The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday magazine

  • Marriage: A divine origin

    Marriage: A divine origin

    Dear Reader,

    I welcome you again to this exciting week, in the presence of God. Last week, I taught on, Marriage: A Divine Origin. This week, I shall be discussing the topic: Companionship.

    In Proverbs 27:17 the Bible says: Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

    In the first unveiling of the marriage bond, God said: It is not good for the man to be alone… (Genesis 2:18).  Eve was created as a companion for Adam and vice versa. The Hebrew word for “companion” expresses a close personal relationship. In marriage, a man and a woman are to become intimately united in body, purpose, thoughts, and goals -”one flesh”.

    The idea of partnership, companionship, the combination of husband-wife mind-power, a shared dream or vision should not be ignored, lest the union is impoverished.

    For instance, there are some decisions I would have taken that would not have profited me; but because I’m privileged to be married to my husband, a man of integrity, who is sincere and godly, those errors were avoided

    If your marriage begins with the clear understanding that companionship is a vital pillar of your relationship, then this concept becomes a powerful force which encourages a permanent bond.

    The secret behind good companionship is the rule of leaving and cleaving, which is an essential part of a marital union.

    However, there’s no way two pieces of iron can sharpen each other, except they both come together in contact. Thus, this provision only works when you are united as a couple.

    Friend, you can tap into the honour God has reserved for those united in purpose. But the problem with many families, and the reason nothing seems to be working, is that many times, both parties have not caught the same picture of their desires. They are not united in purpose, so they slow down their blessings from coming.

    You need to apply this spiritual principle of agreement, to see your dreams come true.

    The right place to begin from is a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. If you want to start this relationship right now, you can say this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today, I am a sinner. I believe You died and rose on the third day for my sins. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today.

    Congratulations!  You are now born again! Till I come your way next time, please call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com; Tel.  No: 234-1-7747546-8; 07026385437; 07094254102

     

    For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all the Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work and Building a Successful Family.

  • Diabetes mellitus; symptom check list/complications

    Diabetes mellitus and a related metabolic problem hypertension are two conditions currently taking heavy toll on young adults and older Africans. Many alternative medical practitioners claim to know enough of these two and to have more than enough herbal armamentarium that they can cure them with guarantee .Also there seem to be no shortage of diagnostic equipment for diabetes mellitus in particular; many of which are manufactured and calibrated using European and American measurement values . Another issue is that people think that life style related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus are of the affluent , and so simply avoiding white sugar and getting fat is sufficient to completely prevent diabetes mellitus. To some extent it is true that they are commoner with people dwelling in towns and cities or as someone mentioned once, diseases of car owners. In fact if you go to the village and find a fat man, he is likely to have gone on a visit and not resident there; the normal activities of village life keep such metabolic diseases as diabetes mellitus and hypertension at bay. Nigerian families who are lucky to have children overseas have had the privilege of having diagnostic sets sent to them so they can do home testing and monitor blood sugar. At the same time, there are people of different backgrounds and poorly understood motivation going from one office to the other carrying out what they call blood glucose tests. They make on- the- spot diagnosis, irrespective of time, age, sex or whether or not the subject took a bottle of seven up’ or had been fasting in fulfillment of a religious obligation, and they proceed to write prescriptions. All these may be considered to have one main benefit, at least heighten the awareness that excessive blood sugar is bad for the body and something needs to be done and quickly. However, there is the danger of trivializing the condition or making it look as if it is an ordinary illness, providing opportunities for all players, including non medical persons to manage even advanced cases, and giving patients false optimism . More seriously Patients going from one Doctor to another , or receiving medical advice and treatment from several different sources are the ones likely to develop complications without knowing. Registered medical practitioners don’t go about advertizing how fantastic they are at providing permanent solutions to specific diseases; practice regulations forbid them to engage in such practices, which place them at some disadvantage that can be exploited by others who see them selves competing.

    It is good for the patient to realize that there is so much to know and understand about diabetes mellitus , and since awareness does not necessarily translate to knowledge, it becomes dangerous when patients default and discharge them selves from the services of physicians and Hospitals to embrace the services of ill-defined, and untested health care providers. Beyond that more people are becoming too reliant on diagnostic machines, the more complex the machine, the more likely it is to be accepted as genuine and reliable even if in reality it has absolutely nothing to do with the disease it claims to diagnose, for instance, there are claims of computers that can cure diabetes Mellitus, without using blood, urine or for that matter any biological fluid. It is not bad at all to have equipment all over the place that can quickly diagnose diabetes mellitus and help monitor blood sugar at home; the fear though is how quickly abuse becomes a problem. The take away is that you must stay connected with your Doctor, to know what new issue are coming up , how they are being addressed and how you, not your neighbor fit into the new picture.

    No physician will talk about a cure for diabetes mellitus, because it does not exist and the sooner a patient accepts that, the less likely he is to default or let him self loose on excess alcohol and fast food. A Medical Doctor will emphasize working with the patient to achieve control of blood sugar to the level that will permit him live a reasonably normal life free of complications. Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus involves good clinical judgment and supported by appropriate laboratory tests. Patients who have the condition and are not aware of it ,or fail to seek medical help because they have blood sugar monitoring gadgets sent from overseas often present to Doctors when complications in the form of blindness or kidney damage have set in . We must not forget that every now and then experts, meet to discuss emerging trends in diagnostic technology and review diagnostic criteria for some particular diseases. When that happens, a measurement level previously accepted as normal may suddenly become abnormal and disease defining. New Information concerning such changes may not be readily available to patients who do not see their Doctors on regular basis and the risk for them of developing complications will jump

    It is a characteristic of living things to move ; even when you are sleeping, your heart beats , and the muscles of your body maintain what is called a basal tone so they can have adequate supply of blood which delivers nutrients to them so they remain alive for you to wake up from that sleep. Movements require energy which in the human body is provided in the form of Glucose. The brain as different from other major organs of the body relies principally on glucose to enable the over a billion nerve fibers that form its electrical circuitry function effectively. The importance of this substance is easily appreciated when diabetic patients go into coma from whatever source; Quickly chewing one or two cubes of sugar brings the patient into consciousness within minutes , or if that fails, careful administration of a glucose solution through a vein by a registered Nurse or Doctor brings the patient out in a very gratifying manner much like a miracle;

