Christian, know your God!

I think that Nigerians (and Africans) are deeply religious and serve God because of the things He does for us and not because of His ways. I believe that if this was not so, our attitudes ( corruption, lack of integrity, honesty, civility and cleanliness) would be reduced. Thus, I read with indifference then sadness the recent "fall of a man of God". This is not first neither would it be the last that would happen. Stories like this are to be expected because the Bible warns that "in the last days, there would be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money....they would act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly [another version of the Bible says "having a form of godliness but lacking the power thereof]. Stay away from people like that. They are the kind who work their way into people's homes and the win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires (such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth)- 2nd Timothy 3:1-7.

Therefore, the onus is on Christians to know Who they believe and Why they believe. Our Christian race is PERSONAL and we are to "fear God and keep His commandments"(Ecclesiastes 12:11). Yet we are not to ignore the fellowship of the brethren for reasons I would mention later. We should know who we believe so that:

• We do not lose our faith over issues like this and offences perpetrated by the Church. The Bible again cautions us to "beware so that we are not carried away by the errors  of the lawless and lose our own secure footing" (2nd Peter 3:17)

• We do not fall prey to the foolishness happening in the name of God. The Bible warns us "not to be carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive (Ephesians 4:14).We see invitations to programmes like "automatic blessing, automatic answer", "Satan let me drive that car"or become oppression-conscious that every bad occurrence is the handiwork of people that do not want us to succeed. We are lazy Christians who unlike our Berean brethren do not "test everything we are told and hold on to what is good"( 1st Thessalonians 5:21)

• We know God for his ways- that makes us better people and the salt of the earth- rather his awesome acts. If we know his ways, He would perfect us and  there would be no need to judge others or point out the speck in their eyes because the light in us would reveal their flaws to them  draw them to Christ

• We do not give God's glory to men by worshipping them. To some people, their pastors can do no wrong and I wonder if their salvation is of God or of their pastor's. Pastors are humans who are to be honoured and prayed for because of the spiritual covering they provide for the church but are not meant to be worshipped. We are doing ourselves and men of God a disservice by hero- worship because God would not share His glory with any man. 

• to"motivate one another to acts of love and good works... and encourage one another especially now that the day of his return is drawing near"(Hebrews 10:25)

• because "from him the whole body (the church in all its various parts) joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love as each part (the individual) does its work.

As I mentioned earlier, as Christians we are to fellowship with other brethren that is, attend church

Fear God and keep His commands for this is the whole duty of man

deuces

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On National Development

Expenditure of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 1961-2012.
Source: CBN Statistical Bulletin: Special Anniversary Edition& CBN Annual Reports 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

I have pondered when our development issues as a country began to degenerate and our public expenditure has given me an answer. Previously, I had thought that the excessive spending on overhead and administrative public expenditure was a recent development but history proved me wrong. Since 1961, the chunk of our annual budget has gone into administrative costs (wages, salaries for elected and civil servants maintenance, contingencies and subventions) i.e recurrent expenditure. 

The only periods capital expenditure (defense,education, agricultural and social sectors e.g roads, housing, education infrastructure etc) exceeded over heads was between 1975-1983 and 1996-1999. Apart from the FESTAC 1977 quarters, I cannot remember any other tangible projects associated with those periods.

Chinua Achebe in his "There was a Country" noted an Igbo proverb that "A man who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot say where he dried his body". In the light of the constant strikes in the health and education sectors, our government needs to identify where the rain of under development began to beat us so we can begin the process of drying our body or changing our clothes.

 Deuces

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Misplaced Priorities

credit:en.paperblog.com

I am yet to understand why Nollywood seeks and demands financial government intervention in its affairs- I don't even think the government should regulate it. If government wants to help, it should address issues that inhibit profit-making- piracy! 

Acting and related industries are private businesses meant for entertainment and profit purposes. I do not see the government doling out intervention funds to doctors, teachers, bankers, bakers, caterers, tailors, artisans... you get the drift. Nollywood teaches us little or no morals, as we tend to reject "preachy" films and pick up bad mannerisms. Otherwise Mount Zion Faith Ministry movies, Mainframe movies Oyin Adejobi films would be block busters. I think Nollywood should approach financial institutions to fund movies and survival of the fittest should take its course. Producers like Mainframe and Kunle Afolayan do not produce their high quality movies on government funds.

