Your immediate response will depend on the part of the divide you find yourself in. If it saves you the stress of having to queue up at the nearest ATM stand then it is an innovation, but if you are one of the many persons like me that have had their hard-earned money stolen via it then it could be summed as a fraud.

The idea behind the invention of the POS is hardly far from genius. Point of Sales otherwise known as POS by numerous users found its way into the Nigerian market in 2013. And by the sheer ease with which it can be used and the sheer number of POS in circulation made it a darling to Nigerians, who until the invention of the POS has had to queue up at the ATM (Automated Teller Machine) or inside the banking hall to withdraw their own money. Thus ensuring that banking halls and ATM stands were highly decongested.

However, what was a solution has now become a problem that deserves urgent attention from the Central Bank of Nigeria and all the banks in Nigeria.

History of POS

The central bank of Nigeria in 2013 introduced the POS system and agent banking as a means of achieving the cashless policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Until now it has largely been described by Nigerians as a live saver and data shows that since its invention that many Nigerians prefer to use the POS than visit their banks.

Why POS

The sole aim of the POS was the implementation of the cashless policy of the FG and to decongest the banking halls and the ATM stands across the country. This was easily achieved, with banks rapidly issuing POS to traders and businessmen that wished to own one. Soon it was in all the junctions, streets, and all most all the houses in the country. This reduced the distance one has to walk before he gets to an ATM or the nearest branch of his bank.

The Problem

What could have been described as a wonder of the Nigerian banking industry soon morphed into a problem that the banking sector has for long wished away and somehow hopes don’t come to the fore. However, the monster has grown horn and no longer has a hiding place. Hence, they either solve the problem or face the numerous litigations that are being microwaved in most homes across the country. Let’s not forget that in our country it takes just one person to speak up and every other person will queue behind and follow suit. The ENDSARS protest is a perfect example of that. When the country was locked down by protesters across the nation.

The problem for a long has been missing money from accounts that are all traced to a POS. the bigger problem is that banks are trying to paper the crack by hiding the POS operators from each crime perpetrated by them. With this, one is forced to believe that it is either the staff of the banks that are stealing the missing money and then ascribing it to POS or they have POS operators stealing for them. Either way, money is missing and the banks seem to have no answers or the ability to trace it.

First-Hand Experience

This is not me trying to raise a false alarm or whatever as nearly every one of us has been affected or knows someone that has been affected. The first time it happened to me was sometime in August 2021. I was sure I didn’t leave the house the whole day and had my ATM card with me all day. I didn’t get an alert until I went to withdraw the next day and found that #10,000 was missing from my account. I went to my bank (name withheld) the next day to lay a complaint and the bank simply told me it was a POS. I argued that I didn’t leave the house let alone used my ATM card. They insisted that it was a POS transaction. Being a gentleman and not willing to create a messy scene I went home and decided to let it slide. After all, it was just #10,000.

It happened again in February 2022 and as usual, I didn’t get an alert from the transaction until I paid for the drinks I bought with a POS. I paid #1000 for the drinks, got an alert of #1000 deduction but the balance showed minus #15600 which showed that another sum of #14,600 was missing and as usual I didn’t get an alert to that effect.

How will the bank respond to this I asked myself, I had to go to the bank to find an answer and it was the usual answer I got. The culprit again was a POS with an unfamiliar address. Will you provide the POS owner I asked for again? I got blatant no as an answer.

On my way back home I overhead another woman telling a neighbour how #45,000 was deducted from her account with the same lame excuse the bank has always given.

Conclusion

This is an offence that most banks are guilty of and what is even more offending is how they throw their reputation on the line to shield the POS operators that they tell us are culpable for the offence. This clearly shows that there is a conspiracy between the banks and the POS operators to continue stealing from hardworking Nigerians. And CBN silence should as well be seen as them being part of the ploy or privy to the conspiracy.

Conclusion

Until the whole issue is resolved and POS operators and conniving banks that have been aiding them brought to book everyone should snub using POS. it is better to queue up in the banking hall or the nearest ATM stand than have your money blatantly stolen by POS operators and the banks aiding them.

Leave them let them dance. Nigerians will decide when they are done dancing.

What's interesting about the internecine fight between Tinubu and Osinbajo supporters on social media is that neither Tinubu nor Osinbajo is even in contention for the APC ticket in 2023. The party structure is firmly in the hands of people who don't want them. In other words, Tinubu and Osinbajo are dancing themselves lame in rehearsals for a dance competition they may not take part in.

Lala pls take this to the front page so that Nigerians can know we have a youthful alternative to the old men that has refused to leave the stage for our generation.

I wish him all the best in his quest

The build-up to the 2023 general election is becoming more intriguing by the day as a host of aspirants have declared their intentions to run for the top job in the country. Today in his hometown Onicha Ugbo, Chukwuka Monye formally join the race to become the next president of Nigeria. While delivering the kind of speech that Nigerians have been starved of throughout the duration of the incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari, he promised to focus on security, institutional reforms, and job creation and urged Nigerian to join hands with him as he attempt at rebuilding the nations. While admitting that the job is a tasking one he however, expressed that a rebuild is possible and that the long awaited future is now.

The pioneer Interim National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, has given an insight into the severe pressure mounted on the party by influential persons to make sure Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), now the President, did not emerge as the party’s candidate for the 2015 election.

In his 559-page autobiography, titled ‘My Participations’, launched in Lagos on Thursday, Akande said persons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some unnamed elite, especially from the North, including royal fathers, were against Buhari becoming the party’s candidate.

The former Osun State governor explained that an aristocratic leader from the North came to Osogbo, the state capital, to persuade the then governor, Rauf Aregbesola, to prevail on them to drop Buhari.

