical times of perceived threats to national security, but even in these matured societies, there are prescribed procedure for the obtaining of information as it is regarded as the right of citizens to have access to any and all sort of information that he or she so desires should a need arise, perhaps in judicial proceedings, legislative hearings etc. Another attack on the issue of the right to information is the issue of the Freedom of information bill, the stringent attempts at emasculating it's passing definitely makes it seems like someone is desperately trying to have something remain within the closet.

Did I digress, I guess I did, but there are so many things to talk about that I find it difficult to gather my thoughts. Where does one actually begin? Is it the speech delivered on May 29, 2007 by an individual who promised to be a servant leader? Is it the promises of the respect of the rule of law that was made? Is it the hopes of a disillusioned people that were raised only for it to find itself at great risk of being dashed taking into consideration the exigencies of contemporary realities in the nation?

Channels was mentioned in the first paragraph of this write up, personifying the free press. Regarded`as the fourth estate of the realm, the press becomes the eye in which society is viewed from. For those not so grounded in the concepts of political democracies, a simple explanation would suffice here. We all know the three arms of a democratic government to be the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Under a constitutional democracy (which if we remember was bequeathed to the world by the French and popularized by the United States in the late 18th century), the free press becomes the unofficial fourth arm as it provides an avenue for the common people to gauge the performance of the government as located in the above three well known arms. That is why the freedom of the press is a very firm principle on which any genuine democracy is based.

In matured democracies, we see their press being less than modest in criticizing leaders and individuals in public offices, we see the most influential global figures being satirized and made fun of just to get messages across that some certain policies are not popular with a section of the populace. I have never heard the NBC being closed down as a result of satires on George Bush expressed by a talk show host, Conan O'Brien. These remarks are never viewed as security threats as no one government official would make much issues of such when more serious issues as the economy and the security threat posed by a plethora of domestic and external factors are of prime importance. But in Nigeria, the case`is different oh, as any such report is viewed as a security threat and the State Security Service would be dispatched with immediate effect to enforce an unlawful close down, with employees going about their legitimate duties harassed, assaulted, sometimes battered and thrown into detention without trial and it would take the effusive pleadings and beggings (and only God knows what else) of their oga, an indigenous entrepreneur to the god in Aso Rock to allow his outfit permission to carry out their legitimate and constitutionally recognized business of news reportage. And perhaps, the god just happened to chastise him a little and ordered him to go ye and sin no more.

Much as eyebrows were raised at this development, most were still wont to believe that there must have been some breach in communication and the over zealousness of the news staff of the media outfit was enough reason to overlook this obvious transgression of the SSS with obvious approval of the presidency. Aside that, sympathy on the plight of the president and a support for his policies and presumed principles meant that we still gave support to the man Yar`Adua. However, recent developments have made some rational mindede folk to begin to take a cursory look at the style of our president and his tolerance for free speech and information management in an age of ever increasing information accessibility in the transnational super highway of information communications technology.

Mind`you, this is not a military regime. This is a constitutional democracy, although some of our national father figures like Chief Anthony Enahoro and Prof. Wole Soyinka would call to question the legitimacy` of the subsisting constitutional framework, the belief that as one people, united in our diversity and thus stronger as a unit, we can achieve sustainable development and even surpass millennium development targets, as long as there is a genuine desire to harness the rich endowments in manpower and resources that the nation represents. Had this been an Abacha era, it would have been better understood. We might have even understood an Obasanjo clamping down on the free press with his well known penchant for disliking the press. But, a clampdown on the press under a Yar Adua administration beats all known sense of reason.

