Ekiti Rerun 'Why Fayemi is Salvation for nation'

Here is a audio purported to be of a sitting Governor planning the subversion of the Constitution of Nigeria. This is the impunity that has to be stopped in Ekiti State in particular and Nigeria at large. It is time to challenge the Power at any cost brigade or else we will lose another Republic. Vote Fayemi to save Nigeria from impunity of the PDP.

Holding the Pentecostal Movement to Account is a must.

I have posted many times about those who use God to exploit the sentimentalist amongst us. It is time for those who truly love Christ to stand up against those who use his name for their own material comfort and consumption. It is especially time to rescue Nigerian society from the corrosive influence of a religious movement that suggest that passivity and supplication is the road to material success which is in turn the standard for spiritual redemption. We have monitized God the ultimate rent seeking agenda is now being played out by those who are middle men or arrangees fro the 'Almighty'. Say what you might about South Africans at least they stand for something other than the fulfillment of their stomach. Read below.

South Africans vow to sack Christ Embassy… As authorities humiliate Chris Oyakhilome at airport

“As South Africans, we will not rest until Chris and his cohorts are out of our country. We have fought very hard to release this country from the clutches of apartheid not to have hoaxes like them come and rape our economic and social system.”
This was the touching expression of despair by a South African and a former member of Christ Embassy who now thinks that the church is one big hoax. There had been tales of stage-managed miracles at Christ Embassy but now a number of sources close to the church confided in huhuonline.com that some of the tales may be true after all. They narrated a number of incidents that has compelled them to doubt the authenticity of the Christ Embassy Church in South Africa .
Our source gave an instance of a lady that had been sitting on a wheel chair in the healing line, she had been sitting there for hours while waiting for the man of God to come and minister to her. When nature called, she forgot she was supposed to act paralyzed. And there she was standing and running to the toilet. Minutes after that, she received serious tongue-lashing from the Healing School pastors for the great embarrassment she caused. No one really understood this because she was not allowed to return to the wheel chair as people had seen her dash off to the toilet. Her empty wheel chair was wheeled out of the room.

