LIKELY SCENARIOS IF BIAFRA LEAVES

Likely scenarios if Biafra goes

ON JUNE 5, 2017  By Ochereome Nnanna

MAY 30th 2017 has gone down as a date that the Igbo people showed, with total accord, that they are dead serious about their quest for freedom. The sit-at-home call by the pro-Biafra groups, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, was observed by Ndi Igbo all over the country, with the South East totally locked down. Streets and highways were empty of commercial or vehicular activities, except for the vehicles of law-enforcement agencies which patrolled to maintain law and order. The skies over major cities such as Aba, Enugu, Onitsha, Owerri and Umuahia were patrolled by military jets and helicopters.

Unlike other times when the pro-Biafra groups called for mass actions through peaceful street protests which led to loss of lives as a result of shootings by the army and police, no one was in sight to be shot. Already, the

initial mockery that greeted the Biafra independence campaign about two years ago is giving way to a new template for reality check. When IPOB called its first protests just before its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was arrested in December 2015, former President Olusegun Obasanjo mocked the protesting youth, saying they were “looking for money”. Others said they were unemployed youth given money by some politicians to carry out the protests for undisclosed political gains. In other words they were rented crowds. Already, Obasanjo has changed tones, saying that if the Presidency is given to the Igbo in 2019, the Biafra issue will disappear. The last we heard from him was that the youth should be “begged” to drop their agitations. Even to the mockers and doubters, it is obvious that if a referendum is allowed today, the “Biafrexit” yes will be overwhelming.

 Those of us who are still holding out the faint hope that Nigeria can still be amended to correct the inequity flaws that retard it and make its citizens unhappy won’t be able to do much. We have become a miserable minority. Unless care is taken and soon, if the masses begin to respond in this manner to calls for boycotts of the civic activities that make us all Nigerians, such as elections, the forth-coming census and what not, overwhelming pressure might force that referendum to take place. As I said, the result is likely to be an overwhelming “Yes”. What are the scenarios that will likely take shape thereafter?

l Number one scenario, if the Nigerian State succumbs to a referendum, it is likely to be restricted to the people of the South East. Nigerian is unlikely to concede the former Eastern Region (which is the definitive geo-polity frequently portrayed as Biafra by its promoters) as the breakaway enclave. It will not give up the oil and gas resources that feed its treasury with free rent. It is also unlikely that the non-South Easterners will sign to be included in the Biafra. So, it is far safer for the Biafra activists to scale down their geo-political boundaries to a landlocked South East. That being so, I dare say that being landlocked is not the end of the world. Switzerland, Austria, Botswana and Rwanda are landlocked, yet they are either developed or rapidly developing countries within their continents. Those who are predicting doom for a landlocked Biafra could be seriously mistaken. During the war, when the population of the defunct Biafra was largely on the run, there was no fuel scarcity. Biafran scientists created machines and technologies to fight the war and keep the system running. A peaceful, landlocked Biafra, with the sheer power of the Igbo creative might unleashed, can only take-off like a rocket, though the initial stages will be very trying. Biafra might become the first African country to export the type of technologies that we currently buy from Europe, America and Asia to African countries within ten years. People should always remember that it is not natural resources that make a country great but its human resources of which the Igbo boast one of the most premium qualities in Africa. Even at that, the resources (oil, gas, coal, limestone and others) are there in enough quantities to serve the needs of the republic. On the other hand, Biafra could run into an initial face-off between factions such as IPOB and MASSOB for supremacy. MASSOB might claim it restarted the struggle that won the independence while IPOB which is far more radical could claim to be the group that won the independence. If this is not sorted out amicably, Biafra could face the South Sudan scenario between President Salva Kiir and his estranged Deputy, Riek Machar, though the South Sudan conflict is mostly ethnic-based as opposed to the fact that Biafra will be a country of a homogenous ethnic stock.

l Another scenario is that Igbo property left behind in Nigeria will probably be confiscated. States can make laws to appropriate them. That is a sacrifice the Igbos who own property in Nigeria outside the South East must be prepared to make. You cannot eat your cake and have it. Nigerians will likely tell you that “out is out”, as the Europeans are telling Britain after Brexit. Igbos who refuse to relocate to their country will be dehumanised as unwanted foreigners. Ndi Igbo, faced with the South East as Biafra, must be ready to start life afresh from the scratch, with the firm determination never to repeat the mistakes that makes Nigeria unworkable.

l The break away of Biafra will likely lead to a break-up of the rest of this otherwise blessed nation. With a leg of the Tripod gone, the rest of the superstructure cannot stand for long. With the Igbo people gone to their own country, it is unlikely that the Yoruba people will like to live under the servitude of the North. They will become a very vulnerable junior partner to Arewa, a situation they are unlikely to live with for long. They will also want to go and form their own country. They already have fantastic natural geopolitical advantages which they will simply leverage on and move on with their lives. But will the North also allow them to go in peace?

l The Ijaw nation, in particular, is likely to assert its independence. The North will, like Biafra, become landlocked. If Biafra goes, there is no way the rest of the country will continue happily ever after. Nigeria is like an intricately knitted fabric. Cut the thread at any point and the rest will come undone. At this point, we probably have the last opportunity to sort out the problems militating against genuine unity in our country. Time is running out on Nigeria as we know it. Already, the hearts of majority of Igbo people have left Nigeria. It will take some earth-shaking measures to bring them back. It has nothing to do with giving them an “Igbo president”. If, for instance, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in a most unlikely scenario, picks any of such individuals as Chris Ngige, Ogbonnaya Onu, Rochas or Okorocha Ken Nnamani to stand as a figurehead president, they will call Sokoto, Katsina or Kaduna every morning to take instructions for their daily work. It will make no difference for the Igbo or Nigeria. There is no alternative to restructuring Nigeria to allow the federating units the freedom to develop at their respective paces within the overall Nigerian commonwealth. The Nigerian people need freedom. That is the irreducible minimum for real change. If restructuring will not be possible, then let those who believe Igbo people will die if granted Biafra join hands in granting them independence. Allow them to “go and die” and see if they will actually die or become the toast of the African continent within the lifetime of most of us!

