Welcoming 2014

It’s been a long eventful year (2013) filled with many ups and downs but overall it has been a year of tangible inner growth. I had quite a lot of turbulence in my personal life and relationships but I came out stronger, wiser and more determined to forge ahead without losing self.

I have made a number of friends and mostly I have Facebook to thank. My friends know themselves for we engage one another nearly every day on issues close to our hearts and we draw strength from one another consciously and subconsciously. I must thank the universal force (Eledumare/God as is most commonly called) for bringing me to them and them to me in a time as this (when keeping your head in a clime where one ought to be and feel very well at home is a daily struggle). There is comfort and solace in knowing you are not alone in your weirdness and on the journey for truth. These friends make the journey well worth with. They embody resilience, intelligence, beauty, light, love and empathy.

Ha, I must also tell you about my hair journey, a journey which has helped to define for me a roadmap to my identity and heritage. While some may have embraced natural afro hair as a style, I have come to understand it more as the physical manifestation (which my hair is a part of) of my spiritual being. I have embraced more fully the natural lifestyle change not just with my hair but my entire body and have learnt to treat it with more respect, grace and tender loving care and not roughly with toxic chemicals, needles and glues/bonds as was ‘learnt’. This journey has also opened me up to more positivity and understanding towards people who look like me and towards the land on which my (our) ancestors walked.

I realized that it was like a rebirth of my own self. The self I had hidden long ago under many layers which burdened my being but which I had to bear because I didn’t know any better. I am glad that I have also been able to influence a few women to embrace their kinks and to drop the ‘lye’ (no pun intended – lye is caustic soda which is the main ingredient in chemical relaxers). I have to thank all the wonderful sistars who blog and upload videos about natural hair care and living. The empowerment and support is immeasurable and I hope to also make my own contributions in that regards.

I quote Charlie Chaplin “As I began to love myself I free myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations and everything that drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this a healthy egoism; today I know it is love for oneself.”


On the whole I have become more conscious and not just living the script written by others (parents, peers, media, governments, society) but paying close attention to my being and to what inspires my heart. I thus take conscious steps towards people and things that relate to that. I have not lost faith in humanity and most especially in the redemption of my homeland. I believe just like the turbulence in my own personal life the situation will bring about some positivity and good eventually and like Nina Simone, we just need to keep sane and work towards it till it come but change is certain.

May 2014 be more liberating and rewarding for us all. Happy New Year!!

A letter to the Nigerian mother

Guest Post

By Temidayo Ahanmisi

Dear Nigerian mother,

Your children would only remember how good your jollof rice tasted in the short & far-between moments of affordable nostalgia in the years to come.

The sacrifices you make today of leaving job, career and living just to make sure your kids breastfeed to age 3 or 10, or have the most stocked lunch box at school might not translate into a life of future success for them in the manner you have envisioned.

Conscious parenting and being family with vision is a better guarantee for prosperity.

What you tell your children about themselves and the world is important. What you learn is important. Look to your own development and the strengthening of your mind.

These are stringent times and the Universe is re-aligning Itself as It evolves. Our world is changing.

The children of the strong will chew the children of the weak and spit them out.
Read your children's books. Do homework with them. Spend more on their education and learning than you do on their clothes and snacks.

Play with them. There is more to play than just horsing around. Watch TV with them. These moments will pass soon enough.

Being a mother is much more than we've always been told. The memories you should evoke in your kids shouldn't be all about the smell of milk, cooking and expensive head ties. The sound of mom shouldn't be all about prancing about in church meetings & prayers, in gossip and talk about house keeping & gossip about neighbors and enemies.

Your daughter needs to learn more from you than how to cross her legs and clean up after the boys. She needs to learn self respect and to know that her brain is for reading & rigorously exploring broad logic.

The future is NOT designed for Nigerian or African children. It is not designed to cuddle the weak.
There are no affirmative actions for the unprepared, and a vagina will no longer be insurance for future enjoyment.

Woman. Be more than female. Be human. Raise humans.



Here's a link to an article on parental love:
http://womanwithadifference.blogspot.com/2012/12/on-parental-love.html

Please share this letter to every woman in your circle of influence. Remember that that grown human that you see today was 'trained' by a woman. And to the extent that the woman's mind is developed is she able to give to her offspring. Envision a world (society) where children are taught the values and principles of fairness, respect, hard work, love, truth, reasoning, justice right from the home and the school (where most teachers are women by the way). We have a huge responsibility to bring up the next generation of humans, we'll do well to not fail.


 About Temidayo Ahanmisi
Temidayo Ahanmisi is a young, dynamic and passionate Nigerian. A liberated mind, she is an inspiration to the young generation who clamour for change within the black man's homeland. She lives in Nigeria.
 

"We have no vision for the education sector" - Prof. Poju Akinyanju

A Professor in the Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Poju Akinyanju, spoke in an interview in the Punch newspaper, concerning the challenges confronting science education in Nigeria.

Q: President Goodluck Jonathan has said Nigeria needs more universities. What is your stance on the issue of establishing more institutions?

A: The question is more basic than this. We should first of all ask ourselves if Nigeria has universities. What we call universities, to be frank, are not universities. There is very little research going on in our universities and there are not enough facilities in our institutions. It is easy to bring students together and graduate them after four years. But the students will leave with a wishy-washy training because the teaching facilities and research work are not there.

I am speaking largely for science-based disciplines. We need more facilities in our institutions. So, what we should be asking ourselves is if our universities should be called universities in the first place. We should think about this before going ahead to establish more universities.

Q: In the area of science, is Nigeria closing the gap?

A: We are not even close to where the world is in science. In the last 15 years, I have taught in about three universities and on the average, we line up about 20 students to a microscope. There is very little that can be done with in such a situation. For example, microbiology in our institutions is at the molecular biology phase. I am not aware of any functional molecular biology laboratory in Nigeria and if there are, they must be every few, or largely dysfunctional. The truth is that you need to be on ground, doing your own part of the research in order to compete with the outside world. Facilities such as microscopes and spectro-photo meters are not available. These facilities are necessary.

Q: The Federal Government often says it funds public tertiary institutions adequately. Do you agree with this?

A: It is a little bit of both, the universities and the federal government are at fault. I will explain why. For example, there is no sufficient money for universities to run a proper molecular biology laboratory. To run this type of laboratory, you will need about N20m. This is not a lot of money when one considers the amount of money people play around with in Nigeria. There is no university that can actually devote that amount of money to molecular biology and the FG is also not releasing that kind of money.

