₦airaland Forum

aguiyi:
show me the post you want me to defend because i have made the necessary corrections.

read through sahara reporters website or use the link i provided above .

aguiyi:
google is your friend. Justice Abdulahi refused to retire because of the bribe he was getting from politicians. don't quote me again if you know little or nothing about what am saying biko

aguiyi:
that guy Justice Umaru Abdullahi, was as corrupt as corrption, if he was your classmate them there is more reason to xray you again to be sure you would not do worse.

he is one of those who dragged our judiciary into the mud

Dear President,

On behalf of all of the signatories below, I will like to express our deep concern about the recent situations in Nigeria.

In the last weeks, extremists killed innocent people in an attack that was unprecedented in its impact. No, I am not speaking of the tragic shootings at the offices of French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, where militant extremists killed 12 people but I am speaking of Baga, a small town in Borno State in Nigeria, our country, where Boko Haram, another group of militant extremists, massacred up to 2000 innocent people.

What is stunning about the two incidents is that while the world rose to condemn the killings in Paris, the massacre in Baga, the most deadly so far in Boko Haram’s four-year insurgency, has been largely greeted by silence. Most disturbing still for us, is that while Nigeria’s President was able to send a message to France condemning the killings, he has yet to address the Nigerian people who look to him for leadership.

What can account for the silence of President Goodluck Jonathan on the Baga massacre? Unfortunately, it would not be the first time. It was 40 days after the abduction of the schoolgirls in Chibok before our President addressed the country about the incident. In the intervening weeks, it seemed that there was a question in the government about whether the abduction actually took place.

The delay has been tragic in its impact: of the 276 girls abducted, the 52 who have since secured their freedom escaped on their own. The rest are still in captivity, still waiting to be rescued, 276 days after the abduction took place.

Connecting the abduction of the Chibok girls to the Baga massacre, one wonders if there could be some question about whether the Baga massacre occurred? Amnesty International’s report confirmed that the attack took place and that “up to 2000 people may have been killed.” It seems that the army is contesting the numbers, suggesting that it was 150 people that were killed.

Whether 150 or 2000, it would be important to hear from the government on its efforts to secure the North-East zone, to bear witness to the loss of lives in Baga. Instead, there is a deafening silence. We have seen a case of clear incompetence in handling matters. In the context of existing ethnic and religious fault lines, silence only communicates the impression that Nigeria’s government does not care about the victims and is not dealing with the insurgency.

Ultimately, the real problem is the seeming inability of the international community to maintain pressure on a government that seems ambivalent about fulfilling its constitutional role of securing the lives and properties of its citizens. You, as our president, after all have a responsibility to speak out.

As 1.5 million Nigerians flee their homes, swelling camps within Nigeria and overwhelming border communities in neighbouring countries, perhaps, the only hope for effective pressure on the Nigerian state is global outcry for the state to act. It was such global outcry that finally forced the President to address the nation and the world 40 days after the April 2014 Chibok abductions. It was the said outcry that caused Nigeria’s government to reach out to other countries and, with the help of France and the United Kingdom, agree a plan for a regional security force to secure porous borders between Nigeria, Niger and Chad which unsecured enable Boko Haram to move around the four countries with ease.

Perhaps, had that global focus on the crisis been sustained, the multi-regional force would have been based in Baga as had been planned. Perhaps, they would have been enough to repel Boko Haram when the sect attacked on January 3. Perhaps, 2000 lives could have been saved.

But the ISIS happened. And in the way that things do, the world moved on. The agreed regional force was not at the base in Baga, leaving a small national military unit standing between thousands of armed militants and a town of 10,000 people.

Not surprisingly, the insurgents quickly routed the Nigerian Army unit stationed at the base. And up to 2000 people died. Two thousand people, mainly women, children and aged, who could not flee quickly enough, are dead.

Their bodies are still strewn around the forest and river where they died. If their deaths do not gain the world’s attention, do not generate the outcry and actions that they should, we only prepare the ground for more killings and abductions. We can put a stop to these unnecessary killings, Mr President. We can!!

We can bring back our girls and boys who have been abducted by Boko Haram. But first we must decide if the lives of people in Nigeria matter or not.

Break the silence, Mr, President. Call for global attention and support to avert a crisis that begins to echo the early days of the Rwandan genocide. The world said “Never again,” then. Remind them of their pledge and be the voice for the thousands of innocent people who have died and the millions who yearn for peace to rebuild their communities and to claim their place in the unfolding rise of the continent.

Abiola-Costello is the Founder/President Kudirat Initiative for democracy Nigeria

Co-Signatories

Arnaud Vent nbhgfura, France; Bjarte Reve, Norway; Binta Niambi Brown, USA; Erik Charas, Mozambique; Funmi Iyanda, Nigeria; Georgie Bernadette, USA; Jacqueline Musiitwa, Zambia; Loulwa Bakr, Saudi Arabia; Leo Shlesinger, Chile; Marieme Jamme, Senegal; Mark Turrell, Germany; Rossana Figuera, USA; Salim Amin, Kenya; Soulaima Gourani, Denmark; Susan Mashibe, Tanzania; Tara Fela Durotoye, Nigeria.

