₦airaland Forum

1.Activism will become the most sought after profession in Nigeria.

2.Lagos State University (LASU) would be renamed FAT University to represent the shape of some people's pockets would take after students pay the increased N250,000.00 school fees.FAT is also abbreviation for Fashola and Tinubu(FAT) university.

3.2012 would see the rise of cassava cabal.

4.Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo,the father of modern anti-subsidy movement,would repent and join the pro-subsidy camp in criticising the administration.

5.Dame Patience Jonathan will organise rallies nationwide explaining to her "fellow poor widows" that subsidy must go because only rich widows benefit from it.

6.Ex-convicts Diepreye Alamieyesigha,Bode George and Tafa Balogun would receive national honours.

7.The Nigerian Governors Forum(NGF) would embark on strike to protest their inability to meet up with minimum wage demands.

8.The budget for 2013 would be submitted late again in 2012 and the speaker would criticise the president for late presentation again and would be applauded by legislators again.

9.The price of buying a Nigerian youth would reduce from transport fare and full lunch to transport fare and cassava bread only.

10.President Jonathan to find a new pet project (not cassava bread) to talk about.My bet is on Otuoke fish fortified with Vitamin F.

Lheyhe:
Bomb blast: A burden we must
live
with – Jonathan (Jonamumu)
We don't have a president in this
country

In my opinion, GEJ is officially useless

‎10 THINGS NIGERIANS BOTH AT HOME AND IN DIASPORA SHOULD HAVE ON THEIR MIND ON THIS DARK AND BLOODY XMAS DAY:

NIGERIA AND THE CURRENT STATE OF INSECURITY

1. President GEJ never wanted to become President. He wasn't prepared, he has never been prepared for all his political positions, he doesn't have the qualities, hence you can't give what you don't have. He should vacate office. No debate!

2. Fuel subsidy debate, anti same-sex bill, tenure elongation etc, are all ORCHESTRATED DISTRACTIONS from the government's ineptitude and lack of solution to the major security menace in Nigeria i.e. Boko Haram. Don't be deceived, they can't change the sta tus quo, they are clueless!

Now hear this: ", of course, wherever you have terrorist attack in any country, Nigeria is not an isolated case. Many countries have suffered from terrorists attacks, may be it is the turn of Nigeria. But we are on top of the situation.” - GEJ, 27/08/2011. Our fate is crystal clear from this statement - GEJ must go!!!

3. Religious institutions should be 'regulated', they have done more harm than good to the nation. A slap to one is a slap to all - Forget sentiments, I am a Christian too!

4. I wonder why the Security Chiefs, advisers and the IG of Police are still in office. They should resign. This only happens in Nigeria!

5. No sane or responsible government budgets to spend N1billion on food for the offices of the President and Vice President only, in spite of millions of suffering masses. It is called a 'Jeun Koo'ku' democracy. They have nothing to offer!

6. The bomb victims of this morning could have been anybody, it could have been either me or you. An injury to one is an injury to all. Enough is enough!!!

7. This 'packaged' democracy is not working. People that should be talking and/or fighting the cause are only waiting for their turn to 'eat' in 2015 or before then. We don't need such people in government. We need a vibrant, articulate, visionary, selfless and honest man amongst other qualities to be President - He doesn't necessarily need to have a PhD; the existing is a shame to academia to say the least!!!

8. That which we are all 'scared' of is fast becoming inevitable. Remember the biblical quote "ask and it shall be given unto to you, knock and it shall be open". We haven't asked and we haven't knocked, whether you like it or not, GEJ and his cohorts will continue to mess us up.

9. The year 2015 is such a long way to go. Nigerians are in an 'abusive relationship' with their government - It can only become worse, think!

10. The destiny and future of Nigeria lies in the hands of its citizens. So long too long!

May the souls of the people who died this morning from the bomb blasts and those that have died as a result of terrorist attacks in the past rest in peace. May God grant their families the fortitude to bear the loss.

God bless Nigeria.

Abuja - Following an emergency joint session of both legislative houses, a new law has been passed that basically makes it a criminal offence to diss the first lady. The new law, called the Patience law, comes into effect immediately. Official notification of the law has been sent to TV stations, newspapers and on-line news sites and web-blogs. The law is in response to what some in government have descried as disrespectful lampooning of the person of the current first-lady by unpatriotic elements. Speaking to journalists at the Federal house of assembly, a spokesperson for the lawmakers said: "Some people just have no respect for their elders. They keep attacking this poor woman in an attempt to stain the character of her husband, our dear president. But all that will end now. With this new law we have passed today, anyone who dares to insult the first-lady will face a five year jail term." Coincidently, five years imprisonment is also the punishment in Nigeria for homosexuality. When asked by reporters to give examples of the offensive things that have been said about the first-lady, thus necessitating the new law, the lawmaker declined to answer stating instead that: "Even repeating them, is a crime." He was asked if this new law will apply to all subsequent first-ladies. His response: "Not everybody has problems with English."