    Cells make up different tissues of the body which assemble to form organs , the different organs are organized to form the different systems that produce a living human being . Thus a cell as they say is about the smallest independent structural and functional component of an organism. Different cells of the human body carry out different activities , and require energy to work. They get this energy in the form of glucose and for the glucose to enter the cells , it requires something to open the door .For this to occur, the body employs the secretion from the beta cells of an abdominal organ, called the pancreas. Shaped like a short thick walking stick , this very important organ is located across the central portion of the abdomen with a portion of the first part of the small intestine tucked between its head and neck and with the stomach lying behind and forming its bed. The beta cells of the pancreas produce the hormone insulin which together with glucagon from the alpha cells help regulate blood glucose. Insulin acts like a key to open the door for glucose to enter the cell and give it the energy to work and remain alive

    The human body gets glucose from carbohydrate sources under normal feeding conditions. When abnormal conditions persist as in fasting, starvation or disease conditions, the body will take from glycogen stores or extract glucose from non carbohydrate sources such as the proteins from the flesh. This occurs at a price that will put the patient in danger.

    Basic mechanism in diabetes mellitus/symptom check list

    About four different types of diabetes mellitus have been recognized,

    In type 1, the pancreas does not produce insulin, this may occur when the human body develops abnormal production of self destructive immune cells . It can also occur when diseases such as chicken pox, or other viral diseases cause severe damage to the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. Cancer and injuries can also be involved, and these could occur singly or in combination. type 1 dm occurs in younger patients and it is not easy to handle compared to the other types. It is not common in Africa and used to be called insulin dependent type of diabetes, because treatment and the continued existence of the patient depend essentially on replacing the insulin that is lacking. It can very quickly result in death if insulin replacement is not done as soon as detected .The emergence of new therapeutic modalities has however informed the emphasis on simply using the former term

    TYPE 11 Diabetes mellitus occurs in older patients above 35years, some say 45; here patients need to know that the cells that produce insulin can be exhausted . There is therefore not enough insulin or the cells of the body no longer respond as appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Obese patients may not necessarily develop Diabetes Mellitus(DM), but are prone to it because of the number of extra cells and tissues they have to feed. Asthenia or being slim reduces the risk of developing DM, but can occur in people with a positive family history

    Others types of Diabetes mellitus include, Brittle diabetes m., Pregnancy induced Dm., Drug induced DM etc

    In Diabetes mellitus, there is excess sugar in the blood. The body tries to correct the situation by changing the biochemistry of the body ,and it does so by drawing water from the cells to dilute the sugar in the blood, and to get rid of the solution through urine formed by the kidneys.

    The kidney also tries to get rid of the excess water and the sugar ,and so the patient passes large amounts of sugary urine. As this goes on, the mass movement of water from the cells creates water starvation which is sensed by the thirst center in the hypothalamus, and so patient drinks water repeatedly, but in spite of that will not have the sense of satisfaction

    The movement of water across concentration gradients involve other important electrolytes such as potassium and consume energy and so the patient tires easily with minor activities of daily living.

    Unlike type 1 where the patient is likely to loose weight and appear thin, patients with the other types of diabetes in particular type 2 are most likely to be large or obese

  • Benefits of papaya fruit and its usefulness

    Benefits of papaya fruit and its usefulness

    Papaya fruit is a long oval-shaped fruit, similar to a pear, but the papaya fruit is larger than a pear. The fruit is orange, or yellow color, and even mix two colors (the color of ripe papaya).

    Papaya fruit have sweet taste and gentle. Inside the cavities of the fruit, black, round seeds encased in a substance such as gelatin. Papaya seeds are edible, although somewhat bitter. Fruit, as well as other parts of the papaya tree, contain papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins. This enzyme is especially concentrated in the fruit when raw. Papain is extracted to makes digestive enzyme supplements food, and also used as an ingredient in some chewing gum.

    Papaya is a rich source of antioxidant nutrients such as carotene, vitamin C and flavonoids vitamin B, folate and pantothenic acid, and minerals, potassium and magnesium, and fiber. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.

    Heart disease

    Nutrients in papaya helps prevent oxidation of cholesterol in your body. This is important because when cholesterol becomes oxidized to stick to your blood vessel wall, causing plaque that can cause heart attacks and strokes.

    Breast tightening

    Enzymes in papaya can help breast growth, so the more firm and supple. Papaya is also fortified with vitamin D hormone fasteners and female hormones that stimulate spending, and stimulate the ovaries release the female hormone. Mammary glands of these hormones will be smooth and shape of the ideal breast.

    Youth

    Levels of vitamin C in papaya is 48 times that of apples. Papaya is also active as a detox, so it can refresh the skin from within. Papaya is also a good melt the layers of skin and horns aging substances arising in the pores, making skin firmer and brighter.

    Supports your immune system

    Because papaya is rich in vitamins A and C, then from the papaya fruit is very good to eat to keep your immune system function properly.

    Slimming Body

    Papaya fruits arrange to have property of the body. Diligently eating papaya, can result in a doubling of enzyme in ripe papaya.

     

    Wholesomebabyfood.Us

  • The contract (3) : It Happened To Me

    o you are married! But you don’t look it,” he stated, his eyes going over the blue T-shirt and skinny jeans I had on.

    I found his comment amusing.

    “So, how do married women look?” I asked him.

    “Well, they look stressed and harassed most of the time, especially the ones with kids. You look cool and calm,” he said in an admiring tone. We chatted for a while before he left.

    To me, he was just a customer I had to be polite to for the sake of business, but I did not know I had made quite an impression on him.

    The following week, he called me on the store’s landline.

    “What gift are you getting for your sister this time?” I queried after he had introduced himself and remembering what he had come for the last time.

    He laughed.

    “No gift this time,” he stated. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

    “Is that so?” I noted, adding: “Don’t you have anything better to do than be calling to just hear someone’s voice?”

    “You are right. I’m on leave so I have a lot of leisure time right now,” he explained.

    “Good for you. But not everyone is so lucky. I’m a bit busy at the moment as there are a lot of customers to attend to. So, bye,” I stated and tried to hang up.

    “Hey, hold on a minute. I’ll be in your neighbourhood later in the day. I was wondering if I could take you out for lunch or something,” he quickly stated.

