₦airaland Forum

Terrorists are not dividing us, you are sir

vanguardngr.com



“We should under no circumstances let terrorists divide us by turning Christians against Muslims because those barbaric killers don’t represent Islam and millions of other law-abiding Muslims around the world” – President Buhari after Muslims slaughtered Christians on December 25, 2019.
“A leader is best
When people barely know he exists
Not so good when people obey and acclaim him
Worst when they despise him…” – Lao-tsy, Chinese philosopher, 6th century AD,
VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 124.

Buhari quite frequently reminds me of someone who says great things and does the opposite virtually all the time. I am still willing to give him the benefit of doubt that he dissembles inadvertently and not deliberately – out of respect for his position as our national leader. His statement quoted above is one example of falsehood easily disproved.
If governments represent the wishes of their people on religion, then there is no country in the Middle East which represents its “law-abiding Muslims” which is not at the same time a promoter of terrorism worldwide. Saudi Arabia and Iran are the recognised headquarters of the two factions of Islam – Sunnis and Shi’ites. Both actively sponsor terrorism throughout the Arabian Peninsula and abroad. ISIS, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, etc have never denied that they are Muslims. Those who primarily destroyed a good part of Syria, e.g. Aleppo, were Islamic sects and nothing else. Buhari knows the truth but appears he won’t say it.

Here in Nigeria, from the Maitatsine sect in the 1980s till Christmas Day 2019, the religious terrorist groups who have shed other peoples’ innocent blood have been Islamic. Not even idol worshippers or believers in traditional religions have been as “godless” (to use Buhari’s word) as his Muslim brothers. I challenge anybody to point to one instance in which Christians and so-called non-believers have steadily and, without remorse, slaughtered other Nigerians as Boko Haram and ISWAP have done. It is no longer an accidental occurrence but planned and executed genocide by numerous Islamic groups. Again, Buhari knows the truth, but he it appears he won’t say it. Admitting the truth will destroy his false sense of protecting ALL Nigerians. He isn’t. Obviously, the President who fails or is unwilling to protect all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, is the person dividing Nigerians along religious lines. Let me explain.

Buhari, at 77, is my senior brother but, with me, at 75, in demographics, we would be classified in the same generation. I can state authoritatively that Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims had existed side-by-side before we were born in 1942 and 1944 respectively. No government, colonial, elected or military, had taken sides in the age-long dispute between the two sects of Islam; none had adopted one as the Nigerian Muslim sect until Buhari, a Sunni. When Abubakar Malami, Buhari’s Minister of Justice, a Sunni, filed an ex-parte case before a judge and, most probably a Sunni, asking that Shi’ites be declared a terrorist group, it was the first time any Muslim Head of State – Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Murtala Muhammed, Shehu Shagari, Babangida, Abacha, Abubakar and Yar’Adua – would use his position to divide Muslims and to deprive millions of fellow Nigerians of their right to worship the way they want. Incidentally, all the other leaders mentioned were/are Sunnis. But, they never allowed their bigotry to get the better of them as Buhari has done. Furthermore, Buhari and his Attorney General and their biased judge of the Federal High Court labour in vain. They must be self-deluded to imagine that a religion to which millions of people subscribe can be wiped out by a court decision. Long after they have all died, Shi’ites will still be worshipping in Nigeria. Buhari has created millions of sworn enemies against himself. To them, his government, by depriving them of their constitutional rights, is the terrorist.

Two young ladies

“Must one be called Abubakar or Mohammed to get an appointment with Buhari…?” – Dele Sobowale, DAILY INDEPENDENT, January 2, 2020, back page.

It is not only along religious lines that Buhari is dividing us. I recently wrote that next time he attends a meeting of world leaders, Buhari might find himself sitting between two young ladies – young enough to be his grand-daughters.

They are Heads of Government in advanced countries. In actual fact, Donald Trump, President of the US, and Buhari, at over 75, are vestiges of a bye-gone era. The Stone Age idea that “Father knows best” has long ago given way to whoever takes the trouble to read widely, be technology-compliant and have the energy for back-breaking work. Such people, irrespective of age, are probably the best for the job. That description, however, is gender neutral.

But, unfortunately, Buhari’s own mind-set has already divided Nigerians into male and female. The females are only good for services “in the other room”. Thus, half of the Nigerian population has already been consigned to the bedroom – while more progressive societies are making use of their enormous talents. Let me again explain why I am annoyed at the obvious penchant for dividing us along gender lines.

First, I was privileged to have been drafted into a group which drafted Nigeria’s protocol on Gender Equality during the Abacha regime. The documents that Mrs Abacha delivered in China to a global audience included a segment on how to implement various proposals to alleviate poverty among women – especially in the North-East zone; which was and is still the worst. Even Abacha, not to talk of Babangida and Abubakar, were committed to achieving the goals established at Cairo, Copenhagen and Beijing. It was another misguided woman-hater, Olusegun Obasanjo, who halted the march towards more gender equity.

Second, I am the proud father of six children – all girls and all graduates. They have brought home certificates in all the respected disciplines – Computer, Medicine, Engineering, Law, etc. My daughters are so responsible none of them will drive a N100 million BMW motorcycle at breakneck speed in Abuja and almost get themselves killed. Yet, it is the irresponsible males who Buhari prefers to employ instead of more serious girls and women. Do he really wish Nigeria well? It certainly does not show.

Third, I wrote that article after reading in one day and in various papers announcements about appointments made recently. Quite apart from dividing Nigerians into Abubakar/Mohammed and the rest, I counted fifteen (15) appointments and no single female among them. To me, it is inconceivable that any modern leader at any level can in 2019 make such lop-sided appointments. Obviously, women don’t exist in Buhari’s mind.

To be quite candid, it was not surprising. His prejudices are usually so deeply ingrained the man is not even conscious of exhibiting them. I once confronted an APC Woman Leader during the campaigns last year by asking her if she believed Buhari will appreciate their efforts and be more equitable when distributing the dividends of victory. She thought I was being pessimistic. She called me after reading the article last week sobbing on the phone. In the end, she got the words out, “Uncle Dele, how could you have known that this is what Buhari would do to us?” Well, UniJankara is not a place for fools. We don’t trade sex for marks. You must be very good to work with us. We work all the time and we don’t even pay anything.

Nnamdi Kanu and Sowore

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” – Francois Voltaire, French philosopher.
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB, and Sowore have a few attributes in common. They are young, they are southerners, they hold annoyingly radical views about how to restructure Nigeria and they probably come from Christian homes. None of them has murdered a single soul with their words. Incidentally, I happen to consider their proposals puerile and impractical. But, they are entitled to them. But, the two have been treated like terrorists by the combination of Buhari, Buratai, Bichi and Idris (IGP). The President of Nigeria, the Chief of Army Staff and the Director General of the Department of States Services did nothing when Muslim bandits invited the Governor of Katsina State to a meeting to discuss what was in effect power sharing in Katsina. Masari went to attend to terrorists without the Army invading the meeting venue to arrest those who have seized half of the power in the President’s own state. Kanu’s community was invaded and parts of it destroyed in the search for a man armed only with his mouth. DSS in full view of the world sent armed men into a court room to wrestle and brutalise Sowore who did not even have a pen-knife for self-defence. But, they kept away while a northern Muslim governor negotiated power sharing arrangement with declared and armed enemies of the state. So, who is dividing Nigerians into untouchables and expendables?

All the states of the South-East and South-South are predominantly Christian states. Yet, there are mosques in every state. Muslims gather every Friday for Jumat Prayers and celebrate Sallah annually. No single case of Christian fundamentalist attacking Muslims has ever been recorded. No Christian President – Ironsi, Gowon, Obasanjo and Jonathan — has ever had to send a condolence message to Muslim families for any premeditated genocide committed by a minority of “godless Christians”. That already points to a difference. But, imagine, if you can, what would happen if a group of Christian Avengers should start killing Muslims in any of the SE and SS states and openly claiming responsibility for it? What do you think Buhari, Buratai, Bichi and Idris would do about it? Would they stop at sending condolences? Definitely not. And, there is a precedent to support that statement.

After herdsmen had slaughtered over 400 people in Benue and Enugu States alone, as well as uncountable others nationwide, there was a rumour. Five (5) herdsmen had been killed in one of the SE states. Within days, the community was over-run by Daura’s DSS officials in search of evidence and possible arrests. The officials of Buhari administration who were offering excuses for undisputed mass killing were actively in search of people to prosecute for a mere rumour!!! So, who is dividing us?
“Your land or your life” – FG loudspeaker.

About two years ago, one of Buhari’s loudspeakers from the South-West advised his own family (certainly not mine) that they had no choice about giving up their land for grazing. His submission is summarised above. It is on record that no such offer that cannot be refused was made to people in any state in the North-West. That the Yoruba have not surrendered their ancestral lands to marauding herdsmen is not a victory which our leaders in the All Progressives Congress, APC, can claim. Left to the traitors of Yoruba people, there would probably, by now, have been established a RUGA at Isale-Eko, Oja Oba, Osun Shrine and Oba Adeshida Road – to mention a few. It was the tenacity of the Yoruba people and Sango striking cattle dead with thunder which has kept the invaders at bay.

Who is dividing us? Please let’s change the subject.

See Why You Should Stop Giving Beggars Money:


"While in a public transport today, a woman on my row started begging people for financial assistance.

