THE knot wrapper and dress is the hottest fashion item in town. They are turning up everywhere, from classic and chic gown/dress to wrapper, in every imaginary colours, pattern, design, style and texture, from twinkling sheer fabrics to thick prints.
Daily change in fashion trends have led to a whole lot of change in the wardrobe of the modern woman. Short sleeve knot gown and knot up wrappers are quite haute and in vogue these days.
APRIL by Kunbi, as she is known, is one of Nigeria’s foremost fashion innovators. She is one of the designers that is rocking the fashion scene now with her glamorous regal outfits.
Young and highly-talented Kunbi woke us from our slumber to the world of the classic, daring and sexy dresses.
In Ekiti State where he is the member representing the people of Ekiti North Federal Constituency 1 in the House of Representatives, Bimbo Daramola bestrides the social scene like a colossus. His entrance into any venue is greeted with the chants of Nitori ojo ola wa (because of our tomorrow), his campaign mantra when he was seeking the support of the electorate in 2011.
That Bimbo speaks the language of the grassroots people is a fact known to everyone in the state. That much he demonstrated last Saturday on the occasion of Governor Fayemi’s 49th birthday. He went round Ado-Ekiti to fete the people. As he took a walk to the campaign office of the All Progressives Congress (APC) where he holds sway as the Director-General of Dr. Kayode Fayemi Re-election Campaign, a sea of heads gathered behind him, singing Fayemi’s praises.
In a matter of minutes, a large crowd had gathered around him. He then led them to numerous relaxation spots and restaurants where he feted them with sumptuous meals and drinks.
In northern Nigeria, gay men are being hunted down.
In front of Bauchi State’s Sharia Commission, a white-walled two-storey building, men in dark green uniforms are awaiting orders from their boss.
The man in charge of the Islamic police, or Hisbah, says the hunt began when a newspaper reported last year that homosexuals in Bauchi had formed an association. The article included a list of names.
“We did not arrest them, it was the community that did it,” he said.
The Hisbah tried to track them down, without success. So they looked for help.
“The imams and pastors were alerted, so that they should preach in churches and mosques about this illegal thing,” said Jibrin Danlami Hassan, a retired civil servant who now commands the Hisbah, which also enforces bans on the sale of alcohol, prostitution and gambling.
“People should put [an] eye on their children and know those who are moving with them,” he said.
“People should try to see where these evil things are taking place, and if they find it please tell the authority.
“We will go and arrest them and make them stop this kind of thing,” he said, adding that he was proud to be serving Allah with his work.
Religion, both Christianity and Islam, play a powerful role in shaping people’s views on homosexuality in Nigeria.
A deeply conservative country, it has an influential Christian evangelical movement in the south and strong support for Islamic law in the north.
“According to Islam, a generation was wiped out by God because of homosexuality during the Prophethood of Lot, so I am afraid there will be calamity here if homosexuality is practised,” said one local resident.
Sting operation
Ishmael, the first man to be caught, was trapped in a sting operation, after striking up a friendship in an online chatroom. He was then forced to reveal names and numbers of close friends – details that were then handed over to the Hisbah.
“They would go to someone’s workplace and say ‘Do you know Ishmael?’ and pick them one by one,” says John, who is currently in hiding, fearing arrest.
“They would say, ‘Something has happened to Ishmael, we need your help,’ and then take him.”
As a result of the swoop, nine men are now in Bauchi prison awaiting trial. Officials at the Sharia Commission say they all confessed after being arrested, although this is impossible to verify and the BBC has been told that some of the men were physically assaulted.
“We did not arrest them, it was the community that did it,” said Mr Hassan.
“When they were brought here they were safe, they were not tortured. We interviewed them, we interrogated them,” he said, blaming “irresponsible people at the ward level” for any violence.
The death sentence has never been carried out under Sharia in Nigeria, but that is what convicted homosexuals face if the state governor also approves it. In reality, such cases are extremely hard to prove, as Islamic law needs four witnesses to testify they saw a homosexual act being performed.
But Salisu Muhammad Bununu from the Sharia Commission is firm.
“Either by stoning, or by pushing them off a high place, or by hanging,” he replies, when I ask how the law says convicted homosexuals should be punished.
