President Barack Obama is a very meticulous man. He is known to consider all available options before taking action on matters particularly if they concern the security and safety of Americans. But his recent decision to “blacklist” Nigeria as a country of interest in the war against terrorism does not appear to reflect the Obama I know.
The only Nigerian connection in the alleged attempt by Umar Farouk to blow up the Detroit –bound flight on Christmas day is that he was born to Nigerian parents. The young man has spent most of his adult life in Britain and indications are that he made his Yemeni contacts from Britain. If any country should be blacklisted as a result of this incident, it is Britain. After all, this is not Britain’s first brush with terrorists.
As Nigerians, we may have been involved in more than one criminal activity. We may have been involved in several inter and intra-communal clashes resulting from acts of injustice and deprivation as is the case with the Niger Delta region. We may be very notorious (sometimes exaggerated) for several forms of fraud but terrorism is very strange to Nigeria and Nigerians.
My advice to America is very straightforward. Instead of blacklisting Nigeria for the sins of one out of several million people, America should reach out to the Federal Government of Nigeria and recruit Nigeria as a foot soldier in the war against terrorism. I am confident that the Federal Government of Nigeria would be more than willing to bear arms against terrorism. America should provide logistical support to strengthen security in all our airports and other exit points as part of the global war against terrorism. No Nigerian is happy with what Umar Farouk attempted to do on Christmas day.
Tata, everybody
Napoleon
Friday, January 8, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Pastor Inyangs and their Churches
As a no longer practicing Roman Catholic, I am aware that it takes the Catholic Church fourteen years of hard work to produce one Priest. Specifically, a prospective Priest spends seven years in the Junior Seminary and another seven years in the Senior Seminary before being ordained a Priest. What do we find in the modern “living” churches? Anybody, just about anybody, can leave his immediate environment, move to another part of the country, and become a Pastor with or without any formal training. Such people are usually “called” by God and they give their lives to Jesus in obedience.
If you do not come near these so-called churches, you will not understand what goes on inside. The Pastors of these churches use all sorts of powers to influence their adherents to empty their pockets for them during prayer sessions, sometimes lasting several hours and usually daily. Somehow they even manage to convince their followers to pay “tithe” usually in the sum of 10% of their income. These followers contribute their hard earned money to build mansions for their Pastors and also buy posh cars in addition. They make them live at standards only millionaires can afford. What do they get in return? People who were known to live in single room apartments without any conveniences suddenly move to choice areas where only the rich live.
The news of Pastor Inyang’s imprisonment for four years for fraud should serve as an eye opener to all those who are still labouring under the influence of these so-called Pastors. No Pastor, or anybody for that matter, has powers to see into the future. They have neither the training nor powers to cure anybody. If you are sick, please go to the hospital or seek alternative therapy. All the so-called “miracles” are simple tricks they learn from each other. The story of Pastor Inyang is typical of all of them. They are all simple fraudsters.
Tata, everybody
Napoleon
If you do not come near these so-called churches, you will not understand what goes on inside. The Pastors of these churches use all sorts of powers to influence their adherents to empty their pockets for them during prayer sessions, sometimes lasting several hours and usually daily. Somehow they even manage to convince their followers to pay “tithe” usually in the sum of 10% of their income. These followers contribute their hard earned money to build mansions for their Pastors and also buy posh cars in addition. They make them live at standards only millionaires can afford. What do they get in return? People who were known to live in single room apartments without any conveniences suddenly move to choice areas where only the rich live.
The news of Pastor Inyang’s imprisonment for four years for fraud should serve as an eye opener to all those who are still labouring under the influence of these so-called Pastors. No Pastor, or anybody for that matter, has powers to see into the future. They have neither the training nor powers to cure anybody. If you are sick, please go to the hospital or seek alternative therapy. All the so-called “miracles” are simple tricks they learn from each other. The story of Pastor Inyang is typical of all of them. They are all simple fraudsters.
Tata, everybody
Napoleon
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