    “Well, Mr Max, thanks for the offer but as I said I’m busy. Besides I don’t do lunches with strangers. Have a nice day,” and I dropped the phone, a bit annoyed. Thinking he was one of those young men who liked to date married women for monetary gains, I dismissed him from my mind. Though, he called several times after that day, I refused to speak with him.

    About a month later, I went to the bank to transfer some money to one of my suppliers abroad. It was a large sum of money and I was directed to one of the managers to help with the transaction.

    I opened the door to the manager’s office and sitting behind the table was Max!

    “What are you doing here?” I queried, surprised to see him.

    He looked shocked to see me too.

    “I work here,” he stated, offering me a seat.

    “I didn’t know you worked in this bank. I come here often,” I said.

    “I was transferred to this branch after my leave. Besides you never gave me a chance to get to know me,” he said a bit accusingly.

    “So, what can I do for you, Madam?” he asked. I told him what I wanted and he quickly attended to me.

    Before leaving, I said:

    “I’m sorry about the abrupt way I treated you the other day. I thought you…”

    “I know. That I was one of these hustlers in town,” and he laughed.

    I smiled, glad that he had taken it in good faith.

    He called a few days later and we began to speak regularly on phone. I got to know a bit about him. He had been married but his wife had died in a car accident two years before, leaving behind a little girl of four.

    “My mother and sister help look after her as I’m too busy with work,” he stated. I felt sorry for him, that he had to lose his wife so young.

    At this stage, Max and I were just good friends. I grew to like him with time as he was such an amiable and likeable person. I remembered the arrangement I had with my husband though and tried to keep things platonic between us. I was not ready to lose everything just for a fling.

    Things however changed some months later. It was a Saturday morning and I was in the store when Max walked in with a little girl in tow. It was Lola, his daughter.

    “This is Aunty Amanda. Greet her,” he said.

    “Good morning, Aunty,” she said, looking up at me with her big, innocent eyes.

    “Hi, Lola!” I greeted, bending down to hold her.

    “She’s so cute,” I said.

    “Yes. She must have taken after her mother,” he stated, smiling.

    “You are not bad looking yourself,” I said and we both laughed.

    He explained that he wanted to spend some time with Lola as it was his day off.

    “I had told her about you and she insisted on meeting you and inviting you to join us on the outing,” he said. I initially wanted to turn him down but seeing the little motherless child touched my heart and I agreed to the date.

    Max drove us to a theme park in town. It had lots of games for children and Lola ran around, playing excitedly on some of them. Later, I watched as Max pushed her on a swing and seeing the closeness and love between father and daughter affected me strongly. Call it the maternal instinct, but at that moment, I felt this strong urge to have a child of my own, a little girl like Lola that I will dress in pretty clothes, plait her hair and do other things that a caring mother did.

    For one of the few times, I felt sad that I did not have a normal marriage with my husband. ‘How wonderful it would have been to have a couple of kids that we could take to places like this, have fun together as a family,’ I thought glumly.

    “So, how’s your husband?” Max asked sometime later as we had lunch at a nearby eatery.

    “He’s fine. He’s out of the country right now on business,” I stated.

    “It looks as if he travels a lot. So, how do you cope in his absence?” he said.

    I shrugged.

    “I’m used to it. Besides, I have my own business to run so I’m quite busy as well,” I explained, with a forced smile.

    He looked keenly at me for a while but said nothing.

    Days after the outing, I still could not shake off that broody feeling, that strong desire to have my own baby. I knew my arrangement with my husband did not permit that but I kept thinking, what if it happened by accident? Perhaps, we both got drunk, slept together and I got pregnant? Will he ask me to get rid of the baby?

    I thought about this a lot until it evolved into a plan. My intention was to seduce my husband and hopefully conceive.

    So, on the night of his return from his trip, I showered and put on one of my sexy nighties, a short pink one with thin straps.

    My husband was sitting in bed, working on his laptop when I entered his room. He looked up in surprise when he saw me.

    “I thought you were asleep. Is there anything you want?” he asked.

    “Yes. You. I want my husband.” I slipped the straps of the gown over my arms and it slithered down on the floor. I stood naked, waiting. But instead of desire, the only reaction I got from him was anger.

    He jumped up then from the bed, his eyes flashing with irritation.

    “Amanda! What do you think you are doing? Get hold of yourself! And go to your room. Now!” he ordered, fuming…

     

  • As the Garden City turns 100…

    This year will mark the centenary of the city of Port-Harcourt. Thus, in terms of seniority, the city is older than the contraption called Nigeria which will ‘mark’ its own 100 years of amalgamation next year. Many commentators have written about the propriety of celebrating Nigeria’s centenary. What is there to celebrate about the forceful union of the Southern and Northern parts of the country by British colonialists purely for administrative purposes without considering the wishes and desires of the indigenes of the land, they have wondered. They might have a point considering some of the problems this forced ‘marriage’ have caused which we are still battling with nearly a hundred years after it was consummated.

    Anyway, this piece is not about Lord Lugard’s creation that has become a problem to its people and the world at large. This is about a lovely city which was born out of necessity and has today become something those who conceived it can be proud of. A little background info and history will not go amiss here.

    Unlike most other major towns and cities in the country that developed from hamlets and villages founded by the local indigenous population, Port-Harcourt was a purpose-built creation of the then British colonial administration in the early part of the 20th century.

    After coal was discovered in Enugu in 1909, the administration then needed a port to export the product to Europe. Diobu or Iguocha, an area originally inhabited by the Ikwerre people, was chosen and by 1913, construction of a port town began. Seeking a more cosmopolitan name for the new town, Lord Lugard, the then Governor-General of Nigeria renamed it Port Harcourt in 1913, after Lewis Vernon Harcourt the then Secretary of State for the Colonies.

    From such small beginnings, Port-Harcourt has today grown into one of the most vibrant and bustling cities in the country. I spent some of my childhood and formative years in the city and I can tell you it was one of the best places in the country to grow up in. Back then, it was a peaceful, quiet and neat place full of trees and other greenery hence the nickname, ‘Garden city’.

    Today, the city has lost some of its innocence and it’s suffering from a malaise afflicting many major cities and towns in the country: overcrowding and overstretched infrastructure. Due to population explosion and perhaps, poor planning most of the roads are a motorist’s nightmare because of the heavy traffic jams which is nearly at par with that of Lagos. Housing too is over stretched thus making accommodation expensive and not for the poor.

