CHRISTIANITY; THE ONLY WAY?

This expression remains one of the commonest and most used clichés in modern day christianity. For us Christians, it is believed that without accepting Christ Jesus as our Lord and personal saviour, one would be damned for hell and suffer eternal damnation.

This idea has often been knocked into our heads like burning data into a DVD that we Christians now feel like the lucky few while those ‘outside the shed’ are all Hades bound on a first class flight ticket.

The question then is this; what if the first contact of Christians in the Southern part of Nigeria was with Persians or Turkish merchants. What if the Chinese monks had taken it upon themselves to spread the Budha and Tai Chi far and wide across West Africa and had settled in Opobo, around the River Niger or Lagos? Most certainly we would have been made to imbibe their religion and much of their 'Eastern' as against Western culture. Thus we would have been Muslims or Buddhists. Sunday services would have been Jummats in the mosques and visits to the Temples. The likelihood is that we would have adopted Arabic or Mandarin/Chinese as our major language, eat with chop sticks rather than spoons, drink herbal tea in place of hot choc and probably adopt martial arts training as part of our normal life

The truth is that most of us-the Christ oriented elements follow Jesus Christ today because we were BORN into it, not because we CHOSE to be. For those amongst us who chose Christianity later in their lives, chances are that they did so because of the inner conviction or persuasion they had of/by another Christian who was born into it. So in the end, it all arises from what we find around us and hardly down to our making. For those who claim to have been "called by God"....hmmm, I could also switch to Islam and CLAIM to have been called by Allah, the most merciful.

The simple conclusion to all this is that if we had been colonised by any other group of persons with other religious inclinations but Christianity, we would have been anything but Christians. We would not have had the Conviction that 'Christ is the only way'. It follows therefore that we would have been on a ‘wrong way’ (possible on no way at all because there is Only one way-Jesus Christ). Would we all have been on the side of those doomed for hell because surely we wouldn't have taken to Christianity?

The Holy Bible, the most revered book ever states in the book of Acts 10:34-35 that;

34: "....now I understand that God is not partial,(35)but in EVERY nation, the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (emphasis mine).

 Need I say more?

#A peek into the Diary of a Recluse….

Onyeka Ehiwuogwu 

RE; JAY Z V. SOLANGE SHOWDOWN.

We often decry violence and try as much as possible to eschew it from our homes and the society. This is even more so when the victim is a woman.There's no gain saying the fact that the major problems of several countries today are all linked to violence, directly or indirectly.

That said, it becomes rather funny to me that ever since the release of the Jay Z- Solange video, several hilarious comments have been made about it with almost no form of condemnation on the violence it portrays. Also, no one has thought it worthwhile to commend Jay Z's ability to hold back despite the quite tempting and provoking circumstance.

Regardless of the provocation or how rational the reason might be, violence or counter violence to a woman is grossly unacceptable and often seen as a sign of weakness in a man. Little boys are taught values of never hitting women no matter the circumstance or the provocation, because women are seen as tender, weaker and require more protection.

To that extent, the mere fact that Jay Z never struck back or made counter attacks at Solange should evoke some sort of appreciation and commendation for being an example of how a man ought to react when face with such plight. Mind you, in the confines of that elevator, and away from the ogling eyes of the world (acting under the ignorance of the circuit camera in the elevator), no one besides the two other person there would have seen it if he had retaliated. It becomes their words against his. Any other crazy man would have taken several swipes back at Solange on an occasion as this.

Let's also consider Hove's nature as a disciple of gangsterism and product of thuggery. It’s totally antithetical with his gentlemanly behavior in the elevator, thus making it utterly difficult for him to act against his much professed nature as a gangster and its attendant disregard for women. For a lover of rap music (and maybe hardcore/gangster rap especially), like the writer, who boasts of being able to manage same with being a gentleman and lawyer, it is indeed extremely difficult  on several occasions when faced with certain circumstances to maintain a perfect synergy of both and not lose your cool or tilt towards the 'quick response' approach which these lyrics and ideas implant in him.

Violence is violence. Pain is pain, irrespective of who's giving and who's taking. pain, hurt, harm, maiming or even death has never been gender discriminatory. They don't affect the victim less simply because its a guy or a lady.

