₦airaland Forum

African Pastors Conquering Non-Believers Overseas

How can African Christians conquer a vanishing population of Churchgoers in the Western or Eastern world? Go to any church in Europe and North America, Christian believers are a dwindling majority. Those left in their churches are older citizens. While the young generation are not as engrossed with religion. They might flirt with Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Hare Krishna followers but on a temporary basis until they satisfy their curiosity.

Catholic churches are importing clergies from Africa to administer nearly empty churches, in order to buoy and attract recent Africans in Diaspora. Yet, they are not getting as many followers as African Apostolic churches that command more African believers. On the other hand, we’ve heard and seen Arab Muslims that would not pray behind Africans and women.

“Reverse Mission” is exaggerated, if it is based on tithes. Though it is true that African pastors are expanding memberships or gaining members overseas, their congregation are mainly Africans in Diaspora, their families and friends. To compete, many Churches have introduced local languages and dance instead of their rigid or solemn prayers. African believers should not be conflated with Westerners that have rejected Christianity from their parents and clergies.

“Reverse mission” is not new. In 1880, West African Edward Blyden predicted that one day Africa would be the “the spiritual conservatory of the world.” In the early 1900s, Daniel Ekarte, a sailor from Nigeria, started a church in the slums of Liverpool for both Africans and white British. Another Ghanaian businessman, Kwame Brem-Wilson, also founded Pentecostal Sumner Road Chapel in Peckham, London and helped spread Pentecostalism in the UK.

What is the goal of African clergies today? Establishing their brand of African religion heavily mixed with what critics see as vagaries of African God or gods and tithes to make billionaire pastors. If they cannot free or deliver Africa after the whole Continent has been conquered by the Arabs and Europeans and subjected to slavery as the will of God in the name of civilization; one must wonder if African pastors can change minds in the Western and Eastern world.


However, religion is not as important to the privileged class in Europe and North America because they can fulfill many of their dreams by class unlike most Africans that always pray for a break in life against all odds. Class is mainly the reason children of the privileged feel entitled; contrary to the notion of pulling yourselves up by the bootstraps. In most cases, children and parents’ future are determined by their Zip Code, Area Code, Postal Code or areas; not religion.

Therefore, as Africans and some of the dispossessed feel they need the Church or Mosque to pray fervently to God to bless their effort, reinforced by the clergies of many religions; children of the privileged expect progress in life as a normal part of living. So they do not have to go to religious houses, pay tithes or listen to clergies to fulfil their dreams. They look up to their parents, networking and connections for progress through their privileged prism.

Poor Africans and the world poor believe their tithes can make God to pick up their calls. Black people have been oppressed for centuries and they have always sought salvation from their religion. Africans in Diaspora before Columbus or that have relocated recently use church and mosque as a place of refuge or for coziness among the people they know and feel comfortable with. These places of worship also double as relief from the daily hustle, bustle and break from rat race to make a meaningful period in their lives. The same is true with Jews in Synagogues.

Unfortunately, their sacred peace during service in African American and Jewish churches have been shattered by gunfire that killed some. Some of the Nigerian Pastors have been charged in Europe for offences to distract them from carrying out their missions. Africanized worship has raise jealousy among those that see their congregation on the decline while newcomers are filling abandoned churches that have been deserted or leased to new immigrants of faith.

Indeed, the most conservative churches in the Western and Eastern world are still projecting the false sense of purity in order to retain and preserve their culture and “civilized” way of life from contamination by others. Simply put, there is a sense of heightened phobia that foreigners are ready to swallow their culture and replace it with exotic religions. Most of the charges filed against African pastors in Europe are baseless yet serious distraction.

Conservative churches retain and carve out a niche as they stand their ground against invading religious bodies from Africa and the East. Even non regular churchgoers align with them for the preservation of their culture and ways of life. This is why they influence conservative political parties. Indeed, they justify extreme views of some conservatives with teachings in the Bible. They also establish private schools and universities along their conservative views dictating rules of conduct for their students.

When over eighty percent of American and European regular churchgoers vote for conservative leaders, they let you know they are not electing a Pope! The only time they care or complain about candidates they consider immoral is if they belong to liberal parties. Therefore, if Africans think they can capture Western or Eastern Christians, they are in for their greatest false sense of euphoria. They will be praying in vain forever!

Can African pastors offer schools and hospitals to the poor they could not give congregations at home? African diaspora churches are now worried about maintaining the growth of their own communities as they are beginning to face an existential threat of immigration. Conservative governments elected in Europe and America are pushing against population explosion in their countries because of low birthrate compared to newcomers. So, ask for reduced immigration.

Looking at the world richest pastors, Nigerian churches feature in the top ten as the members of their congregations. Unfortunately, these pastors control the tithes of the poorest people on earth, contributing to poverty in their countries. Spreading the words of God is understandable, spreading poverty and creating business centers as churches on every street is not what African pastors can boast about to their converts or members in the Western or Eastern world.

African billionaire Mrs. Folorunso Alakija sponsored Distinguished Lecture on Religion and Public Life in Africa at Harvard on April 17, 2019 delivered by Bishop John Richard Bryant. He examined the role of African Evangelism in the Western world and their success in attracting huge members into their churches. But it is not enough to be the richest pastor if you cannot improve the situation at home of the poorest folks on earth.

At least, Christians established schools and hospitals in Africa. No serious mind should think religion would change economic exploitation of Africans by the Western world. Africans’ hold on religion that created the biggest Church in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) built by former President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, not the biggest factory to employ the poor, could actually replaced Economic Salvation. This is the reason for the pastors’ crackdown in Rwanda.

These are the same African preachers that visit their branches in Europe and America; asking members to put thousands, hundreds and everything they had into a coffer for imminent miracles in their lives. Their African members may fall for such prayers; European and American members may call in the Police as Brazilians did to the pastor that removed a lady’s underwear. It may also remind the world of Yahoo Yahoo boys that may have defrauded them in the past.

By Farouk Martins Aresa -April 30, 2019137

https://thenews-chronicle.com/african-pastors-conquering-non-believers-overseas/

It is very simple but we are intentionally mischievous. Do not do unto others' land what you do not want done to your land.

If you are not tolerant of others in your land, do not stretch your fingers into other land.

WHEN WE WERE LAGOSIANS - BEFORE OIL INCOME

Many Nigerians, Ghanaians, Dahomeans, Sierra Leoneans, Liberians to South Africans were happy as one family; they would gladly tell you gleeful stories when we were Lagosians. But that was before the Oil Income which turned politicians into greedy, selfish and uncaring souls. Luckily we thought dreaming, we would get the old Lagos back once the bureaucrats and Federal politicians moved out to Abuja! For whia?

You get money o, you no get money o, na soso enjoyment. Lagos na soso enjoyment: released by Osita Osadebe in 1959. It was an obvious testimony that you could never be destitute, even as a beggar, within Yoruba generosity in Lagos. Before that song went viral to the later years, were Bobby Benson, Sam Akpabot, Victor Olaiya, Zeal Onyia, Roy Chicago, Eddie Okonta, Rex Lawson rocking our souls in Lagos. Then Uwaifo and Fela.

https://m.thenigerianvoice.com/news/276546/when-we-were--oil-income.html

Madam, na God I take beg you. Softly softly. Nor fight. Dis article sweet me too. No be small.

successmatters:
Until we got older, we never knew some of our friends parents came from Calabar, Ghana, Benin, Onitsha, Togo etc. In those days, nobody dared stop Yoruba crossing from Benin Republic Cotonou to Badagry to Lagos. Our parents gave us first any name they liked, even names that were not from their ethnic base. How else could we reconcile first names like Kobina, Kwesi, Latee, Lati, Etim, 

Waiting here patiently to see anyone who will dare say "No man's land " because K.obinna, Kwesi, Latee, And Etim's fathers first setled in Lagos before Adebayos and adelanas

WHEN WE WERE LAGOSIANS - BEFORE OIL INCOME

Many Nigerians, Ghanaians, Dahomeans, Sierra Leoneans, Liberians to South Africans were happy as one family; they would gladly tell you gleeful stories when we were Lagosians. But that was before the Oil Income which turned politicians into greedy, selfish and uncaring souls. Luckily we thought dreaming, we would get the old Lagos back once the bureaucrats and Federal politicians moved out to Abuja! For whia?

You get money o, you no get money o, na soso enjoyment. Lagos na soso enjoyment: released by Osita Osadebe in 1959. It was an obvious testimony that you could never be destitute, even as a beggar, within Yoruba generosity in Lagos. Before that song went viral to the later years, were Bobby Benson, Sam Akpabot, Victor Olaiya, Zeal Onyia, Roy Chicago, Eddie Okonta, Rex Lawson rocking our souls in Lagos. Then Uwaifo and Fela.

Ghanaians influence on the music scene in Lagos cannot be denied, if anything we were proud of it. E. T Mensa’s Bobobo Bonsue caught fire. Sammy Obote once led the professional Uhuru Dance Band of Ghana before he came to Lagos. But it was Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah that directed all members of Ghanaian music groups to undergo a six-month training in African music, at the Arts Council of Ghana in 1960. It certainly influence the appeal of highlife, not only to Lagos taste but in Africa.

