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Tag: spiritual

  • N1.6m kept with me disappeared by spiritual means – Suspect

    N1.6m kept with me disappeared by spiritual means – Suspect

    The Police in Ekiti yesterday  arraigned one Adeosun Adeola, who allegedly claimed that N1.6 million  kept in his custody by another man disappeared by spiritual means.

    Thirty-two-year-old Adeola, a resident of Ureje Street in Ado-Ekiti, is standing trial on a two-count charge of breach of peace and illegal  conversion of money.

    He, however, pleaded not guilty before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court.

    The prosecutor, Insp Olubu Apata, told the court that the defendant committed the offences in March at Ureje.

    Read Also: Soun of Ogbomoso: Ghandi enthroned amid litigation

    Apata said that the defendant conducted himself  in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by claiming that N1.6 million kept in his custody by one Mr  Adedeji Oluwaseun got missing in his bank account by spiritual means.

    He said that the defendant fraudulently converted the sum to his own use, in contravention of Sections 181(d) and 295(2) (a) of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Kehinde Awosika, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety in like sum.

    She adjourned the case until  October 23 for hearing.

  • Court remands Boko Haram computer analysts, spiritual head in prison

    Three suspected Boko Haram members yesterday appeared before a Koton-Karfe Chief Magistrate Court in Kogi State for allegedly belonging to the terror sect.

    Arraigned were  Abdullahi Audu, Bashiru Yahaya and their spiritual head, Ahmed Momoh.

    The pleaded not guilty.

    Prosecuting counsel Mohammed Abaji, told the court that the defendants were arrested in June by security men.

    Others are at large,he said.

    Abaji stated that investigation and analysis of their telephone numbers revealed that they were not only members of the sect but had also carried out repairs of the terrorists’ computers.

    The prosecutor also said the defendants had carried out repairs of other electronic components owned by the insurgents and used them for their nefarious activities.

    According to him, the third defendant, Momoh is the spiritual head of the gang mandated to prepare ‘’charms/Ruqya’’ for members of the group and their families, before and during operations.

    Abaji prayed the court to take cognizance of the grave nature of the allegations by dismissing the oral application brought by the defendants.

    He said their actions were contrary to section 97(1) of the Penal Code Law and Belonging to Terrorists’ Group.

    The prosecutor also said the defendants had allegedly violated Section 4 and Section 5 of Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013.

    Chief Magistrate  Levi Animoku, in his ruling, ordered the three accused to be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe, saying that the allegations against them was grave.

    Animoku said the activities of members of the terrorists’ group had terminated many lives in the country, adding that the crimes the defendants were accused of were heinous and carried high penalties.

    He said: “Notwithstanding that bail is a constitutional right guaranteed the accused persons, the presumption of innocence is not absolute. Bail is not easily granted in this kind of offences. So, bail is refused.

    “The defendants shall be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe, Kogi.”

    The case was adjourned to  September  28 for mention.

  • A spiritual push for peace

    With prayers, biblical texts and good old common sense, a Christian group makes a case for harmonious living, GBENGA OMOKHUNU reports

    Since June 6 when a band of Arewa youths shook up the country with a quit order on Igbo in the North, many have been trying to calm frayed nerves. State governors have unanimously condemned the call. The authorities in Kaduna State where the pronouncement was made ordered that the youths be arrested. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has been touring the country, rallying regional leaders and stakeholders to ensure peace in their domains.

    A Christian group has added its voice to the peace push. The group under the auspices of Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria, (CRUDAN), gathered in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja to brainstorm the way forward.

    A retired Director of Information at the Villa, Mr. Musa Aduwak who delivered a paper titled: “Peaceful Coexistence: an imperative for national development urged Nigerians to appreciate the efforts of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in resolving the issue of agitation from various quarters.

    Aduwak said government needs to bring everybody together and continue to preach peace adding that it should be done under the law.

    Development, Aduwak said, does not happen in isolation or in a vacuum. “Whether physical, relational, economic, social, spiritual, or educational, development is only possible in an environment where there is fairness, accountability, interdependence, transparency, peace, freedom of thought and action within the ambit of the law, respect for individual and group rights, etcetera. All these, or most of these can only occur in democracies, such as we claim to be practicing now. The reality, of course, is that we are still a long way from a democracy that meets these standards.

    “It is normal for every nation to have agitations. What may be a challenge is how to resolve agitations. People have different understanding of how they want to achieve their aim or demand. The critical thing must be for government to know how to harness and bring together these various agitations in a manner that will fulfill the laws of the land.

    “Government is not failing to curb or normalise these agitations. The way government operates is not to come out and start talking. If you recollect the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has been speaking about this issues more recently and that must be after checking up all the issues as they affect the people. Silence sometimes can be golden because if government has spoken too early it may not go well. Remembers he has been holding consultations with various groups all over the country.

    “As Nigerians we are generally always in a hurry.  The level of our patience is limited especially when it has to do with life. Government needs to bring everyone together. There is no war that has been fought and they did not resolve the matter on the table. We are not yet at war, we still have avenue for discussion and government to take advantage of that.