He, however, said the leaders of the newly formed party decided to go ahead with Buhari, given his charisma and the support he had garnered in his previous attempts, having contested the coveted position three times earlier. He said the emergence of the APC created a formidable structure for him and that Buhari’s candidacy was in fact one of the bases for the merger of the constituent political parties.

Regardless of this, he noted that the party allowed anybody interested in the ticket to contest against Buhari at the convention, where he eventually won.

On Obasanjo’s opposition to Buhari’s candidacy, he wrote, “When the party was ready and we were going around to all the leaders, someone reminded us that we had not seen Obasanjo and (former Head of State, Ibrahim) Babangida, and asked them to join us.

“We also met Obasanjo and asked him to join us. He said he would not join us but that he had his sympathy for us. He said he had decided not to join any political party since he left the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party).
“Behind the scene however, I understood he was pressurising some of our leaders not to use Buhari as our candidate. It got to a point when Bola Tinubu had to confront him thus: ‘It is not fair sending me to Buhari. Buhari was a soldier and he was one of your junior officers in the army. Why don’t you call Buhari and let him know how you feel about his intention to be President?’

“I don’t know whether Obasanjo stopped at it. From the start, he did not want Buhari to be President.”

Also, on the opposition by the other elite, Akande wrote, “It was apparent from the start that Buhari would be our choice for President. That was one of the bases for the merger. However, there were pressures from the elite, especially from the North, including royal fathers, piling pressure on us not to allow Buhari to be our presidential candidate.

“A prominent aristocratic leader from the North stayed several nights in Osogbo, persuading Governor Aregbesola to prevail on us not to field Buhari. He threatened that if we did, there would be trouble in the North. We reviewed all these threats and decided to go through it with Buhari.”

Akande also described the leader of pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, as a blank politically-minded leader who does not have what it takes to contest political positions.

He further said Adebanjo pestered the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to build him a house in Lekki, where he now resides.

He also stressed that contrary to what Adebanjo believed, the ruling APC did not have restructuring in its manifesto in 2014 when the party presented Buhari as its torchbearer, adding that the APC only promised to support devolution of powers from the centre to the states.

On page 476, Akande wrote, the “APC did not have ‘Restructuring’ in its manifesto for the 2015 elections but promised to support devolution of powers from the centre to the states.

“While the President (whether Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan or Buhari) has the whole of Nigeria as his constituency, members of the National Assembly that have the powers to amend the Constitution imposed on Nigeria by the military represent constituencies individually from different ethnic nationalities.

“It is therefore mischievous to place the responsibility for effecting ‘restructuring’ on the APC or its Presidency and not to appreciate that it would require deft negotiations among such members from different ethnic nationalities and constituencies or zonal and religious background before any political party or any ethnic nationality could successfully issue any fiat on the National Assembly to make laws on power devolution or on ‘restructuring’, whatever it might connote.”

The APC chieftain further alleged that the trio of Adebanjo, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi (now late), and Chief Olu Falae should have found younger Yoruba sons to represent the South-West at the 2014 National Conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan instead of pocketing “generous allowances” given to conference delegates.

Akande said, “I was not surprised that three old men who were virulently opposed to our aspirations in the APC found their ways into the Jonathan Conference. These men – Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Olu Falae were once our leaders in the old Afenifere until the passage of Papa Adesanya.

“They could not find any younger Yoruba to send to the conference to represent our interest. They believed, even in their old age, that they were the only people who could have gone there. Sir Ajayi, who was close to 90 at the time of the Conference, has since joined his ancestors. Chief Adebanjo celebrated his 90th birthday in 2018. Chief Falae is in his 80s. Note that Jonathan paid the conference delegates generous allowances!”

Reminiscing on the formation of Afenifere, the ex-governor of Osun State recalled that “Chief Olu Falae, a trained civil servant, who after retirement became decorated into leadership by his former military bosses, has since been trying to blindly straddle Nigeria’s complicated politics.


“The old Afenifere and PDP coalition was fronted by these three men and General Obasanjo. Chief Adebanjo, the most vociferous of them, is a blank politically-minded leader who recognises readily and always that he never has what it takes to aspire for high political positions.

“He constantly harbours lumps of yellow hate-bile in his heart for any co-political leader with brighter chances for any major public office within or outside his political party. Adebanjo detests all past governors produced by his party since the UPN days and proudly says so in his regular pontifications. I always passed him for a mere political agitator among the old local party paid canvassers euphemistically called ‘organising secretaries’.”

Continuing, Akande alleged that Adebanjo coerced Tinubu to build a house for him in the Lekki area of the state.

“One day, Sir Olaniwun was launching a book at Muson Centre, Lagos. After the book presentation, Tinubu said I should not go and that he would like to see me. We met in a small room where he also invited Sir Olaniwun Ajayi. ‘Papa, you can see that this document is old, Tinubu said as he handed over a big envelope to Ajayi. This is your C of O (Certificate of Occupancy)!’

“Tinubu told me later that after he presented Adebanjo’s C of O to him, Adebanjo was always pestering Tinubu until he helped built a house on the plot. The street was also named in honour of Adebanjo and he is living in that house now at Lekki Phase One,” Akande said.

When contacted on Friday, Adebanjo said he would give his response after carefully reading the book. “I’m not going to depend on hearsay; I am going to give a written reply after reading the book,” he said.

Efforts to get a reaction from Obasanjo on the statement made by Akande failed, as his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, did not respond to the message sent to him.

How Ikimi, others tried to hijack party – Akande
Meanwhile, Akande also said a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi; a former governor of Kaduna State, and a chieftain of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change had during the formative stages of the APC tried to hijack the party if and when it got registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

He said he had received reports that Ikimi and some members of the then Joint Merger Committee, comprising different political parties that had come together to form the APC, had tried to “share among themselves the new party leadership official positions”.