The top 10 predictions for 2012 in no special order as follows:

1.Activism will become the most sought after profession in Nigeria.

2.Lagos State University (LASU) would be renamed FAT University to represent the shape of some people's pockets would take after students pay the increased N250,000.00 school fees.FAT is also abbreviation for Fashola and Tinubu(FAT) university.

3.2012 would see the rise of cassava cabal.

4.Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo,the father of modern anti-subsidy movement,would repent and join the pro-subsidy camp in criticising the administration.

5.Dame Patience Jonathan will organise rallies nationwide explaining to her "fellow poor widows" that subsidy must go because only rich widows benefit from it.

6.Ex-convicts Diepreye Alamieyesigha,Bode George and Tafa Balogun would receive national honours.

7.The Nigerian Governors Forum(NGF) would embark on strike to protest their inability to meet up with minimum wage demands.

8.The budget for 2013 would be submitted late again in 2012 and the speaker would criticise the president for late presentation again and would be applauded by legislators again.

9.The price of buying a Nigerian youth would reduce from transport fare and full lunch to transport fare and cassava bread only.

10.President Jonathan to find a new pet project (not cassava bread) to talk about.My bet is on Otuoke fish fortified with Vitamin F.

No subsidy removal but subsidy transfer-Minister of Petroleum.

What does that mean?

This woman don come again ooo! She no go kill person!
"Ojukwu is a great man,he died but his manhood lives on" ~Dame Patience. Lmao!

Somebody asked what they will eat to cost that much. Haba, the Blackie fisherman graduated from drinking "ogogoro" and "apeteshi" to MOET CHANDON, while the gworo-chopping Sambo graduated from drinking "fura de nunu" to MOET HENESSY! Shameless leaders and spineless followers.

He has the carriage of stately personage.With his gaunt frame and fair skin,Muhammadu Buhari cuts the picture of a Spartan saint taking life’s twists and turns with stoic equanimity.As far as moral discipline goes,Buhari remains a shinning star in the firmament of generally lascivious and bankrupt military officers.Love him or hate him,this somewhat Spartan,if ascetic lifestyle is what he has going for him.The worst enemy of Buhari says that Buhari is not corrupt and that is the truth. It takes integrity and rigidity not to be corrupt and lead the nation.

Buhari is admired by many for his uprightness and stand against corruption. His government is revered for its ability to keep the country afloat by making progress through sheer economic ingenuity even when it rejected IMF loan and refused to adopt IMF conditionalities to devalue the Naira. His government is praised for its gain in reducing inflation by refusing to devalue the nation's currency, the Nigerian Naira, curbing imports of needless goods, curtailing oil theft and using counter trade policy to barter seized illegally bunkered crude oil for needful goods like machineries, enabling it to export above its OPEC quota,

Nigerians today still looks back with nostalgia to those months as the only period since independence when the people made a conscious attempt to be disciplined and the government corruption free.

As a parting shot, and they found nothing of blameworthy in him, " Continue to walk talk amongst your contemporaries. And he wept for his nation; yet he was scorned and now the nation weeps.

A 4-year-old stray cat that was rescued from the streets of Rome has inherited a $13 million fortune from its owner, the wealthy widow of an Italian property tycoon.

Maria Assunta left the fortune to her beloved kitty Tommaso when she died two weeks ago at the age of 94, reports ABC News Blogs.

The feline's newfound riches include cash, as well as properties in Rome, Milan and land in Calabria.

As her health began to fail two years ago, Assunta, who had no children, began to seek out a way to see that Tommaso was properly cared for after she died. In November 2009, she bequeathed her entire estate to the alley cat that she'd rescued.

Initially, Assunta had instructed her attorneys to "identify an animal welfare association or group to which to leave the estate and the commitment of looking after Tommaso," according to the Daily Telegraph.

Unable to find a satisfactory association to see to it that Tommaso was loved and cared for, Assunta decided to leave all her money to the cat via her nurse, Stefania, who cared for her until her dying day. Her last name has not been disclosed.

"She had become very fond towards the nurse who assisted her," Anna Orecchioni, one of the lawyers, told Il Messaggero newspaper.

"We're convinced that Stefania is the right person to carry out the old lady's wishes. She loves animals just like the woman she devoted herself to right up until the end."

Stefania told the Telegraph that she had no idea the woman that she was caring for was so incredibly wealthy.

"The old lady suffered from loneliness," the nurse said. "She looked after that cat more than you'd look after a son.

"I promised her that I would look after the cat when she was no longer around. She wanted to be sure that Tommaso would be loved and cuddled. But I never imagined that she had this sort of wealth," she said. "She was very discreet and quite. I knew very little of her private life. She only told me that she had suffered from loneliness a lot."

