₦airaland Forum

Let's go back to the healing school in which students graduate coincidentally on big nights of meetings. The only thing I won't take away, was that one or two people seemed to have improved while they were there, and I literally mean one or two and nothing more than that. These individuals on the eve of the main night, were told they had to give honour to whom it was due, if not the healing would leave them and pastor Chris had to lay hands on them to seal their healings. They were told stories of folks who felt they were improving, left before pastor could lay hands on them and because pastor wasn't honoured, they fell sick later on. Give honour to whom it is due was the scripture and you guessed it right. One person on a wheelchair was told they had to be wheeled in the way they first came in, hang around the crowds somewhere and get up when a supposed word of knowledge was said by pastor. A lot didn't feel comfortable being given crutches to use and so forth, but who cares what they think, there's the big show to put on and a baying crowd to feed. The night before the healing school, students are told they have to confess any sins they might have spoken against Christ embassy or pastor Chris in person. Told they had to honour him if they were better and get off wheelchairs and crutches as a sign of honouring the supposed MOG. You actually have to be there to believe it, and you look back asking yourself, could this really be happening.

So let's look at the wonderful night of the so called healings. Pastor Chris comes into the venue, the crowd go wild, he is driven to the healing school section where only selected members who fit the script are allowed to be seen by him, and I happened to be one of them. Those who can get out of their wheelchairs as an aid are included in those who he gets to pray for on the big night. Without sounding rude, a lot of us Nigerians assume anyone on a wheelchair cannot walk, but it's used the world over to help people move around, even those who can walk to an extent. I guess the lack of sidewalks, pavements and the stigma which means most disabled are hidden, keeps us in the dark about them. He comes out, walks straight to people holding Thier cards and begins to lay hands on them. Those individuals have been told they need to react (won't use the word act) in a certain way to be able to claim their healings. He lays hands on the people and wham they fall (everyone with Darren brown the magician and also Peter popoff fall, as fallings the new style in church), also don't forget it's essential in recieving your healing as you have to not struggle with the anointing. These teachings are embedded into you at the healing school. They get up and as taught in class, they have to call the things that be not as though they were, they have to jump, shout I'm healed etc, as that's how you claim a healing. This lines up nicely with the word of faith movement doctrine, faith, healings etc. The crowd at the stadium or building go haywire and begin to speak in other tongues in an almost mad razzmstazz. That's the second part of the scam all recorded on video. Lest I forget, Pastor Chris returns back to the main stage of the auditorium and begins to call out so called words of knowledge. There's a wheelchair over there. Lo and behold, on the big screen I see those who were sitting next to me for months at the healing school. Reverend Tom, his relative (crimes stay best in family cycles), comes up, "pastor there's a miracle over here" to which Chris replies, "talk to me". Pastor he came here on a wheelchair, he couldn't walk, you gave a word of knowledge, he laid hold on the word of God and now he's walking". "Isn't that wonderful, somebody shout alleluia" are the usual response he gives the baying crowd. Exaggerated cases of people desperate for miracles were called out by the so called Reverend Tom. Pastor, she couldn't see, and I'm sitting there wondering why the lady whose eye sight was slightly better, was being portrayed as healed on the night. I guess being told she might loose her healing plays a part. Deaconess Gbadamosi, Pastor Dele, Pastor Shola are all wonderful recruiters of those who get scammed on this so called glorious night. I guess all of those who purchase the so called healing school magazine and give towards it only help spread the scam to more victims. Continued.....

Please can you date these events?

When did it happen?

This man should be reported to the authorities o

I went to the Islamic section to post this thread but I was told only Muslims posts there.

I am presenting a paper on Islam this weekend and I thought to add a note on Mohammed's miracles.

Please can you provide such stories and your sources? It will help me a great deal in my presentation.

Also, you may provide links for the miracle stories too.

Thank you.

AROMETA: THREE FRIENDS

By: Deji Yesufu

Two days ago, I saw an open letter on Nairaland. It was written by a childhood friend of Kelechi Iheanacho. Apparently having exhausted every available means of reaching his friend privately, he resorted to writing an open appeal to him. The two boys had grown up in Imo State and done practically everything that boys do together. They played on the same pitch (the guy attached a photo of a young Iheanacho and himself playing football), they watched foreign matches together in the same viewing center, they lived in each other’s houses, etc. But fate smiled on Iheanacho who went on to become a rich professional footballer while this friend of his is probably still struggling somewhere in Eastern Nigerian. The guy lamented in the letter that he had tried to reach Kelechi but every attempt had been rebuffed. Kelechi’s elder brother would not even give him Kelechi’s private contact. He concluded the letter by saying that he did not intend to beg money from Kelechi (as by God’s mercy he was doing relatively well too) but that he simply couldn’t understand how a friend would forget another all because of fame.

That story touched my heart deeply and I just could not respond to it. I chose to ruminate over it because there is a Kelechi Iheanacho in me also. As I thought about this situation, I began to see careless statements on social media: “…guy, Iheanacho does not owe you anything – get a life…”; “…Nigerians and their entitlement mentality sha…”; and so on. I just smiled. Although these responses are right in themselves, but none of us will know the hurt in that young man’s heart except we are in his shoes.

Before I go into my reason for penning this piece, let me share some of my discoveries in life. Friends who knew you and loved you when you were nothing are the friends worth keeping. Many today may be your friends because of what they can get from you. The moment you lose those things, most of these people will flee. I do not have connections with many of my childhood friends anymore, but I deeply appreciate the small number I still associate with.

So, yesterday, as I goofed around on social media trying to get some sleep at the same time, a friend from my university days, Taiwo Bawonda, sent me a picture of himself, Israel Akinyele, and me (photo attached). The three of us were members of Christian Teaching Center, Samaru branch. I think we were nearing graduation at the time the picture was taken, and had been somewhere around Main Gate, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Somebody had suggested we take the picture (there was this craze for “motion” photographs back then). So we took the picture and everyone got a copy. I still have mine. However, I did something stupid. Because I felt that the shoes we were all wearing were not good, I cut off the lower part of the picture that showed our feet and lowly shoes. I would later be terribly convicted for doing this. That is the reason why you cannot see the feet. Taiwo Bawonda then gave me Israel Akinyele’s number and I called him immediately. He lives in Ilorin with his family now and he was so happy to hear from me.

Those two gentlemen came into my life at a time of great need and I would never forget them. I had become a Christian and changed my company of friends. It was Taiwo and his brother, Kehinde, that taught me how to study for examinations and pass. They showed me the tricks behind using past questions, etc. It was Israel Akinyele that introduced me to Tunde Bakare. I would always remember the first tape of Bakare that I listened to in his room: “Prophetic Cave Dwellers.” After my NYSC program, and while living in Lagos, I spent one year going to Bakare’s church and Bakare became a life coach to me. It was Bakare who taught me how to meander through the Nigerian labor market and how to make use of my gift above and beyond whatever else I may be doing in life. It was Bakare that made me understand that a Christian also has an opinion in world affairs and thus the freedom I have to write on both religion and humanities on my blog. So how do I forget these men?

As a youth corps member serving between 2002 and 2003 in Yola, Adamawa State, I met an engineer in my office that had relocated to work in Nigeria. One day we got talking and he lamented his inability to break into the Nigerian labor market despite all his credentials. He believed that the reason he was having challenges was that he schooled overseas all his life. Now that he had returned to work in Nigeria, he had no connections. While listening to him, I understood immediately that much of what most of us will become in life will be based solely on people we knew and had associated with right from childhood. Many people berate Muhammadu Buhari for populating his cabinet with men in their geriatric years. They forget that when one reaches that kind of position, you want to surround yourself with people you trust, people who were with you when you were nothing.

Since that young man wrote his open letter to Kelechi Iheanacho, I do not know whether Iheanacho has reached him privately. I hope he has. This is why: for many years, I have failed to understand why Iheanacho’s career never picked up despite his promising start. At a time, Kelechi Iheanacho was being tipped as the world’s up-and-coming Lionel Messi. But for some reason, his career and all the opportunities that should come with it never flew. Now compare Iheanacho and the legendary Christiano Ronaldo. The story is told of how a teammate and friend of Ronaldo gave him (Ronaldo) the opportunity to join Sporting Lisbon. Alex Ferguson later discovered 17-year old Ronaldo in Sporting and invited him to Manchester United and the rest, as we say, is history. Ronaldo, the story goes, has since returned to this friend of his and spoilt the guy with money. This friend no longer plays football; he lives largely on Ronaldo’s largesse.

Success is a trust. You earn more of it as you manage the little that you have been given. If Iheanacho cannot manage the little success he has had, like many Nigerian celebrities before and after him, it is not likely he would have more. I am of the opinion that managing success includes how we treat those we knew before we hit stardom. I honestly cannot judge Iheanacho in this matter because I have not heard his own side of this story. Another reason is that I also have not hit the kind of success and money that Iheanacho has. But if I do, and I hope I do, I pray that I would not forget my friends – especially friends that I grew up with.

PS: Arometa is Yoruba for “three friends”. The article is dedicated to my friendship with Israel Akinyele, Taiwo Bawonda and all my friends – particularly those who were my friends when I had nothing.

Source: https://textandpublishing.com/arometa/

MuttleyLaff:
[img]https://s2/images/MuttleyHilarious.gif[/img]
I am sorry sir. Guilty as charged.
I promise, won't happen again

It is always lovely reading you, sir

COVID-19: Why Places of Worship are Essential

By: Deji Yesufu

This past Friday President Donald Trump of the United States of America made a statement that might be considered the most controversial in his tenure in office to date. Trump said that places of worship were “essential” and thus should be allowed to open in various states right across the United States. His exacts words:

“Some governors have deemed the liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have left out churches and other houses of worship. It’s not right. So I’m correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential… The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important essential places of faith to open right now – for this weekend. If they don’t do it, I will override the governors.”