And it is also true that the money given to universities are not being properly utilised. Often, most universities focus on meeting up with the requirements of the National Universities Commission institutional accreditation. These also include having good buildings, good lawns and flowers. But very few Nigerian universities focus on putting money into laboratories to enhance teaching. There are universities who claim to be top of the range and still teach with chalkboards. Some of them do not even have Internet facilities. In them, students sit on top of each other because the lecture hall is choked.

At the end of the day, it is a mixture of both. The FG is not disbursing enough money into the universities and the universities themselves are not allocating money properly. Instead of funding laboratories, they would rather sponsor students abroad and they will spend about N10m on each of them. Meanwhile, they can use the money to train the students in Nigeria.

Q: Why do you think science graduates complain of their inability to get jobs?

A: Clearly, there are not enough jobs for any discipline, not to talk of science-trained graduates. Professionals such as accountants, bookkeepers and economists tend to get jobs faster, but overall, there is the problem of unemployment in the country. The issue of unemployment is however worse for science graduates. We say graduates should be self-employed and focus on entrepreneurship. But where are the facilities to train these students for them to be self- employed?

For example, since laboratories are unavailable, how do I teach students about how to grow mushrooms? This is a multibillion-naira business. Also, there are not enough industries to absorb these science graduates that universities are producing. However, there is also the problem of ill-trained graduates. So, the few industries that are available will prefer to look for graduates that are trained outside the country.

Universities are their own problems. University managers need to be re-orientated on how to effectively run them. They need to learn to this. Universities are places of ideas; places where theories are challenged. They are places of experimentation and of democracy. So, it is more than just pumping money into them.

Q: Why do you think emphasis is more on certificates rather than experience?

A: These two terms should not be a basis for comparison; somebody must be certified to be capable somewhere. Experience is linked to certificate. If the training is proper, it will not be difficult to garner experience. People must be trained. We may say that not everyone should go to the university, but people must be trained and when they are trained, they must get certificates. If people enroll in universities with the aim of just getting certificates and you train and nurture them properly, they will have both the certificate and experience. So, there should not be a comparison between certificate and experience. People need to be educated and when they are educated, they should be certified. Captains of industries are complaining that they are spending too much money retraining graduates. They are right because we ought to have trained them to a certain level before we push them out.

Q: Why are graduates not being trained to a level where industries would not need to complain about them?

A: There are no facilities, there is shortage of staff and staff experience is low. Sad to say, but we are in a circle where these ill-trained graduates return to the university to lecture and you cannot give what you do not have. It is a difficult thing. Once you lack the required facilities or proper environment to train, there is no way graduates will be distinct. There are graduates in some ministries who cannot think on their feet. This is because they have not been trained. In the past, students used to organise symposiums and lectures. But now, it takes about a year before a student can organise any of such. It is a general decay. What we have today is garbage in, garbage out. If you don’t train graduates, there is no way they will fit into the society.

Q: What is your view on the belief that Nigeria has abundant resources but lacks the capacity to develop them?

A: It has actually been settled a long time ago that what is most important is the human factor. So, despite Nigeria’s vast resources, if you do not train human beings to explore them, the raw materials will lie fallow and others will make use of them. For example, how much of oil have we been able to explore ourselves? Our agricultural products are there lying waste. I believe we need the right research and technology. For instance, China has been able to develop its human capital to effectively manage its raw materials. It is what the humans do to the raw materials that matters. Raw materials cannot turn into products on their own. Without human beings, raw materials are just a waste. It is the human factor that is most important.

Q: What are the pitfalls in the education system?

A: Lack of facilities, poorly motivated lecturers and unqualified members of staff including problematic environment. The environment for learning is not conducive. However, the external factor, which is the government, is to blame. We have no vision for the education sector. Our leaders do not have a vision of what education should do for the nation. They think universities should just be there to keep children so they would not be nuisances.

In the final analysis, the problem is that education is now a political process. Politicians have not re-orientated themselves to believe that education is important and foundational to the development of a nation. With this, nothing will change. The problem with education has become a national issue. Now, our children in universities are not interested in thinking or debating. They are more interested in being assistants to politicians to make money. So, the entire problem in the nation is affecting the system. Unless the nation changes, you cannot resolve the problem.

Q: What do you think the future holds for science in Nigeria?

A: In the next 15 to 20 years, with the way things are now, we may not have gone far. For example, if you want to start training people in molecular biology, you will need to build laboratories, and create revenue for them. Science in particular is endangered in Nigeria and until we take the right approach to it, we won’t solve other problems.


Source ~ Punch (June 9, 2013)

Rag Day

I’ve been absent from here for a while now but it’s all for the good. Importantly is the fact that my evolution continues and I have been taking ‘dare to be different’ to everywhere I’ve been.

Yesterday I was out and on my way I saw these young University undergraduates dressed in jeans trousers that are worn out, cut and torn in different places. Some of the trousers have a leg shorter than the other. Some of the guys wore wigs while the ladies wore shirts and ties (also well worn out). They also had face paintings or excessive powder on their faces and they generally look unkempt. The objective of this manner of dressing is to impress the image of ‘poor’, ‘needy’, ‘ragged’ on their audience. Like every other good idea in Nigeria, ‘Rag’ day was an initiative of the student union to raise funds for the less privileged among themselves and in the larger society (orphans, sick, physically impaired persons, widows, etc.). These days however, charity is the least motive in the minds of these students. They look forward to and indulge in it for fun and to make money for themselves without even understanding (or interested) in the purpose for which the social event was created.

With this in mind, if I am approached by students dressed in ‘rags’ to make a donation, I will take a little time to chat them up (some impatient ones won’t stay to listen to my gibberish) and find out what they know about the objectives of their being out there on the street. I will then proceed to enlighten them if they do not know and also to give them an idea to even give more to those members of the society that they seek to assist. I will suggest they create another day (s) – could be within the same week of the ‘rag’ – for community development. On this day they should go out (without bowls in hand) with brooms, hoes, rakes, buckets, disinfectants, dustpans, baskets. These items could be purchased by the funds raised the previous days. They should use these to clean up streets, gutters, over-grown lawns, markets, public toilets, orphanages, homes of physically disabled people. This will actually give them a sense of connection to the ordinary people of the society and will make more impact on the minds of those people than just handing them some cash or plainly using their names to seek donations which may or may not get to them.

I will also urge my friends who speak regularly at tertiary institutions to suggest this in the course of their program. Youths can be very creative with the modus operandi and still catch fun doing this sort of work. More so, they will be in the company of friends and colleagues with whom they share quite a lot in common.

 Oh how pleasant and sweet will it be if our youths have their passion and energy channeled towards ‘service’ to their fellow humans! It’s about time our youths begin to do things with a vision for a better tomorrow than just satisfying immediate gains.