This is why I was surprised when I read that there is a 3 billion Naira grant for Nollywood "capacity building". First, what capacity is being built? Capacity to act, direct or produce? Second surprise is that the fund has caused a ruckus in Nollywood.  Our art practitioners are fighting over who has access to the fund! This fund shows how misplaced our priorities are. In 2010, there was a $200 million dollar grant to Nollywood. The only visible outcome of that grant is unsuccessful "Dr Bello". Yet the government has in its wisdom deemed it fit to add another 3 billion Naira ($18, 520, 800) 

As much as we love Nollywood movies, this 3 billion can be used to renovate 60 barracks (at 50 million naira each), build 300 block of four flats housing units (at 10,000 million naira each), declare an intervention in Accidents and Emergency units in Government hospitals across the nation or fix the roads leading to the East. 
Misplaced priorities. 

I rest my case

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On Prince George

The Royal baby has been born, named and the euphoria surrounding the pregnancy and birth has subsided. The lesson of this birth is the human need and craving for good news- any good news and, surprisingly, the voluntary subjection to Monarchy inspite of the rise of other forms of government. Who would have thought that after the Glorious revolution of 1688 through the 20th century scandals and derision, Britain's royal family would still command the reverence given to it? Indeed, the royal house of Windsor has come back new and improved. First was the royal wedding  in 2011, the Queen's golden jubilee and now the birth of Prince George.
The fanfare that greeted birth reminded one of the reverence given to Yoruba traditional rulers of yore . Unlike, Yoruba kings that were unquestionable, Brits expect to and do have a say in the lives of the Royals. For Britain's royal family, it takes a village.
People are quick to judge and mock them as they are to idolize and ascribe virtuous, faultless attributes to them (this also applies to celebrities and public officials). We put them on a pedestal and quickly pull the rug under their feet when they falter. We should realize that these people are human and imperfect.
I wish Prince George well and hopes he settles into the path Providence has bestowed him without the troubles that followed those before him. On the part of we the subjects, Hilary Mantel's advice is apt in how we should treat those we admire (in the light of Kate's pregnancy, Princess Diana's death and the treatment of the Royal family) she wrote, "the pen is in our hands, a happy ending is ours to write". Here's to happy endings.

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Lessons on Constitutional Amendment

According to President Babaginda's doctrine of settled issues some aspects of Nigerian politics are no-go areas for discussion. They are: Nigerian unity, Republican constitution, federalism and capitalism. The contention and outrage that followed the re-inclusion of Section 29 subsection 4b in the ongoing constitutional amendment by the Senate shows that some issues are not settled after all. 
First, It  shows that if the Twitter and Facebook loving Nigerians want to take up a cause, they can. Whilst people have agreed to disagree on whether or not the section supports child marriage, the incident  is another example of our fault lines as a people and the use of religion and ethnicity as tools of manipulation. A question that this constitutional amendment should answer is whether we are a multi religious or secular state. If we are a secular State, are the tenets of any religion superior to the Constitution? If we are a multi-religious State, how would the Constitution capture the essence of all recognized religions? This segues to what religions would be recognized and on what basis?
Second,the Child marriage outrage also reveals how we sometimes focus on the minor as a nation. The quote on the  National Archives building, DC reads "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty". The ongoing constitutional review gives us the chance to have a truly "we the people"constitution and we are not  fully taking that chance.
Along with the sub section 4b that was re-inserted, the Senate also
1) refused autonomy for local government finances: the impact of this refusal is  important because if the funds go to LGs directly, there is no excuse for non- performance and our attempts at Citizen-led democracy and Federalism is further solidified
2) refused to separate the office of the Attorney General from that of the Commissioner for Justice and give the AG increased powers- powers similar to that of a Special Prosecutor
3) refused six year single term for the President, governors and their deputies
4) passed life pensions for the National Assembly leadership.
5) passed the motion that allows a bill become law if the presidents fails to assent within 30 days  (this section is interesting in the light of  yearly budget politics between the Executive and National Assembly)
On the bright side, some items for amendments passed in the House of Representatives i.e the Reps passed LG autonomy, allowed for independent candidates, removed immunity clauses for the President, Governors and their deputies. However, the House retained life pensions for the National Assembly leadership.
The above issues reveal the need for active citizen involvement in the on-going constitutional review process. Both houses have to reconcile the amendments that they passed, and the 36 State Houses of Assembly also have to pass these amendments before there can be any changes. We need to be involved at all stages.  We need to treat all issues with great importance as loopholes give room for ambiguous interpretations - re the controversial section 29. We also have to ensure that important fiscal issues (the life pensions for NASS leadership and budgeting) are addressed the way WE want it to.