    The administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi, in trying to resolve some of these problems announced plans in 2009 for the creation of a new city to be called the Greater Port-Harcourt City. It’s a laudable plan which when implemented, will help decongest the city centre and improve the quality of life of the residents.

    Indeed, this is an idea that needs to be emulated by other states particularly heavily populated ones like Lagos. Lagos is long overdue for decongestion because of its huge population which has placed enormous strain on the available infrastructure. Thus, the creation of satellite towns that will reduce pressure on the city is something that needs to be considered as a matter of urgency as the population keeps growing each day.

    In its 100 years of existence, the city of Port-Harcourt has witnessed steady growth from a small colonial port to a bustling, commercial centre and the hub of the nation’s vital oil industry. It is one centenary celebration that a lot of people like me who have fond memories of the city will not begrudge. This is unlike that of Nigeria’s centenary which the Federal Government is planning to mark in a big way. To me, it’s a waste of funds and an exercise in futility. The government should focus on improving the lot of Nigerians rather than celebrating colonialism and the subjugation of our forefathers who fell to the British military might.

    Or it could build new towns and cities for with vision and proper planning, the country would have had more purpose-built cities like PH and Abuja. But that dream has been impossible due to the rapacious looting of public funds by those in positions of authority and their cohorts who cart away our resources to Europe and the U.S and lately Dubai and Asia-the newest destinations for the country’s looters and money-launderers.

  • A Nigerian can Succeed anywhere in the World —Chris Aire

    A Nigerian can Succeed anywhere in the World —Chris Aire

    His name still probably will not ring a bell among many Nigerians, but in America, in the dizzyingly fast – paced, glitzy world of Hollywood and the bigger fashion scene around the world, he is a superstar. The jeweller and exotic watch maker, artist and designer is friend to the biggest names in American music, film, fashion, entertainment and sports worlds. He is called ‘The Iceman’ on account of his trading in diamonds and other precious stones with which he has bedecked many of his superstar friends.

    In a world where the bold, big, flashy, loud and even outrageous are a fashion statement, this Nigerian kid has created a niche for himself in the risky jewellery business and, in the process, made a fortune for himself.

    The sixth son from a polygamous family, Aire left the shores of Nigeria in pursuit of the proverbial Golden Fleece at just over 17 years old. Today fate has smiled on him and he has, indeed, hit gold.

     

    WHAT does the Aire in your name mean? Is it Nigerian?

    Yes it is Nigerian, a derivative of my Ishan name. The full name, Airemiokhai, is a derivative of two Ishan words, “Aire,” which means “drawing close” and “Okhai,” meaning “greatness.” So it means “drawing close to greatness.” I decided to adopt my middle name and cut of the second half first as a mark of my independence at that time and, since I was going abroad then, to make it easier for people to pronounce.

    Were you born Chris Aire?

    I was born Christopher Airemiokhai Iluobe.

    You were so young and ran such a big company?

    I was, but I was able to run the company efficiently. Our head office was on Sapele Road in Benin and we had haulage trucks all over the country. We had about 100 trucks that transported diesel and petrol all over the country.

    Not many people know the name Iluobe. Can you tell us a little more about your father?

    My father was a very successful businessman. He was into oil and building materials. He had a factory that produced galvanised roofing sheets. He was also into farming, exporting cocoa and palm kernel. He actually gave me my first lessons in business.

    So if you were doing so well, why did you decide to go abroad?

    My father and I were very close growing up and he challenged me several times. But there was this particular time he did that and I decided that it was time to take him up on the challenge which is why I took the decision to be far away from home and his assistance and to use my middle name as my surname.

    What exactly was the challenge?

    The challenge was that I couldn’t make it without him and his name. And looking back if I had remained with him then, I believe that I would not have made it without him.

    So was America what you expected it to be?

    No it wasn’t as I had imagined when I arrived, partly because I went to Memphis in Tennessee.

    So how did you survive?

    It was hard. I started by flipping burgers to put myself through college. One of the things that were ingrained in me back in Nigeria was the need to be educated. So in America, I struggled to get a bachelor’s degree. That was my first goal.

    I met other Nigerians there who told me that the best job a Nigerian could get was to be either a security guard or work in a fast food restaurant. That was how I started working in a fast food restaurant. But I soon decided it was not for me and that I could do better.

    So how did you get into the jewelry business?

    I always had a love for jewelry and knew that jewelry was also a profitable business and wanted to ultimately invest in it. So I had hoped to create a successful career in the entertainment industry in the USA and invest the money I made into the jewelry business.

    How did you start your own company?

    I worked for him for six years and I had been able to save $5,000. That amount in starting a jewelry company is absolutely nothing. But what happened in those six years was that I met a lot of high net worth individuals within the jewelry community. The jewelry business is a very small community. We all go to the same shows, hang out together. So, working for him gave me a platform which catapulted me into the game. Unknown to me, people had watched me for six years and got an insight into my character. They knew I could be trusted and that I was a serious-minded person, this made it easier for them to take a chance on me.

    So how did you start with $5,000?

    The $5,000 was just enough for me to rent a small office space where I was my own secretary, designer, salesman, manufacturer and everything rolled in together. I started in 1996 with that small amount of money but the goodwill I had built was what pushed me over the edge.

    What exactly did you have to do?

    I did all the designs and since I had befriended so many people in the business, I approached somebody with a manufacturing facility that would help me with the gold and other raw materials to extend me credit terms. I then produced the pieces, put them in my bag and hawked them to the people I thought would buy them. I was given about 30 days to sell and pay off my creditor. I would sell the pieces and repeat the process.

    Which was your real break in the business?

    The turning point for me was when I met Gary Paton. He used to play for the Seattle Supersonics. That year they were playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs. I knew Gary was going to be staying at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Marina Del Rey, so I went early and waited for him to show up. I waited for a few hours and when he finally showed up, I walked up and talked to him in the middle of press frenzy. I will never forget how gracious he was. I had never met him before. I just walked up to him and introduced myself and my business. He put his arms around me and pointed to his body guard and asked me to talk to him and exchange addresses and phone numbers. I stayed in touch with them after the playoffs. In the summer they were in Miami and invited me over to show them the stuff I had and I went over. When I got there he gave me an order for $50,000.

