ON THE PROTEST AGAINST ASIWAJU BOLA TINUBU by Saraki sponsored touts

I just read on page 7 of the punch of 5th October 2016 now where the embattled chairman of the APC claimed there is no feud between him and Asiwaju the Leader of the APC and claimed that he knew nothing about the anti Tinubu protest that was held by a youth group and even promised to get to the root of the matter.In his words he said ''God forbid(that i sponsor the protest)! Anybody who knows me knows its not my style. I am equally shocked and i am going to look into it and find out why and who is behind it''
The leader of the protest according to the punch is Lookman Salaudeen and from his assertions he said initially they taught it was the handiwork of the PDP but recently they have realized that the problem of the APC is from within. He further said that Tinubu cannot become an emperor and Lagos cannot be bigger than Nigeria and that if he cannot toe the the party line, he will be shown the way out.

i began laughing when i read this few lines, then i began to ask myself where this guys were when Asiwaju was building the party.They were busy singing praises of Goodluck ebele Jonathan and moving from offices of corrupt politicians like Saraki for relevance.

i quite agree with Lookman Salaudeen that the problem of APC is from within and let me throw more light to where the problem is actually from if he is confused. It is from his unrepentant Saraki and his folks that sponsored him to protest because of the token that is given to him.

As a youth leader, what has been the contribution of your own political mentors that are sponsoring you to protest against Asiwaju who has succeeded over the years as a consistence opposition leader and has even transformed Lagos to what it is today.

Let me remind you today if you dont know that Lagos state is even needed more in Nigeria than the whole of Niger Delta. It is a state where you have all tribes in Nigeria as a stakeholder unlike your state where your governor cannot start a project worth 100 million naira for 6 years on his own.

i also believe that the road that lead to your village is not motorable which has crippled the economic advancement of your people and have resulted into the Migration of 95 percent of your families to Lagos State Nigeria for greener pastures.The have become business men who have taken Lagos to be their home and hardly would they come home except during festive period.

Finally, i will advice that you retrace your steps and see reality before it gets late. The crude way of politics by your Saraki is over.The era of free money is gradually fading off. Go and be innovative enough. Tinubu and Oyegun have been together for ages even when your godfather Saraki was still in school. Infact Baba Saraki did not struggle with the likes of Tinubu during the military rule,they are the kind of politicians who are always supporting any reigning government, be it civilian or military.

The likes of Tinubu were sent to prison during the military era and some of them where even killed in the struggle. For you to now say Tinubu will be shown the way out of the Party is a statement that can only come out from an ignorant and corrupt youth that is been used by looters and regressive PDP members that joined the APC.

i am not writing this to impress or for any political gains, I am an employed graduate.In fact if been asked what is my profession i would proudly say i am an accountant but let me ask most of you what your profession is............'POLITICIAN' that is the response i am expected to hear....please is being a politician a profession. Political touts.

TINUBU MEDIA OFFICE OYEGUN’S ONDO FRAUD: THE VIOLATION OF DEMOCRACY IN THE APC

The APC, a party born of the quest for democratic good governance, is under critical threat by those who managed to be in the party but never of it. From the party’s inception, the principles of democratic fairness and justice were to guide APC internal deliberations. Party founders realized that only by intramural fair dealing could the party remain faithful to the progressive ideals that we presented to the Nigerian electorate as our governing creed. If the party could not justly govern itself, it would find it difficult to establish and maintain just government throughout the nation. 
In essence, the party was the embodiment of a democratic promise made between its members as well as a democratic vow made to the public. Evidently, some errant members believe promises and vows are mere words to be easily spoken and more easily broken.  Chairman John Oyegun has breached these good pledges in a most overt and brazen display. In doing so, Oyegun has dealt a heavy blow to the very party he professes to lead. It is an awful parent who suffocates his own child for the sake of a few naira. The party was supposed to buttress APC members elected to government at all levels. Because of Oyegun’s conduct of our affairs, the party is rapidly becoming an albatross to those it was meant to help.

Oyegun’s comportment regarding the Ondo State primacy will become the textbook definition of political treachery and malfeasance of the basest order. In early September, the state primary was held. A purported winner was named. Having faith in the ways of the party, Tinubu publicly accepted what he assumed to be a verdict honestly derived.  As a democrat, one must face the possibility of defeat and accept such as outcome with as much grace as one would embrace victory. One of the few bright spots during the conduct of the primaries was Jigawa Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar
He chaired the primary convention with decorum and impartiality.  He was unaware that a tampered list had been slipped into the process.
Indeed within hours of the announcement, news began to filter in that gravely disturbed me. Credible allegations of fraud troubled the waters. The delegate list had been materially altered by someone in a strategic position to so do. The names of over 150 valid delegates were excised to make room for an equal number of impostors. This was not a clerical error. The alteration was willfully executed that the primary would be directed toward a chosen end that bore nothing in common with the will of most state party members. A cunning few had tried to deceive the many into believing they were outnumbered.
A conspiracy to steal the Ondo primary had been uncovered. Fortunately, the grand deception afoot had been unable to cover its tracks fast enough. Truth began to cry for justice.
Several candidates filed petitions contesting the result. The party established an investigative board to review the evidence. In a two to one decision, the panel found the delegate roster had suffered tampering. The panel recommended that a new primary should be held using the valid delegate list. This recommendation was tabled before the National Working Committee (NWC).
After many hours of deliberations spanning several days, a final vote was held by the NWC. Before hand, NWC members agreed that the decision of the majority would become the stance of the party. Such is the way of democracy. The NWC voted six against five to cancel the fraudulent results and hold an honest primary. For a moment, it seemed the party would restore its integrity by giving democracy a chance. However, those who sought to scam an entire state would not let the vote of 11 people spoil their enterprise.
After the NWC vote, a noticeably agitated Chairman Oyegun proposed the NWC engage in prayer before concluding the meeting. Adhering to this chairman’s request, NWC members began to pray. Seeing that the others had taken his bait, Oyegun used the prayerful interlude to secretly excuse himself from the meeting. Contravening the NWC decision and in violation of all rules of fundamental decency, Oyegun decided to safeguard the fraud done in Ondo by perpetrating a greater fraud. Oyegun arrogated to himself the right to submit the name of Rotimi Akeredolu to INEC as the candidate of the party.
Truth has finally come to light. There exists a regressive element in the party that cares nothing for the progressive ideas upon which this party was founded. They joined the APC because it was the best ride available at the time. Now they want to guide the party into the ditch. They want to turn the party into a soulless entity incapable of doing good, just like they are.  When such a person tastes power, they shed all good restraint. They come to abuse the trust given them as if they are the owners of that trust and not its mere custodians. These people did little to build the party but now will do much to wreck it.
Such a man is Oyegun and those who conspired with him to sabotage justice and democracy in Ondo. Our party was to stand for change. Oyegun and his fellows seem to be on a different wave length. They are the cohort of Unchange. The APC wants to guide Nigeria into a better tomorrow. Oyegun and the cohort of unchange want to pull Nigeria back into the past where rigging and vote stealing were the old and new testaments of politics. They want the people to think that there is no alternative to their reactionary system of skewed politics and imperious government. Thus, they seek to turn the APC into a factory of the very political malpractices the people soundly rejected in the past election. To choke the APC in this manner is to kill the chance for progressive reform for the foreseeable future. Much more than the Ondo primary is at stake. Oyegun has revealed his team’s game plan: It is the destruction of progressive politics and governance on behalf of the people. 
As party chairman, Oyegun was supposed to protect our internal processes and be an impartial arbiter, a person in whom all had confidence. Instead, he donned the garment of a confident man, duping the NWC, the party, and INEC in one fell blow. He has robbed APC members in Ondo State of the chance to pick in a fair manner who they believe is the best candidate.
As such, he has broken faith with the party and probably has broken a few laws. The consequences of what he has done are more expansive than a man of his scope can fathom. There must is a powerful and sinister arm at work to compel a man of Oyegun’s age to steal the decision of the party in a manner so crude that it would embarrass even the commonest thief.
With strong expectation, we await a response to Oyegun’s wrongdoing from those who clamored so long and loudly about Tinubu’s alleged role in the Ondo primary.