 

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/likely-scenarios-biafra-goes/

SOURCE 

ALWAYS ADVISE WITH SINCERITY OF PURPOSE :...

                                                   RETURNING TO NIGERIA                       

I had a long chat with a friend who is stranded in Nigeria.
He used to live here in Canada.
Five years ago, he went to visit family in Nigeria. While there, he met some old friends who were doing very well.
Days of discussions followed during which they impressed on him as to how much better financially he will do if he moved back to Nigeria.
They took him out to dinners and parties where he met movers and shakers of the society. They introduced him to them and spoke of his brilliance in public. These movers and shakers also impressed on him to come back home.

He came back to Canada and was flying like a kite. All he spoke about was the new Nigeria and the immense possibilities that existed.
He decided to move back, start up his company and set out on the entrepreneurial path.
Everyone told him to take it a step at a time and not uproot his entire family.
He didn't listen. He left.
The first week in Nigeria required the kind of adjustments he expected, but he had sold his house in Canada, liquidated his savings, so the sizable chunk of money allowed him, settle easily.
A fully serviced four bedroom apartment in Lekki. Kids in a private school. Wife with a new job. He ready to wear the toga of a businessman.

He set out. And begun calling his friends to tell them he was back for good and was ready to begin investing in the ideas they had spoken about.
The friends picked his calls at first and then with time they became scarce. He complained.
They said to him that they were so busy with their own businesses and life, so it was hard to actually keep up the communication with him and follow up with the investments and businesses he had begun on their recommendation.

He reminded them that they were the ones who told him to come so he expected them to follow up with him.
They told him that he shouldn't worry, that they will get back to him. They did for a while, but as the investments began to stutter, the calls dried up.
He became an island.
With time his money dried up.
The load of the family became heavy.
They left the self-serviced apartment in Lekki, for a two bedroom flat at the far outskirts of Ajah that was armed with a small generator.
He sold his car and had to take turns with his wife using her car as he kept chasing his entrepreneurial dreams since getting a job was proving difficult owing to his advanced age and the fact that he had not acquired a foreign post-graduate degree whilst in Canada.
The private school became unaffordable on his wife's salary.
He wanted to move the kids to a more affordable public school. His wife resisted.
They began to bicker.Bickering turned to fights.
Fights drove them apart.They separated.

During their separation, she met new people, men with more money, a willing profligacy and an eye for light complexioned beautiful married women with a foreign accent. Men who are sharks.
Sharks who were not interested in the abundance of single women in Nigeria but preferred the challenge that was involved in the chase of highly educated, successful married women.
She was vulnerable and all the sharks could smell it. They flashed luxury and 'fun' around her.
And she got infected with the Nigerian bug of living the 'good life.'
She was swept away by the joneses and flew up the ladder of success.
She filed for divorce and asked for full custody of the kids.
He tried to fight it but couldn't afford the fight.
She won.
He cried over the phone as he recounted his experiences and spoke of his decision to move back to Canada and start all over again.
My heart broke for him.He is a good guy.

It's sad how some people find it so easy to give advice and not think seriously of the cost of their advice.
If you had to pay money to give advice, I wonder how many people will be so willing to tell you how much better you can live your life.
I will do what I can to help him resettle.
I will not give advice on things am not sure of.
Instead, I will give material help.

(copied )

At Only 23, Ava Roberts: Youngest African-American Female Doctor!

Ava Roberts (23) is now the youngest first African-American female doctor in the world! Though word of his accomplishment are however minimal, French site Pelea reports in their site that “after a gifted childhood, Ava Roberts quickly excelled through medical school and became a force to be reckoned with as the youngest African-American female doctor.” This an amazing young age, when you look at how long doctors go to school?! Ava Roberts must have been a child prodigy! You go girl! She is a great role model to young women everywhere in the world! for being the youngest African-American female doctor.

Looking down the memory lane, first black doctor in history was James McCune Smith. Smith couldn’t go to medical school in New York, so he went to Scotland for his degree and returned home to treat the city’s poor.

James McCune Smith‘s  degree of 1837 made him the nation’s first professionally trained African-American doctor. Smith set up a medical practice in lower Manhattan where he became the resident physician at an orphanage and also was the first African-American to own and operate a pharmacy in the United States!

Smith lived and died at a time in America when little recognition was given to the black people achievements. However his children refused to promote their father’s legacy and even shunned their African-American heritage. Smith was very popular that a public school in Harlem was however named after him. He was portrayed him in a video produced by the New York Historical Society by Danny Glover. He is also the first African-American doctor to publish scholarly studies in peer-reviewed medical journals,  Stauffer have to say this. “He also wrote essays countering theories of black racial inferiority that had currency then. He was a friend and associate of famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and he wrote the introduction to Douglass’ “My Bondage and My Freedom.

http://healthfactsday.com/ava-roberts/

The change

Professor Isa Hussaini of Faculty of Pharmacy University of Maiduguri wrote:

The blame for what Nigeria has become falls on you and me. Not Buhari, not Jonathan, not Obasanjo and definitely not Abacha.

