The arrest of 13 Journalists, a professional assault

Ehn!… wait o, let me guess, it must be a joke right? Of course we can’t be serious. Not one, not two, not ten, in fact, not even a dozen, 13 able bodied men, sorry, not just mere men, 13 members of the fourth estate of the realm (journalists) were publicly insulted, assaulted and eventually arrested at the Ikeja magistrate court, Kai, heaven wept!

Top profile journalists like Wale Busari, a judiciary correspondent with Silverbird Television, was grabbed by the clothes and dragged away. Ha! Everyone must hear this.

That is not all, as if that wasn’t enough, his resistance from arrest led other judiciary workers in the area to clamp down on other journalists, which included Francis Iwuchukwu of Peoples Daily, Henry Ojeluh of PM News/The News, Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare of the Nigerian Tribune, Solomon Asowata of the News Agency of Nigeria and Akinwale Akintunde of Thisday. Others were Yetunde Ayobami-Ojo of The Guardian, Nurudeen Oyewole of Daily Trust, Shola Shoyele, Channels Television; Gbenga Shoyele, Nigerian Compass; Ranti Thomas,  Moment Newspapers; Bisi Onanuga, The Nation; and Yemi Adebanjo,  News Star newspapers.

To add insult to the most painful part of the injury, the camera of the Channels Television camera man, who was recording the incident got was seized.

What really happened? how did it get to that point, that my brothers, protectors of democracy and public interested were publicly treated like criminals without any regard for the dignity of their profession of all things at least. From the report, a female prosecutor, identified as Rose had raised her voice and asked journalists who were along the court corridor to vacate the place. An argument subsequently ensued between the prosecutor and the journalists as the latter urged the prosecutor to be civil in her approach. Simple ethical request! But Magistrate A.A Oshoniyi, whose attention was drawn by the argument, made the simple request into a simply complex one by ordering the immediate arrest of the journalists.

Although, following the intervention of the Court Registrar, Mr. Ganiu Safari, and officials of the Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja branch, Police Area Commander, Mr. Noah Adesoyin, later released them, there are a couple of dangling questions waiting impatiently for answers.

What on earth could be so bad that journalists who are supposed to be the fourth arm of the government were treated like mere everyday criminals, whatever is the situation, a simple caution and peaceful resolution will do, not an arrest?

Again, another question is, will the release of these journalists be the end of the public show of shame that the journalism was subjected to? One key thing that the journalist Unions and Associations must understand is this; that insult is not against the 13 journalists in their individual capacities, it is an institutional insult on the profession, it is a signal of total disregard for the media, it is a mess of everything we mean as custodians of truth, it is a professional assault and must be treated as such.

ORITSEJAFOR'S POLICY UPGRADE ON RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

By Pastor Ladi Thompson

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) – the umbrella body of all Christians in Nigeria – has since its inception embraced dialogue as the primary form of resolution to disruptions in general and religious crisis in particular. Historical records will show that CAN has taken its stand at the forefront of the platforms of religious dialogue to promote peaceful conflict resolution from the inception of our nation. This position was stoically maintained at great costs to the Christian community as we chose to bear the burden of being the victimized rather than stoke the fires of disaffection in Nigeria.

Our consistent policy of religious dialogue was based upon the fundamentals of our faith which exhorts us to “Follow peace with all men” and also, we unequivocally subscribe to Article 18 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration on Human Rights which states that, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

Over the decades the Christian Association of Nigeria had observed a definite pattern to the disruptions. Perhaps undetectable at close quarters our internal study reports spanning the existence of Nigeria clearly revealed a gradual escalation of intelligent, premeditated propagation of sustained violence against the sovereignty of Nigeria with the total annihilation of the Christian Church as one of its primary targets. What had been misdiagnosed for years as religious conflicts could then be clearly seen as an ancient strain of Islamism (not conventional Islam) that had flourished undetected for centuries. The unchanged goal of the ancient scourge being the total eradication of religious liberty, a suppression of women's rights and the imposition of a totalitarian ideology across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

As a former British prime minister said while receiving the US Congressional Gold Medal in 2003, “The spread of freedom is the best security for the free. It is our last line of defence and our first line of attack. And just as the terrorist seeks to divide humanity in hate, so we have to unify it around an idea. And that idea is liberty. We must find the strength to fight for this idea and the compassion to make it universal. Abraham Lincoln said: ‘Those that deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.’ And it is this sense of justice that makes moral the love of liberty. In some cases where our security is under direct threat, we will have recourse to arms. In others, it will be by force of reason.”

