Wednesday, 11 October 2017

Fwd: SUCCESS is POSSIBLE

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WHAT YOU MUST DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE

The act of faith, diligence and vision are necessary for excellent performance 

1. Kill your excuses and procrastination.

2. Destroy every form of distraction.

3. Avoid associating with negative minds. This is simply because they have problem with every solution.

4. Hang out with people who are more knowledgeable than you are.

5. Build mutual relationships with those who are already where you want to be.

6. Always feed your focus.

7. Be patient and consistent in what you do.
8. Add value to people's lives.

9. Have a written goal and clearly define your purpose.

10. Visualize where you want to be and be ready to pay the price to get there.

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

CELEBRITY IN SPIRITUALITY

On a day like this, words fail us to express our overwhelming joy in the celebration of a MAN of Vision, a 
●MINISTER with Unction,
●MISSIONARY with Passion,
●MANAGER with Wisdom and
●MENTOR with many Sons as he clocks another year today. 

Join us as we celebrate our Father in the Lord and Conference President, our amiable Pastor and trusted Friend, REV. DR. OYEBAMIJI KEHINDE BABARINDE. 

We pray that you will experience accelerated progress with abundant testimonies of victory. God will continually enrich you with wisdom for leadership, 
●authority to subdue the kingdom of darkness and 
●audacity to confront issues with divine solutions in Jesus name.

Happy Birthday sir. 

Pastor & Mrs Deji -Toyin Jegede

Sunday, 23 July 2017

CAN Commends FG on the Reinstatement of Christian Religious Studies and Islamic Studies as Separate Subjects

CAN COMMENDS FG on the REINSTATEMENT of CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES and ISLAMIC STUDIES as SEPARATE SUBJECTS

The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is using this medium to register our sincere and deep appreciation to the Federal Government for reversing the controversial, unlawful, and ungodly merger of the Christian Religious Studies and the Islamic Religious Studies as a subject by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

The merger of the two subjects had been rejected long before the emergence of this government because it was done without the consent of all stakeholders including CAN and all efforts made to reverse the ungodly policy were fruitless until now.

The reverse of the policy shows that we have a listening and sensitive government who is ready to reverse itself or any unacceptable policy when the need arises.

CAN also appreciates the timely intervention of the National Assembly in the saga that quickly doused the tension that was generated by the policy.

However, we ask the Federal Government to do the following: 
1. Direct the NERDC to organise a seminar on the New Curriculum with a view to addressing all the grey areas in it especially topics that can promote rebellion in our children.
2. Mandate all state governments to recruit adequate teachers for the CRK especially in the North where most of the states have no teachers for the subject.
3. Ask the Federal Ministry of Education to review all the textbooks that are currently being used as some of them are encouraging ungodly practices like masturbation.

We appreciate all well meaning Nigerians, the media and the civil society for their roles while the controversy lasted.

We pray for divine guidance and wisdom for our political leaders as they lead the country.

You are pleased requested to disseminate this information to the public.

Thank you for your kind cooperation.

Pastor Adebayo Oladeji
Special Assistant (Media & Communications) to his eminence, the CAN President, Rev Samson Olasupo A. Ayokunle, Ph.D

Thursday, 29 June 2017

ISLAMIC AGENDA : IS NIGERIA A FREE NATION OR A CONQUERED VASSAL STATE?

IS NIGERIA A FREE NATION OR A CONQUERED VASSAL STATE? https://t.co/E7QVazAxWz


IS NIGERIA A FREE NATION OR A CONQUERED VASSAL STATE?

"I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves"- Harriet Tubman

How can anyone describe Nigeria as a free nation when Sheik Othman Dan Fodio, the hero of the core Muslim north, the father of the Fulani Caliphate and the first Mahdi of Nigeria once said,

"Allah has bestowed on me and my people the historic duty to spread the holy faith of the Prophet throughout the Caliphate and convert these pagans. If they refuse to accept Allah and his Prophet we will wash the earth, the forests, the mountains, the rivers and the streams with their pagan blood. Ours is a holy and righteous calling. We are doing the work of Allah". 

How can anyone describe Nigeria as a free nation when Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Saurdana of Sokoto, the Premier of the Northern Region and the second Mahdi of Nigeria once said, 

"The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate of our great grandfather Othman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We use the minorities in the north as willing tools and the south as conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us and never allow them to have control over their future".

