THE ALMAJIRI CHILDREN ARE GOD’S HERITAGE NOT OUTCASTS!

The founders of the Almajiri System of Education which provided basic Qur’anic studies for the Muslim kindergartens and children in their formative ages had very good intentions of training up and equipping their wards with moral and spiritual education that would prepare them to cope with unavoidable societal tasks and civil responsibilities of the future! Since education in all forms; formal or informal; practical, technical or purely academic in nature; moral or religious; combine to establish a concrete foundation and solid bedrock for an overall political and socio-economic developmental progress of the global human population, Nigeria’s Almajiri Education System cannot be an exception and definitely not a misplaced priority!

In recent times the Almajiri Education System which had attracted negative debates, comments, analysis and expositions from the Nigerian Civil Society groups and the social media for being anathema, is indeed a misunderstood cultural issue that demands a deliberate, painstaking, genuine and objective perspective for better understanding. Critics of the system which include Islamic scholars and teachers, who were not actually out to condemn it were more concerned to explain that it was not an inclusive injunction of the Qar’an but was not a misplaced early life priority form of Qar’anic education for Muslim children if meticulously handled! Others totally condemned the system which allowed for Almajiri students to indulge in street-begging which they claimed was a disgraceful act to Islam and blamed parents who indulged in bearing many children they could not train. The word Almajiri, according to our research derives from the Arabic “Almuhajir” which translated means, an immigrant and became an appellate to Qur’anic students of Northern Nigeria extraction who migrate from place to place to obtain Islamic education. The concept of the Almajiri’s form of education was from inception before the colonial era and deductions from the teachings of Usman Dan Fodio, the legendary Islamic guru between the 18th-19th Century, suggested that the Qur’ran provided ideal rudimentary and religious knowledge of inculcating moral behavioural patterns among Muslim youths which would conform them with acceptable norms in their various societies. The Almajiri System of Education must not be confused with the Fulani Nomadic Primary Education emergency policy which the immediate past Federal Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Administration tinkered with as political patronage contract of classroom buildings worth several billions of naira, for some of its Northern States members, but which became moribund on delivery and has remained an abandoned elephant project now lying fallow!
Proponents of the Almajiri Islamic form of education are more concerned about the escalating and alarming population of the Almajiri beggars on the Nigerian streets which has been put at between 10 and 20 million youths that have remained out of school within the past five years! Except for the Boko Haram insurgents who declared war on Western Education, the Muslim majority population encouraged all forms of education, and vocations that complimented their life-style positively. The Sultan of Sokoto and the Emir of Kano had respectively lent their voices for State Governments intervention for an improved Almajiri’s education curriculum that would totally eliminate street-begging but encourage skill acquisition that would provide them with better living conditions! “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD and the fruit of the womb is his reward.“As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth.“Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with their enemies in the gate” [Psalm. 127:3-5].The import of the preceding biblical quotation is that procreation remains a divine prerogative and HE blesses his creation with offspring as HE deemed fit! According to this scripture, the man with lots of children had an advantage, provided he trained them all to stand for positive recognition in the society!“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” [Proverbs.22:6].

Though more prevalent in the Northern parts of Nigeria, an Almajiri becomes a roaming societal danger when he is neither properly versed in the Islamic studies nor Western education; neither cared for by his parents, nor by government and society; but would rather seek for survival on the streets of different towns, cities and countries of his migration which are full of crimes and all manner of vices under Heaven!

STREET-BEGGING HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH DESTITUTION AND ALMAJIRISM!
And whereas his counterparts who had the right template of the Qur’anic education, coupled with the Western or Eastern education have become the professional experts, technocrats and political leaders of their nations, the destitute beggar remained, the “scumbag” and perpetual menace on the streets of Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Maiduguri, Abuja etc. This innuendo clearly confirmed the research that claimed that TWO CLASSES OF ALMAJIRIS existed side by side; (students and beggars)! The students moved on in life and succeed while the beggars got stuck on the streets with all its vices and subsequently became pick-pockets, robbers, political thugs and eventually insurgents and international terrorists! The Almajiri student attended regular classes and his parent paid the “Alarama”, (teacher), for his services while his beggar counterpart could hardly attend classes because neither him nor his parents could afford the teacher’s fee and because he never made enough savings from begging, he permanently absconded from classes!

Questions begging for answers and solutions!
Do the parents, governments and society have obligations to these God-given children who were born very innocent and oblivious of a sinful world to which they did not bargain for?

What about the fundamental human rights of the Almajiri child under the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Child Rights Act which Nigeria adopted in 2003 as a signatory to the pact?
What about his right to education, vocational skills, gainful employment and living wages as entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999?
What impact has the six-year-old Nigerian-based Almajiri Foundation made to create national awareness and proffer urgent solutions to these children’s plight?

In 2008 some 54 Northern Senators of the National Assembly co-sponsored a bill tagged “National Commission for the Eradication of Child Destitution” in response to the hues and cries over the Almajiri child-beggar menace which continued to give bad image to the country through the tourism portfolio window of international treaties, but since July 2009 when it received the baptism of a second reading, it went limbo! The bill purposed to establish the registration of all Almajiri schools under the Commission with stiff penalties of two years imprisonment without an option of fine to defaulters and also similar punishment to any Mallam whose students went a-begging in order to nip in the bud all man-made impediments and challenges militating against the effective implementation of the Child Rights Act 2003 once and for all!

What Way Forward?
The Senators should urgently dust up the 2008 National Commission for the Eradication of Child Destitution Bill which scaled second reading in July 2009 and give it priority attention for fresh readings and quick passage into law! Civil Society Groups and the Almajiri Foundation should intensify advocacy on the need for parents to limit their offspring to a reasonable and manageable number that they could train up and educate meaningfully and according to their financial capacity! We are not unmindful that some of the birth- prevention pills of the family planning programmes had failed to prevent some children from being born!
Simultaneously, immediate steps should be taken by governments at all levels to round-up and take these unfortunate and innocent children off the streets and create temporary camps to engage them with some vocations of their interests with a fresh start in Qur’anic and Western education and also skill acquisition under the supervision of the various Ministries of Youths and Social Development! After three months of intensive training, they should be transferred and delivered into the hands of trained and skilled teachers in the conventional primary or secondary schools on scholarship programmes of totally free education of tuition, books, uniforms etc; in their choice subjects! Efforts should be made to identify and empower parents of the children who were still alive in order to re-ignite filial obligations and engender family values. Advocacy against unregistered Almajiri Qur’anic Schools should also remain a regular broadcast on the electronic media [radio/television] and the print media, [newspapers and magazines]. National awareness to address all of the above is very urgent and critical at this stage when a divinely-sent President who fears God is running the affairs of the Change Government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and is prepared with his team to change the destiny of the innocent Almajiri youths for the best!

Kudos to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff (SAS)?
Ali Modu Sheriff was a two-term Governor of Bornu State (1999-2007), who “sub-consciously” or “inadvertently” bred the nucleus of today’s Boko Haram terrorists, when he neither sent them to school nor impacted them with any form of skills except for the regular distribution of Friday ZAKAT (almsgiving/religious tax) of thousands of Five Naira notes incentive from open-roof Jeeps for EIGHT YEARS! Without any gainful employments those youths became very dangerous tools who eventually metamorphosed into his political thugs in all elections, State or Local Governmnet! Those who were too young to be recruited became the Almajiri student beggars since that option turned out to be the only affordable educational opportunity available to them! SAS was fingered by a Federal Government appointed Australian Consultant Hostage Negotiator in 2014 as one of Boko Haram sponsors but he severally denied the allegation! As the time of this publication, SAS had been confirmed as the new Chairman of the failed PDP to pilot its affairs for the three months before a National Convention! Posterity would no doubt remember and judge Ali Modu Sheriff for initiating and encouraging Almajiri street begging which bred the urchins and subsequently the insurgents and the terrorists! Almajiri street-begging which has become a national issue and an abnormality which is detrimental to the children psyche and it is no longer acceptable in view of the enormous dangers posed against the Nigerian societies.

The time to abolish Almajiri street-begging is NOW and all hands must be on deck!
Current leaders of Nigeria (the giant of Africa with the highest human population and highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP),) should be reminded that the nation’s future political and economic achievements rests squarely in the hands of these “more or less abandoned children” through the special grace of the Almighty God who created them in HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS FOR SIGNS AND WONDERS!


I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon. 08130669886, 08098194390. 08080243066 g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.

OPERATION “LAFIYA DOLE” WILL BE INCOMPLETE WITHOUT PROPER INTEGRATION OF CIVILIAN JTF!

The buoyancy of economy in any nation would depend on the following factors:
Its naturally-endowed resources, solid or liquid;
Profitable harnessing of such assets through industrialization, exploration and exploitation;
Local and international partnerships that would pave business and commercial opportunities for import and export of goods and services and most importantly,
A secured environment devoid of any form of internal crisis, civil disobedience, insurgency or terrorism!

For five years, 2009-2014, Nigeria battled almost unsuccessfully to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency which eventually blew out of proportion and escalated into full-blown terrorism due to endemic institutional corruption through bad governance of over one-and-a-half decades until the change of guards on 29th May, 2015! It is no longer a secret that monies appropriated for military hardware for the execution of the war were regularly diverted to private pockets and for electioneering purposes especially during desperate bid of the last PDP Government to cling to transient power in the Presidential campaigns of 2014-2015! The ongoing “Dasukigate” trials involving the misappropriation of US $2.1 billion through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), between 2011-2015 and other similar embezzlements of huge sums of monies from the national coffers by dubious and unfaithful politicians have exposed institutional corruption and impunity of the highest order since the exit of military governments in Nigeria! While the trials lasted, it is important to commend the morale of Nigerian security agencies especially the Armed Forces, the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS), for embracing the Change Mantra and forging ahead under the charismatic leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, (who is most determined to salvage the nation from the brink of disaster and self-inflicted extinction through exemplary character of righteousness, faithfulness and incorruptibility), to ensure that the battle against these enemies of the nation was fought and won by air and land forces, for normalcy to reign in the North East according to the purposive will of the Almighty God!

For the first time since 2009, the highly successful blocking of the illegal arms and ammunitions, transportation, communications, food, and medical supply lines of Boko Haram insurgents by the brand new, inspired, highly motivated and invigorated officers and men of the patriotic Nigerian security agencies have resulted in their starvation, total lack of weapons and communication gadgets, mop-up operations and massive surrender of the enemies who now beg for food for survival! All roads otherwise blocked by terrorists along the Sambisa Forest highways have been dismantled for free flow of traffic to rehabilitation areas by gallant soldiers while hundreds of emaciated and rag-tag remnants of Boko Haram hoodlums have been rounded up and put into protective custody! Operation “LAFIYA DOLE”! , (Peace at all cost), is no doubt on course BUT the tacit collaboration and support role to the Military by the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), in confronting Boko Haram insurgency and violent extremism since 2011 must be properly and officially acknowledged in order to avoid a repetition of another insurgency in the future.

Small Beginnings of Civilian JTF.
One story has it that in 2011, one Lawal Jafir, a very courageous and patriotic youth in Halisari, Maiduguri, accosted, wrestled and disarmed a Boko Haram suspect to the admiration and encouragement of other youths to form vigilante groups against insurgency! They were subsequently recognised by Bornu State Government and registered as members of the Bornu Youth Empowerment Scheme (BOYES). Another story has it that at a time when the Nigerian soldiers were hamstrung in respect of arms and ammunitions and had to abandon/flee their duty posts some very bold and patriotic youths armed with machetes, sticks and daggers decided to confront Boko Haram terrorists headlong and with few casualties, were able to ward off the criminals from the civil societies and habitations on several occasions! A one-time Commander of CJTF, revealed that because their objective was to identify and fight the real Boko Haram insurgents, alongside the Military JTF, Bornu State Government donated four Toyota Hilux Buses while residents of Maiduguri metropolis and an Non-Governmental Organisation, ENDS Foundation gave financial support, pepper spray canisters, daggers, walkie talkies and gradually became a vital part of the war against the insurgents, hundreds of who they captured and neutralized but not without casualties! A legal adviser to CJTF disclosed in June 2015 that 603 members of the vigilante group had been killed in six years of the war against Boko Haram through daring confrontations with identified suicide bombers whom they always wrestled to the ground before explosions which took their lives in such cases! According to him the group had increased from the initial 2.500 to about 30.000 but only 3.000 who enjoy a stipend of a monthly N15.000, were registered trained and recognised by Bornu State Government. However, 360 members have been integrated into the conventional security agencies as follows: 200 into the Nigerian Army, 120 into the Department of State Services (DSS), and 40 about to be recruited into the Nigerian Air Force. A very recent cheering news has it at the beginning of March 2016 that Mr. President would enlist members of CJTF into the Military to fight against insurgency in the North East though the Nigerian Army had earlier stated that they would continue to partner with CJTF but that the State Government had the responsibility for their welfare.

The nucleus of insurgency in Maiduguri, North East Nigeria began with pseudo religious indoctrination of some youths who were convinced by some extremists that Western Education was harmful and injurious to their pure Islamic education, culture and tradition and that a State of Sharia Law would put a stop to “Westernization”! Those who embraced that ideology are the monsters which had devastated both the people and economy of this Nigeria abysmally while those who rejected the evil indoctrination constituted themselves into the Civilian JTF to confront the insurgency frontally! Though over a million people have died in the mindless war on all sides while properties worth trillions on Naira in monetary calculation had been destroyed, the bravery and determination of these patriotic citizens had in no small measure brought Boko Haram forces to their knees through their determined participation in the counter-insurgency operations of the security services! In appreciation of their gallantry in defending Bornu State alongside the Nigerian Security Forces, Governor Kashim Shettima, in December 2015, donated a sum of N20 million to them for their welfare, upkeep and allowances. He said no amount of such gesture could compare with the sacrifices made by the volunteers some of who laid down their lives for the State to survive and instructed that adequate medical facilities be made affordable to them at all times while more patrol vehicles were donated to them..

It is written: “When men are cast down then thou shalt say, there is a lifting up, and He shall save the humble person. He shall deliver the island of the innocent and it is delivered by the pureness of thy hand” [Job.22:29-30]
When the citizens were cast down, these brave youths fought gallantly to revive their spirits and deliver their land from captivity!

What Is At Stake if CJTF Members Are Not Properly Integrated!
We have it on good authority that, once upon a time, Civilian JTF vigilante group became “big boys” in their own rights, having misconstrued the rights and privileges of service men in war situation as those of primitive warlords!
That they arbitrarily arrested and detained suspects at will and at their whims and caprices!
That they questioned, interrogated and tortured “Boko Haram suspects” as they pleased even to the point of death!
That they abducted, young school girls, gang-raped, impregnated, dumped them to their fate and denied their nefarious and despicable acts when eventually identified and confronted!
That they mounted arbitrary “stop and search” road blocks where they humiliated members of the public by forcing some of them -especially women- to strip their clothes under the guise of searching for arms, ammunition or improvised explosive devices materials!
That they “arrested” policemen and soldiers in mufti (plain clothes) and who in spite of producing their identity cards, were still intimidated and humiliated by the liquor-intoxicated and “power-drunk-elites squad” of the CJTF!
That they had insisted on searching Military vehicles laden with sensitive materials and military hardware and had at such instances exposed the convoy to danger of enemy attack, ambush, ridicule and public embarrassment!
That they have confronted their mentors, the Military Joint Task Force (MJTF), teams on several occasions in shoot outs in which many of them (the CJTF vigilantes), lost their lives!
That they had breached all military and war protocols/rules of engagement in spite of the fact that they were exposed to emergency trainings by the Army on issues bothering on professional ethics and comportments in war situations!

THE ABOVE SCENARIOS MUST NOT BE ALLLOWED TO CONTINUE AS THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM IS ALREADY WON BY GOD-LED NIGERIAN SECURITY FORCES! As at the time of this publication, the “en sprit de core”, (service co-operation) between the DUO “forces” is very cordial especially when the war against Boko Haram terrorists is on the decline because there are factual evidences of massive surrender and plea for mercy by those who were captured by Nigerian security forces!

