Welcome to Comrade Primus Castro's blog: TRIBUTE TO THE GREATEST AFRICAN AND LESSONS TO AFR...

Welcome to Comrade Primus Castro's blog: TRIBUTE TO THE GREATEST AFRICAN AND LESSONS TO AFR...: Dear Dr. Nelson Mandela Madiba, the greatest African that has ever lived, the symbol of human rights and activism, the man who went und...

TRIBUTE TO THE GREATEST AFRICAN AND LESSONS TO AFRICAN LEADERS

Dear Dr. Nelson Mandela Madiba, the greatest African that has ever lived, the symbol of human rights and activism, the man who went under severe incarceration for what he believed in, the tallest freedom fighter amongst few dwarfs, the man who was put behind bars for 27 years for asking for freedom of his people of South African origin, the symbol of tenacity, love and frugality, the greatest voice in a rowdy market square and the silence that removed the white minority apartheid rulers. Even when you were under severe incarceration for 27 years you taught us how not to give up in especially when fighting a good course. You redefined the concept of leadership as simply service to humanity.

However, it’s quite unfortunate that most African leaders are yet to key-in in your exemplary style of leadership. The likes of Idi Amin of Uganda, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire died without recognizing this fact. It might also interest you to note that your neighbour, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, our neighbour, Paul Biya of Cameroon are yet to understand the fact that leadership is a call to service and not to be served. When most African leaders were seen as semi-gods, you humbled yourself in an isolated Island, not for your freedom but for the freedom of your people. History lives from generation to generation and so shall you live till eternity. A lot of people are of the opinion that you are dead, but I know you are not dead and can never die.

Epitome of freedom Madiba, we know that you are already resting in the presence of the creator because you did not only fight for the poor but you stood by the poor and vulnerable. You were branded a dangerous terrorist but time and faith, tenacity and goodwill prevail over irrational and racial monsters who believed that white is beautiful while black is unimaginable. Am happy you outlived Margret Thatcher the so called Iron lady and most of them who made sure some part of your live were filled with agony. I refer to you as greatest African because greatness can be found in the most silence humility, perseverance and love for the downtrodden. As we celebrate you today dearest Comrade, may we young ones identify and utilize the intrinsic zeal that made you the champion of mankind, toll that line of honour for the benefit of all Africans especially the downtrodden. I certainly know that you are resting in peace and I also know that you are not dead.

Farewell my Hero,

Farewell the greatest African,

Farewell the definition of humanity,

Till we meet again to the glory of God!!!

LONG LIVE DR. NELSON MANDELA MADIBA!!!!!!

YOURS’ JUNIOR BROTHER, COMRADE PRIMUS CASTRO

MUSLIM GROUP ACCUSES FG AND CAN OF SYSTEMATICALLY KILLING MUSLIMS AND ISLAM

No More Pretensions, the Nigerian State is waging a war on Islam
and Muslims.

