FASHOLA’S INTERFACE WITH THE CHURCH (2)

The question can be asked: are the churches ready, willing and able to be partners-in-governance? The answer, unfortunately, is not a categorical ‘yes’. In spite of the great potential that the church has to influence social, economic and political behaviour of its members, very little is being done in this respect. These issues don’t get attention from the pulpit. Most of the small groups are so focussed on their areas of “specialty” that they also end up becoming replicas of the church, unable to talk about day-to-day issues. The Churches have to rise to the Fashola Challenge!

I was saying that Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola’s establishment of a well-staffed, functional department for religious liaison in his office is noteworthy. I suggested that it is a reflection of the governor’s recognition of the place of the spiritual in the affairs of man. I noted that “the calibre of staffing, the depth of the speeches they present on behalf of their principal…demonstrate that he sees this as an important factor in his on-going success”

Now, I do not claim to know how spiritual he is himself, and it’s probably not the place of this column, Christian in orientation as it is, but the visibility of the religious affairs department seems to say something about the state of the man’s heart and his understanding of the potential contribution of religious and faith-based organisations to the development of the state under his watch. The latter is the focus of this piece.

Fashola, for instance, was recently represented at the 47th Synod of the Obun-Eko Circuit of Methodist Church Nigeria’s Diocese of Lagos, by Rev’d Mrs Yewande Akitoye-Braimoh, Special Adviser, Christian Religious Matters. Now, notice, this wasn’t a synod of the Lagos Diocese as a whole, but a circuit of it. It was therefore possible to either decline or send a lower-level official. But he honoured it. I do not discount the interplay of such forces as “who knows whom” etc, but I perceive a deliberate decision to interface with the Church, on what ordinarily might have been seen as by a less perceptive leader as no business of the their’s.

A Sunday Independent report of the event lends credence to this. Speaking on behalf of the governor, Akitoye-Braimah was quoted as describing the synod theme, “Church in a Troubled World” as “instructive and appropriate, especially taking into consideration our present need as a people for spiritual, social and moral rejuvenation in the service of our fatherland.”

According to the report written by Aramide Oikelome, the governor seized the opportunity to call on religious leaders to work towards sustaining the on-going interface between church and state in order to impact lives positively and enhance development of the state.

The report quoted him as saying: “The role of the Church in contributing to societal harmony is in greater need now than before because of the social dislocation likely to arise from the global economic meltdown. Like most institutions and organisations, which are taking measures on the crisis, the Church will be expected to rise to the occasion and provide leadership to its numerous flocks.”

As I stated last week, Governor Fashola’s unabashed liaison with religious bodies is indeed courageous because it runs against the grain of the liberalist tendencies of most of our opinion leaders and moulders. I have referred to the recent statement credited to our very dear Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka that religion is irrelevant in the public life of our nation.

But this isn’t just about courage, it’s about wisdom. Read the above statement again. The world economy is going through recession, the kind that a country like Britain has not experienced since the Second World War. Every one who knows anything about the way the world works knows that people will experience all kinds of pressures. The young man who loses his job will be tempted to steal. The pretty damsel, whose parents cannot provide for, will be tempted to use what she has (her body) to get what she needs. You can picture the variety of pseudo-creativity and pragmatism that people will seek to bring into the good old task of meeting their daily needs. There is no better institution than the Church to step in and rein in the clear and present danger to the social fabric that the economic crisis poses.

The governor was further quoted: “We regard our religious leaders as partners in governance because they are saddled with the responsibility of admonishing the congregation to be law-abiding and shun criminal tendencies that pose a threat to the security of the state. The church can also act as partners to the government in preaching against lawlessness, corruption, disorderliness and disobedience to constituted authority and leaders.”

This is hardly debatable, also. On the roads, in the market place, in our offices, virtually everywhere, lawlessness and disorderliness reign supreme. Disobedience to constituted authority is the norm. A vast majority of the people who manifest these anti-social traits can be found in various worship places including churches. Doesn’t it therefore make sense for government to carry the message to where the people are? That is the wisdom of the Fashola approach, which is a far cry from the cynical reach-out at the approach of elections that we used to see.

The question can be asked: are the churches ready, willing and able to be partners-in-governance? The answer, unfortunately, is not a categorical ‘yes’. In spite of the great potential that the church has to influence social, economic and political behaviour of its members, very little is being done in this respect. These issues don’t get attention from the pulpit. Most of the small groups are so focussed on their areas of “specialty” that they also end up becoming replicas of the church, unable to talk about day-to-day issues. The Churches have to rise to the Fashola Challenge! We have to deliberately begin to exhort and admonish our members about these issues.

The beauty of it is that the people are willing, if the leaders are ready. That is to say, it is more up to the pulpit than to the pew, as I believe this little story illustrates. Recently I took a motorbike (okada) from Ogba to Adeniyi Jones Street in Ikeja both in Lagos, Nigeria. The driver, a young well-turned out guy, handed me a crash helmet. I dutifully wore it on my handkerchief covered head. He drove off, his own helmet dangling from where he hung it between the bike's speedometer and the hand throttle, and merrily launched into singing. Three gospel choruses later, I interrupted him.

From your songs, I sense you are a Christian, I began.

Yes sir, he replied obviously deferring to my age. “Do you know that the Bible teaches us to obey to the laws of the land?”

Yes sir, he responded.

Do you know that ‘okada' operators and passengers are by law bound to wear crash helmets?

Yes, and I have mine here, he said patting the helmet where it was. And, I put it on anytime I'm nearing police or Road Safety (Commission) check-points, he answered.

I pointed out to him that what the Bible says is to obey constituted authority, not deceive them. And that what he was doing was deception not obedience. I quoted to him the Biblical passage in Colossians 3:22-23 which reads: “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”

What followed was very instructive. Without another word, he parked the bike, took his helmet, put it on, strapped it securely at the chin and drove off.

God bless you, I prayed for him and he replied with an ‘Amen’.

As I disembarked at my destination, he thanked me warmly and assured me, he would stay obedient.