Tommaso and Stefania, along with another cat, are living outside Rome at an address that is undisclosed, so to avoid con artists and potential kidnappers.

"We have gotten lots of email messages from candidates who wanted to adopt the little Tommasino," the cat's lawyer told ABC News.

The windfall for Tommaso places him No.3 on the list of wealthy pets, behind Kalu the chimp, whose owner left him $80 million dollars, and top dog Gunther IV, a German shepherd who inherited $372 million dollars from his father, Gunther III, the beloved companion of an eccentric German countess.

Real estate magnate Leona Helmsley famously left $12 million to her little dog Trouble, although her human descendents contested, and Trouble's pot was cut to $2 million.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/

Former Inspector General of Police [IGP], Mr. Sunday Ehindero, said at the weekend that the Nigerian Police, as presently constituted, lacks the operational capability to combat the rising crime wave and insecurity, especially the insurgence of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.

He gave this stunning verdict in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun just as the Nigerian Bar Association [NBA] passed a vote of no confidence on the security agencies. Ehindero said the agencies have collectively failed in the discharge of their statutory duties.

The former police boss spoke during the second NBA President’s roundtable on human rights in Abuja with the theme: “Human rights and national security: The challenges of terrorism and response of law enforcement agencies in Nigeria.”
The former IGP revealed that the force has a moribund intelligence unit that does not have what it takes to gather and monitor intelligent information.

He blamed the current state of the police on the military whom he accused of incapacitating the force with the creation of National Security Organization [NSO].
His words, “the military incapacitated the police by the creation of NSO as the police no longer have functional intelligence outfit. If you go back to history, in 1976, the NSO was established by the military and when that happened, the E Department [Intelligence] that was in the police and gather intelligence information for the police was removed from the police.

“We have the Criminal Investigation Department [CID], but it is moribund because it does not have functional equipment. You see, the problem that I see is that we want to kill, we want that tree to die, but we are cutting the leaves without going to the roots. If you want the tree to die, go to the roots. What we are doing now is just looking at the leaves,” he said. The former police boss advocated for the creation of Homeland Security and Patriot Act as obtainable in the United States of America [USA] for the fight against terrorism and other crimes to succeed.
“How did the Americans tackle the issue of terrorism to the extent that they don’t have terrorism? Immediately it happened, they have come out with a new action plan and say it will never happen again. What do they do? That is what they have started doing now-to identify who the terrorists are, now when they come into the country, they are arrested and information about their operations extracted from them.

“They did not stop at that, they establish the Patriot Act which makes it compulsory for the Central Intelligent Agency [CIA] and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to work together. More than that, they established the Homeland Security which galvanized the entire intelligence outfits in the USA, both at the local, the state and federal levels and they have a source of management of such intelligence.

“We must have all these. We must establish something like the Homeland Act. Our intelligent outfits must be asked to co-operate not passing intelligence vertically to the Commander-in-Chief [C-in-C] but pass it horizontally so that those who need to use it must use it. More than that, what is intelligence? The security outfits are not magicians, they need this information from the public and members of the public must be in the position to volunteer information to the security agencies so that they can act on them.”

While acknowledging that corruption is another factor militating against the effective performance of the police, Ehindero noted that other sectors have overtaken the police in corruption ranking in the country.
“Corruption is everywhere now. The police are no more corrupt; there are other organizations that are now more corrupt, but I don’t want to mention names.” Meanwhile, the NBA said the security agencies have failed woefully in the discharge of their statutory responsibilities. President of the NBA, Mr. Joseph Daudu [SAN], had, in his speech at the event, noted that in spite of all the available laws in place especially the Terrorism [Prevention] Act, 2011; security agencies have failed to take advantage of such laws to address the state of insecurity in the country.

The beauty of the Terrorism Act, according to the NBA president, is that it gives the security agencies absolute powers to arrest, detain suspects without recourse to warrant of arrest.“The law gives sweeping powers to security agencies to more or less do as they please. For example, the Terrorism Bill allows a security officer to enter and search any place, person, or vehicle without warrant if he has reason to suspect that an offence is being committed and there is evidence of a commission of an offence under the law. The officer may also search, detain, and arrest anyone if he has a reasonable suspicion that the person has committed or about to commit an offence under the bill.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/dec/12/national-12-12-2011-001.html

The sentiment of not having a shoe as a kid might have won him the election but now that Nigeria has given him a shoe,he should show that it is not too big for him.Not having a shoe is different from not having a clue.

possible title for new baba suwe film:

1. so gbe dowo

2. owo igbe ki run

3. ma ye ekan si

4. igbe to dun

5. igbe ori re

6. igbe wunmi,

possible title for new baba suwe flick:

1. so gbe dowo

2. owo igbe ki run

3. ma ye ekan si

4. igbe to dun

5. igbe ori re

6. igbe wunmi,

As for me, the only condition that can make the removal of subsidy attractive is for us to be cocksure of how we would enjoy the benefits. When Gen. Sani Abacha increased fuel prices in 1994, he set up the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF), under the leadership of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to spend the savings on infrastructural development. We all saw what PTF did. It remains the best public works programme the country has embarked upon in ages. Anything short of this landmark will be a massive failure.

