EASTER WHISPERS

Hallelujah! Jesus Christ Arose and is Alive Forever. Celebrate Him!

We celebrate Easter and get carried away by the events of the season, but we really do not think about the ideal ideas behind God's method of redemption; which seems foolish and fictitious to so many people.

On that Good Friday, on an old rugged Cross, the emblem of suffering and shame that stood on a hill far away, Jesus was crucified to His death. He left His glory above, to bear it to dark Calvary. You remember that song by George Bernard? (Paraphrase mine)  “From His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did ever such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?” This is another good one from Isaac Watts. But on the day of His resurrection, “vainly they watched His bed, vainly they sealed the dead, death could not keep his prey, for He tore the bars away, and Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph over His foes, He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever with His saints to reign. He arose! Hallelujah He arose”! This is from Easter most loved Hymn “Low in the Grave He Lay” by Robert Lowry (paraphrase mine).

Easter is a day mapped out by Christians all over the world to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus after His crucifixion on the cross of Calvary as He foretold His disciples. Easter is the grand-finale of the passion of Christ. His teachings and miracles were the theories; His crucifixion and death on the cross are the practicals and production processes of His love and passion for us while His resurrection is the end product, evidence or the confirmation. "Christianity begins where religion ends...with the resurrection." (Herbert Booth Smith) "Easter says you can put truth in the grave but it won't stay there." (Clarence W. Hall)

Many scholars have come up with different events that led to Easter of which majority of the histories point to the fact that it came from a pagan figure called ‘Eastre’ who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. The festival as described was held during the spring equinox to honour the goddess whose symbol is the rabbit known as a symbol of fertility. This celebration is normally associated or focused on Easter eggs and all the fertility stuff.

Whatever the case may be, what we should understand is the fact that “the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof”. (Psalm 24:1) "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is mine, and all its fullness. (Psalm 50:12) Even the physical things created by man, together with man’s wisdom and ideas all originated from Him. The fact that some creatures turn His good intentions to evil will not stop Him from enjoying the works of His hands as he deem fit. He can use anybody or anything and can convert any event or situation to His own glory and nobody can question Him. So whether Easter is a pagan idea or not, the fact remains that God has taken back the glory that belong to Him.

Is God Not A Fool To Accept Such Inhumane Death?

We were not there from the beginning when God created the heavens and earth and therefore do not know the proactive measures, standards, principles and ideologies He has set for Himself to guide Him. I feel we are also possessed by His nature and that is why we set rules, principles, etc for ourselves to help us function well on planet earth. It is therefore not for us to question His ways and why He has to send Jesus to redeem mankind through suffering and death. Just thinking……., may be, that is the measure He has established from the beginning and found that it is the best way to redeem mankind; and it has really worked. He arose with countless benefits; keep reading!

The dignity, freedom and authority of man as well as the friendship man enjoyed with God in the beginning were all stolen by the devil at the Garden of Eden. Jesus descended into hell, unlocked the gates of hell, recovered all that man lost and rose from the dead with them. The Zoe that died in Adam was resurrected in Jesus. Today, Easter reminds us that once again we are friends with God and free to use the authority he has given us to His glory. We pay or sacrifice something to get what we need. Jesus sacrificed to give us back our heritage from God that was stolen.

“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it”. (Col 2:15) His resurrection disarmed the principalities and powers and restored the dignity of man hence, the disciples of Jesus then and now had reason and courage to continue where Jesus stopped. Because Jesus arose, we can defend ourselves in His name and fight the good fight of faith and come out victoriously.

Principalities and powers, without knowing that they are fulfilling all righteousness, crucified and killed Jesus. The guarding of the grave and the seal that was put on a big stone at the entrance of the tomb are all indications that the devil wants to make sure that the plan of redemption was frustrated. Therefore the resurrection brought the principalities and powers to their knees. They were totally confused because all their philosophies have been brought to naught and their aim defeated. At resurrection, Jesus proved to the world/principalities and powers that indeed, He is the Firstborn of creation. “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”. (Col. 1:15) “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy”. (Col. 1:18) There has been commotion in the dark world ever since. They fought Joseph the same way, to ruin his destiny but he ended up as a minister in Pharaoh’s cabinet. In the same way they have fought many wonderful and talented musicians, writers, doctors, actors and actresses, etc. and while some were silenced, others lived above such challenges and attacks and their products are blessing the world.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ made it easy for us to be saved. It is an invitation to all even the worst sinners to accept salvation and thus have access to heaven if they so wish. “Come now and let us reason together saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool”. (Isaiah 1:18) “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus; because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:1-2) He paid in full the penalty for sin; purchasing eternal life for all who might believe. His death is more of Him saying: “I am guilty, take me and kill me, but let them go free. I take the responsibility of their sins”. It is now up to us to accept it or not.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ brought new life to Christians. It woke Christians up from slumber so they can overcome their weaknesses and face their challenges of being heirs of the kingdom. It brought a new dawn; restoring the true identity of man which is brought to limelight when man accepts Jesus as his Lord and personal Saviour. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new”. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ solidified our faith as Christians. Knowing that Jesus conquered death creates consciousness in us that we can move mountains. ‘He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm”. (Mathew 8:26) The disciples of Jesus couldn’t do much when they were with Him because of lack of faith; even when he died, they scattered but resurrection brought them together and motivated them to work wonders. The faith that triggered our desire to press on amidst all obstacles came in full force because of the resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus taught Christians that eternal life is certain. Today, if we lose a beloved one, we are certain and comforted by the fact that we shall meet again on the last day. “I am the resurrection and life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die”. (John 11:25-26). When at the point of death and if we have Jesus, we are certain that we shall live again because through Jesus we are sure that there is life after death. Isn’t that awesome?