Some few weeks ago, I was privy to the information that the publisher of the web blog elendureports.com, Jonathan Elendu, was arrested and detained by the SSS without trial, an infringement on his human and constitutional rights and a perversion of all known forms of justice. Thankfully, there was some noise generated about this arrest and he has since been released. Just when we were smarting from this injury to our confidence in the Yar Adua claim to respect for the rule of law and all it's appendage freedoms, another information came to the effect that another web publisher of the site huhuonline.com, Emeka Asiwe, had also been arrested. Wetin dey happen self? Whatever happened to free press? Is it dead or is the Yar Adua administration doing it's best possible to murder the free press? What is the crime of these guys that it has to be the SSS that is trailing them a la the totalitarian rule? If the SSS don't got much to do, at least they should focus their attention on other salient issues that are within their jurisdiction instead`of being a tool in the hand of a government that is increasingly showing it's limited tolerance for counter opinion in an age of limitless and boundless information dissemination. Talk of killing a umumanya (small ant) with a large mortar.

I doubt if the SSS might have gone after these guys had they gone about singing the praises of the ruling party or the president himself. What is the Yar`Adua administration so afraid of that it has got to let loose its instruments of extreme force on the citizenry? We are not talking about the Police here, nor are we talking about the various armed forces, no. We're talking about the organ of state that is responsible for the covert collation of strategic information that is of interest or concern to the Nigerian government. Whatever ills might bedevil the apparatus that harbor the national instruments of force is a direct reflection of the weakness of the Nigerian polity. The intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrests, assaults, battery and sadly killings, have made these security outfits to become dreaded rather than a friend to the very citizens whom they exist to "serve and protect", it is so tragicomic.

We believe that it is the gravest mistake that the Yar`Adua administration can make when it decides to deviate from it's laudable tenets and rather seek to hunt a sector of the polity, the press which is regarded internationally as a parameter for measuring democratic standard. Or, I doubt if the government realise that a vibrant press, free from the shackles of state domination and the manacles of official persecution is a prerequisite for the achieving not just the Millennium Developement Goals, but also the much talked about Vision 2020, since the only thing the people see on the seven point agenda are television advertorials and uppity talkshops publicized on the pages of newspapers.

Emasculating the press would only lead to a nightmare for the Yar`Adua administration, he should ask Abacha (God rest his soul)

Nigeria is not a police state, the law exist to protect the citizenry and not to terrorise. Under no circumstance whatsoever must we be made to undergo those dark years of tyranny that just before the advent of the fourth republic, never again. If it has to take a thousand people to be incarcerated, I believe that there are thousands more that would readily take their space. No body has a right to gag anybody under a democracy where the rule of law exists and if the president is an apostle of the rule of law as he claims, he should distance himself from these arbitrary intimidations and call the instruments of state perpetrating these harassments to order.

One truth that history has consolidated is that tyrannies are born, they grow and they reign, but a thing that has always survived governments and regimes and empires has been the people and free press.

Emeka Asiwe and all prisoners of conscience should be released and immediately too. All members of the free press who are incarcerated under different circumstances must regain their freedom. The right of the press to exist as a free enterprise under a democratic framework must be reiterated. The president must take the lead in this, if not for anything, at least to show to his people that we can still have confidence in the words of that humble man who stood on the podium and received the reins of state from the military establishment and belted out a speech that inspired a new belief in Nigeria and Nigerians.

One cannot be too shocked that this sort of thing is happening in Nigeria. It is a sad reflection of the siege that we have been involuntarily placed under by the legacy of militarism, prebendalism and corruption. The lady is fortunate that she was not shot and that providence was on her side that this shame be captured on camera. What if all these factors were not in play? What if the assault ended her life? What if this barbarism was not on camera? What if the men in uniform were to be labeled unknown soldiers?

The issue should not be the problem of the untrained officers alone nor should it be the kind of parenting that the victim was exposed to. Neither should it be viewed under any ecclesiastical principle on repercussion, the culpability should be that of those in authority and how they have managed to mismanage the very essence of our dignity and self respect. This incident is not acceptable under any circumstance and it could have been any other person. All those crying "crucify them", are they innocent enough to cast the first stone? The blaring of sirens if I remember correctly has been banned from Nigerian roads, why is this Naval chief still blaring he's? Even the guys at the National Assembly where the lady's dad works blare sirens and chase us off of the roads in their intimidating convoy, political officers of all shades and hue also do this and sometimes too, one is harassed by just anybody that has any sort of access to state power.

