Integrating Public Policy with Criminal Justice System and Constitutionalism

The Opinion that Saves the Immunity Clause and Transformed Our Criminal Justice System.

The Essay that you are about to read, saves the Immunity Clause (Section 308) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Above all, it helps in defining the ills in our criminal justice system and how to overcome them. I am not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). I'm not a celebrated Constitutional Lawyer. And I am not a Criminal Law Savvy Jurist, either. However, when the Immunity Clause came under severe attacks before the 2014 Constitutional Law Review by the National Assembly, this essay made a difference. No Nigerian Law Professor, Legal Guru, or Constitutional Scholar on the record to stand up in the defense of the section or canvass the public policy consideration that persuaded the drafters of the clause. This essay did. It had nothing to do with how brilliant or scholarly the author is in Constitutional Law or Criminal Law, it is about common sense and the ability to reason beyond the obvious - what is the Legislative Intent of the section, defined as the thinking of the drafter when he was writing the section. The goal is to save our budding constitutional democracy, by deferring prosecution of the President, Vice President, Governor, and Deputy Governor for any crime or offence, until when they are out of office. The intent was never to encourage corruption or the embezzlement of public funds by those protected under the section. Finally, following the retention of the section by the National Assembly, the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, issued a press release to celebrate its retention, and maybe by coincidence, the content of the press release was a regurgitation of the  Rationale Part of the essay that you are about to read. Why is this essay necessary? Simple. Uncommon Sense and Innate Wisdom displayed successfully for the enrichment of the Nigerian Legal System.  Everybody - writers, lawyers, commentators - was lamenting about the rots in the Nigeria Criminal Justice System, but no one was able to identify and articulate what the problem was or how to surmount it. This essay did. Happy reading. 

Who is Afraid of Another International Seaport in the South-South or South-East?

I am not a Ndigbo. I am a Nigerian of Esan extraction. I am a patriot and a law-abiding stakeholder, endowed with equal rights and responsibilities as any other Nigerian, in the affairs and progress of my beloved nation-state, Nigeria. I am not a trained writer or a Journalist by profession. I am a public policy pundit and I write policy statements. Most often, I write or comment on issues that are not even on the news. And most often, does not make sense to many people. In that category was my last December 07, 2020 coverage of the gridlock on Apapa Wharf in Lagos and why the power behind the scenes in Nigeria is seemingly opposed to opening up the Southeast Seacoast of Nigeria to the outside world. Today, and for the first time, courtesy of my good friend, Mr. Alfonsus Nannan, I am seeing another Nigerian addressing the issue. Economically, it makes sense, and I am sharing the opinion that you are about to read not because I am a Biafran sympathizer or IPOB wannabe, but because I am a Nigerian who believes it is high time we jettison ethnic and religious factors in the approval and allocation of projects anywhere in Nigeria. We are either one country or we are not. Happy reading and watching. 

Please, find below, some excerpts from "Nigeria: Overcoming the Uncomfortable Truth in the Search for Economic Development. (The Ultimate Solution)" December 07, 2020.

"Our economy has long outgrown the capacity of the Apapa Wolf and the Tin Can Island Sea Port. How come we've never considered it economically prudent to build other Tin Can Island capacity Ports at Ugheli, Warri, Yenagoa, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Calabar, or Bakassi Peninsular in other to decongest the Igunmu/Apapa/Mile2 axis of Lagos? Just for a second, forget about the job opportunities and the expansion of our revenue base from such new ports, and dwell on the traffic gridlock at Apapa."

"Also, it is faster and more economical to move goods from Akwa Ibom or Bakasi Penisular to Adamawa, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Taraba, and Benue States than from the Apapa Wharf. The economic advantages of that link to the North-Eastern states and Nigeria's GDP cannot be quantified in monetary terms. Then, why are we lackadaisical in opening up Nigeria to the rest of the global community through the South-South coastline?"