Lagos area was mostly within walking distance unless you wanted to cross Carter Bridge. But why would you want to do that? The older Lagosians were so mad when University of Lagos was constructed all the way, in Akoka. They fumed: these folks could not find land anywhere inside Lagos, but had to go into the swamp outside to build a university. They prayed - God, please never should we see anything that would make us cross Carter O! Olohun maje ka ri ohun to ma gbe wa koja Cater Bridge O!

Many Lagosians even refused to move to Surulere, called New Lagos. A new development with indoor bathroom, flower garden in front, farm garden at the backyard and paved road with good distance to houses front entrance. LEDB (Lagos Executive Development Board) created special areas for recreation and club houses for youths. Government or mission schools were within walking distance. No need for scholly bus.

However, if there was heaven, it could not be better than Lagos for children. Our ingenuity spoke for itself. We manufactured and constructed our own toys. Something African countries are still trying to do with all the money wasted on technology, imports and “boskona” oyinbo used clothes killed local tailoring business. We made our little boats out of papers and used them to compete inside free-flowing clean gutter without obstructions. Of course, gutters were regularly cleaned by the “Town-Council” workers.

Kites were made out of newspapers and bamboo. But clothing threads for machines of our mothers disappeared into the sky. “Stations” were made from agbalumo [/i]seeds and[i] ikoto, the dancing cones were used, which could spin smoothly or rotate on floors. The longest spin with the twist of two fingers won. We made our own Y shaped slingshot to trap or capture birds, fish slings and swings (janguava). City Council provided parks for recreation at Race Course, Ajasa playground and swimming pools by Onikan Stadium.

“Felele” as soccer balls were locally made cheaply from rubber and we practiced on some streets. When cars came, we gave them the right of the way and continued playing until the next one arrived. We had tournaments on soccer fields located in most neighborhoods from Campos, Towry, Onola, Elegbata and Evans Sq. to White Sand.

Oh, the girls created their lines on the floor to step on squares by certain rules; they skipped on ropes in acrobatic display of inventions. They also devised a way of clapping their hands while shuffling with some impressive feet moves, oya. The girls played netball while boys played handball. There were inter house-sports in primary schools and soccer matches. By the time we got into secondary schools, Onikan Stadium was where we played qualifying knockout matches.

Those of us that spent early years either in boarding schools outside Lagos, or Government Reserved Areas (GRA) in Ikoyi, Ikeja, Ibadan, Ondo to Warri (GRA) could not wait to get back once schools closed for holidays. We could not miss the taste of good life in Lagos Island. You have to understand that GRA were dry and not built with children in mind. It used to be called European Quarters since most white people left their wives and children in Europe. Those that had families with kids did not play like us. European kids were dull. Their fun was building toy houses on trees.
Lagos Island was also rich in food and cultural activities. Fanti, Kareta and some religious festivals like Catholic Corpus Christi, Muslim Weree; and our Eyo [/i]were too much to miss in Lagos. Some of us even started our own [i]Fanti. This writer was the captain until one of our mothers warned us that if we were caught by police without a license, nobody would bail us out of police station. The fear was enough to cut it out!

The food were something else, made in heaven like tuwo, kenki, ewa Agonyi and abodo. There were two types of abodo: one made from corn by Yoruba and the other made by Ghanaians. Some food were also sold on the street but there were specialties like frejon made from black beans and coconut during Easter, special salted meat during Muslim festival and on special occasions. So were Jollof rice, pounded yam and amola. If you do not like amola, ewedu and gbegiri, what are you doing in Lagos?

Other food and snacks were tinko; meat pies and sausage rolls from Kingsway, De Facto and suya specials from Obalende; gurudi and kushkush from Tinubu Square. Race Course featured Atowotunra, (taste it and buy more) special buns. On Sunday mornings, there was a lady selling seke-shi, fried dough across Catholic Church Cathedral on Mission Street where we deposited some change on our way to Church. Note: nobody said it came out of the money given to us as offering during collection O!

Until we got older, we never knew some of our friends parents came from Calabar, Ghana, Benin, Onitsha, Togo etc. In those days, nobody dared stop Yoruba crossing from Benin Republic Cotonou to Badagry to Lagos. Our parents gave us first any name they liked, even names that were not from their ethnic base. How else could we reconcile first names like Kobina, Kwesi, Latee, Lati, Etim, Sule, Ajua, Sonji etc with Yoruba names in Yoruba land? They were better than Arab and English names!

Lagos architecture were imposing from Brazilian Quarters to Olowogbowo. The returned free men and women from Americas and Europe had different skills to build bridges, roads, electricity and Water Works. London tailors could make a complete suit with needle and thread! Unfortunately, the same skills that African countries are paying so called “expatriate engineers” with all our foreign incomes today. After all Yoruba gave the world Terracotta.

Da Rocha (1860-1959), the first Nigerian millionaire in British pounds started several businesses from banking to Water Works that were eventually sold to the City Council. Businesses under papa’s “Petesi” were flourishing. Every Lagosian knew one another and their kids dared not get out of line. We never disgraced our family names. Ma ba oruko je!

Adebayo Ojo Ogun Martins that died 8th Febuary 1857 had a street named after him in the center of Lagos by the then Governor Glover for his business enterprise at home and abroad. Aso-Matin so named because Adebayo Ojo Ogun Martins imported them, was popular among the rich and famous in Lagos. His tombstone, those of Taiwo Olowo and Maja were moved to Breadfruit Street. Other families, too many to mention here but for later article.

After all, Lagos was a small village comfortable and prosperous before the curse of oil.

Source: Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa

https://m.thenigerianvoice.com/news/276546/when-we-were-lagosians-before-oil-income.html

The heroes of some of you are Ijaw midnight marauders in 1999 Agegunle.

Nobody told you how Alhaji Dokubo was smuggled out of Ajegunle after making threats.

Nobody told you Yoruba were the first in the history of Nigeria to discipline Fulani/Hausa in Sagamu.

Soon Evans, the kidnapper would become your heroes for operating in Lagos.

Keep on provoking your hosts everywhere and expect graceful treatment.

Logically, if PDP can out-vote APC in Ondo and Oyo during Presidential Election, PDP can also out-vote APC in Lagos. There is only one problem though as it has been rightly claimed.

Ndi-Igbo would claim credit in Lagos they dare not claim in Ondo and Oyo.

Some Igbo are already asking for 6 commissioners in Lagos! Not one Yoruba in any Igbo land. Yoruba are more sophisticated than they realize. At the end of the day only Peace and Love will prevent katakana.

googi:
If Agbaje does not win, you can blame his party and those beating their chests claiming and fooling themselves that they have votes in Lagos

Agbaje knew then and knows now why he lost and why he will loose again.

He has to get Igbo votes off his back. They can back him without all the noise. The anti Igbo sentiment has never been this strong in Lagos. It is a fact that nowhere has none indigines elected a governor of a state.

Frankly, it will be crude for any politician to denounce a group of people.

GODFATHERS: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH - O TO GE

How are the mighty fallen? The good news is that some Nigerians are getting better, wiser and sober when choosing and rejecting politicians. We expect more sophisticated voters for the next Gubernatorial Election. While it is true that too many still vote on selfish, emotional and ethnic attachments; we are witnessing a class of voters voting beyond stomach infrastructure.

We are now realizing that the hands of politicians are the wrong place to put all our trust and destiny just because they choose enemies for us. These godfathers are the real enemies we need to disgrace. Presidential Election is done, vote regardless of Party Affiliations and for the candidates that will implement the interest of your state.

Divided States votes reflects sophistication and principle beyond primordial instincts. Ironically, most of those that are godfathers today rejected their own godfathers after getting the Golden Fleeces. Saraki rejected his own father as political godfather, Tinubu sent Pa Dawodu to grave in regret and Oshiomole rejected Anenih’s demands. But note that our first Prime Minister did not forget that Ahmadu Bello put him there unlike the enmity between Akintola and Awolowo.

Obasanjo had crowned more Heads of State than other Godfathers but he was soundly rejected this time around. He overstayed his welcome as a political kingmaker. Most of the Presidential candidates usually parade themselves for these juggernauts fearing their political ambitions would be crushed without their blessings. It is not only immunity that godfathers demand: not be touched or probed for past transgressions but that they would get a cut of new loots and present candidates for juicy positions in government.

Nevertheless, Saraki and Tinubu share the same trait, privilege and belong to the same class of Machiavellianism. There are those that want to die with everything they acquired in life like the ancient Pharaoh. The Gubernatorial Election will show us how many more of the godfathers, Mighty, Powerful men of “Timber and Caliber” will fall. It is up to you, regardless of parties.

No Nigerian should see himself as loser or winner until all the godfathers are sent home. State governments have more impact on your lives if your resources and income are not sucked off by a selected few. Do not fool yourself, no state is living up to the potential of its income. We are in the life of a one-eye man thankful that he is not totally blind. No gubernatorial candidate can win a state on the propaganda of non-indigene. Indeed, such support can be detrimental.

