The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday magazine

Ikonifin: Osun community where pupils study at the mercy of rain and sun

Forty-two years after late Bola Ige, as governor of the then Oyo State established Ikonifin Community Grammar School, the school, now in Osun State, suffers serious dilapidation, creating serious question of standard. Temitope Olaonipekun reports.

IKONIFIN Community Grammar School was established in 1980 by the late governor of Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige in his quest to bring western educational closer to the people.

Ikonifin is a small town in Ola Oluwa Local Government Area of now in Osun State near Iwo and Bode Osi.

Aside Ikonifin, other communities that were to benefit from the new school, included Ile-Ogbo, Sade, Obamero, Aba Gogoru, Isero, Ife Odan, Afiku and other neighbouring communities.

Forty-two years on, the once glorious school that has produced notable people in the society has degenerated so much that not one building is without a missing roof, window, door or any other items.

Since Ikonifin indigenes are predominantly farmers and could not command resources to send their children to private schools, they simply rely on the community school, where some of them also attended as children.

A former principal in the school, Adeoba Olaleye, who said he has followed the decadence of the school with dismay, informed that though the school could still boast of over 300 students, they hardly could boast of quality or standard of education.

“There are about 14 teachers in the school presently taking over 300 students and the students are without Mathematics and science subject teachers.

“The major problem is that the classrooms and environment of study are not conducive. There are no good chairs and tables and students cram themselves in the few remaining classrooms to study.”

One would therefore wonder why a state like Osun, with its pedigree in education infrastructure could leave a school with such history to dilapidate to a point that some members of the community are now forced to withdraw their wards to a neighbouring community school, despite the distance and the trekking required.

The Nation gathered that the children usually arrive school exhausted and frustrated, which inevitably affect their concentration

One of the teachers, who said the current student population would be around 300, noted that most of the classes were built with muds when the school commenced 42 years ago.

He also said, “Some students sit on bare floor during classes. It is clear that we have been forgotten by the government. Even the Education Ministry seldom posts teachers to this school. Even corps members don’t come here anymore because the school management cannot take care of them. Once they are posted here, they run away to seek better places. Former principal of the school, Dr Adeoba Olaleye, while stating that no government can do it all, said, “All stakeholders need to come together to rebuild the school and put infrastructure in place.”

He said he has made series of efforts to coordinate the Old Students to help the school.

“It was through my effort that we engineered the new building of four to five classrooms for the school. However this is inadequate. We need to do more.

“Government can’t do it. It is up to parents and the community to also rise up to the task, as we are all culpable in what has become of the once glorious school. We can’t just sit and look.”

A prominent chief in the community, who craved anonymity, also said the community should rise up to the challenge by coming to the aid of the school.

He also called on well-t-do old students and those doing well in the cities to use their positions of influence in promoting the school.

“Don’t wait for the government to do everything. The people should be selfless in order to bring greatness to the community. Those that are well to do in the community shouldn’t wait for the government before coming to the aid of the school.”

Another community leader, Tola Ogunkanmi said representative of Ola Oluwa Local Government have been around to assess the state of the school and that they have not set any time for work to begin on rehabilitation of the school.

He also called on past students to contribute their quotas towards fixing their school, pending when government would step in.

Although, Osun state have facilitated some new classes, it is far from adequate for the teeming population of wards coming to the school.

“We must not allow this great school to die. We don’t want our children to suffer like we are doing and education is the surest way out of poverty,” added Ogunkanmi.

March 13, 2022
Why many marriages are crashing, by cleric

Bishop Charles Ighele is the General Superintendent of Holy Spirit Mission Church (the Happy Family Chapel). In this interview with ADEOLA OGUNLADE, he speaks on his voyage into ministry, why many marriages are crashing, and his church’s campaign to keep marriages stable

Your selflessness in the ministry is noble. How did you do it?

In 1995 when I started the television programme, it was the first on marriage and family ministry on any television station in West Africa.

The impact was huge. I was hosting commissioners and governors in my house. lt was well accepted. We were touching on areas that resonate with marriages and family life. I was doing it not because I wanted to be popular but because I had a message. It is a big struggle; I don’t like to do things for popularity sake. I want to be great but not through image laundry.

What are the major challenges facing Christian homes?

One of the major challenges facing homes in this part of the world is our culture. Culture is so powerful. When you grow up in a tribe or ethnic group that has a culture that does not make up for a romantic culture, you can imagine the kind of homes those cultures are breeding. Some family culture do not make up for a good family life like the one I grew up with. There was nothing I could learn from my parent on how to run my home romantically. When a child grows up under such culture he or she need to come out from such culture like Abraham was called out from his father’s house. I made the decision to come out of the obnoxious culture before I got married. So, when you are operating under the culture that is in aberrance with the kingdom culture, you will look at things from a different angle.

When do we strike a balance between culture and Christian marriage?

You can never strike a balance if you are truly a Christian. The Bible says, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you’. When you seek righteousness in your marriage, then your home becomes a light and conflict becomes easy to settle.

