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 Family › Woman As A Good Thing by ajuksobi(op): 10:04pm On Jun 26, 2023 |
WIFE AS A GOOD THING By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 26th June, 2023 "He who finds a wife, finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord"(Prov.18:22). I have never given adequate thought to this Bible passage until yesterday when I was taught about the position of a woman in the life of her husband. Woman is like a beacon of hope and light in the family. Therefore, any man who mistreats his own wife has already brought darkness and misery upon himself. Women are treasure that must be handled with care and affection in order to attract God's favour. There is always a thought that runs through the mind each time issue of this kind is raised. This thought is none other than "what happens if a man marries a wayward and irresponsible woman?". Should he continue with the marriage? On the surface, the answer obviously is "NO". But if we probe a little deeper, it will be discovered that a crucial element of "finding or searching" has been neglected in the process. Man, traditionally is expected to find a wife. What this means is that, he has a responsibility to diligently search for a wife. Wife is not like a piece of commodity that is picked from the shelve with careless abandon. A wife is not like an item that is thrown or foisted on an unsuspecting customer in a shopping mall. A wife is precious, loving and caring. A wife is filled with the milk of compassion for her husband and children. For this reason, she must be sought with utmost carefulness in order not to live a life of regret. When a man is searching or finding a wife, what is he looking for? Is it existential or accidental qualities like; height, complexion, family background, buttocks, breasts etc or essential quality like character? In searching for a wife, every conceiveable aspect of the woman must be put under scrutiny. Nothing should be taken for granted. This activity must be devoid of emotion and sentiment because any mistake or wrong judgement pronounces gloom and doom for the man. For example, any man who goes ahead to marry a woman he knows to be lazy and covetous because of her beautiful and attractive curves has already dug his own grave. He is doomed to untimely and tragic death! Traditional Africans did not marry for trivial reasons; they carried out series of background check before marriage is contracted. For example, they did not take wives from families with record of criminality, drunkenness, lunacy, other conspicuous ailments etc. Any man who, in a hurry to get married disregards or denigrates the divine command of "finding or searching" can only have himself to blame. Away from failure to find a wife, is the practice of treacherous treatment of wives by their husbands. Many men prefer to be "Father Christmas" outside their homes than being loving and caring husbands and fathers. Another thing that hold many men down is their inability to resist women especially, those with sepulchral beauty - these are women that look like angel on the outside but are rotten inside. They're like public toilet. Any man can walk in and walk out. Such women are conditioned to hurl a man into the hellish vortex of pain and misery. Many men have lost their lives to such callous and unmerciful women. Samson in the Bible is a typical example of such men. Any woman married based on the divine instruction of "diligently searching or finding" is bound to be a good thing and must attract God's favour. |
| Nairaland General › The Life Of Man by ajuksobi(op): 7:09pm On Jun 24, 2023 |
THE LIFE OF MAN By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 24th June, 2023 Man is a being moved basically by what he sees. This is not the same with other animals. Other animals are propelled purely by instinct and nothing more. Man, based on his nature has ideas and values he has consciously or unconsciously deposited inside of him such that, whenever he sets his eyes on them, he goes beserk. He wants to possession them. A man engrossed in thought about his wretched condition may change course and even betray himself when he, for instance, sees a nude woman of his heart desire. A typical example of this is King David in the Bible. King David was led into committing sin when he saw Bertsheba, the wife of Uriah taking bath. Had he not seen the woman naked, the devilish thought would not have overwhelmed him. Many people have gone into crime because of the things they see others display e.g., clothes, cars etc. Few days ago, I met two young men who confessed to me that they had been lured into crime because of the things they see around them. While one of the boys confessed that the extravagant lifestyle that some 'yahoo' boys in their neighborhood flaunt dragged him into joining the band of fraudsters. The other narrated that he committed the offence of raping a young lady who always dressed in a sexually provocative manner. He further narrated that when he saw her in a club dressed in her usual way, he approached her and she snubbed him. From that moment, he made up his mind that he'd rather have her or die. The girl was just too sexy not to be devoured. With the support of some of his friends that night, he was able to have his way by raping. How can we insulate ourselves from such negative but powerful force? The answer lies in filling our hearts and minds with the things of God at all times. In this way, we shall not become victims to the devil's wiles. |
| Nairaland General › Origin Of Fathers Day by ajuksobi(op): 10:37pm On Jun 18, 2023*. Modified: 8:33am On Jun 19, 2023 |
ORIGIN OF FATHER'S DAY. By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 18th June, 2023. Today is a day set aside to honour fathers all over the world. But how many people really know the origin of the celebration? Father's Day celebration is traced to an accident that occured in a coal mine in Virginia, United States of America in 1907. In that accident, about 385 men lost their lives. The following year, a woman from Washington who was still upset by the ghastly accident organized a movement that sought to establish a day to honour the accident victims, majority of whom were fathers. 'If women were honoured by having Mother's Day, why shouldn't similar gesture be extended to the men?' She queried. As a result of this reasoning, a Church in West Virginia organized a ceremony to honour victims of the accident (men). In 1910, Washington made history by becoming the first state or place in the world to recognize Father's Day. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation designating the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. After this declaration, other countries of the world have joined in celebrating Father's Day. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! |
| Nairaland General › The Gluttonous Titans by ajuksobi(op): 5:03pm On Jun 16, 2023 |
THE GLUTTONOUS TITANS From afar, we watch as the gluttonous titans gather once again to share the spoil of war. Their promises about turning water into wine have been most discomfiting to the people. In fact, it has become a mirthless song. Midway into their eating frenzy, they become stuffed with food and even forget themselves. Eating, for them is the essence of life. They must continue in it till they breathe their last. On the dinning table, there is no tribe, no religion, no political disparateness.The locus is on 'eating'. It is bad manners to be eating and talking at the same time. During initiation into the cult, every activity must come to a halt. Even the birds will fly with hungry belly from the savannah and the rain forest to witness the opulent occasion. After the excitement and merrymaking, only the initiates are on the table. Others are to return to their hole where hunger and starvation is their closest companion. After watching the costly show, some will be swallowed by the deadly roads. Others will hardly make it back home because of the scarcity of premium motor spirit. After the jumping and prancing, the chaff is separated from the grain. The praise singers will be left in the dark to lick their wounds. But pride sometimes restrain them from making a detour. It's like a fight against oneself! The gluttonous titans are enemies of society because they they think through their unappeasable stomach instead of their head. In their endless desire for food, they eat up everything in view including the future of the younger generation. But their sun shall soon set! By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. 16/06/22 |
| Christianity Etc › Thankfulness by ajuksobi(op): 9:19pm On Jun 11, 2023 |
THANKFULNESS By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 11th June, 2023. Did you go to Church today or you were in a bar where you soaked yourself in liquor? Life is precious and priceless. There is no amount that is enough to buy life yet God has given it to us free of charge. How are we thanking Him for this invaluable gift? Is it by drinking ourselves to stupor or engaging in all manner of inanities? In today's sermon, we were taught the importance of gratefulness. Gratefulness brings about open doors; it ushers in inestimable blessings. Often times, we take God's blessings for granted. We complain about things we do not have but forget the great things God has done in our lives. In our ungratefulness, we forget about the air He has given unto us free of charge to breathe, we forget about the strength He has made available unto us to go about without any assistance or help. In Luke 17:12-19, Jesus healed ten lepers and only one returned to say 'thank you'. By this singular act of showing gratitude, Jesus blessed him by making him 'whole'. From today onwards, may God grant unto us the spirit of thankfulness in Jesus' name! |
| Family › Man And The Burden Of Familyhood by ajuksobi(op): 8:55pm On Jun 06, 2023 |
MAN AND THE BURDEN OF FAMILYHOOD By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 6th June, 2023 'To be a man is not a day's job'. Being handsome and muscular does not qualify one to be called a man. A man is simply an adult male human who knows what to do at the right time. A man is one governed by moral instructions and commands. Also, a man is not one who acts out of impulse or emotion but one who carefully weighs or thinks about his intended action before carrying it out. Being a man appears to be the most amazing and exciting thing because of the power and authority associated with it. Man is the head of the family and also the sole provider of the family. By virtue of this position, everybody within the family respects him. Man is saddled with myriad of responsibilities: he is not only to provide for his family, he is to protect the family even if it means laying down his own life. Isn't this wonderful? Man makes sure that all the bills in the home is paid. It is an anomaly for the woman to carry this burden. A woman can support her husband by making the burden lighter for him but certainly not to carry the entire burden. This is why the Bible describes a woman as a 'help meet'. This phrase, 'help meet' means 'a helper fit or suitable for him (man). Because nature has designed men to be physically stronger than women, it becomes an aberration for an able bodied man to depend on his wife for survival. The Bible, in this regard reminds us that 'a man that is not capable of providing for his family is worse than an infidel'. Whatever be the case, a man is expected to live up to his responsibilities - provide for his family. Man is a being condemned to struggle. Under the sun or in the rain, he must toil or work in order to make his family comfortable. Men deny themselves the basic comfort of life so their families can be happy. I know a man who hardly eats lunch in his place of work just to be able to provide dinner for his family. That men are buried in the ground as miners, die in battle fields etc are typical examples of how men sacrifice their lives for the sustenance and survival of their families. Men are subjected to more suffering in societies with wretched or abysmal economic conditions. In such situation people, especially men work like elephant and eat like ant. Here, they get lost or drowned in the struggle to fend for their families. In Nigeria, many men have, in the attempt to provide for their families completely forgotten about themselves - they turn blind eye to the most basic or elementary needs like; underwears, clothes, cream, footwear etc. With the rising cost of living, a bottle of mineral has become a luxury that many men cannot afford. Whenever he receives or gets money, it disappears or gets swallowed up in the family pot without a trace. This situation has compelled many men into becoming chronic debtors. Despite the challenge of being thrown into the life of endless struggle, man is confronted with the problem of stiff societal standards or expectations. It is in this way that society cripples and precipitates him into unnecessary competition. In this regard, he is expected to live up to the expectations of the society. For example, he is expected to do all the things the society flings at him like; visiting home regularly (if he lives outside) and pay every dues and levies imposed on him by the larger family without considering whether he has the money or not. But the most frustrating challenge before a man is having an unreasonable wife. Having an unreasonable wife is one of the greatest evils that can befall a man. While a reasonable or wise wife clothes or covers her husband's unclothedness, an unreasonable wife strips her husband naked in the market square. The actions of an unreasonable wife throws her husband deeper into the abyss. An unreasonable wife is unappreciative and does not recognize her husband's effort. A certain unreasonable woman never appreciated the efforts of her struggling husband till the man died. Few days after the man's demise, when feeding and others have become irredeemably difficult, she realized that the tree providing shade or cover for her and her children had disappeared. A year after, she and her children relocated to the village following her inability to pay the house rent. In the village, it didn't take long before she withered like a plant and died. Women must learn to appreciate their husbands because of the troubles they go through in order to provide for their families. The burden on men when it comes to providing for their families has become so enormous such that they have become endangered specie. This is why World Popular Review (2019) pegged the life expectancy for Nigerian men at 53.6 years and women at 55.3 years. The reality of this report is that men, particularly in hunger and poverty stricken societies like Nigeria are likely to die before the women. It is our prayer that the new government in our dear beloved country will make men's burden lighter by initiating people oriented laws, policies and programs. 4 Likes |
| Nairaland General › Knowing Ngozi Nma Ordu by ajuksobi(op): 10:10pm On May 27, 2023 |
KNOWING NGOZI NMA ORDU By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 27th May, 2023. On the 29th of May 2023, Ogba land shall roll out its drums to celebrate an illustrious daughter who has, made it proud in every conceiveable front. On this day, for the first time in the history of Ogba land 'Onye Ogba' (Ogba person) shall be adorned with the regalia of deputy governor of Rivers State. This is a feat that puts Ogba land in an enviable position. The bringer or source of this honour is non other than Ngozi Nma Ordu. Obviously, this sort of reverence or veneration cannot be bestowed on any kind of person - it must be one who has distinguished him/herself in service to humanity. Ngozi's towering achievements in academics and politics are quite remarkable and outstanding yet she is as calm and harmless as a dove. As a result of her humility and calmness, many people, even in Ogba land do not know much about her. Ngozi was born on 23rd October, 1952 into the family of the famous Samuel Elemele of Umu-Ohali kindred in Obite. Her father, Sam was an accomplished business man and a politician. Among her siblings are Chinyere Nwokidu of blessed memory. Ngozi Nma Ordu got her first degree in Microbiology from Paisley College of Technology, Renfrewshire, Scotland. While in Scotland, she received the Best Academic Prize for two consecutive year - 1977 and 1977. From the prestigious University of London, she obtained a Masters Degree in Food Science and Management. In 1989, she obtained a Ph.D in Microbiology at the University of Port Harcourt. It is on record that she is the first Ph.D graduate in that department. She has attended series of courses on leadership in different institutions including John Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA. Ngozi began her career as a civil servant in the Rivers State Ministry of Health where she rose to the peak as a Permanent Secretary. In the history of that department, she is the longest serving Permanent Secretary. She served for almost seven years. It is also on record that during her tenure in office as Permanent Secretary, her Ministry received various national and international awards. Based on her excellent record and achievements, she was in 2006 elevated from the position of a Permanent Secretary to a Commissioner (of Education) by the Peter Odili led government. She was given the appointment in order for her to use her wealth of experience to improve that Ministry. Indeed, she performed excellently well. For the first time, Rivers state government focused more on human capital development. Against this background, many River indigenes were sponsored to study overseas. Some of the countries that these Rivers indigenes went for studies include; Malaysia, Singapore, Russia, Uk, USA, Canada. She commenced the process of handover of schools to Mission in the state. After serving as a Commissioner, she went to University of Port Harcourt where she became an associate professor of Food Microbiology and Public Health in the department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences. Her areas of interest are molecular microbiology and the antimicrobials. She has published several articles in many local and international journals. Also, she was the first Acting Executive Director of the University of Port Harcourt Foundation. She taught briefly in Rivers State University as a visiting professor. In 2022, Rivers State chapter of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), based on her outstanding record and achievements nominated her as the deputy governorship candidate of the party in the 2023 Rivers State gubernatorial election. Before her nomination, she was the Director of Academic Planning, PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Rivers State. Ngozi is married into the Ordu family of Akabuka. She is blessed with five children. May her administration usher in immeasurable development to Ogba land and the entire Rivers State.