Leading into the primary, a prominent lawyer from Ondo published lengthy missives alleging that Tinubu was a malicious hand intent on rigging the primary. His letters spoke of his great love for democracy and justice. Though Oyegun has assaulted democracy in a most public and vulgar way, this lawyer’s prolific pen will remain stilled. He dare not publish a word about this travesty. His silence will be sign for all who care to decipher its meaning.
The plan was to point the accusing finger at Tinubu. With everyone focused on Tinubu, they would have distracted all attention from the heist they had set in motion. As fate would have it, the trickery they hoped to conduct in the shadows has come to light.
Thus, Oyegun was forced to undertake his desperate fraud in broad daylight in order to salvage the wrong initiated under the lamp of darkness. Those who so actively attributed imaginary wrong to Tinubu now stand dumb and mute in the face of confirmed impropriety. They remain silent for reasons they cannot divulge. Oyegun and his ilk turn out to be gangsters adorned in the tunic of party authority.  
Oyegun has engaged in the strange math where five is greater than six. This smacks of how the PDP conducted its affairs and orchestrated its own downfall. Tinubu disparaged such malpractice when it was not in his party. Tinubu surely disowns it now that it has invaded the party he helped bring to fruition.
Tinubu has consciously refused to hold any official position with the party to avoid the perception that he was trying to control all and sundry. Tinubu has even kept his peace for some time despite many things that happened within the party that were not quite right. He exercised this forbearance because the party is young.  A collective endeavor cannot avoid the mistakes and errors of organizational newness and evolution.
Yet, the wrongs Oyegun committed had nothing to do with newness or the mistakes occasioned by the path of reform. His actions are in the nature of the old wrongs that have afflicted our national politics much too long. If Oyegun wants to walk backward into the past, he has every right to it. However, he has no right to drag the party or any of us with him. Against our choosing.
The informal title of national leader of the party was given to Tinubu  at the onset which he accepted it as a sign from those who wished to recognize my contributions to the party’s formation. It is an honorific title which he has been proud to wear until today. I would rather not have any title yet reside in a party that honors democracy than hold a title in a party that says it honors me but that treats justice with indecency. I find greater honor and comfort where democracy and fairness are found and respected.
Oyegun has done the irredeemable. His coup is an insult to party and to patriot, to reason and to the reform agenda of this government.  To remain silent would be to admit the defeat of the reform and progressive change many have labored to bring forth. While the forces resistant to change and reform are strong, Tinubu dare not submit to them.  Tinubu encourages all party members not to submit to them. If we acquiesce in this wrong, the one greater than this shall cascade upon us.
Oyegun’s transgressions are a warning. He is but the mercenary of forces that seek to return the nation to the old ways. If they get away with this infraction, no telling what or whom they will undermine tomorrow. Much is at stake. On the chopping block, lies the future of the political party in which the majority of voters had placed their confidence. To rescue the party, Oyegun must go. He has shown that he and democratic fair play cannot exist in the same party at the same time. If Tinubu is to choose between John Oyegun and progress toward a better Nigeria, the choice has already been made. For those who care about the party, who care about Nigeria and its chance for a better tomorrow, now is the time to stand against this brewing evil before it grows to encompass all we have built and all we hold dear.

Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin writes House of Rep Speaker, an explosive letter

Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin writes House of Rep Speaker, an explosive letter

September 22, 2016

Hon Yakubu Dogara
The Speaker,
House of Representatives,
National Assembly,
Abuja.

Dear Mr. Speaker,

SEARCH YOUR CONSCIENCE BEFORE YOU DESTROY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

I write you this letter to express the deep agony and pains that overwhelmed me when I watched a person with soiled reputation preside over the House sitting on Wednesday.

It was another bout of mental torment when I watched you taking advantage of the office of the Speaker and publicity inherent to vomit all sort of lies in a desperate bid to attract public sympathy, paint me in bad light and use the institution of the House to cover the fraud you perpetrated in the 2016 budget and other monumental corrupt practices.

It is therefore no surprise that rather than address the allegations of budget fraud and corruption I specifically leveled against you, 3 Principal officers and a few other members (not the entire House), and open it up for discussion if you have nothing to hide, you embarked on a wild goose chase.

Every right-thinking person knows that you were acting a shameful script by referring the matter to the Ethics Committee so that you can conveniently be a judge in your own case. You didn't even refer the allegations against you to the Ethics Committee but rather chose to refer a so-called "breach of privilege of members" in a clear attempt to force members to carry your cross through a well-orchestrated blackmail.

To hide a lie, a saying goes, a thousand more lies are needed. Contrary to what you said in your speech, where you recklessly quoted TS Elliot, your so called maturity and silence during the last two months were simply because you are guilty as charged. And you know too well you are!