Akande, in his book, said a former governor of Kaduna State, had while lobbying for the position of the national secretary of the APC, told him that meetings were being held at the residence of Ikimi, who was then a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria, that the former minister had at the meetings been slated to become the national chairman of the APC while the position of the treasure “was perhaps being reserved for a chieftain of the Congress for Progressive Change, Alhaji Garba Gadi.

“The three of them, by chance, at one time or the other, were former members of ANPP and they became fortuitously co-chairmen of the Joint Merger Committee for the yet to be registered APC. I felt a revolt about how human beings take undue advantage of their principals which, in this case, were the parties that sent them to the Joint Merger Committee.

“To put practical effect to their mischief, Chief Tom Ikimi had been arranging a sort of public meeting – perhaps some sort of convention in an ostensible manner – which he termed, ‘APC Leadership Meeting’ at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. I remained the chairman of the CAN that sponsored Tom Ikimi to the merger committee.

“He, as coordinating chairman of the Joint Merger Committee, wrote me an invitation for a public meeting of APC which to me was still waiting to be registered into corporate existence. What a hijack indeed!”

But reacting, Ikimi said he would react to the allegation of the former interim national chairman of the APC in a book he is currently writing.

“Well, I didn’t hear it (allegation). I was not there. I am writing my own book. I will react to it (Akande’s allegation) then (in my book),” he told one of our correspondents on the phone on Friday.

https://punchng.com/obasanjo-northern-elite-monarchs-warned-apc-against-fielding-buhari-akande/

APC crisis worsens as Sen Marafa slams Gov Buni, says he didn’t go to school
November 14, 2021

By Omeiza Ajayi – Abuja
The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress APC assumed a curious twist on Sunday following the declaration by a chieftain of the party from Zamfara state, Senator Kabiru Marafa that the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC is an illegal contraption, unknown to law.

At a media parley, Sunday in Abuja, Marafa who represented Zamfara Central in the Senate for eight years said Gov. Buni cannot operate as a governor and also superintend the party.

Marafa said; “Mai Mala Buni’s CECPC is an illegal committee. It cannot conduct anything. Whatever it does is a nullity and it cannot stand in this country. We are going to challenge him on that in court and I don’t care what anyone will say. Buni looked for my trouble and I will give him ten times of that.


“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is very clear that you cannot hold an executive position and hold party position at the same time. Our APC constitution is also very clear in Article 2 which is the supremacy of the constitution.

“In S. 17(4), it says no officer of the party shall hold any executive position in government concurrently with the party position. He is an Executive Governor.

“He cannot be the Chairman of APC and if he can, let the courts tell us. I am going to court, I am going to challenge that.

“And whatever he did from the time he was appointed to this time will be questioned. We have one APC.

“Remove this man so that he doesn’t bring everybody down. I am on a salvage mission.

“Article 20 of the same constitution says all party posts prescribed by this constitution shall be filled by democratically conducted elections at respective national convention or congress subject where possible to consensus.

“Who elected Buni and his committee? At which convention or congress? Are we throwing away this constitution?

“Then the judgment of the Supreme Court on the Ondo election is a clear indication of where APC is headed but because some people who have never gone to school but who God has elevated to certain positions, have forgotten how they got to the positions.

“For God sake and with all sense of modesty, I and Gov. el-Rufai of Kaduna state almost single-handedly with the help of some people made Buni the National Secretary of the party some years ago.

“We will force him to resign and I am sure the President will also do that”, he added.

Senator Marafa also declared last Saturday’s purported Congress of the party in Zamfara state as an exercise in futility saying it was dead on arrival.

According to him, the law requires the party to give a 21-day notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC for the conduct of such Congresses.

Marafa recalled how the CECPC had earlier appointed one Ahaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari as Chairman of the State Congress committee for Zamfara.

He said; “Another letter was issued on the 5th of November. It was addressed to the same Alhaji Kabir Masari and it reads ‘suspension of ward congresses’.

“By that letter, that committee was suspended, the congresses entirely were suspended and it said the action was for further consultations to engender a seamless exercise. This was a welcome development because there were problems on ground.

“This was on the 5th November. Then, just on Friday, some of our friends called us to tell them that there would be congresses in Zamfara.

“They said they saw a letter addressed to the INEC chairman intimating him of congresses in Zamfara for the 12th.

“Less than 24 hours. We said that was not possible but we sent our people to INEC and verify, and they (INEC) said that they are in receipt of a letter and the letter said notice for the conduct of state congresses.

“This confirms to us that the Mai Mala-led APC, as it is today, is on a mission to destroy APC but we don’t care, they have a right to destroy APC but in Zamfara we have interested parties and it is our state and we are not ready to destroy our own house and anybody desirous of doing so, we have a right to say no.

“Now, notice is very key. Section 85 of the Electoral Act made it mandatory. It says INEC must be given a notice of 21 days. This is the provision of the Electoral Act. The law supersedes the APC guidelines. The Electoral Act comes second to the Nigerian constitution.

“I don’t know where Mai Mala got this thing but I’m not surprised because he didn’t go to school. I googled everywhere, I didn’t see the primary or secondary school he went to.

“They are operating the party as if they are operating an ‘Amalanke’ (local toy truck). What they are doing is wasting the party’s resources and the people’s time.

“This cannot hold anywhere in the world but we only joined them to show them that look, ‘you don’t have a monopoly of madness.’ This 24 hours notice, cannot stand in any court of law.

“We participated just to tell everyone that madness is not an exclusive preserve of some people.

“The essence of this briefing is to tell Nigerians why there is a faction again in Zamfara. Let everyone know that this faction came about because of the way and manner APC national is trying to suppress us in Zamfara state.