The man sitting directly in front of me dug hand in his wallet and gave her N500, then others followed, she eventually got over a thousand naira within that short period.



Not long after that, the same man that gave this woman N500 then wanted to buy a bottled water, and the hawker had to run to catch up with us because the man wanted to give him N100 and he had to collect his N50 change first before handing him the N100.

The scenario touched me! Immediately, I requested for a bottle too&gave d guy #200!

A woman beside me shouted...Ahh, let him give u your change first before giving him money!!

She looked at me as if I'm a "mutula", a new person in Lagos wey dem never show.

As d guy was struggling to run & give me change, I bade him good bye not to worry!



The most touching part of d story is, even when I thought we've left this guy far behind as d traffic had moved, he ran to still cacth up with d bus & prayed whole heartedly in show of appreciation!

You know why? He knows the value of that money, he knows how much bottle or satchet of water he would sell running from bus to cars before getting that.

The woman who saw me as mutula eventually went speechless!



Lesson passed in the bus! Simple. We all feel comfortable giving beggars big money but find it difficult leaving small change for genuine hustlers.

We unconsciously encourage begging at d expense of those who work so hard, that's why u see corporate beggars increasing on a daily basis on d streets of Lagos."

See Why You Should Stop Giving Beggars Money:


"While in a public transport today, a woman on my row started begging people for financial assistance.

The man sitting directly in front of me dug hand in his wallet and gave her N500, then others followed, she eventually got over a thousand naira within that short period.



Not long after that, the same man that gave this woman N500 then wanted to buy a bottled water, and the hawker had to run to catch up with us because the man wanted to give him N100 and he had to collect his N50 change first before handing him the N100.

The scenario touched me! Immediately, I requested for a bottle too&gave d guy #200!

A woman beside me shouted...Ahh, let him give u your change first before giving him money!!

She looked at me as if I'm a "mutula", a new person in Lagos wey dem never show.

As d guy was struggling to run & give me change, I bade him good bye not to worry!



The most touching part of d story is, even when I thought we've left this guy far behind as d traffic had moved, he ran to still cacth up with d bus & prayed whole heartedly in show of appreciation!

You know why? He knows the value of that money, he knows how much bottle or satchet of water he would sell running from bus to cars before getting that.

The woman who saw me as mutula eventually went speechless!



Lesson passed in the bus! Simple. We all feel comfortable giving beggars big money but find it difficult leaving small change for genuine hustlers.

We unconsciously encourage begging at d expense of those who work so hard, that's why u see corporate beggars increasing on a daily basis on d streets of Lagos."

My Father Raped Me At Least 200 Times Says Joyce Meyer





Evangelist Joyce Meyer founder of the Joyce Meyer Ministries is one of the most influential minister of the gospel in this generation. Her message of hope, spiritual and emotional healing is essentially inspired by her own torrid journey which saw her suffer various forms of abuses from those she trusted including relatives.

Because of her ability to overcome her life challenges, Joyce Meyer is now a mentor and role model to millions around the world. Her powerful testimony of forgiveness has inspired multitude to walk the difficult path of forgiveness. Forgiveness has been a hard lesson for Meyer to learn. It is one based on years of sexual abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father.

Mrs. Meyer recently shared her story in a recent interview with American TV network CBN News "My father did rape me, numerous times, at least 200 times," she said during an interview "There was no place I ever felt safe growing up."

"Literally, what he did was rape me, every week, at least once a week, until the time I was 18. My father, who I was supposed to be able to trust, who was supposed to keep me safe, raped me a minimum of 200 times," she said.

While her childhood left her traumatized, Meyer has found restoration through her relationship with Jesus. She has a global ministry and most of all, a loving husband and children. She also says she has forgiven her father for what he did to her.

Where was God in all this?

"I can't explain it to you in my mind...I know that God didn't get me out of it, but he did give me the strength to go through it. God had a plan," she said.

"About three years ago, I said that, 'But of course I wish I had not been abused' and God stopped me. He said, 'Stop saying that.' And then I thought about it and I thought, and I know this sounds crazy, but I'm glad it happened. You know why? Because I'm a better person now than I ever would have been. "I don't know how to make any sense out of that, but I know that I know that I know that God has redeemed me and he has taken what Satan meant for harm and worked it out for good."

"I'm stronger. I know God better. I understand people's pain. And I believe it's made me able to reach out to you in your pain and your need and to tell you will all passion, God is alive,"

"Can you recover? You're looking at somebody who did. Amen? You're looking at the evidence that you can recover," she said. "There's no pit so deep that He can't reach down and lift you out of. He will set your feet on a rock. He will give you a wonderful life. He will give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. He will make you a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He may be glorified."

1.5 ,very serious

A Rev. Fr. Takes A Pastor Who Said Catholic Church Is Satanic To School
opera.com Dec 31, 2019 1:45 PM


An Open Response to Reno Omokri on His Attack On the Catholic Church

Dear Reno Omokiri,

Your post of December 18 2019 titled "Some Facts About The First State Sponsored Church", was written under the guise of helping some of your Catholic fans with analysis of the Catholic Church. Because you called lies fact, I have decided to point out your lies and show you what facts really look like.

To adequately do this, I will respond to every paragraph of that post.

First Paragraph From Reno Omokri:

"Some of my Catholic followers have asked me to do an analysis of their church. I find their use of the word ‘our church’ almost ironical because they do not know my history. Not only was I once a Catholic, my mother, and my grandfather were both Catholics. As a matter of fact, the first place Catholicism came to in Nigeria is a place called Ode-Itsekiri, which all true born Itsekiri know as Big Warri. Augustinian Monks set up the first Catholic mission in Nigeria there in 1555. My grandfather was an Olu of Warri. I can trace my bloodline and Catholic origin up to Olu Atuwatse I (AKA Dom Domingos), who in 1648 became the first university graduate in West Africa, as well as the first Christian to be crowned Olu of Warri."

Response:

It is very beautiful that some of your Catholic followers could in sincerity ask you to do an analysis of "their Church." I guess they trusted you so much as one who is knowledgeable in giving a sincere analysis, even though they do not know that the words "sincere analysis" are actually not compatible with you when it comes to the Catholic Church.

You know that it is funny for children to ask a stranger whom they meet on the street to tell them the story of how their mother gave birth to them instead of asking their mother or a relative directly, so you cunningly inserted yourself into the picture as a Catholic with Catholic origin so that your so called analysis will be seen as true. Nice one! This is why you started tracing the history you read up, finding a way to put your father and grandfather and great-grandfather into it. But you forgot something.

The history of how Catholicism first came to Nigeria has nothing to do with your mother and grandfather becoming Catholics. This is because, the missionary activities of the Portuguese in Itsekiri land when they first came as far back as 1555 was highly unsuccessful. It was until 1914 and specifically 1916 that Catholicism took root in Warri through the effort of an Italian and a French priest. We are talking of almost 360 years difference here from 1555 to 1914.

The Olu Atuwatse 1 also known as Dom Domingo whom you mentioned, was actually sent to Portugal by the Portuguese missionary to train as a priest, but he did not meet up with the requirements of being a priest because he got married to a Portuguese woman. He studied at the Portuguese Premiere University of Coimbra from 1600 – 1611. Thus, he became the first African graduate. At his return, he became the seventh Olu Of Warri who reigned from about 1625-1643 AD.

The Catholicism your grandfather and mother got converted into was what was planted around 1914, that was 359 years after the Portuguese missionaries first came to Ode-tsekiri.

So, bringing the story of the first missionary in a bid to do an analysis to your Catholic followers on "their Church" does not say anything other than to make them feel you are credible, when you are not. Also to prove that you are knowledgeable in history, whereas you only succeeded in copying from the book written by Samuel U. Erivwo, Ph.D. on the "History of Christianity In Nigeria: THE URHOBO, THE ISOKO, AND THE ITSEKIRI." A book published in 1979. That is not scholarship my dear pastor Reno Omokri.

The Second, Third, and Fourth Paragraphs

"It is just that I can’t tell my followers the truth about the Catholic Church. I have so many Catholic followers and I do not want to upset them. But what I will say openly, and which you can verify from your priest, is the fact that the Catholic Church does not even pretend to be a Christian church. The Catholic Church is a ROMAN church. The official name of the church is The Holy Roman Catholic Church. Go and investigate this.

"What does the terminology The Holy Roman Catholic Church mean? The word Roman means it is of Ancient Roman origin. The word Catholic means ‘all embracing’. Please check the dictionary, in case I have lied to you.

"The Holy Roman Catholic Church is a Roman Church put together to embrace all the religions of Ancient Rome in one religion as a way of bringing the Roman Empire closer together and prevent it from disintegrating because of the threat posed to it by early Christians, who refused to give up their faith, despite harsh persecution."

Response:

These three paragraphs are just laughable. You really ended up showing so much ignorance.

You were right when you said you cannot tell your followers the truth about the Catholic Church, because you will prefer to tell them lies. That is what you did in that post.

The big question in these paragraphs is centered on The Roman Catholic Church. Why is it called the "Roman" Catholic Church? I still cannot understand how you managed to twist this simple fact about why it is called the Roman Catholic Church. It is so myopic of you.

First, the word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective καθολικός (katholikos), or Latin 'catholicus' meaning "universal." I can understand why you decided to use "all embracing" to mean Catholic, because you want us to see that the Catholic Church was primary established to embrace all the religions of ancient Rome. But you were not very smart. I will show you why.