    What exactly did you sell to him?

    A bunch of gold and diamond basketball pendants. He bought for himself and his friends. It was a big order at the time. The interesting thing is that I had maxed out my credit card making that trip and if he hadn’t bought anything it would have been difficult for me to go back home. But it was worth the risk. Apart from him, I met a number of other people on the trip with whom I later did business.

    We read about you and so many Hollywood stars. Who would you say are your biggest customers ever?

    I try to respect people’s privacy because most of my clients are private people. So I can only talk about the ones we are allowed to talk about. But our clientele cuts across business, entertainment, sports and so on. When I first started it was mostly entertainers.

    How does it feel? Do you ever get carried away being a small boy from Nigeria making it big and hobnobbing with superstars?

    Sometimes I still pinch myself because I have been very fortunate. I consider myself lucky. Everything I have done I can only say is by the grace of the Almighty God.

    You were away from Nigeria for a long time. What made you come back?

    When I left Nigeria the idea was to go and study, better myself and then come back, but the people who came back returned and told us how horrible it was. So coming back home was the last thing on my mind at the time. Also, the pieces I was getting lots of notoriety for in the USA were not your standard run-of-the-mill designs. They were cutting edge and a lot of people did not understand it. They used to say who would wear a clock. I could never have come home at that time with the pieces I was making. When I left, Nigeria was a conservative place. We were used to small flat wrist watches. So I never thought there would be a market for what I was doing in Nigeria. As I got older, I started rethinking because most of the raw materials I use come from the African continent and most Africans are exploited and never really given the opportunity to add value to our raw materials. I decided it would be good to come back and set up something that would start to change that. So I started thinking of coming to set up here and contribute in my own way and share the knowledge I have accumulated in the United States. But I didn’t come to Nigeria right away. I went to Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry and then gradually started coming to Nigeria. We were then invited by Nduka Obaigbena to participate in the Thisday Arise show. After the show many people showed interest in our products which inspired me to set up the jewelry shop at Transcorp Hilton.

    Where and how do you source you raw materials from, particularly diamonds?

    From all over the world. Some we get through our diamond network but we deal only in blood -free diamonds. Some of the raw materials like semi – precious stones and precious stones we get in Nigeria. We have investment interest in some mines outside Nigeria and we get some of our gold and others materials from there.

    There has been a great outcry against blood diamonds from Sierra Leone and other places. How do you ensure that you do not deal in them?

    Blood diamonds are diamonds that fund wars and conflicts. Sierra Leone has been peaceful for quite some time, but there are diamonds in Canada, and there is no war in Canada. There are beautiful diamonds in Australia and there is no war there. Most of the yellow diamonds are from Australia. Some of the best diamonds are from Africa; South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Sierra Leone and many other places.

    Apart from jewelry you also went into wrist watches and other products. Can you tell us more about your businesses?

    When I started I didn’t have much money so I started with what I felt most comfortable with which was bridals designing bridal rings and accessories and expanded into other areas later. But I felt restricted and I couldn’t express myself much. I wanted to serve a clientele of artists, actors, celebrities and people like that who had a different taste, certainly not conservative. So I started creating these pieces my peers called “crazy designs”. But I always went out and sold them. By the time I had built up a big clientele I realised that they were looking up to me for direction in terms of the design of their jewelry and so I started recommending other brands to them. One day I woke up and said I was going to create something that was mine and present it to them. I created my own brand of watches and put it out and it sold out within two weeks and people were sending me their Rolex watches to trade it in for the Chris Aire brand.

    How much was it?

    When we first came out with the watch, the Aire Traveller, the basic model was $4,600. Then we had the diamond model that was $6,000 to $7,500. Some were $22,000 each and the most expensive one at the time $50,000. But today we have watches go sell in million dollar range.

    Looking at some of the stuff you have done, it takes an utterly crazy person to do them

    You call me crazy? (Laughs). Yeah, I get called that sometimes.

    Some of the big stars in entertainment and sports you do business with and who wear your jewelry at concerts, in musical videos, how do you relate with them?

    Most of my clients are my friends now. When you are in the public eye you become extremely suspicious of people. Most celebrities are guarded. I misread this when I was starting out. I didn’t know it was a protective shield. I thought they were just being jerks because I would walk up to some of them and they would look down on me like I was a thief or something. As a Nigerian, I have an innate sense of pride but I had to swallow that pride because I had to eat. And that is why I say I was lucky. Imagine if the first 100 people I walked up to had told me to go to hell. It would have been a different story today. But with time they saw I was somebody they could trust. In hanging out with celebrities, going to their homes and so on you become privy to a lot of things but you cannot talk about them elsewhere. What they want to know first is can they trust you and do you care about them? The business comes later.

    Has being a Nigerian ever worked against you abroad?

    My belief is that if you do not feel comfortable or confident in your own skin, everything will work against you no matter where you are from. Yes I am a Nigerian, a black man and I am proud of it. What my story has shown is that a Nigerian can make it anywhere in the world. Nigerians are great people. We are hardworking and immensely blessed by God that is why Nigerians excel wherever they go.

    It is a high risk business. And you have been in the US for a long time. Have you ever been scammed? And have you also ever had any problems with the law?

    I have been in America for 30 years now. And I have been in a business of trust. But I have never had any run in with the law and I have not had any problem with anybody. You know the jewelry industry is replete with stories about quack jewelers. We have been very fortunate and have not been involved in any controversies, thank God. I would prevaricate if I tell you that I am not aware of the International community’s perception of the Nigerian brand. I know most people think that a lot of use cannot be trusted and there is a strong argument in favor of that. My take on that is that you cannot indict a whole group of people based on the actions of a select few. This is why I always let people know that I am a Nigerian, because even though some people have given us a bad name not every Nigerian is a conman. As far as being scammed, I wouldn’t say I have been scammed in the US but I have lost money in Sierra Leone and Guinea. I have not had any problems in Nigeria.

    Having made it outside this shores, there are many young Nigerians who would look up to you as a role model. In what way are you giving back to society, in building up our youths, for example?