President Trump also added that America needed more prayers and not less. For this reason, he said churches, synagogues and mosques should be given the liberties to open for worship.

Personally, I received that story with great joy and I published a link to it on my social media handle with the comment “God bless President Trump.” A number of responses to me on that thread have elicited this article. I hope you would be able to bear reading this piece with the liberty of heart with which you left scathing criticisms on my Facebook wall.

Let us begin with the word “essential” and why Donald Trump decided to throw his weight behind the matter by labeling religious gathering important. We do not need too much thinking to realize that our world today is a post-religious world. There is a rabid disdain and anger against religion and religious people. The world looks on centuries past and concludes that religion has been the greatest albatross to science and progress in the world. Therefore, if irreligious people could have their way, they would wish that all religion be banned in the world. If you cannot ban religion, at the least consider it non-essential, especially at a time like this when the world is battling a pandemic – they would argue.

While irreligious people consider religion as non-essential, they would gladly label essential work and various businesses that bring money people’s ways. They would also call restaurants and liquor stores essential, and in the words of Donald Trump, they even think abortion clinics are also essential. Clearly, as we would soon see, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. If the irreligious would consider religion as non-essential, the religious have the right to call faith essential and thankfully they have the backing of the world’s most powerful man. Therefore, God bless Donald Trump!

I think what I consider most sickening about all these labeling of essentials and non-essentials is the hypocritical position that half-hearted religious people have taken on the matter. While we live in a post-religious world, it is still not very fashionable to call yourself irreligious or atheist in our world today. So what happens is that halfhearted religious people, people who do not keep the tenets of their faith firmly at heart, quickly buckle to the sentiments of their irreligious neighbors and lawmakers, and join the bandwagon of criticisms against religious people and their commitment to their faith. They are the ones that are increasing the volume against the opening of worship centers – publishing statements from men like Pastor Donnie McClurkin, with no concern as to knowing what McClurkin truly believes. McClurklin may be a pastor but he might not understand the intricacies of his faith and thus his pandering to the sentiments of the irreligious.

We must consider the fact that a pandemic like this one is not only novel but that no one actually knows the best way of dealing with it. New theories of what we are dealing with is emerging every day and one of the things people are discovering is that a total lockdown is simply not practical. If everyone is being allowed out, why would the world then frown at worship places opening too? What is clear before us is that this disease is going to be with us for a very long time. And anyone who is serious at all would realize that a continuous lockdown for the next two or more years is actually not practical. The earlier the world comes out of its shell and faces this disease the better.

Another thing that we might want to consider is this: there is no way the irreligious will be able to label religion as essential when in fact they do not even subscribe to religion in the first place. Their very profession of irreligion is saying that they regard religion as non-essential. On the other hand, those who choose religion think that religion is essential. So, who would decide on the way forward for the two groups?

In the United States of America a certain church in Phoenix, Arizona, the Apologia Church, never once closed their door of worship. They have held worship gathering since the pandemic broke out. They could do this with more liberty because the cases of Coronavirus infection in their city were about the lowest in the USA and they believed they could put in modalities to ensure social distancing and hygiene during worship. More importantly, this church thinks that the religious world was too hasty in falling in line with government admonition for places of worship to shut down. They weighed the pros and cons, and decided to continue to fellowship. Besides, this gathering of believers, a reformed church, is committed to a tenet of Christian worship that most churches have paid very little attention to. This is the matter of the Lord’s Supper. This church takes the communion every Lord’s Day and they are convinced that there is no way one can do this when the church is on lockdown. Thankfully they have carried on worship up until this time, even as the debate on church gatherings continues.

While I cannot speak authoritatively for mosques and synagogues, I can say confidently that churches that are deciding to gather together to worship are doing so with the utmost sense of responsibility. The Christian Church has always, in every age, led in the matter of community development and public safety. The modern era in most countries was brought about by Christian influences. Christians influenced education, government, law and so on all around the world. Africa would not be what it is today if not for Christian missions. There is no reason why anyone should think that churches would today be the fulcrum on which the pandemic will continue. My argument is that if places of business are opening, markets and liquor stores are opening, then by all means, the places of worship should open. Besides this, places of worship are gathering where people not only listen to God’s word but also have the opportunity to plead with him collectively to intervene in the nations of the earth. Like Trump said, we need more prayers in these times and not less.

I am using this opportunity also to appeal to the Nigerian government to also begin to allow places of worship to open up. I look forward to my own local assembly, the Chapel of the Resurrection, University of Ibadan, opening. It would be a wonderful re-union with God’s people, as we rejoice like the Psalmist who said “I was glad when they say let us go to the house of the Lord.” While the church building is not the church, the people who gather in it make up the church and it would be wonderful to be back worshipping with God’s people again. Any politician, government policy, law or idea that would restore the gathering of God’s people in these days of lockdown is a blessed idea. And while the irreligious may think it is not important, we think it is not only essential but also might serve as the very means of bringing an end to the whole pandemic. Why, you may ask? It is because the church, the place of worship, is the light of the world. We dispel darkness and this includes the darkness of a period like this one.

Source: https://textandpublishing.com/covid-19-why-places-of-worship-are-essential/

Ladies and gentlemen, I introduced to you the first Nigerian Ponmo thief.

Three weeks ago I got a message from a very dear sister on Whatsapp: "Bro Deji, I think I have been duped". The sister then went on to relay the story you are about to read.

I have hesitated at publishing this story because one could be sued for libel. But the evidence against the fraudster is too overwhelming. I do internet business. I sold all my #VictorBanjo books via the internet. The moment someone pays a kobo into my account, I am duty bound to honor the deal and send him the book.

This Ponmo Theif, who calls himself a pastor, has been collecting thousands from unsuspecting women all around Nigeria and not delivering. When they complain, he blocks them on social media. Here's is the result of weeks of trailing his evil track.

This is one time I'll request you share this story until this man is caught. Thank you.

Pastor Confidence Ikegwuoha: Face of a Ponmo Thief

Sarah Alli is a young Nigerian woman. She is newly married to her husband who is a teacher. Mrs. Alli is still in school and to support her husband’s meager salary, she decides to go into business. While looking out for what to do, she discovered that ponmo business was lucrative and decided to search online (Facebook) for dealers. She saw dried ponmo business page and contacted the number for enquires. In the cause of her investigation, she noticed Confidence Ikegwuoha was the one who tagged the post on the Facebook page and assumed he was the owner of the page. (Although she later found out that he also bears the name Isaac Nwaizugbu on some of his other Facebook accounts and TBoy son on another, based on similarities in the posts shared and the profile pictures in some cases).

The title “Pastor” is conspicuously tagged to his name on most of his pages. Mrs. Alli began to discuss with Pastor Confidence about buying some packs of ponmo for retail purposes. A deal was reached and she paid the sum of N12,000 into a Union Bank account bearing the name Tangban Pearl Assemeghai. When she found out that the business transaction was false, she tried to report to WhatsApp. She lost all her chats with this man, including the account number. She had made the payment on the 2nd of May, 2020. Mrs. Alli had actually requested only a third of the pack that this so called Pastor usually sold to other people because that amount was all she could spare at the time.

A few days later Pastor Confidence got back to her and said that the dispatchers were not coming to her side of the country anymore. He offered her the option of either increasing her purchase or getting a refund or waiting for some other customers to order goods in her locality so that there will be a large enough consignment to be transported to all of them. At this point Mrs. Alli, sensing something was wrong, requested for a refund of her money. The refund option is something that Pastor Confidence continually bares at his customers. Pastor Confidence then said he would do the needful. Unfortunately up till the time of this publication, he had not returned Mrs. Alli’s money to her. After waiting and not hearing anything from Pastor Confidence, Alli reported the matter to Union Bank and the officials told her to complain to her own bank. Unfortunately Alli’s bank is no longer responding to emails. Right now she has proceeded to report the matter to the police.

Mrs. Alli got in touch with Text and Publishing and made her complaints known to us. In the guise of buying dried ponmo for retail purposes, Text and Publishing contacted Pastor Confidence. He requested to know where we were based and we told him “Gbagada, Lagos”. He was confident he could get supplies to Lagos in no time. But before we began discussing payment options, Text and Publishing asked why Pastor Confidence had not supplied Mrs. Sarah Alli’s consignment. He replied by saying that he was already working on refunding her money. A few days later when we contacted him to ask whether he had refunded the money as promised, he said “I would do the needful”. By the next time we tried reaching him to find out why he had not kept his promise, Pastor Confidence had blocked us both on phone and WhatsApp.

Text and Publishing got in touch with another lady who gets her supply of dry ponmo from Kano and Ilorin. This lady said that she receives her consignment at most in two days but that in recent times, due to the blockades around state borders because of the Coronavirus pandemic, consignments take up to a week to be delivered. It is worth noting here that Mrs. Alli paid Pastor Confidence since the 2nd of May.

Upon further investigations, it was discovered that Pastor Confidence Ikegwuoha has actually defrauded many other women of their hard earned resources. In fact it is believed that the pictures and names he uses on his social media handles are fictitious. It is very likely we are dealing with a syndicate here and not just one person.

Favor Jude paid Pastor Confidence the sum of N12,000 on the 8th of March, 2020, more than two months ago, and she is yet to receive her goods. Adepega Collins paid this same man the sum of N10,000 on the 2nd of March, 2020 and is yet to receive her goods as well. Pauline Ways paid N52,000 on the 12th of May, still nothing. One Azeezah Umar also paid N12,000 to this man on the 6th of May and has not received anything from him. Ojeleye Simi sent N28,000 on the 5th of April and is yet to also receive her good. And many others like that.

The account numbers that these women have been paying into are Fidelity Bank 6323250826 with account name Orieji Kalu; FCMB 6631161012 with account name Tangban Pearl Assemeghai; Sterling Bank 0076938284 with account name Ukaegbu Chinagorom E.; and Union Bank 200**389 with account name Tangban Pearl Assemeghai. Of all the four accounts, only two bear the same name. These are the phone numbers that Pastor Confidence can be reached at:

07059112785
09029995374
08057256077

And some of his new pages are carrying new numbers.