Why do we have failed marriages among some church leaders?

The issue is that there are few pastors that have had sex scandals.

The point is that there are three categories of pastors – some pastors are not called of God, but by Satan and they use demonic powers to deceive many people. Many people fall for their supposed signs and wonders. The Bible says in Mathew 24:24: “For there will be false Christ, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.” Some people come into pastoral ministry because they can speak and teach, but do not have their root in Christ. Many people are moved by their swelling speeches and teachings.The so-called preachers perverse the true gospel of Jesus Christ for peculiar gain. They twist the word of God to support their theology. The third set are those who are genuine ministers of the gospel but fall away at some points. Like Samson, who was not careful in his relationship with women fell for Delilah and ended up his ministry in a terrible manner. When you are born again, it is the beginning of the kingdom journey. Now, man is a spirit and he has a soul and the body. When you are born again, it is that human spirit that is recreated, the mind and memory is not touched yet. When man fell, it was the spirit, soul ad body that fell. So, being born again is the beginning of the journey whereby the spirit of God, as you hear God’s word and it enters into the human spirit, it should now begin to take possession of your mind, your felling, emotion and memory a. When you are born again, then the souls which consist of memory, will, feelings, imagination, intellectual, when it is not renewed in accordance to the word of God or worked upon, then the person will misbehave, behaving like an unbeliever. Born again inside and have the character of a believer. The nine fruits of the spirit are put in you at the new birth experience and its suppose to possess your soul and make you behave accordingly. If it is no so, the persons behave like an unbeliever. When the persons see sex, he or she wants to have it like an unbeliever because the mind is still polluted like an unbeliever. It is imperative to know that being born again and filled with the Holy Spirit is not the end but the beginning. When someone becomes born again, it is the spirit that is changing but we need to grow into the character of Christ. Our heart must be change.

What do we expect from the Marriage Promise Keepers campaign?

Our vision is to provide a meeting place for couples who believe that marriage is honourable; To build a community where they can fellowship. To create a robust and thriving forum where these couples can acquire the necessary knowledge and wisdom to make their marriages better and more honourable. To be a place where members of the Marriage Promise Keepers will gain more experience and insight on how to raise their children to become the righteous and mighty seed they are supposed to be. To provide knowledge for all Ministers and their spouses on how to equip and positively impact members of their congregation to have a happy, successful and blessed marriage and family. To be an important entry point of blessing into a person and their family, Knowing full well the importance God attaches to marriage and family. To be a place where ministers and their spouses can run to when faced with marital and family conflict; where issues can be resolved secretly or quietly at any point in time. To be a place of refuge for turbulent marriages and families of ministers and their spouses. Place where your marriage and ministry will be bulletproof and protected against sexual attacks and scandals. A place to provide leisure, entertainment, fun-filled parties, Couple getaways and all other forms of relaxation. A place where members of the Marriage Promise Keepers (MPK) can influence their church community and make them family counseling centres in their neighbourhood.

Through the MPK Conferences such as Ministers Child’s Conference. International Conference of the Ministers Marriage and Family and other workshops, seminars and rallies, we will be mobilising at least 500 Christians across various denominations to raise awareness on how we raise a godly home, God-centered marriages.

Can you share with us your voyage into pastorate?

I studied History and Political Science and graduated in 1980 from the Obafemi Awolowo University, formerly, University of Ife. I after my Youth Service, I came back to Benin City, the Edo State capital. I joined a ministry and was very dedicated to it. The lifestyle of the head of the ministry was not okay in terms of his relationship with the opposite sex. I quietly left it. I wanted to join a deliverance ministry but God restrained me until l met the founder of Holy Spirit Mission Church, the late Bishop Michael Marioghae. I went to the church and he was preaching.

But before he started his message. He told the congregation that he went for a programme and one pastor who preached gave a great message and he wanted to preach the same message. I was surprised because I have not heard anything like that before. I read a lot of books and some pastors make some quotations without quoting their sources. For me, it is important that things should not be done at the pedestrian level. We should add godliness to intellectualism. I came back. Then, as a young pastor, I opened churches in villages, cities in Benin and other places in Nigeria. I later became the Secretary to the Leader of the church. I married the second child of Bishop Marioghae. I surpassed their expectations and l was chosen by God to take over the leadership of the church in 1997.

Before 1997, people thought I was the GS because I had a television ministry and I attached the programme to the name of the ministry.

March 13, 2022
Publisher hails RCCG over Directorate of politics

The publisher of Elife magazine, Dr Bola Adewara, has commended the Redeemed Christian Church of God(RCCG) for creating a Directorate for politics and governance across all it’s provinces.

Adewara said it was a good move that churches and denominations should replicate.

This, he said, is necessary for the body of Christ to take its prime of place in the nation building.

In a statement after the announcement by RCCG, Adewara, author of several books and presenter of Mentoring Masterclass said:
“Not many Christians understand the import of the verse that says …we are the light of the world. Not many Christians understand the verse that says …”and the government shall be upon his shoulder” and few are those who know that … “out of Zion shall go forth the law.”