A university lecturer, Elijah Abodunrin has been charged to Ijeshatedo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos and remanded in prison custody at Apapa Lagos, State, Southwest Nigeria, for allegedly having carnal knowledge of a 15-year old boy (names withheld).

Abodunrin claimed that he is a lecturer at the Department of Physiology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

The suspect was alleged to have inserted his penis into the boy’s anus in order to satisfy his sexual desire, after which he reportedly gave him N1,000 and warned him not to tell anyone.

The incident happened at Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, where the victim and Abodunrin’s parents reside.

P.M.NEWS gathered that Abodunrin, who is now detained at Kirikiri Prisons returned from Ile- Ife where he teaches to see his parents when the incident happened.

It was learnt that when the victim could not bear the pains in his anus, he opened up and told his parents what happened.

The matter was reported at Okota Police Station and Abodunrin was arrested and charged to court for allegedly having carnal knowledge of the victim.

Part of the charge reads: “that you, Elijah Abodunrin on the same date, time and place did have carnal knowledge of the victim against the order of nature.’’

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. D. T. Olatuku granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The matter was adjourned till 7 November, 2011.

Abodunrin was remanded in prison custody pending when he will meet the bail conditions.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2011/09/16/u-i-lecturer-charged-with-sodomy/

lucenzo:
The Most Popular Rumour In Nigeria

I was thinking, what is the most popular rumour in nigeria. To me it was the one that Nigeria super eagles played india with a scoreline of 99 - 1 or was it 100 - 0  I can't remember now. I heard  that rumour way back 1996 and do you know, the most crazy thing here is that india had never played football or a fifa tournament before. Others could be 
1. Acid rain
2. yar'adua death
3. May 12th judgement day
  Oya nl let's hear your comment

India had indeed participated in FIFA organised competition.They were semi-finalist at the 1956 Olympic soccer event hosted by Finland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_1956_Summer_Olympics

Lady Apostle Helen Ukpabio, the founder of the Liberty Gospel Church, has called on General Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, to apologise to Nigerians over the bombings and killings by the Boko Haram sect in northern Nigeria.


Apostle Ukpabio, who was speaking during an interactive session with journalists organised by the Calabar Christian Leaders to react to the spate of bombings in the country, said Buhari at the peak of the April 2011election campaign did threaten that Nigeria would be ungovernable if he fails win the presidential election.

“ I watched Buhari on television and on radio during the April election threaten that there would be trouble in Nigeria if he did not win. Even when he did not come here and several parts of the country to campaign, he still felt he had what it takes to become president and that threat is manifesting today.

“We should on that score hold him responsible for the violence. If you have forgotten, I have not forgotten; he should apologise to Nigerians,” she said.

Ukpabio, who is also famous for producing Nollywood films and videos, said Christians have the capacity for violence but they are being constrained by their faith which preaches love but when the violence by the Boko Haram is always directly targeted at them, they would have no choice but to react.

“In our Bible, we are admonished to protect our faith even with our blood, but we are constrained to walk always in love but that should not be taken for granted because the Bible also says in the time of John the Baptist, the kingdom suffereth violence and the violent take it by force ”.

Bishop Josef Bassey of God’s Heritage, who read the speech of the leaders, said the Sultan of Sokoto, who is the head of Islam in Nigeria should call on the Boko Haram who are his Muslim brethren to stop the violence in the northern part of the state.

“We in Christianity have authorities we respect and that also goes for the Muslim. He and their head should call on them to stop the killing of innocent people”.

He said it was time for National Conference to be convened to determine the future of the country rather than resort to anarchy.

“In a state of war, the constitution of the country and the rule of law are suspended and rather than get to that state, we should convene a National Conference to determine the future of our country, any state that wants Sharia can be governed by Sharia law while any that prefers Cannon law can have same.”

The Christian Leaders who also condemned the destruction of property in the University of Calabar attributed it also to the handiwork of agents of Boko Haram.

“They have been threatening to come down here and the fact that the destruction took place the same day with the bombing of the United Nations building took place shows it is not a coincidence but a plan hatched a long time ago,” Bishop Bassey said.

He warned that any further attack on the city of Calabar that is noted for peace would not be taken lightly while concluding that the last word has not been heard from the Christians should the bombings continue.