Mob justice
During a bail hearing for seven of the accused on 22 January, an angry crowd gathered outside the dilapidated Sharia court, demanding swift and severe punishment.
Stones were thrown at the court and the hearing was halted. Police had to shoot in the air to disperse the mob and get the suspects back to prison safely, though there they are also vulnerable.
I met Hassan, a close relative of one of the men on trial.
“I noticed that one of the men wasn’t walking properly,” he said after a prison visit.
“So I asked him what had happened. He showed me the injury on his leg, where he had been beaten up. I don’t know if the prison staff or the inmates did it.
“Our family is so worried about the situation. My relatives keep asking me what’s happening, especially married women who may not have the opportunity to witness the court sessions, and so they must rely on information I provide to them.
“They keep asking when he will be released, so I keep asking them to keep praying, and I tell them very soon the case will be settled,” he said, adding that he hoped his relative would be bailed.
“But still there is tension in the town, and once people see him, despite the fact he is on bail, they may feel he was set free.
“Maybe extremists will take the law into their own hands. So if we can get his bail we will have to find a safe place for him,” he added.
But where to hide? Last month President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law a bill banning same-sex marriages, gay groups and shows of same-sex public affection, backed by prison terms of up to 14 years – a move which is popular with most Nigerians, both Muslim and Christian.
“I never imagined it would get to this,” said John.
“I love my life and I want to live. If, in order to live, it means I have to hide myself, then I’ll have to do that. I don’t have any option,” he said.
Source: BBC
Asthma is a disease condition in which the air passages in the lungs (called bronchioles) become sensitive to simulation by a variety of agents, leading to contraction of the muscular wall, with narrowing of the bone to a degree that seriously obstructs the entry and exit of air in the lungs.
In an attack of asthma¸ the breathing becomes difficult, expiration often being more affected than inspiration. The patient is short of breath and breathing may become audibly “wheezy”, with coughing. The effort to draw breath increases, but despite this, the movement of the chest is diminished. The patient may become agitated or confused. He feels he is going to choke to death. It is a frightening condition.
There are numerous causes of asthmatic attack. In some cases, a frank allergy exists to a particular material, grass and tree pollens, molds and fungi, animal hair and even some types of food may all provoke an asthmatic attack. In other cases, a physical or chemical irritant such as a smoky atmosphere, exhaust fumes or acid fumes may bring on an attack. Even, the inhalation of dust (particularly when sweeping an enclosure), of smoke, particularly from frying food or burning of dried or wet grass, and others can cause attack.
Infections of the lungs, particularly those caused by viruses, may precipitate an attack in those who are susceptible. It has also been noted that asthmatic patients suffer more under cold conditions. It should be noted that just like in most cases of ill-health, the causes of asthma include much waste matter and mucus in the system.
From all these explanations, it becomes clear that the signs that one can easily observe in an asthmatic patient are difficult breathing and wheezing. It is mainly in the night that severe attacks take place. The patient longs to be in a wide-open place with sufficient fresh air.
Prevention
Asthmatic attacks can be prevented if the causes are removed and the body’s resistance is built up. The first of such causes would be anything that is harmful to the lungs and bronchial tubes; such as smoking.
Treatment and Control
In Holistic Lifecare. It is strongly advocated that the best way to control asthmatic attack is by going back to NATURE. If the attack takes place after a meal, it is advisable to induce vomiting. It is good to give hot fomentations over the areas of the stomach, liver, lungs and spleen.
On wet days, and at night, the patient should be kept very warm. The windows should be left open to allow in sufficient air. Fans and air-conditioners should not be used in the sleeping room. The Holistic natural remedy being suggested for asthma is a combination of natural extracts of Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Tetrapleura tetraptera and Zingiber officinale.
For further information and consultation on Holistic Lifecare research and services, especially on Blood Infections, Infertility, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Chronic Debilitating Conditions as well as mental and social problems, please call on: 0803-330-3897 or visit: Mosebolatan Holistic Lifecare Centre, Adeyalo Layout, Ogbere-Tioya, Off Olorunsogo Express Bridge, Ibadan. Website: www.holisticlifecare.com. Distance is no barrier, we can send remedies by courier if need be. We also have facilities for accommodation, admission and hospitalization in a serene and homely environment.