“The church is ignorant of the powers and responsibilities the Lord placed on her. We relegate ourselves to the background whereas the church should dictate the pace.”

“Fathers of our faith, in that past, taught us that politics is a dirty game and Christians should not come near it. Through this, the church has yielded much space such that we are being ruled by the world and churchgoers with no conscience and love of the people at heart.

“Today, the Redeemed Church has, by this Directorate, woken the the generality of the Church of God in Nigeria from years of political slumber.

“If the church of God is to become the salt of the earth and the light of the world that Jesus called them, the time is now to take the bull by the horn. The Church cannot sit idly by and watch the nation in a downward spiral.

“The time is now for the Church to wake all Christians to participate in politics right from the Ward levels of the area the live. The time is now for the church to synergise with all politicians, Christians or not, on the ethos of good governance, holding our politicians accountable for the promises they made during their campaigns.

“The time is now for the church to push forward the right candidates and enlighten the congregations on local and international politics, without losing focus of salvation, the original purpose of the church.”

Adewara said the Church of God should stop playing the catch up in political affairs.

According to him: “If we are alive to our political responsibilities, we would not be played around like ping-pong. If our back is not bent, no one can climb on us like a horse.

“All churches must wake up, create a political department like the Redeemed Church, that will educate and encourage their members to go into politics, be politically active and participate in community services.”

Adewara congratulated Pastor Timothy Olaniyan, who was appointed to head the Directorate, adding “this is a great task before the seasoned preacher.

“The examples and accomplishments made by him would dictate the necessity and survival of the directorate in the Redeemed Church and other churches that will emulate the move.”

March 11, 2022
Theme: Challenges of life without eternity in view

Age, education and life experiences are factors that determine a person’s life philosophy. It was the summation of those three factors that made King Solomon at the twilight of his time, after he had “lived well and enjoyed himself” to conclude with a benefit of hindsight that there was nothing in this world, that everything in this world is vanity. Of a truth dear beloved, life is like a flower that blossoms and then expires (Job 14:1-2); life is meaningless like a shadow (Ecclesiastes 6:12) and life is like a tale that is told (Psalms 90:9).

From our text, the age, education and life experience of Saul, who later became Apostle Paul, a revered lawyer and later on a successful church worker, made him draw certain conclusions about life: Firstly, that Christianity because of the things of this world (money, shelter, food, security, automobiles, houses, marriage, children, position, power etc) is a gateway to a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness (Ecclesiastes 5:10). He also averred that life without knowledge that for every responsibility there is a demand for honesty and equity because of the ultimate accountability before God is a wasted life. Not only that, he posited that, a pathway of carnality instead of a highway of spirituality will ultimately lead to a destination of shame and disgrace because all that we desire for, aspire towards, perspire after and acquire shall one day expire.

Paul told the Corinthians that if only in this world, that is, if only in the issues and privileges of this world that they have hope in Christ and being called Christians, they are in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness because they will realise, when this world ends and all shall stand before the judgment seat to give account of stewardships of time, talents and treasures (Matt. 25:34), that there is nothing in this world and that all is vanity (cf 2 Corinthians 5:10;1 John 2:15-17).

Beloved, let me ask you these questions: Are you a Christian because it is one of the two dominant religions in the country. If that is it, you are of all people most miserable. Are you a Christian because it is in vogue to say that I am one? If this is true, you are of all people in a most pitiable state of distress. Are you a Christian because you feel that being a Christian can open doors for you from fellow Christians who don’t want to be equally yoked with unbelievers? If that can be traced to you, it is unfortunate that you have missed the mark. Are you a Christian because of the challenges of this world, for safety from powers of wickedness and you know that the name of the Lord is a strong tower and that whosoever runs to it will be safe? If that is all that your being a Christian is hinged on, you are of all believers most miserable. Lastly, are you a Christian because you were born into a Christian family and it is imperative of you to keep the family tradition, without a personal encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ, you are in for shocking surprises, you are welcome to a pitiable state of distress, disappointment, regret and an endless transition from one church to another.

Kindly be informed at this season of Lent that Christianity is about sacrifice and not selfishness. Christianity is light – it is not hidden and it is easily attestable by all. Christianity is not validated by stickers on your vehicles or the door to your house, it is not authenticated by tongues speaking or Bible quotations and it is not pontificated by big titles but it is validated through character of heaven – love, honesty, diligence, discipline, purity, holiness and commitment to the interest and welfare of others etc. Christianity is about putting others first and self- discipline (Matthew 11:28-30). Christianity is also about our readiness to suffer temporal hardships of life, troubling seasons and persecutions (2 Timothy 3:12 cf John 15:19). Beloved, it is impossible to stand for Jesus Christ and the world will not stand against you. The good news however is that the terminal point of those challenges is a lifting up (Psalm 30:5, 34:19). Christianity places a burden of souls that are perishing on you for their redemption without being ashamed of the Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16)

Jesus is calling you during this time of Lent to consider your ways, to surrender your life and your possessions to Him today, to make a deliberate effort to begin a life that is holy and pleasing to Him (Col. 1:10), to give yourself to generosity, to be passionate about souls that are perishing, to strive to be carried by angels at the end of our sojourn here and to ensure that you don’t loose your eternal home when the end shall come. I pray that in your pursuit of the temporal things of this world, you will not miss your eternal home in the name of Jesus.

