Shaking Nations

Who is behind the shaking of nations and governments??

U.S debt is at near an all time high, EU economies are failing, instability and uprising has engulfed the middle-east, tornadoes and earthquakes and storms are being dispatched on a near weekly basis. Even our nation Nigeria, is right now surviving on razor edges. Who is the architect of these quiverings, tremblings  and judderings? Is it the unseen enemy, rogue nations, anarchist groups, clandestine outfits, secret ops or the global association of witches and wizards? The shaking that is gripping the earth right now, I believe is being orchestrated by the LORD himself (Hag 2:21-23 and Is13:13) and is for two purposes.

First is to shake off everything that doesn’t need to be there in the first place. This includes impostors in God's house, false governments, phony leaders, deceitful spiritualists, deceptive dogmas, counterfeit ministries, repressive regimes, man-made fabrications and everything that is chaff, as qualified by scripture.

Second is to pressurize, distill, decontaminate, distinguish, shift and propel the sons of God into the prime place of command, recognition, respect, authority, domination, governance and performance (Obadiah 1:21). The world as we know it must be shaken and turned upside down and sideways up till Albert Einstein is compelled to rise up from his grave and revise his book from “The World As I See It” to “The World as The Lord Would Have It”. 

I AM NOT NORMAL

We live in an age where man has developed a concept of the ideal life. You are expected to have “achieved” certain milestones at certain stages of your life, marked out by age ranges. Let me provide you with the time table.

Age 2: start nursery school;

Age 4: Begin primary education

Age 10–11: Get into secondary school

Age 15–17: Get admission into a good University

Age 19–23: Graduate with 2:1 or 1st Class

Age 23–30: Get married, get a masters degree, get a good job

Age 35–40: Get through with having kids, and be a manager at a good company

Age 60–65: Retire and take care of your grandchildren. Enjoy your retirement package

Age 70 and Above: This is extra time. Play golf, travel the world, volunteer and die when you are tired

If you dare dis-conform (does this word exist!?) or deviate from this time table, then you need special prayers. Your case is exceptional and you need to fast, pray and seek God for guidance on how to escape this pit of shame. You ought to start combing your ancestry for unidentified curses that are the probable and possible causes of your predicament. 

The folly in this chronology is quite obvious, but it is still very surprising that many seemingly liberated souls in an age of exceeding revelation and insight are still subconsciously loyal to this dogmatic and religious time table. 

Defy the Quit Option!

Never quit! Never take no for an answer! It doesn't matter the weight of diametrically opposed and counteracting forces, existential predicaments, or a desolate and miserably grim present state of affairs. We will rise to the very highest level possible in our chosen field. We will break all limitations. This declaration is our eternally binding covenant sealed by the Blood of the Lamb.

On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less than twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs remained alive.

In the book “Lone Survivor”, Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of this operation (Operation Redwing), tells the story of the desperate battle in the Afghan mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. But it is also, more than anything, the story of his teammates, who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left-blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers.

There is an undeniable innate desire for greatness on the inside of every living human. Without exception (no matter how concealed, repressed or de-emphasized), 6.5 billion of us are obsessed with obtaining some measure of recognition, admiration, respect, veneration, reverence and esteem from the members of our community and human-sphere. This desire in and of itself is totally legitimate because we as offspring, inherited it by design from our progenitor, pre-cursor, Lord, creator, paramount ruler of the universe and architect of all matter and energy in all its existential forms (including spiritual energy). 

Sonship has a much deeper meaning than is generally associated with it. 

To be a son means to have the nature and character of a forbearer. (This explains why some biological parents denounce offspring that willingly take an acute detour away from the nature and character that was presented to, and expected of their wards.) The Father spoke to Jesus during the transfiguration and said “This is my beloved Son. Hear ye him.” This event happened deep into the ministry of Jesus when He was about concluding it. God was in essence issuing a divine score-card and validating (based on visible and undeniable performance) the status, person, character and ministry of Jesus as a perfect, impeccable, flawless and exhaustive spectacle of divinity amongst humanity.

Therefore, for every member of the universe of rational, balanced and spiritually aware homo-sapiens (i.e. those that came from Yahweh; NOT from the chimpanzee or some big bang detonation), there is a substantive desire for greatness. This is normal. This is default. This is scriptural. This is undeniable. This is our nature.

Now, The ultimate measure of a man is where he stands in moments of difficulty, NOT moments of comfort or pleasure - MLK. If you fail in the day of adversity, your strength is weak – Holy Scripture. When push comes to shove and we are stretched beyond limit, should we capitulate? The human body is a colossally complex but yet assiduously adaptive machine that was designed to withstand near unfathomable extreme conditions. Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt, Roger Federer, William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Alexander the Great and the U.S. Navy SEAL have all taught us a few lessons on possibilities. Consequently, we must query and probe on why these men (and women) were able to do things that many of us couldn’t or simply would just not do. Were they hewn out of a tempered breed, or perhaps a special hybrid blessed with more talent than other living souls? The obvious answer is NO! Their difference was, is and will always be in their mind and spirit; something I would call a sturdy, stalwart, resilient and excellent spirit that defies and conquers ALL adversaries. Their minds operated rather differently from the expected or popular train of thought that prevailed in their day. Where others saw and professed under-achievement or the status quo, they dreamt and reached for opportunity and victory.