Religion and Mind Control (Nigeria as case study)

Guest Post

By Awofaa Gogo-abite

Steps to ensure proper understanding of this post
1) Be open minded
2) Think independently
3) Make your conclusions

Freedom of speech is free until the speech is made, but applying logic and experiences from what you see and hear every day will give you a clearer understanding of this piece.

Psyche is the totality of the human mind, conscious, and unconscious, making it the most effective way to control the mental  output of an individual or a group of people irrespective of the societal status of such an individual. It is no secret that ideas and products can be sold to either a few for a great price or many for a fair price logically they all equate to the same thing in returns. If you go to a shop and you see a shoe/bag that you like and on the price tag it was written N15, 000 but 50% off making it N7, 500, what comes to your mind? Statistically people will tend to say/think “maybe I should utilize this opportunity” considering another case “you go to the shop and the price the shoe/bag you like is N7, 500 what comes to your mind? “hmm kinda expensive”. Logically this is THE TRICK most psychologists hired by shop owners to sell their products “SALES” use.

The most effective means to control the mind of people is through SPIRITUALITY but it’s the easiest way to control the Nigerian mind irrespective of how educated the individual is. What will you think when number of workshops and workmen increases but the output (productivity) decreases? I will share a brief story as ride through predicament. November 22nd 2007, I and my friend were in a city bus like the (BRT) in Port Harcourt just going to a distance 18kilometers away. We were listening to music and making jokes but after few minutes “brothers and sisters IN JESUS NAME” a voiced roared and trust Nigerians without looking at who shouted they all replied “AMEN”. The man in question was directly opposite our seat and he noticed that we didn’t reply, so he said turning away from us” brothers and sisters if you know you have nothing against God and you God is greater than you- “PRAISE THA LORD”..And a loud AMEN came from everyone excluding me and my friend Harry. So the man proceeded after saying a journey mercy prayer (for 18kilometers journey), and he said “My name is Mr.” ……” I’m a mobile pharmacist and marketer bringing out an ID which no one bothered to take a look at, after explaining some medical jargons, I have this medicine it’s 3 in one, contain vitamins good for your bones, helps your waist in the morning, suppress menstrual pain in women and helps manhood in men, a man bought this medicine in a bus owerri to Lagos and today he is calling and thanking me! Usually this medicine goes for N300 in the chemist shops but here I will sell it for N150 and N450 for three. I wasn’t surprised to see the great rush and he left for another bus saying “God bless you all”. That was the his invention of psychic control of the NIGERIAN MIND, the first rule is “you have to win the people’s trust by involving “GOD” trust Nigerians we love “GOD” by God I mean the Nigerian “god”. Secondly...(SUBMISSION) you have to find a means to make the others who thinks opposite feel guilty quoting his “” brothers and sisters if you know you have nothing against God and God is greater than you- “PRAISE THA LORD” what he meant that we those that didn’t respond are devils.

A wise man will ask what you expect in a nation where 70% of the population lives on 2 dollars a day which is directly proportional to illiteracy and mental inhibition. It’s no news that 95% of Nigerians pray every day at least once, my childhood friend had migraine but deliverance from evil spirits was prescribed until everything got worst and the doctor came to their rescue, as I proceed deep into my theory let me rephrase a quote “Logic will take you from A-Z of this article but Imagination together with what you see and hear every day will make them understandable”. In every primitive or modern society there are certain problems that are prevalent or problems peculiar to some people depending on culture, history, technology, literacy and poverty rate for example Japan have nuclear energy someone doesn’t need a prophet to tell them to be expectant of nuclear accident, therefore that being valid I will proceed. The Nigerian religious houses are more into psychic control of the people by offering them placebos to the highly expectant and miracle awaiting population. In an average Nigerian society we have certain problems childlessness, elephantiasis, convulsion in children, poverty, family problems, birth defects all attributed to SPIRITUALITY. I want to emphasize how these are stepping stones to mind control.

In a gathering of over 30,000 Nigerians anyone can predict problems people are facing due to its prevalence a perfect example is going to student convention and you say “I see someone here, you have been trying to pass one particular subject but it’s difficult for you, but keep faith in the lord it shall soon be over” or I can say someone here is having problem with the school due to lack of fees but give unto the lord for his ways are unknown to men” Did I just control someone’s mind or not? Yes I did because these are very common problems amongst students and those having such problems would have thought God revealed that in the spiritual world for the speaker.

In a Nigerian gathering of 50,000 people I can boldly predict in a sermon that “someone here anytime you wake up from you feel some pain on your back and lower back, sometimes very sharp and sometimes not, the lord is about to visit you soon” then I will add the enemy is oppressing you in your sleep but it’s over “It’s not rocket science to know that these are very common ailment in a Nation like Nigeria due to hardship, bad posture and diets. Almost 10% will have such problems but the logic is that based on declaration I just made if someone is relived by the medication he has been taking or by the correction of posture he will attribute it to the man of ‘God”. Did I just control somebody’s mind that I don’t even know? But if you doubt my theory keep reading.

In the same gathering I will say “someone here your neighbor has been giving you problems but don’t worry God is fighting the battle for you” We all know how we live in Nigeria as neighbors especially the FACE ME I FACE YOU there are always problems arising from various factors and some people tend to blame their neighbors for their situations. Did I control I just control someone’s mind? If No, keep reading. Then I will say “someone here the enemies are planning plane crash on your journey abroad and the other person they want your visa denied ha-ha the lord is control your seeds shall not be in vain” we all know how many people that want to run away from Nigeria queuing in various embassies. Did I just control someone’s mind? No?? Continue reading.

Then I will call out some children and say to them “DEATH IS AVERTED” you shall live and praise the lord Hmm interesting isn’t? Yet I didn’t tell them who and how, off course they will not question me because it’s a spiritual warfare. I guess I did control someone’s mind but wait to hear what will drive the people on their feet shouting and giving unto the lord, and here it goes “The lord told me to tell you that by the end of this month someone will move to higher glory amen!!! And you will see people on their feet shouting and saying AMEN!! It logically means that anyone that gets a job, or get paid or anything it’s because I (man of God made such declarations) but please don’t forget that our looting politicians and civil criminals also go to church. Did I control peoples mind now? The list goes on and things will fall in place naturally talking about laws of random selection. The poverty in the country created a jungle platform where the strongest species fights to the top of the food chain.