Prayer: Father, keep me focussed on you and don’t let me lose my eternal home at the end, in Jesus’ name.

March 11, 2022
Theme: Hindrance to progress – weak foundation!

When we were to build a two storey church edifice in a water reclaimed land, the Geotechnical experts who were consulted to conduct a discreet subsoil geotechnical investigation on the land recommended that considering the soil’s stratification together with height and load of the anticipated building, it was imperative to have a 24 points piling of 400mm diameter placed at a founding depth of 17.0m before work could start. The piling work took us about three months to complete with millions of naira and surprisingly insults from members of the public who were consternated and felt that we were investing lots of time and money into a foundation. The seemingly concerned citizenry were however ignorant of a life axiom that, if your land is murky and you desire to go high and anticipate heavy load, you must have a deep depth. This is suffice to say that it is your depth that determines your height.

The writer of Proverbs in our text buttresses this law of nature that what sustains an ailing person is his unseen inner capacity or the covered depth (foundation) and not the things that are seen or observed. This explains why some people that have been written off either by medical practitioners, family members or the society bounce back to prominence while the person who is acknowledged as healthy in view of outward look passes out suddenly, and to the consternation of all. Paul admonished the church in Corinth that “… we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). Beloved, it is the things which are not seen that rule the seen world; it is your depth or your foundation that determines your height.

Beloved in Christ, kindly be informed that any human being who is going to grow to an enviable height must be a person who is committed to inner growth, give attention to depth of foundation or inward capacity building. Psalm 11:3 says that if the foundation is destroyed, righteousness is ineffective. What is inside of a man is what sustains his growth. A shallow foundation cannot sustain a skyscraper. You cannot build a ten story building as you will build a bungalow (cf Matt. 7:24-27). No one succeeds in any serious vocation without adequate preparation. Great preparation precedes great victories. Every person that has achieved success in life had spent long years in preparation. Anyone who had failed in private preparation will also fail in public manifestation, experience stunted growth and suffer gross under-development. George Foreman, a very deft boxer and a clergyman, once said, “ Champions are not made in the ring, they are only crowned there”.

The Bible is replete with great men of God that were outstanding because they took preparation very seriously. Noah, for instance, was called to build the Ark when he was 500 years old but had 100 years for ‘the piling works’ as the rain did not fall until he was 600 years old. Joseph too was called when he was 17 years old but had 13 years for his ‘piling works’. It was same for Moses, he was called at the age of 40, he had 40 years for ‘the piling works’ before the real assignment of another 40 years. David was called at age 17 and had 16 years to prepare before he became King. Jesus Christ spent 30 years preparing for his earthly ministry. It was the same for John the Baptist and Apostle Paul. Kindly remember that it is the inward spiritual development that manifests in outward celebration and recognition.

Therefore, if you desire to be lifted to greater height, it is nonelective for you to dedicate time for preparation. The more you hone, sharpen and perfect spiritual skills in the secret place of reading and meditating on the word of God, the more relevant you shall be with steady development and exponential growth. Kindly note that he who does not prepare will find it difficult to manifest. God told Joshua much about the need to dig for greater height in Joshua 1:8, that, “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written inside it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shalt have good success”.

Beloved in Christ, please note that Champions don’t go to church to be excited by the phonology of preachers, to be dazzled by designer’s suits of “men of God”, to be very comfortable only by the church’s ambience or clap and dance round the church because of rhema which are without any spiritual depth, to be dazzled by the rhyme of strings of words which leads to clapping, yelling and raising up of chairs when sermon is ongoing, champions attend services to learn, be convicted by the Word of truth and not to be entertained. You must read the word of God, set long hours aside to pray, be committed to fasting and be dedicated to doing what He asked you to do. When you do all those, the power of God shall lift you up and shall position you higher during this season of Lent, in the name of Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, give me grace to be serious with my christian life to enable me eligible for the benefits from You, in Jesus’ name.

March 8, 2022
His Arrival And Your Arrival

The passage from where our text is picked tells a story of a professional fisherman, a man who knew his onions when it came to fishing, a man who knew that to be a successful fisherman, you must go fishing at night, that your success is dependent on the tools you work with and the capability/experience of your workforce. The man, Simon Peter, complied with all that were needful to be successful in the business but regrettably, he failed woefully. He experienced a life of toiling instead of spoiling. While he was washing his net, Jesus Christ arrived at the scene, saw the other fishermen but had favour on Simon Peter, He requested to use his boat for evangelism work and he obliged Him. When he did this, Jesus decided to compensate him for his selfless service – He asked him to cast his net into the deep, where he had previously failed. Suddenly, there was a turnaround story, the unimaginable happened as fishes that had hitherto fled his net returned in very large numbers such that he had a net tearing and boat sinking experience. When He arrived in the boat of Simon Peter, he too arrived as a world celebrity.