The pages this man (or syndicate) operates include:

Dried ponmo Nigeria
Dried ponmo store
Dried ponmo business
Dried edible ponmo dealer
Dried edible ponmo business
among others.

He is seen in some groups also advertising this business. These include:

Spangler market and vent sq
Bitcoin and crypto as TBoy son
Nigerian online shopping mall
Prayer rain
BlessRoss market and vent
Prayer rain etc

Text and Publishing chose to publish this story so as to help dissuade other Nigerians from being duped by this man or syndicate. It is also a call on the Nigerian law enforcements who have received reports on this case, to expedite action at nabbing these criminals. We trust that the banks involved will cooperate with law enforcement agents, flag these accounts, identify the owners in person, and then report them to the police.

In this time of the Coronavirus pandemic where there is scarcity of money and people are trying to survive on the little they have, the last thing that should be happening is for poor innocent women to be defrauded of their hard earned resources. We hope that members of the public will beware of this syndicate. Clearly there are legitimate ponmo businesses in Nigeria. But, like it is in every venture, there are frauds masquerading as angels of light to steal from unsuspecting members of the public.

Source: https://textandpublishing.com/pastor-confidence-ikegwuoha-face-of-a-ponmo-thief/

MuttleyLaff:
Please accept my sincere wishes and fervent prayer that Baba Famonure, Mama, their son and other family members, relatives and even workers traumatised or hurt, all have a speedy recovery.

Ordinarily Lagos to Ibadan expressway, I took the other day, a few years back, I was silently praying in mind, that God, please let us reach our destination and return back to Lagos in peace and whole piece of us, intact. The road was treacherous, my brother driving, darting the car to the left, one minute and then next minute, to the right repeatingly, to avoid gullies and potholes wasn't a nice experience.

So, if that's just a road, imagine how I'll feel about the North. Tbh, the North, is one place, I will hurriedly visit and as quickly as possible leave anytime. It never was a favourite place of mine to go to, never has it entered my mind, to put it on my bucket list, to now talkess consider to be living there. "Agbedo," loosely translated, means, "God forbid" It is only if its an explicit or heard clearly from God, that could make me live anywhere in the North, without being armed to defend (i.e. Matthew 24:43 and Luke 12:39) Taking up arms legitimately and/or lawfully IS NOT vengeance, is not about taking revenge or avenging but is about protection and countering force, just as Matthew 24:43 & Luke 12:39 simply explains.

Of course, we are aware of Deutronomy 32:35 and this our solace, in times like something of this nature about the fate of those sons of Canaan, descendants of the youngest son of Ham. Those evil guys and their evil scheming sponsors, will all, get their comeuppance in the end in Jesus' name. Amen.

Well said my boss. You're always inspiring.

On the Suspected Herdsmen Attack on Bayo Famonure and His Family

By: Deji Yesufu

At 7:45pm on Tuesday, 3rd May, 2020, gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, invaded the home of Rev. Bayo Famonure. Bayo Famonure is a seventy-year old pioneer missionary with CAPRO international ministries in Gana Ropp, a community on the outskirts of Jos, Plateau State. Uncle Bayo, as he is popularly called, had just completed the evening devotion with his wife and two sons and they all retired to their rooms. Bayo Famonure was in his study reading the Bible when armed men, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, broke into his home and headed straight for him. In an obvious assassination attempt, eight men entered Uncle Bayo’s study brandishing AK47 machine guns. They drew him out of the chair to the center of the room. After demanding the whereabouts of other people in the house and getting no meaningful response from him, the attackers opened fire on Uncle Bayo. He was shot in the head at close range (within five meters). Believing he was dead, the gunmen went to the other rooms in the house. They found A’dua, one of Uncle Bayo’s sons, and were about to abduct him when his mother (Uncle’s wife) and his brother resisted them. In the process the gunmen shot the woman in the back and the two boys in the leg. In the frenzy that followed and realizing that the sounds of their guns would have attracted security men and neighbors around, the gunmen fled the home of this missionary couple.

Bayo Famonure is a man I know very well. He is family—the elder brother of my wife’s mother. As a man of God, he has all these years offered spiritual oversight to his family and even the extended family. He is a man that is much beloved and respected in the family.

Beyond family life, Uncle Bayo was a pioneer missionary with CAPRO Nigeria. Following his bachelor’s degree and having gone to serve in Zaria in Kaduna State in the early 1970s, Uncle Bayo had abandoned secular work and headed into the dirty waters of mission works. He did not choose the cozy environment of Lagos or Ibadan or Port Harcourt; rather he went to the hostile communities of Zaria to serve Jesus Christ. And he has been at this since then, moving to Gana Ropp in the Jos area sometimes in the 1990s to serve the Lord.

Uncle Bayo’s vision in ministry had been primarily to serve Jesus Christ by sharing the gospel with his host community. A missionary to the core, Bayo Famonure had wholly depended on Christ for sustenance in ministry. He and others worked with CAPRO from a fledgling missionary organization to the household name it has become today. It was in the middle of serving the Lord that this attack came on him and his family. The good news is that despite shooting him, his wife and two sons at close range, they all survived miraculously. The bullet to his head did not penetrate his skull and the one to his legs did not shatter a bone.

The question that this article ponders on is this: how long will these attacks continue?

First, there is the political matter of whether or not to label these attackers “Fulani herdsmen” or “suspected Fulani herdsmen”. There is a world of difference between these two terms. One’s traducers will respond by saying that no one else was in the house with the Famonures to corroborate their allegations that it was Fulani herdsmen who attacked them. Others will reply: how come only one ethnic group has been alleged of these killings since they began a few years ago?

There is also the political question of how come Fulani herdsmen attacks were almost nonexistent until the coming of this present administration? It appears, some argue, that the presence of Buhari at the helms of affairs in this country has emboldened his kinsmen to do as they please. Up till the time of writing this, there has been no Fulani herdsman prosecuted let alone convicted for these crimes. Another person will reply by saying that it was probably because the Fulanis are not culpable. Or, is it because our law enforcement agents have turned a blind eye to the violence?

Now let us get certain things clear as citizens of this country. Nigeria as presently constituted is a secular state. It means it is neither Christian nor Muslim. The nation’s constitution allows people to practice whatever religion they wish. This also includes freedom of gathering and association.
The concept of a modern secular state followed years of religious wars in Europe. After Martin Luther disrupted the peace of Europe in the sixteenth century with the coming of the Protestant religion, Europe was plunged in religious crisis. Following the 30-year war that ended in 1648 and destroyed most of Germany, Europe began to toy with the idea of religious toleration. It meant that in a modern state people could practice whatever religion they wished. It is this concept that the Americans further developed, thus leading to the practice of separating the State from the church.

What toleration means is that every citizen of a country can practice their religion. Every citizen can seek proselytes of other religion to theirs. But no one must be coerced against practicing the tenets of his religion. Religious proselytization must also start with words and end with words. No one uses the sword or gun to propagate his religion in modern times. Even modern Islam, at least in enlightened nations, has jettisoned the idea of spreading religion with the sword. This is why most Muslims abhor the Boko Haram ideology. The modern state has tolerance at the heart of religious practice.

With this in mind, one must then call on the authorities in this country to address the violation of the rights of one man, Rev. Adebayo Famonure, to practice his religion in freedom. The Nigerian state, which we all belong to and in which we are tax payers, has the responsibility of protecting its citizens. And this protection begins with fishing at the persons who have sought to snuff out life from Uncle Bayo and his family. The Nigerian state should also kindly work hard at bringing an end to the usage of this word “suspected”. This word has offered undue alibi to hundreds of criminal figures to perpetrate all kinds of evil on law-abiding Nigerians. Let us know, once and for all, what these animals in human skin want and let the country settle this question forever. We cannot be battling Boko Haram without and Boko Haram within. The government will do well to attend to these issues.

The last thing anyone needs at these times of the Coronavirus pandemic is an attack on their lives and then spending unnecessary time in the hospital. As I write, Uncle Bayo and his family are recuperating in the hospital. This country owes this family a duty to protect them. Indeed we all deserve to live in safety and peace in our own country.

Disclaimer: This article are my personal observations on the attack on the Famonures. It is not the family official statement on it. Thank you.

Source: https://textandpublishing.com/on-the-suspected-herdsmen-attack-on-bayo-famonure-and-his-family/

Insult as treason and other Nigerian Idi Amin Dada stories

By: Festus Adedayo

Two pieces of literary works – Williams Stevenson’s thriller, Ninety Minutes at Entebbe and the film, The Last King of Scotland (2006) – plot the graph of the gradual emergence of despots. They were both x-rays of Ugandan despot, Idi Amin Dada of Uganda. Stevenson’s was an account of the June 27, 1976 hijack of an Air France Flight 139, hijacked by terrorists and flown to the Entebbe Airport, Uganda and the July 4, 1976 reprisal codenamed Operation Thunderbolt, by a hundred Israeli commandos who, within 90 minutes, killed Ugandan guerillas and freed 103 hostages. The Entebbe crisis was one of the first indicators of the huge scandal that Idi was to the African continent. He had given the terrorists ample support, making it the first time in history that a national leader would unabashedly back terrorists.

The Last King of Scotland on its own was a historical drama adapted from a 1998 novel written by Giles Foden with the same title. Screenwriters, Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock adapted it from a story of a Scottish medic who left Scotland to Uganda and was recruited as physician to Dada, the character of which was acted by Forest Whitaker. The film also speaks of Dada’s cruelty, how he gradually morphed into sadism due to the disposition of the Ugandan system and the machinery of state that was either too lax or too condescending to embrace a tyrant.