“We want to tell Mai Mala, Zamfara is not Yobe state. In an interview I granted recently, I sent a direct warning to him, he should learn to leave the sleeping dog lie. They didn’t heed that warning.

“Now APC looked for our trouble, we did not look for APC trouble. We did everything possible to accommodate our new visitor (Gov. Matawalle) but APC at all the points frustrated us.

“It appears APC national headquarters is at loggerheads with rules and procedures. They want to prove at every point that they are lawbreakers and uneducated.

“Like I said, we cannot see the schools they attended. Look at what happened in the state Congresses.

“Two different committees were sent to Sokoto, Kano and I think Osun. We have participated in the congresses, after this I am going straight to court.

“I told Buni to let sleeping dogs lie but he felt it was an empty threat. He has pressed us to the wall.

“We are going to fight back, whatever the consequences will be and we want the president to be aware of the illegalities that Buni is perpetrating.
Vanguard New

Texts 1: psalms 89 vs 5-5; Psalms 89:5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. Psalms 89:6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
Text 2: 1 Peter 2 vs 9; 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

Introduction

We serve a God that is wonderful in all his ways and that is stronger than the strongest, higher than the highest and has no comparison. He is wonderful in creation because everything he created is good. He is wonderful in words because everything he says come through. He is wonderful I work because he has not stopped doing good things to his committed followers. Interestingly, he has called us into the ministry of demonstrating his wonders as we saw in 1 Peter 2 vs 9 and that invariably makes us the wonderful children of a wonderful God.
How do we Demonstrate Wonders

1. In Holiness: we are chosen Gods holiness as a pattern of life, practising the exact lifestyle of Christ while he was on earth. 1 John 2 vs 15- 16 says it all. 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.
2. In Love: let the world see Jesus in you by giving and showing kindness. Isaiah 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
The scripture encourages us to give to the needy and not hold back our hearts from them. We must understand that God does not require our money to be God and also that he is not asking us to give to him but instead to those around us. After all, Christianity without charity is a mockery of God who loved us and gave his only begotten son to die for us.
3. In Obedience of Gods Word: Supernatural supply anchors on obedience. Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 5:2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 5:3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 5:6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 5:7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. Obedience is in practice and not in words. Hence, it is not just about believing in God but it's about obeying his word to the latter even when they don't seem to be expert advice and look very foolish to you. Obedience is the gateway to supply.
4. Demonstrating in Word: Every gospel preached is good news to the hearer and this is the bedrock on which our services to God should be built. We must utilize the word of God in faith to conquer the devil and also spread it to the people around us.
5. Demonstrating in Prayer: Praying and getting answers to the prayer is a demonstration of Gods wonder. Prayer is a Christian weapon of warfare and with it, we can silence the devil and his goons. Jesus lived a life of prayer and he does expect us as Christians to live a prayerful life.
6. Demonstrating in Faith: Faith is more than belief, it is in practice. It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence not seen. Faith is a belief in what God says and not what the people around you are saying- when they say there is a casting down, faith says there is a lifting.
7. Demonstrating in Power: 1 Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but power.
Christianity places you above the devil and his agents because he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.

Conclusion
Christianity is a privilege and not so many Christians are aware of all the benefits attached to it. However, it is noteworthy to state that God has chosen us to show his wonders to the world because he said that we are the salt of the world and the light of the world. Don't get intimidated by circumstances because you serve a living God that is capable of crushing any circumstance that you may find yourself. Don't give up friend, God is still on the throne and Christ in you is the hope of glory.

Texts 1: psalms 89 vs 5-5; Psalms 89:5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. Psalms 89:6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
Text 2: 1 Peter 2 vs 9; 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

Introduction

We serve a God that is wonderful in all his ways and that is stronger than the strongest, higher than the highest and has no comparison. He is wonderful in creation because everything he created is good. He is wonderful in words because everything he says come through. He is wonderful I work because he has not stopped doing good things to his committed followers. Interestingly, he has called us into the ministry of demonstrating his wonders as we saw in 1 Peter 2 vs 9 and that invariably makes us the wonderful children of a wonderful God.
How do we Demonstrate Wonders

1. In Holiness: we are chosen Gods holiness as a pattern of life, practising the exact lifestyle of Christ while he was on earth. 1 John 2 vs 15- 16 says it all. 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.
2. In Love: let the world see Jesus in you by giving and showing kindness. Isaiah 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
The scripture encourages us to give to the needy and not hold back our hearts from them. We must understand that God does not require our money to be God and also that he is not asking us to give to him but instead to those around us. After all, Christianity without charity is a mockery of God who loved us and gave his only begotten son to die for us.
3. In Obedience of Gods Word: Supernatural supply anchors on obedience. Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 5:2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 5:3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 5:6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 5:7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. Obedience is in practice and not in words. Hence, it is not just about believing in God but it's about obeying his word to the latter even when they don't seem to be expert advice and look very foolish to you. Obedience is the gateway to supply.
4. Demonstrating in Word: Every gospel preached is good news to the hearer and this is the bedrock on which our services to God should be built. We must utilize the word of God in faith to conquer the devil and also spread it to the people around us.
5. Demonstrating in Prayer: Praying and getting answers to the prayer is a demonstration of Gods wonder. Prayer is a Christian weapon of warfare and with it, we can silence the devil and his goons. Jesus lived a life of prayer and he does expect us as Christians to live a prayerful life.
6. Demonstrating in Faith: Faith is more than belief, it is in practice. It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence not seen. Faith is a belief in what God says and not what the people around you are saying- when they say there is a casting down, faith says there is a lifting.
7. Demonstrating in Power: 1 Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but power.
Christianity places you above the devil and his agents because he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.