Beloved, your arrival for the world from toiling to spoiling, from death to life, transition from a nobody to somebody and elevation from being useless to a useful vessel begins with His arrival and the decision to obey His instructions. When He steps into the boat of your life, as He did with Simon, His favour will bring to you what you didn’t deserve as He did with the Israelites. In Exodus 12:36 when the Israelites were leaving the land of bondage, it was recorded that “.. the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.” (cf 1 Kings 11:18-20; Nehemiah 2:4-6). Beloved, whenever Jesus Christ steps into the boat of your life, He suspends the laws of nature, He destroys whatever is called impossibilities, He rebukes powers holding you to the same position and He opens the gateway of awesome testimonies (Isaiah 65:21-24). The arrival of Jesus does not only give what is deserved but makes a way where one never knew that there was one – His arrival literarily suspends all natural laws as He did with Simon Peter.

Queen Esther found herself in a quagmire when Mordecal asked her to intervene in the predicament of the Jews who through the conscription of Haman were about to be exterminated. It probably would have been easy for her to plead the cause of her people before the King but she wasn’t permitted by law to see the King except the King called for her – anyone who flouted this law would be put to death. Mindless of this law, Queen Esther requested her people to fast and pray for her as she was determined to face the King. God accepted the fasting and prayers of the Jews, she went in to the King “… and when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre. Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom (Esther 5:2-3). The arrival of His power changed the narratives and opened the gateway to turnaround testimonies. Beloved, when He arrives, nothing shall ever be impossible for you, there is no road that can close against you or any of yours because mountains shall skip like rams at your presence, the Red Sea standing against you shall part asunder and the River Jordan blocking your path shall flee.

When He arrives for you brethren, He will grant you unbelievable elevation and recognition such that where you have been called a nobody, He would make you an eternal excellency and the joy of many generations. Then, “… the sons of strangers shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister unto you, your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto you the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted” (Isaiah 60:10-12). Beloved, the only guarantee for progress in whatever area of life (business, marriage, ministry, education, economy etc) is His arrival. No wonder the Scripture says that, it’s “…..not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it”. (Zech. 4:6-7). His arrival removes every human and/or spiritual mountains, destroys satanic foundations or evil inheritances plaguing lives and destinies, breaks curses from known and unknown quarters, liberates from evil captivity and releases to awesome testimonies. (cf Acts 2:47).

During this season of lent, you need to surrender all of you (time, talent and treasures) to Him like Simon did, obey Him to the letter, trust absolutely in the Lord with all your heart, don’t lean unto your own understanding ( Prov. 3:5) or rationalise how your miracles will come. The Almighty God who turned things around for Simon Peter shall do likewise for you. You shall not only have a net breaking and boat sinking experiences but you shall be an eternal reference point like Simon Peter, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer: Father, give me grace of your divine visitation today and let your favour take me from where I am to where you have purposed for me, in Jesus’ name.

March 7, 2022
Ukraine Invasion: Fears shift to Nigerian students in Russia
- Tough times await them, says immigration expert who facilitated admission for 3,000
- No cause for alarm —Resident Nigerian
- Why it is difficult to track students in Ukraine
With Russia as the aggressor and Ukraine at the receiving end of its bombs and missiles, the focus of concerned citizens since war broke out between the two countries early in the week has been the plight of their compatriots in Ukraine.

The stories and pictures that have come across of Nigerian students and others trekking very long distances from Ukraine to the country’s border with Hungary, Romania and others where they hope to secure asylum, have accentuated the anxiety that has been lot of the average Nigerian.

But Mr. Femi Ajulo, the lead consultant at Michelle and Anthony Consulting, a pioneer oversea education consultancy outfit, is of the view that Nigerians in Russia may soon need as much help as does their compatriots in Ukraine on account of the consequences of the sanctions that are being imposed on Russia by the US, Canada, the UK and other members of the European Union.

On Monday, the Nigerian government announced its willingness to join in the fray of sanctions against Russia once the United Nations provided the needed leadership.

“On imposing sanction, this is going to be a collective action. The United Nations has to act,” Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, was quoted as saying.

“We are going to act and engage within the framework of the United Nations. So if the United Nations adopts and imposes sanctions against Russia, we will comply with UN’s resolution.”

“We made that very clear; we condemned it. First of all, military force is not the solution. We have spoken up about the territorial integrity that we recognise the integrity of Ukraine. “Nigeria’s position on the resolution is very clear, that we do not condone this military intervention in another country,” Onyeama added.

Ajulo is, however, of the view that while the focus has been on Nigerians who are stranded in Ukraine, the Nigerian students in Russia would soon be in for a very tough time.