"Or is this a conspiracy of the Yoruba and the Hausa/Fulani to undermine the economic strength of the Igbos and the Niger Delta? It is more than punishing the South-South and Southeast or undermining their economic strength."

"The reason for not doing it is not for lack of bold visions or the financial wherewithal to manage additional international Seaports. But control. Do they have the manpower to manage the volumes of commerce coming in and out of Nigeria via the South-South corridor? The question is not whether Nigeria has the management expertise to run the volumes of trade, immigration, and Customs formalities. But whether the North can generate the number of Customs and Immigrations senior staff required to head the sector. They don't."

"If you have three or more Tin Can Island capacity Sea Ports on the South-South coastal lines, comes the demand for qualified Immigration and Customs Officers to man the ports. They don't have the trained manpower or a ready pool of college-educated Northerners for the top positions. If they lack the manpower, invariably they would lose hold or control of one of the greatest revenue-earning establishments in Nigeria. If Lagos is all that their oligarchs and commission agents can dominate and control, good enough for Nigeria. And they have done that over the last 50 years."

Of Nigerian "Groundnuts Pyramids" and the Curse of Crude Oil.

I understand that Nigeria has become so technologically focused to the extent that the teaching of History as a course or subject in our High Schools is now an aberration. So, to my nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, cousins, and children of friends and family members who are reading this, please, the pictures you're seeing below are not from Egypt. And they are not made of concrete. They are groundnut seeds, harvested, bagged, and neatly arranged for shipment overseas. They are the handiworks of Nigerians by Nigerians in the heart of present-day Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe, Kebbi, Bauchi, and Gombe State in Northern Nigeria. If you must know, Kano City was the citadel of that kisses in the sky. Today, that historic opulence is now history. So, what happened? That's what this essay is about. I will come back to that shortly. 

Going through the syllabus on the "International Petroleum and Comparative Law and Policy" course prior to the commencement of classes, I came across a chapter devoted to the curse of crude oil. It was a shock to me, seeing the word "curse" attached to crude oil that is supposedly a major source of income and the mainstay of the economy of any nation so blessed with it. It didn't take me time to grasp the overall importance of the message. 

In Nigeria, the curse is more than the crisis in the Niger Delta. It has spiral effects. It is more than oil spillage. More than pollution and contamination of the aquatic resources in the riverine areas. More than environmental catastrophe. More than corruption. More than escalation in income gaps. More than the disconnect between the governed and the leadership. And more than the hostile relationship between the host communities and the exploiters who are engaged in exploratory activities. Above all, makes the leadership indolent. And disincentivize the government's interest in other industries. E.g. Venezuela. 

Today, with the exemption of Lagos State, There is no other state in the union that can survive without the monthly allocations from Abuja, thanks to crude oil. So, why is that a curse? Simple. The Governor can appoint whoever he likes or impose on him by his party as a Commissioner or Adviser, without giving credence to his or her ability to perform or deliver. The zeal to invest and generate income internally is missing. So, it doesn't matter who is appointed, it's all about quota. After all the Chinese Investment Banks and Multinationals are there to supplement the monthly allocations from Abuja. 

Let's tie this essay to reality. I am from Edo State. If you are following the development in Benin City, Governor Obaseki is out for a showdown with anyone who has a hand in the Benin Storm Water Project that gulped the people of Edo State about N3B. He said it was a fraud. He said it was designed to fail. He said you cannot channel water from a lower level to a higher level. That's common sense. But who was the Commissioner of Works under Governor Adam Oshiomhole? Was the Commissioner an Engineer? Who is the Commissioner of Works in Governor Obaseki's Administration? I don't think he has one. 

Can Governor Obaseki appoint an Edo indigene who is an Engineer by profession, his Commissioner of work, without subjecting him to the PDP and APC vetting process? Also, if Comrade Adam Oshiomhole and his team had generated that N3B internally from the sweat and labour of his advisers and commissioners, would they have been nonchalant in the award of the contract and the apparent carelessness about the topological make of Benin City? Governor Adam Oshiomhole did not care about the academic background of his Commissioner of Works or of the Environment and Urban Affairs. Because he doesn't need their expertise. At the end of the month, the state allocation is coming from Abuja. Besides, the World Bank and Chinese Multinationals are there to sap the oil windfall. 

