Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday became one of the pioneer students of the National Open University to bag a PhD in Christian Theology.

A six-man external panel pronounced him worthy of the award.

It was reportedly held inside the auditorium of the Abeokuta Study Centre of the institution along IBB Boulevard, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The panelists were Dr. Mande Samaila (Dean, Postgraduate School, NOUN) as Chairman, Prof. Cletus Gotan (External Supervisor), Prof. Deji

Ayegboyin (Major Supervisor), and Dr. Mustapha Raheem Adejoro, (Head of

Department, Religious Studies (NOUN).

Others were Prof. Nebath Tanglang (Representative, School of Postgraduate Studies, NOUN) and Prof. Godwin Akper (Internal Supervisor and Dean, Faculty of Arts, NOUN).

Source: (Punch Newspaper)

JESUS warns believers to be wary of thieves and robbers. He says: “I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” (John 10:7-8).

Who precisely are the thieves and robbers of whom Jesus speaks? Is he talking about men who mug us in the streets? Is he talking about highway robbers who snatch our cars? Or is he talking about those who break into our houses in the dead of night? Listen and understand. The thieves and robbers of primary concern to Jesus are the pastors of our churches. Jesus’ message is that pastors and other so-called “men of God” are thieves and robbers who steal, kill and destroy. 

Quoting Jeremiah, Jesus blasted pastors: “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Matthew 21:13). Bad pastors Jeremiah says the church building should not be confused for the temple of God: “Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord,” (Jeremiah 7:4). He says further-more: “My people have been lost sheep; their pastors have led them astray.” (Jeremiah 50:6). Ezekiel is of the same opinion. 

He says: “Woe to the pastors who feed themselves instead of their flocks. Shouldn’t pastors feed the sheep? You eat the best food and wear the finest clothes, but you let your flocks starve.” (Ezekiel 34:2-3). Is this not directly applicable to many of today’s highfalutin pastors? Isaiah says: “They are as greedy as dogs, never satisfied; they are stupid pastors who only look after their own interest, each trying to get as much as he can for himself from every possible source.” (Isaiah 56:11). Does this not acc-urately describe today’s pastors who use all kinds of tricks and shenanigans to fleece the flock of their hard-earned money?

Robbers of God 

God asks in Malachi: “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. ‘But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse – the whole nation of you – because you are robbing me.” (Malachi 3:8-9). Pastors use this scripture to browbeat their church-members and extort money from them. However, what they hide from unsuspecting Christians is the fact that the thieves said to be robbing God here are actually not the people of Israel, but the Levites and pastors themselves.

As is still commonplace today, the pastors of biblical Israel were stealing the tithes and offerings of the people, and converting them to personal use. (1 Samuel 2:28-35). All through Malachi, pastors are the objects of God’s angst: “It is you, O priests, who show con-tempt for my name. But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ You place defiled food on my altar.” (Malachi 1:6-7). The Levites were replacing the unblemished sacrificial animals with crippled and diseased ones. (Malachi 1:8). 

“This admonition is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honour my name, I will send a curse upon you.” (Malachi 2:1-2). The priests were fraudsters: “The lips of a priest ought to pre-serve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruct-ion—because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. 

But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble.” (Malachi 2:7-8). Moreover, the widows, the fatherless and the aliens were going hungry because the priests were denying them the portion of the tithes and offerings that God expressly reserved for them. (Malachi 3:5). Therefore, God is insistent: “Bring ALL the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” (Malachi 3:10). Since these same Levites were the ones required to atone for the sins of Israel, their thievery was in danger of bringing a curse on the whole nation.

Redeemer 

Therefore, God promises to send Jesus; his “messenger of the covenant,” to purify, in this in-stance, the priests and not the people: “He shall purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.” (Malachi 3:3). That process ultimately involves the replacement of the Levitical priesthood established after the order of Aaron, with a completely new Messianic priesthood, esta-blished after the order of Melchi-sedec. (Hebrews 7:11-16).

This would fulfil God’s long-standing plan: “I will establish ONE pastor over them, and he shall feed them- my servant David. He shall feed them and be their pastor.” (Ezekiel 34:23-24). This one true pastor is none other than Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Good Samaritan who minist-ered to the man attacked by robbers on Jericho road, while the priest and the Levite ignored him. (Luke 10:30-35). 