Gentlemen of the Press, I welcome you all to this Press
Conference on a very important and weighty issue on the serious
concerns of Muslims over a Systematic war on Muslims and Islam by
the Federal Government, controll...ed by CAN.
Since the end of Military dictatorship in 1999, Muslims and other
objective observers have witnessed, with incredible consternation, the
progressive transformation of the Nigerian State into a government of
CAN, by CAN and for Christians, in character, structure and policies.
This ugly development, now appropriately christened a “transformation
agenda”, appears to have reached its zenith, involving practically all
Federal Government Institutions and resources, with the active
support of all security agencies and the Armed forces, all pursing in
unison, the objective of collective punishment, marginalization,
intimidation and demonization of Muslims and Islam. This unfortunate
development is now openly executed, with no conscience or
pretensions, for even the blind can see. This relentless war against
Islam and Muslims for close to 15 years by the Nigerian State and its
agencies of coercion, which was initially under deceptive guises, is
today crystal clearly targeting the slaughter of Muslims with impunity,
and to destroy the future and livelihood of Muslims in every
conceivable way, for the goal of 2015 in the short term and at the
same time, inflict upon Muslims, an everlasting state of impotence in
the long term. This MUST stop, Now! And from today, we urge all
Muslims to wake up to this real and immediate danger so that we can
take appropriate steps to put an end to it.
I will begin with the latest plan by CAN and its security agencies,
SSS, DIA, DMI and the Police, to target and arrest prominent Muslim
clerics, scholars, Imams and other activists, then employ the
obnoxious SSS tactic of using youths, under duress or through
inducement and deception, to give false prepared testimonies against
such targeted Muslims. The most recent case is the criminal arrest,
detention and humiliation of Dr. Muhammad Yunus Nazeefi, a well
known and respected critic of the Boko Haram ideology and tactics,
now being portrayed as a spiritual leader of the group.
We demand his immediate and unconditional release from
detention, a public apology, compensation for his unlawful
incarceration and humiliation, and most importantly, a public inquiry to
reveal those behind this dastardly act.
We also call on the President to put an immediate end to the
impunity and criminality of the SSS or risk the wrath of the people who
will definitely rise up to resist such gross abuses and injustice.
Injustice as is being perpetrated by the present Government, can
never bring about peace, but breed perpetual circles of violence.
Unfortunately, we are aware of a sinister plan to commence the
wholesale arrest and humiliation of prominent Muslims, with approval
from the highest level of Govt., to include Muslim clerics, scholars,
Imams and other Muslim activists.
At this juncture, I must salute the courageous patience and
perseverance of Nigerian Muslims for all the acts of provocation,
impunity, brazen injustices, profiling and stigmatization, over a long
period. No doubt, we have given the Govt. benefit of doubt for too
long, for noble as the act of patience is, it has a limit, and that limit we
seem to have reached now. The import of the statement by the Chief
of Army staff, General Ihejinka in 2011 that the armed forces are
fighting a civil war, not just elements of the Boko Haram insurgency is
quite clear today, it is a war against Islam and Muslims.
Muslims are fed up with the Government’s duplicitous circle of
deception and double standards. Here, I will give just a few in
controvertible examples, which raise many questions begging for
answers. (i) Since the early 1980s when religious crises and the mass
massacre of Muslims commenced in earnest, (Zangon Kataf I and II,
Kasuwan Magani, Kafanchan, Tafawa Balewa, Jos, Yelwan
Shendam, Numan, Mambila Plateau, Kuru Jenta, and most recently,
Zonkwa, Wase and Wukari), all promises, undertakings and
assurances by the Federal Government to investigate and sanction
the leaders and perpetrators have not been met. After each round of
massacre of Muslims, the Federal Government would come with the
familiar high sounding assurances which are never meant to be
fulfilled.
(ii) For quite some time, there have been numerous cases of
Christians involved in terrorist related acts, but such cases are never
investigated by the Police and SSS, even in instances where they
were caught red handed in the act. I will give a few instances in 2010
alone, beginning with Messrs. Moses Ashaji and Papa, arrested on
Friday, 19th February, 2010 along Akwanga-Jos Road with huge
stocks of locally manufactured rifles. Also, Daniel Chayi Gyang, Amos
Akila and Mbono Musa, were arrested with deadly weapons, including
rocket launchers, grenades and AK47 rifles, intercepted by the SSS in
Maiduguri on 30th July, 2010 on their way to Plateau State. There was
another case of eleven well armed terrorists arrested in August 2010,
including the village head of Nasarawa Village, Chief Danteri Bongwat
of Langtang South, and an illegal armory located in Kuru, Plateau
State. These cases were widely reported in the media, but the CAN
SSS never took any action, because they were not Muslims. Still in
2010, the Punch Newspaper reported the arrest of Five (5) Pastors
“for operating an Illegal Military outfit” (a Euphemism for terrorist
activity, since the word is exclusively reserved for Muslims), in Lagos,
with their photographs published at page 11 of the Wednesday edition,
10th March, 2010.
The examples are too numerous to cite here, but the most
recent were two news reports on the arrest CAN Military operatives by
the police “for operating illegal security outfit” in Jalingo, Taraba State.
Those arrested included Reverend Chaplain Shehu Yakubu, a retired
customs officer Sunday Silas, retired SSS officer Sulaiman Audu, a
retired ASP Y. Winew, a retired ASP Isma’ila Makaniki and many
others. This was reported by the Daily Trust Newspaper of Saturday,
2nd November, 2013 at page 10. In the same paper, at Page 8, was
another report, “Police nab woman, 2 others over militia training in
Gombe”, in which one Mrs. Deborah Babayo and two men were
reportedly arrested by the Gombe Police Command “for conducting
illegal militia training under the auspices of an illegal organization,
called “The Elite Corps” on the outskirts of Gombe, on 1st November,
2013. In both cases, which we believe the Police and SSS will sweep
under the carpet as usual, the concern of the Police in
the two reports was the ``sums of money involved but unfortunately,
though not surprisingly, they were silent on the cache of arms
recovered.
Perhaps even more revealing in the unfolding drama of double
standards and deception by the Federal Government and its CAN
controlled security agencies are widely reported cases of Christians,
too numerous to mention, who were actually caught in the act of
terrorism, which were never investigated, let alone prosecuted. There
have been more than twenty of such cases, but I will cite about half a
dozen as examples, in Gombe, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Plateau, Lagos,
Benue and Rivers States.
In Gombe State, there was a report on the arrest of Christian
men that sprayed bullets on the Gombe Deeper Life Church
worshippers. Igbos were the suspects arrested who were reportedly
taken to Abuja. Shortly thereafter, two Christians, Hassan Ojudu and
Sama’ila Yakubu were arrested with a vehicle loaded with explosive
devices and ammunitions. Curiously, they too were reportedly taken to
Abuja, and as usual, nothing has been heard from the SSS
Spokeswoman or in the news, to date. Still in Gombe State, one
Madam Ruth was caught attempting to bomb ECWA Church in the
Kalarin area of Kaltungo. But the security agencies claimed she was
“hypnotized” and was conveniently set free.
In Bauchi State, one Miss Lydia Joseph was also caught red
handed trying to set ST. John Catholic Church in Bauchi on fire, but
she was immediately set free, with the explanation that she had a
problem with a boyfriend member of the Church! Shortly after that
incident, eight (8) COCIN Church members were arrested with
explosive devices while attempting to bomb the Miya-Barkatai branch
of the Church. By the following Sunday, they were free to participate in
Church service.
In Plateau State, in March 2012, a Christian wearing Military
Uniform, later identified as a member of the COCIN Church, was
lynched while trying to escape after the bombing of the same Church
headquarters in Jos. A few days later, on Sunday 25th March, 2012,
the Special Task Force (STF) paraded one Mr. Alex Danladi, who was
caught wearing army camouflage, along with one Mr. Dung Bulus, a
well known fabricator of guns, and some others the authorities said
were students of the University of Jos. A few weeks later, on 10th
April, 2012 one Mr. Monday Davou was arrested, caught red handed,
planting a timed improvised explosive device (IED), at the Makera
weekly market in Riyom Local Government Area, Plateau State. This
was evidently aimed at committing mass murder that was to have
been instantly attributed to Boko Haram, to provide a good excuse to
attack Muslims, demonize Islam and opportunity to loot Muslim
property and cattle!
In Lagos, the Saturday Sun newspaper of 10th March, 2012, at
page 10, reported that 11 cartons of explosives imported from South
Africa, which were carefully packaged to beat security checks, where
intercepted by the Nigerian Customs Service at the Murtala
Muhammad International Airport, Lagos. The huge consignments
were for Miero Marble Granite and Stones Ltd, in Kaduna State, with
one Mr. Micheal Awara Ernest as the Company representative to
collect the explosives at the Cargo terminal. The statement of the
Customs Area commandant at the Airport, Mr. Charles Eporwei Edike,
which was profoundly insightful on the intent and probable
consequences of the explosive, fell on the deaf ears of the SSS. He
said “if those items were released, they could have been used to
cause mayhem. We are now going to hand him and the items over to
the Police for further investigation”. Well, since the handover, neither
the Police nor the Spokeswoman of the almighty SSS have not said,
or done anything on
the case. It would be most surprising if he was not set free with his
toxic import, to kill Muslims. In Benue State, on Sunday, 19th
February, 2013 four (4) persons, were arrested while trying to
detonate explosives at the ST. Theresa’s Catholic Parish in Makurdi.
The Leadership newspaper of Wednesday, 22nd February, 2012, at
page 10, reported the Police PRO, Mr. Ejike as saying that the four
terrorists arrested were Christians. But before the honest revelation,
the members of the public had already jumped to the conclusion that
they were Muslims.
The factual examples are just too many, but for the purpose of
this Press Conference, I will conclude with two examples indicative of
the international dimension of the deception and double standards of
our CAN controlled SSS and the Police Force. On January 11th 2012,
two Nigerians, Sunday Eze from Anambra State and one Samuel
Taiwo from Ogun State with three other Ghanains were arrested in
Ghana, with heavy weaponry, carefully concealed in a truck which was
to be brought to Nigeria. The question to ask the Police, SSS and the
Presidency is who were behind the order? Certainly not NSCIA,
