₦airaland Forum

Primate Ayodele Elijah Babatunde, founder of the Inri Evangelical church, Lagos, has been described as modern day Nigerian Nostradamus because of the various prophecies he has pronounced many of which have come to pass.


As a pastor of a white garment church, a denomination that has had a lot of prejudices trailing it, Saturday Sun met him recently to find out his take on the prejudices about the white garment churches, negative reactions following his predictions that usually foretell to doom, among other pressing issues. He explained that his prophecies are not meant to scare Nigerians but to gear them to pray to avert ugly incidents.


Ayodele disclosed to Saturday Sun that God revealed to a him a lot of deaths in government, including a first lady, governors, among others this year. But he proffered prayers as the only way to avert the impending doom,


Reacting to the view being held in some quarters that most of the prophecies by men of God in Nigeria including himself have been negative, most times deceptive, Ayodele submitted that predictions on death and other calamities could be averted with prayers.


“A prophet who can’t proffer solutions to a problem he has foretold is not a genuine one. Those prophets who only predict evil things about our president are not real. The prophecies we have seen about these countries that are negative aren’t ones that can’t be averted if serious prayers were offered by those concerned.

1st 2009 I spoke about a plane crash that would be averted, about more retrenchments in the banking sector, all these have happened, about the death of an actress through an accident and that Hausa actress is dead now, all these have happened’’.


He also offers his predictions for 2010

“God has also revealed to us that Yar’Adua will come back hale and hearty as against what some prophets have been saying that he would not make it. He would complete his first term but there are a lot of political tensions ahead.


I see a dictator succeeding him. I haven’t seen a messiah coming out in the next dispensation. I see a very corrupt leader in the next dispensation. The NLC would still go on strike. The petroleum sector is going to face a lot of problems, prices will still skyrocket, we have to pray against bomb attack in the Aso Rock Villa, we have to pray against a serious illness of any governor, also an African president, the Ghanaian president must pray for good health.


Sanusi’s revolution would not be appreciated neither will it solve any serious problems. More heads will still roll in Micro -finance banks. There will be a plan to have Islamic banks in this country. More religious crises are still coming in the North, we have to pray it doesn’t extend to the South west.

A fresh crisis from Niger Delta that would threaten our security is also coming; we have to pray against it. Nigeria needs a lot of prayers because there are signals in the spiritual realm that the country may break. Our democracy also needs prayers so that it would survive this year. An ex-minister and governor will die this year.


These prophecies are not to scare people but to prepare us for serious prayer for God to avert them.

On the political fate of the vice president, Goodluck Jonathan, primate Ayodele advised him to pray , fervently as a lot of his colleagues would try to undermine him politically,


‘’The vice-president would be denied his political right. He needs to pray as there are forces that would continue to render him politically irrelevant. Even his people shall work against him. We need serious prayers in this country. This is why I have decided to organize a national prayer for our nation on the 1st of February this year. It is taking place at the International Conference Centre in Abuja. We are inviting every Nigerian who is concerned about the success of this nation, especially, the serving governors and other officials in government. Ministers of God across the country are part of it. It is mainly for the leadership of this country, our fledgling democracy and to avert the deaths of any governor or first lady and against political crisis that would engulf some states

Italian authorities have evacuated hundreds of migrants from a southern town and brought in extra police after violent protests broke out.

Some 320 African migrants, many of whom work as fruit-pickers in Calabria, were taken by bus to an emergency centre.

Extra police were deployed after two days of riots, during which 37 people were injured and cars were set alight.

The violence broke out after two migrants were shot at with pellet guns by a group of local youths.

'Difficult situation'

Italy's Interior Minister Roberto Maroni prompted a storm of criticism from the leftist opposition by suggesting that the violence was the result of not addressing the issue of illegal workers in the country.

A migrant worker exits the silo where he lives
Many of the migrant workers live in desperate conditions

"There's a difficult situation in Rosarno, like in other places, because for years illegal immigration - which feeds criminal activities - has been tolerated and nothing effective has ever been done about it," he said according to Italy's La Repubblica newspaper.