With Jesus replacing them High Priest: “the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.” (Malachi 3:4). Thus when Jesus finally arrived, he declared: “All who ever came before me were thieves and rob-bers, but the sheep did not listen to them. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 

I am the good pastor. The good pastor lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:8-12). It should therefore be clear that the thief that comes to steal, kill and destroy is none other than the pastor. Pastors are “bad” all-in-all; but Jesus is “the good pastor.” Accordingly, under the New Covenant, says Jesus: “There will be one flock and ONE PASTOR.” (John 10:16). 

That means all those still parading themselves as pastors today are thieves and impostors. With the replacement of the Levitical priesthood, there should be nobody still collecting tithes today, calling himself a Levite or pastor. Jesus forbids this, saying: “Do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for one is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.” (Matthew 23:8-9).

Jesus killers 

If you still don’t get it that pastors are the thieves who steal, kill and destroy, listen to Hosea: “The priests are like a gang of robbers who wait in ambush for a man. Even on the road to the holy place at Shechem they commit murder.” (Hosea 6:9). Shechem was a “city of refuge” and of Levites and priests. But the very priests God had appointed to teach the truth that people might live, were those endangering their lives.

Answer me this: who killed Jesus? Was he not killed by pastors? Who said in Jesus’ parable of the landowner and the vinedressers: “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance?” (Matthew 21:38). Was it not the vinedressers, represented today by pastors? Never forget: pastors killed Jesus. Every day, today’s pastors testify against themselves that they are the descendants of those who killed Jesus. They rob men of God determined that they, and not God, should be the gods of their lives. 

In effect, the armed robber steals from men with a gun in his hand: the pastor steals from men by brandishing the bible. Therefore, Jesus says to pastors: “Assuredly, tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.” (Matthew 21:31).

Last Sunday during the ‘Freedom Service with King Sunny Ade’ at Throne Of Grace (TOG), National headquarters of The Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG), Ebute Metta, Lagos; the Revered cleric and General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, granted an interview to INDEPENDENT’s Chinyere Abiaziem, through his Assistant on Admin/Personnel, Pastor Funsho Odeshola on the much ado about church heads owning private jets, the likening of RCCG parishes to business centres and the controversy surrounding tithe payment. Excerpts:

Looks like the month of October for TOG was much about celebrating freedom?

October is the month of Nigerians’ freedom and for us as a church here at TOG. What we have been talking about from the beginning of the month was freedom- freedom from pressure, freedom from poverty, freedom from crises etc. So to cap it up, we chose to speak about freedom, pray about freedom and celebrate freedom in the service. God being a God of freedom we believe that whatever we ask him, he has done it. So by faith we are celebrating what he has not done and what we have already received. That is why we asked King Sunny Ade to come celebrate with us; incidentally he is a member of RCCG. He gave his life to Christ in this church, he is still here and we are still working on him and he is doing the adjustments he could do by the grace of God.

How can Nigerians be truly free even in the face of the leaders allegedly oppressing the masses?

I would not totally agree with the view that leaders oppress the followers. The question someone asked me few days ago was that how do you lead your leaders? You lead your leader by leading yourself first. Every citizen should be good, mindful of others, do not cheat others or take advantage of others. I know it is hard because corruption in Nigeria is endemic and systemic, but there is a catchment area of influence, you can start from the family. Everyone should strive to have freedom from sin, freedom to be able to live within your means, no competition with others. Unfortunately people are more competitive today.

I look at what they are talking about some men of God who have aircrafts, and I look at about 45 they packed here in Lagos by some people who graduated maybe 10 years ago. Some of which are in the House of Assembly, some of them have oil blocks, with nobody querying them but they are talking about two, three or four men of God who have aircrafts.