SCSN, JNI, NASFAT, MSS, NACOMYO, MURIC OR UMMAH. While
Opposing the bail of the terrorists in court on Tuesday, March 27th,
2012 the office of the Attorney General of the Republic of Ghana said
“the arms and ammunitions seized on transit to Nigeria were to be
used to fuel terrorists activities in Nigeria”. Which terrorist groups are
they that the Nigerian Government, the Police and SSS are
protecting? It must surely be the bigger, better armed, well financed
and protected Government/CAN Boko Haram.
Finally, on specific factual examples, was a BBC news report
published by THISDAY Newspaper of Friday, 13th January, 2012 on
page 6, on a British arms dealer, Gary Hyde being prosecuted in a
London court for unlawfully arranging the shipment of about 80,000
guns and 32Million rounds of ammunition from China to Nigeria in
2007. Obviously, it was not meant for Muslim terrorists, because if it
was, the BBC, CNN and the Nigerian Media would have kept harping
on it. As for the Presidency, SSS, the Police and our Armed Forces,
this event never happened.
It appears a good number of Nigerians are afflicted by amnesia,
but keen observers would recall that a few years ago, a systematic
robbery of the armory of the Nigerian Army in Jaji, the 1st division of
the Nigerian Army Kaduna, Ikeja cantonment and many other Military
formations was widely reported, involving Christian serving Officers
and Generals. A Military inquiry was instituted and many Christian
Officers, serving and retired including the Late General Azazi, were
indicted, but nothing was done to any of them. More importantly, were
are the arms? May be they were given to one Boko Haram or another!
What about the report of the Military Inquiry?
Gentlemen of the press, there are just too many questions
begging for answers from the Presidency, the SSS, the Police and the
Military high Command. The Presidency is definitely involved in the
cover ups and double standards, for why would the President, rush to
absolve MENDS from the first terrorist act involving massive bombs in
Nigeria, on October 1st, 2009 even before the commencement of any
investigation and attribute it to Muslim Leaders? Why would the
Commander in Chief, order the Director General of SSS to publicly, in
Church, grant a pardon to a Christian terrorist group, OMBATSE, of
Nasarawa State, who slaughtered over 80 mobile policemen and 10
SSS operatives? Let any fair minded person imagine what would have
happened if it was a group in Kano, Katsina, or any Muslims were
behind what OMBATSE did! As for the double standards of the SSS; it
seems to be a part of their training or culture, to provide excuses and
explanations for any Christian unfortunate to be caught in a terrorist
activity. The Eggon Christian tribesman of the Minister of Information
(and Defence!) who was also caught red handed with arms at the
Federal Ministry of Information, readily comes to mind. The SSS
Spokeswoman explained off this security breach as a non-issue, since
it was not a Muslim that was involved.
Recent Mass Massacre of Muslims
The Sunday Trust Newspaper of 20th October, 2013 revealed that the
JTF had dumped 3,335 corpse, in Maiduguri Hospital mortuary, the
toll for only 6 months, January to June, 2013. Incontrovertible
evidence further revealed that an average of not less than 12 young
Muslims were massacred every day during the period, at the
Maiduguri Military Barracks alone! In January, 94 were killed, 61 in
February, 218 in March, 200 in April, 161 in May and 233. This total
figure does not include thousands killed in their homes, in Yobe,
Bauchi, Gombe and Kano. To the Nigerian Government and its
security agencies, the blood of a Muslim is not worth more than a
mosquito.
In 2009, after series of denials by the Police and SSS of extra
judicial massacre of Muslims in Maiduguri, ALJAZEERA aired a video
clip that revealed the monstrous evil committed. In spite of the outcry
and the clear evidence including the identity of the perpetrators, the
matter has been conveniently swept under the carpet. The Apo six
murderers who happened to be Muslims were however promptly
apprehended, dismissed and prosecuted with unprecedented
swiftness. But the most recent Apo 9 murderers are yet to be
apprehended, why? because the poor souls were hated Muslims.
Disproportionate Recruitments into all Govt. Services, especially,
the SSS, Armed Forces and the Police
As a result of the non-challance of Muslim leaders, especially in
the last 15 years, recruitments into key parastatals and agencies,
especially the SSS, NIA, the Police, the Armed Forces and even
paramilitary agencies, have been systematically skewed to favour
Christians, with massive expulsion and wholesale retirement of
Muslims. Our Council had cause to bring this issue to the public
domain and even involved the Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs
and the JNI, with an advertorial and a petition on the matter handed to
President Obasanjo in 2005 by the Late Sultan. Almost 10 years later,
the lopsidedness in the recruitment has become even more brazen.
The recent recruitment into the SSS officer corp, the latest of which
graduated from their Training school in Lagos about a month ago,
showed for example, Kano had 6, Kebbi and Sokoto had 3 each, while
Rivers State had 38 and Akwa Ibom had 40. In addition, most of those
from Kaduna, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Kogi, Gombe ,
Ogun, Oyo and Oshun States were predominantly Christians.
At the Zaria Army depot, where other ranks of the Army are
trained, over 11,000 were recruited and trained in the last 3 years, and
Christian constitutes a big majority. Just last week, about 40 Muslim
trainee recruits at the Zaria Army Depot were expelled, with no
explanation, a few weeks before the end of their training. The records
of recruitment into the officer corps of the Armed Forces at the NDA,
had for over 20 years now been skewed to favour Christians. The
most recent list of recruitment into the 65th regular course of the NDA
is typical of what has been going on for years; Kaduna had 3 Muslims
and 11 Christians, Adamawa 4 Muslims, 9 Christians, Taraba 3
Muslims 10 Christians, with Borno faring a little better
with 7 Muslims and Six Christians. There have been many cases of
Christians given slots in Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara and even Sokoto,
but you will never, find a Muslim name in Benue, South East and
South South.
This is a very serious issue that must be remedied, because the
series of religious/ethnic crises are further compounded by the
disproportionate representation of Muslims in the SSS, the Police and
the Armed Forces. For example, the authoritative Human Rights
Watch (HRW) in a damming report on the last major religious crisis in
Jos, indicted the Mobile Police for singling out Muslims for massacre.
It cited more than a dozen incidents in which mainly Muslims were
rounded up and gunned down. In one incident, 44 Muslims were shot
in firing squad style.
It also listed seven separate incidents of arbitrary killings in
which 47 Muslims were shot by Military men. Of Course, the HRW
appeal for a probe of the Mobile Police was disregarded. Their report
concluded with the recommendation,:- The HRW reported concluded
that -
“The probe of the Mobile Police should go beyond its role in the
Jos crisis to unearth its recruitment policy, numerical strength and the
religious affiliations of its officers and men”. It added that –
“Unless the roles played by the Mobile Police and fake (sic CAN)
soldiers are properly investigated and the finding made public, other
groups are likely to adopt similar methods in the nearest future”.
Earlier on, the then Police Commissioner in Kaduna State, Alhaji
Mohammed Shehu, observed after the 2000 major religious crises,
observed that unless the composition of the Police Force, which then
was 80% Christians in Kaduna State was re-constituted, there would
be no end to religious crises (page 24 New Nigerian newspaper of
Wednesday, 2nd August 2000).
We therefore urge the Federal Government, the Nigerian Police,
the Armed Forces and the SSS and NIA to come clean on these
injustices with satisfactory explanations and assurance of fair play and
transparency. Government at all levels, especially the Federal
Government should note that there can never be peace without justice
and no people, however complacent, can accept such excesses,
without reacting. And unless the Federal Government is determined to
push Nigerian Muslims to that stage, we demand immediate,
transparent remedial actions.
Fellow Nigerians and gentlemen of the Press, how many people
would believe that in the 21st Century, and for almost 10years, 80
Muslim women and girls are still being held as “booty” (ganima)
dehumanized as sex slaves by Christians in Plateau State, since the
Yelwan Shendam massacre of Muslims in 2004. All efforts to get the
appropriate authorities to take immediate steps to secure their release
and re-union with their families have fell on deaf ears. Our Council
had held series of meetings with 3 Inspectors General of Police, 3
Directors General of SSS and the NSA all of whom were given
petitions on the matter. As at 2004, over 200 such Muslim women and
girls were involved, the Council was successful in securing the
freedom of about 120, all victims of forced labour, rapes and emotional
trauma. If this barbaric act had affected Christians, the Federal
Government, and its security agencies would have ruthlessly swung
into action with an International Press awash with the news.
It is evident that CAN and the Federal Government are poised to
undermine Islam, for at every turn, every right of Muslims according to
their faith is being opposed with threats borne out of blind hatred. The
ethical system of banking, universally embraces, was opposed by
CAN, Nigeria’s membership into the Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
was opposed for over 20years, until about Six years ago when the
Obasanjo saw beyond religious bias, the benefits of joining IDB to the
country. Still, the Governors of Oshun and Adamawa states are facing
opposition in their plans to secure interest free long term
developmental loans from the IDB, for no reasons other than irrational
prejudice against anything Islamic. Christians, on the other hand, are
not only free to practice every aspect of their faith, but can even pick
and incorporate aspects of the Islamic faith convenient for them with
the support of the Government; the annual trips on government
sponsorship to Egypt, Israel and Rome in the name of pilgrimage, is
an example.
In conclusion, while we call on Muslims to meticulously stick to
the teachings of Islam on Peace, Justice, Compassion and
truthfulness, we all know that everything human has a limit. The fact is
the patience of Muslims who have been systematically brutalized,
stigmatized, marginalized and pauperized , been severely tested and
overstretched. We therefore call on all people of conscience to stand
up for the truth against such glaring injustices, otherwise we all know it
is a fact of life that every act has a consequence, good or bad. We
therefore want the Federal Government to know that it is no longer
acceptable for the rights of Muslims to be abridged or annulled, while
Christians in Nigeria have an unfettered right to do as they wish.
____________________ ______________
DR. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad, OFR Nafiu Baba-Ahmad, mni
President Secretary General