In any case, you are aware the privilege of a member does not accord him or her immunity to being exposed if involved in corrupt practices. And if exposing budget fraud and corruption amounts to misconduct, then prepare for even the worst misconduct in the next few days.

You have successfully dragged 360 members into an offense committed by you and a few others. In the next few days, members will have to decide whether they are with you or with millions of conscientious Nigerians. No action that symbolizes corruption than standing with an embodiment of corruption.

Mr Speaker, I was taken aback when I heard on good authority that you were boasting that Nigerians will soon forget, and I will be left alone. Smiling sheepishly, my mind made an instant flashback, reflecting the struggle and sacrifice we made to make you what you are today. I then wondered how you forget the stuff I am made of and the courage of my conviction so easily. I conclude you underestimated how resolute I could be to champion a cause I believe in or stay on the side of the truth. My conscience is the guiding torch of behavior, you need to be reminded.

Mr Speaker, it was a shameless act to behold seeing you hitting the gavel and asking that investigation of such weighty allegations be conducted and report submitted back to you within one week. Just imagine that after the petitions I submitted against you, Mr President directed the anti graft agencies to conduct investigation and submit report within one week. You would have been shouting foul play all over. Even with the civilized approach of the anti-graft agencies you still went on air to say they cannot investigate or prosecute you. You have refused to appear before the anti-graft agencies despite pressure from the general public for you to go and clear your name.

Mr. Speaker, it is dismaying to note that the House is already sitting on a keg of gunpowder. Let's see if history will repeat itself or history will be made. In any case, if we look at the history of the House, where are the accused and where are the accusers today? Who laughed last? Once you stick to the truth, God will be with you! You might force your illegal suspension on me, but I care less because I have optimism that most of you will go to jail.

In your speech, you called on the Government to take responsibility for the recession. It is leaders like you who steal public money front, back and center and abuse their offices that destroyed our economy and brought us down to ground zero that should take responsibility.

Your call on Mr President to address a joint sitting is a desperate bid to use the unblemished reputation of Mr President to shore up your battered reputation and credibility. I cannot make decision for the President, but If I were the President, I will simply relate with you with a long spoon because of the irritating and stinking reputation you have earned.

You know very well that while you presided over the House on Wednesday, most Nigerians and those of us that didn't put on the #iStandWithCorruption mufflers didn't see a Speaker in you. We saw a fraudster, a rogue and a criminal who has become a disgrace to the institution of the House. Why are you afraid to open up the matter for discussion? Why do you find it too much a sacrifice for the country to step down and allow for a free and fair investigation to save the image of the House? It is clear you will do anything to hold on to power even on the alter of blackmailing your colleagues. It will be tragic if the House condones a situation where some few corrupt members will commit offense, and then use the institution of the House as a shield to evade justice. This is the script you are trying to implement. I assure you we will do everything within the precinct of our powers so that the corrupt members like you will be fished out and dealt with to preserve the sanctity of the institution.

On a final note, I have the following posers for you: Did you consult your colleagues when you and the 3 other principal officers stole our 40 billion? Or when you diverted federal governments projects to your farm? Who did you consult when you inserted fraudulent projects worth about 20billion naira into the budget? Didn't you and members of your cabal go solo when you inserted about 2000 projects worth 284 billion naira into the budget, or when you manipulated the house rules and inserted draconian clauses, a House rule you continue to use despite the fact that it is a subject of litigation? What about the way you abused trust in the 2015 SDG? Or how you tried to force me to fraudulently insert projects worth about 30 billion naira in the budget? Can you explain how you absconded with 20% of inputs meant for the House after the harmonization? How about cutting a chunk off members' emoluments for rent of houses and guest houses? Why did you refuse to circulate copies of the internal budget of the House? How about mismanaging finances of the House through questionable procurements? How about trying to use running cost of members for a fraudulent mortgage and many more?

Mr Speaker these are the allegations against you. All members of the House are aware that I have raised these allegations, and whether they act on it or not Nigerians are watching. But what remains clear is that you have become a lameduck Speaker who is vulnerable and cannot walk with his head high. Do you expect all these allegations to be swept under the carpet? You have neither attempted nor addressed these allegations but you move around freely and try to keep a bold face. Do you really love this country? Do you really love the House or care about its image? Search your conscience, make a soul-searching and do the right thing by stepping down with the 3 others to allow for a free, fair and unbiased investigation in collaboration with the ongoing external investigation.

The House is an institution that always stand for justice, equity and fairness. How damaging will it be when the House can not deal with issues of internal corruption in a transparent manner? With a situation like this and moreso with a rotten head, who do you expect to take the House serious? How do you oversight or investigate others? You have made the House a laughing stock. You think Nigerians are fools? Try for once to look beyond the muffler-adorning members and listen to the voices of 200 million Nigerians. If you succeed in blackmailing your colleagues, you cannot blackmail Nigerians. Let's not take the patience of Nigerians for granted.

When Francis Fukuyama wrote the book The End of History and the Last Man in 1992, he was not saying the world has come to an end but simply indicating the emergence of the last and final world order. What happened yesterday on the floor of the House was just the end of another beginning. The emergence of a struggle to establish a new order in the House of Representatives that will expose and deal with all forms of corruption both systemic and individual.

Mr Speaker, this struggle is like the rising sun, it is unstoppable. There is nothing you can do on earth to stop it. No amount of lobbying, legislative antics or blackmail of members of the House, Senate, Executive arm or individuals outside the House can help you and your cabal of few corrupt members. The day of reckoning is so close.

We all know you blackmailed members to get support and wear mufflers in a show of shame to celebrate you due to the abundance of systemic corruption (which people like you instituted) in the House that makes many members vulnerable and dependent. To you it was a "smart" move. You just want the entire House  to go down with you because you know I will pull the trigger. It is gladdening that some courageous members defied your blackmail and rose to the occasion. History will be kind to them.

History will remember you as the Speaker who brought down and endanger the reputation of the House through budget fraud and monumental corruption. The House must embrace reforms. It is a reform you have lost the moral ground to superintend. How on earth a person like you who committed the biggest budget fraud in the history of the House will supervise budget reforms? It is time you woke up from your dream and embrace reality. The time has come, Whether you like it or not, justice will be served on you, Lasun, Doguwa and Ogor.

God bless Nigeria.