Celebrating Easter is creating a legacy or leaving a memory behind for the present generations to carry on with. There is every reason to pass on the story of the sufferings and the death of Jesus Christ and the reasons behind this story to our children and the generations unborn. Celebrate Jesus Christ! He arose and is alive forever! Ideal olive wishes you a joyous Easter Celebrations.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

Powered by Samweld Nditah

Challenges of Hate Speech to Democratic Consolidation

Nigeria is better off together as a nation but so many issues have threatened its nationhood in that questions has arisen whether it will ever achieve this status. The question of its unity being negotiable or not does not lie with this present administration or any other; rather, it lies on the ability of Nigerian leaders to live up to the tenets of democracy and for the masses to exercise their voting rights and power towards electing the right leaders without sentiments, and not on selfish grounds. By so doing, National cohesion will be achieved.

National Cohesion is a process and an outcome of instilling and enabling all citizens in the country to have a sense as well as a feeling that they are members of the same country. It goes beyond peace-keeping and conflict management. It is based on the principle that societies and individuals can only achieve their goals when living and working together. National cohesion is strongest when everyone in the country has the opportunity, the resources and the motivation to participate in society as fully as they wish and on an equal basis with others, without one group feeling superior over others.

The idea of National Cohesion and integration is to help citizens in fostering a general understanding that enhances efficiency for nation building and promotion of sustainable economic growth and development through which any country can achieve democratic consolidation.

Democratic consolidation is the advancement of democracy to maturity, in a way that means it is unlikely to revert to authoritarianism without an external shock. Unconsolidated democracies suffer from formalized but intermittent elections. Democratic consolidation should therefore consequently connote a consistent and sustained practice of democratic principle. Democracy and democratic consolidation came to be because of the need for people to participate in the issues of their own leadership and deciding who to rule them through free and fair elections. Democracy gives People ultimate authority to be part of their governance. The source of the authority of government, the political equality of all citizens, free elections and other forms of civic participation, etc. are all fundamental principles of democracy.

Challenges are everyday encounter requiring proactive approaches. Nigerian democracy has gone beyond nascent, yet it has continued to crawl. What are the reasons behind Nigeria’s dwindling democracy? Muhammad Aminu Kwasau enumerated the Challenges of National Cohesion and Democratic Consolidation as follows:

Ethno Religious Factor: Every ethnic nationality in Nigeria has its own major religious belief, interest, culture, language and level of aspiration which are the social factors that make the creation of a common identity impossible. The killing of members of other religious belief, insecurity situations, hate speeches, etc all point to the fact that a particular group is out to silence the others in the name of religion.

The absence of true federalism: This boils down to the fact that Nigeria lacks true federal structure which makes it difficult for it to achieve its democratic enterprise. The federal government is very overbearing as it controls about 80% of the country’s resources leaving state and local governments at its mercy. Democracy can only thrive where regions, states or geographical zones have the power to control their resources and to have access to the necessary funds for community development programs. In a nutshell, only true federalism, achieved through restructuring can sustain democracy and ensure democratic consolidation in Nigeria.

Abject Poverty: About 70% of the Nigerian population is estimated poor. Not only that Nigerians are poor, they are ignorant to the reason why they have remained poor in the midst of abundance of resources God has blessed them with. Nigerians receive their own share of national cake during elections from selfish politicians, which lasts but a while, and thereafter, suffer for a long time for their wrong choices while their leaders elect swing into their business of exploiting them. This is a big threat to democracy in Nigeria.

Disjointed information: The media is democratically seen as vanguard for holding governments accountable and guarding against the abuse of power. This can be done by raising countervailing structures of surveillance to monitor government activities and stem an inherent disposition towards excess. But in Nigeria, especially in this republic, there are constraints on press media resulting in suppression of information, provision of disjointed and half hazard information, thereby limiting the capacity of individuals to being acquainted with political knowledge to assist them in controlling authoritarian rule and participating adequately in political activities. Our media that are responsible for adequate circulation of information has been subsumed into the elite structure, making it difficult for the masses to be carried along in the matters of governance.