It is just like what they were saying on what the church is doing about this and that. I said the church’s primary aim is to call people into the kingdom, if we do any CSR it is just additional, it is not our primary aim that is the work of the government that is why we pay tax that is why they do all kinds of things. The same thing, we need to lead ourselves, we need to be sure that we would strive to obtain freedom and the way to do it is to give your life to Christ, live within your means and be mindful of others. This freedom we are talking about would come first within our spirits because freedom starts from the heart. It is just like the story I read few month ago, somebody who has a poverty mentality, they got money and gave them money, I mean they say a rich man is our problem, they got the wealth of the rich man, they shared it and they became poorer and the rich man became richer and they got the same, so this question of freedom has to start from the heart, off to the head before it can come to actual performance, but for us as Christians, freedom can only be obtained by Christ, that is when other things follow, once we are set free by Jesus, then breakthrough can follow because the spirit of God blesses you and then instruct you on what would work and what would not work and that is why we are different from other people and for the government, we can only pray for them, advice them and the people who are around them.

Some observers think it is not in place for clerics to own private jets. What is your view on this?

They have asked me this question severally but I have not answered. Let me take time to answer this. It depends on what that man of God is doing, somebody who has a global ministry, who needs to travel almost every week, why not? So as for me, people of God who have a global ministry having an air craft, nobody has neither moral nor biblical justification for them not to own an air craft, it is just a means of transport just like a car, so why would they not have an instrument that would help them do the work? I do not know where they got this mentality from that when you are going to Kano you should ride a bicycle; I do not know where they got it from. They do not ask people who are senators who have two aircrafts. They do not ask about the governor who is just there when they are finishing the first term, going for second term, where are they going? So it is not morally wrong nor biblically wrong, it is also not ethically wrong for them in the global ministry to have an air craft.

The vision of the General Overseer in terms of planting churches within five minutes walking distance in every city and town of developing countries and within five minutes driving distance in every city and town of developed countries has been faulted by some individuals including Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie and Lawyer Femi Falana. What’s the church’s response?

Regarding saying RCCG is like a business centre, my take on this is the fact that for people’s hearts to change, they have to be exposed to knowledge. RCCG is not a business centre; our vision is to get people to change their life styles and change the society. Number one vision is to make it to heaven, carry as many people as possible and make holiness our watch word because there is no way that you are holy and think of evil and get involved in corruption. There is no way you would be holy and take up arms and be a robber and until you are enlightened. The purpose of the RCCG is to keep taking the light into the world. The bible says ‘No one lighted a candle and put it under a bushel.’ The Bible also says that salt is good for nothing until it is applied to make things sweet.’ I am not sure those people have the knowledge about Jesus saying ‘Go yea into the world and preach the gospel unto every creature.’ He said we will be his witness starting from Judea, Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. The Redeemed Christian Church of God is not a business centre, we are light carriers and light bearer.

The thing is that there are many who inverted the word of God and are saying things they do not know. God commanded us to bring tithes and offerings. Even when people do not pay what they are supposed to pay the work of God would not suffer. Somebody came to church and said why do we need to pay tithes? The chair they sat on the first time they came they are not the ones that bought it. They are not the ones that likewise built or bought the church building. I think those people who said they should not pay tithe they are misinformed and do not have knowledge of the Bible and if they know the Bible they have twisted it in an inverted manner.

I am overwhelmed by the attendance at this event this morning which to me is a testimony that BSP is still alive and kicking. We are indeed grateful to all of you for finding time to be here.

This is a gathering to rekindle what we started in 2015 and what we used as a vehicle to fight in the trenches, out of the torches, along the routes and in so many difficult terrains to see to the success of our vision and mission..

Our vision then was t instal a government that will bring about change in this country. Our motto and expression then was that we want change. I want to commend Nigerians for sharing that same Vision with us. They decided to vote the government out and voted us in because of that vision of change. We are riding on that mantle of change today. It is good to take us back on the memory lane.

Some of us started this journey in 2011. There are those who started as far back as 2003 and are still in the tranches. I am sure that the 2007 veterans are still here, while some of us joined the train in 2011, while many others joined in 2015.

Why did we then sacrifice everything that we need and want? A lot of us have lost their jobs, others have lost their businesses.. A lot of us sitting here today have nothing to do because they committed their time and resource working for the success of a change for a better Nigeria.