Yours in service to the nation,

Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin PhD MBA

APC-Kano
Kiru-Bebeji Federal Constituency
Kano

Federal Civil Service online job application

Federal Civil Service Commission Announces Vacancies in The Federal Civil Service.
Online Applications will run for six weeks from 19th September- 31st October 2016. 
Interested Applicants can complete and submit Applications Online at: http://vacancy.fedcivilservice.gov.ng

Aisha Buhari in New York to Attend the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly – Official

The First Lady, Aishat Buhari arrived on Monday to a meeting in the 71st United Nations General Assembly. A statement by her aide, Zainab Kassim, read:

''Aishat Buhari who is an ambassador of the stop TB campaign has decried the position of Nigeria as having the highest rates of TB and the lowest detection rates."

The meeting is part of the series of meetings Mrs Buhari will be attending as part of her week long visit to the 71st United Nations General Assembly.

Buhari is already in New York for the 71st session of the Assembly

Facts & Figures: Salaries Worth N2.295bn Paid To Buhari, Osinbajo, Others

A critical examination of the report indicates that Mr. President has an annual basic salary of N3.51m, Vice- President N3.03m, while Ministers, Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Head of Service andChairmen of Boards of statutory agencies have N2.02m respectively.
Substantial cuts in the salaries of both President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Professor Yemi Osinbajo earlier announced when the duo came to office last year may be nothing to write home about as both of them including Cabinet
Ministers and other political appointees pocketed the sum of N2.295 billion as official salaries and allowances in the last one year, Economic Confidential
can report The development is coming at a time the Federal Government kick -started a national orientation campaign premised on the “Change Begins with me.”
In the report obtained by the Economic intelligence magazine which shows the official remunerations of the President, Vice-President, cabinet ministers Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of Service of the Federation amongst other Chief executives, are in tandem with the approval of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

The packages include: annual salaries, accommodation, vehicle maintenance/fuel, Personal Assistant, House maintenance, domestic staff entertainment and utilities allowances. Other allowances are: Constituency
allowance, Hardship allowance newspapers and monitoring allowances.

A critical examination of the report indicates that Mr.President has an annual basic salary of N3.51m, Vice-President N3.03m, while Ministers, Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Head of Service and Chairmen of Boards of statutory agencies have N2.02m
respectively.
As for members of constitutional bodies, Special advisers, Speech writers,Directors General, Accountant General of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, CEOs
of agencies and INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners each have an annual basic salary of N1.9m.

The report shows that only the President and the Vice-President in the Executive arm of government enjoy the hardship allowances of 50 percent each of their annual basic salaries; 250 percent as Constituency Allowances and enjoy other perks to be provided (TBP) by government. These benefits to be provided to the two leaders include, but not limited to the following  Accommodation, Furniture, Domestic Staff, Personal Assistants, Utilities Newspapers, Vehicles, Entertainment, Maintenance and Estacode.

Meanwhile other appointees including Ministers, Advisers, Permanent Secretaries and INEX Resident Commissioners are entitled to 200 percent of their annual basic salary for Accommodation; 300 percent for Furniture; 75 percent for Vehicle maintenance and fuel;25 percent for Personal Assistant; 75 percent for domestic staff; 45 percent for entertainment; 30 percent for utilities; 15 percent for newspapers, and 20 percent
for monitoring.
While President and Vice President duty tours and estacode will be provided by government, other officers have fixed rates. The estacode allowance per day for
minister, SGF, Head of Service and Chairmen of Board is $1000 per night on foreign trip, Member of constitutional bodies $900 per night, Special Adviser
and Speech Writer $800 per night while Permanent Secretary, Director General and INEC Electoral Commissioner take $600 per night each on foreign trips.
Further checks by Economic Confidential reveals that an average Nigerian worker with a minimum wage of N18,000 a month will have to work for more than four years before earning the utility allowance for Ministers of the federal Republic. Unless the remuneration
package is reviewed downward for the political appointees and upward for the Civil servants the executives will continue to enjoy the current salaries
and allowances.

The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) determines and fixes the remuneration packages of public and political office holders, while the National Salaries, Wages and Income
Commission fixes the salaries and allowances of civil servants in Nigeria.

The link to the table of the Remuneration of Federal Executive Officers in Nigeria: https://
economicconfidential.com/wp-content/
uploads/2016/09/Economic-Confidential-Remuneration-
of-Federal-Executive-Officers-in-Nigeria.pdf

Note: Economic Confidential is a sister publication of
PRNigeria
Report by PRNigeria.

Nigerian Youths were did we get it wrong?

COMING GENERATION SCARES ME...REAL HARD!

While we have been busy talking about Nigeria of today, I wonder if we have spared a thought about how this country will be in the next TWENTY-FIVE years. On October 1, 1979, when Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari was sworn-in as president, Goodluck Jonathan was just a 22 year-old undergrad of University of Port-Harcourt. Shagari was 54 years old. Ayo Fayose was 19 years old. Bukola Saraki was 17. Yemi Osibajo was 22. The generation of the likes of Shagari, Richard Akinjide, Adisa Akinloye, Sabo Barkin Zuwo, Ifeanyi Nwobodo, Ume Ezeoke, Akin Omoboriowo, Olusola Saraki, Sunday Awoniyi, Garba Nadama, Awal Ibrahim and so on has gone for good! Some of us in our 40s, 50s and 60s when in school, either in the university or secondary school, had lofty dreams, both personal and societal. We were always motivated by nationalists and inventors who had impacted positively on the cause of humanity.  We were voracious readers of novels and other books. Nelkon for our Ordinary Level Physics, Lambert for Chemistry, B.O ADELEKE and Goh Cheng Leong for our Geography, Phebean Ogundipe for Practical English, Achebe and Soyinka for Literature and others like that. We were always flaunting our knowledge of current affairs. Inter-school quiz, Literary and Debating competition were the in-thing. Nowadays, students can hardly string a sentence together in English without errors.
Fast forward 35 years on and you are shocked and disturbed. Have you ever spoken to or engaged a 20 year-old boy? Ask him what motivates him and he is likely to mention music, hip hop to be precise. He has hundreds of downloaded songs on his phone. He can sing all of them off hand. He knows all the singles of Nice, Neato C, Timaya, Davido, Whiz Kid off had. The babes among them take pride in enticing men old enough to be their father on social media with buxomly physique. But s/he does not know anything about history of nationalism in the country. Ideas about good society, responsible family and good conduct do not motivate him. He just wants to make money because his friend who does yahoo is rich and rides a good car, her friend who has numerous ‘aristos’ drives a SUV! The things that interest him/her are things that do not add value. S/he has google but never uses it for advancement of knowledge but to download porn and other inanities. Yet, in TWENTY years time, they are the ones that will be contesting to become governors, senators, Reps members and even president. They belong to a generation that does not care about morality. They belong to a generation that is motivated only by money and its acquisition. By 2035 to 2040, they will be our senators, Reps, governors and so on. I wonder if we have ever spared a thought for how this country will look like under them. I told a man recently and these are my words: IF A GUY WHO IS IN LAGOS COULD USE FALSE PRETENCE TO
OBTAIN $20,000 FROM SOMEONE IN UNITED STATES, WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN IF SUCH A GUY BECOMES A STATE GOVERNOR AND IS IN CHARGE OF AN ALLOCATION HE DOES NOT EVEN HAVE TO OBTAIN UNDER FALSE PRETENCE? WHICH HIS STATE IS STATUTORILY ENTITLED TO. How did we get into this mess? How can we get out of this predicament? I am worried, deeply worried. Are you?