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| Politics › Re: Niger Delta: A Time For Sober Reflection by ajuksobi(op): 2:38pm On May 26, 2023 |
savcy:I took time to read all the comments, you seem to be the only one who understands my position. Only Niger Deltans can save Niger Delta. 2 Likes |
| Politics › Niger Delta: A Time For Sober Reflection by ajuksobi(op): 10:44pm On May 25, 2023 |
NIGER DELTA: A TIME FOR SOBER REFLECTION. By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 25th May, 2023. In few days time, the life of the current political dispensation headed by President Muhammadu Buhari will come to an end. The end of this government will mark the birth or beginning of another administration. Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, we have witnessed the transition of power from one government to another yet the people of Niger Delta have been neglected, impoverished and alienated from the wealth which proceeds from their land. The Niger Delta, historically consists of present day Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States but as it is currently defined by the Nigerian government, the Niger Delta is made up of nine states namely; Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Abia and Ondo. The Niger Delta region is the storehouse of Nigeria's crude oil which accounts for over 90% of the country's revenue. The Niger Delta as it is presently defined by the government extends to over 70,000km² and make up 7.5% of Nigeria's land mass. The Niger Delta, despite being the economic powerhouse of Nigeria has remained backward. The region is characterized by widespread poverty with about 70% of the population living below poverty line. The pervasive poverty in this region can be attributed to a number of factors but the most popular one is the obnoxious activities of the ruling class who have constituted themselves as a band of self-serving benefit captors. However, there are others who, at the lower rung of the ladder struggling to join the cartel of the ruling elites or at least, be within their corridor. These people are the economic opportunists, political adventurers and conflict entrepreneurs. All of these people, majority of whom are indigenes of the region collude with outsiders to, at the detriment of the people feast on the honeypot of crude oil. Niger Delta is believed to have almost 14,000 settlements and majority of these settlements do not have access to electricity supply, mobile communication, health care facilities, schools etc. This unfortunate situation has helped to fuel youth restiveness within the region. It is no longer news that many communities within the region are going through unspeakable hardship and deprivation as a result of oil exploration and exploitation activities. The entire environment is almost destroyed. Fishing which used to be the life-wire of the people of the area is almost forgotten because of the issue of environmental pollution and degradation. Many people have, as a result of this situation been sent to their early graves. The Niger Delta region is dominated by men considered to be savages and brutes: men who do not care about the wellbeing of their brothers and sisters. Often times, outsiders have been accused of stifling the growth and development of the area whereas, members of its ruling class are the major obstacle. It is in the Niger Delta that supposed community representatives or leaders, in colluding with enemies of their communities turn the muzzle of their guns against their own people. Even the supposed vibrant youths, the sagacious elders and respected chiefs have joined the mindless and theiving bandwagon. The Niger Delta has become an animal kingdom where the weak is eaten without regret or pity. It is in the Niger Delta that kidnapping began in Nigeria. The youths or militants who spearheaded the protest against the deplorable condition or state of the region started kidnapping expatriate workers in other to get the attention of the federal government. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, they jettisoned the struggle when they realized that there was plenty of money in kidnapping because of heavy ransome that was paid to them by the multinational oil companies. When there were no expatriates to kidnap, they switched to kidnapping non foreign workers including rich members of the region. In this way, they derailed the course of the struggle to sheer criminality. At this point, the name 'Niger Delta' became only an emblem to indulge in crime or pursue personal interest. In this regard, the boys constituted themselves into a band of criminals only good at smoking, drinking and throwing wild parties. Consequently, they became a serious clog in the wheel of progress of the region. While members of the ruling or political class were diverting or funnelling every public fund they come across into their private pockets, the youths were wrecking havoc on every conceiveable front. Used to enjoying free money, the boys never hesitated to, in the guise of defending their communities, organize a charade blockade in every slight opportunity with the intention to satisfy only their personal or selfish agenda. These activities put the companies in a discomfiting position. This behaviour has remained a source of worry to the companies - nobody would like to operate under such harsh and hostile condition. Today, the people of Niger Delta are complaining why the multinational oil/gas companies are building their headquarters outside their area of operation? But what do we expect? Nobody likes a hostile and aggressive environment. Few days ago, Dangote commissioned his mega refinery in Lagos, a state outside the Niger Delta region. This action, no doubt has ignited the ire of the people of Niger Delta. Why did Dangote choose to build his refinery in Lagos instead of Niger Delta region where the oil is obtained? This decision may not be unconnected with the unruly behaviour of the youths of Niger Delta. While I do not condemn protesting against bad and divisive schemes from multinational companies, it should be done in a proper and civilized manner. Legitimate means must be adopted to deal with erring companies. The idea of using discourteous and brute force by the youths to disrupt the activities of companies operating in the area in every slight disagreement should be discouraged because such acts are archaic and not in tandem with the spirit of the contemporary time. Similarly, the governments of the region must redefine its stand on the concept of development. Development is about promoting the wellbeing of the masses and not about window-dressing such as; building roads/overhead bridges, gigantic mansions etc. A hungry man cannot appreciate aesthetic worth or value unless he is fed. Focusing only on infrastructural development is one of the biggest problems in the region. This situation has left many people including the youths hungry and always engaging in negative schemes. The Niger Delta is a land flowing with milk and honey. Development of the region lies strictly in the hands of its leaders - they must be determined to achieve genuine development in the region. Considering the small size of the region and the volume of money at its disposal, it will only take zeal and determination to turn it into a paradise. Refusal to follow this path, meaningful development will continue to elude the region. In other words, unless this approach is followed, Niger Delta will continue to be a weeping child. 1 Like |
| Culture › Knowing Hon. Eng. Victor Igwe Masi (a Respectable Ogba Son). by ajuksobi(op): 7:41pm On May 20, 2023 |
Knowing Hon. Eng. Victor Igwe Masi (A Respectable Ogba Son). By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 19th May, 2023. Does the name Victor Igwe Masi ring a bell? Have you heard the name before? Do you know that Victor Igwe Masi is one of the most famous politicians in the history of Ogba land? Victor Igwe Masi was born on 3rd September, 1940 into the family of Tom Nwaokwogbor Igwe of Umuimegi in Uriem kindred of Omoku, Ogba land. In 1947, Victor Masi was enrolled into St. Michaels School, Omoku where he passed out in 1954. In 1955, he got admission into Okongwu Memorial Grammar School, Nnewi and graduated in 1959. The following year, 1960, he enrolled into College of Arts, Science and Technology, Enugu. At the end of the program, he again, got admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1962 where he studied Civil Engineering. In 1966, during his Industrial Training or Attachment in the Federal Ministry of Works in Enugu, he was privileged to participate in the construction of Niger bridge and other notable projects in the country. While in Enugu, the heart and seat of government of the Igbos, Victor Masi, in order to gain acceptability chose to be known and addressed as 'Mazi' instead of 'Mmasi' of the Ogbas. After the civil war, precisely in 1970, he engaged himself in a part-time lecturing job in College of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt till 1972. In 1979, after floating a civil engineering company, Victor Masi ventured into politics where providence smiled at him. On the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), he, under the old Ahoada Federal Constituency won election into the Federal House of Representatives. Incidentally, Victor Masi, was appointed as Minister of Works from October of that year to January, 1983 when he was again appointed Minister of Finance, a position he held until a military coup led by Muhammadu Buhari brought the Second Republic to an abrupt end. With the coup, key politicians or political office holders were arrested and thrown into jail. Those arrested were given varying degrees of allegation. For Victor Masi, he was slammed with a seven count charge bothering on accepting bribes and kickbacks worth more than $1.87million from a company seeking the Nigerian government's guarantee for a foreign loan of $72.3million. The military also alleged that Victor Masi influenced the award of $9.87million contract to a company in which he had a 50% share. He was also accused of taking bribes from other construction companies. It must however be noted that Victor Masi, prior to the termination of the Second Republic had made significant contributions toward development in Nigeria and Ogba land in particular. As Minister of Works, he initiated the building or construction of several bridges and tollgates across the Federation. He also initiated the idea of constructing many Federal roads as well as Federal buildings across different states of the country. Within Ogba land, he constructed the famous Ahoada road: a road that runs from Ahoada through Omoku to Egbema. In order to establish the presence of the Federal government in Omoku, he did not only influence the siting of a prison in Omoku, he began the construction of the prison along Obrikom road close to the permanent site of the Federal College of Education (Technical). Similarly, he influenced the siting of Federal College of Education (Technical) in Omoku. During his tenure as Finance Minister, he conceived and implemented the 1.5% derivation fund for oil producing communities. Within this period, he established limits for foreign loans for Federal and State governments among others. Within the period, he influenced the establishment of United Bank for Africa Limited, (UBA) in Omoku. After he was released from detention by Ibrahim Babangida, the new military leader, he steered clear from politics and went into private practice by fully activating his engineering firm, Mangrove Engineering Company. Although, within this period, he had received appointments in the State and also earned national and international awards. In 2003, he passed on to the great beyond after a brief illness. Victor Masi, during his lifetime was an admirable colossus. He was a philanthropist of a towering height. The people loved him because of his untiring love and dedication towards the growth and development of Ogba land especially, Omoku. Whenever he visits home, his house becomes a pilgrimage site of some sort; individuals and groups rushed to greet him in order to be blessed with cash gift while others go to catch a glimpse of his much talked about gigantic mansion where cars are parked upstairs. To the people, it was difficult to explain how a car could climb staircase: such a shocking spectacle had generated heated arguments among the people. Victor Masi was indeed a blessing to Ogba land. Although, he is gone but his good works still speak for him. 1 Like |
| Christianity Etc › The Sanctity Of Human Blood by ajuksobi(op): 9:07am On May 14, 2023 |
THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN BLOOD. By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 13th May, 2023. Blood, especially human blood is sacred and must be treated with reverence. Human blood, for whatever reason must not be shed. This may sound sarcastic but that's the truth. Despite the fact that King David was a man after God's own heart, God insisted that he (David) will not build a house in His (God's) name because he 'hast shed blood'. God values blood so much so that He said 'the life of every creature is its blood'. If this is the case, why do people take delight in shedding blood including those of innocent people? Except for the purpose of self defense, I do not think there's any reason to justify sheding of blood. As a corporeal being, it may seem or appear justifiable to take out the live(s) of some people especially, those who have hurt us in a very significant way. But by eliminating the supposed offender, the offence is not reversed. The only succour or compensation in this regard is the feeling that justice has been served on the offender. Looking at history, I do not think there's any man who ended well after shedding blood. It doesn't matter the reason for which one sheds blood except for the purpose of self defense, there must be tragic mark in the life of such a fellow. The same applies to hunter's. In our local communities, it is believed that great hunters - hunters who have killed several animal usually do not end well. There's always something bad about them that is attributed to their hunting activity. Also in our local communities, it is no longer news that even those who, in the course of protecting society shed the blood of criminals often end in a very tragic manner. While I do not condemn the idea of dealing with hoodlums or criminal elements in our society, it should be done in such a way that we do not soil our hands by shedding blood. |
| Culture › Knowing Egbema Nation by ajuksobi(op): 1:49pm On May 11, 2023 |
