₦airaland Forum

The Protestant reformers
understood themselves to be a
part of "the holy catholic
church."Millions of Protestants
still repeat these words every
week as they stand in worship
to recite the Apostles' Creed.The
word catholic was first used in
this sense in the early second
century when Ignatius of
Antioch declared, "Where Jesus
Christ is, there is the catholic
church."Jesus Christ is the head
of the church, as well as its
Lord. Protestant believers in the
tradition of the Reformation
understand the church to be the
body of Christ extended
throughout time as well as
space, the whole company of
God's redeemed people through
the ages.
Protestants, of course, do not
equate "catholic" with "Roman
Catholic." To avoid this
misunderstanding, some prefer
to say "holy Christian church."
While there is nothing wrong
with this term, we should not be
embarrassed by the older
wording. The word catholic
simply means "general,
universal, concerning the
whole." Jesus prayed that his
disciples would be one, even as
he and the Father are one, so
that the world might believe. I
think it is right to pray and
work for the "full visible unity"
of Christ's church on earth
which we know for sure will be
completely realized when Jesus
comes again. When we say that
we "believe in the holy catholic
church," we are confessing that
Jesus Christ himself is the
church's one foundation, that
all who truly trust in him as
Savior and Lord are by God's
grace members of this church,
and that the gates of hell shall
never prevail against it.
The "communion of saints" is
another term from the Apostles'
Creed that troubles some
Protestants. "Saints" in the New
Testament refers to baptized
believers in a local
congregation, such as the saints
at Corinth, or Ephesus, or
Colossae. Some of these
believers were far from saintly
in their behavior, but they were
holy by virtue of their
participation (communio) in
Christ. The New Testament also
recognizes "a great cloud of
witnesses" made up of men and
women of faith who surround
us as wewalk the path of faith.
Eachcommunity within the
Christian tradition has its own
"saints" in this sense. Luther,
Calvin, Wesley, and Spurgeon,
along with many missionaries
and martyrs, are held in great
honor by evangelical Christians.
Each Christian tradition can
offer its own special "saints" to
the entire body of Christ. In this
way wecan respond to the
biblical call to holiness and also
be drawn closer to one another
as we look to Jesus, "the pioneer
and perfecter of our faith" (Heb.
12:2).

JETHRO IBILEKE/Asaba
A yet to be identified prince of
Ogwashi-Uku and member of
the Izedunor royal family has
been shot dead.
Two others sustained serious
injuries after soldiers fired at
their procession in Ogwashi-
Uku, Aniocha South Local
Government Area of Delta
State, southern Nigeria.
The bloody incident took place
during the annual Iwaaji
(roasting of new yam) festival in
kingdom of Ogwashi-Uku,
where Professor Chukwuka
Okonjo is the monarch.
It was gathered that the
uprising might not be
unconnected with the crisis
surrounding the kingship over
who is the occupant of the
throne between the Izedunor
lineage and the Okonjo lineage.
The Delta state government had
sometimes ago presented the
staff of office to Prof. Chukwuka
Okonjo, father of Nigeria’s
Finance minister, Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, as the Obi of
Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom
following his victory at the
lower courts.
But the victory is being
challenged by the Izedunor
lineage at a higher court, with
the police advising both parties
to maintain the status quo until
judgement was delivered.
Two truck-load of soldiers
disrupted the festival by the
Izedununor ruling house, as
they allegedly shot sporadically
at the venue of the festival,
resulting in the instant death of
the prince.
A community source said “on
the day of the festival, the Ekei
Market is not supposed to hold.
So the Izedunor lineage had
gone to tell the market women
to close shop for some hours
but when the Okonjos heard
about it, they brought in the
soldiers to make sure the
festival did not hold.”
A source loyal to the Okonjo’s
family who did not want his
name in print, however
countered claims by the
Izedunors. He said trouble
started when the Izsedunors
mobilised to prevent Obi
Okonjo from entering the
palace to perform the New Yam
festival rites.
“What happened is that
tradition demands that the Obi
(King) would enter the palace to
perform certain rituals
associated with the festival and
that the market for that day
should temporary relocate to
where the palace is located for
the purpose.
“However, those who are
opposed to the Obi’s rulership
mobilised some youths to
prevent him from entering the
palace. The soldiers were trying
to quell the tension but they
shot and some persons were hit
by bullet,” said the source.
The incident has continued to
generate condemnation from
some quarters, with one of the
community leaders simply
identified as Akaaze accusing
the soldiers of intimidation and
killing defenceless residents of
the ancient kingdom.
“How can soldiers open fire on
innocent people? They are
ordinary
citizens. And we are all living
witnesses to what happened in
Abuja
recently: security operatives
killing defenceless people and
tagging them terrorists. This is
intimidation of the highest
order. Ogwashi-Uku is not at
war. tly: security operatives
killing defenceless people and
tagging them terrorists. This is
intimidation of the highest
order. Ogwashi-Uku is not at
war. Both factions should be
allowed to perform their
traditional rites until the
Supreme Court delivers its
judgement,” Akaaze said.
http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/09/28/soldiers-kill-prince-of-rival-house-to-okonjo-iwealas-dad/