When the word "Catholic" is not used in the ecclesiastical sense, it can still mean, all-embracing, of general interest, liberal, having broad interests, or wide sympathies, or inclusive. Someone can even look at a large crowd and say, "this crowd is Catholic", just to mean that the crowd is much.

Again, St Ignatius of Antioch is credited to have been the first to used the word "Catholic" far back in 110AD in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans. Remind me again when Rome came into the picture in the Catholic Church? 313 AD. The church has been called "Catholic" for more than 200 years even before it was adopted as state religion in Rome. It was not called Catholic because it aimed at embracing all the religions in Rome, it was called Catholic because it is universal. St Ignatius of Antioch did not even conceive or thought of Rome as we know it today before he called the church Catholic. How do you write lies and still sleep at night?

Now to the big question in those paragraphs: Why is the church called Roman Catholic?

We all know that the Catholic Church is made up of the Western rite/Latin rite and the Eastern rite/ Orthodox rite. The Nigeria church belongs to the Western rite. The term "Roman" catholic is used to refer to the Latin or Western rite as different from eastern or othordox rites.

The term Roman Catholic was used mainly by English-speaking Protestants. It was part of their attempt to portray the pope as the leader of just a faction of Christianity, as if he was the same as the monarch of England, who was the head of the Anglican community.

As with many terms that start out as an insult but later are embraced and adopted by the group they were aimed at, Catholics in the West over time have used the term to show their union with the Holy Father.

However, the more accurate title is the Latin Church, whereas the Roman Church technically refers to the diocese of Rome.

Is this too difficult to understand?



The Fifth Paragraph

"Many of the practices of the The Holy Roman Catholic Church are pagan practices from Roman religions. Mathew 23:9 says “call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven”, yet, you call Catholic priests, Father. Why? Because the origin was with Ancient Roman religions were they called the priests Father. The Pope is himself called ‘Holy Father’ in contravention of Matthew 23:9. We have only One Holy Father, as Matthew 23:9 teaches. Even the word Pope means Father (it originates from the Greek word Pappas, which means Father)."

Response:

I can't believe this was even written by you Mr Reno. When you hate people for just no reason, you will even begin to advance arguments that are directly against you.

Ask Reno, do his children call him Daddy? Do they refer to him as Father? Ask Pentecostals, do they call their pastors Daddy? Do they refer to the wife of their pastors as Mummy? Now to all of us, how many of us call the man that gave birth to us Father, how many of us call the woman that gave birth to us mother?

So remember, the bible says "call NO MAN your father upon the earth." Matt 23:9.

So why do we still call people father or teacher?

This is what I usually say to you all, knowing bible is not about quoting every passage. People do harm to the bible anytime they quote a verse out of its context. Biblical interpretation and exegesis demand a lot. You must be able to understand the passage in its original language, its context, its audience, author, when was it written, even the culture at that time. If not, you will fail. And Omokri, with all his acclaimed titles has not only failed, but woefully.

We cannot interpret Matthew 23:9 as prohibiting reference to dads or priests as "fathers" without contradicting other scriptural passages in which the word "father" is used. Such an interpretation would render the commandment "honor your father" meaningless and would diminish the authority of the apostles and their successors.

There is a deeper meaning to what Christ was teaching, and the context if we read the entire passage, we will see that it is not merely literal. Jesus was simply addressing the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees and why we should not call them "father" in the same sense that we call God 'Father'.

The sixth Paragraph

"1 Timothy 4:3 warned that religions will come later that “forbid people to marry”. Your Catholic priests do not marry, not because of Scripture, but because the priests of Ancient Rome were largely eunuchs, so they could be no threat to Caesar’s power. They claim Peter was the first Pope. Not only is that false, but the fact is that Peter was married. “When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law”-Matthew 8:14."

Response:

We fall back again to the age old argument of why Priests don't marry. According to Reno "Your Catholic priests do not marry, NOT BECAUSE OF SCRIPTURE, but because the priests of Ancient Rome were largely eunuchs, so they could be no threat to Caesar’s power."

LIE! A BIG LIE!

I take myself as an example. I am not married as a priest and that is because of the Kingdom of God following the words of Christ in Matthew 19:12:

"Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some CHOOSE NOT TO MARRY FOR THE SAKE OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Let anyone accept this who can.”

Then even St Paul that you quoted in 1 Timothy 4:3 that he warned of the religion that will come later and forbid people from marrying, was still the same St Paul that wrote 1 Corinthians 7:7-8 addressing the unmarried to remain unmarried like himself.

"For I would prefer it if you were all like myself. But each person has his proper gift from God: one in this way, yet another in that way. But I say to the unmarried and to widows: It is good for them, if they would remain as they are, just as I also am."

What do you make of what St Paul said in 1 Corinthians and what he said to Timothy juxtaposing it with his own unmarried state?

What is the point of all these? Simple, every scripture must be understood in its context. I have said this Before. The bible must be understood wholly, when interpreting scripture, one verse should not contradict another especially if it was said by same author.

But I understand, you cannot see this because of your hatred for the Catholic Church. To you, everything must be interpreted into pagan and it appears that giving the church a bad name makes you excited.

By the way, Peter is seen as the first Pope because Christ gave him the keys of the church and made him the head (Matthew 16:18- 19.) It is not about his marital status. Being married is inconsequential here. There was a time that priests, bishops were marrying in the Catholic Church. Even Catholic priests of the Eastern rites are allowed to marry. And if tomorrow the Catholic Church of the Western rite (the Roman Catholic) decides that her priests will be marrying, it does not affect the validity of the sacraments they celebrate.

So pastor Reno or whatever name you like to be called, why are you so paranoid?

Concluding Paragraphs

Your last paragraphs are about the use of images and the honour Catholics give to Mary. These arguments are not new. We have said it many times, Catholics do not worship Mary or any image. Now the question they now ask is, why do we have those images? Yet when I wrote against taking pictures of people to Shiloh for prayers, it was the same people that attacked me that those pictures are meant to help them connect. Then I gave up. Are we not all doing the same thing? Can't we see that as humans, we necessarily need images to connect? Even if you don't have a physical image, people still carry images of how God look like in their head, how Angels look like, how heaven look like.

Reno Omokiri is one writer I don't take all his words seriously. When he hates you, he is never objective. I do not sincerely fancy him. But if anyone must read him, ensure you have a filter in your head to sieve out the lies from the facts.

Written by Fr Kelvin Ugwu MSP

Nigeria not too BIG TO Drown !

The list of foreign borrowing by the Buhari government is growing. There is a $1 billion African Development Bank loan. There is a $1 billion Eurobond, with an additional $500 million expected from the Global Medium Term Note Programme. There is a $5.8 billion from the China Exim bank. Over 30 per cent of the 2020 budget will be funded with foreign loans. As at June 30, this year, the federal government is gasping under a debt yoke of N20.42 trillion – local and foreign. And we now have the latest $29.96b awaiting a rubber stamp Senate to approve. Obviously Over 30 per cent of federal revenue will go into debt servicing in 2020.

I pray you o good countrymen, let political party, tribe or religion not shrink our reasoning .we are DRIFTING away into the deep sea..Let every man do his duty in any little way to save our nation.

Bear these in mind as we go into the festive time, cos more crunch awaits our country men ahead if we continue in complacency.[sub][/sub]

I WISH YOU A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AHEAD�

This match was bought and paid for BIG-TIME!!!!!!!

Ruiz is down!!! Ruiz is down !!! Boyyyyy !!! It was a big jab to drop him







Sorry am dreaming again...

Anthony Joshua just waved me from the ring

Real Madrid offered Mourinho £12M to reject Spurs offer


Real Madrid were desperate for Jose Mourinho NOT to join Tottenham a fortnight ago, it has been revealed.

The Sun says Real were willing to offer Mourinho pre-contract terms worth £12m to wait for the Madrid job to become available.



But the Portuguese had his heart set on Tottenham.

And Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, who had been harbouring doubts about Mauricio Pochettino since the build-up to June's Champions League final, rewarded his patience.



Real were not the only club whose approaches to Mourinho were in vain.

Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Lyon all wanted him, while Chinese outfit Guangzhou Evergrande were willing to pay him £40m a year AFTER tax.

But once Mourinho knew the Tottenham job was in play, he was happy to stall on other options.

OF all the chief executives of the Nigerian Customs Service to date, none has been more powerful than Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Alli (retd.), the sixty-four year old post graduate criminologist, from Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

On November 21, 1994, General Sani Abacha, GCFR, appointed him along with Justice Ibrahim Nadhi Auta, a Federal High Court Judge in Lagos and Justice Etowa Enyong Arikpo, a Judge in the Cross Rivers state High Court to try Ken Saro-Wiwa, Ledun Mitee, Barinom Kiobel, John Kpaniene and Baribor Berai in the aftermath of the Ogoni crisis in Rivers State. On August 22, 1996, the same General Abacha appointed him as the Military Governor of Kaduna State. He served as governor untill August 1998 following General Abacha’s death.



On August 27, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, appointed Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Alli, as the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service.