The post is not about the daughter of a big wig who has been assaulted, but because the dignity and self respect of humanity continue to be infringed upon by a state that shows a total disregard for the security and welfare of her citizens. The outcry made here should not end here, it should not end with just the trial of the offending officers, rather it should involve an individual trial of ourselves. Do we show a respect, a sanctity of life, tolerance, justice in our dealings with our fellow human being? If we do not, then we are not less guilty than those guys with the uniforms and the guns. Maybe if someone realizes that they might pay a hundred million bucks for some assault, they might think twice before acting in an animalistic manner

birthday people, i sorry for dem unfortunate gourds of pammy. happy belated birthday munkyyy baby

now you see how practical your criticism sounds without referring to his state of health? everyone has a right to his or her opinions and if you feel he ain't doing good, you got a right to question him. in fact we all do as long as we still lack the basic necessities that act as catalyst for developement. but when we criticize, we should criticize from an objective point of view.

health issues and other trivia like personal/family history are irrelevant to performance in office. rather, one would seek to take a peek at his seven point agenda. what has he done in meeting these set goals? that is more of inquiry i feel we would all do well to probe into. . .

if he ain't meeting expectations, then tell it as it is, he ain't meeting expectations, simple. what is the point of ascribing his inefficiency to his state of health?

for pete's sake, the guy didn't call for anybody's pity now, did he? what has physical abilities got to do with statecraft? all those spartan, healthy and able bodied men we've been getting all these while, what reasonably positive enduring legacy have any of them done to the betterment of the polity?

and mind you, the post is quite mischievous as not anywhere did i see in the above article that the preacher made such a statement as the post would want us believe.

if one can grasp the context in which the statement was made, he was not referring to the president per se, but to the inept leadership cadre we've been having since independence.

physical ability is is no barrier to the discharge of state duties, especially when the one discharging these duties have a clear vision of where he wants his nation to be. while not saying that uncle umaru is the solution to nigeria's leadership crisis, but what the heck. let's give the guy a break. . .

p.s. franklin delano roosevelt, yeah, remember him? the yankee was paralysed from the waist down and was wheel chair ridden throughout the duration of the second world war, while he was the incumbent president. and what do you know, the guy is the only american president to have served for more than two terms in office.

the american people had so much confidence in his abilities that he stayed a comfortable four terms in office. i guess his wheel chair was some good luck charm

well, personally, i will rather take this one with a pinch of salt as the poster neither suggested a verifiable source nor was he specific about the fora in which this statement was made. i never still hear anybody talk about am so i'ma kinda sceptical. but i will really want to believe that the controversial preacher would know better than to dabble into controversies that are beyond the comprehension of mortals.

the issue of health and life are quite touchy, and the holy book of the christians recognized the plight of the sick ones as even Jesus showed compassion towards them.

methinks for one that claims the christian doctrine, physical impediments should pose no barriers towards laudable accomplishment as it is well known that the thorn in saint pauls flesh was some sort of physical ailment.

i admire the preacher for his radicalism and he's avowed disdain for ceremonial christianity, but until i am convinced to the contrary, i prefer not to take this information hook, line and sinker

ikamefa:
erhm i dey find ma chewing stick " "

what a good idea, seeing that there is absolutely nothing to celebrate about the independence, maybe we should all have chewing sticks for lunch

na mouth all of una just dey, so nobody fit winch those people for aso rock? i need special winch wey go initiate uncle umaru and all him staff into the revered halls of winchdom. maybe that'll get some pots boiling and the country might actually begin to move forward.

in the meantime, make i go begin dey find my grandmama chewing stick, the way she take dey chew am every morning, i bet it's as delicious as some winch-fries