Navy SEALs are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force, a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).

The unit's acronym ("SEAL") is derived from their capacity to operate at sea, in the air, and on land – but it is their ability to work underwater that separates SEALs from most other military units in the world. Navy SEALs are trained and have been deployed in a wide variety of missions, including direct action and special reconnaissance operations, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism and other missions. Without exception, all SEALs are male members of either the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard.

SEAL training is brutal. Prospective SEALs are subjected to an incredibly tough selection process that is meant to weed out chaff. It takes over 30 months to train a Navy SEAL to the point at which he will be ready for deployment. The SEALs that emerge are ready to handle pretty much any task they could be called on to perform, including diving, combat swimming, navigation, demolitions, weapons, and parachuting. The training pushes them to the limit both mentally and physically in order to weed out those who may not be able to successfully complete the demanding missions and operations with which SEALs are faced. The types of stresses they endure during BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) are the same stresses they will endure as SEALs. If they can't withstand it when lives aren't on the line, chances are good they won't be able to withstand it when lives are at stake.

Marcus Luttrell attributed his survival to his success at the grueling Navy SEAL training. The training was targeted at breaking the minds of trainees. If you succeeded at training with your mind intact, you were deemed ready for just about anything.  If Marcus had given up during training, he would never have stood a chance at surviving the real deal. His training instructors even warned him that if a trainee ever for once voiced out his frustration and desire to quit, that trainee always ended up relinquishing the Navy SEAL dream. In this game, the moment you open your mouth in frustration, you prove you are unfit for the calling.

My direct questions to you are these: Do you have a breaking point? Are there conditions that would warrant you giving up? If the situation demands waiting almost indefinitely, will you give in? Do you lack the ability to survive and thrive anywhere? Does your patience run out easily? Does the experience of those around you define what your viewpoint is? Has your backward or indigent background skewed your worldview in this present day? Is the word “impossible” in your lingua franca?

If you answered YES to any of the questions above, you are NOT ready for Super Achievement. You should be content walking in the path already threaded by others.

We must utterly understand that the greatest treasure that man has is his faith. What can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trials, tribulations or even angels? In the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews, we learn that by faith, men stopped the mouths of lions, men obtained a good report, women had their dead raised to life, disciples suffered extreme persecution, Enoch was caught up into heaven, Noah kicked off the ark project 100 years ahead of the flood,  Abraham searched for the city whose Architect and Builder is God, Sarah obtained strength to conceive at 90 years of age, men were stoned to death, some were sawn asunder, others were slaughtered by the sword, but YET, ALL DIED IN FAITH HAVING NOT RECEIVED THE PROMISE!

If these men and women accomplished unfathomable things but still didn’t receive the promise that their faith envisioned, then the empirical and logical deduction is that their faith saw far exceedingly beyond the great miracles they obtained. In simple terms, their faith delivered great results, but they all died in faith because what their faith originally anticipated was incomparably greater than the promise and results they obtained in their life time. 

This realm of faith has one description. It is called boundless faith.

So I ask again: is there anything that is capable of invalidating, extinguishing or paralyzing your faith? I pray for you (and myself) that our faith will not fail. (Now we know what Jesus meant when he prayed the same for Peter).

Shalom!

TOMORROW DOES NOT EXIST!

Go, move, stop, quit that job, write that exam, run, fly, start, reverse, retry, resist, recover, replace, change over, get out, leave the comfort of home,……..whatever……..Just Do Something! 

GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN!

These are POWERFUL ACTION words. You are not young and you are not old. All that matters is that you are alive. Those who know half of what we know are DOING twice as much as we are. The instruction for the NOW is clear. Yes I know we don’t have enough information. We don’t have enough money. There is nobody to help us. We don’t know where to start from! There is no infrastructure! Security is lacking! Guess what? These are all excuses! This is a different season. We’ve moved beyond dissertation. This is beyond talk. You know talk is cheap. In this season, we have a mandate to do a lot with almost nothing, create forests in deserts, defeat ancient foes and recover lost ground! In this season, even if we are making a mistake, then let's make it with passion! All that matters is the heart. Jesus loves both good and bad people and He is particularly attracted to imperfect people. It’s indifferent folks that He hates! There's no room for indecision.