My friends, it is not only the KANO PYRAMIDS that are the casualty of Crude Oil or the curse of Crude Oil. In Edo State, Bendel Insurance is. New Nigerian Bank is. Bendel Line is. Bendel Brewery is. Bendel Pharmaceutical is. By the way, if you don't know, Ewu Flour Mills was gutted by fire a few days ago. And while the demand for Ema prouder and fufu is on the rise, they left the Flour Mills to riot away.  

Yes, the curse of oil is spiral and it is monumental. The President, the Governor, and the Local Government Chairman do not give a damn about who they appoint, because he doesn't need their opinion on who to generate revenue. Finally, if you think expertise doesn't matter, think and reflect on the performance of former Governor Fashola, a Lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as the Minister of Works and Housing in the past five years, side by side with the performance of Governor Umahi of Ebonyi State in the areas of road networks, urbanization, and modernization since coming to office as Governor. Governor Umahi is an Engineer, but Minister of Works Fashola is not. President Buhari and his team do not give a damn. Fashola has a lot going for him. He is a Muslim. His expertise or the lack of it in road networks or the topographical makeup of our highways is irrelevant. 

What am I driving at is this: If the leadership is defying all odds to raise revenue to execute the needed projects, he will not only emphasize accountability, but he will take the pain to ensure that competent and qualified Nigerians are elected or appointed to supervise and execute the project. In other words, crude oil is there; if the project is haphazardly executed by greedy and incompetent political lackeys, the contract can be rewarded again in a few years. 

And why the rich are getting richer, defunding our educational system, buying and installing huge generating plants and inverters in their private homes for electricity, flying Helicopters to their villages, and sending their children to schools overseas, you are asking yourself every day in Facebook: who do this to us? 

RESUSCITATING EDO STATE BUSINESSES

Okay, let me dream out loud. One of the plans I had in my mind when I was in Nigeria in 2015 and 2016, was to put pressure on Governor Adam Oshiomhole to buy back the facility from Pastor Oyakhilomen and I will run it and turn it over for profit within a year. And I had a similar plan for Bendel or Edo Brewery. Unfortunately, I didn't know that I wouldn't be meeting or having access to the Governor. So the elevator pitch I prepared down, specifically for Edo Brewery and Ewu Flour Mill, in America before leaving for Nigeria did not come to pass. And that's by the way. 

What I have come to realize is that the leadership on the ground would readily gravitate toward the Chinese to manage the big businesses for them. Not that Edo State doesn't have competent hands or qualified indigenes to manage the industries, the truth though is that those who are in the position to search for competent hands or qualified candidates are always looking for stooges who are readily disposed to be subservient. 

Look at Bendel Brewery, they don't know what to do with it and Guinness is coming out with different brands every now and then. Meanwhile, thousands of Edo indigenes are jobless. The demand for Ema flour is on the rise and a flour mill with a huge market (Edo, Ondo, Delta, Anambra, and Bayelsa States) was left in ruin, unutilized for years. Anyway, 2023 is around the corner. 

Please, I am not complaining, I was prompted by Dr Chris's reference to the Chinese and big businesses. 

PAPA AWOLOWO AND LIBERALISM

The Ikemba Nnewi, Odimegu Ojukwu, in the last section of his book "Because I am Involved," stated that if the Eastern Region or the Igbo tribe had Chief Obafemi Awolowo as its leader, the region would be greater or better for it. (Not the exact quote. If you have the book, go toward the end for the exact quote). 