MEMORIES are for ever, so they say. Many would next week try to create magical moments with loved ones that would last for a long time, if not a life time. It is the St.Valentine’s Day and there no better places to create memories and intimate moments than to set out to very special places to savour the moment.
In Nigeria, there are alluring places where lovers can go to share magical moments and literarily touch the stars at top tourist sites.
Oniru, Elegushi beaches
The loss of the once popular Bar beach to ocean surge and the shut down of the near-by Kuramo beach has turned out to be the gain of private beaches like Oniru and Elegushi beaches in Lagos. The privately-owned beaches are little more organized than the public ones like Alfa and Eleko. Added to the fact that they are located within the town, they have become quite attractive to fun seekers. For those who appreciate the more lively atmosphere to celebrate the lovers’ day, these beaches would not be a bad idea. They have good parking spaces and security is quite commendable.
However, public beaches like the Eleko and Suntan in the Badagry area would also be bubbling with activities for lovers who want to bubble and enjoy life in full.
Special Valentine at Southern Sun
For its numerous customers, the valentine season would not be an ordinary one, as Southern Sun, Ikoyi, Lagos, has come up with a package to make the celebrations memorable. The valentine season package would be enjoyed by guests who stay at the hotel between the 13th and 17th of February 2014. Special room rates and complimentary breakfast for two is also on offer
According to the hotel’s General Manager, Mark Loxley, the hotel would have a special ‘Couples Dinner’ at N13,000 for two, as well as a ‘Sea Food Lovers Buffet’ for N7, 500 on Friday the 14th. In his words, “the seafood and couples dinner is the hotel’s way of encouraging couples to celebrate the valentine season with a mouth-watering spread of local and continental dishes.
“Our customers are our primary responsibility, the relationship and friendship we cultivate, especially during this season, as well as the added values we have, gives us an edge,” Mark Loxley concludes
Candle light dinner by the beach front
One of Lagos State’s foremost resort, the Lagos Tourist Beach Resort, Akodo in Lekki council area of the state, along the Lagos-Epe Expressway, will be holding a romantic beach-side dinner for couples. It is a total package that involves accommodation, dinner and other in-house entertainment to be provided by the resort. The Akodo Tourist Beach Resort, with its long stretch of beach front with coconut trees, is clean with lush sand that is perfect for a romantic evening.
Silverbird Galleria
The Silverbird Galleria, along the Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, would have its own share of the valentine’s day traffic. The attraction is that the place is almost an all-in-one complex for fun in days such as this. The eateries, the gift shops and cinema are all there for those who enjoy being in bustling and high-octane areas .
Nature, sea and sand at La Campagne Tropicana
The resort, Nigeria’s foremost and one of the oldest, go out of its way to make this season unforgettable. It combines rich African content in terms of culinary, arts and general aesthetics, with the finest modernity has to offer to make visitors have a good time. The resort has, in its tradition, put together a package for this lovers’ day.
It has two Valentine Day packages, tagged “Nature, Sea, Sand and Love”, starting from Friday to the next Sunday at the resort in Ikegun, Lagos, and the club, located on Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja.
The club will also host a ‘Thank God Its Valentine’ (TGIV) on Valentine’s Day. The club resort has packaged Nature, Sea, Sand and Love, which it says will provide lovers a platform to connect, cherish and celebrate Valentine’s Day. It is well-known that music paves the path to unwind and resonate with our loved ones. This has led us to believe that it is integral for us to facilitate an avenue that fosters this sentiment.
The events offer lovers the opportunity to celebrate their love at a romantic, outdoor concert under the stars, along with an eternal musical sojourn. According to the management, the vision for the packages was to convey a high impact message by way of delivering an exciting and interesting night, featuring artistes from diverse spectrum and to make this enterprise an annually celebrated carnival.
Other places…
The Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort, Ekiti
If this were to be written last year or year before, it may not have been wise to wise recommend the place to lovers. The environment is serene with tree and quiet ambience to savour. But the accommodation facilities were nothing to write home about. But all these have changed, as the current administration of Governor Fayemi has totally turned around the fortune of the site. The Ikogosi Warm Spring resort could pass for a destination now. For lovers who want to explore the forest and hills setting of the Ikogosi area, Ikogosi would always be an option.