KNOWING EGBEMA NATION. By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 11th May, 2023 Egbema is one of the ethnic groups in southern Nigeria. Egbema people, according to some commentators migrated from Bini in early 16th Century and settled in their present location which they call 'Alinso' meaning 'holy or sacred land'. In 1931 they changed the name to Egbema but the name 'Alinso' had remained in the background. However, some people have rejected this assertion saying it is baseless as there is no evidence to support the claim that Egbema people originated from Bini. According to them, Egbema people migrated from Igbo heartland especially, the Isuama area. Egbema is blessed with both human and natural resources. Egbema has a fertile land and rich wild life. Majority of Egbema people are farmers, hunters and fishermen. Among the numerous natural resources in Egbema is crude oil and natural gas. Many Egbema sons and daughters occupy sensitive positions in both the public and private sectors respectively. One of its sons, Mr. Mike Okiro rose in the Nigeria Police Force to become an Inspector General in the foremost security organization. Egbema was a single or unified ethnic nationality with 16 communities. The 16 communities include; Abacheke, Mmahu, Obiakpu, Etekwuru, Mgbede, Aggah, Okwuzi, Obokofia, Abaezhi, Umudike, Umuoji, Mgbara, Opuoma, Obeakpu, Ekugba and Oforoada. Unfortunately, Egbema today is divided: it is split between Rivers and Imo states. The division of Egbema came as a result of a desperate political manuevering. The first attempt to split or divide the group by the powerful ruling elite of Nigeria began in the colonial era precisely in 1959. The plan was to move certain parts of the group from Ahoada Division which was its original Division to Oguta County Council. This plan however, did not see the light of day. Prior to the division of Egbema in 1976, a prominent son of Egbema land from Abacheke in present Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo state, Sunny N. A. Uzor was installed as the paramount ruler - Nzeobi of the entire Egbema ethnic nationality then in Rivers state. As a highly respected and influential ruler, the Nzeobi made enormous contributions toward the growth and development of Egbema ethnic nationality and Rivers state at large. In the 70's, following issues bothering on political disagreements, the Nzeobi and 13 communities of Egbema were, under the Murtala Muhammed's regime moved into the newly created state (Imo state) on the 3rd February, 1976. Only 3 communities remained in Rivers state - the 3 communities are; Mgbede, Aggah and Okwuzhi. These communities today make up Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area in Rivers state while the other 13 form Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area in Imo state. During the reign of Nzeobi of Egbema, the monarch was able to rule over the two blocs but after his demise on 8th August 2009, the stool has remained unoccupied because of the difficulty associated with superintending over people in different states. However, it is on record that the respected Nzeobi never supported the splitting of his Kingdom. In this regard, he, during the Justice Irikefe panel on creation of new states and boundary adjustment in 1975 reasoned that 'it was suicidal as well as criminal to split the inseparable and indivisible Egbema just to satisfy the whims and caprices of politicians'. Regardless of the problem of division, Egbemas are great people with rich cultural heritage. The Egbema people are predisposed to unimpeachable rectitude and integrity. This is why they refer to themselves as 'Nde-nso' meaning 'holy people' and their land 'Alinso' meaning 'holy or sacred land'. Egbema has a number of festivals that are celebrated at different periods of the year. Some of the festivals include; Igwa-Ji, Iwu-Azhi, Ichi-Ozo, Igba-Mgba, Isu-Uzo, Ike-Ihuru, Idu-Miri, Owu/Idu-Miri Okrosha, Iri-Ji etc. The Egbema people have high regard for tradition. Egbema is host to numerous institutions both public and private. It must however be noted that Egbema has some of the biggest names in the oil and gas sector operating on its soil - these organizations are; Shell Petroleum Development Company (Nig) Ltd (SPDC), Chevron Nig. Ltd., Nigeria Agip Oil Company Ltd. (NAOC). One of the biggest challenges confronting the Egbema nation today is the division - they're an insignificant minority in both Rivers and Imo states; their voices are hardly heard despite their enormous contribution towards the wealth of the State. It is against this background that Mike Okiro as the national leader of Ogbakor Egbema Alinso, the apex socio-cultural body of the Egbema people two years ago, called on the Federal Government to create a local government for all the Egbema communities in Rivers and Imo states. Okiro further added that 'it doesn't matter whether the local government will be in Rivers or Imo'. All they crave for is to be united again! From: The New Onelga Pinnacle |
| Politics › The Transient Nature Of Human by ajuksobi(op): 8:25am On May 06, 2023 |
THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF POWER By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 6th May, 2023 There is nothing as sweet or pleasing as power. Being in possession of power makes one unique and outstanding in the midst of others. Power makes its possessors special and sometimes elevate them to the status of gods. Power can be so intoxicating that it can delude its bearers into believing that they're invincible. Examples abound where power holders forget about their mortality and begin to feel that they're gods. In this way, they demand or take accolade that is actually not theirs. For the purpose of clarity, what exactly is power? 'Power is the ability to control people or things'. Owing to the benefits that power confers on its holders, man, from the very beginning has been at loggerhead with each other over who should be entrusted with power. Different societies have different means or methods of deciding who gets power. While some use their physical strength (military coup d'etat) to acquire power others use traditional or constitutional means (election). One of the remarkable features of power is that it is transient. As far as man and human society is concerned, power does not last forever. This is why it is said that power has the tendency for diminishing returns. Unfortunately, power holders do not understand this: the desire or quest to remain in power forever has dominated the heart of many such that they no longer listen to the voice of reason. In this regard, many have lost everything including their lives in a most tragic manner. Lord Acton, a British historian and philosopher observed that a person's sense of morality lessens as his/her power increases. It is against this background that he formulated his popular cliche 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'. In our clime, members of the ruling or political class have found a way to circumvent the system such that, the principles of checks and balances are rendered ineffective. As a result, those vested with power of the state act with reckless abandon - they flout laws of the land with impunity. Many of them operate without regard for other, this behaviour often times have pitched them against members of the public. A typical example is the 'Endsars' protest that took place over two years ago. Based on the enormous power at the disposal of our power holders, many of them equate themselves to God. Whenever they open their mouth to speak, you'll notice an excessive conceit of their brilliance and superiority. But a day will come when they will relinquish that which makes them swollen headed - power. That day, they will understand that they're mere mortals and belong to the human society in which Aristotle, in his book, 'The Politics' refer to as the 'Polis'. By the time they step down from power, all the paraphernalia of office and the noise that is associated with power is detached from them. At this point, the ordinariness of their being dawns on them. For instance, they will be caught up in traffic jam (go slow). They will pass on the road without anyone taking notice of them. At the end, they're just ordinary mortals open to the vagaries of life. Power has left them. Those vested with power must understand that power is transient. They must also learn that power has its independent existence - it only abides or dwells temporarily on individuals. What is done when it comes upon an individual is clearly captured or recorded against his/her name by posterity. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: The Wrath Of God by ajuksobi(op): 8:58pm On May 04, 2023 |
The believe in God is paramount in understanding what I have written. 1. Whoever believes that God is the same yesterday, today and forever will agree with me that God punishes sinners even till this day. 2. Even in pagan societies, evil men are scattered like chaff before the wind -their success last only for a brief period of time. 3. God's commandment in this context was used in a general sense to connote His inviolable standard and not the Law as it relates to the Old Testament. |
| Christianity Etc › The Wrath Of God by ajuksobi(op): 2:54pm On May 04, 2023 |
THE WRATH OF GOD By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 4th May, 2023 It appears that the belief in an all powerful God that has the capacity to make and unmake is gradually waning. This development is however not unconnected with the upsurge in science; a system which explain phenomenons and events purely from an empirical perspective. In this way, many people either reject the believe in the existence of an all powerful God or adopt an indifferent disposition towards the issue. To this class of people, there is nothing like wrath of God. If there is anything like that, people wouldn't be committing atrocities and going away with it but, is it true that people go scot-free from their evil or wicked deeds? The answer is 'NO'. What exactly is wrath? Wrath can be defined as 'the emotional response to a perceived wrong or injustice'. Wrong actions have the tendency to elicit vengeful reaction. In this regard, we notice that both man and God can react or respond appropriately to actions. Since our concern is on God, we shall focus our attention on how God responds to wrong or negative actions. While man's response to action can be traced to emotion and without justification, God's response is not. God does not respond based on sentiment but on holiness; this is why His response is always justified. The wrath of God is a divine response to man's sin and disobedience. There are countless examples of how God responded to cases of man's disobedience in the Bible. The wrath of God is permanently directed at those who willfully go against His commandments. As much as God pours His wrath on those who disobey Him, He blesses those who obey and fear Him. In this present age, it appears that the belief in the wrath of God has slipped into antiquity - people no longer see such thoughts as something worthy of attention. No wonder they act in such reckless and debased manner. Some years ago, my father called me and said 'you should not be too surprised about the way things are going in the world; majority of people who are inflicted with one unpleasant situation or the other may be actually suffering from their evil or wicked deeds'. In this world, many people, out if sheer desperation to acquire earthly riches and fame secretly commit all manner of heinous atrocities under the watchful eyes of God. Some of the wickedness perpetrated by these fellows include; conspiracy and murder of innocent people, fraud, rape, robbery, ritual killings, deceit etc. The omniscient and omnipotent God will never let such wickedness go unpunished. He will certainly arise and visit the perpetrators of such wickedness with His wrath. In Proverbs 11:21, God maintained that: 'assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished but the descendants of the righteous will be delivered' To show or prove the efficacy of God's ability or power to punish those who willfully violate His commandments, let us turn our attention to those families in the past that were known for wickedness and see what has become of them today. Like dry leaves, they have been consumed by the fire or wrath of God. Likewise, let us cast our minds to evil and wicked individuals we used to know in the past and check where they are today - there is no trace of them or their offsprings. In contrast, let us look at at families of those who feared and revered God, their light shines even brighter - it never goes out. The hands of God is always there to uphold such families. For those who have poised themselves to transgress the will of God, be it known that no amount of worldly riches and power can save them from being consumed sooner or later by the wrath of God. The only way to evade or escape this fire is by turning away from ungodliness. I can bear witness to the power of God in consuming agents of wickedness. During our growing up days, majority of the boys and girls who had fondness for wickedness and participated in varied wicked act have, in one way or another disappeared from the surface of the earth. Those who paraded themselves as 'superhumans' have mysteriously evaporated; all of the things connected to them have equally evaporated with them. The few who are alive today only serve as relics of the past. For those who think that they can knowingly and willingly transgress the inviolable standard of God and get away with it, be reminded that the wrath of God will consume you very soon. |
| Education › Education: A Means To An End In Nigeria? by ajuksobi(op): 3:41pm On Apr 24, 2023*. Modified: 5:18pm On Apr 28, 2023 |
EDUCATION: A MEANS TO AN END IN NIGERIA? By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 24th April, 2023. The importance of education in our lives and society in general cannot be overemphasized. Education offers a lot of benefit, this is why people sacrifice so much time, energy and resources to acquire it. For the purpose of clarity, education refers to the act of studying in order to gain knowledge and understanding. Obviously, education is not limited to the knowledge gained through books. However, the knowledge gained through books in an orderly learning environment which include; classrooms, specially trained teachers, teaching equipment, examinations etc remains the best type of education. Without doubt, education offers variety of benefits such as; financial security and stability, self-dependency, confidence etc but when these benefits are stripped from education, how many people can beat their chest and say 'I want to pursue education?' I'm not sure anybody will be interested in spending his/her resources going through education without expecting anything in return. The situation is worse in our clime where hunger and poverty hold sway. In developed societies where many of Africa's troubles have been conquered, it is possible for an individual to devote his/her entire life and resources in studying the behavior of ants. In Nigeria, this will amount to foolishness. This explains why many people go into certain disciplines or fields - to make money at the end of the day and not because they are driven by the passion to study such courses. In this regard, morality should be our guide. The absence of a finely honed sense of rectitude has reduced the fabric of our society - everybody wants to cut corners. What the society is concerned about is success but not interested to know the source through which the success is achieved. This type of value system has decimated our society. In the area of education, getting certificates is the most important issue, nobody cares whether the certificate is bought or not. This attitude has resulted in having educated illiterates and half-baked graduates. Against this background, we see supposedly educated people who are supposed to be the conscience of society engaging in all manner of callous and insensitive activities. A typical example is the role played by Hudu Yunusa, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa state in the recent gubernatorial election. As one with an excellent academic record, he got himself embroiled in a disgraceful and embarrassing situation. Actually, this is not the first time a member of the academia is getting involved in such high degree