We did this not because of ourselves or any individual but because of our love for this great nation. Many of you can remember that we went through this because we are committed to a course and that whatever we eventually instal will be something that we are committed to.

But let me say here without fear of being contradicted that I think half way through the journey, we are losing our core values. We are losing our vision and mission and I think that the idea of our being here today is to look critically at what we need to do to get back on track. There is no doubt that we have derailed because we are not doing what we say we want to do. Why is it so? We need to find an answer to that. If we do find an answer, then what should we do to get us all back on track. We owe this great nation and the 180 million Nigerians the duty to give good governance.

Good governance is what they voted for and good governance is what they expect to get and they serve that. We therefore, as BSO, have a great task ahead of us. My dear comrades, the battle and the job starts now. We have won one battle by taking over power.

But what we make of this power is very essential to us and to humanity. Therefore, I want to take this opportunity to tell my colleagues here that we have to change the narratives. When we were our there Working and jumping on the street and reaching every corner, we were shouting change, change for a better Nigeria. Now, the key word is good governance for Nigerians.

We must agree that we cannot finish our four years without delivering and leaving something to be remembered for in this country for a long time to come. We have no problem with our President because he is on course.

But I must confess here that we have been infused by people who were not part of this journey and these people are the ones that calls the shut today. That is why we are derailing.

If we had the right people who had the vision and have been there in and out, I believe that we will not be going the way we are going today.

It is my belief that those of us who have been in the trenches all these years to get good governance will surely be sleeping with belly ache everyday, especially in the recent past.

Everyday, when you wake up, there is a story that makes you shiver. We cannot, as a people who have fought and committed everything we had to bring this government to being sit back and allow things to happen the way they are happening. At the end of the day, the fingers will point at us because we were the ones who went to people and spools them to give us their votes. These people that are calling the shuts today were not there and when the chips are down, they will disappear and melt within the system. We are the ones that will be asked to account for what happened.

Are we willing to face Nigerians and tell them that we have failed? I think this is the time for us to come together, create a system that is very robust enough to fight back and take back government in our hands and ensure that we deliver.

I will therefore ask my colleagues of the BSO to go back to the study room. This is a Commission, but it is also the beginning of the fight for good governance. We must get back to the trenches, draw our own battle plan and battle line. I enjoined you that the same commitment we had in 2015, I employ you to bear with us and commit yourself to a better future for Nigeria. We will be calling on you from now on and we will be working day and night. We must do so because we want to save our name at the end of the day and the name of the President for what he is doing.

Our President is on course and all we need is to ensure that we support him. What do we do? For those of us who believe in God, we must know that God is the first point of call. We believe that if you want to change the system, it will happen. Let me say that in the course of the jihad of the Prophet Mohammad, anytime they go out for a battle, they come back with loot, but these loot, as far as my own research told me is not distribute to everybody, but to those who took the sword and faced the enemies.

Today, with all sense of responsibility, I want to say that we have 50 percent of PDP in our government. How can we move forward with this load? How can we achieve our target with this load? It is a spoilt system and so. When you come in, you shake off everybody and bring in your own. That is what democracy is all about.

Today, we have members of PDP calling the shuts. That is what we will begin to fight for, we will fight for our right position, our vision and our mission for this government. I am sorry to deviate into politics, but it is very essential because we are a political Organisation. It is time for us to wake up from slumber and chat a course for this great nation and I believe that we can do it. May God help u and see us through.

-Being a speech delivered by the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali, rtd, at the commissioning of Buhari Support Organization Sectariat  in Abuja, last Friday 

Life has no meaning any more for 94-year-old Adamu Rangu, whose family members were wiped out when suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded Nkyie Doghwro village in Irigwe Chiefdom of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State on Monday October 16, 2017, leaving behind 29 persons dead.

Though the aged man survived the gruesome killing, seven members of his family perished in the attack at the two-classroom block of primary school in Nkyie Doghwro where women, children and the weak were taking refuge for fear of Fulani herdsmen invasion of the village.

He lost his aged wife Tabitha, two children; Bala and Ishaya as well as four grandchildren who were taking refuge at the primary school, where men of the Special Task Force in charge of internal security in Jos and environs were on guard.