There’s no excuse. Yesterday is gone and wehaven’t yet received an invitation into tomorrow! In the words of Dr. Mike Murdock, "Hope is what you sell when you don't have answers". The time for hopeless hoping is past. What you do NOW determines whether you get an invitation into tomorrow. People who are 10 times better than us in all respects died today. The reason you are reading this is because someone up there is giving you yet another chance. That person is trusting (not hoping) that you will get the message this time. There is no guarantee you will have another chance. Let me share this deep revelation with you. If you think your future is awaiting you, you’ve missed it completely! Actually, there is no “future”. It’s all a lie. The future doesn’t exist. It’s an optical illusion. Jesus always talked about "TODAY". Infact, He dismissed "Tomorrow" by saying it would take care of itself. Tomorrow is merely an extension of today. All you have is today. No more, no less! Today is what connects you to tomorrow. Throw today away, and tomorrow goes with it!

So my question to you is: What have you been postponing? What have you been hiding from? It's clear they’ve been lying to us to wait for the “right” time. Remember they said the same thing last year, and the year before the last. You can’t claim to not know the truth. The choice is yours. You can go back to the waiting chamber, or you can choose to seize the moment.

The time is NOW. We are already late. We need to work twice as fast with half the resources. The ball is in your court. This time tomorrow morning, that ball would be long gone. By then, we may have missed it and another opportunity may not come in our life time.

Be a Bitz’uist. This was the word used to describe David Ben-Gurion. He was Israel’s first Prime Minister, a founder of the modern state of Israel and a member of Time Magazine’s 100 most important people of the 20th Century. A Bitz’uist is someone who just gets things done no matter the challenge!

David Ben-Gurion was also a Kibbutz. Kibbutz is the name of a community in Israel. Kibbutzniks constitute less than 2% of Israel’s population, but they produce 12% of Israel’s exports! At a time, they constituted 15% of Israel’s entire parliament. They led an innovation that turned a barren wasteland country classified as being 95% semi-arid into a nation with over 240 million trees. Israel is the ONLY country in the world where desert land is being turned into forests. They dug a well as deep as the length of 10 football fields, brought out warm water and reared fish right inside a desert. They took it to another level by harnessing waste water from fish plantations to irrigate farmland in a desert.

The forests in Israel today started with one tree.

At age 85, Caleb said “Give me this Mountain”. He was just as strong and competent as he was 40 years earlier. I’m certain he thought within himself “I’m not gonna let these clowns talk me out of my destiny a second time”. Will we respond like Caleb?

Enough said!

TODAY is the DAY of SALVATION!

In the transcendental words of my friend and leading Apostle of Change – Amenze Iyamu, JUST BE!

This is different!

All achievement is the product of an idea set in motion. In the real sense, ideas do not originate from men. Since all things have already been created (Gen 1:1), there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl 1:9). Man only enjoys the privilege of searching out secrets (Prov 25:2). To “catch” an idea is to have an insight into the blue-print of creation. Since there is a season for everything, and a time to every purpose under heaven, we recognize that ideas explode when there is a synchronization of time and space.

There is nothing as powerful as an idea whose time has come! Fight all you want against it, it will prove to be an exercise in futility. The world since the beginning of time has been ruled by ideas and ideologies. Like a little leaven that leavens the whole lump, ideas that have managed to collide space with time have historically spread like a virus destroying all that stood in their path. They have consistently left the world a permanently changed place, creating irreversible transitions and shifts similar to an egg that has undergone a chemical and state change induced by exposure to heat. 

There are highly potent ideas that have been propounded by many in the past, but they did not attain global relevance because they showed up prematurely. Wise men (a.k.a. opportunistic intellectual entities) rehashed and rebranded these same ideas a few moments later at the appointed season and ended up taking almost all the credit, simply because they understood how the alignment of time and space unleashes the full potential of ideas.

For example, the works of fore-runners such as Peter Waldo, John Hus and John Wycliffe ultimately led to “The Reformation”, but The Reformation is largely credited to Martin Luther for his bravery in defiantly sticking his 95 Thesis upon the door of the University church at Wittenberg, Germany. An idea (a spiritual one in this case) that had been seeking room for full expression over centuries finally collided space with time during Martin Luther’s day. The new invention of Gutenberg (printing press) provided the space and platform upon which this idea travelled far and wide, destroying the hold of the Papacy and it’s doctrine of indulgences (some sort of stock exchange where earthly financial instruments and securities were traded for divine securities such as forgiveness and eternal life). “Justification by faith” finally prevailed! Martin Luther struck the tipping point for this very old idea and took all the credit! Imagine what Martin Luther would have missed if he had written off this idea on the basis of its previous track record and results?

When communicating and selling ideas, innovation or new technology (particularly those we feel strongly about), we often find ourselves using precursors such as “This is different!” or “Please hear me out!”. A critical look at this pattern reveals that these phrases were intended as fortification against expected attacks triggered by the declaration of new ideas or demonstration of unconventional thinking. While many do lay claim to loving change and dynamism, in reality, they are perpetual and permanent bedfellows of the status quo. Whenever there is push for change or an overhaul of an existing system, such persons balk and resist albeit subtly. However, we cannot always blame people for such faithless behavior especially when we understand that they have become victims of that phenomenon called “experience”.

Observation has revealed that there are three kinds of crowds.

The NO crowd, the YES crowd and the Observers.

