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  • Don't Introduce Policies that Shall Further Impoverish Workers-AWC to Govt.

    Ni 14The  Federal and State Governments have been warned not to introduce policies that shall further impoverish workers in Nigeria in the face of dwindling revenue and economic recession.
    This warning was handed down by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.
    ''The Federal and State Governments should not contemplate introducing policies that would further impoverish workers in these times of dwindling revenue and economic recession. Presently, the salaries of Nigerian workers cannot take them home considering the continuous devaluation of the Naira'', Comrade Emelieze lamented.

     

     

     

     

  • Police Brutality- Oyo Panel Yet to Sit-Victims

    Human 2Victims of police brutality in Oyo state have expressed worries that the Panel of Enquiry set up by the state government is yet to commence sitting.
    The victims in a chat with Poverty Line, lamented that several weeks after the inauguration of the Justice Badejok Adeniji led panel, mum is the ord.
    ''We are disturbed that the panel is yet to commence sitting. We are also surprised that several weeks after the inauguration of the panel by the state Governor nothing encouraging has been heard. This should not be the attitude of the State Government'', they stated.
    However, a lawyer and human rights activist, Barrister Femi Aborishade insisted that the panel has not been given any terms of reference, saying,'' they have no office, no place of sitting and no funding''.

  • Agenda for the Benefit of a Few

    Na 2Nigerians are of the impression that their representatives at the Senate, House of Representative, and the State Houses of Assembly are there to line their pockets and that of their paymasters.
    Indeed, they insist that most lawmakers in the state Houses of Assembly would eternally be grateful to the State Governors for facilitating their emergence as the representatives of the people, the same applies for at the center.
    Without a doubt,  the National Assembly in the second republic was a lot acceptable to the people than what obtains today.
    During this period, the then President, Alhaji Sheu Shagari intensively lobbied without success, to pass his executive bill recommending salaries for himself, his Ministers, Presidential advisers, other functionaries, Senators, and members of the House of Representatives.
    The third arm of Government meticulously and cautiously debated Alhaji Shagari's bill in the twilight of 179 and the early months of 1980.
    The lawmakers relied on responses from the frontliners in Government and the private sector to justify their insistence on higher salaries as against the President's recommendations.
    At the end of it all, the then President of the Senate, Dr. Joseph Wayas counseled his colleagues on the dangers of allocating higher salaries for themselves and other public officials.
    Subsequently, the lawmakers approved 30,000 Naira , excluding allowances for the President.
    Interestingly, when President Shagari was told that the lawmakers had approved 5,000 Naira more than his salary recommendation, the President announced that he would allocate the 5,000 Naira extra to several charity organizations in the country.
    In the second republic, gifts were rejected by the lawmakers and labeled ''greek gifts'', but presently it is an ''all-comers affair''.
    Encouraged by a desperate executive at the Federal and State levels, a self-first driven legislature, go all the way to implement an anti-people's agenda for the benefit of a few.

  • Put God's Kingdom First

    Prof 1The beastly nature of man tends towards more of the flesh with little faculty input in making decisions to act.

    The Id in a person paly a significant role in controlling the psyche and wish of the infants to the impressionable age level, children will ever wish the best from their parents and arrogate to themselves the achievers' materials of their parents and those who have made it in the society-may car, my house-this is the period beastly manifestation of behavior.

     He later develops into an ego region, when he is conscious of what he says and what he wishes.

    However, the best of growth and development in a man is best achieved through the developed superego, when he has the characteristic senes of control and regulations over the thoughts, wishes acts, and deeds.

     For a man to achieve the superego level, he needs spiritual nutrients in form of inspirational energy with which he would drive the vehicles of his social desires.

