The Envious Pastor

I thought I was really doing well as far as overcoming the spirit of envy until this visit to Lusaka, Zambia. Zambia as you might know is a Southern African country of 13.5 million people, with a land area almost twice that of Nigeria, one federal university and handful of privately owned ones. You can drive round the capital city, Lusaka in few hours. But the peace and quiet in the city is palpable. I saw the way the country has been able to use what they have to begin to get what they need and I was green with envy when i think of my country Nigeria especially my beloved city Jos. This visit to Zambia is somehow reminiscent of my last visit to the Pike Street market in Seattle WA where i saw hundreds of people milling into this market spending thousands of dollars and adding value to the economy of this city, it was a indeed a beauty to behold. I thought, well this is the great USA, but here am I in Zambia, Southern Africa experiencing the same phenomenon where tourism is contributing so much to the economy of the country. I stood here watching the whole scenario and cannot but think about my city - Jos who prides herself as the city of peace and tourism. My envy got intense when i travelled six hours further south to a town called LivingStone named after Dr David LivingStone, the Scottish missionary. When I saw Victoria Falls (i wonder why its not Kaunda or Zambezi Falls) my mind went to the Assop Falls in Jos; i went to see the game, animals in their natural habitat my mind went to the Jos Wild Life Park and the Yankari game reserve - centres that now exists just in name. As i stood between people filled such excitement at what they were beholding, I must confess that I was so so jealous because I believe Nigeria could do better; this should also be happening in my country on a larger scale. I can easily do the usual and blame it on the political opportunists as i have chosen to call them, but this has not changed anything over the years. But I really desire change because I believe it can and should happen. Our problem is no longer one of leadership in my humble opinion, but more of followership - followership who does not know how to and what demand to make of leaders.
Where do we start from - It is time to begin to join voices to demand for stronger states where Governors are made to think and act for their states rather than sit and wait for monthly hand outs from the Federal government. If this is so, the likes of Governor Jang will be left with no choice than to focus on money spinning ventures such as tourism in Plateau state which will provide jobs for street urchins who are always available to unleash terror on the city at the slightest provocation. I stood in LivingStone, Zambia and lost count of hotels and many little tour packaging companies. The peace in the city is palpable and i became envious. We can change, but it is up to the citizens to take our destinies in our hands. Oh I forgot to mention that Power did not blink once in Lusaka.

Congrats Da Jonah David Jang

Congrats Da Jonah David Jang
I want to use this medium to congratulate Jonah David Jang for his re-election as the executive governor of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. I have a word of advice though for Mr. Governor/Governor-elect. With all due respect sir, I don't want you to see this victory as an achievement of any sort as this is the way most Nigerian Politicians see electoral victories and they end up not using their victories for its intended purpose. Electoral victory is a RESPONSIBILITY AND OPPORTUNITY to ACHIEVE something. This RESPONSIBILITY can and should be used to make some ACHIEVEMENTS and the major beneficiaries of whatever is achieved must be the generality of the people like me who voted you into power and even those who did not vote for you.
I want to appeal to you sir as you prepare to steer the ship of the state for another four years not to bother much about the good things which people like me saw to earn my vote, but more importantly the issues which others saw about you which made them to vote the other way.
One major issue sir that has made people to overlook all your achievements is that YOU DON’T HAVE A PLATEAU AGENDA BUT A BEROM AGENDA. As tough and bitter a pill this "accusation" might be to swallow, I really want you to consider how you can use this fresh term to prove people wrong that you are really the Governor of Plateau State and not the Governor of the Berom people or even of the people of Du extraction.
My humble advise to you sir, is that you use this your second and last term in governance to do something for Plateau which will outlive you. The ethno-religious crises that has plagued the state for years now is not one without solution, but the solution will not come without sacrifice, it will come when you rise above ethnic and religious sentiments and be the BABA that you are called. Your government in this second term should be an all inclusive one - there is no reason whatsoever why all the stakeholders in this state (Yorubas, Hausas, Igbos,Urhobos, Ijaws etc) should not be represented on your cabinet. We will be deceiving ourselves and cause more trouble if we refuse to accept the reality on ground that this state as all the other states in the country no longer belong to any so-called indigene or settler. I am very sure the facts and figures will astound all of us if we ever take the pains to research which of the people groups in Plateau State contribute the most to our GDP. The reality sir is that Plateau state has become a metropolitan state with many stakeholders and everybody deserves equal opportunities to make a living without any fear of being molested. I am not in any way discounting the fact that there are some who want more than equal opportunity and I know that you have the answer for such disgruntled elements, in fact it is one of the reasons why you earned my vote, but I want to let you know that those who want peace in the state far exceeds those who don't and this majority should be given the opportunity have this peace.
In concluding sir, I also don't want you to become hypocritical as many politicians in the country have chosen to be that we don't want religious crises in the country that it is only political. Sir, we do have religious problems in Nigeria like most nations in the world, or how do you explain a situation where electoral disputes result in the burning of churches and mosques - I don’t think those buildings look like polling booths or party secretariats. This position of no religious crises is being adopted in selfishness and lack of political will to deal with this menace. We do have ethno-religious challenge in Plateau and it has become the epicenter of the problem. Sir, you need to call it by its name and address it accordingly. The solution begins with you rising above your ethnic and religious bias and coming as a statesman, knowing when to wield the big stick for those who err, match words with action and fight for the welfare of the citizens under your care.
I wish you all the best in this second term and may it be better than the first.
God bless Plateau state

Nigerian Presidential Election - The Big One

I am inspired to write on this subject again today because of the semblance of success witnessed last Saturday during the Parliamentary elections. The hiccups notwithstanding, I think the record of June 12, 1993 is under serious threat if Jega & his team can repeat this next Saturday when Nigerians go to the polls to elect the number one citizen.