There are a few more politicians that have been more reckless and indifferent, prostituting in and out of political parties like Bukola Saraki. Kwara finally woke up and sent him to ignominious defeat from his own state. No matter what our reservation is about democracy, it has been useful in sorting out garbage for recycling them into the next life. The stench some created and introduced into our debased communities would take some time to deodorize.

Buhari played his game well and he was forced to collaborate with Tinubu out of political expediency and for existential reasons. Buhari learnt after contesting a few times that he could not put all his eggs in one basket. The North under one people and one destiny has been shattered: divided into three, leaving him to North-East and North-West as his reliable base while North-Central has slipped away. In 1983 Buhari had tried to make up in the South by forming alliance with Okadigbo but lost against Obasanjo/Atiku ticket.

Even North traditional foothold in the South, South-South is no longer reliable. In Presidential Election, they allied with South-East because former President Jonathan had been displaced after gaining votes North and South in the first election he won. This alliance cannot be relied on since they fear being swallowed by either the South-West or South-East. This is for the same reason in 1979, Gov. Ambrose Alli Bendel State alliance with South-West did not last past 1983.

Though Tinubu was able to deliver divided West as expected in 2016, the adhesive force Tinubu had then has withered due to arrogance, overconfidence and indifference to those that helped him climbed in Lagos at the expense and demise of Funsho Williams. The arbitrary choice of candidates for political offices from local to state government has become overbearing. Indeed, Tinubu preferred one term candidates so that he could retain his grip on their successors.

It was not long ago that he tried and failed to torpedo Fashola for his second term. Oba Eko that should have respected himself by wisely playing down his involvement into politics, actually got Fashola to agree to Tinubu terms or “contract” on Lagos State; to satisfy his avarice since the Oba wanted his own cut as well. It was an ugly fight between Tinubu and Fashola. But Tinubu got his piece of flesh as Fashola got his second opportunity to contest and won.

Ambode was not so successful. Tinubu enjoys the power to bring anyone he wants, his wife, daughter, son-in-law or son; even from nowhere and promise them positions beyond their dreams as long as they accept his terms. This was the case with Fashola and Ambode. By the time these men realize the gravity of their complicity in deals, they had to submit to Tinubu. They had limited options but deeply involved in aiding and abetting financial crimes that could throw them in jail if and when exposed. Their collaboration was a safety insurance for Tinubu!
Tinubu, no matter how clever or cunning he is can never get off scot free wishing him long life. Indeed, his time to pay for the consequences of voracious appetite has come. Many of the Yoruba that accepted him based it on the devil they know compared to that they do not know. Many of us usually wonder why a Yahoo Yahoo boy would not stop, a drug dealer would not quit or a looter would not stop and invest the money they made into some legitimate business.

It is for the same reason most of us enjoy certain power, privilege, love certain materials, position or crowd. We get so used to certain way of life, it becomes inconvenient to change from a game you know so well to a new one. Many rich people do change before we associate past odious practices with them. Others are forgiven while many repent and gave most of their money away to good causes. We have Saraki and Tinubu as godfathers in every state.

Indeed, some of the grudge against Buhari were that he closed godfathers’ source of illegal incomes, rejected their nominations for positions and stifled their influence. Those actions have reduced or eliminated their reach into his Government. Some folks claimed that closing the flow of money by implementing Single Account also affected the Economy because wasteful spending to cronies ceased. Even pastors have to put their personal aircrafts up for sale since they got away with maintenance and service fees.

Source:Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa
https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/276171/godfathers-enough-is-enough-o-to-ge.html

Naughtysite:
Nah God dey give money.

You will never learn. Keep waiting, never heard that God only help those who help themselves.

Rolls-royce, Ferrari, Benz Inspire Fetish Madness & Rituals In Africa’s Biggest Cemetery

If you have not bought $13m Rolls-Royce Sweptail, $4.5m Lamborghini Veneno, $3m Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio and $2.5m Mercedes-AMG One; go and break your neck crying for attention. After all, those “gifted” ceremonies on social media achieved their purpose of adulations, envy and empathy in communities where majority are stricken by poverty. Just to belong, some would conjure expensive “gifted” we can never legitimately afford.

We also have a class of moneybags buying cars and houses for their newborn babies. In essence killing their motivation and brains before they get older to strive or survive. Even animals in the jungle train their babies to hunt for survival and be secured in their own environment. Yet, we have humans killing the survival instinct of new generation before they can stand up and walk. Either teach a man how to fish or give fish forever!

https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/275215/rolls-royce-ferrari-benz-inspire-fetish-madness-rituals.html#

The world most successful entrepreneurs hardly come from rich families. They make use of their brains and persevere in pursuit of certain goals before striking it rich. Nobody is created useless since we all have different talents to develop. Once those rich parents, moneybags, fraudsters and ritualists replace the functions of your brains with “gifted” conspicuous presents, they kill natural talents. Africa used to be the place where many kids from impoverished homes made it while most spoilt rich kids failed.

Indeed, most of the rituals like ladies and men’s underwear used by Yahoo boys make no sense. There is this fear of mutilated body parts on street corners just as ritual baths are becoming common. Families, relatives and friends fear one another of suspicious activities for exploitation into instant riches. So, they erect walls around their houses.

Dropping in is now past history unless you jump over their barbwires. Any sign of wealth attracts bees like a Honeypot. Loafers have already calculated how much of (OPM) Other People’s Money they are entitled to. So, we should not be surprised that our youths are wickedly kept alive before being butchered in Arab or Asian countries as organ donors.

What changed? Well, poor children abandoned their natural talents and pray for what rich parents whose children are failures, give or get without hard work. If they cannot get it by miracle, fraud or ritual; they are willing to sacrifice lives including their own, turning Africa into jungle cemetery. The pursuit of money by any means necessary has never created wealth in communities because money without talents only create infatuation.

Those fortunate enough to escape being caught or waiting to be caught in their devilish acts: drug peddling, bribe to avert justice, embezzlement and armed robbery justify all with ethnic support; cling to Bible, Koran or Constitution to save them. They display no respect or uncaring attitude towards hard-working folks trying to save the little they have or get loans from relatives and banks to create business enterprise. The message is clear that they are wasting time instead of living fast and dying young.

Ritualists in the name of God or devil are becoming creative in their demands asking desperate individual to bring various bodies, objects, personal fluid and under-wears for prayer as sacrifices. These could have been an act of abomination until recently. Even Juju priests have been outclassed by Pastors, Imams and Seers. Young folks are now caught in this frenzy; making unreasonable demands from one another before dating.

Failure of our parents to get rich is a motivating factor to work hard and persevere (Surulere), not to flaunt conspicuous or ostentatious gifts to babies or relatives that are not in need (Oloun shogo). Again, killing God-given talents to motivate development. No angel, god or natural disaster can pick up your calls. It is all in your hands and how you utilize your brain. Have you ever wondered why some people expend so much effort into devilish act when the same effort could have produced tangible success?

Days of manna from heaven are gone! Many Africans still believe in miracles, myths and supernatural while neglecting science and reality. Natural disasters and calamities are worshipped and predicted to attract naive followers but they lack power to create wealth, explain science or discoveries for the betterment of their communities. It has been postulated that it is the cause of our backwardness in Africa. Our laziness to encourage innovations or change environment for prosperity.

Enabling environment has been overhyped. But watch the same Africans work hard at what they would never do at home to make money abroad!

Nobody wants to kill incentive to work hard but the hardest workers are not necessarily the highest paid. The most ingenious work towards discoveries in the universities or factory workers make less money than those they make rich; like investors on our labor, businessmen or stock brokers. Those peddling ostentatious and conspicuous money must be “taxed” or fined every penny above what they can legitimately account for.

The freedom to import anything you want in the name of democracy has run out of sane and sensible rational because it is the poor that are paying for the freedom to import what they never enjoyed anyway. Income needed for infrastructures, schools, hospitals are being redirected to frivolous and hedonic desires that bring no value or development to Africa. The poor are even worse off than they were when forex was under control.

Shey nah democracy we go chop? The same democracy used by elites to hire lawyers to defend their greed. When African countries were gaining Independence, the poverty level reduced because of the number of schools, hospitals, housing and industrial estates built after handover to the Independence fighters. Unfortunately, Africa has regressed, not progressed from those days judging by the increasing number and percentage of the poor whose inflated income, if they have a job, has lost value.

Conspicuous display of wealth, luxuries and perishable objects are flaunted in the midst of poverty and hopelessness instigating easy way to get rich and discouraging hard labor, perseverance and investments into long term endeavors. This is why Presidents of countries where we waste our money call us derogatory names, our land: cemetery.

Nobody has to die so that another African can get rich. The first million African makes, must be spent outside the country or continent before we satisfy our dream. Indeed, most millionaires and billionaires have more of their money invested outside Africa than inside it. Seriously, how good are your dead wasted bodies at home or abroad only to be brought home for burial when your live bodies have never benefited fellow Africans.