    “I want to believe that the steps of the Acting President is also in that direction. He has a sense of how the feeling of people are and I am sure he would go forward to resolve the issue. The content of agitations is not too good for us. People are afraid of losing something, but the rest ruction will benefit all of us. Because we are better as one country. Generally government is doing its best to secure this country.

    “I was born in Southern Kaduna. My family tree, up to five generations before me for which there are any records, tells me that that is the land God gave me to live in, cultivate and tend. I grew up with various groups around me, the Fulani being one such group. I recall a particular Fulani lady who used to bring fresh cow milk every morning, nono, cow butter (man shanu) to our house for sale. I also recall that my father would send me, or any of my brothers, to take a live chicken, which my mother was going to cook, to our Muslim neighbour to slaughter. It was not because my father, or any of us for that matter, could not slaughter a chicken. It was because we shared our food with our Muslim neighbours, but they would not eat any meat slaughtered by us, so they slaughtered our livestock and we dressed them for the pot. Alternatively, he would invite the neighbour to come and slaughter the chicken in our house.

    “My father’s compound had several rooms unoccupied by members of our immediate family and so he rented them out to those who had need. I recall one Mal. Sule, a veterinary attendant; Mal. Sa’idu, a driver with one of the government departments; and a Kanuri man whose name I have forgotten who worked with the health department eradicating tse-tse flies. All of them, Muslims, lived in my father’s house at different times, and we lived in what may be described as “blissful peace”.

    “Fifty years later, it is a different story. That peace has more or less “evaporated”. There has been no war between us, in the sense of war like we saw in 1967-1970, or in Liberia or Sierra Leone. Yes, there have been disagreements and clashes, several bloody, with many lives lost and property destroyed. But where don’t you have these disagreements? Once Adam got the choice whether to obey God’s command about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or not, disagreements were bound to arise.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • ‘Everlasting spiritual influence of Cathedral Church of Christ’

    I am delighted to be at this Gala Night, in the pleasant company of fellow parishioners and our distinguished guests. It is also my great pleasure and privilege to give this short talk on the history of the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, and Lagos.

    On this historic and memorable occasion of the 150th anniversary of our great church, the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, I should like, first of all, to extend my warmest felicitations to our much beloved diocesan bishop, the Most Revd. Adebola Ademowo, FNAL, and the Provost of the Cathedral, the Very Revd. Adebola Ojofeitimi. I want to thank them, and all our past bishops, provosts, the clergy, the church wardens, the church organists and choir, for their great spiritual leadership of the church.

    The Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, the oldest Cathedral in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has a proud, rich, vibrant, and distinctive history. It is a national legacy and heritage, not only for Christians, but for adherents of all faiths in our country as well. Since its completion in 1946, this neo-Gothic Cathedral, with its impressive architectural splendour and grandeur, has stood majestically on the Marina, directly overlooking the Lagoon. To put its rich history in historical perspectives, in 1867 when the foundation of the first Christ Church was laid at the Marina, Lagos was a new British colony. It was formally annexed only in 1861. HM Queen Victoria was still on the throne in Britain. Nigeria did not even exist then as a British colony or dependency until 1914. The European scramble for Africa had not yet begun.

    Christ Church had very humble origins. It was not even the first Church Missionary Society (CMS) Church in Lagos. On arriving in Lagos from Abeokuta in 1851, the CMS missionaries, led by the Revd. Charles Gollmer, first established three other churches in Lagos; Holy Trinity Church, Ebute Ero (1851) as the first CMS station, followed by St. Paul’s, Breadfruit, (1852), and then St. Peter’s (Holy Trinity) Church, Ita Faji (1853). After Christ Church (1853) came St. John’s, Aroloya (1862), and St. Jude’s, Ebute Metta (1869). But due to favourable political and historical circumstances Christ Church became famous as the first Anglican Cathedral in Nigeria. This was because Lagos later became the capital of colonial Nigeria. And it was from Lagos that Christianity and the CMS missions spread throughout Nigeria.

    Christ Church started in 1853 as a parish church at the Oko Faji site that it shared with St. Peter’s Church. It was in response to the demand of the small western educated African elite, most of them Creoles, freed slaves from Sierra Leone, for a separate church service to be conducted in English at St. Peter’s, Faji. The three older CMS churches in Lagos, Ebute Ero, Breadfruit, and Faji conducted their church services only in Yoruba, with which the Creoles were not comfortable. Among these pioneering Christian Creoles in Lagos were the Hon. John Augustus Otunba Payne, the first Registrar of the colonial High Court, and a member of the colonial legislative council, and Dr. Henry Carr, the first African Inspector of Education and later the Resident of Lagos colony. The others included Adolphus Pratt, John Mason, Mr. J. Henry Doherty, and Dr. J.K. Randle. It is believed that it was the Revd Ajai Crowther who started the English service in 1855 at St. Peter’s, and named the new church, Christ Church. This was after the Revd. Charles Gollmer and the Revd. Henry Townsend, his white CMS colleagues, had returned to England due to ill health. They never returned to Lagos. Crowther was then placed directly in charge of the Church. Since its inception, the only time a special Yoruba service was held in the church was on October 28, 1900, at the request of the colonial government, when HRH Oba Gbadebo 1, the Alake of Abeokuta, paid an official visit to Lagos, and was hosted by the colonial government.