I do not for one moment assume that I shall get the same results every time I chanced across a law-breaking biker, but I do intend to continue to try. Truth is that there are far too many people out there whose Christianity does not reflect in the quality of citizenship. I am fully persuaded that the Church can help raise the level of obedience to constituted authority in our nation, and work to mitigate the threat to our socio-economic well-being that the global financial crisis constitutes.

In passing, I understand that representatives of church were at a meeting with officials of Fashola’s government where the subject of noise pollution was discussed recently. I am told that maximum noise levels were agreed upon as - 55 decibel during the day and 45 decibel at night; while early morning services should not start earlier than 6am nor daytime services continue beyond 9pm. Perhaps this will need fine-tuning, but it is one of the advantages of the interface between Church and State that we’ve been talking about, particularly if consultation is wide enough. Kudos, Governor BRF. (Concluded).

PIX: Archbishop John Onaiyekan, President, Christian Association of Nigeria

FASHOLA’S INTERFACE WITH THE CHURCH

It is against this background that I find the establishment in a Department of Religious Matters in the Governor’s Office particularly instructive. And from my observation, the office is not just political cosmetics. It reflects Governor Fashola’s recognition of the place of the spiritual in the affairs of man. The calibre of staffing, the depth of the speeches they present on behalf of their principal, and the deliberate decision to stay connected; all demonstrate that he sees this as an important factor in his on-going succes

s.

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola is, by common consent, the most celebrated state chief executive in our nation today. His approval rating, were some of our pollsters to conduct one, would most certainly be near the maximum.

That is significant because, historically, Lagos has been more blessed than virtually any other state of the Federal Republic with more than its fair share of effective governors, military and civilian.

Mobolaji Johnson, the very first governor, took office as an Army Major, a rank lower than most of his colleagues in the military administration of Yakubu Gowon, which created the state along with eleven others from the erstwhile four regions. He had to create the take-off structures from scratch. And he not only did it so well that, as the cliché goes, he left his footprints on the sands of time, he was also one of, if I remember correctly, only two governors who were not found guilty of official corruption when the regime was probed.

Several military governors later, many of them above average, Lateef Kayode Jakande, nicknamed the action governor came on the scene, the very first civilian to rule the state. The zeal with which he carried out his assignment was unparalleled. Right from the first whistle on October 1, 1979 to the early hours of December 31, 1984 when the army caught him right at his desk, at the onset of yet another military interregnum, he served his people without relent. He trebled the number of schools at primary and secondary levels within months of coming into office in order to implement the "free education at all levels" policy of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) to which he belonged. Today, thousands of people still live in Jakande Estates, not so named by him, which dot the state - veritable reminders of a leader’s fulfilled promises.

There was Muhammed Buba Marwa, a colonel who served during the infamous days of maximum ruler, Sani Abacha, yet managed to win the heart of Lagosians. He is fondly remembered for fixing Lagos roads, which his immediate predecessor had said was impossible due to unavailability of bitumen! He also has the credit for introducing tricycles, named Keke Marwa after him, into the city’s transportation system. He can also be credited with raising the standards of government estates further through the Marwa (now MKO) Gardens, the upmarket housing estate he built in Ikeja.

And of course there was Bola Ahmed Tinubu, immediate past governor in whose administration Fashola served as chief of staff. Tinubu was not afraid to innovate. He moved swiftly to institutionalise the oft-talked about public-private partnership mode of public governance. When traffic control situation graduated from a crisis to a nightmare, he established the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). When his best effort at cleaning the environment seemed to be failing due to old-habits-die-hard indiscipline, he caused the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Brigade to rein it in. To superintend an integrated transportation system for the fast emerging megacity of Lagos, he and his team put together the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). He was visionary and courageous. It is incontrovertible that the Tinubu Administration laid the foundation for today’s many successes.

But not even that fact can detract from the leadership credentials of the current helmsman. In less than two years, he and his team have done so much in virtually every area of governance that not even Lagos has ever had it so good. The launch and expansion of the Bus Rapid Transport scheme, the greening of many parts of the metropolis, rehabilitation and expansion of roads, return of sanity to the various bus terminals, resulting in the reduction of travelling time within the state by as much as half in some cases, all add up to less stressful living for the citizens. So many credible Nigerians are on record as acknowledging Governor Fashola’s achievements that very little can be added to it here.

One of the most recent was Monsignor Gabriel Osu, spokesperson for the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos. Asked to comment on the said intention of President Umar Yar’Adua to seek a second term in office, he retorted, “second term” to do what; to continue sleeping?” He then added: “without being sycophantic, if Fashola wants to continue for life, the people of Lagos would give it to him …everybody can see what he has done; that he has surrounded himself with energetic people working hard to serve the people…”

It has been suggested that one of the secrets of his success is something already being touted as the “Lagos Model” of socio-political leadership. By this model, it is said that Fashola, a largely apolitical technocratic type, leaves politics to Tinubu, the consummate politician, while he confronts the nitty-gritty of governance. The raison d’etre of this “model” is that politics and governance are contending factors and the ability to optimally handle the twain hardly ever meet, in one and the same person.

The truth or otherwise of this postulate will be revealed in the coming months, as we approach the next general elections in 2011. But irrespective of the durability and the wider applicability of this so called model, it is certain that Lagos is a miracle happening right before our eyes.”

For this writer, every time I behold yet another facet of the Lagos Miracle, this popular verse of scripture pops up in my spirit: “This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.”(Psalm 118: 23). The Message translation captures my feeling and those of many people I have discussed with better. It reads: “This is GOD's work. We rub our eyes--we can hardly believe it!”

You see, the truth is every good and every perfect gift comes from God. All the great and mighty things being done are indeed God’s doing and no matter what theory we may develop around it, the Bible, which is our compass in this column has said that “… it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Let’s see how The Message paraphrases it in contemporary language: “That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure”. This is the truth that President Olusegun Obasanjo failed to see when he was pursuing the so-called third-term agenda. He was taking credit for the work God was doing through him. He ended up in disgrace.