I will like voters all over the country to consider this simple truth about leadership and bear this in mind as they engage their consciences to thumbprint on Saturday.

A leader can be accurately appraised not just based on his personality, level of integrity, not even based on his vision BUT most importantly by the leaders around him. The team that a leader is able to raise up and release to function based on their giftings and expertise will go a long way to determine the success or otherwise of the leader.

Successful Leadership is not about the quality within a leader but much more about the quality around the leader

Having this in mind, please allow me to appraise the contestants parading themselves this Saturday. Again I wont bother myself about the likes of Dele Momodu, Chris Okotie and the other nameless ones.

Incumbent Jonathan: Acclaimed to be very sincere, but how much can he do with the PDP greyhounds that believe that they have done him some favour by giving him the ticket. I believe it will be pay back time if he gets back to Aso Rock & our infrastructures will be the victim

Governor Shekarau - An articulate man, who seems to have something that looks like a vision. ANPP on which platform he is contesting is in tatters and cannot even be called a political party again. He will have to shop for people he does not know to build a team which gives room for opportunists.

AIG Ribadu - untested, not a good orator. His exploits in the EFCC do not qualify him for this awesome responsibility. But if one goes by the antecedents of the party which he represents -ACN - one can see their commitment to team building. Even from the days of not too popular Tinubu, I remember the likes of Prof Osinbajo found themselves in government, experts like Tunde Fowler who is not a politician was given an assignment in the finance ministry. Fashola continued with the legacy, the likes of Ben Akabuaeze who is not even a citizen of the state is in cabinet based on expertise. I believe that if systems must work, we need technocrats & not professional politicians. Fola Adeola's inclusion in this ticket is valuable.

Gen. Buhari (RTD)- has a track record of integrity, not a good orator which Bakare can adequately make up for. I believe this ticket will be on a vengeance mission - I see two angry people here who will be out to do a number on those who have wronged them or who they believe have wronged the nation. This team does not give the much-needed variation in leadership & I foresee a situation where these two guys fall out with each other and we have a repeat of Obasanjo/Atiku feud but with a very dangerous dimension. The feud will have religious coloration, which will polarise the nation along religious lines, which we dread so much (this is very important for me considering the fact that I reside in Jos). I still believe that Buhari is our past & Tunde Bakare has nothing to offer in government. It is tragic to note that Nigerians have not come to terms with the importance of a virile opposition and a well-structured civil society. It is not only by going into executive or legislative governance that one can make a difference in a society.

I want to believe that my readers are in agreement with me that these are the major contenders in the Presidential race & may be you noticed my obvious lack of objectivity. I know I am guilty and so are you, but be sincere enough to consider my observations.

VOTE WISELY

I will be glad to have your comments

Nigerian Presidential Elections

I have not blogged for a while but I cannot resist the temptation of making some comments on the forthcoming elections after i saw the last debate organised by NN24 news channel.

First of all, I wonder why any right thinking Nigerian is still supporting the incumbent President for refusing to show up at the debate - I think he still believe that this is all about luck

It is quite obvious that we still have a long way to go when one listens to the way issues were raised by the anchor & the responses of the aspirants - there is a general assumption on all sides that Nigeria has all it needs for development and that all that is needed is for someone to get there and disburse the funds - nothing was really mentioned about wealth creation.
All of them stylishly avoided the question on the rift between the Central Bank governor and the legislator; it is still all about patronage.

Buhari said there is nothing wrong with our educational sector, I dont blame him, he never received any, so he might not really know what education is all about. This general is retired and definitely not part of our future

Shekarau should follow in the footsteps of most of the outgoing Governors - Go to the Senate, he will be a good one there. He sounds a bit articulate but definitely is not a Presidential material especially in the 21st century.

Ribadu, though a new face and not much experience; i never really believe in his bid but he seems to be the only untested among the whole lot and he can sure be helped with a good team - Fola's choice as VP is a good one, he understands how to make systems work, he has GT bank as a good CV


Bakare is obviously ambitious and hoping Buhari will die & he can become president; he should cover his face in shame with how he killed the wonderful vision of SNG on the altar of personal ambition. I pray that the love that God has for him and the undeniable call of God upon his life will not make him win so that he can retrace his steps. I know he will want try to reactivate the SNG vision when he loses the election but it will be too late.

I am not one who believes that pastors cannot go into politics and seek political office (infact i might do it some day i don't know yet), but it must be done right with all sincerity. Bakare's bid is lacking in all of these. Imagine the wonderful role of political education and orientation which SNG would have been carrying out today.

Bakare and Buhari cannot in any way work together because both has dictatorial tendencies. The OBJ/Atiku sort of feud will definitely resurface and will come with more unfavourable tendencies as it will finally polarise the nation along religious lines. This is very critical for me because i reside in Jos and i don't have plans of relocating from my adopted city.

As for Oyegun, he is also a face of the old and definitely has nothing to offer.