When Awo realized that Sir Ahmadu Bello was not so keen about one Nigeria, in light of his open rejection of the 1953 motion for self-rule by Chief Anthony Enahoro, Awo retreated to his base and concentrated on developing his region. Also, Chief Awolowo was willing to serve under Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik) in the culmination of any coalition arrangement. But for whatever reason I do not understand, Zik was never favourably given to the idea of alignment between his political party and that of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Historically, ZIK was intent on diluting Awo's relevance and national presence. He was more into aligning with Sir Ahmadu Bello of the North, irrespective of the status designed for him.

Granted I didn't know what happened in 1960 and before, but there are ample and credible historical accounts of the coalition and alignment talks between the three big men. Whether in 1960, 1979, or 1983, Zik and his party were always ready to align and strike uncomfortable deals with Northern affiliated or dominated political parties. 

Those of you in my generation who were into newspapers at the time can still recall the Zik's Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) and Shagari National Party of Nigeria (NPN) Accord Concordiale alignment that died a premature death. While negotiating a coalition talk with Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the NPN, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) insisted on Free Education at all levels and Free Healthcare. On the other hand, Zik and his NPP agreed to share cabinet (ministerial) positions with the NPN, without the integrity of any element of Zikism in the newly formed administration. Yes, cabinet positions only, not Zikism or anything ideological. It was the same negotiated arrangement he structured with Ahmadu Bello and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPP) in 1960.

What am I driving at, Ahmadu Bello was scared of Chief Obafemi Awolowo because of his ideological purity and populism. He couldn't patronize Awo or make Awo play the stooge or second fiddle. Papa Awo's populist philosophy did rhyme with the Talakawas and Ahmadu Bello was not ready to cede control of the Northern region and the Middle Belt to any Populist. Any time they are faced with coalition talk, Awo will always put forward "Free Education at all levels as well as Free Healthcare." Ahmadu Bellow wouldn't take any of them. Apparently, he was more concerned about losing political control of an educated populace than the socioeconomic emancipation of such a populace. (Where are we today? Boko Haram, Almajiri, Bandits, Kidnappers, and Killer Herders on the loose).  

In 1960, Zik agreed to share power with the NPP as the Ceremonial Head of State, while Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was seconded to Lagos to Lagos by Sir Bello to become the Prime Minister of the newly independent nation, Nigeria. In other words, Zik didn't see anything wrong with the arrangement as long as his Political Party NCNC produced the Ceremonial Head of State. What was the most ideal in the circumstance was Sir Ahmadu Bello coming to Lagos to form the National Government with Zik as the leader of the National Peoples Congress (NPP). He demurred and sent his second in command Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. 

Chief Awolowo, on the other hand, saw what Sir Bello did as an affront. Why did he elect to remain in Kaduna as the Northern Premier, rather than coming to Lagos to form a government?  In other words, Sir Ahmadu Bello never believe or pretend to believe in the spirit of one nation-state of Nigeria. To him, it is all about the North. Nigeria is a geographical expression. Therefore, his region will not be subjected to the control of Lagos or any power outside of Kaduna. It is like the Queen staying behind in England and sending Sir Fredrick Lugard to go and form a coalition government with the people in the geographical entity called Nigeria. That was how Sir Ahamadu Bello sent Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa to Lagos in 1960. 

By remaining in Kaduna as the Northern Premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello succeeded in killing two birds with a single sling. One, I am in control of the Northern Region. Two, My Boy is in control over your destiny in the South and whatever you become is none of my problems. But Zik, as brilliant as he was, didn't see the larger picture or why Ahmadu Bello resolved to remain in Kaduna as the Northern Premier. He was simply comfortable playing the role of a Queen without power. Between the 1960 and 1966 Military coups, the new administration accomplished two exceptional feats. Midwest Region was created out of the Western Region and Chief Obafemi Awolowo and most of his men were tried of Treasonable felony and sent to jail.  But the young men in the military, most of them, highly educated, were not comfortable with what Sir Ahmadu Bello, Zik, and Balewa were using the federal might to do to Chief Awolowo and his Action Group followers. And they struck, resolved to release Chief Awolowo from prison and make him the President. But they failed and the rest is history.