The final theory is “Financial submission”. The poverty rate in the nation automatically have made people hopeless and less expectant making them to settle for anything that comes their ways, thereby creating more room for easy manipulation. Therefore why work so hard and develop many fields of life if you can sow a seed and receive double “as if Christ was a money doubler”. There are specific phrases often used that renders one’s mind partially guilty and submissive, here are some “Our God is not a poor God” GIVE TO God so that God will give you back and flourish your ways “as if God is doing trade by batter) . I will also like you imagine a gathering of 50,000 Nigerians (a nation in which 70% of its population are below poverty rate) and I’m the pastors and in my words here I go (1) “Brethren how can you progress in your businesses if you cannot give unto the Lord? What is N10, 000 that you cannot not give to God? But you can drink beer with that money but you cannot give it to God and you are expecting a miracle (2) Pay your tithe!!! But you refused haha my brothers you cannot take Gods money that 10% belongs to him, give today and see your life flourish, Little did Nigerians know that Bill gates (an ATHEIST) the richest man in the world didn’t pay tithes to be blessed rather he worked with ideas and today he is putting millions in Africa to eradicate malaria, how many of our men of God are doing that?

Is not how funny at the end of every year the mega churches in Nigeria comes up with a new theme “my year of Passover” “my year of divine visitation” My year of riches” my year of great resolution” etc, yet the next year the same people will swing into another theme but the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and consuming the placebo “faith” “it’s well”. If obsanjo wakes up with the money Gej has he will collapse then you will know it’s not well. The logic in all these is that if you have been paying then your successes are attributed to the fact that you have been paying your dues (tithe) and if you have not been paying and not successful then it’s because you are cheating God by not paying, if you have been paying and unsuccessful then you have to wait unto the Lord because God’s time is the best, lastly if you have not been paying but successful then expect your downfall soon the Lord is just giving you time to change.

The intensity of the mind game is beyond measurable statistics but here is the easiest way to know if the above illustrations are valid or just propaganda. Get a calendar and mark the day you were born, from that date till today what are those things really important to the country that have changed because from that day till today Church attendance have risen, which means number of offerings have increased, number of financial breakthrough have increased, number of testimonies have risen, number of healings/miracles, number of deliverance have increased, number of revivals and crusades have increased, number of even religious TV shows have increased but in the same vein and in the same country poverty rate have increased, unemployment rate increased, number of deaths from various factors have risen, political instability has risen, insecurity has risen, child mortality have risen, corruption have risen, immorality has risen If you analyze these things it’s obvious that someone has been dotting his “T”s and crossing his “I”s. I think this question will further help you understand the message, how can the number of hospitals, doctors and medicine increase but instead of the decrease in deaths and diseases the opposite is the case? In other words how can there be more crime in a police neighborhood? It’s either that the police are part of the criminals or there are no police. Someone is actually fooling someone.

These hoaxes are due to the inhibition of imagination by the misinterpretation of the word “FAITH” which has placed many Nigerians in boxes that no matter what they see, hear or notice there is a box that prevents them from doubts and asking questions due to the fact that they cannot think outside that box.The internet has paved a way for fast delivery of information and opinions but try and follow up certain online forums and see how Nigerians react to news related to religion/men of God, one can only wonder if these are men of God or God of men because their actions are highly unquestionable , here are the GOLDEN RULES TO INHIBIT A NIGERIAN MIND 1) thou shall not touch my anointed 2) don’t dare question the men of God 3) don’t judge the men of God unless you want to attract curses unto yourself and generations but if these persist then apply social rejection. In Nigeria very famous prophet/pastor will prophesy which plane will crash next, which celebrity will die next, who will get rich next etc but no Nigerian is bold enough to ask if God reveals all these to him, then why won’t God reveal to him the members, sponsors and sympathizers of the group wrecking havoc on poor innocent Christians? Which prophesy will be more appreciable and valid to the people? But the congregation will always apply the golden rule therefore making people to live in fear. But mind you they will even make you believe that the reason you fell on a slippery slope because today was because you questioned the man of God. Is not in the same country that a man can abuse a child but you see people in their thousands in defense of such inhumane act but in the UK a couple (Nigerian/Pastors) were sentenced to 7 years for a similar act? Who judged them? I guess angels. Oh how easily the Nigerian mind is controlled!!!

Politics in Nigeria today is gradually turning into religion where politicians are men of God and we cannot also question their stewardship, many years ago in Nigeria there was absolute or relative separation of church and governance, but ever since our mind enslaving politicians discovered that Nigerians can submit completely to religion, the politicians so far have taken advantage of religion for personal motives. They use religion to buy the trust of the people and when they fail they use religion to gain impunity from prosecution. When Nigerian politicians are seeking power you see them running to different religious house donating money and seeking Gods favor (by that I mean buying the people’s trust). I was in a church and the politicians donated a power generator to the church and the people were so happy but no one asked why these men cannot do anything about the blackout in the community for a long time, yes the mind games is on so lick and swallow the sugar placed in your mouth. A politician in a state built a private university with state funds but the people cannot ask why because he built a church also and in good relationship with the majority religious leaders, Another politician that was actively involved in turning a peaceful state to a war front is also crowned a “knight” in a church yet the people cannot ask why! Another politician stole billions and thanksgiving program was arranged to thank God did Nigerians react? No they believe God touched him in prison and once the pastor prays and anything he says so shall it be and the list goes on. The Boko Haram menace in Nigeria is more political than religious but no one is asking why such group springs up, if there were proper education, jobs and basic amenities do you think such groups will spring up? But when our politicians embezzles the funds meant to be used for those necessities they go to religious houses to give a token for the building religious houses, renovating the pastors house, buying a bus, etc then the people will always remember them and men of god will surely bless them and ask the congregation to emulate them. Now what is 5 million to man who stole 50billion? The mind game goes on but if you doubt me then you have to tell me the Nigerian politicians that don’t go to either churches or mosques.

The average Nigerian mind is thinking in one direction and cannot think outside religious rules that are why it’s easily to prey on them because of ignorance and submission. The majority of the people are thinking in one direction and that variably means no one is thinking.
(A friend once said that if you are doing a business with a Nigerian and he/she mentions God more than four times run aways it's fraud..)


About Awofaa Gogo-abite
Awofaa Gogo-abite is a young, dynamic and passionate Nigerian. A liberated mind, he is an inspiration to the young generation who clamour for change within the black man's homeland.

