Bountiful Harvest In Nigerian Churches

I am always baffled by the way our people behave within religious circles. How they seem to lose their senses once the name of Jesus Christ and God are mentioned. Leads one to wonder if they leave their brains at home and resort to think for their ass.These has raised series of yet unanswered questions. Questions like; How naive and gullible are the average people on the Nigerian streets? Are Nigerians as educated as they pride themselves to be? Nigerians have a (undeniably) international reputation of being "Smart", How does this street smart "Wise Man" reputation reflect on the average parishioner, How deluded are our people? Does the average Nigerian christian read the Bible? Finding answers to these questions compelled me to write my article in 2013 on "Delusions in Christian Parishes" http://www.tantiblo.blogspot.com/2013/08/true-skeptist-in-religion.html to which I still receive hate mails reminding me of the impending doom if I did not repent. These threats forced me to stay quite as topical issues of 2013 passed by - The recent declarations by the pope putting Heaven and Hell in the proper perspective. The truth that Adam & Eve stories like several other Bible stories were mere allegories. Topics that could have strengthen my argument that religion is a creation of man. arguments that the generality of Nigerians don't appreciate. But hey! there is still a freedom of speech right? However, an article culled from Premium Times is instructive. The article depicts Dr. Fireman's brand of extortion and how ironically, his congregation continues to grow. I watched a documentary on Dr. Fireman on CNN. The show sought to expose how religious Nigerians were and how exploitative their pastors were. The article reads:-

Mr. Fireman returns to his tricks



The elderly woman went down on her knees, tears streaming down both corners of her eyes. Her movement was laboured, but when she opened her mouth, the words spilled out in torrents. Her elder brother had died last Friday. But the seemingly tragic incident provided a veritable platform to flaunt the efficacy of “the Jesus Christ of Dr. Fireman.”

“When they called me to inform me of my brother’s death, I took my anointing oil which was blessed by Dr. Fireman and went there. When I got there, there were pastors there, I asked everyone to leave the room. I used my anointing oil and called the God of Fireman and he answered me. I used the oil to anoint my brother and he sneezed and came back to life,” the woman declared.”The moment he stood up, he requested for food. Then he said he wants to eat apple. I told them it is the God of Dr. Fireman.”

The church erupted into claps and cheers...

The supervising pastor called on the congregation to hurry and buy a bottle of the anointing oil – selling at N500 per bottle – and bring to the altar for “Daddy” to touch for a fresh anointing.
“The one you have before will not work,” the pastor said.”If you don’t have money, borrow from your neighbour and go and buy. When you blow, you give him back.”

Such money-spinning episodes dominated Sunday’s service at the Perfect Christianity Mission’s grounds at Surulere, Lagos.

Last week was awash with news reports of the involvement of the church’s General Overseer, Ofuche Ukoha aka Dr. Sign Fireman, in an alleged rape and killing of a 12-year-old girl in Badagry.
According to Ikechukwu Egbo, 18, who allegedly carried out the dastardly act, Mr. Ukoha instructed him to strangle a female virgin, obtain the faeces she would pass out in the throes of death, and bring to him for a reward of N100,000.

Sunday’s service began with an unusual absence of Mr. Ukoha. Church members arranged themselves into groups and launched into a prayer session that lasted an hour.
“We are going to end this session with a seed. Dip your hands in your pocket and raise it up,” the voice of one of the pastors rose across the hall. “Everyone must participate. Raise up N1000, N500, N200, N100. Everybody must participate,” he repeated, and then launched into a missile against unseen enemies. “Every arrow of the enemy against my life, my progress, my family, this ministry, by this seed I cancel it.”

“I want you to pick up a seed and drop at her feet. Anybody that wants to take your husband, life, piece of your land, your vehicle, property. As you drop that seed, it shall come back to you,” the pastor enjoined the congregation.

A young man beside me unfolded his wallet. A single N500 note lay with about half a dozen N20 notes. He carefully extricated a N20 note, clenched his fist, and marched towards the altar.

In another testimony, a lady said the man of God prophesied to her in her dream and her three year job hunting came to an abrupt end last Tuesday. Her new job also came with an accommodation. A bus driver narrated how, on his way back to Lagos from his village in the east, he used ordinary rope soaked in Mr. Fireman’s anointing oil as a fan belt for his faulty vehicle. Another lady said she woke up in the middle of the night to see a bird inside her room.

