Metaphysical Healing

More than twelve (12) months ago, I had noted some revelation on the blank page of my personal study Bible. The message had come to me as clearly as one would hear his own voice. It says to me: “The seeds are scattered abroad, the harvester has to stoop down to gather them to see how many basketfuls will result.” I did not understand the import of the message at that time, because I could not relate it to anything in particular that had occupied my mind. But I managed to underscore the words ‘abroad’, ‘stoop down’, and ‘basketfuls’. Then on the eve of 2006 Christmas Day celebration, after listening to some news concerning one Spannish medical expert that was being dispatched to Cuba to carry out some surgical operation on President Fidel Castro, my mind proptly and vehemently opposed that arrangement as if it concerned me personally. Not that I had been an admirer of Mr. Castro, but the compassion at this moment was so overwhelming that I had to recall the message contained in that ‘voice’ of more than 12 months past. I immediately went on my knees and started praying for President Fidel Castro. I argued on the side of perfect health which he already enjoys. I denied seeing him as some ‘vegetable’ that has to be experimented upon to give him what he already has – Life abundant.
It did not surprise me when the next day December 26, the surgeon flew into Cuba from Spain and after examining the person of Fidel Castro, pronounced him very healthy, and added that he did not afteral need any further treatment as his health had improved appreciably. The news added that Fidel was already hoping to go back to work.
This is definitely victory for Christian Healing as opposed to materia medica. Let God take the glory.

SECURITY and Moped taxi-men responsibility

Cue in: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to CAPP FM 99.6MhZ and onto the programme “BACK TO LIFE”. My name is Vincent NNANNA.

INTRO: Tonight, we want to talk about the ZEMIDJAN, that is the Moped riders, the motor-bike taxi. There is some disturbing insecurity in the country. Whose duty is it to provide security? The government on its own has security outfits in place to protect us. But what is happening of recent has shown that security can no longer be guaranteed. Today, there is a combined patrol of three arms of the security enforcement, yet if we do not play our own part......... Ladies and gentlemen, we have the telephone like 21-33-52-25. Or you can send text messages to my mobile - 9744 4619. You’re free to call and chat with us.

I have 3 discussants here in the studio who will be x-raying the situation vis-à-vis the responsibility of Zemidjans towards the security and themselves as well. It is them that know the type of people they carry, where they drop them off, and how the environment looks like.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have in the Studio Osondu who has come all the way from England. We have also Ef-em, and we also have Louis Amedokpo a french teacher in town. The question is: Do you agree or not, with my submission?

Ef-em: Uncle Vin, I agree that the Zemidjans have a role to play in the security of the people.

Osondu: Hundred per-cent okay.

Louis: Yes, I agree that they have important role to play.

Moderator: What role should the Zemidjans play in guaranteeing our security?

Louis: They can help some of the security people like the Police or the Army. Although they are not part of the Army, but they can help by informing them any time they suspect somebody, because they carry most of the people doing business around the city.

Osondu: Like we know, that coin has two faces. Even so is this issue of the Zemidjans. There are some of them who actually themselves are the criminals we are talking of.

Moderator: No. We cannot say so, until we catch them.

Osondu: Let me give some instances. Remember that we campaigned on this station sometime ago that some people are using motorbykes and wearing the Zemidjan’s uniform to rob people during the early hours of the day, until some of them were caught. One of the people I interviewed tells me that a Zemidjan that was carrying him on the day he was robbed had told him that the Zemidja-man coming behind them was a thief. So, they know the criminals among them. Let them identify them and report to the authorities.

Ef-em: Not all the men putting on that yellow shirt are Zemidjans. I remember sometime when I went to Lagos to buy some stereo sets. On arriving at Tokpa (international market), I dropped the set with the Zemidjan-man and said let me go inside and take something. Before I could come back he carried the set away. So the Zemidjans know the bad ones among themselves. If they want to assist the security situation they have to fish out all those ones who are not really Zemidjans. If they really want to secure us and secure their own life, they have to stop drinking alcohol.

Moderator: You’ve made a point that they are those of them instead of being the cat that chase away the rat, have become the rat. But I believe that there are some that can still be trusted. Do you think there is anything the government can do to give them a sense of belonging, a sense of responsibility?

Osondu: They have been organising seminars for the Zemidjans on the issue of HIV/AIDS. They should also sensitize them in terms of security. But the government themselves, like the Police are not innocent. One of my friends was searched and nothing incriminating was found on him, but the Police went ahead and collected something from him.

Moderator: So, extortions by some law enforcement agents are not helping matters. There will be some level of vendetta; that is: ‘If you do me bad, I will shirk my responsibilities and not help the society in being a safe place;’ Do we have any idea of the numbers to call?

Osondu: Just dial 19 or 18, or if it is the wrong number you will be properly redirected.

Moderator: I will like to inform our listeners that these lines are free. The important thing is to give accurate information so that they know the location and what to expect there. You can also report to us in the Radio station and we will take over from where you stop. We will trace the officer on duty and find out why no action is being taken on your information.

Moderator: Ladies and gentlemen, here is where we draw the curtain for today, remember to join us next week Sunday at the same time and on the same frequency. Bye-bye.

HIV/AIDS in Benin

INTRODUCTION
Contrary to public opinion that HIV/AIDS is far from reaching the inhabitants of Benin republic, one single Health clinic has recorded more than three thousand new infections during the period January 1 to November 30, as can be seen from this radio interview I conducted this morning to mark the occasion of the World HIV/AIDS Day celebration. The interview was aired on CAPP FM Radio 99.60MHz Cotonou. Dr. Frank Alapini is the Medical Director of Arc-en-ciel HV/AIDS Hospital based in Cotonou – Benin republique.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: Dr. Alapini, how come your practice is in the field of HIV/AIDS?

Dr. Alapini: HIV/AIDS is a new disease and it needs special hanbdling. I have followed special courses on HIV/AIDS treatment.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: HIV/AIDS are acronyms. Could you give us their full meanings.

Dr. Alapini: When you hear AIDS, understand – Acquired Immuno-deficiency Syndrome. When you hear HIV, understand – Human Immuno-deficiency Virus.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: So, when there is a deficiency in the human system to a certain degree, somebody becomes vulnerable to manifesting HIV/AIDS sickness?

Dr. Alapini: Somebody can have HIV without developing into AIDS. It depends on the body defence immunity level.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: Could you trace the origin of this epidemic, bearing in mind that it has been said that it originally was detected from the Ape or the Gorilla.

Dr. Alapini: HIV/AiDS has no scientifically traceable origin. All that story is mere gossip. But sexual relation is one means of its transmission. It is not a curse from God as some people seem to believe also. It is a result of the sexual behaviour of people.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: Could you describe the symptoms to our listeners, please.

Dr. Alapini: There are 3 categories of symptoms associated with this disease – the digestive system, the skin and the pulmonary system. The main symptoms of the apparatus of the body is continuous diarrhea lasting over a period of three weeks. Another symptom is protracted coughing or skin rashes of unusual nature.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: Some men do have discharges from their urinary tract in cases of ghonorhea infection. Does HIV/AIDS infection come with this symptom also?

Dr. Alapini: No. But a ghonorhea carrier can be vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection faster than a normal person.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: Where can people go for tests to discover their status?

Dr. Alapini: We do conduct free tests at the Arc-en-ciel medical centre; and it can be done in just 30 minutes.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: What is involved in the actual treatment (or management) of the infection?

Dr. Alapini: The treatment is the business of specialkists. It largely depends on the level of the CD-4 count. That is the soldier in the human system. If it is too low (that is 200 microbits) we can start treatment. But if is is more than 500 microbits, we cannot yet start treatment.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: It is sometimes said that a person can test negative at one time and test positive at some other time in future. How does that happen?

Dr. Alapini: What we detect during the test is your antibody. So, it takes time for the anti-body to come to the surface. That accounts for testing negative at one time and positive at a future time.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: What preventive measures would you recommend for non-infected people?