Our wickedness stinks to the heavens as we go about our daily lives, pulling down everyone and everything to become rich. We import substandard products, fake drugs and expired baby food unfit for human consumption and we have the nerve to complain about leadership?

We even steal from widows, orphans, and refugees. We take their food and sell it for profit. No conscience. Nothing is sacred. No one is spared. We build substandard roads, schools, houses, hospitals, all for profit at the expense of human life;an invaluable item which all our profit and contract sum cannot buy.

One would think this behavior is reserved for urchins but it would surprise you that this is the character of many decent looking people who appear to be normal but are not any better than Boko Haram members. They are church members, Muslims, husbands, wives and sadly youths.

We pervert justice and pretend we do not know right from wrong just to serve our selfish interests. Slave traders pale in comparison to what we do to ourselves. We are wickedness personified. So much hatred flows in our blood and we transfer it to our children. It's evident in what we say and do.

We have fasting and prayer sessions all year long, night vigils and deliverance when the actual problem is us. We simply cannot learn to love others . It is me, me, me. That is all that ever matters. It is sickening. Anyone who cannot love has no business in politics, Government and in Nigeria. Until we understand  this, we will continue on this path of destruction.

I can Change, You can Change, They can Change and We can Change by Sharing and Spreading this message....Change starts with Me....

#Copied

How you are cheated...

How Nigerian Petrol Attendants Cheat You In Filling Stations and precautions to cut the cheating attendants

By Daramola Babalola
The rise in the price of petrol from ₦86.50/L to ₦145 Naira/L still leaves a heavy toll on Nigerians, most  have gotten used to the excruciating fact that a litre of petrol now ₦145 Naira.


Sadly, as if the skyrocketing price of petrol isn’t enough, the ‘friendly’ fuel station attendants have found numerous tricks to add to their regular income, and undercut the customers who at the first place are paying through their noses.
The nefarious activity perpetrated by petrol attendants nationwide has gone unnoticed by many motorists as they drive into the filling stations to fill their tanks.
Fuel Station scams are not something new. There are plenty of foul plays which can leave you cheated at a fuel station.

Why do the petrol attendants cheat you?
First of all, the petrol attendants in Nigeria are one of the least paid in the country, infact an average petrol attendant is  paid between ₦10,000 - ₦15,000 monthly, but a smart attendant can make his salary in one day by cheating customers.
Ideally, when a petrol attendant resumes for work, he/she takes the reading on the meter on the fuel dispenser, which they call The Opening Meter, and after they close for the day,  the reading on the meter, called The Closing Meter is taken by the attendant. Then, they multiply the difference in the readings by the cost per litre, which is the amount they deliver to the manager. If there is any surplus cash, the attendant takes it.
Unfortunately, the surplus money is simply a product of manipulation/cheating of petrol buyers by the fuel attendants on a daily basis.

How Nigerian Petrol Attendants Cheat Customers In Filling Stations
I have compiled a list of some of the most common dirty tactics which are used to cheat customers at Nigerian fuel stations based on my research and conversation with some petrol attendants across the country.

TRICK 1: Recall or TIM/CAL button
On the fuel dispenser there is usually a button labelled ‘Recall, TIM/CAL’ or any other label, depending on the machine. The essence of the button is to enable the attendant to see the past sales. If you want to see your last ten sales, you just press Recall, then the number you want to see etc, depending on the number you want, and it shows you the amount.
Beyond seeing  past sales,petrol attendants use it to cheat and make money from the customers.
For example, if a petrol attendant sold ₦5,000 worth of fuel to (Customer A), and the next customer (Customer B) also wants to buy ₦5,000., the attendant will clear the screen to ₦00.0 and tell Customer B to look at it (A way of gaining your trust and making you relax) then when they observe that the second customer (Customer B) Isn’t paying attention, they will sell some quantity, like ₦3,500 for example and press Stop or Cancel, depending on the machine, then press Recall 1, and Ok,With that, ₦5,000 will appear on the screen and that is what the customer will see on the meter, believing the sale is complete, meanwhile the attendant recalled the previous sale.
My investigations revealed that this can be done in less than one second.
Infact, some attendants could go to the extent of writing out some past sales on a paper where they can easily have a glance to know which number to recall when a customer is distracted or looks away, since many people prefer to buy based on price and not litre.
For example Recall 1 can be ₦5,000, Recall 2 - ₦3,000, Recall 3 - ₦2,000, so based on the customer they want to cheat, they look at the paper to recall, and the customers would think the machine was fast, so they wouldn’t always suspect anything

TRICK 2: Fake hang the nozzle
Almost every petrol consumer is knowledgeable that when the nozzle is hanged on the pump, the readings revert to zero. Thus the fuel attendants have also found a way to manipulate it to make some money for their pockets.
What they do is that they gently hang the nozzle, such that it won’t click to rub off the old sales and revert to zero, so,they fake hang the nozzle,while the dispenser is still running, so if a new customer comes, they simply continue from where they stopped from the previous customer.
This trick is used a lot during fuel scarcity, or when customers are in a hurry to buy fuel.
This trick is also easier for the fuel attendant if  the last sale was in a small quantity.