The world was to see more of Dada. Born in 1925 of the Kakwe tribe, northwest Uganda, though half educated, his towering height of 6 feet 4 inches egged him on. The British military in Uganda as an army of occupation at this time particularly felt intrigued by Amin’s sheer hippopotamus height and size. When he thus joined the King’s African Rifles in 1945 as an assistant cook, he rose through the ranks. He was a key force in quelling the 1952-1956 famed Mau-Mau rebellion and as he was commissioned in 1961, he garnered reputation for cruelty and bravery in equal proportion. Gradually, he began to unfold, until 1971 when he overthrew President Milton Obote and unleashed one of the cruelest regimes in African history, speculated to have murdered 300,000 Ugandans. He eliminated tribal members different from his in the army, opposition members, activists and the clergy and had a uniquely horrendous pattern of feeding his victims’ fleshes to the crocodiles in the Nile river. In 1978, however, invading Tanzanian Army stormed Uganda and Dada fled into exile in Saudi Arabia and died in 2003 of organ failure.

I went into this famous low moment of the African continent to demonstrate that despots are made by the system and not necessarily themselves. So when last Thursday, the story sieved in that the police in the Katsina home state of President Muhammadu Buhari had arrested a 70-year old man who had “insulted” Buhari and the state governor, Aminu Masari, the story of Dada sieved into my subconscious, jarring my nerves. Lawan Isa, according to the state police spokesperson, Gambo Isa, of Gafai Quarters, Katsina town, was arrested in the company of two others – Bahajaje Abu, 30, and Hamza Abubakar, 27 – having “conspired and insulted President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Masari.” Isa said that Izala had made a “confessional statement” wherein he had given explanation of how he tongue-lashed the two Katsina-born public officials because his cows were rustled, with the shepherd who tended the cows being killed by suspected armed bandits.

In the confessional statement, he was quoted to have said: “I’m tormented with what happened in the village. While on my way back I met Bahajaje Abu (man who filmed the incident) asking me about the government, I told him that I withdrew my support because of what happened with my cows, I am now left with nothing, that is how I became emotional and started the insult.” Their arrest was said to have been ordered by the Katsina State Police Commissioner, Sanusi Buba.

Many analysts had submitted that Nigeria was too arid and hostile to despotism to allow an Idi Amin Dada to reincarnate on her soil. However, 1994 proved these pundits wrong as Nigeria minted a sadistic variant of the “Butcher of Uganda” in the goggled Sani Abacha. Journalists and opposition to his rule generally disappeared without trace and he relished inflicting pain on those who had hurt his ego. Ever since, the country has had a breather from naked despotism.

Studies of the sociology and psychology of despotism reveal that this sadism of the ruler begins to creep in when he begins to harbour a feeling of personal invincibility, becomes too egotistic and develops a skin that is easily bruised by public criticisms. While it could even be countenanced in a maximum rule like that of Abacha, despotism is an anathema to democracy and vilification of citizens for criticizing public officials is alien to the constitution. The major tenet of democratic rule is to query the efficacy or the subsistence of the claim of victory of opinion by a side. What democracy proposes is a beautiful tapestry that is woven of opinions which consist of different shapes, colors and contours. Thus, when you begin to see a democratic rule that is allergic to public criticisms, harangues holders of opinions that differ from its and preaches a monolithic viewpoint, then, as the holy writ says, know ye that autumn is nigh.

While claiming to be at home with public criticisms, Nigeria under Buhari has advertised its fascination with manacles. Last year, Abubakar Idris, known as Abu Hanifa Dadiyata, a social media personality, was said to have been abducted on Friday, August 2, by heavily armed men in the midnight as he was about to drive into his Barnawa, Kaduna residence. At about midnight, while driving into his residence at Barnawa, Dadiyata, said to be a social media influencer who was loyal to the Kwankwasiyya movement, was apprehended. He was said to be critical of the Buhari government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of Nasir el-Rufai. Even as his whereabouts is enveloped in nocturnes, there are claims that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) masterminded the Gestapo-like abduction. Whether Dadiyata is alive or had been silently butchered is yet unknown.

Cross River State’s Ben Ayade had ordered the arrest of Agba Jalingo, publisher of CrossRiverWatch, an online newspaper. He was arrested at 2pm on August 22, 2019, by men of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) of the Nigerian police at his residence in Lagos. They were reported to have earlier invaded the Lagos bakery of his wife, Violet where, according to the reports, they “seized the phones of all staff present and ordered them to show to them Jalingo’s residence.” On August 30, Jalingo was charged with treason, terrorism, cultism and public disturbance in an Abuja Federal High Court and for “working with the #RevolutionNow movement”— brainchild of human rights activist and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore. He was also alleged to be planning to “’undemocratically’ force the government of Ayade to end through violent means.” He had reportedly criticized Ayade of manifest corruption.

The fate of many of those who have fallen prey to the intolerance of Nigerian government, either at the state or federal level, is indescribable. They are allegedly, according to an Amnesty International report, “tortured and pressured to write confessional statements, which were used to prosecute them in court.” AI also claimed that they are slammed “indiscriminate charges such as ‘defamation’, ‘terrorism’ and ‘cyberstalking’… ‘kidnapping’, criminal trespass and theft of state documents (while) many of the journalists were prosecuted under the Cybercrime Act and Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013, alongside other laws.”

While the Buhari government cleverly distances self from the tortuous paths of citizens freely expressing their views in the states and who were ostensibly suffocating under the tyranny of their state governments, citing federal bar from so doing by the constitution, it bears own fang in further cruel manner. It is interesting that when Buhari wanted to slam a lockdown on Lagos and Ogun State recently, a contravention of the tone and tenor of federalism, he didn’t think twice about it but cites same jejune provision when it comes to intervening in the release of unjustifiably imprisoned victims of his fellow Idi Amin Dadas in the states. Same last year, the Buhari government filed charges against Sowore for hatching a protest against it and “insulting” Buhari. Though no chains are around Sowore’s feet as he walks Abuja free, according to the tyrannical tone of his bail, he is clearly manacled and in jail.

The most recent victims of government’s intolerance and naked despotism are Gambo Isa, Bahajaje Abu, and Hamza Abubakar, who had the effrontery of “insulting” the Fuhrer and an Idi Amin Dada still in his diapers, Muhammadu Buhari and his minion, Masari. The police are ostensibly abetting this naked display of crude power-mongering.

If one may ask, since when did it become a crime or an offence to insult a holder of political office? For eating the people’s food free, collecting fat salaries, riding in posh cars purchased from our collective patrimony, living free in mansions that belong to the Nigerian state and for rapaciously bleeding our national purse, holders of political offices are deemed to have lost their privacy and right to be peeved by public singe of their actions. If such scrutiny is defamatory, public officials have the right to go to the court. Today, the Cybercrime Act and Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013 have become fecund façade that government hides to unleash pristine and brutish intolerance on its citizens. To charge three Nigerian citizens for breach of the provisions of Cyber Crime Act, simply because they told Buhari and Masari that their alleged acts of not taking care of their interests was obtuse, a duty they both swore on oath to undertake at their swearing-in, is reminiscent of the cruelty and inhumaneness of Idi Amin Dada. Or, what do you think?

__________________________

Eighty gun salutes for the GOC, Ibadan Media Division

There are two General Officers Commanding (GOCs) in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State. While the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, based in Ibadan, has been an active division since the Nigerian civil war, with a current GOC, the other GOC is Mr. Felix Adenaike. As I wrote Adenaike’s name, I was tempted to prefix it with “Chief,” a crime whose punishment, many of those who are close to Adenaike know, is summary anger of the media chief. The Ibadan media GOC was 80 years old on April 22.

Adenaike, one of the surviving grandfathers of Nigerian journalism, was given the sobriquet of GOC on account of his no-nonsense managerial tendencies while he held forte as Daily Sketch’s General Manager/ CEO and Editor-in-Chief and Editor-in-Chief of the Nigerian Tribune. He was a disciplinarian whose life was discipline personified. He strictly pursued and stuck with the hallowed principles of journalism and couldn’t suffer fools gladly. Anyone who fell prey to his fine tooth-comb with which he scrutinized the newspapers under him for infractions sang the acrid song that Judas sang on his way to Aceldama. He couldn’t stand willful obstruction of the ethics of journalism or chivalrous murder of the god of grammar in the newspapers under his charge.

The next time you meet Adenaike, the first thing you will notice is that he will willfully regale you with the fine days of journalism and the dross on our hands today. He is one of the two surviving members of the tripod, that comprised himself, Peter Ajayi (may God rest his soul) and Segun Osoba, who Chief Obafemi Awolowo named The Three Musketeers, a deference to the trinity of their professionalism.

As Adenaike clocks 80 years on earth, help say eighty hearty cheers to the General Officer Commanding of the Nigerian Media, Ibadan Command.

__________________________

The Rebirth of Ayinla Omowura

My book on the late Yoruba Apala music maestro, Ayinla Wahidi Yusuff, popularly known as Ayinla Omowura, will be out on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. Entitled Ayinla Omowura: Life and Times of an Apala Legend, it is a 536-page book which documents the life and music of this famed musician, undoubtedly one of the most profound and original Yoruba musicians since Nigerian post-colonial history. Incidentally, that day marks the 40 years of his stab on the head with a glass mug in a beer parlour in Abeokuta, Ogun State, precisely on May 6, 1980.

The book is not a hagiography on Omowura. I documented his profound musicality, his famed violence, drug usage and rascality, as well as his unexampled voice and musical talent. The book reveals a lot about the late musician who has refused to die in the hearts of the people of Southwest Nigeria and on the West Coast. My friends, those who admire my writing, lovers of culture in general, should endeavor to have a copy of the book which incidentally is my first attempt at intruding into the world of book authors. This weekend on my social media handles, I will announce bookstores where the book can be bought. I assure you, it will be worth your while.