Dr. Alapini: According to me, as I am also a religious person, I pefer Abstinence and Faithfulness. I can only recommend condoms to those who are already infected so that they do not contaminate others.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: A friend of mine says he slept with a carrier. He quickly took a shower. He had a test a few weeks after and tested negative. Could that be right?

Dr. Alapini: Yes. It is not all sexual relationships that can result to HIV infection.

Phone Call: One caller asks whether there is anything like HIV/AIDS in Benin republic. His question arises from the flagrant manner with which the womenfolk yield to sexual advances in this country.

Dr. Alapini: Concerning the way girls use their thing in this country, I want to say that in one year, we have recorded 3,000 new cases of HIV infection. There are more than 1,000 victims on admission at the moment at our Health Centre alone. There are many more at the Teaching Hospital and a lot more at other clinics apart from those who just come for treatment and disappear for fear of being identified.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: Dr. Alapini, could you tell us the method of treatment and how effective it has been.

Dr. Alapini: At the moment, we administer Anti-Retroviro Therapy. It helps to aleviate the pains. Any person who is placed on this drug is to remain on it for life. There is no known cure as of now. But prevention is, and has always been the best remedy.

A call from United Kingdom :
Vincent: Hello, Osondu, We have a Doctor in the house today and we are talking about HIV/AIDS. Any contributions?

Osondu: Even here in the UK, there is a way of handling it. The anti-retroviro. But to me one thing I would recommend is total abstinence. I do not even encourage the use of condom.

Vincent: Dr. Alapini, I visited your hospital three years ago and there were 6 patients. But when I called on you last week, the number has heightened astronomically. I thought it had been turned into a general hospital.

Dr. Alapini: Okay, let me tell you that in one year, since January till this month I have 300 new cases. If somebody does not believe that HIV exists, a short visit at Arc-en-ciel will show you that it does.

Vincent:About incubation period, how long does it take before somebody who contracts HIV begins to manifest the disease?

Dr. Alapini: Maximum incubation period is 6 months. Let me make myself clear: incubation period is the time you have the anti-body. To have the disease depends on individual immunity system. So, somebody can develop the disease in two years. It can take some up to10 years.

Phone Call: Is that the doctor? Somebody was talking to me that HIV can be contacted through kissing. Is that true?

Dr. Alapini: No. My answer is ‘No’. Your saliva does not contain the serum that contains HI-virus.

Ef-em: Some people argue that one can get HIV through mosquitoe bite.

Dr. Alapini: No. If it is possible, all of the humankind would have gotten HIV. When mosquitoes bite somebody, it keeps the blood it takes from you inside its stomach. When mosquitoes bite you it injects you its saliva. My word of advise is “Abstinence before marriage. Faithfulness after marriage. That is my word.

Vincent: Thank you Dr. Alapini, thank you everyone. Here is where we draw the curtain for tonight. Meet you again next week Sunday. Good nite.

Vincent/CAPP Fm: That is the much we can take for now, Dr. Alapini. Thank you for accepting to be my guest on CAPP FM Radio 99.6

Dr. Alapini: Thank you for hosting me, Vincent. Bye listeners.

WHERE ARE THE GHOSTS?

Are Ghosts and Ghost Tales Real?
My childhood was spent in an environment where superstition and fetish practices were the norm rather than the exception. Adults used to gather the children on a moonlit night and tell tales of frightening monsters and dinosaurs that lived in the neighbourhood in times not far gone.
The fact that these stories were told by elders of the family in whom the younger ones placed so much confidence, trust and respect, made it easier to regard fables and fictions as facts. Thus, children treaded very cautiously, believing that such monstrous creatures still lurked around. These situations only helped in producing crooked boys and timid girls.
Sometimes children became so obsessed with imagining phantoms to a point of convulsing as if they had been grabbed or seized by some real monster. In most of these instances a fetish doctor would be invited to try to exorcise the supposed evil spirit.
Now, when I look back to that experience and put it side by side my experience in Christian Science, I wonder just how many people are still grappling in ignorance about such phantoms. It’s deplorable that superstitious beliefs continue to be peddled over generations only to become hard-held landmarks in the peoples’ culture. Parents should feed their offspring with truth and peace, rather than with the false belief in ghostly beings. Children should not have to wait, like me, for some opportunity to unfold later in their lives before they are told the truth. It only takes each one of us to put forth the effort to enlighten and to share the truth with the less informed in our society.
It has become clear to me that it is the mortal mind which conjures up impressions and creates images of non-existent ‘evil spirits’ that would seize an unsuspecting lad and throw him into a fit. God created man and "gave him dominion over every other creature." (Genesis 1:28). How then could a lesser being be capable of frightening or causing harm to man? If God is every where and fills all space, and “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28), where else could the evil being come from and what space is there for it to occupy?
Growing up with a belief in things that are not real sometimes shapes one’s life and character. It is important to replace superstitious beliefs with the truth that God and man, the infinite Principle and His idea alone constitute the only Truth about life and existence. It’s also important to understand that "the supposition that corporeal beings are spirits or that there are good or evil spirits, is a mistake." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, page 70:9-11). Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Science, also cautioned that, "children should be told not to believe in ghosts because there are no such things." (ibid. 352:26).
Let us therefore replace our primitive belief and suchlike practices with the great fact that God is the sole Cause, the Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. Beside Him there is no other power.