“Violence is not the preserve of any community or religion, if these acts continue, we would react and very soon”. The Bishop concluded

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2011/09/11/helen-ukpabio-calls-on-buhari-to-apologies-over-boko-haram/

Shocking Details Of The Real Causality Figures of The Abuja UN Blast

Dr. David Edward, a young and brilliant Nigerian U.S-based medical practitioner (who has a 10 year old son) and who had just flown in from the U.S. for the programme was one of the speakers at the conference on the 3rd floor of the UN building. He was speaking at the conference when the bomb went off and he died instantly. They say only 18 people died. This is not true. Out of the 300 people that attended that conference on the 3rd floor of the UN building alone at least 150 were killed. And yet they will tell you that only 18 people died. This is an ungodly lie and it is disrespectful to those who had to pay the supreme price and that lost their lives. In the National Hospital mortuary alone over one hundred dead bodies were deposited and many other bodies were rushed to other mortuaries in the city of Abuja. Please ask your people to go and ask those that work at Abuja National hospital if you doubt this. What about the 20 children that were killed in the creche? There was no mention of them by the media or our government either.

What type of country is this? These 150 people are not being honoured in death because no-one knows that they were killed as well. They have not even been acknowledged as a number let alone by name. Is it now a crime to tell the world the amount of harm, evil and damage that Boko Haram has carried out? We lost many innocent souls yesterday and not just the 18 that are being reported in the press.The Nigerian people have a right to know the truth and this government had better start getting serious about security before it is too late and the whole country falls apart. Boko Haram must be crushed. Utterly crushed. They must be wiped out - FEMI FANI-KAYODE.

http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/nvmovie/59412/3/the-un-building-bombing-matters-arising-is-there-a.html

I am embarrassed that Jonathan could refer to this incident as an attack on the UN. It is an attack on Nigeria and majority of those who are affected directly and indirectly will be Nigerians.
And to make it worse, this is a guy who had refused to prosecute Boko Haram members who were arrested because the government forgave them.
What kind of president is this?

''According to the pricing template of the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency as at August 15, 2011, the landing cost of a litre of petrol is N129.21; the margin for transporters and marketers is N15.49; the expected pump price is, N144.70; while the official pump price is N65.
This means that the Federal Government is paying N79.70 as subsidy on each litre of petrol consumed in the country.With about 32 million litres of petrol consumed daily across the country, it means the government is paying about N2.6bn as subsidy every day.''

ALL THESE ARE UNINTELLIGENT LOTS! THEY SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WISER TO BUILD ANOTHER REFINERY OR PUT OUR OLD ONES BACK TO WORK INSTEAD OF REFINING ABROAD.

SPENDING N2.6BN EVERYDAY MULTIPLIED BY 265 DAYS IS A WHITE LIE WHICH DO NOT ADD UP IN ANY WAY.

THOUGHT NIGERIANS HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH BUT NOW ALL THEY CAN AY IS YOU ALL HAVE NOT STARTED SUFFERING.

Africa's most populous country, Nigeria, has recognized the Libyan rebel council as the "legitimate representative of the Libyan people."

In remarks to reporters Tuesday, Nigeria's minister of state (junior minister) for foreign affairs, Viola Onwuliri, also called on longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to give up power immediately.

A growing number of countries have recognized the Libyan rebel council as the country's legitimate power, as rebel fighters seize control of Tripoli.

Kenya stopped short of recognizing the rebels Tuesday, but acting Foreign Minister George Saitoti said Libya's "interim authority" should start an inclusive political dialogue and work toward free and fair elections. The Kenyan statement referred to the "impending collapse" of the Gadhafi regime.

The African Union, which tried to mediate the Libyan conflict, has yet to recognize the rebels. AU heads of state are scheduled to hold a series of meetings in Ethiopia's capital later this week.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Nigeria-Recognizes-Libya-Rebels-128255143.html

The more the merrier

A tin of powdered peak milk, Gaisea, A bag of rice which was sold for 600, 100 and 7800 respectively last two weeks are now sold for 750, 140, ad 9000 respectively. These are dividends of democracy. Kudos to GEJ and his team of government. I hail Nigerians

There has, in recent times, been a rather sustained campaign waged by the media, especially among some of the operators in some of our leading internet news sites, aimed, I think, at running down some of our leading Pentecostal pastors.

Some of the internet newsmen and commentators whom I dub ‘’internet warriors’’ tend to be sometimes irreverent, sceptical and excessively fault-finding and so they do not hesitate to sex up or slant news concerning these great men of God to portray them in very unflattering light.

The main targets of some of the unjustified attacks are Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Matthew Ashimolowo, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and to some extent, Pastor Chris Okotie. The main plank in this campaign of calumny is to portray these priests as a set of clever rouges that uses gimmicks to fleece millions of their gullible congregation of billions of Naira to enable them to live a luxurious, if not obscene, lifestyle. The approach is sometimes not too direct. It is subtle and consists of insinuations, innuendos and efforts to amplify rumours, twist half-truths, create doubts in the minds of their mammoth followers and impute dark motives to the actions and statements of these men in order to show that they are not real men of God but some Smart Alecs out to undo the millions of men and women that see them as representatives of God on earth.