Interestingly, the NO crowd is usually filled with the most “experienced” people. You see, the thing about experience is that it has a great ability to deceive. Experience can make you think you understand something you know nothing about. Because you tried out an idea that failed miserably 5 years ago, whenever someone proposes a similar idea, you discountenance it quickly based on your “experience”. You forget to factor and objectively consider the wide range of internal and external variables that have since changed.

Let’s consider a few interesting self explanatory expressions:

• Analytical Productive Thinking
• Ultra-High Frequency Thinking
• Border-less Mind Mapping
• Multivariate Analysis
• Contingency Planning
• Innovative Improvisation

All the above are simply methods of utilizing the brain!

What is wisdom? Dr. Mike Murdock provided one of the most insightful and unconventional definitions when he defined wisdom as the study of difference! Wisdom is the ability to recognize and capitalize on differences and variations, no matter how subtle.

Let’s carefully analyze the dynamics of Two Space Exploration Missions and how their study and interpretation of difference meant the difference between life and death.

Apollo 13

The Apollo 13 crisis occurred on April 15, 1970 after the Space Ship had travelled 75% of its journey to the moon.  Two days into its mission and traveling at 2000 mph, one of its primary oxygen tanks exploded. The Flight and Crisis Director, Gene Kranz was presented with an enormous challenge. The survival of astronauts onboard Apollo 13 hung on his decisions and he had only single digit minutes to decide and execute changes to a project that took years to plan and implement. He had to figure out a way to stretch oxygen and electricity that was barely sufficient for 2 men over 2 days, in order to support 3 men for 4 days. Fortunately, Kranz had built a high performance team with advanced levels of interaction and collaboration. They had been taken through excruciating drills and were mentally prepared for contingencies of this nature. Expectedly, they successfully crafted creative solutions that saved the mission and the lives of the astronauts. A New York Times editorial reported that the crisis would have been fatal had it not been for the NASA network whose teams of experts performed miracles of emergency improvisation. In order words, they recognized and responded excellently well to unanticipated change.

Columbia Mission

On Feb 1 2003, 16 days into the Columbia Mission, the space shuttle exploded into fragments as the shuttle re-entered the earth’s atmosphere. Investigations revealed that a piece of insulating foam weighing 1.67 pounds broke off the external fuel tank during take-off and struck the tip of the shuttle’s left wing, creating a hole that would later allow super-heated gasses to rip through the wing’s interior. There was a two week period between the damage to the wing and the fatal explosion. Could NASA have averted this disaster? Absolutely YES! Mid level engineers repeatedly recommended that repair work be carried out on the wing after a post-launch review but NASA management overruled their recommendation. Management thought “this is isn’t different from similar foam dislodgements that had occurred in previous successful missions”. They thought “This is NOT different!”

NASA has lived to regret this unforgivable faux-pas that cost the lives of several astronauts including that of the first Israeli astronaut.

An HBS study went on to reveal that organizations belong to one of two models:

1.      A standardized model where standards and routines govern everything, including strict compliance with timelines and budget. 

2. An experimental model where each day, every exercise and every piece of new information is evaluated and debated (in a culture that resembles that of an R&D laboratory)

In this age, everyone alive has no excuse for keeping a state of mind that visualizes change and fast paced development as unnecessary. If Tsunamis (orchestrated by subsea earthquakes that the most advanced early warning systems are still incapable of predicting) can be let loose in a matter of minutes, then we must accept that the world we live in demands the greatest possible affinity for improvisation and on-the-spot thinking. Every experience and exercise must be treated as a source of data. Each attempt, whether space travel, a startup or a development project is fundamentally an experimental endeavor and should be managed as such.

In the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), each day is treated as an experiment. Daily debriefs are held where each day is critically deconstructed. Explaining a bad situation away is unacceptable. The path of honor is to accept responsibility and enumerate the lessons learnt. There are only two ways to describe a soldier – rosh gaddol or rosh kattan!

Rosh gaddol (translated big-head thinking) refers to a responsible can-do attitude that assesses a multiple scenario of applicability and options in executing an instruction. It means following orders in the best possible way using personal judgment and required effort. It emphasizes improvisation over disciplined rigidity. In other words, it places high premium on initiative and innovation.

Rosh kattan (translated little head thinking) narrowly accepts orders, works like a robot, shuns extra work and detests personal evaluation and responsibility.

When we shoehorn every new piece of data or experience into an inflexible system, we become dinosaurs. Isn’t it foolish to judge new ideas on the basis of recommendations from pattern recognition systems and neural networks that use yesterday to judge today and the future, knowing we live in a world undergoing convulsive change on a per second basis? Every idea, proposal, opportunity or venture must be analyzed and judged within its current context and future potential rather than being subjected to historical prejudice. There is nothing as powerful as an idea whose season is now! Break free from stubborn attachments to existing beliefs.

The old is gone. The new is here. This is different! We thank God for inexperience taking us on to the next level!