    As expressed in the Holy Quran 94: 4-8, (94:4) And did We not exalt your fame? 3

    3. This was said at a time when no one could even conceive how the renown of the one unique individual, who had only a few followers confined only to the city of Makkah, would be exalted throughout the world and what high fame he would achieve. But Allah Almighty gave His Messenger (peace be upon him) this good news under those very conditions and then fulfilled it in a strange way. In the first place, he took from his enemies themselves the task of exalting his renown. One of the methods that the disbelievers of Makkah adopted to defeat his mission was that in the Hajj season when the pilgrims from every corner of Arabia were attracted to their city, they would visit them at their halting places and would warn them to beware of a dangerous man called Muhammad (peace be upon him), who they alleged, worked such magic on the people that father was separated from son, a brother from brother, and husband from wife; therefore, they should keep away from him. The same thing they said to all other people, who visited Makkah on other than Hajj days in connection with pilgrimage or on other business. In this way, although they were trying to defame the Prophet (peace be upon him), yet the result was that his name reached every nook and corner of Arabia and the enemies themselves took him out of his seclusion in Makkah and introduced him among all the tribes of the country. After this, it was but natural that the people should become curious to know as to who this man was, what he preached, what was his character like and who were the people influenced by his magic, and what sort of effect his magic had on them. As the propaganda of the Makkan disbelievers spread, the people’s curiosity also grew. Then, when as a result of this curiosity the people came to know of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) morals, his character and conduct when they heard the Quran and found what teachings it presented and when the people saw how different the lives of those who had been influenced by what was being described as magic had become from the lives of the common Arabs, the bad name started being changed into the good name. So much so that by the time the Hijrah took place, there was perhaps no tribe left anywhere in Arabia from which one or another person, one or another clan had not accepted Islam and in which at least some people had not developed sympathy and interest in the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his message. This was the first stage of the exaltation of his renown. Then from the Hijrah started the second stage in which, on the one hand, the hypocrites, the Jews and the prominent polytheists of Arabia were actively engaged in defaming him, and, on the other, the Islamic State of Al-Madinah was presenting such a practical model of God-worship, God-consciousness, piety, and devotion, purity of morals and community life, justice and equity, equality of man and man, generosity of the rich, care of the poor, the fulfillment of pledges and promises and righteousness in dealings, which was conquering the hearts. The enemies tried by resort to war to impede the growing influence of the Prophet (peace be upon him), but the party of the believers, trained and developed under his own leadership, proved its superiority by their discipline, their bravery, their fearlessness of death, and their adherence to restrictions of morality even in the state of war, so convincingly that entire Arabia had to recognize it as a power to be reckoned with. Within ten years the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) renown become so exalted that the same land in which the opponents had exerted their utmost to defame him, reverberated with the slogan of Ash hadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasul Allah from one end to the other. Then the third stage commenced with the establishment of the righteous Caliphate when his holy name started being mentioned and praised everywhere in the world. This process continues till today and will continue till Resurrection if Allah so wills. Wherever in the world there exists a settlement of the Muslims, the apostleship of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is being proclaimed aloud in the call to the Prayer five times a day, blessings of Allah are being invoked on him in the Prayers, and his sacred remembrance is being made in the Friday Sermons. There is no moment in the 12 months of the year and in the 24 hours of the day when at one or another place in the world, the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) name is not being mentioned. This is a clear proof of the truth of the Quran that when in the initial stage of the Prophethood Allah proclaimed wa rafana laka dhikrak, no one could estimate and imagine with what esteem and to what great extent the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) renown would be exalted. In a Hadith, Abu Saeed Khudri has reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Gabriel came to me and said: My Lord and your Lord asks, in what ways have I exalted your renown. I submitted: Allah alone has the best knowledge. He said Allah says: Whenever mention is made of Me, you too will be mentioned along with Me. (Ibn Jarir, lbn Abi Hatim, Musnad Abu Yala, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Marduyah, Abu Nuaim). The whole later history stands witness that this prediction has proved literally true.

     

    (94:5) Indeed, there is the ease with hardship.

     

    (94:6) Most certainly, there is the ease with hardship.4

    4. This has been repeated twice so as to reassure the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the bad times he was passing through at that time would not last forever, but we're going to be replaced by good times in the near future. On the surface this appears to be a contradiction that hardship should be accompanied by ease, for these two things do not co-exist. But the words hardship with ease instead of ease after hardship has been used in the sense that the period of ease is so close to it as if it were a concomitant of it.

    (94:7) So, whenever you are free, strive in devotion,

     

    (94:8) and turn to your Lord with longing.5

    5. So when you have finished (your duties): When you are free from other occupations, whether occupations in connection with the preaching of the divine message, or teaching and training of the new converts, or domestic occupations of mundane nature. The commandment means: When you are no more occupied, you should spend your time in the labor and toil of Allah’s worship and turn all your attention exclusively to your Lord.''

    This is why the Holy Quran 51: 56, categorically made this submission, ''I have only jinns and men that they may serve Me.

     This is why the Holy Bible in Psalm 53: 1-3 submitted with all authority that only a fool thinks there is no God, People like that are corrupt, evil, malicious and they don't do anything well.

    There really is a God in heaven watching over us. God is looking for wise people who are looking for God! But everyone has turned away from God. 

    Every person is bad, no person does anything good. No, not one person.''

    Let us all be reminded that without God those who labor do so in vain(Psalm 27: 1).

    The Holy Bible, therefore, needs to be followed on the issue of putting God's kingdom first, as the Holy Quran equally emphasizes the essence of being alive. In the Holy Quran 2: 201-202,''(2:201) There are others who say: “Our Lord, grant us what is good in this world and what is good in the World to Come, and protect us from the chastisement of the Fire.” (2:202) They shall have a portion from what they earned; Allah is quick in reckoning.''

    The teaching of Jesus Christ, therefore, in Matthew 6: 25-34(please take patience to read and digest to the application realm to suit the true-life situation) ,''25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

    26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

    27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

    28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

    29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

    30 Wherefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

    32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

    33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

    34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.''

     To all people from all nations, therefore, starting from me and you the almighty Allah admonishes through the Holy Quran 49: 13 on the essence of love, unity, keeping good neighborliness, and abstinence from all acts that may bother one into the deluge of discrimination or despise for others.

    This is for me and you to avoid the situation of losing the kingdom of God which only our closeness to God can guarantee us to have as paradise or Jannat-''O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. The emphasis here is on our ability to understand and internalise the subject matter of the Scriptures or curriculum to comprehension and application level that would suit to resolve issues and control any emerging situations for good, alongside strategic efforts on peace initiatives.