Obudu Ranch Resort
Love goes with beauty, either physically or inside. And what better place to celebrate Valentine’s Day than to float on the Obudu cloud and get to love’s cloud seven. Obudu is the most beautiful place in Nigeria and could compete with any place in the world for allure and grandeur. Getting to Obudu is very easy. The Remlords Group, through destination Cross River, has an all-inclusive package to the place. For lovers wishing to go to Obudu, it is just a click away.
Other places include the Millennium Park in Abuja , Jabi dam and many other places.
Dapo, son of the late former governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adeshina, has been brimming with excitement in recent times. His excitement has nothing to do with his re-appointment as a commissioner in Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s cabinet. After all, pundits had concluded that he would make a return when Governor Ajimobi dissolved his cabinet a few months ago. The governor is believed to owe a lot to the late Lam Adeshina in ascending the number one seat in Oyo State.
Dapo, the young-looking Commissioner for Industry, Applied Science and Technology, is excited at a life re-defining event about to occur in his life. Information at our disposal indicates that Dapo will soon dump his status as a bachelor to join the ranks of married men.
While the identity of the bride-to-be remains yet under wraps, Governor Ajimobi is said to have accepted Dapo’s family’s request that he should be the father of the day.
FOUR suspected armed robbers, led by a self-acclaimed medical doctor, have been arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command. They were said to have terrorised the residents of Lagos and other South West cities before they were arrested by the law enforcement agents.
The suspects include a self-acclaimed medical doctor, Bayo Fisayo Dosumu (62); Isaiah Willy (41), who claimed to be a commercial driver; a self-styled gospel musician, Jonathan Nsirim (36) and Tairu Kareem (44), who claimed to be a panel beater.
According to the police, the self-acclaimed professionals and artisans were tracked down at different locations after they were declared wanted for some deadly robbery operations, including bank and highway robberies as well as ritual killings.
Narrating his role in the gang, Dosunmu, the suspected leader of the gang, said: “It was drug consumption that made me to come in contact with criminally-minded people who lured me into their gang. We also smoked and drank alcohol whenever we came together to relax in the house of one of us or hotel bars and restaurants in Lagos, including places where big men go to take hard drugs.
He claimed: “I am a medical doctor. I graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife in 1980 and did my housemanship with Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. I started working at a General Hospital in 1995 and worked there till 2003 as a medical doctor. I worked in the casualty section.
“I was not the one who fired and killed the policemen and officers shot dead by our gang in different operations. It was our chairman called Fine Money who killed or shot policemen. He killed about two policemen.
“He told us that the reason why he killed any policeman he met in an operation is to instill fear in the policemen so that they would not fight the gang or recognise its members later, but most importantly to collect policemen’s superior weapons in order to strengthen our gang.
“He said that robbery was like going to the war front and to win, one must try to capture or kill his enemies. He added that in Nigeria and other developing countries, policemen shoot to kill when they confront armed robbers, unlike in the developed countries where they try to capture the robbers alive. He said he would only stop killing policemen the day they stop killing robbers.
“I also participated in the robbery of a branch of a commercial bank, some filling stations, supermarkets and pharmaceutical shops. But please, believe me when I say that in the robbery at Ayobo on November 16/17, 2013 where the gang killed two policemen, I did not fire a single shot. I was not even armed.
“On that day, they came to my house at No. 32 Rasheed Ikotun Street at about 7 pm and we smoked and drank together. They begged me to assist them with my vehicle to carry their cylinder and other welding tools to a bush. When the cylinder and other welding tools were loaded into my car boot, I personally drove the car to the bush where they offloaded them.
“They told me that they wanted to use it to go and rob one of the new generation banks and I told them the only role I could play. I told them I would not have the courage to follow them into the bank. So, they paid me N10,000 for carrying the cylinder to where they told me to drop it and the tools inside a bush. Then I left.
“The operations at filling stations were better. What I hated was the way our chairman, Fine Money, and Ayo Bassey used to kill people anyhow.
“From one of the filling station operations, I got only N5,000. In street operations where we attacked residents, supermarkets and medicine stores, I used to go home with between N10,000 and N20,000, depending on how much cash we got.