of electoral malfeasance. As a matter of fact, the highly respected professors collude with politicians to steal the people's mandate. It is on record that University administrators, many of whom are professors are involved in high level fraud. This can only occur in a dysfunctional educational system where premium is placed on material riches rather than knowledge and integrity. No wonder, lecturers in higher institutions indulge in all sorts of questionable and dishonest activities. Many of them romance with politicians and even compete with them in terms of material riches. There are lecturers who hardly go to the classroom yet, they're in the payroll of the institution. Many people who pass through our educational system end up as embarrassment to themselves and the institution they passed out from. Recently, I interacted with a man who just bagged a Ph.D. In the course of my interaction with him, I was shocked to learn that the fellow was completely ignorant of certain key concepts in his area of specialization. While this may not apply to everybody, it is disturbing that a Ph.D holder is not familiar with some basic or elementary concepts in his field of study yet, he never fails to brag about his exalted academic qualification whenever the opportunity presents itself. To majority of Nigerians, education is nothing but a means to financial security and stability. To put our educational system on the path of greatness where it will be rated based on passion and commitment and; also as an end in itself, there has to be a serious re-orientation. Likewise, education should be made more attractive by the government. It is a known fact that our institutions of learning are plagued by incessant strikes, poor remuneration for teachers, inadequate funding, dilapidated facilities and unqualified teachers. In 2022, the Higher Education World University revealed that 'only 6 Nigerian Universities were recognized out of the 1000 Universities in the world'. This failure can only be attributed to depreciating values placed on education e.g., viewing education as a means to an end (wealth). Another way of strengthening the educational system in the country is to ensure that stringent measures are employed in carrying out assessment: a credible system that is based on merit and competence should be designed to ensure that only qualified and competent persons are admitted into the sector either as teachers or students. One may wonder if such dream is achievable in a society where corruption and bigotry hold sway? Despite the difficulty, we must continue to maintain a positive disposition and continue to aim at perfection. |
| Christianity Etc › Gift From Two Cultures by ajuksobi(op): 7:56pm On Apr 13, 2023 |
GIFT FROM TWO CULTURES (Read and Learn) By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 13th April, 2023. Introduction: Most of the gifts or blessings that the world enjoys today was bequeathed to it by two cultures, the Indo-European and Semitic cultures.Before I proceed, it is important to take a brief look at the two cultures. Indo-European Culture: The Indo-European culture refers to all nations that use the Indo-European languages. These languages stretch beyond the entire Europe to India and Iran. The original Indo-Europeans, over four thousand years ago lived in the land around the Black sea and the Caspian sea. From this location, they spread to different territories in Europe including India and Iran. One of the things that facilitated the spread was their ability to assimilate or mix very well with the local or host culture. Semitic culture: The Semitic culture is rooted in the Biblical name, Shem. Shem was the son of Noah. Shem is traditionally believed to be the ancestor of Jews and Arabs. The Semitic culture which has Jews and Arabs also have others ancient groups like; Phoenicians, Arameans and modern languages such as Maltese etc. ************************************* 1. Did you know that Indo-European culture was influenced by the belief in many gods - polytheism? 2. Did you know that the name of their gods run through the entire Indo-European territory? Examples; a. Ancient Indians called their celestial or heavenly or sky god 'Dyaus' b. The ancient Greeks called this god 'Zeus' c. In Latin, it was called 'Jupiter' d. In ancient Norse it was call 'Tyr' Beside these gods, there were also others gods that their only difference was just the dialectical variants. 3. Like name of gods, there was close affinity in myths. Some of the things that run through the myths in Indo-European culture are; 'immortal portions', 'the struggle of the gods against the monsters of chaos' etc. 4. Indo-European thought favours the believe that the world is made up of forces of good and evil. These forces are engaged in eternal struggle. 5. The Indo-Europeans believed more in 'insight' into the world e.g., In Sanskrit, the word, 'insight' is 'vidya'. In Greek, the word, 'insight' is 'idea'. In Latin it is 'video' with emphasis on 'to see'. 'To see' means 'understanding'. In English, the word is 'wise or wisdom'. In German it is 'wissen' (to know). Against this background, it became characteristic for the Indo-European culture to make pictures and sculptures of gods and mythical events. 6. For the Indo-Europeans, history, like seasons of the year move in a cyclic form - it has no end. Different civilizations will rise and fall. This applies in all areas of life including power and wealth. This thought dominate the religious and philosophical teachings across the entire Indo-European culture. 7. Pantheism: Man can become one with God through religious insight. This is found mainly in Buddhism and Hinduism but it cuts across the entire Indo-European believe system. This believe is also known as the transmigration of the soul or the circle of rebirth. The ultimate purpose of life for everyone, according to the Indians is 'release from the circle of birth'. The Semites: The Semites belong to a completely different culture with a completely different language. The Semitic race originated in the Arabian peninsula but migrated to different parts of the world. Arabs and Jews constitute the major tribes in the Semitic race. Semitic history and religions were spread by Christianity and Islam. The three major religions in Semitic culture include; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. These religions share the same background. 8. Did you know that the old Testament and the Koran was written in the Semitic family of languages? For example, one of the Old Testament words for 'God' has the same semantic root as the Muslim 'Allah'. The word 'Allah' simply means 'God'. 9. Did you know that the New Testament has the same semantic background with Judaism and Islam but was written in Greek? 10. Did you know that by writing the New Testament in Greek, certain Indo-European believes and doctrines crept into the Christain faith? For example, celebration of Christmas, making of paintings and images of Jesus Christ etc. 11. The Semites from very early time came to believe in only one God - Monotheism. 12. The Semites have a linear view of history. What this means is that, history is an ongoing line e.g., in the beginning God created the world but one day, the world will come to an end. This will be on the judgement day, a day when the living and the dead will be judged. 13. In the Semites culture, it is believed that God intervenes in the affairs of men e.g., God led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt to the promised land. 14. On the last day, every evil in the world will end - this constitutes the core of their historical and religious root. 15. Jerusalem is the center of Semitic worship. It is also known as the Eternal city. 16. The most important of the senses for the Indo-Europeans was 'sight', 'to see' or 'vision' but for the Semites, it was 'hearing'. Did you know that the Jewish creed begins with 'Hear O Israel!'. In the Old Testament, prophets only hear from God but never see... They begin their sermon or message with 'thus says the Lord'. The same applies in Christianity and Islam. For this reason, the Semites never made images or sculptures of God or persons or events relating to Him. The Old Testament even warned that people should not make images of God - this is still the case today in Judaism and Islam. In Christianity, this is not the case because of the influence of Greeko-Roman (Indo-European) culture. 17. Unlike the Indo-Europeans, the Semites religious belief is not focused or concerned about the release from the circle of rebirth but to be redeemed from sin. Religious life for the Semites is centered on prayer, sermon and study of the word and not self-communion and meditation. Conclusion: From the foregoing, it is without doubt that the two cultures have offered humanity with great gifts in the area of philosophy and religion. Without these cultures, great characters or personalities like Jesus and Mohammed would not have been possible. It is also glaring that the belief and practice of the people of the two cultures did not fall from the blues (as they would sometimes make us to believe) but simply products of their cultures. |
| Crime › Wickedness by ajuksobi(op): 3:18pm On Apr 09, 2023 |
WICKEDNESS By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. 9th April, 2023 ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com Wickedness is a debased act: it does not only lower the integrity of the actor, it inflicts pain and suffering on the victim. By way of definition, wickedness is "the quality of being evil or morally wrong". Examples of wickedness include; disregard for constituted authority, justice, righteousness, truth, honour, evil in thought and life. Several reasons account for why people are wicked but two reasons are very significant - pride and aggressiveness. Proud people can do anything to further their interest. They feel that they're better than every other person. Proud people are rather aggressive than humble - they can act in a manner that undermines the interest and wellbeing of others without any feeling of pity or regret. Any man who takes delight in wickedness will always look for justification for being wicked. People who are wicked sometimes look at simplicity and humility as weakness. For this reason, they adore and worship villains or evildoers - those who make life unbearable for others. During the Nigerian civil war, a young Biafran soldier of not more than 27 years of age, Ogueri was known for being maniacally wicked. Without any provocation, Ogueri will shoot dead any civilian he dislikes. Ogueri was so wicked that even his superiors feared him; he relished in wicked deeds. Ogueri does not see beautiful girls. Whenever he does, he abducts them and rapes them to his heart content before releasing them. Married women were not free from his evil escapades. He abused them each time he had the opportunity to do so. One cool evening, he moved rapidly into a particular house with his automatic rifle perching loosely on his shoulder and demanded to have sex with the beautiful woman of the house right in the presence of her husband. Every entreaty to make him rescind his decision fell on deaf ears. According to the dictate of his heart, he had carnal knowledge of the woman right under the watchful eyes of the sobbing husband. Ogueri was an epitome of wickedness. One day, while sitting under a mango tree and enjoying the late morning breeze, his loaded rifle which he forgot to put on safety suddenly exploded and a bullet from the muzzle of the rifle tore through his right thigh almost severing it. His colleagues who were there with him pretended to be concerned in saving his life but in reality, they wanted him to die because of his wickedness. Before an ambulance could arrive to take him to the military hospital, he had passed away. Cause of death? Excessive bleeding! Another agent of wickedness I would like to discuss is Abu Miesigha popularly known as 'Abu'. Abu was an Izon man. He was a good boxer who participated in different boxing competitions within and outside the country until he derailed and went into the life of drug abuse. To satisfy his urge or craving for drugs, he resorted to all manner of criminality. As a strong boxer, he never failed to put his boxing skills to use whenever the need arises. Abu who grew up in the Bundu axis of Port Harcourt later relocated to Diobu area of the same town in order to further his nefarious activities. In Diobu, Abu became a known threat to the residents of the area. There was hardly anybody in Diobu, especially Mile 2 and 3 who was not familiar with the name, Abu. Abu had different means of attacking his victims and dispossessing them of their valuables such as; money, jewelries etc. The most vulnerable victims of Abu were the commercial motorcyclists (okada men) who had just began to use their motorcycles for commercial purpose in order to make ends meet. In the night , Abu would take a bike from one location of town to his cherished spots where he disposseses okada men of their hard-earned money. In situations where there is a resistance from the okada man, Abu will singlehandedly beat the okada man black and blue before leaving with his loot. Abu was a dreadful fellow such that people feared to attack him. For this reason, he pranced the streets with the courage and boldness of a lion while eyes pored silently at him . On 31st August 1994, Abu met his Waterloo when the Mobile policemen stationed at Azikiwe by Ojoto junction caught him while trying to flee from a woman he had robbed. After his arrest, myriad of negative reports from residents began to flow to the police such that, he was extinguished that very night. The following day when the news of Abu's death was broken to the public, the entire Diobu went agog with jubilation. The people could not hide their joy: they took to the streets to celebrate. The okada men in their motorcycles came out en-masse to celebrate the death of their greatest adversary. In the course of the jubilation, they, using their bikes entertained the people with dexterous hair raising displays. Wickedness is a bitch; it consumes those who engage in it. Those who understands this and turn away from it are spared tragic and shameful end. But those who are intransigent and self-opinionated will end like chaff before the wind - they shall be disgraced! Wickedness is so grievous that it perforates the name of its agents. In history, wicked people are often treated with hate and derision. For instance, nobody adores the name 'Judas' because it is believed to be associated with evil. Children whose parents were destroyed by their wickedness usually do not want to be reminded about their history - there is nothing proud and honourable about it. Let us shun wickedness in order not to be consumed by it. |
| Christianity Etc › Where Does Your Hope Lie? by ajuksobi(op): 2:19pm On Apr 05, 2023 |