By Chinenyeh Ozor
NSUKKA—Tragedy struck at
the university town of Nsukka,
EnuguState, weekend, as
unidentified gunmen raped a
young girl, who was celebrating
her birthday with her lover boy,
who was also shot in the head.
Vanguard gathered that the
incident occurred last Saturday,
when the girl’s boyfriend,
identified as Sunday Ozioko, 30,
took out his lover in his new
Toyota Camry saloon car as
part of the birthday celebration.
It was learned that the gunmen,
who rode in a motorcycle,
blocked the vehicle along Orba
Road at 6.30p.m., took over the
car and sped off through Orba
Market to Obollo-Afor.
They stopped at Alor-
AnoCommunitySecondary
School, raped the girl and shot
her fiancé, who survived the
attack, but was said to be in
critical condition.
A source told Vanguard that
when the two gunmen were
through at 9:30p.m., they gave
the victim N 500, having been
dropped off at Odolu in
KogiState.
Realising that the girl could
identify then later, the bandits
allegedly made for the girl
again, who was able to escape
through a path that led her to a
crusade ground, where Adonai
Faith Assembly was having a
vigil.
Rescue
The obviously horrified girl was
said to have narrated her ordeal
to the congregation, who she
told her fiancee was still lying in
his pool of blood.
According to a source, the
pastor of the church
immediately swung into action,
reached out to the police at
Nsukka Urban, who quickly
rushed him to
BishopShanahanHospital,
Nsukka.
Efforts made to speak with the
victim at his hospital private
ward proved abortive as his
relations barred press men from
seeing him.
Sunday Ozioko has, however,
been transferred to UNTH,
Enugu, for a surgical operation
on his head.
Enugu State Police spokesman,
Ebere Amarizu, said police were
on top of the situation and
vowed that everything would be
done to track down the bandits.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/birthday-tragedy-girl-raped-fiance-shot/

Wickedness at it peak

A tenant in Uyo, AkwaIbomState, allegedly set his residence ablaze, Monday, killing his landlord and landlady.
The house is located at Asuquo Eyo Street in Ifa Ikot Okpon, Uyo Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect, in his mid 40s, identified simply as Ime and popularly known as Shawa, was said to have threatened to burn down the house and kill his landlord and wife if they ejected him.
It was learnt that Ime, allegedly stabbed his landlord, Mr. Edem Akpan, and his wife, Affiong, to death, before setting the house ablaze.
Ms Emem Akpan, the deceased’s daughter, said trouble started when her father asked Ime to quit his house.
Akpan said that the suspect refused to park out and threatened that if her father insisted on ejecting him, he would kill them and burn down the house.
She said: “We thought what he said was just a mere threat. None of us could believe that Ime was capable of doing what he said.
“Two days ago, we saw him bringing worn-out tyres into the compound. We didn’t know he had a plan.
“Yesterday, before we left for church in the evening, he brought 20 litres of fuel, more than what his generator could contain.
“I remember a neighbour asking him what he was going to do with such amount of fuel, but he told him that he was going to run the generator overnight.”
“What we saw this morning as we returned from church, that the fuel and worn-out tyres were weapons he used to kill my parents.”
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/tenant-kills-landlord-wife-sets-house-abaze/

Chamackh: Gas is cheaper, I have been using gas right from my university and nysc days. I don't like using stove for anything.

Appreciate! I have bought 12.5kg cylinder today

Akshow: nice question. the fact is that many Nigerians don't realize that gas is more economical that kerosene. i personally think gas is cheaper.

Thanks 4 the advice, i used to by 2 litters of kerosene every 2days @ rate of 150 per a litter. I'll switch to gas immediately, i heard 12.5kg is N3200 and it will last up to 2month if well manage

OBJ
ABACHA
IBB
And me if giving the opportunity
Who no like better tin?

Lol @ Nigerians celebrating second best...
Second best ko' vice husband ni'
The best carry two head?
The peeps of that side d contiri with there backward thinking.
That why African will remain second class citizens of the world.