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when General Muhammadu Buhari, the indisputable King of the north, the avenging sword of the Caliphate, the almighty President of the Federal Republic, the unquestionable leader of the African Mujahadeen and the third and last Mahdi of Nigeria once said,

"It is my intention to spread sharia to every part of Nigeria" and that "why should Christians bother when Muslims chop off the hands of Muslims in the name of sharia" and that "Muslims should only vote for Muslims" and finally that "an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the north".

What portion do those of us that are southerners and Middle Belters have in this so-called "free country" and why have we been consistently denied the right to decide whether we wish to remain in it by having a referendum? 

Were we born to be slaves whilst others were born to rule? God forbid it. My Christian faith teaches me that I am the head and not the tail.

It teaches me that it is a sore sight and a great evil under the sun to see the sons of slaves riding on horseback whilst the sons of the King walk around on bare feet. 

It teaches me that we are the head and not the tail and that light is meant to overcome darkness and not that darkness overcomes the light. 

The truth is that whichever way you look at it Nigeria is not free and Nigeria is not one nation.

We are in bondage and servitude to the sons and daughters of Futa Jalon and we are badly divided. That is the subject of this essay.

Permit me to share some bitter truths here.

I repeat, Nigeria is not a nation. As a matter of fact she was NEVER a nation. She is and has always been a monumental fraud and a manifestation of colonial Britain's doublespeak and deceit.

In 1947 she was rightly described as a "mere geographical expression" by Chief Obafemi Awolowo but since then she has degenerated even further. 

Today she is is no longer a "mere geographical expression" but instead a fully-fledged and dysfunctional vassal state and a colony of timid slaves that is owned lock, stock and barrel by the all-powerful, all-seeing and all-knowing Fulani hegemonists.

Yet in their pitiful delusion and blissful ignorance some still claim that we are a free modern nation-state where all are equal. 

My questions for those  that actually believe this nonsensical assertion and that espouse this erroneous notion are as follows:

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when Christian Religious Knowldge (CRK) is removed from the curriculum and Islamic Arabic Studies (IAS) is made compulsary?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when Christians are banned BY LAW from buying land to build churches in most parts of the core north?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when every single security and intelligence agency in the nation except for the Navy is headed by a northern Muslim? 

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when there are NO Christian commanders (i.e. those that have operational control over troop deployments) in charge of STRATEGIC commands in the Nigerian Army today? 

How can anyone decribe Nigeria as being free when ALL the STRATEGIC commands in the Nigerian Army are in the hands of Muslims?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when ALL the units under the Education Ministry are headed by northern Muslims and the Minister of Education himself is a Muslim.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the words Christ, Church, Christianity or Christian are not mentioned ONCE in the constitution and when the word sharia is mentioned 73 times, Grand Khadi 54 times, Islam 29 times and Muslims 10 times.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when, since Buhari came to power, any mention of Jesus or God is censored out of Nigerian films by the Nigerian Censors Board whilst the word Allah is mentioned freely.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when there is an obvious and relentless attempt to islamise the country. 

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when there was an attempt by President Buhari to quietly pass a law that will give large tracts of land to Fulani herdsmen in every state of the Federation so that they can infiltrate, settle down in, breed with and eventually overwhelm and take over all the communities in which they were given that land.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the Federal Government refuses to arrest the elderly Professor Ango Abdullahi and the rebellious, recalitrant, blood-baying and bloodthirsty Arewa youths and lock them ALL up for their implicit threat to commit genocide against the Igbo if they don't leave the north by 1st October?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the Arewa Youths can send an open letter to the Acting President describing the entire Igbo race as ingrates who have "not learnt their lessons from the past" and who "ought to be thrown out of the north" and "out of Nigeria?"

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) can tell the Federal Government that "Nigeria will boil", that there will be "a crisis that will spiral beyond control if the Arewa youths are arrested" and that "the Presidency will not be allowed to go to the south under any circumstances in 2019?"

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when well-armed Fulani militants and herdsmen commit genocide against whole communities  and yet not one of them has been arrested?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when cows (yes cows!) drive children out of their classrooms in Edo state and drive worshippers out of their churches in Benue state.

How can Nigeria be described as being free when Miyetti Allah appear to be above the law?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when we are about to enter a season of carnage, chaos and anomie and when the Federal Government have shown no desire or inclination to deliver our people from those who believe that they own Nigeria and who wish to drink our blood and eat our flesh?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when those in power today together with the entire Hausa-Fuani ruling class have consistently said no to restructuring? 