Conclusion
Christianity is a privilege and not so many Christians are aware of all the benefits attached to it. However, it is noteworthy to state that God has chosen us to show his wonders to the world because he said that we are the salt of the world and the light of the world. Don't get intimidated by circumstances because you serve a living God that is capable of crushing any circumstance that you may find yourself. Don't give up friend, God is still on the throne and Christ in you is the hope of glory.

Breaking: Jega, Pat Utomi, Abdulfatai, Duke, create new political party ‘RNP

By Dirisu Yakubu

Ahead of the 2023 general elections prominent Nigerians have established a third force, Rescue Nigeria Project, RNP, to give Nigerians alternative platform to the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.


Founders of RNP include former governor of Kwara state, Ahmed Abdulfatai, Prof. Pat Utomi, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, former Governor of Cross River state, Donald Duke,

Senator Lee Maeba, Usman Bugaje, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, Yomi Awoniyi, Dr. Rose Idi Danladi, Dr. Sadiq Gombe among others.

Delivering his keynote address, Abdulfatai lamented the state of the nation, noting that the high level of nepotism and lack of inclusiveness have given rise to agitations by different ethnic groups.

He recalled that in 2015, Nigerians embraced change, adding that today, “that change appears to be what we didn’t expect, as insecurity has taken over the nation.”
He said, “It is based on this that we decided to set up this Rescue Nigeria Project. We want to salvage this country and see how we can fix the mess. We want to set a template and key criteria leaders must have before they can attain any political position.

“Despite the great opportunities of the past, Nigeria has failed to live up to the dreams of its founding fathers and the hopes of successive generations of its citizens.
“Perhaps, at no other time have these failings become more apparent than in the past decade or so.
“In 2015, Nigerians overwhelmingly embraced the promise of change. These hopes have not only been dashed, but they have arguably turned out to be the worst political statements ever to be made in this country. Nigeria today appears set to fulfill all the prophesies of doom.”
He further noted that “Unprecedented nepotism and political exclusion have left the country more divided than ever as evident in the various separatists agitation that are threatening the corporate existence of the country itself.”

Also speaking, Adeniran noted that there is disaster at hand, hence the move to rescue the nation.

He said: “You only rescue when there is disaster and when you fail to rescue during disaster, it is more dangerous.

“We have a disaster in our hands and we need to rescue the country. We need to look back and see how we get here. We know where Nigeria was before now. We know the task is not going to be easy, but we have to determine how to rescue the nation.”

In his opening remarks, the RNP national coordinator, Usman Bugaje, explained that the Rescue Nigeria Project was founded on the premise that the challenges bedeviling the country were largely derived from poor leadership.

Chiding the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government Bugaje said, “when you reduce the problems of this country to what they are, ultimately, it all comes to leadership.

“We have been unable to exit the leadership conundrum precisely because the leadership recruitment mechanism in our political parties is so flawed that, except for accidents, they are incapable of producing competent leaders with the requisite knowledge, discipline and commitment to make a difference. We are living with, or better still, groaning under the consequences of this folly.

“What this means is that any attempt to rescue this country from its troubles must first rescue it from the current leadership recruitment mechanism that seems to leverage on money and connection or ethnic sentiments and no premium on knowledge or competence.

“The challenge is how to introduce a set of criteria or better still re-calibrate the recruitment mechanism in our political parties to prioritize knowledge, competence and character. The deepening crises in the political parties is all the more reason this re-calibration is necessary.

“We must change the conversation about leadership. The first thing we should want to know about our President is not which part of country he or she comes from, rather how competent is he or she? What is the content of his policy document? What is his team made up of?

“We also seek to ensure a seismic shift from the politics of big men to the politics of big ideas. The empty politics of big men have not taken us anywhere but down the drain. We simply can’t continue this way.”

RNP’s vision is “to reconcile and re-unite our country, win and deploy political power for the purpose of nation building and national development, achieving prosperity for all, and the protection of life and dignity of every Nigerian citizen.”

This is even as the mission is “to reconcile, re-unite, mobilize the nation to build a critical mass of citizens capable of driving real and effective transformation, to translate the mass movement into a strong power base within an inclusive and responsive political framework.”

Vanguard News Nigeria

Tony3245:
More like poetry....in the real sense, it commits a fallacy of hasty generalization.


An average Nigeria acts feeble most times.


Kindly check my signature for your project writeup, research works, business proposals, assignment, etc... Giving quality is our priority.

An average Nigerian act feebly because he doesn't have power. Abraham Lincoln once said and I quote: Nearly all men can stand adversity but if you want to see the true character of a man give him power. Give a Nigerian power and watch him abuse it. Don't forget the vast promises made by the current head of the central government. He made lofty promises but once he took power he became a tyrant.

Kaduna1stson:
We shouldn't be allowing the southern governors to hold any meetings where they will try to break out of Nigeria.

Dss should move fast and disperse all these governors and even arrest some of them to teach them a lesson.

They are just envious that the north is ruling. The south hates the north and that's why we shouldn't allow them converge.

Is this your stupidity acquired or innate?

World Bank report says that Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari will lose the economic gains it made in the last decade at the end of 2021.

“By the end of 2021, Nigeria’s GDP is likely to approach its 2010 level, thus reversing a full decade of economic growth,” the bank in its new report said.

The World Bank’s projection comes as Nigeria strives to recover from the multiple recession that hit the country in 2016 and 2020.

The bank in the report said that there will be a constant decline in the country’s GDP per capita despite recovery from recession, projecting the country’s population to grow faster than its economy.


The bank further forecasted that despite the country’s gradual recovery from the 2020 recession, Nigerians masses will continue to suffer the adverse effect of the economic downturn.