How To Deploy The Over 30.000 CJTF Members!
According to the information at our disposal, only 3.000 out of about 30.000 of the vigilante group were officially registered, trained and recognised for stipends by the Bornu State Government! This ten per cent portion is a far cry from solving post war rehabilitation of ex-fighters and victims and it would tantamount to putting naked fire on the roof before going to bed! It is imperative that all the North East Governors and the Federal Government would work together to ensure gainful and meaningful employments for these youths once everything simmers down! Between 2009-2016, a continuous period of insurgency and decimation of the combatants, the most logical reasoning will be to absorb all those who had been exposed to war before thinking of fresh recruitments. They will fit and blend into the Army’s Internal Security (IS) Operations, the Community Policing and Surveillance strategy for curbing social vices with additional training and re-orientation on how to deal with the citizens in peace situations! We need these youths to be integrated in order to always go to bed with our TWO EYES CLOSED every night all the days of our lives and of our generations yet unborn!


I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, 08130669886, 08098194390. 08080243066 g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.

The fact that President Muhammadu Buhari, had an impeccable antecedent , a humble and distinctive character, a charismatic personality and had always displayed a frugal and S partan kind of life , in spite of being a soldier for an a ppreciable period of time could not be faulted by his an tagonists, before, during and after the 2015 General Elections in Nigeria! In fact, PMB was and s till is an acceptable and likeable global leader who had endeared to himself to the rich and the poor alike!

There was a time when his opponents averred during the elections that the promulgation of Decree 4 of 1984 by his military administration was to gag the Press from exposing the “ skeleto n s in his cupboard” , but he proved them wrong when he declared and made public his assets which show that he never kept a foreign bank account and had one single account in Nigeria, thro ughout his entire military career , and had virtu ally no significant properties of his own ! The President has every right to flaunt his credentials to curry exter nal favourable political, economic and modern social amenities for his impoverished people from international sympat hizers and donor agencies in order to succour the painful and almost hopeless situation of livelihood at home and h e never forgot that he should walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT to fend for his people the TALAKAWAS who had been terribly downtrodden for too long and th at faith without works was dead! T herefore no one should blame him for exerting so much energy to solicit assistance from foreign countrie s where he strongly believed solutions would flow from in an avalanche! “What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and have not works? Can faith save him? [James.2:14].

Within the last eight months, President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), had made spirited efforts to bolster a new image as the Change crusader for the Nigerian Republic by attracting international attention for support in the areas of security, economy, the industry and general social welfare packages for the majority populace which had been suffocated with corruption as a way of life and could have drowned in the miry clay of national degradation without divine intervention at the last 2015 General Elections ! The President had me t with all of the world powers Presidents, H ead s of States and G overnments from all the continents throughout the globe and had solicited for all-round co-operation for the revival of the drowning “giant of Africa”! Starting with the West African sub-region PMB wasted no time on assumption of office between June and July 2015, to visit neighbouring P residents of Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, Benin and Chad, which formed allies with Nigeria against the Boko Haram insurgents . He also followed up towards the end of July 2015 , with a visit to the United State of America (USA), at the invitation of President Ba r a c k Obama , for a fence-mending tete-a-tete ; for the unsavoury roles played by his administration in all doom prophesies and negative diplomatic manoeuv rings against the Federal Republic of Nigeria ! PMB’s international shuttles has also taken him to the G7 Meeting in Germany , South Africa (twice), India, Iran Malta, France (thrice), Britain (twice), United Arab Emirate (UAE), Kenya, and Ethiopia ; where he recently attended the African Union (AU), 26 Ordinary Assembly Conference of Heads of States and Governments, held in Addis Ababa. In late November , 2015 PMB was a delegate at the Global Oil and Gas Conference held in Teheran, Iran and also at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Malta, chaired by Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II of England; which discussed fresh Commonwealth Initiative on Development and also Climate Change; and from there crossed over to Paris, France, where he attended a United Nations Conference on Climate Change from 30 November 2015.

Two days of his return from the last of the listed international journeys, on 3 December, 2015, the President departed Nigeria for yet another three- day global conference tagged, “China-Africa Corporation Forum” in Johannesburg, South Africa! In the new year 2016, PMB had embarked on the following international journeys; Kenya and Ethiopia in one stretch from 28 -31 January and an official visit to France and Britain in another stretch from Tuesday, 2 to 5 February. He attended the European Union (EU), Parliament Session held in Strasbourg, France during which he solicited for EU’s assistance and co-operation in areas of economic social and insecurity challenges a nd also had bi-lateral meeting with President of the European Parliament and called on EU to support Nigeria in its recent crisis and challenges in respect of oil theft and illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta as well as recovery of illicit funds. He also sought co-operation in Nigeria’s attempts to restore security, curb corruption and fight crime in order to achieve/ improve social stability to ensure open doors for full economic relations with Europe and the rest of the world. PMB promised foreign investors an immense business opportunities and guarantee for security of people and investments brought to the country But t ongues are wagging on all sides of the political, social and economic divide, among the opposition and the social media of the TALAKAWAS who now wonder why it should take so many space-shuttles to get the country back on track – especially when ONE SPACE JOURNEY COSTS A WHOOPING US$350.000 – 500.000, all expenses paid - ESTACODES and sundry allowances of an enlarged 80-member presidential entourage at such a n austere time according to “Black M arket ” foreign exchange auditors; because during his consistent absence from home, the Change generation minister s we re bent on milking the docile cow s and riding the willing horses of Nigerian workers and the able-bodied unemployed citizens to death !

When Mr President was away on space shuttle s , they conspired and increased electricity tariff by 45 per cent with effect from 1 February 2016; to further impoverish the TALAKAWAS of Nigeria whom President Buhari faithfully represent ; that was not all , the issue of multiple taxa tion of the working population wa s still much in the front burner whil e increased V alue Added Tax (VAT), which must conform with international standards because the downtrodden masses must be bled to death with an unbridled taxation regime that had neither social insurance nor security trust fund to cushion the deadly blows ! During the recent meeting with world leaders wh om he joined in London for the “Supporting Syria and the Region Conference”, co-hosted by Britain, Germany, Norway, Kuwait and the United Nations which began on 4 February, 2016, in solidarity for a tot al stoppage of the recalcitrant 5-year-old civil war in Syria , President Buhari seized the opportunity and privilege of his participation in the Conference to solicit for more global understanding, collaboration and support for Nigeria and other nations adversely affected by insurgency and terrorism .

ANY GAINS FROM THE GLOBE-TROTTING?
We did not criticize PMB’s 8-month international trips for the very plausible reasons that they were desirable for the much-needed co-operation mentioned in previous paragraphs and we were very correct in that Nigeria had become the beehive of foreign commercial investments by business entrepreneurs from all countries visited by the President . Compliments of the United States , Nigeria now has military support of DRONES and combat ha rdware to creditably win the war against the Boko Haram terrorists . The Federal Government also received from the US Government , Anti-Terrorism Assistance Programme [ATA], in which 200 Nigerian Police Officers benefited in October 2015 . T he Commonwealth countries, Arab c onglomerate of nations , and the Africa Union , have also confederat ed to support Nigeria at its time of need ; however President Buhari should realise that FAITH that is executed with the “arms of flesh” , carnality or aggravated enthusiasm as it now seemed would also be dead! Charity, it is said, begins at home; therefore now is the divinely appointed time for Mr. President to apply the brakes and sit back at home at least for the next calendar year to resolve the following more pressing challenges that are about to explode into national crisis. A sum of N29billion appro priated to purchase arms for Nigerian soldiers to continue the prosecution of war against Boko Haram is yet to be released six months on! Insecurity of lives and properties due to suicide bombing tactics of fleeing desperate Boko Haram terrorists due to absence of CCTV (Close Circuit Television) camera s in strategic soft - ta r get areas of the North East cities and towns and even in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)! Mr. President needs to probe the over $ 4 70 M illion fraudulent contract of the FCT CCTV cameras , which never functioned since 20 10 ! Electricity tariff is up by 45 per cent with effect from 1 February , 2016, even thou gh consumers are always short changed! The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), who also represent the masses of the people are already opposed to the mindless tariff are determined to resist the Federal Government through protests, pickets and the Industrial Courts because consumer rights have been sidelined and abused !
The unemployment statistics is growing by the day while those who are gainfully employed could not earn salaries as at when due because of the continuous challenge of thousands of ghost workers! The enormous challenge of how to execute the 2016 deficit budget after the National Assembly ’s scrutiny and appraisal is also outstanding! Since President Buhari has vowed to fight for the masses who bo r e the brunt of the economic woes of the nation since independence, it was high time he sat down to show his love to them as father to children because his presence would solve all of the above problems and even more!

In the meantime, Mr. President should delegate his overseas trips to his Vice and other diligent subordinates who will perform creditably and make him proud! The President’s last journey to France was fraught with danger as it was reported that his aircraft landed amidst very bad weather but we thank God that his detractors did not have the luxury to rejoice over his demise because he is the LORD’S anointed President and deliverer for the nation of Nigeria for eight consecutive years of two terms (2015-2023) ! IF GOD BE FOR US AS A NATION, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? NOBODY! Amen,
I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon. 08130669886, 08098194390. 08080243066 g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com .

Before the year 2014 when Nigeria was adjudged the largest economy and international commercial destination in Africa, South Africa had been the commercial nerve centre and the industrial attraction of world business gurus but with Nigeria’s superficially imposed image, a very cold diplomatic war brewed silently between the two big developing black nations! First, a privately-owned jet aircraft loaned by a Nigerian Pastor to transfer raw green notes of United States dollars totaling $9.3million, was apprehended and seized by South African anti-graft security agents in one of their local airports in view of the illegality of the whole transaction which involved the physical presence of an ex-South-South militant who escorted other members of crew to “purchase arms for the Federal Government of the Peoples Democratic (PDP), government of that period to fight Boko Haram terrorism! We have been reliably informed that the said amount would now be repatriated to Nigeria on 30 November, 2015, as a gesture of camaraderie to the new Change government of President Buhari! Second, in that same year, another diplomatic row ensued when a pastor’s six-storey building in Lagos State collapsed suddenly and killed more than 89 South Africans on pilgrimage to a self-acclaimed prophet in Nigeria – the flame of the ugly incident is yet to die! Now, MTN Nigeria, a subsidiary of MTN South Africa, Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator, is kicking off another diplomatic row by imploring the South African government to intervene and mitigate a fine imposed on it by Nigeria’s communications regulator, in the third week of October 2015 for contravening communications regulations in Nigeria! We will implore South African authorities to stand clear of this case which smells of covetousness and greed and by extension, a security breach on the part of their over ambitious ambassadors! A common trait of impunity runs through the veins and arteries of criminals, law breakers, covenant and truce breakers who, having infringed and contravened all manner of statutes or commandments either by default, commission or omission would always prefer to escape the consequences of chastisement or punishment! The recent exhibition of protests displayed by MTN Nigeria – a subsidiary of MTN South Africa, over a fine of N1 .4trillion (USD $5.2billion), by communications regulator, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), for infringement over Subscriber Identification Module (SIM), deactivation, was the highest form of irresponsibility and impunity by a major service provider of its caliber, and a show of executive rascality by its management board because the organization was privy and also a signatory to the fine template of N200.000 naira per unregistered SIM after the set deadline! MTN Nigeria failed to fully deactivate 52 million subscribers with unregistered SIM Card details on its networks within the stipulated deadline given to all mobile phone operators in the country to comply with its directive! THIS SERVICE PROVIDER WAS GIVEN TILL 16 NOVEMBER, 2015 TO PAY UP THE FINE OR FACE STIFFER PENALTIES! It should be noted by all and sundry that the era of disobedience to lawful orders and business as usual in Nigeria where the doctrine of rule of law is now well-grounded would no longer be tolerated – not by alien corporate bodies which were always out to infringe and corrupt governance through all forms of manipulations of the system. MTN Nigeria should understand that the time of bribing Nigerian Legislators with exotic mobile phones plus customized SIM Cards and the annual supply of credit cards are over and discarded in this period of national re-orientation, stabilization and sanitization! MTN Nigeria had displayed reckless greed and covetousness since 2002 when it debuted as a major service provider because it found gullible officials who would collect bribe even from the dead during failed administrations which were laced with executive-aided corruption which stank to high heavens! In spite of the fact that it came second after ECONET, it quickly embraced the fifty naira per minute billing without caring for the economic conditions and pecuniary situation of the masses – in fact it foisted a mantra of restricting the facility to the upper echelon of the society that can afford the exorbitant rates to the detriment of other considerations of citizens civil obligations like information gathering for crime prevention and security breaches! MTN SIM cards were sold for between N16.000 and 20.000 while the least of small handsets sold for N30.000 naira and above and the least amount of credit that could be loaded at that obnoxious period was N1.500. 00, until Globacom, an indigenous communications Service Provider invaded the scene in 2003 and broke MTN’s jinx by introducing per second call billing charges which the MTN claimed would take about FIVE YEARS to achieve because of their greed! According to REUTERS NEWS AGENCY, MTN Group now seeks to reduce the sanction by involving diplomatic intervention as its Shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), fell continuously following the news of the USD $5.2 fine imposed on the company’s Nigerian subsidiary as investors scrambled to cut their losses which had gone up to 16% in the last week of October, 2015! It is on record that MTN Nigeria garnered at least ONE BILLION NAIRA daily from subscribers for very poor, very irritating and very nauseating services rendered in the last 10 years of stiff competition by other major service providers and in a particular year declared a profit of N72 billion naira after tax, so it is convenient to assume that it could pay the fine without a sweat although their apologists insinuated that the fine could wipe out more than two years of their annual profit! Although MTN is still pursuing the possibility of canvassing a reduction of the fine, we opine that they be reminded of the African adage which states that: “Whatever a covetous person greedily amassed would always turn out as his undoing in monumental loss!” Some commercial analysts have expressed that MTN’s loss could also affect Nigeria’s international investment portfolio negatively if the fine was not reviewed downward but we beg to disagree and opine that it was better that the service provider outfit pay its fine to the last cent, sell or dismantle its operations in Nigeria in order to save Nigeria the continuous embarrassment of constant COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY BREACHES! *Did you know that SIM Cards registration was the brain-child of all Nigerian security agencies initiated since 2008 to assist in resolving crimes perpetrated through the use of phones in which criminal elements could not be identified with the number of the phones they used? *Did you also know that that the kidnapping of elder statesman and former Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), in September 2015, further compounded matters for MTN Nigeria, according to Reuters, when the service provider could not provide requisite information on its mobile numbers that were used by the kidnappers to negotiate a ransom with Falae’s family members? We would want to ask Nigerian subscribers who have been shortchanged for so long this very salient question, “Should MTN be allowed to jeopardize and breach our security arrangements with impunity or made to pay the fine and thereafter be expelled to allow for a quick end to Boko Haram terrorism or be allowed to continue business as usual to the detriment of other service providers which had consistently provided patriotic, diligent and quality services? Should we quickly forget MTN’s many deficiencies and fallibilities? Regular failure of network connections, breaks in conversation transmissions, outrageous billing systems, outright deductions from clients’ accounts for services not rendered, UNSOLICITED AND VEXTATIOUS SMS’s; deliberate invasion of private phone with all manner of perverse advertisements, forceful and criminal “conscription” of the clientele’ to subscribe to all manner spurious and dubious scams; bombardment and abuse of phone privacy though incessant and irrelevant calls 24/7; disappearance of credit balance from phone at the whim and caprice of the MTN service provider ; data plans conscription under the unknown “terms and conditions applicable”! Those who were patient to pursue their fundamental rights to the MTN Nigeria CUSTOMER CARE CENTRE have many sorry tales to tell – “you can stay glued forever without being attended to”! Should we go on? THE 10 COMMANDMENT SAYS, “THOU SHALL NOT COVET…….”! Other service providers should learn their lessons and remain focused as partners in progress with the new government which is progressively cleaning and cleansing the AUGEAN STABLE! The security of Nigeria must always take precedence in all business and commercial transactions ! A word is sufficient for the WISE! Amen.

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon,08130669886, 08098194390.g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.