Research studies commissioned by the CAN presidency of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor also noted the increase in the sophistication and logistics of the attacks. Crude spears and machetes had given way to high velocity machine guns, rocket propelled grenades and high tech incendiaries replete with remote detonation devices are now in use. Suggestive immigration patterns were unearthed with evidence of foreign infiltration and financial backing. When these were factored with evidence of complicity in state organs designed to protect citizens rights and clear patterns of obfuscation of justice even in instances where the government backed panels and commissions of inquiry published called for the prosecution of known offenders. (the importation of bombs by unknown person under the umbrella of the Nigerian Police Force and a few other cases may be cited) The CAN presidency of Ayo Oritsejafor was left with no option but to arrive at a reasonable conclusion that Nigeria had become the target of a coalition of international terror organizations merged with the local vestiges of an ancient strain of Islamism. His fears were soon confirmed by open admission of certain Islamist groups operating within Nigerian borders. Successive governments spanning the years of military rule to the present democratic structures had been in denial for years but the spate of merciless bombings and terror mongering that has been witnessed elicited an admission from the government of Nigeria.

 Again quoting former Prime Minister Blair, “The terrorists and the states that support them don't have large armies or precision weapons; they don't need them. Their weapon is chaos.”

This is precisely the situation in Nigeria – the terrorists and their allies are getting more successful at creating chaos – religious, political, economic and social – in several parts of Nigeria. If we keep it in focus that the eradication of religious plurality is one of their primary targets we would all understand the gravity of the Christian concern in Nigeria. The current president of CAN was forced to raise an alarm when the situation worsened and it became obvious that the Nigerian government was not swift to present any acceptable or creditable plan to protect the Christians and Muslim moderates that were being targeted by the Islamist coalitions. From the systematic and sustained attacks on non-Muslims the casualty figures  would approach genocidal proportions if nothing concrete is done. There are many lessons that can be gleaned from the experience of Southern Sudan where the displacement sequence claimed three million lives before the international community paid adequate attention. The evidence of "intelligent" Islamist moles in the rank and file of our institutions was further confirmed by the insidious campaign of calumny that followed the announcements made by the CAN president that non-Muslims were permitted to defend their lives if and when threatened by terrorists. The massive and well-funded Islamist propaganda campaign tried to smear his reputation to no avail.

The threat to national security and religious freedom is great and there is the need to redefine our strategy, if we are to survive. We have observed that the religious dialogue platforms have been severely compromised and foreign funding was being employed to stage "religious pantomimes" that served to propagate the myths of religious disturbances instead of admitting the reality of Islamist terror in Nigeria. An African proverb says that the dance steps must change when the drum pattern is changed! We dare say that the Islamist vanguard in Nigeria have become ardent supporters of the "religious dialogue policy" because it helps to perfume and cover their tracks. Strategic consultations have also revealed Islamist doctrines of deception and other devices that deny a level playing field.

It is for this reason that the CAN president has consistently demanded an upgrade of the "religious dialogue" platforms to "progressive religious dialogue" where the overall effects of the exercises are monitored both locally and internationally with the inclusion of seasoned arbitrators if need be. This shift is again in concordance with biblical injunctions that is the truth that makes free and principles upheld by the United Nations.

After the September 9, 2011, attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and also the July 7th and 21st 2005 bombings in London, the world woke up to the reality of a new kind of threat and the necessity of a new kind of response. It became clear that there had to be proactive and decisive action if Western civilization would continue unhindered. An unprecedented kind of evil had arrived on the scene and an alliance had to be built around a consensus on the necessity of containing and eliminating it. The progress the world has made since then is a result of this decisiveness on the part of Western leaders to keep the world safe for all peoples. Africa is also asking that the same yardstick needs to be applied to the same threat on our continent.

Taking a cue from recent history and also from accounts of threats to the existence of people groups all over the world, the church in Nigeria seeks to build an alliance around a similar consensus – the need to identify and isolate the individuals, groups and countries who form the Islamist coalition that threaten the continued wellbeing of Christians in Nigeria.  This is all that Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is asking for on behalf of the tens of millions of Nigerian Christians under his care. The specter of an Islamist Nigeria is not something that this world can afford and we are prepared to work with anyone that will assist in ensuring that uniform justice is applied across the board. Compensation must be paid to those who have suffered needlessly whether they be Christians or Muslim moderates. The Nigerian government must work to prevent an Islamist hijack of its mandate. The senseless massacres must cease and religious freedom must be preserved. This is what "progressive religious dialogue" is all about and CAN will cooperate with all religious bodies, international concerns and governments that will work to find a lasting and peaceful solution to the real and present danger. We desire strategic partnerships that will work to identify, isolate and prosecute those behind the Islamist programs and are prepared to imbibe appropriate methodologies of international arbitration and diplomacy required to protect the lives and rights of our citizenry.