Caseless:

It's season of politics, here owns me for now. But, I do navigate both section.

naijaboiy:
Where do you girls meet all these village boys?

BreezyRita:
Yeah. Right. I'll say holding your first baby in your arms for the first time. Nothing trumps parenthood really.

Plus, op, the joy you get from helping someone overcome a hurdle and they're grateful.
Putting a smile on their face and knowing you caused it.

delishpot:
Cheiii, bros, wetin i do you nau? And here I was protecting the small childs interest o. Cheiii, I don enter today ooo. I don put hand for tortoise nyansh. Somborry help me gerrout of it oooooo.

Kachisbarbie:
lol.
Finally the world done spoil.
Attractive like; I wouldn't mind babysitting her or even adopting her.

slightlyMad:
seriously, am losing it everyday
the more research i make about Buhari, the more clearer it get that Buhari
may be our only way out.

this weyrey wey dey lead us na confirm ode

Caracta:
It's not even just about the content but the pace. The threads are moved too fast. I understand the need to update the front page every now and then, but seriously it's not Twitter! Can you guys pls slow down a bit? I'm sure it's not a competition.

Honestly, I enjoy many of the topics but I get turned off when I log in and find about 15 posts on FP waiting to be opened. I log in after another 30 minutes and find 8. Hian! Perhaps, you guys just want us to skim through and spend less time here.

kayciano:
In FACT , if SOYINKA utters any destructive statement against our C-in-C...,
I will have no other option but to inform GEJ of it.
So dat he can be REMANDED in OTUOKE prisons.
THERE he will serve as a bait to the amusement of otuoke sons and daughters..
SOYINKA studied just ENG.& Literature.
While GEJ used ENGLISH and LIT. to study animal ergonomics....
Despite this insult GEJ Made 2nd class upper div.
Soyinka graduated with a 3RD CLASS..(just English ,we speak in nairaland).
He was busy heading societies at then.
Though, he later realised dat he messt up..

Atk1nson:
Wole Soyinka has been known to stand for democratic priciples against the likes of Babangida, Abacha and even Obj, even at the expense of his own welfare and safety.U must be a very pathetic fellow to imply this

ayobase:
"don't hate" baba......family dey kampe.....I am alwsys seeing u around here on political matters.


howz ur end and family?

ayobase:
I am always around though......I am doing fine here.
howz ur end?

2legit2qwt:
What's your definition of a REAL MAN? Who's a fake man? Don't even get me started on that asinine definition what standard a man has to conform to. All men are real and the only fake men are the mannequins you see at men's wearhouse

Use it as a wall paper in your sitting room

emperorchedda:
So what should we do with it?

niggereyez:
*modified*
she has a bright future .. u'll need shades to look at it.
....qnd plz OP... its ASISAT... not Azeezat

ANAMBRA11:
What's latsma fever is it the fever that affect latsma officials?

donsalvy:
if there's any significant thing I've learnt from our today ministers, it is 'HOW TO BE AN OPPORTUNIST'.

donsalvy:
I'm not a fan of pastors and churches owing partly to your afore-stated opinions. I just worship God.

donsalvy:
OP, I luv ur siggy

Speaking to Saturday Vanguard, the Benue State chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Arch Bishop Yiman Orkwar sees nothing wrong in churches establishing schools and running them in a professional manner, without sentiments. While he is not against churches granting scholarships to children of the poor, he insists that there is no way all members of the church could be exempted from paying fees as a matter of policy as this could harm the institution’s ability to run the institutions properly and meet the demands of staff.

Sociologist Dr. John Akposibruke disagrees with those suggesting that the church has abandoned its social service role to humanity like poverty alleviation.

“Some of the Pentecostal churches being accused of collecting tithes and offerings without giving back to the needy members have commendable welfare/poverty alleviation schemes.

“I know of a church that pays rent, school fees, medical bills and even wedding costs of its indigent members, but how many people can they do this for with their limited resources?”

He explained that their efforts are not being felt because the magnitude of poverty and deprivation in the country is so high that what is done pales into insignificance.

“In some churches those who need help are up to 60% of members and with the worsening level of unemployment the rate is growing; how do you attend to everybody?”

He points out that some members have developed unrealistic expectations from their churches one of which is that their children should attend a church-owned university free of charge simply because they gave tithes and offerings when the universities were being built without asking themselves the percentage of these contributions to the cost of setting up and running such schools.

“Tithes and offerings are gifts to God and the church, and like every gift they are not returnable either in form they were given, or by extending discounts and privileges.

“Since tithes and offerings are pooled together to carry out various projects in the house of God it is difficult to determine who gave what and on that basis extend any privilege; how can you be sure that your own portion of the contributions was not the part used to decorate the church or buy musical equipment and not used to build a school?”

Investigation by Saturday Vanguard revealed that some churches are indeed engaged in one form of welfare/empowerment scheme or the other. Daystar Christian Centre runs a leadership, entrepreneurship and skill development training for members to empower them. While the leadership programme is meant to impart leadership skills, the entrepreneurship class is a case-study based executive business education that takes potential entrepreneurs from idea to business plan, start up and fund sourcing.