Today, in the Yoruba land, we have OPC, Agbekoya, and Amotekun. In the North, we have Sharia Law, Hisbah, and Native Police, as well as, Bandits, Boko Haram, Killer Herders, and Kidnappers. 

In the Midwest, they have no militants, no warriors, and no unified social-cultural groups like Afenifere or Arewa Consultative Forum to fight their war. Nevertheless, they are blessed with fearless and talented writers and smooth communicators who are no longer interested in Federal appointments and are uniquely more powerful and relevant than their elected representatives in Abuja and Benin City. And they suffer no scruple calling anybody by name. 

In the South-South, we have militants, who are never tired of fighting successive administrations for an equitable distribution of Crude Oil Wealth as well as an end to water pollution and ecological disasters. 

Last but not least, in the South East, we have Nnamdi Kanu's IPOB and ECN as well as highly sophisticated writers who, unfortunately, are not communicating because not many people understand what they are writing about. Today, Nnamdi Kanu is in exile. IPOB is an illegal operation - an enemy of the State. Above all, one of their Governors has just invited the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to his kingdom to assist him in flushing out the hoodlums who masquerading as ECN and causing unrest in his neck of the wood. As you read, our Armed Forces are having the best time of their military career, turning Orlu into a Bloody Desert Storm. Only in Ndigbo. 

Today, in the Yoruba land, we have OPC, Agbekoya, and Amotekun, and the all-powerful Yinka Odumakin, Femi Fani Kayode, and Sunday Igboho. In the North, we have Sharia Law, Hisbah and Native Police, Bandits, Boko Haram, Killer Herders, and Kidnappers. And in the Southeast, courtesy of Nnamdi Kanu, we have IPOB and ECN. But today, thanks to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, the members of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are on the air and on the ground at Orlu in Imo State to assist the Governor in annihilating or flushing out the hoodlums who are masquerading as the protectors of the helpless and the vulnerable ones. What an irony. Meanwhile, Dr Gunmi is in the Zamfara forest, negotiating a ceasefire and an end to hostility between thieves and armed criminals (sugar-coated as Bandits) and lawful natives. And Dr Gunmi is not only equating Baanidts to the same status as Niger Delta Militants, but he is also demanding that they are paid compensation so that they can become law-abiding. Anyway, Governor Uzodinma is simply typical. His action is not unexpected. 

Whitney Houston: Of A Wasted Talent and the Freedom We Seek.

She was naturally gifted. Intensely beautiful and with a perfect body shape that any lady could ask for from God. She came from a good home. Brought up in a good home. And surrounded by gifted and well-respected gospel singers. And she was groomed and nurtured to superstardom by the legendary Clive Davis the President of Columbia Records. She couldn't have asked for more. And no artist in her generation had a better support system. Then came Mr. Bobby Brown. Would she still be alive today if she had married someone more mature, sophisticated, and urbane? We may never know. But death wouldn't have been an easy call. That I do know. And that's what this story is about.

Bobby Brown was wild, but he wasn't a drug addict. Whitney was. That the story of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown getting married came as a rude shock to the entertainment community was an understatement. How? No one could tell. They didn't have anything in common, even though they were reputed, singers and performers. 

Musically, one made it to stardom on a shoestring, while the other had it all laid out - she was born into it. One was into weed, and the other was on hard substances. But most people thought the reverse was the case. No, it was the angel that was hardcore who, in fact, introduced the so-called wild one into a world of hard substance. 

So, why Bobby as a husband, out of all the eligible superstars and megastars? Simple. To be able to live her pastime and passion uncensored. Bobby couldn't control her, and he moved on. 

What would have happened if she had married grown-up guys in the category of Mr. Eddy Murphy or a college-educated guy like Wesley Snipes, Terrence Howard, Taye Diggs, or Big Dreamers like Baby Face, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis? We may never know. But what I do know is that, at least, a grownup and more mature, sophisticated man in the house would have been able to straighten her up, seek outside help and not abandon her in the cold to cherish her passion unhinged. 