TRICK 3: The Okada/Keke Napep advantage
Most times, the Okada and Keke Napep's tend to buy petrol in small quantities, for example like 2 or 3 Litres of fuel.
After dispensing fuel for the Okada/Keke Napep, if the next buyer intends to buy fuel in his car or a big jerry can, the fuel attendant will use the Okada/Keke Napep advantage, because of the small quantity sold previously and continue to dispense fuel into your car tank without clearing the previous sale.
For example, if the previous sale to an Okada, Keke Napep or even a commercial bus is about ₦350, the fuel attendant will gently place the nozzle, and naturally, when the next customer (The Car owner) sees that the attendant removed the nozzle from the dispensing machine, he believes that it started from zero. However, it is not always the case, thus the car owner is automatically cheated by ₦350.

TRICK 4: The Fill up your tank system
A report culled from dailyfinance.com says filling up the tank may be another way to lose money and fuel, because when the pump clicks off automatically, no additional fuel enters the tank. “Instead, fuel is likely being diverted through the pump’s vapour recovery system and back into the station’s tank, which means you are paying for petrol that you are not getting.
“More importantly, the car needs space in its tank for fuel vapours to expand. Overfilling can force gas into the car’s carbon filter, leading to poor performance, reduced mileage or costly repairs. So, the next time you want to buy fuel, don’t top off your tank, it’s good for your car and even better for your wallet,” the report said.

TRICK 5: The faulty meter Some petrol pumps have rigged meters that start ticking even before petrol starts to flow from the hose. Have you ever gone to a filling station to buy fuel and it takes lesser time to fill your tank, compared to other places? This is as a result of the meters that have been tampered with, the attendant will make you believe the particular fuel dispenser is faster or slower than normal, depending on how the meters were manipulated.
Nigeria’s petroleum regulator, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR,saddled with the responsibility of regulating, monitoring and enforcing the laws in the sector, used the Seraphin Can to expose filling stations involved in the nefarious act in Lagos recently.
The ten-liter Seraphin Can is used by the DPR to ascertain the exact dispensing meter measurement of filling stations. When filled to the level of ten liters, dispensing meters that have been adjusted will show above ten liters on the display board. When this occurs, the filling station is shut by DPR officials.
DPR said over 500 filling stations had been shut for under-dispensing and other related offences.

TRICK 6:  Using Unnecessarily Longer Dispenser Pipe
Pumps save on a lot of petrol when they use long pipes.
A perfectly good meter will show that a certain amount of petrol has been pumped out, but that amount hasn't reached your tank -- some of it is still in the pipe, and it goes back into the pump. Through the day, the number of litres that stations save can be enormous, making the attendant accumulate surplus cash from undispensed fuel.

TRICK 7: Get friendly, distract and cheat How many times have you visited the filling station and you notice that the fuel attendant is trying to chat you up. If he is not talking about the government, religion or politics, he is most likely to dive into football, especially if he noticed you are a fan of a particular club.
'Oga mi up Arsenal o, me i be Barcelona fan, we go beat Arsenal all the time'
The trick is to make you get very comfortable, argue with him and take your eyes off the fuel meter. Sometimes the attendant can even get his colleague to distract you, so he can focus on fuel pump to cheat you.
He can ask you questions like.. 'Sir/madam do you need engine oil' or 'Sir you need to balance your wheels'

TRICK 8: Pretend not to hear you, fake ignorance, smile, apologize
This is another trick used by fuel attendants, when you request to fill up your car or jerrycan for a particular amount, for example ₦4000, the attendant will sell only ₦1000 worth of fuel, when you ask him why he didn't fill up for ₦4000, the attendant will apologize and smile innocently and say that he/she heard you say you wanted to buy ₦1000 worth of fuel, and thus pretend to continue filling the remaining ₦3000, by pretending to reset the meter and fill up your ₦4000 worth of petrol and so you pay ₦4000
But the attendant just cheated you, and this is how...
He did not reset the meter to ₦0.00 , he continued from the ₦1000 point till he got to ₦3000, so in reality you only get the petrol worth ₦3000, but pay ₦4000

TRICK 9: Intervening the Dispenser Nozzle
It is generally found that the pump attendants keep their fingers tight on the nozzle and interrupt the flow of fuel manually. In this way, the required amount of fuel gets short. With these type of tricks, the pump staff saves probably litres of oil in a single day that accumulates to his personal surplus profit for the day.

TRICK 10: Fuel Adulteration The simplest and the most effective way of cheating used by almost all the petrol pumps is the adulteration of fuel. Usually, the dealers chemically adulterate the petrol by adding Naphtha, which is a byproduct and is as dense as petrol. It does not leave residue and is cheaper than its counterpart.

TRICK 11: Two sides of price indicators In this particular trick, manipulations are done by pump attendants who normally strike when motorists are preoccupied with other thoughts. Most times, pump attendants are so daring.
 Motorists should be more careful with pumps that have two sides of price indicators—back and forth screen, displaying amount of money dispensed.
For several reasons, some of which are technical, each side of the screen could show a different price. For example, ₦5000 and the other screen could display about ₦4000.
If you requested to buy fuel worth ₦5000 and the a buyer from other side of the pump is also buying ₦5000 worth of fuel, if you are not watching close enough, a crafty attendant can dispense fuel worth ₦4000 and point to the other side pump,  hoodwinking you into believing that he/she has dispensed the amount you required, meanwhile you have lost ₦1000 as the price indicator was for the other pump.
Now to counter these 11 tricks above, here are some of the counter-tricks or precautions to cut the cheating attendants