WHEN GOD SPEAKS

HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD:
Suspicion and apprehension: these are the words that rightly described my attitude when people would claim of ‘hearing the voice of God.’
Very often I would hear people (especially religious preachers) make claims of having been spoken to by God. My apprehensive reaction stemmed from my childhood understanding that the Biblical accounts of verbal encounters with the Almighty only involved people like Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Abraham, et cetera.
Moses was to lead the Hebrews/Israelites out of captivity. God needed to use him especially for that purpose and had to manifest himself to him in an extraordinary manner. Elijah was a radical priest who demonstrated the omnipotent power of God in very unique and distinguishing circumstances. Abraham was an icon of faith. For him to have waited over a hundred years before bearing a child so much outweighs the promise of ‘a piece of land. Their faith and deeds surely afforded them the singular privilege of communicating with the Almighty on a one-to-one basis.
When one compares these patriarchs of old with today’s Christians, the personality gap seems very disproportionate to imagine that God would choose to interact with any of us in the same manner. However, God spoke to me not long ago and though there was this childhood feeling of inadequacy in me; the unfolding events in my life opened my heart to understand differently and to know that the human measurement of personality which looks at physical appearances or status, has nothing to do with God’s assessment of people.
I have never considered myself fit to be God’s oracle, at least, by human standards, but then I elected to enlist as a full-time public practitioner of Christian Science healing which involved having to abandon my paid employment as a military officer and as an international journalist. And although I must confess that I have a track record of job turnover, I have never enjoyed the job security and satisfaction that I do with being a Christian Science Practitioner. There were young ones to tend through primary education and an elderly mother whose only son is me. There were house rent and utility bills to pay. And I was little known in the foreign land where God’s voice had led me to relocate. Above all, I had cultivated a culture of not accepting any fees for my services. Therefore, for God to speak to me a promise of unceasing sustenance is, to say the least, like a voice that needed scrutinizing. When I opened my Bible the following morning to behold involuntarily the same promise clearly delineated in Psalm 37:3 “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so that thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shall be fed;” there was no telling that this truly was the voice of God. What I immediately heard was, in the words of the Psalmist, “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this;”…. Psalm 62:11.
Since then, it has dawned on me that God can speak to anybody, not on account of our human assessment of standards, but by reason of the needs of our time and environment and our personal relationship with God.
When God speaks to people, it is always for a divine purpose that will serve the overall interest of a greater majority. Jonah’s mission to be an evangelist - to the people of Nineveh started with a voice from God. An escape bid that resulted in his being thrown into the sea brought him face to face with God again. The flavor of this second encounter is the fact that his concealment within the safe repository of a fish’s belly could not hide the evangelist from the presence of God. His encounter with the mariners also serves to establish the fact that God’s command cannot be thwarted for too long.
God also provides the wherewithal to facilitate the mission. The children of Israel were to travel through a desert land to the land of promise. They had no ship to sail through the sea, but God charted a course across the great sea. He gave them manna when they seemed to have run out of ration. He stayed the pestilence when there was an epidemic outbreak. The Israelites developed an attitude of trustiness borne out of the multiple demonstration of God’s ability to supply their needs - even in dire circumstances.
A senior friend of mine demonstrated a similar sense of trusting God in turbulent times. We were on an eight-hour flight to South Africa in December 2004. About five minutes before landing, the pilot’s voice announced that the landing would be delayed because of approaching stormy weather in Johannesburg. Less than a minute thereafter, the voice came again, this time audibly shaky. It warned that he was going to drop the aircraft some meters below to avoid a head-on collision with the fierce storm. If the pilot and the crew were expressing such panic, might it be expected that the passengers would also then panic? As I looked down the aisle, I could see the hostesses curled into their seats like frightened puppies and the atmosphere had changed from one of anxiety to that of serenity. One could see the different religious blends depicted by the postures of supplication exhibited by the passengers. Prompted by the inhibited and consoling voice of the pilot, some of us could look out of the window to behold some trees and a building aflame with the lightning. However, amidst the raging flame were the fascinating evening lights which gave Johannesburg the look of Manhattan at night. Once we had landed and were queued in the arrival hall for immigration formalities, the hitherto charged atmospheric weather had assumed a serene and tranquil feeling. A passenger asked my friend why he had remained calm during the tempestuous weather. His spontaneous and emphatic response was, “I was trusty.” That statement jolted me into further inquiry. My friend said that just before the cockpit alert came on stream, he had heard the voice of God saying to him, “Be still!” And he had followed that command.
Although there were appearances that could make one relapse into doubting, I was confident that the voice of God had spoken to us, as clearly as a human voice, because there was not one sick among my close acquaintances. But my trustiness stems from a statement by the author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, that “Divine Love has met and will always meet every human need.”
I could have naturally questioned why God would choose to communicate with me or my friend, but when I had opened my Bible and the first passage that greeted me, carried a repetition of the same promise God had spoken into my ear when I first entered the public practice of Christian Science healing, I was left with no option than to accept the obvious fact; “God has spoken once, twice have I heard it…….” Not only do I know, but now I understand that anybody can hear the voice of God. Whom God chooses for his communication is entirely God’s business. But we need to be on our guard in obedience to Jesus’ command to his disciples; “What I say unto others, I say unto all, Watch.” Mark 13:37

USING YOUR RESOURCES

USE WHAT YOU HAVE:
The wise counsel to use what one has, may sound ambiguous to many who consider themselves as belonging to the category of have-nots. The ambiguity lies in the fact that people always look outside for happiness or sadness. But if we can pause for a moment and look inside of ourselves by way of introspection, we would be astonished at how much potentialities are buried within our treasure vaults.
A twentieth century philosopher says that every child comes to earth with its own supplies. This axiom, much as it is not some argument in favour of what is considered by many as the principle of predestination, points to the fact that each human being possesses in equal measure the same spiritual elements derived from our Creator. This is supported by the fact in the first Book of the Bible which says that God made man (and woman) in His image, after His likeness. (Genesis chapter 1 verse 26). A grain of rice if sowed in the soil cannot sprout forth to yield mango fruits any more than the image and likeness of God can be anything less than its Creator. God being omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresence, man and woman made in his likeness must of necessity, possess all power, be all-knowing and can be ever-present. In essence, man coexists with the Creator. The image before the mirror cannot be different from who or what it reflects. This is the fact which prophet Elisha sought to establish when a widow who had lost her husband in a battle tended to believe that the end had come for her and her two sons who were about to be whisked away by creditors on account of some huge debt she had inherited from her late husband. While she looked up to her creditors for debt reschedulement or conditions other than taking away her two sons into slavery, Prophet Elisha turned her attention inward to the realization of her true worth. Obviously, a debt that would warrant the confiscation of a widow’s two male children should be worth more than the value of a mere pot of oil. But this widow had between her and the creditors a pot of oil and her two sons.
To get a clearer picture of the situation, let us look at the Hebrew meaning of pot. This word is rendered sir, a vessel made of various sizes, and of different materials, earthenware and metal; and used for manifold purposes, such as boiling flesh, reforming metals and storing water for domestic use or oil. Tracing African history back to our Jewish ancestry, one could compare the pot of oil to our ancient earthen water pots or calabash with capacity ranging from 10 to 15 litres. My mother has one.
Doesn’t it sound bizarre to ask a widow who has inherited a debt she did not incur, to go a borrowing? The average person will consider this command as a suicide bid. But that looks like what the radical prophet asked the woman to embark upon. After he had assessed the woman’s agonizing condition, and seeking to help her out of her delusion, he had inquired of her what she had left in store. That is to say, how much is she worth? Many people in responding to this type of inquiry would be inclined to answering in the negative considering the insignificant quantity of the pot of oil vis-à-vis the huge debt burden hanging on her neck like an albatross. Many a times we consider what we have as too little in proportion to our liabilities, and we end up declaring that we don’t have anything at all.
It is an established law of nature that gratitude for benefits already received engenders the opportunity for more blessings. The widow’s recognition of what resources she had, no matter how little, turned out to be the catalyst for abundant blessings that attended her confession. It didn’t matter to the prophet how little oil the woman had. It didn’t matter that she was already a celebrated debtor. It didn’t bother him that society would naturally turn down an appeal for loan from a chronic debtor. All he cared for was that this outwardly poor widow had some hidden treasure which she recognized and had acknowledged. He then says to her, "Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours’ even empty vessels; borrow not a few" (II Kings 4:3). Hard word, you think. But the first approach to obtaining our miracle is gratitude for benefits already received. This involves recognition of spiritual endowments which take various forms with various people. The second step is in humble and implicit obedience to the voice of wisdom. This can come in the form of a good counsel from an expert, a suggestion from a not-too important person by human assessment, or the still small voice. The widow’s response to those rules is most exemplary, for she promptly dispatched her two sons to the task of borrowing empty vessels of all shapes and sizes from apprehensive neighbours. She did not fear that her creditors might lay hands on the boys and kidnap them on account of the debt. She disobeyed traffic rules. She did not question what to do with empty vessels from neighbours, some of whom she had not interacted with for some time since she retired into self solitude. She simply followed orders like a soldier in the infantry division of the army. According to the Scripture, she did not go about gossiping her situation with neighbours or trying to consult other women regarding the prophet’s queer counsel. She simply locked up herself and started filling the empty vessels from the meager supply without any iota of doubt whatsoever. It appears to me that oil was in short supply at that season of the year hence she couldn’t afford more than one small pot, and there were many empty containers in the city.
Having exhausted all the empty vessels in the city, the man of God who had stood guard between the woman and the God of abundance now came down from the figurative mountain, gave thanks to the almighty and ordered the ever-grateful widow, "Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest (II Kings 4:7(b).
Looking at external exigencies of life denies us of the opportunity of recognizing the seed of God implanted in our very bosom. Comparing ourselves with others makes us loose sight of our own capabilities. It is only in recognizing our heaven-endowed treasures can we be truly grateful, which in turn, begets multiple blessings. On the other hand, constantly resorting to our inward part will link us to the voice of silence and make us aware of whatever steps or direction the almighty intends for us to follow. As the Scripture say, "thine ear shall hear a word behind thee saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left." (Isaiah 30: 21). A song I learned in early childhood says, "Count your blessings, and name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."
There is no limit to what God can do except the limitations in your thinking as to what God cannot do.