His predecessors from the colonial era till now: Mr.T.A. Wall, Mr. Nicol, Mr. E.P.C. Langdon, Mr. S.G. Quinton, Mr. Ayodele Diyan, Mr. Henry Etim Duke, Alhaji Shehu Musa, Mr. Oyebode Oyeleye, Alhaji Abubakar Musa, Dr. Bello Haliru Muhammed, Major General S.O.G. Ango, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha, Mr. David Akintayo Ogungbemile (acting), Jacob Gyang Buba, Bello Hamman, Dr. Bernard-Shaw Nwadialo and Dikko Inde Abdullahi, never had the kind of power and influence that Colonel Hammeed Alli, now has.



To prove the extent of his power, I refer to the circular dated November 6, 2019 and signed by Chidi A. (Deputy Comptroller-General) for Comptroller-General of Customs, titled “Suspension of Petroleum Products Supply to Filling Stations Within 20 Kilometres to all Borders”. It reads: “The Comptroller-General of Customs has directed that henceforth no petroleum product no matter the tank size is permitted to be discharged in any filling station within 20 kilometres to the border. Consequently, you are all to ensure strict and immediate compliance, please.”

In government, there is what we call schedule of responsibilities. I want to believe that Nigeria has not graduated to a fictitious country adapted by Henry William Sydney Porter (1862-1910) called banana republic. Obeying the law is one way of ensuring stability in the society.

Have you ever wondered what would happen in our society if there were no rules and regulations? Anyone could just get up and do anything but you cannot complain because there is no defined behaviour for people in the society to follow.

It is interesting how we are socialised to believe a particular way is the best way of doing something and we insist that things be done that way.

Sometimes we do not even know the reason(s) we are told things should be done this way or that way.

If we were taught as we were growing up that it is best to greet people with our left hand, I am very sure we would have been emphasising on that and felt insulted anytime someone greeted us with the right hand. Or if we were brought up to understand that slapping each other was the best way to say hello, we would have guarded this value jealously.

Ironically, what is acceptable in one society may not be unacceptable in another because different societies across the world have varying beliefs, values, rules and regulations. The reason that rules and regulations are made in our society is to help maintain peace and order.

The directive in that circular should have been issued by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, who is also the Minister of Petroleum or the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva or the Minister of Finance, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed or the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ogbeni Adesoji Rauf Aregbesola or the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha or the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari or the Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Mordecal Ladan.

The sale of Petroleum products either within or outside the borders is not part of the schedule of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service. As of today, the Minister of Finance is still the Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria Customs Service while the Comptroller General of Customs is the vice chairman of the board.

At present the Nigeria Customs Service is run by the comptroller-general who oversees the work of six deputy comptroller generals in the following departments: Corporate Support Services; Tariff and Trade; Enforcement, Investigation, and Inspection; Modernization, Research and Economic Relations; Excise, Industrial Incentives and Free Trade Zone; and Human Resource Development.

The circular is talking about the sale of Petroleum products along the border. The circular is not talking about the closure of border, an issue that must have been discussed at the Federal Executive Council presided over by the President and I am sure the President must have seen the merits and demerits on the need to close our borders. Even if the President gave such a directive to Colonel Hameed Alli, to execute, we all know how he is extremely close to the President for he is among the UNTOUCHABLES around now, the circular did not say so and there is nothing negative in the circular saying so. I am aware that the UNTOUCHABLES in Nigeria of today get away with anything and nothing will happen to them.

A pronouncement in the circular that Colonel Hameed Alli was carrying out the directive of the President could have given the circular more weight. We are discussing about the powers of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs. The sale of Petroleum products is still under the NNPC and no law has taken that responsibility from the NNPC. According to the Nigerian constitution, all minerals, gas, and oil the country possesses are legally the property of the Nigerian federal government. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is the Oil Corporation through which the federal government of Nigeria regulates and participates in the country’s petroleum industry.

The Nigeria Customs Service was formerly under the Ministry of Finance before 1985. General Ibrahim Babangida, GCFR, placed it directly under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and that lasted from 1985 till 1992. He later transferred the Customs back to the Ministry of Finance in 1992 and that arrangement is still on till date.

I have read and reread the decrees of the Nigeria Customs Service especially the post of the Comptroller General, I never came across in the decrees where the Comptroller General of Customs will execute the directive in that circular. I am equally not undermining the success of Colonel Hameed Alli since he became the Comptroller-General of Customs, for example, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated about N1.002 trillion from January to September. The service recorded the highest revenue of N123.6 billion in July, followed by N118.6 billion in May.

Let’s take a look at the legal framework of the Nigeria Customs Service. The Customs & Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap 45, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 vests Legal Authority in the Nigeria Customs Service to act on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria in all Customs matters. This is supported by various supplementary legislation including:

Customs and Excise (Special Panel and other Provisions) Cap 45, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004; Customs Duties (Dumped and Subsidized Goods) Act Cap 87 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria; Nigeria Pre-shipment Inspection Decree No. 36 of November, 1979 further amended by Decree No. 11 of 19th April, 1996; Decree No. 45 of 1st June, 1992 as amended by Decree No, 77 of 29th August, 1993; Customs and Excise Management (Amendment) Act No. 20 of 2003; Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The law relating to Customs Agents is contained in the Customs & Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap 45, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and the Customs and Excise Agents (Licensing) Regulations 1968 (Legal Notice 95/1968 as amended). Nowhere did I come across the power of the Comptroller-General to execute the November 6th circular.

By virtue of delegated authority, the Comptroller-General is authorized to issue guidelines and prescribe internal instructions to Customs personnels in accordance with the governments’ rules and regulations as they affect the statutory functions of the Customs Service.

Executive usurpation of powers because one is close to the President is very dangerous. An enlightened and civilized society is guided by rules and regulations.

It was decree 7 of 1970 that gave additional powers to the board of the Nigeria Customs. On August 29, 1975, the Chairman of the Border of Customs and Excise, Mr. Henry Duke was retired by General Murtala Mohammed, GCFR, along with his two deputies, Mr. E. U. Emoren and Alhaji I. Halidu, the Preventive Commander. General Murtala Mohammed then posted the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Shehu Ahmadu Musa (1935-2008), the late Makama Nupe, as Director of Customs with a Mandate to reorganise the organization. Expectedly the late Makama Nupe brought his civil service experience into the organisation. The reforms he carried out formed the foundation of the Nigeria Customs Service till date. Before then the Customs was operating as two parallel services—Revenue (Technical) and Preventive (Enforcement). This parallel method of running the two services created serious conflicts and immense administrative problems. This seriously affected the overall efficiency and attitude of officers and men with the attendant negative impact on the image of the Department.

On November 7, 1985, General Ibrahim Babangida, GCFR, constituted a committee under Alhaji Yahaya Gusau (1916-2008), the late Shettima Sokoto, to probe the high level of smuggling on Nigerian borders. As a result of government acceptance of the report, thus, the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CIPB) were created with the promulgation of Decree No. 14 of 11th January 1986. This decree abolished the Board of Customs and Excise with this new Board taking over it’s functions and in addition absorbed the functions of the Federal Public Service Commission with regard to appointment, promotion and disciplinary control over staff of the Department.

On November 27, 1993, General Sani Abacha, GCFR, set up the Major-General Paul Tarfa Panel to probe the activities of the Nigeria Customs Service. The Panel was given one year to conduct the probe and in the meantime a Sole Administrator in the person of Brigadier – General (later Major–General) Samuel Omiago Ango was appointed. However, he was in charge of the Nigeria Customs Service until 4th Feb. 1999 when General Abdusalam Abubakar, GCFR, appointed Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha (OFR) a career Customs officer as the substantive Comptroller-General of Customs. From that time till now, Comptroller-Generals have headed the Nigeria Customs Service. They included Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha, late David Akintayo Ogungbemile (acting), Jacob Gyang Buba, the present the Gbong Gwom Jos and chairman of Plateau Council of Chiefs, Hamman Bello Ahmed, Dr. Benard Shaw Nwadialo and Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi. None of them exercised the kind of power that Colonel Hameed Alli is now exercising.

In 2003, President Olusegun Obasanjo set up a Reform Committee headed by the Minister of state for finance, Mrs. Nenadi Esther Usman. The Committee recommended a fundamental re-structure of the Service to re-position it to meet increasing challenges. The late David Akintayo Ogungbemile, a Deputy Comptroller-General acted as Controller- General of Customs during that period. Other members of the panel were Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Alhaji Waziri Muhammed, Chairman Nigeria Railway Corporation, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, Minister of Justice, Mr. Adekunle O. Adedayo, retired Assistant Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service and Alhaji Kabir A. Muhammed, State House Counsel.

I have read vital reports and decrees that relate to the Nigeria Customs Service and nowhere in the reports that have I read where such power were conferred on the Comptroller General of the Customs as contained in that circular. In every organization, there must be rules and regulations. That is what we called Social Rule System Theory. Social rule system theory is an attempt to formally approach different kinds of social rule systems in a unified manner. Social rules systems include institutions such as norms, laws, regulations, taboos, customs, and a variety of related concepts and are important in the social sciences and humanities. Social rule system theory is fundamentally an institutionalist approach to the social sciences, both in its placing primacy on institutions and in its use of sets of rules to define concepts in social theory.

Social rule system theory notes that most human social activity is organized and regulated by socially produced and reproduced systems of rules. These rules have a tangible existence in societies – in language, customs and codes of conduct, norms and laws, and in social institutions such as family, community, market, business enterprises, and government agencies. Thus, this theory posits that the making, interpretation, and implementation of social rules are universal in human society, as are their reformulation and transformation.