As a beginner cooking with gas or kerosene which 1 is cheaper?
I need peep with experience

mascot87: Call your illiterate igbo brothers to order first

Pls don't tribalize this thread.... What can do to stop this ugly occurrence?
Remember your child or my can be victim, something should be done and done fast

Christy G: i guess u have not heard about the one of the ibo man and friend who were molesting his daughter for a whole seven years abi? Are they also from the south west,it cuts across all regions bro.

Wonders shall never end!
I have not heard it o, where and when pls?

ibsmooth: COVER UP!! COVER UP!! COVER UP !!BY THE TIME JONATHAN LEAVES OFFICE,WE WILL UNDERSTAND WHO WAS REALLY BOKO HARAM.AZAZI GAVE AN UPDATE INTO BOKO HARAM AND THE REST IS HISTORY.THEY SHOULD SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT RATHER THAN THIS FURA AND AKARA STORY.LESS I FORGET,WE HAVE IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY THAT GOODLUCK AND HIS MERCENARIES ARE SPYING ON NIGERIANS.IT WILL NOT DETER US FROM SAYING WHAT IS RIGHT,GAME ON.

Zombie! You are the one to push Jonathan out of office abi?
The SSS guy is saying the obvious truth by the way... All those dirty, smelly, nuisance goro chewer should be annihilated off the shore of this country

Chai! Yorubas are dominating Igbos in 419 o, Igbos must urgently do something about this

caseless: refer to prophesy no 8; "child molestation will be on the increase, so watch whre your kids go"

Which prophecy?
Something should be done about this or else before 10 to 15 years this will become a way of life in southwest

Who will teach this peeps reason they so desire? I don't know what southwestern governors, Oba's and other relevant authority are doing about this ugly news almost on a daily basics

Man accused of raping
neighbour’s 8-yr-old daughter
By Ebere Nwafor
A 32-year-old driver,
Muhammadu Alabi, has been
arraigned before an Abule-Egba Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on a charge of alleged rape of an eight-year-old daughter of his neighbour.
The accused lives at 34,
Emmanuel Aina Street, Aboru,
Ipaja, Lagos. He, however,
pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Inspector
Racheal Williams, told the court that the offence was committed at the residence of the defendant on September 3.
According to the prosecution,
the accused called the child to
his room to send her on an
errand.
Williams said the suspect,
however, raped the child and
that her screaming attracted
neighbours, who then rescued
her and reported the incidence
to the police.
The prosecutor said the offence
contravened Section 137 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State,
2011.
The Magistrate, Mr. Tajudeen
Elias, granted him bail in the
sum of N2 million with two
sureties in like sum.
Elias adjourned the case to
October 8, for mention.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/nigeria-roadmap-to-stability-progress-and-unity/

Mun u mumu

Tranquill: For the 1st time I am going to disagree with the Archbishop. Jonathan not contesting should not be because some people who feel they own Nigeria are against his contesting. It should be his own decision to make. It is wrong to compare him with Obasanko's third term ambition. Obasanjo was to alter the constitution to achieve his ambition but Jonathan has every right under the constitution to contest. If because Atiku, Babangida, Buhari, Lamido do not want him to contest and then decide to make some parts of the country ungovernable and we now say he has failed, its unfortunate. The country belongs to us all and there are no 2nd class and 3rd class citizens. What kind of agreement should be made by a few crooks without the knowledge of majority of Nigerians? The Archbishop should rather condemn the existence of such an agreement if at all it exist because it is not good for the country today and it will not be good for the country in the future unless you want us to go back to the era where any one that wants to be something must go and pay homage to sultan of sokoto including obas and rulers of other tribes. Also, you want us to return to the era where you must have one gworo chewing mallam to back you up b4 you get contract with NNPC,NAFCON etc The same people that do not want Jonathan to contest were either sleeping or dinning with Abacha when he was hell bent on perpetuating himself in power.

Enough said

Erinpeyin: I am still waiting for igbo people responses.Stupid and cursed jews.

What is this animal saying?
GEJ all the way
Okojie pls leave politics and face your warrant

Tolexander: eko ile is also [b]eko atlantic, baba pupa and now agbameta[/b]agbameta !!

No wonder

eluquenson: These coy sell good drugs & are all Nafdac approved.
They are not meant for masses like you.