WHERE DOES YOUR HOPE LIE? By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 4th April, 2023 The term 'hope' is a crucial driver of human life: it is difficult to conceive a life without it. Hope reenergizes, it sustains life even when every conceivable reason to survive has jumped off the window. When everything surrenders, hope stands tall, shining indistinctly with a faintly luminous quality. Hope is simply 'a desire for something good in the future'. This good can be a healing, material prosperity, marriage, job opportunity, admission into institution of learning etc. As long as it is something good that one expects in the future, it is hope. Hope, most often than not is predicated on faith. It is hard to talk about hope without faith. Faith is the basis upon which hope is built. For instance, how can one have hope of going to heaven when he/she has no faith in God? Hope is special because its concern is the future while faith can be about the past and present. Whenever there is full assurance of hope, faith is there. As a being in the world, where exactly does your hope lie? Is it in your existential capabilities, connection, political power, material riches, occultic power or the Almighty God? Experience has shown that people's source of hope reveal the way they compose or carry themselves. For example, members of the political class who put their trust and hope in their political power act in a very reckless manner. Their blustering and swaggering conduct shows quite clearly that they rely solely on their own capabilities. This is why they can afford to, in a public function dance for joy when the people are dying of hunger and poverty. Their trust and hope is never in the people to determine their fate! From my little understanding, hope is in varying degrees. While some hope focuses on the desire for something good, others especially those relating to God Almighty focuses on the certainty that the good expected will be done or achieved when you approach God with faithfulness and humility. Recently, we had a situation in our house that we earnestly wanted God to intervene. As a result, my wife and I cried out to God with faith. Everytime we prayed, we got a strong feeling of assurance that He has already answered our prayers - this is confident expectation. It can only be achieved through faith. To the glory of God He answered our prayers as we had hoped. I do not know where your hope lie but for me, it's God Almighty and it's been awesome! |
| Culture › The Concept Of Okpokpo In Dispute Resolution In Ogba Land by ajuksobi(op): 7:32pm On Mar 20, 2023 |
THE CONCEPT OF OKPOKPO IN DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN OGBA LAND. By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 19th March, 2023 Long before the colonialists penetrated the continent of Africa, Africans including Ogba people had institutional mechanisms of settling disputes. The essence of this was to maintain values of peace, tolerance, solidarity and respect for one another. The approach or method applied in resolving disputes reflected the communalistic way of life of the people. In traditional Ogba society, the people were governed by participatory democracy - decisions were not taken by one person alone but the entire house known as 'imeulor' and larger family known as 'obudo'. Beyond this, the entire village sometimes converge in the playground (Anama) to deliberate or try to settle a particular case. In this scenario, the elders (okhyes) remained in the epicenter of the deliberation. Meetings or gatherings at the various levels were not only to resolve disputes but to manage and prevent reoccurrence of similar quarrel or disagreement. In this regard, whatever decision that is reached becomes binding on all parties. The reason being that, individuals are intrinsically connected to their families. Since family is concerned, every member of the family e.g, elders, family heads etc become deeply involved in the resolution of the conflict. In traditional Ogba society, major causes of conflict are identified as; land, chieftaincy, personal relationship issues, family property, honour, murder, arson, rape, poisoning through sorcery and witchcraft means, malicious allegations, matrimonial fall outs etc. In addressing these problems, the principles of equity, justice and fairness are constantly employed in order to get a satisfactory result. The major thrust of this work however, is not on the general approach towards settling conflict or dispute between warring parties but in the concept of 'okpokpo'. okpokpo is a dispute resolution mechanism geared towards addressing weighty or heinous allegations. In Ogba tradition, there are cases that; because of their degree of seriousness were not discussed at the house (imeulor) or family (obudo) levels but in village square or playground. Okpokpo, is sometimes erroneously referred to the process of summoning members to a case in the playground. Okpokpo actually goes beyond inviting members of the community but about what goes on in the arena such as; giving of statement by the accused and defendant, trial and ruling or pronouncement by the elders. Okpokpo is reserved for very serious cases. Okpokpo, according to Ogba tradition is the height of arbitration in the land. Any case that gets to the level of okpokpo had reached the climax of dispute. For this reason, many people avoided it because they do not want the entire community or village listening to their problem. The process of instituting an okpokpo case is different from other trivial cases. Before an okpokpo case is instituted, the landlords (Umuezalis) of the particular community or village will be notified by the aggrieved person or person(s). Upon receipt of such notification, invitation is extended to the accused person to appear in the playground on a given day and time in order to respond to the allegation leveled against him/her. When all the necessary conditions are met, the landlords (Umuezalis), in the playground beat their traditional drum to summon the people. At the end, if the accused is found guilty, he/she may be compelled to make reparations, swear an oath, be banished etc. Okpokpo in traditional Ogba society was very effective because of the size of the community - Ogba communities were not as big as they are today. For example, Obieti playground (Anama Obieti) was a central point for Omoku people. Whatever happens in the playground is heard by all and sundry including those in the plantations and other communities or villages Incidentally, the introduction of modern judicial system and its strict processes have religated the idea and practice of okpokpo to the background. However, the custodians of Ogba culture can workout modalities to improve the practice and make it more attractive. |
| Nairaland General › Kerosene Lantern by ajuksobi(op): 6:45pm On Mar 17, 2023 |
KEROSENE LANTERN By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 17th March, 2023 Look closely at the picture, do you recognize the item in it? It is called kerosene lantern. Kerosene lantern is called 'utukpe' in Ogba language, 'fitilar kananzir' in hausa, 'atupa Kerosene' in yoruba, 'mpanaka' in igbo etc. Kerosene lanterns are simply lanterns that burn kerosene by pulling it up through a wick within the lantern, creating light. Worldwide, an estimated 1.6 billion people use kerosene or other similar oil as their primary source of fuel for lighting. Although, kerosene is a better fuel choice for cooking and lighting than solid fuels, there are many concerns - both environmentally and in terms of health. Just few decades ago, kerosene lantern used to be a major source of light at night. There was hardly any home without kerosene lantern. From a distance, one could see the lantern flickering off and on. In the night, any house that the lantern was not seen to be glowing in its usual unsteady manner suggests quite clearly that "there was nobody in the house". In the rural areas as well as the semi urban areas people, especially women who go out in moonless nights carry lanterns to help illuminate their path; this saved many of them from stepping on snakes and other dangerous reptiles. While this practice subsists in northern part of the country, it also serve to erase any form of suspicion bothering on infidelity. The reason being that, nights are the most appropriate time for women especially, those in the 'purdah' to visit close family relations. The use of kerosene lanterns required care and diligence. Before dusk, the globe, a round glass that protects the naked flame and yet ensures that unobstructed light is given was thoroughly washed. The same goes for the kerosene - it had to be at a reasonable level. The lantern was just like a vehicle, everything had to be in their rightful position before the ignition could be turned on. With the improvement of power supply and the introduction of modern rechargeable lanterns and torchlights, the kerosene lanterns have gradually disappeared from the market. Similarly, the astronomical price of kerosene has further religated the kerosene lanterns to the background. Even if kerosene lantern is given to everybody free of charge, I'm convinced that many people will not be able to use it. Kerosene lantern belong to the past now, its place has been taken over by better and cleaner sources of energy. However, it is important for the younger ones who never used it to know how valuable it used to be in time past. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Nairaland General › The Evanescent Nature Of Human Life by ajuksobi(op): 8:48pm On Mar 16, 2023 |
THE EVANESCENT NATURE OF HUMAN LIFE By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 16th March, 2023 The human life is like a vapour - it vanishes even before it gets started. Many people approach life with resolute doggedness only to realize that they have been on a wild goose chase. As beautiful or colourful as the rainbow, human life is marked by unending fleetingness. In the bipolar world of birth and death in which man is enmeshed, there seem to be an electromagnetic force attached to one of the poles that constantly beckons on him to come without delay. This is exemplified in the growth of children and the rapidity with which adults age. I recall quite clearly how, only few decades ago, I used to defecate in a potty but today, I am almost wrapped in gray. Also, many of those who were noted to be the "talk and dos" have either gone limb or flown away. This is the evanescent nature of human life. Concerning the fluidity of human life, there is one musical group that never ceases to catch my attention. Each time I reflect over this group, the vanity and emptiness of human life stares me right in the face. This group is no other than the Jacksons popularly known as Jackson 5. The group or band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana. The band was made up of five brothers; Jackie, Tito, Jermain, Marlon and Michael. The group was managed by Joe Jackson, the father of the five brothers. The Jacksons or Jackson 5 crossed the threshold of world history as the first African American group to gain global attention. The Jacksons won different laurels and awards. According to sources, the Jacksons sold more than 100 million records. The Jacksons at the peak of their career left many enthralled to the extent that they wondered the stuff from which the brothers were made. The Jacksons hypnotized their audience with their excellent performance so much so that, on many occasions they have been described as angels. Michael, the youngest of the Jacksons who carried a much more blazing neon mesmerized the women folk such that they fainted at his wave. Michael and his brothers were indeed, a special breed; they never, given the opportunity failed to startle their audience with their awesome performance. Unfortunately, all that is left of the Jackson 5 today is the memory of their great exploit. The brothers who held the world spellbound with their beautiful songs and unique dance steps have all transmogrified into old men - that which held the audience especially, the ladies transfixed has flown away with the wind and never to return. Michael who had so much energy and fire inside of him at a point, saw fame and wealth reduce his life to tatters - he was never able to pickup the pieces. Such is the nature of human life. No matter one's position or station in life, let us not forget that we're all like a thick smoke waiting to be blown away by the wind. The only legacy we can bequeath to posterity is good name. A good name is better than silver and gold. Material riches and fame are inferior to good name because while good name transcends time and space, material riches and fame melts away with the passage of time. In all that we do, let us exercise restrain because the human life is like a flowing water - it is never constant! |
| Literature › Nobody Knows Tomorrow by ajuksobi(op): 5:39pm On Mar 05, 2023 |
NOBODY KNOWS TOMORROW There is a dark and impenetrable veil between the present and the future: no one can see through it. At best, it can only be imagined. Tomorrow, will forever remain a mystery because nobody will, with precision predict what it has for us. While the morning looks bright and promising, the evening may turn out to be gloomy and heartbreaking. The attempt to know tomorrow is like trying to untie the impossible knot: no matter the amount of effort that is committed to untying the knot, it will end in futility. Tomorrow is characterized by uncertainty. No man can speak of tomorrow with certainty. This is not to say that certain aspects of tomorrow or the future cannot be predicted with certainty e.g., things that have always followed a specific or particular pattern such as; rising and setting of the sun, change in season, sowing and harvesting etc. Tomorrow is eminently capricious that it cannot be predicted using logic or reason. Based on the concept of ‘tomorrow’, two people using the same method may get varied result. This is why it is said that, “Mr. A may dance and is compensated with monetary gift and; Mr. B does same and is greeted with strokes of the cane”. What a damning contradiction! In Isoble, a community in Niger Delta, a young man called Izidor was dismissed by every member of his family for being unintelligent and stupid in school. Among his siblings, who are three in number, two boys and a girl, he was considered the most mentally slow person. For this reason, their father, Mr. Ossia Egbrika, the Head-teacher of a primary school in their community decided to write him off when it became apparent that Izidor’s case was beyond redemption. However, Izidor managed to complete his primary and secondary schools and, went ahead to learn how to repair (boats) outboard engines. Within one year of training, Izidor was almost an expert in fixing bad outboard engines: many workshops within the wharf where Izidor work wanted to snatch him from his master. Despite all the entreaties for him to leave his master, Izidor refused to move an inch because Mr. Eze Akogu treats him affectionately, just the way a loving and caring father treats his child. One morning, as Izidor was about to open their workshop for the day’s business, a tall and dark complexioned man clad in a kingly regalia stood immovable before him and gave him a shocking and penetrating look. Enveloped with fear whether he has unknowingly committed an offence he, with apprehension greeted, “Good morning sir!” the greeting shook the tall man out of his trance. As the man tried to comport himself, Izidor noticed that the man’s eyes were heavy and tears were beginning to course down his elegantly trimmed beards. Confused, Izidor asked “Can I help you sir?” The tall man nodded his head from side to side “Can I give you a seat sir?” Izidor asked politely. The man didn’t respond. Surprisingly, the man asked, “What is your name?” “Izidor, Izidor Egbrika” Izidor responded with a shaky voice. “Where are you from?” “I’m from Isoble” The man nodded his head for a second or two before asking, “where are your parents?” Now, the fear had increased and Izidor could hear the rapid thudding of his heart. With an unstable voice Izidor relpied, “they are in the village” Before