Luxury Tax must be implemented to discourage teasers of the poor in an environment where poverty pervades all aspect of lives. Nevertheless, a few pastors, entertainers and politicians display personal planes, imported high end cars, humongous mansions and materials without any visible or justifiable source of income. Every rich developed country has luxury tax but for some reason, missing in African countries.

Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Published: Thursday, January 31, 2019

Prolog? - what is being reenacted is a civil war in which some nobles tried to seize power from the emperor and they failed which led the emperor to be even stronger.

There you go, they kicked your butts and you started carrying their junks.

You are now trying insults since you have run out of facts or history. Just to let you know, Yoruba historiography went well beyond thousands of years, not 600. They claim they do not know who were the Nok culture but terracotta archaeological evidence can only be traced south to the Yoruba. The same about Iwo-Eleru, 10-12,000 BC but only found within Yoruba. Arts, Iron and brass you copied came from your conqueror. Osun, Ogun and other gods belong to the Yoruba. Stop fighting, its too late in the day. Ogiso is gone forever. Edo rulers don open eye!

Actually Ogiso children of Edo invited Yoruba Oba after their king killed a pregnant woman and committed several hostilities to his subjects, some of whom fled.
If you want facts revealed by archaeological and radiocarbon dating, read or research more or ask google.

Insults and name calling will not help you.

Prolog2,

I did not know you are hooked on the bottle and cannot let go on Oba, Ile-Ibinu translated by no other than your Yoruba Oba that wrote a revision that gave the slaves his Oranmiyan ascestors conquered big mouth.

Who else would pay any attention to Edo slaves if you do not cling to Oba and Benin?

So your lineage started 600 years ago. Nobody before that?

You have been dared to stop leasing the land upon which Yoruba conquered you during coronation ceremonies, and witness the end of your generation.

For those who claimed Yoruba never fought the British, research is your friend or google.

Oluwa fought them to the highest court in England represented by Herbert Macauley in court.

CHIEF OLUWA (AMADU TIJANI): GREAT NIGERIAN NATIONALIST, PAN-AFRICANIST AND A TRADITIONAL RULER WHO TOOK BRITAIN TO COURT IN 1921 FOR STEALING LAGOS LANDS AND WON A HUGE COMPENSATION

https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane..com/2014/09/chief-oluwa-amadu-tijani-great-nigerian.html

Kosoko fought them for the wrong reason to keep slave trade.

Ijebu fought them over trade:

British-Ijebu War of 1892 (Battle Of Imagbon)

The final battle by which Ijebu fell took place on 19 May 1892 at the village of Imagbon. This short war claimed the lives of up to a thousand Ijebu.

The Yoruba country had been connected with England throughout the 19th century, since the days when the slave-trade on the West Coast of Africa flourished. And the connexion had been maintained, and in latter days on happier lines. The Yoruba country lies to the west and south of the River Niger. Its western boundary was the French territory of Dahomey. On the north it extended almost to the Niger, while on the south the Atlantic Ocean washed its sandy coast-line. A break in the coast-line indicated the entrance to the lagoon and the situation of the island of Lagos. To the north-east of Lagos lay a patch of country about 40 by 40 miles in extent, covered with dense forest, and watered by numerous streams and rivulets, which found their way to the great lagoon on the south, and finally into the Atlantic.

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/british-ijebu.htm

For those who claimed Yoruba never fought the British, research is your friend or google.

Oluwa fought them to the highest court in England represented by Herbert Macauley in court.

CHIEF OLUWA (AMADU TIJANI): GREAT NIGERIAN NATIONALIST, PAN-AFRICANIST AND A TRADITIONAL RULER WHO TOOK BRITAIN TO COURT IN 1921 FOR STEALING LAGOS LANDS AND WON A HUGE COMPENSATION

https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane..com/2014/09/chief-oluwa-amadu-tijani-great-nigerian.html

Kosoko fought them for the wrong reason to keep slave trade.

Ijebu fought them over trade:

British-Ijebu War of 1892 (Battle Of Imagbon)

The final battle by which Ijebu fell took place on 19 May 1892 at the village of Imagbon. This short war claimed the lives of up to a thousand Ijebu.

The Yoruba country had been connected with England throughout the 19th century, since the days when the slave-trade on the West Coast of Africa flourished. And the connexion had been maintained, and in latter days on happier lines. The Yoruba country lies to the west and south of the River Niger. Its western boundary was the French territory of Dahomey. On the north it extended almost to the Niger, while on the south the Atlantic Ocean washed its sandy coast-line. A break in the coast-line indicated the entrance to the lagoon and the situation of the island of Lagos. To the north-east of Lagos lay a patch of country about 40 by 40 miles in extent, covered with dense forest, and watered by numerous streams and rivulets, which found their way to the great lagoon on the south, and finally into the Atlantic.

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/british-ijebu.htm

Prolog2,

Just saw your other posts only to realize you are a Yoruba hater still nursing the wound Oba inflicted on Ogiso and captured their crown.

In this modern age you are still fighting your conqueror but you worship their God/gods, bear their names if you belong to the Royal class and speak their language among other customs brought to open your eyes.

Nobody heard or knew of Ogiso until Oba came and elevated you in the region. The question now is if a river can deny it's source without drying up.

Do, make your rounds denouncing your slave masters.

prolog2:
I picked the Yoruba because their story is a big lie. They got their assed kicked by the Fulani, that is how they lost illorin. But they want to turn their defeat into a victory of some sort. Precolonial
british economic war against the Yoruba makes no sense, the Yoruba have always been servile to the British, most of these Yoruba were actually brought into the region by European and American vessels after the Yoruba were freed from their servitude in the Americas and Europe

Where are the children of the Zulu, Ashanti and Yoruba that stood down the British and fought gallantly against domineering the trade routes in Africa? It has been postulated for a long time by a few historians that religious capture of Africa was not by force but by persuasion or gentle religious conversions. Actually, nothing can be further from the truth over centuries. African Economic and Trade negotiators need a touch of history not by miseducation or threat of war.

This is why Africans accept Structural Adjustment: devaluation of African currencies in countries with more gold reserves than foreign gold standard. It is no more only the Europeans and Arabs; but Americans, Russians and Asians are now principals and competing partners for the rush into African resources. By exchanging it almost for nothing paid in Zimbabwe dollars. The motivation of the Moroccan Army in the ancient invasion of Songhai was for the same economic greed to convert resources that had been exposed by Christian Muslims missionaries and our Emperors.

One of the ancient trade routes for kola nuts and of course gold from Ashanti and Oyo regions into Gao opened before that of Oyo, Hausa States and Timbuktu route. Africa traded with one another horizontally in The Rainforest as freemen before contemporary notion as slaves sold vertically to the Middle East, Europe and Americas. Their presence was known and recorded in various terms by Herodotus, Ibn Battuta and later by Ahmed Baba. These Emperors and kings were what the British and Moroccan Army met, destroyed and whitewashed (as Hamitic).

Chaka Zulu extraordinary accomplishment with locally made weapons, obliterated 1500 British soldiers and defeated their Army at Isandhlwana. This was the greatest triumph of an African Army against Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa. But then, the British always sought vengeance.

The British never gave up, they had to send for reinforcement from home and locals, employed African soldiers against Africans to buoy their troops. In 1789 the British eventually defeated the Zulu at the Battle of Ulundi. In order to prevent more starvation of his people, the Zulu king ordered his warriors to stop fighting. British always use protectorate for self-economic interest.

Ashanti forces in 1873, also surrounded the British protectorate that was too close for comfort, invaded and subdued them. After this remarkable initial success, the British forced Ashanti to retreat. The attempt to negotiate a peaceful resolution was rejected by the British commander, Sir Garnet Wolseley. In January 1874 a large British Army with African soldiers led by Wolseley fought into Ashanti land. They captured Kumasi, the Ashanti capital, ruined and set it ablaze.

Jaja of Opobo that was one of the first African nationalist bypassing the British as middlemen to establish independent trade route to Europe as an indigenous produce export trader; used his influence and wealth from the palm oil trade to grab enormous political and military power. He was so powerful, in 1875 the British sought his Army’s help to prosecute the Ashanti War.

Queen Victoria rewarded him with a sword of honor (Fajana and Biggs 1976:138). Appreciation for helping to put down his Ashanti brothers’ struggle against the British that came to divide African trade for the British. Today, rewards are from London School of Economics and Harvard.

Contrasting Jaja and Nana with their contemporaries such as Sultan Attahiru of Sokoto, Oba Ovonramwen of Benin and Awujale Aboki Tunwase of Ijebuland, to mention but a few, fought relentlessly to defend the corporate existence and political sovereignties of their respective kingdoms. If open aggression failed then, Structural Adjustment and Devaluation are worse.

Ironically, when the Yoruba in Ilorin wanted to subjugate their fellow Yoruba, they sought the help of some Fulani that backfired on them. They provoked united Yoruba Army led by Ibadan, halted at Oshogbo by soundly routing enemies out, to shambles. Surviving Fulani mercenaries were released back to their enclaves while their Ilorin Yoruba leaders were beheaded in Oyo.