“At times, we might not get a kobo from some shops. It was either they had not made any sale or they had removed the money to their houses or banks.
“Even in our street-to-street operations, there was a house we entered, thinking that we would get reasonable money but we could not get up to N5,000 from the assumed big man. We gave him the beating of his life. We wanted to even take him away and use him for rituals but time was not on our side because it was a 10-minute operation.
“It was my brother, Tossy, who introduced me to the gang’s chairman. Initially, I used to call him Fine Man, but I was later corrected that his name is Fine Money. We were joking one day when I called him Fine Man and he got angry and asked me whether I was not wishing him well in life. He asked me what value a fine man has without money. He said that was why he changed his name to Fine Money.”
Confessing some of the atrocities he committed as a medical doctor, he said: “I used to diagnose babies wrongly to be able to extort money from their parents. If it was fever, I would say it was diarrhoea or typhoid. But I have never been involved in selling new born babies to rich women who are desperate to have children.
“What I usually do is that if a rich man invites me to his house to treat his or her child, I would use the opportunity to organise my gang to rob him a few days after.”
On how he was arrested, he said: “I did not know that my gang members robbed that day. Though anytime any of them had a problem with the police, I was the one that usually bailed them, if it was not a bad case.
“So, that day, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Isheri Police Station called me on the phone. I had been a friend to every policeman, so I did not suspect that something was wrong. I answered his call only to be handed over to operatives of SARS who rushed towards me the moment they saw me. They handcuffed me and took me to their headquarters at GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
“If I regain my freedom, I will never join or support any armed robbery gang. I have learnt my lessons. It was the devil that caused it.”
The second suspect, Isaah Willy, a native of Etinam in Awka Ibom State, who claimed to be a professional driver, said: “My own role was to carry iron cutter from the place they kept it to a filling station along Igando Road. They have not even given me my share up till today. They are supposed to give me N25,000, but they have not given me a dime till date.
“Even the robbery at the commercial bank, Confidence called me to carry a generator to the bank but the Mazda 626 I should have used was not working. They gave me N10,000 to look for the car that would carry the generator but I used my own car to drop the generator, which they said would supply light for the operation. I did not stay after dropping the generator at the bank.
“I only heard later that they killed three policemen. I felt bad when I heard it; even the N10,000 they paid me for dropping the generator for them, I would have returned it to them because I don’t like people killing policemen. I was very discouraged with that killing.
“It was one of my gang members called Kofi who brought a national newspaper which reported the brutal killing of the police officers. After reading it, I got annoyed.
“Another operation I participated in was the one of the popular churches in June 2012. We were four in number. This was how it happened: one dismissed mobile police officer knew one girl who was repatriated from London due to her criminal activities and prostitution. They later met one Richard.
“They were told that one woman used to go to the Central Bank to collect money (dollars) which she would take to a church, and, that they should go and attack her and collect the money. We discussed the matter deeply before we proceeded to carry out the operation.
“Some of us preferred attacking the woman the moment she came out from Central Bank and moved a reasonable distance away from the bank, while others said it would be better to attack her in the church or near the church to avoid fatal attacks from operatives of SARS.
“Kofi said the important thing was to attack her and collect the money; that he needed money badly whichever way it was collected.
“Kofi, Goddey, Hassan and I all followed the woman from Central Bank and collected the money. I was later given N400, 000. I did not know the total amount they collected from the woman, but it must be in millions.”
On why he was not so much interested in his job as a driver, he said there were many kabukabu drivers in Lagos and that they were no longer making much money. He said the only attempt he made to rob a rich woman who paid her N5,000 for a journey she used to collect only N2,000 nearly cost him his life, because a mob nearly lynched him but he managed to escape.
He said: “Any time I carried a person for ‘drop’ and found that he or she carried a lot of cash, it used to make me mad and I would start thinking about how to rob the person.
“It was greed that made me to allow my members to lure me into armed robbery. I used to be contended with the little I had. But when I started getting money, my responsibilities increased and, in an attempt to meet up or solve the problem, I joined a bad company.”