Sons of the Age; A Curse to Corruption

Division and subtraction are distinctive characteristics of darkness.  Addition and multiplication are the prime qualities of Light. It is not that which goes into a man that corrupts him, but that which comes out of him. Therefore, your produce provides the basis for your evaluation.

Now, what is corruption? Encarta defines corruption as the dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain. It further described it as extreme immorality, depravity, degeneracy, perversion, debasement, dishonest shenanigans, venality, misdemeanor and vice.

My 2011 unabridged definition of corruption reads thus: 

Corruption is the unprofitable exchange of nothing for something. It is the art or act of extracting value from a person or system without returning or depositing something of equivalent or even greater value back into the original source (the system or person). Corruption is a holistic description of unbridled theft, which I consider as one of the ultimate transgressions. To practice corruption is to steal, kill and destroy value.

Let’s bring it home now and do some mathematics. Corruption = Unproductivity! 

I guess you’re asking how. 

How about this: Corruption = Apathy = Laziness = Entitlement Mentality  = Waste = Unproductivity.

I employed the principle of equivalence and reflexivity here. Indeed, all these words are approximate synonyms. In summary, if you conduct forensic analysis, you would discover that they are all members of the same household.

Now what is unproductivity? To be unproductive is to discard value and waste capital. It means you have little or nothing to show for the resources entrusted into your hands. To put it more accurately, unproductivity means your output is less than the input. For example, If $500 was entrusted into your hands, and we return after an agreed period to find $490 in your hands, you have compromised value. That my friend, is unproductivity and by implication, corruption.

PS: Please note that we have employed money as a store or representation of value in this example. 

If a parent invests $10,000 in a child’s education and the child graduates with a great academic performance and a life transforming social experience, the child has proven to be profitable investment because the competencies acquired and the qualifications obtained are exceedingly worth more than $10,000. In actuality, they cannot be bought and are hence, priceless. A child that chooses to do otherwise brings great pain and has abused the confidence entrusted in him. Such child is no good unless he makes a 180 degree turn in good time and hastens to redeem lost time.

At this point, I would like to state categorically that corruption (unproductivity) has viral and cancerous tendencies. It eats up everything in its path. It constantly seeks to expand its reach by contaminating everything around it. It is never satisfied. It always seeks to conquer new territory. It loves to network and open “service centers“ around the globe. Corruption is like an entrepreneur. It quickly evolves and swiftly replicates itself because by operating this way, it becomes entrenched and deep seated making it near impossible to be dislodged by any opposing force.

After critically examining the nature of corruption as we have done in the previous paragraphs, we do understand there is only way to stop it. Curse it and kill it dead all the way it to its root! Corruption is not a disease that can be managed. You either kill it or leave it to live and flourish. There is no choice here. It is one-way traffic. If you allow it to lead you, it takes you into a cul-de-sac.  If you manage to get in front of it, you either kill it or it converts and dumps you in its trunk.

In order to effectively wage war against and defeat this cancer, you need two things going for you. God and Men! Let’s look at the biblical responses to corruption and unproductivity. 

In Gen38:8-10, Onan (one of Judah’s sons) wasted his seed in an attempt to stop his late brother from having descendants. God did not beg or appeal to him, rather He killed him dead. 

In the parable about the Kingdom and Talents (Matt 25:14-15), The Master gave one of the three servants one talent with which to trade and invest. He yielded zero profit and returned one talent to his Master. Basic economics tells us that 100 naira today is not equivalent to 100 naira tomorrow. A natural law of depreciation (they call it inflation) takes its toll. God called this a wicked thing and immediately pronounced the ultimate judgment against this unproductive servant.

In our third and final example, Jesus (God Incarnate) encountered a Fig Tree (Mk 11:20-24) that had leaves but no fruit. Even though this tree was out of season, it ought to have bore fruit because the natural order of growth for fig trees in the Palestine area is for fruit to come out first before leaves. This fig tree had an appearance of increase but a closer look at it revealed it was an epitome of unproductivity. This fig tree challenged and rebelled against its owner and creator.

How do we know this? Immediately after the cursed fig tree died and withered down to its root, Jesus declared “whosever shall say to this mountain…and believes…..shall have whatsoever he says”. 

Jesus compared the fig tree to an opposing mountain standing in his way. That is the the nature of corruption. It stands in your way and attempts to limit and destroy you. Jesus had given the fig tree all that it needed to produce but it brought forth nothing! Jesus cursed it immediately and it withered.

We have seen that unproductivity and corruption ought to be judged at the speed of light. Where ever laziness, unproductivity, corruption, lukewarmness,  averageness, incompetence and indifference is detected, it ought to be swiftly exterminated.

He that has little, even that which he has shall be taken away. To do nothing with something, to ignore an opportunity to create abundance, to look down rather than look up, is to challenge God. We have a duty to eliminate waste and unproductivity where ever we see it. 

Our mantra should be zero waste. 

Our motto should be CIP (Continuous Improvement in Performance).

Corruption and unproductivity is the antithesis of the first commandment and the ultimate inhibitor and antagonist to reproduction and multiplication.