Members of the congregations of these men’s churches are often portrayed as naive, foolish, bewitched, gullible and pitiable men and women who allow themselves to be mindlessly exploited by these men to sustain a lavish lifestyle of personal jets, designer clothes and other creature comforts. Today, I want to come out boldly to say that I am a member of the congregation of Bishop David Oyedepo’s church. I worship at the Nyanya, Abuja branch of the Church. I want to say it out loud that I am happy to be ‘exploited’ by Oyedepo.

As part of this mischievous campaign to run these men down, you read some news media irreverently referring to them as the ‘’richest pastors in Nigeria or Africa’’ as if the media concerned are on the stable of Forbes magazine rating the fortunes of these servants of God when we ought to be reading about the most impactful pastors in Nigeria or Africa.

If it was not deliberate mischief, they ignore the monumental impact these church leaders are making building nursery, primary and secondary schools and universities across the nation, founding hospitals, establishing outreach programmes and sending missions that are helping millions of the poor, widows and orphans. Some of these churches buy lands and sell at subsidised rates to members, permanently removing them from poverty. The Living Faith Church, pastored by David Oyedepo for instance, is set to build the single largest housing estate in Africa in Ota, a programme that will astound many because of its sheer size and sophistication.

Critics of these men do not see all these. It is the jets they see. They say these men are not an imitation of Jesus Christ; that they ride in personal jets. Contrary to the belief of some ignorant, I want to point out that the Lord Jesus did not in any way glorify poverty. He identified with, and felt compassion for, the poor but he never said that you have to be poor before you can worship God. And it is not hard to see why the Lord did not glorify poverty. Poverty is such a terrible disease that it sometimes kills. See how many Nigerians die of easily preventable illnesses and diseases because they are simply too poor to do what is necessary. We should note that hen the occasion demanded it, Jesus rode on a donkey which was the Hummer jeep of his time. And when he was hung on the cross, it is reported that people cast lot for his robe which indicate that the robe he put on was quite an expensive one which the bidders did not want to let go to rot in the grave just like that. It is not blasphemy to say that if Jesus lived in our time, he will not hesitate to use jets to reach the far flung corners of the earth with his message of liberation.

Those who claim to love some of us who sit under the teaching of these men so much that they are trying to champion our’ liberation’ from their ‘exploitation’ should be pursuing something else because we are not complaining. We are happy at our ‘exploitation’ and will willingly allow ourselves to be ‘exploited’ more and more for we know the benefit of our exploitation. We have been taught the benefit of giving for the sake of God and have seen the reward so it is no going back, no withholding. If our giving makes our spiritual fathers fabulously rich, we are gratified.

I think the mistake some of the critics of successful Pentecostal preachers make is that their poverty mentality makes them see the possession of a jet or a fleet of them as a luxury and not as instruments meant by the church leaders to accomplish their goals. These men are busier that many presidents of nations in Africa and in some parts of the world. This is the truth.

The problem also is that there are many who mistake poverty for virtue. This is wrong. A poor man will not go to heaven just because he is poor nor will a rich man get there because of his riches. It depends entirely on the quality of life one lives, whether or not one’s life is lived according to the rules laid down by God. There is absolutely nothing evil in a man of God having fabulous wealth if such possessions are legitimately or honestly got. What is more, priests or pastors are representatives of God on earth. They should be an example to people of what God wants his people to look like.

The whole aim of our new birth is to live a very prosperous life; to prosper in our health, in our finances, in our career, in our family life and in everything that we do. I even doubt if without financial well being any one can worship God to the best of his desire. Wealth and riches can assist us to worship God better.

The truth of the matter is that some of these men do not become rich essentially by the tithe, prophet’s offering, sacrificial offering, seed and other gifts which we give but by reason of the wisdom God gives them to make wealth and by dint of their hard work and frugal lives. One of the success secrets I know about these extraordinary men of God is that they do not drink expensive whiskeys and champagne; they do not smoke expensive cigars; they do not womanise, they do not patronise night clubs and point- and- kill joints where they waste their fortune on deadly foods and their strength on women of easy virtue; they do not over eat and they do not over dress.

Add to a disciplined lifestyle the fact that these men are extremely frugal and exercise a great deal of financial intelligence. I heard that one day a church member gave a gift of a very expensive shoe to Oyedepo and when he asked and was told of the price he demanded that the shoe be taken back and exchanged for the cash so he can better use the money to do the work of God. I heard another story that during the formative years of the Living Faith Church ministry, Oyedepo despatched his deputy, Abioye to found the Maiduguri branch of the church. He approved for Abioye, a modest sum of money and instructed him that the money should not finish and that he should not write to headquarters requesting for more money! It was therefore left for Abioye to figure out by using his God-endowed creative ingenuity, how to live within his means yet accomplish the goal for which he was sent. And let us never forget that these men work extremely hard for God to bless the work of their hands. With these attributes and personal lifestyle, which are according to the laid down rules of God, it is impossible for God not to bless them because God said he will bless the work of the hands of those who live according to his tenets.