Source: https://textandpublishing.com/insult-as-treason-and-other-nigerian-idi-amin-dada-stories/

JOINT MEMO BY CSOs ON RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA

PRESS STATEMENT

1st May 2020

Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, Fellow Nigerians:

Introduction:

The purpose of this press conference is to release to the public a Joint Memo that has been prepared and endorsed by 407 Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

As you know, the number of coronavirus cases in Nigeria has increased from the first case on February 27 to 1,932 by April 30. Commendably, frontline health workers have continued to do tremendous work in responding and providing help. To augment government’s efforts, some CSOs have implemented projects to support the poor and vulnerable while raising concerns about areas of improvement. To articulate these gaps, CSOs in Nigeria have produced a Joint Memo covering eight thematic issues and many recommendations aimed at ensuring more effective and efficient responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

Thematic Issues and Recommendations:

The following are the eight thematic issues, while the recommendations are only few out of the many stated in the Joint Memo.

Thematic issue 1: Safeguarding frontline medical and non-medical workers

Key Recommendations:

Mitigate risks of infections and deaths by providing Personal Protective Equipment and every other necessary protective materials for all frontline workers.
Provide commensurate hardship allowance, as well as insurance cover for all frontline workers and their immediate family members.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 should collaborate with relevant medical associations to ensure standard best practice is maintained in the proper use and disposal of PPEs, among other operations.

Thematic Issue 2: Strategy for lockdowns and curfews

Key Recommendations:

Introduce short- and medium-term plans to cushion the economic impact of the pandemic on the people.
Prioritize better data collection and poverty mapping through existing community, religious, and traditional structures.
Provide regular, not one-off, distribution of palliatives, particularly food and/or cash transfers to the poor.
The legislative arm should consider quick Bills aimed at alleviating people’s sufferings during and post pandemic.

Thematic Issue 3: Disproportionality and access to other essential services

Key Recommendations:

Conduct disaggregated data assessment of vulnerable and at-risk populations, and develop response strategies to suit their intersectional and unique needs.
Proactively reduce possible spread of the virus among clustered populations, such as IDPs and refugees camps, by putting measures in place for testing, response, and prevention.
Grant ‘Passes’ and designate as ‘essential’ Centres that provide support services to at-risk and vulnerable populations, such as widows, elderly, persons living with disability, and people living with HIV/AIDS.
Establish measures to ensure education continues for all school-age children, especially girls, while not leaving behind those with limited or no access to technology.

Thematic Issue 4: Composition of the Presidential Task Force (PTF)

Key Recommendation:

Expand the composition of the PTF to include key groups such as women, youth, CSOs, and persons living with disability.

Thematic Issue 5: Standardization

Key Recommendations:

Develop Standard Operating Procedures for all key COVID-19 response operations and actions.
Conduct periodic experts review and projections of the spread of COVID-19 at national, state, and local levels so as to proactively galvanise stakeholders for quick actions.
Emplace standard and practice and protocols on regularly sanitizating and fumigating isolation centers, designated hospitals, public places, and other key areas.
Set up drive-through/walk-in/mobile testing units and first-responder units especially in low income neighborhoods, as well as hand-washing points in public places such as markets, transport stations, etc.

Thematic Issue 6: Gender Lens

Key Recommendations:

Reinforce a gender-sensitive response to the pandemic, including having a gender-focal person on all response committees.
Prioritize women as beneficiaries of palliatives and stimulus package, including at-risk women population such as pregnant women, widows, breadwinners, PLWD, PLWHIV/AIDS, etc.
In all COVID-19 awareness programs, include targeted information on prevention of gender-based violence.
Provide ‘passes’ to GBV responders and service providers, while directing response services, such as shelters and counselling centres, as ‘essential.’

Thematic Issue 7: Human Rights, Safety, and Security

Key Recommendations:

Set up protocol that ensures all response strategies and actions are scrutinized through human rights lens by the National Human Rights Commission and CSOs.
Improve security and safety of all people, at all times and in all places.
Monitor and investigate human rights abuses by state and non-state actors, while ensuring prompt prosecution and adequate punishment of perpetuators.
Train and sensitize law enforcement agents on best practice in enforcing lockdowns, such that does not violate human rights.

Thematic Issue 8: Transparency and Accountability

Key Recommendations:

Provide periodic updates to the general public on all COVID-19 funds, as well as details of disbursements.
Establish an independently-managed tracking and monitoring process that ensures foolproof measures are in place to block financial loopholes while curbing possible fraud and financial misappropriation.
As a whistle-blowing approach, government, together with CSOs, should introduce toll-free lines for reporting corruption cases on COVID-19 funds and palliatives.
Empower the EFCC and ICPC to identify, investigate, and promptly prosecute persons found guilty of COVID-19 related financial crimes.
Call to action:

To this end, we urge relevant government and non-governmental bodies saddled with the responsibility of ensuring Nigeria’s effective response to the pandemic – especially the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Organized Private Sector, and the Economic Sustainability Committee – to use this Joint Memo as a guide in designing and executing strategies that will ensure we save as many lives as possible during and post the COVID-19 pandemic.

We assure the Federal, State, and Local Governments of the continuous support and commitment of Civil Society Organizations across Nigeria. We are all partners in progress.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Source: https://textandpublishing.com/civil-society-groups-in-nigeria-and-covid-19/

Press Conference held over ZOOM today at 10am. The above attached photo are those of other CSOs meetings gleaned from Google Images.

Treat Kano as a COVID-19 Outbreak!

By: Deji Yesufu

There are very strong reasons to believe that the health epidemic that is ravaging Kano State is very likely COVID-19. While it is true there are no clear medical proofs to tell the world what is actually going on, I think it is safe to assume the worst in that state at the moment so that Nigeria can treat the situation with the urgency it deserves and help curb its spread to neighboring states and to the whole of the country.

This morning, the Kano State government described what has befallen the state as a combined case of hypertension, diabetes, meningitis, and acute malaria. The state’s Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, is quoted to have said:

“Although an investigation into the cause of deaths is still ongoing, preliminary reports from the Ministry of Health indicated that the deaths are not connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports have shown that most of the deaths were caused by complications arising from hypertension, diabetes, meningitis, and acute malaria…”

As part of the investigations into the deaths in the state, it has been revealed that no autopsy has been done on the dead in the state because the people are averse to such practices. When people die, they are buried immediately. So an official is quoted to have said that Kano State is relying more on oral autopsy than medical postmortem.

A few moments to writing this article, the Kaduna State government, which has actually been quite proactive in its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, reported that five young boys who were among the mass of young lads deported to Kaduna State from Kano, had tested positive to COVID-19. These are all indications to therefore conclude that the pandemic has moved beyond its initial hosts, who are usually the elites in the society, into the community and this might be the cause of the hundreds of deaths ongoing in the state.

The straw that has broken the back of the camel is the letter that former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, wrote to President Buhari, calling on the Federal Government to intervene in the health crisis in Kano State. Kwankwaso published this letter on his Twitter handle at 11:31am this morning and it reveals some scary details about the Kano situation. From Kwankwaso’s letter, we learn that Kano State has no COVID-19 response team. What was initially on ground was a make-shift committee that was populated by individuals who were not health professionals. In a short while of working on the pandemic in the state, many of them had contracted the disease and the whole committee had been disbanded. A few weeks ago an audio recording of a grandmother in distress was being passed around on social media. She said her son-in-law had died in Kano after showing symptoms of COVID-19 and she was calling on the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to visit her daughter and their children to ascertain that they had not been exposed to the disease also. Unfortunately there was no one available to attend to them. So, as the world is battling a pandemic, a whole Kano State has no testing facility or even a medical team to attend to ill persons.

Kwankwaso also reveals that the reports emerging from the Kano State government were clearly political and they were designed not to put the state in a bad light. This is the reason why we should hold the report by the state’s Commissioner for Information, about diabetes, hypertension and malaria, killing Kano residents, suspect. Obviously these diseases have long existed in Kano and the state never recorded this amount of medical fatalities. COVID-19 is known all over the world as a disease that kills elderly folks who have underlying medical conditions like the aforementioned. And one does not need to be a rocket scientist to tell that what is happening in Kano is an outbreak of COVID-19.

Lastly, Kwankwaso pointed out that Kano is the state with the largest population in Nigeria. It is also populated with persons who are generally not educated and living below poverty levels. These are factors that have potential for making this disease explode out of proportion. What is abundantly clear is that in a matter of days, this disease would be transported across Kano to all cities and towns around Kano state and in no time the whole of northern Nigeria would have come under the ravaging effect of this disease. And it is only a matter of days before it comes down to Southern Nigeria.

It is safe, therefore, to regard the deaths in Kano as resulting from COVID-19. Government must begin to set up machinery to deal with the obvious public health challenge that has hit Northern Nigeria. Doctors in Southern Nigeria should also begin to prepare to move up North to help out in the situation there. These will all be preventive measures to curb the spread of this disease to Southern Nigeria. As all of these are ongoing, we all must ensure adherence to social distancing, limited outing, and other measures that have been suggested to curb the spread of this disease.

COVID-19 is here and it is killing fast. Kano State is very likely a case in point.

Source: https://textandpublishing.com/treat-kano-as-covid-19-outbreak/

Gentleman, you have a great Future ahead of you. Forget this lady, pursue your medical career and you'll have whatever else you want, including the person you wish to marry, at your beck and call.

Second, it is not by force you marry before travelling out. In fact it is better you don't. Reach me inbox if you feel you need more counseling.

Funke Akindele: Testimony of a Great Nigerian

Two things happened just now that inspired my writing this:

I just watched a 2 minute video of BurnaBoy. He was mocking Nigerians, saying that now that the finance office is burnt, all the records of theft by Nigerian leaders have also gone up in smoke. Then he added: if Nigerians use the same energy they used to report Funke Akindele's partying… if they use the same energy to hold their leaders accountable, the country will be better than this. Then I saw the attached photo: Funke Akindele doing her 14 days community service.