The politics of god-fatherism: This is a game where political kingmakers and gladiators manipulate the political system to enthrone their crowned political stewards. By so doing, their crowned sons remain ever grateful to them and continually show them appreciation at the expense of the good of those they govern. These godfathers control state resources and policies not minding the corporate existence of the state. In fact their activities help frustrate the basic democratic values in society and block the democratic process by obstructing selection of good and qualified candidates for elective posts, thereby making the rise of true democracy a hard nut to crack.

Corruption: Democracy cannot be predicted or thrive on grounds of political instability caused by incessant corrupt practices of people in authority. Corruption in its popular conception is defined as the exploitation of public position, resources and power for private/selfish gain and for this definition; it is the biggest threat to democracy.

Hate speech has posed a challenge to national cohesion and democratic consolidation in Nigeria. It has great power to disintegrate this nation if not properly addressed. According to Abimbola Adelakun, hate speech is any speech that is used to demean persons based on their identifiers such as race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and predispose them to acts of violence.  A speech is termed hate speech if it is insulting, degrading, defaming, negatively stereotyping or inciting hatred, discrimination or violence against people in virtue of their race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, etc.

According to US Legal, Hate speech is a communication that carries no meaning other than the expression of hatred for some group, especially in circumstances in which the communication is likely to provoke violence. It is an incitement to hatred primarily against a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and the like. Hate speech can be any form of expression regarded as offensive to racial, ethnic and religious groups and other discrete minorities or to women.

Hate speeches have their roots in the association one belongs to. The divergent political parties in the country cannot be disconnected from what people say about/against the government. Opposition and freedom of speech are basic ingredients of democracy that should never be restrained because they keep the government on its toes to provide the dividends of democracy to the citizenry as well as checkmate excesses in governance. A report published in The Economist in May 2017 stated that “the world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data”, data from Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, etc.  is the indispensable commodity strengthening the fastest- growing industries. But the Nigerian government is attempting to silence it in a way. According to the Vice President, hate speech is terrorism and will no longer be tolerated in Nigeria. Data economy cannot be silenced in the name of curbing hate speeches. We need to draw a line between hate speech and free speech and know exactly what speech we do not need.

Education can undoubtedly guide/train the minds of youths on how the internet can be used responsibly. The major problem that paved the way for hate speeches is simply the gap in communication. An instance is on the purported news on President Buhari’s death – a rumour that thrived when details regarding the health of the president became shrouded in secrecy, which gave rise to hate speeches at that time. Rather than waging war against the use of social media, the government should channel its efforts aright. It should see to national development and meticulously communicate this to the populace. Good works will speak for themselves irrespective of any efforts and criticisms made to water them down. When citizens’ sustenance and development are judiciously ensured, they will become the heralds of the laudable activities of the government even while some speak to the contrary.

The Federal Government launched the Federal Government Information App (FGIAPP) in December, 2016 with the purpose of informing the citizenry about the activities of the Government, as described by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. He also stressed that the activities of the present administration are hugely under-reported, hence the need to align with the global trend in information sharing. He added that the government is doing so much, yet people keep saying they do not know because we are not communicating through the right channel. The new app will bridge the gap by using the social media to tell the world what the government is doing. The app will help set aright the minds of many through the social media channel?

Another thing that fuels hate speech in Nigeria today is ethnic-hate. Ethnic-hate in Nigeria, like racism, is a system’s problem and it is structural. Both the citizens and the state are equally guilty of ethnic-hate in Nigeria. Therefore, the question of hate-speech must not be restricted to hate-language of ordinary citizens. The Nigerian state and its functionaries are number one culprits of ethnic-hate as well as hate-speech. This is because Nigeria is structured and governed on the basis of ethnic-hate and hate speech.

The federal government should make sure that they do not interrupt the freedom of speech on the grounds of hate speech. It is good to study both to get a clear distinction, as hate speech is entirely different from free speech. No government can stand or succeed without due criticism. People have the right to say whatever they want, as everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, no matter how offensive it may be. But just because we can say something, does not mean that we should say it anyhow.

In a detailed submission on Wikipedia, hate speech regulations are said to be divided into two types: those which are designed for public order and those which are designed to protect human dignity. Those designed to protect public order require a higher threshold to be violated, so they are not specifically enforced frequently. Hate speech is distinctly different from policy criticism. Criticism of policy cannot be classified as an incitement against any particular group on the basis of tribe, region or religion; neither can it incite people to cause genocide. Hate speech is destructive criticism meant to tear groups apart while freedom of speech creates room for constructive criticism for corrective measures that leads to change of character or behavior targeted at national development.