This is not issue of fake or original
HAWKING of drug is prohibited weather fake or original

putting the cart before the horse
Lagos state government always want to be on news with less or no action. This law have been there since the time of Adam with less or no effect

Divide this this FvCk called Nigeria

REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTION
That was what was done in 1963 in the making of the 1963 Republican Constitution to replace the 1960 Independence Constitution which was established by way of a Schedule to an Order-in-Council made by the British Government (section 2), corresponding to the making of the 1999 Constitution by way of a Schedule to Decree 24; in other words, Decree 24 corresponds to the British Government’s Order-in-Council. The Nigerian Parliament in 1963 enacted a law repealing the provision of the Order-in-Council, section 2, that established the Independence Constitution by way of a Schedule to itself; the repeal abolished that Constitution, which was then simultaneously replaced with the 1963 Republican Constitution.
The use of the 1963 method for our present purpose raises the question whether the National Assembly has the power to do what the Nigerian Parliament did in 1963, i.e. to repeal section 1(1) of Decree 24 and to enact simultaneously a brand new Constitution to replace the 1999 one scheduled to the Decree. The Nigerian Parliament was able to do what it did in 1963 by relying on a power given to it by section 18 of the 1960 British Order-in-Council to “alter any of the foregoing provisions of this Order”, including of course the provision in section 2 which established the 1960 Independence Constitution by way of a Schedule to the Order; the Nigeria Independence Act 1960 made by the British Parliament also conferred the same power on the Nigerian Parliament in its section 2.
POWER TO REPEAL
The National Assembly certainly does possess the power to repeal Decree 24 of 1999, with its section 1(1), and by doing so, abolish the 1999 Constitution and simultaneously replace it with a brand new Constitution. Its power to do so derives from sections 4(1) and 315(1)(a) & (4) of the 1999 Constitution. Section 4(1) provides that “the legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be vested in a National Assembly”; what is so vested in the National Assembly by section 4(1), it is important to note, is the legislative power, not of the Federal Government in a federal system, but of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a term wider than the Federal Government. The provision in section 4(1) is followed by that in section 4(2) & 4(4) that “the National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the Exclusive Legislative List” and the Concurrent Legislative List set our in “the Second Schedu
le to this Constitution” – the term “Federation or any part thereof”, as used in the two subsections, refers, not to a political entity, as does the term “the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, but simply to territory inhabited by people. People never bother to consider why the provision in section 4(1) is put there, and what purpose it is designed to serve that is not served by section 4(2) & (4).
It seems not to be generally realised that section 4(1), (2) and 4) of the Constitution invests the National Assembly with a dual capacity, a dual capacity that is somewhat confounded by those subsections themselves. The National Assembly is, in one capacity, the legislative arm or branch of the Federal Government in a federal system, (section 4(2) & (4)), in which capacity it corresponds to the House of Assembly of a State; in another capacity, it is the legislative authority for the Federal Republic of Nigeria as one “indivisible” sovereign state regard less of the “division” into States; its capacity in this latter respect derives from the vesting in it of the “legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, a political entity, under section 4(1). It is the entire legislative sovereignty of Nigeria that is vested in it, although the exercise of the power is regulated by section 4(2), (3) & (4). It is important to note in this connection that the power of the National Assembly to make law for the pe
ace, order and good government of Nigeria, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, by virtue of section 4(1) is not limited to matters specified in the Exclusive and Concurrent Legislative Lists; it includes under section 4(4)(b) “any other matter with respect to which it is empowered to make laws in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”; it is in this respect and other respects mentioned in other provisions that the power vested in it by section 4(1) may come into play.
Section 4(1) has to be read in conjunction with section 2(1), which provides that “Nigeria is one indivisible and indissoluble Sovereign State to be known by the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”. (the italic is for emphasis) It would be inconceivable and a palpable contradiction of the status of a “sovereign state” that anything whatsoever should be outside or beyond the legislative sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a sovereign state. That would constitute, not just a contradiction, but a denial, of the country’s status as a sovereign state. That is the reason why section 4(1) is put there, and it explains the purpose it is designed to serve.  The National Assembly has therefore power to repeal the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Promulgation) Decree 1999 and thereby abolish the 1999 Constitution scheduled to it under its section 1(1), and simultaneously replace it or have it replaced with a brand new Constitution, as the Nigerian Parliament did in 1963 in regard to th
e 1960 Independence Constitution established as a Schedule to an Order-in-Council made by the British Government.
EXISTING LAW
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Promulgation) Decree 1999 is “an existing law” under section 315(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which defines “existing law” as “any rule of law or any enactment or instrument whatsoever which is in force immediately before the date when this” Constitution comes into force. The 1999 Constitution came into force on May 29, 1999 and the Decree on May 5, 1999. By section 315(1), “an existing law……..shall be deemed to be (a) an Act of the National Assembly to the extent that it is a law with respect to any matter on which the National Assembly is empowered by this Constitution to make laws”. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Promulgation) Decree 1999, being a law on a matter with respect to which the National Assembly has power under section 4(1) & (4)(b) to make law, is deemed to be an Act of the National Assembly, which can therefore make a law repealing it. It would be inconceivable and a manifest absurdity that there should be an “existing law,” as defined in section 315(4), which is beyond the power of the legislative authorities of the sovereign state of Nigeria to repeal.
Concluded