My Evolution

I am evolving and I’m loving it. I’m like fine wine, tasting better as it ages. But I have questioned “how did I learn this journey?” Did I learn it in Biology (Darwin’s theory)? Have I been taught in primary or secondary school? Was it one of the courses I offered in the University? The answer is none of the above. This journey has been initiated by the many travails of growing up coupled with the ‘privilege’ of living in a society as this. There is this channel inside which I have termed ‘my discovery channel’ which I have known about which I have somewhat been unable to fine tune the frequency as a teenager. Sometimes I pick signals from this channel and get some views and information but the many distractions of growing up, relationships, religion and the burden which our society laid upon the soul had made it impossible to keep the channel streaming. Moreso, it was not interesting considering that the norm was (and still is) ‘fast’, ‘flashy’ and ‘fine’. I was literally forced to keep at finding this channel until the ‘eureka’ moment when I dared to look and stay tuned. Though on the surface it seemed the programme airing was boring, I stayed with it. I have thereafter developed a love for this channel and have stayed permanently tuned on the inside to it. And like D’Banj says ‘fiile, don’t even attempt to touch that dial’, I subconsciously warn myself (and laugh out loud sometimes). I have met people who have stayed tuned to their own channel and I discovered that there is a connection. It most often won’t be the same programme airing on the individual channels but the overall purpose somehow aligns…I have felt a sense of shared purpose to some of these people. On the outside, I tune to other channels and relate to useful learnings. 

One of the programmes that aired on my channel was my natural hair journey (I just have to start a blog about this I keep reminding myself). I have often wondered why I had to hide away (or alter) the hair that grew from my hair follicles out through my scalp. I asked people around me but many seemed to have excuses as to why I ought to keep the status quo of weaves and relaxer up. There was not one attempt to answer this till I connected with some others who had asked similar questions. I got the answer staying tuned to that channel and ever since I have nurtured my natural hair and love the feel and the versatility of it. Amazing discovery it is to know that without chemicals (harmful), a woman can still be beautiful and like Donnie sang ‘We live from the head down and not the feet up, and I'm adorned with the crown..’.
(Stay tuned for my natural hair blog chronicling my hair journey more than a year now).

Interesting thing about my father’s name – Achor - is that it meant ‘a search’ and for as long as I have remembered I have been searching only now have I managed to come to the path where some answers have been provided to some of my questions. I have good reason to believe that names push their bearers to actualize their encoded meanings. I haven’t come to the end of my search, I don’t think we ever do rather like a Zen quote says “at the end of all our searching we will arrive at the place we began and know it for the first time”.

There is chaos in the world because there is so much emphasis on the outside (material) rather than the individual ‘insides’ (spiritual). There is much more chaos in this part of the world because our natural evolution as a people was truncated violently and rudely and there has been no attempt to get us back on the path….sadly. I believe the peace we search will only come when many people start tuning to their frequencies and staying with the programme even if they don’t like what is airing. The appreciation of the good, the bad and the ugly sides of ourselves will bring a new kind of insight on what nature desires of us and how to go about it. We need not be forced to tune to our channels hence my conscious commitment to guide my children and others to be able to tune in early (note the word early) to their channels in order for them to discover the uniqueness, creativity, beauty, and clairvoyance laden on the journey.  We need not be like a drunkard staggering here and there through life till a bucket of cold water is poured on us. I was one of such even though I had a strong mother who gave the best instructions she knew how best to give and believed in God. I believe the stumblings of the older generations need not be repeated by subsequent ones hence the emphasis on early attenuation to the natural frequency. And if you think National Geographic Channel on TV is interesting, I dare you to tune to your discovery channel and find out some of the world’s most brilliant events - unseen and unheard of yet.

Enjoy!

EUROPEAN UNION IS BACK IN AFRICA, PUSHING FOR ECONOMIC RE-COLONIZATION

Guest Post

By Naiwu Osahon………………………………………
Every African receiving documents from me is free to post them on their timeline and send copies to everyone they can reach via e-mails, through blogs, other internet groups, sites or newspapers to publish as a means of informing every African alive and mobilizing us into one family.
…………………………………………………………

The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) negotiations in 2007, between 79 former European colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP), and the European Union (EU), was to make the ACP countries more dependent on trade with Europe than with each other, and to further severely retard African development prospects to ensure more deaths from hunger. The discussions centered on the ACP countries systematically liberalizing 80 – 90 per cent of their trade with the EU, in other to gain duty free access to European markets. The ACP countries would thus only be able to use tariffs to protect about 10% of their products from competition with European goods. Africans then said that while Europe consistently puts in place measures to protect its economy, ACP countries are being forced to open up their economies for foreign goods and services.

Peter Maudelson, the EU Trade Commissioner, argued in 2007, that EPA would shift Africa’s dependency on tariff preferences, to one that promotes business competitiveness. “After 30 years of preferential market access, African countries still export a limited range of basic commodities, “he said, adding, “Most of these are sold at lower prices than they were, 20 years ago. This is not sustainable. It certainly isn’t sustainable development.” The Nigerian Commerce Minister at the time, Aliyu Modibo Uma, countered: “If 30 years of non-reciprocal free market access into the EU did not improve the economic situation of the ACP, how can a reciprocal trading arrangement achieve anything better? Liberalizing trade will further widen the gap between the two (blocks), and probably destroy the little development that some ACP countries have managed to achieve over the past years.”

Mr. Ibrahim Akalbila, the national coordinator of the Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition, comprising civil society and farmers’ groups, cites the high domestic subsidies that many European governments continue to provide their producers, allowing European products to undersell producers in poor developing countries. “Whether it is tomatoes and rice, textiles or iron rods, cheap imports, illegally dumped into our markets, are destroying whole areas of economic activities, and with that, the lives of millions.’ The Zimbabwean Trade Minister, Obert Mpofu said, “any new trade agreement with EU should reinforce, not undermine, the development of our economies, employment generation, wealth creation for our people and ultimately poverty reduction.” African civil society organizations rallying to stop EPA, during a global stop EPA campaign in late 2006, demanded that ACP governments must not sign the agreements unless significant changes are made.

At the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, in January, 2007, tens of thousands of civil society representatives, chanted and carried signs declaring: “Fight poverty…..say no to EPAs.” In April 2007, the African Youth Coalition Against Hunger, mobilized to the Gambia, more than 1000 activists from 20 countries, to launch a “big noise campaign,” to stimulate public debate against the EPA proposed agreements.

Africans stressed that although the EU is mounting pressure for the negotiations to be signed by December 31, 2007, there were still opportunities for the ACPs to develop real alternatives to the EPA. Africans insisted that while ACP nations cannot afford to pursue a policy of isolationism, there was need for them to strengthen efforts at regional integration. West African countries called EU bluff, by rejecting the EPA terms at the end of October, 2007, to assert their independence from pressures from their colonial overlords for the first time since their paper independence.

The EU was angry, of course. They accused Nigeria and South Africa of blocking their way. And what is their way? It is to continue flooding African markets with their manufactured goods since African manufactured goods cannot compete with theirs. Not satisfied with that, they massively subsidized their farmers to prevent the only advantage Africans have, African agricultural products, from competing in their markets.