“I brought out my anointing oil and said ‘In the name of Jesus of Dr. Sign Fireman.’ The bird disappeared.”

More testimonies flowed, each followed by calls by the pastor to the congregation to, with various sums of money, tap into the good fortunes of their fellow members. Members who attempted to testify about the miracle of Mr. Fireman’s ordeal and his surprising appearance in church were rushed through their testimonies...

“If you are here this morning and you want God to take you to a new financial level, pick up a seed of N1,000, N2,000, and line up here. If he (Fireman) touches you, you go back to your seat quickly,” the pastor at the pulpit shouted. “If you don’t have N1,000 or N2,000, pick up N500 and join them at the back.” I needed to get a closer look at Fireman and possibly scan him for torture marks. So, I joined them at the back. Sporting a grey jacket atop a white shirt and black pants, Fireman, looked leaner than when I first saw him seven months ago. Seated on a white upholstered chair, he appeared withdrawn, a deviation from his usual boisterous self.

We dropped our seeds into a basket and knelt before him, he patted our shoulders without uttering a word. His black hair glistened under the altar lights. There were no signs he had been tortured.
When it was time for him to speak, he merely stood on the pulpit and allowed a smile that began at the corner of his mouth to travel across his face...

Before Mr. Fireman introduced the day’s guest preacher, more members came out to narrate tales of how they “sowed blindly” and then enjoyed a bountiful harvest afterwards.

One member said he, following the directive of Mr. Fireman, donated his only vehicle which doubled as a source of income for his family to the church. Four months later, he got a better vehicle.
The pastor’s voice rang out again: “If you want to buy something and your money is not enough, come out with a seed of N200 and Daddy will shake you. You will meet someone who shall sell it to you at a cheap price.”

For the next person, who said he paid N2,500 for a one year rent on a room and parlour apartment; the pastor called for a N100 seed.

For more details http://premiumtimesng.com/news/153262-accused-ritual-killing-pastor-fireman-returns-heros-welcome.html

As I read the lengthy article, I wonder what the congregation was thinking while the pastor frisked their pockets. Even worse, how they manage to come back every other Sunday (These days, there is always a church activity every week day). Whether we see it clearly or not, this is a financial crime, in the name of God, solely aimed at defrauding gullible Nigerians. Something needs to be done to stop it. Whats your take?

Delusions in Christian Parishes

Only this morning (28th August 2013) my attention was drawn to Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo unfolding saga making rounds on Twitter and other social media channels. Ms Ese Walters had published an expose accusing the Common Wealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) of manipulating her sexually / spiritually.

As usual, rather than concentrating my article on this particular event, I will look at the big picture. Let us come away from the tree and look at the forest.

There are countless number of reported cases of rape that go unpunished because no victim is ready to speak up. Even when the victims speak out against their assailants, they are often slandered and even threatened. This has forced many victims to suffer undue hardship trying to pretend normalcy while the world around them continues to bask in the euphoria of our pretentious society.
This would not be the case in other societies.

I read Ese's story on her blog - http://esewalter.wordpress.com/2013/08/22/my-affair-with-pastor-biodun-fatoyinbo-of-coza/#comments and was perplexed to read what Nigerians had to say about her ordeal. Rather than empathizing with her, or investigating the matter, Nigerians had resorted to calling her names and blaming her for her ordeal. Typical you say. We (Nigerians) blamed the ABSU gang rape on the victim http://www.cknnigeria.com/2013/08/identity-of-2011-absu-gang-raped-victim.html When the news broke and the video went viral the reaction of Nigerians was more about verifying the location of the crime scene and absolving their university rather than empathizing with the victim and bringing the perpetrators to book.