How he escaped death

Adamu opted not to sleep in the classroom but remained in his house close to the school that fateful night when he watched helplessly as the gunmen rained hot bullets on his family and other victims. The cries for help and unending grief of his wife, children and grandchildren will ever remain green in his memory.

The aged man is left to fend for himself as all he laboured for in his 94 years was wiped out within a twinkling of an eye. Our reporter had an encounter with Adamu shortly after the mass burial of the victims, dragging his feet as women and children fled the village to Jos city for safety.

Adamu, who lacks the strength to move fast was conveyed with his loads to Miango by some good Samaritans when people were fleeing the village on hearing rumour of another imminent attack.

“I have never seen a thing like this. Why will this kind of thing happen to me at my old age? Where am I going now? I have lost all I laboured for, my children were my greatest assets and they were all killed in a day.

“I was told to go to the classroom but I couldn’t go in immediately, I don’t know what held me back at home, I prefer to have died than losing my wife, children and grandchildren in that manner, where will I start from, who do I go to now?”

Another pathetic case

The case of 45-year-old Lami Danladi, a mother of four, is equally very pathetic. Luckily, she survived four gunshots while struggling with her children for escape from the classroom of death.

She lost three of her children; Queen 10, Friday 7, and two-year-old Mary who was shot in the back that fateful night. In addition, Lami lost her husband, Danladi Ishaya who was also inside the classroom while only five-year-old Victoria who had gone to Miango town, escaped death beside her mother from the family.

Lami who is nursing gunshot injuries at Enos hospital, Miango, recalls that five days after killing of three persons in the neighbouring village of Nzhweruvo, the villagers converged at a primary school in the village for protection under the watch of the Special Task Force (STF) due to lack of proximity of households in the village.

Some households who had relations in Miango town had fled from the village when harbingers of horror came calling at about 8pm, shooting directly into the classroom where over 60 persons were sleeping.

“I was inside the class with my three children and husband. I did not know what happened, suddenly I heard gunshots directly inside the classroom, women and children were crying as they ran to escape.

“I took my two-year-old daughter, Mary and backed her while the gunmen were firing directly towards my location, I hid myself with the school desk and was able to come out through the door, I started running with the child on my back, unfortunately, one of the attackers heard my foot step and shot directly at me, the bullet penetrated through my shoulder and killed my child on my back.

“I didn’t know that my husband was already killed, my two children in the classroom became helpless, they died of gunshot injures. I don’t want to recall this horrible experience, I was shot four times and none of the bullets got me well, they pierced my skin and I was taken to the hospital.”

More survivors’tales

Similarly, a 10-year-old Primary Four pupil, Joshua Samuel escaped narrowly.

He lost his stepmother, Yari Aga and his 50-year-old uncle, Tegbi Shweh while his five-year-old cousin was amputated on the leg due to gunshots.

Joshua who was shot on his finger hid himself among the dead and held his breath, pretending to be dead. He came out when he realised that people from neighbouring communities had come to rescue the injured and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Thirty-two-year-old Monday Teh is mostly devastated by the killing of his two wives who had the same name, Kande, his son and his brother.

Monday, who sighted the gunmen when he was about to enter the classroom and immediately retreated to safety gave account of how the incident happened.

“It was about 8pm when members of the community had converged in the classroom where we have been sleeping for about six days after unabated attacks in neighbouring villages. We decided to live together in the primary school because the security guaranty for our safety.

“On that fateful night, I was outside and about to go into the classroom to rest before going out for patrol, suddenly I saw men in black cloths and military trousers, carrying gun. I laid down immediately and crawled down into the bush and they started shooting.

“I had nothing on me, there was nothing I could do…(cried)…I heard the cry of my wife and son and their voices faded out gradually and I knew that they were dead. When the shooting started, I didn’t see any of the soldiers, I only heard them encouraging our people to go into the classroom that they will protect us but unfortunately, they all ran and left us to our fate.

“We raised alarm that night, 30 minutes after the attack, nobody came to our rescue, we had to call people from Miango town for assistance and so many youths came that night. The following morning, we went into the room and picked the corpses, my son, two wives and brother were among.”