It is against this background that I find the establishment in a Department of Religious Matters in the Governor’s Office particularly instructive. And from my observation, the office is not just political cosmetics. It reflects Governor Fashola’s recognition of the place of the spiritual in the affairs of man. The calibre of staffing, the depth of the speeches they present on behalf of their principal, and the deliberate decision to stay connected; all demonstrate that he sees this as an important factor in his on-going success. At a time when an intellectual giant like Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka is decrying religion as irrelevant in the public space; when political correctness dictates that political office holders should distance themselves from the spiritual lest they be seen as anti-intellectualism, this is commendable courage. (To be concluded).

PIX: Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Governor, Lagos State

WHO IS WHO AGAINST HOUSE BILL 150?

Interestingly, some of these role models who have, in my opinion, discharged themselves creditably for the public good, are being linked to pro-same-sex marriage approval, through some organisations they are connected with. A check on the antecedents of the NGOs said to be standing with Amnesty against HB 150 would probably lead you to join me in wondering if there hasn’t been a mistake somewhere.

I feel constrained to return the vexed subject of gay rights and the Nigerian nation. A casual perusal of the list of signatories to Amnesty International's statement of January 26, left me wondering if certain Nigerians should not be making categorical statements about there position on HB 150, and homosexuality in general. HB 150, by the way, is House Bill 150 titled, A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Marriage between Persons of Same Gender, Solemnization of Same and for other Matters related therewith, currently before the House of Representatives.

Of course, in a free country like ours, the right to support or refuse to support any bill before the National Assembly is inalienable. So also is the right to be indifferent. But it would be unfortunate, wouldn’t it, were one to be associated with a position on any issue merely by default, particularly on an issue that’s capable of defining the very future of mankind.

No matter how exaggerated it may seem to the liberal sensibilities of many of us, the truth is, as marriage goes, so goes the culture and the future of the human race. At its most basic is the rhetorical question the Guardian newspaper raised in its editorial on the subject: “Homosexuals are claiming that men can marry themselves. If everyone followed their example, would they have even been born?”
One is therefore fully persuaded that this is an issue about which everyone who has any kind of claim to leadership in Nigeria should take a stand, clearly and unambiguously. This is because certain individuals and institutions have powerful opinion moulding capabilities and are therefore able to influence society for good or for ill.

Interestingly, some of these role models who have, in my opinion, discharged themselves creditably for the public good, are being linked to pro-same-sex marriage approval, through some organisations they are connected with. A check on the antecedents of the NGOs said to be standing with Amnesty against HB 150 would probably lead you to join me in wondering if there hasn’t been a mistake somewhere.

The Nigerian Bar Association, for instance, was listed through its Human Rights Institute. Established “to promote and protect the rule of law, independence of the legal profession effectively and efficiently and to advance human rights enforcement in Nigeria,” NBA–HRI’s membership is “open to all legal practitioners and law firms in Nigeria interested in pursuing the objects of the institute…” Although this membership clause suggests that a legal practitioner can belong to the NBA without being a member of the institute, the question that arises is, does the institute speak for the NBA? I would be surprised if there are many right-thinking members of the public who would hold otherwise. Would it therefore not be right to conclude that Nigerian lawyers, a preponderance of whom would claim to subscribe to Christianity or Islam, support the Amnesty International statement that is clearly saying that homosexuality is a human right? I think not. Yet if the NBA or, at least, Association of Christian Lawyers has dissociated itself from this position, I am unaware of it!

Also on the list is an NGO known as The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) which was "established in October 1997 in response to the need for an independent space for critical reflection and development of universally relevant and culturally sensitive responses to the challenges posed by the democracy and development agenda in the West African sub-region, CDD has become a major reference point for informed analysis and practical strategies on West African socio-political dynamics.”
Apart from the fact that support for same-sex marriage, even indirectly, would seem to run counter to the goal of seeking universally relevant and culturally sensitive responses to the democratic and development challenges (emphasis added), it would be interesting to hear the position of such Nigerian associates of CDD as Matthew Hassan Kukah and Obiageli Ezekwesili, to mention just two.

Kukah, is a Catholic Reverend Father and former Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat in Nigeria who served on Nigeria’s Presidential Truth and Reconciliation Commission into Past Human Rights Violations. He is a respected public commentator, who currently runs a diocese of the Catholic Church in Kaduna. Northern Nigeria.
Ezekwesili is a Chartered Accountant who as President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Senior Special Assistant on Budget Matters made such great impact that her elevation to the cabinet and subsequent appointment as a vice-President at the World Bank was seen as richly deserved. She’s a committed Christian whose husband is a pastor.

Also prominent among the NGOs listed as signatories to the Amnesty International statement are HURILAWS; Socio-Economic Rights & Accountability Project SERAP; The International Centre for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights (INCRESE); Centre for Law Enforcement Education (CLEEN Foundation); and Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO).

HURILAWS was founded by none other than Olisa Agbakoba, a human rights activist, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association. It started in 1997 as “an independent, non-profit service, dedicated to providing public interest and human rights law services to advance the legal protection of human rights and has “working relations with the Episcopal Commission for Justice, Development & Peace Commission of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria…”.
Now, Agbakoba’s catholic credentials are incontrovertible and that might explain HURILAW’s working relationship with a commission of the Church. The position of the Catholic Church of Nigeria on homosexuality is too well-known to require a rehash here. So, how do you explain HURILAW’s place on Amnesty International’s list of signatories?

SERAP was established in 2004 to promote transparency and accountability in the public and private sectors through human rights. Its National Advisory Board members are: Mr. Femi Falana, President West African Bar Association, Mr.Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), Professor Oluwole Smith, Dean Faculty of Law Lagos State University, and Mrs.Ayo Atsenuwa, Professor of Law University of Lagos. How opposition to HB 150 promotes “transparency and accountability in the public and private sectors through human rights” is beyond me and makes me wonder whether these influential Nigerians are privy to their NGO’s signature on Amnesty’s statement.

INCRESE touts itself as “the leading Nigerian NGO working for a favourable environment and expanding access to sexual health and rights information and services and has as its vision, “to be the preferred leading sexual Health and right NGO.” With its so-called values as “Autonomy, Diversity, Integrity and Choice,” it is not inconceivable that “choice” might include abortion rights and perhaps a choice to marry within your gender. But does Dr Kayode Fayemi, who is likely to be the next Governor of Ekiti State, endorse this – being one of the Nigerians on INCRESE’s Board of Trustees?