Chris Oyakhilome
Another source recalled that a similar incident had transpired in the Healing School when another supposedly bed-ridden faithful was pushed to the toilet by a church member who had volunteered to help at the Healing School . On getting there with the helper, she stood by herself and went in. The helper screamed, rejoicing that a miracle had already taken place. She was shocked to see this patient also receiving serious reprimand for standing without aid.
Huhuonline.com also gathered that an old woman who ministers next to Pastor Chris , called Deaconess Pat, many refer to as mommy in South Africa, who lays hands on women on Chris’ behalf and instruction was said to have warned some South Africans not to bring their children nor give their money to the money making scheme. Her words were, “this is not a church”. She also made mention of the fact that her own children are in full time church ministry but none are in Christ Embassy. She was quoted as saying that she is only at Christ Embassy because it is a job for her.
There is an interesting sub-unit in the Christ Embassy Church called the ‘Haven’. It largely consists of select members that fund Chris Oyakhilome’s minisry in South Africa and beyond.
South Africans that belong to this group have suffered tremendously through the insane donations demanded from them by Christ Embassy . Many have had to take children out of schools to be able to keep up with the Christ Embassy demands .
While South Africans are committing their hard-earned money to the Christ Embassy projects, their pastors are indulging in an unimaginable life of luxury.
Pastor Ken Oyakhilome drives a Lamborghini Murcielago, Austin Martin DB9, Porsche Cayenne, amongst his five expensive vehicles. All of this luxury life in Houston , Texas is funded by what is called the “American Initiative” .
Another fake, is one Olatunde Oyediran who claims that he lives for Chris Oyakhilome’s vision and ministry and that is where all his money goes, yet he drives a Toyota RunEx.
Meanwhile, Immorality is not a scarce commodity in Christ Embassy, South Africa . Tomisin Fashina, a Senior Pastor in the Sandton church, South Africa , is said to have children from different women in his congregation. Fashina is said to have taught his congregation that it was more evil to bring a fatherless child to the world than to abort. This has raised the suspicion that he may be impregnating women in his church and asking them to abort.
His wife, Tolu Fashina, on the other hand is alleged to have embezzled the Healing School funds when she and one Taiwo Adenubi, a senior pastor in Pretoria , just outside Johannesburg had been given a construction contract by Dr. Diolla who is the head of the Healing school.
They were exposed by a worker who had taken his share of the loot, when they tried to blame it on him. Apparently, this guy, a Nigerian national confessed his own sins but said that he had learnt from the best, being Tolu and Taiwo.
In 2007, the Christ Embassy Randburg branch got a member called Funi Silinda, a business woman. She gave no less than R100,000, a month. On months like the American Initiative, she is recorded to have given approximately R600,000. She bought a lot of first class tickets for most of the Christ Embassy, Randburg leadership to attend international conferences in Nigeria . She also paid for many of them to be in good hotels .
For partnership like the Healing School , she gave about R30,000 a month . She built a computer centre in Randburg, furnished it with state-of-the-art computers and accessories. Funi paid for the Christ Embassy TBN contract. She was led to believe that it cost R100,000 a month .Yet she faithfully paid for a whole year.
It came as a shock to many when Funi announced that she was leaving Christ Embassy because she had run out of money. She said that all the donation she made in Christ Embassy were financed by business projects she received prior to coming to Christ Embassy.
It became obvious that Funi was tired of being used which is something she said in the end. The final straw was when she was told that she has been personally invited by Chris Oyakhilome to attend his birthday party on the 7th of December, 2007.
Tunde Oyediran started working on her, telling her of how she would need to compete with others at profligacy when she gets to the party as they habitually auction Pastor Chris’ suites for anything up to R1million .
That day, she realized that Christ Embassy was nothing but a 419 scam. It was then speculated that she cancelled the flight and went back to her home.
Then another fake, Dolapo Layode, who is often postured by the church as the highest giver and donor in the church came to South Africa in 2007 to share a very far-fetched testimony.
Dolapo told the meeting that two Angels came to her room asking to be dispatched. And she had told the angels to get her a license to lift oil in Nigeria . In two weeks time, she had not only gotten this license, but also a scholarship to London where she studies about the business she was about to embark on.
In less than a year, Dolapo was telling people that she has trucks with her names running around Nigeria transporting oil . She never mentioned planning to be in the transportation business as well.
That was when some people realized that Dolapo and her kind , in Christ Embassy were a grand part of the whole extortionary scam. No one can out-give them and it is meant to be that way. Dolapo shocked people even more when she said that when she prays for money, she finds it everywhere in the house, in her wardrobe and within clothes.
However, it appears, this grace for money or ability to mint money as it has been termed, only works for the Nigerian members of “the Haven” group.
South Africans are loved because they work and earn a lot of money and have easy access to credit according to one Pastor Efeoma, a former ‘Haven’ President.
In all these, many South Africans have had to use desperate measures to finance the deep pockets of Christ Embassy hoping to avoid being shunned.
They use credit cards, overdrafts, personal loans, second bonds, missed car and house payments to meet the church’s demands. As a result many are blacklisted by the credit bureau, their cars are repossessed while they are evicted or watch helplessly as their houses are auctioned.
In the ‘Haven’ group the only people who seem to have testimonies of being millionaires are Nigerians while South Africans face liquidation and other financial crisis.
It is no longer secret that the South African authorities are not leaving any stone unturned in its investigation to get to the root of the many outcries against the activities of Christ Embassy in South Africa . This was demonstrated about a month ago when Pastor Chris Oyakhilome came for the Healing School . He was literally frisked and not a single stroke of nicety was spent on him. It was real business and objectivity. His Private Jet was thoroughly searched at the airport. He was asked to fill in forms standing on the counter as the airport officials apparently refused him to use the VIP lounge to do all that.
Chris was said to have been very angry at Ose, wife of Ken Oyakhilome, who has been running Christ Embassy aground by her immoral and uninspiring conducts. Chris was also said to have threatened to stop coming to South Africa as he blamed Ose for poorly managing matters in South Africa . Chris who came to South Africa from Texas was said to have gotten the same treatment there.
South Africans strongly feel that Chris made the worse mistake by coming to South Africa in the first place. The investigators handling the matter already have the support of many countries, including Nigeria . They have met with some Nigerian officials who are passionate with fighting crime. A meeting of all religious groups in South Africa was convened penultimate Friday in Kwa-Zulu Natal to discus the notorious activities of Christ Embassy in South Africa .
And as the South African authorities step up investigations, into the activities of Christ Embassy, the people are aggressively mobilizing to stamp out Christ embassy from their country for good.
Memo from a meeting of all religous group, held in Kwa- Zulu Natal last friday, to dicuss Christ Embassy atrocities in SA.