REFORMATION AND PARDON

Reformation and Pardon:
In my native African village, there are ancient landmarks which are meant to benefit all members of the community without discrimination. As such, any unnecessary desecration or exploitation of any of those objects or utilities by any single member or group of persons to the exclusion of others usually attracts open disapproval by the rest of the society. I need to mention that we used to run a well organized Police state with unwritten code of conduct and prescribed penalties attached to the breaking of any of those laws. That was before the emergence of the colonial masters. Environmental sanitation exercises were monitored by the youths. If they would have cause to help any family clean their compound or their surroundings, the offending occupants were required to pay penalties ranging from some measure of meal or palm kernel or maize to tubers of yam as the case may be. Any man who failed to join in bush clearing campaign for the communal farm ran the risk of not getting a portion of farmland for that season. These stringent measures compelled a life of strict obedience and civility on my people at that time. Moral rectitude remained the norm rather than the exception.
We had just returned home from the city for a Christmas holiday. A century-old fruit-bearing tree stood at the centre of my village square. Adults consisting mainly of nursing mothers and children would sit in clusters under the shade of its extended branches. Birds and squirrels that had made their nests within the branches and hollows would occasionally lose grip of ripen fruits that will come tumbling down to the ground to incite a scramble among the women and children within the precincts of the fallen fruit, to the delight of the men who sat at the nearby thatched hut playing games and telling or listening to tales.
I could not afford the indefinite dependence on mere birds or squirrels to help me with a share of the fruits which hung generously and invitingly on the distant branches of the old tree. Up went my catapult. I aimed and brought down no less than five ripe fruits clustered together at one shot. I intended to excite the traditional scramble among the shade-dwelling fellows, but to my surprise, not one of them moved to grab my fruits. I thought they were being modest with me, so I quietly gathered my harvest and offered to share with some of my peers, but none would accept my kindness. It then dawned on me that something was amiss. My excitement suddenly waned as one old man approached and inquired after my identity. After gathering all the information as to my name and who my father was, he promptly returned to the hut and I could see him conferring with the other elders who were waiting in anticipation. There was deafening silence around me as the women and children discussed in whispers. I never felt such loneliness in all my life in the midst of a crowd. I managed to scurry home. Before I could settle down to share my experience with my mother there was an approaching long line of old men backed by half a dozen of drumming youths following my trail. They ended up in my father’s compound. They outnumbered the chairs in our house and it would be an offence to keep some of them standing. So my mother and my elder sisters expressly skipped off to borrow any seats that could be reached within the neighbourhood. After some preliminary introductory rituals it became clear to me that those men had come to penalize my father for the fruits I forced down from the community tree. As I hid behind a window blind to observe the proceedings, I could guess that the penalty far outweighed my offence. I could hear one of the elders jokingly say to my father that since he doesn’t live in the village, it was a pleasure to share of his wealth this one time. I had thought to protest but had been restrained by my mother who warned that any interruption of the proceedings would amount to contempt of court and would attract further penalties.
When I look back to that embarrassment, extortion, humiliation and disappointment suffered by my father for my sake and for a mess of porridge, so to say, I feel terribly humbled to think of the arraignment, trial and subsequent crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the hands of His own people. He, who had no sin, was made to die a sinner’s death, which the Westminster’s dictionary of the Bible says “was literally a judicial murder.” (ibid. 308). After abducting Him to the house of Annas the father-in-law of Caiaphas for preliminary examination, he was hastened before Pontius Pilate to seek to obtain the governor’s approval as the lower court lacked jurisdiction to handle such a case. Seeing no basis for granting the leave of court, Governor Pilate had to order for the Messiah to be transported to President Herod Antipas who also was reluctant to exercise jurisdiction but for the pressure mounted on him by the fraudulent crowd. (Luke 22: 66-71; 23:7-11). The Holy Scriptures say that Jesus died for no crime and without any real legal process. His execution was carried out by 4 soldiers under the supervision of a centurion. With him also 2 common robbers were led to death. (John 19:23). Eye-witness account of St. John, who was not very far from the scene of crucifixion, saw blood and water issue from the wound that had been inflicted upon Jesus Christ. That goes to prove that there was apparent external bleeding. But it does appear that his eventual death was occasioned not by the outward injuries but by the broken heart exhibited by the utterances he had voiced as he hung on the accursed tree, such as “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34).
In the present dispensation, a lawyer would have offered to plead my case and cause the judge to enter a verdict of ‘first offender’ and acquit me as a minor. But ignorance, they say, is no excuse. The contemplation of my inability to denounce or challenge what I considered to be undue exploitation of my father and the lack of defence on my trial left a sour taste on my tongue. I had resolved not to return home ever again for another Christmas holidays if that was how to treat an innocent fruit-loving boy. I had also resolved never again to taste that genre of fruit for all I care. But my father could not be deterred by that unfriendly attitude of his kindred.
Mary Baker Eddy, the founder and Discoverer of Christian Science movement, in her book Science and Health with key to the Scriptures, writes that “the atonement of Christ reconciled man to God, not God to man, for the divine Principle of Christ is God……” (ibid 18:17). God had not at any point in time separated Himself from His creation. The Bible says that we are his image and likeness (reflection) (Genesis 1:26-27). But man sought to hide from the presence of his Creator by consequence of the sin we commit. Jesus was aware of this disposition of his false accusers hence he presently begged the Father to “forgive then, for they know not what they do.” Thus he paved the way for reconciliation between man and God. Mary Baker Eddy writes further that ‘The design of Love is to reform the sinner. If the sinner’s punishment here has been insufficient to reform him, the good man’s heaven would be a hell to the sinner. (Science & Health page 33:30-1). But if the sinner would rely on the plea made on his behalf by Jesus Christ and continue to sin and expect to be pardoned by the all-merciful Father, should this not be a mockery of the suffering that Christ bore on the cross? The purpose of that manner of death was not to erase man’s sin and license him to commit sin with reckless abandon, but to show that sin occasions punishment and that only by the destruction of sin and by true reformation can man hope of attaining eternal forgiveness. For this cause are we being admonished to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13). A pastor friend of mine once argued that the Scriptures say, “…. For we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God….” As far as I am concerned, he sounded defeatist. I had said to him, “so what?” Many people seem to share the same view that having once fallen; we should just lay there and pray for our salvation to come from the cross. I am inclined to refer once again to Mary Baker Eddy’s argument that though the principle of mathematics has already been established, but we cannot stand before the blackboard and invoke the problem of maths to solve itself. It has to be worked out by the student in accordance with the established principle; else we get the wrong answer. So is the principle of individual salvation. Jesus has mapped out the way for us to follow, and only those who tread that path can expect to get to the destination point. He had said in substance, “I am the Life, the Truth and the Way.” Therefore, if we are seeking to live our life to the fullest, we must truthfully follow along the right Way. This is the only guarantee for life eternal.
If I fail to return to my village on account of what I had considered an unjust customary practice, that would not change my status as a bona-fide citizen, neither would my dislike for apple stop the tree from bearing fruits. Man is not annihilated, nor does he lose his identity, by passing through the belief called death. We cannot continue in sin because someone has paid the penalty. Our only guarantee for peace is the abolition of any occasion of sin in our individual lives. God has given us the ability to overcome all evil and nothing can deprive us of that authority.