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. 

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We are our Police Force

There is a police officer that controls traffic on a road I drive. With his police hat on, he looks like he is in his thirties. Sometime ago, as I drove by, he removed the hat and I realized that he could not be more than 23 or 24 years old and I wondered why such a young lad would join the police force.The Nigerian Police is the most reviled organization in Nigeria. Everyone loves to hate the Police. The reason for this hatred lies at the feet of the Police. Yet, it is not their fault.The Nigerian Police is a microcosm of our society. Their corruption, failings, befuddled thinking, ineptitude and lack of direction is a reflection of what we are as a people.The Police Force states her  objectives as:
-       Protecting the lives and property of fellow citizens and impartially enforce the law
-      Fighting crime both by preventing it and by aggressively pursuing violators of the law
-      Maintaining a higher standard of integrity than is generally expected of others because so much is expected of us
-      Valuing human life, respect the dignity of each individual and render our services with courtesy and civility
Of course the Police has not met any of these objectives because the foundation of the Nigerian Police is flawed. In the First Republic, when regional police forces existed, they were used for political intimidation of opponents by the government in power. When the Military took over and unified the police force, the art  and science of policing was not developed. In fact, it deteriorated.  I would say that the military deliberately under developed the Police. Basic systems such as a comprehensive Police database, kitting, training and development of Police officers was (and is lacking). Our Police Force lacks proper intelligence and investigation skills; if you commit a crime in Epe and move to Badagry, you rest assured that you would never be caught but if you are innocent and are in the wrong place you may become a government ward. I recall the case of  a lady that was condemned to death because she befriended a cultist. If proper investigation was done, this lady had no reason to spend 12 years in Kirikiri Maximum Prison.  You can also walk into a Police Station and get a Police report for anything for N3000 ($20). 

The ease of recruitment into the Force is incredible. I recall the distant relative who joined the Force because there was nothing else. The unfortunate thing is that this guy may become a Commissioner of Police tomorrow with no interest and skills in the profession and a dangerous tool in the hands of a childish Executive. 

The failings of the Nigerian Police Force are endless. Nevertheless, things cannot remain the same. We need to recognize that the Police Force that we have is what we made them. This recognition should spur us to do better-better in rebuilding the foundation for a good police force. When the report on the appalling state of the police barracks ran, the government responded by censuring the officers who spoke to the press.That censure was the wrong message. The government should have used that opportunity to effect changes starting from the Police Barracks.

To solve our Police Problem, the government should have an intervention fund for the police. This fund should be for proper renovation (and not just painting) of Police stations and Barracks. The sign that welcomes you to a Police Station is “Police is your friend”. I don’t feel that friendship when I walk into a Police Station.

Apart from physical renovation, our Police officers have to re-trained. It may be difficult to straighten a bent crayfish but nothing is impossible. Our officers have to learn that 2+2 is not 5, that cases are not black and white and that the person who gets their story in first is not always right. If you think that the police scenes in movies are made for movies, wait until you engage a police officer.
After physical, systems and mental changes are made,economic and status motivations have to be put in place so that our police force attracts the “better” that may be developed to become the best.

Our Police Force would never be perfect- that is a tall order. However, they would no longer be toys for soldiers, errand boys for politicians and powerful and they would no longer brutalize we civilians for 20 naira or arrest us indiscriminately.

It is time to build the Police Force that we want.

Answers anyone?

Have you noticed the propaganda ads for Mrs Allison Madueke when you visit Nigeria sites? Forms of Oceania’s Ministry of Truth are springing up here

Update:
The Punch Newspapers has this story on the state of Nigeria's Police Force as at December, 2013. Sigh. 

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A "Problem" shared

I visited the Children Development Centre (CDC) and the Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care Centre (MDCMC) recently. At the CDC, I discovered great cookies, meat pies and affordable scented candles; at MDCMC I met a lady who painted with her legs.Teenagers and adults that suffer different stages of autism, mental retardation and learning disabilities made the cookies, pies and candles.

I left both centres impressed because in spite of their mental disabilities these students have found a purpose and are useful. However, that visit exposed me to an issue I did not know existed. As a people we hide under the everything-is-fine-banner. The Yoruba adage that “all lizards lie flat on their belly, you don’t know which one has an ache” is true. I learned that parents hid their children who suffered from these conditions from others because they are ashamed they birthed these children. At the center, I met a 38-year old who stepped outside her house for first time when she started at the Center. She was not the only one. That’s the story of most of the kids. At MDCMC, some of the kids have been abandoned there by their parents or guardians. Consequently, these kids are deprived of education and interactions outside their immediate family- who view them as a burden- or  emasculate them thereby increasing their dependency.