Division and subtraction are the core values of darkness. This explains why the devil took away a staggering 1/3 of God's angels. He stole value from God. That's why God chose us and called us sons. Sonship does not have anything to do with the male gender. Son ship means to bear the nature and character of the source. We are called sons of God because we bear fruit and make disciples of all nations. We don't divide his body and ostracize his chosen. We always leave a place better than we meet it.

This is Jacob, the generation of them that seek Him, the generation of them that seek His face. This is a new age. Desperate times require desperate measures. We have forcefully advanced since the days of John the Baptist and we are not about to relent. Yesterday’s methods cannot dislodge today’s devils. We must retrieve the axe head and sharpen the saw. A new age requires a new kind of wisdom (Eph 3:5). Whenever a new age arrives, a new set of sons are deployed. Revelation, Wisdom, Insight and Strategies that were hidden in times past are now being revealed unto the sons of this age for tearing down corruption and building new nations.

I AM ONE OF THEM!

The Sins of Buhari...by Prof Tam David West (Abridged)

The Sins of Buhari?

General Muhammadu Buhari is a man revered for his honesty, transparency, integrity and desire for justice for the common man. The idea of a Buhari Presidency is dreaded by some Nigerians who have looted the nation to stupor. These selfish politicians who want to keep Nigerians in poverty often embark on a campaign of calumny by framing up accusations against Buhari in order to prevent Nigerians from voting for a leader who loves the masses and has the mind to change the fortunes of Nigeria for the better.  Other anti-Buhari commentators have admitted that they are prejudiced against him (for no just cause). Some do not even know the truths about the allegations. 

Some misunderstand the man because of his straight forward and disciplined approach to life. Below is a compilation of the so called sins of Buhari obtained mainly from The Sixteen Sins of Buhari, written by Professor Tam David West, a man who worked closely with Buhari as Minister for Petroleum when General Buhari was Head of State. Facts have also been sourced from a few other sources to help Nigerians know the truth about this man whose presidency will undoubtedly change Nigeria for the better. Going by his unassuming nature, Buhari will not fight to protect his own name. This is why concerned Nigerians have decided to take up this fight. We must no longer let mischief makers who do not want the good of the average Nigerian deceive the Nigerian public.

Human Rights Abuse

Human rights must be protected and must not be abused. However, those who single out the military rule of Buhari for human rights violations are biased.

The Buhari regime was a military regime. Military regimes have not been known to uphold the same standards of human rights as democracies. There was hardly any military regime in Nigeria that was not characterized by dictatorship and violation of fundamental rights. Military Heads of States gave orders that violated human rights.  Some have accused Buhari of ordering executions. However, unlike other military Heads of States who single handedly ordered executions,  Buhari never took decisions unilaterally. He practiced democracy even as a military Head of State. Decisions were taken by the Supreme Military Council (SMC).

President Buhari will not order the execution of accused persons because it is the responsibility of the judiciary to pass sentences. President Buhari will not be a dictator because he has matured into a democrat and has participated actively in the democratic process since 1999. President Buhari cannot be a dictator because the democratic environment is different from the military environment. General Buhari has shown his faith in the democratic process by contesting for the presidency twice. When he lost under controversial circumstances, he demonstrated his faith in the judiciary by challenging the results through the laid down procedures of the court system. Therefore Nigerians should welcome whole heartedly Muhammadu Buhari, the democrat.

Retroactive Laws

General Buhari has been attacked for making retroactive laws by which he targeted corrupt practices which robbed Nigeria of vital income. Decree Number 20 of 1984 on bunkering and illegal oil deals was aimed at stopping the theft of oil which at the time cost Nigeria over $2 million per day. Again that was the only way a patriotic and zealous military Head of State could have saved Nigeria from the clutches of corruption. That retroactive law put an end to the theft of oil. Other Nigerian military Heads of States also made retroactive laws. The United Nations tribunals at Nuremberg and Tokyo which tried perpetrators of World War II atrocities operated based on retroactive laws. Retroactive laws simply fulfilled the maxim, “desperate diseases require desperate remedies”. A democratic government will be different at least because it is characterized by separation of powers. As such, President Buhari cannot and will not make retroactive decrees as it is the duty of the National Assembly to make laws in a democracy.

Islam Fundamentalist

Buhari has been accused by mischief makers of religious fundamentalism. He was quoted out-of-context as saying that muslims should vote for only muslims. If this were true, can he be hanged for it when Christian clerics have also been known to advocate that Christians should vote only for Christians? But Buhari’s rebuttal of this charge, “I am not a religious fundamentalist …” was published on Saturday Sun on 3 July 2004. Do you know that as Head of State, General Buhari bulldozed mosques that were constructed illegally? Do you know that he arrested and detained a number of Islamic preachers for violent sermons? Do you know that as an army commander, most of Buhari’s men from platoon to division were Christians? Do you know that it was Obasanjo, not Buhari who took Nigeria into the membership of the Islamic Bank? Do you know that it was Babangida, not Buhari who sought to secretly take Nigeria into membership of the Organization of Islamic Countries? How then can Buhari be said to be an Islam fundamentalist? Buhari is simply a devout muslim who is committed to his faith without trying to impose it on anyone.