Where do some of the well-known members of the Board of Trustees of CLEEN Foundation, also a signatory, stand of this issue? They include Mrs. Ayo Obe, human rights lawyer and former president of the Civil Liberties Organization; Josephine Effah Chukwuma, who pioneered the establishment of shelter for female victims of violence in Nigeria, and is currently the executive director of Project Alert on Violence Against Women and; Frank Odita, a retired Police Commissioner and former public relations chief of the Nigeria Police Force, who currently presents an television magazine programme Security Watch. There is also Innocent Chukwuma who is Secretary of the foundation. Another icon of human rights struggle in Nigeria who might consider speaking up is Festus Okoye whose NGO, Human Rights Monitor, is on the list.

In closing, I commend to all our leaders and opinion makers the words of Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality, who in a reaction to an April 3 Iowa Supreme Court decision imposing "same-sex marriage as a constitutional right,” said in part:

"Homosexual 'marriage' is wrong because homosexual behaviour itself is wrong and destructive -- as proved by its role in the early deaths of countless 'gay' men. We must shake loose of the secularists' and libertarians' amoral nonchalance regarding 'same-sex marriage' by asking questions like this: how exactly would two men consummate their 'gay marriage'? Answer: by engaging in what one Founding Father, Noah Webster, writing in saner times, rightly defined as a "crime against nature.… Our Creator is pure, perfect and holy, and homosexual behaviour is diametrically opposed to His will for people's lives and His purpose for sex within the healthy boundaries of marriage, for the procreation of children. This same God graciously provides a way out of this sinful lifestyle through His son Jesus Christ, a path many former homosexuals have taken -- including those now living in real (man- woman) marriages…”
Pixes:REV FR MATTHEW HASSAN KUKAH and MR OLISA AGBAKOBA, SAN...Time to speak up

AS THE GREAT GAY DEBATE HOTS UP (2)

The second group, in my opinion, is the Guardian’s third group populated by those, in the Guardian’s words, see homosexuality as “a biological condition, which is as perfectly normal as heterosexual orientation”. They are the people who created the phantom 'group one' of the Guardian’s analysis, otherwise known as the homophobes, that is, those who want homosexuals eliminated, violently, if necessary! The gay lobby has perfected this blackmail and used it successfully in a number of places. It must not be allowed to succeed here. Prescription of prison terms for anti-social behaviours are intended to deter and correct and do not necessarily result from hatred.

As every one interested in the subject would have noticed, the gay ‘rights’ debate has tended to elicit more heat than light. That has been the situation almost everywhere and Nigeria wasn’t going to be an exception. That is why interventions such as that of the Guardian newspaper through its March 23, 2009 editorial comment titled; “Homosexuality and the Lawmakers” must be seen as a welcome development.

It is welcome because, it did attempt to throw some light into the debate with its review of the basic arguments for and against the anti-same-sex marriage bill being considered by the National Assembly. The newspaper also identified three broad tendencies on the subject among Nigerians. In one group are “many Nigerian Christians and Moslems” who “the mere mention of homosexuality is guaranteed to drive up the wall in revulsion”. A second group consists of “others, somewhat tolerant who are inclined to look at the phenomenon as a form of benign affliction from which the victims can be rescued” who therefore believe that “homosexuals and lesbians should be managed until they return to the path of rectitude.” The third group is peopled by “others” for whom “homosexuality is not a stigma but a biological condition, which is as perfectly normal as heterosexual orientation”.

This analysis is only partly correct. In reality there are only two groups. From years of engaging with the subject, one has come to realise that the Christian community’s revulsion for homosexuality stems from the position identified by the Guardian and attributed to a certain second group. Namely, that homosexuality is an “affliction from which the victims can be rescued.” In other words, the first and second groups identified by the Guardian actually belong together hating the sin of homosexuality, but loving the sinner and willing to help nurture the sinner back to the path of “rectitude”.

The second group, in my opinion, is the Guardian’s third group populated by those, in the Guardian’s words, see homosexuality as “a biological condition, which is as perfectly normal as heterosexual orientation”. They are the people who created the phantom 'group one' of the Guardian’s analysis, otherwise known as the homophobes, that is, those who want homosexuals eliminated, violently, if necessary! The gay lobby has perfected this blackmail and used it successfully in a number of places. It must not be allowed to succeed here. Prescription of prison terms for anti-social behaviours are intended to deter and correct and do not necessarily result from hatred.

The editorial was however spot on when it wrote: “The problem with Nigerians is that we are all too eager to copy the latest fads from the western world. Not every product from the West is good and the well-heeled homosexual lobby is one such example. We must come to look at the issue of same sex relationships from the prism of our culture and religion. For the African, the idea that a man can be married to a man or a woman to a woman is anathema. The culture of marriage is predicated on the union between a man and a woman and all our traditional practices and normative values regarding marriage are based on the assumption that the other member is of the opposite sex.”

It was also correct to say that “African parents prepare their children from birth through adolescence for marriage to the opposite sex. Too many things will be upset were it possible to upturn age-old customs and practices…Africans have a right to say 'no' to a movement whose ultimate outcome will be the destruction of the family. Homosexuals are claiming that men can marry themselves. If everyone followed their example, would they have even been born? Looking at the debate, we conclude that in the short run both parties cannot be reconciled without grave injuries being done to either of them. ”

One cannot also fault the newspaper’s take on the human rights angle to the debate: “Those who argue that opposition to homosexuality amounts to a violation of universal human rights, may well need to realise that the dislike of homosexuality is not inconsistent with the observance of human rights. Nigerian homosexuals are not pilloried for being gay. They have a choice: they can marry members of the opposite sex or stay single…”

Implicit in this, though is an acceptance of the lie of the enemy that there are truly people who are by nature, gay; made homosexual by God, the creator. There is overwhelming evidence that this is not so; particularly with the increasing number of people who have successfully fought same-sex attraction. Newspapers ought to join in holding out homosexuality as the perversion that it is rather than facetiously grant them recognition and then admonish as the Guardian did that “they only draw unfavourable attention to themselves when they threaten the safety and security of the majority.”