Obama as Omoluwabi 'a follow up'

I have this theory that President Obama is a the first International leader who is an Omoluwabi. I am not going to define the word again has there are may postings on this page about this but here is a piece by the ever delightful Maureen Dowd of the New York Times that extend the level of 'Oju Inu' that the man uses on the political and international stage.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/opinion/05dowd.html?_r=1&em

What is real?

Now it has been a little while . It is Lagos quite a demanding mistress, she wants you running around as if she is the only thing that matters in your life. She call and text at all hours demanding money for this, cash for that and attention for the next thing. Her expectations are far beyond her role and capacity even your wife is not remotely that demanding. Lagos is aggressive but full of adventure with ideas above her station . Yes it is Lagos officially the worst place to work according to ORC for Expats. So pray why the heck do they come ? They sit in the upper class section bitching about the country get whisked through the formalities at the airport, get guided through traffic in the face of millions looking for a way at of no way. How is it the Government in Britain is saying British jobs for British people and yet it is exporting its social misfits to lord it over here in Nigeria. This takes all kinds of forms. I was in the Gym on Ozumba drive after all the Bankers and power hustlers had left, something happened that brings to sharp focus this issue. Let me tell the story.

My gym instructor is a regular Nigerian brother on the hustle but kind of laid back with it. We had a session with loose weights and I was rocking Verve remix on the Ipod (as you do) and oblivious to the drama of the Indian woman who claimed she had called him and he had not responded ( the Instructor). She then proceeds to bawl him out without any restrain or respect. I did not notice initially but luckily another fellow steps to the plate to challenge her response. I got in on the act and this woman had obviously expected support in treating this young man like a sub-human. Not surprisingly the first man to step to the plate was a Returnee like me then everyone did the ritual disembowelment of different elements of this behaviour some going as far as racial and national stereotypes of different expatriates and how they treat Nigerians. I had to step to them as well because without them setting this standard of abusive behaviour with their domestic workers, drivers et al, no one will find it acceptable to come to Nigeria and do such.

For those of us who have had to go into the West to make fame and fortune very few of us were welcome in any way. No one gave us accommodation (rarely) , cars and schools for our children. I had to start from the bottom and build up. Been homeless, driven taxis, been a bouncer all after being a Barrister and practicised a little. On the other hand taxi drivers from South East london are met at the airport and whisked through any formalities and provided condos et al.

Now that stinks. Why will they not misbehave.

Emerging green shoots of Transformation

I can never forget where I was when the call of the Ekiti Appeal court judgement came in neither can I forget what I was doing when the verdict came in Ondo State. It says no less of either former Governors Agagu and Oni but says more of the evolutionary power of a nation that perseveres in pursuit of self actualisation. As I walked through the helpless cold of Holborn , onto the Strand onwards towards Euston my thoughts extended to what had become conventional wisdom over the last few years. The assumption that power went with the ruling party , that rigging and money was the only way to get victory, that the judiciary was so compromised that money and safety would lead to the support of the so called party of power. Somehow the judiciary which is perhaps the most conservative element of the Nigerian establishment would grant insurgent opposition candidates the opportunity in spite of time elapsed and the seeming capacity of the PDP to hold its power in the face of a diverse opposition base.