CSPractitioners.com - Benin Practitioner Directory

CSPractitioners.com - Benin Practitioner Directory

URANIUM

URANIUM: Gains and Pains

URANIUM FIND: Gains and Pains
Vincent NNANNA
We are simulating something closely resembling the spiritual term ‘omniscience’ by being able to share vast amounts of information over tremendous networks. Nineteenth century concepts of what was called a ‘billiard board universe’ has dissolved into relativity and the more recent so-called ‘principle of uncertainty.’ As a result, the atom has split, atomic and nuclear energy are being tapped to increase by a vast degree the availability of physical power which has already leapt over great barriers. Yet the general feeling is that we have been able to chip away only a few fragments from the mountain of knowledge. Looming ahead of us, practically intact, lies a huge mass of fundamental facts any one of which, if uncovered, could change our civilization in a manner never before known.
Whereas these developments portend of high economic gains, political superiority amongst equals, security advantage, et cetera, one cannot loose sight of the adverse consequences that could result from a misuse or deliberate abuse. Fire, they say, is a good servant, but could be a very stubborn master.
Only recently, it has been reported that Uranium deposits have been discovered in some six states of Nigeria by the Atomic Energy Division of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. This silvery-white radioactive metallic element was first discovered in the Liruai hills in Kano state and in the Kigo hills near Dorowa on the Jos plateau. Other states where the find have been reported are Adamawa, Cross River, Taraba and Bauchi respectively. This indeed is a heart-warming news not only to the federal government but to the people of the concerned states. At least the derivation revenue accruing to mineral-based states is going to boost the coffers of the states’ Treasury. To the country at large, this means a drastic shift from the problematic crude oil sector to some less competitive enterprise.
According to studies, not many countries of the world are endowed with the radioactive mineral which makes Uranium highly priced and of high value. It is obtained from the ore uranite which occurs in small bodies of granite containing pyrochlore with 3.3 per cent uranium oxide, 3.3 per cent thorium oxide and 41.1 per cent niobium and tantalum oxides.
However, uranium mining being an area of significant interest in the world at present, it is necessary to inform and assist the resident communities (potential victims of radiation) identify the key issues and rights associated with uranium mining. It is our aspiration that the USES, GAINS as well as related health HAZARDS of uranium shall be understood and the determination of the future arrived at soberly and appropriately.
It should be known and properly understand that uranium mining has stimulated immense distress in respect to environmental and radiation aspects over the last three decades around the globe.
Indeed, from the economic perspective it is clear there might be an opportunity for countries endowed with this mineral deposit to profit immensely from its exploitation. However, it is necessary to raise this supreme and most fundamental question whether or not the economic benefits outweigh the social concerns and hazards considering that the life span could only be between 10-12 years.
The government and the general public should be aware that:
Uranium mining carries the danger of airborne radioactive dust and the release of radioactive radon gas and its decay products which is hazardous to the general public and workers.
Uranium has radiological consequences for employees if not well protected risking development of lung cancer and other pulmonary diseases.
There will be contamination of water resource use with the toxic chemicals used in the separation of the uranium ore.
Mismanagement of uranium disposal waste from leaching ore can have long term health and environmental consequences.
Environmentalists and Environmental protection Agencies as well as Human Rights Organisations and other concerned Non-governmental organisations might not achieve every goal and may concede to lack of scientific and legal authority to realize the necessary goals immediately but, assistance and assurance from the relevant authorities that fight to preserve and monitor the environment for posterity will certainly come.

Looking Inward

USE WHAT YOU HAVE
The wise counsel to use what one has, may sound ambiguous to many who consider themselves as belonging to the category of have-nots. The ambiguity lies in the fact that people always look outside for happiness or sadness. But if we can pause for a moment and look inside of ourselves by way of introspection, we would be astonished at how much potentialities are buried within our treasure vaults. Vincent NNANNA

A twentieth century philosopher says that every child comes to earth with its own supplies. This axiom, much as it is not some argument in favour of what is considered by many as the principle of predestination, points to the fact that each human being possesses in equal measure the same spiritual elements derived from our Creator. This is supported by the fact in the first Book of the Bible which says that God made man (and woman) in His image, after His likeness. (Genesis chapter 1 verse 26). A grain of rice if sowed in the soil cannot sprout forth to yield mango fruits any more than the image and likeness of God can be anything less than its Creator. God being omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresence, man and woman made in his likeness must of necessity, possess all power, be all-knowing and can be ever-present. In essence, man coexists with the Creator. The image before the mirror cannot be different from who or what it reflects. This is the fact which prophet Elisha sought to establish when a widow who had lost her husband in a battle tended to believe that the end had come for her and her two sons who were about to be whisked away by creditors on account of some huge debt she had inherited from her late husband. While she looked up to her creditors for debt reschedulement or conditions other than taking away her two sons into slavery, Prophet Elisha turned her attention inward to the realization of her true worth. Obviously, a debt that would warrant the confiscation of a widow’s two male children should be worth more than the value of a mere pot of oil. But this widow had between her and the creditors a pot of oil and her two sons.
To get a clearer picture of the situation, let us look at the Hebrew meaning of pot. This word is rendered sir, a vessel made of various sizes, and of different materials, earthenware and metal; and used for manifold purposes, such as boiling flesh, reforming metals and storing water for domestic use or oil. Tracing African history back to our Jewish ancestry, one could compare the pot of oil to our ancient earthen water pots or calabash with capacity ranging from 10 to 15 litres. My mother has one.
Doesn’t it sound bizarre to ask a widow who has inherited a debt she did not incur, to go a borrowing? The average person will consider this command as a suicide bid. But that looks like what the radical prophet asked the woman to embark upon. After he had assessed the woman’s agonizing condition, and seeking to help her out of her delusion, he had inquired of her what she had left in store. That is to say, how much is she worth? Many people in responding to this type of inquiry would be inclined to answering in the negative considering the insignificant quantity of the pot of oil vis-à-vis the huge debt burden hanging on her neck like an albatross. Many a times we consider what we have as too little in proportion to our liabilities, and we end up declaring that we don’t have anything at all.
It is an established law of nature that gratitude for benefits already received engenders the opportunity for more blessings. The widow’s recognition of what resources she had, no matter how little, turned out to be the catalyst for abundant blessings that attended her confession. It didn’t matter to the prophet how little oil the woman had. It didn’t matter that she was already a celebrated debtor. It didn’t bother him that society would naturally turn down an appeal for loan from a chronic debtor. All he cared for was that this outwardly poor widow had some hidden treasure which she recognized and had acknowledged. He then says to her, “Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours’ even empty vessels; borrow not a few” (II Kings 4:3). Hard word, you think. But the first approach to obtaining our miracle is gratitude for benefits already received. This involves recognition of spiritual endowments which take various forms with various people. The second step is in humble and implicit obedience to the voice of wisdom. This can come in the form of a good counsel from an expert, a suggestion from a not-too important person by human assessment, or the still small voice. The widow’s response to those rules is most exemplary, for she promptly dispatched her two sons to the task of borrowing empty vessels of all shapes and sizes from apprehensive neighbours. She did not fear that her creditors might lay hands on the boys and kidnap them on account of the debt. She disobeyed traffic rules. She did not question what to do with empty vessels from neighbours, some of whom she had not interacted with for some time since she retired into self solitude. She simply followed orders like a soldier in the infantry division of the army. According to the Scripture, she did not go about gossiping her situation with neighbours or trying to consult other women regarding the prophet’s queer counsel. She simply locked up herself and started filling the empty vessels from the meager supply without any iota of doubt whatsoever. It appears to me that oil was in short supply at that season of the year hence she couldn’t afford more than one small pot, and there were many empty containers in the city.
Having exhausted all the empty vessels in the city, the man of God who had stood guard between the woman and the God of abundance now came down from the figurative mountain, gave thanks to the almighty and ordered the ever-grateful widow, “Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest (II Kings 4:7(b).
Looking at external exigencies of life denies us of the opportunity of recognizing the seed of God implanted in our very bosom. Comparing ourselves with others makes us loose sight of our own capabilities. It is only in recognizing our heaven-endowed treasures can we be truly grateful, which in turn, begets multiple blessings. On the other hand, constantly resorting to our inward part will link us to the voice of silence and make us aware of whatever steps or direction the almighty intends for us to follow. As the Scripture say, “thine ear shall hear a word behind thee saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30: 21). A song I learned in early childhood says, “Count your blessings, and name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”
There is no limit to what God can do except the limitations in your thinking as to what God cannot do.