Although the Federal Government of Nigeria has constitutional responsibility to judiciously manage and allocate financial proceeds derivable from all exploitable mineral resources in any part of the Federation as stipulated under the Exclusive Legislative List, the Derivation Principle of allocating some percentage of funds as compensation to the exploited States remained a priority according to the principles of fairness, equity and justice! Until recently with the change of administration, lip- service had been paid to diversification from the mono-economic product of Crude Oil to Agriculture and other Mineral resources which are in abundance in all States of the Federation. The oil-producing States of the Niger Delta had always been in the forefront of persistent agitation for increase in the Derivation formula which had been stagnant at 13 per cent since the new attempt at democracy in1999 and as such, Nigerians have been subjected to constant threats of warfare and destabilization of peace by militants of all categories from the region! Certainly it would be unpatriotic for any Nigerian to think that the Niger Delta region would not need extra funds outside of their Federation Account share to take care of the avalanche of devastation of the landscape which resulted from exploration and exploitation especially by foreign oil companies which were more concerned about profits than their corporate social responsibility pact! Fellow Nigerians domiciled in the hinterland, outside of Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, and some parts of Edo and Ondo States, needed to physically visit and experience at first hand, the mental, emotional, intolerable and inconducive environmental trauma, the indigenes of those areas had been condemned to for over 40 years of bad management by successive administrations! However, there is a twist to this line of thought even though about 90% of Nigeria’s economic income was derivable from crude oil extraction from the Niger Delta; if other Nigerians who benefit immensely from this oil funds should have empathy and join in demanding for an increase of Derivation percentage, should their Governors and politicians be insensitive to the plight of their own kith and kin by taking undue advantage of those who were restricted to rural livelihood?

A new line of thought points to the axiom which states that a person who had not complained of pain or general debility of the body needed not be over pampered with unsolicited hospitality which might turn out to be unappreciated as it was in case of two emerging groups who claimed: That no one should ‘poke nose’ or comment on how their governments dispensed both the affirmative 13% Derivation Fund and the monthly allocation from the Federation Account because they were in collusion with the management team in charge of the funds, and Those who became militants to take their own share of the national cake by force! During the National Political Reform Conference convoked by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, some Northern delegates drew attention of the whole House to the recklessness of Niger Delta Governors and their accomplices who virtually embezzled State funds with reckless abandon; but surprisingly, the delegates from that region seemed unperturbed as they neither contested nor denied the allegations but brazenly told anyone who cared to listen that they were content with whatever the Governors did with the allocations since the money in question belonged to their States!

That response of the Niger Delta delegates will remain intriguing to Nigerians as it would to posterity because as at that time the late Governor of Bayelsa, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, who outsmarted the London Police was already on trial in Nigeria for money laundering and embezzlement of public funds. Likewise his Delta State counterpart James Ibori, (presently serving jail sentences in a London Prison), was also under investigations by Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for similar offences! To date, at least five governors from the Niger Delta States, have been accused of financial misappropriation and embezzlement and three of them (including, Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State), have been successfully prosecuted and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment! The plight of the suffering masses of Niger Delta should be of utmost priority to all Nigerians who believe in the doctrine of fundamental human rights for all law-abiding citizens because neither the Conference Delegates nor the agitating Militants had ever spoken the minds of these helpless citizens who dwell and die in the most degraded manner in slums of oil pollution and acid rain of the worst type of ecological terrain! They are the THIRD voiceless group whose farmlands and fish ponds have been overrun by oil spillages and who were never compensated even when compensations were paid by the oil exploiters and who are the voiceless ones to have a say on how they were governed!

On 3rd November 2015, Amnesty International ( A Non-Governmental Agency which protects human rights, stands up for justice, fairness, freedom and truth world-wide), drew the attention of both the Federal Government and all citizens to a fresh wave of connivance between an international Oil Company, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), and a Nigerian environmental agency, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), to alleged forgery and embezzlement of funds allocated for clean-up of oil spills sites in the Niger Delta , which were not cleaned but for which CLEAN-UP CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION had been issued! Amnesty Country Director, Mr. Mohammed K. Ibrahim, who made the disclosure, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NANS), urged President Buhari to look into the fraud and that Nigerians should sue the two collaborators and partners in crime to get redress for the environmental injuries already afflicted on the psyche of the innocent and helpless indigenes of Niger Delta! The Human Rights Group had accused SPDC and NOSDRA of connivance and false claims of CLEAN-UP of oil spill contaminated sites in the oil-producing States some years ago when in actual fact, their claims were nothing but a well-calculated fraud and also suggested that the two agencies be charged to court and made to pay for damages and cited similar erring organizations like BP in the United States which had to pay heavy fines through criminal and civil litigations for justice to take its course! The Group also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that recommendations of the United Nations Environmental Program on the clean-up of oil spills sites in the Niger Delta region were implemented adding that its latest findings had placed a question of credibility of NOSDRA, the agency involved in the fraudulent exercise issuing certificates for unexecuted jobs in the first instance! Shell Petroleum Development Company (SDPC), has played pioneering roles in the Nigerian crude oil exploration and exploitation industry in the past 50 years and one would expect diligence, quality, dexterity, versatility, sincerity, uprightness, righteousness and perfection in all its business transactions but the reserve of all these qualities are what they have on display! Could it be that the corruptive portfolio of past administrations since independence had smeared on SDPC or that the malaise was actually part of their own business baggage to break through and maintain monopoly of the petroleum industry in Nigeria? But the crux of the matter is that, should the indigenes of a developing nation connive with foreigners to sabotage the main-stay economic product of their country and in aid of the love of money? *Did you know that the Yar’Adua-Jonathan Administration in 2007 flagged off the Amnesty program for Niger Delta militants which proffered peace for that region till date when the contract should be reviewed in December 2015? *Did you also know that,starting with Jonathan who studied Hydrobiology/Fisheries and Biology and was Assistant Director in the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), between 1993-1998, prior to his political career, Niger Delta indigenes had always been saddled with environmental degradation issues with the strong belief that they would identify where the “shoe pinches”! The Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs was at different times headed by indigenes who also had higher percentage of staff; all other Environmental Agencies including NOSDRA, which has colluded with SDPC, all have larger share of workers and Board members as indigenes with a view to ensuring quality delivery of all contracts! With this shocking revelation about NOSDRA, the big question now is that, WHOM WOULD THE NIGER DELTA STATE VOICELESS INDEGENES NOW DEPEND ON FOR JUSTICE WHEN THEIR OWN KITH AND KIN HAVE ALLEGEDLY HI-JACKED THEIR MONETARY COMPENSATION FOR UNEXECUTED CONTRACT BY ISSUING FAKE COMPLETION CERTIFICATE AND HAVE LEFT THEM HIGH AND DRY?

The ball is the domain of PMB who we expect to probe this grave allegation against NOSDRA and bring all erring back-stabbers to quick justice and also sanction SDPC officials who were also involved in this shameful contract which have destroyed hundreds of hundreds of lives and properties, just because of the love of money……they should be named, shamed, prosecuted and jailed to serve as deterrent to the present and up-coming generations of NIGER DELTA indigenes who deserve a better deal from their brethren and fatherland! Please always remember that only the TRUTH shall set us free as a people and that only RIGHTEOUSNESS will exalt NIGERIA as a nation because SIN remains a reproach to all of us!

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David Olufon.08130669886, 08098194390.g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.

Doing business in Nigeria had always been fraught with lots of undiplomatic bureaucracy deliberately packaged by relevant officials to force foreign investors, part with large sums of illicit “tips” in bribes and extortions! During the infamous Abacha’s Military junta of the nineties, a foreign journalist produced video footage of bribe-taking on an international television station by officers of the Immigration and Customs Departments on duty at the Murtala International Airport, Lagos and by top civil servants at the Internal Affairs, Trade and Commerce Ministries where he had several days of business transactions! His mission to Nigeria was a deliberate effort to prove that the country was the most corrupt nation as regularly indicated on the Amnesty International Annual Index report indices, but Abacha and his cohorts in government brazenly denied all facts and truths of the show of shame with the cliché “ It’s not in our character”! No wonder, Nigeria remains the most difficult commercial destination for foreign investors to transact business in 55 years of post-independence existence! A fresh economic report in the last quarter of 2015 has revealed that the country occupies 170 position out of 184 countries of the world in which business transactions remained an albatross! Especially in the past 16 years of failed governance, the country became notorious for all for all forms of criminality ranging from armed robbery to kidnapping, money laundering, oil bunkering, human trafficking, examination and election malpractices, currency forging, arson, contract killings, assassinations, impunity in governance and endemic corruption, to mention a few!!

WHY SHOULD NIGERIA CONTINUE TO ATTRACT INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION FOR NEGATIVE REASONS SINCE INDEPENDENCE? The Military came up with some spurious excuses of ineptitude, maladministration, tribalism, ethnicity, and most importantly, large scale corruption in government on 15th January, 1966, barely five years of freedom from colonial shackles and forcibly seized the hard-earned political independence from our founding fathers! But did they have to shed the blood of those who peacefully negotiated the nation’s liberty without firing a single shot? They did and since then, tons of litres of blood had ceaselessly flowed in Nigeria like the Rivers Niger and Benue waters combined! It was the case of one ambitious armed section of government which exploited its advantageous position to abuse the trust of its principal and turned the nation’s arsenal for external protection against the masses who had since then been subjected to remain the grass that suffered for as long as the battle for supremacy subsisted! The reprisal against the first military coup in July of the same year eventually led to secession by the then Eastern Region from the rest of Nigeria and a continuous flow of innocent blood issued for the 30 months that a civil war lasted! A wall of suspicion and insincerity had existed in the political game since the first military coup between the North and the South and to date - 55 years on; the dichotomy could not be bridged because it got wider and wider by the day! The Boko Haram terrorism is the climax of blood-flow which had continued unabated for over five years – 2009-2015 for the same fundamental accusations of maladministration, nepotism, tribalism and corruption in successive governments – civilian or military! Recently, some South West Yoruba Leaders have come up with the idea of “reconsidering the place of the South West in a union that could no longer protect them!” In a communiqué issued at the end of a Yoruba Summit entitled, “National Insecurity and the Menace of Fulani Herdsmen In Yorubaland” – held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital in the first week of October, 2015, the Leaders threatened to, “use all legitimate and peaceful means to attain self determination!” The nomadic Fulani Herdsmen are no strangers to all agrarian States in Nigeria because they moved their cattle and livestock to graze at random and in recent times have clashed with virtually all the farmers in all the 36 States and even, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for trespassing and destruction of farmlands and products! All clashes always ended in bloodshed and loss of precious lives and properties and a school of thought believed that the Fulani Herdsmen were a branch of the Boko Haram terrorists in view of the sophisticated weapons they employed in all encounters with the farmers! When a 77-year-old former Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria was abducted from his farm in Akure, the Ondo State Capital in September 2015, the Fulani Herdsmen who in past times had ravaged his large farmland, were fingered! The elder statesman who was eventually released after an alleged ransom was paid by members of his family did not disclose the identities of his abductors while the South-West Association of Fulani Chiefs denied the allegations!

SHOULD EVERY TRIBE IN THIS CENTURY-OLD AMALGAMATION ALWAYS OPT FOR SECESSION AS A PANACEA TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION? The embers of the “Biafran secession” flames of the sixties are still being fanned by a certain “Radio Biafra” and some group called Movement for the of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), in the South East and the Diaspora, while the Boko Haram terrorists want the North East to be carved out as an Islamic Caliphate and in the process have destroyed over a million lives and properties worth trillions of naira since 2009! The Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), is also planning to create a showdown if the Amnesty monetary package, being enjoyed by about 30.000 youths of the region to prevent them from blowing up pipelines or kidnapping oil workers, was not renewed at expiration in December, 2015, not caring that all forms of confrontations –minor or major – always ended in massive bloodshed! SHOULD THE BLOOD OF OUR BRETHREN CONTINUE TO CEASELESSLY BECAUSE OF OUR MINDLESSNESS? The excesses of the nomadic Fulani Herdsman for unleashing terror and mayhem against innocent farmers on their landed properties and in their homelands coupled with cattle rustling all over the country constituted the height of criminality and the brazen abuse of the fundamental rights of other citizens of Nigeria and has to be quickly addressed by the new Federal Government of our amiable President Buhari, who constituency transcends tribal, religious, political or social sentiments! Nigeria was a signatory to the United Nations initiative of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which targeted EIGHT world’s developmental challenges and committed member states of about 148 countries to achieve them by the year 2015, and ensure productive employment and decent work for all – including women and young children: eradication of hunger and poverty, half the proportion of people living on less than one United States dollar per day; achievement of universal primary education with emphasis on the girl-child education; promotion of gender equality, including empowerment of women at all levels by 2015; reduction of child mortality and in particular, reducing the mortality rate among children under five by two-thirds; improvement of maternal health by three quarters reduction of maternal mortality ratio and achieve by 2010 universal access to reproductive health; combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases; ensure input of environmental sustainability development into country policies and programmes; achieve significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers, by 2020; etc. In Nigeria, there had been an uneven results and achievements from the MDGs in spite of all Tracking Survey which was set up in 2012 to indicate that most of the goals were achieved ahead of 2015 deadline – especially the goal dedicated to achieving significant improvement in the lives of at least 100million slum and rural dwellers, by 2020 - otherwise the recurring issue of the nomadic Fulani Herdsmen atrocities would have been nipped in the bud long time ago! It was high time global negative attention on Nigeria be transformed to positive expectations in respect of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which formed the new agenda to actualize change from poverty to abundance and inequality to legitimate opportunities for all peoples in the developing countries of the world which the United Nations believed was achievable in the next five years - 2020! The year 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a brain child of the United Nations which metamorphosed into the SDGs at the September 2015 UN Summit in New York, will ensure that all the grounds that were articulated in the bold vision aimed at improving the lives of those threatened by diseases, inequality and hunger particularly in Sub-Sahara Africa, were maintained and sustained by member countries in over 148 nations of the global village. Incessant and continuous bloodshed will not help Nigeria to achieve SDGs; only peace, unity, tranquillity, and serenity under a righteous government under the able- leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and his divinely chosen team of ministers and advisers would deliver this nation from all maladies of neo-colonialism mentality! If the United Nations wished that Nigeria became an economically-viable and peaceful nation, must Nigerians wish for themselves violence and bloodshed? No part of Nigeria should ever dream of secession but proffer solution to all nagging issues that would always surface among diverse opinions! We beseech the Yoruba Leaders, MASSOB, MEND, and BOKO HARAM to sheath their swords and embrace meaningful dialogue through well-articulated conflict resolution channels. PMB once said in an interview that, “no person who was involved in the 30-month-long Biafran War, would ever dream of secession again in Nigeria”!

ENOUGH OF THE RIVERS OF BLOOD IN NIGERIA! BROTHERS SHOULD STOP KILLING BROTHERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN A DIVINELY ESTABLISHED GOVERNMENT IS NOW IN PLACE. Grazing lands and ranches should be allocated to Fulani herdsmen! We are in the 21 Century for God’s sake! “Righteousness exalts a nation, sin is a reproach.” [Proverbs. 14:34.].


I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon. 08130669886, 08098194390.g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.

TWO months after the advent of Nigeria’s new administration, the Boko Haram terrorists seemed to be perfecting guerrilla war tactics to destabilize Nigeria’s conventional military warfare!
Deaths through suicide bombings have increased by leaps and bounds and statistics figure point to over 1.000 killed during this short period while the military high command appeared to be helpless on how to combat the incessant deadly menace which had ravaged the entire Northern geo-political zones like a wild fire!
In the interim, President Buhari had intensified diplomatic efforts through high-level talks with all neighbouring countries of the West African sub-region, the latest of which are the Republics of Cameroon and Benin, to solicit their unhindered co-operation and military assistance to end the Boko Haram terrorism which had also taken its toll on the citizens and economies of these States.
Earlier, the military co-operation of European Union (EU) Countries, the United States of America (USA), Niger, and Chad Republics had earlier been sought by the new President and with their unflinching support and divine favour we strongly believe that the six-year-old insurgency will be totally annihilated!
Recently, the President revealed that Nigeria and her neighbouring countries possessed increased military capacity to deal with Boko Haram and other terrorists groups during an audience with Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa through the combined formation of a stronger regional military coalition of the Multi National Joint Task Force, (MNJTF), which will swing into action in this new month of August.

He also disclosed that the re-location of the Command and Control Centre of the Nigerian military now in Maiduguri, Borno State, had served as morale booster to the troops in the front-line States.
The core mandates of the MNJTF include total elimination of the terrorists and the liberation of all territories held by insurgents, rescue of all kidnapped persons, including the Chibok School, girls and restoration of peace and normalcy to the North East and the sub-region as a whole.

It is true that all necessary security infrastructures, officers and men, military soft/hardware and logistics and a take-off fund of $21million US dollars (4.7billion naira) donated by Nigeria and all local, regional and the pledged foreign aids needed for the MNJTF take off were on ground but the military management team needed to brainstorm about how to counter the terrorist guerrilla warfare tactics of hit -and-run and re-grouping which had been up-scaled, upgraded and had taken the wicked dimension of deploying female suicide bombers to soft targets - of motor parks and markets spaces since they perceived that their defeat in this war of attrition against Nigeria and the neighbouring countries was imminent!