Also, if the much heralded message of gender equality is to make much sense or not be counterproductive, there is a need to also emphasise that equality implies equal benefits and equal burden. Not some form of selective equality which tends to bend certain ‘rights’ (such as to be violent to the male folks and not vice versa) in favour of one gender against the other. Hence, if Jay Z had stuck back, the world by now would completely forget the #bring back our girls campaign and adopt a “#bring Jigga to Justice” or “#bring down Jay Z the Beast”. Find a perfect example in Shaquille O’Neil’s instagram incidence of mocking a Michigan man with a rare disorder or Donald Sterling’s racist comments. Two instances in which the media, blogosphere went awash with several vile and unprintable words about the culprits. It’s simple; as much as we condemn wrong deeds, we ought also to praise people when they do good stuff.  

The mere fact that it’s a woman striking a man doesn't make it a lesser or more tolerable and acceptable vice.

#Zeus Telescope/the Diary of a Recluse.

www.zeustelescop.blogspot.com

The Diary of a Recluse!

Its easy to discard the importance of a lawyer in most of life's ventures. Afterall, wtf do these lawyers even know?!
He cleverly drafted the deed/receipt himself; serving of course as evidence of a transaction. Pretty smart indeed! Too bad he missed the lecture where Professor Chianu empahsised the need to adequately describe the property in question. Now he's gone; That portion he got for 800 naira now goes for 8million naira....But posthumously, he's(his family) at the brink of losing it cos of his 'unlawyerly' ingenuity. #Morale: BE WISE, GET A LAWYER TODAY! Its a necessity and not a burden.

www.zeustelescope.blogspot.com

DEAR AUNTY DORA

Dear Aunty Dora

It is with great concern that I write  this letter , and  I hope it gets to you, in a better state of health than you were at the time it was being written.

My short letter directly pertains to your present health condition and of course, your presence at the National Conference. I feel deeply obliged to write you this letter because of the love and respect I developed for you during your reign as Director General of NAFDAC.

To me, and a host of other sane minded Nigerians, you remain the best human ever to have been appointed by any Nigerian government, both Federal and State alike. You were an epitome of responsibility, diligence and good change. Your commitment to the course presented our heavily blighted nation with an ember of hope in a pitch dark tunnel.You gave us a reason to believe that with a few more of your kind, redemption for Nigeria lurks around the corner.

You also set a convincing precedent and of course proof of the fact that women, if given the chance, could outshine the bulk of our chauvinistic male folks who egotistically feel leadership and governance in Nigeria is a boys only fiesta. The enormity of your impact can be better felt considering the fact that most Nigerians (myself inclusive) sparsely knew about NAFDAC until you came on the scene. Even now, the acronym has gradually ceased from being a household name to a "just another government parastatal”- back to the way it was before your tenure. That sufficiently lays credence to your accomplishments as its boss. It is even most amusing that we no longer hear of illegal ice cream industries, sachet water manufacturing companies, drug stores, to name a few. All those news now seem non-existent. Is it that fake food and drug manufacturers have repented, or turned a new leaf or that they have ceased to exist at Onitsha, Aba and Lagos or even Ibadan? Or could it be that the present NAFDAC set up frowns against such publicities? That I know is most unlikely. So, it leaves  me with one conclusion, NAFDAC is not as active as it was during Aunty Dora’s time.

I recall how much the word “NAFDAC” and “NAFDAC Inspectors” used to send chills down the spines of manufactures of drugs and food. The phrase “NAFDAC Number” was on the lips of everybody. Yes! Everybody! What happened to the radical campaigns against bromate in bread, mercury and hydroquinol in body creams?

Personally, for a quintessential woman like you, I still bear my reservations about what Anambra state must have denied themselves of when they chose not to allow “a woman lead them”.

Having said all these, I’ll plunge straight into what necessitated this letter; your current state of health and your apparent insistence to attend the confab.

Granted, patriotism is a noble idea, and it takes only a stoic, an amazon of a rare breed to do it the way you have done in the past few years. That notwithstanding, seeing you at the confab really gave me and a couple of your fans  and well wishers a lot to ponder on. It was torturously difficult to see the once healthy and physically strong woman you were now lost in rather shocking deterioration- A perfect replica of a brown skinned African woman. For a while, I doubted myself and questioned the wellness of my eyes.

Aunty, we love it that you love our nation even to the point of risking your own health, but please, it would do us great damage to see you get hurt in the event that you fail to take proper care of yourself because anything done in excess is a passport to tragedy. If for anything, my beloved mum sings your praise every day like you’re the best thing that has ever happened to Nigeria during your short reign as NAFDAC boss. I can’t even imagine the amount of hurt she’ll go through if she finds out about your current condition.