Hate speech intensified as never before in 2017 following the prolonged medical leave of President Buhari. His absence gave rise to provocative statements emanating from different groups in the country, especially from the leadership of IPOB and members. Most of the hate speeches were directed at ethnic groups and/or religion. Nnamdi Kanu out of hate also said that the president is dead and is not the person that returned to Nigeria. He said that the sitting President is Jibril, President Buhari’s resemblance from another part of the world.

As if that was not enough, in reaction to the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), some Arewa youngsters gave an ultimatum to Igbos resident in the north to leave the Northern region by October 1 2017. The Quit Notice was followed some days or weeks after by recorded hateful songs broadcast from various stations in the North inciting animosity and hate against Igbo people with calculated intention of unleashing genocidal attacks against them. The words of the recorded songs, broadcast in Hausa and English, manifest hate in the most extreme or intense form, and are characterized by undisguised, genocidal,  malicious intent. Northerners were directed to wipe the Ibos off the face of the earth and to destroy their houses and properties by burning them down with petrol.

In the same vein, a Niger Delta group also threatened non-indigenes living in that region to evacuate before October 1. Such speeches are capable of destabilizing the nation. Consequently, the recent killings by the Fulani herdsmen and the lackadaisical manner in which it is being handled by the Federal government has also been heating up hate speeches from Nigerians against the fulanis and Hausas.

An Igbo adage said, “When a mother goat is chewing grass, its kid watches its mouth”.  Our leaders are guilty of hate speech and should start addressing it from the top before it will have any effect on the masses.  Nigerians have not forgotten President Buhari’s “the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood”, the hate speeches and the threats by the APC to form a parallel government, etc. The hate speech bill if passed into law should focus more on Nigerian leaders before the media, bloggers and social media users generally.

Hate speech is dangerous to national cohesion, democracy and democratic consolidation and should be fought by all Nigerians starting from the leaders. However, it should be noted that free speech is different from hate speech and should be preserved as it is the only way to address the issues in governance and correct societal ills to achieve democratic consolidation, national cohesion and ensure national growth and development.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

UWW – NIGERIAN JOHN OGBONNA RATED NO 1

John Ogbonna Emmanuel has made Nigeria proud having been rated number one 70kg freestyle wrestler by the United World Wrestling (UWW). Emmanuel retained his status as champion at the recently concluded African Wrestling Championships held in Port-Harcourt. He won gold last year at the National Championships in Bayelsa state in March thereby successfully defending his title in Port Harcourt. He became African Champion by defeating Maher GHANMI of Tunisia by 5-2 in the final of the 70kg category at the African Wrestling Championship in Morocco in August 2017.

He is followed by Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan, and Egypt’s Amr Reda Ramadan Hussen.

Another Nigerian wrestler Agiomor Ekerekeme captured world attention in the 79kg category as he won his first African title at the continental championships.

Ekerekeme is rated third in the world behind Iranian wrestlers Rashid Kurbanov and Ezzetollah Akabarizarinkolaei who occupy the first and second spots respectively according to Naij.com. Below are other Nigerian wrestlers on the world ranking.

Robert Daufa was rated 7th in the World in the 92kg category

Soso Tamara was rated 9th in the World in the 97kg category while

Welson Ebikewenimo was rated 10th in the World in the 57kg category, our source reported.

Compiled by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

GUESS WHO WILL BE AT THE RUSSIA 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP?

World Cup is here again and among the 31 countries that will be on parade in Russia, FIFA is expecting Nigeria to send a preliminary list of 40 players, at least four months before the kick-off of competition. As usual, this task might not be an easy one but it is not what the German Technical Adviser to the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr cannot handle. 

Rohr has listed the football stars that already have automatic tickets to Russia 2018 World Cup and ideal Olive brings to you those who have proved themselves indispensable.

John Mikel Obi (Tianjin Teda, China); the former Chelsea midfielder. He is Nigeria’s best and most important player.

Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England), another football lord that will make Nigeria proud in Russia.

Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz 05, Germany), another good player with automatic ticket.

William Troost-Ekong (Bursaspor FC, Turkey), Born in the Netherlands to a Nigerian father, and Dutch mother, represented the Netherlands at under-19 and under-20 youth levels. He is one of the Eaglets that have impressed Rohr to qualify for automatic ticket.

Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England), the nephew of Eagles football legend and captain, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, is gifted in the football art and is looked up to by fans as a key figure.

Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor FC, Turkey) is one of Rohr’s regular players since he joined the team. It is therefore not a surprise that he will automatically make it to Russia 2018 World Cup.

Ahmed Musa is another star on the automatic list of Rohr.

Others are still undecided and Ideal Olive has decided to take a guess, and listed below are those on our guess board.

Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England) The Foxes’ defensive midfielder is one of the stars that Eagles’ supporters look up to during football matches. He has proved himself important in Rohr’s team and may not be left out.

Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England) is one of Super Eagle’s trusted strikers. His transition from the Golden Eaglets’ squad, the Flying Eagles team to FIFA U-20 World Cup with a World Cup finals appearance is a strong point that he will likely make it to Russia 2018.

Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor FC, Turkey) is the former Plateau United ace and a member of the bronze-winning Dream Team IV at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. He is one of Rohr’s favorites and will likely make it to Russia 2018.

Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai, China) offers better goal counts which will likely offer him a chance among the 2018 World Cup team.

A source reported that Francis Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain), Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba FC) and Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United of South Africa); the trio of goalkeepers, no doubt look good to make the squad to Russia.

Ideal Olive also gathered from a trusted source that Brian Idowu (Amkar Perm, Russia), Elderson Echiejile (Cercle Brugge KSV, Belgium), Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow) are also likely to be considered in the squad to Russia.

Joel Obi (Torino FC, Italy) made his debut for Nigeria on February 9, 2011 in a friendly game with Sierra Leone in Lagos. The midfielder has got the ability to fit into the team for Russia 2018 World Cup.

Stephen Eze (Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Bulgaria) has played for NPFL sides Lobi Stars, Sunshine Stars, Ifeanyi Ubah and Kano Pillars before he moved abroad. According to him, “Unfortunately, we lost from Morocco, but I had the opportunity to compete alongside strong and proven players, and I also had a lot of experience. I hope that with my good games for Nigeria I can participate in the World Championship in Russia in June.” His experience can pave way for him.

Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey), the Turkish-based defense ace on the other hand, will likely join the team if he improves on his weaknesses in Eagles’ coming games, our source revealed.

Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium) plays for the Nigeria selection. He received his first call-up by Coach Daniel Amokachi in March 2015 and made his debut on the 25th of the same month in an international friendly against Uganda, when he replaced Anthony Ujah after 59 minutes in the game. He scored his first goal for Nigeria in an international friendly against Niger on 8 September 2015, the second in a 2–0 win. He was selected by Nigeria for their 35-man provisional squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. His football history however, is a good one to lead him to Russia 2018 World Cup.

John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel) debuted against Kenya in a 1–1 draw where he was used as a substitute to replace an injured Victor Moses in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier. On 31 May 2013, Ogu scored his first international goal against Mexico in a friendly game which took place at the Reliant Stadium in Houston. He was selected as one of 23 players to participate in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup on 9 June 2013 by the then Nigerian coach Stephen Keshi. On 18 March 2015, He was called up among 27 other players for the proposed friendly matches against Bolivia and South Africa and he scored Nigeria’s lone goal in the 1-1 draw with Algeria in the last tie of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at Algeria 1–0 last year. He will no doubt be considered for Russia 2018 World Cup.

Tyronne Ebuehi (Ado Den Haag, The Netherlands) played for youth teams of several different amateur clubs and joined professional club ADO Den Haag from amateurs EDO in 2013. He made his Eredivisie debut at 10th August 2014 in a 0-1 home defeat against Feyenoord Rotterdam. He was called up for friendlies vs Senegal and Burkina Faso in March 2017 and joined up with the squad. He made his senior debut for Nigeria in a 3-0 friendly win over Togo on 1 June 2017 and may likely be at Russia 2018 World Cup.

Olaoluwa Aina (Hull City, England) signed a new four-year contract, ending the rumors of him leaving the London side. After signing a new contract, Aina was included in the travelling squad to Austria and the United States and went on to play in all six pre-season matches. On 11 July 2017, Chelsea announced that they had loaned Aina to Championship side Hull City. He made his debut on the opening day of the season, 5 August 2017, away to Aston Villa in a 1–1 draw. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 defeat of Blackburn Rovers in the third-round of the FA Cup on 6 January 2018. His good height which can enable him to play either as a left or right back is an advantage. He might be among Rohr’s selection for Russia 2018 World Cup.

Junior Ajayi (Al Ahly, Egypt) was selected by Nigeria for their 18-man squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics, after helping them qualify to Rio with his decisive goals. He might make it to Russia 2018 World Cup.

Uche Agbo (Standard Liege, Belgium) got his first call up to the Super Eagles in October 2016 to replace the injured Leon Balogun for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zambia’s Chipolopolo. From the current trends and Rohr’s moves, he might be among the chosen one.

Gabriel Okechukwu (Akwa United) is a product of Water FC Academy in Abuja. In February 2016 he signed a contract with Ukrainian club FC Karpaty. He was on the provisional squad for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but eventually did not play any games for this team. In May 2015 he was called up for the Nigeria national football team in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification to play against Chad national football team, but again he did not play in this match. Who knows, he might be lucky come Russia 2019 World Cup.

Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France), a Coal-City born defender was called up by Nigeria for friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg, on 27 and 31 May 2016. He made his senior debut on 1 June 2017, starting in a 3–0 win over Togo in Paris. Russia 2018 World Cup will boost his career big time.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

Powered by Samweld Nditah

NYSC UNIFORM AMENDMENT BILL – RELIGIOUS FANATICISM

Ideal Olive gathered from local reports that the Senate has rejected a bill proposing the option of wearing of skirts or hijab by female members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The bill which was sponsored by Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP-Taraba) is intended to amend Sections 13 and 16 of the Principal Act. He said the bill is to ensure that regulations made by the NYSC Directorate prescribing uniforms and exercise regimen did not violate the religious practices and beliefs of corps members. He said the objective of the bill was to also increase the penalty for the offences contained in the Act, to make such fines reflect the present value of the Naira.

According to our source, Bwacha noted that Uniforms and drills adopted by the Directorate have become a basis for tension and controversy between the Directorate and corps members and other members of the public. The major bone of contention being that some of the uniforms and drills contravene religious beliefs and practices of corps members and invariably their right to freedom of religion, thought and conscience under the Nigerian Constitution. This bill therefore addresses the above mentioned lapses in the Principal Act, he said.

During my Youth Service at Asaya Camp, Kogi State, as a naïve Christian, I contemplated whether it is proper to put on NYSC Uniform or not. The first morning before collecting my uniform, I was jugging uncomfortably with skirt. As I was jugging, I was deep in thought; asking God questions.  God did not say “My daughter I encourage you to put on the uniform or not to put it on”. God only took my senses through the bible to all the places where he referred to women as maiden, daughters, etc, and where he referred to men as lad, sons, etc. He finally drew my attention to where he referred to everyone as man. Before I could assimilate that, I heard the voice of a camp commandant saying “In this camp, there is no sex difference as everyone is a man. After this, I did not need a prophet to tell me “thus says the lord”. Even though they treated females as females in the camp, the fact is that they regarded everyone as male.

We create unnecessary difficulties for ourselves most times. There are dressing codes for different occasions. In Nigeria for example, some professions like doctors, nurses, engineers, police men and women, military personnel, etc. have their uniforms. Sportsmen and women have their attire. Women on exercise don’t go about their exercises wearing skirt. How will Muslim sports women feel doing their sports wearing hijab?

I don’t know why we like punishing ourselves or enslaving ourselves when God Himself has set us free. If we are the ones that made those religious laws I think we can come to our senses and free ourselves from it because I know that God did not make them for us. What we have failed to do as women is to respect the dressing codes and dress modestly. We should know when to put on the wears to suit the seasons and they should be for good reasons.

NYSC comes with lots of exciting activities like mountaineering, bridge crossing, long distance trekking, etc., and they are not what ladies can undertake wearing skirt of hijab. Moreover, the beauty of NYSC is partly in its uniform. Ideal Olive commends the senate for rejecting the bill.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi
Powered by Samweld Nditah

The Alleged 13 Properties Owned by Senator Ike Ekweremadu

Charity begins at home they say; but it seems Nigerians version of charity begins from distant lands. It has come to our knowledge that the federal government wrote a letter to the UK and US about properties owned by Senator Ike Ekweremadu. The federal government has reportedly written to the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America over properties allegedly owned by deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu.

According to our source, the letter was sent by Tunde Fowler who is the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service. The report had it that Fowler is relying on the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEoI), a multi-jurisdictional instrument for exposing hidden assets and incomes, to which Nigeria is a signatory. The source of this information is likely to be from a whistle-blower according to oursource.

Ideal Olive gathered that in UAE, the deputy Senate president probably owns eight properties which includes; Apartments EGG1/1/114 and EGG1/1/115 Emirates Garden, Apartment DFB/12/B 1204 Park Towers, Flat 3604, MAG214 and Villa No.148, MAEEN1 The Lakes, Emirate Hills. The others are Boulevard 3901, two flats of Burij Side Boulevard, The Signature; and Room 1903, Hotel Downtown.

Furthermore, in the UK, Ekweremadu allegedly owns Flat 4 Varsity Court, Homer Street, WIH 4NW London and 52 Ayleston Avenue, NW6, London. While in the United States, the Deputy Senate President is said to own a three-property portfolio comprising 4507 Stella Street, Bellavida Estate, Kissimmee, Florida; 2747 Club Cortile Circle, Kissimmee, Florida and 2763 Club Cortile Circle, Kissimmee, Florida.

According to local report, one of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s special assistants wrote to the Serious Fraud Office in the UK and is relying on the recently passed Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) in the country which prescribes forfeiture of assets valued at 50,000 pounds and above for which the owner cannot adequately explain the source of his/her income through which such properties were acquired.