Boko Haram began its uprising as a small indigenous but fanatical and extremist Muslim sect that was completely different in message and ideology from orthodox Islamic groups which when challenged by the authorities took advantage of a sizable number of illiterate indigenes, brain-washed them with the Jihadist doctrine of Islamising Nigeria or that part of the North East where they were domiciled.
Six years of insurgency against Nigeria had not made them a large army but still the same small but heinous and very dangerous group which had perfected guerrilla warfare tactics that had destabilized the Nigerian Armed Forces continuously since the year 2009 unabated.

It was reported that Boko Haram’s major grouse against Nigerian Government was the extra-judicial killing of their former leader by the Police Mobile Force which they vow to avenge with all manner of unimaginable brutality. Their initial lack of numerical strength and weapons to fight against Nigeria’s regular army did not deter them since they had the support of their immediate communities of local inhabitants, who provided them with food, shelter and information about troop movements and among whom they hid whenever they carried out hit-and-run attacks on vulnerable targets like motor parks, market places, churches, mosques and strategic government installations. They gradually moved into remote areas of the Sambisa Forest which was not easily accessible due to unfriendly terrains of that dense jungle when the heat was turned on them but suddenly became sophisticated overnight through various forms of sabotage activities against Nigeria’s conventional army when they clandestinely acquired assistance in the forms of victuals, munitions, medical supplies and classified information from fifth columnists within the government’s regular army through their sponsors and apologists as confirmed recently by the retired Chief of Defence Staff!

We recall that It took the Joint Task Force [JTF], the first three years of Boko Haram insurgency, (2009-2012), to discover and bombard the notorious hideout of these enemies of State, but surprisingly, these dare-devils were able to survive the heavy onslaught and had converted the Forest into a ‘formidable stronghold’!
How did they quickly regroup in 2013 to fortify the forest which then became a ‘NO-GO-AREA ?
SAMBISA FOREST was initially a game reserve of the colonial period which occupied approximately 600 square kilometres – North East of Bornu, Yobe, Gombe and Bauchi along the Darazo corridor, Jigawa, up to some parts of Kano State! The game reserve had wild animals, of the likes of leopards, hyenas, tigers, baboons etc. and decent huts, constructed for tourists’ relaxation, but which over the years, dilapidated and collapsed into disrepair for lack of further interest!
In 1991, the Bornu State Government incorporated the game reserve into the Chad Basin National Park [CBNP], and both ventures now occupy a total land area of 2,258 square kilometres, because CBNP, also included the Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands in modern day Yobe State!
In spite of this move, the whole exercise turned out to be a ‘white elephant project’, because the power and water infrastructures collapsed, the animals either died or were poached and weeds took over the entire forest! Laudable as government’s intention seemed, what we have today in SAMBISA FOREST is a jungle, a large undeveloped landscape, carved out by the colonialists to portray an illusion instead of civilization!
Imagine if the whole of SAMBISA was architecturally designed and constructed into modern cities like DUBAI, MUMBAI, PARIS even LONDON, would there be a jungle for terrorists to hide? When there is no hiding place, insurgents find it very difficult to operate because they would be sandwiched within the populace and be caught!
This Evil Forest, where the over 200 Chibok School girls were believed to be incarcerated, spreads to Kano State where teenage girls were deployed by the Boko Haram insurgents as suicide bombers! In recent times, several of such girls had caused havoc in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States having destroyed lives and properties with testimonies of tears, sorrow, pain and anguish in their trail!
The imprisoned population of SAMBISA FOREST had decreased with recent incursions by the combined efforts of the Nigerian Army and the Air Force to rout these sworn enemies of Nigeria and put an end to the insurgency!

Was it then not a surprise for Air Marshal Alex Badeh to disclose in his valedictory speech that the task of co-ordinating the military and other security agencies in the fight against the insurgents was perhaps the most complex and challenging assignment he had in his over 38 years in the service of the Nigerian Armed Forces, adding:
“For the first time, I was head of a military that lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight an ENEMY THAT WAS INVISIBLE and embedded with the local populace… furthermore the activities of the fifth columnists in the military and other security agencies who leaked operational plans and other sensitive military information to the terrorists, combined to make the fight against the insurgents particularly difficult.”

Coming from the highest ranking military officer of his calibre and disposition, one is bound to believe the sordid revelations which had been in the public domain since the sudden upgraded status and fire-power of the terrorists in the entire five years of the previous administration but the solution would not lie in this disclosures but in the measures that should have been proffered by the retired general!
In all of his valedictory speech, he did not mention whether counter-guerrilla warfare tactics were deployed by the Nigerian Army to destabilise the persistent and rapid terrorists’ suicide bombings operations which took an unprecedented dimension and spread to the North West and North Central, in the last two months of Buhari’s Administration!

We recall very vividly that AM Badeh as Chief of Defence Staff told the World Press in May 2014 that the Chibok school girls had been recovered by the military only that statement turned out to be a fluke at that level of command!
Prior to that statement, AM Badeh on assumption of office on 4th February, 2014, said that he would flush out the terrorist from the North East and Nigeria’s territorial borders within four months of co-ordinated military operation!
* Were these stale revelations not at his disposal when he first got into the saddle office or of what use would the belated regrets serve now that he could no longer suggest or proffer any palliatives? During his tenure, he neither identified nor arrested those fifth columnists who nearly ran the world-renowned and diligent Officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces aground.
Officers and men who complained of lack of sophisticated weapons and disobeyed lawful orders were court-martialled while those who pursued the war “obediently” were ambushed by terrorists who mercilessly wasted their precious lives due to the incompetent and corruptive tendencies of some generals who had over-stayed their welcome in the midst of the gallant infantry forces!
Badeh also regretted that the activities of the unpatriotic moles of the military not only blunted the effectiveness of the fight against the insurgents but also led to the “needless deaths of numerous officers and men who unwittingly fell into ambushes prepared by terrorists who had advance warnings of the approach of such troops”!

It is a good thing that the confessions of this retired general was not obtained under duress by Amnesty International which most recent report is still demanding that some Nigerian generals be investigated for human rights abuses and crimes in the ongoing war against terror.
Before and throughout his tenure terrorists had a field day as they overran villages, hamlets and even Badeh’s hometown with superior fire power because the general “opened his mouth too wide” and they established Islamic Caliphates in most border towns of the North East States!

How did the developed and advanced countries of the world, the United States of America, France, Spain, Mexico, etc., solve cases of guerrilla warfare tactics against their regular armies to ensure peaceable and tranquil societies since at one time or the other, they all experienced such unpleasant situations before and after World War II?

The answer lies in the application of latest scientific methods of the detection of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) through hidden weapon detectors /Closed Circuit TV cameras mounted in public transportations and in densely populated shopping malls, market spaces and motor parks which are major targets of suicide bombers!
There should also be the deployment of increased security motorised patrols of such areas and citizens awareness of the behavioural patterns, characteristics, demeanour, and mannerisms of terrorists laden with IED’s and about to strike, through massive media awareness on radio, televisions tracts/leaflets and billboards!

All of the above technologies are being improvised and are working in all modern cosmopolitan societies of the world and with a righteous government now in place in Nigeria and the necessary political will put in place, guerrilla warfare and suicide bombings will be totally annihilated in the nation!

By Dr Tunde Olufon. ( dvdolufon@gmail.com) 08130669886,

Youths in any given community, society or nation should always be accorded the fundamental basic rights to serve as the God-given grain reserve that would always replenish and enrich human existence and population according to His purposive plan!
*There is no gainsaying that youths are boisterous, vibrant, inquisitive, energetic, adventurous, impetuous and usually inspired to explore new grounds and overcome challenges!
In Nigeria, consecutive governments created a lacuna between their administrations and youths of all categories from cradle to adolescent due to the enormous socio-economic needs of these young generation as provided for in the Constitution.

There was deliberate gross neglect of youths because of failure to appreciate them as God’s heritage of pro-creation and to acknowledge their population and strength.

For instance, Primary and Secondary Health Care Centres designed for the prevention of infant and maternal mortality through adequate medical attention to babies and mothers, though in existence in some lucky communities, were never adequately funded and so the percentage of this medical challenge continued to rise astronomically unabated!

The countries leaders – especially since the new attempt at a democratic dispensation – had displayed the spirit of self-centredness of forcefully and deviously keeping the nation’s TILL to themselves by ignoring the most needful – which was the moral and secular education of the youths to secure a brilliant future for them as FUTURE LEADERS! The promise of free primary and secondary education that was printed in the nation’s consecutive Constitutions, and the promises of 2 million jobs annually for the youths had turned out to be a RUSE after all!
The implication of denying youths the fundamental rights to education, association and various social amenities under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution would always portend that grave danger of breeding uncouth and untaught youths whose deprivation would metamorphose into civil disobedience and eventual insurgency that would ravage and devastate the nation’s habitations, which they should, under normal circumstances had protected if they had had formal and qualitative education!
Such untaught and uneducated youths were deliberately used as pawn in the hands of heartless politicians of consecutive ruling authorities for illicit politics gains!

Because of their population of about 65-70 percent out of the 170 million Nigerians, and their dependency on the elders and leaders for necessary social and economic needs, especially money, they were easily manipulated and engaged as thugs for election rigging and for other clandestine purposes by these politicians who usually engaged and discarded such unwary youths at their whim and caprice!
*Was it not sufficient for these youths and by extension their parents to have endured this aberration of denial of their various fundamental rights especially, that of sound and qualitative education under the Military for about 30 years of looting and brigandage? And why would any serious democratic government inherit such retrogressive policy including the meagre funding of education of the youths in this modern digital world? The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), to which Nigeria belongs as member, in the seventies, recommended a paltry figure of 26 per cent of every nation’s annual budget, to cater for education at all levels. In Nigeria, the highest percentage ever voted by any government, was between 3-6 per cent! Should anyone be surprised about the terror being unleashed with much venom on the Nigerian society of the 21st Century that should be enjoying the peaceful and conducive dividends of a digital world?


We believe that the passions and yearnings of the educated youths could still be guided, counselled and re-moulded, but the violent and criminal tendencies of semi and stark illiterate youths which stares all of us in the face, MUST be of greatest concern to all right-thinking citizens of our great nation!
The Boko Haram terrorists who fall into the category of the illiterate were raised and bred by these same leaders still clinging to political power and would prefer that everyone else perished except themselves and members of their families!

Youth should naturally assume positions of FUTURE LEADERS OR LEADERS OF TOMORROW as the saying goes; but rational thinkers have classified that notion as mere FARCE!
*The old Nigerian politicians have no plans to abdicate their “exalted positions of affluence which is embedded in decadence” for as long as the breath of life subsists; but from all indications, their time is up because the educated youths have become wiser and intent in claiming their inalienable fundamental rights through democratic channels!
In a recent letter to Nigerian Youths, an unnamed graduate opined as follows: “Either our teachers lied to us about being the LEADERS OF TOMORROW, or tomorrow is yet to come. Who is fooling who?“ What a country?”
In 1985 – IBB was Military President of Nigeria and our teachers told us that Buhari, was also a former Head of State in 1984, and our teacher also called us, “Leaders of tomorrow”. It is about 30 years now, IBB and Buhari are still contesting for the presidency.
“In 1983, Bamanga Tukur was the Governor of the defunct Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba), and 31years later, he still became the Chairman of the ruling party PDP!
“ Dr. Bello Haliru was a Commissioner in the old Sokoto State (now, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara) and over 30 years after, he still became Minister of Defence.
“ Major General David Mark (Rtd), was the Military Governor of Niger State in 1984, and a two-term Senate President,(having been in the Senate since 1999), has been voted back into the 8th National Assembly.
“Governor Murtala Nyako, was the Governor of Niger State in 1976, and about 38 years later; he was impeached as Governor of Adamawa State after almost eight years as Governor.
“Ogbonnaya Onu, was Governor of Abia State in 1992 and 22 years later, became the National Chairman of ANPP that was collapsed into APC!
“Jonah Jang, was the Governor of Benue State in 1985 and 29 years later, became two- term Governor of Plateau State, and presently a serving Senator in the 8th National Assembly.
“Martins Elechi, two-term former Ebonyi State Governor, was over 80 years – it is only in Nigeria that this is possible! “We have scores of his age mates dominating the Senate, Federal House of Representatives and State Assemblies of the nation whereas today’s youths have no hope for the future!

“The so-called leaders have succeeded in looting the “recovered loots” of their predecessors; our economy’s being battered with strikes in the Health, Labour, Judiciary, Education sectors and today – students are paying heavily for poor educational services!
“IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE NIGERIAN DREAM, LET’S TELL THEM ENOUGH’S ENOUGH!”
We must feel compassion for the Nigerian Youths, though strategically placed by God to inherit leadership positions are being diabolically schemed out of the political equation and simultaneously from his divine heritage!
There is no gainsaying that the development and security of a nation rests squarely on the boisterous character, innovation and orientation of its youths. No nation can afford to neglect or despise the latent creative abilities/talents and innate labour-power embedded in her youths and hope to make meaningful economic strides or developments - especially in this 21st Century digital world!
*It is in the dreams, aspirations and hopes of our Youth, if well-guided, counselled and directed, that Nigeria as a nation can chart a new course of economic success and not in the stunted ideas and unfaithfulness of unrighteous people in government!
“When the wicked are multiplied, transgressions increase: but the righteous shall see their fall.”
*IF YOU ARE NIGERIAN YOUTH THIS IS YOUR GRAND OPPORTUNITY TO RISE TO THE CLARION CALL AND STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS IN THIS PRESENT ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF GOD THROUGH PRESIDENT MUHAMADU BUHARI !
*A WORD IS SUFFICIENT FOR THE WISE!

By Dr Tunde Olufon. (dvdolufon@gmail.com). Tel No- 2348130669886.

The soul, spirit and heart of Nigeria hearkened to the voice of Muhammadu Buhari, as he pledged his inaugural speech to perform creditably and fulfil the citizens’ higher hopes and aspirations for better dividends of democracy through proactive and diligent governance!

The Hosts of Heaven bore witness to the mission statement of this outstanding and highly revered astute and disciplined military statesman, who did not mince words with regards to his sincerity of purpose and determination to cleanse the Augean Stable left behind by previous administrations and give a new lease of worthy life to an over abused citizenry!

*Eagle Square, Abuja, Nigeria, the surrounding Secretariat Buildings and the lone statue of the cenotaph soldier watched in awe, ceremonies which led to the very first kind of change of guards from a ruling party in Nigeria to an opposition party which was given very poor ratings during electioneering campaigns!

President Buhari declared that he would not yield himself to anyone’s whims and caprice and would also not witch-hunt anybody, but would face the job of purging Nigeria of endemic corruption and past maladministration in the Power, Energy, Oil and Gas and the moribund Textile Industries Sectors.

We believe that our new President, with the benefit of hind sight, (remember he was in the saddle as Military Head of State, 1983-1985), patriotic support of Nigerians and divine guidance in wisdom and understanding, all tasks and challenges of his arduous commission would be surmountable in no time!

To quickly implement all of the above revolutionary ideas, especially on insecurity, without delay, Mr. President has ordered the relocation of the Military Central Command with immediate effect, from Abuja to Maiduguri, Bornu State to tackle head-long, the terrorism war of over five years through Boko Haram insurgency which has nearly crippled Nigeria’s dwindling economy! The Command would remain in Bornu State until terrorism is completely wiped out and all perpetrators are brought to justice!

Just as no human being can prevent the flaming red-hot Solar Super-Ball from undertaking its daily terrestrial chores of illuminating and invigorating the earth to give it life, so we believe that it will be impossible for any remnant cabal of the former government, to stop the brand new United States of Nigeria’s Management Team, under the watchful eyes of God, from totally annihilating corruption and executing its master plan of economic empowerment, transformation and emancipation agenda, according to divine purposive Will, in spite of the colossal $63billion national debt incurred by past administrations!

*Has the LORD not said?

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways;

“For as the heavens are higher that the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

“So shall My word be that goes forth out of my mouth; shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please [and] purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

“For you shall go out from [the spiritual exile caused by sin and evil into the homeland] with joy and be led forth [by your leader, the Lord Himself, and His word] with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all trees of the field shall clap their hands.

“Instead of the thorn shall come forth cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name of renown, for an everlasting sign [of jubilant exaltation] [and] memorial [to His praise], which shall not be cut off.” (Isaiah.55:8-13 Amplified Bible).