Her only daughter died exactly the same way that she died. She brought the boy home as a teenager from the same school to live with her and her Mom. And when Whitney died, the boy who ought to be a Big Brother to the lonely child, became her Mr. Lover Man. Today, both the girl and the boy are dead. And I do not want to go into details about the circumstances of her death. 

Much as I am not willing to hold Mr. Bobby Brown responsible for the death of Whitney Houston, I am unwilling to excuse him of responsibility for the death of the only child they had together. Knowing the circumstances that surrounded the death of her mother, the best Bobby could have done was take custody of their only child or arrange for her to live with her grandmother. He didn't. The little girl was allowed to be used and abused and abandoned by a once-upon-a-time suffering friend in her class she brought home to enjoy the riches and love of her lovely Mother.

I know it is a free world that we live in America, any child or teenager can make a choice about where he or she wants to live or whose company he or she wants to keep. Be that as it may, a more disciplined and mature voice would have made a huge difference in the circumstances. Maybe, just maybe Whitney and her only daughter would still be alive today. It wasn't about love for Bobby, but the opportunity to be free and uncensored in the satisfaction of passion. Who knows! But what I do know is that you guys had nothing in common. 

 Northern Politicians and the Making of Bandits.

Some Nigerians are groomed into a culture where, for instance, traversing the Sahara Desert by Foots and daring the deadly current of the Mediterranean Sea are worth a risk as long as they are able to checkout of Nigeria for a better life in Europe. Those who succeeded, are working round the clock, doing every job to be able to send money home to their parents and loved ones.

On the other hand, it is not the same story with the Northern Youths. First of all the majority of them are not educated. And they are nurtured into a culture where the celebration of illiteracy, AK/47, IED, Killing, kidnapping, and raping are existential normal. And that's what explains the video you're watching below - the delivery of weapons to either Bandits, Kidnappers, or Killer Herders in the forest by the sponsors and enablers.

The term "Boko Haram" did not originate from the leadership of the present-day Boko Haram sect. It was termed by Northern Technocrats and intellectuals to defeat a proposal for nation-wide and Federal-Funded Free Education at all levels. They argued that Free Education at all Levels is not in the best interest of Northerners because of Northern aversion to Western Education. They also argued that the proposed policy will widen the existing educational gaps between Northern and Southern Nigeria, based on the assumption that Southern families are more likely to embrace the program.

Well argued. But where are their children today? Attending prestigious High Schools and Universities in Europe and America and come home after graduation to start from where their privileged parents stop at the NNPC, CBN, and Federal Parastatals.

But the Talakawas, the Abokis, and the Almajiris are the ones you're seeing in the videos that is playing below. And that's the tragedy of the Nigeria North/South socio-Economic Divide.

I am not saying this or writing this because I hate Northerners, but there something abhorrent about most Northern Political leaders and Technocrats that they can't get rid of: SENSE OF DOMINANCE. "It is either our way or no way." And that is why bloodshed has overwhelmed the Nigerian landscape today.

While we are cascading dangerously toward extinction as a nation-state, they are there at Abuja, confused, issuing empty threats against those inciting ethnic intolerance. Who are the architects of the intolerance? Not me. Northern political leaders and their enabling Technocrats are the enemies of the state.

They are sitting on top of Nigerian crude oil wealth, has pocketed the NNPC, sending their children and wives to live abroad, while they are arming the Abokis and the Talakawas to go about kidnapping, killing, raping, and destroying private businesses all over Nigeria.

There is nothing Kanu Nnamdi is saying that is not true. Amotekun was not born out of hatred. Northern political leaders are the enemies of the Nigerian nation-state and the architects and sole beneficiaries of the North/South political divide.

The Gresham's Theory of Bad Money vs Good Money.