Without African markets as dumping grounds for their excesses and decadence, their economies promptly slumped into grave recession with deep banking and public debt crisis. Unemployment in Euro zone has risen beyond crisis point and business morale is at its gloomiest ever. With consumer spending which generates half of Euro’s economic output receding, Euro turned to Asian and US markets, which themselves are not recovering fast enough from the Euro crisis to fire Euro’s revival. Portugal is helpless and confused about its future after years of getting drunk on Euro’s boom years. Greece could quit the Euro this year and Spain whose unemployment rate has gone above 25%, could exit next year.

Euro has again returned to Africa, February 2013, particularly to ECOWAS, to push for economic re-colonization, disguised as negotiation of economic partnership. They do not know that we now know that every time they are desperate and in a hurry to make deals with us, it is to satisfy their selfish interest in our continued exploitation. They have moved us from slavery to colonialism to neo-colonialism and now to death from unequal economic partnership, environmental pollution, HIV AIDS infestations and ‘gay’ rights politics, and we say, sorry sirs, we are not ready to die yet.

About Naiwu Osahon
NAIWU OSAHON Hon. Khu Mkuu (Leader) World Pan-African Movement); The Spiritual Prince of the African race; MSc. (Salford); Dip.M.S; G.I.P.M; Dip.I.A (Liv.); D. Inst. M; G. Inst. M; G.I.W.M; A.M.N.I.M. Poet, Author of the magnum opus: ‘The end of knowledge’. One of the world’s leading authors of children’s books; Awarded; key to the city of Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Honourary Councilmanship, Memphis City Council; Honourary Citizenship, County of Shelby; Honourary Commissionership, County of Shelby, Tennessee; and a silver shield trophy by Morehouse College, USA, for activities to unite and uplift the African race.

Naiwu Osahon, Sage, renowned author, philosopher of science, the spiritual Prince of the African race, mystique, leader of the world Pan-African Movement.

Mourning Toyin and Nigerians

I knew Oluwatoyin Akanbi. He was a regular guy, cool-headed and very ambitious. Things appeared to be going well for him until last week Monday, the 18^th of February 2013 when he left his home to go to work early in the morning but never arrived at his desired destination. We got the news in the evening about his disappearance and soon enough there were lots of BB and FB posts showing his picture and the information about him. I was curious to know whether he had been found and tried to ask people who might know him if there was any new information about his whereabouts but no one seemed to have heard anything until the evening of Monday, the 25^th of February, when my husband told me about a BB post which claimed his body had been found. I wanted to disbelieve it and just hope that it was one of those rumours spread by some mischievous people but by the next day I knew for sure that Toyin was indeed gone from among us because everyone seemed to have the same information. The news of his death was also announced in the Punch newspaper (yesterday).

 I mourned Toyin but not just him; I mourn a dead society of which I am a member of.

I mourn many people who have fallen victim to the horror of the society that we have cultivated over time. I mourn the killers in same way as I mourn our leaders (political and religious).

I mourn because it could have been you or me. I mourn our inability to truly feel, see, hear and express. I mourn because all that we now feel, see, hear and express are materialistic and surface and so our society has become largely desperate and is becoming even more desperate with everyone scrambling for ‘things’ so that they can ‘belong’.

I mourn the insensitivity in our leaders and much more in the followers who may accept this evil as ‘’the will of God”. This clearly isn’t the will of God but the will of man (killer(s)) who was born as an innocent child but grew up in a society that has made money a god to be worshipped and who will kill a fellow man to acquire it.

I mourn a society where the security forces are in employment to serve the interest of only the top-notch officials and communities, a society where life can end just like that. Our eyes are sore, our ears are full and our hearts are very heavy from all the horrifying news about killings, religious and non-religious and none of those whom have promised to assuage these situations have acted in line with their promises.

I mourn because there is a high probability that his killers may not be apprehended and these psychopaths that we have cultivated and nurtured (directly and indirectly through our everyday actions and inactions) will go after another victim who may not be someone I know but someone you know. I mourn because we are still religiously and tribally blind to the reality of what inheritance we are gradually leaving behind to ourselves and to generations that will come after.

I mourn because we will carry on with life 'as usual' and just say 'eeya', omase o', 'RIP' and continue with the attitudes, behaviours and lifestyles that promote these evils.

I mourn a dead people, I mourn and I’m still mourning.

Odi gba o se, Toyin.

Lord of the Rings: Behind the Make-up (The Chemistry that made Monsters believable)

“Frodo Baggins, a true and noble hobbit, is the bearer of the One Ring. It falls to him to do what no one else can: destroy the evil artifact by casting it into the fires of Mount Doom. This burden lies heavy on the little hobbit, as he struggles against the might of the Ring, the single greatest peril in a world full of dangers. As he treads the perilous path to Mordor from whence the Ring first came, he is accompanied by eight companions who form the fellowship of the Ring: the hobbits Merry, Pippin and Sam, the wizard Gandalf, the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli and the humans Aaragorn and Boromir. The quest to Mount Doom is fraught with danger as the forces of darkness close in on the little hobbit and his friends. Evil Orcs, Uruk-hai, Trolls and Ringwraiths stalk Frodo and the fellowship as they edge ever close to the fires of Mount Doom.

Recreating the journey to Mount Doom in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy “The Lord of the Rings” (based on the book written by English author J.R.R Tolkein) required nothing less than a bit of modern magic. The iconic looks, weaponry and armoury of the vast array of races and cultures were convincingly created using portions of latex rubber, silicone, gelatin and polyurethanes.”  ~ Excerpt from the Chemistry and Industry Journal, Issue 24, 15 December 2003

I recently moved house and while going through old stuffs, I came across this Chemistry journal (where the above excerpt was taken from) which I had kept. I was fascinated again with the story of the wonders of Chemistry utilized in the film ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and wanted to share some of the information to my friends.  The diversity and outlook of the various beings depicted in the film is quite wonderful. And to think that all those devilish and out-of-this-world looks were achieved using rubber latex (from the rubber tree which was one of Nigeria’s major economic commodities some years back) is even more magical (yes, magical!). Familiar products of rubber are gloves, sandals and rubber bands. Foam latex (used in mattresses) was used to create special effects and illusions which captivated the viewers and kept them in awe (I was awed when I watched the film. Did you watch it too? It's such a long time now). Large round ears and big hairy feet of the hobbits were made from this product with some yak hair. Human actors wore prosthetic faces to depict the other creatures. Also used was a compound called alginate which is derived from seaweed and used as a thickener in food. And silicone helped to create the translucent skin look which is almost passable for the movement of the real skin.