I wanted to title this piece “In Defense of Funke Akindele”, but there is so much backlash that one can endure these days on social media that one has to be more circumspect in presenting one’s views, or else you will develop BP God didn’t give you. The same people who called out to Jesus “Hossana” this week 2,000 years ago, crucified our Lord Jesus on Friday. Human beings have not changed through the ages. They praise you today and condemn you tomorrow. We are all like that. We celebrate Funke Akindele yesterday and crucified her today.

Don’t get me wrong: this is not a defense of her actions. Akindele was wrong. She ought not to have done what she did. But we should also examine other elements of the drama: her repentance, her pleading guilty before a court of law, not accepting the Badamosi/Marley short cut, and here’s she is doing community service. Common, we can cut the dear lady a slack and celebrate her. No one is beyond mistake; everyone can make errors of judgement.

I arrived Nigeria from Germany on the 15th of March. While on transit in Paris, I wrote an article that went nearly virile of my being rescued from the cold by kind Nigerian in Berlin. People thanked God for me and my angel. I noted in that article I was going into quarantine the minute I landed Nigeria.(https://www.nairaland.com/5737659/deji-yesufu-coronavirus-cancelled-flights) That was by my own initiative and judgement, no one taught me that. And I did. I was at home for a full week, going nowhere. I was thoroughly bored. Sunday 22nd, a week after arriving, I drove to church. I took a picture of my being in church and pasted it online. My intention was not to flaunt my ignoring quarantine. My intention was to celebrate my church’s initiative on hygiene. Then a few people raised the observation that shouldn’t I be in quarantine. I realized my mistake, I pulled down the thread and all the pictures of my visit to church. But hypocrites had gotten hold of the news and they began to publish it and ask stupid questions. They must pull down their own Funke Akindele. I blocked them do much; I’ve never blocked that many people in my social media life. If you don’t make mistakes, cast the first stone.

Here’s my point: our world is experiencing something we’ve never experienced before. We are in this together. People are calling for Trump’s head for not locking up the country early enough. Boris Johnson is in intensive care. No one has been on this path before and we can be patient with each other. Funke Akindele made a mistake for which she can be forgiven. She’s not a Nigerian preacher performing party. She is not defrauding anyone of tithes and offerings. She’s not proclaiming failed prophecies or teaching warped conspiracy theories (all of which I condemn on social media and will keep condemning). She is working hard to put Nigeria on the map of world entertainment. And some of us are doing the same.

Celebrate honest men. Forgive their poor judgement. And God bless us all and help us survive the pandemic.

PS.

I came out of quarantine without symptoms of COVID-19. I remain well and I trust God to remain fine. I want to thank one person who said to me later on: “Bros you were wrong in coming out of isolation but I’ll never come to social media to condemn you. You have been too much of a blessing”. God bless that gentleman and all those who have the good of all genuine men out there, at heart. Men like Funke Akindele should be celebrated even in their mistakes.

© Deji Yesufu.

Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2762095583866634&id=1505609702848568

A very instructive thread indeed. Hope some of the gladiators will return and just say hello.

Chris Oyakhilome is still in business though despite his ruined reputation.

Johannan:
is this for covod19 or just a voluntary group. how can health workers volunteer

Pls check the flyers for a number and website

COVID-19: Facing a Germ War with a Mass of Volunteers

Yesterday I had two interesting but revealing chats with friends. The first person told me he read my suicide notes – where I had readily volunteered myself to work with UCH medical team in the coming days when people would be needed. He knows I’m not a medically trained person and understands I wouldn’t be able to do more than carry bed pans and stuff �. He then said: “…o boy, you’re on your own o…” And we laughed over it.

Later in the evening another friend got in touch with me. He is a Consultant with UCH. He told me that I should begin to sensitize my readers towards the laudable efforts of volunteering in times like this. He said information reaching him has it that the federal government will soon start to disburse resources towards training volunteers and the remuneration is very good. They will be needing essentially doctors, nurses and medical lab scientists. These two discussions has led me to write this piece: friends, we are face to face with war in this country. It is a Germ War. Unfortunately the Nigerian military cannot fight this thing. It is you and I that will do it.

First, let me begin with the first obstacle to this matter: the fear of death. What of, in the process of fighting this war, I contract the disease and I’m killed. Leaving behind a family – especially young children. It is a laudable concern and I’ll answer this way.

When war breaks out in a nation, it is human beings that fight it. First the country rolls out a battalion of trained soldiers. If those are not enough, they call for willing volunteers. If they are not enough, government compels all young men to join the army. Particularly those between the age of 18 and 25. All young men in the University will join. It becomes a criminal offence not to join the war effort.

In a Germ War, the first battalion that go out are medical folks. If they are not enough, all those who are still healthy and have some education must join. If those are not enough, they will come for you.

Sometimes during the Second War, the first born of the Kennedy’s, Joseph Patrick Kennedy, a pilot, was flying a mass of explosives to troops at the war front. Something went wrong and his plane exploded mid-way. At peace time, his younger brother, John F. Kennedy, went on to become President of the USA. Most of his siblings became prominent American politicians but one person died so that they all could live.

This America we are all seeking to run to was brought to greatness by the blood of young boys. America only became a super power after helping Europe defeat her enemies. The price was paid by young boys between the ages of 18 and 25. Go and read the battle of Normandy. How young boys sailed through bullets, while thousands of others were felled. The ones who succeeded in reaching the Germans on the shore eventually took the sea port that looked near impossible to reach and won that battle. If Normandy was not invaded the Germans would have overrun Europe.

Friends, we face a Germ War. COVID-19 is a Germ War and someone will have to fight it or all of us will perish in the security of our homes bc we fear death.

This is a particular call to Christians, men and women who believe that Jesus Christ has obtained eternal salvation for them; to step out and prove the worth of their faith. If your faith is sure, this is the time to join other historic Christians who have always led the way during humanitarian crisis.

As I write to you the Executive Governor of Oyo State has tested positive to Coronavirus. The UCH CMD is also positive. The Provost of College of Medicine and his deputy are positive. Thankfully none of them have started to show symptoms. In another two weeks, those who have cut this bug and may not have tested themselves will begin to swam the hospitals and isolation centers. Doctors and nurses are going to be overwhelmed, and then they would need you. Get ready to volunteer to help.

Thankfully this is not a suicidal mission. You would be properly trained, properly equipped and sufficiently remunerated. I write this to ask you to prepare your mind to join.

Lagos State has already rolled out their call for volunteers. Those in Lagos can go to lsvc.ng to enroll and read up requirements. As at the time of this writing, 2,500 people have indicated interest to work as volunteers in Lagos. I hope the number increases and they all do come out eventually.

This note is a call for preparation and not to go out yet. For now we are required to remain at home and stay glued to our media outlets. Soon enough there would be that call for medical volunteers. Most would simply need to fill out forms online. Then you would be called for short training and dispatched out. Subsequently and depending on how serious the pandemic gets, those of us who are not medical folks but are willing and able will be sort for.

Do not fear. You would be trained and usually if you follow guidelines well enough, you will come out unscathed.

This is my first major writing on the matter of volunteering. I’ll update you as I get more information. Again, for now remain at home and watch out for the call.

One last reason why you should volunteer: no one knows who will need the help. My friend who said I was on my own maybe the one that would need this mass of volunteers we are calling for. We are in this together: this is war, a Germ War.

Thank you.

© Deji Yesufu

Source: https://www.facebook.com/1505609702848568/posts/2743440065732186/

Oga Seun, let's help a fellow Nigerian - Front-page pls

LordReed:
What is this saving message when you cannot demonstrate the power to save?

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Where is power to perform miracles in that scripture?

The gospel understood and believed is what creates true saving faith.

Most of the testimony to "power" by Pentecostals is fruad.

A Christian Response to a Plague

One most astonishing thing about the COVID-19 pandemic is that not one of the New Year prophecies by Pentecostal pastors in this country (or anywhere else in the world) captured it. Not one. This essay is not intended to be a religion bashing piece; I am becoming increasingly wary of criticizing religion on social media because many irreligious people think that I am in the same camp with them. I am not irreligious; I hold to a firm conviction in the Christian gospel. My problem, however, is that I see so much of the lapses in religion that irreligious folks also see.

And one of such lapses is that virtually every Pentecostal pastor in this country gave a New Year eve prophecy and not one of them saw the coming of the Coronavirus that would ravage the whole world only few months into the New Year. This lends credence to my often made remark that there is more to Christianity than many of these Pentecostal churches portray. I do sincerely hope that in the coming years, people would use the wee hours of the New Year for more fruitful ventures (like a good night sleep) than running around prayer houses. It is obvious that these pastors do not hear anything from God. They are just feeding the itchy ears of their followers with their so called prophecies.

When disaster hits the polity; when a nation is enmeshed in a plague; when the world is jittery and scared stiff regarding a germ war that has been unleashed on her; what response does the Christian Church have?

There are many but perhaps I should take the time to first define what the Church is. When I published an article earlier in the week and suggested that government cannot legislate laws for the church, I did not have the plethora of mushroom, lawless and rudderless assemblies that dot the face of Nigeria streets in mind. I had a church that was properly constituted by God in mind. While many gatherings may call themselves churches, we need to understand that a true church is a congregation of God’s people. People who have covenanted together to serve the living God, having in their midst a leadership approved by these same people and recognized by other Christian churches in other localities.

The church is a congregation of born-again Christians who are, first of all, under law to God, and subsequently under submission to the authorities in the land. This order of priority of laws means that any law that a land constitutes that differs from the laws of God cannot be obeyed by the Church. The Church in such a locality must undergo civil disobedience in protest against such a law. But I have since removed that article from my wall because the directive from the State government were I reside, that everyone should remain at home at a time like this, cannot in a true sense be considered a legislation against the church but a directive for the general good. And Christians would always be the first to support anything that will bring about the overall good of society – for we serve a God who is good, who made a good world and who commands us to make our world a better place than we met it.

