THOUGHTS OF A CALABAR BOY

We are a country in dire need of an international makeover, a serious case of physical distortion follows us about and any form of political, social, and economic pancaking will not be overstated. Of recent we have been battling a negative imagery painted by movies, adverts, radio shows around the world and our efforts at throwing down the gauntlet seems to be a flash in the pan. Even banning the movie District 9 in Nigeria or the screaming down of the Sony advert goes a long way to show how desperate our condition has become. Yet all these efforts have just been totally messed up by the actions of the President of the country this week. We look like a baboon claiming equality with a gorilla, and expecting the beating of our chest will cause panic in the forest.

The whole world gathers at the United Nations headquarters in New York, rich and poor, white and black, dictatorship and democracies, all assembled to makes their voices heard and determine a future agenda for the globe. Even the troublemakers and the accusers are sitting on the same table to iron out issues and at least pretend to me making compromises before a watching world. Yet Umar Musa Yar’Adua is sending his Foreign Minister, Ojo Maduekwe to represent him, while he jets of to Saudi Arabia as a guest of the King as they open a University. How sad!

May I remind you that this is the second year of his presidency and his second failure to attend the UN General Assembly of Heads of State. By implication this means Nigeria has had no voice in the in the comity of nations since under Yar’Adua. How can we justify this absolutely embarrassing situation, and what do we call this blatant disregard for Nigeria’s national interest. Of what implication is it to Nigeria’s national interest by being a guest of Saudi Arabia? Are we not looking more internationally moronic by taking actions that seem to obfuscate our determination to polish our global show-glass? This makes me question the intelligence of Nigeria’s leadership, and wonder what the quality of advice given to the leaders is.
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“Nigeria will break into three -Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele, Prophet who predicted sack of bank chiefs • Says Yar’Adua ‘ll win 2011 election • IBB to contest” – This is revealed by the Daily Sun Newspaper in Nigeria as reported by Olajiire Ishola. Below is the full article as culled from Nigeria World website. Please read and submit your comments so we discuss this.

He is fast gaining the reputation of the Nostradamus of Africa. This is because most of his predictions accurately come to pass. It was Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele of Inri Spiritual Home, Lagos, who early in the year predicted the tsunami happening in the banks now. He also predicted correctly the removal of the Comptroller-General of Customs and the Boko Haram religious crisis, which claimed over 1500 lives. In his latest predictions, the cleric has said that the country called Nigeria will soon be extinct. He said the country will break up and three nations will emerge from its ashes. According to him, people of these nations will require visas to travel to the other ‘sister’ nations. Among other predictions, which cut across politics, economy, labour and education, Primate Ayodele said President Umaru Yar’Adua will get a second term but urged Nigerians to pray against death at the seat of government, Aso Rock.

Predictions that came to pass

The Lord revealed to us early in the year the removal of the deputy governor of Bauchi State. We made a move and wrote him. When things happen in this country, I always laugh because our leaders are misled by their tin gods; people who cannot see beyond their noses. Those who will always tell you it is well when it is not. On July 19 this year, the deputy governor was removed. We also predicted the removal of the police boss, the Customs boss and the crisis happening in some states. Aside these, we wrote some security agents that we wanted to have audience with them but they refused because they do not believe that God’s information is the ultimate. They believe they can use calculations but they always goof, forgetting that God has the final say. The religious crisis in Bauchi was predicted before it broke out. We sent letters to them but they chose to ignore the warnings. But what was the consequence? Lives were lost. Our leaders underestimate God because they believe in their gods. If the country fails to change for the better, it would continue to experience the same problem over and over. For example, The Sun Newspaper in August reported the attempt to assassinate the governor of Yobe State and it is not yet over. The governor will not be given free hand to rule. You know we have nothing less than 50 million pastors. But how many of them are genuine?

Economy

The reforms going on in the banking sector is not over. Some Managing Directors will still go. Remember we said that some banks will crash and some MDs would be removed. The existing banks will still merge and there is going to be some problems. At the end of the day, the number of banks will be reduced. Aside re-merging, the Central Bank would still introduce some things to monitor whatever the banks are doing. Spring Bank, Unity and Diamond banks will likely be in trouble and, of course, some new banks will emerge after these operations. Merchant banks are still coming. The new banks that will spring up will not last long; likewise some of the micro-finance banks will die prematurely. So the Central Bank is going to work seriously on it. Fidelity and Skye banks will have some problems; also Bank PHB. They will not crash but some irregularities will be detected. The question is, will this reform rebuild our economy? No, because the Central Bank itself will into troubled waters. The Central Bank governor is going to face a lot of tough battles. Some people will move for his removal while some will plot to disorganise his plans. The economy is not going to be a hundred per cent okay. There would be a kind of continuous rumble in the banking sector. The insurance sector will also encounter problems.
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Is it true that when people are not far up on the ladder of development, one way the find solace for their circumstances is to turn to religion? What I mean in simpler terms is can it be true that poverty is what drives people closer to religion? Whatever the case maybe or the argument for and against the answer to this question, it is obvious that the more dire your situation in life, the more you seem to recognize the role God plays in your existence. This is not saying that the rich have no tending towards God, but in terms of the ratio, poor people are more likely to call on God than the rich. Personally I can assert that the richer you become, the more of a small role God take in your life because of the many concerns that arise because of your wealth. Also to further this point, collectively we see that richer nations have less recognition of the religion factor than in poorer countries, which even impregnate their culture and value with religious seeds to even extreme levels.

In such countries where religion is held in very high regard, we see and hear people associate moral standing in society with a substantiated commitment to the divine, and an outward show of fervency in the things of the supernatural. In Nigeria for instance, in order to give credence to the decency of a man we hear statements like “he is a deeply religious figure”. Religion is so woven into the fabric of society that it is impossible to find a person who is not conversant with the several religious anecdotes that form the basis for morality in society. ‘Better’ still, when you walk through the streets of any city in Nigeria you will surely conclude that these people are God fearing, because of the number of churches you find everywhere. It is absolutely amazing the number of churches you find all around the country. On a one mile street alone, you can have about 5 churches running side by side all with committed members of their own. Even when I lived in the Northern part of the country, in a village where Sharia law was observed, there were about 5 churches right there in the belly of Islam. The most populous city in the country, with over 15 million people; Lagos, becomes like a ghost town on Sundays because most people have gone to church. Anyone will quickly conclude that indeed Nigerians are a deeply religious people.
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