    I think it is a privilege to be in my position and I do not take the responsibility of giving back lightly. But on a serious note, that is one aspect of my life that I do not make too much noise about. But what I can talk about is I have tried to do is give some of our young ones the kind of opportunity and exposure that I have enjoyed. I was the one who introduced D’banj to Snoop Dogg and orchestrated the collaboration. I have also worked with Duncan Mighty and a host of other guys helping to strengthen the Nigerian entertainment community. And none of it was business. I never got a dime from helping any of them.

    You said you had invested in mines in Sierra Leone. Do you have similar investments in Nigeria?

    Yes we have some investments in Nigeria as well. We support small scale miners in the country from whom we source some of our raw materials used in some of our products in our Transcorp Hilton Hotel Boutique.

    Do you have a factory here?

    No not yet. We are working on it but we need to get our electricity and other things sorted out first.

    That is a disincentive to investing in Nigeria isn’t it?

    I think it is a very important one. I am told that the government is working around the clock to fix it. There are other discouraging factors. I have been extremely encouraged by the support that we have received from majority of Nigerians in our efforts here, but there are a few people who are grounded in negativity that they believe the only way to excel is by bringing others down.

    If you are talking about the allegations that trailed your foray into oil business, it was simply alleged that you won a major oil lifting license with a briefcase company which had no address, no staff. And that you got the license because you had a relationship with the oil minister. Why won’t you address that?

    The truth is whatever you give attention grows bigger. I did not feel the need to address any of those gutter articles because I did not want to give them credence. But I will say this; you are sitting in my Abuja office today and conducting this interview. Are you sitting in a briefcase? We had this office before the publication of the lies. I am a public figure and therefore entitled to certain precautionary measures as a result of my exposure. Did anybody I do business with tell you they couldn’t find me? Did NNPC tell you that we needed to pay a bill and they didn’t know where to find my company? We are in Africa and specifically Nigeria to do business. We have interest in various parastatals. As a Nigerian, It is my birth right and as a businessman it is my challenge to continue to expand our business interest wherever they may lie just like any other successful business person.

    So what is your relationship with the oil minister? How did you meet her and do you have any business relationship?

    I am a very good friends with her and her entire family. I am extremely proud of all her accomplishments and how I have seen her represent the country both at home and abroad.

    The Honourable Minister approached my company a few years ago, having followed up on our success in America and wanting to increase the awareness of Nigerian’s vast wealth of Solid Minerals to the world. We brainstormed and decided that Hollywood would be the best place to put on such an exhibition. But since the ministry could not afford to finance the event, our company offered to provide fifty per cent of the funding while the other fifty per cent were acquired from sponsorships from four major Nigerian banks. The event was first of its kind by any ministry in Nigeria. It was an amazing success. It was broadcast to over three billion viewers world- wide and massively covered by domestic and international news agencies. This one event has since transformed the perception of Nigeria’s Ministry of Mines and Steel and the type of investment that it is currently attracting. But instead of giving her credit for her vision, dedication and fortitude, some mischief makers decided to bastardise the experience and twist into something that it wasn’t. Ironically, this story can also be pulled up by any one curious enough or remotely interested in the truth. All they needed to do was “Google”

    There were also allegations that you front for the minister and that you gave her loads of diamonds in return for an oil lifting license

    (Bursts out laughing) It is false. The funny thing is that the event that they wrote about (Hollywood Glamour Collection featuring Nigerian Gold and Gemstones) was a very public event put on for the good of all Nigerians.), it was strictly for publicity. It was broadcast on AIT, Channels and NTA and Thisday, Leadership, The Nation, Punch all wrote about it.

    The event where you partnered with her in America?

    Yes. It was not a personal partnership with her, but a partnership between our company and the Nigerian government. It was an official event, this is where they said I paid her in diamonds. I think they should applaud her for having the vision to partner with a successful Nigerian abroad to showcase Nigerian’s solid minerals and attract international investment into Nigeria. I thought it was ingenious and that most other parastatals could benefit from similar creative gestures. This kind of mentality discourages creativity, enterprise and investment.

    Just for the records, do you have an oil-lifting license? Or what type of oil business do you do?

    I am a Nigerian and a businessman and just like every other Nigerian we have various interests and investments in Nigeria and other countries across the relevant parastatals. We compete and bid like every other businessman.

  • Why Nigeria must remain united, by Abina

    The General Overseer of the Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT), Pastor Elijah Abina, has advocated for a united Nigeria where there is no segregation or fear.

    The preacher noted that a united Nigeria is the hope of the black nations.

    Abina spoke during a visit to the Akowonjo Lagos headquarters of the church.

    According to him: “It is when Nigeria is united that the country can lead in the comity of nations, especially in the black race.

    “Once we are divided, that power is gone. Once we scatter, that opportunity is gone. Nigeria can never be the giant of Africa again.

    “So I want Nigeria to be one but the type of oneness I want to see is the Nigeria where the Yoruba who go to the east sees himself as a Nigerian and establishes there.”

    He added: “A Hausa man should be able to go to the West and live there happily. An Igbo man should go to the north and establish there.”

    Abina cautioned Christians in politics against self aggrandisement, saying they should be selfless and courageous. “I believe that if politics is left to unbelievers what we will experience will be chaos and anarchy but if real Christians called by God go into politics, they will know that they are not there to amass wealth but to ameliorate the poor condition of the suffering masses,” he reasoned.

    The preacher added that there is nothing wrong with religious leaders being close to political office holders as long as the motive is for national development.

    His words: “Without God, political leaders cannot achieve anything meaningful for the people because God is the owner of the universe.

    “When the leaders are far away from God, there is no way they can manage the affair of the people and be of help to the people.

    “Daniel was close to King Nebuchadnezzar and if not for Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar would have perished.

    “Elisha was also close to leaders in his time and other prophets like that. I believe our national leaders and politicians need true servants of God who will guide them in the management of the affairs of men.”

  • People insisting on monogamy are selfish –Siti Biobaku-Abiola

    People insisting on monogamy are selfish –Siti Biobaku-Abiola

    Siti Biobaku-Abiola is one of the wives of the late billionare businessman and acclaimed winner of the June 12 1993 presidential election, MKO Abiola. The mother of four whose father was a cousin to the late MKO shared with ADETUTU AUDU on her days with the late business mogul, why she may not remarry and why people claiming monogamy are selfish. She also debunked the ‘one million naira per child’ claim and the rumour that the late MKO married two Biobaku’s daughters.