The LORD has spoken that He would rescue Nigeria in the year 2015 from satanic bondage to prove all false prophets wrong and also to shame the boasters who had told the world that they would rule Nigeria for at least 60 years without interruption!

But in spite of the boasters’ shameful defeat by All Progressives Congress (APC), at the pools, they have remained unrepentant and have not acknowledged the supernatural power and sovereignty of God over all His creation so that they can incur His wrath and be totally consumed in their pride and disillusionment!

Even before President Buhari took the oath of office on Friday, the 29th May, 2015, premonitions as to how the APC’s new cabinet would fulfil its masses-oriented manifestoes and meet the yearning expectations of miracles by most Nigerians, filled the political terrain in view of the very bad state of the economy of heavy domestic and foreign debt profile being handed over to his brand new administration!

We believe that those filled with negative ideas in respect of manifestoes fulfilment are the same one and only clueless politicians who were still stupefied with APC’s defeat of their party because at no time were they prepared for governance but have only displayed a 16-year process of political grandstanding on print and electronic media propaganda, while in reality, were actually embedded in corruption, avarice and sleaze with impunity!

In a muddled analysis in respect of huge debt left behind by the out gone administration, their spokespersons at different forums admitted the figure of the debt portfolio but claimed that the Federal Government only stood as guarantors for the 36 States, which incurred most of the debts in question.

However the following facts have emerged that this past central government had a penchant for accumulating foreign debts for wrong reasons!

Failed Presidents of the past 16 years championed the culture of domestic and foreign borrowing at ridiculously high interest rates of 15 per cent without considering the fact that they would finance both the Capital and Expenditure at the same exorbitant interest rates and in addition still service the loans!

Costs of servicing loans had remained a major challenge which always gave rise to higher debt profile which had defied all manner of repayment logics.

The loans plus interests maintained steady graph while servicing fees had to be paid promptly on monthly basis to avoid further sanctions and penalties according to terms and conditions of agreement!

Domestic debts before 29th May, 2015, stood at N5.9 trillion while foreign debt was three per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which translates to about $6.67billion

Financial experts criticised the last Administration in respect of the following loans which were acquired as they wound up:

They requested for $3.702billion (about N555billion) external loan for the construction of Railway project and other facilities of which the Senate approved, $1.54billion (i.e.N231billion) and financial watchers said, the rate at which that government took loans would definitely take the country to the debt trap of the 1980s!This approved amount, according to them, included $1.52million from the Import/Export Bank of China, for the Abuja-Kaduna rail line and national security; it also included $315million and $170million for Public Private Partnership (PPP), for national electricity and gas improvement projects!

Another external loan of $1.5billion (i.e.N225 billion) was still being pursued “for the construction of railway projects in Lagos and Abuja, and the Abuja Light Rail Project,” before the announcement of election results which removed them from power!

The import of all of the above is that the erstwhile Federal Government was addicted to external borrowing to prove to probing eyes and economic watchers that Internally Generated Revenues [IGRs], were always inadequate when it had never produced audited reports of the petroleum mono product which accounts for about 98per cent of Nigeria’s annual budget!

Domestic or external debts can be incurred when IGRs are inadequate to finance increase in government’s expenditure or to finance investments for economic growth of which the past administration has nothing to show the world because of its fiscal imprudence!

We totally agree with the analyst who said that the effect of external borrowing tantamount to loss of economic activities which can be seen in terms of under utilization of the nations resources; that the Federal Government should look inward in creating more revenues by harnessing the non-oil sector which had been neglected for long and that unemployment would be on the increase since money borrowed were not effectively used for infrastructure- building that could have attracted investors willing to create jobs. The Era of Change!

“I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody…; No settlement of old scores…; The past is prologue……; We have met on ground, pervasive corruption and insecurity which we shall address headlong…….; I thank our millions of supporters who voted, and waited even through the night to ensure their votes were counted……; We shall not disappoint them but will deliver according to our manifesto….; I thank our neighbouring governments of Cameroun, Niger and Chad for lending us their troops to fight Boko Haram and promised to fight and defeat the insurgents and thereafter probe their activities and those of their sponsors…; I assure the international community of Nigeria’s readiness to cooperate and help to combat threats of cross-border terrorism, sea piracy, refugees, and boat people, financial crime, cyber crime, climate change, the spread of communicable diseases, and other challenges of the 21st Century…..; these are few of the CHANGE PRESIDENT’s Words on Marble at the Eagle Square, Abuja, on 29th, May, 2015.

He lamented that though our founding fathers left impeccable legacy of sound economic management templates, some of their successors have behaved like prodigal spoilt children in governance!

President Buhari in his inaugural speech also expressed surprise that successive administrations since 1999, could only generate less than 2000 megawatts of electric power to over 170million Nigerians who have to depend on generating sets for domestic, business and industrial activities!

The economic scenario in which the new administration of President Buhari is inter-twined is that of a rising external debt profile which if not quickly addressed would become cumulative to the extent of creating the ugly experience of debt servicing while actual loan plus interest remain unpaid!

While we await godly appointed professionals, bureaucrats, technocrats, technologists, engineers craftsmen/women and economic experts to emerge from the new cabinet of ministers and special advisers, we call on Nigerians especially those who are patriotic to appreciate the enormous challenge ahead and to close ranks with the new administration and collectively put all hands on deck by allowing the rule of law to operate flawlessly and allow good governance to prevail.

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs.14:34).

President Buhari and the APC are the divine panacea for peace, tranquillity, economic prosperity, and a violence-free nation through good governance and because we are convinced that they are the long-awaited answer to our collective national prayers and supplications, we should give them the enabling and conducive environment to work by being law-abiding citizens!

The much expected CHANGE from sorrow to joy, pain and grief to relief and happiness, tears to laughter, lack to abundance, poverty to riches, decrease to increase, and minimum to maximum opportunities for a better life for the

great Nigerians who have sacrificed their blood and sweat, must begin to happen NOW, TODAY, TOMORROW and FOREVER! Amen.

As we welcome the new President and his management team on board the Nigerian murky political turf, we must remind them that to whom much is given, much is expected; and also to WARN THEM THAT WE OF THIS EDITORIAL BOARD WILL BREATHE DOWN HEAVILY UPON THEIR NECKS BECAUSE THE ONLY OPTION OPEN TO THEM IS TO DELIVER DIVIDENDS OF DEMOCRACY TO THE PEOPLE AND IN GOOD TIME TOO!

APC’s leadership must be ready to expel all “black legs and fifth columnists” whose ideologies would not be in consonance with the Party’s manifesto of prudence and total departure of impunity in governance, without delay!

OUR INEXTINGUISHABLE SEARCH LIGHT WAS SWITCHED ON AT THE EAGLE SQUARE TO MONITOR ALL ACTIVITIES OF BUHARI AND THE APC FROM DAY ONE, AND WE SHALL REGULARLY REPORT BACK TO THE MASSES AND TO GOD OF THEIR PERFORMANCES!

Domestic or External debts would not be acceptable as excuses for poor performances or failure to fulfil election promises! This young and energetic ex- soldier and his team must hit the ground running! The love of the LORD is their enabling strength because they can achieve all things through the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Muhammadu Buhari is divine choice; he is God’s anointed! SHIKE NA! (Meaning end of discussion). by Dr David Olufon. (dvdolufon@gmail.com).

+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch . I am, Yours sincerely,Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor.08130669886, 08098194390.g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com .]

There was a time in the land of Israel when idolatry, corruption, rebellionavarice, and self aggrandizement occupied the centre stage of the governance of renegade King Jeroboam who defied the Lordship of God over his country!

*One day, a man of God was sent from out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: where Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense to warn him of impending disasters but he got angry, tried to hit God’s servant when his hand “dried up so that he could not pull it in again to him!”

“The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.” [1King. 13:1-34].

*This biblical account also revealed that Jeroboam’s dried hand was restored through the prayers the man of God who refused the hospitality offered him in obedience to the LORD’S instruction that he should neither eat, drink, nor return by the same way to Judah on completion of his assignment!

*It is regrettable however that this same man of God was killed by a lion on his return journey because he was eventually lured to disobey God through the food and drink from which he was forbidden!

*A similar situation has unfolded in Nigeria, South of the Sahara, where Servants of God had been instructed not to covet the lifestyle of corrupt politicians who have ceaselessly robbed both God and the citizens of the large financial and solid mineral resources of this great nation with reckless abandon from the country’s independence in 1960![Psalm. 24:1-5]

*But the APOSTATES among them have thrown caution to the wind: they now dress flamboyantly, throw parties, dwell in FORTRESSES, drive state-of- the-art Limousines and Sport Utility Vehicles

[SUV’s], fly in their own private jet aircrafts and dine with Presidents Kings, Heads of State and Captains of Industries!

*They are making headlines for the same odious reasons of allegations of being too attracted to the RED POTTAGE which in this context signifies covetousness, greed, long-throat, “giraffing,” etc, at other people’s belongings, possessions, properties and acquisitions!

*In Genesis 25:29-34; the following account of the red pottage is recorded:

“And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field. And he was faint:

“And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with the same red pottage: for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.[meaning Red].

“And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

“And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

“And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright onto Jacob.

“Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink. And rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.”

*The dramatis personae are the first biblical twins who turned out to be rivals as they grew up under a biased and jaundiced parental oversight! [Read Gen. 25:19-28; 27:1-46].

*The news making rounds spotlight some Nigerian top-notch pastors of the prestigious Christian Association of Nigeria, [CAN], and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. [PFN], in a scandalous allegation of receiving BRIBE OFFERINGS of a whooping SIX/SEVEN BILLION NAIRA FROM MR. PRESIDENT AND THE PEOPLES’ DEMOCRATIC PARTY [PDP] who have of recent been fraternizing and politicking frequently with the Pastors for election gains but have pretended to solicit God’s blessings through WORSHIP AND THANKSGIVING ACROSS ALL CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS!

*On 3 February 2015, Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, publicly alleged that some principal Nigerian men of God have collected the sum of SIX BILLION NAIRA from the PDP to print libellous pamphlets to warn Christians against voting for the opposition presidential candidate, who was being accused of a secret plan to ISLAMIZE Nigerian if he became the next president and advised them to return the blood money!

Read below, Governor Amaechi’s allegations:

“Some Pastors collected the N6 billion and are circulating documents and telling you not to vote for an Hausa man, not to vote for a Muslim – tell them to return the N6billion to the Federal Government coffers from where it was stolen!

“Nobody can Islamize Nigeria. They, pastors, have commercialized Jesus Christ; they should stop commercializing our Lord and Saviour. “Jesus Christ chased away the money-mongers from the Temple. We will chase pastors who collected the bribe money away from the pulpit!”

*While PDP, CAN and PFN have all denied Amaechi’s allegations as the figment of his imagination another Nigerian Man of God – a pastor - boldly came out to disclose that the actual bribe money was N7 billion and not N6 billion as erroneously alleged by the Director General of Buhari’s Campaign Organisation, thereby confirming the word of God which says, “At the mouth of two or three witnesses, a matter is established”. [Matthew 18:16].

*WE OF THIS EDITORIAL BOARD ARE THE THIRD VOICE because we believe that without a FIRE, there would be no SMOKE!

*In the Red Pottage scenario, there were two prominent characters, namely: Esau, [the famished and covetous who sold his birthright], and Jacob, [the ambitious and cunning who bought the birthright]. Esau represents the greedy and rebellious pastors while Jacob represents PDP, the Tempter – which makes the culpable pastors and PDP, twins from the same parent -NIGERIA!

*From the ongoing analysis, the renegade pastors have sold their collective birthright to the PDP for red hot pottage in this rivalry between Light and Darkness!

*In our VOL. 2. NO. 59, Edition of 27-09-14; titled “GIVE A DOG A BAD NAME AND HANG HIM,” we took the following stand on the issue of the LOVE OF MONEY AND MONEY LAUNDERING AS IT AFFECTED MEN OF GOD IN NIGERIA! Below are some excerpts:

“The Big Brother of Africa had never had it so bad in image laundering, when in one fell swoop, within a very short interval of FIVE DAYS, a massive Pastoral six-storey edifice in Lagos State came crashing down in the “twinkling of an eye”; while in far away South Africa, a Canonical aircraft, was intercepted with $9.3million US Dollars of laundered, now being claimed to have been legally “appropriated by the Nigerian Government, for the purchase of arms, to fight Boko Haram terrorists!

“Both events which occurred on the 12 and 16 September, 2014, respectively, involved death of 84 South African citizens and also infringed on the country’s security network…..

“We once featured on a past edition of this Newsletter, the TEN GLOBAL RICHEST PASTORS who are competing favourably with global billionaire business moguls and captains of industries and interestingly, the owner of the edifice that claimed about 115 lives, mostly South African, in Lagos, Nigeria, recently, was adjudged to rank among them.

“The collapsed six-storey building had an approved building plan for FOUR, according to the Lagos State Government, but along the line, two more storeys had to be added, in view of accommodation demands by the international multitude that thronged the CHURCH FOR MIRACLES and the huge amount of foreign currencies that would accrue to the man of God…..

“THE DETAINED PRIVATE JET belonging to another prominent pastor was reported to have been leased to Third Party who was the custodian of the millions of the laundered GREEN NOTES found on board. We are waiting for this mysterious THIRD PARTY AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, who now claims ownership of the large cache of foreign currencies, to proffer necessary details of the illegal arms transaction deal to the Nigerian electorate and South African authorities without cover-ups of this avoidable scandal!

“The Word of God states that Divine Judgment would begin from the Household of God, which is now so infested with APOSTACY! [Ezekiel.8:1-18; 9:1-11;Peter.4:17]. The universe and all its atrocities of moral and political corruption have crept into the Church, because gullible and greedy servants of God have decided to flirt with the rogues and vagabonds in the world’s system contrary to the Lord’s injunction in the Gospel of Saint John.17:12-19, compare vs.1-11 and 20-26.

“I have given them your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”[vs.14-19].

“The world which Jesus Christ mentioned in the preceding quotation is the one that has become very hostile to God and God’s people through the activities of the ‘evil one’, Satan, who is doomed for destruction! Servants and disciples of God must not have the mind-set of the world because they have been “born again of the Spirit” and therefore children of God.[John.3:8].

“In addition He prayed that they should not be taken out of the world which He assigned as their PARISH, until the work of The Great Commission was fully accomplished.

“When the Lord Jesus Christ sent forth the 12 and 70 disciples for the work of evangelism,[Matthew.10:7-10;Luke. 10: 2-12], He gave them the following instructions, “…….As you go preach this message: ‘The kingdom of God is near, Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic or sandals or a staff; for the worker deserves his wages. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field. GO! I AM SENDING YOU OUT LIKE LAMBS AMONG WOLVES.

“Since the advent of the new democratic order in 1999, the Household of God had become a HAVEN AND REFUGE for corrupt, greedy, selfish and wealthy politicians who believe in signs, wonders and miracles to win electoral offices or access political appointments at all costs; and for the GHEHAZIS AND JUDASES within, it was easy for Satan to penetrate the CHURCH and try very hard to destroy it from foundation!

“Many servants of God have compromised their faith and that is why they now compete with the CORRUPT in dress fashion, state-of-the-art- properties of latest automobiles, modern structural edifices and jet aircrafts!

“WHAT BUSINESS HAS JESUS CHRIST WITH SATAN? What business has the CHURCH OF GOD with commercial mighty structural edifices and jet aircraft leasing…..?

“Imagine if the Man of God at Ejigbo, Lagos State, did not delve into the commercial venture of high-rise buildings…. imagine if the other man of God did not receive the gift of the jet aircraft, which he later leased to make much money…..imagine if they had functioned within the confines of their divine assignment, Nigeria would not have become ignoble and odious as it were today – a laughing stock – among the comity of nations!

“This is the Word of God for His obedient children who would not look at the RED POTTAGE of this world in the face like ESAU:

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the Temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the Living God. As God had said: I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people; Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the LORD.” [2Corinthians.6:14-18].

*In every bribery deal, there will always be a ‘mastermind’ with a hidden agenda which would tie the hands of the receiver to his/her biddings! If pastors would preach against all vices in the society, must they forget that they should live above board? Must they forget the Lord’s injunction which states that: “No one having put his hand on the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God?”

*Pastors should remain within the precincts of their calling as ambassadors of Jesus Christ who should fulfil their mandate of the Great Commission of evangelizing the world with the gospel, (good news), of the Kingdom of God and of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and not become wolves among the Sheep they should protect! The Lord is at hand to reward every one according to the works of his/her hands.