Always, get off from your car, lock the vehicle and stand close to petrol tank and see the meter readings when buying fuel
Check the meter reading after opening the petrol tank or before fueling starts and again at the very end.
Keep a continuous watch at the meter reading and at the fueling person, throughout your turn.
If you develop doubt over a particular petrol pump, then AVOID that particular petrol pump in the future like the plague. I have also seen that there are petrol pumps which do not indulge in such activities. Identify such pumps and try to fill from these pumps only
In any case, don’t believe the attendants and NEVER EVER TAKE YOUR EYES FROM THE METER. Get it set to zero and do not take your eyes off till the last drop comes out of the nozzle
Ask the attendant firmly to keep his hands off the nozzle and wait for the auto cut-off to kick-in.
Park the car a bit away from the machine and let the attendant stretch the pipe to your fuel lid. Ask him to hold the nozzle at certain height post he is done fueling up the tank in order to allow the residual to flow in.
Always check for zero before they start filling, even if the petrol pump is overcrowded.
Reduce conversations with the fuel attaendant, and if you must talk to him/her, please do it without taking your eyes off the meter for one second. Also make sure the meter is set at ₦0.00  before the attendants starts to fill up your tank/keg.
Do not take your eyes off the meter till the last drop, don't get distracted by counting the money you want to give him/her, wait till he/she is done dispensing the fuel.
End the transaction right there, in case the meter is stopped for any reason.
Do not hurry and always pay at the end of the transaction.
Ask for a printed receipt every time, as far as possible.
Always keep a watch on the attendant and on the meter. If you are suspicious about a certain fuel station, step out of your car and ask the attendant to move away from the dispenser while filling. If you still feel that he is cheating stop him from filling your tank and call the manager and lodge your complain. If nobody at the station admits their fraud or deny any assistance, reach out to DPR https://dpr.gov.ng/index/contact-us/
As we visit the filling station today, always remember The Golden Rule: Never take your eyes off the meter

Welcome to AutofactorNG Blog.: How Nigerian Petrol Attendants Cheat You In Filling Stations and precautions to cut the cheating attendants

"Paid in full"

Of the last sayings of Christ on the cross, none is more important or more poignant than, “It is finished.” Found only in the Gospel of John, the Greek word translated “it is finished” is tetelestai, an accounting term that means “paid in full.” When Jesus uttered those words, He was declaring the debt owed to His Father was wiped away completely and forever. Not that Jesus wiped away any debt that He owed to the Father; rather, Jesus eliminated the debt owed by mankind—the debt of sin.

Just prior to His arrest by the Romans, Jesus prayed His last public prayer, asking the Father to glorify Him, just as Jesus had glorified the Father on earth, having “finished the work you have given me to do” (John 17:4). The work Jesus was sent to do was to “seek and save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10), to provide atonement for the sins of all who would ever believe in Him (Romans 3:23-25), and to reconcile sinful men to a holy God. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). None other but God in the flesh could accomplish such a task.

Also completed was the fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecies, symbols, and foreshadowings of the coming Messiah. From Genesis to Malachi, there are over 300 specific prophecies detailing the coming of the Anointed One, all fulfilled by Jesus. From the “seed” who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15), to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, to the prediction of the “messenger” of the Lord (John the Baptist) who would “prepare the way” for the Messiah, all prophecies of Jesus’ life, ministry, and death were fulfilled and finished at the cross.

Although the redemption of mankind is the most important finished task, many other things were finished at the cross. The sufferings Jesus endured while on the earth, and especially in His last hours, were at last over. God’s will for Jesus was accomplished in His perfect obedience to the Father (John 5:30; 6:38). Most importantly, the power of sin and Satan was finished. No longer would mankind have to suffer the “flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). By raising the “shield of faith” in the One who completed the work of redemption and salvation, we can, by faith, live as new creations in Christ. Jesus’ finished work on the cross was the beginning of new life for all who were once “dead in trespasses and sins” but who are now made “alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:1, 5).

From

African Pentecostalism Has Given Birth To A New Breed Of Mentally Lazy Christians....

African Pentecostalism Has Given Birth To A New Breed Of Mentally Lazy Christians Who See God As A Rewarder Of Mediocrity

1 April 2017   By Kay Musonda

''Africa is currently experiencing another form of slavery through Pentecostalism.
We are now mentally lazy and our ability to reason scientifically has been incapacitated.
The African pastor won’t talk about Usain Bolt or Serena Williams. The African Pastor won’t talk about Steve Jobs or the young people in Silicon Valley reshaping our world.
They won’t talk about young American scientists spending endless hours in search of a cure to a disease that’s predominantly in the Tropical African Region.
The African pastor won’t talk about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or Ben Okri. In every corner of the world, there exist young men and women who have defied all odds and become successful through hard work, creativity and dedication….
The African pastor won’t talk about them, neither will he ask his members to emulate the spirit of these individuals.
He would rather talk about sister Agatha who got a job she *WAS NOT THE MOST QUALIFIED FOR*because she prayed and fasted in line with their church programme or brother John a millionaire because he used all his salary as a seed in the church, or Papa Miracle who he laid his hands on and 3 of his children got admission in the university, or Mama Esther paid her tithe and her business started growing everywhere across the nation with no business plan, just boom, everywhere.