 The challenge with keeping up appearances is that it is emotionally, socially and financially draining. Conditions that may be ameliorated if parents and guardians spoke up and sought help are worsened. If therapy begins early, some children are able to catch up and live semi- normal lives. For instance, there is much hope for the year old baby at the center who has begun treatment. Even the 38 year old has been able to develop the mental abilities of a 4 year old.

 Coming out on these issues helps parents and guardians know that they are not alone and provides support from others who share the same conditions. Speaking up also helps  some of the kids with less severe cases while children that suffer more serious cases learn to become useful.

Parents and guardians should realize that they would not always be there for these kids and the kids may not get the kind of care they (parents) would give. Thus, it is in their best interests to plan for the financial and social future of these kids.  Exposing their kids would make others feel comfortable with them and would let the kids know that they are wanted and special.

There is no shame in having a child that has a developmental disability. You did not choose it, wish it or pray for it but like life's other challenges, rather than run or hide it is better to face it.

Kids who suffer disabilities may not live normal lives, nevertheless, they do not deserve to be hid. My visit to the two centers opened my eyes to the possibilities these children have. I am assured that when they close and go home at the end of the day, they go home with a sense of fulfillment. We all deserve to feel that way. 

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The Road not taken

Hi all, 
Enjoy. Have a blessed week

Heroes
We are all fascinated with heroes and heroines. I fantasize about becoming superhuman and saving the world. I guess that is why the Marvel movies (Dark Knight, Iron man, Avengers, and now Superhuman) resonate with us. I find it interesting that people would believe in Spider-man types  than believe  that Jesus is the Saviour. We even call miracles- Providence! I watch these movies and see similarities in the characters and the faith i profess. The only difference is that Jesus would not destroy property to save 2 people. Some scenes and quotes in Superman have stuck with me so here we go. 

-  Jor el's ( Russel Crowe) speech on freedom of choice

- After Clark was bullied, his dad asked how he was doing and he says "Dad I wanted to hurt him, I wanted to hurt him bad and his dad replied then what and said  "You’re not just anyone.  One day, you’re going to have to make a choice.  You have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be.Whoever that man is, good character or bad, it’s going to change the world"

" Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith first, the trust part comes later"

"People are afraid of what they don't understand"

The road less travelled
There are two routes that link the highway home. I noticed that there is always traffic on the straight and smooth road home whilst the bumpy-three-potholes- route has no traffic. I have ruminated on why people wait in that traffic for the green light when the other route is faster. I have attributed drivers' behaviour to 2 things. First, the road is smoother and second is the i-am-already-here- let's-just- wait mentality and its sister what-if-the-other-side-is blocked. I believe people adopt the same attitude towards life. We fear changes, we are content in our comfort zone and would avoid the uncertainty of trying a new path. Like Robert Frost wrote in the Road not Taken, Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference. For me, the difference is that I get home in good time.

Answers anyone

Why do we start requests with "Sorry to bother you" "Apologies for disturbing you" and still go ahead with the request?
Why does the brazenness of "First Lady's" office  increase as a new first lady emerges? We thought there was no one like Mariam Abacha, there was respite with Fati Abubakar and since then, successive first ladies have surprised us with the powers they commandeer. 

See you next week.

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One day

The Rhodes- Vivour Kidnap incident had an amusing element. Newspapers reported that though the family paid the demanded ransom, the Rhodes- Vivours were not released because the families of the other kidnapped victims were yet to pay. They were held till all families paid. At the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrations, a placard read “one day the poor would have nothing left to eat but the rich”. That time is here in Nigeria. We appear to be sitting ducks waiting our time.Recently, a family who went to pick up their son from the airport lost their ten year-old son to a stray bullet; a man was shot dead on a Sunday morning whilst trying to protect his wife from men harassing her at an ATM; a colleague whose parent was kidnapped was not released till a ransom was paid; 16 students and teachers were murdered in the North.  We have heard so many stories of kidnap, bombings and assault that we have become numb and resigned. All we do is hold our hands up to God to protect us. I wonder if the government’s failure to be responsible gives people the right to feel entitled.