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the cabal that know that Buhari's health will not allow him to come back to rule wish to use the slaughter of the Igbo as a reason and a scapegoat to cause CRISIS in the country and truncuate our democracy rather than allow a Southern Christian President to continue in power? 

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the leaders of the ruling APC are considered as being above the law and continuously commit all manner of crimes and acts of corruption with impunity whilst dissenters, oppostion figures and the perceived enemies of the government are subjected to horrendous persecution, media trials and the brazen violation of their human rights and civil liberties?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the welfare of cows and the interest of cattle-rearers are more important than that of hard-working and productive patriots and innocent young school children?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when, since Buhari came to power, it is very difficult for a northern Christian to get admission into Ahmadu Bello University, the leading institution of higher learning in northern Nigeria?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free  when there is a strange Arabic insignia and unintelligible Arabic words apparantly depicting Othman Dan Fodio's battle cry inscribed on the coat of arms of the Nigerian Army.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when english is replaced with hausa in Nigerian army parades?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when President Muhammadu Buhari openly expresses his disdain for the Igbo and encourages the hate-speech and threats that they are being subjected to today?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when Acting President Yemi Osinbajo will allege that there is corruption in the Church but dare not allege that there is corruption in the mosques? 

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the Acting President condemns what he describes as "hate speech" yet he refuses to arrest and detain those who not only kill Christians, southerners and Middle Belters but who also incite their murderous footsoldiers against them every day?

I could go on and on. 

What those that continuosly threaten others with violence and carnage fail to appreciate is as follows: for every mujahadeen there is a crusader. For every tyrant there is a deliverer. For every oppressor there is a freedom fighter. For every globalist there is a nationalist. 

For every integrationist there is a separatist. For every lily-livered and chicken-hearted coward there is a courageous and valiant hero and for every Goliath there is a David.

Yet despite our collective and pitiful servitude there is a silver lining on this very dark cloud. 

The demand for restructuring or, failing that, self-determination and full-blown independence is now very strong amongst the progressive forces and the long-oppressed ethnic nationalities in the land. 

This, coupled with the demand by the leaders of the three southern zones that the Arewa youths must withdraw their threat to the Igbo, is commendable and historic. 

They have also issued a timely warning that an attack on the Igbo would be deemed as an attack on the entire south. This gives us hope.

This indicates to us that the tree of liberty will soon be watered by the blood of the patriots and tyrants as it once was in the history of each and every one of the great western democracies.  

This proves that we are finally ready to pay the terrible price for our collective freedom and to make the necessary sacrifices. 

Simply put, the yoke and affliction of slavery and bondage shall soon be broken and Nigeria shall soon be free.

The first Nigerian civil war was about keeping Nigeria one. The second will be about winning our freedom.

Friday, 16 June 2017

SUCCESS is POSSIBLE

WHAT YOU MUST DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE

The act of faith, diligence and vision are necessary for excellent performance 

1. Kill your excuses and procrastination.

2. Destroy every form of distraction.

3. Avoid associating with negative minds. This is simply because they have problem with every solution.

4. Hang out with people who are more knowledgeable than you are.

5. Build mutual relationships with those who are already where you want to be.

6. Always feed your focus.

7. Be patient and consistent in what you do.
8. Add value to people's lives.

9. Have a written goal and clearly define your purpose.

10. Visualize where you want to be and be ready to pay the price to get there.

Tuesday, 30 May 2017

LAUTECH WILL BE GREAT AGAIN!

See The Punch Newspaper May 30, 2017 page 41.


THE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA,
OGBOMOSO ZONE

A PLEA TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OVER LAUTECH:
THE ONLY FEASIBLE PANACEA FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE UNIVERSITY

OUR CONCERNS
1. The lingering incessant strike action paralyzing academic activities in LAUTECH and strangulating her administrative system has become a matter of great concern to the Heads of Churches and Christian Association of Nigeria in Ogbomosoland.

2. The wanton wasting away of the lives, time and future of our youths and children who are students of this institution has become worrisome and disturbing to all discerned minds.

3. On several occasions, students have been sent out of school as a result of avoidable strike action spanning eleven (11) months. This has exposed the vulnerable youngsters to unscrupulous pressures; various types of accidents, high rate of criminality and untimely deaths while many have become redundant and frustrated because they are not able to constructively dissipate their pent-up energy.