Mrs. Lisa Bonu, mother of nine, lost her husband also. She was shot on the head and her left hand was amputated due to gunshot. She was lucky to have sent her nine children to Miango town a day before the gory killing.

Town union kicks

National President of Irigwe Development Association, Mr. Sunday Abdu said the curfew imposed on Bassa Local Government Area by Governor Simon Lalong did not help the situation. He confirmed that 27 persons were given mass burial in the village, two injured persons later died at Enos hospital while several others were injured.

“We have continually woken up to the news of attacks each day, leaving tears, sorrow, despair and apprehension on our helpless people. For the avoidance of doubt, attack took place the day the curfew was imposed and after Ncha attack that left 24 persons dead, several killings and burning of houses have continued in Irigwe Chiefdom of Miango.

“Two persons were killed including a soldier on September 9, 2017. One person was killed and another injured in Nkie Dongwro on October 8, 2017 and a young man, Solomon Elisha was allegedly killed by a mobile policeman  on October 10, 2017 in Kpachudu village.

“At Nzhweruvo and Tafigana village, three persons were killed and houses razed down on October 11, 2017 and six persons were killed, five injured and houses burnt at Taegbe village, a day the State Government imposed curfew and 29 killed at a school used as a camp and protected by security at Nkyie Doghwro village on October 16, 2017.”

We will investigate soldiers complicity- Military

Military Special Task Force (STF) code named Operation Safe Haven deployed to restore law and order in Plateau, said it will investigate the involvement of soldiers on duty at the Nkiedonwhro village of Bassa Local Government Area.

Commander of the taskforce, Major General Anthony Atolagbe, said the soldiers have been sent to the headquarters of the task force for proper investigation on how the attack took place in the village under their watch, especially that curfew was imposed on the village and there was supposed to be restriction of movement.

Governor Simon Lalong was short of words when he visited the devastated community where women, children and the aged running into thousands have been displaced, carrying their loads on their heads and dragging their children to unknown destinations.

Lalong pleaded for calm and ordered security operatives to fish out the perpetrators of the gory killing for prosecution in accordance to the law.

credit link:http://sunnewsonline.com/plateau-of-blood-sad-tale-of-94-yr-old-whose-family-of-7-was-wiped-out-by-herdsmen/

here is a saying in Argentina that power is like drinking gin on an empty stomach. You feel dizzy. You get drunk. You lose your balance and you end up hurting yourself and those around you. A practical demonstration of this could be seen on the trails of devastation and ruins in Northeastern Nigeria after Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram, and his followers got drunk and dizzy from drinking gin on an empty stomach.

The same scenario is currently playing out in my backyard and I can’t help but write this love letter to my Supreme Leader and IPOB brothers that have been drinking gin on empty stomachs since Goodluck Jonathan lost the 2015 election.

As I watched my brothers on social media, I observed that majority of IPOB supporters are die-hard surrogates of GEJ. It is thus okay to mock and challenge the federal government for declaring IPOB a terrorist group because when the present government was in opposition they opposed your hero GEJ for doing it to Boko Haram. Your reasoning: if Boko Haram should be used to bring down the government of GEJ, you should be allowed to use IPOB to bring down Buhari’s government. Fair enough, so, I feel you my brothers.

But, the battle for 2019 cannot be won by the same strategy that led to the downfall of PDP in 2015. 2015 belongs to yesterday. So, for openly supporting your beloved IPOB, I suspect that most you are still drinking gin on an empty stomach long after your hero Goodluck Jonathan lost the 2015 election. My brothers, it is a brand new day and we should stop saluting ourselves with “welcome to yesterday.”

Because you have drunk on an empty stomach, you feel dizzy, you call your governors cowards and prefer to listen to PDP political lepers like Femi Fani-Kayode, Reno Omokri, and Fayose. When you get drunk, you hug the three political lepers that love us more than our governors. When they taunt you with “see what Nigerian military are doing to Igbos,” you surge forward shouting “nzogbu nzogbu, enyi mba enyi” like mugs to be killed by crude Nigerian soldiers.