The third suspect, Jonathan Nsirim who hails from Imo State and claims to be a musician, said: “Initially, I did not know that they were armed robbers. I would not blame myself so much because I had financial problem also. To worsen my plight, big men no longer sprayed money on me when I sang their choice songs, and that contributed to my not finding out that they were bad boys on time.”
On his involvement with the gang, he said: “I only helped them to carry a cylinder and the rack in and out of a commercial bank at Malu Road, Ajegunle, a suburb of Lagos, and they gave me only N250,000 as my share.
“The second operation was at another commercial bank at Idimu where I got N350,000 at the end of everything. The third operation was at yet another commercial bank.”
On why they killed policemen, he said: “It was the chairman aka Fine Money that did it. I don’t know how many people he killed. His deputy, Eyo Bassey, also fired. He was a dismissed soldier. There was another dismissed soldier who was our member. He also carried gun and fired.”
The fourth suspect, Tairu Kareem, who claimed to be a panel beater from Okeho village, Oyo State, said he participated only in three robbery operations. In the bank operation at Idimu in 2013, he said, he was given N300,000, while that of another bank was not successful and he did not get a dime.”
On how they operated at one of the banks, he said Fine Money and the soldier first went in to collect money from the ATM. In the process, they surrounded the security men before they called us to come in. When we entered, we started working.”
Asked why they had to kill policemen, he said that he was surprised about it himself.
He said: “We first heard gunshots and when we called, they said there was no problem. Again, within five minutes, we heard rapid gunshots. We left. But after six days, we started hearing that three policemen were shot dead. We went into hiding because we knew that the police would be worried when their men or any of their men is shot dead by robbers”.
It has been shouts of joy in the home of Makashe, the first born of Olorogun Oscar Ibru. Makashe and her husband, Kayode Awogboro, are blessed with their first child, a baby boy. The lovely couple has been awaiting the baby since they tied the nuptial knot on August 18, 2012 in Paris, France.
Almost two years down the line, the wedding of the two lovable personalities remains a reference point. A few weeks before the main event, the couple had celebrated their traditional engagement in a gorgeous marquee at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. This was followed with their colourful wedding in Paris, France, which was witnessed by some family members and close friends.
The church service took place at Église Sainte-Clotilde, while the reception was at the swanky Pavillon d’Armenonville, Paris. Magenta was the colour of the day and there was a performance by Nigerian music star, Chidynma.
It is important to understand how to handle money in marriage, so as to avoid tension in your home. Handling finances is a very sensitive area for couples. It is, therefore, crucial to say a few things about how to properly handle your finances in today’s article, titled ‘Are you financially faithful?’. Financial faithfulness goes a long way in determining whether you have a great financial future or whether you suffer financial hardship.
A few things noteworthy are:
SHUN IDLENESS: Each member of the family ought to be gainfully employed. Idleness should be discouraged. The Bible is clear on this point: This we commanded you, that if any WOULD NOT, WORK, NEITHER SHOULD HE EAT (2 Thessalonians 3:10). There is dignity in labour as God’s Word says: He that gathereth BY LABOUR shall increase (Proverbs 13:11). So, put your hands to work. It is your responsibility to locate a productive and profitable job, not that of your uncles, aunty, parents etc.
PRIORITY SPENDING: In spending money, DISCIPLINE is a major requirement. Engage in priority spending this means being able to ascertain the things needed and buying them first, before other items. Not all expenditure is right. If you’re indebted, understand that debt is not the will of God for you, whether you entered into it as a result of pressure from legitimate needs or lack of contentment with your present position or possession. Stay clear of indebtedness, for God hates it. the Bible says: Owe no man anything… (Romans 1:8). You can be free from debt. Mix prudence with contentment and enjoy great gain (I Timothy 6:6). Learn to order your priorities right. There are certain things you collect on credit that could wait till later. Please live your size per time. Cut off from friends who drive you to live above your means. Engage in buying things that are necessary and vital per time. God hates waste (John 6:12).
INVESTMENT & SAVINGS: Spending money foolishly is one major cause of borrowing and lack. To avoid such, occasional investments should be engaged in, setting aside some amount in case of need. The Lord Jesus Himself admonishes … Why didn’t you deposit the money in the bank so that I could at least get some interest on it? (Luke. 19:23 TLB). Why don’t you deposit small amounts today in the bank, in order not to engage in begging or borrowing tomorrow? Benjamin Franklin said, “… He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing.” Don’t bring sorrow into your home by being a borrower.