The question now is: Do our leaders hate Nigeria that much? Why do they derive joy in buying or acquiring assets in foreign lands with the money they either made or stole in Nigeria? Whatever happens let them remember that “There is Godoooo” Nothing is hidden forever under the sun. Nigeria must survive!

Brought to you by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

#BBNaija Show of Shame!!!

During examinations, some candidates copy and get higher scores as compared to those they copied from, because they are very smart and have answer sense, i.e. the moment they stretch their neck, the words they see will give them clue to what the right answer to a particular question is. Nobody is an island, it is not wrong to copy and add to our own capabilities, but while we copy, we ought to apply our common sense and copy the right things.

What is my point exactly? Nigerians and some African countries have not learnt the art of copying right. It seems our own interpretation of growth and development revolves around immorality. To us, when we go naked like the whites; have baby mamas and papas; give our children absolute freedom to make their own decision coated with child right tag; etc., then, to us, we have become advanced.

The problem is that these copy cats only have eyes for rubbish and when they copy, they add their own stinking flavor to make it even more disgusting. I have seen young entrepreneurs who assembled cars, constructed bulbs, etc. but nobody talks about helping them to achieve those dreams. But some people are proudly sponsoring immorality and even showcasing it for the world to see. N45m to a winner in a show of shame! This is why we lag behind. We prioritize nonsense over important issues.

I enjoyed 2013 #BBNaija because I saw talents being developed. Among the in mates then, there was a tailor, a musician, etc. But it seems immorality has hijacked this show. It is now about who had sex and where……., in the guise of being real.

Meanwhile,  Ideal Olive came across an article on #BBNaija by Reno Omokri, Jonathan’s ex-aide, culled from Vanguard Newspaper of March 4, 2018 and titled: Of #BBNaija and Magical Kenya! He said it all. Here is what he wrote:

Believe it or not, before 1987, Nigeria had a higher per capital income than China and India, but today, those same nations have left us behind. How did they do it? You see, those nations realized something: if you cannot beat them, join them. They realized that they could not beat the West in the field of science and technology and so they decided to join them by imitating them.

Their imitation game had them sending their citizens to study in the best schools in Europe and America and the vast majority returned home to transfer the knowledge they acquired. This technological transfer led them to reverse engineer products from the West and before long; there was either a Chinese or Indian imitation copy of anything in the West. They copied cars, phones, planes, batteries, clothes and even music. And they perfected the art of copying that Western manufacturers now prefer to design their products in the West and make them in either China or India or the Southeast Asian tiger nations.

China and India have made such a huge success of technology transfer that their economies are now growing faster than any nation in the West and China in particular adds an economy the size of Greece to its Gross Domestic Product every three months. Whereas they were at par with Nigeria per capital income wise in the 80s, China’s per capita income is now over three times that of Nigeria’s. However, rather than copying the West and Asia in science and technology, Nigerians prefer to copy and overtake the West in public indecency like #BBNaija where we celebrate youths publicly having intercourse in a toilet.

When I was a child, only animals had intercourse in the open for all to see. Now I am an adult, Nigerians call people who publicly have intercourse in a toilet stars! If they are stars, it must be very dark over Nigeria! We have a culture. Not everything from the West is good! Because of a chance to win a ₦45 million prize our youths dehumanize themselves.

What shall it profit a person to win ₦45 million and lose their soul? What can we give in exchange for our soul? It is barbaric. It is un-African. Animals not humans should behave that way! And it is not as if the Buhari administration is unconcerned about immorality. President Buhari cares about immorality. Do not forget that his government canceled a film village project in Kano because they considered it indecent.

The only reason they allow the highly indecent #BBNaija to continue to air, in my opinion, is because it prevents Southern youths from registering with INEC and picking up their PVCs and Buhari has all but lost the little appeal he had in the South due to his inept and nepotistic handling of Nigeria’s affairs. The thing is that instead of the Buhari government to monitor and clamp down on the public indecency that is going on on #BBNaija, they are monitoring social media to intimidate those speaking out against their misrule.

Immorality should not be passed off as entertainment in a decent society! Nigeria has lost her innocence and #BBNaija is proof positive of the collapse of the moral fabric of our society. Our millennial must realize that they have much more to offer to the world than sex. As I write this, I am in Nairobi. I have just come from Mombasa, also in Kenya. Before then I was in Dar es Salaam and before then I was in Zanzibar. I love to travel. One thing I noticed in each of these places is their love for Nigerian culture. In the hotels I stayed at in Mombasa, Nairobi, Dar (as the locals call Dar es Salaam) and Zanzibar, they played Nigerian music. I entered taxis in all these places and the taxi men play Nigerian music. At Mombasa airport, travelers are regaled with Naija music.