Like the local saying goes, “Soldier go; soldier come, barrack remain”. Nigeria would always be here for you to come back strong and healthy to continue your diligent struggles and contributions to her growth and betterment. But, it is of extreme importance that you take a while off to take proper care of yourself, if for anything else, your family and of course, my aging mother who sees you like her Ada. Also, your efforts towards a better Nigeria would no doubt be a light years more effective if done with a clean bill of health and in a physically fit state.

Finally, and most importantly, I hope the good Lord continues to answer the prayers of a host of Nigerians praying for your recovery and overall well being in the shortest possible time. We shall all continue to have our “Madam Nafdac” in our prayers and with that; it is easy to see that there will surely be joy in the morning.

May God continue to bless you, your household and our beloved Nation Nigeria which you have worked assiduously to improve.

RE: JOE IGBOKWE'S "THE COWARD CALLED ASARI DOKUBO AND HIS EMPTY THREATS".

After a horrid sex experience, the urge to embark on another encounter becomes really low and could drain out even before it percolates. That precisely describes how I've felt for writing in recent times . Indeed, my desire to smear ink on paper or punch my qwerty keys stayed at its lowest ebb in the past few days. Apparently, due in part to some further academic pursuit and of course an exacerbating work schedule. Many ideas come, but even quicker than Abikus, they die before conception. So, I took solace in teaching my dogs some tricks-and how to attack on command. However, I did struggle to scribble down a few things until I saw Asari Dokubo's comments or rather threats of war if GEJ does not get re elected in 2015. With Joe's reply to Asari Dokubo's ramblings, a tight work schedule and academics had to come to a screeching halt, albeit momentarily as I whipped out my keyboards.

I’ve always been miffed at the impunity and wanton disregard for national peace displayed on a regular basis by Muhajudeen Asari Dokubo, but derided him knowing too well the motivation behind such aimless proclamations from a dicky mind. However, Joe Igbokwe’s response was all I needed to soothe my anger.

The manner in which he trashed MAD was to me, beautiful, superb, spectacular and really, a class act. Touché!

Thanks to JI, I now know how to diss and fire people!

That said, it’s hard to see why the Police and other security agencies in Nigeria have shut their eyes to the blatant disregard for law and order with regards to MAD’s persistent call for war and warlike undertakings particularly in a time when the Security and unity of the Nation is at its tether end. These agencies have most embarrassingly turned their faces away from the provisions of section 88A(1) (b)  of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38 LFN 2004.

The 7th edition of the Black’c Law Dictionary defines “terrorism” as;

“The use or threat or violence to intimidate or cause panic, especially

as a means of affecting political conduct.”

Without wanting to start a full write-up on Terrorism, as much as I feel irked to, I’d proceed with the main subject of this work.

It’s downright disheartening that such statements could be made with reckless abandon and nothing is done by appropriate authorities to put a stop to it. It only goes to prove JI's belief that MAD and Chief Edwin Clark are basking in the  euphoria of presidential support. Like the saying goes, a child sent by his father to steal doesn't go through the window, he takes the front door.

I particularly loved the humor in some of the points he raised in proof of MAD's cowardice and lily-livered nature. The most important and sincere part of his write up, no doubt was his mention of the fact that non oil producing countries make billions of Dollars from their heads and not oil. For that I'd say may God bless Joe!

However, quiet disappointingly, he veered of the objectivity in his work like Sebastian Vettel fell asleep on the tracks at a grand Prix.

His ordinarily beautiful rejoinder, even though many might fail to see as such, became laden with so much political undertone that's it would take an autistic 95 year old blind man not to see. Hear him;

"The reason why elections are conducted every four years is for the electorates to have the liberty to change a bad leader or to re-elect a good leader. A leader that lacks the capacity to perform should not be re-elected.

All things considered, there are many compelling reasons why President Jonathan may not be re-elected in 2015. One is that we have to worry about the feelings of other ethnic groups in a democracy. The unity of this country is very important. If the President is re-elected in 2015 he would have ruled for 10years in 2019. I do not think it is fair judging from the circumstances that lead to President Umaru Yar’Adua’s death. Secondly, corruption at the federal level under President Jonathan is alarming and unacceptable. Thirdly, impunity has assumed a frightening dimension under the leadership of President Jonathan. Fourthly, the inability of President Goodluck Jonathan to tackle the problem of insecurity is threatening also. In the midst of plenty our institutions are collapsing with no end in sight. The power sector is still down."

God forbid I  be seen as holding brief for the President or the  PDP on these issues raised, because my feelings towards performance or lack thereof of this administration is well known by those around me. More so, some of his observations aren’t totally out of place. But that's talk too much of a digression from this piece. So, I'll let it slide for now.