Therefore when challenging times hit society; when death is walking the streets and men are losing heart - what should the church do? Historically the Christian Church had always been at the forefront of pursuing social good. In the first century, when it was common to deposit the dead bodies of peasants on the roads and bushes in the ancient Roman empires, Christians developed a reputation for burying the dead. When they were asked why they did this, they replied that man is made in the image of God and the corpses of all men are worth a burial. In the early 20th century when the Spanish flu ravaged the world, leaving 50 million people dead in its wake, Christians were at the forefront of lending extra hands to the medical team. Churches shut down and opened their doors, acting as overflows for hospitals that were already filled with the sick and dying.

I was particularly moved by a picture circulating the internet of Cuban doctors arriving Italy to offer a hand of help to the already overstretched Italian medical infrastructure. In the same vein, Christians must be preparing to lend a hand to help in the coming medical emergency that is very likely going to invade Nigeria in the coming months. In this light, and as soon as I am out of isolation, I shall be approaching the leadership of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, to find out what hand non-medical persons like myself can render to help in the impending medical emergency we are very likely to face in the month of April. Even if it is to help carry stretchers or to run some errands for doctors and nurses, as they minister to the sick, I am hoping that I would be able to do that. And I would seriously urge you, my readers, to consider doing a similar thing. What we are faced with is a germ war; and in times of war, all hands must be on deck to fight the enemy. In this case, it is the COVID-19 virus. My hope is that when the roaster of volunteers are eventually read out, Christians will top the chart. This is what is essentially Christian to do in times like this.

The times of plague, deaths and destruction also calls for the Christian to sound out a message of hope to the world. The Christians is a martyr of some sort; we possess the message of eternal life on our lips and our hearts. The Christian gospel teaches that there is more to this life than the material. It is in this life that we choose what sort of life we shall live after now. There are two options on the table: an option of entering into eternal bliss and joy with God; or the other option of suffering the wrath of God forever.

The question to ask is: why would God punish men eternally? Because God is absolutely holy, he cannot behold sin and his justice demands that he punishes sin. This is why Jesus Christ, his son, suffered the wrath of God on earth and took on himself the sins of all the world. Those who would enjoy eternal bliss are those whom have trusted Christ for redemption from their sins in this life. They are the ones whose sins God has punished in Christ and thus cannot suffer another punishment in the life to come. Those who would suffer God’s wrath eternally are those who did not trust Christ for redemption from their sins in this life.

A time of plague and death is a time all the world must again reconsider the gospel of Christ, and ask if it is worth believing. God loves the world and gave his Son as sacrifice for the sins of all men. Those who would believe in him will not perish but have eternal life. It is a simple message that has unfortunately been made complex by the Prince of the power of the air – the devil; so that you may not believe the gospel and so that you would not be saved. Those who have found salvation in Christ, have peace with God and death is no longer a terror to them. Rather, death has become for us a step into the greatest life to come. Amen.

Those who have followed my criticism of the Pentecostal movement and prosperity gospel many of them preach know that my chief dispute with them is on this very matter of gospel preaching. Many of these churches have succeeded in doing everything in church life except preach a gospel message. This is the reason why they hold New Year services, proclaiming all the good that their greedy minds can conjure but yet scurry into hiding when crisis hit the world.

If the gospel of health and wealth is true, this is the time for the big churches on the Lagos/Ibadan expressway to open up there camp and receive the sick and dying. If there is any truth that they can indeed heal the sick through prayers and fasting, they should go into the hospitals and pray for those who are afflicted by Coronavirus and let us see these people get healed. But the last I checked, these faith healing churches have also closed shop (or church) and joined the rest of the world online to hold services on the internet. So much for ability to heal the sick and so much for divine health that they claim to have.

In desperate times like these true Christians do not claim to be extra-ordinary; we do not claim to be superstars. We join the world to mourn as they mourn. We join the medical teams to heal the sick. We open up our churches to minister to the sick and dying. We proclaim the gospel of hope: the saving message of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we plead with God to have mercy on the whole world and save humanity. This is what I think the Christian response should be in a time of plagues like this.

© Deji Yesufu

Source: https://www.facebook.com/1505609702848568/posts/2729838200425706/

Bladesociety:
If you are in Abuja
Get in touch with me

Light

Pls don't abort this child.

Have the baby and give it up for adoption. I'm sure these foster parent will also gladly be willing to sponsor you through school.

Send me a PM if you need help in doing this. BUT PLS DON'T ABORT THAT CHILD...

Why don't you start with putting up something of a CV here. Tell us your educational qualification, work experience and what you can do - then we carry it from there.

I'm not saying I have a job for you. Just saying this may appeal to a potential employer for your sake.

alonzoiv:
Pls, whosoever got to read this, should summarise for me. No time.

Those who will change society are those who will add solid thoughts to prevailing authorities. And it all begins with reading. So take the time to read or continue in servitude.

Sanusi and Men with Vested Interest

By: Deji Yesufu

It was my second night in Germany. I had just retired to the hotel room when I saw notifications on my phone that Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (Emir of Kano) had been removed by the Abdullahi Ganduje led government of Kano State. My heart sunk. Why do the best Nigerians seem to lose out in this business of national development; while the worst of us are the ones that triumph?

Incidentally of all the royal fathers in this country, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (SLS) has been a lone voice in asking for government to do what governments are elected to do around the world. I was doubly pained by this development because here was I in a developed country and, like most Nigerians who visit Europe for the first time, I was lamenting years of bad leadership in Nigerian; yet, the only voice that seem to have been calling for good governance had just been silenced. What a tragedy.

After reading all the news items I could lay my hands on about the emir’s removal, I went to YouTube to find that famous SLS’s Ted Talk where he spoke about confronting vested interest in Nigeria and paying the price to overcome it. It is in the light of that lecture that I wish to juxtapose Emir Sanusi with a Ganduje - whose famous video of stuffing bundles of dollars in his “babanriga” (acquiring for himself an apt nickname “Gandollar”) is what the Governor is best known for in Nigeria. It is my hope that as I do this, we all can realize the sorry situation that we have found ourselves as a people and hopefully chart a way out of it in the days to come.

In this 18 minute video, SLS tells a group of young Nigerians that those who will save this country are men who have guts: those who can overcome the fear of challenging men with vested interest in the country. It is simple: Nigeria is what she is today because a number of corrupt individuals, many of them in authority, are profiting illegally from our common wealth.

Those who will rid this country of such men, are those who will overcome the debilitating power of fear that keeps people from speaking and acting against entrenched corruption in the land. In the video, SLS talked about how his time at the Central Bank saw him bring some powerful bank CEOs to justice; slamming some of them in jail. He spoke of a certain pastor in Nigeria, very likely one of those tin-god-Pentecostal pastors with acres of camp grounds on Lagos-Ibadan expressway, who used his position to get one of the bank CEOs off the hook. In that lecture, Sanusi was simply talking about himself and what he does naturally.

A few years later, he is removed from the CBN and goes on to be Emir of Kano. As Emir, guess what he did? He challenged those who had vested interest in the Northern people’s common wealth. This brought him to often clash with those in power – particularly the Governor in the State where he was monarch.

A few months to the 2015 general elections, an investigative journalist had gotten himself into a room where the Governor of Kano State was meeting with certain men (very likely contractors on State Projects). These men had brought the governor his own share of the contract. They brought the money in bundles of dollar bills. A smiling Ganduje is seen on camera stuffing wads of cash in his large flowing clothing, popularly referred to as babanriga (large clothing) in Hausa.

It was not until one had seen that video that one would realize that those clothing had that many pocket. A few weeks after the incident, the video is published on social media. It becomes a scandal. Ganduje has the power of immunity protecting him from prosecution. Yet, the incident was embarrassing enough to stop his re-election to office. It is not clear the position that Sanusi as Emir took during the elections but he clearly did not wish to see Ganduje back in the state government house.

The state goes to the polls and Ganduje was re-elected through a slim margin. It was clear that Ganduje was hurt and one of those he planned to deal with was Sanusi, the Emir. A little over a year after returning to office, Ganduje succeeds in removing Sanusi. His sin? The emir is said to disrespect the Governor.

Since the coming of the British, Nigeria has not been able to properly define the role of the monarchy in her constitution. Because the British practiced indirect rule, a system of government where the colonialists used the existing power structure on ground to rule the masses, they needed the monarchs in the land and thus did not abrogate the monarchy.

Besides, the British people were also ruled by a Queen; so they were accustomed to monarchies operating in a government. But with independence, succeeding Nigerian governments have not been able to successfully marry the monarchy with the democratic system of government bequeathed to us by the British.

While in most cases, the monarchs have been silenced and made errand boys by those in power, in some other cases there have been clashes between those in government and the monarchs - sometimes necessitating the removal of these monarchs. SLS is certainly not the first Nigerian monarch to be removed from his seat of power. But his removal leaves a bad taste in the mouth of those who know the real stories behind northern Nigeria.

The true sin of SLS had been that he had been calling for rapid development of Northern Nigeria. SLS, at many occasions, had pointed at the wide disparity between the rich and the poor, and had called on those in power to help bridge the gap. In the process of doing this, and characteristic of the man, he had said one or two things that had displeased the government in power. Yet, this Governor, that claims SLS disrespected him, is known most of all in Nigeria for stuffing wads of dollar bills in his clothing. A clear picture of the corruption that Sanusi had been condemning.

Thus, it is not difficult for any wise observer of events in Kano State to conclude that Sanusi was removed from power because he sided with the ordinary people of Kano State. His situation is doubly sad when you consider that the government in power, the APC, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, prides itself for its anti-corruption stance.