Rules and laws are commandments under which a society is governed. Those rules must be adhered to at all times and in all manners. The growth of any society depends on strict adherence to rules and regulations.

Vanguard

I Will Rather Lose My Governorship Than Allow Dino Return to Senate – Bello

ABEL OGWU

on November 3, 2019 at 5:30 am

Less than two weeks to the governorship and senatorial elections in Kogi state, there is an uneasy calm and palpable tension in the camp of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Yahaya Bello.

Bello had angrily told appointees from Okun land of Kogi West senatorial district that he will rather lose his own election than see Sen. Dino return back to Senate.

The governor stated this Thursday night in Lokoja during a meeting he held with the officials and appointees from Okun land in respect of the incoming governorship and Kogi West senatorial rerun election in the state.

Bello who expressed his disappointment over the low turnout that greeted the Kogi West rally held in Kabba during the week.

He lamented that the outcome of the rally shows that the appointees from the area will not deliver for the APC in both elections.

He threatened the appointees that if they failed to deliver for APC he will sack them from their positions adding that they will not be reappointed in his second term.

However, a caretaker Administrator from one of the local governments, who spoke at the meeting, assured the governor that they will not disappoint him during the election. He promised the governor that he will personally employ every means to deliver Kogi West to him and Senator Smart Adeyemi using every means necessary.

He added “I will use any means to deliver West to you and Senator Smart.

“We are equal to the task, I am ready to use any foul means and after that I will sponsor Muslims and Christians to Mecca and Jerusalem to seek for forgiveness on our behalf”, the Administrator said.

The Speaker of Kogi state house of assembly, Hon Matthew Kolawole who was denigrated and booed at the meeting said that the people of Kogi west senatorial district has never been fair to the governor in terms of loyalty. He said, during the general election the governor gave him an assistance of hundred million naira to campaign. This statement generated a lot of anger and negative reactions from the officials within the Hall. The appointees accused the speaker of diverting the said money to his personal use and spent far less than a million in each of the wards in his LG.

One official who also spoke at the meeting advised the governor to concentrate on his own election and leave that of Sen. Smart Adeyemi to himself. But the governor angrily responded saying “you’re a small boy and doesn’t know what is at stake”. He commanded the appointee to take his seat.

Furthermore, the governor enquire to know the real problem affecting the chances of the party in Kogi West especially the outcome of Kabba rally and previous elections.

In responding, some officials admitted before the governor that Kogi West is predominantly PDP since the inception of this republic.

The meeting had in attendance secretary to the state government, members of the state assembly, commissioners, caretaker chairmen and special advisers and other appointees.

After the meeting, many appointees expressed reservations about the chances of APC in Kogi West Senatorial District wondering how Bello and Sen. Smart Adeyemi can win elections in Senatorial District.


http://www.signalng.com/i-will-rather-lose-than-allow-dino-to-win-says-gov-yahaya-bello/

"Benin Republic has a population of 12 million people. But it is the worlds 5th importer of rice. In 2018, it imported rice worth US$996m.

Benin is also world's largest importer of used cars and second-hand clothing. All with a population of only 12 million people.

Do you wonder how? Don't!
98.2% of these imports into Benin are only on transit. Their final destination is Nigeria!

Nigeria is world's largest consumer of used cars and second-hand clothing, and is also Africa's largest consumer of Asian-grown rice.

The problem here is that all these imported goods attract appropriate import duty and trade tax, which are paid to the Beninoise Government while the goods are thence SMUGGLED into Nigeria WITHOUT ANY PAYMENT to the Nigerian Government, thereby, adding zero value to the Nigerian economy!

Sadly, THIS IS ALL DONE BY NIGERIANS!
Granted, ECOWAS/CEDEAO charter allows for free trade between member states, but on goods produced in member countries, and NOT on imports from other economic blocs.

Where foreign goods are transiting through a member country, and ending up in another member country, the ECOWAS charter stipulates that the country of transit MAY collect a token trade tax, and its Customs officials should then escort the goods to the border of the importing country and hand it over to the Customs officials of the importing country!

But what we see in the case of Benin Republic is that it collects CUSTOMS DUTY plus TRADE TAX, and then allows the goods to pass through its hinterland for onward smuggle into Nigeria!

This is a clear violation of ECOWAS statutes and no nation can condone such costly infraction.

Nigeria has tolerated this nonsense from Benin for far too long and it is time to stop the malpractice if we want Nigeria's economy to grow.

Therefore, whoever cries foul because we have closed our borders to smugglers while we're putting our act together, IS AN ENEMY OF NIGERIA!.

Nigeria makes up about 74% of ECOWAS population and about 71% of its economy. It is ECOWAS that needs Nigeria and not the other way round!

ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEMBER COUNTRIES MUST BE BASED ON EXTANT REGULATION."

Border closure in Nigeria hits hard in India, Thailand

The border closure in Nigeria which was aimed at curbing smuggling activities, especially of rice, has reportedly affected some rice-exporting countries like India and Thailand.

According to a report by Business Day, the price of the commodity dipped by a joint 46 percent in one month in countries like Thailand and India.


Border closure in Nigeria hits hard in India, Thailand and others

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Wednesday, August 21, ordered the closure of the Seme border.

Between that period and September, the wholesale price of the broken parboiled rice, the species in top exporting countries fell on product glut resulting from a decline in exports. In India, the wholesale price dropped from $0.64/kg in August to $0.40/kg as at 30 September of this year.

In Thailand, the price of the commodity declined by 9.2 percent in the review period. Data from both Thailand and India, which previously accounted for up to 90 percent of Nigeria’s rice imports, show legal imports to the country have declined at the same time. Meanwhile, there are fears that Nigerians may buy a 50kg bag of rice for as high as N50,000 in December 2019 if the land borders remain shut by the federal government.

Already, the price of rice by 86% to an all-time high of N27,000 per 50kg from N14,500, an indication that local rice farmers do not currently have the capacity to meet local demand in the country.

DJ Kidd: Jason Roger Pope allegedly infect 600 black women with HIV

DJ Kidd with real name, Jason Pope, was recently arrested for allegedly infecting about 600 black women and girls with HIV.

Jason DJ Kidd Pope from South Carolina was recently arrested for sex trafficking and has been bragging on the internet for nearly a decade that he targeted black women from as young as 113-year-old and he also allegedly infected more than 600 woman with HIV!



DJ Kidd: Jason Roger Pope allegedly infect 600 black women with HIV


The 42 year-old, Jason Roger Pope, was arrested for three counts of trafficking, three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and one count each of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, promoting prostitution of a minor and kidnapping on August 29, ABC15 reported. According to Police, a 13-year-old girl (and other women) who was raped by Pope told deputies she later found out Pope had aids.

Police reports state a 13 and 16-year-old girl walked into a hospital and told doctors they had unprotected sex (were r*ped) with Jason Pope, who was 34 years old at the time. The underage girls said Pope gave them Marijuana and money in exchange for him r*ping them.

The 14-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted by DJ Kidd around July 7th, 2019 according to S.M warrants. Authorities learned through social media that between July 1, 2019, and July 30, 2019, Pope solicited a 17-year-old girl identified as “T.C”, and received money and other things of value from Pope.

It was also reported that Pope took a second victim to his home on Lakeview Drive and raped her as well, and police say at the time, the girl identified his home and his license plate number. The victim says she was sexually assaulted on thanksgiving and was concerned she also contracted AIDs.

More reports continue to come in as a mother reported him for luring her 15 year old daughter with prizes and trying to rape her.

The shocking one was a family member of the DJ, who called the police to report that Pope was having sex with minors. She then posted that she reported him on social media. She told deputies that it had been happening for “a long time” but it had “recently gotten worse.”

A neighboring witness who didn’t want to be identified told police he suspected something was wrong a long time ago:

“Seeing who he had next door, these young girls they looked like there were very young, underage maybe, and they stayed over there some and then they’d disappear,”

According to ABC 15, they’ve asked the police for all of the incidents involving Pope about which police wrote reports, no matter how he was involved.

Jason Pope himself allegedly said he deliberately targeted black women and girls specifically.

Pope is currently behind bars at the Florence County Detention Center. His bond has been denied on all of his charges.

Falana urges army to fight terrorism and stop unnecessary military operations.

Human rights activist, Femi Falana, has condemned the move by the Nigerian Army to re-launch its Python Dance and Crocodile Smile operations in some parts of the country, urging the military to focus on combating terrorism.

The lawyer stated this while fielding questions from journalists yesterday in Lagos at the 12th Anthony Cardinal Okogie Foundation Annual Lecture themed ‘Security of Life and Property: A Prerequisite for Peaceful Coexistence –The Roles of the State and the Church’.



He said the army had no business with internal security of the country under Section 217 of the constitution.

According to him, such move can only be possible with the directive from the presidency, without which the army cannot be deployed in any part of the country.



He argued that it was the responsibility of the police to contain such situation.

“In any case, the Chief of Army Staff cannot just wake up and say ‘I am going to take over the country.’ That is a ‘coup’ against the constitution. And so, you can’t go around terrorising people in the name of security, which is not your own beat.

“Let the armed forces concentrate on combating terrorism in the North East region and allow the police to be equipped by the government to secure the lives and property of citizens.