     

    SINCE 1998 that the late MKO Abiola died, how have you been coping, as you have not remarried?

    He left home in 1994 and died in 1998.I did not remarry and I don’t even have a plan to. When he died my kids were very young and I had a lot of issues then, like would I go and raise them in another man’s house? The only thing I wanted was to devote my time to raising them and getting them educated.

    Was it because of the love you had for your late husband?

    Loving him is different from taking care of the children. My father had so many wives, and my mother was the first wife. As far as my mother was concerned, she was not into what my father was doing; she concentrated more on raising her children. She used to say no matter the wealth you amass, it is the success of your children that will determine whether you lived a good life.

    There is this rumour that once you had a child for MKO, he put N1m in a bank account for the child. How true is this?

    There is absolutely nothing like that. I heard it when I had my second child. Someone told me now that you have a child and are expecting another, that means N1m for you. I was in England then, he came over and I asked him: how come I have not received my own? And he said if I give N1m per child, the remaining money who owns it; that it was just an imagination. And I know I never collected. I doubt if it happened.

    How did you meet him?

    How? I did not meet him anywhere, I grew up knowing him. He was my father’s cousin.

    The late MKO Abiola was someone who had businesses while he was alive. Since his demise, all his business interests seem to have gone under. Is it that after the will was read, none of these was shared or what happened?

    All he said in his will was that the kids should go through DNA test and those who passed should share his things equally. Most of his kids were young as at the time he died. I think what happened was that the wives were not bothered on these things, majority concentrated on their children. When they come of age, they can now decide on what to do with them. Kola can not do it alone. Let’s get rid of sentiments. I used to tell him I don’t envy him, because no matter what he becomes, people will still say it is because of what he inherited from his father. But I tell you, Kola works a lot. I do not envy him because of the position he is occupying. I am also a mother, and I don’t want anybody to be at daggers drawn with my son. What I can’t wish for others, I can not do.

    One thing I know is that Kola has tried a lot. MKO is different from Kola and we don’t expect him to be like that. He is not a loud person. I know he cares about his younger ones.

    For instance, when my third child graduated from the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, she wanted to go for NYSC and they posted her to Ebonyi. Because of the rate of kidnapping, I wanted her to change. So, I told her to call him, and he assisted and she served in Platinum Habib.They even wanted to retain her, but she declined. If there is money from the estate on ground, without us asking, he called and shared the money among the children. I don’t expect him to shoulder responsibilities that are not his.

    And I tell my children, if you limit yourselves to the Abiola’s shadow, you will never be successful as Abiola. If you come out of that shadow you can even be more successful than your late father. Even the late Abiola started from nothing, he did not inherit anything.

    I also told them that after I finished training them, whatever houses I have, I will sell and spend the money because it is my money. I have told them that they should not expect me to give them houses. One thing about me is that I have no ambition. I don’t want to become the richest woman or anything. I just know that I believe in what will be will be.

    When you got the news of the death of your late husband, how did you feel?

    I was in Abuja when it happened. It is not a chapter I really want to go over. At that time, I was not into NADECO or Afenifere thing. I felt the whole issue was not well managed. But people misconstrued me. I became a target. I was called all sorts of names. My father’s house was burnt and my kids were in that house. The rumour was that I was in Switzerland with the kids. But I was in Abuja to look for a way to talk with the late MKO that whatever condition they gave him, he should take and come out. One can’t fight when he is still locked up.

    At that time, people were hoodwinked by the propaganda. I was not into politics, but I felt the whole thing was not properly handled and a lot people were trying to leverage on it for their own political gains. I thought the late MKO was being used at the expense of his own family. The presidency thing is not a do-or-die affair, he can jettison it and go back and contest.

    At that time I was very young, and catering for four kids was scary. I never planned to be a widow at a very tender age. I was not even 30 years then. You can imagine a young girl, when some of my mates were still planning to get married. I am not blaming all of them that are involved in the struggle. One man I really I admire is General Alani Akinrinade (rtd). He had a lot to lose by being on the side of the people. You will realise that there are lots of inconsistencies in the struggle.

    Talk about Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. I can understand his stand that he believed in the late MKO and stood by him, even former governor Osoba too. Those were the people we saw around him before these Awolowo people hijacked the process. And immediately the election was annulled and people were aggrieved, they realised they needed to be relevant. And they hijacked it, and behaved as if they were on the side of the people. They were the ones that insisted that the late MKO should not take any condition given by the late Sani Abacha, but his mandate. They needed to keep fighting for something. I tell you when the whole thing went wrong was when the Afenifere hijacked the whole process because June 12 was not about Yoruba or South-West; it was about the whole country.

    What is your view on the renaming of University of Lagos after your late husband?

    I don’t understand the basis for that. When President Jonathan wanted to contest for presidency, he came to the family house in Ikeja. But let’s ask ourselves, while he was the governor of Bayelsa, did he ever declare or celebrate June 12? Where was Jonathan when MKO was alive, so why would he think he would use my husband as a mileage? For instance, Mama HID Awolowo, though she is old, she still holds the name and reputation of her husband in high honour. She does not allow anybody to rubbish her late husband. Assuming the late Simbiat Abiola was alive, all these would not have happened.

    You were brought up in a polygamous family; you have also experienced it, what is your view on it?

    You know what, all these people claiming monogamy are selfish. When you say a man should marry only one wife, who will marry the other women? Do you want them to live their lives as mistresses, and then we are condoning adultery or is it fornication? Somebody has to marry them now. Let us be frank, all of them claiming ‘one man, one wife’ have chains of mistresses outside their matrimonial homes. I don’t like hypocrisy. If you know that you can’t adhere strictly to your wife, then don’t say anything against polygamy. Having extra-marital affairs or fathering kids outside your marriage is an act of hypocrisy. If you want to practice monogamy, then control yourself. If you can’t marry a woman, then don’t go near them. Polygamy to me is no big deal; it is part of our tradition. I still respect polygamist than the so-called monogamist, except you are honest with it and have no time for extra-marital affair. That is why we have alarming rate of divorce.

    There is this rumour that the late Abiola married two sisters from the Biobaku’s family. How true is this?