It is interesting to note that for all the foam suits and props made for this film, three foam ovens were on 24 hours a day, seven days a week for three and a half years. (hmmm)

The more I reread stuffs like these, the more the words in the scripture that says ‘ye are gods’ resonate through my soul and affirm my belief in the power of the human mind. These scientific technologies did not fall down from the sky; they were rather painstakingly researched and developed upon (and will continue to be). A scientist is a curious being who doesn’t allow difficulties and rejections stop their quest but find ways to solve the problems thereby giving something to the world which wasn’t there before. And just check out children around you, they are natural scientists but the environment of their growth limits some of them and stunts the inquisitiveness of the nature which is all around them (Africa in mind). Coupled with the early indoctrination of some religious beliefs, the child then caps some thoughts as she has been taught they are ungodly and devilish. But one wonders how the child is able to express her creativities in a world so vast and endless? The thought is the world. Change the thought and see the world change (positively or negatively).

“YOU ARE AN ARTIST OF THE SPIRIT - Find yourself and express yourself in your own particular way. Express your love openly. Life is nothing but a dream, and if you create your life with love, your dream becomes a masterpiece of art.” ― Miguel Ruiz

Questions for my christian friends

A colleague of mine expressed a frustration during one of our office chats saying many Christians are happy that churches (the ‘the church is expanding and marching on’) are taking over warehouses scattered all over the country (Lagos in particular). The topic of discussion centered on the unfavoruable environment Nigeria has become to individuals and manufacturing companies – mostly the textile, tyre companies. Many of these companies now find some solace in Ghana’s providence of uninterrupted power supply (no, I don’t mean UPS but power from the transmission grid) amongst other things.

I thought about the parcels of land which have been taken over by these religious bodies as camp (prayer) grounds, yet there is a prediction of famine in the land for 2013 and the years following. Oh I forgot that God sends manna from heaven and we can depend on that.  

For many years, the church has been operating in Nigeria and in the entire continent of Africa. The church uses products such as drum sets, speakers, projectors, computers, generators (the owners of Mikano must be thankful to this God for good business), curtains, energy-saving bulbs, water pumps but her adherents are not curious as to where these products come from. Perhaps Europe is heaven where all these manna dropped and are shipped to Africa whose children have been struck with the disease of religion and consumerism of which the epidemic is fast destroying the beautiful land and her children. Do you really think God is proud of consumers as children? And he would preserve a people who consume without thinking? As a result of our insatiable hunger to consume products, the country is plagued with waste it is incapable of managing so much that the country looks like a vast heap of thrash. Oh, I forgot that there will be a new heaven and a new earth and this earth (this country) as we know it shall pass away and life will begin afresh for those who believe. Can we stop for a moment to think about these issues? Y’know I have always asked this simple question “why would God give us a brain if he didn’t intend for us to use it?” but I haven’t gotten any satisfactory answers yet. I understand that thinking about issues in a questioning mode will open up some whole new insights to the average person. Many church girls and women adorn their heads with weave-ons, attachments, wigs and hair products without thinking for a moment why they use those products and where they come from. Many of the clothing we wear are also brought in from everywhere apart from Africa.

As a minimum, I would have expected the church scientists to have been able to produce microphones which for many decades have been essential parts of a church programme. Meanwhile, the church is ecstatic that the president of the largest black country has come to kneel (for the second time) before a popular pastor. One wonders whether the church has tasked the leader with basic provisions expected of any government. One wonders whether the church is concerned with the empty education that is being served at high costs in Nigeria even in the so-called private universities (owned mostly by church folks and body) and what she is doing about it. Is she bothered about education that churns out Engineers yearly who can’t make motors and scientists who can’t produce tiger batteries? These things don’t add up or maybe it’s just my mind playing tricks on me again.

It concerns me greatly that we have become a country of operators (or technicians). We can  operate any kind of device – we wield the latest designs of Blackberries, Iphones, Ipads and Android phones – We are quite fascinated with the flatness of TV these days  and anyone caught with a box is either old-school or poor. But our God is not a poor God.  Question is which products are being made in Nigeria and particularly by religious people?

I don’t cease to wonder at the skill and knowledge which goes into building of bridges and anytime I ply the third Mainland Bridge I wondered about the two-headed creatures of men who built it. Some (very solid) roads are being constructed in Lagos by Arab Contractors one is forced to ask “where are the civil engineers?” But there is a Ministry of Works in each state? Oh I forgot that they only have oversight and technician functions. And well, let the Arab and German Engineers do the dirty works, we are rich enough to pay them.

I know we will all agree it all boils down to leadership but then again what manner of leadership do we have in these religious organizations which approves of corrupt and incapable men into government? What manner of leadership is there in the church which looks on (and prays on) while the country goes down (literally)? What manner of leadership in the church which doesn’t encourage questioning amongst her folks? What manner of leadership in the church that thrives on the mess the entire country has become? Oh, I’m sorry I forgot those are signs of end-time which I suppose will happen only on the African continent and not the entire world.

These days it seems I attack the church but no that’s not what I am doing. Rather, I am challenging us to truly come up higher knowing we were bequeathed this land to prosper it rather than impoverish it. In my opinion, we are fast becoming the third servant (ha, that word) in the parable of the talents who was given a single talent and who buried the talent in the ground to return it when the master returned. Sadly, we have more talents than the ones which had 5 and 10 respectively and we are not just returning a whole one when the master returns, we are returning -1 (minus one means we have borrowed and are in debt) cause we have consumed the talent than diligently trade (creatively, innovatively, sacrificially) with it. It is highly irresponsible of us to keep looking at the sky for manna to drop or for a saviour to come down and save us. We have been provided with the resources we need, let us be wise and use them. We can start by asking simple questions and not be afraid to ask them or answer them even when they make us uncomfortable. Or we can try to answer some of the questions posed here. We must also realize that in order for us to make any meaningful progress, we must drop individuality and embrace brotherhood.

Pan-Africanism and the Identity Issue

Guest Post

By Temidayo Ahanmisi

From the way I see it any African who scoffs at Pan-Africanism is lost to me. We can never work together on anything that would move the black race forward...or even move this Nigerian pseudo-nation forward.

As far as I know ideas do not really die, good or bad.
If Nazism is not dead, why would Pan-Africanism deserve to die? If the US for instance can yet negotiate terms of engagement and survival with its Aryan Nation elements & their spin-off ideologies, why would a Nigerian like me want me to trample Pan-Africanism under foot and subscribe to his own philosophy of round-about motion-as-movement?