Indeed, when the Ijebu fought the British, if the Yoruba had united their Army the same way they did against Ilorin and their mercenaries at Oshogbo, to support their own blood and kin; Yoruba land could have been liberated from European Army’s devilish economic interest.

Most Africans do not realize we spend disproportional part of our income buying ammunition from super powers that we can make ourselves in Africa. Countries like South Africa, Iran and India make their own. Actually, Iran did bluff that unlike Saudi Arabia, Iran don’t have to depend on the super powers for arms. So more African countries can start making their own arms too.

Even Vice Admiral Michael Franken, Deputy Commander of Operations for US Africa Command (AFRICOM) that was at Fletcher Maritime Studies Program in the School of Government at Harvard in March 2017, wondered how Nigeria could possibly afford to buy the type of fighter jet requested to fight Boko Haram when it would take up most of its budget. The same money could be used to produce their own, fortify soldiers, for food, infrastructure and education.

Usually, there are agreements in place with super powers that restrict buyers. Their fighter jets or advanced warships must not be retrofitted, adapted or produce spare parts locally. A country like Iran and others have violated each of these. Indeed, Russia and China copy US made fighters when available to them, through third parties or when bought directly. They then violate all the agreements that came with each.

There is always the fear of one African ethnic domination over the other if manufacturing plant is located in one region. However, these plants can be divided into different locations so that they can create a balance just like the refineries of crude oil or industrial farms. If it is highly secretive, it can still be built in a central location, easily accessible to the whole country.

Mind you, nobody is agitating for arms factory instead of food and consumer goods factories. Indeed, in a civilized world, neither super powers nor developing countries should champion arm production race. It only appeals to our animalistic instinct to dominate one another by force since the days of bow and arrows. Human, resort to force when our mental faculties have gone ballistic and we could not negotiate a peace or trade treaty.

Instead of peaceful trade worldwide, we have skewed, unfair and unbalanced trade that favor the most powerful countries. Each time they negotiate with poor or developing countries, they always weld a big stick bragging they would “bomb the hell” out of us. As developing countries, Africa has hardly got a fair shake since the ancient times when we dominated the gold, salt and kolanut market.

Nevertheless, as chivalry, guns and bombs replaced and dominated the trade route, peaceful trade faded in favor of domineering empires looking to capture natural resources and slaves. The more Africans resigned themselves to superior fire threats, the more their religious and domineering cultures entrenched themselves. They came to repress and dislodge our own civilization and replaced it with theirs, as peaceful co-existence within their protectorates.

Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Published: Sunday, January 20, 2019
https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/274836/european-arab-ancient-trade-war-on-africans-continues.html#

European & Arab Ancient Trade War On Africans Continues

https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/274836/european-arab-ancient-trade-war-on-africans-continues.html#

This author wrote about the African rebellion against ancient trade monopoly of the British against Zulu, Ashanti, Yoruba, Igbo, Benin etc.

It is still going in in one form or the other now.

You guys picked Yoruba out of all these for spite. Your problems are beyond Yoruba and inferiority complex, it is self mutilation and destruction of your own very being.

Clap for yourself.

African Economic and Trade negotiators need a touch of history not by miseducation or threat of war.

Where are the children of the Zulu, Ashanti and Yoruba that stood down the British and fought gallantly against domineering the trade routes in Africa? It has been postulated for a long time by a few historians that religious capture of Africa was not by force but by persuasion or gentle religious conversions. Actually, nothing can be further from the truth over centuries. African Economic and Trade negotiators need a touch of history not by miseducation or threat of war.

This is why Africans accept Structural Adjustment: devaluation of African currencies in countries with more gold reserves than foreign gold standard. It is no more only the Europeans and Arabs; but Americans, Russians and Asians are now principals and competing partners for the rush into African resources. By exchanging it almost for nothing paid in Zimbabwe dollars. The motivation of the Moroccan Army in the ancient invasion of Songhai was for the same economic greed to convert resources that had been exposed by Christian Muslims missionaries and our Emperors.

One of the ancient trade routes for kola nuts and of course gold from Ashanti and Oyo regions into Gao opened before that of Oyo, Hausa States and Timbuktu route. Africa traded with one another horizontally in The Rainforest as freemen before contemporary notion as slaves sold vertically to the Middle East, Europe and Americas. Their presence was known and recorded in various terms by Herodotus, Ibn Battuta and later by Ahmed Baba. These Emperors and kings were what the British and Moroccan Army met, destroyed and whitewashed (as Hamitic).

Chaka Zulu extraordinary accomplishment with locally made weapons, obliterated 1500 British soldiers and defeated their Army at Isandhlwana. This was the greatest triumph of an African Army against Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa. But then, the British always sought vengeance.

The British never gave up, they had to send for reinforcement from home and locals, employed African soldiers against Africans to buoy their troops. In 1789 the British eventually defeated the Zulu at the Battle of Ulundi. In order to prevent more starvation of his people, the Zulu king ordered his warriors to stop fighting. British always use protectorate for self-economic interest.

Ashanti forces in 1873, also surrounded the British protectorate that was too close for comfort, invaded and subdued them. After this remarkable initial success, the British forced Ashanti to retreat. The attempt to negotiate a peaceful resolution was rejected by the British commander, Sir Garnet Wolseley. In January 1874 a large British Army with African soldiers led by Wolseley fought into Ashanti land. They captured Kumasi, the Ashanti capital, ruined and set it ablaze.

Jaja of Opobo that was one of the first African nationalist bypassing the British as middlemen to establish independent trade route to Europe as an indigenous produce export trader; used his influence and wealth from the palm oil trade to grab enormous political and military power. He was so powerful, in 1875 the British sought his Army’s help to prosecute the Ashanti War.

Queen Victoria rewarded him with a sword of honor (Fajana and Biggs 1976:138). Appreciation for helping to put down his Ashanti brothers’ struggle against the British that came to divide African trade for the British. Today, rewards are from London School of Economics and Harvard.

Contrasting Jaja and Nana with their contemporaries such as Sultan Attahiru of Sokoto, Oba Ovonramwen of Benin and Awujale Aboki Tunwase of Ijebuland, to mention but a few, fought relentlessly to defend the corporate existence and political sovereignties of their respective kingdoms. If open aggression failed then, Structural Adjustment and Devaluation are worse.

Ironically, when the Yoruba in Ilorin wanted to subjugate their fellow Yoruba, they sought the help of some Fulani that backfired on them. They provoked united Yoruba Army led by Ibadan, halted at Oshogbo by soundly routing enemies out, to shambles. Surviving Fulani mercenaries were released back to their enclaves while their Ilorin Yoruba leaders were beheaded in Oyo.

Indeed, when the Ijebu fought the British, if the Yoruba had united their Army the same way they did against Ilorin and their mercenaries at Oshogbo, to support their own blood and kin; Yoruba land could have been liberated from European Army’s devilish economic interest.

Most Africans do not realize we spend disproportional part of our income buying ammunition from super powers that we can make ourselves in Africa. Countries like South Africa, Iran and India make their own. Actually, Iran did bluff that unlike Saudi Arabia, Iran don’t have to depend on the super powers for arms. So more African countries can start making their own arms too.

Even Vice Admiral Michael Franken, Deputy Commander of Operations for US Africa Command (AFRICOM) that was at Fletcher Maritime Studies Program in the School of Government at Harvard in March 2017, wondered how Nigeria could possibly afford to buy the type of fighter jet requested to fight Boko Haram when it would take up most of its budget. The same money could be used to produce their own, fortify soldiers, for food, infrastructure and education.

Usually, there are agreements in place with super powers that restrict buyers. Their fighter jets or advanced warships must not be retrofitted, adapted or produce spare parts locally. A country like Iran and others have violated each of these. Indeed, Russia and China copy US made fighters when available to them, through third parties or when bought directly. They then violate all the agreements that came with each.

There is always the fear of one African ethnic domination over the other if manufacturing plant is located in one region. However, these plants can be divided into different locations so that they can create a balance just like the refineries of crude oil or industrial farms. If it is highly secretive, it can still be built in a central location, easily accessible to the whole country.

Mind you, nobody is agitating for arms factory instead of food and consumer goods factories. Indeed, in a civilized world, neither super powers nor developing countries should champion arm production race. It only appeals to our animalistic instinct to dominate one another by force since the days of bow and arrows. Human, resort to force when our mental faculties have gone ballistic and we could not negotiate a peace or trade treaty.

Instead of peaceful trade worldwide, we have skewed, unfair and unbalanced trade that favor the most powerful countries. Each time they negotiate with poor or developing countries, they always weld a big stick bragging they would “bomb the hell” out of us. As developing countries, Africa has hardly got a fair shake since the ancient times when we dominated the gold, salt and kolanut market.

Nevertheless, as chivalry, guns and bombs replaced and dominated the trade route, peaceful trade faded in favor of domineering empires looking to capture natural resources and slaves. The more Africans resigned themselves to superior fire threats, the more their religious and domineering cultures entrenched themselves. They came to repress and dislodge our own civilization and replaced it with theirs, as peaceful co-existence within their protectorates.

Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Published: Sunday, January 20, 2019
https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/274836/european-arab-ancient-trade-war-on-africans-continues.html#

This Year We Must First Create Peace Within Ourselves

Personal satisfaction leads to happiness. It creates an aura that can spread and radiates around people of goodwill, those seeking happiness and good health without greed in their lives. Some project this character to attract in disguise, take advantage of others’ weakness and create conflicts. This charade cannot be sustained for very long except to those seeking gain where they did not sow hard work or sweat hoping but wishing for miracles. Heaven only helps those who help themselves.

The Troubled soul is a dangerous state of mind. If we do not have peace within ourselves, it is difficult to create peace you do not have for others. So, physician is asked to heal thyself before he can heal others. But physicians that work on women or deliver a baby they never had, must have been trained as obstetrician or gynecologist. The difference is training, skill, process of mind or purification peacemaker had within before he could find or create peace for others.

What matters is our reputation because it outlives us. We can spend a whole lifetime building a good character for lasting reputation only to be destroyed in a day. This is the reason well-earned reputation is worth fighting for and preserving, even in the face of doubts and jealousy to destroy it. A good reputation can be tested. Indeed, jealousy may turn out to be a validation of success among your peers. It shows how far you have gone creating peace within.

We know that a hungry man is an angry man, what about a well fed angry man? The ones that satisfy their anger on the misfortune of others. It takes the last straw to break the camel's back before a hungry man reacts. But it takes a flip of the finger, the whims and caprices of a well fed man to perpetrate calamity. Do not forget, it is much harder to build but easier to destroy. No amount of wealth can satisfy greed and power, even when well-fed man have both!

Power and greed are insatiable drugs. It is peace within that lives and let others live. It has nothing to do with self-defense against those that came up in your face to take advantage of your gentility as a sign of weakness. But when you go after the meek and the weak because they are least able to defend themselves, you have issues and misplaced anger that must be ameliorated within you before you can create peace in and outside your communities.

What does a man gain as a pastor, politician, imam or spiritual leader that command believers to eat grass, demands the sacrifice of their loved ones like a lamb or order affliction of pain or destruction only to satisfy his anger or indulgence as power drunk. The primordial instincts or hedonistic tendencies of a well-fed angry man is much worse than that of a poor hungry man.

There are no people anywhere that cannot do more with peace, civility, love and happiness. The problem is well fed angry people feed on misery of others by creating chaos. They project their evil mind on others as survival tactics like blood sucking Vampire. It does not have to be, with all the privileges they enjoy. But the anger in them burns like a hot iron. They have no respite until they are delivered or cured of their afflictions. We have seen this throughout history.

Sooner than later, it has resulted in uncontainable chaos beyond the capacity of the evil perpetrator. They beam false confidence as if everything on earth is within their power and reassure their minority base that whatever they agitate would never spin out of control even when they run the risk. But their immediate need for gratification overwhelms their deranged brain. Name any community, you will find a case in point.

https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/274307/this-year-we-must-first-create-peace-within-ourselves.html#

These well fed angry men started out as bullies early, in schools. Some tortured little animals and gradually move on to torture weaker classmates by making fun of them to destroy their self-esteem. The same self-esteem they lack only comes by destroying that of others for self-validation. They turn from mental abuse to physical abuse especially against those that cannot stand up to them and fight back. Remember now, they are bullies.

Teachers might see them as boisterous or just rowdy before they realized they had a bully that would graduate into a thug. While some may drop out of school, those from privileged homes get away with abnormal behavior requiring early intervention for anger management. Once teachers and authorities overlook the dangerous trends, the evil grows in them. They enjoy the ability to create more mischief and get away with it.

On the other hand, less privileged kids end up in reformed schools, treatments centers and correctional facilities. Sometimes on the streets. Unfortunately, for less abusive behavior than these privileged kids. While privileged kids make it to the best institutions inside or outside their country, less privileged children eventually drop out and may end up in jail.

It is important that we realize that well-fed angry men did not suddenly become a narcissist, they started earlier and got away with it. Some have attributed their devious minds to certain genetic makeup or disorder. Do not bet on that. The main reason is impunity and the audacity by which they commit murder, brag about it and get away with it while others similarly situated languish in jail for the rest of their lives or head to the guillotine for the same offense.

They are so sure of what they could get away with based on their experience, shady characters they admired as heroes and the encouragement they get from a narrow minority in powerful positions. Yet most people would not expect people in such exalted positions to condone these atrocities because of their positions and the righteous image they project.

Nevertheless, they were the ones that use legal tactics, religious and immoral logistics to rationalize unbecoming behavior they condemned others for. They use the instrument of the system to protect themselves and their children but use the same system to cajole, threaten, prosecute and persecute others.

The difference between a bully that wants power and a decent opponent boils down to consequences of their action. Bullies want to win by any means necessary to achieve their narrow personal goals while consequences to the majority are irrelevant. It is all about the reckless behavior to use any available means that is receptive at the expense of the masses.

However, Nemesis, Karma or African Aiyelala always catch up with them. Most end up miserably eventually caged inside their communities or on the run for exile, disguising their appearance moving from one location to another for fear of been caught. It has been claimed that we need a strong system to prevent such well-fed angry men, they forgot that even the system itself could be corrupted!

Most finally pay for their demonic deeds by the last straw that breaks the camel's back. When the hungry, cheated and dispossessed get angry and had enough. Unfortunately, revolt against them or jungle justice also claim innocent lives, they are called collateral damages. Well-fed angry men either lose power, get captured, incarcerated or succumb to suicide. They end up miserably.

Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Published: Friday, January 4, 2019
https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/274307/this-year-we-must-first-create-peace-within-ourselves.html#

.
Stop: “gifted” Showoff Teasers Daring Our Poor Majority To Crime

Philanthropy is not new in Africa, it is part of our culture. We pride ourselves by how generous we were to our neighbors and communities.

Many philanthropists that made their money through inventions, investments and sound management growing whatever they had into millions and billions in rich and middle class countries extend their riches to the poor, not only in their own countries but beyond. We still do not have enough of those in African countries despite the fact that we have more billionaires than small countries in Europe. Instead of giving back to the communities, Showoffs ridicule their communities, made up of mostly poor folks with their “gifted” presents to favorites.

Published: Saturday, December 8, 2018

https://www.modernghana.com/print/902858/1/stop-gifted-showoff-teasers-daring-our-poor-majority-to-crime.html

This is the season for giving to the less privileged, not for flaunting ill-gotten money or beating your chest until you face justice inside or outside Nigeria.

Your admirers are feeble minded.

Most celebrities cannot help themselves but remind others how far they have come from poverty

Stop: “gifted” Showoff Teasers Daring Our Poor Majority To Crime

Philanthropy is not new in Africa, it is part of our culture. We pride ourselves by how generous we were to our neighbors and communities. There was a boss of ours that reminded us of this African way of life. People whispered behind his back that the children of his girlfriend he was sending to school were not his. He whispered back that if he could send the children of those he hardly knew in his community and children of his house helps to schools, why not those of his girlfriends. This is who we are as Africans.

Many philanthropists that made their money through inventions, investments and sound management growing whatever they had into millions and billions in rich and middle class countries extend their riches to the poor, not only in their own countries but beyond. We still do not have enough of those in African countries despite the fact that we have more billionaires than small countries in Europe. Instead of giving back to the communities, Showoffs ridicule their communities, made up of mostly poor folks with their “gifted” presents to favorites.

What are these “gifted” instigators promoting by humiliating those that cannot afford the presents they pompously display on social media to obsequious relatives, if not to drive those without their means to do the same by drug peddling, armed robbery or rituals. You do not have to go to social media for cheap publicity, go to your village and fund noble projects begging for sponsorships. Poverty is still rampant and getting worse in your communities.

Indeed, “gifted” have overshadowed the humble ones feeding the poor, homeless and paying other people children’s school fees. This is how we grew up when the communities had less desperate, hungry and hardly homeless people. So the more impoverished the communities become, the more insensitive moneybags have become displaying their indifference or lack of candor. They can afford armed security but they set off the poor against the poor without it.

How many countries where majority of their people are middle class display ostentatious and lavish “gifted” presents to relatives and friends to spite and tease the poor? It only happens in poor countries and communities with ghetto mentalities where majority of your folks cannot afford three square meals a day. Ironically, most of these people inciting the poor to crimes, daring us to match them, came from humble homes themselves. Since they acquired money by fame, hook or crook, they challenge others to salivate or imitate them in deeds beyond the means of folks in their communities.

If you flash so called “gifted” presents on social media, you are asking, begging and calling for attention. Do not cry when you are deluged by beggars, do not hide or complain since you attracted them or those armed robbers in the first place. Beggars could only calculate your net worth by the way you presented yourself. Unfortunately, guilt by association, those struggling, managing their lives and cutting their coats according to their size, are also inundated for gifts.