*IT IS MOST DISGUSTING AND DISGRACEFUL FOR PASTORS TO HAVE BECOME SUCH LAUGHING STOCK!

*Those who are involved should return the BLOOD MONEY because the LORD’S ANGEL has been assigned to execute judgement on the GUILTY! We have been WARNED!

[I am, Yours sincerely,Dr. David B.A. Olufon,Editor.08130669886, 08098194390.g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com .]

The rate at which Nigerian school children are being eliminated by Boko Haram bombs should be of great concern to all genuine citizens, who believe in the divine law of succession which emphasizes that the young would grow to succeed their forebears!

God saved Noah’s THREE children, Shem Ham and Japheth from drowning in the flood and their clans, according to their lines of descent, are products of our modern world as it is! [Genesis.10:18-11:32]

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

“As arrows are in the hand of the mighty, so are children of the youth.

“Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” [Psalm 127:3-5]

Children are providentially endowed as divine gifts and must therefore be meticulously nurtured, guarded and preserved for posterity according to His Word, “Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it.”[Gen.1:28a].

Some political apologist have posited that social vices like corruption, election or examination malpractices, official deception, poverty and insecurity, were SYSTEMIC and inherited problems and therefore should not be blamed on any incumbent administration!

The fundamental obligations of any government to its citizens include faithful execution of political, economic, social, educational, foreign policy, press freedom, environmental objectives, the judicious entrenchment of all fundamental rights and most importantly, the RULE OF LAW!

The right to life and the dignity of the human person should always take priority of place with every serious administration as no government can function without its HUMAN CAPITAL!

But when, the schooling population of any nation is deliberately targeted for pogrom by some bestial maniacs, who claim that Western education was evil as we now witness in Nigeria, desperate measures MUST be employed by government to save these future leaders at all cost!

Chapter IV, Section 33(1) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution states that every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in the execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.

Nigerian school children are being murdered in cold blood at random by savages and government seems to be incapacitated!

We must bring this fact to bear that, there is sufficient funds from all economic resources of this nation to cater for the needs of all citizens’ fundamental rights, if RIGHTEOUS politicians are in the saddle of management, but sadly, massive corruption has been the bane of this nation, especially in the past 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party’s [PDP] government of continuity!

*HOW MUCH WILL IT COST THE ADULT GOVERNMENT OF PDP TO PROTECT SCHOOL CHILDREN IN UNITY AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS ACROSS THE NATION IF THE COMMON WEALTH IS NOT BEING DIVERTED INTO PRIVATE POCKETS?

Working with a maximum figure of 100 schools, an initial expenditure of N50 million naira (fifty) each, totalling N5 billion, should take care of fencing, gates, a mixture of uniformed and plain-clothed security personnel equipped with communication gadgets, metal detectors small arms and SNIFFER DOGS, for each institution, would ensure the required positive results!

Had these security measures been in place on 10 November 2014, at the Government Comprehensive Senior Science Secondary School, Potiskum, Yobe State, only the suicide bomber would have died instead of the 47 who died with 79 others critically injured!

*A teacher who survived the attack narrated how the bomber was dropped off at the unmanned school gate, wearing a white shirt and black trousers –the dress code for students - and carried a bag over his shoulders.

*He was said to have been spotted by another teacher who noticed his odd behaviour of carrying a bag to the assembly ground, but kept quiet when interrogated and was forced to kneel down as punishment before the bomb suddenly exploded!

*That suicide bomber would not have gained free entry if the suggested security measures were in place.

*The Boko Haram terrorists have been responsible for all attacks targeted at schools in the last five years of its evil operations and had hampered the right of the children to qualitative education in the entire North Eastern States under the state of emergency!

Also in Yobe State on February 25, 2014, 59 boys were killed at the Federal Government College of Buni Yadi at night while they slept in their boarding apartments and the 24 buildings of the institution were all burnt down!

There were many other deadly and fatal attacks on secondary school of this geo-political zone which have sent hundreds of our innocent children to their untimely graves and which should no longer be published to avoid opening up fresh wounds and grief.

*MAY THE GENTLE SOULS OF THESE YOUNG HEROES WHO DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY, REST IN PERFECT PEACE WITH OUR LORD. AMEN.

Federal and State Governments may not be accused of inaction, but of insufficient and dedicated commitment, to save these delicate species of our POSTERITY from extinction!

*The Potiskum attack occurred just after the Federal Government announced that 2,400students would be enrolled in the country's SAFE SCHOOL INITIATIVE (SSI). *Eight hundred students each, from the three North Eastern States hardest hit by Boko Haram’s terrorists activities, were already penciled down for admission into other unity schools across the country with the consent of their parents, just over six months after the insurgents kidnapped more than 200 school girls from Chibok, Bornu State.

*The Safe School Initiative was launched at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Nigeria, by Nigerian business leaders, working with the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, Mr Gordon Brown, the Global Business Coalition and a World at School.

The Initiative was launched with an initial $10million US dollars in response to the growing number of attacks on the right to education in the North East States and in solidarity, the Federal government agreed to match the amount with an additional $10million, in a meeting between President Jonathan and the UN Special Envoy for Global Education.

One hundred ($100million US dollars), is set target for the SSI to which more funds would be raised according to the Envoy who promised his assistance.

This joint effort on the protection of the right to learn in Nigeria is based on best practices from global standards which emphasizes that Safe Schools must be prioritized for continuity in education, even in HIGH RISK AREAS!

*We appreciate the fact that sufficient funds have been made available according to the Finance Minister, who expressed the hope that SSI will re-kindle the needed motivation for parents and children whose sense of safety had been shattered by the violence.

Students under the voluntary programme would enjoy full scholarships covering books and boarding from Junior Secondary School I, to Senior Secondary 3, at the 32 Federal Unity Schools across the country. Funds will also be made to parents who would visit their wards occasionally.

The SSI is a very laudable project which deserves necessary precautionary security measures since the entire North East schools could not re-locate to other parts of Nigeria.

There is urgent need for all the physical measures suggested earlier to be implemented without delay if this administration is truly sincere to its citizens.

We also recommend a synergy between parents/teachers and community groups for greater advocacy on additional needs to protect education from attack in this geo-political zone.

The SNIFFER DOGS which were purchased to harass the ELECTORATE at Ekiti and Osun States gubernatorial elections should now be re-deployed to work in all schools to prevent the suicide bombers from causing further mayhem in those institutions.

In addition we should all exert our spiritual energies in seeking the face of the LORD who said:

“Thou shall have no other gods before me.

“Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in Heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth.

“Thou shall not bow down thyself to them, not serve them, for I the LORD thy God, am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.

“And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.”[Exodus.20:3-6].

*In Nigeria, all the gods are numerous and abound! There are the gods of high and low-level corruption, avarice, embezzlement, brazen robbery of the COMMON WEALTH, stealing, armed robbery, adultery, fornication, cheating, arson, impunity, intimidation, human parts trafficking, assassination, smuggling, money laundering etc, the list is very long!

It is not too late for all of us as a nation to turn a new leaf, fear and respect our Creator who is ever-ready and always willing to reason with us in spite of the multitude of our sins, with the following promises to those who would humble themselves before Him:

“Come now and let us reason together, saith the LORD, though your sin be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat of the good of the land.

“But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” [ Isaiah.1:18-20; 2Chronicles. 7:14].

*The steadfast love of our Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end they are new every morning, always, new every morning; great is thy faithfulness O Lord, great is thy faithfulness. Amen.


(. I am, Yours sincerely,Dr. David B.A. Olufon, 08130669886, 08098194390.g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com ).

ARBITRATORS who negotiate Peace and Conflict Issues were often apt to adopt a global parlance which claims that: “WITHOUT WAR, THERE COULD BE NO
PEACE”, as part of their Rules of Engagement, when pacifying gladiators to embrace that well-rehearsed traditional belief and world-view!
*Who would originate that kind of fallacy which is the complete opposite of the divine message:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. For ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break
forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” [Isaiah. 55:7,8,12].
*Men who are led by the Spirit of God will recall that the events of CREATION in Genesis, Chapters One and Two, were carried out under peaceful, tranquil and
serene atmosphere which the LORD pronounced as, VERY GOOD!
*God did not create the wars and conflicts of the human race and that is why the only logical conclusion of ending all wars and conflicts would always be at
ROUND-TABLE CONFERENCES OR PEACE DIALOGUES!
*Beginning from World War I, 1914-1918 and to date, peace was never achieved at the war fronts or the trenches! The United Nations (UN) and North Atlantic
Treaty Organisation (NATO) are products of Peace Initiatives!
*FORTY-FIVE years ago in Addis Ababa, the Horn of Africa’s capital city of Ethiopia, a peace initiative was brokered by the Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU),
now African Union (AU), to end the 30-month-long Biafran war of secession against Nigeria and presently in 2014, in Saudi Arabia, negotiations are on-going to
end a-five-year-old insurgency spearheaded by Boko Haram, the Muslim terrorist group, against the corporate State of Nigeria!
*The “still born” nation of Biafra was located in the South Eastern Region of Nigeria occupied by the Igbo Tribe from independence in 1960; while the
insurgents had brazenly occupied a portion of the North Eastern State of Bornu consisting of three local governments which they christened, an “Islamic
Caliphate!”
*We thank God that both claims are now “dead and buried” as Nigeria remains one united and indivisible great nation under the watchful supervision of the
SOVEREIGN GOD HIMSELF!
*The 30-month-old Biafran or Nigerian Civil War, began on 6th July 1967 and ended on 15th January, 1970, under the Commands of General Yakubu Gowon,
(who turned 80 years on 19th October, 2014) and late Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, with the unifying declaration of “NO VICTOR NO VANQUISHED”, by General
Gowon. (Retired).
*The immediate and remote causes of the Civil War included Ethnic, Economic, Cultural, Religious, Political bias, Attempted Secession and most importantly,
the mass killings of Nigerian citizens of Eastern extraction during the period between the Second ‘coup de tat’ of July 29, 1966(master-minded by Northern
soldiers in retaliation to the first, carried out by Igbo soldiers of the South East, on January 15, 1966 and the start of the secession war in July 1967!
*At the end of the war, “BIAFRA”, was re-united and re-absorbed into Nigeria, following series of both local and international arbitration in Africa, Europe and
the United States but not before about 1.5million lives (military and civilians), have perished in an AVOIDABLE WAR!
*Both the Biafran and Boko Haram Wars have one thing in common and that is, the OPTION FOR DIALOGUE; but outside of this premise, there are a lot of
dissimilarities, which MUST be pragmatically approached to bring the very unstable CEASE-FIRE agreement with the insurgents to permanent PEACE and an end
to the prolonged conflict!
*The Biafran War, was conventional because both sides recognised their enemies or adversaries while battle lines and war fronts could be identified.
*Caution was exhibited on the part of the Federal Government which was very reluctant to wage war against its citizens but as it became inevitable: time,
space, opportunities, human and material resources, were devoted to several peace accords, before, during and even up to the end of the war!
*TWO very prominent Peace Accords include those of ABURI in Ghana and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. At the Aburi peace negotiations, Ojukwu was reported to
have insisted on settling for a CONFEDERATION instead of an outright SECESSION, which was initially contemplated; while at Addis Ababa, the Federal
Government implored Ojukwu to surrender to save the Igbos from the continuous pains and agonies of war by opting for a UNITED NIGERIA!
*GENERAL YAKUBU GOWON (RTD), was divinely appointed as the Head of State saddled with the task to convince Ojukwu that Confederation was synonymous to
Secession and that a united Nigeria was the preferable solution!
*We of this Editorial Board doff our hats to this Octogenarian, who is still alive to Go On With One Nigeria and is still able to bend his knees to God in
consistent supplications and prayers, to keep this nation united especially when our detractors have negative intentions!
*The Editor of this article was privileged to be part of General Gowon’s entourage which travelled to participate in the OAU’s Peace Initiatives of
September 7th-9th, 1969, and as Head of the Nigerian Delegation to this last effort which brought the war to a happy ending on 15th January, 1970, the General
delivered a very powerful and soul-searching treatise which captivated the hearts of all parties involved to the extent that on the eve of the last day of the
conference, some DELIGHTED BIAFRAN DELEGATES DANCED TO SOUL MUSIC AT A NIGHT CLUB IN ADDIS ABABA IN CELEBRATION! To God, be the glory. Amen
*Our delegation also met, the late Emperor Haille Selassie of Ethiopia, Presidents Milton Obote of Uganda and late Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, separately, in the
course of the peace conference, in Addis Ababa.
*On our return journey to Nigeria, our entourage made stopovers at ENTTEBE AND KAMPALA IN UGANDA; AND NAIROBI IN KENYA; all in East Africa for General
Gowon to show gratitude and cement the good relationship and support of the Presidents of those countries during all peace initiatives!
*The 1970 PEACE that was won through blood and sweat has been on trial in the past Five Years because of the Boko Haram terrorism, which is a complete
departure from the Civil War, both in scope and dimension!
*The insurgency is a war of attrition laced with guerrilla warfare tactics in which terrorists attack government infrastructures, power and police stations,
Christian targets – bombing church gatherings at Christmas, New Year, on Sundays and motor parks, bus stations, food stuff markets and killing at random
Muslim Clerics opposed to their extremist ideologies and disappearing among their communities whom they deployed as human shields!
*Whereas the Igbos neither attacked fellow Igbos nor invaded other regions to vent their anger on innocent citizens, the Boko Haram have consistently gunned
down, slaughtered, killed, maimed, used Improvised Explosive Devices(IED’s) and have destroyed their kith and kin in all Northern States and the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT); also other tribes without discrimination to tribe, tongue, religion caste or colour!
*And whereas the Biafran secession lasted for 2years, 6 months, one week and two days, Boko Haram terrorism which began in 2009 is still ongoing; 5 years in
spite of CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT!
*Whereas Biafran Leaders responded to all peace initiatives, the terrorists initially refused to all entreaties for peace for the following reasons:
(1) Government did not allow them freedom to practice their own kind of Islamic faith of extremism and fundamentalism, but hounded and intimidated them
with security agents since 2001.
(2) Were prevented from establishing a “pure” Islamic State ruled by Sharia Law in order to put a stop to what it deemed “Westernization”. [Boko Haram means
Western education is harmful!].
(3) The extra-judicial killing of their founding leader, Mohammed Yussuf, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force in 2009, without any form of redress
to the group!
*Now that they have at last agreed to dialogue, whichever of their THREE CELLS is being engaged in the Saudi Arabia Peace Initiative, should be encouraged to
persuade the others to cooperate and bring this brutality to a speedy end!
*The terrorists promise to release the CHIBOK GIRLS in batches should also be facilitated according to the terms of agreement which has been a behind-the –
scene global norm of HOSTAGE EXCHANGE, even among the SUPER POWERS!
*Up to a million innocent Nigerians have been murdered in cold blood while an equal number are displaced and have become REFUGEES in their own country
since this senseless war began in 2009! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
*2015 General Elections is at the DOOR! This is the most appropriate time to fish out the righteous men and women from among us and vote them to lead us
into a new era of peace and tranquillity, according to the Word of God:
“And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever and ever.
“And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places.”[Isaiah.32:17-18].
And the Lord Jesus Christ has equally assured peace to all Nigerians; saying: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I
unto you. Let not your be troubled, neither let it be afraid![John. 14:27]. Amen. I am, Yours sincerely,Dr. David B.A. Olufon. Editor.08130669886, 08098194390.g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail. com)

Thank GOD, the ceasefire has finally come through.

In the order of organic creation and seniority, animals and birds arrived first on earth before MAN!

It was on the fifth day of creation that God commanded the waters to produce abundantly, living creatures like the great whales and winged fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven; the earth to produce, cattle, creeping thing and beast, after their kind, blessed and sent them forth to become fruitful, multiply and fill the waters and the earth, and it was so! [Genesis.1:20-25].

And on the SIXTH day, (the last day of creation), MAN was created in the image and likeness of God and was also blessed, “…. to be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and all the creatures that creep on the ground” [verses,26-28].

In addition, God also gave to Man, every seed-bearing tree on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it, the beasts, the birds, all creatures that have breath of life and every green plant for, FOOD!”[verses, 29-31]. And so, the first became the last and the last, FIRST!