Note: I don't know the Author of this write up, it was forwarded to me and it's worth sharing.

How Nigeria can quickly get out of recession - Aliko Dangote

Nigeria and African richest business mogul, Aliko Dangote has urged the federal government to sell off the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas company, NLNG as well as other dormant but huge capital-generating sectors and invest the proceeds back into the economy to bring Nigeria out of its current recession before the end of fourt quarter.

In an interview with CNBC Africa, the billionaire said:
“The only way for us to get out of this recession is to make sure we move into action quickly; action by diversifying the economy quickly.
“If I had challenges in my company, I would not hesitate to sell assets, to remain afloat, to get to the better times, because it doesn’t make any sense for me to keep any assets and then suffocate the whole organisation.
“What we need to do now in my own thinking… we have a lot of assets to sell. We can sell part of the joint venture; part of the shares. You know government normally owns 60 percent.
“We can sell in an open tender be it Chinese. We can change the term and make it an operating one, just like what we have in NLNG. We also have another
asset I think we don’t really need.
“The African finance corporation; it can fetch them $800million easily. My own suggestion before was that they should even sell 100 percent of NLNG. I don’t think government should be in any business of investing in sectors of LNG.
“A company like that, with earnings of $1.5 billion on the average, they should get anywhere between $12 billion and $15 billion.”
Dangote suggested investing the proceeds back into the economy to boost development.
“You will not believe that the crisis that we have today, if we have $15 billion, adding it to our $25 billion, that is $40 billion reserves. That will give confidence, confidence will come back, then government will back it up with proper economic policy, where people can see the roadmap.
“Latest by fourth quarter we will be out of recession. It should be a partnership between government and private sector. We have all the answers, Nigeria falling into recession does not really scare me, if we take action.

The businessman said if the government boosts reserves as suggested, the naira may fall to 250 to the dollar and help the economy.
“Once we can sell assets, and put $15 billion together, you’d be very shocked at how much the dollar will actually drop, you can easily see 250. What is happening today is mere speculation.
“To currency, everybody will speculate, banks will speculate, companies will speculate, individuals will speculate, because if you have money you want to
send in from abroad you will keepsending in trickles. “If you know that CBN has $40 billion in reserves today, if you have $100,000, you might even sell it forward because you know that this rate is going to crash and you must quickly sell it.”

FG Releases Concrete Proof Of Efforts To Secure Release Of Chibok Girls

The Federal Government has released concrete proof of its efforts to secure the release of the Chibok girls, who were abducted from their school in April 2014 by Boko Haram, confirming President Muhammadu Buhari's commitment to the safe return of the girls.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the efforts included swap arrangements dating back to July 2015 which, however,
failed for various reasons, including last-minute issuance of a new set of demands by Boko Haram elements.

He said that in spite of the failure of the past swap agreements, the government and the security agencies have not relented in the bid to ensure that the Chibok girls are released safely, in line with the mandate given by the President who, upon the assumption of office,
directed security agencies to urgently fashion out strategies to trace, locate and ensure the safe and successful release of the Chibok girls.

Giving details of the first swap agreement, which was the most promising, Alhaji Mohammed said it failed in the last minute because Boko Haram decided to make a new set of demands, even after all arrangements had been made to exchange some Boko Haram fighters for the girls.
''Precisely on 17th July, 2015, the DSS opened negotiations process with the group holding the Chibok girls. However, in return for the release of some of these
girls, the group also made some demands. These included the release of some of their fighters arrested including some involved in major terrorist actions,
resulting in several fatalities, and others who were experts in manufacture of locally assembled explosives.

This was difficult to accept, but appropriate security agencies had to again inform Mr. President of these demands, and its viewed implications. Again Mr. President gave his assent believing that the overall release of these girls remains paramount and sacrosanct.
''Meanwhile, following the above development, Government and the security agencies had sufficient leverage to work out the modalities of the swap. These included creating the safe haven, or necessary place of swap and working out the logistic details. Based on this, the DSS availed other critical sister agencies of this new situation. Immediately, the Nigerian Army and the Air Force sent some specialists to commence a detailed
arrangement for the swap. This was during the last week of July 2015 and 1st week of August 2015. The officers representing the various agencies worked out the logistic details, such as the number of persons to be swapped i.e. number of girls and detainees to be
exchanged, the vehicles and aircraft, as well as safeguards, i.e. safety of the persons, including the location of the swap.

''When it was finally agreed by all parties, Mr. President was again informed that the preparations were concluded, and the first step for the swap would commence on 1st August, 2015. Mr. President robustly gave his approval. On 4th August, 2015, the persons who were to be part of the swap arrangements and all others involved in the operation were transported to Maiduguri, Borno State. This team, with the lead facilitator, continued the contact with the group holding the Chibok girls. The Service was able to further prove to the group its sincerity, as it establishedcommunication contact between it and its detained members. ''All things were in place for the swap which was mutually agreed. Expectations were high. Unfortunately,
after more than two (2) weeks of negotiation and bargains, the group, just at the dying moments, issued new set of demands, never bargained for or discussed by the group before the movement to Maiduguri. All this while, the security agencies waited patiently.