“Mind you, each of those operations cost millions of naira expected from state governments, you can quote me. Give the money to the police to secure the country.”

Falana, who was the guest speaker, praised Lagos State government’s effort at combating insecurity in the state and urged other states to borrow a leaf on how to manage insecurity.

His words: “The Nigeria police command in Lagos has been sufficiently equipped by the state government; that is why cases of kidnapping are not on the rise in the state, notwithstanding the population.

“So the Lagos example can be replicated all over the country without the harassment and intimidation by members of the armed forces who cannot discharge their primary responsibility of defending the territorial integrity of our country.”

Private schools in Rwanda close down as public schools become more attractive to parents
By Inside_Education April 25, 2018 0 23580 views



Many private schools reported a two-thirds decline in student admissions at the close of 2016 as many enrolled in public schools. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA | NATION
Newspeak

Private schools in Rwanda are on the verge of closing down due to low patronage. A report by Daily Nation says desperate proprietors who face closure of their institutions are now asking the government to sponsor students in private schools at public rates.

But the government has rejected the idea.

The “problem” started with the government’s twelve-year basic education policy which made public schools affordable and preferable.

According to the report, the Ministry of Education invested hugely in expanding capacity and teaching infrastructure at public schools across the country; introduced the school feeding programme and abolished school fees.

More than 30 private schools are said to have closed indefinitely this year, while others are struggling to stay afloat after losing students to public schools.

School owners told Rwanda Today that even those that had managed to stay open were struggling to meet their operational costs.

“We’ve suffered a sharp decline in the number of students enroled, yet the school has accumulated debt, unpaid salaries and owes arrears to suppliers. It is not clear if the school will re-open,” said Samuel Batamba, the head teacher at College Nkunduburezi in Gakenke District.

Mr Batamba said the school used to have 900 students but now has only 80 students after it failed to attract new students while others enrolled in public schools.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, the government owns 460 out of the more than 1,575 schools in the country.

The rest are run by religious bodies with the Catholic church owning 620 schools, the Anglican church 279, Adventist church 22 and Muslim schools are at 16. Another 178 schools are run by parents’ associations and individuals.

The most affected institutions are private boarding schools.

Figures show that students in private schools decreased from 101,510 in 2012 to 79,076 last year while enrolment in public and government-aided schools almost doubled in the same period.

According to John Gasana, the Vice chairman of the Private Schools Association, competing with public schools requires huge capital investment to improve infrastructure, equipment and hiring skilled teachers, something many private schools cannot afford.

Private schools in Rwanda close down as public schools become more attractive to parents
By Inside_Education April 25, 2018 0 23580 views



Many private schools reported a two-thirds decline in student admissions at the close of 2016 as many enrolled in public schools. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA | NATION
Newspeak

Private schools in Rwanda are on the verge of closing down due to low patronage. A report by Daily Nation says desperate proprietors who face closure of their institutions are now asking the government to sponsor students in private schools at public rates.

But the government has rejected the idea.

The “problem” started with the government’s twelve-year basic education policy which made public schools affordable and preferable.

According to the report, the Ministry of Education invested hugely in expanding capacity and teaching infrastructure at public schools across the country; introduced the school feeding programme and abolished school fees.

More than 30 private schools are said to have closed indefinitely this year, while others are struggling to stay afloat after losing students to public schools.

School owners told Rwanda Today that even those that had managed to stay open were struggling to meet their operational costs.

“We’ve suffered a sharp decline in the number of students enroled, yet the school has accumulated debt, unpaid salaries and owes arrears to suppliers. It is not clear if the school will re-open,” said Samuel Batamba, the head teacher at College Nkunduburezi in Gakenke District.

Mr Batamba said the school used to have 900 students but now has only 80 students after it failed to attract new students while others enrolled in public schools.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, the government owns 460 out of the more than 1,575 schools in the country.

The rest are run by religious bodies with the Catholic church owning 620 schools, the Anglican church 279, Adventist church 22 and Muslim schools are at 16. Another 178 schools are run by parents’ associations and individuals.

The most affected institutions are private boarding schools.

Figures show that students in private schools decreased from 101,510 in 2012 to 79,076 last year while enrolment in public and government-aided schools almost doubled in the same period.

According to John Gasana, the Vice chairman of the Private Schools Association, competing with public schools requires huge capital investment to improve infrastructure, equipment and hiring skilled teachers, something many private schools cannot afford.

Seven times Jose Mourinho got it spot on about Manchester United

By Scott Wilson 15:07 08/10/19share on Facebook share on Twitter share on WhatsApp share on Linkedin share on Flipboard share on Messenger share on Email

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s spell in charge of Manchester United has made us reconsider how we look back on Jose Mourinho’s reign at the club.

The Portuguese coach was sacked in December 2018 after two-and-a-half years at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils were sixth in the Premier League at the time of Mourinho’s dismissal, 19 points behind leaders Liverpool.

Yet there were highs under Mourinho, including winning the League Cup and Europa League in 2017.

And being sixth in the Premier League is a position that Manchester United fans would take right now.

Man Utd players ranked after awful startMan Utd Relegation Party on May 17, 2020Check out our new GIVEMESPORT homepage

Mourinho was derided for many of his decisions and comments while he was the boss but, 10 months on from his departure, it turns out he was often correct.

We’ve picked out seven things Mourinho was right about at Man United.



1. Finishing second in 2017/18 was an incredible accomplishment

Mourinho genuinely believed that leading the Red Devils to a runners-up finish ranked among his greatest career achievements.

“I keep saying and thinking and feeling that the second last season was one of my biggest achievements in the game,” he said.

Mourinho has won league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain, and won the treble with Inter Milan in 2009/10.

So to claim that the 2017/18 season is up there reeked of self-preservation.



But he insisted it was the case even after he was sacked.

“I keep saying this because people don’t know what is going on behind the scenes,” he added.

Yet Man United are currently showing that Mourinho finishing second, comfortably ahead of Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea, was a remarkable feat.

The current squad isn’t too dissimilar to the one Mourinho had - it even has a decent centre-back - but Solskjaer can only dream of a second-placed finish right now.

2. Scott McTominay deserves to play

Mourinho is often criticised for not giving young players an opportunity but he saw something in Scott McTominay.

The Scottish midfielder was given regular opportunities in midfield and Mourinho used him as an example to the rest of his squad, naming him his own Player of the Year in 2018.

“He is the one that did everything,” Mourinho said.



“He started the season in the Academy and ends the season playing in big matches, in Premier League derbies and Champions League matches, while becoming an important player for the squad.”

“So I thought this kid cannot go home without an award, so he's going to get my award.”

McTominay has remained in the first-team, appearing in every league game so far this season, and he’s become a very popular figure among the club’s fans for his attitude and desire.

3. Marcus Rashford isn’t a No.9

The arrivals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku at Old Trafford increase concerns surrounding Marcus Rashford’s position.

Many fans wanted to see him through the middle instead of on the flank, but the signing of two recognised strikers in each of Mourinho’s first two summers didn’t bode well for the England international.

And so he was often pushed out to the wings under the Portuguese coach.

But has Rashford ever proved that he deserves to play through the middle?

Per Transfermarkt, he has scored 18 goals in 59 league matches while playing as a centre-forward. That’s hardly prolific.



Centre-back Harry Maguire had more touches inside Newcastle’s box than Rashford did in United’s 1-0 defeat to the Magpies on Sunday.

“I am not going to say he cannot ever be a number nine, he can be a dangerous number nine especially if the opposition is not pragmatic, is not close and is giving spaces to attack. He can be dangerous in transitions,” Mourinho said in a recent appearance on Sky Sports.

“But when Manchester United is a team that normally plays against teams who go to Old Trafford, close the door, bring the bus, bring the double bus, he is not a striker to play with his back to the goal.

“He is not the target man, he doesn’t score as many goals as a striker should do.

“So I think from the side you will get him to numbers of 10-12 goals per season.”

4. Andreas Pereira isn’t the answer

Solskjaer appears to admire Brazilian midfielder Andreas Pereira where Mourinho certainly didn’t.

He spent two seasons under Mourinho out on loan - the first with Granada and the second with Valencia - but the United boss was disappointed with his desire to spend a second campaign away from Manchester instead of fighting for a spot at the club.

“His was a personal decision that I don't agree with, a decision I don't think honestly is the best decision for him, a decision that disappoints me,” Mourinho said.

“He has the potential to be fighting for a position, fighting for opportunities and fighting to be a Manchester United player.”



Pereira was given another chance in the 2018/19 season, starting in the opening weekend, but he was hauled off at half-time the following week and didn’t start another match until December.

The 23-year-old hasn’t lived up to the hype - Louis van Gaal wasn’t convinced by him, either - but Solskjaer continues to use him in his team.

He doesn’t improve Man United.

5. Paul Pogba can’t be trusted

The France international was reportedly labelled a “virus” by Mourinho after Man United drew 2-2 with Southampton last December.

“You don’t respect players and supporters. And you kill the mentality of the good honest people around you,” Mourinho said to Pogba, per The Sun.

“You are like a person with a flu, with a virus in a closed room – you pass that virus to the others.”

When Mourinho was sacked by United, it was seen as a victory for Pogba. In a battle between manager and player, the World Cup winner prevailed.



But how has he repaid the club for sticking with him? By voicing his desire for a new challenge.