My firm belief is that if what these men do is according to the laid down principles of God then their personal success and congregational growth will endure but if what they are doing is from some demonic power and from the wisdom of men, sooner or later their empires will collapse. And if it is discovered tomorrow that Oyedepo and all what he has been teaching us are not of God, I will acknowledge to myself that I have truly been hoodwinked and apologise to those that I may have misled. But for now, I will continue to make myself and members of my household available for ‘exploitation’ by Oyedepo. I think that rather than been diminished by his exploitation I am gaining a lot from his teachings and observances and therefore have no cause whatsoever to want to leave following him and emulating some of his ways.

http://www.transparencyng.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5098:im-happy-to-be-exploited-by-oyedepo&catid=59:guest&Itemid=37

No Nigerian has been booked i.e awarded yellow or red card so far in the competition according to the commentator.

Wishing Barack Obama a golden birthday as he celebrate his golden jubilee birthday today-4th AUGUST 2011

Deputy Gov of Imo state, Jude Agbaso
By Saharareporters, New York

A senior clerk at the District Court in Nassau County in New York has confirmed to SaharaReporters that a bench warrant issued by the a district court judge with respect to current deputy governor of Imo State, Jude Ikechi Agbaso, remains valid and in force.

According to the Court Officer, Mr. Agbaso faces arrest on felony charges related to currency fraud if he attempts to pass through any US Immigration post. Our investigation revealed that Mr. Agbaso jumped bail in 1994 after United States law enforcement authorities obtained his arrest in a forgery sting.

In the devastating court records obtained by SaharaReporters from the Nassau County Clerk’s office in the State of New York, it was revealed that Jude Ikechi Agbaso and an accomplice, Eugene Harding, were arrested on June 20 1994 and charged with “criminal possession of a forged instrument in the first degree.”

The incident, according to the police and court records, began at 2 p.m. on June 20, 1994. Mr. Agbaso and his accomplice, Eugene Harding, were nabbed allegedly trying to defraud Abraham & Straus Department Store on Roosevelt Field, Old Country Road in Carle Place. The store later became Macy’s Department Store in 1995.

The pair reportedly attempted to purchase unspecified merchandise using counterfeit $100 bills some of whose serial numbers were recklessly duplicated.

A grand jury which examined initial evidence in the case determined that Mr. Agbaso should be indicted for violating section 170.30 of the penal law of the State of New York.

The charges were as follows: that Agbaso, “aided and abetted by another, on or about the 20th day of June, 1994, in the County of Nassau, State of New York, with knowledge that it was forged and with intent to defraud, deceive or injure another, the defendant uttered or possessed a forged instrument of a kind specified in section 170.15 of the Penal Law which was a written instrument which was or purported to be or which was calculated to become or to represent if completed part of an issue of money, stamps, securities or other valuable instruments issued by a government or government instrumentality, to wit: US currency.”

At the time of the alleged offence, Agbaso, born January 23, 1958, resided at 112 Front Street, Freeport, NY. Mr. Agbaso held permanent residency status, and entered the US six and half years earlier, the records said.

Mr. Agbaso’s bail was set on June 23, 1994 at $10,000. The bail was posted by a female named Anna Laurence Levielle, described as his fiancée who resided at the same address.

Mr. Agbaso was granted a “conditional release,” which required that he report to probation as ordered, refrain from illegal behavior, appear in court on demand, notify probation of changes in address or employment, and answer all reasonable inquiries by probation.

However, on July 11, 1994, Agbaso failed to appear in court and Judge John Pessala issued a bench warrant for Mr. Agbaso’s arrest.

The bond posted by Ms Leveille was forfeited on August 11, 1994. On Dec. 30, 1994, Mr. Agbaso was indicted. His indictment number is 90454. The forfeiture was classified as felony No. 16117/94. Judge Claire I. Weinberg signed the indictment documents.
 
For each forged bill, Agbaso was charged with one count of fraud, for a total of seventeen counts. His accomplice was charged with six counts of fraud. Officer Kenneth Taylor of the 3rd Precinct was the arresting officer. He has since retired from the force. 

On April 10, 2011, the Imo State Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) challenged anyone to prove that Mr. Agbaso was guilty of jumping bail in the United States. The APGA official was responding to questions posed by Nicholas Ibekwe. The interview was posted on Next Community website.

Asked about claims that Mr. Agbaso, who is a younger brother of a one-time gubernatorial candidate, was a fugitive in the United States, the APGA state chairman went on the attack, vouching for Mr. Agbaso’s integrity. “I know Jude Agbaso. I know he is not a criminal. If there is an allegation against him, they should prove it. Now that they have gone to the court, let the court decide.”