But easily the most worrisome part of the editorial is its conclusion: “Since sodomy is already criminalised in Nigeria, we wonder whether the National Assembly is utilising its time optimally by focusing on homosexuality when the majority of our people are suffering from hunger, lack of access to water and disease. Moreover, as pointed out by the gay lobbyists, same sex marriage is not a common social practice in Nigeria therefore legislating against it is redundant and can only further stigmatise the sexual minority. Perhaps the National Assembly should be spending its time on real issues that impact on the lives of long-suffering Nigerians.”

First, this conclusion seems to dismiss the bill currently before the House of Representatives as merely intended to “criminalise” sodomy. It goes beyond that. For one, it even reduces the penalty from 14 years to five, making it less punitive than the provisions of the Criminal Code! For another, if passed, it will send a strong signal to the international gay lobby that the Nigerian society is not about to buy into their lie. Most importantly, it will forestall the likelihood of a powerful, rich lobby coming through the backdoor to have the current law taken of the statute book on the pretext of reviewing “colonial laws.”

The second and, for me, more critical issue raised by the conclusion is what I see as “the price of fish syndrome.” First the Guardian wonders: “whether the National Assembly is utilising its time optimally by focusing on homosexuality when the majority of our people are suffering from hunger, lack of access to water and disease.” And when it stopped wondering went on to advise: “Perhaps the National Assembly should be spending its time on real issues that impact on the lives of long-suffering Nigerians.”

It’s a subject, I have addressed in this column before and some of the things I wrote then might bear repetition here.

In “Obama, Goose Bumps and Nigeria (2)” (September 14, 2008), I pointed out that if we are to avoid the socio-cultural abyss to which the United States has sunk through extreme liberalism, we need to reign in our liberalist tendencies. That piece concluded in these words: “… When all those so-called more serious matters have been dealt with, the issues being currently touted as unimportant would have become intractable…”

In Homosexuality and the Price of Fish (October 12, 2008), I referred to that piece noting that “one of those issues being characterised as unimportant today…is homosexuality. As someone would have put it, what has homosexuality or nudity got to do with the price of fish, or garri? For effect, he would have added, “make we hear word, jare” which is street lingo for, let’s get serious.” That is exactly what the Guardian has said in more elegant prose.

In that October piece, I recalled a TIME online story which demonstrated how “within the space of 43 years, homosexuality and same-sex marriages have transformed from being a sin, a crime and a mental illness, to becoming an orientation to which human rights apply, a social preference and is increasingly being de-listed as a sin in many parts of the United States of America.”

I conclude today, as I did then - on a note of warning: “homosexuality might fare better sooner in Nigeria, if Nigerians, particularly the Church do not move against it now! The best of economic strategies will flounder in a decaying social milieu. The current state of the world’s economy is clear evidence that everything that can be shaken will be shaken, and that only that which is built on righteousness will stand.”
*PIX: Hon Dimeji Bankole, Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, Nigeria

AS THE GREAT GAY DEBATE HOTS UP

"If you read the newspapers, you already know that the Church was in the vanguard of support for the bill to become law. Describing it as portending disastrous consequences for mankind because it endangers the family as God conceived it, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) submitted that 'same sex marriage, apart from being ungodly, it is unscriptural, unnatural, unprofitable, unhealthy, un-cultural, un-African and un-Nigerian...'"

Now, the gay rights debate is raging, as we said it would. And I think it’s time for everyone to stand up and be counted on this subject. That is why I am going to be deliberately copious in mentioning the dramatis personae on both sides of the struggle. I find this necessary because, like I said in a different context, the new divide at this juncture of human history is between those who seek after righteousness and those who don’t; between those who refuse to worship the god of this world masquerading as angel of freedom, civil rights and political correctness and those who prostrate at his altar. Forgive me therefore, dear reader, if you find the prose a bit more tedious than usual.

First, a bit of retrospection. The gay right issue came to the fore in Nigeria in 2006 when a certain group which styled itself as Changing Attitude in Nigeria (CAN) went public with its presence within the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). As I have said here many times, it was a first shot in what I characterized as the battle for the soul of the church and eventually the nation. I did say that Nigeria had become a very important target of the international gay movement, because of the firm stand of the Church of Nigeria’s firm stand against gay ascendancy within the Anglican Communion worldwide. That stand has led into a full-blown crisis within that wing of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I had posited then that the thinking was that if the home turf of the general of the resistance in the person of Most Rev Peter Akinola, the resistance would be weakened.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, then President of the Federal Republic, probably caught their drift and sent an executive bill to the National Assembly to prohibit same-sex marriage in this country. The bill didn’t go too far, on the face of it, because the legislative arm was already winding down. But, as I pointed out at the time, the tardiness in this respect might have been “the result of subtle, underground resistance from the opposing camp, to which foreign funding is always available…” Anyway the bill died with the 2003-7 National Assembly.

That was the situation until ((HB. 150) House Bill 150 surfaced last year. Titled, A BILL FOR AN ACT TO PROHIBIT MARRIAGE BETWEEN PERSONS OF SAME GENDER, SOLEMNIZATION OF SAME AND FOR OTHER MATTERS RELATED THEREWITH, it was sponsored by 49 Honourable Members of the Federal House of Representatives. Among them, Chukwudi Mayor Eze, C. I. D. Mmaduabum, John Owan Enoh, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Mohammed Darangi Kwakwara, Abolagba J. A., Ernest Ibejiako, Juliet Akano, Chuma Nzeribe, Peace Nnaji, Samson Osagie, Mohammed Sani Abdu, Chile Igbawua, Kolawole Yusuf, Arole Fancy, Aribisala Adewale and Paul Eze.