But with the emergence of EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE (EVD), like the viral MAD COW AND BIRD FLU DISEASES, which ravaged continents of the world in recent times, this contagious and epidemic plague, contacted by humans from some birds and animals like BATS, BABOONS MONKEYS OR THROUGH OUTRIGHT CONSUMPTION, of these bush animals as divinely endowed to man for FOOD, these organic species are beginning to gain the upper hand by infecting the humans with their FLESH!

We perceive a LACUNA between God’s blessings upon Man and the ongoing global viral EBOLA disease, which has become a CURSE upon the human race, through the same birds and animals that should be dominated, subdued and freely consumed by divine command and expressed permission!

*Did God change His mind and turned the creation BLESSING into a CURSE? *But why would the Sovereign One reverse himself and ridicule the Masters before their slaves?

Let us search the scripture for divine explanation because it seems that God is angry with His human creation!

In Genesis.2:17, God gave the first command to Adam, the Administrator of the World to keep off the fruit tree in the centre of the Garden of Eden with a warning of the consequences of DEATH upon disobedience! Adam was not scared; he and his wife ate fruits from the forbidden tree through the deceitful promptings of the animal called Serpent![Gen.3:1-27].

We have no doubt on our mind that, that clandestine move, signalled the great rivalry between Man and Animal kingdoms, because the evil seed of disobedience planted in Man’s life by an animal eventually led to the destruction of the Adamic World with flood![Gen.6:5-7:24].

In spite of this judgement, God began a fresh fellowship with Man through the nation of Israel, which He graciously rescued from the Egyptian bondage with signs wonders and miracles, to showcase His sterling qualities of holiness, righteousness and perfection to a new Human World!

Apart from the TEN deadly and intimidating plagues, which included, rivers of blood, massive frogs, lice, flies, fleas, death of all cattle, boils, thunder hails, it was the death of all Egyptian first born, including, Heir to the throne, that produced Israel’s freedom from 430 years of bondage and slavery!

While hell was let loose upon Pharaoh and his citizens, the JEWS dwelt in a place called GOSHEN, within the Egyptian territory, but were not harmed by any of the plagues!

The miraculous crossing of the RED SEA on a dry ground was a further proof of GOD’S LOVE to the Israelites who were sandwiched by the Egyptian army on the orders of Pharaoh who reneged on his promise! [Exodus.7:1-14:1-31].

Regrettably, GOD was again provoked to anger and had to destroy all the 600.000 able-bodied men of war and their wives (except Caleb, Joshua and children under 20 years of age), in the wilderness journey of 40years![Exodus. 2:24-20:24, Numbers.11:1-26:65].

*As mentioned earlier, Ebola, is another one of the several plagues that have besieged humanity since the crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, who prophesied, among other things, that before His second advent to judge the human world of their heinous sins, there would be PESTILENCES, in divers places across the universe! [Matthew. 24:7b. King James Version, (KJV)]. These pestilences would serve as punishment to a wicked world which rejected the Son of God, nailed Him to the CROSS like a common criminal and also as a reminder to the SAINTS and FAITHFULS[to remain steadfast in the Lord], in view of His impending judgement of all ungodly people!

When Pontus Pilate, the Roman Emperor, who sat at the “kangaroo tribunal”, failed to find any fault against Jesus Christ, he, at the Jewish people’s persistence, sent the Son of God to the gallows and released Barabbas, a notorious robber, according to an annual clemency policy for criminals and the Lord’s Jewish brethren applauded the “judgement”, by saying, “LET HIS BLOOD BE UPON US AND OUR CHILDREN”, forgetting that the whole world of many nations was divinely bequeathed to the Friend of God and Father of faith - ABRAHAM![Gen.12:1-4].

*IS MAN’S PRESENT PREDICAMENT NOT A CASE OF HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF THROUGH THE LORD’S PROPHECY OF THE PREVAILING CALAMITIES BEFALLING OUR WORLD?

*What is pestilence? It is, any very serious infectious disease that spreads quickly and kills large numbers of people!

Ebola, has taken over from the HIV/ AIDS venereal disease, (discovered in the early eighties) which has destroyed thousands of lives in almost two-and-a-half decades of its trail!

But before the advent of the these two

global scourges, there was the very devastating BUBONIC PLAGUE, BLACK DEATH or BLACK PLAGUE, which ravaged Europe and its environs in the Middle Ages and consumed between 25-50 per cent of its population!

Bubonic Plague [BP], is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and is transmitted to humans from RATS infected by the oriental rat flea.

It is so named, for the characteristic feature of ‘buboes’, (painfully enlarged lymph nodes or glands), in the groin, armpits, neck and elsewhere. Other symptoms include, headache, fever, chills and weakness which can lead to gangrene (tissue death) of the fingers, toes and even nose-bleeding!

Ebola is equally a deadly virus that causes severe, uncontrollable bleeding within and without the human body as it spreads to damage the immune system and other organs!

Because EVD spreads to people by contact with the skin or bodily fluids of an infected animal, like monkey, chimpanzee of Fruit Bat, touching contaminated needles or surfaces, it is very important to quickly spot the symptoms to prevent viral spread!

*What are the Ebola symptoms and how are they diagnosed?

*Ebola symptoms can show up from between 2-21 days of incubation while those of Bubonic Plague which is deadlier, is between 2-3days!

The following symptoms are noticeable in any case of EBOLA VIRUS INFECTION: Sore Throat, Lack of Appetite, Stomach Pain, Head Ache, High Fever, Weakness, Joint and Muscle Aches; but it could be difficult to rely on these symptoms which are also common to other diseases like Cholera, Malaria or even Typhoid! However, it is important to know that, after 21 days, symptoms of Ebola virus could get worse and cause internal haemorrhage, that is, excessive bleeding within the body and external, through the eyes, ears, nose, bloody diarrhoea, coughing up of blood, vomiting and rashes!

Therefore, scientific tests must be quickly carried out by medical experts to diagnose Ebola virus infection through blood and tissue tests! The high-risk individuals to the Ebola virus who MUST be adequately protected with effective modern garbs are the HEALTH WORKERS and MEDICAL PERSONNEL who, professionally care for those infected through the isolation process, to which they are exposed and also the burial of Ebola-deceased patients!

Although, the Ebola hemorrhagic fever kills up to 90% of infected people, a person who, though, infected, but had not shown any symptoms, cannot spread the disease! EBOLA CANNOT BE CONTACTED THROUGH AIR WATER AND FOOD according to scientific experts, if painstaking CAUTIONS are exercised! Immediate ISOLATION from the public domain of all suspected cases to avoid and prevent the spread, personal hygiene and sanitation of hand washing with soap and water, or sanitizers, round the clock, become IMPERATIVE!

From the foregoing analysis, it is crystal clear that MAN, through his own actions and inactions, separated himself from divine love. He has sinned and has thus come short of the glory of God!

This treatise will be incomplete if we are not reminded of the CURSES PRONOUNCED FROM MOUNT EBAL during the life and times of the small tribe of Israel, whom God presented to His universe as the delectable show-piece of His Holy standards.[ please read Deuteronomy 27:13-26 and also The Song of Moses Chapter 32:1-47].

Israel, is still embroiled in war with its Arab neighbours over homeland disputes, because of the unbroken curses upon them as a people and all other nations of the world because of the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis. 12: 1-4.

Nigeria in 54 years of independence from colonial bondage cannot claim to have known peace, even for one single year. The masses, who are in the majority, keep wallowing in poverty, while a handful of the new Masters pocket the commonwealth and dwell in affluence and luxury!

No matter how much they stole, rulers in Nigeria do not go to jail, even, when found “guilty” – they normally paid fines with the stolen money!

Definitely, God is angry with the few who are benefiting from the predicament of the Nigerian poor masses who bear the brunt of Boko Haram terrorism, armed robberies, murders, arsons, etc, and now EBOLA! His judgement is at the door of all who have been fingered to have had hand in the shedding of the blood of innocent Nigerians!

This edition is a clarion call to all God-fearing children to repent from all ungodly attitudes, embrace the Lord Jesus Christ for divine defence and protection in order to escape these pestilences which are prompted by the accuser of the brethren because of our multiple acts of disobedience to God’s holy laws!

The hand writing on the wall speaks very clearly that Satan had instigated all curses that have befallen mankind from the beginning of creation. He is very envious of the human race because he lost his position of honour/glory and has been judged by God to spend eternity in Hell Fire!

We must no longer allow Satan to place the animals above us because we are God’s highest and most intelligent creation; our position must remain at the TOP as it is written that we shall be the Head and not the Tail! GOD HAS PREPARED THE CITY OF GOSHEN FOR ALL HIS OBEDIENT CHILDREN AND THEY WILL NOT BE AFFLICTED BY EBOLA OR ANY PLAGUE IN JESUS CHRIST’S NAME! AMEN. i am yours sincerely Dr David B.A Olufon 08130669886, 08106490254, dvdolufon@gmail.com.

A Sudanese-British philanthropist and Communications Entrepreneur, Dr. Mohammed “Mo” Ibrahim was born at the end of the Second World War, grew up in the African Continent that is allergic to modern civilization/ digitization and also piloted by several self-centred, corrupt and avaricious leaders to the detriment of their illiterate masses!

In 2006, he established a Foundation with a focus on the critical importance of credible leadership to actualize his cherished dream of good governance amongst the present crop of African Presidents, through a very generous monetary retirement benefits, bigger than the Nobel Price!

The Foundation aims to ensure meaningful change on the African Continent by providing tools to support progress in government by defining, assessing and enhancing leadership qualities among African Presidents while in office.

Presidents are monitored by various organs of the Foundation to identify the developments achieved in poverty alleviation, education, industry, manufacturing, sustainable and equitable prosperity etc.

At the end of tenure in office, on an annual basis, one exceptional and incorruptible President is awarded by an independent committee with a Prize money of $5Million US Dollars initial payment plus $200.000 per year for life – an amount that is believed to be the world’s largest-exceeding the $1.3Million Nobel Prize! In addition, such a President is globally highlighted as a ROLE MODEL and Africa continues to benefit from the experience and expertise of his exceptional leadership as he is enabled to continue in other public roles on the Continent.

The Mo Ibrahim’s Foundation defines governance, “as the provision of the political, social and economic goods that a citizen has a right to expect from his or her State and a State has the responsibility to deliver to its citizens.”

Sadly, African Presidents have not measured up to the lofty ideals of this honourable organisation as only THREE of them have received the exorbitant prize money in EIGHT YEARS and the logical conclusion to this “APATHY” is their ALLERGY TO CHANGE!

Most African Presidents venture into office to savour the power, pomp pageantry, spoils of office and consequently amass all the corresponding wealth which accrue in the process of time, to the advantage of their families and cronies; not the masses!

Accountability in office is taboo because their hidden agenda is to perpetuate themselves and conduct government as private property which assets were never declared since the nation’s funds are usually invested to amass more wealth to the advantage of the ruling class!

Whereas, the purpose of the laudable Foundation is to challenge those in Africa and the world to debate what constitutes excellence in leadership, the standards of credibility set for the prize are high and the number of eligible candidates, very few, which makes it most unlikely for the coveted prize to be awarded annually.

Most African Presidents cannot wait or depend on philanthropy after the opulence of office where there was opportunity to appropriate billions of dollars to themselves and this attitude has rendered Mo Ibrahim’s Foundation a moribund venture from inception a shattered dream and a misplaced priority!

It is common knowledge that good testimonies were always celebrated while bad ones are kept secret. This explains why the super-rich African Presidents would rather keep mute over their assets and leave the inquisitive to keep guessing!

The following quotation was the outburst of the Nigerian President, who in 2013 during a Media Chat exhibited anger against being coerced into public assets declaration:

“The issue of assets declaration is a matter of principle. I don’t give a damn about it, if you want to criticise me from Heaven. The issue of public declaration, I think is playing to the gallery. You don’t need to publicly declare any assets. If I am somebody who wants to hide, it is what I tell you that you will believe.”

We cannot blame Mr. President from being very blunt, after all, the size of a leader’s purse, reveals the transparency portfolio of government because it is POSSIBLE FOR SOME PRESIDENTS TO BE RICHER THAN THEIR COUNTRIES!

On 9 August, 2007, as Vice President, Mr. Jonathan bowed to pressure and publicly declared a total net worth assets of N.295.304.420.00 Billion, because he had “nothing to hide”, according to his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs!

We believe that this issue might be very delicate and dicey - seven years after the last declaration- because that figure would have attracted more deposits in form of salaries, allowances, interests, commissions and might be astronomical to provoke PUBLIC PANIC AND OUTCRY ON THE EVE OF AN ELECTION YEAR!

We were also informed that before 1999, Mr. Jonathan – as a civil servant -declared his assets on seven consecutive occasions and therefore empathize with his frustration and outburst!

However, we counsel that the time is now ripe for Nigeria to re-apply to join the global anti-corruption body called OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP [OGP], which boasts of the membership of SIXTY major countries since investiture in 2011 and to which Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and South Africa are members and which is now viewed globally as a mark of a country’s high transparency standard.

Nigeria was rejected twice because of negative corruption indexes of previous years!

OGP emphasizes member governments’ commitments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and use new technologies to strengthen governance.

Last week Wednesday, the social media came alive with the news of the categorisation of world’s richest AFRICAN PRESIDENTS and KINGS, by the US-website of ‘Richest Lifestyle’. Nigeria’s Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and King Mswati III of Swaziland, tied in the SIXTH position with an estimated net worth of $100million US Dollars each! Nigeria’s Aso Villa wasted no time in denying the report with a threat of litigation in the absence of retraction and apologies for the embarrassment caused to Mr President.

Others on that list from the first position are:

1.Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola -$20BillionUSD;

2.Mohammed VI of Morocco, -$2.5Billion USD;

3,Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea,- $600Million USD;

4.Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, -$500Million USD;500Million;

7.Idris Deby of Chad, $50Million; and

8.Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe,- $10MillionUSD.

It is certain that there would be more denials from the government and thrones listed on that website as the days go by.

KING SOLOMON did not have to declare his net worth assets because he inherited all of them through GOD who made him the wisest and Richest King the world has ever known and would ever know, but the Bible still recorded the net worth assets of Solomon’s immense wealth as over

$174.040.602.660.00Trillion US Dollars. [1Kings.9:1-10:29].

When riches and wealth are legally acquired, there would be no need for secrecy about public declaration as was confirmed by the Holy Spirit, in the case of our highly revered King of the Old Testament Bible.

However the concern of our editorial board on these revelations has raised the following questions:

1. Were people forced or conscripted into public offices which demanded faithful allegiance and obedience to all statutory laws of government?

2. Do public officials believe in accountability to the citizens whom the constitution recognizes as the POWER BROKERS?

3. Do they realize that while in public office, they have become public figures- to be criticised, harassed or intimidated from time to time in respect of good or bad policies of government?

4. Why would they get angry or aggrieved for being subjected to the masses demands and agitations?

The following, is the Bible’s record of King Solomon’s divine favour:

At Gibeon, the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, O LORD my God, you made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

The LORD was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will give you a wise and discerning heart so that there will never have been anyone like you nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for- both riches and honour- so that in your lifetime, you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your Father did, I will give you a long life.”[1Kings.3:5-14]

Can the Nigeria still boast of men like King Solomon who asked for the Spirit of Wisdom and Discernment instead of those of Riches and Vengeance? The answer is YES because CREDIBLE CITIZENS are now urging Nigeria to join OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP and entrench transparency in government as the necessary tool to turn the followership around for the necessary support and co-operation that would move the country to greater level of economic progress as we approach a new year of general elections which had been predicted by the detractors as a year of schism and break-up for our great nation.

They have predicted a “casting down”, but we prophesy a “lifting up” for Nigeria and Africa! Amen . I am, Yours sincerely,Dr. David B.A. Olufon, .08130669886, 08098194390.g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com .]

lets hope it is not propanganda and that it will be soon.

ZION B-BC NEWSLETTER.

[ A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church, Kpeyegyi, Abuja Nigeria. ] { VOL. 2. NO 59. 27-09-14.}

“GIVE A DOG A BAD NAME AND HANG HIM”!

The Big Brother of Africa had never had it so bad in image laundering, when in one fell swoop, within a very short interval of FIVE DAYS, a massive Pastoral six-storey edifice in Lagos State, came crashing down in the ‘twinkling of an eye’; while in far away in South Africa, a Canonical aircraft, was intercepted with $9.3 million US Dollars of laundered money, now being claimed to have been legally “appropriated” by the Nigerian Government, for the purchase of arms, to fight Boko Haram terrorists!

Both events which occurred on 12 and 16th September 2014 respectively, involved death of 84 South African citizens and also infringed on the country’s security network.