Opposition leader Pierluigi Bersani said: "Maroni is passing the buck , We have to go to the root of the problem: mafia, exploitation, xenophobia and racism."

Some 320 African migrants - mainly from Ghana and Nigeria - were taken by bus from the southern town of Rosarno to a reception centre at Crotone, some 170km (105 miles) away.

Local residents applauded as the eight buses carrying the migrant workers left the town, AFP reports.

Police said reinforcements had been called in at intersections and squares in the town to keep order on Saturday.

Many of the migrants, most of whom work as fruit-pickers in the region's citrus farms, live in difficult conditions - camped in abandoned factories and buildings with no running water or electricity, and paid as little as 20 euros ($30) per day.

Gbawe:
My brother , I cannot speak for those in Nigerian but I can confirm that I will be involved in the "save Nigeria protest" in London (see below) .

.http://nigerialibertyforum.org.uk/eventpage.php

Signatories to the communiqué are

Dr Tunde Bakare, Professor Pat Utomi, Alhaji Shetima Yerima, Mr Femi Falana, Mr Osita Okechukwu , Mr Solomon Asemota Mallam Salihu Lukman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, Mrs Ayo Obe, Dr Tunji Abayomi, Pastor Sarah Omaku, Mr Adeolu Akinyemi, Mr Fred Agbeyegbe, Hon Olawale Oshun, Mrs Morayo Fawehinmi, Biodun Sowunmi, Dr Joe Okei- Odunmakin , Debo Adeniran, Reverend Tayo Popoola, Alfred Ilenre, Pastor Sam Aiyedogbon, Prince Oye Oyewunmi, Mallam Uba Sanni, Prof Ropo Sekoni, Mr Babafemi Ojudu, Naseer Kura , Ahmed Mustapha, Benedict Ezeagwu , Dipo Famakinwa, Malam Yinusa Tanko, Bisi Adegbuyi, Mr Jimi Agbaje, Barrister M.M Soba, Rev Segun Oshinaga, Wilson Ajuwa, Achike Chude, Olasupo ojo, Nana Dawodu, Eniola Opeyemi, Mike Igini, Funmi Olunuga, Afolabi Gbajumo, Tony Nnadi, Tola Ayo-Adeyemi , Chike Maduegbuna, Yinka Quadri, Modupe Oyekunle, Keji Ajayi, Christian Love


London


Friday 15 January 2010 - London12 pm – 15:15 arrival and protest at Parliament Square SW1P315:15 – 17:30 protest moves to Nigerian High Commission (WC2N 5BX)

If possible bring your flags, placards and come dressed in the Nigerian colours of green and white. Organisers will also provide banners and placards on the day.

For further information please contact:Phone: 07984212553

Email: info@nigerialibertyforum.org.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web: http://www.nigerianlibertyf

Key point for Protest:

Where is Musa Yar'Adua
Nigerians are no terrorists
Stop the criminalisations of Nigerians,
Fight against corruption
and add as you may wish


Australia!
Australian protest: Nigerian High Commission, Canberra. 26 Guilfoyle Street, Yarralumla, ACT 2600
Ph: +61 2 6282 7411. Time: 12 PM. Tuesday 12th January 2010. Contact Abiola Falayajo Jr. abifas@,  for more details.

Abuja

Tuesday 12th January 2010


Hoping to break the power vacuum and constitutional gridlock in the country, a new group of patriotic Nigerians will next week embark on major streets protests in Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, London and New York to protest Umaru Yar'Adua's refusal to hand power over to his deputy before he was evacuated abroad on medical grounds as determined by the constitution.

Gbawe:
My brother, I too agreed with Beaf that Jonathan should be careful as regards certain issues. There is however no excuse for his inaction over a situation that concerns all Nigerians - regardless of their region of origin. Wether you are from the North or South, you will now be subjected to heavier scrutiny as a Nigerian when you visit the USA.