This has led to a new breed of mentally lazy young people who now see God as a rewarder of mediocrity.
To the African pastor, the only way to prosper is by paying your tithe and ' seeds in the church. So they will never talk about those, who have through hard work and dedication placed themselves on the world map.
No…..the African God only blesses the first 30 people that rush to the alter to drop $100 as seed.
The African God abhors hard work and creative thinking, he only gives to those who sow seeds and offerings…..and those who shout: “I am a millionaire” every morning and do nothing the rest of the day.

You want the Almighty to come down and help you use the talent He gave you and bless you because you are going to church to shout: “Daddy I receive it”, these are all jokers.
Can someone tell these jokers that irrespective of your creed, faith or religion, blessings and favours follow you once you start using your talent and become useful to your society?
The Bible tells the story of the Talents.
Use it. Blessing is already bestowed upon us. When we use it positively, we ask the Lord to bless it. The Bible says His Grace is sufficient for us.

The Western world and Asians are excelling and dominating the world.
Let no Imam or Pastor manipulate our minds while they themselves drown in amassing wealth and luxurious splendour, while our people are living in abject poverty.
Be Wise. Worship of God is from the heart. But study, work hard and always watch & pray! May God Almighty bless us all, in Jesus' name!!''
Good Day
https://www.modernghana.com/news/765993/african-pentecostalism-has-given-birth-to-a-new-breed-of-men.html

TITHES AND OFFERINGS...NOT JUST FOR THE CHURCH

REV. FR OKITE EXPLAINS THE LAW ON TITHES IN THE LIGHT OF GOD'S CONCERN FOR THE POOR

I call on all priests & ministers of the Gospel to rethink the meaning of our life and vocation as priests/ ministers. Each person should ask himself why he chose to become a priest or a Gospel minister. What does God expect of me as a priest? The priest is alter Christus, another Christ. What this means is that people who encounter me should be able to see the touching presence of Christ in and through me. They should be able to feel Chist's love and compassion, his care and concern. My words should reveal and reflect Christ's message of hope and salvation. During our retreat, I told the retreatants the story of a young priest (and this is a true story) who, intending to bamboozle his audience with high sounding theological terms, kept repeating to them "As a priest, I am altar Christi." And I said to him what do you mean by that? He replied, you know nah, it means another Christ. I corrected him. He intended to say "alter Christus". But I added, how I wish you meant the one you said, "altar Christi" because that is also a grammatically possible expression in Latin, and it means "altar of Christ". You see being a priest involves sacrifice. The priest should be ready to become the altar upon which the sacrifice of the Christian community will be offered. He should be ready to bear the sacrifice upon himself.
But what we find is a situation where the priest/pastor thinks he is there to enjoy life. The priest/minister of the Word craves a life of affluence and excessive wealth.
The minister/priest  should take a look at the inaugural message of Christ in Luke 4,16-30 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor. .." The priest who models himself after Christ cannot but take seriously this mission to the poor. But what we find in the Church today is an overall exploitation of the poor masses. Some parish priest/pastors cannot begin and end a Sunday mass/without calling for two or more extra collections outside the regular offertory. This is highly unacceptable. I call this "exploitation of the people's faith and devotion." Presently Nigeria is going through one of the worst economic downturn in its history. Life is at its ebb. Families can't afford their food daily. Yet they somehow manage to give some to the Church and the priest. We should all be grateful for this. But the greedy priest is not satisfied with this. He must, like Oliver Twist, ask for more, and more and more, until the pockets are drained. That is exploitation. The priest should take cognisance of the real life situations of his flock. Part of our duty as priests in these hard times is to help our people to navigate through the difficulties that face them, and we cannot do this if we exploit them financially.

Let me give you another example of how we are exploiting the people. Recently the idea of tithes and tithing has crept into the Catholic Church in Igboland. Clearly this is one of those influences we are picking up from Pentecostalism. However, is it justitifiable biblically and otherwise? My answer is a categorical NO. In the Old Testament texts which speak about tithes, the whole idea was that of a redistribution of wealth, in order to make sure that the people who don't have would get something from those who have more. It was not something principally to be offered to priests or those who served at the altar. If you take Deut 14:22-29 for instance, this point becomes clear. I call on everyone, both priests and lay faithful to go and read this passage very well. The idea here is that there was an annual occasion for tithing, in which each family was to take one tenth (i.e. the tithe) of their year's produce to the temple, and there in the temple the family itself (not the priests) will together eat what they have brought. In their feasting however, they are enjoined not to forget the Levites, "because they have no property or inheritance". They should also remember to share some of it with "the resident foreigner, the orphan and the widow." So tithing as the book of Deuteronomy makes clear is an occasion for feasting, in which a part of it is shared with the poor, namely the Levites, the resident foreigners, the widows and orphans.
One may argue that the priests are the Levites of our time. That may be correct, but in this passage what entitles the Levites to a share in the tithe is not his serving the Lord, but the fact of his possessing no property. The priests of today (or in the Protestant and Pentecostal churches, the pastor, minister, evangelist) all have possessions: cars, landed property, fat bank accounts, etc. They no longer belong to the poor who were meant to eat the tithes with the people. The primary concern in the Deuteronomic law on tithes is that the people, by means of a communion meal before the Lord, involving one tenth of their produce, should recognise God as the one who gave the land and its increase, and that they should share it with those who do not have.
When we come to the famous passage in Malachi 3, God laments that the people rob him by not bringing in their tithes. This passage in Malachi can only be interpreted in reference to the bringing in of tithes means in Deuteronomy. That is to say, God laments that people were not bringing their tithes to the temple to eat as the Law requires, but were eating them them at home. And by doing so, the poor people including the Levites, the widows and orphans, could not get their own share. God's concern for the poor is offended.
Now leaving the Bible aside, let's talk of morality and justice. What moral justification can a priest/pastor who owns a car, sometimes the latest model in town, has millions in his bank account, owns buildings all over, lives in Parish house that is paid for and catered for by the parishioners, whose feeding and overhead expenses are taken care of by others. What moral justification can such a person ever have to demand that a poor parishioner, whose earning is so meagre, should give him 10% of it, under false pretence that you are the modern day Levite. There is a huge difference. The difference is that the modern day priest/pastor is, to say the least, well-to-do while the ancient Levite was destitute. When the priest or minister or pastor under the pretext of being a Levite, demands tithes from his congregation, that would amount to exploitation and forming part of the oppressive machinery. Only a warped sense of rightness, fuelled by egoism, will allow that.
So my advice to fellow priests/pastors/ministers of the Word is that we should keep the seeking of self interest and financial gains by the side and focus on service to the people.
On a further note, discipline and self control are very important in our lives as priests/pastors.