ANAMBRA’S GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION; THE FACTS, FALLACIES AND FANTASIES (F3)

Once again  Anambra’s election has gone down to the court of competent  jurisdiction for whosever that will be declared the winner by the court and court of incompetent jurisdiction for the person or persons the court will give a technical knockout. This election however defines the unchangeable basis of Anambra’s politics in terms of permutations, precedents, assumptions and perhaps monetization of political process.

You may dare to say; why Anambra? Well why not Anambra? If not Anambra then who?  There is no denying the fact that Anambra historically plays host to the socio-political Irokos of Igbo nation. The likes of Professor Chinua Achebe, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu just to mention but a few. In terms of political and judicial processes, the state has also set some judicial precedents and also introduced some new lexicon into the ‘polictionary’. I will not forget in a hurry the era of governor in waiting, abduction of governor and of course supplementary election which is the latest.  

However, November 16^th governorship election in the state was another avenue to taste once again the political satire that has engulfed the state since the inception of democracy, this time it was more melodramatic than the previous elections. After the administration on Mbadinuju which was strangled by so called night of the church ‘Sir’ Emeka Ofor, an incredible election produced Chris Ngige no thanks to General Obasanjo’s Iwumatic theory of rigging by allocation of votes to an anointed candidate in other words; people’s wishes were subjected to meticulous political purgatory. Of course Chris Ngige made an outstanding mark within three years as a governor before he was erupted by Obasanjo’s volcano. Mrs Atiaba, Andy Uba all tested the political seat of Anambra after the funny impeachment brouhaha that the court later discarded.   The tsunami cleared way for Peter Obi, a successful businessman who prefers a frugal life style in a country where almost all the states executive governors want to acquire private jets even when they cannot pay N18, 000 minimum wages. People opined that Peter Obi was returned the second term due to Ojukwu’s influence. Peter Obi’s administration impacted more on human capital development and we also know that investment in human capital takes time to materialize; this is not to say that infrastructural development was unattended to. In a nutshell, Chris Ngige was rigged in and rigged out!

FACTS!

It’s however an undeniable fact that the candidate of the All Progressive Congress in the last election, Dr. Chris Ngige enjoys a huge popularity among the citizens of the state especially his stronghold of Idemili North, this is connected to his visible achievements recorded during his time as the governor of Anambra. It’s also a fact that his popularity was reduced due to the deportation saga, were governor Fashola decided to deport few Igbos that reside in Lagos under the umbrella of destitution. Chris Ngige decided to defend Fashola’s action because he belongs to the APC and at the end of the day, Fashola apologized to the Igbo nation while Ngige was abandoned in the wilderness of ‘eyaa’. APGA were quick enough to score some political points from that unholy action. It’s also a fact that going by free and fair election, it would have been a tight contest if not a victory for Ngige. It’s a fact that the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance in the last governorship election, Chief Willie Obiano is a political toddler, very respectable and successful banker but not a grounded politician. Again this throws up a fundamental question; must we leave politics to politicians alone? Or better still must someone be a politician before contesting for elective position?  It’s also a fact that Anambra in the past eight years have not been in the hands of politicians but technocrat. It’s also a fact that Obiano has the capacity to take the state to the next level considering his educational antecedents and his social exposure that is if paper qualification is equal to willingness and goodwill. It is a fact that the rigging concept was not fully avoided from the three major political parties that participated in the election, it’s also a fact that free and fair election in Anambra cannot be determined by INEC but by politicians and stakeholders . If the political elites are determine to make election free and fair, of course they will stay with the rules of engagement but how possible could that be in a state where a person may just dish out N2bn just to make sure another person is not elected  governor. It’s a fact that the PDP had an understand with APGA, it’s a fact that President Jonathan never interfered with that election, it’s also a fact that PDP will not challenge the outcome of this election, the same way they didn’t in EDO state. If Tony decides to go to court, the court will knock him out in a kunfu style as court recognizes party not individual in this case. Another funny fact is that the candidate of the Labour Party, Oil man Ifeanyi Ubah could have bought the entire voters if it were to be possible. It’s also a fact that while PDP was campaigning in court, Ifeanyi Ubah had a wonderful campaign but it was unfortunate for  the most important campaign in Anambra is the one that is conducted in the polling boots, that is; ‘vote for money’..lt’s also a fact that people of Idemili North which is a stronghold of Ngige were meticulously disenfranchised which is a new system of rigging.

What is important is that the political consciousness of the Igbo nation is beginning to manifest in such a way that those who claimed to be ‘born rulers’ will soon be challenged by this sensational consciousness of the Igbo nation.

FALLACIES;

In the pre, during and post Anambra election higi haga, a lot of things came into play, while some people were busy buying voters card and paying voters to vote not according to their consciousness and conscience but according to the dictates of Naira and Kobo offered to them. For you to win in Anmabra, you must equally put your money where your mouth is.

On the day of the election, the APC and Labour Party agents came up with a super story, telling all who cares to listen that the APGA candidate has dropped from the race which was a big fallacy. I almost believed it but when I saw Ifeanyi Ubah asking for the refund of his resources, Chris Ngige stammering during press conference and Tony confused about the exclusion of his name in the voters register, I immediately knew that their ‘awuwolization’ has failed, again that fallacy didn’t sell. It was also a fallacy that, Prof. Jega the INEC chairman was used to rig Anambra’s election, the last time I ran integrity check on  Jega, he cannot be cowed or influenced in anyway, though the blames should be placed right on his table which he had already acknowledged. It’s also a fallacy that PDP campaigned very well within the short time they had, for most of their campaigns took place in the courtroom.