Applauding Mr Buhari for taking bold steps to reform the country’s deteriorating economic condition, the bank advised the government to deepen its recent reforms that allow private sector investment for speedy economic recovery.

Nigeria in 2020 experienced its deepest recession in four decades.

The recession was believed to have been triggered by the economic shutdown occasioned by the outbreak of COVID-19 that same year.

Controversial fiscal and monetary policies of the Buhari administration and the Central Bank were also largely blamed for the recession.

Similarly in 2016, the country under the Mr Buhari regime plunged into recession, the first time since 1987.

However, the country’s economic growth resumed in the fourth quarter as pandemic restrictions were eased; oil prices rebounded, and the authorities implemented policies to counter the economic shock.

The World Bank reports imply that President Buhari since assuming office in 2015, has failed to positively impact the country’s economy which had suffered two record-breaking recessions under his watch.

Culled from People’s Gazette

richiemcgold:
the 'sai baba' chants and the APC's 'Change' mantra in 2015 was like the biggest thing to ever happened since the resurrection of Jesus. I personally thought those against bubu at that time were enemies of Nigeria (afenifere inclusive, and even my mother who always made reference to a vision she once had about a purported Islamic agenda in Nigeria which I found very hard to believe.)
..but now I know better. Never again shall I question the opinions of elders.

Your sins are forgiven. Go and sin no more.

[quote author=helinues post=101293835]

Imagine Nigerians wailing and gossiping about Pantami for months while the killings was/is still going on...

We focused too much on irrelevant things... See this news? The media would go gaga about empty news...

I don't know how you people understand politics or international relations. Answer this simple question. Will Bidden speak to our own SGF? If your answer is no then you should know why Buhari should have spoken to Bidden but if you answer yes then you are an APC member.

[quote author=thebosstrevor1 post=101293743]

They know how to wail and wail.

If buhari writes without a pen cover, they will complain that the ink will dry up when writing. All the major newspapers and online blogs will carry the news and it will end up being a political debate on tv with pdp organising #buharimustresign on twitter.

I don't know how you people understand politics or international relations. Answer this simple question. Will Bidden speak to our own SGF? If your answer is no then you should know why Buhari should have spoken to Bidden but if you answer yes then you are an APC member.

RuudVanNisteroy:

Nigerians had no idea what they were in for. A Redeemed Pastor as Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo, will surely usher in blessings to the country. Unbeknown to most Nigerians this will be one of the worst governments in the nations history that will bring drought,famine and pestilence, except for the few cashing out big time in the ruling government.

The first regime that hoarded food in the form of Covid-19 palliatives donated by the several corporate organizations from starving citizens in other to profit from it.

This guy still dey nairaland?

if you voted for Bubu in 2015 you can be forgiven but if you did again in 2019 you are an enemy of the state. you should face the firing squad for your stupidity.

so baba knew that Buhari knows next to nothing yet he still prevailed on Nigerian to vote for him.
he said re-electing Jonathan would be re-enforcing failure. I wonder what he will call voting for Bubu the second time.

2015: How Obasanjo nailed Tinubu’s ambition to become Buhari’s VP – Oyinlola


A former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has revealed how former President Olusegun Obasanjo truncated the ambition of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to become the running mate to Muhammadu Buhari, who was the APC presidential candidate in 2015.

Oyinlola explained that even though Obasanjo was the last person to throw his weight behind Buhari’s candidature, having opposed the re-election of the then President, Goodluck Jonathan, he was eventually prevailed upon to support the former military ruler.

In an interview with one of our correspondents, Oyinlola, who was once the military administrator of Lagos State, pointed out that there was already an agreement between Buhari and Tinubu before 2015 that they would be prpresidential and vice-presidential candidates respectively, a deal he said was initially hidden from most party members.

This development, according to him, led to some uneasiness in the party as they feared that a Muslim-Muslim ticket could cost the APC victory in the election, given the near-equal population of Christians and Muslims in the country and the sensitivity that surrounds religion issues in the country.

Prior to the 2015 elections, political parties always ensured their presidential candidates and their running mates emerged from the two dominant religions, with the only exception being the MKO Abiola/Babagana Kingibe candidacy on the platform of the Social Democratic Party in the June 12, 1993 election.

Even though Abiola and Kingibe, who were the presidential candidate and running mate respectively, eventually won the election, it is regarded as a one-off scenario. The election was later annulled by the regime of the then dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida.

Meanwhile, speaking further, Oyinlola explained that if not for Obasanjo’s intervention, the APC would likely have gone ahead with the Muslim-Muslim ticket and the party could have found it difficult to displace the government in power, especially when all reservations that surfaced over the proposed Muslim-Muslim ticket had been dismissed.

He added, “The agreement was concealed from a good number of the party leaders until it surfaced after Buhari had got the ticket. Then the rumour came out and some us felt danger was looming with the idea of Muslim-Muslim ticket. To further add to our fears, General Buhari on one occasion said there was nothing wrong in the Muslim-Muslim presidential arrangement, saying after all he governed with Tunde Idiagbon.

“That statement made us to know it (the Muslim-Muslim idea) was a fact. On two occasions, Bola (Tinubu) mentioned it in my presence that they agreed. If you recall one trending video back then, where it was said that Buhari had jettisoned what they agreed on, that is the room he was sleeping when Buhari was looking for the post.

“We then told Baba (Obasanjo). We told him that taking power from an incumbent government was a tough task and we must not give room for excuse and miss the target. We told him they (Buhari and Tinubu) were thinking of a Muslim-Muslim ticket. That was when Baba (Obasanjo) said people should not take the sensibilities of Nigerians for granted.”

He said after Obasanjo’s intervention succeeded in changing the decision, some people started spreading the news that Obasanjo frustrated the plan to make Tinubu the vice-presidential candidate.