the man could ask another question, Mr. Akogu, Izidor’s master materialized from nowhere and genuflected before greeting the man, “Good morning Chief Eremie” Izidor was further alarmed because he had never seen his master greet anyone in this manner. The man who didn’t respond to Mr. Akogu’s greeting slowly brought out his handset from his pocket and dialed, after few rings, he said to the person in the other end, “honey, can you come over to the Green-Lake Wharf?” “Sir, I hope there is no problem?” Mr. Akogu inquired. “Not at all. I only called my wife to come and see the replica of our only son and child, Cosmos who passed away last year”. “Who is the replica of your late son here?” Mr. Akogu in confusion inquired. Chief Eremie pointed at Izidor. Chief Barnabas Eremie is an oil magnate – he owns the only indigenous oil company in the country. Chief Eremie also owns one of the biggest shipping companies in the country. Chief Eremie is known for his generosity. He is a renowned business-man and philanthropist. Chief Eremie lost his only son and child in a plane crash as he was going back to school in the United Kingdom after Christmas break. The death of Cosmos had terribly devastated Chief Eremie and his wife that their health have been reduced to tatters. Chief Eremie’s wife, a High Court Judge has not been able to go to work since their son died over a year ago – to her, it was as if the world has come to an end. In the last two months or so, Chief Eremie and his wife, Ireju have been getting reports of sighting Cosmos around the Green- Lake Wharf. When the calls became unbearable, Chief Eremie hired a private detective to confirm the hullabaloo about his dead son operating in Green-Lake Wharf. Lo and behold! When he laid his eyes on the picture of Izidor that the private detector has provided, he almost melted. “The resemblance is unbelievable!” he thought to himself. He could not believe that people of different families could be this identical. From the picture, he could see that the unknown boy in the picture is almost the same age with Cosmos. “Next month, Cosmos would have turned 22 years” he whispered to himself. Ever since Chief Eremie, saw the picture of his late son’s lookalike, he has not been himself. In fact, his mind has remained glued to his son. Entrapped in this mire, he decided to pay the boy a visit. Having made up his mind to visit the boy, he informed his wife about his plan but she kicked against it. To her, it was like opening an old wound but the chief’s mind was already made up. No going back! When he came face to face with the boy, it was simply unbelievable – the resemblance was striking. The same complexion, body size, height etc. What shocked chief Eremie the most was Cosmos’ dimples – they were unmistakably present in this strange boy. When he heard the boy’s voice, it was the same hoarse voice of Cosmos. “What exactly is going on?” chief Eremie thought in confusion. “Who is this boy?” As he was lost in thought over this strange boy, his wife suddenly arrived the scene. When she sighted the boy and heard his voice, she fainted and the entire place went up in confusion. Two days later, Ireju Eremie opened her eyes in the hospital. The first thing she did was demand to see her son. By her son, she referred to Izidor, her son’s lookalike. When they could not dissuade her from seeing the strange boy, her husband sent for Izidor. This time, when the woman saw the boy, she smiled and beckoned on him to come to her. As he went to her, she grabbed him and held him tightly to her bosom for a long time. When she finally released him, she pronounced him her son and vowed to treat him as such. To the envy of many, Izidor, an adopted son of the Eremies enjoyed all the rights and privileges of a bona-fide son of the family. Izidor, being a level headed, calm, submissive and hardworking, his foster parents adored him and showered him with love and care. As an obedient son, Mrs. Ireju enrolled him into university where he studied Petroleum Engineering. While in school, Izidor surprised himself by performing beyond his own expectation. Students and lecturers alike noticed him as a bright student – he never in his wildest imagination thought he could do so well. At the end, he graduated with a second-class upper division. Impressed with his performance in school, his foster father, Chief Eremie elevated him to the position of Operations manager 11 in the oil company. *************************************** In Isoble, Ossiah Egbrika, Izidor’s father is celebrated as one of the most successful teachers to emerge from the community; this rating was based on his achievements. Although, he retired two years ago from Service, he seemed to be unfamiliar with the challenges that retired teachers go through. Ossiah lives comfortably; he supports several families within his community also, he pays the school fees of many indigent students. Izidor makes sure that his father’s cup continues to over flow – that he does not lack anything. For his elder brothers; Ikwuadi and Umesi who were very bright in school, he, using his connection gave them employment in Mobil and Total oil companies – they now live like kings. For his only sister, Adikabu, he was instrumental in relocating her and her husband to Canada where they are doing very well. As Izidor prepares to tie the nuptial knot with Mabel, the daughter of the popular senator, Alwell Weneka, his foster father announced to him that, for health reasons, he will be stepping aside as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eremite Conglomerate. On the day of the wedding, the city of Pitakwa came to a halt as eminent personalities from all walks of life graced the occasion. After Izidor’s honeymoon in the Bahamas, Chief Eremie retired as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and handed-over the baton of leadership of the business empire to Izidor as he had promised. The handing over ceremony was done quietly in his house with only few friends, business associates and family members in attendance. Ossiah who had been awarded a chieftaincy title in Isoble because of his good works in the community one day, out of excitement over the blessings of God in his family over indulged in wine that he, in his room, slipped into a soliloquy: “what a mysterious world we live in. Who would believe that Ossiah the son of Egbrika (referring to himself) will be this blessed? Who would believe that the black sheep (Izidor) will turn out to be the cornerstone the family? Indeed the world is a mysterious place – nobody knows tomorrow” Having mumbled these words to himself, he turned his head against his pillow and dozed off. By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com February, 2023 |
| Politics › Who Is Sabotaging This Lofty Policy (pt.2) by ajuksobi(op): 9:02am On Feb 22, 2023 |
WHO IS SABOTAGING THIS LOFTY POLICY (PT. 2.) By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 21st February, 2023 Transiting from one stage of development to another usually comes with great effort. The situation is even more precarious when a society is transiting from a lower or crude mode of production to a higher or advanced one. Karl Marx, in his 'Historical Materialism' tells us that 'every economic system contains within it a contradiction that will eventually lead to its demise and replacement by another more advanced stage of economic life'. What Marx means here is that every mode of production, overtime will develop contraction and eventually fade away. This, however does not mean that the beneficiaries of the soon to be effaced system will fold their arms and watch the system which offers them enormous power and privilege die without putting up some form of resistance. They can only give in when it becomes apparent that the force(s) against them is overwhelming. Historically, man has never surrendered his rights and privileges to another without a fight. The moral fabric of the system he operates has been of little or no importance to him - he has never been bothered about the pain and misery others experience as far as he is swimming in wealth and comfort. The Euro-Americans who, between the I6th and 19th century benefited from slave trade never saw the evil associated with the trade until certain eminent personalities and religious groups moved against the iniquitous trade. The beneficiaries of the trade initially were adamant until it became obvious that they will be consumed if they don't yield to the overpowering tide. Between 9th and 15th century Europe, there existed a system that later came to be known as 'feudalism': the system was characterized by the power of the ruling aristocratic class. Under this system, the aristocratic class or feudal lords controlled the land and exploited the peasants who farmed the lands. As long as they, the aristocrats enjoyed the rights and privileges accorded them as members of the ruling class, they were unconcerned about the sufferings of the commoners. Several factors led to the decline of feudalism but the straw that broke the camel's back in this regard was the rise of nationalism in early 15th century. Similarly, 'apartheid' meaning 'apartness' in Afrikaans was a system that upheld segregation of non-white citizens of South Africa. Under this condition, non-whites who constituted majority of the population were forced to live in separate areas from the white; they were also forced to use separate public facilities. Despite the oppression and frustration the non-whites suffered, the beneficiaries of the system remained unperturbed until they were pushed to the edge of the precipice. Such is the nature of man! Nigeria as the most populous black nation on earth has been unfortunate to, right from when it achieved political independence been entangled in all manner of impropriety and futility. Members of the political class saddled with the responsibility of leadership have demonstrated crass incompetence, arrogance, intolerance and corruption in administring the country. Nigeria has witnessed different forms of corruption but the one that appears to be more troubling and defies human understanding is the stealing and stashing of cash in private homes by politicians. This behavior, less than six years after independence precipitated the young nation into unnecessary war. The Second Republic saw another round of senseless stealing and stashing of the naira in septic and overhead tanks by politicians. This callous and insensitive behavior prompted Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, when he seized power through coup d'etat in 1983 to redesign the naira. The essence of the move was to frustrate the effort of the corrupt politicians who had stolen and stashed money in their various homes. The audacious move of Gen. Buhari shook the very foundation of the culture of stealing and hiding money at home but somehow, the remnants of corrupt politicians managed to sponsor the overthrow of Buhari in 1985. After Gen. Buhari was kicked out of office, stealing and stashing of naira in private homes by politicians have continued unabated. This ungodly practice seem to have reached its crescendo in the present administration. The Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele had on 29th January, 2023 revealed that, part of the reasons the Federal Government decided on the redesign of the currency denomination was the fact that #12.7 trillion was lying idle in people's homes. Prior to this revelation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's boss, Abdulraaheed Bawa on 4th November 2022, confirmed that the Commission has credible intelligence that three governors (two from the North and one from the South) have huge volume of cash stashed in various houses. Against this background, the Commission concluded it was going to place the governors under close watch. Keeping a little money at home is not a bad idea because it helps in time of need or emergency but stockpiling huge amount of money at home is bad. There are several reasons why this practice is bad but the following are the major ones; no interest is earned on the money, others who would have benefited from the money if it were in circulation will not be able to do so, it could be stolen, it could attract criminals, it is vulnerable to damage or destruction. The Federal Government, in its bid to discourage this behavior came up with the redesigning of the naira as well as the 'cashless policy'. Incidentally, this policy is obliquely being challenged by members of the political class who have stolen the peoples' money and stashed them in their homes. Despite engaging in this wicked act, they have presented every conceivable tactics to maneuver the policy. Many of these politicians, some of whom are state governors are ready to slug it out with the Federal Government. This policy, no doubt will inflict some level of hardship and suffering on the people but this is for a while: things will normalize and the people will be better off with it. Without pain there will be no gain. I'm sure that many people understand this principle very well but the unfortunate thing is that idle and ignorant youths are being instigated to take laws into their own hands by attacking banks and their officials. Parents must warn their children against being used by desperate politicians. Since this policy kicked off, kidnapping for ransom has gradually disappeared - nobody hears or talks about it. The gains of this policy are enormous; every right thinking Nigerian must disregard the rabble-rousers (desperate politicians) and rise up to support the policy. All that is required from us is a little sacrifice and patience. God bless Nigeria! |
| Culture › Wrestling In Ogba Land by ajuksobi(op): 10:31am On Feb 16, 2023 |