4. Workers, both teaching and non-teaching are grossly impoverished as a result of non-payment of salaries and arrears, which, of course is the major reason for the incessant strike actions rocking the one time best state university in Nigeria. As at now, workers of LAUTECH are being owed eight (8) months salaries and arrears pilling up in years. Yet, neither the Governing Council nor the proprietors of the university is speaking or doing anything serious to address this crass maladministration! Staff morale is generally low.

5. Apparently, the concomitant effects of the sorry state of LAUTECH on the well-being of the staffers of the institution are far reaching: several of them are not able to attend to their medical bills, perform their duties as parents and meet critical domestic and social obligations.

6. Suffice to add that the experience of JAMBITES who were supposed to write their 2017 UTME at LAUTECH was not a palatable one and it constitutes a disgrace to our social dignity and collective integrity as a nation!

7. The host community is also badly hit by the wave of the crisis. The commerce of the city is in comatose because LAUTECH staffers constitute a bunch of her population.  As elders in the host community, parents of these LAUTECH students and patriotic citizens of this country, the lives and future of our children are so precious to us that we cannot afford to see them struggle with these precarious situations and challenges that are beyond them. 

8. From the look of things, the situation is beyond the power of the two owner states, or so it seems. All efforts said to have been made before now by the two owner states seem not yielding any desired result. As we speak, the governments of Oyo and Osun States have refused to make the reports of the much celebrated Wole Olanipekun Visitation Panel public! Too many questions are begging for answers here.  

9. The proposed audit exercise recently muted by the university visitors is a welcome development. Such exercise is a conventional procedural oversight responsibility of proprietors of growing organizations and ivory towers, provided it is not just a ploy to tactically buy time, disintegrate the university or sack some of these hapless employees with reckless impunity. However, we opine that it will be counter-productive and seriously unhealthy to further keep the students and workers away from classroom while the audit is ongoing.  

OUR HUMBLE PLEAS
1. As we appreciate and commend the hallowed efforts of the governments of Oyo and Osun States over LAUTECH imbroglio, we plead with all that are concerned especially the Federal Government, the National Assembly, Federal Ministry of Education and Nigerian University Commission (NUC) to urgently come to the RESCUE of LAUTECH by taking it over as a Federal University.

2. This will not only rescue the lives and destinies of almost thirty thousand (30,000) current students of the university (and several other desperate candidates awaiting admission), it will also put a permanent pay to the lingering crisis and rekindles the faith of all stakeholders in the leadership of our country. 

3.  Ipso facto, as of today, given human nature, especially in Africa, a joint venture stands the risk of unequal commitment sired by varied interests. What belongs to everybody actually belongs to nobody. Therefore, no matter how much the partners strive to pretend that these differences do not exist, they will come to the surface. This is the scenario playing out between Oyo and Osun in the case of funding of the institution. Or, how does one justify a situation where Osun as at April 30, 2017 owes almost 5.4 billion naira while Oyo owes almost 2.7 billion naira to the university? 

4. In the whole of Nigeria, it is only LAUTECH that has dual ownership. Other states that found themselves in similar situations have peacefully shared assets and liabilities. This is what Prof Mafiana – led team from NUC tried to achieve in 2011 before the current administrations in Oyo and Osun came to throw spanners into it. Why is it that the university is the only monument they agreed to retain as a legacy of their common heritage? What of Colleges of Education in Oyo and Osun States, The Polytechnic Ibadan, and other higher institutions of learning located within the territories of the two states at the time of creation of Osun State?

5. It is clear to all and sundry that the experiment (Joint Ownership of LAUTECH) has failed. The only pragmatic way - forward is to embrace reality and allow peaceful parting of ways rather than the present pejorative and arrant grandstanding by the two governors. Sad to find out that there has been no capital grants to the university since almost 10 years ago! Major developments have been undertaken through Federal Government interventions; courtesy of TetFund Scheme!

6. The world is watching! Quick, noble, decisive and positive actions that can proffer both immediate and long-term solutions to this impasse will be expected from the NUC, Federal Ministry of Education, the National Assembly and other pertinent agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria.  
                                       LAUTECH WILL BE GREAT AGAIN!