If you don’t give them what you don’t have, they call you stingy. There are other class of people that want to be seen within certain crowd, live in certain area and wear the same uniform they can hardly afford to parties. They are living up to the Joneses. It is vanity that has no substance. They not only fool many people, they also fool themselves until they end up in jail!

Why do you have to record your outlandish exotic presents that are not manufactured locally creating jobs, on social media to spite or challenge decent folks? Especially in a community where most of the people are dirt poor. If you are not inciting armed and pen robbers, you are inviting reckless competition from struggling and hardworking folks to look for unscrupulous ways to follow your steps by any means possible.

This show of decadence in the midst of poverty reminds us how they drove local manufacturers of automobiles, cotton or lace, tires, palm oil out of business in a race to the bottom. Even if the foreign cars are used products, as long as they are exotic and foreign, they would tickle your fancy. In the days Army took over by coup d’état, they started using locally manufactured cars. As they got entrenched, they moved up to imported luxury cars. Khaki boys in Mercedes!

Since most African countries got their Independence in the fifties and sixties, taste and choice remain that of consumers of what we neither make nor produce. They buy jets and maintain them overseas. Producers of nothing have no fear of the days of reckoning in dwindling foreign reserves and orchestrated devaluation of their currencies. They are ready to justify anything no matter how detrimental it is to local economy. Policies that save local forex are disparaged and those encouraging moderation in using forex to spur local production are condemned.

Yet, we have the few privileged minority gloating at the presentation of “gifted” to their relatives and friends in order to create jealousy, dare or challenge others to match them. These same drainage of foreign reserves had incurred jail sentences in the past. Again, now that forex reserve is open to these privileged few, they forgot Dr. Harold Shodipo, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and others that were jailed for the same but far less foreign currencies possession.

We had a friend in those days who made a deal with his wife. During a wedding or ceremony, he would spray stupendously on her, knowing he would get his money back. Okay, if he did not get all the money back, the wife would at least spend most on him and the house. On the other hand, we have foolish people spending so much on food and drinks for everyone until they have little left for the following day. Some sane folks attend parties with plastic bags (doggie bags) in their decorated bags where they store some of the food and drinks for the day after.

The reason we teach children about community service and some reputable universities demand community service for admission, is to instill some humane character so that their future can be better than ours. Most of our universities have no community service on their radar anymore. Those conspicuous spenders do not care about their own future or that of other people’s children. They only care about now and themselves.

Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Published: Saturday, December 8, 2018

https://www.modernghana.com/print/902858/1/stop-gifted-showoff-teasers-daring-our-poor-majority-to-crime.html

Stop: “gifted” Showoff Teasers Daring Our Poor Majority To Crime

Philanthropy is not new in Africa, it is part of our culture. We pride ourselves by how generous we were to our neighbors and communities. There was a boss of ours that reminded us of this African way of life. People whispered behind his back that the children of his girlfriend he was sending to school were not his. He whispered back that if he could send the children of those he hardly knew in his community and children of his house helps to schools, why not those of his girlfriends. This is who we are as Africans.

Many philanthropists that made their money through inventions, investments and sound management growing whatever they had into millions and billions in rich and middle class countries extend their riches to the poor, not only in their own countries but beyond. We still do not have enough of those in African countries despite the fact that we have more billionaires than small countries in Europe. Instead of giving back to the communities, Showoffs ridicule their communities, made up of mostly poor folks with their “gifted” presents to favorites.

What are these “gifted” instigators promoting by humiliating those that cannot afford the presents they pompously display on social media to obsequious relatives, if not to drive those without their means to do the same by drug peddling, armed robbery or rituals. You do not have to go to social media for cheap publicity, go to your village and fund noble projects begging for sponsorships. Poverty is still rampant and getting worse in your communities.

Indeed, “gifted” have overshadowed the humble ones feeding the poor, homeless and paying other people children’s school fees. This is how we grew up when the communities had less desperate, hungry and hardly homeless people. So the more impoverished the communities become, the more insensitive moneybags have become displaying their indifference or lack of candor. They can afford armed security but they set off the poor against the poor without it.

How many countries where majority of their people are middle class display ostentatious and lavish “gifted” presents to relatives and friends to spite and tease the poor? It only happens in poor countries and communities with ghetto mentalities where majority of your folks cannot afford three square meals a day. Ironically, most of these people inciting the poor to crimes, daring us to match them, came from humble homes themselves. Since they acquired money by fame, hook or crook, they challenge others to salivate or imitate them in deeds beyond the means of folks in their communities.

If you flash so called “gifted” presents on social media, you are asking, begging and calling for attention. Do not cry when you are deluged by beggars, do not hide or complain since you attracted them or those armed robbers in the first place. Beggars could only calculate your net worth by the way you presented yourself. Unfortunately, guilt by association, those struggling, managing their lives and cutting their coats according to their size, are also inundated for gifts.

If you don’t give them what you don’t have, they call you stingy. There are other class of people that want to be seen within certain crowd, live in certain area and wear the same uniform they can hardly afford to parties. They are living up to the Joneses. It is vanity that has no substance. They not only fool many people, they also fool themselves until they end up in jail!

Why do you have to record your outlandish exotic presents that are not manufactured locally creating jobs, on social media to spite or challenge decent folks? Especially in a community where most of the people are dirt poor. If you are not inciting armed and pen robbers, you are inviting reckless competition from struggling and hardworking folks to look for unscrupulous ways to follow your steps by any means possible.

This show of decadence in the midst of poverty reminds us how they drove local manufacturers of automobiles, cotton or lace, tires, palm oil out of business in a race to the bottom. Even if the foreign cars are used products, as long as they are exotic and foreign, they would tickle your fancy. In the days Army took over by coup d’état, they started using locally manufactured cars. As they got entrenched, they moved up to imported luxury cars. Khaki boys in Mercedes!

Since most African countries got their Independence in the fifties and sixties, taste and choice remain that of consumers of what we neither make nor produce. They buy jets and maintain them overseas. Producers of nothing have no fear of the days of reckoning in dwindling foreign reserves and orchestrated devaluation of their currencies. They are ready to justify anything no matter how detrimental it is to local economy. Policies that save local forex are disparaged and those encouraging moderation in using forex to spur local production are condemned.

Yet, we have the few privileged minority gloating at the presentation of “gifted” to their relatives and friends in order to create jealousy, dare or challenge others to match them. These same drainage of foreign reserves had incurred jail sentences in the past. Again, now that forex reserve is open to these privileged few, they forgot Dr. Harold Shodipo, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and others that were jailed for the same but far less foreign currencies possession.

We had a friend in those days who made a deal with his wife. During a wedding or ceremony, he would spray stupendously on her, knowing he would get his money back. Okay, if he did not get all the money back, the wife would at least spend most on him and the house. On the other hand, we have foolish people spending so much on food and drinks for everyone until they have little left for the following day. Some sane folks attend parties with plastic bags (doggie bags) in their decorated bags where they store some of the food and drinks for the day after.

The reason we teach children about community service and some reputable universities demand community service for admission, is to instill some humane character so that their future can be better than ours. Most of our universities have no community service on their radar anymore. Those conspicuous spenders do not care about their own future or that of other people’s children. They only care about now and themselves.

Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Published: Saturday, December 8, 2018

https://www.modernghana.com/print/902858/1/stop-gifted-showoff-teasers-daring-our-poor-majority-to-crime.html

Europe & Americas Stole And Denied Africa’s Civilization

The reason the present looks bleak is the value Africans placed on the culture that are emulated and exchanged for gold, blood and sweat. So, they have new generation of Africans claiming they are tired of past history, but interested in the present. Some of the ways African children are demoralized and brainwashed to value every skin tone but their own black skin and proven brain power are to steal, obliterate and when everything fails hide their accomplished history and culture from them.

Transfer of intellectual properties and natural resources without credit, conscience or payment is the greatest mistake of Africans. Those old enough remember how the British accused Americans of intellectual theft and the younger ones today are witnessing Americans accusing the Chinese and Japanese of intellectual property theft. One can only imagine the cost of these thefts from Africa by Europe and Americas if we put the theft of Africa’s intellectual and natural resources into the same perspective.

Therefore, this is not about ancient history just to make African children feel good but on why your rich culture and invention are hidden from you. Before we move on, we must understand how the definition of black has changed over the years. This is intentional in order to hide the great work of black people in history.

Ethiopia, Sudan and Meroe were at the forefront of world power and civilization. Egypt was a colony of Ethiopia. While it is a fact reflected in countries around Mediterranean Sea and the so called Middle East that there were European, Arab, Christian and Muslim conquests, they mixed and intermarried with the Egyptians, Ethiopians and Sudanese of Meroe. White and white blood could not produce colored Egyptians today.

Aristotle, one of the greatest of Greek philosophers, wrote in Physiognomonica that "the Ethiopians and Egyptians are very black". Herodotus (also a Greek historian) adds that the ancient Egyptians had "black skin and wooly hair”. Luckily, they hardly penetrated their goal: honeypot of the real source of gold, iron and slaves until much later. Even then, most of them could not survive the tropical rain-forest because of Tsetse flies.