WRESTLING IN OGBA LAND By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 14th February, 2023 Wrestling in Ogba land refers to the wrestling peculiar to Ogba people. Wrestling is an age long sports or game that is found in almost every human society. Wrestling is simply a sports in which two people try to, through the use of sheer strength throw or pin the other to the ground. In some culture, a competitor or wrestler may not need to be pinned to the ground before declaration of defeat is announced - once his legs are lifted off the ground, he's as good as defeated. With the impact of civilization or Westernization on our culture, many people especially, the younger ones no longer knows what constitutes a typical Ogba wrestling. As a result of this, many of them have lost the interest to participate in it. To understand Ogba wrestling, we shall consider some of its high points: 1. Ogba wrestling serve dual purpose; entertainment and show of strength. During wrestling seasons, only "men" or "warriors" appear in "Ogbo" (wrestling arena) to test their strength. Those who are not men enough (cowards) watch from the sideline and cheer up the participants. 2. Unlike other cultures where people challenge themselves based on weight, in Ogba land, challenge is based on age grades - only people of the same age grade challenge themselves. 3. Ogba wrestling is done at home and abroad. A champion in one village or town may go to another town to challenge the champion there. 4. The spirit or morale of wrestlers are kept high by the loud melody produced by the traditional musical instruments like; 'agbadi', ekre etc. Among all the instruments, the 'agbadi' (drum) is synonymous with wrestling. The 'agbadi' is believed to be both an enegizer and a healer. Whenever a wrestler faints as a result of the wrestling bout, he/she is brought before the agbadi to be revived by its deep and thunderous sound. 5. Ogba wrestling goes with a bold and graceful dance steps called 'iza'. Before a wrestler wrestles in the arena, he dances round in his wrestling regalia. 6. Age grade is central in Ogba wrestling. Every age grade has its champion and members are expected to challenge him in every wrestling season. In a situation where there is no challenger, he stays as champion. Wrestling in Ogba land moves in an ascending order: it begins from the children and terminates in the oldest wrestling age grade. The appearance of the oldest wrestling age grade signals the end of the wrestling season. The reason is that after them (the age grade), there'll be no more age grade to wrestle. 7. Younger people can have different matches going on simultaneously in the arena while that of adults has to be not more than two matches at the same time. 8. Ogba wrestling forbid carrying or pulling down an opponent by the leg. 'Ogblor', a wrestling strategy where an opponent is manourvered and thrown to the ground is key in Ogba wrestling. 9. If an opponent is lifted off the ground such that his legs are seen flailing in the air, he is already defeated because even if his finger touches the ground he is defeated - this wrestling rule applies in Ekpeye land. 10. Pushing somebody till he/she falls down is not accepted. 11. A winner is always carried head high by his relatives, friends and supporters Ogba wrestling is a very interesting event. The sound of the 'agbadi' alone draws everybody to the wrestling arena irrespective of whatever they are doing. Wrestling is one event that brings people together. Through wrestling, people become familiar with other communities since they have to go outside their communities to compete with others. Unfortunately, the Ogba wrestling is beginning to wane. Attention has shifted tremendously to Western type of wrestling. Today, people prefer watching foreign wrestling to our traditional wrestling. If reasonable innovations are introduced to the Ogba traditional wrestling, it can turn around the fortunes of Ogba land and Ogba people. |
| Nairaland General › The Indubitable Fact by ajuksobi(op): 7:40am On Feb 09, 2023 |
THE INDUBITABLE FACT By: Ajukura, Fidelis O ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 9th February, 2023 "A good man leaveth an inheritance for his children's children and the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just" (Prov. 13:22). We must not be carried away or deceived by the prosperity of the wicked because in due course, it shall melt away like wax before the fire. Just few decades ago when we were children, we saw many people especially, men who became wealthy through questionable means parading the streets in the latest vehicles of the time. People gathered around them like a dark cloud of bees coming out from their hive. These men were simply the cynosure for success. They had all the good things that money could buy. Many women who got carried away by their wealth went as far as seducing them and even becoming pregnant for them. These men were like gods; people worshipped them and did all manner of things just to be close to them. Only few people who understood the indubitable fact that the wealth of the wicked shall be blown away like chaff before the wind kept their distance - they knew that benefitting from such evil wealth means participating in the looming calamity. Gradually, these men began to melt away in very mysterious circumstance. Like a molten lava, they consumed everything around them as they sank into the bowel of perdition. On the contrary, those who feared God and lived morally astute life are the ones that their households today, are shining like the bright morning star. Those who associate with evil men because they want to feed their hungry stomach or stuff their pockets with rotten wad must understand that when the axe drops, they too will be consumed. The word of the Lord will forever remain indubitable. |
| Nairaland General › Mistake by ajuksobi(op): 1:39pm On Feb 08, 2023 |
MISTAKE By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 8th February, 2023 I make mistake, you make mistake, we all make mistakes. Mistake is part of life - it flows from our imperfection. Often times, mistakes emanate from our nature. This type of mistake is sometimes referred to as 'human error'. There is no doubt that mistakes happen because of our faulty human nature: in our nature are elements like; fear, bias, personality traits, character etc. Mistakes are supposed to serve as 'guide'- whenever mistake is made, one is expected to find out why it occurred and make sure it doesn't repeat itself. It is not necessary to experience the mistake that others have made. Learning from the mistake of others remains the surest path to success. Mistake occur when we perceive or understand something or someone incorrectly. Many reasons account for mistake. Impetuousity is one reason why people make mistake. When people are in a hurry to get result, they are likely to pay little or no attention to very salient details. In other words, they ignore important details and this can leads to error or mistake. People's bias and prejudices are factors that causes them to make mistake. In those days, it was believed that a woman's education ends in the kitchen. This believe made a lot of families not to train their female children (including those who showed signs of having high cognitive ability) in school. Pride is another factor that predisposes people to making mistakes. Some people regard themselves so highly that they cannot afford to come down from their self exalted tower. In this regard, they find it very difficult to learn or exchange ideas with others. To this calibre of people, they are too important or knowledgeable to learn from others. It is this type of people that Socrates, in his gradation of knowledge describe as the "ignorant fools" - they don't know and don't want to humble themselves to know. In fact, pride beguils their mind so much so that they believe they know something when they actually knows nothing. People within this category usually end up making devastating mistakes or errors in life. My concern in this writeup is not to consider those factors beyond man's control that can cause him to make mistakes such as; faulty tools of measurement, unpredictable conditions etc but wrong judgement or calculation that can lead to mistake. Mistakes that can be placed squarely on man's shoulder are those that he makes using his freedom of choice and judgement. Whenever a choice or judgement is made in this regard, he bears the full weight or responsibility of the decision or choice. Sometimes, people make reference to issues such as; limited knowledge, bias etc as obstacles to sound judgement. Regardless of how appealing this reasoning is, it does not hold water because in the course of taking a stand on a matter, one is expected to be objective and not subjective. In life's journey, many people have committed intractable mistakes that have placed them at the lowest rung of the ladder. For instance, when their mates were battling with education, they were busy chasing shadows. Obviously, when the time comes, they will realize that they have wasted their lives. The most frustrating thing in this regard is that close family members will hardly escape the miasma of failure and pain they have thrown in the air. When we were growing up in Diobu part of Port Harcourt, there were some beautiful girls who thought that being a big was all about hopping in and out of every man's car. Carried away in the euphoria of being referred to as beautiful girls, they made the mistake of failing to lay a foundation for their tomorrow; they failed to go to school or arm themselves with one trade or the other. Today, majority of these girls are like worn-out tires or over used rags: they are worth nothing. That which made them every man's desire - beauty has vanished into utter nothingness. In this situation, how can this mistake be remedied? The truth is that the mistake has been made and nothing can be done about it except to learn how to live with it. This experience is like a billboard standing conspicuously along the road of life - people are to learn from it. Those who refuse to learn will certainly end up in regret. Those who make mistake of failing to plan for their future make failure and despondency inevitable. How can we avoid making grievous mistakes? Mistake is part of human life; we are all bound to make mistake at one point or the other. The reason for this is that man, just as I have stated earlier is a fallible being. In other words, man is not perfect. While mistakes cannot be ruled out in our day to day life, we must make sure that we do not make devastating mistakes that will ruin our lives or even terminate it. Some men, out of obsession for a woman's existential or physical beauty have married women they ought not to have married. This situation stole their joy and even sent them to premature retirement (untimely death). This is indeed a grave mistake. To avoid such mistakes, it is necessary to figure out what exactly you want in life and follow it up with the the corresponding zeal and hardwork. In the course of pursuing this goal, different forms of distraction will certainly present themselves but you must remember to remain focused and steadfast. Impatience is one of the major keys to making mistake: ensure you do not move faster than necessary. Don't feel proud. Be open to new ideas. Ask questions in areas where you have doubt and make adjustments where possible. Lastly, avoid the company of unserious people - strive to stay connected to people that can help you rise above unnecessary mistakes and failure. |
| Politics › Who Is Sabotaging This Lofty Policy? by ajuksobi(op): 9:44pm On Feb 02, 2023*. Modified: 4:08pm On Feb 03, 2023 |
WHO IS SABOTAGING THIS LOFTY POLICY? By: Ajukura, Fidelis O ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 2nd February, 2023 The cashless policy initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria remains one of the most laudable policies of the Muhammadu Buhari's administration. This policy is aimed at addressing the major challenges confronting Nigeria as a nation. Some examples of these challenges include; corruption, criminality and terrorism. The essence of this policy is to deprive criminal and corrupt elements from having unrestrained access to cash. Having access to huge cash is one of the major driving forces of crime and corruption in Nigeria. The possibility of having unfettered access to any amount of cash has, as a matter of fact, pushed many people into participating in criminal gangs and activities such as; kidnapping, banditry or terrorism. Recently, we heard that, because of the stringent means of changing old naira notes to the newly designed ones, terrorists along Maiduguri road started dishing out their old naira notes to members of the public. What could have necessitated this shocking benevolence? The terrorists knows that, in few days time, the wad of naira notes in their possession will be as good as lavatory paper. That corrupt public officials stash money in their overhead and septic tanks is not news to Nigerians. Few years ago, Nigerians woke up to the news of how a certain public official hid huge amount of money (in different currencies) in an apartment inside Kaduna. Also, the public official made sure that an air conditioner was always running in order to prevent the money from sweating. What madness! In Nigeria, those who have access to cash steal the money without thinking about the fate of ordinary people who do not have such opportunities. We are told to be our brothers' Keeper but that is inoperable here, people steal with reckless abandon. Before the introduction of this policy, kidnapping became a very lucrative business for some good for nothing fellows. They kidnap people who have not offended them in any way and make demand of huge sums of money from the kidnapped victims relations. In some cases, these victims are eventually killed even after ransom has been paid. In a gory as well as a desperate situation like this, what can one not sacrifice in order to have this madness brought under control? People must be ready to go to the end of the world if that is what it will take to sanitize the society. After all, it is said that "no pain, no gain". With this lofty policy, crime, as far as it has to do with cash will no longer be attractive. Against this background, people will begin to look for decent ways of earning a living. While the policy does not prevent anyone from making money, the fact remains that, as an individual, access to cash is limited to #20,000 per day. This, obviously is not a good news for anybody nursing the thought of dispossessing others of their hard earned money - it is a huge blow to criminals and their collaborators. Another good aspect of this policy is that, it will increase the amount of regard we have for the naira. The practice of throwing money in the air and even tramping on it will be greatly reduced. Our naira notes deserve to be respected and treated with utmost care. It is often said that no matter how bad a situation is, there are people who benefit from it. In Nigeria's miserable and piteous situation, there are people who, obviously are beneficiaries. They want the country to continue in the rottenness. Thus, when the new policy was introduced, there were stiff resistance from both high and low places. Some of these resistance or attacks came in the guise of protecting the interest of the common masses whom they claim will be the worst hit by the policy: they have made every conceivable effort to kill the policy but kudos to the resilience and courage of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari and that of the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele. The new naira notes have been made sufficiently available by the apex bank to the key outlet, the Commercial banks with the instruction to release the money to the public through the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) but why is that not being done? Why are the ATM's not dispensing cash the way they ought to. In virtually all the banks, people are stranded and also in a desperate situation. Surprisingly, the commercial banks are claiming not to have the new naira notes. Today, I took time to visit a number of banks to ascertain exactly what people are going through. The situation, based on my observation is a very serious one: frustration is clearly written all-over the people because of their inability to access cash. Some elderly people were seen lying down in corridors and corners of the bank. Many customer attribute the difficult situation to the insensitivity of bank operators who take advantage of the situation to enrich themselves by attending to rich politicians who reward them handsomely for a job welldone. Whatever amount left after this transaction is handed over to the POS agents who charge the beleaguered citizens ten percent commission in every transaction. The ordinary Nigerians are in a dire need of assistance! The burden of this policy, no doubt is quite heavy on the people especially, the petty traders who are trying to eke out a living for themselves and members of their families but the good news is that this burden is momentary. With time, the situation will improve. However, those sabotaging this great policy must be identified and punished immediately. The President through the Central Bank should find a way of dealing decisively with bank officials found to be going contrary to the policy. This step must be taken without delay lest, the disgruntled elements within and outside our society who are earnestly yearning for a return to the status quo ante take advantage of the situation to push members of the public to the wrong direction. God bless Nigeria. |