                          Rev'd Dr. Israel O. Olaniyan    
Chairman, Head of Churches
                                  
Bishop Bayo Akintola    Sectetary, Head of Churches

Revd John Olarinde
Chairman, OCMF
Evang. Doyin Olayiwola
Chairman CAN, Ogbomoso North L.G

Revd J.O Olomoluwa
Chairman CAN, Ogbomoso South L.G

Revd G.A Adeleye
Chairman CAN, Oriire L.G

The Revd Titus Okewole
Chairman CAN, Suurulere L.G

Elder J.O Oyeniran
Chairman CAN, Ogo-Oluwa L.G  
Revd. Dr. Dele Opatoyinbo
Chairman, Ogbomoso Zonal CAN

Monday, 22 May 2017

AMBODE : THE MAN WITH THE MANDATE

AMBODE : THE MAN WITH THE MANDATE

I was born on the 14th of June,1963 at Epe General Hospital, Epe, Lagos State.
•  I had my Primary School at St. Jude's Primary School, Ebute Meta, and Lagos. Passed the National Common Entrance in Primary 5 and gained admission into Federal Government College, Warri.
•    Recorded the second best  result in  the entire West  Africa in the  Higher School
Certificate Examinations in the Social Sciences in 1981.
•    Graduated with honours in Accounting from the University of Lagos at 21.
•  I started my public service career at Lagos State Waste Disposal Board (now LAWMA)as Accountant Grade II in November 1985.
• At  24,  qualified  as  a  Chartered  Accountant  and  completed  my Masters  Degree programme in Accounting from University of Lagos, specializing in Financial Management.
•    Worked  in  the  Local  Government  Service  for  10years  and  was  at  various  times council   Treasurer   in   Alimosho, Shomolu, Mushin   and   Ajeromi-Ifelodun   Local Government Councils.
• In 1998, my commitment to public service earned me the award of the US Fullbright Scholarship for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program, in Boston University, Massachusetts, USA on Public Leadership with emphasis on Finance and Accounting.
• I was appointed acting Auditor-General for Local Government in 2000 and became the youngest ever Auditor-General for Local Government in Lagos State.
•    I was appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance in January 2005 and in February, 2006,  was given the additional responsibility of Accountant-General of Lagos State.
• I was the youngest Permanent Secretary in service and only the second person to hold both positions of Permanent Secretary and Accountant-General at the same time.
• Under  my watch,  the  State  Treasury  Office  revolutionized  the  way  Lagos  State finances  were  raised,  budgeted,  managed  and  planned  resulting  in  the  state's budget performing at an average of 85% annually.
• I ensured payment of civil service staff salaries before the end of the month, payment of running cost by 1st week of each month and introduced end of the year
package and special/specific welfare for staff.
•    I launched the e-payment platform for the monthly staff salaries
•  I renovated the State Treasury Office, created a conducive working environment, introduced a corporate dress code and provided laptops for all Directors
•    I Introduced prompt payment of gratuity and pension arrears of the State Universal
Basic Education Board and Local Government old pensioners. 
• I introduced regular technical meetings with the Directors of Accounts in all MDAs, facilitated the sponsorship, by the State Governor, of over 1000 accountants to the Annual accountants' Conference in Abuja and initiated the annual retreat for Heads of Accountants as well as Local and International training for staff.
•    I co-organised the first ever National Tax Retreat in association with the Joint Tax
Board/Federal Inland Revenue Service in 2005.
•    I chaired   the   Technical   Committee   that   produced   the   Lagos   State   Economic
Empowerment Development Strategy (SEEDS) document.
• I led the audit teams as the Auditor-General in the office of Auditor-General for Local Government to clear and publish the arrears of statutory audits of 1995 to 2004 within 12months.
• I am a  scholar,  accountant,  administrator,  an  astute  leader  with  strong  emotional intelligence, i am an alumnus of Wharton Business School and also attended courses at Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield, England; the Institute of Management
Development, Lausanne, Switzerland; INSEAD, Singapore and the Harvard Kennedy
School of Government, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
• I retired voluntarily from public service in August, 2012; the first ever recorded voluntary retirement by a Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Public Service.
• I established Brandsmiths Consulting Limited in 2012 and the company is today consulting for Federal, State and Local Governments on the transition to the new International Public Service Accounting System and other financial advisory services.
• I am a stickler for high performance and my decisions are never based on race, gender or religion.