The judiciary in the Appeal court has given the nation a chance of a living constitution that can meet the aspirations and concern of Nigerians. Through its ruling it has given pause for thought in the cynical politics of impunity and disdain for the participation of the citizenry. Surprisingly it has granted the PDP a chance of legitimacy at the very least through the Presidents avowed commitment to Rule of Law . Perhaps quietly the diversity of political coat of arms sets the scene for idealistic people like Dr Fayemi, Mimiko, Mr Oshimole , Mr Fashola to redefine politics towards a new generation. The true test is what happens in Ekiti re-election whether the citizenry grasp the opportunity to view the future with a broad range of possibilities through a Fayemi or leave bravery to courts whilst voting patronage for safety.

The time is now for a stronger union based on variety of thought , the respect for capacity rather than genuflection to age. A time when our ideas should be central to our politics rather than just who the powerful forces are that you can unleash. I never bet against the Nigerian in all of us. The judiciary has shown that it is a wise choice I make.

NY Post and the Chimpanzee , John Legend response

Making Obama appear to be a crazed Chimp worthy of shooting is not truly noteworthy from my part even though the NY Post tries to make his an unintended racism issue. What is noteworthy is the intelligence and sophistication with which John Legend responds to this challenge. By the way I am neither a fan of his music or knowledgeable about is character but as a result of this I have become a loyal believer that he is an excellent and eloquent soul. Please read and critique.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29302056/

Happy Birthday Dokita

In 2004 long before the now celebrated speech of President Obama at the DNC in Boston, I was with Dokita (as I call him) in the middle of one of our debate sessions where we take a subject completely apart, boiling it down to the raw essence. As is usual I took a disruptive thought and turned it into my platform, while he built a simple idea into a powerful iconic bridge ( memories are now vague). I do not know how but he raised the prospect of a man called Barack Obama who he had recently met and disagreed with but for whom he saw a great future. As is usual I came away with much more than I brought to our conversation. Dokita is Dr Kayode Fayemi and he had just come back from Sabbatical at NorthWestern University. In his usual unassuming way had opened up a world of possibilities that the rest of the world is now belatedly recognising. In fact in that year he wrote an article about Obama for one of the Nigerian dailies. I wish then his perspective and truly caught on and that is far more true now that it has ever been.

I have had the fortune of working with many people from many different backgrounds and with may different qualities but Dr Kayode Fayemi stands out as a truly cultured, sophisticated and intellectually astute person. As a social entrepreneur he took risks for transformation as he did with the Centre for Democracy and Development from inception through building its institutional capacity to the total transition from the United Kingdom to Nigeria. The higher level risks that he took against the Abacha regime are already a matter of public record whether with Radio Kudirat or his ‘diplomatic mission’. So when he decided to respond positively to the call of political office I initially thought it was one risk too far although I never told him. I worried about his somewhat shy and calm personality and I reasoned that he did not exhibit the common touch that often leads politicians to be all smiles but little substance. In fact I loved him as a ‘policy wonk’, I worried that the tricky nature of our politics would devour a man of integrity and he would suffer greater betrayal than he faced as a community organiser or as a social entrepreneur. He once again surprised me.

Dr Kayode Fayemi at 44 is the possibility that a truly nationalistic Nigerian prays for in the 21st century. A politician who is an independent intellectual, curious , considerate and committed. An eloquent global citizen whose world class capacity is sought across the major capitals in the world not just as a truly accomplished African mind but also as a serious thinker on the issues that affect all human beings. From the challenge of treating citizens with dignity to the focus of providing them with life opportunities, this is a man who has chosen to serve something greater than his appetites. At this time in the history of Nigeria, in this moment of our collective aspiration, in this period of unfulfilled promise Dr Kayode Fayemi stands as one of the few real transformational characters from the post independence generation. Whatever the decision of the Appeal Court in Ilorin on his application for recognition of his election as the Governor of Ekiti State, we must recognise who he is and want he stands for. Kayode Fayemi is an answer to the that which makes us constantly rebrand our country , he is the solution that we seek in the many presentations for Foreign investors, he is the response to the persistent power outage. Dr Kayode Fayemi is a Nigerian citizen at his best, genial to strangers, caring to dependents yet masterfully in the pursuit of excellence. Happy Birthday and Good luck Dokita.