Decree 4 and Press Freedom

Admittedly, Decree 4 seemed to negate some principles of press freedom. Again, it must be stated that the Buhari regime was a military regime. Military regimes are not known to guarantee press freedom as well as democracies. Those jailed under decree 4 included two journalists reporting for a major Newspaper. The newspaper was fined N50, 000. Its offence was that it published before the official time the list of Nigeria’s ambassadorial postings. This was invariably a breach of state security. Governments all over the world seek to preserve information that is essential for state security. Even the United States, the chief advocate of press freedom is seeking to arrest the founder of Wikileaks for publishing state secrets. Despite this, the Buhari regime should be applauded because it never closed down or proscribed any newspaper or magazine. Other military regimes, particularly the Obasanjo and Babangida regimes seized and proscribed newspapers and magazines with impunity.

Decree 3 and Shagari Regime Politicians 

The Buhari regime passed the Recovery of Public Property (Special Military Tribunal’s Decree No. 3 of 1984) to try the corrupt politicians in Shagari’s government. Admittedly, the sentences handed over to the culprits may have been outrageous but this was again characteristic of military regimes, not just Buhari’s regime. Some military regimes were known to hand down life sentences to persons against whom they framed up accusations.  Did Buhari frame up accusations against anyone? Certainly not! Even Buhari’s critics have admitted that the Shagari’s government was outrageously corrupt. In the process, Buhari saved Nigeria hundreds of millions of naira. Again in a democracy, President Buhari will not hand down sentences on anyone because it is the responsibility of the courts to do so. Other governments including civilian administrations have been known to manipulate anti-corruption agencies because they had something to hide or someone to protect. Not so for Buhari. He has nothing to hide and no one to protect.

The 53 Suit Cases Saga

Below is an excerpt of a profile of Muhammadu Buhari written by Oluwarotimi Fashakin and published on Elombah.com:

Owing to the damaging effect of currency trafficking outside the Nation’s shores, the Buhari administration decided to change the colors of the currency notes in April 1984. This yielded the desired result as N5Billion excess liquidity was mopped off! As a back-lash on this exercise, there was insidious story from a section of the media that the Buhari regime allowed the Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Jokolo to bring in 53 suitcases during the currency change, thereby insinuating a case of double-standard. Let it be said from the onset, the opinion tenaciously held on to about this incident was what was sold to the unsuspecting Nigerian public by a section of the press. So much hoodwinked that Buhari's explanation had never been heard!

This is what Buhari said about this:

"This is a typical case of the press believing what they want to believe. I hope it is not a reflection of the Nigerian society. I hope one day you will find the time to interview the Vice President (Alhaji Atiku Abubakar) on this. I understand he was the Customs officer in charge of the Murtala Mohammed airport, perhaps he knows more about it than myself. I have explained this so many times but the press write what they want to write and not what is factual."

Going down the memory lane, he added: "I recall the day in question. We were playing squash with my ADC when his father, the late Emir was returning to the country. He was a well-respected person. I prompted Jokolo to go and receive him even when he had no intention of doing so. By some coincidence his father was returning with my late chief of protocol who was an ambassador in Libya. He returned with his three wives and about 16 children. Everything about him including the handbag of his wives was counted as a suitcase. I explained this myself but nobody believed me."

It is believed that these false allegations were cooked up by persons who secretly sought to discredit Buhari in order to overthrow him. Let him that have eyes read between the lines. Let those who falsely accuse an honest man have a rethink for it is the height of injustice.

The N2.8 Billion ‘Missing’ Oil Money Poppycock 

In 1980, during the administration of President Shagari, a case arose of some N2.8 billion allegedly missing from the NNPC in the previous administration of General Obasanjo when General Buhari was the Minister for Petroleum. A Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by a Supreme Court Judge, Honourable Mr. Justice Ayo Irekefe, was set up to examine the allegations. The MD/CEO of NNPC, Chief Festus Marinho, an oil technocrat was temporarily moved out of the NNPC to allow for investigations. From its findings, the Commission, satisfied that no such money ever got missing, dismissed the scandal. It is interesting to note that even before the allegations were dismissed by the Commission, Buhari’s name was not mentioned among those suspected. This was reiterated by General Obasanjo in 1990 in his book “Not My Will” in which Obasanjo praised Buhari’s “honesty”, “moral probity and rectitude”.

Those prejudiced against Buhari later sought to revive these allegations and, failing to justify their claims, alleged that the sum was $3.4 billion reviewed to $4.1 billion even though all government records state clearly that the allegedly missing sum was N2.8 billion and that the allegations were found to be untrue and subsequently dismissed. They falsely claim that the coup against Shagari’s governemnt was because of the investigations. How could Buhari have staged a coup in revenge for an investigation into a case in which he was not even accused and which was eventually dismissed as baseless? The Buhari led coup was to clean up the polity which was deep in corruption during the administration of Shagari. Nigerians took to the streets in jubilation when the Shagari administration was toppled as it marked an end to a reign of corruption which had caused severe damage to the economy. One year later, the missionary zeal of the Buhari-Idiagbon regime had begun to transform the nation to the extent that Buhari was almost christened “Nigeria’s Jesus” by enthusiastic Nigerians but for the fact that that would mean a “muslim Jesus”.