The VP debate especially just showed that these guys are all saying the same thing & they would have done the nation a whole lot of good if they can just drop their selfish ambitions & come behind Ribadu to push PDP out of Aso Rock, any other thing apart from the PDP would do for starters

On a lighter note, I am glad NN24 did not bother invite the other comedians like Dele Momodu (I have really missed his wonderful articles), my English teacher Rev Chris Okotie and such like...

I still believe we have a long way to go but we will definitely get there

Blessings on NIgeria

What's the Value of Human Life

How much is a human life worth in the 21st century especially with the widespread campaign of animal rights? I used to think it was a problem of the global North, but i am sure having a rethink...
I was a part of discussion some years ago about how the issue of animal right is sweeping the Western nations. A story was told (I can't confirm how authentic) about a research carried to determine which life is valued more - animal or human. A 3 year old child and a little dog were left wandering the street and it was discovered that the emergency 911 line received far more calls about the dog than the child. When I heard that this i thought these guys have really gone beserk. While I was thinking about all the attention given to Octopus Paul during the world cup and wondering about the state of human perversion, I was totally knocked out when I saw Zain Verje, my favourite anchor on CNN almost shedding tears when she was announcing the death and burial Octopus Paul. I concluded & safely too that this might be as a result of the fact that the basic needs of these fortunate Westerners are met and they really dont have much to worry about. But I had a gory experiece yesterday when i found myself at an accident scene on Ogbomosho-Ibadan road involving a long truck carrying rams. Human beings and rams were scattered all over the coal tar - I was shocked to my bones when I saw these Fulanis totally abandoned their injuted colleagues, left them to bleed to death while they were busy making sure that the rams do not wander off or may be get stolen.

I never knew that the Westerners learnt about the idea animal life being of more value than that of humans from us.



Just thinking...

2011, more than the Presidency

It suddenly dawned on me that all that is being said, written and discussed about next year's election has been limited to the Presidential elections and who gets to seat in Aso Rock. This myopic view of the forthcoming election which to my mind speak volume of the level of our political immaturity also reveals a massive blind spot which the political opportunists out there are seizing to continue to plunder the nation. There is a big game plan going on by ex governors to turn the senate chambers to their have in order to continue where they left off with the plundering of resources in their various state houses. Virtually all the ex governors have launched their senatorial campaigns and the unsuspecting citizens are totally unaware of this development. As we intensify the campaign against the stepping back of IBB, we should also not lose sight of these petty thieves called ex governors; the EFCC should conclude without any delay the prosecution of these guys and remove them from civilization into where they really belong. I am just sounding this alarm that these guys will leave no stone unturned to see that the status quo is maintained.

2011 elections is more than just the Presidency regardless of how important and critical the office is - the national assembly has become a great channel of wastage in recent times and it must be closely monitored too. Just sounding an alarm

Jos Main Market: Can someone please update us

I was privileged to visit the United States of America early this year and my trip took me to a city called Seattle, the capital of the North Western state of Washington. Seattle is a city of many firsts and the home of many world changing blue chip companies like Microsoft, the IT giants, Boeing, the aircraft manufacturers, Amazon, the online shopping mall and of course Starbucks the coffee giants. But none of these multi-billion investments really caught my attention like the Pike Place Market situated in downtown Seattle because of the glaring similarities of this market with our own Jos Main Market which has been lying in ruins for the past nine years. Pike Place Market is more than a place to buy and sell goods but has grown over the years to become a major tourist centre attracting millions of dollars to this wealthy city due to the government's deliberate and intentional efforts to make it so, this of course could not have happened without the cooperation of the organized private sector. The market oozes with the diverse culture of culture of Seattle city, there is absolutely no good from any part of the world that you cannot get to buy in this market. This place is a market and more, it is the place where the city converges, people meet old friends there, schedule business meetings there. Of particular attraction is the fish throwing practice of the Asian fish sellers which has attracted many tourists from all over the world to just come and see. It was once aired on CNN as a special program. Jos and Plateau state prides itself as the centre of peace and tourism; this market with all its potential to be a world class tourist attraction has been abandoned for this long, the income generating capacity of this market cannot be overemphasized. The market is regarded as the largest and most modern of such markets in the whole of the West African sub-region (I don’t have the statistics or facts to confirm this please). I am using this medium to call on the government agency responsible for this Market to revisit it and see to it that this market comes back to life. The non-functioning of this market might not be unconnected with the restiveness in the city as many youths were rendered jobless since the market was gutted by fire and they become easy recruits for violent activities. The government might give the usual excuse of no money but I believe that there are many private developers who will be willing to partner with government to rebuild this market and manage for a specific period of time to recoup their investment and the beneficiary will be the whole citizenry. We must learn not to play politics with issues of this nature because it is not far from the thinking of the powers to put political and ethnic considerations before the interest of the populace.
Jos Main market can be a money spinning venture for the City and the state and many employment opportunities will be created and be own Pike Place Market. I have always believed that if people have a place to go to daily to earn a living or business place to protect, it will be difficult for them to engage in violent acts.

Can someone please explain to us what is happening with the Jos Main Market!