(In)Dependence

(In)dependence :
The Journey so far:
After being set free by his task-master, one African slave is said to have pleaded with his master’s spouse to intercede on his behalf that he should remain within the confines of the estate. Fact is not that he has no place to return to or does he not have relatives to receive him back into his ancestral home. He had simply gotten comfortable with his state of servitude and cannot contemplate fitting into any other environment whatsoever. Vincent NNANNA

The same can be said of many African countries. Our colonial masters conceded to granting us independence after some protracted battles or dialogues with our forebears. It is on record that no African nation got her independence on a platter of gold. In some cases, lives had to be sacrificed among other dehumanising experiences. Knowing not what the future portends, our inexperienced pioneer politicians had inadvertently conceded to agreements that carried the ‘enslavement clause’ on our behalf. It is this conditionality that now accounts for the myriad of neo-colonial tendencies that seem to clog most of African democracies.
As we are becoming more conscious of the need to be completely independent, the need arises as to how best to completely disengage ourselves from the strangleholds of our former colonial masters.
A debris-infested stream can only be sanitised from the source. It logically follows that for us to break the jinx of colonial enslavement; we have to go back to the drawing board. It is not imperative, though that all countries of Africa must of necessity try to be independent just for the sake of it. Certain options have to be considered against the odds. The first question to ask is what was the interest of the colonial masters? This implies knowing what resources – human or natural – that attracted their presence in the first instance. One could ask what alternative resources there are at the present moment and how much of external or internal resistance there would be against the quest for independence. This consideration is very vital as it has been discovered that at the root of every clamour for a restoration of the status quo (that is returning to the pre-colonial era), are some highly placed members (aborigines) of the country in question. Most of these neo-colonialists are known to have in one way or the other been benefiting from the exploits of the ‘masters;’ and could not see the possibility of enjoying the same privileges under an independent dispensation. Getting to know whether there exist the needed manpower and technology to manage the situation and the resources profitably will not be a bad idea. In the absence of such variables, by all means, remaining attached to the master would be fundamental to the continued existence of any given colony. In that case, a colony should think of how much longer it can afford to remain attached while planning on long-term cessation strategy. Otherwise, it will be foolhardy to negotiate for independence when one does not know what to do with it.
If we must tow the line of secessionism, however, while back at the drawing board one needs to properly negotiate for total and uncompromising independence. No royalties. No appendages. No bi-lateral co-operation or military support strings should attend such negotiations. To be truly independent, a nation should have some level of national earning power and well-trained human resources that should form the nucleus of her Gross Domestic Product. Rather than have ourselves perpetually tied to the apron strings of colonial powers for reasons of economic relief, African countries should seek to initiate inter-regional or trans-regional cooperation and exchanges whereby the richer countries would extend every manner of assistance to the not-too-rich ones; uniting in one grand brotherhood.
To be able to harness their resources properly, the spirit of patriotism should be inculcated on the citizenry. This demands reciprocity on the part of government. That is to say, a citizen ought to have good reasons to be proud to swear allegiance to the country that affords him succour. Ethnic, social or religious and other forms of discriminating structures should be dismantled. Above all, freedom of expression and respect to fundamental human rights should form the bedrock of the country’s existential code.
Experts say that technology cannot be transferred. But we also know that it can be acquired. Therefore, in order to ensure sustainability, a nation should be liberal in despatching her citizens on scholarships to other developed countries for the purpose of acquiring skills in various fields pertinent to the future development of her resources – human or mineral-based.
Alongside this strategy, it should encourage private sector investment by putting in place investor-friendly policies that will encourage individuals that have abilities to embark on healthy entrepreneurial activities that will in turn contribute to the economic well-being of the nation at large.
A policy of heavy taxation of private or corporate investors has been known to be counter-productive. It has led to so many cases of fraudulent practices aimed at circumventing the established system. On the other hand, some foreign investors have tried to shy away from investing into the country even when there seem to exist some other attractive parameters such as a peaceful environment or a Freeport policy. It has to be acknowledged that not all countries do have mineral resources, but granted that no country is built on the sky; one would expect that the soil ought to be the first place to conquer for the propagation and development of her economy. This places agriculture at the top of the list. As the debate or genetically modified (GM) cropping rages on, there have been evidences of bumper harvests deriving from experimenting on this new technology. Records have shown huge foreign exchange earnings accruing from GM flower export by Kenya and Zambia. Fears are rife that some Asian countries will soon cease completely or trim down their import of raw materials from Africa because of their success in GM crop production especially in the field of cotton. Their complaint is that African traditional farming method yields meagre results and is slow in arriving.
A great percentage of African human resources are wasting by reason of lack of skills acquisition. Many people could not benefit from the fortune of knowing the four walls of any educational institution – be it primary, secondary or tertiary. A lot more of our abundant human resources have found harbinger in foreign economies where the pastures are greener. Others who have some skills cannot gain employment either in government or in the private sector. Micro-finance institutions are not helping matters on account of rigid and impossible demands from potential entrepreneurs.
The last thing any sensible human being can do is watch the hands of death try to snatch him of his right to exist. A cursory peep into the prison yards will unfold some trend of confessions from the inmates across the continent. Majority of the prisoners consist of petty thieves who had to steal to keep body and soul together. The other category that is on a recycling list is fraudsters who have chosen to unleash their venom on the affluent members of society who they hold responsible for their misfortune. One other class of armed bandits has the same reason as the fraudsters, but they carry their anger to the extremes by choosing not to be lenient with the society at large. Their revenge is known to be disproportionate.
Before we drift farther into anarchy, let African governments device a means of making every citizen not only seem to feel but apparently feel a sense of belonging. The hierarchy of fundamental human needs should be respected by ensuring that the average citizen has a roof over his head, can afford some clothing and at least a square meal per day. Unemployment scheme should be introduced whereby a near-accurate data of every unemployed citizen is registered. This data would serve as a bank or grid for manpower development according to individual abilities and interests. Micro-financing should be decentralized to ensure that deserving investors from even the remotest corners of the country can draw there from and be accountable to their local peer monitoring team.
It is certain that this exercise, if religiously implemented, will result in drastic reduction in crime rate and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation. Such a nation cannot afford no to be independent.

MORALISING CARTOON

CARTOON WITH SOME MORAL

As nations unite once again in one heart and one voice to celebrate football (soccer) at the 2006 World Soccer Tournament, tagged “Germany 2006,” one cannot help being attracted to one unique advertisement which, as far as I can tell, has some moral to inculcate. The message of forgiveness, reconciliation, tolerance and unity of purpose or universality seem to be imbedded in that one cartoon. It depicts a butcher about to cut into pieces a bird that he has already (un)dressed. There is a laboratory scientist about to inject some substance into a guinea-pig. Talk about an inflated balloon about to be pierced by some prickly plant. And there is a stoutly dwarf who embraces in jubilation, some gigantic and muscular neighbour who had invaded his privacy. The cartoon also depicts a lumberman who, halfway through hewing down a forest, had to change his mind as he and the tree engage themselves in a warm embrace to hail a winning team. For the sake of the nostalgia of football, these characters had to literally bury the hatchet and hold their antagonists in warm embrace. Each and every one of us has a right to life, to __expression of our emotions and sentiments among other rights. How many do exercise these rights let alone know them is the big question that does not yet have a satisfactory positive response. Try extending a warm handshake or a peck, why not a hearty embrace, if you can. To the extent that you exert warmth towards your guest, the same measure will you feel.