This is further exuberant when we add religion to the mix. Ese’s present predicament is reminiscence of another Nigerian pastors escapade in 2011. I recall watching a series of BBC documentary on African demons and deliverance in the Untied Kingdom. The series focused on tackling the belief system that African parents pass onto their British born children. The documentary consisted on in-debt studies and carefully planned stings aimed at documenting evidence that may convince the people. In one of such stings, a Nigerian mother visits a particular Redeemed Christian Church in London. She complains to the resident Pastor that her teenage British born daughter is “Acting up”. Readily without prompting, the pastor assures the woman that the girl is possessed and would require spiritual deliverance. After agreeing to make a voluntary contribution to the church after the deliverance is complete, the young girl is invited to attend a bi-weekly session run by the pastor. Before long, lured by the beauty of the girl, the pastor makes advances. Armed with audio and video recordings of the stings, the producers create a short account and randomly select 10 people from the parishioners to watch the video after the Sunday service, but are surprised that not one of them is bold or inquisitive enough to watch the whole 15mins video. Shouts like “Touch not my anointed!” ring out.

This same hypocrisies don’t only inhibit us as a people, but indulges perpetrators to carry on with impunity. Why can’t we look at the issues and forget about the players. Why do we avoid the truth and focus on self preservation. Why have the authorities remained silent in all this.
•    Unresolved cases of rape in Nigeria
•    Men raping their daughters
•    Public officials rape the nations treasury
•    Child marriages

Work in progress...

Do You Know Where Your Neighbor Is?

Preamble
It is so easy to wave away thorny issues like political and religious motivated conflicts in far flung parts of the world. We hear about Afghan and Iraqis been killed every day, but take little or no notice, except in a remote case of the involvement of a friend or relative. We hear about suicide bombers in Pakistan killing countless number of innocent poor people everyday – It is easy to dismiss all for our general lack of facts that allows us to see first-hand or feel what the other party feels.

Early this year, sequel to the unsuccessful mission of Mutalab aka “diaper bomber” on 25th December 2009, Nigeria was classified as a terrorist nation and all (including me) cried foul! We all wondered how millions of peaceful Nigerians could be so labeled, because of the actions of a single deranged man. But alas, today we know for certain that militancy is in our midst. We now hear about car bombs at public places on special occasions – we hear about endless religious conflicts between cult-like renegades who mask their deeds in the name of God. We hear about freedom fighters armed by politicians whose only objective is to promote an atmosphere of fear that allows them to continue to plunder that which belongs to the masses. While many may say this is all a new phenomenon that reflects the yearning for freedom, justice and equality. What we have not stopped to consider is its antecedence – our history.

Mans Wicked Heart
In a heated debate over the story of creation and evolution with my friend Otuije Otuije, I reminded him about 16th century, when Christian Europe, in the name of God had slaughtered thousands of Muslim children, men and women – We called that holocaust “the Crusades”. Mans wickedness to man is chronicled in the annals of history – from the crusades, to the holocaust, to the Jihads, etc.

Coming closer to home, barely four years after colonial Britain pulled out, Nigeria has been plagued on all fronts, since our trigger-happy war lords, like their tribalised forbears laid their bloodied hands on the mantle of leadership (leading to a civil war in 1967) we have not known peace. Then, like now, countless numbers of people in the west and north of Nigeria carried on, like nothing was wrong. To most, the turmoil and suffering of innocent children, men, and women in Eastern Nigeria (their erstwhile fellow Nigerians) were too far off to be felt. To others, Biafrans (innocent of not) deserved it for the audacity exhibited by their leaders. Due to self preservation, I am not surprised at their selfishness and folly, I can not argue justly who is right and who is not, However what baffles me is how all this go on under our very noses, like they say "in our own backyards" and yet nobody wants to talk about it. That is why I wrote this article.

The More You Look – The Less You See
In 1988, as a youth in Port Harcourt, I watched the most horrible video of my life . The videos was shot from a helicopter, and showed soldiers shooting villagers in a market place… Sounds familiar? Sounds like any Vietnam war movie? Well, No! This was Nigeria, Rivers State, Ogoni Land, Nigerian Soldiers and the Helicopters belonged to Oil giant – Shell.

This was before Ken Saro’wiwa was killed and the MOSOP (see factsheet on ogoni & shell). The VHS tape was smuggled into town by sympathetic foreigners and was very instrumental to the international declaration that gave every Ogoni the leeway to seek asylum in Europe and America. I was stunned to see how far a company would go to protect its investment and even more so, to see how a nation, lead by blind men could help to ensure same.