Pls forward this message if you found it enlightening and eye-opening. Help save our poor masses from the greed of those who should know better.....

COCA COLA AND AFRICA...

EXPOSED!!! How Coca Cola is planning mass killing

New Nation TVWednesday, March 15, 2017 A+ A-

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

They are killing us slowly in Nigeria, and we do not know.

Apparently, for 9 years, a civil law case has been going on against Coca Cola Bottling Company, manufacturers of Fanta and Sprite,

 That impacts directly on our health and lives.

Let me try and paraphrase it, so una no go sleep off.

Basically, one Dr Fijabi, had in 2007, bought  about N12 million worth of Fanta and Sprite drinks from Coca Cola Ltd, and exported same to the United Kingdom.

However, on reaching England, under Health and Safety regulations, the authorities tested the products and found them to contain "poisonous levels of  Benzoic Acid and Sunset addictives"

And were therefore declared "unfit for human consumption".

The whole export consignment was consequently destroyed.

Dr Fijabi therefore, sued  Coca Cola for Negligence, breach of duty of care to its customers, and loss of earnings.

Fine.

Now comes the interesting part, so sit your yansh well :

The Almighty Coca Cola offered only one defence in court :

That Mr Fijabi did not tell them he was going to Export the Fanta and Sprite to England;

That they were indeed manufactured "FOR LOCAL CONSUMPTION ONLY."

What???

For local consumption?

Make I continue?? Hmmmmmmmmmm

So what Coca Cola Bottling Company is telling us, is that,

If they knew the Fanta and Sprite were to be exported to England, they would not have added so much poisonous acid;

But for the people of Nigeria, it is normal to poison us.

Chikena.

That is the official courtroom statement of Coca Cola Bottling Company of Nigeria.

Yesterday, The Lagos High Court under Justice Adedayo Oyebanji, was 'crying'  when She gave judgement against Coca Cola, declaring them callous and negligent.

She 'cursed the parents' of NAFDAC  for not carrying out proper laboratory checks on 'minerals' production in Nigeria.

Cancer was listed as one of the ailments that the present Fanta and sprite can cause, especially if taken with Vitamin C tablets.

She therefore, ordered Coca Cola to henceforth add a WRITTEN WARNING on Fanta and Sprite bottles that "this product must not be taken with Vitamin C."

Once again, Oyinbo has come to our rescue.

This is stuff you people in Nigeria should concern yourselves about,

Not whether Dollar has gone up or down.

Nor the sex scandal between Apostle Sulaiman and Miss Otobo (Utobo). Nor the President's health.

http://www.newnationtv.com/2017/03/exposed-how-coca-cola-is-planning-mass.html?m=0

BIAFRA by Col.Achuzia

Biafra by Col Achuzia
Published December 23, 2016 by George Israel

'BIAFRA ‘

Col Achuzia recently published that ‘Biafra does not mean secession ‘. According to him ‘WE’ are proud Biafrans living in Nigeria. The Biafran agitation is an expression coming from perceived general frustrations of ‘some’ Igbos as a result of deliberate marginalizations & deprivations.

However, the approach is wrong. Why? Igbos have more to lose in Biafra than being part of Nigeria. The economic losses from the 30 months civil war have been recovered and our people do not seem to know that that dominant progress angers the other federating units who hate the Igbos.

Unfortunately, Igbos have not been able to collectively organise themselves politically – both at the local levels of tradition, intellectual – towards a central command for national relevance. It is this failure that gave credence to the costly, life threatening, ill-timed, disconnected struggle for Biafra; generally ancored around under informed “seemingly” jobless youths.

Biafra quest, remains in the spirits of all segments of the Nigerian “fabric” – from North to South, East to West etc. This is why there are so many groupings – from the 19 Northern Governors Group, to Arewa Consultative Forum, the South West Odua Peoples Congress with a strong, influential respectable political blocks. What is common with these groups is their respect for their traditional kingship systems that give them a central voice, command & control posts. So they are more organised. That explains why the quests for their “BIAFRAs” is more organised, better planned and *silently* being executed.