PITY PARTY LONELINESS

ALONE AT A PITY PARTY : By Vincent NNANNA
A crowd of more than 2000 guests honoured a birthday party. That included some generals among other high ranking army and naval officers and some well-known political juggernaughts. That is the way it is when one could be numbered among the cream of the society. In a city of a little more than one and a half million inhabitants, any party that can garner as much as 2000 personalities is rated as a bash. The Scriptures give an account of a certain rich man who made a supper and invited people of his class. When the supper was ready he started receiving apologies and excuses for absence instead. (Luke 14:1620). One need not be counted as rich, but if one is in good rapport with neighbours and the society at large, people will naturally want to identify with you.
That was not the case with the man by the pool at Bethesda near the sheep market in Jerusalem. (John 5:4). When Jesus Christ inquired of him whether he would be made whole, rather than respond directly to a simple inquiry, he would rather start singing his pity party song of what he considered the impediments that stand on his way. He says in effect, "Master, you can see that I am all alone. The people around here do not care about my condition. They are all so self-centred." The second segment of his party song runs like this: "Even the angel whose duty it is to stir the water is not helping matters either. He does not reside here permanently. He comes at special times. And his presence is always very brief." As this man goes forth and back with his complaints, he brings his family history into the picture, and he says, "I have nobody." Having nobody is the point of departure between success and failure in a great number of human endeavours. Seeking employment in some big organisation, getting a raise in work place, obtaining admission into higher institutions, obtaining visa to countries of high economic value, etc; demand having connexions in high places if one must succeed in obtaining some favour. Thus having nobody was a significant factor that contributed to the inability of the impotent man to get out of his condition. It is not unusual for people to ask for complimentary (name cards), of someone they consider important in their life. Some people go to the extent of demanding testimonials which they can attach to their profile to show how closely related they are to some important personalities. This only serves to show what importance people attach to having ‘somebody.’ But the man at the pool had nobody. And that gave him cause to indulge in self-pity.
Pity party celebrants are always alone. They have nobody to party with them. If you ever have a guest at your pity party, your situation will rather deteriorate. The more guests you have, the worse your situation gets. Such guests come not to commiserate with you but to make your illusion seem like a reality. They come to show you sympathy and give you some sense of self-justification. The friends of Job came to sympathise with his situation as Job began to question the wisdom of God. Those sympathisers did not help Job’s situation. (Job Chapters 20 – 31).
But the man by the pool had one distinguished guest who made a difference. As he was having some tête-à-tête with this heavenly guest, there were great expectations that Jesus might probably call down the angel especially for this man’s sake so that some majestic fiat will issue to stay others from entering the pool at that moment. One could see feelings of resentment across the faces of those other patients waiting to take their turns into the pool. To their utter disappointment, this guest had a different agenda. He was not there to add to the man’s sorrows or to cause some reluctant angels to come down to stir the waters. Jesus’ mission is to destroy the belief in unreality.
Amidst all the mixed expectations, Jesus says to the man, "Take up your bed and walk." In so saying, Jesus brought to light the fact that having nobody is not relevant to our salvation or success in life. The Scriptures tell us that one with God is with majority. Jesus also demonstrated that recounting unfriendly attitude of people towards us does not help or improve our situation. He showed that reliance on material objects like diving into the pool is not necessary to receiving healing. He says, "I am the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6). He also promises that whoever believes in Him will not see death.
Rather than dwelling on pity parties, and recounting our woes of how people relate to us and how we do not have any body to help us, we should look unto Christ, (the author and finisher of our faith); as the sole guest at our party. We should look away from matter for the resolution of our problems. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder and discoverer of the Christian Science Movement, in her book Science & Health with key to the Scriptures, writes, "Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts." She goes on to say, that "If one turns away from the body with such absorbed interest as to forget it, the body experiences no pain." (S&H. Page 261, Lines 4 – 11). We should, like the man at the pool, follow divine orders to "rise, take up our bed, and walk." Completely healed. This is the true identity of man: A perfect mind and a perfect body.

PRUDENCE @ HOLIDAY PERIOD

PRUDENCE @ HOLIDAY TIMES : Vincent NNANNA
During the next 3 months beginning July 1st through September 30th 2006, pupils and students in Benin republic are on long vacation. As schools remain closed during this period, pupils and students would not take some break from activities. While many of them engage in what has come to be known as traditional ‘holiday courses,’ most of them, especially the girls, would be seen at all the wrong places for all the wrong reasons, around the cities.
Worried by this unholy perambulation during long vacations, the Benin government in collaboration with some international institutions such as the UNICEF has introduced a scheme aimed at providing relief packages to encourage as many girls as possible to have access to fairly subsidised schooling. Unfortunately, though, not many of the beneficiaries do appreciate the value of the scheme.
Little wonder that as soon as schools are on break, most of them resort to doing what they know best – prostituting. One cannot deny the fact that there are some nice girls, however, who, by reason of their good parental upbringing and strong religious background, are persuaded by moral suasion not to have themselves tangled in the wrangle.
The notorious prostitutes’ enclave popularly known as ‘Jonquet’ would be overcrowded with ‘new kids in town.’ Male clients consisting in the main, of white-skinned businessmen and some sailors usually scramble for these new and young girls for a change. The older professionals do not bother because, afteral, they are the ones that offer shelter to these school girls and hire them out to their customers on commission basis.
These girls can be classed into three categories, namely:
1. Some final year students who believe that they have no chances of gaining any employment opportunity. They cling to the axiom of ‘making hay while the sun shines.’
2. There are the insatiable sex maniacs who would grab at the slimmest excuse to return to their stock-in-trade.
3. There is the unfortunate child from very poor families who have no other means of sustenance, and find lucrative bed-mate in the sex market.
As the saying goes, one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. It logically follows that when schools are back on course, those who have smeared themselves in filth will return to classes with unbearable influence to corrupt their unsuspecting peers. Their manner of conversation, spending habit, seductive allurements, drinking and smoking tendencies, extravagant display of dirty fortune; would naturally overwhelm even some teachers. Before long, prompted by some instinct of curiosity, the innocent peer groups will begin to wonder how their mates have suddenly burst into some fortune. The danger lies in the fact that the need to satisfy this curiosity can lead to most of the unsuspecting children being initiated into the crime world.
The bottom-line of the entire hullabaloo is that the maternities are replete with more expectant mothers. The clinics play host to more patients with sexually-transmitted diseases. Police cells are filled with night wanderers who could not satisfactorily explain their motive for being caught at odd places at night. Above all, the cities begin to experience increased crime rate.
To arrest the situation from escalating further, more emphasis should be placed on sex education at all levels of child upbringing including the home, religious institutions as well as educational institutions. The dangers of HIV/AIDS should be made a reality by encouraging more talk-shops. Radios, Newspapers and Television houses should devote prime time moments for enlightening the public on the dangers of single-parenthood, the implications of unwanted pregnancies, the far-reaching consequences of sexually-transmitted diseases, the stigma associated with prostitution, infant mortality and deaths resulting from premature pregnancies.
A stitch in time, they say, saves nine.