We all condemn the murderous actions of the soldiers as uncivil and unconstitutional. We cry to Amnesty International to document the crimes of Nigerian soldiers, just like they did in Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Yemen. But whose sons and daughters are being killed?

As we kept drinking on an empty stomach, we forgot that it was neither Lai Mohammed’s South-West nor Buhari’s North-West, nor Saraki’s North-Central, nor GEJ’s South-South that faced the scars of war and subsequent famine and devastation in the North-East. Because our reasoning is unbalanced, we forget that both IPOB and Nigerian military will unleash devastation and atrocities on us and our people just like what happened in the North-East.

You expressed love for your articulate and intelligent Supreme Leader! His head got swollen. After drinking gin on an empty stomach, he became dizzy and declared that he will go to Abuja and return with the head of the man parading himself as the President of the “zoo”. Because his followers and sympathizers are drunk themselves, they believed him. After all, he is a Jewish messiah sent by god to save his people from slavery.

So, he assembled the unemployed youths in the villages around Umuahia and boasted that he will trample on an elephant when katakata starts at the market square. But when trouble started, it appears that my Supreme Leader chickened out and left the small boys to die while protecting him.

I am no longer troubled that some of us who should know better are still drinking gin on an empty stomach and getting dizzy. What is troubling to me is that instead of going to bed, they are still picking up their phones and sharing the pictures of our brothers that were killed by crude Nigerian soldiers. Because they are drunk and dizzy, they forgot that the dead deserve some respect. You forgot that these youths that were brainwashed have parents and wives.

For my brothers, the intellectuals, who are still defending my Supreme Leader and faulting the federal government and Southeast Governors for banning IPOB, I love you. It seems that you guys are scared that your beloved channel for settling your score with PMB is being shut down.  E-yaah. Don’t worry; Facebook and WhatsApp are still there for propagating truth, lies and fake news.

I love you all and your lies. If you are not spreading lies on Pete Edochie endorsing the boycott of the Anambra State Election, you are spreading lies that Chimamanda Adichie has endorsed the Biafran cause. Just recently, one of the PDP political lepers FKK led you to spread the lie about Mama Taraba implicating APC and El-Rufai in the kidnap of the Chibok girls.

I have sometimes wondered why these IPOB-GEJ surrogates will not stop revisiting that tragedy that led to his ultimate downfall in the 2015 election. For some reason, it seems like my IPOB brothers badly need the confirmation that the APC and the north conspired to bring down their dear hero Jonathan.

As we continue to search for the way forward for Ndigbo in Nigeria, just remember that the realities we are facing in Nigeria today cannot be resolved simply by protesting in front of the United Nations building in New York. Sharing clips of one idiot from Turkey as a show of foreign support is a deceit. One million petitions on Change.org will not smoothen our relationship with even the Ikwere and Ijaw people of the Niger Delta. Making empty noise on social media or sharing the gory pictures of our dead brothers cannot help the repositioning of the Igbo nation in Nigeria that we urgently need.

I love you all, my IPOB brothers, because it feels right in continuously hurting ourselves. Keep punching yourself in the face until you see the bruise. Keep scratching your skin with your nails until you see blood. But please, don’t stop. Your addiction to imaginary misery and drama, though a toxic behavior and gloomy demeanor reinforce our story that “they hate us.”

I love my Igbo brothers who are shamefully supporting My Supreme Leader because their hero Goodluck Jonathan lost the 2015 election. Though you represent this Igbo generation stuck in a pothole of miserable thinking, I still love you. Keep drinking gin on an empty stomach as you spin, unable to move like tires clenched in a 2015 mud. Keep sucking up oxygen and expelling all the positive energies around us as we make ourselves look like suckers to the rest of the ethnic groups in Nigeria.

I already know that you hate Buhari. You are free to do that, but must you also destroy yourself just to prove to the world that Buhari hates us? The world is not paying attention and no “Super Power” is coming soon to “give” us an independent State of Biafra.

What we need is wisdom - political and economic wisdom. Most importantly, we should fear the destruction we are capable of inflicting on ourselves

I love you all!

You can email Churchill at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or follow him on Twitter @churchillnnobi.

Churchill OkonkwoChurchill Okonkwo