| Nairaland General › Man And The Life Of Endless Struggle by ajuksobi(op): 8:45pm On Jan 25, 2023 |
MAN AND THE LIFE OF ENDLESS STRUGGLE By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 25th January, 2023 The life of man is an endless struggle. From dusk to dawn, his hands are on the plough - he must carter for himself and others. Life for him is war, he must fight in order to stay alive. He is constructed to endure all the vagaries, miseries and pains that life flings at him. His back is accustomed to the scorching and unfriendly sun. To help him navigate the turbulent waters of life are ingredients like; honesty, hardwork, integrity, dedication and humility. The greatest calamity to befall him is mental laziness or poverty. When he is not able to reason intelligently, he exposes himself like a tick to the egret of life which picks him off with an amazing or meteoric speed. The rest is story! A man's life bears the signature of suffering: rest is not in his gene. Even as he is overcome by stress and tiredness, survival instinct nudges him to wakefulness. There is no food for lazy man. In man's exhilarating moments, he is deeply engrossed in a severe war - he has to remain afloat and not consumed. Man has no peace and rest, many forces seek to consume him. For this reason, he must continue to struggle. While some of the forces that seek to consume him stem from nature others are culturally induced. For instance, 'ego' otherwise known as 'self regard', which is an element at the base of his being constitutes a major driver of his life. All men forbid being looked upon as a weakling. A man cannot afford to let his fellow man feed him. He would rather do the inexplicable than allow himself to be ridiculed. Beyond this factor, the society has foisted a burden on his shoulder - he is hurled into an endless competition with his fellow men e.g., he is expected to run even when he does not have the strength and stamina to do so. Man is simply a being condemned to suffering. He must develop sufficient muscles to carry others along. The story is worse in developing climes like Africa where a man is expected to have his neck broken as a result of carrying everybody along. He has to work extra hard to achieve this; where his efforts are not enough, he resorts to some dubious and unethical means in order not to be labeled a loafer. No wonder life expectancy for men is abysmally low on the continent especially, in the sub-saharan region. A lot of men that are gifted with material riches often times, indulge in certain rotten activities such as; womanizing, drinking etc as a respite to the horizonless troubles and challenges. Many men who are envied because of their success and excellent looks sometimes wish that people can see through their happy and radiant visage to understand the enormity of burden that is lurked inside. Man is a being hunted by an unfathomable predator. No wonder the Bible tells us that "the days of man are few but with many troubles". Unfortunately, the younger men do not understand this.They think that life consists in good looks and revelry. They must braceup for the challenges ahead. A man can never be a woman because the woman was created for him, he is to take care of her. A woman is created to help ease his burden or pain. This is why a woman is beautiful, succulent and delicate. Her body is like a temple where he goes to worship and draw strength. Whenever he is downcast, he is energized and encouraged by the precious jewel (woman) by his side. Sometimes, this precious jewel or adored temple vehemently turns against him thereby increasing his misery but in the quest to survive, he continues in the struggle. He will never give up until the days he lies facing his maker. Such is the story of man.. |
| Nairaland General › The Words Of Elders Are The Words Of Wisdom by ajuksobi(op): 6:52pm On Jan 25, 2023 |
THE WORDS OF ELDERS ARE THE WORDS OF WISDOM By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 25th January, 2023 The words of elders are the words of wisdom. This expression is one that is synonymous with African thought. Whatever an elder sees sitting down, a child will never see even if he climbs to the peak of the tallest tree. In African belief system, wisdom is simply "the totality of experience or knowledge gathered in the school or journey of life". It is for this reason that wisdom is associated with age. As a generally accepted assertion, there is bound to be an exception. The claim that "the words of elders are the words of wisdom" is not unaware of the fact that some elders are foolish. The reason why these elders act like moppets can be attributed to a number of factors but two are very significant 1. Fault of Nature: there are elders who obviously are foolish. This condition or characteristic did not fall from the blues. It is either they acquired it genetically or through mental retardation 2. Habit: Some elders are precipitated into foolishness because of certain habits they have formed that are detrimental to their overall well-being e.g., drunkenness, lasciviousness etc. Elders who are known for drunkenness obviously will be lacking in wisdom. When the popular cliche "the words of elders are the words of wisdom" is expressed, it precludes these defective elders - they are simply exception to elders. Elders in this regard does not refer to one who is just older in age but one having authority by virtue of age and experience. These caliber of elders are seen piloting the affairs of the family, village/community etc. Somebody can be older or elder to another but how much of life's experience or knowledge does he/she have? The famous British philosopher, John Locke reasoned in this line when he asserted that, "the human mind at birth is like a tabula-rasa (blank slate)...experience is the invisible hand that writes on it". For example, a child will never know that fire burns until he/she comes in contact with it. One can never understand what he/she has not experienced. Personal or concrete experience certainly is different from all the tales we hear and all the books we read. We will never know the gravity or severity of a thing until we experience it. As children growing up, we would bring our numerous friends to the house and eat as if there is no tomorrow. We used things in the house especially, food items in ways that were not necessary. In fact, we were wasteful because we didn't know what it meant to procure them. Everything we needed was just there for us thus, we took things for granted. For us, it was abnormal not to have basic needs like food and others at home. Even when we came across families struggling with food, it never registered in our young minds that there are families that do not have enough to eat. We simply took things for granted and continued with our ignorance of wasteful bearing. Sometimes, our father would scold us over the nonchalant way we used things in the house but this was always like sprinkling water on the back of a duck - it never made any sense to us. One day, our father gathered all of us and spoke bitterly about the way we use things in the house without caring or considering that they were bought with hard-earned money. He further told us that a time will come when we are going to understand why he is always chastising us for being wasteful. Although, he never failed to conclude the sermon with the prayer that "God should bless our hands and cause us to have the experience of superintending over our homes". In curiosity, we have alway asked him to explain to us the reason for such disorienting prayer. And his response has always been "no matter how blessed you may be in life, superintending over a household is not an easy task" Today, the words of our father continue to reverberate in our minds. Even though he passed away many years ago, his words are still fresh in our minds "superintending over a household is not an easy task". These words are like crystal - very clear. What we heard and never understood, experience has, as our father had predicted taught us that; running a home is indeed a herculean task. The deplorable economic condition currently besetting our society has made things worse. Today, as parents, we grapple with virtually everything that will make life meaningful for our children and other members of the family. In the face of the throes of hardship, we find our children sometimes wasting the food and other necessary items that we have managed to scratch out. No matter how we yell at them to be more prudent at using things at home, they will never understand. In their minds, we are being ridiculously miserly. But a time will come when they too will know that the words of elders are indeed words of wisdom. |
| Nairaland General › Bill Friday: A Connoisseur Of High Life Music by ajuksobi(op): 8:50am On Jan 02, 2023 |
BILL FRIDAY: A CONNOISSEUR OF HIGH LIFE MUSIC By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 2nd January, 2023 Does the name Bill Friday ring a bell? Have you by chance heard about the name Bill Friday? If you have not, this is your opportunity of meeting the High Life legend. For those who do not know High Life music, High Life music is a brand of music that originated in West Africa: it is a fusion of African rythms and elements of Jazz. High Life began during the colonial period but blossomed in the late 1940's and early 50's. Ghana and Nigeria were the leading countries in High Life music. Some of the notable names at the base of High Life music include; E. T. Mensah, Bobby Benson, Stan Plange, Joe Mensah, Amissah, Bill Friday, Victor Olaiya, Rex Lawson. Bill Friday, a famous High Life maestro was born as Friday Oburu Adah Ossiah in 1927 in Omoku. Friday was the grand son of the famous Chief Adah Nwa-Ossiah of Umu-Nkaru kindred in Omoku. His father, Alfred Oburu Adah Ossiah was a business man based in Onitsha. While in school in Onitsha, Friday showed more interest in singing and blowing the trumpet than his studies. Following his natural disposition for music, he started, at an early age to perform in hotels and clubs. During one of his performances, he startled E.T. Mensah who had also come to perform in the same venue. At the end of the day, they struck a deal - this was how Friday went to Ghana to pursue his music career. While in Ghana, he left E.T. Mensah and formed a music band known as the "Ambassador Down Beats". Years later, he relocated to Lagos with his Ambassador band. In Lagos, he showed exceptional talent and competed with his peers in the likes of; Victor Olaiya, Rex Lawson etc. Friday never failed to thrill his audience or fans with his popular songs like; Rukpokpo, Dimle-dimle. But, with "Bonsue" which had a Ghanaian root, he captured his audience and send them running to the dance floor. "Bonsue" was a huge success and made him quite popular. Although, other musicians like Victor Olaiya sang "Bonsue" but Friday was the originator of the song. Despite the fact that Friday had no life in his native soil, Ogba land, he was proud of his identity and never failed to show it whenever he had the opportunity of doing so. He had, according to report supported not only Ogba people but other people of the present day Rivers State who got stranded in Lagos. Friday, like most celebrities was not successful as far as raising a family of his own was concerned: he had a relationship with a Yoruba woman who bore him a son and later abandoned him. He later got married to a white woman which turned out as a colossal failure - the marriage didn't produce any result for him in terms of child bearing. Out of frustration perhaps, for not having a stable or fulfilled home, he got entangled in drugs and eventually died in Maroko, Lagos. His remain was brought home and buried in 1967. |
| Nairaland General › Women And Sexually Provocative Dressing by ajuksobi(op): 4:56pm On Dec 26, 2022 |
WOMEN AND SEXUALLY PROVOCATIVE DRESSING By: Ajukura, Fidelis O. ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com 26th December, 2022 When a woman appears in a public space wearing an attire that exudes sex, what does she have in mind? Is it for people to see how well endowed she is or to stir the spirit of lustfulness which hitherto, has been lying dormant? In today's society, it has become almost a norm for women to attend functions as lecherous conventioneers: they appear in a function either to show how petty they are or try to change the direction of the event. Either ways, sexually provocative dressing is dangerous. Some may wonder why this is dangerous. A provocatively dressed woman leaves a dirty image or impression on the mind of people; she can also be a source of distraction and temptation. Such women can cause good men to conceive and nurse lustful thoughts. Against this background, her victims who are majorly men can be distracted from accomplishing the task ahead of them such as; work, education etc. Sexually provocative dressing has become a very serious social problem. In every corner, provocatively dressed women are there to harass members of the society especially, the menfolk. If they are not wearing skimpy clothes revealing the shape of their buttocks then, it must be that which looks as if their breasts are struggling to escape from a cage. The most disturbing aspect of this problem is that the married and elderly are involved in this madness. Sometimes, it looks as if these married women are in a fierce contest with the young ladies. Encapsulated in this unwarranted rivalry, they sometimes forget themselves and appear in a formal and religious gatherings wearing sexually provocative attire. In such situations, the atmosphere becomes quite tense and uneasy as people begin to struggle against themselves not to look at the source of the uneasiness. Recently, in one of the churches, a married female choristers, during her ministration got the church members shifting uncomfortably in their seats because of how sexually provocative her attire was - the dress she wore was so short and tight fitted that all her contours were revealed. Rather than listen to the song she was ministering, her body got in the way and misdirected the mind of majority of people who came to worship God. Irrespective of what a provocatively dressed woman says, her goal, consciously or unconsciously is to sexually arouse men. But she must also bear in mind that, by appearing in this manner, she runs the risk of attracting unwanted sexual attention because it is presumed that she has made a significant overture by revealing how succulent she is. No wonder the rate of rape cases is on the steady increase. In order not to become victims of sexual harassment, women must desist from sending wrong signals through their outfit. The only way to do this is to appear in good, modest and conservative attire. Considering the negative impact of sexually provocative attire on the society, it is imperative that the family and other social institutions like; schools, churches etc monitor and, to a reasonable extent control the type of attire that women wear - salacious clothing should be outrightly discouraged. Removing this distraction will help everyone keep their cool and remain focused 1 Like |