    Let us equally be reminded of the following, Romans 13: 13 is about a triangle of successful and sustainable exemplary life-styles: Faith is about the religion of your choice with the dividend of hope through just worship with sincerity of purpose and that the two would only be functionally beneficial only in an environment of love. '' Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.''

    Let us develop the culture of forgiveness for hatred to be replaced with love for a hitch-free voyage of life. Compulsorily, therefore, we must all submit to the design of God as contained in Quran 15: 99, ''And serve thy Lord until there come unto thee the Hour that is certain.

    Once again, but God's kingdom first.

    Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide,Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Lives of Pensioners No Longer Matter to Govt-AWC

    PensThe lives of pensioners who served the Government at all levels during their productive years no longer matter to their employers.

    This assertion was made by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emlieze.
    ''We are in a very horrible situation where workers and pensioners' lives no longer matter to the Government at all levels as citizens who worked for 35 years and retired to wait almost indefinitely to receive their gratuities, is ridiculous. If the Government at all levels are focused and accountable, the pension funds administrators and the Government ought to have commenced the preparation of retirement benefits six months before the affected workers retire and pensions a month after retirement, sadly, this is not the case in Nigeria,'' Comrade Emelieze lamented.

     

     

     

  • Disloyalty Breeds Corruption and other Vices-Prof. Olagoke

    Prof 1Disloyalty has resulted in countless incidents of unimaginable situations. Self and pecuniary interests in a sizable number of individuals have brought about the unthinkable. Disloyalty seems to be the order of the day in all spheres of human endeavors as people strive to make a living. In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head, and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that corruption and other practices are products of disloyalty. Excerpts :
    Disloyalty has now taken over space in all spheres of human life, why is this so?
    The word loyalty is an active ingredient for system dynamics in any administrative setting and strategic management structure.
    It is expected to have been learned from one's father/mother relation in the home for a proper child-rearing process to take place, demanding the undertone of Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties.
    When disloyalty happens in a working environment the hierarchical order is disturbed, while charges of insubordination between the boss and his working partners, senior or junior, are alleged with resultant insinuations of disaffection and distrust.  The lessons on loyalty and the implication of disloyalty equally ought to have been learned even by intuition in the cultural environment under which we grew up.
    Like in Yoruba land, age is a critical factor to command others respect, so also are the positions of power, wealth, and acquired influence and affluence. When there is disloyalty in this line of hierarchy, selfless service may be denied to those people that may need it.
    It is then we talk of affront and arrogance. In the house of God, the issue of loyalty and the implication of disloyalty, ought to have been taught and learned through the Scriptures.
    So also in the institutions of learning-Primary, Secondary and Tertiary institutions, our conduct towards obeying the command of the teachers or lecturers matters most,  otherwise, arrogant students may reap the bitter fruit of the allegation of bad conduct.
    Courses such as Citizenship Education, Religious Knowledge, and General Studies are expected to be dedicated to the issue of loyalty and the implication of disloyalty.
    Nigeria's case in managing our democratic dispensation for governance, whereby the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies are regulated and controlled by the civil and public service rules, in order that the due process of officialdom is enhanced to disallow remote and primitive interventions of unskilled interactions among working groups.
    MDAs harmed by the civil and public service rules have all the wherewithal to regulate and control governance activities through the dynamics of political parties.
    However, they are feeders to government activities. Sanity must prevail based on the golden principle of loyalty.
    Whenever there is an occurrence of disloyalty in the system leakages and fraud become the penalty and political interference to defraud the nation may be very, very easy.
    Disloyalty at this level, therefore, has the implication of insubordination to the immediate boss or leader who is expected to hold forth the reign of ground rules for the political class.

    Dis
    Offenders in this realm, therefore, are not only been rebellious to the management of the institution but also rebellious to the state and the nation at large. This is what is responsible for system failure, as it manifests in the way the government believes in seeking for training abroad, rather than making use of the knowledge potentials we have at home.
    Disloyalty to the constituted authority is regarded as a grievous sin in religious and spiritual parlance, this comes with very terrible consequences.
    In social parlance, disloyalty is a criminal activity as it can disrupt the system dynamics. Disrespect for the constitutional provisions on issues is a grievous form of disloyalty against the state.

  • Acknowledge Your Creator

    Hosea 6 : 3

    3 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

    Quo 3Quo 4Quo 5

  • Entitlement of Retirees too Meager-Prof. Olagoke

    Prof 1Public and civil servants in Nigeria retire with fears of what the future holds for them after putting in 35 years of service. In recent times, gratuities are paid years after retirement, while the payment of  pensions are trailed by several challenges. In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Heads and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke says entitlements of retirees are too meager considering their years of service. Excerpts :
    Are you comfortable with the challenges confronting the payment of pensions and gratuities to retirees in Nigeria?

    The idea behind pension payments to retired employees is to ensure that the retired senior citizens continue to enjoy large sums of their approved savings in form of gratuity for him or her to be able to invest in some small scale ventures, while he or she simultaneously receives some reasonable sum in terms of percentages of what he or she used to receive previously for life to be comfortable towards the old age.