^{ika dear, thanks for the nutritional advice. . .}

the guys up at the reps sure did this one in. let's wait for bush's next line of action. maybe he would declare a state of emergency based on the precarious state of the economy and extend his tenure for another 6 months

yeah, whatever anybody might think, the guy was a true role model. at least he is far better than the present crop of leadership we have been unfortunate to have had all these years. i wonder what his role might have been in contemporary nigeria had he lived. the fact that as one of yoruba decent he stood by an igbo officer, even up till death shows loyalty, courage, principle and an orientation that transcends the politics of ethnic sentimentalities that has continued to plague the nation since those early years of the nations history.

his murderers are still alive today, they have been responsible for his being relegated to the background of nigerias history. but mark my words, when the true history of this country be told, the heros would not be the ones in todays textbooks. . .

okay, now i understand why that 1% never still download finish, u must have left it somewhere in the mesozoic era abi?

winchery is something that is yet to undergo any sort of technological sophistication, i am currently working on a new nimbus project, it is an unmanned aerial vehicle and it'll take you to 2030 at the swish of a broom

wow, y'all are as insane as ever. thats very encouraging iice iice baby, thot that was u i saw at the opening ceremony of the olympic games

and please, muki has been downloading for eons, na 99% she don do reach, please, methinks theres a virus in her shystem wey no dey let the remaining 1% load finish

We should have in mind an understanding of what the Christian belief of Christ's death and resurrection signifies for mankind. I would implore anyone who needs clarification of these things to endeavor to read the Bible book of Hebrews, Chapter 2 through to the 8th chapter. I hope the spirit of discernment dwells with all who would take the trouble. . .

My dear Babs, I maintain like I have always done that I am not a member of any faith based belief system that is known to contemporary man. Rather, I see myself as one of the multitude that try to seek the One True and Living God Almighty, creator of the Heavens and the Earth in these days of the end. In so doing, I do not want to be influenced by any doctrine of men as the many religions of mankind has done nothing but confuse and confound souls for centuries. You do not have to wait to know where the brother is coming from. At the risk of sounding subjective, the authority that I subscribe to is the Bible and you will agree with me that (aside the added Greek Scriptures which Christians subscribe to) both Jews and Muslims subscribe to the laudable principles of this Book.

So, if our God is One, if the same God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and all the patriarchs is One God, why the discordant tunes in the many religions of the Earth today? The Islamic Quran and the Jewish Torah expresses similar sentiments and hold many like principles required for peaceful human coexistence.

It thus presupposes that there is an underlying link somewhere and that is the commonality of our brotherhood as one under the banner of the most high Jehovah. I do not care if one is a Muslim or Christian, as long as I know that we have one common goal, which is to be a part of the next system after the passing of this corrupt chapter of human existence. Y'all are like my brothers and sisters.

The many Religions of man has been a tool by the wicked one to shield mankind from true knowledge of our creator and with the religious intolerance and animosity being displayed all over the globe today, it is obvious that Satan has been very successful in this regard. But not for long.

The day of Jehovah is coming, that is a message that each and everyone of us should take close to heart. I do not believe that my denominational affiliation would play any role in my salvation, neither would my religious beliefs. Rather, it would take the abundant grace and unfathomable mercy of our God to do that for me even as I continuously plead with Him to allow me have a part in His Kingdom. I wouldn't wanna miss that for anything.

We have been so shortchanged in this our present existence. Wars, famines, diseases, wickedness etc. I want to experience the real life in the next system and I would want everyone to enjoy that real life too no matter the religion one belongs to. I believe that Jehovah wants this good life for all of mankind too, and the good news is that, He is willing and exceedingly able to actualize that for each and everyone who has ever lived, is living or will ever live on this Earth.

"Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be" Revelations 22:12

Activate Interlocks. . .

Dynamo Turns Connected. . .

Infra Cells Up. . .

Mega Thrusters Are. . .

Go Voltron Force. . . or something like that

^{ain't it great being a kid, those were the days. . .}

The point really is beyond religion, it is a state of mind. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the way to salvation, and they are right if I might add. This is because it was Jesus Christ who paved the way for mankind to even consider everlasting life under Jehovah's kingdom which is even now being made manifest.

