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  • 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.

  • CBN Palliatives- Our Efforts to Get it Proved Abortive-Oyo Day old Chicks Farmers

    Dc 1

    Members of the Day Old Chicks Association of Nigeria(DOCAN) in Oyo state have lamented that all efforts to access the  Small and Medium Enterprises(SME) loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) to cushion the harsh effects of the coronavirus pandemic have proved abortive.

    The lamentation of the members of DOCAN was made known by its chairman, Alhaji Asimiyu Oyetunde in a chat with Poverty Line.

    ''All efforts to get the loans have proved abortive, we only hear that they are giving out loans, we don't know those they are giving it to'', Alhaji Oyetunde disclosed.

    In the same vein, a cross section of worried members of the association have called on their  leaders to put an end to the sharp and unbecoming practices going on in the centers of trade.

     

  • Aborted Protests-Posterity shall Judge Labor Leaders for Selling out-AWC

    The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has asserted that posterity shall hold it against labor leaders in Nigeria for selling out on the aborted planned nationwide protests against the increase in electricity tariffs and the pump price of Premium Moter Spirit(PMS).
    The AWC made this assertion through its Nationa Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emeliez in a chat with Poverty Line.
    ''We know that posterity will judge these labor leaders for the compromise. The labor leaders have sold out and what labor leaders have done with this aborted strike is an attempt to kill labor activism in Nigeria'', Comrade Emelieze stated.

  • Nigeria at 60-Been Alive is a Good Reason to celebrate-Prof. Olagoke

    Prof 160 years after Nigeria's independence, Nigerians have expressed divergent views on how the country has fared in all the spheres of life. In this interview, the Founder Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke says that the only reason why Nigerian have to celebrate is for been alive. Excerpts :

    Do you think there is any good reason for  Nigerians to celebrate the country's 60 years independence anniversary ?

    Nigerians, no matter the grievances we may have against successive  governments' performances, for reasons of been alive we need to celebrate. The form of celebration will, however, determine the level of our seriousness and soberness. If at 60, Nigeria is know to be bedeviled with  various problems of poverty and insecurity, there will be the need to compare notes, bot with our past and with other nations, on the issues of growth, progress and development for the present situation the areas of wastefulness in the management of government business must be analyzed critically and objectively for us to know the very weak areas that need correction.

    For example, Nigeria was used to various constitutional  process of law that supported federalism with concentrated wealth with the federating units with weal center.

    The Parliamentary system of government upheld this for Nigeria to realize at the regional level, accelerated development that promoted healthy competition among the three regions then. Human development index was very high when you assumed that your socio-economic status was poor, but today, we are operating on the 1999 constitution that sourced its strength from the 1979 constitution, all of which were based  on the concept of governance by the military.

    The 1922 and 1946 constitutions supported a weak center and upon this, the 1954 constitution was drawn to promote and facilitate development.

    This led to the strong 1963 constitution which was, however, truncated in January, 1966 by the first military coup in Nigeria and hence put an end to the strong regional government with a weak center that allowed rapid development that were directly felt with high impact even on the grassroots people.

    Presently, the Federal and state Governments operate at 52 per cent federal hold and 48 per cent for the states and Local Governments to manage with. Under the present arrangement state Governors would have to go cap in  hand  to collect money from the Federal Government to be shared among the 36 states and 774 Local Governments to pursue the goal of development.

    Worse still,  under this arrangement, leakages in financial transactions, allow very many to be corrupt, this gives room for the abuse of public offices, which is now the order of the day.

    Government in the process became a luxurious tantalizing mirage to the very large population that directly need selfless service or visionary leadership which has continued to be elusive.

     

     

     

  • Between the Known and Unknown

    1 Peter  4 : 8

    8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

    Q1

  • Return to God for Astute Management

    The home is the bedrock of community formation which extends to nation-building.

    However, the role of the parents in running the home in order to give it a strong foundation is highly crucial as this is expected to manifest in the way we rear children.

    From the physiological point of view, the custody of the child for safety and without abuse is paramount, while the growth and the development of the child equally depend on the following three parameters, namely-nutrition for a balanced diet and their regular intake for appropriate supply of adequate calories needed for upkeep.

    The second factor of importance is a function of nutrition to supply good health for enough body immunity that will not allow infiltration of disease attacks into avoidable ailments which can impair the body ailments which can impair the body from properly functioning.

    Good health condition leads to the wellness of the person that will constitute physical fitness, emotional balancing, psychological  fitness and career/financial upkeep. 

    When the home fails to provide for all these,  the Maslow's hierarchy of needs become disrupted for the product of the home to be emotionally challenged and socially disturbed. 

    Maslow opines that parents need to  rear their children through the following-physiological, social, self-esteem and self-responsibility. 

    The Holy Quran  11 : 6,  made this submission, '' There is no moving creature on earth, but its sustenance depended on Allah :  He knoweth its temporary place and its temporary deposit : All is in a clear record.''

    Prof. Sabitu Olagoke

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