    The Federal Republic of Nigeria pensions reform act 2004 was signed into law on Friday 25th, June 2004, after several reviews of the 1979 pensions reforms act which had to give way for a new contribution scheme for employees both in the public and private sectors in Nigeria, this was then after in June 2014 amended by the National Assembly whereby the contributory pensions scheme would involve the gradual retirement planning for any employee.

    It made provisions for the deduction of the minimum of eight percent of the employee's monthly emolument, while the employer pays a minimum of 10 percent for the employee into the retirement savings account. The word minimum allows the dubious head of some institutions to defraud members of staff under them. For example, observations show the disparity in the pay packages of the members of staff in the same category of the same salary scale grade, receiving different amounts as take home from one institution to the other within the Federal Polytechnic system, not to talk of the big differences between such members of staff in the states and Federal Polytechnic system.

    This led the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics(ASUP) union leaders to compare not while some of them were silenced by the management bodies of their institutions for probing too much into what was regarded as an issue between management and the Federal Government.

    The grey areas which need a categorical statement of fact from the Federal Government and managements of institutions is to clarify whether the individual contribution to the Pension Fund Administrators (PFA) is contributed from the source or by individual management of each of the institutions concerned.

    Some polytechnic management made their members of staff believe that between 7.5 percent and 15 percent of their salaries go to the PFAs from the management of the institutions and that the government on behalf of the individual concerned staff paid between 7.5 percent and 15 percent.

    Most retires were dumbfounded upon collecting their shares of the lump sum which they considered to be too meager to what their calculations over the years should be.

    Pensioner

    The unions and management of the institutions are always are loggerheads over the issue of transparency.

    The challenges, therefore, confronting the new senior citizens are arrays of puzzles which the government needs to give urgent attention.

    In Oyo State, pensioners became frustrated and some of them died in the process because of the challenges of embezzlement of the accrued pension funds.

    Several retirees suffered from great delay over the years while some died in the process. There were equally some allegations that the government used to tamper with such funds to the level of no remittance to the PFAs.

    Common setbacks on the issue of pension funds are 1)the delay of the government to pay pensioners and non-compliance by several universities. It is equally embarrassing to read on the pages of newspapers, the payment of pension funds into private accounts, fixed deposit accounts, and in unauthorized banks. From my personal experience, I retired in 2017 but received by the pension fund in 2019, my home was on the verge of disintegration due to my inability to fund domestic projects, if not for my wife and support from friends, one could have imagined what would have happened.

    The question that should be on every person's lip is on the monitoring of the flow process involved in the payment of the pension funds via the government's side and the institutions' side, through a transparent and accountable mechanism to avoid unnecessary doubts from the clients of the PFAs, unnecessary delay in receiving the pension funds for the retirees to be able to use it meaningfully and beneficially in our economic environment that is not stable. For instance, any pensioner that may put his money into a fixed deposit will eventually suffer a setback through the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) directive that reviewed downward the accrued interests by almost two-thirds between January till date.

    The pensions scheme from Act 2004 2014 and 2017, ought to have been very uniform to be respected by all institutions, universities, State Governments, and the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. Proper orientation with clarity of purpose of the amount been deducted from the salaries of the staff and the corresponding mode of sourcing for it from the arrived salaries in the institutions, the Treasury Single Account directly should be clearly stated, so that the members of staff are not thrown into unnecessary darkness between the union leaders and their management.

     

    Pension managers who embezzled pension funds must be prosecuted in accordance with the enabling law, this will assist in overcoming some of the challenges in pension funds administration-contributory and non-contributory.

    There is a need to control the influx of ghost pensioners through an effective anti-fraud process and control of pension fraud using appropriate Information Communication Technology(ICT), biometric capturing machines, independent central data management authority, census of all informal employers and contributors, the establishment of the basic registration system.

    Institutions found wanting on the issue of pensions funds scam must be exposed, while the personalities involved must be allowed to face the full wrath of the law.