FANTASIES;

You may call it living in a prophetic imagination or swimming in an ocean of uncertainty. Few of the candidates were again believing that their popularity as a result of past glories or popularity for a good campaign outing will be able to give them the required votes. Top on the list of fantasy is Chris Ngige, who believed he has done it before and will still do it again. Perhaps he has forgotten that time changes event. Am sure he did his homework but not good enough to submerge Peter Obi whom people believed he knows nothing about politics but he has been able to tell the world that indeed he’s a good learner who has learnt the Nigeria’s political circle on the job. Ngige also believed that the influence of APC big wigs like Tinubu and Buhari will earn him the desired votes but he failed to recognize that that popularity will never cross Onitsha Head Bridge for any reason whatsoever. Ifeanyi Ubah also believed that the number of days he spend counting his money and campaigning was enough to give him the required number of votes. I totally agree with him, if election is to be won by money and campaign, Ifeanyi Ubah for me was outstanding but unfortunately the gods have the final say. Again Willie Obiano could not have imagined being the governor of Anambra state; he was handpicked by Obi and brought to Anambra. An unpopular candidate in a popular political party. Tony Nwoye who happens to be the godson of multi billionaire, Arthur Ezeh was believing that his closeness to the Presidential Villa will make things happen for him, it use to be possible under Obasanjo but not anymore. The presidential Villa in the last six years has reduced their interference in electioneering and judicial processes.

Conclusively; Anambra’s election to me lived up to expectations and in fact should be commended for nonviolence approach. Before now the elections are characterized by snatching of ballot boxes, violence here and there but this time around, it wasn’t about snatching of ballot boxes. It was a scientific and systemic rigging. Just identify the stronghold of your closest rivalry, identify the returning officer in that area and induce him or her in quantum and he will seriously forgot to come to the polling boots with the original result sheets. Isn’t that so simple to do? Moreover, at the end of Anambra’s election, it’s either a judicial precedent is set or a new lexicon is introduced and this time it is called a ‘Supplementary election’. For Willie Obiano and his camp, INEC has done a wonderful job, for Chris Ngige and APC, INEC has failed woefully, For Ifeanyi Ubah and Labour Party, INEC should refund their resources, for Tony Nwoye who is shouting in the wilderness, INEC was compromised, and finally for PDP, the people of Anambra have spoken.

From my humble opinion, the election was not won by the number of broomsticks available at that particular time, nor by the number of people covered by the umbrella, nor by the number of labourers in the state, but significantly by the number of ‘kukulukuuuuuu’ that was heard before day break. I congratulate high Chief Willie Obiano, for Ifeanyi Ubah and Tony Nwoye, better luck next time. As for Chris Ngige and APC, see you in court where I predicted the election will be concluded. God bless ‘Ndi Anambra’ and long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN FALLS SICK IN LONDON

President Goodluck Jonathan has been asked to “rest for a few days” by “competent medical practitioners” in London, a statement by the presidential media aide, Reuben Abati said.

Jonathan, who was in London to attend the on-going Honorary International Investors’ Council, became indisposed and could not be present at the opening of the meeting today (Thursday).
The statement noted that “President Jonathan has since been examined by competent medical practitioners. He has been advised to rest for a few days”.
It further assured “all Nigerians that President Jonathan’s condition is nothing serious and that the medical attention he has sought is only precautionary”.
President Jonathan had arrived London yesterday for the Honorary International Investors Council (HIIC) Meeting.
The president is accompanied by some members of his cabinet and state governors while global economic figures are also part of the meeting.
The Honorary International Investors Council (HIIC) is an organization of prominent investors from around the world that advises the Nigerian government on matters pertaining to the country’s economic development including reducing political corruption, making the best of oil production and attracting more investments.
The idea is to see Nigeria lose the identity of crime, violence, poverty, political instability and other vices often associated with the country’s image.

LAGOS SPEAKER MADE CASH WITHDRAWALS 57 TIMES, WITNESS TELLS COURT

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced the trial of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his Personal Assistant, one Oyebode Atoyebi.

Both men were arraigned before the Federal High Court, Lagos on a 54-count charge of money laundering.

The EFCC had alleged that the duo conspired between April 2010 and July 2011, to commit an illegal act of accepting cash payments amounting to N273.3 million from the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) without going through a financial institution.

The anti graft commission called its first prosecution witness, Mr Adebayo Adedeji, an investigating police officer to give evidence today (Thursday).
The witness told the court, presided by Justice Ibrahim Buba, that the commission’s investigations revealed that Hon. Ikuforiji received cash payments from the accounts section of the Lagos State House of Assembly about 57 times.
Four cash release registers recovered from the state house of assembly, according to the investigation showed that the cash was released in favour of the Lagos speaker, and the second accused person, his personal assistant.

The cash sums were above the threshold stipulated by the Money Laundering Act.

The witness also testified that apart from obtaining the four cash release registers, some members of the State House of Assembly had also made statements which confirmed the payments.
The members who made statements include, Mr Adewale Olatunji a former Clerk of the house, Mrs Toyin Atekoja the Accountant, Mr Rotimi Abirua the Director of Finance, and Mr Kolawole Taiwo the Deputy Speaker of the house.
The Second accused person also made a statement to the EFCC where he admitted to collecting the money on behalf of the Lagos Speaker.
Counsel to the EFCC, Mr Godwin Obla (SAN) then tendered all the statements in court as well as the cash registers.

Also tendered was a statement made by Speaker Ikuforiji admitting that most of the monies received by the second accused, had been in cash since he assumed office as his personal assistant.

The Speaker had also disclosed in the statements that cash payments had been the tradition of the Lagos State House of Assembly since his assumption into office as Speaker.
The court admitted all the documents as exhibits before adjourning till the 2nd of December for continuation of trial.
The EFCC had on June 24, re-arraigned the two accused persons before Justice Ibrahim Buba, on an amended 54-count charge of money laundering.

The accused had however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, and were granted bail in the sum of N1 billion each with two sureties each in the sum of N500 million.
The prosecution had alleged that the duo conspired between April 2010 and July 2011, to commit an illegal act of accepting cash payments amounting to N273.3 million from the LAHA without going through a financial institution.
The EFCC had also alleged that Hon Ikuforiji used his position to misappropriate about N500 million of the LAHA’s funds.
He told the court that the offences contravened Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act 2011.

FILLING THE ETHICAL AND MORAL VACUUM IN NIGERIA--BY REV. FR. GEORGE EHUSANI

Nigeria: The Reality of an Ethical and Moral Vacuum

On account of the much talked about failure of leadership and the general system breakdown in our society these last few decades, the moral fabric in Nigeria has suffered a fatal assault. Today’s generation of Nigerians appear in large measure to have lost the sense of right and wrong, of values and vices, of what is desirable and what is condemnable, of what is good and what is bad. As a corporate entity we seem to have lost quite a dose of our sense of shame and outrage at the preponderance of corruption and violence. Though we are acclaimed to be a very religious nation, many of us Christians and Muslims have lost the sense of sin and iniquity and the fear of hell and damnation.  We therefore carry on our criminal exploitation of a dysfunctional and disdainful social system as if indeed we dwell in a jungle where might is right, and where the gangsters and the fraudsters are the heroes and heroines that are constantly being adulated and decorated.