'The flames of Shell are flames of Hell,
We bask below their light,
Nought for us to serve the blight,
Of cursed neglect and cursed Shell" - an Ogoni Song

We havent learnt the lessons, this same act was to happen again in 1999. Thanks to Timaya a notable artiste from the deep south, most Nigerians would never know that entire villages were wiped out in the south to ensure the steady flow of crude oil.

“They don kill them mama, dem papa, I say they don kill dem mama, dem papa… everyday for Nigeria na so my people dey die…“

two decades on, and the story is still the same. The captions on recent papers – all paint the same eerie picture that suggests that this is still been practiced today in 2010. Captions like:-

• 17 Movement of the Actualization of the Sovereignty of the State of Biafra (MASSOB) members arrested for hoisting the Biafran Flag in Abia State.
• "General" John Togo, The New Face Of The Niger Delta Insurgency, Speaks
• Multiple Bomb blasts on Christmas day
• Oron Communal Clash
• President of Human Rights Peace Justice Foundation gunned down
• Jos Crisis – Allegations of bias not fair on soldiers
• Bombs hit Political Rally in Yenegoa
• Boko Haram Kills 3 in Fresh Maiduguri Attacks
• Jonathan urges military task force in Abia, Akwa Ibom to wipe out kidnapping

The story remains the same, Still freedom fighters and politicians, Still - multinationals standing in the corner. Still, the rest of the world stands aloof, Still the curse of the black gold takes yet another life. Still, many people (even those so close to home) are not aware of this systematic destruction of innocent lives in nearby states. Case in point, Sahara reporters just got an interview with self styled Gen. John Togo of the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF).


Though the interview clearly portrays John Togo as an uninformed, misguided renegade of MEND, through all, what stands out clearly for those who have ears to hear, is that the delta – the goose that lays the golden egg, is dying, her innocent children, men and women are been slaughtered by the Joint Task Force headed by the Nigerian Army on a regular basis. The commentary on Sahara Reporters all seem to be focused on the persona of the actant and not on the idea behind their rebellion. What will it take for the Nigerian state to listen and act justly for cries of Isaac Adaka Boro, Ken Saro-wiwa, ... and I dare to add... John Togo. Something seems to be missing, why cant the rest of us see the sorry situation in the south? Why will people not consider the reasons that lay beneath this gory picture? Robert Nestor made popular this saying "He who feels it, knows it." Do I feel it cos I saw those images of beefy Nigerian soilders shooting innocent children in a village market? Do I feel it cos I know what that living next to a gas flaring site is the next thing to being in hell? Do I feel it cos I know that paddling a canoe is no mean feat for a grown man, how much less for a woman who has to go several miles away from her fising ground to fish due to water pollution and activities of the oil companies? Do I know this because I am from the Niger Delta and have first hand knowledge of what my people go through? To my mind, the readers have been 'lead on' to think the way they do. Mostly due to the fault of the media who often sell a one sided story.

While I applaud Sahara Reporters for the interview, it would have been better to get footage (if only still pictures) to better inform the rest of Nigeria and the world at large. Footage of the Christmas Day Bombs in Jos clearly shows how unresolved political or religious crisis can lead to wanton destruction of lives and property. Does the audaciousness exhibited by these few justify the killing of innocent women and children? Does the few seats in the local Jos council justify the killing of hundreds of people? I think not, We have to go back to history to learn how to right these wrongs. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem, little did they know that only 200 years later Saladin would take it back, little did they know that a few hundred years on, Bin Laden would take the fight further. While Shell BP (British Petroleum) and the Crown covertly armed Nigeria against Biafra and watched millions of innocent children, men and women killed. In their quest to keep the oil flowing, they continue to prod the Nigerian government in her fatal dance with the love of oil to rub and kill the innocent. History will tell, one bright shinning morning, when the tables will turn. 3 decades after the Nigerian Civil War, the hatred of the minorities still persits - or what other reason will make a Northern dominated army open fire on innocent villagers. Thousands of years on, Christians and Muslims are still fight to make Jerusalem - or why else will someone decide to detonate a bomb on Christmas day.