Continued from last week
•
This is the concluding part of the paper by Prof. Ben Nwabueze, the leader of The Patriots, on Nigeria’s unity.
In the aftermath of the bloody conflicts of 1991 – 93, the bloodiest in the country’s more than 3,000 years of recorded history, the people of Ethiopia faced the fundamental issue squarely, and the solution they worked out at meetings of the ethnic nationalities, based on the tragic lessons of the bloody conflicts, was embodied in the 1995 Constitution, which is still, 17 years after (1995 – 2012), the basis of the continued corporate existence of the diverse “Nations, Nationalities and Peoples” comprised in Ethiopia.
We in Nigeria must likewise squarely face that fundamental issue, and not expect that the grave threat it poses to our corporate existence can be made to go away by the gimmick of the National Assembly’s constitution review exercise. (In its 2013 Report, the Washington – based Global Advocacy and Campaigning Organisation ranked Ethiopia among the top performing countries in Africa; Nigeria, with all its resources, is not among the performing countries named.)
LEGAL AUTHORITY FOR  NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND FOR THE MAKING OF A PEOPLE’S CONSTITUTION
The power of the National Assembly to make a law for the convening and holding of a National Conference is not in dispute, and can hardly be disputed. It derives from its power to “alter” the provisions of the Constitution conferred on it by sections 8 and 9 of the Constitution. Certainly, the power to make a law to alter the provisions of the Constitution necessarily imports the power to make a law authorising the convening and holding of a Conference to deliberate on proposals or issues relating to the making of a law with respect to such alteration.
However, the power of the National Assembly to make a brand new Constitution or to make law authorising the making of a new Constitution to replace the 1999 Constitution is disputed. The disputation is in order if the Assembly’s power in that regard is viewed solely from the standpoint of its power under sections 8 and 9. For, quite indisputably, a power to “alter” a thing does not, and cannot reasonably, import power to replace it with something else entirely new.
But the National Assembly’s power in this regard is not limited to its power under sections 8 and 9 of the Constitution. The 1999 Constitution is enacted by Decree 24 of 1999, titled Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Promulgation) Decree 1999, section 1(1) of which provides that “there shall be for Nigeria a Constitution which shall be as set out in the Schedule to this Decree”.
The only other provision of the Decree, section 1(2), simply says that “the Constitution set out in the Schedule to this Decree shall come into force on 29th May, 1999”. All that needs to be done is to repeal Decree 24, with its section 1(1), and the 1999 Constitution will stand abolished, and be simultaneously replaced with a brand new Constitution.
To reiterate for purpose of emphasis, the repeal of section 1(1) of the Decree, which establishes the 1999 Constitution by way of a Schedule to the Decree, abolishes that Constitution, which will then be simultaneously replaced with a new one. The replacement has to be done
simultaneously, as otherwise the National Assembly itself will no longer be in existence to enact a new Constitution or to authorise its making.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/nigeria-roadmap-to-stability-progress-and-unity/

Trail ii: God bless SW! Dis ppl are just so unique.

For what?

Sincere 9gerian: Yeye! No one needs your tribe. State your position and move on. You'r not Igbo, and so what? Is GEJ Igbo? Those Igbos, yorubas, Ijaws, hausas,etc that support the president, do they all do so because of their tribe? And how do we confirm you'r Igbo? Simply take your word on the surface? Nonsense!

Your attempt to blackmail the president because of ASUU strike is null and void. The govt has moved in from day one to make ASUU return to work, including putting N130billion on the table, all to no avail. Even last Friday, the Vice President of the republic met with ASUU all in a bid to bring an end to the strike. We can only compare what we see now with has been. When in the history of the country has any govt put lump sum on the table to address the issues raised by ASUU? When doctors went on strike in Lagos, what was the response of APC led govt? Were the doctors not all sacked?

Blackmail and name's calling will neither solve the problem at hand
GEJ have lost it that's the point I'm making