Church Universities: Diary of their deeds

The last time, i wrote about church Universities, today i want to take a step further by giving you the diary of the various varsities, then after reading through you can decide if they are for God or for Gold. Winners’ Chapel’s Covenant University
It is regarded as one of the best universities in the country, built on expansive land somewhere along Idi-Iroko road, Ota, inside the premises of the headquarters of the Living Faith Church Mission or Winners’ Chapel as it’s called. Though the founder and leader of the church, Bishop David Oyedepo had at different time stated that he did not collect money from the church to erect the structure, many are of the opinion that the claims of the bishop may be far from the truth as he was not known to be doing any other work apart from the one he’s doing in the church. The school which was built with the assistance of people God sent to help the ministry, as most pastors claim, was supposed to help give quality education to children of every member of the church, but the case is that the church’s school ended up being one of the most expensive schools in the country, with school fees ranging from between N300,000 and N450,000, which makes it not a school for the child of an average member of the church. 
Baptist Church’s Bowen University 
 It is one of the oldest church-owned universities in Nigeria. The university, which is in Iwo town in Osun State, was built by the Nigerian Baptist Convention headed by the Secretary-General, Reverend (Dr.) Olasupo Ayokunle. Like other church-owned universities, it was the belief that it would help educate ordinary members of the church as well as the rich. But it seems the school is now a school for the rich, as the school fees are between N400,000 and N500,000. 
Christ Apostolic Church’s Joseph Ayo Babalola University
It is one of the newest church-owned universities. Information revealed that the church, led by Pastor E H L Olusheye, collected offerings and donations from the congregation towards the building of the school, only for the school to become something that is beyond the people that contributed towards its construction. The school fees, it was revealed, go for nothing less than N300,000 per session. 
Anglican Church of Nigeria’s Ajayi Crowther University Coming from a church that has a huge number of the society’s so-called elite, many would have expected them to have done all in their power to make quality education accessible to members of the church as they were mostly products of cheap or even free, quality education. But investigation revealed that the school’s tuition fee goes for between N350,000 and N500,000 per session, thereby dashing the hope of many members of the church who felt Ajayi Crowther was a product of free education and that the institution named after him would provide affordable, quality education for them. 
 Catholic Church’s Madonna University 
It is the oldest church-owned university in Nigeria and it belongs to the oldest church in Nigeria, the Catholic Church, a church known for its philanthropy and its care for the needy. Many would have expected that the church would make education easier for the congregation but investigation revealed that the fees at the church-owned Madonna go for between N300,000 and N350,000. Apostolic Faith’s Crawford University 
This university which belongs to a church which is known for it principle on the way things should be done and with the population of most of the members tilting comfortably towards the average income earning ordinary Nigerian, people would have expected they would take into consideration their congregation while fixing the school fees but the N350,000 or more, depending the course of study, does not seem to justify this position. Redeemed Christian Church of God’s Redeemers’ University The church is one of the largest in the country. There is a saying that there is a Redeemed Church every one or two poles to another, which invariably means it is a church for the masses who cannot afford to send their children to any of the private schools in town. But it is appalling that the church has chosen not to put into consideration the majority of its congregation by competing with other schools out there. It has fixed its school fees for between N325,000 and N400,000 per session, which makes it not a school for the masses, against what the church is to the people.
Hmmm, church Universities, for God or for Gold?

Church Universities: For God or for Gold?

The rate at which churches and other religious organisations are building universities in Nigeria in recent time really calls for concerns and inquiries. Most importantly due to the many issues surrounding the so call church varsities ranging from who are the students to other questions like whom the establishment of the schools favours, could the this be a new chapter in the short literature of patriotism in Nigeria or another page in the voluminous book of ‘cabalocracy’-an establishment of a cabal by members of the same cabal and for the cabal. For the records, it is important to note that that the early missionaries who brought Christianity to Nigeria brought also with it the western education, more worthy of note is the fact that as far back as 1864 at the CMS grammar school under the tutelage of Mr. Claudius Philips, the missionaries then started teaching the able bodied men and they were taught and fed free right under the supervision of the missionaries as a way of fostering the gospel. History also revealed that they were issued their employment letters immediately they finished their education. Such was the romance between western education and the gospel just in the fall of yesteryears before we closed our eyes, one thing led to another and we open our eyes to discover that first there is proliferation of churches in our nation and all of them are trying to help the pitiable condition of wreck that the national leadership has made education to become, unfortunately not all of them can actually help. Then comes the crises that must be resolved, with virtually all the churches trying to open one university or another, the question is could all of these moves still be for God or some are for gold. To start with, I dare to say that with the minimum wage set at N18,000, the cost of school fees in church Universities are rather high. As much as I agree that with the current situation of the economy in the nation and the cost of running the academic environment, education cannot be free. In fact, if anyone thinks education is free let him try ignorance. However, let us be sincere, how many average members of these churches can afford to send their children to the same school that was built with their offering along with the offering of other members, are there any considerations for the poor and average citizens. How many students of such varsity are on scholarships provided by the school? Even if the scholarship is not for everybody, at least for the church members whom I believe are stakeholders too. As much as believe that these Universities are not supposed to run a charity home, it is clear that their services are not for average Nigerians, if this is however confirmed, the next question will be what is the major source of funding for these University, can it be separated from church account, the answer is definitely a capital no, the next question will be of what immediate benefit are these institutions to the church members who are the major source of the funds that set up the institution, practically none! So, these church universities, are they really for God, for Gold or for both?