  For example the 19 Northern Governors have successfully disconnected the dependence of their economies from the national power grid by signing an MoU with the General Electric ((GE) to instal a massive SOLAR POWER Project. So they are independent as long as electricity is concerned. That’s their “Biafra”. The Kaduna refinery is to receive crude from Niger. That’s another “BIAFRAN” independence. Their River Basins are producing and providing food.
North East is to rehabilitated from a statutory percentage of the Nigerian annual national budget. Their airports & roads are being upgraded to international standards. Their rail lines are working, connecting cities & new routes being constructed – Kaduna – Abuja route. In the whole Nigeria, its ONLY Kaduna that is connected to Abuja by both road and rail. That’s the true quest for “Biafra”!
THE WEST

Lets look around the West for their quest for their “BIAFRA”. Lagos – A Mega city project projected on the local and migrant populations in Lagos State & environ; AT THE EXPENSE OF THE SETTLER ENTREPRENEURS, BUSINESSMEN (including the Igbos) DEVELOPMENTS, TAXES and ENTERPRISES. Expansions of Murtala Mohammed Int & Local Airports, concessions, The Free Trade Zone (copied after the moribund TINAPA), ANOTHER ongoing AIRPORT and the SEAPORT CONSTRUCTIONS at the Lekki axis, New towns and sprawling HOUSING ESTATES (including EKO ATLANYIC CITY Project), the  10 (Ten) Lane expansion of the Lagos – Badagry EXPRESSWAY into the international gateway to the Rep. of Benin and by extension the West African subregional economies, the Fashola’s Rail line linking Badagry through Alaba Int. Mkt, Aspanda, Orile, Arts Theatre, CMS, VI, Lekki to the Free Trade Zone(FTZ), the 4th Mainland Bridge concessioned to a Japanese Consortium to link Ikorodu to Lekki/Aja axis, by extension the FTZ, the Expressway Road links to all South West cities.

Today you can practically exit Lagos by choice, through Ikorodu, Ajah, Lagos Ibadan Expressway. And if you are coming from Badagry, you can connect from Ijaniki – Eba axis to Lagos/Abeokuta linking you direct to Shagamu (without getting into Lagos). Same developments are going on in all South West major cities of Abeokuta, Ijebu Edo axis, Akure, Oshogbo, Ado Ekiti, Ife (and Ile Ife), Ibadan,  linking Ilorin, Lokoja and Edo; energising their economies. THESE ARE THE TRUE QUESTS OF THEIR “BIAFRA”.
Now the question “Is there a solid economic base to support this South Eastern Biafran agitation”?.

Your answer is as good as mine. The Southern governors cannot come together (like the South Western, Northern Governors) ON ANY common economic activity. The roads that link Anambra to Imo are motorable to the limits of Anambra boundry. Neither Ohakim nor Rochas saw the need to link the comkon communities of the 2 states on that axis. Same goes to Imo/Abia/Akwa Ibom (Umuahia) axis. They will say… Federal Roads. Are the South West / the North not also Federal roads?

South Eastern governors CANNOT come together for a common front on regional or national issues. They are endlessly, mutually distrusting. Our Igwes and Ezes (Kings) have been decimated using President General (PG) structures (by same clueless Governors) for selfish politics to destroy our strong traditional institutions. Now the Igbos are being ridiculed for lack of respect for themselves, their institutions and their heros and hardly any consensus on regional/national politiacl issues. So how can the “Biafran” project stand?.

The 2nd Airport in Igbo land, at Owerri was built by commendable community efforts and thereafter handed over to the Federal government without any compensation – end of story! Our people who had occupied the select positions of Aviation Ministers – Kema Chikwe, Stella Odua, Osita Chidoka etc., must have tried their best but they could not see their own “Biafra” by improving the facilities beyond making Owerri Airport a Cargo Airport! By the way, its ONLY Owerri Airport, in the whole Nigeria that was built with the “slave” deprevations of Igbo contributions and without compensation for community land and resource contributions and levies.

About a month was the Annual Zik’s Lecture Series which held at the Social Sciences Faculty of the UNIZIK Awka and sponsored by no less an Igbo personality as Sen Ndi Obi. Laughably, no South Eastern Governor was in attendant. The highest attendant was just the Deputy Governor of Anambra State Dr. Ikem Okeke. Whereas the former VP Atiku ABUBAKAR had time to come as the Chairman of the occassion to honour the Great Zik, whereas the former Kenyan Prime Minister – Odinga was the Guest Speaker. How can we push the quest for the struggle if we do not care to honour our internationally acknowledged best – The Great Zik of Aftica. When the West remembers their AWO, our people will be lobbying to be invited! Here we can’t honour ours. November 26, was the date of  Odumegwu OJUKWU’s memorial. No advertorial nor any rememberance was recorded. I can go & on. We don’t need to bring our youths, the future leaders, in a defenseless agitation for “Biafra”. We need to act like a blessed people of God who came from after the civil war to great heights worldwide. We need to hold on to our control of the Nigerian commerce & move into industrial monopoly of the Nigerian economy like the Chinese, Indians, Lebanese. We need to build developmental capacities for the Igboland. We need more Innosons. Anambra, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi States previous and serving governors should set up fora, create and selflessly impliment SOUTH EASTERN INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PLANS – in the areas of agric, roads network infrastructure, ecomony, education, power, natural resources, strategic positioning for political orientation. Gov. Peter Obi initiated the Anambra Intrgrated Development Strategy (ANIDS). Why  not also create  as governors, the South Eastern Integrated Development Strategy (SEIDS) and membership will be made up of all the current & previous Governors and 1st Class Kings and Igwes.

That should be the starting point for the real quest for “BIAFRA”. Therefore we must start guiding OUR YOUTHS to stop presenting themselves through the current Biafran Agitations to the trigger-happy Nigerian Soldiers for ETHNIC CLEANSING of our valuable youths.