Our millennial underestimate themselves when they behave like the BBNaija housemates who want to turn Nigeria into Sodom and Gomorrah. We have the ability to conquer Africa and the world with our culture, not with our bodies! In Kenya and Tanzania (not so much in Zanzibar) Nollywood is more popular than Hollywood and I am not exaggerating. Kenyans in particular know so many Nigerian words. As soon as I identify myself as a Nigerian, they start calling me ‘oga’. Even the soldiers securing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport called me oga. I heard with my two ears a Kenyan shout ‘chineke’. I asked him what it meant and he did not know. As far as he is concerned, when he is shocked he shouts chineke! Such is the power of Nollywood.

So when we have these means of positively projecting Nigeria, why will our millennial prefer to entertain a nation with dirty pornography in a toilet of all places! I am ashamed of the housemates of BBNaija. They are not good ambassadors of Nigerian youth. May we never have a generation who behave like them. What is it Igbo people say when they are disgusted? Tufiakwa!

What is entertaining about a BBNaija housemate boasting that she started having abortions at 16? No shame, no embarrassment, no decorum. Is that who our girls should look up to? Abortion at 16? What is the value in that? By the way, doesn’t Section 229 of the Criminal Code criminalize abortion? That girl should be answering questions when she returns home.

I mean, did the organizers deliberately search for the most morally bankrupt youths to spotlight? Is depravity now a virtue? If it is a virtue in the part of the world where the originators of BBNaija come from, we have a duty to ensure that it does not become a virtue in Nigeria. And the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission does nothing as this show of shame continues to corrupt the minds of our youth! If we don’t stop this perversion now showing on our screens and masquerading as entertainment, a time will come when our children go to parties to have intercourse in toilets and other unseemly places and then gleefully post such on social media in a bid to become instant celebrities. Let me end by saying that the housemates of #BBNaija are no stars. They are darkness. They are blight on the nation, foaming in the mouth their indecency and Nigeria must not celebrate them at all. Not at all! Not at all!

Reno’s Nuggets: You may be broke, but that does not mean you are poor. Being broke is a physical phase. Phases never last. Being poor is a state of mind. State of mind lasts. Money will fix being broke, but it can’t fix being poor. A poor man will spend money instead of investing it. The only way to become rich in life is to develop your mind. Because the more you learn, the more you earn. Stop spending hours watching TV. Grab a book and grow your mind. The real meaning of GROWTH is:

Get

Rid

Of

Worthless

Television

Habits

#RenosNuggets

Brought to you by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

DEATH SENTENCE FOR HATE SPEECH BILL – HATEFUL APPROACH

A new Senate bill has been proposed, sponsored by the senate spokesperson Sabi Abdullahi. The bill prescribed death sentence by hanging for any person found guilty of any form of hate speech that results in the death of another person and has received the first reading at the Senate.  

Ideal Olive gathered from localreports that the bill seeks the establishment of an independent national commission for hate speeches. Our sources revealed that the proposed commission would enforce hate speech laws across the country, and ensure the elimination of hate speeches. In the case of offences such as harassment on grounds of ethnicity or race, the offender shall be sentenced to not less than five-year jail term or a fine of not less than N10 million or both. The bill proposes that a person who uses, publishes, presents, produces, plays, provides, distributes and/or directs the performance of any material, written and/or visual, which is threatening, abusive or insulting or involves the use of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior, commits an offence.

According to Abdullahi, the cases of religious and ethnic violence experienced in the past years in Nigeria informed his decision to sponsor the bill. Moreover, he said that the bill proposes various mechanisms to prevent cases of death which emanate from hate speeches.  

Ideal Olive wish to say that the bill is needful, but this is not the right time to propose such a bill. The bill against hate speech is not the problem for now. The National Assembly should start proposing bills that will deal with the corrupt practices in the governance, they should propose bills that will ensure healthy voting system, they should propose bills that will ensure that national and state leaders live up to their responsibilities.

Why won’t people use hate speeches in a country besieged by crooks as leaders? Hate speeches even help to increase the life span of some people because that is how best they can vent their anger and frustrations. Even the present administration is guilty of hate speech against the past administration; so what is the basis for the bill? President Buhari was guilty of hate speech when he threatened that both the "baboon and the dog will be soaked in blood during his campaign. Before we talk about anti hate speech bill, this administration should first apologize for being the promoters of hate speech. This administration should first address its leadership of sectionalism which is hateful in its entirety before passing anti hate speech bill.

The bill will only be relevant when the citizens start enjoying the dividends of democracy. When there is minimal corruption, when there are good and accessible roads, adequate supply of clean water, constant power supply, quality education, etc.; only then can the passing of bill against hate speech be justified and ripe for implementation.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

Powered by Samweld Nditah