Truth is, Pan-Africanism threatens the status-quo. Pan-Africanism calls for a level of courage that we fear we are incapable of accessing. We have been laid back and unquestioning as our default definition of life abundant.
We have become vaunting ‘House Negroes’ as of old, who want to straddle the fence between our pathetic desire to lick the boots of those we erroneously view as our betters, while yet desiring to reap the fruits of the rewards from the labour of the ‘Field Negro’ whom we yet hold in disdain because his unabashed ‘blackness’, which is our shared identity shames and discomfits us.

The real truth laid bare is that we wish Pan-Africanism dead just and only just because it threatens imported religions like Christianity & Islam - the last bond with our colonial masters.
The ideals of Pan-Africanism threaten foreign religious thought by demanding rigorous reassessment and overhaul of such cultures, philosophies and the attendant lifestyles such philosophies birth and sustain.

We do not want to admit, like victims of abuse who yet live in denial that these religions and religious cultures are a yoke around our neck and that as long as we cling fast to them we cannot re-negotiate the terms of our shared humanity - slave to master.

These religions have become one of the biggest impediments to development in Africa today. Inasmuch as every single African does not share a common religious belief, then the only decent thing to do is to tear religion & its myriad influences away from the shared public space of every African nation state. This ripping out should be decisive & unequivocal.

Religions come with their accompanying Philosophies, Cultures & Ideologies - these are the concepts that make for a life in worthwhile...a healthy, self-conscious life. Now the cacophony between competing ideologies makes nonsense of every foreign religion's pretensions to the universal creed of peace without which no man can live with dignity and grace amongst all men.

The Muslims want peace on their own terms, likewise the Christians. The weak & marginalised sections of society have become the ‘grass that suffers’ as a fall-out of the war of attrition between these competing elephantine blocs of ideologies & their adherent ideologues.
Women's bodies, apparel & lives have become battle grounds for war & propagation of draconian ideals that are becoming increasingly stifling to the real development of this specie of humans.
The more endangered bloc is the children - the life blood of races & civilisations.

While other civilisations have made projections into a future in which their children will ascend to world dominance & subjugation of all forces - temporal, spiritual & elemental - so as to keep their racial pre-eminence, we Africans & of course Nigerians are expending our ever dwindling energy & other needful resources to raise slaves & cannon-fodder for the furtherance of the aspirations of these coming generations of masters. This is an outrage.

While we raise Christian boys & girls to become Christian men & women who will in turn push Christian ideals that are nothing in essence but European & Jewish ideals & cultures; while we raise Muslim boys & girls to become Muslim men & women who will in turn push Islamic ideals that are nothing in essence but Arabic & Asiatic ideals & cultures – other races are reinventing themselves, waking up to the one over-riding identity of what they are first and foremost – Human.

They realize that as human beings they have one obligation to themselves & to their universe – to live; to advance; to evolve…and by so doing ensure the propagation of their unique civilization into any foreseeable or even yet unimagined perpetuity.

It is patently evil that as Africans, adults from their teens to their centenary years have to start from scratch to assert their inalienable right to above all exist – before they can even begin to contemplate racial survival & other accompanying ideals. It is evil…we inherited this evil from generations past who had one & only one legacy to their progeny – Slavery.

This slavery has been pushed on by the shackling of the minds of Africans through the decades & centuries even after physical slavery had been abolished. This slavery was propagated using models of identity which marked the slave children as properties of their respective masters first, before identifying them as the humans that they were supposed to be – a humanity that is a natural right of even just existing. The skins of these slaves could not be branded anymore & so their very minds & even their ‘’souls’’ their basic essence had to be branded.

Now we have ‘’Christian man/woman/youth/child; we have Muslim man/woman/youth/child…what we do not have are human beings…who happen to be Africans by birth.

This usurpation of the true hierarchy of creation & existence has led to deeply ingrained disconnect in basic reasoning & imaginings that the very world vision of these African humans are altered irredeemably from the very moment they can string a complete line of thought…their very consciousness is affected by imported thought patterns. They therefore cannot have belief systems that can sustain life in its very essence.

How can a creation which does not have right to free thought ever have true right to life and real freedom?...How can such ever be assured of true development & growth? Every pretension to advancement that this continent can ever lay claim to is a sham as long as organised religion remains in the public space and dominates even the private lives of Africans.
We have become ‘’church-states’’ where governments pay increasing patronage to religion to ensure the retardation of the citizenry. Now the citizens who are ‘’Christians’’ & Muslims’’ first before they are race, gender or any other individuation cannot take up arms psychologically against rapacious governments because they are called upon by virtue of their religious alliances to obey without wrangling those in authority over them…these of course being existent governments & authorities – religious as well as political.

Being so shackled & left with limited room for expression they turn their internal wars and agitations inwards and begin to oppress the weaker elements for sport. They cannot then agitate for better public governance, but would turn to celestial forces to plead their cases and shuffle around aimlessly, hoping that as they have been indoctrinated to believe, these forces would come to their aid and liquidate the oppressive elements remotely, so that they would have kept their religious moral consciences unsullied throughout. How pathetic! How so blind…and how so patently immoral!

How can responsible parents cage their children’s futures so?
How can a civilisation hold its evolution in abeyance this way?
How can a race to who even the very cosmic forces of creation have bestowed just about every benefit imaginable to creation make a travesty of its own existence so strenuously?

We the Africans, few as we are right now – to whom our basic identity as Humans is the foremost identity to which we hold any allegiance over any other – have decided to wake up and reclaim our right to be just what we should be…Human beings living with dignity and courage; Human beings advancing with grace and strength – exercising our right to thought, reason, identity, belief, survival and propagation right here on this material earth that we share with other human species.
We have resolved to advance into fields of Knowledge, Reason, Logic, Spirituality and Humanism that have hitherto been so convoluted and corrupted in essence and manifestation that only disorder, corruption, ignorance, fear and immorality could result hitherto and hence in turn unleashed unto the African consciousness.

Every African will have true freedom of thought…and therefore of independent belief.
We will remove the pollution of dependant religious life and subjective morality and thought from our public spaces – from our schools and other institutions of culture, education, governance and enlightenment.
Our laws will be laws infused with our independent intellectualism and shared cultural values. Organised religion will flourish in peace in its natural areas of influence – Church; Mosque; Shrine; Coven; Temple; Lodge; Home and relevant private communities as organized along common religious heritage and tributaries.

It is our aim to be Humans & Africans once more. No force can stop Pan-Afrikanism.
FIAT LUX

 

About Temidayo Ahanmisi
Temidayo Ahanmisi is a young, dynamic and passionate Nigerian. A liberated mind, she is an inspiration to the young generation who clamour for change within the black man's homeland. She lives in Nigeria