Today’s generation of Nigerians appear in large measure to have lost the sense of the dignity, the sanctity and the inviolability of human life. We have become a very violent people, and our national landscape is now painted red with blood. For the slightest provocation or the most ridiculous malfeasance, fellow countrymen and women are daily being shot, slaughtered, set alight, lynched, beaten to death, or “wasted” - to use the callous and sadistic codename of the Nigeria Police for the extra-judicial killing of mere suspects in their charge! We fight and kill over elections. We fight and kill over religious differences. We fight and kill on account of boundary disputes. We fight and kill over chieftaincy titles. We fight and kill over minor disputes between cattle rearers and local farmers. And of course we fight and kill over the sharing of the oil loot. The students of our universities and colleges have in recent decades set up violent cults that are now and again devouring the lives of young people in their prime, in what was meant to be citadels of learning and oases of sanity. We never seem to run short of excuses to fight and kill our kith and kin.

Corruption on its part is a pandemic social pathology. It is systemic. It thrives in its various dimensions and manifestations, and in practically all the sectors and departments of our national existence, including the political, the corporate and painfully also the religious. We witness what is generally referred to as Petty Corruption. It now appears to be the normal way Nigerians run their lives and do their businesses – cheating at exams, falsifying documents, pilfering public property, giving and taking bribes for pushing files, jumping queues, asking for sexual gratification in exchange for marks at university and college examinations or for bank deposits, etc. Petty corruption is a key element of what many shamelessly refer to as “the Nigerian factor.” 

We have the Grand Corruption.  It is that monstrous variant of corruption whereby for example huge contracts are awarded by government departments, not for the good of the stated beneficiaries, but primarily to raise sufficient funds from the public treasury to out-rig the opponent in an oncoming election. Grand corruption is also manifested in cases where huge contracts are awarded, paid for, and certified executed, but the project exists only on paper! We can almost say that today corruption defines the character of the Nigerian state-craft, notwithstanding the checks and balances in our statute books and structural framework, and the existence of multiple anti-corruption agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Code of Conduct Bureau.

There is indeed today what may be described as an ethical vacuum in the Nigerian society. Our public square appears to have been stripped naked, and there appears to be no more taboos in these climes. Just anything goes, as moral leaders, men and women of thought, champions of the public good, torch-bearers, mentors and inspirers, have been driven underground. Now rogues and scoundrels, thugs and bandits, mediocre functionaries and charlatans, sycophants and greedy merchants of power are hanging around the corridors of power, destroying everything of value, championing the cause of national degeneration and setting the stage for an eventual collapse of our socio-economic and political system. The shoddy, knee-jerk response of our public institutions and security agencies to the ongoing menace of terrorist insurgency in the North and the kidnap and settle syndrome in the South of our country is evidence of the extent of rot in the land.

The Imperative of Ethical and Moral Revolution

No nation can survive for long as one corporate entity, let alone make progress and achieve any measure of peace and stability, when it is plagued by such multiple self-inflicted ills as ethnic bigotry, rampant indiscipline, gross mis-governance, monumental corruption, political banditry, religious intolerance and widespread social discord.

We must acknowledge however that not everyone in the Nigerian society is insane. Not everyone in Nigeria celebrates the triumph of mediocrity. There are little oases of sanity here and there whose small voices are often drowned by the cacophony of greed and avarice, political manipulation and the exploitation of religion for selfish gain, and who daily suffer the agony of isolation and alienation. So what must we do to resuscitate the dying giant? What must we do to salvage the collapsing superstructure? How are we going to be saved as a people from our collective death-wish?

 My dear friends, nothing short of a true ethical revolution will save our sick nation from the destruction that accompanies a prolonged moral decadence in the polity. What we require is a radical turn-around, a national conversion experience as it were, if this superstructure is to be salvaged. Religious bodies are ordinarily the best placed and the most equipped to champion such ethical revolution. In a country like Nigeria where the overwhelming majority of people claim to be religious, and Christians claim at least 50% of the population, Christian Churches by their very calling, must play a critical role in the project of national moral and ethical re-awakening.  

Though Churches have not been spared of the devastating effects of the culture of violence and the moral decay in the land; though many Priests and Pastors  have often not risen above the mucky waters of violence and corruption in the land; and though many highly placed religious leaders have betrayed in the conduct of their own lives such elements of our national malady as ethnic and religious bigotry, indiscipline, greed and avarice, the  society will nevertheless continue to look up to religious institutions and clerics to play critical leadership roles in the enormous task of moral re-generation.

Troubling Development in Contemporary Nigerian Religiosity

Nigerians make a lot of noise in the name of religion, but their lives often betray a near-total lack of the sense of the fear of God, the sense of right and wrong, the strong desire for and commitment to the virtuous life and hatred for sin, commitment to the common good, care and concern for the poor, discipline or self-control, self-sacrifice, chastity, modesty, frugality and the aversion for violence that are traditionally associated with truly religious people. It does not matter whether it is Christianity or Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism, religiosity used to be closely associated with the practice of virtue and the cultivation and promotion of a life of discipline, frugality and self abnegation. It is incredible how in this country we have found a way of practicing and promoting a kind of pop religion that is devoid of the above critical elements of the true religiosity. No wonder the widespread rot in the land.

The ethical and moral teachings of our various religions however remain intact, and could be found in the Hebrew and Christian Bible and the Muslim Qur’an and Hadith. It is not difficult to see that the practical lives of many so called religious people in this society run contrary to the best teachings of their professed religions. No one doubts for example that the high ethical standards and strict moral teachings of Jesus Christ and his early disciples as contained in the books of the New Testament will bring about a just and peaceful society, if we could only imbibe them and live by them. But to what extent are these high ethical standards and strict moral teachings being adequately taught to adherents today?

 

A major part of the challenge before us is how to rid our society of charlatans and con artists who parade themselves as religious leaders and preachers. These people are propagating primitive superstition rather than liberating the people from the shadows of a by-gone pre-scientific era of witches and wizards and evil spirits and demons.  They are promoting corruption in the land instead of teaching the people the way of discipline, honesty, truth and justice, by denying for example the cause-and-effect relationship in the order of nature between hard work and prosperity. They are encouraging malice and vengeance rather than preaching the sacrificial love and forgiveness that make for peace and social harmony.

Indeed the Christian Church has not been spared of the triumph of mediocrity that has plagued practically every sphere of the Nigerian society. Today our national landscape has been overrun by noisy prayer warriors, dubious contractors of healing and deliverance, and fraudulent prophets of prosperity and abundance. Yes religion is the fastest growing business in contemporary Nigeria, and it is an all-comers affair. Just anyone can open a church and find followers from our ever gullible population – from con men to cult men, from fraudsters to pop stars, and from entertainers to magicians – they are all opening churches, cashing in on the gullibility of the generality of Nigerians, exploiting the ignorant poor of the land, and smiling daily to the bank.