Concerning the Jos crisis, Okey Duke Paulinus (the friend of a friend) wrote:-

Cried as i watched... I had in d past did a study on what could be in d mind of those who kill fellow human being in d name of God..In d course of d research i found that weird belief smeared with masked view of God' personality would a...always influence one to feel elated, happy and even rejoice as he/she massacre fellow sibling, mother, friend kids etc. Sometimes when a thief kills he may feel remorseful but when a religious bigot kills he would feel most fulfil and thankful to his perceived God... Hope the right interpretation of God and His personality would b communicated to those who kill in God' name..If not ... May the souls of the believers who lost their lives in Jos mayhem rest in peace."

So while you eat your jollof rice this season, while you are mesmerized by the twinkle of your 8 foot tall Christmas tree, while you sit under the pale blue sky awaiting the new year, give a thought to your neighbor and ask yourself how well he is.

You could be dying on the inside and nobody knows!

"Sometimes all you need is a friend, to just listen and hear your plight, or sometimes all you need is a pen, get your diary sit down and write. Although its hard to pretend that you are fine and everything is alright, it seems that men cant see the darkness inside as long as the outside bright."

have I turned a poet? No, its a reggae tune - by Assassin. How ironic that something so true, so cool can come from such tough guy. Well my love for reggae has grown over the years so much that I know all the militant names ragga artistes adopt are mere reflections of their alter ego - names like Ninja man, Malvo, Spanner, Capt. X, etc are just iconographic tags of a struggling mind. How hard they fight for a space on the Hot Hot Ragga scene.

I turned to music today to quench the sad sad feeling that has come over me lately (me heart a bleed). and Assassin did a good job to soothe my nerves today. His message is so deep, so I thought I should share. Just because most of us can not understand Ragga, I have typed the lyrics out so you can get the message.

=====================
They cant guess about your problem and your stress or happiness,
cos they don't know.
They cant even wonder, cant start to punder bout the problem that your under, cos they dont know.
tell you the truth - they wouldn't want know - cos only Jah knows....

No one knows your heart, No man can see your thoughts,
all men see is your outward appearance - your shoes and clothes,
so you could be dying on the inside and know body knows.

Sometimes all you need is a friend, to just listen and hear your plight,
sometimes all you need is a pen, get your diary sit down and write.
Although its hard to pretend that you are fine and everything is alright, it seems that men cant see the darkness inside as long as the outside bright.
From how your a shine your teeth, no one will know say your heart a weep, they wont know say your problems deep, say you no eat and your losing sleep.
But no worry yourself cos God can see,
and he will be your strength when you weak,
I say no worry cos the Shepard no go let nothing happen to him sheep.

- Chorus -
God knows your heart,
He sees your struggle he feels your pain,
and he will lift that struggle, he will heal your pain,
No matter how the storm a blow - whether hurricane,
know say the sun must shine again.

You know sometimes how it wicked and you just cant bear it,
Sometimes all you need is shoulder to lean on someone to share it.
if you know have nobody to talk to, no fear call Jah name he will hear it,
And remember say no matter how the obstacle big. Yes the father can clear it.

Remember say - faith like a mustard seed can move a mountain
alter your way for you,
And no fear - cos if you cant pray, you can always make somebody pray for you.
No feel say you are nothing and nobody no care for you,
but rest assured say the father is always there for you.

sometimes we are look for garden ina the sky, and it dey right before we eyes. Enough time we pray and get a reply, but we are gaze and make the answer pass we by, and nuff time a man feel say everything crisp because you no break down and your cheeks dem dry,
but hear what - no water dey run out a your eyes,
God knows when your heart a cry

- Chorus -

If you like ragga, you can down load it from Jungo - Assassin "God knows your heart"

"Vamp" is for Vampire

On one of my numerous travels around this country of ours. I met two pretty decent girls from the premier private university in the south of Nigeria - Madonna University.

Madonna university is owned by the popular catholic priest who in the early 1990's lead the way for charismatic Catholics. Rev father Edeh, or Father as he is fondly called by his devout followers had an encounter in Rome with Mary the mother of Jesus that changed his life, and a little sleepy town of Elele in the back waters of Rivers State, Nigeria would never be the same again.