NB: you can learn more about Pike Place Market, Seattle from their website: http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

The Motorcyclist Riots

I am away from Jos at this time and this is the reason why I am responding to this incident this late but I have followed the story from the start. My inability to respond quickly has also given the opportunity to reflect on this issue more deeply. This is another case of the lack of sensitivity on the part of our so called leaders and the sustained willingness of the poor masses to allow these political opportunists who wear the cloak of religion to advance their selfish agendas. Firstly, Governor Jonah Jang did not approach this issue as someone serving a State that has become volatile and more so, he failed to realise that these motorcycles serve a greater purpose than the crime they are used to commit. I don’t personally like the sight of motorcycles on our roads and the nuisance which they constitute to car drivers, but what I don't like does not matter here, these motorcycles are the major means of transportation for majority of commuters in the city, so even if they are being used for criminal activities as the government has claimed, we cannot ignore what they contribute to the life of the city. I also believe that that most of those who patronise these motorcyclists do not like them but they have to continue patronage because there are no alternatives and this is where I have a message for the government. We would have prevented the loss of those innocent lives if the government have been a little bit more sensitive and more holistic in their approach. It would have been wonderful if the government acknowledged these motorcycle riders as part of the socio-economic reality of the city and offer an alternative – may be mass transit buses which I believe will offer a credible competition for them, I believe the masses would have by their action eased these motorcyclists off the streets or restrict them to some remote areas which can now be backed by law. As things stand right now, there is a vacuum created and if I know our system very well, it will only take a while before these cyclists resurface and it will be a a serious embarrassment for the government. It is not too late for the government to fill this vacuum by providing alternative means of transportation.

Just thinking

I see and hear a lot excitement about next years election coming on the heels of the appointment of the new INEC chairman. It's always good to be hopeful and I am not downplaying the good credentials of Jega but these are my thoughts. Is the appointment of the new INEC chairman enough change for us to be optimistic about a credible election next year? Can we say that we ve had enough or adequate systemic and structural change? Please consider this point as you pray, hope, talk and protest. I want Christians out there to read the prophetic contest between Jeremiah and Hananiah  as regards Babylonian captivity. I am sincerely sorry I can't give any Quranic reference right now. This is my reflection

A thought for Mothers Day

We need to take this serious!

Meg (not real name) has the body suitable for a marketing job”. This is the statement made by the General Manager of one of the many banks I worked for during my banking career in the late nineties and it summarises the war that society has declared on the female gender since the late eighties. This trend has been on the increase in the banking industry in Nigeria where young girls are recruited not really for their academic excellence or professional potential but to use their body to attract deposits to the bank.
The female gender is under a vicious attack and this seem to have caught society on its blind side to the extent that the society itself has become a very potent tool in seeing the female folk devalued and subjected to untold emotional torture. I consider myself very qualified to utter this loud voice because I was brought up virtually among females, lived my adult life with females and I have special love and concern for them–I have two females as children, I am a grandfather to one; I have seven as siblings & one as a wife; not forgetting my beloved mother who has gone to be with the Lord. I also have many of them as members of my Church.
While growing up as a young boy through secondary school, I recall that one of the signs of displaying maturity among us boys was to go talk to a girl and asked her to be your girl friend (what they call “asking out” now), it was such a tough assignment in my growing up years because girls are rated so high that you have to really be good to get their attention & nothing excites a young boy as to have a girl give you audience, but the reverse is the case today; young girls virtually beg boys, offer themselves cheaply, give all manner of suggestions for boys to “take them out, ladies will do anything to get a guy propose marriage to them to the extent of promising to write off the wedding bills, pay for accommodation and even top it with a monthly allowance.
This siege sometimes starts from the home where parents mount untold pressure on their daughters to “bring the guy home”, I don’t know when it became the responsibility of ladies to go search for a husband; this is where the seductive attires start from so that the men and the boys can take notice. Nude ladies are now the commonest sights on our streets. It does not really matter the product being advertised, there must be a naked lady to promote it. I don’t what a naked lady has to do with promoting the sale of  tyres for cars. This situation has so crushed their self esteem so much that marriage is seen as the escape route and they will stop at nothing to have the “MRS” title. The rate of depression among ladies is at an all time high.
As we celebrate mother’s day, I call on all mothers out there to take special interest in their young girls and lift their self image by making them see themselves through the eyes of their maker
My message to all young ladies – the harder you are to get, the higher that the value men place on you & the deeper the respect they have for you.
Never forget this: YOU ARE SOMEONE WITHOUT A MAN

Pastors’ Visit to the Villa

I was excited when I saw the headlines today about the Christian Leaders visit to President Yar’Adua in Aso Rock. My excitement was borne out of the hope that those concealing the truth about the President’s state of health are alt last looking for avenues to blow the lid over this mystery that has subjected our great nation to so much ridicule and shame among civilised nations. My hope was dashed when I read the story and discovered that it is another one of the schemes of those whose minds are made up to confine my dear country to the Biblical times of the Judges where every body does what seems best to them, a time of lawlessness. But when I saw the names of those mentioned to have visited, my hope was rekindled that something positive will come out of this story, It is my belief that this is a DEVELOPING STORY  and that the last has not been heard of this story. I don’t want to believe those comments credited to the renowned Kafanchan City Prophet (Emmanuel Kure) that he does not want to give details of  the visit as that may overheat the polity. In the first place, this polity is already very hot and what can actually cool it down is to take it to the ultimate boiling point after which I believe it will begin to cool down. Prophet Kure who I have great respect for and never doubt his prophetic grace could not have said that he does not want to overheat the polity, he knows too well that Biblical prophets through their lifestyles and utterances do nothing else but to overheat the polity – from the first prophet Cain to the last Old Testament Prophet John always stirred up trouble in order to establish  a lawful society, the new testament prophets like Paul causes uproar in cities because they will always declare the true situation of things by keeping people in the know. The Prophet Himself, Jesus took this trend to the summit. I am very sure that Prophet Kure will refute this soon and if he indeed visited the villa, then the whole nation will soon know the true state of our President and we will all know how to really pray for our dear president. I think the so called kitchen cabinet have shot themselves in the foot by bringing the likes of Kure into this drama. My hope has been rekindled by the comments credited to Bishop Onaiyekan who denied the visit. Another character in this saga who makes me so hopeful is Bishop Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church, who I know does not normally speak to press, but I think he is wiser than not to break that oath by at least publishing a press release or get his media department to release a statement to confirm or deny this story which I believe will put the public in a better picture as regards the the schemes of these Aso Rock rats.