Others on the list of sponsors are: Sylvester Ogbaga, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, Pat Asadu, Kalu Uduma, Umeoji Chukwuka, Bassey Eko Ewa, Nnanna Uzor Kalu, Mathew Omegara, Emeka Ihedioha, . Leo. O. Ogor, Stanley Ohajuruka, Ibrahim Ghalid Mustapha, Hembe Herman, Rufus Omeire, K. G. B. Oguakwa, Chuka Ama_Nwauwa, Solomon Ahwinahwi, Hassan A. Haruna, J. J. Idachaba, Darlington Okereke, H. S. Dickson, Anies Ikpong King, Emman H. Jime, Abass Braimah, Friday Itulah, Mohammed Maifats, Eziuche Ubani, L U. Chima, Chukwuka Onyema, Uche Ekwunife, Henry Shawulu, and Paulica P. Igwe.

As is always the case, the human rights establishment swung into action, and on January 26, 2009, Amnesty International issued a statement on behalf of itself, Human Rights Watch, the Nigerian Bar Association Human Rights Institute and other so-called Nigerian human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) expressing deep concern about the bill.

The 23 other bodies include from Nigeria): Centre for Democracy & Development, (CDD); Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD); Centre for Law Enforcement Education (CLEEN Foundation);;Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Nigeria; Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Nigeria; Girls' Power Initiative (GPI); House of Rainbow Metropolitan (HRMCC) and Human Rights Law Service (HURILAWS).

Other Nigerian groups on the list are: Human Rights Monitor (HRM); International Centre for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights (INCRESE); Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP); Legal Resources Consortium (LRC); Nigerian Humanist Movement; Partnership for Justice (PJ); Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA); Socio-Economic Rights & Accountability Project (SERAP); The Independent Project for Equal Rights; Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC); and Youths 2gether Network.

Changing Attitude Nigeria, United Kingdom; International Resource Network for Africa; and Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC), both United States based complete the list.

And what did this disparate “cloud of witnesses” have against the bill? Hear them: “…The Bill …is in contravention of the Nigerian Constitution and inconsistent with Nigeria's obligations under international and regional human rights treaties which the country has ratified…Provisions in the Bill violate sections 37, 38, 40 and 42 of Nigeria's Constitution and the analogous provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (i.e. articles 2, 3, 11, and 28) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (i.e. articles 2, 18, 19, 21, 22, and 26)…The Bill singles out one group of people to be deprived of rights that all people enjoy as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution and international human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party. In particular, the Bill violates the right to freedom from discrimination as recognized in section 42, 1, of the 1999 Constitution:…The Nigerian government has an obligation to promote and protect the human rights of its population without distinction of any kind, including sexual orientation or gender identity. As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Nigeria is required to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights of all people regardless of their sexual orientation. We therefore urge the National Assembly not to pass this Bill.”

This was the background against which the House Joint Committee on Human Rights, Women Affairs and Justice Committee held a public hearing on the bill on March 11. The melodrama that attained the hearing was well reported in the media, with a group that calls itself the Queer Alliance of Nigeria taking centre stage in disingenuous defence of the right to live outside societal norm and more importantly outside the will of God. They were joined by, such other groups as, Sexual Minorities Against Aids in Nigeria (SMAAN) and BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights.

If you read the newspapers, you already know that the Church was in the vanguard of support for the bill to become law. Describing it as portending disastrous consequences for mankind because it endangers the family as God conceived it, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) submitted that “same sex marriage, apart from being ungodly, it is unscriptural, unnatural, unprofitable, unhealthy, un-cultural, un-African and un-Nigerian. It is a perversion, a deviation and an aberration that is capable of engendering moral and social holocaust in this country. Outlawing it is to ensure the continued existence of this nation." Of course there were copious references to the Bible backing up this position.

Interestingly, The Guardian newspaper jumped into the fray during the week with an incisive and forthright editorial opinion which its natural allies in the human rights community must have been very uncomfortable with. Unfortunately it crash-landed on the side of what I have termed “the price of fish” syndrome that has held a sizeable percentage of the Nigerian elite captive. (TO BE CONCLUDED).


IS ANYBODY LISTENING?

In a recent piece titled, Do the Old Rules of Money Work? Bisi Ojediran wrote as follows: “In many countries everything possible has been done to stop the economic downturn, but no luck. The old rules of money don’t seem to work anymore. In the US, Keith Fitz-Gerald, an investment expert writes: ‘Everything these so-called experts predicted was going to happen hasn’t happened. And what’s happening can’t be explained by their ‘tried and true’ theories.’

“The Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Chukwuma Soludo may have seen some traces of that. He calls it a paradox. Hear him: ‘The paradox that we face currently is that excess liquidity co-exists with rising interest rates, which in real terms and in relation to the deposit rate, seem to be high. On the one hand, we need to tighten liquidity to address inflation and exchange rate concerns, while on the other hand, we would need to address high interest rate by relaxing monetary conditions. Another paradox is that the observed excess liquidity has not translated to commensurate credit creation; in fact, credit growth appears to have slowed down’ ”.

That reads to me like the word of God in Isaiah 29:14 which in the Message paraphrase reads: “I'm going to step in and shock them awake, astonish them, stand them on their ears. The wise ones who had it all figured out will be exposed as fools. The smart people who thought they knew everything will turn out to know nothing." Is anybody listening?

NO SIR! FAITH IS RELEVANT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

Pity, the likes of Professor Wole Soyinka do not think so. He was quoted as saying that religion has become irrelevant in the public domain. And I ask, since when? He and people like him need to read the book, “HE MADE THE DIFFERENCE, the Dynamic Story of Ambassador Christopher Kolade in Britain” written by Pamela Chinekwe and published in Nigeria by KP Books

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I said in closing last week that Senate President, David Mark was right and wrong in his answer to a reporter’s question on the crude oil price benchmark used in calculating the 2009 budget. He had been quoted as saying: “Really who can see the future? If we all can, we will be more than happy. But because we didn’t foresee these and they have come now, who knows what the dollar is going to be against the naira tomorrow, do you know? Nobody! We can’t really predict that. There is no accurate or specific way of doing it.”

Of course, he is right – on one level. He is right to declare that man, as he is generally understood, is finite. He may manifest extreme brilliance and rare intelligence; she may be most instinctive and intuitive. Man may even be clairvoyant, but they are, at their very best, limited.