Shortly after his encounter in Rome, he was perfuming miracles - healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, curing all sorts of disorders, even raising the dead! (My emphasis) By 1991, his Elele seminary had turned to a Mecca of sort, changing the little sleepy village to a bustling town, full of peoples from all works of life, from all corners of the world looking for solutions to their diverse problems. Beggars, Governors, Priest and even presidents sought after his council or blessings. This, in no small measure saw to a leap in socio economic growth of the area.

As you may have concluded by now, the Catholic church in Rome did not find the business of miracle working in the name of Mary ethical, and quickly asked that the father discontinue or be excommunicated. At the tempo Father Edeh was running at, no threat could stop him, not even the church. The local Elele community moved swiftly by providing him with land to continue his work in their community. Father Edeh of Elele was back in business.

As the educational system in Nigeria continued in its endless, downward plunge, Father Edeh diversified into establishing a private university, aptly named "Madonna University" in remembrance of the ultimate source of the gift that opened up the world of economics to him. At the time it was instituted, the concept of a private and religious Madonna University easily learnt itself as the solution to the prevailing teachers strikes and violent cult and gang warfare in other Nigerian universities. Little wonder why, in only few years of existence it had opened up 3 campuses (one in Okija, Enugu and Elele campuses) with well equipped infrastructure.

Having not had anything to do with the school all these years, but trusting that the Father would have carried on with what he knows best, the art of healing and teaching. I was excited to meet with two of her students. I was amazed to hear what they had to say about how their their university was run. I was however not prepared for what I heard, I was more surprised to hear what they had to say about their VC, Father Edeh and his cult-like antics to keep students on their toes. the worst of all, was the fact that parents and wards were as usual, aloof and clearly ignorant of how to go about solving the problems. This is why I am starting this article to highlight the problems I heard with a view to solving them. I am also sure the same is happening in other private universities in Nigeria.

No doubt this will need several posts to do justice to the problems so we will start by listing the charges and then solicit your help to discuss the issues at length.

Charges.

1. Students are treated like babies and have to account for their whereabouts on an hourly basis


2. Out of campus movements are entered into a journal and passes issued


3. Students who attempt to speak up against anything in the university is dismissed with any explanation.


4. Every staff or student who has challenged the authorities has been shown the way out.


5. Boarding facilities shows an average of 10 students to a room in gross violation of public and government regulations.


6. That the university extorts money from students through lecturers. When lecturers are reported, the money goes into the university system but never back to the students


7. A well instituted informant ring of loyalist tagged "Vamps" by other student is financed and run by Father Edeh. Vamps rule and run the show in their departments, hostels, social circles.


8. Disloyal "Vamps" have been killed if they choose not to remain in the university system , even after graduation.


9. In the era of publicising the risk of AIDS and other related issues, the Madonna University have dismissed several students for testing positive. This has continued even after Government authorities approached the university to stop.

One major challenge here is hearing from people. I hear people are so scared of "Vamps" that they do not wish to speak. I would like to find graduated students who can corroborate the charges and we will spread the word and bring this university to book. The floor is open, lets talk.

Step into the light!

Yep!!! I have finally stepped out. Yes! into the light. I have been contemplating hosting a blog for a while now. I wanted to talk about the many things that trouble my mind and soul. Tonight (5Th August, 2007) while lying on my bed with madam snoring away by my side, pretending I am not really bored, I finally made up my mind and jumped at it.

leave my own small splashes on the What will I be posting here you ask? well any thing that catches my fancy. From mundane issues like the corruption that plague this naive nation of mine to no go issues like the church and the papacy. If only you would sit and listen or read, I would be able to bear my mind... and perhaps leave my own splashes on this enormous graffiti of life in the third world.

Call me Shaka, not the Zulu even if I am proud black man - but my Shaka is derived from our local name for the shot gun. Shakabula! the sound of the recoil or reload action of a shot gun. most people get their nick names from friends or borrowed from an icon they idolize, but mine was literally coined by me. An attempt to explain why will certainly call for a six pack, blanket and sofa - so I will leave that post for another day. But like the shots fired from the nozzle, my singular ideas tend to hit a wide range of issues.

Since this is my first post, let this serve as an invitation to welcome you and hope to see you soon.