This development stalled what would have been the first release process of the Chibok girls,'' he said.
The Minister also gave the details of two more swap attempts that were made following the failure of the first agreement.
''By the month of November, precisely 13th November, 2015, another fresh negotiation process with the group was initiated. This time, there was the need to discuss a fresh component in other to avoid issues that had stalled the former arrangement. There were however some problems that many may not discern, but should be expected in this kind of situation. Some critical persons within the group who played such vital role in
August, 2015 were discovered to be dead during combat action or as a result of the emerging rift amongst members of the group then. These two factors delayed
the process. ''By 30th November, 2015 it was becoming glaring that the division amongst the group was more profound.
This affected the swap process. By 10th December, 2015, another negotiation process was in place, but this failed to achieve results because of the varying demands by the group,'' he said, assuring that in spite of the failures, negotiation continued on new modalities to secure the release of the girls.

The Minister said since the beginning of 2016, the security agencies have not only remained committed but have also taken the lead to resolve the Chibok girls’ issue, in spite of the current division among members of the terrorist group, which has seriously affected the efforts.He commended the security agencies whom, he said,have sacrificed their time and energy, with some even paying the supreme price while fighting for the safe
release of the girls, disclosing that many friendlyvcountries and organizations have equally been very forthcoming in providing their human and technological
resources to assist in the process.
Addressing the parents and relatives of the Chibok girls, Alhaji Mohammed said: ''We are with you; we feel your pains and shall not relent until we succeed in bringing home our girls and every other citizen abducted by the group.''
He also appealed to ''all those who have shown concern in resolving this matter'' to continue to trust the efforts of Government to deal with the situation.

Segun Adeyemi
SA to Hon Minister of Information and Culture
Abuja
Sept. 16th 2016

Neco releases 2016 June/July result

The National Examination Council, NECO, has released the 2016 June/July Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results.

This year’s results show a new exam record of 88.51 per cent pass level.
Announcing the results on Friday at NECO headquarters in Minna, Registrar of the Council, Prof. Charles Uwakwe, said 88.51 percent of the candidates got at least five credits including Mathematics and English Language.

He explained that 905,011 (84.54 per cent) of candidates got 5 credits and above in English Language while 812,846 (80.16 percent) got 5 credits and above in Mathematics.

Uwakwe noted further that the comparative analysis of candidates performance in the examination for 2015 and 2016 shows one percent (1%) improvement in the general performance of candidates in 2016 (88.51%) as compared with 2015 (87.51%).

Ekiti State recorded the highest of 96.48 percent and Katsina State recording the least with 72.59 percent.

Prof. Uwakwe said that 1,022,474 candidates in Nigeria and other countries sat and wrote the examination out of 1,027,016 who registered.

The NECO boss added that 43,905 cases of malpractice was recorded, and the number of schools involved in mass cheating as 194, adding that the results of candidates involved have been
cancelled.

SUPREME COURT; YOU WILL RETURN YOUR LOOTS;KRG WARNS YAHAYA BELLO,AIDES

Ahead of supreme court ruling on kogi governorship election held in November 2015,reports reaching the public has confirmed massive movement of funds from banks,properties belonging to the state,adjustment and re - adjustment of government spendings and documents by thegovernor, Yahaya Bello and his aides reassuring them of returning every penny they stole from state coffers

In a media statement in Lokoja,the group head media,Abdul nuhu warned the governor of tinkering and tampering with the documents of the state along with doctoring them to suite and cover up his fraudulent activities in the last seven months

Reports also confirmed the usual massive withdrawal from government treasury under the guise of paying for services rendered by proxy contractors hurriedly carried out projects without due diligence and against the procurement act

Government aides and it's agents have abandoned the state capital to various parts of the country with instructions from the governor to withdraw state funds in Makurdi,Jos,Abuja,Lagos,Kaduna and Kano to mitigate the high uncertainties surrounding the judgement.

The group said with effect from Wednesday,all Government transactions will be closely reviewed and the previous one assessed by the reputable forensic auditors to unravel the extent of damages Yahaya Bello government has subjected kogi funds into since january

Aside this designated locations,government funds are been daily loaded in bags and "Ghana must go"‎bags to an unknown destination in Abuja but may not be far from the residence of the governor which include vehicles,assorted automobiles bought with state funds

The group reliably gathered that the state Accountant General,Ag Perm Sec government House administration and finance commissioner,Idris Ashiru have relocated temporarily to abuja on the instructions of the governor till after the ruling of the supreme court.

Did Jesus claim to be God?

Two thousand years ago, a man named Jesus Christ set foot on our planet. Our world has never been the same since. People are still asking, “Who was this one who changed the way we think about God and about ourselves?” Jesus made radical claims about his identity, but he also presented himself as a compassionate, humble servant with a mission to save us from sin.

Jesus was a mystery to those who saw and heard him. To the masses he was the great physician who healed the blind, deaf and lame. To the down and outcast he brought hope. To his enemies he was an imposter. To his followers he was the promised Messiah.

But did Jesus claim to be God as Christians believe?

At the core of Christianity is the belief that God came to earth in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Those who saw and wrote about Jesus called him the Creator of the universe. Raised in a religious culture of many gods, Ravi Zacharias writes of Jesus Christ as fully man and fully God. 

Here, then, is the man from Nazareth, who claimed that His origin was from heaven and that His Father is none other than God Himself—a son not born out of physical consummation nor out of a need for communion, but the consummate expression of God in the flesh, in eternal communion with the Father.

As J. I. Packer explains, “The gospel tells us that our Creator has become our Redeemer.”[2] Because this conviction is the central theme of Christianity, denying the deity of Jesus Christ places a dagger into the heart of the Christian message.

But did Jesus really claim to be God, or is that a teaching that evolved over time? Since Jesus spoke Aramaic (a dialect of Hebrew), we need to understand what his claims meant to his Aramaic-speaking audience. How did they react to his claims?

Since his Jewish audience was immersed in the Hebrew Scriptures, we need to understand Jesus’ claims about himself in light of their teaching about God.

Did Jesus Teach God is One?