The stage is set, Bishop Onaiyekan has set the ball rolling, we are waiting for the BIG ONE especially from Prophet Kure who the press has misquoted and lied against. Bishop Oyedepo’s statement will crown it all up very beautifully to take the heat of the polity to the summit and we will begin to find the way out of this socio-political quagmire.

Please stay tuned for the PROCEEDING WORD from these great men of God…

Another Face of Jos Crisis

I hesitated for a while before blogging about the Jos crisis again because of my latest discovery about the crisis especially as it concerns the media coverage of the whole event as I did not want to help this evil agenda of those who are aptly described as the cabal of Nigerian politics who will stop at nothing to plunder this nation through corrupt leadership. I decided to write this so that the world will read between the lines of the media coverage of this crisis.

Let me quickly say here that this piece is not meant to make light of the happenings in the state especially since November 2008, I cannot in any way make light of it because I have been affected by the crisis personally. May be I should say here that the two of the three young boys on national service murdered in 2008 were members of my Church and I had a chat with the three of them in Church the Sunday before they were brutally killed, it doesn’t get closer than that. But I must say here that the January 2010 crisis which seem to have continued till this moment has been hijacked by some unscrupulous politicians in conjunction with the media to conceal some equally crucial if not more critical national crisis. The media has been complicit in this crisis and the love for rumours by Nigerians comes in handy. Did you receive the sms or email about the acid rain purportedly issued by NASA? Well I can authoritatively inform you that the mail did not originate from NASA, my staff checked the NASA website and there was nothing of such. Back to Jos crisis, for anyone who resides outside Plateau State, the impression being given is that Jos city is actually in a war situation with shootings and sounds of explosives all over the city. I have to send a mail t0 Channels Television to complain about the manner they reported the carnage in Dogo Hawan where innocent people were killed, the impression the media gave the whole world was that this was happening in Jos as this will create a more alarming situation than it being reported as happening in a village.

I see a hidden agenda in all of this as the media has filled both the print and the electronic media with the Jos news to the total neglect of the where about of the President of the largest black nation on earth. I would have loved a situation where the happening in Plateau state is reported as a fraction of the major constitutional crisis which the nation is currently facing. Those who want to keep this nation bound to the stone age are using the Jos Crisis to divert the attention of the nation away from the Yar’ Ädua saga which in my opinion is most crucial right now – Jonathan acting as President not withstanding. If we are not careful we will in our usual manner forget this cancer growing in our system, we must not focus our attention on ringworm when cancer is ravaging our system. Infact the situation in Jos is not unconnected with our defective national arrangement. These power drunk humans are working over time to make sure that the crisis in Jos does not stop either by fuelling tribal and religious sentiments in the media or out rightly sponsoring those jobless and vulnerable  citizens, arming them with weapons so that the nations attention is kept away from Abuja and focussed on my beloved city.

The main issue which I believe should be on the lips of every Nigerian and which should colour the pages of newspapers and splashed on TV screens is the Yar’Adua issue and not Jos crisis. The Jos crisis if it is going to be reported should be reported as a microcosm of this constitutional crisis facing our nation – THE WHERE ABOUT AND HEALTH CONDITION OF  PRESIDENT YAR ADUA.

In Search of Peace

It is no longer news that my city Jos has been experiencing all kinds violent activities recently. This has been called by various names from ethno-religious to acts of genocide or ethnic cleansing. It is normal at times like this to have various attempts at restoring peace; I must mention the laudable peace march staged by the women in Jos lead by my good friend Mrs Esther Ibanga, it is a sign that our nation is coming to terms with the need to take our destiny in our hands and not leave in the hands of the band of looters called politicians. I sat with an old friend of mine who breezed in from the UK this afternoon and our discussion brought home to me the seriousness of the situation in Jos City and all the attempts being made to restore the peace. I just have this uncanny feeling that there must be a solution somewhere in the midst of all the gory tales of killings and maiming since all these are perpetrated by human beings.

It is my belief that every human problem will always require a human solution.Human solution begins with appreciating the value of humanness and creating an environment where humans can fully express their humanness. People are humans first before they are either males or female, Christian or Muslim, Lawyer or Doctor, white or black. This environment is made possible where JUSTICE is allowed to hold sway in areas on endeavour. One reason why the crisis in Jos and in every place where such persists is because there has not been a single case of conviction in the previous crisis and if there is any compensation for suffered losses, it is shrouded in secrecy because of the double standard measures employed. There are times also when we totally miss the mark as regards what JUSTICE is. It is erroneously seen & interpreted as a situation of equality and where everyone gets the same thing. It is my considered opinion that if every one gets the same thing in any society, it is the height of INJUSTICE. I believe JUSTICE is creating an environment where everyone gets what they deserve – the one who errs faces the full wrath of the law, the one who is wronged gets adequate compensation, every sector of the society receives developmental projects which are relevant to their ecological realities. I recently saw a news item where some northern youths were clamouring for the release of the former CSO to General Sanni Abacha (which I support because the trial has become a charade), but I was  miffed when I heard their grounds of protest – IT IS THEIR OWN WAY GETTING AMNESTY SINCE THE NIGER DELTA MILITANTS ARE RECEIVING AMNESTY . In as much i do not agree with the amnesty program because it is lacking in sincerity, but to compare a murder suspect with a Niger delta militant in the name of JUSTICE is a glorious display of ignorance – it is more like comparing apples and oranges because they are both fruits.