He added, “After that (Obasanjo’s intervention), they started saying it in my presence that Obasanjo frustrated the plan to get Tinubu on the ticket for 2015 but I always acted as if I didn’t hear them. We then had a stakeholders meeting where the issue of the running mate was discussed again.”

In addition to Obasanjo’s input, Oyinlola said a former governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje, also cautioned against the Muslim-Muslim ticket, especially because the party needed all the votes it could get from different parts of the country.

He added, “At the meeting, ex-governor Goje, rose up and said in the northern part, there is negligible number of Christians. He said the APC would need every vote to upstage the incumbent, so nobody should toy with the idea of a Muslim-Muslim ticket and everybody concurred. I think it was even Bola (Tinubu) that suggested that the matter should be taken before some leaders to resolve. But we never saw anything like that again.”

Meanwhile, Tinubu had said at the 7th annual Bola Tinubu colloquium at Eko Hotel in Lagos on March 25, 2015, two days before the election, that he pulled out of the contest.

He had said, “They attacked General Buhari, saying he would not subject himself to a primary. He did and won it as our party held the most open and transparently honest convention ever held in Nigeria. They said I connived and conspired my way into the VP seat. They lied so easily that it was the price I extracted from General Buhari to support his bid. If not, I would destroy the party on the altar of my ambitions.

“They were wrong. I pulled myself out of contention. The very brilliant and capable Prof Yemi Osinbajo became our VP candidate. A man of integrity and impeccable character. Alas, this sent Jonathan’s henchmen into disarray. In the quiet of their private closet, even they could see clearly enough through the darkness of their own hearts to recognise that our ticket was so much better than theirs.”

Meanwhile, Oyinlola, who was once the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, also pointed out that prior to the electioneering of the 2015 presidential election, Obasanjo was not disposed to supporting Buhari’s candidacy due to the issue of performance.

He, however, revealed that it took a delegation of prominent chieftains of the APC to visit the former President in his Ota home in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to appeal to him to support Buhari.

He identified the chieftains to include himself, former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; a former Governor  of Lagos State, BolaTinubu and a former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who is a known ally of Buhari.

Oyinlola explained that even though Obasanjo was open to supporting anyone but Jonathan, having written him a letter to express his disappointment in his administration, he wasn’t convinced Buhari would be able to deliver, which influenced his reluctance.

Oyinlola said, “The last person to accept Buhari’s candidature was Obasanjo and I say that one with every emphasis because I was involved. Yes, Baba (Obasanjo) had fallen out with Jonathan. His projection then was ‘any option but Jonathan’. That was his stand.

“Taking a look at those candidates from other parties, there was no other person we felt could handle the delicate governance of Nigeria better than Buhari among the contenders that time. That was why the choice of Buhari became the order.

“That, coupled with the fact that he had been at the helm of affairs in the country before under the military, so he has that edge over all others. But Baba (Obasanjo) was the last to subscribe to the idea. I can tell you that it took a team of Saraki, Amosun, Bola Tinubu, Kashim, Imam and myself, that went and bombarded Baba (Obasanjo) at Ota around 7am before he succumbed to our pressure.

“That day, he said Buhari that he knew would try in the area of military matters, but outside that, Buhari knows next to nothing; not economy, not foreign affairs and he has been proven right.”

Buhari had on January 13, during the run-up to the 2015 presidential election, led over 30 chieftains of the APC to Obasanjo’s Abeokuta home.

Some of the chieftains who accompanied Buhari include Amosun, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (now Vice-President), Tinubu, the then APC chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Senator Bukola Saraki and the pioneer interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.

Others are Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora (now Minister of State for Health), Otunba Niyi Adebayo (now Minister of Trade and Investment) and Sharon Ikeazor (now Minister of State for Environment).

Buhari who spoke at the meeting, described Obasanjo as a true leader who understood the problems of Nigeria. He also thanked the former President for appointing him as Minister of Petroleum which was his best appointment ever (as of then). He also begged Obasanjo to endorse him.

Buhari said, “Your Excellency, under whom I served the most lucrative appointment of the Minister of Petroleum Resources for three and a quarter years before he sent me on course. When I set about the programme of going round the states, somebody has the temerity to ask me that when I come to Ogun State, shall I call on Chief Olusegun Obasanjo?

“I don’t think I answered the man, I just looked the other way. I think that I should not come here (Abeokuta) in whatever capacity without calling to pay my respect. Sir, it’s a fact that you know more than all we know about the problem that we are in. But what we will do is Nigerians try to convince you to believe us that we are going to do better.

“We expect your understanding and support, although you insist in remaining in PDP. I have reached a certain degree of frustration in my attempt for you to try to shift a bit but you have refused.”

Obasanjo later endorsed Buhari, and on February 16, 2015 he tore his PDP membership cards to shreds.

The former President, who had on December 11, 2013 written to Jonathan to express his disappointment in his administration, saying Nigeria was bleeding under him, later wrote Buhari twice, accusing him of ineptitude.

In his second letter, Obasanjo also advised Buhari against seeking re-election. “Nigeria is on the precipice and dangerously reaching a tipping point where it may no longer be possible to hold danger at bay,” Obasanjo said in one of the letters. – Punch.

[quote author= post=97793820]
The criminals and thieves you supported for 16 wasted years of looting and corruption borrowed money to pay Salaries and LOOT the rest, even when we made the highest profit in oil revenue in the historyof Nigeria,

And our darling Daddy is borrowing money to build infrastructures that have never been seen in the history of this nation.
Only the willfully blind will not see all the infrastructures being built all over the country.

And you told us not to love, Support and pray for this man, but we should rather support the thieves, looters and criminals y'all support?

We have got to a stage when PMB achievements can no longer be denied but hated.