All Nigerians would have backed Jonathan if he acted proactively on an issue that affects the entire country . No one will accuse Jonathan of undermining Yar Adua if he acted as the voice of Nigeria when it is painfully obvious that we are currently without representation.

The 15 new permanent secretaries approved by President Umaru Yar’Adua on October 26 last year, will now be sworn in by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloysius Katsina-Alu.

The new appointees will replace the 10 who were retired earlier in accordance with the new service tenure policy which stipulates that a permanent secretary and director in a federal ministry can only hold the office for a maximum of eight years – two terms of four years each.

New policy kicks off

Following the new policy, the tenure of those retired expired on December 31, last year and new ones were supposed to be sworn in and assigned offices with effect from January 1, this year. However, neither the swearing-in nor the postings were done, leading to speculations that the absence of President Umaru Yar’Adua might have been responsible.

But the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, said the absence of the president is not the reason the swearing-in and subsequent posting of the newly appointed permanent secretaries had not taken place. In a statement yesterday, Mr. Oronsaye rather blamed the delay on bureaucracy.

The head of service confirmed that the appointment of the new permanent secretaries took effect from January 1, in line with the date for the take-off of the new policy on tenure for permanent secretaries and directors in the Federal Civil Service, but he said “arrangements are being made to swear-in the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries in accordance with the Provision of the Oaths Act.”

Bureaucratic delays

Tope Ajakaiye, the spokesperson of the office of the head of service, in a statement, said the delay in the swearing-in of the officers was caused by the usual civil service bureaucratic problems which has more to do with the absence of the head of service than that of the president.

He said arrangements are being made for the chief justice to swear in the permanent secretaries. He told NEXT in an interview that, “If the Chief Justice of Nigeria can be sworn in (in the absence of President Yar’Adua), who is a permanent Secretary?” When asked who will do the posting of the officials after they have been sworn in by the chief justice, he said that has nothing to do with the president and that the head of service can do it. “The Head of Service is their boss,” Mr. Ajakaiye said.

According to the Oaths Act 2004, permanent secretaries can be sworn-in by either the president or the Chief Justice.

However, the power to assign them to ministries rests squarely with the President. A senior government source said Vice President Goodluck Jonathan is not willing to approve such a sensitive matter without Yar’Adua’s approval.

Something will give

But a former permanent secretary, John Odigie Oyegun has picked holes in the decision to ask the chief justice to swear them in, in the absence of the president. He asked, “Why can’t they wait for the president? The rumour is that he may be back this week, so they might as well wait.”

Mr. Oyegun who is a former governor of Edo State, linked the whole matter to the lack of direction in the country due to the absence of the president, saying, “This is a season of very strange happenings; lots of unusual things are happening. It is clear that times are totally out of joint and my prediction is that sooner than later something is bound to give; things cannot continue like this.”

He added that in the interim, the permanent secretaries could be posted in an acting capacities pending the return of the president, “or is he (head of service) becoming the president or acting for the president? This is an unusual time in an unusual country; we hope things will settle down soon.”

He said the head of service cannot do any postings without consultation with the president, “In normal times, it is the president that is going to use them to achieve his objectives but of course he will ask for the advice of the head of service. But like I said, these are unusual times in this country.”

A former director in the Ministry of Defence and retired ambassador, Pius Omotayo, however said there was nothing wrong if the permanent secretaries were sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Federation.

“I think the Chief Justice of the federation is the chief law officer and when you are talking about swearing in, it is not just an argumentative matter it is also a legal matter,” he said. “So, it is proper for the chief justice to swear them in.”

Can we start first with the looters?  

james2man:
I have been reading this thread and every post,yes let us accept that what is BAD is BAD no other name for it(let call a spade a spade)But @justwise what can you say about our minister,senators and people at the top in polities, what can you say to this(Nigeria leader signature 'forged')?I bet you yahoo boys are just baby yahoo(they only make coins), The ministers,senators and other people at the tops are Daddy YAHOO.(they make billions)so why the bragging on yahoo boys?Even the EFCC crew are corrupt (you are calling Daddy thief to arrest their baby thief), I'm not surprise to see anything