Asked further if the allegations of Mr. Agbaso’s fugitive past could not hurt his party’s campaign, the APGA chieftain refused to back down. Instead, he stated that “people say all sorts of things. There was a propaganda some time ago that Rochas belonged to the Ogboni Secret Society. Why didn't they say it all along? He has been screened. I screened them; my committee screened them, and the SSS screened them. So if all this processes took place, how do you get your information? Okay, go to a court of law and let it be proved.”

Meanwhile, an Owerri Federal High Court presided over by Justice Folashade Olubanjo granted Mr. Agbaso permission to run for office, after Mr. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, filed a motion on behalf of Mr. George Egu.

At the height of the controversy, APGA chiefs openly lied to Imo citizens that Mr. Jude Agbaso traveled to the United States and returned without any incident. SaharaReporters did not find any evidence that Mr. Agbaso has visited the United States since he fled justice in 1994.

The reason for the one-term proposal, according to the president, is to reduce the tension created by incumbents seeking re-election as well as bring down electoral expenses. He also said he was not going to be a beneficiary—reiterating what he had said that he would do only one term, meaning he would forfeit his right to a second term in 2015. My initial response to the proposal was: how would this work out? If Jonathan willingly gives up his right to go for a second term in 2015, what happens to the governors who would like to go for second term? Will the amendment be done in a way to preclude these governors? Will that be fair to them? After all, Jonathan is the one who says he is not interested in a second term. Those were my initial thoughts.

There are some points I would like to quickly raise here. One, I do not believe that the problems of elections in Nigeria start and end with the tenure of the chief executives. The president’s argument that when an incumbent is running, there is hardly any space for a free and fair election is valid—but he also has to reckon with the fact that when an incumbent wants to install his successor by any means, the election can equally acrimonious. There are several instances I can cite here—I may even call to mind the President Olusegun Obasanjo/Vice-President Atiku Abubakar face-off before the 2007 elections. On the surface, an incumbent not running would look like a level-playing filed, but when a sitting governor/president deploys all resources—financial, personnel and material—in order to install his successor, the election can be deadly.

Two, Jonathan spoke about electoral expenses. If elections are held at longer intervals, he suggested, expenses would be less. Again, I differ on this. I agree that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would not have to spend more (for instance, a six-year gap means there would be two elections in 12 years instead of three at four-year intervals). However, it does not mean politicians would spend less. Six years would actually allow an incumbent to build up heavier war chest to install his successor. Nevertheless, I agree with the president that INEC expenses need to come down, but this can be done some other way. We don’t need to be buying DDC machines every election time. That is a major component of the budget.

I must conclude, however, by saying I do not see one term or two terms as the problem with us. We have a deeper problem. If there is accountability, leaders will be more responsible when they get into office. If votes actually count, governance will improve considerably. Nigerians can vote out bad leaders every four years. If they are so impressed with their leaders, they can vote them in for another four years. That is how democracy works. Acrimony and violence at election times are caused by desperation on the part of politicians and their supporters. If we play our politics the right way, it wouldn’t matter how many terms a leader is spending.

ABRIDGED VERSION OF SIMON KOLAWOLE'S ARTICLE TITLED:Debating ‘Single Term’ with Decorum published in Thisday of 31st JULY 2011

Let’s detach ourselves a bit from this country. Let’s say we are foreigners taking Nigeria as a case study. A country that makes billions of dollars from crude oil every month. A country that once sold crude oil for $147 a barrel. A country where private jets are purchased everyday. A country where legislators earn jumbo pay. A country where government officials are A-list billionaires. A country where you find the latest cars from Rolls Royce and Mercedes. A country where government officials acquire land and erect mansions in the most expensive parts of town. A country where electricity is a stranger. A country where the schools are in terrible shape. A country where public hospitals offer no sanctuary. A country where the roads to the ports are so bad that it makes more sense trekking than driving. Try coming to Apapa, a key city in Nigeria’s economic chain, on any day of the week and you will understand the gist. What a country!

Despite the gloom and doom hovering the nation,I still dare to dream.I dream of a Nigeria where our lawmakers will make laws in the best interest of the public. I dream of a Nigeria where our best and brightest will not spend their most productive years building other countries; a Nigeria where the police will indeed be your friend; a Nigeria where you go to court for justice not thinking there is a malevolent judge somewhere willing to pervert justice for a little fee. I dream of a Nigeria where the value of citizens is not in the amount of money they have or number of cars and houses they posses, but their integrity and contribution to society.I dream of a Nigeria where human life is worth something, where human rights are respected, where good governance, right to life, security, and environmental safety are the norm rather than the exception. I dream of a Nigeria where our graduate will be worthy of their degrees, not recipients of “sexually transmitted degrees”, in the words of Okey Ndibe. I dream of a country that will be a global contender, a country where our God-given resources will be a blessing and not a curse.