A most embarrassing dimension of this ugly development in our country is the gradual incursion into the Catholic Church of the contemporary Nigerian pop Christianity - a noisy, shallow, hollow and opaque enterprise characterised by an all-pervading fear of demons and evil spirit on the one hand, and on the other hand by a multiplicity of preaching crusades, prayer vigils, and healing and deliverance services, whereby government offices, corporate boardrooms and motor parks as well as long distant passenger buses have been turned into places of worship. Such multiplication of prayers and rituals however have no bearing with, nor impact on the ethical and moral conduct of the worshippers, as everyone can witness with the growing level of corruption and violence, even amidst this upsurge in outward display of religiosity.

My dear friends, we are witnessing in our country today what we may call a gradual de-spiritualisation as well as fetishisation of Christianity. The religion that appears dominant in the consciousness of the generality of Nigerians today is what they seem to have received from the numerous half-baked preachers and cash and carry evangelists whose messages dominate our airwaves and websites, and billboards and signposts, and not the authentic religion of Christ preached by St. Peter and St. Paul, not the one propagated by St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Thomas Aquinas, not the one witnessed to by St. Francis of Assisi and St. Ignatius of Loyola, and certainly not the same religion professed by Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta,  Blessed John Paul II or our own Blessed Cyprian Iwene Tansi.  There is no doubt in my mind and in the minds of many enlightened Catholics about the true identity of the Christian faith proclaimed by the Apostles, nurtured by courageous martyrs, kept aflame by austere monks, and witnessed to by self-sacrificing believers through the course of the last two thousand years – a religion characterised by purity of heart, mellowness of spirit, and calmness of soul; one whose fruits include frugality of life, sacrificial love, forgiveness, compassion, peacefulness and self-control. Instead, what is spreading like wild fire in our country today is in my critical assessment actually a new religion that is only marginally related to the Christianity handed over to us by the Apostles.

To illustrate the point: what is relationship between the faith handed over to us by the Apostles and the celebration of vengeance and vindictiveness which we find among Nigerian Christians today, especially as championed by the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries? What is the relationship between the faith witnessed to by St. Francis of Assisi with a life of poverty and frugality, and the prosperity gospel and such flamboyant display of vanity and vainglory as we find among Pentecostal pastors and preachers in our day? What is the relationship between the exorcism carried out by Christ and traditional Catholic exorcists and the widespread manipulation and abuse that go on today in the name of deliverance from demonic forces, whether real or imagined?

Yet, these days many Catholic Priests, Religious and lay faithful have fallen for these heretical and unorthodox beliefs and practices. Many agents of the Catholic Church have today resorted to the cheap gimmicks and unorthodox rituals invented by the untutored Pentecostal prophets and pastors as they have been discovered to be very attractive and appealing to our poorly educated Catholics. I will say that this unwholesome development in our Church is fast gaining momentum, first on account of critical failures and gaps in content and methodology in the formation of our agents of evangelisation, and second, on account of what appears to be a close affinity between traditional African superstitious beliefs and practices and many elements of the new pop religion.

But the pop Christianity which the majority of Nigerian Church-goers seem to have embraced today, is a religion without sacrifice, a religion that has no place for the cross – which is otherwise the central doctrine of the Christian faith, a religion of instant gratification, a religion that elevates carnal desires and glorifies vanity and vainglory. The pop Christianity we refer to is a religion in which priests and pastors, prophets and evangelists shamelessly display wealth and ostentation as evidence of their closeness to the God of abundance, even as we live in a country where the overwhelming majority of people are stuck in degrading and dehumanising poverty.

Somebody has tried to identify or define the fundamental theological error behind this new religion that is sweeping through our gullible population. John Piper says it is an over-realised and an all-too materialistic eschatology, whereby no distinction is made between the already and the not-yet in the salvation wrought by Christ. For the prosperity Gospel and all who subscribe to it, Jesus has already won salvation and abundant life for us, and those of us who belong to God have a right to all the pleasures and riches of life here and now! The poor are poor because they are cursed or robbed of their riches by all kinds of demons they have brought upon themselves or inherited from their parents! How could this theological error have spread so quickly and so massively across the land and even into our own Churches, such that many of those who celebrate the Eucharist with us on Sunday live the rest of their week with a religious orientation that is clearly at variance with, if not in contradiction to the theology and spirituality of the Catholic Church?

Perhaps we are witnessing today within the Christian fold something equivalent to the problem that has afflicted dominant groups in Islam for many centuries. The problem with Islam as identified by Pope Benedict XVI in that controversial Regensburg address of 2006 is what he called the de-hellenisation of Islam – a situation whereby the religion at a time in its evolution abandoned intellectualism or any recourse to rational or philosophical enquiry. Perhaps what we are witnessing in what I call Nigerian pop Christianity of today is a combination of afflictions, namely:  the de-hellenisation of Christianity, the de-spiritualisation of the Christian Gospel, and of course the fetishisation of Christian worship.

Unfortunately, due to poor theological education or catechesis, our people have not been sufficiently vaccinated against these deadly afflictions. That is why many come for the Eucharist on Sunday, but the conduct of the rest of their week is largely inspired by the teachings and practices of Pastor T. B. Joshua of the Synagogue of All Nations, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy or Pastor Daniel Olukoya of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries.  Many healer priests and merchants of deliverance within the Catholic Church in Nigeria have fashioned their ministries along the theological parameter set by these pastors, rather than the long-standing teachings and ritual practices of the Catholic Church.

A Re-Vitalised Catholic Education to the Rescue

Christians are called to be the light of the world. We are to shine the light of Christ the Redeemer into an environment that is otherwise plagued by the darkness of greed and selfishness, ethnic bigotry and political banditry, violence and crime. In an environment of widespread ignorance and poverty, we are called to be agents of individual enlightenment and social transformation. But how can we play this role effectively for our society when we are not firmly established on the same theological foundations? How can we truly be the salt of the earth for our generation when we have no unity of purpose, and no common concept of what gives life meaning?

The challenges that face the our country and our Church today call for massive investment of men and material in the project of education at all levels, from Nursery School to University, and from Catechism and Sunday school classes to Seminary formation and the ongoing formation of Priests and Religious. We must take responsibility for the future of our country and for the integrity of our faith, by investing heavily in the intellectual, doctrinal and moral formation of our people. We must accord children and youth formation programmes first priority in the Church, such that they attract even more funding than the building of Cathedrals, Parish Halls and Mission houses. We must set up more institutions for formal and informal education. We must channel the best of our human resources to work as teachers, chaplains and counsellors in schools, colleges and universities.

We need a major review of our formation programmes and our method of training at all levels. Catholic Education must rediscover its original purpose. At all levels, Catholic education must be experienced as a transformative experience. The Gospel of Christ is the most potent agent of transformation. It is capable of, and has indeed transformed individuals and whole societies in the past. Such transformation must be brought to bear in those who attend our Churches as well as those who pass through our schools, colleges and universities.