  • Acknowledge Spiritual Security

    Prof 1Security issues have a double dimension of social and spiritual significances. Unfortunately, the Government faces the social security issue by voting heavily on the effects rather than the causes of security votes that may not necessarily be accounted for and mass mobilization of security agents to quell emerging crises.
    Unfortunately too, the ugly events claiming the lives and property of the people would later remerge in a more monstrous form, like recurring decimals in Mathematics.
    From esoteric research of spiritual exploration, the causes were usually triggered by diabolical energy of satanic influences which always possess the perpetrators of dastardly acts converting sins into heinous crimes.
    One would expect the Churches and Mosques to fight and shame the devil through the aura of divine inspiration, but for most of them who patronize the devil itself, for the reasons of economic prowess and fame, the faith-based organizations are usually found wanting in wrestling power with satan.
    The people and the nation, therefore, are always at a loss for them to be eager to have a true messiah that would be able to stand the test of time, such as the case of Elijah, Moses, and the Holy Prophet Muhammad, who stood firmly with the words of God as the vanguard of truth to save the people of their time from the wreck of diseases, oppression, and hypocrisy. Thye remains the legends of achievers and change agents of their time with a sustainable legacy that would be followed by subsequent generations to curb the excesses of the rulers and affront of the weak.
    They left the legacy of moderate and the fear of God for me and you to imbibe as a culture of self-esteem and integrity to promote better world order.
    Unfortunately, how many of us are taking after them in the real sense of it to have a better community accelerated, development, and good governance without default.
    Where religious people fail, the government institutions equally stumble, most especially in the areas of controlling social misdemeanor and spiritual set back! Ritual killings in Nigeria started with bad elements in our cultural setting, whereby they would traditionally search for strangers to be sacrificed to their gods and goddesses because it was not timely checked and for the reason of the attached socio-economic enhancement, the elite including the religious people condemned the act by the propaganda of the words of the mouth, but accepted the dastardly act to maintain and sustain the derived gains of power, wealth, influence and affluence from it.
    The Holy books warned vehemently that human beings should dissociate themselves from the antics of satan but get closer to Him to tread the right path of contentment of the mind for the comfort of life and bliss of heaven(paradise or janat)
    The Holy Quran  4: 117-121 refers,'' The people living God(but using religion as a cover-up ) call but upon female deities: They call but upon satan, the persistent rebel, A; Allah did curse him, but he said I will take of thy servants a portion marked off: I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle and to deface the fair nature created by Allah. Whoever forsaking Allah, takes satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest. Satan makes them promises and creates in them false hopes, but satan's promises are nothing but deception. Those who follow the path of satan will have their dwelling in hell and from it, they will find no way of escape.''
    None of the people we have in positions of power or as elite in affluence can claim to be ignorant of the scriptures of his or her religious faith and all Church or Mosques goers can claim not to know about the demand of God for mankind, why is it them that we are not tapping into spiritual security to wrestle power from satan and cleanse the land for peace restoration. The victims of ritual killings through direct human sacrifices by the herbalists and their collaborators suffer greatly from the cruel process through which their blood was shed and their lives were taken.
    What of the parts of their body that were later mutilated and sold through the human parts contractors who help the rich and powerful to maintain and sustain their wealth and positions of power.
    The Government is expected to beam its searchlight on these wicked acts of spiritism sardonic and the use of the heavy hands of the law on the perpetrators, with consideration for their positions in the society to be able to regulate and control the social challenges of corruption and kidnapping.
    The Holy Bible on the issue of justice, rewards, and punishment states in a clear term in Ecclesiastes 8: 11-13,'' Sometimes people are not immediately punished for the bad things they do. Their punishment is slow to come and that makes other people want to do bad things too. A sinner might do a hundred evil things and he might have a long life, but I know that it is still better to obey and respect God, so those people won't really get good things. Those evil people won't live long lives(except for reasons of the miserable reward). Their lives won't be like the shadows that would become longer and longer as the sun goes down.''
    It is imperative that we must make the four major spheres of life to be functionally alive to their responsibilities vis-a-vis the culture and the traditional rulers to enforce moral discipline for the sanity of society.

    Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide,Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Human Defiance and Religious Impotence

    Prof 1The great challenge between divinity and humanity is that of promiscuous acts which the creator God or almighty A\llah detests, but humanity takes as a form of their own pleasure to pass time.

    After many festivities were borne out of religious systems have been celebrated with all seriousness, most people including the adherents always resort to thanksgiving through the celebration of anti-scriptural events, to mark the beginning of rubbishing the forgiveness essence that always underlines the observance of such activities.

    The roles of the religious leaders, who profess to serve humanity and God and also pretend to keep all the ordinances of God by teaching them to the adherents as well as playing a pedagogue role model on it, are called to question. For example, the Holy Quran, 5: 90 strongly warns, 'Oh ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, sacrificing to stones, and divination by arrows are an abomination: of satan's handiwork. Eschew such abomination that ye may prosper.''

    The almighty God unmistakably emphasized this issue as a statement of challenges. The Holy Quran refers, 'They asked thee concerning wine and gambling.' Say,'' in them is great sin and some profit for men''; but the sin is greater than the profit. They asked thee how much they are to spend. Say ''What is not beyond your needs. Thus doth Allah make clear to you His signs, in order that you may consider their bearings on this life and the year after.'' For us as mere mortals, the almighty Allah admonished us in Quran 17: 32,''nor come nigh to adultery for its is an indecent deed and an evil way.''

    And the Holy Bible corroborates this in Mathew 5: 27-28,'' You have heard that it was said don't do the sin of adultery, but I tell you if a person looks at a woman and wants to sin sexually with her, then that person has already done that sin with the woman in his mind.''

    This is why every parent must groom his or her children in ways that would be uplifting.

    Let us, therefore, heed this admonition from Quran,'' When we make mankind taste of some mercy after adversity has touched them, behold! They take to plotting against Our Signs! Say to plan is Allah, verily, Our messengers record all the plots that they make.'' Let us all stop been defiant to admonitions and corrections-social or spiritual.

    Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide,Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Law Enforcement : Groom Police Personnel to be Role Models-Prof. Olagoke

    Prof 1Globally, the impression is that the Police force was established to maintain peace and order in society and also ensure the safety of lives and property. Sadly, several incidents around the world have indicated that the opposite is the case. This situation is worrisome and a source of concern to the citizenry. Interestingly, unscrupulous police personnel in connivance with members of the public, who are also members of communities in the country, extort innocent Nigerian by proxy.In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head, and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that all police personnel should be groomed to be role models on the issue of the rule of law to enable effective enforcement of the laws of the land. Excerpts :

    What ought to be the roles of the Nigeria Police Force in a democracy?

    The structure of democracy vis-vis justice, policy-making, and implementation that should be inclusive to the term of equity. These are expected to give the society a stable polity in an environment of respect for the fundamental human rights of all without discrimination or socio-classification for the purpose of achieving the streak of sustainable development. Any alteration to this arrangement will constitute a threat to the security of the state and its prosperity. The extreme can lead to a state of anarchy. To be able to achieve maximally, police personnel from the lowest to the topmost ranks need to be properly trained in recognizing the state of the environment with all readiness to offer selfless service which must be sustainable to prevent a crack in the wall of the state. The people, generally, must equally be sensitized to see the police as their immediate neighbor. The roles of the Nigeria  Police Force, therefore, must be clearly stated as defined and must be incorporated into the school curricula. For example, the prevention of crime is fundamental to the protection of lives and property. They must therefore be role models on the issue of the rule of law to be able to enforce it. The Police must be an embodiment of peace and must be trained not to be bullies, but humane and polite in going about the statutory charge of maintenance of peace and public order.It is unfortunate to note that the environment under which the Nigeria Police Force operates is a hostile one and the recruitment process is faulty. This is a set back for the police force because criminally minded people will easily join the force without detection for future havoc. Another problem that is equally intrinsic to the under-performance is government underfunding. Also, the environment of corruption and extortion has by polarization affected negatively the constitution and working operations of the police to the level of institutionalized corruption and extortion.The inadequate number of police personnel are shared among the state and the rich as most of them are attached to several political office holders and the elite, at the expense of the state.Police brutality and harassment of innocent citizens have made them become pawns of politicians, who sew or borrow police uniforms from them for the thugs to appear as government agents to deal with political opponents, maim and kill perceived enemies.

  • All About Light and Darkness

    Colossians 1:13-14

    13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

    QuoteQuote

  • The Piper Plays the Tune of his Paymaster

    Nigerians are unanimous over the attitude of members of the National and State House of Assemblies.

    They insist that the lawmakers have not been above board in the performance of their constitutional functions.On several occasions in this dispensation, at the Federal and State levels, the withdrawal of public funds without authorization by laws of the National and State assemblies have been commonplace.

    The insinuation is that the lawmakers' hands are tied, as a result of the questionable ways they were elected to represent the people.

    Curiously, in the present time, the majority of these lawmakers are not courageous enough to visit their constituencies, due to protests rocking various parts of the country.

    Sadly, issues of urgent national importance are either not discussed or played down by the lawmakers, so as not to negatively affect the fortunes of those who dictate the tune for the piper to play.

  • The Piper Plays the Tune of his Paymaster

    Nigerians are unanimous over the attitude of members of the National and State House of Assemblies.

    They insist that the lawmakers have not been above board in the performance of their constitutional functions.On several occasions in this dispensation, at the Federal and State levels, the withdrawal of public funds without authorization by laws of the National and State assemblies have been commonplace.

    The insinuation is that the lawmakers' hands are tied, as a result of the questionable ways they were elected to represent the people.

    Curiously, in the present time, the majority of these lawmakers are not courageous enough to visit their constituencies, due to protests rocking various parts of the country.

    Sadly, issues of urgent national importance are either not discussed or played down by the lawmakers, so as not to negatively affect the fortunes of those who dictate the tune for the piper to play.

  • The Promotion of Strong Individuals ended Ethical Practices in Nigeria-Prof. Olagoke

    IProf 1n Nigeria of today, the national ethics of Discipline, Integrity, Dignity of Labor, Social Justice, Religious Tolerance, Self-Reliance, and Patriotism are missing in the daily lives of a significant number of the leadership and followership. Concerned Nigerians insist that the leadership dictate the pace for the followership. This, has, however, sadly, resulted in the disconnect between the leadership and the followership. In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head, and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that the focus of successive administrations in the country on the promotion of strong individuals rather than strong institutions put paid to the observance of the national ethics. Excerpts :
    Why are all the elements of the National Ethics missing in the lives of a sizable number of Nigerians?
    In the time past, Nigeria was rated very high, and most important dignitaries from abroad including the then Prince of Saudi Arabia received their medical treatment in hospitals in Nigeria. Then, the universities were just about four, but they ranked very high among their counterparts in every part of the world because of the quality of education and the standard of services offered by their lecturers. Though crude oil was discovered in Oloibiri in 1956, it was fully developed after the civil war between 1967 and 1970.
    However, mismanagement of this made successive administrations to abandon agriculture for development. This brought in the era of uncontrollable corruption, making every government be successful in promoting strong individuals rather than strong institutions. In the process, national ethics got lost for institutional indiscipline to take over. The dignity of labor became a farce while the quick money-making syndrome which is not limited to all sorts of human rituals became the order of the day. It is very unfortunate that all agents of socialization have been eroded for things to fall apart. Since the fratricidal war of 1967 to 1970, national ethics have been missing national life. To this extent, ethnic bias and kleptocracy have replaced the senes of nationhood and patriotism, making the leadership totally disconnected from the followership. Using the recent nationwide protests, as an illustration, Nigerian leaders must realize that the ability to control the children, youth, and followership lie in the positive impact one can make while in the position of power to do so. Sanity can only reign when destitution and abject poverty are out of sight.