What we need in Nigeria is the appreciation of the Principle of fairness which my friend Dennis Bakke aptly defined as a situation where everyone does not get the same thing but what they deserve. One of the evil policies that must be removed from our national experience is that of Federal character, it goes against sound reasoning and makes nonsense of excellence and healthy competition which releases society’s best for governance and leadership. I don’t believe there will ever be a situation where a Muslim will ever agree with a Christian, or an Ibo man with a Hausa man, but an atmosphere of JUSTICE might not make them agree but will sure erode all fears of domination by the other. An atmosphere where both can improve themselves educationally, engage in righteous economic activities. There is no one who will burn houses or loot shops if he has any of those.

People kill and maim when they feel deprived or nurse the fear of the likelihood of being deprived. This is what will solve the Niger Delta problem, bring peace to Jos City, eliminate Boko Haram and make Al-Qaeda jobless. I used to believe this is all about religion and our love for our God in whatever form in which we see Him. But I have come to see now that  there are no religious crisis any where, people don’t love God that much and God is well and able to fight His battles, it is all borne out of fear of domination by the other people – religion is just a tool used by people to further their selfish desires.

There is no prayer potent enough nor is there a legislation or decree popular enough to bring peace – ONLY JUSTICE CAN.

Quick one for Goodluck Jonathan

Dear Mr Acting President,

I believe you would have heard this for umpteenth time that which I also believe you know that not many people have the sort of opportunity which fate is offering you right now. To be called upon to steer the ship of the Nigerian state at such a critical time as this can be an arduous task  but I also believe that it can a very simple one. It will be an arduous one for you if you follow that path of the normal Nigerian politician who is so visionless that cannot see beyond the next inflow into a disguised bank account somewhere, this will mean that you will have to be economical with the truth, pursue self /party interest rather than national interest; have a long list of unrealistic agenda as your boss.

But this call can also be a simple one if you will first realise that you never planned to be in this seat and secondly which is the quick one I am communicating to you – have no plans of being the next president of this nation because even if you succeed in being, the path you are going to tread to the seat will make you go the way of your predecessors as you would have submitted yourself to opportunists.

I will strongly advise that you negotiate a sharp bend and distance yourself from the unrealistic seven point agenda of Yar’adua and have a ONE POINT AGENDA  which i believe should be to organise a brilliant election come 2011.

I am telling you this because you don't have the time to do anything meaningful as regards power, neither can you do anything conclusive as regards the Niger Delta crisis..

Make the 2011 elections your top priority, begin with relieving Iwu of that exalted position and give it to someone more honourable and non partisan; I will strongly suggest our Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka  (did i see you cringe?).

Mr Acting President, Nigeria needs nothing less that twenty five years to realise her dreams of a great nation, but you can shorten the time by heeding my humble counsel.

…man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds

The threat to LOVE

I stumbled on a book titled “The Cross and Crescent” written by Colin Chapman, a lecturer in a theological school in Beirut Lebanon. This book could not have come to me at a better time as it focuses on the accurate response to the the challenge of Islam especially as my city is just recovering from the worst ethno-religious crisis since it resurfaced in Jos in September 2001. The main challenge faced by Christians and indeed the whole church today is how to relate with Muslims. If what i hear and see around me is anything to go by, may Christians in the nation and even the world over seem to have forgotten the legacy left for us by our Lord that we should love our enemies and pray for those who despitefully use us. Hatred will never be right for a believer in Christ as it will be contrary to our very nature which is love. Colin Chapman was asked by a Christian once how we should approach a Muslim, Colin’s answer was “Say Hello, How are you!

This simple truth is eluding many believers today especially in my city and we need to be reminded that  Muslims are first and foremost human beings before they are Muslims just as we are primarily humans before we are Christians. The Bible never said that God so loved the Church, rather it says “For God so loved the world (Muslims and all non Christians inclusive) . The Bible warned us ahead of time that LAWLESSNESS WILL ABOUND AND BECAUSE OF THIS THE LOVE OF MANY WILL GROW COLD. This prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes as many fear filled and hatred inspired prophecies come forth from many Christians and Churches.

I know that by this time many of my readers would be wondering if I am still a Christian or whether I am endorsing the violence unleashed on my beloved city by these religious hoodlums, on the contrary. Violence will never be right but it is not a valid enough reason for us to allow the love of God in our hearts to leak. You might also ask the question whether I am preaching pacifism, God forbid as that will make me a heretic preacher. But my point is that we should never allow happenings around us to make us wander from the path of understanding as this will be a violation of our true identity – GOD IS LOVE and those who know Him also ought to walk as He walked. We should rather than hate Muslims take responsibility as a Church for the wave of Islamic terrorism being unleashed on our city because God silenced Islam for decades in this country especially in this region, God opened doors for missionary funds and activities to flow into Jos and this region, but what did we do with do with it, we built Church buildings without building people and earned for ourselves the accolade of the most religious state in the federation.

what we need to do rather than walking in hatred and reactions is to repent and do the first works of empowering people who will take their rightful places.