“I have been three years in Manchester and have been doing great – some good moments and some bad moments, like everybody, like everywhere else,” Pogba said in June.

“After this season and everything that happened, with my season being my best season… it could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else.”

Coupled with his inconsistent displays, it’s rather stunning that Man United are reportedly prepared to give Pogba a payrise in an attempt to get him to stay.

6. World-class defender needed

The Man United hierarchy refused to bow to Mourinho’s demands to sign a class defender in the summer of 2018.

Toby Alderweireld, Harry Maguire, Jerome Boateng and Yerry Mina were the names put forward by Mourinho but the board refused to go ahead with any of them.



It left them entering the 2018/19 season with Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof and Marcos Rojo as their centre-back options.

They only signed a centre-back after Mourinho left, spending £80m to bring Maguire to Old Trafford from Leicester City.

Yet according to the Telegraph, they could have bought Maguire for just £15m in 2017.

7. 'Nice guy managers become puppets'

"I don’t want to be the nice guy, because the nice guy, after three months, is a puppet and that doesn’t end well.”

Those were Mourinho's words at the end of last season, after Solskjaer's honeymoon period had been brought to an end with six defeats in their final 10 matches.

Many took it to be a subtle dig at Solskjaer and they're probably right.



Solskjaer is a nice guy but the fear is he won't be strong enough to deal with those above him at Old Trafford.

The Norwegian's spell in charge started well enough but it's easy to wonder whether he has the fire to turn this around.

Scores of soldiers killed by bandits in Zamfara – Witness




Bandits numbering over 200 on Thursday last week attacked the portrait of the troops operating along Anka- Bagega-Dangulbi road in Anka local government area of Zamfara state and reportedly killed 10 soldiers, one mobile police operative in Sunke village.

An eyewitness identified as Malam Shafiu Lajiga of Danma’aji village in an interview with Blueprint in Gusau said he ran with his family at Dangulbi town to Danma’aji village for fear of the bandits’ reprisal attacks.

“I have two wives, seven children, all are helpless. I cannot remain in that area and allow some miscreants eliminate us,” Lajiga said.

He said the gunmen arrived on motorcycles firing at the soldiers stationed at the community, adding that, a policeman was among the victims.

However, another source close to the state government who spoke under anonymity told our reporter that the attack would not be unconnected with vengeance taken by the bandits against the soldiers operating in the area who were alleged to have killed some of the repentant bandits recently.

It would be recalled that last Wednesday, October2, residents of Mayanchi in Maru local government of Zamfara state spotted a bike- riding gang at Kwanar Mayanchi junction along Gusau – Sokoto highway, who raided some shops and made away with food items belonging to shop owners worth millions of naira as they headed to Birnin Gwari in the neighbouring Kaduna state.

Blueprint reports that the attacks on soldiers came barely two weeks after the state government raised the alarm over possible attacks on seven local government areas by suspected Boko Haram members.

However, effort to speak with the spokesperson of Operation Hadarin Daji of the Nigeria Army in the state, Capt Oni Orisan proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai, Monday, visited Zamfara and held a closed door meeting with Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle. He however did not brief the press on the issues discussed.

Sources said the visit might be connected with the killing of 9 soldiers last Thursday in Sunke village and the need to restrategise against the bandits.

The state government in a response said the bandits who attacked the village were not from the state but from Niger. Special adviser to Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle on security matters, Abubakar Dauran, stated this while fielding questions from journalists in Gusau Sunday.

According to him, the last Thursday’s attack left some soldiers and the attackers dead, while those injured were admitted at the Federal Medical Centre, Gusau for medical attention.

“Following the recent peace dialogue with bandits, which led to their repentance in Zamfara, the state government after thorough investigation discovered that, the attackers were from Niger, adding that the peace reconciliation processes will be sustained.

Chairman, Anka local council, Hon. Ahmed Balarabe Anka, in an interview with Blueprint on phone, confirmed the incident, saying since the beginning of peace dialogue initiated by Zamfara state government, his local council was peaceful as people were sleeping with their two eyes closed.

Bandits sell 20 Katsina kidnap victims to slave merchants in Burkina Faso

The Katsina State government may have traced 20 of its indigenes to Burkina Faso where they were allegedly sold into slavery by armed bandits.

Reports indicate that “modern day slavery” thrives in Burkina Faso, a former French colony located in the Sahel region of West Africa, with human merchandise exchanging hands through various middlemen in parts of northern Nigeria, Benin Republic, Republic of Niger and Chad.

Competent sources hinted at the weekend that identification of the current location of some of the kidnap victims was part of the fall out of recent efforts by Governor Aminu Bello Masari who led a team of government officials and security agencies to the dreaded Rugu forest, on a dialogue mission with a cross section of the bandits and kidnappers.

According to one of the sources, “the victims were kidnapped in Kankara local government area and  sold to a woman in Cotonou who in turn sold them to another slave marchant in Burkina Faso.”

Confirming the development, Masari’s Special Adviser on Drugs, Narcotics and Human Trafficking, Hamza Borodo, declined to give further details but said that, “yes, I will be traveling to Burkina Faso this weekend to negotiate their release but I won’t give you details until I return.”

Until the dialogue initiative, eight local government areas of Jibia, Batsari, Safana, Dan-Musa, Kankara, Faskari, Dandume and Sabuwa had become synonymous with banditry and kidnapping, along with the slaughter of residents in a number of communities.

Incidentally, the areas share boundaries with the Rugu forest, said to transverse through parts of the neighbouring Niger Republic, Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna states.

Alleged Tinubu’s plan of controlling APC backfiring, says Bafarawa

Against the background of underground moves by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to reposition self, Fourth Republic Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, has deplored the stunted growth of party politics in Nigeria, saying the happenings in the ruling APC were due to the “insincerity” of some political actors.

Bafarawa, who also contested the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for this year’s poll, recalled how his discussion with erstwhile Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State in the United States of America in 2008 led to the formation of the APC.

The Guardian gathered that the ruling party is discretely reaching out to some of its aggrieved foundation members to regain its progressive ideology.

Although some of the eminent stakeholders so far approached in the reconciliatory move have shown positive disposition towards the rapprochement, others see it as a plot to shut out some leaders preparatory to the 2023 general elections.

This is just as sources hinted that some elements within the Southwest caucus of the APC had begun moves at regrouping in an alternative political platform to rekindle the famed progressive ideological of the zone.

However, Bafarawa told The Guardian that the power-play in the ruling party was expected, claiming that shortly after the APC was registered, “Tinubu decided on admitting erstwhile state governors elected on the platform of (the) PDP with the proviso that the entire structure of the new party in their respective states should be handed over to the new comers.”

He said while the decision to reward the five defecting PDP governors from Adamawa, Kano, Kwara, Rivers and Sokoto with APC structures in their states was taken to strengthen the party’s financial capacity to match the then ruling political grouping, “it later became obvious that the ploy was targeted at himself (Tinubu) and Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.”

Urging politicians and leaders to strive all time to do good to all men, Bafarawa alleged that the internal movement within the APC “could be a way of rewarding Tinubu for his style of politics”, adding that “those who noticed that he (Tinubu) was cleverly manipulating the party for his own interest seem to be moving against him.”

Billions spent on U.S. weapons didn’t protect Saudi Arabia’s most critical oil sites from a crippling attack

For years, Saudi Arabia has been a major buyer of U.S.-made weapons. That relationship intensified after President Trump took office, with the American leader pushing oil-rich Riyadh to buy more weapons and Saudi Arabia pledging a purchase of $110 billion in U.S. arms just months after his inauguration.

After this weekend, when a devastating attack on Saudi oil facilities blindsided the kingdom, some observers were left wondering what protection Riyadh’s outreach to the United States has bought it.

Notwithstanding the expensive military hardware purchased by Saudi Arabia, experts say, the Saturday attack represented an unusually well-planned operation that would have been difficult for even the most well-equipped and experienced countries to detect and neutralize.

“This was a really flawless attack,” said Michael Knights, a scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who has followed Saudi air defense for decades, adding that evidence suggests that only one of 20 missiles may have missed its target. “That’s astounding.”



President Vladimir Putin said Sept. 16 Russia was ready to help Saudi Arabia following attacks on the its oil industry, adding that a Russian missile-defense system could have been useful. (Reuters)

The attack has been claimed by Houthi insurgents in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been staging a troubled intervention since 2015. U.S. officials have suggested that at least part of the attack was launched from Iran, Saudi Arabia’s rival across the Persian Gulf.

Saudi military presents weapons debris, says oil attacks ‘unquestionably sponsored’ by Iran but launch point not yet determined

The operation appeared to circumvent the defenses of Saudi Arabia’s military, including the six battalions of Patriot missile defense systems produced by U.S. defense contractor Raytheon — each of which can cost in the region of $1 billion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to Saturday’s attack with mockery. At an event Monday in Turkey, Putin suggested that Saudi Arabia buy the Russian-made S-300 or S-400 missile defense system, as Iran and Turkey had done. “They will reliably protect all infrastructure objects of Saudi Arabia,” Putin said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, also in attendance at the event, was seen grinning at the remarks.

The S-400 system is untested in real-life situations, but it costs less than the Patriot system and has technical features that are, on paper at least, an improvement on the U.S. system, including a longer range and the ability to operate in any direction.

Although Saudi Arabia once flirted with the idea of buying the S-400 system, it was probably aware that doing so would have a disastrous effect on its relationship with the Trump Administration.