The Bible did say that man is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:4) and that is as true as anything you’ll ever find in the Bible. Finis Jennings Dake, the Bible scholar and writer, obviously quoting scientists, in the Doctrine of Man, records for instance, that the body consists of “various chemicals—iron, sugar, salt, carbon, iodine, phosphorus, lime, calcium, and others”; that it “has 263 bones; 600 muscles; 970 miles of blood vessels; 400 cups on the tongue for taste; 20,000 hairs in the ears to tune in to all sounds; 40 pounds of jaw pressure; 10,000,000 nerves and branches; 3,500 sweat tubes to each square inch of skin (or 40 miles long); 20,000,000 mouths that suck food as it goes through the intestines; 600,000,000 air cells to the lungs that inhale 2,400 gallons of air daily; and a communication network that relates to the brain instantly any known sound, taste, sight, touch or smell;” and also that “the heart beats 4,200 times an hour and pumps 12 tons of blood daily.”

Benjamin Carson, the Black American neurosurgeon, is severally quoted as saying that the human brain has hundreds of billions of interconnections and is therefore much more sophisticated than anything that man has ever or possibly would ever create and call a computer. He should know; he is one of the most brilliant brain surgeons the world has ever known, and has been successfully involved in procedures that were considered impossible.

In spite of all of these, man, the one that we see, is limited in everything including the ability to see tomorrow. That is the level at which the respected soldier turned politician and lawmaker is correct. And that is why, those who fail to see the place of God in the affairs of man in general, as well as, in particular situations, circumstances and settings need to do a rethink. That is why the Bible says and I have repeated this here again and again, that the wisdom of man will fail.

But the Senate President is wrong fundamentally, because, man in his fullness can indeed “see” tomorrow! Yes, man properly defined, and operating at the level God would have him operate; need not be subjected to the beggarly elements of this world.

Now, what do I mean by “man in his fullness”, “man properly defined”, and “operating at the level God would have him operate”? As many Christians should know, man properly defined, is a spirit which has a soul and resides in a body! God made man in his image and after his likeness (Genesis 1:26), remember? And it is said that God is a Spirit (John 4:24). At creation therefore you were a spirit, like the One who created you in His image. After the fall, man required to be restored to his original state, the spirit-man state; and that’s what happens when you accept the gracious gift of salvation and become a Christian. Immediately upon rebirth, you are regenerated, your spirit comes alive and it becomes fit for God’s own spirit, the Holy Spirit to live with – inside of you. As Kenneth Copeland, the American preacher puts it “the spirit is that part of you which takes on the nature of God”

But you also have a soul, which is the seat of your will, your emotion, your intellect. This is where the action is. This is where you think your thoughts; make your plans and eventually take action.

Then, you have a body. Created to house you for the period of your earthly sojourn, (Kenneth Copeland calls it your “earth-suit”), it is simply the part of you that enables you, the spirit, to operate in the material world of nature.

Now, the soul receives stimuli from two sources, the spirit and the body. The spirit which is the seat of the Holy Spirit of God is able to influence your thoughts, your plans and therefore your actions. So is your body. Whereas, your spirit receives knowledge and wisdom from an infinite source and is therefore able to communicate them to your soul and thus lead you into all truths, show you things to come and guide you thereby; the body interfaces with the soul more easily because it is fed from the outside, from stimuli received through your five finite senses that are essentially earth-tools. The result is often that our soul becomes more “body”-conscious than spirit-conscious. We tap more into the material world with its tunnel or even keyhole vision than into the omniscience of the spiritual.

God did not plan for it to be so. He wants His children to be led of His Spirit. Chapter 8 of the Book of Romans says a lot about this all-important subject: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (14); “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God, And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…”(16-17).

Speaking of the things we have access to in the Holy Spirit which is ours by faith, Apostle John recorded the Lord Jesus as putting it this way: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…and he will shew you things to come…(John 16:13-14).

Yet the current aberration is avoidable. If we will feed our soul from the abundance of truth, revelation and wisdom that is available from the Spirit of God through His Word, the Bible; if we will meditate upon His word, we will become exactly who we ought to be – children of God endued with wisdom, insight and power. Instead, we feed our soul from the abundance of junk that the world has to offer. When we develop the intellect with the finite wisdom of the world, which at best enables us to discover or adapt rather than create, we get puffed up and begin to enthrone such “knowledge” to the level of deity. The result: political, economic and social crisis.

Now, I have said all of that simply to say these: Children of God are expected to make the difference wherever they are. God expects so and so does the rest of the world! Verse 19 of the same chapter of Romans cited above says: “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God”.

When a child of God is Spirit-led, he knows “things to come” because the Holy Spirit will show him. The same Spirit is able to teach him how to communicate what he knows at the right time and place and to the right people. And that applies everywhere. Do you work in an establishment, if you are sufficiently committed to your work; God is willing to bless the outfit for your sake and can give you insight that’s otherwise not yet available to anyone else. If you are a legislator; God expects you to make a difference and He will enable you to, by showing you things to, and granting you the wisdom that you need to carry your colleagues along.

There are three critical elements here. First is the need to understand that you are first and foremost a spirit with access to the all-knowing, all-able and everywhere present Spirit of God. The second is that you keep it so by keeping your soul fed much more from that source than from any other. Finally, understanding that what God has given you is applicable as much to your personal affairs as it is even to public affairs at every level you chose to diligently apply it. Pity, the likes of Professor Wole Soyinka do not think so. He was quoted as saying that religion has become irrelevant in the public domain. And I ask, since when? He and people like him need to read the book, “HE MADE THE DIFFERENCE, the Dynamic Story of Ambassador Christopher Kolade in Britain” written by Pamela Chinekwe and published in Nigeria by KP Books.

YOU, YOUR NATION AND DIVINE ECONOMICS

It was a critical moment and the president was, for once, almost presidential, as in, radiating the air of someone in charge. You see, this is a major requirement of the times because fear expressed is fear enthroned. And fear is what fuels economic crisis. The world calls it being proactive. You hear a rumour, otherwise known as “market intelligence”, you spread it and many of those you tell work with it and it becomes self-fulfilling. Bank runs are known to have been the result of such scenarios...Fear is the most potent weapon of the enemy and that is what Mr President has wisely disallowed free rein in the matter of the economy. And that is what you and I must do. Now I do not know the root of his owns convictions, but I do know that, as Christians, our own lack of fear must be based on the word of God.