We need to re-conceive our entire educational enterprise. We need education for character formation and for the realisation of meaning and purpose, rather than simply education for wealth-accumulation. We need value-based education, an education that liberates from the shackles of corruption, from primitive superstition, from ethnic and religious bigotry, from selfishness and parochialism, from mediocrity and sycophancy, and from greed and avarice. Yes we need a transformative education, an education that liberates the masses from an exploitative and abusive leadership, as well as from an apathetic and despondent citizenry. We need an education that inspires excellence, true patriotism, high level individual and social morality, good, accountable servant leadership, respect for human rights and dignity, and respect for women and children’s rights. We need an education that promotes the democratic culture and popular participation in governance.  We need an education that promotes critical thinking, hard work, entrepreneurship, the spirit of creativity and initiative. We need an education that promotes selfless service, the common good imperative, the principle of deferred gratification, high level individual and social discipline, social harmony, national unity, peace and non-violence.

What Catholic Institutes Can Do

1. Higher institutions of the Catholic Church such as the Godfery Okoye University, must help define what are supposed to be our core national values. A functional education must include the development and dissemination of such core national values that give meaning to a society and define its cultural perception and praxis. Educational systems do provide insights into the value preferences of the community within which the systems thrive. The Nigerian society and its educational system are today in such a mess partly because there are no clearly defined national values that make up the philosophical framework for educational policies and for national development plans.
2. Higher institutions of the Catholic Church must formulate strategies for the church’s involvement in policy formulation. In a society where Catholics constitute no more than 25% of the population, even if all Catholic Schools had excellent programmes, the impact would remain minimal, if Church agents are not involved in the sphere of policy formulation. Involvement in policy formulation will call for the setting up and the adequate funding of policy research units in our Catholic Universities and Social Development Institutes such as CIDJAP, that will generate resource materials for state and national policy formulation.
3. Higher institutions of the Catholic Church must promote effective networking with institutions and organisations with similar objectives and values in the country. In a mixed – pluralistic - society like ours, we cannot achieve the desired national transformation and development alone. Our efforts may amount to a voice crying in the wilderness, unless we are able to reach out to others and work with them to promote reconciliation and peace, to advocate for social justice, to lobby for good economic policies and to monitor the conduct and performance of elected leaders.
4. Higher institutions of the Catholic Church must train personnel for mass media and develop programmes for the much needed evangelisation of the media that is today often dominated by a dangerous culture of crass materialism and secularism. Church personnel should be trained to make optimum use of the modern mass media for evangelisation and pastoral care and for social development programmes. Creatively new uses should be sought for the internet based new media, including websites, web-blogs, web TV, web-radio, podcasts, bulk emails, bulk SMS and the social media.
5. The mass media along with the internet have emerged today the most powerful agent of socialisation. Religious institutes can help develop programmes and projects for the evangelisation of the media and the training of their practitioners in human rights and dignity, in developmental reporting, in the promotion of dialogue and reconciliation, in the promotion of peace and non-violence, in the promotion of spiritual and transcendental values, and in strategies for counteracting the scourge of materialism, hedonism and consumerism.
6. We must make Catholic Social Teachings an integral part of Catholic Education. To raise up change agents and inspire the required transformation in our society, all Catholics involved in developing educational curricula should find a way of making the social teachings of the Church an integral part of the curriculum of studies for schools and colleges, not just one of the courses offered. Catholic educational institutions must be constantly engaged in critical social analysis and responding to issues of national development with socially relevant course designs.
7. We need to establish value-based, development and civic-oriented clubs in schools, colleges and universities, where they do not already exist. Besides good religious and moral education, Catholic educational institutions will enhance their training for transformation by promoting such clubs among the extra-curricular activities in the institutions.
8. If the above lofty objectives are going to be realised by our educational enterprise, we must all work towards raising the social profile of teachers in our country. We cannot make progress in education and in national development if we continue to denigrate those who form our future generation. As Church, we must therefore be in the forefront of the campaign to accord the teaching profession greater recognition and see that teachers are not only remunerated more adequately, but that their general conditions of service are drastically improved.
9. Finally, there is the need for collaboration and networking among Catholic schools, colleges and universities whose establishment and programmes are inspired by similar objectives and values. This may require the setting up of some forum for Administrators of Catholic Schools across the country, as well as some networking strategies for students of such schools.

Conclusion

With the ethical and moral contents of our Catholic faith, and the structures of formation that we have, if Nigerian Catholics and other Christians are not living by the moral and ethical standards founded on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ and his disciples, then something is seriously wrong. If there exists such great gulf between the ethical standards of the religion we profess and propagate and the practical lives of our people, then we religious leaders need to look inwards.  It is either that as a people we all un-teachable deaf and dumb, or that we religious leaders at all levels – Bishops, Priests and Religious, Catechists, Knights, CMO and CWO Chieftains, Coordinators of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Legion of Mary, St. Anthony, St. Jude and other sodalities in our Church - must review critically our method of formation in Christian ethics and social morality, in order that the gospel we profess will have its full transformative impact in the lives of individual Christians, in the conduct of our ecclesial life, and in the Nigerian society as a whole.

We must as a people each take interest in leadership and in the quality of persons that assume public office. We must take responsibility for the future and do all we can to stop the thugs and the rogues, the charlatans and mediocre performers who now populate the corridors of power and who are bent on ruining this nation. Until now it has been garbage in, garbage out. But the ugly trend can and must be reversed. So let those among us who have any serious commitment to the survival of our corporate entity invest some time and resources in cultivating leadership values and value-based leadership from the level of primary school prefects, through the level of parish priests, and up to the level of Governors and the Presidency of our country. 

We must all work towards helping our countrymen and women understand that in a nation desiring lasting peace and progress, rogues and brigands, murderers and assassins, and sycophants and charlatans, have no place in the public square. We must all work towards demonstrating in various ways to our countrymen and women that true leadership is characterised by a compelling vision, an all-consuming sense of mission, an acute sense of sacrifice, rare courage, passion for the poor and the weak and commitment to the common good.

We must use the structures of our Catholic education to impress on the contemporary Nigerian elite the fact that “to live a good life is to impact positively on the lives of other people,” and that true, genuine and lasting happiness is to be found in a life of service and sacrifice, not in primitive accumulation and personal aggrandisement. We must use the structures of our Catholic education to help those desiring leadership positions in our society to realise that political leadership is about passion for the common good, not an exercise in treasury looting and corrupt enrichment. Politicians and public office holders must be helped to recognise that governments exist to ensure the safety of the lives and property of the people they govern as well as provide the greatest good for the greatest number of the people, and not to secure the functionaries and provide for them at the expense of the generality of the people whom they claim to govern.

Using our educational infrastructure, we must help the generality of the people themselves to come to recognise that they have a major stake in the governance of their society; that they must participate actively at every stage of the political process, defending the rule of law, working against impunity and protecting the commonweal against any attempt by a crop of rulers to domesticate or privatise their common patrimony. In a democratic society, we must help train the people to be vigilant, constantly dragging the feet of those occupying positions of power to the fire of democracy. These are among the ingredients that must be in place if we are ever to have a stable, harmonious, peaceful, and prosperous nations, and our educational institutions can help nurture them in our society.

I thank you for inviting me to share these random thoughts with you on the occasion of your third diocesan synod. May the good Lord bless this diocese with even more growth and vitality in the years to come. Amen.