The sin that Adam committed was rectified by the ransom which Jesus paid. Having said that, it is a most erroneous impression for one to think that salvation would in turn be restricted to Christians alone. All mankind has fallen under the grace and mercy of that one sacrifice and it is left for any to take advantage of such as it was a gift that was freely and willingly provided to us by the Almighty.

If salvation were to be restricted to just Christians, pray, tell me what would happen to all those souls that lived before Jesus' time, or those folks in the rural areas all over the world who have never heard of Jesus their entire life? Now tell me how one can rationalize this with Acts 24:15.

Worship the One God and do not be dissuaded by religious rhetoric. Jesus Christ bore one testimony, "worship Jehovah" Revelations 19:10, this is the word for mankind today and it might just well determine the salvation of many. . .

If we are to be sincere, we should realize that in all the history of mankind, one thing has been most salient and this has been recorded in various books that had acted as guide to many faithful men over the ages. This is the almightiness of the One True and Living God. Like I tried to emphasize yesterday, there might have been a sort of connection between the offspring of Abraham and the almighty God. We are well aware that the name that Abraham called God was well known even as far back as the time of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam Genesis 4:26. This same God is the one that Islam subscribes to and I see no reason to fault them.

The word that the prophets, Noah called him is found in the four Hebrew consonant words YHWH. Many have chosen to call the translation of these word Yahweh, but contemporarily, the argument that makes one call Jesus instead of Yeshua applies to most calling this Almighty God the name Jehovah. Allah, now that is a name that Islam calls this God. Who can know the mind of Jehovah? As He had revealed himself to be Jehovah to the children of Isaac, could He have revealed Himself to be Allah to the children of Ishmael? The issue of language is somewhat of an issue here. The fact is that if most were to pick up a bible written in Arabic, the name of God istransliterated to be "Allah". Now, thats some food for thought isn't it?

On another level, if a Christian were to come across the following sentence for example "He is God, the One and Only, God, the Eternal, Absolute, He begetteth not, nor is He begotten and there is none like unto Him. . .", whom might he think is being talked about? Jehovah I believe, as all those praises rightly belong to the most high God, Jehovah. But guess what, I got that verse from Quran 112:1-4. Only while this God has revealed Himself, even so by name. I will not go into the language issues of "Eli or Elohim and their similarities with Allah", let me not go too far. But God is God. None can tell the mind of God, even His great day of judgment is foretold in the Quran, and it bears striking similarity with the bibles Revelation.

In this our existence, we have been privy to have great men and I bet that one can ascribe greatness to Mohamed, as well as Jesus Christ too. These were men that existed and defined history, definitely, they're going to play significant roles in the coming system in their own respective spheres, if their creator wills it. If the issue of who will be King of the new system comes up, then thankfully we have Jehovah God as the arbiter, and whatever He wills shall be abided by, as it just so happens to be His story and none else. All else are subsumed under His kingdom and all glory would ultimately go to Him, and not to Mohamed, neither to Jesus, all any can hope on is to share in this glory that shall abound over all of existence. All glory must and will go to Jehovah the Almighty God.

This is the day that hypocrisy dies, subscribing to faith without knowing the One True and Living God is all a vanity of existence. He calls each one of us this day to draw nearer to Him. Seek Him, the one who "Causes to become", for he is willing and able to show mercy and compassion on all those who sincerely strive to please Him, this is irrespective of race, tribe, tongue, religion or other divisive tendencies that has been placed before man since the fall in Eden.

He comes quickly. Food for thought for everyone, how prepared are we all should he decide to come now? Are we sure we would be found on the right side of the divide? It's a war already between evil and good, on whose side are we on? Do we show this in our conduct with fellow men, within our families, within our immediate societies? Do we look at our actions as modeled after the great prophets of old? Islam is a religion of peace Quran 6:151. . .take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.", and our God brings peace upon all of mankind, if others choose to do contrary to the teachings of this great teacher Mohamed, should we do likewise? If Christians choose to blaspheme this God must we do the same? Do we serve man or do we serve the Almighty creator of all things? This God sees our hearts, do we think that language and pronunciation would make Him deaf to our plea?