Gains of Bénin President's Tour

GAINS OF BONI YAYI’S STATE VISITS
arely 24 hours after his inauguration as Bénin’s number one man, President Boni Yayi had embarked on his first but curious tour which took him to Nigeria. Since then, he has visited other African countries on what is referred to as working visit. The fallout from these trips has proved that indeed they were working trips. Some of the countries visited by President Boni Yayi include :
Þ Nigeria: President Boni Yayi’s first port of call had to be Nigeria. Undoubtedly, the invitation must have transpired during the swearing-in ceremony in Porto-Novo with Nigeria’s Head of State, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in conscpicuous presence. That trip was not unexpected because, charity, they say, begins at home. And Nigeria being the country in closest proximity to Bénin is like home to many Beninese. Not just that. History has it that a great number of Beninese have their root in Nigeria in addition to trans-frontier economic activities between the two countries both in the formal and informal sectors. It therefore becomes expedient and natural for the two governments to work hands in gloves to harness the already existing healthy relationship between them.
Þ Senegal : Before his election as Benin president, Boni Yayi’s presence in Senegal had been some source of pride not only to the host country but to the banking industry at large, where Boni Yayi occupied the hot seat of the African Developement Bank at its headquarters in Dakar. President Abdoulaye Wade could not have missed being closely related to the banker-turned-politician which advantage he would now exploit to be counted among the first African presidents to play host to Bénin’s first gentleman. President Boni Yayi government’s acquisition of what has come to be known as technocratic embelishment stems from the crop of specially skilled manpower (however few), that he drew from his former banking outfit in Dakar.
Þ Mali/Niger : These are two countries whose nearness and dearness to Bénin cannot be ignored. The volume of trade between these countries and Bénin coupled with the apparent number of migrant traders from these countries really calls for attention.
Togo/Ghana : Though the President is yet to visit these two countries, that does not mean that they are being undermined. Hardly can one get out of Bénin from the side of the equator without encountering Togo and Ghana. Benin on its part has served as land of refuge for displaced Togolese and Ghanaians alike during their moments of political turmoil.
Gabon : The first emigrants from DAHOMEY to Gabon dates back to early 18th century. More than 200 years after the first movement, people of both countries still have a reason to interact culturally, socially, economically and politically. What with the recent donation of a sum of 20 million francs CFA by President Omar BONGO to the good people of Bénin resident in Libreville. This is indeed a clear testimony of the love and hospitality spirit existing between the two countries. Therefore, President Boni Yayi’s visit to Gabon can be perceived as being only natural.
Libyia : Given the prominent role being played by President Moumar Gadhafi in the African Union, it behooves of any right thinking African leader to seek to get as close to him as possible. This is one gentlemen that has publicly denounced acts of terrorism to the admiration of the G-8 and particularly the United States.
The Windfall : To the uninformed mind, these trips embarked upon by President Boni Yayi would look like a further drain on the country’s non-existent savings. But from economic perspective, what he has embarked upon is the most effective way of seeking to revitalise an ailing economy. In the words of this double-laurette economist, during his recent visit to the Hubert Maga University Teaching Hospital, " If an institution that is supposed to cater for sick persons is itself sick, it has to sought remedy first from external source in order to be able to fulfil its function effectively." (emphasis mine). Needless to say, these trips, judging from the economic variables, one should not expect to see the results within a very short period of time. Yet some evidences of bright llight at the end of the tunnel can be noticed in so many quarters. The aviation industry, the agricultural sector, the petroleum products distribution zone, and international trade, to mention just a few, have started breathing some air of revitalisation, and it certainly wont be long before the real windfall will become generally felt. Obviously, Béninese should give kudos to this God-sent regime of President Thomas Boni Yayi.

ICT as an Enterprise

WHAT IS THE BEST BUSINESS MODEL FOR ONLINE JOURNALISM ?
In suggesting what should be the best business model for online journalism, I am tempted to say that no model can be said to be the best. Forging a workable should depend largely on the needs of the environment. So, for anyone to prosper in this field, one should be conversant with what is needed by the majority of the consumers in his locality. Another factor to consider is what has been already offered by other service providers (i.e. your competitors).
2. CAN THE MEDIA MAKE MONEY ONLINE ?
This question would have received a ‘No’ answer from me some three years back. But having been involved with online buying and selling, I am aware that many people could be said to have accumulated much wealth just by sitting before the magic screen and typing away their time.
3. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CREATIVE WAYS OF GENERATING REVENUE ONLINE ?
One way is to ask for subscription at an attractive (not prohibitive) rate.
Another way is to make your site juicy so that people will prefer it to other sites. By this, I mean to say that one has to diversify his/her scope of coverage. Once, your site is acceptable to 50 persons, and they remain regular clients, there are chances to quadruple that figure in no distant time.
4. WHAT SERVICES CAN WE DEVELOP FOR ONLINE AS NEWS ORGANISATION ?
Apart from regular ‘hot’ news items, one can also provide on-line shopping for scarce commodities. Quiz competitions of intellectual nature will be a good sale for your site. Feedback facility on debates of popular interest will also go. Issues, for example, as whether to try Charles Taylor in Siera-Leon or at the Haigh, will certainly attract large traffic. At the local level, one can get some religious bodies to advertise their activities online. Chat rooms can be developed for debates for similar organisations.

5. WHAT ELEMENTS OF "OLD MEDIA" BUSINESS MODEL CAN WE TRANSFER ONLINE ?
Radio frequencies can be transferred online. Movies, like soap operas can also be moved to the online media for ‘subscribers only’.

6. WHO CAN BE INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING OUR ONLINE BUSINESS MODEL ?
Online business journalism is not restrictive. Once you know what is involved, anybody who has been into media practice can equally do media online. All you need is internet literacy.

Strengthening the African Media

I wish to make the following remark with regard to what it takes to strengthen the media. Perhaps an empirical example might help. Here in Bénin republic, during the just concluded presidential electioneering campaign, the media distinguished itself as a body to be respected. How did it happen? A few weeks before the campaign flagged off, the media regulatory body did organize seminars for journalists where series of slogans, guidelines, bill boards and sensitizing instruments were shared. Of course, sanctions were attached to any violation of those guidelines. Some two media houses tried to play the old game. They received the sledge-hammer. They were banned from covering the elections. That means loosing a great percentage of their audience/readers for as long as the elections lasted. Other media houses were put on toes as a result of that punitive measure. It might be interesting to note that at least a quarter of the media houses are owned by politicians or have some measure of leaning. Yet, decorum was the order of the day. Many international observers who came to Bénin during the elections did not leave without commending the Bénin media. The level of respect the media in Benin commands, not only from politicians, the government, or from members of the civil society, is unparralleled. It stands to reason that, should any media organisation in Benin seek to obtain some outside assistance to strengthen itself, it will certainly receive positive response, on account of that tongue of good report. Alas, the same cannot be said of many other African media. My submission, therefore, is that building a sustainable institution to bolster the public sphere and help nurture effective states, has to begin with establishing a credible media.

Verification

TRIGGER QUESTIONS What does ICT Journalism means to you?
Information and Communication Techniques Journalism is the art of using modern technology to disseminate information with professional touch.
Can ICT makes a difference in Journalism?
ICT will make a big impact in journalism as it is already doing. That is to say, journalists who possess the additional capacity to source information via the internet, and have the modern technology such as the PC and its accompanying soft and hardwares, telephone, et cetera, perform better, deliver faster and are more accurate.Are we going to see the death of newspapers due to ICTs?
I do not envisage any threat to newspaper publishing as a result of ICT. Newspapers are only going to be more worth-the-while and substantial when the ICT revolution is brought to bear on its content and final publication .How does ICT change Journalism?
Journalism will no longer be boring. Interviews that usually take long period of time to schedule can be arranged and done with in a twinkle of an eye. Facts cannot be obliterated, because the one journalist is aware that whatever information is is processing can always be verified independently whenever people are in doubt.What was the most useful information did you get through reading of lecture notes and readings?
I never knew that blogging was one useful tool for posting private information. I am also excited about the innumerable opportunities that about with ICT development. What is the most important ICT tools in your news organisation?
My radio station have since adopted the processing of reportage via the mobile phone. Minidisk recorders have replaced the antiquated cassette recording mechanism. Computers are available for word processing. With that, one can hardly encounter serious spelling or grammatical errors that used to be common especially with the print media. Copies of texts can simply be scanned and converted instead of having to re-type a whole bunch of texts.How can we generate more stories about ICTs?
Our individual and collective contributions born out of enthusiastic research work and personal experiences can form a big story about ICT.

Vincent NNANNA,
03 BP 1628, Cotonou, Benin.
Tel: +(229)97444619 & 93478254

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Three types of journalists exist. The next-of-kin journalist, who happens to be there because the media house is a family property. The cocktail journalist, who appears at state functions and does not miss any of those grandoise that are peculiar to the environment. The conscientious journalist or journalist of conscience is there because of his honest and soul-touching conviction that what, who, why, when, where and how issues should be critically analysed and addressed to the satisfaction of all concerned, thus guaranteeing a society free from suspicion and mistrust. Few there are that venture onto this path. I am proud to belong to the minority group. What about you?

Vincent NNANNA