    It was not true. My parents never named me Titi, my name is Sitirat. Though in school, people called me Sade. Many people are confused about the name. My father can not allow such. Go and check the will, he named all his wives. So you will see the name of the sisters there. It can’t happen in my family.

  • Commanding Supernatural Success! (2)

    Last week, I taught on what true success is. I showed you the anchor law of success, which is the law of love, with examples of some anointed lovers of God.

    This week, I will show you how love enthrones, the proofs of a true heart for God and why love is fundamental for outstanding success.

    How Does Love Enthrone?

    •God is love: We all recognize that God is love. So, when you are in love, you imbibe God’s nature. He is King of all the earth, so you imbibe royalty. When you are in love, you imbibe the nature of God, because God is love (1 John 4:16).

    •Love establishes companionship with God: Remember I said that God is love. So, when you are in love, you are able to walk together with God and enjoy His companionship (Romans 8:31). An established walk with God guarantees unlimited breakthroughs. When you walk with God, all closed doors open up on their own accord (Psalms 24:7-9). Love is the only way to have an established companionship with God, because two cannot walk together except they have a common nature (Amos 3:3).

    What are the proofs of a true heart for God? If you are truly in love with God:

    •You will be in love with His Word (Psalms 119: 97).

    •You will love His house (Psalms 84:1-11).

    •You will promote His Kingdom (Haggai 1:2-8).

    •You will love souls (John 3:16).

    •You will love your neighbours (1 John 4:20-21).

    Please, understand that a true heart for God is a fundamental requirement for scaling utmost heights in life. From all the examples and illustrations from scriptures, you can see that very clearly.

    The Holy Ghost fires that love of God into your heart. The Spirit of love empowers you to love God, even when things don’t seem to work like you want them to (2 Timothy 1:7). In fact, the more the challenge, the hotter your love; receive that Spirit of love in the name of Jesus!

    The love of God is the anchor law in the school of success. It connects you to divine secrets that make a star of any dummy. All that you and I will ever need is to pray and say: “Lord, enlarge my heart for You! Anoint me into another level of love,” and then, you will find everything opening up to you supernaturally.

    Why is love fundamental for outstanding success?

    •You are blessed to be a blessing: You will never be blessed beyond your capacity to be a blessing. You are blessed to be a blessing to humanity. God will prefer to keep you poor and package you for heaven, than enrich you and send you to hell (1 Timothy 6:17-18). You are enriched to be an ‘enricher’ of men. God is the Promoter, so, He promotes you only to the level that you are committed to promoting the well-being of others.

    If you are selfish, there is nothing you have that you won’t desire. But if you love, there is nothing you have that is too good to give. For God so loved the world, that he gave (John 3:16). So, you cannot be a blessing without love. Your lifting is love-limited; your promotion is love-limited. You are blessed to be a blessing. When you stop being a blessing, God stops blessing you.

    •You are blessed to be a promoter of God’s Kingdom: You are blessed to be a promoter of the Kingdom of God (Psalms 102:13-14). One way to sustain your blessing is to remain a promoter of God’s Kingdom; it has to be in your heart. Your lifting will never go beyond your commitment to promoting His Kingdom. You need a heart for God to access His promotions in your life. God is the Promoter of men. Outstanding success that is enduring, long-lasting, colourful and enviable is of the Lord.

    •You are lifted by God to be a lifter of men: You are lifted to be a lifter of men. God will not lift you beyond the level that you are committed to being a lifter of others. Joseph came to light in this regard. God lifted him from the dungeon to the beauty of the palace, because He saw in him the commitment to lift others, including his haters.

    When God lifted Joseph, he turned round and lifted his brethren and the entire family. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance (Genesis 45:7-8). There are no cases that love cannot revitalize.

    The love of God is the master key to unlimited heights. Please, give God His rightful place in your heart, and you will never regret doing so. “Lord, anoint me afresh to love you more than ever. En-grace me afresh to possess a larger heart for You. I don’t want to miss the marks You have ordained for me on earth. So, help me Jesus!” That is the cry of one who will get there.

    Friend, the power to command outstanding success via the love of God is available, if you are connected to God. You get connected by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. This way, you are born again. You can be born again right now, if you haven’t been, by saying this prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan, to serve the Living God. Today, Lord Jesus, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You, for saving me! Now I know, I am born again!

    I will continue this teaching next week.

    I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have three services on Sundays holding at 6.30 a.m, 9.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. respectively.

    I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with us through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

  • Breaking your family free from curses (3)

    We shall continue from where we stopped the last time on how to free your family from curses.

    1. To free your family from every curse, you must not do the work of the Lord deceitfully.

    Look at what the word of God said in Jeremiah 48:10: “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.”

    The Message Translation of the Bible puts it this way. It says; Sloppy work in GOD’s name is cursed, and cursed all halfhearted use of the sword.

    That means when you are deceitfully serving God and pretending to serve God and yet not really involved. Or you are involved but not humble. Or you are pretending to be serious with God and yet not serious.

    So when you refuse to use the word of God against sin, and bring sinners back to Jesus in repentance; you are in serious trouble and you come under a curse.

    2. To free your family from curses, you must know, live and allow the word to live through you as a testimony.

    Jesus said in John 7:49 that; But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

    So you must know the word if your family must not come under a curse. You must also understand that by covenant, you belong to Abrahamic genealogy. And that every curse is broken and destroyed when you apply the blood of Jesus.

    Galatians 3:9 says; So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

    As a seed of Abraham by covenant, the blessing is already yours. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

    3. To free your family from curses, you must deliberately refuse to partake in ungodly relationships.

    The bible says in Psalm 1:1-3 that; Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

    You will notice that the blessing will always cancel the curses. And when curses are cancelled, promotion and increase can now set into the life of a man.

    David knew this very well and he said in Psalm 112:1-4 that; Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

    Now you can curse and cancel every curse in your life and family in the name of Jesus with the following scriptures.

    Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee. Deuteronomy 23:5

    Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty. Judges 5:23

    Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Nehemiah 13:2

    I curse every curse in your life and generation in the name of Jesus.

    You are free from the effect of every curse in the name of Jesus.

    You shall not die.

    None of your family member shall die untimely in the name of Jesus.

    Be free from every curse!

     

    Contact: Archbishop Sam Amaga @ Salem Mission House, Mabushi Abuja.

    Phone: 08023018836; 08074450763