Ajulo, whose outfit has facilitated the migration of more than 3,000 Nigerian students to Russia in the last four to five years, said that while Nigerian students have not much to be afraid of in terms of being hurt physically by the war, the consequences of the economic sanctions being imposed on Russia by world powers could be far reaching.

He said: “I sent over 3,000 students to Kursk State Medical University over a period of time. Their education is one of the best. Russia is safe but the Nigerian students will start having problems because of the financial system that is being cut. They will not be able to buy food and all that.

“The Nigerian government should be proactive. The sanctions by western countries will start affecting them. Their cards will not work, and they might not be able to buy food.”

“Good that the Russian ruble has dropped. That might be an advantage for them. If the war persists and sanctions continue, most of the Nigerian students in Russia will start having issues.”

The White House had said last Saturday that the United States and allies had agreed to block select Russian banks from society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), the global financial messaging system.

This payment network allows individuals and businesses to make electronic or card payments even if the customer or vendor uses a different bank than the payee.

SWIFT works by assigning each member institution a unique ID code that identifies not only the bank name but country, city, and branch.

Reacting to the development, Daniel Gumm, a Nigerian, who has been living in Russia for the past 10 years both as a student and resident, told The Nation that the sanction on Russia was yet to have any effect on the Nigerian students and others resident in the embattled country.

Giving veiled support for the attack on Ukraine, he said there was the need for the Russian special operation in Ukraine to put a total stop to what he described as “Ukrainian Nazism, discrimination and biases against ethnic Russians living in the Ukraine.”

According to him, since 2014, ethnic Russians have been treated poorly and totally marginalised by the Ukrainian government. Gumm said: “The ethnic Russians in Ukraine have cried and cried, but to no avail. They were murdered and raped by Ukrainians.

“Imagine they didn’t have access to water or electricity just because they are Russians.”

He condemned America and the EU for not being sensitive to the plight of ethnic Russians living in Ukraine.

“They are totally blind to these facts, so the people decided to plead to Russia for help.

“Russia carefully tried to resolve this issue with Ukraine but the Ukrainians were very aggressive and stubborn in their response to the Russians.

“For the past eight years, Russia has prepared itself for war politically, militarily and economically.”

“Right now, we Nigerians living in Russia are safe. We are very comfortable here. We study and work freely.

“The sanctions are basically useless. Prices are still the same in Russia. The ruble is now four naira. So the situation is really a positive one for Nigerians.

“The sanctions won’t affect Nigerians in Russian as we can use our bank cards in Russia. The sanctions are only effective against Russian banks.”

He noted that Russia had responded to the sanctions imposed by the West, adding that the economy was doing pretty well as Russia had already signed huge contracts with countries like China and India.

“Russia has a huge reserve and resources. Like I said, they have been preparing for eight years,” he said.

Don’t cry for Ukraine

While countries like Nigeria have expressed sympathy and support for Ukraine, Gumm said that many who are doing so are ignorant of what foreigners go through in Ukraine.

He said: “Ukrainian ultra-nationalists are attacking Africans in the Ukraine. They prevent them from using public transport to escape the Russians.

“Ukraine is a country of comedy, and time has come for them to pay for their atrocities. Russia has promised to continue till they demilitarise the Ukraine.”

He advised the Nigerian government to as a matter of urgency evacuate Nigerians from the Ukraine because Russia will totally demilitarise it.

“The Nigerian government should use this once in a lifetime opportunity to build good ties with Russia. We can benefit a lot from Russia educationally, militarily, politically, and so on.

“The Nigerian government shouldn’t support the Ukraine because doing so will make the Nigerian government look dependent and aloof in its understanding of the situation in Eastern Europe.”

Why it is difficult to track Nigerian students in Ukraine

Since the beginning of the hostilities, many countries have made arrangements to evacuate their nationalities from Ukraine. This was made possible because of the availability of data of their nationalities in Ukraine.

It was not until Wednesday that the Nigerian government began the evacuation of Nigerians from Ukraine. The Nigerian foreign affairs minister initially scheduled Monday for the exercise but had to move it to Wednesday to give enough room for the ministry, the House of Representatives, and the Nigerian foreign missions in Ukraine, Poland, and Russia to complete the formalities for moving Nigerians from inside Ukraine to safe borders with neighboring countries.

The minister, who said there were about 5,600 Nigerian students in Ukraine, added that there were also non-students, some of whom might not have been legally documented.

Ajulo had told The Nation that unlike other countries of the world where admission processes are being done by the schools, most of the Nigerian students in Ukraine went through agents that were not signed-on by any of the universities.

The Nation gathered that the plight of the Nigerian students had been worsened because most of the agents that brought them to Ukraine were not Nigerians but Lebanese, Pakistanis and Indians.

“Nobody can explain the situation in Ukraine right now because it is not organised.

Most of the Nigerian students in Ukraine were recruited by agents, not by the schools directly. The agents run the show for the schools in Ukraine.

“The data base for these students is not really known.

“You know we have brothers here who are not professionals and it might be a big problem for Nigerians to really get them.

“My heart goes to them. I understand that Nigeria in the Diaspora is doing a lot.