The Bible reveals God as the sole Creator of the universe. He is infinite, eternal, all powerful, all-knowing, personal, righteous, loving, just, and holy.  He created us in His image, and for His pleasure. According to the Bible, God made us to have an eternal relationship with Himself 

When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush 1500 years before Christ, He strongly reaffirmed that He is the only God who exists. God told Moses His name is Yahweh, (I AM). (Most of us are more familiar with the English translation, Jehovah or LORD.) Since that time, the foundational Scripture (Shema) for Judaism has been:

“Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

It is in this world of monotheistic belief that Jesus entered into, ministered in, and began making claims that astounded all who heard them. And according to Ray Stedman, Jesus is the central theme of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Here, in the form of a living, breathing human being, is the one who satisfies and fulfills all the symbols and prophecies of Genesis through Malachi. As we move from the Old Testament to the New, we find that one person, Jesus of Nazareth, is the focal point of both Testaments.[4]

But the fact that Christians believe Jesus is God as well as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies doesn’t mean that he claimed to be God. The question we must ask is: did Jesus equate himself with Yahweh, the one true God who spoke with Moses at the burning bush?

To find out, let’s look further at the names Jesus used for himself, and what those names meant to his Jewish audience. Who did they think Jesus was claiming to be?

When Jesus began his ministry, his miracles and radical teaching immediately drew huge crowds, creating a frenzy of excitement. As his popularity swelled with the masses, the Jewish leaders (Pharisees, Sadducees, & Scribes) began to see Jesus as a threat. Suddenly they began looking for ways to trap him.

One day Jesus was debating some Pharisees at the Temple, when suddenly he told them he is “the light of the world.” It is almost bizarre to picture this scene, where a traveling carpenter from the lowlands of Galilee tells these PhD’s in religion that he is “the light of the world?” Believing Yahweh to be the light of the world, they replied indignantly:

“You are making false claims about yourself” (John 8:13 NLT).

Jesus then told them that, 2,000 years earlier, Abraham had foreseen him. Their response was incredulous:

“You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham? ” (John 8:57 NLT)

Then Jesus shocked them even more with words no ordinary man would dare to say:

“The truth is, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58 NLT)

Out of the blue, this maverick carpenter with no degree in religion claimed to have always existed. Furthermore, he had used the I AM title (ego eimi), the sacred Name of God, for Himself! These religious experts lived and breathed the Old Testament Scriptures declaring Yahweh alone as God. They knew the Scripture spoken through Isaiah:

“I alone am God. There is no other God; there never has been and never will be. I am the Lord, and there is no other Savior” (Isaiah 43:10, 11 NLT)

It’s easy to understand the rage of those who realized Jesus was speaking of himself as God. Since the penalty for blasphemy was death by stoning, the Jewish leaders angrily picked up stones to kill Jesus. At that point Jesus could have said, “Wait! You misunderstood me—I am not Yahweh.” But Jesus didn’t alter his statement, even at the risk of being killed.

C. S. Lewis explains their anger:

“He says…’I am begotten of the One God, before Abraham was, I am,’ and remember what the words ‘I am’ were in Hebrew. They were the name of God, which must not be spoken by any human being, the name which it was death to utter.”

Some may argue that this was an isolated instance, and Jesus never meant to use God’s holy name for himself. But Jesus also used “I AM” for himself on several other occasions. Imagine their reaction upon hearing Jesus’ other radical claims:

• “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12)
• “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6)
• “I am the only way to the Father” (John 14:6)
• “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25)
• “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11)
• “I am the door” (John 10:9)
• “I am the living bread” (John 6:51)
• “I am the true vine” (John 15:1)
• “I am the Alpha and Omega” Rev.1:7,8)

As Lewis observes, if these claims were not from God Himself, Jesus would have been deemed a lunatic. But what made Jesus credible to those who heard him were the creative, compassionate miracles he performed. Furthermore, they were astounded by his wisdom and authoritative teaching.

Jesus called himself “Son of Man,” and “Son of God” on several occasions. Let’s examine the meaning of those names in context of how his Jewish audience understood them.

What did Jesus mean by Son of Man?

Over eighty times in the New Testament Jesus refers to himself as “Son of Man.” So what did Jesus mean by Son of Man, and what did it mean to his Jewish audience?

Packer writes that the name, Son of Man referred to Jesus’ role as Savior-King, fulfilling the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53 is the most comprehensive prophetic passage of the coming Messiah, and clearly depicts him as the suffering Savior. Isaiah had also referred to the Messiah as “Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father,” Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6, indicating that the Messiah would be both man and God.

In context, it seems clear that Jesus was referring to himself as the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy about the “Son of Man.” Daniel prophesies that the Son of Man will be given authority over mankind and receive worship:

I looked, and there before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. (Daniel 7:13, 14)

Jesus said that when he returns to earth he will fulfill Daniel’s prophecy of the Son of Man.  

Then everyone will see the Son of man arrive on the clouds with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). 

So who is this “Son of Man,” and why is he being worshiped, when God alone is to be worshiped? Both his claim to be the “I AM,” and his claim to be the Son of Man point to his deity.

What did Jesus mean by Son Of God?

Jesus also claimed to be the, “Son of God.” This title doesn’t mean Jesus is God’s biological Son. Nor does it imply inferiority any more than a human son is inferior in essence to his father. A son shares his father’s DNA, and although he is different, they are both equal as men. 

Scholars say that the term “Son of God” in the original languages refers to likeness, or “of the same order.” Jesus meant by it that he has divine essence, or in 21st century terms, the “DNA of God”. Professor Peter Kreeft explains.

“What did Jesus mean when he called himself the ‘Son of God’? The son of a man is a man. (Both ‘son’ and ‘man,’ in the traditional language, mean males and females equally.) The son of an ape is an ape. The son of a dog is a dog. The son of a shark is a shark. And so the Son of God is God. ‘Son of God’ is a divine title.”

Jesus continually referred to his Father as God. And in John 17 Jesus refers to his Father as “the one true God.” However, in the same passage, Jesus speaks about the glory he and his Father shared before the world began. How could Jesus have existed eternally with the Father unless he and his Father shared the same divine essence?

Packer explains what Jesus meant by using the term, “Son of God.”

When, therefore, the Bible proclaims Jesus as the Son of God, the statement is meant as an assertion of his distinct personal deity.

Jesus’ use of the names, “I AM,” “Son of Man,” and “Son of God,” all point to the fact that he was claiming equality with God. Certainly that’s the way the Jewish leaders understood him.

But if Jesus was truly claiming to be God, did he make it known in other ways? In order to find out, we need to examine Jesus’ actions during his three-year ministry. Did he speak and act with the authority of God? Or did he simply speak for God like Moses and other prophets?

How could Jesus Forgive Sin?