BE ACCOUNTABLE: The Lord believes in accountability and budgeting. How do I know? He stated so in His Word (the Bible). We need to count the cost (Luke 14:28) of our financial transactions. God Himself keeps records and accounts of things (Acts 10:4) and passed on this practice to men on earth (Esther 6:1). We shall be asked to give account of our works on earth (Romans 14:12). God’s Word says: Therefore is the Kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain King, which would take account of his servants (Matthew 18:23).
You need to be accountable, not just to yourself, but first to God, who is the Supplier of all your provisions and money and to your spouse, who is your partner in the home. It is necessary for the children and others in the home, to see your example of being accountable, so they can learn the art of accountability and prudent spending (wise financial transactions). To be in charge of much money, you need to be faithful in planning and spending the money you have at present and the proper use of money, requires proper planning. Just like you prepare for success in any area of life, if you want financial success, it must be prepared for.
Concerning family finances, a key ingredient is TRUST. Husband, wife and even children must trust one another enough to put money together and be prudent in spending it. Accountability helps boost trust. Where no one wants to be accountable to the other, there will be no progress financially. Woman, prove yourself trustworthy to you husband and you will never need to nag him to give you money. Let the heart of your husband safely trust your financial judgment (Proverbs 31:11).
List out your income, your expenditure and review them from time to time, to assess whether your financial transactions are prudent or whether you need to adjust your spending pattern, in order not to spend money foolishly. Make a budget monthly, weekly and daily, and record your spending. I have a little dairy I carry around with me and record any money spent. That way, at the end of the month, I can easily recollect all I spent money on during the month. Accountability pays off: the Lord says… thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things (Matthew 25:21). Being faithful financially qualifies you to receive more money from the Lord and from men, too. I always make sure I submit a breakdown of expenses to my husband, whether he asks for it or not.
I remember one day, many years ago, my husband came to my office with a Cheque book and said, “I have watched you over the years; you have been so faithful financially. You are so different from many other women, so prudent in spending and not a waster. God wants to lift you. This is the Cheque book to our account, all the leaves have been signed, any time you want money, don’t ask, I trust you absolutely and the Spirit of God is inside of you.” Then he left. I said to myself; “God, this is an awesome responsibility” and the Lord said to me; “Because you have been faithful in little, you have been promoted. How faithful you are with this responsibility, will determine how great your promotion will be tomorrow.” Up till today, my dear husband does not ask me how I spend money, because he trusts me. He had watched me and found me faithful in time past. Because of his trust in me, I make sure that I don’t transact money in any area without his knowledge.
Anything you can’t tell your spouse you want to buy or that you bought, needs to be examined. Anything you can’t boldly say you need because you are afraid the request will be turned down, needs reviewing. Anything you want to buy and you can’t really defend your reason for having it, needs to be thought over. One thing I learnt from my husband is proper documentation of financial transactions. All his personal and official spending are documented. This helps you to know exactly where your money is going, and if you need to change your spending pattern. Remember, many financial problems in the home may not necessarily require more prayer to God for money, but more WISDOM in handling money.
As you follow the institutions of the Lord, your financial testimony in your home this year will surprise you. Your purse will continue to be full and your store will never be dry. From today, determine to be financially faithful.
Financial faithfulness takes grace from God who the Bible refers to as: The faithful and true witness … (Revelation 3:14). But like every natural parent, his desires is first to meet the needs of His children. Jesus said in Mark 7:27: Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto dogs. You also can become a child of God today, receiving top priority by praying this simple prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today, just as I am. I am a sinner. I believe You died for me and on the third day You rose again for my justification. Forgive me of my sins; cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You now as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Lord, for saving me. Now I know I am forgiven, I am justified, I am born again and I am a child of God!
Congratulations, you are now born again! I believe that you will begin to experience the reality of the price that Jesus paid for your sins at Calvary. All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name!
Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com. Tel. No: 08141320204; 07026385437; 07094254102
For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Making Marriage Work, Marriage Covenant, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).