“I just hope that Nigerian students will be able to organise themselves very well. If not, they should ask the president of the Nigerian students’ union to coordinate with the government.

“But as it is, I don’t know whether we know the number of the Nigerian students in Ukraine, because they go through different agents, not schools. That is the main problem.”

Ajulo said it was high time the government stopped encouraging scholarship to Eastern Europe, though he admitted that it would be difficult because it is the cheapest.

He said: “You would probably want to go to Ukraine with $2,000. You can get a school in Ukraine with $1,000. Your child will get accommodation with $3,000 dollars, which is cheaper than most private universities in Nigeria.

“The private universities in Nigeria charge more than what you need to go to Ukraine.

“Fine, they are developed countries, but talk of transferring technology, it can’t be done there because most of their courses are not in English medium except medicine, and I stand to be corrected.

“If banks would support, most parents would be able to send their children to Western Europe.

It was hell getting out of Ukraine

While many Nigerian students are still trapped in Ukraine, many of those who managed to escape have relived hellish experiences.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Lolade Lawal, a third-year medical student, said that life had been turned upside down in a way she never imagined.

With sirens blaring in the background as she spoke, Lawal said in a chat withAl Jazeera on the phone from her hideout in a bunker with other students in northeastern city of Sumy: “It is scary, very scary. I’m very worried. People are running for their lives. We are hiding in groups so we can keep an eye on each other.

“There’s no escape. Trains have stopped working. Most supermarkets are closed and those that are opened are running very low on food stocks. ATMs are not working and everyone is desperately looking for money.”

There are no official figures on the number of African students currently studying in Ukraine, but Lawal said “there are hundreds of us in our city.

“At my university, there are about 100 Nigerian students. I’m sheltering with some of them,” she added.

“I live in Kyiv. I have been living here since March last year,” Somto Orah, another Nigerian student at State University of Telecommunications in Kyiv, told Al Jazeera.

“We have received no support from any government authorities. The school only gave us bomb shelter to hide when the air raid siren is on.

“The sirens came on and off about five times yesterday before I left.

“There is little food. I couldn’t access cash for two days now. Every ATM on the road has no cash.”

Samuel George, a first-year software engineering student fled Kyiv after the shelling and sirens got too much for him to handle.

“I drove from Kyiv. We are trying to survive. We don’t want to die in a foreign country,” George said.

As he neared the Polish border, George’s luck ran out. He said he had a minor road accident with a vehicle carrying Ukrainians because the road was narrow.

He said they took his money and stopped him from driving any further.

“They are not officials, police or military. They are normal citizens who stopped us Africans from driving to the border. They let Ukrainians pass through but not us,” George said.

But it is not all tales of woe as some Nigerians managed to escape from the hostilities.

One of those lucky Nigerians is Solomon Otabor, a professional footballer who joined Rukh Lviv in January. He has since escaped to England, the place of his birth.

“There were just a lot of cars, a lot of people, a lot of lorries. They were obviously trying to get back.

“Some got told to turn around, which was not nice to see”, Solomon-Otabor said in an interview with Sky Sports on his return to the UK.

“There were a lot of cars. Everybody was just calm but you could see the fear in their faces.

“You could see that fear as they were trying to get out.”
March 6, 2022
We’re giving Nigerians good reception – Nuhu

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Romania, Sefia Nuhu, speaks on the quality of reception given to escaping Nigerian students and fellow African nationals

WHAT have you been doing to get Nigerians in Ukraine to safety and resettled?

Many of the Nigerians that crossed over to Romania got very good reception at the border of Romania. The Romanian authorities decided to facilitate easy movement of people from the endangered territory to safety. They also extended assistance in terms of provision, food water, even accommodation for 24 hours. Most of them that arrived from Bucharest, the Nigerian embassy had to take up responsibilities for them.

Some of them have complained that there was no convergence point in Ukraine from where the people could gather and be evacuated.

For us, mostly, our responsibility is within the Romanian territory and at the Romanian border. In fact, our staff were unable to cross over to any Ukrainian territory. So, most of the difficulties that those fleeing from Ukraine experienced, were within the Ukranian territory and borders. Again, part of the reason is the congestion at the borders because of the desperation to come in.

I learnt that some Nigerians were trapped in Sumy, which has been attacked. Is there anything you can do to get these people out to safety?

Like I told you earlier, my responsibility is strictly within Romania; so we would not have access to anyone outside Romania. We are also hoping there would be a ceasefire, so that it will be possible for them to get to safety and also cross over.

What are the provisions you are making for those who have crossed over?

For all those that came over to Romania, we’ve been able to accommodate them, about 900 of them in Bucharest. The first flight to take them back to Nigeria will start tomorrow (Thursday).

Are there any Nigerians who have indicated their unwillingness to return?

We have some who have indicated their intention to stay in Romania or other parts of Europe. A large percentage of Nigerians in the Ukraine are students; some of them are in their second, third, even final year, and they wouldn’t want to lose out on the opportunity to complete their studies. Some have indicated intention not to return but I have not been able to sit with them to know their preferences.