Yet, during events running up to the 2019 elections, the President was asked what his views were about Ganduje stuffing dollars in his clothing. Mr. President replied that the state house of assembly in Kano State would handle the matter. Everyone knows that most state houses in Nigeria are in the pocket of their state governors. The removal of SLS from office renders the whole anti-corruption crusade of this government a joke.

SLS has since relocated to Lagos State and many are hoping that his brilliant mind can be better channeled to other things that will help bring development to this country. Some are pushing for him to even run for the Presidency in 2023; an idea that the man is said to refuse to even entertain. One thing is however sure for me: if Sanusi Lamido Sanusi wishes to run for the Presidency in 2023, he already has my vote and the votes all those I influence politically.

Deji Yesufu is the author of the book Victor Banjo. He can be reached on newdejix@gmail.com.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/1505609702848568/posts/2722923184450541/

Watch the video here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrjYgEcW6WA

Coronavirus: “Apostle” Suleiman and What God Told Him

Suleiman Johnson, the Nigerian self-styled “Apostle” has said that God told him that the Coronavirus will vanish in the same way it appeared. In a video going around social media, the Auchi based pastor said that Christians have nothing to fear. That God would keep his own and the Pandemic will end in the same manner it began: suddenly.

Johnson Suleiman is not a stranger to prophecies. In fact he has both a history of failed prophecies and fulfilled ones. Suleiman broke into the Nigerian Pentecostal scene when a new year set of prophecies he gave appeared to have been fulfilled in their generality. Unfortunately for him, most of the prohecies he’s given since then have failed. Including his saying Goodluck Jonathan will win the 2015 presidential election and the one where he said Gov El Rufai of Kaduna State will die. Jonathan lost and El Rufai is still alive.

The trouble however with Suleiman's latest prophecy is that it is simply too general and simplistic for it to be regarded as a specific word from God. Why? Because EVERY VIRAL EPIDEMIC APPEARS SUDDENLY AND DISAPPEARS SUDDENLY. The whole essence behind quarantine, social distancing and sit-at-homes being carried out around the world is so that the virus may die generally and suddenly. If it no longer has new hosts to feed on, it will quieten out.

God did not speak to Suleiman. Suleiman has only postulated a natural position on all viral epidemics. Even the 1918 Spanish flu that killed 50 million people around the world also started one day and ended one day.

On a final note: Suleiman and I are not friends. We would not be friend on earth nor will we be friends in heaven – except he repents of his false gospel and believes on the Christ of the Bible. And the same goes with his listeners.

The public will do themselves a great deal of favor to adhere to words, suggestions and directions by health professionals during this Coronavirus pandemic. Please disregard comments from known charlatans like Johnson Suleiman. Thank you.

Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2720362201373306&id=1505609702848568

© Deji Yesufu.

Thanks Muttlelaff. I enjoyed reading that

How A Nigerian Saved Me From Cold And Hunger In Berlin By Deji Yesufu

Coronavirus, Cancelled Flights and the Appearing of an Angel

I was billed to leave Germany on Saturday morning. Our flight with Turkish Airlines was to leave Germany at 6:55am. By 6:30am there was nobody in sight at the Turkish Airlines boarding corner of the Airport.

“What’s happening”, was the expression written on everyone’s face.

A few minutes later, the people to check us in announced: Turkey has barred all foreigners from coming into their country and this would include those of us transiting through the country.

“What happened?” We asked.

Coronavirus.

This announcement was also coinciding with Donald Trump’s speech that had barred most Europeans from entering the USA.

We were told that their plane could only carry their own nationals. The rest of us were on our own.

Ha!

A lady beside me was already in tears. Me? Confused. How do I continue in this horrendous cold of Germany? What do I eat; where will one sleep; and most importantly, how does one return to Nigeria? Those were the questions on my mind when I approached one of the guys by the ticket counter and asked… He referred me to Turkish Airlines enquires desk.

By the time I got there, the place was filled with people. Everyone was asking the same question: how do we leave Germany?

At first we were told we would be refunded our monies. But, thankfully, there was another policy somersault: we would all be placed in different airlines back to our destinations – I got Airfrance. That’s the good news, which should always come first. The bad news: the earliest flight I could get was Sunday, 6am. I must wait out another 24 hours in Berlin!

My colleague was already feeling unwell. We would discover later that the cold had gotten into his chest and another two hours outside would have been sure pneumonia.

My head started to work. I remembered that I had put out a post on Facebook talking about my visit to Berlin. One person, only one o, got in touch with me privately, saying that he lives in Berlin and it would be a pleasure to meet me. That my writing inspires him. His name: Taiwo Arowoyele. I sent him a PM saying in short: “Help!”

He sent us an address not too from the airport, and in a few minutes we where in this God-sent man’s living room, sipping hot tea. My colleague drank four cups before he could recover himself.

Taiwo Arowoyele is a Nigerian living in Berlin and having trained as a Social Worker in Lithuania, he returned to Berlin to work. He also does some business by the side. Taiwo is not wealthy but he has heart large enough to share.

Taiwo settles us into a room and gave us out first and only taste of rice in Berlin. He served it with tough chicken and some good “shaki”. We just kept saying thank you.

Later in the day, Taiwo took us out to see downtown Berlin. We took the subway, branched at an eatery to munch on chips and chicken, and then we went around the city center taking pictures. It was fun. And the disappointment of the cancelled flight soon faded away. In fact I was thankful for missing that flight. For then I might not have met this angel.

Early Sunday morning, Taiwo called a taxi for us and we got to the airport early enough to meet our flight.

Taiwo had begun to follow my writing on Facebook after watching my video on tithing (it appears to me that a lot more Nigerians abroad saw that video). It is the same time Taiwo that God sent as help to us. Those of you who vilify Facebook – see how it has helped me �. As I type this, I am in Paris awaiting my transit flight to Lagos.

This is what Coronavirus has done to us o… but with this disappointment came a blessing. I return to Nigeria by the grace of God to a sure two weeks quarantine.

Shallom.

@ Deji Yesufu

Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2709076759168517&id=1505609702848568

(Taiwo Arowoyele is in the middle in the attached picture)

CC: Seun ^^^

INFLUENZA: A Greater Than Coronavirus

By: Deji Yesufu

When Roger Frames approached his doctor one Tuesday morning, everyone’s suspicion was that he may have contracted cold; as this was the period around Europe when many people came down with what is referred to as the “Common Cold”. His family chose not to take the matter with kid gloves though because at 83 they understood that their octogenarian father had very poor immunity and any slight infection could take his life. Besides, Roger had had a long history with Diabetes and being one who took the matter of his health seriously, he was only a stone throw from his doctor. After a few tests were run, it was discovered that Roger did not have cold; rather he had influenza or “flu”, a disease of the respiratory system that greatly resembled the common cold. He was quickly put on medication and his life was saved.

In recent times, another respiratory system disease has taken hold the world. This one is called Coronavirus. In late 2019, the Chinese government announced to the world that a new strain of respiratory virus had invaded their country leaving thousands of people dead. The city where this disease originated from, Wuhan, has been on the lock-down since this announcement. Unfortunately the disease has made its way out of that city to other parts of China, leaving thousands of deaths in its path. The first case of the Coronavirus in Nigeria was announced February, 2020, when an Italian man was tested and discovered to be carrying the disease. He has since been under quarantine and is said to be responding to treatment as administered by the Lagos State government.

But as terrible as the Coronavirus is, the influenza is even more gruesome but unfortunately the Nigerian government appears not to be paying attention to this one. As of the time of writing this essay, the number of people that have been infected with the Coronavirus is 100,383; while there has been 3,408 deaths. On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the annual world infection for the flu is 3 to 5 million people and the rate of death being between 250 and 500 thousand. This is a number that far outweighs the Coronavirus fatality and the reason why the world should pay attention to such diseases as the influenza even as they are doing with the Coronavirus.

My attention was drawn to this matter by Prof. A. Fasanmade, a Consultant Physician with the University College Hospital, Ibadan, and a lecturer at the Department of Physiology, University of Ibadan. Prof. Fasanmade was invited by Sanofi-Adventist Nigeria, a pharmaceutical giant, to give a lecture at an event on influenza. Prof. Fasanmade had always been concerned with this disease because, as he noted in the lecture, influenza is the leading cause of death for patients with the following diseases: diabetes, coronary heart diseases, hemodialysis, pulmonary diseases, cancer, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Fasanmade, a physician of thirty five years in researching and treating of diabetes, had always advocated the use of vaccines against influenza, especially for patients with the aforementioned diseases and for elderly folks and young people – whose immunity are normally too low to combat the flu.

Fasanmade, in a personal chat with me, said that he had once approached a minister of health in Nigeria, and shared with him the need for influenza vaccines to be made available to Nigerians. Considering the fact that influenza is a leading cause of secondary death in patients battling cancers, diabetes, HIV and a host of other diseases. Unfortunately because research into this area is few, there are not enough data to show how many deaths are caused by influenza, as a secondary cause, with people with such diseases. Fasanmade told me that the minister of health said there is great reluctance on the part of government to commit scarce resources to getting this vaccines since no one is sure how deadly influenza is in Nigeria. Fasanmade however is convinced that the Nigerian government should do something fast about this, especially in the light of another respiratory disease that has taken the attention of the world. His argument is that Coronavirus is not even as fatal as influenza.

As the nation considers the option of vaccination for influenza, it should be noted that only a fraction of the population is actually in need of these vaccines. WHO recommends the following as priority on the list of those in need of the vaccines: pregnant women, children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, persons above the age 65years, people with diabetes, asthma, chronic respiratory diseases, and HIV, and persons going on international trips. With this few number at hand, government would realize that the cost of vaccinating people against the disease is low. And with less people sick, the country would have more people available in the working populace able to add to the nation’s productivity and wealth.

There are diseases more fatal than Coronavirus and experts in the field of Medicine think that the influenza is one.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/1505609702848568/posts/2691062640969929/

Follow responses on this Facebook page:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2632640293688103&id=100008264737265