Now, an unprecedented diplomatic row is brewing between the two governments of Nigeria and South Africa in respect of the collapsed building which is demanding forensic investigation into all circumstances surrounding the tragedy. In addition, some South African families are brazing up to sue the Nigerian Pastor and his Ministry over the loss of their relatives in the most unfortunate disaster!

The South African Government is also demanding from Nigerian authorities, why a private jet was deployed for commercial arms transportation through a clandestine and undiplomatic channel involving two Nigerians and an Israeli citizen, still being detained, with the aircraft!

For a country that is aspiring to be counted worthy among the first twenty most economically global viable nations in the year 2020, Nigeria deserves positive international relationship and imagery especially through anointed men and women of God, but what obtains now is absolute negativity from these products of a very corrupt government and society!

The Sierra-Leone President, in a highly publicised personification of Nigeria’s economic achievements, has said on television, and we quote, “When Nigeria sneezes, all other African nations catch COLD!”

Coming from a statesman of his stature, one cannot dismiss the accolade, but we believe that our kind-hearted West African neighbour missed the mark! Considering the President’s exposure to the Transparency International global corruption index rating of Nigeria, we expected him to avoid SYCHOPHANCY, and ‘say it as it is’, “IF NIGERIA SNEEZES, ALL OTHER AFRICAN NATIONS CATCH CORRUPTION!

Though Nigeria had constantly ranked between the first and fifth most-corrupt nations of the world since the Military incursion into governance, previous administrations barefacedly denied the allegations and sadly enough, those presently in the saddle have not helped matters because they openly relish and celebrate this obnoxious and very repulsive corruption appellation, as a national way of life!

Those who should be in prison are those running the affairs of political parties and the civil government without challenge or hindrance!

In 2012, Nigeria ranked 139 out of 176 countries, an improvement in comparison to previous corruption perceptions of this very credible Transparency International Non-Governmental Organisation. Other countries which tied with Nigeria that boasts of thousands of CHURCHES for that ignominious position, were, Azebaijan, Kenya, Nepal and Pakistan!

We once featured on a past edition of this Newsletter, the TEN GLOBAL RICHEST PASTORS who are competing favourably with global billionaire business moguls and captains of industries and interestingly, the owner of the edifice that claimed about 115 lives, mostly South Africans, in Lagos, Nigeria recently, was adjudged to rank among them!

The collapsed six-storey structure had an approved building plan for FOUR, according to the Lagos State Government, but along the line, two more storeys had to be added, in view of accommodation demands by the international multitude that throng the CHURCH FOR MIRACLES and the huge amount of foreign currencies that would accrue to the Man of God!

Although an investigative committee has been set up by the Federal Government, several speculations as to what went wrong are awash in the Social Media, but we believe that sooner than later, the whole TRUTH would be revealed by the HOLY SPIRIT.

THE DETAINED PRIVATE JET belonging to another Nigerian prominent pastor was reported to have been leased to Third Party who was the custodian of the millions of the laundered GREEN NOTES found on board. We are waiting for this mysterious THIRD PARTY AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, who now claims ownership of the large cache of foreign currencies, to proffer necessary details of the illegal arms transaction deal to the Nigerian electorate and South African authorities without cover-ups of this avoidable scandal!

The Word of God states that, Divine Judgement would begin from the Household of God, which is now so infested with APOSTACY!] Ezekiel.8:1-18; 9:1-1-11; Peter.4:17]. The universe and all its atrocities of moral and political corruption have crept into the church because gullible and greedy servants of God have decided to flirt with the rogues and vagabonds in the world system contrary to the Lord’s injunction in the Gospel of Saint John, 17:12- 19, compare vs.1-11 and 20-26.

“I have given them your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”[vs. 14-19].

The world which Jesus Christ mentioned in the preceding quotation is the one that has become very hostile to God and God’s people through the activities of the ‘evil one’, Satan, who is doomed for destruction! Servants and disciples of God must not have the mind-set of the world because they have been, “been born of the Spirit” and therefore, children of God. [John.3:8].

In addition, He prayed that they should not be taken out of the world which He had assigned as their PARISH, until the work of The Great Commission was fully accomplished.

When the Lord Jesus Christ sent forth the 12 and 70 disciples for the work of evangelism [Matthew.10:7-10; Luke.10:2-12], He gave them the following instructions, “…….As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of God is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic or sandals or a staff; for the worker deserves his wages. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field. GO! I AM SENDING YOU OUT LIKE LAMBS AMONG WOLVES.

Since the advent of the new democratic order in 1999, the Household of God had become a HAVEN AND REFUGE for corrupt, greedy, selfish and wealthy politicians who believe in signs, wonders and miracles to win electoral offices or access political appointments at all costs; and for the GHEHAZIS and JUDASES within, it was easy for Satan to penetrate the CHURCH and try very hard to destroy it from foundation!

Many servants of God have compromised their faith and that is why they now compete with the CORRUPT in dress fashion, state-of-the-art properties of latest automobiles, modern structural edifices and jet aircrafts!

WHAT BUSINESS HAS JESUS CHRIST WITH SATAN? What business has the CHURCH OF GOD with commercial mighty structural edifices and jet aircraft leasing? The commission of the CHURCH can be summarized as follows:

“….All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”[Matthew.28:18-20; compare Mark. 16:15; Luke 24:46; John 20:21; 21:14 and Acts.1:1-8].

There is no ambiguity in the Lord’s command to His Church which should follow every instruction to the letter. The EARLY CHURCH was very united in obedience to Jesus Christ and their success was very resounding in the winning of SOULS which is the Master’s greatest concern.

They were very conscious and avoided being “ yoked”, that is being hooked and compromised with the rogues of this world who only dwell on the ephemeral things and such, distanced themselves from the global RAT RACE! [Acts of the Apostles.2:14-5:16]

The Apostles did not turn themselves into emergency billionaires like most of the present End Time servants of God who usually fleeced naive members of the congregations of their hard-earned savings without them receiving ‘MIRACLES’ paid for with great toil and hardship!

Imagine if the Man of God at Ejigbo, Lagos State, did not delve into the commercial venture of high rise buildings….. imagine if the other man of God did not receive the gift of the jet aircraft, which he later leased to make much money,…….imagine if they had functioned within the confines of their divine assignment, Nigeria would not have become ignoble and odious as it were today – a laughing stock - among the comity of nations!

This is the Word of God for HIS obedient children who would not look at the RED POTTAGE of this world in the face like ESAU:

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the Temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the Living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” [2Corinthians.6:14-18].

Men and women of God, Deacons, Pastors, Reverends, Bishops, Arch-Bishops, Evangelists, Apostles, Missionaries, General Overseers and Superintendents, this is a fresh clarion call from the Throne of Grace for purification from all filthy lucre that contaminate body, soul and spirit and begin a new union of perfect holiness out of reverence for the sovereign God whose judgement would start from among the Pastors and the Brethren!

Anointed men and women of God should be spiritual assets and not deficits to their nations. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the CHURCHES. Amen.

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this great opportunity as you pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations. Please look forward to more divine revelation in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and remain blessed in the Lord. [For weekly access,to this newsletter, log on to: facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch or http://www.zfbbc1..comhttps://www.google.com/+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch . I am, Yours sincerely,Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor.08130669886, 08098194390.g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com .]

ZION B-BC NEWSLETTER.

[ A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church, Kpeyegyi, Abuja Nigeria. ] { VOL. 2. NO 57. 14-09-14.}

NYSC OFFICIALLY ADMITTED INTO THE MONEY-MINTING CLUB!

It is high time the NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE CORPS’ compulsory one-year programme, (of Orientation Courses and Primary Assignments), was conducted ONLINE to avoid students protests over the newly introduced print out fees of FOUR THOUSAND NAIRA!

This option will remove all encumbrances of embarking on annual physical and at times dangerous journeys, backlog of postings and lobbying in respect of States of primary assignments!

Corps members will contribute positively to programmes of nation building ONLINE on governments’ requests and be meaningfully engaged to earn living wages through such mutual contracts.

Unlike what obtains presently, the weekly Community Development Service [CDS], the only primary assignment, has been reduced to talk-shops and subsequently a total waste of another calendar year of the youths – most of whom had spent more than six academic years due to staff/student crisis!

ADVERT: NYSC 2014 BATCH ‘C’, has ordered online registration of local and foreign-trained Nigerian prospective corps members and printing of call-up letters, on payment of a compulsory N4000.00 fee!

“The management of NYSC wishes to inform the general public and Nigerian graduates (both foreign and locally trained in particular, that with effect from 2014 Batch ‘C’ mobilisation exercise, mobilisation processes will be online at www.nysc.org.ng or portal.nysc.gov.ng or www.nysc.gov.ng to link the portal.

*Those who wish to get their call-up numbers by SMS/e-mail and subsequently print their call-up letters online are to pay the sum of (N4000.000), using any bank’s Automated Teller Machine(ATM) Cards on the PIN Vending option from any bank in Nigeria.”

This ADVERT, which jolted indigent students, parents/guardians who might not anticipate unbudgeted expenses also stated as follows:

“However, those who wish to collect their call-up letters from their institutions, NEED NOT PAY THE N4000.000, AFTER THE ONLINE REGISTRATION (for 2014); BUT IT BECOMES COMPULSORY WITH EFFECT FROM 2015 Batch ‘A’!

Registration for 2014 Batch ‘C’ Service began on 20 August and ends on 12 October 2014.

It is very clear that online communications between intending corps members and NYSC management staff had been an established practice since the advent of modern technology; the only aspect that is new is the clandestine introduction of the print-out fee of Four Thousand Nigerian Naira, which is a lot of money to a lot of UPRIGHT people!

Graduates have never complained of collecting call-up letters from their various institutions and from all indications, some clever persons were only eager to make “SOME ILLEGITIMATE MONEY”, before this administration packs up and disappears; after all, the MINISTER of Internal Affairs “DID IT” ONLINE on behalf of the Immigration Department, with the support of some CONSULTANTS, raked in over N45million and got away with the amount, in spite of about 19 DEATHS in various Stadia across Nigeria where mock interviews were held!

Before now, there was a massive call for the scrapping of the NYSC Scheme for non- deliverance of dividends of democracy to the YOUTHS WHO MAKE UP over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population of about 170million people.

We appreciate the fact that this POST-WAR SCHEME INITIATIVE was well-intentioned by the Military administration of General Yakubu Gowon, who believed in the corporate existence and unity of Nigeria, but the programme had long lost its ideology, intention and focus because of the unresolved issues of CITIZENSHIP, INDEGENESHIP “SETTLERS” and at times RELIGION, which had claimed precious lives of Nigerians, including corps members, who were virtually forced to untimely deaths under the guise of the patriotic zeal to serve their Fatherland!

Since the inception of the scheme in 1973, corps members had been posted to States other than theirs to engender cultural/traditional affinity for national unity and integration.

In the past 41 years of this programme, our young graduates dwelt with other tribes of different social and family background to learn the culture of the indigenes in their areas of postings and primary assignments during the SERVICE YEAR, but it is very sad to say that Nigerians have gained virtually nothing from the laudable initiative!

The outcome of the recently concluded NATIONAL CONFERENCE, comprising ALUMNI DELEGATES of several NYSC SCHEMES and which has polarized citizens along indigenes/settlers divide and creation of more States from existing towns and villages, is a good reference point!

Nigerian Youths are not being positioned to take over the mantle of leadership at any point in time due to unfavourable government policies on education in respect of critical infrastructures and academic staff union welfare, which keep them “studying” for almost THREE DECADES of their life!

According to government, the NYSC Scheme should create “entry level jobs” for participants, including a FORUM, dedicated as an avenue to share job information, career opportunities /resources and sourcing of loan from the National Directorate of Employment [NDE].

Nigerians are all witnesses to the ongoing very serious insecurity situation which has bedevilled the nation through youth restiveness, militancy, brigandage, armed robberies, kidnappings/abductions, insurgency and terrorism, being perpetrated mostly by the YOUTHS!

The Word of God says: “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.”[Proverbs. 22:6]. Moral and spiritual lessons MUST go hand-in-hand to dedicate a child on the right path of life while instructions and discipline should also be involved to direct the child on the way to Godly wisdom.

In his four-point agenda, the new military Director General [DG] of the NYSC states that he would “improve service content, enhance welfare and safety, expand partnership of scheme with critical stakeholders for greater impact funding and support.

Should we be surprised if the funding must come from corps members who would remain idle and unemployed for a COMPULSORY SERVICE YEAR?

It is a common phenomenon in Nigeria for job seekers to pay non-refundable thousands of naira to purchase Forms online for uncertain ‘employment opportunities’!

As at Saturday, 13 September, 2014, unemployment statistics of able-bodied and employable Nigerians, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of Nigeria, stood at 23.90 per cent compared to a record low of 5.30per cent in 2006! The unemployment challenge stands out as one of the most critical problems facing Nigeria as a nation even as a Presidential Job Board [PJB], was inaugurated last week with much publicity, to rescue the situation.

We will watch very closely for miracles, because thousands of graduates would soon be released from NYSC Camps into the Labour Market. The present administration is very good at running government policies on Radio, Television and Print Media, but we will not be distracted from identifying smoke screens!

There is a daily Federal Government Radio jingle of job advertisement for 50.000 graduates through SURE-P, [Subsidy Re-investment Programme], which by now must have gulp millions of naira as publicity charges and which in actual fact, has not identified job opportunities for the teeming graduates, because our governments are insincere!

Titled, “Sure-P Graduate Intention Scheme”, the jingle encourages private sector employers to identify the job seekers professional skills and mentor them while GOVERNMENT PAYS THEM MONTHLY ALLOWANCES!

Let us assume that private sector investors actually identified these graduates and commenced mentorship, would the monthly allowances replace the LIVING WAGES promised by successive governments to NIGERIAN YOUTHS during political campaign rallies to curry their votes?

THE NYSC SCHEME HAS OUTLIVED ITS USEFULLNESS AND SHOULD BE SCRAPPED WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY!

We challenge government to publish, for public consumption, the 41-YEAR SCORECARD of this establishment which has only served as a CONDUIT PIPE OF ORGANISED CORRUPTION JUST LIKE THE INFAMOUS FOUR TOWERS ENTERPRISE IN ABUJA!

*From 1973-2014, has NYSC Management team ever arranged or provided transportation by AIR, LAND or SEA for corps members to ease definite challenges they might face in travelling to places of primary assignments across the length and breadth of the country?

*Are any allowances appropriated for transportation, accommodation general welfare or medical expenses throughout the service year?

*Were there any manner of security arrangements provided, when many corps members were murdered in cold blood during past communal and political crisis across the nation?

*Is the monthly stipend of N19.500.00 out-of-pocket allowance adequate for graduates who are academically equipped to contribute meaningfully to the economic growth of this nation?

* Is this paltry sum, commensurate to adequately identify, qualify and appreciate INTELECTUAL PROPERTY AND CAPACITY?

*Are the “Consultants” engaged by the management team for sundry contracts more qualified than the corps members?

*What manner of welfare was the DG talking about in his four-point agenda?

*And whereas annual government-sponsored jamboree of religious pilgrimages “swallow” billions of naira of taxpayer funds without challenge!

Corrupt officials in government MUST be exposed if this administration is serious about its “fight against corrupt civil servants and politicians”! It tantamount to sheer injustice and man’s inhumanity to man, for those in temporary position of authority, to continue to LIVE ON THE BLOOD AND SWEAT OF THEIR FUTURE LEADERS!

That kind of bestial behaviour is only found in the ANIMAL KINGDOM OF PREDATORS!

LET EVERYONE BE READY TO GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIS/HER STEWARDSHIP BEFORE GOD, FOR THE TIME IS SHORT, SAYS THE LORD OF HOST!

CONTRACT SCAMS, STEALING AND OUTRIGHT EMBEZZLEMENT OF TAXPAYERS FUNDS ARE NOT NEW IN THE NYSC!

Going down the memory lane of the late seventies and early eighties, the NYSC was notorious for unbridled financial crimes through which many members of staff and emergency contractors became instant millionaires until a probe was instituted to stem the very ugly scenario! HAS THE STORY CHANGED? WE NEED AN ANSWER! If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this great opportunity as you pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations. Please look forward to more divine revelation in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and remain blessed in the Lord. [For weekly access,to this newsletter, log on to: facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch or http://www.zfbbc1..comhttps://www.google.com/+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch . I am, Yours sincerely,Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor.08058436756 08098194390.g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com .]