The vocational skills development teaches members various skills such as maintenance of generators, photography, cake and confectionery making, bead making and video production among others. The church also runs a benevolence scheme under which foods, clothes and shoes are distributed to the needy whether they are members of the church or not. The Senior Pastor’s wife has also established a Real Woman Foundation to care for the female folk.

The foundation operates an orphanage and a street women rehabilitation centre which imparts vocational skills and education to any level. Inmates of these centres are given the kind of care and support that should have been provided by their families.

Saturday Vanguard also found out that The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) has established a number of schemes to help members beat poverty. Among these are “Career Academy” – an after school touch up for graduates to help them secure employment and “We Care” under which the church pays rent, medical bills, and gives foods and clothes to indigent members. It is also involved in rehabilitation of street girls through its “Rehobot Homes” programme.

The church also offers scholarships to intelligent but indigent members of the church under the Bishop Mike Okonkwo Scholarship scheme which runs from secondary to university.

Further investigations also revealed that several other churches run one form of poverty eradication scheme or the other to empower members but the impact of such schemes has remained minimal.

However, Dr. Joseph Antyo of the University of Mkar, a private university in Benue State owned by the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) believes that poverty issues in Nigeria cannot be effectively addressed at different levels (family, community, state and nation) in isolation from the churches.

He recommends that “churches should see poverty eradication as a part of their mission of evangelisation, since not only spiritual but also material salvation is needed to truly free someone. Some of the money that some churches have should be made available to their members in form of loans and other poverty alleviation measures, and the churches should be able to build on their greatest strengths which are trust and commitment rather than dependency.

Churches should also motivate their members to work or to help create employment, since the lack of it is probably the greatest bane of Africa today.”

But exorbitant fee is not the exclusive preserve of Pentecostal churches. Mission schools handed back by government to the churches that established them some years back as part of strategies to improve education in the country have now been caught in the web. The schools owned by Methodist, Catholic, Anglican, CMS and other churches that were reputed social service providers have now been hijacked by greedy capitalists. Their fees are no longer affordable, just like private universities.

Mr. Emmanuel Onyeji, past chairman of the Laity Council at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Okokomaiko, Lagos put the problem at the door step of “churches that are mainly interested in making money” and not in the welfare of their members.

“Pastors of churches often preach about the primacy of giving at least 10 per cent of their income as tithe and more as offering to the church. Their focus is on prosperity mainly”.

But Pentecostal churches have faulted this claim about church members contributing towards the establishment of educational institutions. In fact, Pastor David Oyedepo of Living Faith Mission (Winners Chapel) who is Founder and Chancellor of Covenant University was quoted as saying that he did not build the university with tithes and offerings of members. But he is yet to reveal the sources of funding. His denial, however, does not explain why majority of Winners Chapel members cannot afford the fees charged by a University owned by their church or senior pastor; yet he owns private jets – Gulfstream G550, Gulfstream G450, Gulfstream V and LearJet with combined valued of $98.3million (N15.9billion).

The situation is not different at the Redeemers University (RUN), owned by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). While fees are also as high as that of Covenant University, RUN claims to have established a scholarship scheme for indigent students. The scheme involves school fees discounts of between 10 % and 80% for children and wards of the university’s staff, children of pastors and some indigent members of the church. Like Winner’s Chapel Senior Pastor, the General Overseer of RCCG Pastor E.A. Adeboye owns a private jet – a Gulfstream V.

That owned by the President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ayo Oritsejafor has just been involved in a scandal in South Africa. It flew $9.3m cash into South Africa where the money has been seized by the home country although the man has explained that he leased the aircraft to another company and that he knew nothing about the transaction. . Nigeria’s government claimed responsibility, saying that the money was meant for the purchase of arms to fight terror and that cash payments are sometimes effected in such deals.

Ayo Oritsejiafor has admitted owning the aircraft and also admitted leasing it out to a company he has substantial interest. Nigerians want to know how this has this helped evangelism? Critics will be quick to answer that materialism is better for it than evangelism.

Mr. Daniel Ede, a banker who worships with the Anglican Church expressed worry that the present day church has deviated from the practice of the early church in terms of assisting those in need and he recommends immediate change.

“The early church in Acts of the Apostles sold their belongings and gave to the needy. Some of the wealth being made by our churches should be used for the sick, poor widows, prisoners, etc. Churches ought to create more welfare programmes for the indigent and needy in their midst. They should have schools and hospitals that the poor can afford”.

A worker in a Pentecostal church in Lagos, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on condition of anonymity said churches in Nigeria are not doing enough to help the poor and indigent and asked for remedial action. “The Nigerian churches are not doing enough. The church can begin a revolution of wealth creation and the development of education. We need to give in such a way that those given will not need alms again. Education funds should be created for those who are eligible to attend university, but are indigent. If churches build schools, they should dedicate a certain admission percentage slot for indigent church members. Of what essence is a church that doesn’t give back?”

He added that “churches should help fund businesses for church members and may also establish food banks, where indigent members of the church can access food in times of food shortage. They can also generate funds for small businesses to grow, as well as train the owners of such businesses”.