Rejection of National Award

When “national award is patronisingly made as if it is personal favour, and with some odour of condescension, proving or scoring some political points, all decent and honourable persons should feel constrained to reject it”- Professor Tam David West.

Buhari, by honourably rejecting Obasanjo’s national award, joined the league of Chinua Achebe who will not compromise principles for gain. Buhari should be crowned with the people’s support for refusing to be stained by the favour of a government whose election victory was criticized by international observers. Indeed Buhari is an honourable man!

The Siege on Chief Awolowo’s House

Buhari has stated clearly his innocence in the raid on the houses of Chief Awolowo, Alhaji Gumi and Shehu Musa by security operatives. He was not told about the incidents. It was masterminded by a fifth columnist (a secret group whose agenda was to discredit and overthrow Buhari’s government).

The Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) 

In spite of the widely acknowledged success of the PTF, some anti-Buhari advocates claim that the PTF was created for Buhari and that it was a parallel government. This is nonsense. The PTF was set up as a child of necessity by Abacha’s government when complaints trailed the increase in fuel pump price. The fears were that as it was on previous occasions when fuel price was increased, the increase would not bring any benefit to Nigerians. The PTF was then set up to use the proceeds from fuel sales for development. By Decree 1 of 1995 which established the PTF, the body was to be bound by the principles of prudence, transparency and integrity. No other person suited the administration of this body than General Buhari who was begged to run the organization. It has been said that the PTF did more in 3 years for the development of Nigerians than the PDP government has done in 12 years. Buhari’s integrity and dedication to duty made the PTF a “Model for Development”.  “Its Annual Audited Accounts were always on time up till 1998, audited by their External Auditors, Messrs KPMG” – Professor Tam David West. Buhari challenged President Obasanjo to probe his tenure as PTF Chairman (The Anchor, 31 May 2006). Obasanjo could not find anything against him.

Buhari and Counter-Trade

Before the Shagari-administration was overthrown, the economy was almost crippled. When Buhari took over, in order to revive the economy, he refused to adopt IMF conditionalities. As a strategy for national survival, the Buhari-regime adopted the Counter-Trade policy which in simple terms means “using what we have to get what we need”, that is, exchanging oil for the goods needed in the national economy. Under strict conditions, specified barrels of oil were allocated to qualified merchants nominated by the goods supplier. The proceeds from oil sales were lodged in Escow Account in a foreign bank selected by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Goods needed by the Nigerian economy were purchased from this account. It is sad to note that the Escow Account established by Buhari’s government was depleted by Babangida’s government just as the current administration has depleted Nigeria’s Excess Crude Account set up by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala as Minister of Finance during Obasanjo’s regime. When Babangida sought to probe Buhari’s Counter-Trade policy, no case could be made against the Buhari regime because it had nothing to hide and the policy served the good of the national economy.

The War Against Indiscipline (WAI)

It is unfortunate that what has been hailed as the era of a culture of discipline is being peddled as a sin of Buhari by some. WAI was instituted to instill discipline in the Nigerian character. The result of this is that Nigerians began to keep their environment clean. The queuing culture became “an integral part of the national culture”. Today, there are many law enforcement agencies on the streets and highways. In spite of this, indiscipline has become the order of the day. Some law enforcement agents are easily compromised and there appears to be inadequate political will to enforce the laws. What the WAI crusade brought to Nigeria was that political will. Admittedly, its methods were strict. After all, it was the project of a military regime. Nigeria today needs disciplined leadership that can lead by example and demonstrate proper public conduct. Because the man Buhari has matured into a democrat, his discipline and integrity makes him the president Nigeria needs at this time.

Buhari and the Oputa Commission

The Human Rights Violation and Investigation Commission (HRVIC) headed by Honourable Justice Chukwudifu Oputa an eminent jurist and supported by respected Nigerians like Rev Father Matthew Coker may have had good intentions. But why a mere ceremonial, or at best, administrative panel without any mechanism of enforcement or even of compelling people to appear before it. What has happened to its report? Even Babangida successfully defended in court his right not to appear before the panel. Many lawyers called it a toothless bulldog. In a governmental order that lacks the political will to enforce unbiased findings, where such reports as the Pius Okigbo Report can be alleged to be missing as an excuse not to implement it, what serious minded Nigerian will expect anything to come from what Wole Soyinka described as “Portraits in Infamy and Criminal Impunity”? Could it be that General Buhari, in his characteristic honest and serious approach to life had seen beforehand that the government of the day had no intention to take that panel seriously even though it had respected Nigerians in its committee?