Shame on the enemies of Nigeria,
Shame on the supporters of looters.

MAY BUHARI SUCCEED.





are you being sarcastic or you are just being foolish?

this guy is a slowpoke. the Queen is not the democratic leader of England; hence, they will summon the prime minister and not the Queen.
Buhari cabinet consists mainly of zombies.

slawormiir:
damnnn niggarrrr
He is a pussy ass

What do you expect.....


Messi that single handedly destroyed you and man u in champions league final.... Ferguson started fidgeting or rather his hands were shaking during the match
To Ferguson and those pussy ass niggarr saying messi should leave Barcelona to show he is good

Now am also telling you all including Ferguson to tell your mother to fuckkk another man not your father and get pregnant for the man to actually show she is fertile

your analysis doesn't match just be objective and take your view from another angle. who the best is is not my problem but I think say this messi and ronaldo debate na only the gods go fit end am. make una go consult the oracle to decide who better pass.

Gabkosh:
Lol, I am sure you are shedding a bitter tear how your life have been tatared, but because of shame, you still using agidi to support your slave master.

Your life is doomed awe.

my dear don't waste your energy, many Nigerians don't use fuel, I have not met a fanatical Buharist that uses fuel and dear helinues is just another one.

na who get car or generator dey complain about fuel price, who no get no dey worry.

And some urchins were here defending this mad dog of a government. may truth prevail and may the culprits be brought to book even if it takes 600 years.

American soldiers rescue American hostage on Nigerian soil and our military and police were busy flexing muscles with unarmed protesters. shame on them and our able presidiot.

Juliusmalema:
Just Imagine the rubbish..


These are students who supposed to have finished exams since June or so and because of Covid-19 it was postponed till now.

What sort of visionless protest will not allow the passage of sensitive exam materials to their destination.

The younger generation have overstayed at home, let them finish their exam and face their lives....The exam has lingered for so long.

From ENDSARS you now want to ENDFUTURE of the young generations.


Both the protesters And SARS are just natural killers.....


Stop obstructing them from writing their exams..

Nonsense.

so because the younger generation have to go back to school, we should then allow the older generation to destroy our country. ASUU too has been on strike. we either repair the country because if we miss out on the chance, we may suffer the consequences forever.

collum:
this present Nigeria challenges is beyond restructuring, the country should be shared into three or four parts. The average northerner believed Nigeria belong to them alone, an average southerner believe that resources used for the whole country comes alone from them, easterner believe they are sideline and punished, West believe they are comfortable.

you said it all

6 Lessons We Must Learn From Oshiomhole's Mistakes.

I feel sorry for Oshiomhole that despite his outstanding works as a governor, he may now go down in history as a villain instead of the hero status he deserved. Where did it all go wrong for him? We can learn some lessons from his mistakes.
1. Do not take God's grace for granted Oshiomhole is no doubt a product of grace.
For an ordinary Tailor without even a primary school cert to rise through the ranks to become NLC president, a state Governor and the national chairman of the ruling party could only be grace at work but when he got to the top, he forgot the hand that lifted and held him, he elevated himself to the position of a god and started bragging: "no man born of a woman can remove me...",
"I will give Obaseki Ambode treatment... He became high handed and started stepping on people's toes. He went into overdrive, wielding the axe on anyone who dared to confront him, masterminding electoral irregularities with full blown violence and daring anyone to challenge him... He abused the grace that lifted him.
2. Do not underrate anybody
One of our proverbs says: "if you wake up in the morning and sees a fowl pursuing you, you'd better run because you don't know if it had grown teeth overnight".
When he was suspended by his ward Chairman, he called him a local politician, a village champion, an 'ordinary' ward chairman and refused to appeal the suspension within the window provided by the constitution until a federal high court in Abuja affirmed it, then he started running helter skelter, looking for a last ditch intervention to save his head until the appeal court gave him reprieve.
He also serially underrated the power of a sitting governor.
3. Pride goes before a fall
After the Abuja high court judgement, he did something admirable; he humbled himself, called a meeting of the NWC and apologized to everyone with the words "I have realized my mistakes'.
However, realizing your mistakes is not enough, he obviously did not learn from his mistakes as evidenced by his prolonged war with Obaseki and Oshawo.
It was overhead pride to think "how can I a whole chairman call these neophytes for settlement"? A true father does that, sometimes you are at loggerheads with your own children and because you don't want to burn down the house, you call them to yourself, air your grievances and settle the quarrel.
4. Learn to retreat sometimes
There is a time to be brave and a time to be conscious. Only cowards keep advancing in battles without retreating, sometimes we need to learn the art of "winning by losing", sometimes you need to learn to retreat and re-evaluate the battle, your enemy and your potential gains and losses.
Always fight with your sense not your muscles. One of our proverbs says: "if you are too sharp, you may cut yourself in the end", this is what has happened to him.
5. Beware of praise singers
Oshiomhole's supporters did not help matters either, they elevated him to the position of a god, they called him head-swelling names; Oshiothunder, OshioLion, Oshiobuldozer, Oshiowinner, Oshioquake, Oshiofire, the man who has never lost and can never loss a battle and so many annoying names and in a bid to justify the names, he shut his ears to good advise.
The great Oduma of Afemai music had advised him in his album titled "last tenure" that there shall come a time you will look back and see no one behind you but they don't listen to good music, he preferred to dance to "is a goal" and listen to those fair weather Afemai musicians who campaigned for his adversaries at the beginning but turned back to dedicate a track in every of their albums to him after he had won the election.
Sometimes learn how to listen and you could benefit even from those who talk badly.
6. What goes around comes around
He did this to a lot of people; Saraki, Oyegun,... just to name a few. He has simply gotten a taste of his own pie.
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