In the Jewish religion, forgiveness of sin was reserved for God alone. Forgiveness is always personal; someone else cannot do the forgiving for the person offended, especially if the Person offended is God. But on several occasions Jesus acted as if he was God by forgiving sinners. His jaw-dropping claim to forgive sins had never been done by any prophet in the past. It infuriated the Jewish religious leaders who witnessed Jesus forgive the sins of a man with palsy.

Mark records the instance. “The scribes who heard him said blasphemy! Who but God can forgive sins!” (Mark 2:7)

That’s just the point; no man has the right or authority to speak for God when it comes to forgiveness of sins. Lewis imagines the stunned reactions of all those who heard Jesus:

Then comes the real shock,’ wrote Lewis: ‘Among these Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God. He claims to forgive sins. He says He always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time. Now let us get this clear. Among Pantheists, like the Indians, anyone might say that he was a part of God, or one with God….But this man, since He was a Jew, could not mean that kind of God. God, in their language, meant the Being outside the world, who had made it and was infinitely different from anything else. And when you have grasped that, you will see that what this man said was, quite simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips.

What did Jesus mean by being “One with God?”

Those who listened to Jesus, observed his moral perfection, and saw him perform miracles, wondered if he was the long-promised Messiah. Finally his opponents surrounded him at the Temple, asking:

“How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered, “The proof is what I do in the name of my Father.” He compared his followers with sheep saying, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.” He then revealed to them that “the Father is greater than all,” and that his deeds were “at the Father’s direction.” Jesus’ humility must have been disarming. But then Jesus dropped a bombshell, telling them, (John 10:25-30)

“The Father and I are one.”

Some argue that Jesus only meant he was in agreement with God. But if Jesus had meant that he was merely in agreement with God, why did the Jews respond by picking up stones to kill him? Their understanding of Jesus’ claim to be one with his Father became clear in the follow-up conversation.

Jesus then asked them, “At my Father’s direction I have done many things to help the people. For which one of these good deeds are you killing me?”

They replied, “Not for any good work; but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, have made yourself God” (John 10:33).

Was Jesus the image of God?

As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his upcoming death on the cross and departure, Thomas wanted to know where he was going and the way there. Jesus answered Thomas:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him and have seen him.” (John 14:5-9)

They were confused. Philip then speaks up, asking Jesus to “show us the Father.” Jesus’ answers Philip with these shocking words:

“Philip, don’t you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!”

In effect Jesus was saying, “Philip if you want to see the Father, look at me!” In John 17 Jesus reveals that this oneness with his Father had existed in eternity past, “before the world began.” According to Jesus, there has never been a time when he did not share God’s very glory and essence.

It wasn’t just Jesus’ enemies who were astounded at his jaw-dropping words. John Piper writes,

Jesus’ friends and enemies were staggered again and again by what he said and did. He would be walking down the road, seemingly like any other man, then turn and say something like, ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’ Or, ‘If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.’ Or, very calmly, after being accused of blasphemy, he would say, ‘The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ To the dead he might simply say, ‘Come forth,’ or, ‘Rise up.’ And they would obey. To the storms on the sea he would say, ‘Be still.’ And to a loaf of bread he would say, ‘Become a thousand meals.’ And it was done immediately.”

Why did Jesus accept worship?

Nothing is more fundamental to the Hebrew Scriptures than the fact that God alone is to be worshiped. In fact, the first of the sacred Ten Commandments is,

 “Do not worship any other gods besides me” (Exodus 20:3 NLT).

The most terrible sin a Jew could commit was to either worship another creature as God, or to receive worship. So if Jesus is not God, it would be blasphemy for him to receive worship. That is why the words of his disciple, Thomas, are so significant.

After Jesus’ resurrection, the other disciples told Thomas they had seen the Lord alive (John 20:24-29). The skeptical Thomas scoffed, telling them he would only believe if he could put his fingers on the nail wounds of Jesus’ hands and into his pierced side. 

Eight days later the disciples were all together in a locked room when Jesus suddenly appeared in front of them. Jesus looked at Thomas and told him to “Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side.”

Thomas needed no more proof. He instantly believed, exclaiming to Jesus:

 “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas could have simply called him, “Lord.” However, he further called Jesus “God,” and worshiped him. If Jesus is not God, he certainly should have reprimanded Thomas right there. But instead of reprimanding Thomas for worshiping him as God, Jesus commended him, saying:

You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway”

Jesus accepted worship on nine recorded occasions. In context of Jewish belief, Jesus’ acceptance of worship speaks volumes about his claim to divinity. But it wasn’t until after Jesus ascended to heaven that his disciples fully understood. Before Jesus left earth, he told his apostles to “baptize new disciples in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19), putting both the Holy Spirit and himself on the same level as the Father.

culled from Y-Jesus.com

5 FACTS ABOUT OVULATION EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW

There are important facts about ovulation every woman who intends to get pregnant should know. You should understand that a good knowledge of ovulation can increase your odds of conception.

1. IF YOU WANT TO GET PREGNANT, HEALTHY OVULATION IS KEY 

Most women feel they can get pregnant just because they are ovulating but that is actually wrong. Because you are ovulating isn’t a guarantee you would get pregnant; what is key to getting pregnant is healthy ovulation. Factors like a healthy sperm, infertility due to STIs and healthy and unblocked fallopian tubes can affect a woman’s odds of getting pregnant.

2. YOU SHOULD HAVE S*X BEFORE YOU OVULATE IF YOU ARE TRYING TO GET PREGNANT

Its important s*x comes before and not after ovulation if you are trying to get pregnant. The ovulated eggs need to be fertilised within the first 12 to 24 hours after it is released so it is important you have s*x before ovulating so the sperm would be ready and waiting for the egg. A sperm can remain viable for up to 5 days.

3. THE NUMBER OF EGGS IN THE OVARIES DECREASE WITH TIME

Most women think their bodies create new eggs monthly but that is so wrong. A woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have and there are about 2 million eggs at birth and the number drops to around 500, 000 when a woman reaches puberty. This is why women over the age of 35 have a higher risk of experiencing infertility and miscarriage.

4. YOUR DESIRE FOR S*X INCREASES DURING OVULATION

A woman’s desire for s*x increases rapidly during ovulation. When a woman is most fertile, her libido rises.

5. YOUR HEALTH HABITS AFFECTS YOUR EGGS

It is important to know a woman’s health habits can have an effect in her ability to get pregnant and stay pregnant. It can also affect the future baby’s health. Folic acid is an important nutrient for women trying to conceive as low levels can increase risk of miscarriage and birth defects.