Just as a blind man needs no telling that there's a stampede in the market place, same way we need to proof to know that JI's comments are politically driven, hence grossly mala fide or better still not totally objective.

Firstly, if JI and his fellow “anti-GEJ for 2015’ campaigners have any honesty and “fairness” in them, they would easily concede to the fact that so much as it might not be very palatable to allow GEJ rule for 10 years like they claim, it would also be gravely unjust to shorten his constitutionally allowable term of 8 years to 6, simply because a the benefited from rather mysterious circumstances , which for all we know  is not a product of his making or his own orchestration. GEJ did not kill Yar Adua. It’s even on record that it took GEJ awhile and great deal of time to muster the courage to take assume his late boss’s seat. Tell me, Mr. JI, who wouldn’t like to enjoy the benefits of such force majeure? Unless sugar tastes bitter to you would your clamor for a reduction in the 10 years be acceptable by any stretch of the imagination.

Secondly, JI's post first appeared on Japhet Omojuwa's blog. It is well known that Omojuwa and Nasir El Rufai, an APC squealer and a compulsive one at that, as well as an anti- GEJ administration hound, are strong twitter and facebook buddies, going by their tweets and posts and the frequent interactions, shares and comments on each other's posts. Little wonder JI made copious references to El Rufai’s detention by the SSS when he made similar suggestions of impending bloodshed.

 It becomes quite easy to find a direct link running through all three gentlemen and of course the subjective nature of JI’s rejoinder to “the coward called Asari Dokubo and his empty threats".

For the records, speaking from a dispassionate standpoint, I dare to state that both the PDP and the APC seem so much like same wine in different wineskins. In my opinion, the APC, is nothing but old wine in a new skin, hence, with absolutely no difference from the PDP. If they eventually topple the PDP, good luck to them, if not; too bad, better luck next time.

Till then, feel free to enjoy the drama as it unfolds, and remember to always pray for our beloved nation, Nigeria.

#YES, I SAID IT!!!

Follow Zeus Telescope on twitter@zeustelescope.

UNRISKY WAYS TO FIGHT HEADACHE Ebere Precious Osiegbu

Discovering efficient therapies for complications can be difficult to say the least - but it doesn't have to drive you to the verge of madness, nor does it require dangerous or possibly damaging remedies or techniques.

Often, physicians will recommend any of a wide range of remedies - from those that are expected to carry comfort by overlaying signs, to those that make an effort to prevent the start a complications show.

There are over 100 remedies that a doctor can choose from and nearly limitless blends of them. The list is ever-evolving and a complications individual can easily experience like they've become drug guinea pig as they are recommended one thing after another.

However, many of the very remedies that are designed to create elements better end up making elements more intense when you consider their adverse reactions - and they can all present a large danger to your health in a many ways.

A person getting these remedies can create recovery complications - where the treatment actually causes complications. Not only that, if they were to stop getting the remedies suddenly that can cause complications as well.

Amidst all of the conventional solutions that European remedies has to provide, even the smartest and knowledgeable doctor can end up operating out of thoughts... then what can be done when that happens?

This is no way to stay and certainly cannot be the only or best strategy to healing complications. Here are several other thoughts, among many, that you can try:

    Start by understanding what your 'activates' are and prevent them at all costs

    Reducing weight and becoming just a little more dynamic can successfully prevent the next complications show.

    Examine whether or not you may have a gluten intolerance. Some have found that by preventing products high in gluten have seen a considerable decrease in complications.

    Fresh air has been used to cure those who experience group frustration sufferers and some professionals believe it can be efficient for complications sufferers. Talk with your doctor, professional, or discomfort professional and perhaps they can recommend oxygen on a test base to figure out if it can matter for you.

    Rub has confirmed to be just right for complications as well. Try beginning with one massage every one or two weeks.

    In the middle of a complications, use ice and warm interchangeably in the places where you experience the most discomfort or pounding emotions.

    Ask your doctor if you could try a TENS device - a small battery-operated system that has difficult shields that are tactically placed on the outside of your body. It discharges soothing electric powered urges to activate and rest muscle tissue in a focus on area.

    The use of nutritional products - such as coenzyme Q10, mineral magnesium, or supplement B2 - can be efficient in the avoidance of complications.

    Along with initiating particular stress factors on your go, grabbing the top of your nose passing, forehead, or behind your ear can reduce discomfort.

    Getting to rest with a buckwheat shell bed sheets can help you get better rest and could assistance your go and throat in a way that stops the likeliness of complications.

    Don't be reluctant to try different professional or discomfort professional. Ask your doctor for a recommendation if you suppose that a change could be valuable