It is not too late, God is still the God of Jonah…

man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.

in search of safety!

I sit here in my sisters apartment preparing for my flight back to Jos City, Nigeria (the city that my family and I have come to adopt as our home) inundated with boxes of items (we love boxes in Nigeria not bombs) I am taking back to my loved ones at home especially for Justice the new addition to the family. I am also inundated with situation back home in Jos with the recent ethno-religious crisis that rocked the city in my absence. Someone posted on my facebook page that I am not coming back to the Jos City which I left behind three weeks ago and that as a matter of fact many state governments especially from the south have sent buses to evacuate their citizens back “home”; I even read about the resolution passed by the Bauchi state assembly asking all Plateau state indigenes to leave with the state within a specified time frame. My concern and question in moments like this is where exactly can one find and be assured of safety. As I gave a deep thought to this, the Lord brought back to my mind a phrase that one of my associate pastors used many years ago while teaching on the subject of the will of God and the need for believers who desire to amount to anything in the hand of  to passionately pursue it regardless of the pressures and pains that this pursuit might bring. He went on during this discourse to impress on our hearts the wide scope of the will of God to the point that there is an aspect of the will of God which he referred to as the GEOGRAPHICAL WILL OF GOD which means that the will and call of God for a person’s life has a geographical content in the sense that this will can only carried out in a particular geographical location.

This truth is more relevant today as people all over the world are searching for safe zones, safe cities and safe countries and every nation on this planet seem to be more concerned about security of human lives in the face of Islamic terrorism. This is the time for believers to seek God for His “GEOGRAPHICAL WILL”that is – where exactly would God have us reside, where is He desiring to plant us so that we can do His will. We cannot afford at this time to judge by the sight of our natural eyes or make decisions based on newspaper reports and rumours.

It is my belief that God will sustain us where we are planted and nourish us as He did prophet Elijah who made a trip to Zarephath where everybody was deserting because of the famine, I guess a lot of State governments might have sent buses to rapture their citizens in those days too.

What is the geographical will of God for you?

Mine is Jos City & there I choose to stay

Blessings

The Politics of Terrorism

The US government and other governments in the world will begin to make meaningful progress in their quest to solving the problem of terrorism when they stop playing politics with this global challenge. I will start from my nation Nigeria as we have now found ourselves in the middle of the whole terrorism saga being classified as a nation that constitutes a risk to the civilised world. The spate of religious crises has continued unabated in the country ( as i write this piece, my city, Jos is still observing curfew from midnight to six am since November 2008 as a result of religious riots) because our government’s penchant for political correctness; they continue to deny the fact that certain Islamic extremists are in the habit of unleashing terror on innocent people in their quest to Islamize the world through violence called Jihad rather our governments will prefer to regard these violent acts as being political rather what it really is – JIHAD ( Islamization through violence). The government will prefer to allow the trend to continue because of votes; the US government and other western governments will also choose to turn away because of crude oil.

The point must be made that the problem of terrorism is an Islamic problem, why cant we see it?  Why can’t Nigeria and other nations of the world just make bold to say and declare the obvious rather than focusing on measures that will never work. We are asked to remove our shoes in the airports after a Muslim guy hid explosives in his shoe; we are not allowed to enjoy our musical devices on flights because some violent Muslim guy used the mobile phone to detonate a bomb; we are being stripped naked now, after it was discovered that Farouk hid explosives in his underpants, i don’t what will happen next. Is it not obvious enough that this is an Islamic initiative? I have not seen any one of any other faith being arrested for terrorism expect Muslims even their numerous videos from the grave confirms this but our world leaders refuse to accept this obvious fact.

I know by now may readers will be saying that I am biased against Muslims, but on the contrary, I must state here that there millions of peace loving and civilised Muslims all over the world and I happen to know quite a few of them and my heart goes out to them, but the fact must be stated and I make bold to say for their sakes.

The only power that can defeat Islamic terrorism as I choose to call this plague is in the hands of millions of peace loving and civilised Muslims who are by far in the majority; they must now arise and confront those using their faith to unleash terror on the civilised world. But these guys will not see the need to fight this battle as long as the powers that be continue to deny the obvious

Terrorism is an ideology , it is a belief and the Obamas and the Browns of this world must know that there are no bombs or any weapon at that that can destroy ideas. It will take another idea and belief to conquer it.

May I conclude this piece by calling on the US government to properly define the classification of Nigeria as a terrorist nation. If it is to serve as a challenge for the government to deal with her domestic terrorism challenge, it is perfectly in order, but to use it humiliate Nigerians at airports would be totally out of place. Nigerians are peace and fun loving people, to even stage a protest against a corrupt government is a major challenge talk less of carrying bomb, the Farouk incident MUST BE SEEN AS AN ISOLATED CASE which it is.

Where is our President?