The priests of Egypt cited from records in their holy books that in the former times they were visited by Orpheus and Musaeus, Melampos, Daedalos. Besides, the poet Homer, Lycurgus the Spartan, Solon the Athenian, and Plato the philosopher, Pythagoras of Samos and the mathematician Eudoxus, as well as Democritus of Abdera; Oenopides of Chios, also came to Africa. http://www.asante.net/articles/26/afrocentricity/

Africans are told of the richest woman and man of all times, the Queen of Sheba and Mansa Kankan Musa. Africans are so proud of them, they beam with pride of their intercontinental adventures carrying gifts of gold and diamond, the old currencies on which modern currency of gold standard was based. They spent so much, the African Queen and Emperor depressed world markets. Their lavish spending was legendary.

The Queen of Sheba and Musa Kankan Musa were fools spending like drunken sailors while the rest of the world were tracing the source of their wealth to loot. Apart from Ethiopia and its colony Egypt; gold, diamond and ivory flourished further south into the Rainforest where the Great Empire of Ghana, Mali, Songhai and Bornu sourced their wealth. African kings and queens are so rich; they always attract outsiders to honeypot.

Ancient Zimbabwe was claimed as the work of some mixed race to deny Africans the credit. The largest diamond is “Star of Africa I,” or “Cullinan I,” weighed 530 carats, it is the largest-cut fine-quality colorless diamond in the world. The second largest stone, the “Star of Africa II” or “Cullinan II,” was 317 carats from South Africa.

Mungo Park and other explorers that ventured deeper into the South, battled TseTse Fly and malaria before they could reap the booties they came for. Indeed, Kwame Nkrumah honored TseTse flies for their victorious battle against invaders which kept them abbey for a long time. But for TseTse Fly, invasion by the Moroccan into Songhai Empire could have gone longer and further South to capture the gold mines earlier.

When you want to hang a dog, you give it a bad name. Every race around the world fought wars and conquered their neighbors as slaves. Slaves were demonized and treated badly, in most cases dehumanized so that they can be kept working in the most inhumane back-breaking tasks. As the cost and source of labor became scarce and too expensive within, Empires traded and looked for riches beyond their continents. Indeed, Emperors became hungrier for fame, riches and conquests.

Slave trade took a sinister turn: as if it was not repulsive enough, when inter-continental conquests intensified into the 18th to the 19th centuries. For about five hundred years, the same Africa that was the source of Philosophy in Arts and Sciences was plunged into darkness by the inhuman treatment of man to man. Inhospitable and treasonous treatment had to be justified by dehumanization, bereavement of culture and civilization.

Europe and America colonization in the form of trade were later repetition of the greed of Moroccan Army for African natural resources in Songhai. Africans cannot claim westerners sold them empty vanities in exchange for natural resources, especially if they are naive enough not to see through Structural Adjustment and Devaluations of their currencies in countries that gold reserves should have favored them with gold standard.

Africa gold is everything westerners have ever wanted: apart from it natural resources, brain power, goods and services arduously supplied and for which little is paid. It’s mere logic that it is not how much you earn but how much is spent. No matter how much you have or earn, you can end up owing much more if you place enormous or greater value on what others produce but nothing or little value on what you produce or refuse to.

It has been stated for centuries that if the Egyptians and Pharaoh understood how Moses predicted and save them from famine, they would not have treated the Jews so badly. Times and circumstances changed and ungrateful children ignore or forget the good deeds rendered to their forefathers. This is mainly the reason the next generation pay back the children of their African benefactors ungracefully.

Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Published: Sunday, November 11, 2018
https://www.modernghana.com/news/896638/europe-americas-stole-and-denied-africas-civilization.html#

Europe & Americas Stole And Denied Africa’s Civilization

The reason the present looks bleak is the value Africans placed on the culture that are emulated and exchanged for gold, blood and sweat. So, they have new generation of Africans claiming they are tired of past history, but interested in the present. Some of the ways African children are demoralized and brainwashed to value every skin tone but their own black skin and proven brain power are to steal, obliterate and when everything fails hide their accomplished history and culture from them.

Transfer of intellectual properties and natural resources without credit, conscience or payment is the greatest mistake of Africans. Those old enough remember how the British accused Americans of intellectual theft and the younger ones today are witnessing Americans accusing the Chinese and Japanese of intellectual property theft. One can only imagine the cost of these thefts from Africa by Europe and Americas if we put the theft of Africa’s intellectual and natural resources into the same perspective.

Therefore, this is not about ancient history just to make African children feel good but on why your rich culture and invention are hidden from you. Before we move on, we must understand how the definition of black has changed over the years. This is intentional in order to hide the great work of black people in history.

Ethiopia, Sudan and Meroe were at the forefront of world power and civilization. Egypt was a colony of Ethiopia. While it is a fact reflected in countries around Mediterranean Sea and the so called Middle East that there were European, Arab, Christian and Muslim conquests, they mixed and intermarried with the Egyptians, Ethiopians and Sudanese of Meroe. White and white blood could not produce colored Egyptians today.

Aristotle, one of the greatest of Greek philosophers, wrote in Physiognomonica that "the Ethiopians and Egyptians are very black". Herodotus (also a Greek historian) adds that the ancient Egyptians had "black skin and wooly hair”. Luckily, they hardly penetrated their goal: honeypot of the real source of gold, iron and slaves until much later. Even then, most of them could not survive the tropical rain-forest because of Tsetse flies.

The priests of Egypt cited from records in their holy books that in the former times they were visited by Orpheus and Musaeus, Melampos, Daedalos. Besides, the poet Homer, Lycurgus the Spartan, Solon the Athenian, and Plato the philosopher, Pythagoras of Samos and the mathematician Eudoxus, as well as Democritus of Abdera; Oenopides of Chios, also came to Africa. http://www.asante.net/articles/26/afrocentricity/

Africans are told of the richest woman and man of all times, the Queen of Sheba and Mansa Kankan Musa. Africans are so proud of them, they beam with pride of their intercontinental adventures carrying gifts of gold and diamond, the old currencies on which modern currency of gold standard was based. They spent so much, the African Queen and Emperor depressed world markets. Their lavish spending was legendary.

The Queen of Sheba and Musa Kankan Musa were fools spending like drunken sailors while the rest of the world were tracing the source of their wealth to loot. Apart from Ethiopia and its colony Egypt; gold, diamond and ivory flourished further south into the Rainforest where the Great Empire of Ghana, Mali, Songhai and Bornu sourced their wealth. African kings and queens are so rich; they always attract outsiders to honeypot.

Ancient Zimbabwe was claimed as the work of some mixed race to deny Africans the credit. The largest diamond is “Star of Africa I,” or “Cullinan I,” weighed 530 carats, it is the largest-cut fine-quality colorless diamond in the world. The second largest stone, the “Star of Africa II” or “Cullinan II,” was 317 carats from South Africa.

Mungo Park and other explorers that ventured deeper into the South, battled TseTse Fly and malaria before they could reap the booties they came for. Indeed, Kwame Nkrumah honored TseTse flies for their victorious battle against invaders which kept them abbey for a long time. But for TseTse Fly, invasion by the Moroccan into Songhai Empire could have gone longer and further South to capture the gold mines earlier.

When you want to hang a dog, you give it a bad name. Every race around the world fought wars and conquered their neighbors as slaves. Slaves were demonized and treated badly, in most cases dehumanized so that they can be kept working in the most inhumane back-breaking tasks. As the cost and source of labor became scarce and too expensive within, Empires traded and looked for riches beyond their continents. Indeed, Emperors became hungrier for fame, riches and conquests.

Slave trade took a sinister turn: as if it was not repulsive enough, when inter-continental conquests intensified into the 18th to the 19th centuries. For about five hundred years, the same Africa that was the source of Philosophy in Arts and Sciences was plunged into darkness by the inhuman treatment of man to man. Inhospitable and treasonous treatment had to be justified by dehumanization, bereavement of culture and civilization.

Europe and America colonization in the form of trade were later repetition of the greed of Moroccan Army for African natural resources in Songhai. Africans cannot claim westerners sold them empty vanities in exchange for natural resources, especially if they are naive enough not to see through Structural Adjustment and Devaluations of their currencies in countries that gold reserves should have favored them with gold standard.

Africa gold is everything westerners have ever wanted: apart from it natural resources, brain power, goods and services arduously supplied and for which little is paid. It’s mere logic that it is not how much you earn but how much is spent. No matter how much you have or earn, you can end up owing much more if you place enormous or greater value on what others produce but nothing or little value on what you produce or refuse to.

It has been stated for centuries that if the Egyptians and Pharaoh understood how Moses predicted and save them from famine, they would not have treated the Jews so badly. Times and circumstances changed and ungrateful children ignore or forget the good deeds rendered to their forefathers. This is mainly the reason the next generation pay back the children of their African benefactors ungracefully.

Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Published: Sunday, November 11, 2018
https://www.modernghana.com/news/896638/europe-americas-stole-and-denied-africas-civilization.html#