     

    nce of the national ethics. Excerpts :

  • For a Nation to Be Good Produce Good People

    Prof 1The challenge we have is in producing god citizens to the maximum level to overwhelm the 'bad and crazy guys' even into extinction. The Holy Quran refers,'' Therefore, stand firm in the straight path that hath commandeth-Thou and those who with thee turn unto to Allah(the almighty God)); and transgress not from the path(honor): For He seeth well all that you do and incline not to those who do wrong or fire will touch  you; and ye have no protector other than Allah, nor shall ye be helped.''
    In the same vein, The Holy Bible stands firm on the goodness of purpose. In Prov. 12: 3-9 in its comparative narration of good and evil, ''Evil people are never safe. But good people will be safe and secure. A husband is happy and proud of a good wife. But if a woman makes her husband ashamed then she is like a sickness in his body. Good people are fair and honest in the things they plan to do. But don't trust the things an evil person tells you. Evil people use their words to hurt other people, but the words of a good person can save people from danger. Evil people are destroyed and there is nothing left. But people remember a good man long after he has gone. People praise a wise man but don't respect a stupid person.  It is better to be a person who is not important but works hard  than to be a person who pretends to be important but has no food or value.''
    In the same vein, the Holy Quran emphasizes every nation to produce good people than bad people through the network of the homes, community, state, the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and Government. For the nation to be able to be strong enough in defending the course of its people and protecting the multitude of the youth at a sustainable level.
    Presently, it is imperative to work on our value systems to remove the stigma of worthlessness and international ridicule due to our actions and inaction dictated by the mass population of bad people.
    The Holy Quran 14: 24-26, refers, '' Seeth thou not how Allah set forth a parable ?-A goodly Word like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches reach to the heavens, it brings forth its fruits at all times by the leave of its Lord so Allah set forth parables for men in order that they may receive  admonition and the parable of an evil Word is that of an evil tree: It is torn up by the root  from the surface of the earth: It has  no stability.''

    For Nigeria and Nigerians not to lose credibility,  let us decide to be good people to produce good people by shunning bad mannerism, greed,  wicked acts, and games of deceit for true development to emerge through collaborative and collective efforts.

    Prof. Sabitu Olagoke

    Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide,Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria

     

  • The Long Road to Rail Transportation

    N13In 1898, the then administration in Nigeria commenced the construction of the railway and between 1901 and 1909, the railway line had been constructed up to Niger at Jebba-302 miles from Lagos to Jebba.

    This was followed by the Western line running from Lagos to Kano, which was constructed between 1898 and 1913.

    In addition, the River Niger bridge, the major link  between Lagos and  the North, was constructed and opened for traffic by Lord Lugard in 1916, while a railway line from Port-Harcourt  to   Enugu was also constructed in the same year.

    It is to be noted that the railway was extended to Kaduna in 1926 and Nguru in 1`936. Also, the River Benue bridge was constructed and opened for use in 1932,  while the railway lne from Jos to Maiduguri was constructed and opened for use in November, 1964.

    In all, during this period there were 2,500 miles of railway in the country.

    Interestingly, the discovery of mineral resources in the different locations greatly influenced the construction of the railway lines. Today, the debate among Nigerians is the failure of the present administration to justify the rationale behind the humongous amount of money collected as loans from China and the issue of invisible projects all over for the benefit and well being of the people. 

     