The question to answer is what do we do? For the individual, it is to be careful and cautious. For those who have relationships with people in power, this is the time to tell them to do right because once you leave your house, your fate is the same as the next man’s. That said, the solution to this problem lies with the government. The state of insecurity we are in today is the result of our leaders' failure to use resources to create value and  benefits for the people. Our leaders have created pockets of wealthy people, such that the chasm between the "haves" and "have-nots" is so wide that the haves-not have given up hope and turned on the hustling haves. Yet our leaders are not insulated because they would not hold offices forever.Whilst there are other factors responsible for the present state of insecurity, I believe that economic deprivation and poverty plays a large role in where we are. The earlier our arrested development problem  is addressed, the better for us. The government has to  invest in infrastructure - physical and institutional - that allows people engage in more productive activities. All things being equal, if I am assured of power; available and decent transport, affordable and liveable housing; good roads, good hospitals with working facilities, and a legal and enforcement system that is just, I would not wake up one morning and kill another being because I am frustrated or feel threatened.I am assured that with all our flaws, a significant number of Nigerians are hard-working and creative. It is not in our culture to be lazy or dependent. The Yorubas say “the well-being of the tree, is the well-being of the bird”. Governors are allocated huge amounts as monthly security votes; these monies should be put to better use than patronage. Creating safety nets for all and not just a few family members and friends who do not benefit, anyway (getting your distant cousin on poverty alleviation programme or giving her N20,000 is not a viable means of survival).I believe that Nigeria’s development phase  is at the right time because other nations have gone before us and have created examples of what to do and what not to do to develop. Ours should be a case of picking a dress at a store and fitting it to suit us.

I close with the words of Joseph Stiglitz “development is not about helping a few people get rich or creating a handful of pointless protected industries that only benefit the country’s elite; it is not about bringing in Prada and Benetton, Ralph Lauren or Louis Vuitton, for the urban rich  and leaving the rural poor in their misery….. Development is about transforming societies, improving the lives of the poor, enabling everyone to have a chance at success and access to health care and education”.One day the poor would have nothing left to eat but the rich.

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The Nigerian Character- A mini explanation.

Hello people, 

Been a minute- actually more than a minute. 

Many times I  wonder why we act the way we do. For instance, I know I cannot afford something yet when I am asked, I say yes. 

Abraham Maslow a psychologist famous for "the theory of Human motivation" writes that there are 5 stages of human needs- biological & physiological needs, safety needs, love/belonging needs, esteem needs and self- actualization needs. These needs are divided into deficiency (d-needs) and being (b- needs). Deficiency needs are physiological, safety, belonging and esteem needs.  Maslow asserts that because we lack these needs we always want to fulfill them else we are dissatisfied. He also says that these needs are addressed in a linear manner. Thus, when i meet my physiological (food, shelter, clothing) needs, I move to safety ( job security) needs until I achieve esteem and self-actualization needs. However, I believe that our physiological, safety and belonging needs are intertwined.

You should already wonder why this short course in psychology.  I am interested because:

1) I am trying to understand corruption's staying power and why it seems impossible to tackle 

2) I wonder why people are quick to become Christian-in-name-only, join a club and keep up with the Joneses.   

Why you'd ask? Apart from using corrupt means to satisfy basic physiological and safety needs, being involved in corruption can also help a Nigerian meet their love/belonging needs. There are numerous examples of how people disregard their values for the fear of being ostracized or labelled by others. 

A politician once blamed Nigerians for  making them steal public funds to meet their demands -from requests to sponsor a party to paying of school fees. I read a book where the author - a non- Nigerian married to a Nigerian- felt the need to speak to a colleague on behalf of his niece  who did not meet the required marks for admission into University. He felt compelled because years before he did not "help" her get into the secondary school of her choice. That the author attempted to be a good in-law inspite of his reservations is a nod to our need for belonging and the extent we would go to get it.

In addition, humans try to keep up with the Joneses. Nigeria appears to be a special case. From the middle class who take loans to finance unaffordable lifestyles, people who become Christians and attend certain churches because that is the cool thing to do, to the artisan who rents/buys aso-ebi though his children's fees are yet to be paid shows how we emphasize the material aspects of relationships and how it defines who we are. 

To my mind, Maslow's theory explains a lot about our  Nigerian character and values. These shared traits has become systemic and affects our overall wellbeing. It is said that little drops of water make a mighty ocean. Therefore, redefining what is important to us, saying No when we can't and Yes when we can, letting others realize that there is more to us and more to them with or without (the) Pradas and Kenneth Coles can help us as a society change our attitudes.

As I close,next time someone comes to borrow money, you ask why and she says I want to pay for "aso-ebi" and you wonder why- Maslow may have the answer.

Deuces.

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