Now, you’ve heard it from the horse’s mouth. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua used the occasion of signing into law the 2009 Appropriation Bill, otherwise known as the Budget, to give a kind of state of the economy address.

He was forthright: “In December 2008, I presented a Budget Proposal with an aggregate expenditure of N2.87 trillion with a deficit of N1.09 trillion or 3.95 per cent of GDP. Based on the revised fiscal framework subsequently agreed with the National Assembly, we had a deficit of N654 billion or 2.36 per cent of GDP. After due consideration of the Budget Proposal, the National Assembly passed a N3.1018 trillion budget with a deficit of N836.6 billion or 3.02 per cent of GDP. As passed, the 2009 Budget projects higher oil revenues than in the original proposal. However, I must express some reservation regarding these higher forecasts given the current realities of declining international oil prices and production constraints. Due to militant activities in the Niger Delta, our production has sometimes declined to as low as 1.6mbpd from a projection of 2.209mbpd.”

He was as truthful: “Should this low production turn out to be our average for the year, and the average price falls to $40/barrel from the original budget projection of $45/barrel, our fiscal deficit would increase to N1.35 trillion or 5.24 per cent of GDP, which is well above the three per cent allowable limit under the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Financing such a large fiscal deficit will have its own challenges…Our revenue base is dwindling with the drastic fall in the price of crude oil. As at today, the Naira has lost about 25 per cent of its value against the Dollar. Our stock market, once a choice investment destination, has not escaped the adverse effects of the economic downturn. These developments have grave implications for macro-economic stability, economic growth and sustainable development in our country."

But thanks to God, he didn’t exactly press the panic button: “For us, therefore, the present global economic crisis offers an opportunity to re-examine the structure of our economy and implement strategies that will reposition our nation for the global economic order that will emerge from the current experience. With our collective aspiration to make Nigeria one of the world's 20 leading economies by 2020, we see this global crisis as an obstacle we must overcome, and not a reason to abandon what we consider a worthwhile journey…As a government, we are committed to doing everything possible to minimise the impact of the current global crisis on the people of this country. Whatever the sacrifices that have to be made, we will not allow the weakest among us to shoulder the burden,”

Instead, he left no one in doubt that he intends to stay focused: “The 2009 budget is devoted to sectors which we consider critical to the regeneration of the economy. There is a decided bias for power supply, transportation and other critical infrastructure. There is also increased funding for education, health, agriculture and other areas critical to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. The peace, security and sustained development of the Niger Delta are also a core priority in the 2009 budget… The aim is to ensure effective and targeted implementation of critical projects, while at the same time instituting efficiency and accountability in the management of scarce public resources.”

It was a critical moment and the president was, for once, almost presidential, as in, radiating the air of someone in charge. You see, this is a major requirement of the times because fear expressed is fear enthroned. And fear is what fuels economic crisis. The world calls it being proactive. You hear a rumour, otherwise known as “market intelligence”, you spread it and many of those you tell work with it and it becomes self-fulfilling. Bank runs are known to have been the result of such scenarios. The news media unwittingly dig their own graves when they allow themselves to be used to work up such frenzies, because the first expenditure head that’s scalped is publicity and promotion. So advertising revenue slumps, panic sets in and the unemployment market begins to beckon to bright young men and women. Of course, their suppliers are soon affected; then the manufacturers from which supplies are sourced, followed by the producers of raw materials right down the line.

Fear is the most potent weapon of the enemy and that is what Mr President has wisely disallowed free rein in the matter of the economy. And that is what you and I must do. Now I do not know the root of his owns convictions, but I do know that, as Christians, our own lack of fear must be based on the word of God.

A scriptural passage, as popular as Psalm 23, is enough to guide the true Bible- believing child of God through all the seasons of life. Just think about it: “Jehovah is my Shepherd; I shall not want, He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake (verses 1-3). Is God really your shepherd? If He is, you cannot lack anything good. He is your source, sustainer and sustenance. He’ll provide (verse 1) for you body and soul (verse 2) and spirit (verse 3). That is total provision, after all, isn’t that all that you are - a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body!

That is why we, like the psalmist, must never be part of any panic parade. That is why we must be bold enough to declare: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (verse 4). In other words, no matter where I am, no matter what the circumstances portend, I have no expectation of evil; I have no expectation that things will turn negative for me! So, no Murphy’s Law for me (remember him?), the one who says if anything can go wrong, it will?). Everything has to work together for my good (see Romans 8:28).

This famous psalm continues: “You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over” (verse 5). Now that excites me no end, particularly since my dear Rev Bayo Oniwinde (the bishop!) redirected attention to it at a recent service. Do you get the import of this verse? It says in the midst of the so-called recession, in the presence of the enemy’s tool known as economic melt-down, your barn is full, your silos are overflowing, your bank accounts are bursting at the seams. You are anointed to prosper and to abound to every good work, all good works! That is the word of God and His word is His will and His will shall be done here on earth as it is done in heaven.

Then it climaxes: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah forever”. Now, you say that everyday, don’t you? But no, don’t rush through it this time. Think about it. Goodness, like love and grace, is a core attribute of God; it is one of the reasons He does what He does! So is His mercy. These are not put-ons available occasionally. They are what He is and they are the reasons He’s going to bless you in spite of what the economic indices are saying.

Now, I know most of us are intellectuals, we have developed our intellect to the fullest and, if we are not already attending seminars about how to survive the recession, we probably are preparing to attend one. But I assure you NONE of those will benefit you. We said it last week; the wisdom of man has failed and will continue to fail, even if for the simple reason that we do not control events by the power of our intellects! And what applies to us individually applies to the nation.

Senate President David Mark told journalists in answer to a question about the crude oil price benchmark used in calculating the budget: “Really who can see the future? If we all can, we will be more than happy. But because we didn’t foresee these and they have come now, who knows what the dollar is going to be against the naira tomorrow, do you know? Nobody! We can’t really predict that. There is no accurate or specific way of doing it.”

He is right and wrong! How so? Please join me next week..