  • Nine Road Maps to Prayer Efficacy

    Prof 1Most often we call for divine intervention without considering the fact that the creator is set the standard to attempt the caller's prayer.
    Religion is established as a school for humankind to have an opportunity of having a deep knowledge about their creator to be able to build a cozy rapport environment for a perfect God/man relationship. All the prophets of God have been made to make the work of teaching and learning easy for all humans to purge themselves of all evil thoughts and acts. And to be able to refrain from committing sins and crimes, for worshippers to be wholesome and qualified to relate, without hindrance, with their creator, the almighty Allah.
    The essence of sermons and lectures by religious leaders and scholars through the role modeling approach is thereby emphasized.
    Quran 10: 57,  refers, ''  Oh mankind there hath come to you an admonition from your Lord and healing of the diseases in your hearts,-and for those who believe, a Guidance and Mercy.''
    2Tim 3: 16-17,'' All scriptures are given by God (as a curriculum to drive the vehicle of religion) and all scripture is useful for teaching and showing people the things that are wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching how to live right. Using the scriptures the person who serves God will be ready and will have everything he needs for every good work,(management, administration, and governance).
    For such a prepared individual, the opportunity to call on God for personal reasons or as an intercessor between God and man for the wellness of others and fairness of the state is already to his or her advantage.
    This is why the scriptures emphasize that prayers must be based on the sincerity of purpose and just call for God to intervene in any affair.
    Quran 13: 14 refers,'' To  Him is due, the true prayer and others that they call upon besides Him, hear them no more than if they were to stretch forth their hands for water to reach their mouths but it reaches them not: For the prayers of those without Faith is nothing but vain prayer.''
    James 5: 16-18,'' Always tell each other the wrong things you have done(the essence of confession and transparency) then pray for each other. Do this so  God can heal you. When a good person(the just) prays hard, great things happen. Elijah was the same as us. He prayed that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years! Then Elijah prayed that it should rain and the rain came down from the sky, and the land grew crops again.''
    Countries and their religious leaders must work on the following operational modules of prayer for the efficient and timely outcome as contained in  Olagoke hierarchy of needs for prayer efficacy. They are nine elements  :
    1) Body preservation from sins and crimes.
    2) Soul purification from evil thoughts 
    3)Compacted thoughts that concentrate and focus on the mightiness of God for dialogue(Niyat).
    4)Requests based on statements of fact.
    5)Positive mental attitude for good behavior as extended to the forgiveness of others.
    6) Reflection on perfect leadership and followership essence. that are scripture compliant to have the favor of God(Khubat).
    7)Firm and absolute belief in God as sensitive and benevolent.
    8) Actionable attitude towards the goal.
    9)Prayer outcome at realization and actualization realm, as a sign of prayer efficacy for all time glorification.
    It is therefore essential that  every adherent is sensitized o the nine elements for prayer efficacy through religious leaders exemplary lifestyle to the level of attaining the total personality attributes of a quality value-laden elder statesmanship.

    Prof. Sabitu Olagoke

    Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide,Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria


     

  • Teachers Salary Scale-For Credibility Govt Must make Details Public-Prof. Olagoke

    Prof 1The Federal Government has reviewed the years of service for teachers in Nigeria from 35 to 40 years and also the retirement age from 60 to 65 years of age, while at the same time introducing a new salary structure.
    Even though a cross-section of Nigerians applauds the decision, several others believe that the new salary structure would be difficult to implement in several states. In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafudeen-in-Islam Worldwide,  Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that the Federal Government should make public the details of implementation and also introduce a Special  Teachers Pension Scheme. Excerpts :
    Do you think the new salary structure for teachers in Nigeria, recently announced y the Federal Government and the adjustment of years of service and retirement age are realistic?
    The new national teaching policy assigned and approved by President Muhammadu Buhari is an indication that better days await us in Nigeria, probably starting from this government. This is because the teaching service sector has been neglected over the years, making this crucial, fundamental, and primary mainstay of life to mankind highly unattractive for the lack of motivation for teachers, the profession has for long been producing the poorest of the poor of our population with the consequence of the graduates becoming touts and social miscreants.
    Components that absorb half-baked products of our schools always go into the loss of goodwill except for train the trainers' cycles of workshops, seminars, and conferences. If the government now feels that it as imperative to sign and approve the new national teaching policy all of us must applaud them and stand by them for proper implementation otherwise it may become another white elephant project.
    For example, the introduction of the special teachers' salary scale is long overdue, various governments had always given Nigerians a false sense of hope.
    The posers that follow range as 1)Feasibility of executing the project without discontinuity, considering that many states are yet to start paying the new minimum wage of mere N30,000. Gratuities of many teachers are yet to be paid in several states while pension challenges have led to the suffering of many with the consequence of losing some fo them.
    This is why the Government must intimate Nigerians on how it plans to go about this policy to give the citizenry maximum assurance.
    On the issue of the retirement age from 60 to 65, the government ought to have conducted an opinion poll for correct statistics to justify the new policy.

    Suffice it now to say that the government must reconsider the benefits of retiring at 60 or 70 as the nation may benefit from these human resources potentials in the face of the dynamics of activities expected in service. The teaching profession is glorious and fundamental to human growth and development which would affect positively,  proficiency in community service and active participation in national development. The new special salary scale for teachers will automatically ned to be supported by also introducing the Special Teachers' Pension Scheme.
    Perusing all these,  if the government is determined to do it, the present allocation structure needs to be revisited to be in favor of the states and the Local Governments, considering the fact that the number of Primary and Secondary schools are far higher than the number of tertiary institutions we have in Nigeria for them to be able to cope Afterall.
    The whole world is clamoring for Education For All(EFA) in the face of global best practices that demand standard quality.
    The Federal Government has to put in place an effective monitoring mechanism that would give it the assurance for transparency and accountability through due process in procurement and every transaction.
    The government must equally ensure that the teachers and students/pupils justify the new gesture that demands merit in certification. This is to allow our graduates to be attitudinally fit and professionally capable in the competitive market of labor justification.

  • The Efficacy of Prayers

    Quote 811 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.