There is no evidence that the S-400, if deployed, could have handled Saturday’s incident better than the Patriot system. Even the best missile defense system cannot have a 100 percent success rate; shooting a moving target out of the sky is fundamentally difficult, requiring considerable speed and accuracy.

When Saudi officials claimed to have shot down a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis in 2017, a team of researchers argued in a report that the Patriot system, in fact, had done nothing to stop the missile, which had nearly hit its target — Riyadh’s airport.

Saturday’s attack would have been exponentially harder to neutralize than the 2017 strike. Both drones and cruise missiles appeared to have been used, with suggestions that the weapons were launched from multiple locations.

Knight said Saudi Arabia’s missile defense system was developed in the 1990s after watching the Iran-Iraq war and the Persian Gulf War, where airplanes and ballistic missiles were the main threat and could be spotted with radar easily, to be targeted by defense systems at a distance.

However, cruise missiles and drones fly far closer to the ground, making them harder for radar to detect. Given the low altitude, shooting one down carries greater risk, especially when detected late. “If you are wrong, you just blew up a British Airways flight,” Knights said.

Saudi Arabia has several missile defense systems that can target a low-altitude flight. Thomas Karako, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that in theory the Patriot system could protect against such a threat, although it is primarily designed for ballistic missiles.

However, it would depend where it was placed. “The defended area for a Patriot battery is relatively small,” Karako said. “There are real limits, even if you have a ton of Patriots, on what you can defend.”

It is unclear whether the targeted oil facilities, in Khurais and Abqaiq, were defended by Patriot batteries or other systems.

Becca Wasser, a senior policy analyst at Rand Corp., said responsibility for protecting Saudi Arabia’s critical infrastructure was split between the Interior Ministry and the domestically focused Saudi Arabian National Guard, rather than the military.

“These overlapping structures, roles and responsibilities are really a vestige of coup-proofing practices,” Wasser said, designed to prevent any one wing of power from posing a threat to the ruling family.

Saudi Arabia is planning military reforms to address such problems, she added, part of society-wide changes being pushed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The kingdom, aware of the technical threat posed by Iran to key facilities, may also seek to purchase new weapons that could combat the threat better.

The Iron Dome missile defense system, co-designed by the Israeli defense firm Rafael and Raytheon, may be one possibility, Karako said. The system is best known for its use in Israel, where it is used to shoot down rockets from Gaza and southern Lebanon. “The Saudis want to get something like Iron Dome, but they probably won’t call it Iron Dome,” Karako said.

Saudi Arabia also may seek to improve its radar capabilities with the use of elevated sensors that can detect threats from farther away.

For the time being, however, the country may have to learn to make better use of what it has already. New purchases from the United States could take years to go through, especially given a Congress increasingly suspicious of Saudi Arabia and export restrictions in place on some of the more advanced U.S. technology.

There may not be any handouts from the White House. Though Trump pushed the Saudi military to make more purchases, he suggested Monday that the United States did not have an obligation to protect the kingdom — and that if there was a conflict, Riyadh would again foot the bill.

“The fact is that the Saudis are going to have a lot of involvement in this if we decide to do something. They’ll be very much involved, and that includes payment,” Trump said.

Ladies! This is how to avoid being killed by a serial killer – Shogunle

The former head of the Nigeria Police Complaint Response Unit, Abayomi Shogunle, has given advice to ladies on how they can avoid being killed by a serial killer.

This is following the recent killing of young women in Port Harcourt by a yet to be identified serial killer in the city.


Ladies, this is how to avoid being killed by a serial killer


Yomi Shogunle took to his Twitter handle to give the piece of advice.

In his post he wrote that whenever a lady is meeting with a stranger at a hotel, she should always inform the staff of the hotel she is with the man and he should not be allowed to leave without her.

Evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa brought respect to our country. SA wouldn’t have apologized – Air Peace CEO Onyema

Mr. Allen Onyema the CEO of Air Peace, with the Speaker of the National House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila

Mr. Allen Onyema, the CEO Air Peace, earlier today met with the members of the National House of Representatives following the free evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa.

Onyema noted that the evacuation of Nigerians from SA has brought respect to Nigeria across the world.

“That singular act has brought so much respect for Nigeria worldwide,” the Air Peace CEO said.

He further noted that South Africa is suffering for the attacks by its citizens on black Africans, saying that stocks in the country were falling and flights now go empty to SA.

Speaking about President Cyril Ramaphosa’s apology to Nigeria and other African countries, Onyema said that; “it wouldn’t have happened if the evacuation hadn’t taken place,” he said.

Mr. Onyema who was applauded by the lawmakers further said that xenophobia in South Africa will soon die a natural death

Ogun Citizens Dominate Returnees From South Africa

Ogun State has 30, the highest number, out of the 187 returnees evacuated from South Africa last week. Imo came second with 28 citizens.

This came out from the profiling of the returnees, escaping from xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

The profile showed that the first batch of the 187 returnees are from 16 states of the federation.

Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja today.

She appealed to state governments to support the returnees.

Already, letters of appeal have been sent to the states to solicit for their interventions, Dabiri-Erewa said.

Bank of Industry (BOI) and some telecommunication companies have also provided some support.

NIDCOM boss who gave an update on the returnees at a press conference on Tuesday said that among the returnees were over 30 children and a widow who has four children.

She also revealed that Kogi and Benue have one returnee each, Abia – 7, Anambra 13, Delta 15, Ebonyi 2, Edo 13, Ekiti 6 and Enugu 7, Kwara 3, Lagos 7, Osun 6, Ondo 6 and Oyo 23.

She said that her commission was already communicating with every state listed.

Catholic Bishops of South Africa respond to xenophobic

Catholic Bishops of South Africa respond to Xenophobic attacks in honest and courageous words.



It is with dismay that we take note of the recent upsurge in violence against foreign nationals, starting two weeks ago in the Johannesburg CBD, last week in Pretoria, and this week again in the Johannesburg CBD, Malvern, Turffontein and Krugersdorp.

Once again we receive reports of the authorities doing very little to protect the victims. We received report of police standing by idly in Pretoria while shops were looted and people attacked. Not a single arrest was made on that day.

Once again the authorities resort to the old explanation: that this is not xenophobia, but the work of criminal elements.

Let us be absolutely clear – this is not an attempt by concerned South Africans to rid our cities of drug dealers. And this is not the work of a few criminal elements. It is xenophobia, plain and simple. If it was about drugs, why are South African drug dealers not being targeted as well? Are we really to believe that there are none?

And why are drug addicts who rob people in our city centres to get money to buy drugs not being targeted? If it is the work of a few criminal elements, why are South African owned businesses not being looted as well?



The teaching of the Church is direct and uncompromising. More than 80% of South Africans claim to be Christian. What are our religious leaders teaching the multitudes that fill our Churches every Sunday? Galatians 3:28 says: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” By the same token, there is neither South African nor Nigerian nor Ethiopian. We are all one in Christ Jesus.

God makes it absolutely clear that He has a special concern for refugees, migrants and strangers. Deuteronomy 10:18 says: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.” He isn’t just concerned about the foreigners. He loves them.

Jesus goes even further. Matthew 25 says: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”.. He identifies directly with strangers. By welcoming a refugee or migrant, we are welcoming Jesus Himself.

In his scathing attack on the inactivity of people of good will to do anything against the Nazi tyranny in Germany, Pastor Martin Niemoller said:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Let us take heed of this. We are facing a rising tide of hatred and intolerance, no different to the rising tide of hatred in Nazi Germany. If we do not take urgent action to stop it, there will be nothing left.

I appeal to all people of faith, and all people of good will, to speak out and take action. In the words of St Francis: “Make us channels of your peace”.

My prayer is that God will fulfil his promise made in Ezekiel 36:26:” I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI

Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference Office for Migrants and Refugees

BREAKING: Uduaghan floors James Manager as Tribunal orders rerun in Delta

James Manager and former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan
Former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has floored candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator James Manager at the Election Petition Tribunal in Asaba.

Recall that INEC had declared Manager winner of the Delta South Senatorial district election.



Uduaghan who contested for the same senatorial seat under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) approached the Tribunal seeking to cancel the outcome of the election.

The Tribunal, on Saturday, ordered INEC to conduct a fresh election.

Prophet kidnaps, kills church member in Owerri

One Michael Mbonu, prophet of Christ Army Ministry in Ulakpo, Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo state has allegedly kidnapped and killed his church member, Princewill Ezeji.
Ezeji was said to have gone to seek blessing from his cleric with his latest priced possession, a Toyota Camry car, and was killed and dispossessed of the car by the supposed man of God.
One Kingsley Udemba, 24, said to have capitalised on the situation to fleece Princewill’s family the sum of N960,000 as ransom, claiming to have abducted the then missing man was also paraded.
The state commissioner of police, Rabiu Ladodo who paraded the suspects before newsmen in Owerri, stated that the prophet had initially kidnapped the victim before getting rid of him.
Ladodo disclosed that once men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) from the command got wind of the disappearance of the victim through his brother, Emeka Ezeji who reported the matter, they immediately swung into action and arrested the prophet.
Upon his arrest, the police boss said, the suspect took the police to where he murdered the victim, adding that some personal effects like phone, car and SIM card, which the victim took to the prophet’s residence, were recovered.