Bad Money Drives Out Good Money Meaning

Definition: If both low-quality and high-quality currencies exist in an area or market together, people will keep the high-quality currency for themselves and only use the low-quality currency with each other.

A good way to think about this proverb is to think about counterfeit and legal currency. If there is a counterfeit or inflated currency in circulation, people will hoard their genuine currency and only use the counterfeits in order to preserve the thing of true value.

Another way this idiom can be used is in the case of two legal forms of currency that are recognized to have the same value by a government. If one of these two forms is considered to be of higher value by the general public, the “higher” value currency will be hoarded, and only the “lower” value currency will be circulated.

For example, if a gold coin and a paper bill are both valued at $100, the public will save the gold to keep for themselves and use the paper money to buy commodities. This phenomenon is also known as Gresham’s law.

The expression bad money drives out good money can also be used metaphorically for any object, product, or skill that eliminates more valuable counterparts. For example, now that many products are produced cheaply, higher-quality versions of those same products are hard to find.

What Does Bad Money Drive Out Good Money Mean? - Writing Explained

Why I am Part of Ewohimi's Problems and the Solutions.

Samuel Adegboyega University in Ogwa, Edo State, is starting its Law Faculty very soon. The Dean of the emerging Law Faculty was my Classmate at Ekpoma. She announced her new appointment yesterday on Facebook. How does that concern the Ewohimi Community Development Association? Simple.

Ogwa, like Igueben, is not as big and populous as the Okaigben community in Ewohimi. When I was growing up, the story was that Ewohimi was the second largest town or village in the Esan Tribe, after Uromi. In the past twenty or so years, Ekpoma, because it is now a university community, has beaten us to the third position. 

There is no Ife village without the University of Ife or Obafemi Awolowo University. And it is the same story with a town or village in Massachusetts, called Amherst. Amherst in the middle of nowhere is basically a University Town. 

Educational institutions, like industries and commerce, drive development. Uromi has no institutions of higher learning, but it has infrastructural facilities and thriving commerce. And it is today, developing faster than Auchi. 

That said, at my age, educational background, and exposure, I am supposed to be driving and influencing developments and infrastructural facilities in my beloved Ewohimi. I have not done that, and that's why I consider myself a part of the problem. And resolved never to blame my fellow Ewohimi brothers and sisters again for what is happening or has happened to Ewohimi. 

MOVING FORWARD.

I understand that the reason for the discontinuation of the new Bank that was established at Ewohimi about three years ago was the unavailability of Electricity. I know we have different groups in the community working on different projects. Concerning electricity and power supply, I suggest that we raise funds to pay off whatever it is the community owns to the DISCO lady and her company and make her or any DISCO operating in Ewohimi provide and install a prepaid meter in every house. And I will personally take up this issue with NERC - Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission at Abuja. 

Banks will come from left and right if we have a steady power supply. We have a huge market - Ewatto, Ekpon, Ewosa, Ohordua, etc. 

God willing, with PBGSE or other higher institutions coming alive, private investment will grow, commerce will grow, and our friends and family members stranded in Lagos and Benic City will be motivated to come back home. 

So, let's see if we can resolve the electricity wahala for good between now and the end of August. I know that Mr. Erabor Okogun has a robust package for power generation. With additional support on the ground, he has the capacity to generate power supply at an affordable rate to the whole of Ewohimi and the environs. I saw his proposal. It is achievable. But he needs support. 

I know I am in the position to provide him that missing link, but I have not made myself available. And that's the reason I am casting myself as part of the Ewohimi problems. The blueprints that Mr. Erabor articulated on Dr. Chris Adubor's Ewohimi Adhoc Team, I can accomplish bring them to life within a few months if I am on the ground. 

I ask for your forgiveness for not taking advice

Teaching the Christ-Like Gospel

 "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Those are some of the pronouncements of Jesus Christ, emphasizing love, the forgiveness of sins, playing by the rules, and absolute faith in God. Today, emphases are now on deploying holy ghost fire to strike and scatter demonic forces and spiritual enemies tormenting us and holding our breakthrough hostage. That explains why most churchgoers are inundated with fear, suspicions, and hatred when they walk out of the church today, rather than being enriched and bubbling in Godliness, Christlike attitude, and dispositions, as well as love and kindness.