I was so delighted yesterday when I saw Femi Falana, the President of West African Bar Association and some other chieftains of the Nigerian Bar Association took the protest against the unconstitutional conduct of our president to the law courts yesterday. I was beginning to exercise the fear that this issue might just go away and Nigerians continue their “normal life”as other equally critical issues go in Nigeria, but I am hopeful that our attitude is changing. We, Nigerians have this laid back attitude against injustice, we tend to just don’t want anything that will disturb the rhythm of societal decay. When there is no power from Power Holding Company, we buy generator; when there is no fuel in the pump stations, we are quick to adjust our pockets even it means getting into debt to purchase from the black market touts. This is one attitude that we desperately need to change.

Our President has been out of the country since the 23rd of November 2009 and his where about  is unknown; it has also been claimed in the media that one of the reasons why the US government was quick to classify Nigeria as a terrorist nation is because there is no credible person to negotiate with on the issue as we have become a body without a head.

The call for this “run away” president to do what is right by handing over the reigns of government to the Vice President must not allow to die until he does the right thing. It is true that the President is human and can be ill and i think this is major reason why the position of the Vice President was created in the first place, but Mr Yar’Adua is making us believe the contrary now & his mouthpiece, Mr Andoakaa is portraying the nation as a nation of barbarians by saying that the President can rule from anywhere in the world.

My prayers for Nigeria this year is for the nation to learn how to say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”; we need to learn the language of protest, let us take a cue from Iran. These so called leaders will not stop taking us for a ride if we we don’t rise up as responsible and civilised people.

We can only overcome by “not loving our lives even unto death” (Revelations 12:11)

Nigeria on Terrorist Nations List

The United States recently revised her list of nations considered to be sympathetic towards terrorist activities and decided to include Nigeria as a reaction to the recent terrorist attempt by Al Qaeda sponsored Farouk Mutallab. As expected the Nigerian government is crying foul and condemning the decision but as far as I am concerned, this is more like crying over spilled milk. It does not as surprise to someone like me who resides in Jos City in the North Central region of Nigeria but more like a welcome relief because the domestic terrorism that has been unleashed on this region by Islamic fundamentalists is at last getting international attention. I wrote on this page in December 2008 after the Jos ethno-religious crisis that the crisis in Jos is part of a global initiative to Islamise the world (please read the entire blog below). This same government did nothing when Churches were burnt and innocent citizens murdered in the Northern part of Nigeria when a Western media did a cartoon on Mohammed portraying him as a bomber. When the world trade centre was bombed in September 2001, there was celebration in Zamfara state but our government did not know that the world was watching; when Israel attacked the Gaza strip, there was tension and sporadic demonstrations in some Northern States of Nigeria, our government did not make any statement condemning such an act.

The problem with our leaders is that they are so consumed with their treasury looting and power grabbing agenda that they are totally unaware that the world changed after the US 9/11 event, as far as they are concerned, governance is still a domestic affair, that whatever happens here is a private affair. While the Information Minister was condemning the decision of the US in blacklisting Nigeria, a Muslim cleric in Kaduna was being interviewed by CNN and he claimed that the Nigerian Muslims are affected when Muslims are oppressed any where in the world and that they cannot fold their arms and watch, in other words they are part of the global agenda to protect the Islamic faith and the Jihad agenda - this sounds very much like Osama Bn Laden to me.

I must however state categorically here that Nigeria is not an Islamic nation and therefore must not be categorised as a terrorist nation, when we take a close look at the population spread in Nigeria and add up the number of Christians, traditional worshippers with those without any religious inclination and add those of the Islamic faith who are not Jihadists especially in the Southern part of the country (Northern Muslims do not consider them to be Muslims, many of them were killed during the recent Jos crisis; infact I once heard a Hausa Muslim said that he cannot worship in a mosque where the Imam is non Hausa)  they by far outnumber these Muslims but the fact remains that the irresponsibility of those entrusted with political powers in Nigeria has allowed Islamic terrorists to thrive in the country as culprits go unpunished.

The point must be made loud and clear that Islam is terrorism and this must be borne in mind when decisions are made concerning terrorism; I have not seen any Michael, Johnson being arrested for a terrorist act, it has always been the Farouks, Mohammeds and all the Abduls, please let’s call a spade a spade and deal with the issue as it is.

This classification of Nigeria as a breeding ground for terrorism is a good omen for Nigeria as it provides an opportunity for our government to at least once stand up for our citizens who are being humiliated daily within and outside the nation. A visit to any embassy in the country will confirm this humiliation.

To the international community, I say that Nigerians are fun and God loving people; they hate to die, they love life. Please exercise restraint in relating with us at immigration points, the terrorists are in a very very small minority.

The Nigerian Bomber

The utterance of Nigerian government officials on this terror suspect saga is worrisome and does not paint our dear country Nigeria in good light.

I cannot understand the rationale behind Mrs Akunyili's (the information Minister) statement that the suspect "sneaked into the country", i thought this man is a Nigerian & i believe carries a Nigerian passport. Mr Demuren (The Director of Civil Aviation) even said that his office will investigate whether the man is a Nigerian & that he actually travelled from Nigeria when it has been proven that this man actually did. While this act is condemnable, our officials should not deny their own citizen but assist the US government in their investigation. These utterances are quite disturbing as it shows the level of quality we have in our government. The international community should also show restraint in dealing with Nigerians travelling to the West and the US as this incident cannot in any way be said to be a reflection of a larger Nigerian involvement in terrorism, the action of Alhaji Mutalab, the suspects father, in reporting his son to the US embassy speak volumes about the integrity of Nigerians and the extent to which our citizens can go to prevent senseless and wanton destruction of lives, his action should be commended indeed.