Hon. Abike Dabiri, in a broadcast, said some African countries have petitioned Nigeria to help evacuate their nationals, are you into that?

We have been extending consular services to other Africans that come in from the border. In Romania, there aren’t a lot of African missions; so the Africans that come together in groups are usually taken in buses, and we put them in the same accommodation as our own nationals and give them food and other necessities. Notably, we have extended these services to Ghanaians, Cameroonians, even Egyptians.

There are fears that the war may escalate and even get to Romania?

Well, there is a lot that one cannot predict. Even the way this conflict started is not something easily predictable. It’s something that is based on a lot of factors and uncertainties. So I do believe that there is a lot that would unfold in the next coming week. But we are hoping that the fear does not become reality.

March 6, 2022
Nigeria Diaspora 4040 Initiative and other volunteers

NOTABLE among those on ground to receive and ensure that Nigerians seeking safety from the Russia/Ukraine face-off into Romania settle in as comfortably as possible was Adeniyi Sanusi, Executive Director, Nigeria Diaspora 4040.

He and other well-meaning Nigerians like Adebayo Nurudeen, a lawyer and a post-graduate student and a few others, and officials of the Nigerian embassy, were at the border in Bucharest to receive the Nigerians.

According to Sanusi, who facilitated the interviews with some of the respondents in this piece by setting up a zoom meeting, even connecting this writer with the Deputy Ambassador, Mr Dayo Adeoye, who eventually facilitated an interview with the ambassador, a parent in Nigeria, had petitioned him to help look after his migrating children. That, couple with his mission in Nigeria Diaspora 4040, meant he couldn’t sit on the fence anyway.

The NGA Diaspora 4040, Sanusi told The Nation, was formed to replicate on a social entrepreneurship level, the work of NiDCOM (Nigeria in Diaspora commission) and the Nigerian Orientation Agency (NOA), with regards to Diaspora and what happens to Nigerias in the Disapora. So what we do is to create a platform where Nigerians in the Diaspora can actually communicate directly with Nigerians back home by telling stories. We have a journal that we are going to launch soon, in which we interviewed 40 Nigerians who have been living in Diaspora for 40 years, where they shared their experiences of what it means to live in the Diaspora. The reason for doing this is to make Nigerians see the realities of living abroad and the challenges.

“Our organisation is basically about goal number 10 of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2013 goal number 10.7.2., which is to facilitate regular and orderly migration,” he said.

According to Adebayo Nurudeen, who also spoke via Zoom, “I was one of the reps who was fortunate to be aware of their location and quickly went to welcome them, provide them with one or two things and make them feel at home. We also let the Nigerian authority in Bucharest to be aware of their presence in Romania.

“While I would not want to take away any credit due to The Nigeria I Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), I would however say that much of what has been done to settle in Nigerians here, has been due to the efforts of Nigerians living in Romania. They have done wonderfully well with the collaborative effort of the Nigerian Embassy here.”

Even though they did not expect the mammoth crowd that came in, Adebayor said they have managed well, even taking in other African citizens.

March 6, 2022
‘What plans does govt have to resettle returning students?’

For Mr Wale Aguda, who said he had two children studying in at the National Memorial Medical University, Vinnitsia, Ukraine, his biggest headache was how the children would not lose the years they had put in at medical school. He spoke on this and more in this interview.

HOW have you managed since news of the invasion broke?

I have two children in National Memorial Medical University in Vinnitisia, Ukraine; the two of them are in Romania as we speak, having crossed through the Syrec border. Majorly, the challenges that Nigerian students encountered was that there was no arrangement to take them from any point within Ukraine to the border, so they had to make arrangements on their own. There was a time they make bookings with the train and it was cancelled; and then they were given different booking. But I didn’t want them to be separated because they are just 18 and 19. Ultimately, it was through the help of their Ghanaian friend that they eventually got a vehicle that took them out of Ukraine

Fortunately the Nigerian government is ready to commence evacuation of Nigerians

It is not about evacuating them back to Nigeria; what do they have in plan for them, to ensure that they don’t lose the years they have put in. What is in stock for them when they get back to Nigeria or should they stay in Romania and look for other options? Two years of a six-year programme is a lot if you have to repeat.

Would you be willing to have them reintegrated into a Nigerian university?

If that is what is available, we won’t mind. But the issue is that we don’t even know what is going to happen? The other day, I heard the Foreign Affairs Minister saying, if you could have money to send your child abroad, you should be able to pay their way back. That, to me, is very unfortunate.

The moment the war broke out, how did you feel as a parent, knowing that your children were out there?

My brother, I have not had the smallest sleep since that Wednesday. I had to monitor every inch of their movement through Google. Thanks to Mr Sanusi, he sent location map to me and I was monitoring them for more than 36 hours. If there was a break in transmission, it was as if the worst had happened. Thrice on that Thursday, they had to go to underground bunkers to hide when there were bomb attacks.

March 6, 2022