Without any doubt, Jesus Christ is missing in modern-day evangelism. Killing, kidnapping, and armed robbery are on the rise. Ritualists are unrelenting in their harvest of human parts. Politicians and public servants are perfecting new tactics to deplete our treasury. And poverty, banditry, and insurrection are exploding with no end in sight. Yet, Nigeria has the largest number of Christians and Muslims in Africa as well as the largest number of places of worship.

Go to the Nigerian National Assembly at Abuja, I do not think there is a member who is atheist or worships Olokun or Ogun, the god of iron. They are Christians and Muslims who serve God and Allah and donate handsomely to their places of worship. Whether they do it diligently, faithfully, and with all their heart is a function of what the pulpit has become. And that's the thesis of this essay. I am not blaming the ills at Abuja or in African capitals on our God's Servants, but that a shift in tone will go a long way in enabling peace, tolerance, fear of God, and a sense of accountability on the congregation and political leaders.

Today, because most of the governments in African countries have failed in their responsibilities - not doing what they are elected into office to do - the people are now gravitating towards places of worship; meeting with prophets and spiritualists to solve problems that are not spiritual-related.

It is about demand and supply. There is an ongoing surge in the number of men and women seeking salvation and transferring the search for breakthroughs in their career, finance, business, and marital life into the hands of our Pastors and Bishops to do the impossible. Thus inducing some of these men and women of God to be very creative in concocting and displaying healing power and spirituality that are inherently bogus and superficial at best.

So, it is no longer about the gospel in the spirit and like Billy Graham. The transformation the place of worship has undergone is massive, debilitating, and corrosive of societal values. Most of them can now openly dehumanize and physically assault their members, and subject their female members to the worst form of sexual abuse in the name of cleansing in other to get a husband or the fruits of the womb.

I am not disputing the existence of demons or spiritual attacks. But suffices it to say that when the elected government provides the basic necessities of life - peace and security, electricity, water supply, and reliable transportation networks - entrepreneurial zeal will skyrocket and investment opportunities will follow suit, culminating in expansion in job opportunities. , I can assure you that we will experience a surge in the number of men running to the altar to take the marital vow with their sweethearts. That's by the way. Please, forgive me for always finding ways to structure my theory to hold governments responsible for every ill in our society.

On Wikipedia and Citations

Please, no one should take this comment as a personal attack. I do not have anyone in mind before writing it. Only Nigerian writers or commentators cite Wikipedia or rely on Wikipedia for their research work. Wikipedia is NEVER a reliable, authentic, or dependable source of your information. And it is forbidden in academic settings. 

I am not the one or only one holding this position.  It is the standard all over the world, except in Nigeria and by Nigerian-based writers and commentators. For instance, if you go to the commentary sections in most of the stories in Sahara Reporters, Vanguard, or Punch newspaper, you will come across foreign-based Nigerians, especially the younger generations who got their degrees from overseas, lampooning home-based commentators for engaging in cut and paste from Wikipedia. 

Citing Wikipedia is the second warning they give to you during your orientation or first class in graduate schools in the US, especially to foreign students. The first warning is Plagiarism. Citing Wikipedia is automatically a failing grade in that course or assignment. Plagiarism, on the other hand, most often, leads to the withdrawal of your degree or certificate. 

Please, this is not an issue for debate: tell your friends, tell your co-workers, and tell your children. And if you are a Lecturer in the house, please, tell your students - to abstain from citing or relying on materials from Wikipedia. They are forbidden fruits.

So, why is Wikipedia forbidden in academic settings? Simple. The materials or information are not verifiable. And though substantive in most cases, they can disappear, be edited, or corrupted by anyone at any moment.