As much as I believe the bible to be an authority in matters of spirituality, looking at the Quran with an unbiased mindset, I reason that it makes more sense than most would want us to believe. This might not be far fetched as the politicians of ancient times hijacked the laudable goals of the teachings of two of the greatest individuals who have had the greatest impact on the affairs of men to feather their own nests.

Check out these quotations from the Quran and compare it with the teachings of the bible, it is as if the same speaker is speaking to two different people:

Quran 10:3 "Surely, your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then ascended His Throne, Ordaining all things"

Quran 49:13 "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)."

I am no Quran authority though, but if one is to engage in reasonable discourse, it presupposes that one applies reason too ain't it. Jehovah's salvation plan indeed invites all, including Muslims from all of the nations as well as any. Whosoever will may come. . .

Littleb, I cannot agree with you more. The relationship which we share with Him in this existence is akin to a master-servant arrangement. In various parables, this role depicting man and God as a servant/master relationship is witnessed. I know in the Bible that parable of the prodigal son and the that of an Owner of a vineyard whose workers killed the masters son. The type of 'fatherhood' that is being shown here is not that between a biological son and his father, neither is it the appellations that some segments of contemporary Christianity have ascribed to their clergy. Rather, He is only giving us a fore gleam of the kind of relationship that would exist in the new system "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" Matthew 5:9, infact that entire chapter of Matthew shows that it is not all that there is more to salvation than mere religious rhetoric.

An issue that most naturally comes to mind is the name of this God. He really wouldn't want to be called a name other than He's now would He? All those worldly names are just appellations for some deity, we used to have Baal, Ashtoreth, Zeus etc in ancient times, now it's some of these appellations. If we knew His name now, then naturally we should call Him that. Where is the earliest mention of His name located? We can find that in the Hebrew Scriptures, and I believe that Muslims as well as Christians too subscribe to that book. If He is the one we are serving, only Him would know as He sees the heart of man, even better than the individual himself. So all those in the churches who claim righteousness might as well be deviating from the principles of the One True and Living God. So also many who claim Islam and does things contrary to the peace which the ideals aims to inspire.

One thing that most have failed to note is that, as of the time of the apostasy in Christianity, when the remnants of the original ideals have been subsumed under the yoke of the ascendant Roman Empire, there appeared to be a deserting of the church of the Holy Spirit. Where did it go? If we remember, this God had in times past spoken to different world leaders. We knew He spoke to Cyrus the Mede, and He was the means by which the Israelites were returned to their homes after the captivity in Babylon. We knew He spoke to Nebuchadnezzar earlier and we knew that Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged His supremacy after Belteshazzar (Daniel) after he gave words to the kings vision inspired by this God. Is it far to rationalize that after the apostasy of Christianity, this same God spoke with Mohamed, at least Mohamed thinks so and who are we to dispute this. The revelation of Mohamed, if anything is more real than these modern day revelations that we hear being spewed from our Christian pulpit.

Not to think that I am against Christianity, I am not, but I believe that religion has outlived it's usefulness, irrespective of faith in religious denominations as there are to be found a number of hypocrites who claim all the holiness and within their hearts are stained with the workings of iniquity. Not all Christians will benefit from the salvation of Jehovah, not all Muslims either, and neither would any man have benefited from this wonderful experience except it is found in the Lord our God to forgive us our sins and have mercy on our sinning souls. There is little we can do but to plead and ask Him for mercy of which we are all undeserving (even the pope), for as many as would ask, sincerely seeking, He is willing and also able to save.

Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear Oh Israel, Jehovah our God is One Jehovah." Moses, just trying to emphasize the Oneness of God, aside from it being directed at the Israelites then, it has been recorded for contemporary man to hear this truth and it's relevance cannot be lost on us. . .