Abuse and Slapsgiving! by bishop david oyedepo

This is getting out of hands. Open abuse and damnation of a child all in the name of deliverance. We always believe some people are untouchable. I am so appalled by this and join everyone that condemns this act! This is bad! Bad!! Bad!!! Religion houses need to be called to order, state persecution of those committing atrocities in the name of religion need to be firmly rooted in our society not only Boko Haram is our terrorist in Nigeria. Revrend King paid for it and Bishop Oyedepo is not above the law!!!

Welcome: The new Nigerian refugees by SYLVIA OFILI

THE Nigerian Senate just gave many people enough justification to become refugees. I predict in the next couple of months, in countries all over Europe, young men and women will arrive in droves, over sea and land, and they would all be gay. Gay or not, everybody will be gay. If you have ever wanted to leave that country but have never had any real reason to (apart from the obvious ones i.e. no light, no water, no security, no good schools, malaria, armed robbers, corrupt police, corrupt politicians, no jobs, fake drugs in the market, no connections, no food to eat, petrol wahala, feel free to add to this list) well, now you have a solid one. Do not waste any time. Put your slippers under your armpit and hit the desert (keep an eye open for Boko Haram though) but be sure to stay clear of Libya. We are being killed there but hey, who cares? The Senate has better things to do than save Nigerian citizens.

Oh yes, the Nigerian Senate who have so much time on their hands, decided to pass a bill stating that gays shall not be allowed to get married and if they dare do, they shall get fourteen years in jail. Let us face the truth. There are no gay couples applying for marriage certificates in that country. How would they do that? There are no provisions for such a marriage in our system, therefore, this bill is totally redundant. It is like telling me that I am banned from eating eba in my kitchen when I had none in the first place. If eba was available and waiting for me in my kitchen, then that’s another story. But I don’t even have garri or hot water. In fact, I don’t even have a bowl to make the eba in, so what exactly would be the point of such a ban? It’s as simple as that. I can’t be the only one that sees how unnecessary this bill is. A total waste of time and resources. But hey, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

I am surprised about the excitement this bill has caused in our people. People are almost foaming at the mouths because of this useless bill. I wish our Senate could be equally engaged in other serious matters. For example, Boko Haram. Every month, a new bomb and yet, our senators are laughing over homosexual jokes on TV. I would have expected some kind of crack down by now. Or is it only in the Niger Delta that the military enjoys operating? And what do they plan to do about the religious violence in the north? Or is this show of solidarity against homosexuals going to stop the burning of churches over there? Will this be the very act that will unite Christianity and Islam in the north? And if that is so, will it not be strange that it is only in our hatred we can unite and not in love?

There is much to be said about this bill but I wonder if there is any point. In a bill where "public show of same-sex amorous relationships directly or indirectly” can lead to ten years imprisonment, how long will it be before neighbours turn against neighbours? In a land ruled by superstition, with the constant threat of “bad belle”, how long will it be before our jails are full of people suspected of homosexuality? Nobody needs to tell us that we are treading on dangerous ground, led by people who do not see beyond their feet.

Whatever our opinions may be about sexuality, let us not allow others use us as pawns in political games. There are many issues the government needs to face. So many young people have died on our terrible roads this year. Women are still being raped and abused daily. Children are still on our streets hawking. People are still dying of malaria. Armed robbers and kidnappers still operate freely. Corruption. Electricity. Water. Need I go on?

If you want to know the truth, I will tell you. I do not care about who gets married or who does not in this life. I have seen dysfunctional marriages in that society and it was not a pretty sight. All my life, I have seen men do as they want in their marriages. I have seen old men run after girls young enough to be their daughters. I have seen men abuse their wives and children as if they were running a slave farm. I have seen men marry one wife, two wives, three wives. I have seen men sell their daughters to other men for money. I have seen it all.

Now all of a sudden, these same men are all so concerned about who gets married?

Our country is too corrupt for us to pretend that we are that righteous. Let us stop fooling ourselves. If we were so in touch with our moral values and if really, our moral values meant so much to us as we are now claiming, Nigeria will not be in the state it is now. We are not virtuous enough to talk about moral values. Definitely our Senate should be the last place where morality should be discussed. No, let those who have clean hands come forth and speak, otherwise, everybody should keep quiet and stop the hypocrisy.

slyofili@yahoo.com

Author of this article culled from The Guardian: BY SYLVIA OFILI

Where Is The World Headed To? by Godwyns Onwuchekwa

Well, not sure anyone thinks of this. But looking back at events in the past months - or may be year - you would quite agree that it has been a momentous recent past.

The financial turmoil has refused to let the so-called 'markets' out of its trolls. Revolutions like we have never seen in recent times came like a wave, dethroned life-kings and maimed brutal warlords.

Where there is mercy, evil is creeping in; and where there is evil, mercy is being crushed. Leaders are torn between the devil (their friends and business associates) and the deep blue sea (the economies).

It is time countries look inwards to save themselves from themselves. Manufacturing is going down at the speed of light as all of us head into the office and leaving the farms behind. Meanwhile, more mouths - did they say its 7 billion now - need to be fed. Genetic-Modified (GM) food will soon not be enough.

Talking of which, the increase of illnesses that our (well, early humans) bodies should have fought off is now terrorizing us. Obesity is now an illness and still cannot be directly challenged; anorexia is revered as a way to beauty.

Regardless of these, the hurdle the world must jump to become the desired place everyone wants is very simple: those who want freedom must respect others and give them same freedom.

How can it be that the Revolutionists who killed dictators turn round to torment others? They have tasted and experienced discrimination and stigma, have been imprisoned for speaking out, exiled from their own community, trampled on for challenging their tyrants, etc. Yet, when they overcome the tormentor, they prefer to torment others?


In Egypt, the same 'Freedom' fighters who removed Mubarak has refused lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgendered and intersex (LGBTI) people freedom; of expression and association. Tell me, how just are these that sought justice?

In Libya, the Revolutionist rebels who killed Gaddafi for oppressing them has turned around to torment and torture blacks and other foreigners.Where is the justice they yearned for?

In Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, suicide bombings are common way to kill fellow fighters and even their own community for religious disagreements.

In Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Cameroun, Malawi, etc, those who demanded for self-rule and democracy have turned to become slave dealers turning their country men and women who are gay or of opposing political opinion into refugees.

In Somalia, Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, war has been used to keep the poor everlastingly poor, and power tussle trashed dissenting voices.

In Europe, and the so-called West, propaganda continues to be used. They close their eyes to oppression where it yields money to them. Malawi may not oppress gay people but Nigeria can... and the West are being very careful because Nigeria is a pot of oil and the Chinese are lurking on the corner waiting to grab it.

So, where is the world headed to? It is in a cycle of oppression. Each of the oppressed will turn around and oppress the next.

At this point, can you tell where the world is heading to? Obviously not to a freer world.

For more thought provoking posts visit:http://www.godwyns.com/