    In 1860, St. Peter’s, Faji, moved to its present site at Ajele, But Christ Church remained at Faji until 1867, when it moved to the Marina (Ehingbeti) on the completion of its buildings, the first brick and mortar church buildings in Lagos. The Colonial Governor of Lagos, Sir John Hawley Glover, laid the foundation stone of the new church buildings on March 29, 1867. Its new premises were dedicated on June 10, 1869, by Bishop Samuel Ajai Crowther who had played such a prominent role in the early years of the Church. The Ehingbeti site was one of the four sites secured by the Revd. Charles Gollmer of the CMS from Oba Akintoye.  But of the four sites, it was the last to be developed as it was considered the least attractive and safe. Very often many of the mud and thatched roof houses at Ehingbeti were gutted by fire in those days. It remained a parish church until 1919 when it became a pro-Cathedral. Ten years later, its new neo- Gothic buildings, still uncompleted, were dedicated, by which time it had become a full fledged Cathedral.  Unlike the three older Anglican Churches in Lagos Christ Church was excluded from the native pastorate until 1929, and carefully nurtured as a model Anglican Church by the CMS which shaped its distinct cosmopolitan traditions.

    As Canon M.S. Cole, officially the first African Vicar of Christ Church, observed, for those who started the first Christ Church at Faji, and later at the Marina, it was a ‘Venture of Faith’. They could not have foreseen the subsequent fame of the Church, and its glorious role in the growth and development of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). Until the capital of Nigeria was moved to Abuja, the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, remained the See of the Archbishop and Primate Metropolitan of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria. For over a century, most of the leading Anglican clerics, including archbishops and bishops, began their careers in the Cathedral. Its strong spiritual and evangelical role in the growth of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria is widely acknowledged. It is regarded by other Anglican Cathedrals and Churches in Nigeria as primus inter pares.

    Right from the start, the Church, with its location on the Marina, within walking distance of the old colonial secretariat and the official residence of the colonial governors, provided a convenient place of worship for the colonial officials and the emerging African educated elite. Its English service brought the new church close to the colonial administration. This immediately gave it an advantage over the three other CMS churches in the Native Pastorate in Lagos. The African social, business, and political elite in colonial Lagos worked and resided near the Cathedral.  Virtually all the colonial governors and officials worshipped and held pews in the Cathedral until 1911 when the Colonial Church (now our Saviour’s Church) was built at the old Race Course. For nearly a century the Cathedral, with its clock tower, dominated the waterfront on the Marina, rising above the neighbouring buildings. Now, the cluster of skyscrapers on the Marina has crowded in on the Cathedral, but this has in no way affected its grandeur.

     

    Movement to the Marina

    In 1860, when St. Peter’s Church moved to its permanent site at Ajele, Christ Church remained at Faji. Some favourable developments later facilitated the movement of the church in 1867 from Faji to the Marina. First, the Revd Ajai Crowther, who had been running the Church since 1855 at Faji, was consecrated a Bishop in London in March, 1864, the first African to be so consecrated. He was immediately transferred to the Niger to start a new mission there. Both Gollmer and Townsend, invalided, had also returned in 1855 to the CMS headquarters in London where Gollmer died in 1862. Fresh hands were needed at the CMS station in Lagos and the Revd James Abner Lamb, a former Welsh lawyer, who had been sent to Lagos in 1861 as Secretary of the CMS Yoruba Mission, was placed in charge of Christ Church, still at Faji, in succession to Crowther. He had been in the church for less than a year when on June 9, 1863, he launched a fundraising appeal for a new church building at the Marina (Ehingbeti) to replace Gollmer’s mud and thatched roof building at Faji, which was no longer considered suitable, as it was being used for both the church and a school. The proposed Church would be built of brick and slate, would provide accommodation for 500 people instead of 300 at Faji, and would cost 800 pounds. By the time the foundation stone of the new Church was laid on Friday, March 29, 1867, well over 800 pounds had been collected. On June 10, 1869, when the first section of the new Church was dedicated by Bishop Ajai Crowther, over 2,500 pounds had been collected, with the colonial Governor, Sir John Hawley Glover, donating 10 pounds. The largest single donation of 50 pounds was made by Mr. J.P. Lalubo Davies, a wealthy African merchant, of St. Paul’s Church, Breadfruit, whose subsequent generosity to Christ Church was unbounded.

    The church that Bishop Crowther dedicated in 1869, the first Christ Church at the Marina, was not completed until 1875 together with the clock tower. The total cost of building the church was put at 2000 pounds of which the colonial government contributed 400 pounds. Some 500 pounds was raised locally for the new church building. But even before the church building was completed important services, including ordinations, state services, and confirmations were being held in the new Christ Church. On Sunday, March 12, 1871, Bishop Crowther held an ordination service in the church, at which his son, Dandeson Crowther, was one of those ordained. In 1887, a state service was held in the Church to mark the Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen Victoria. On her death in February, 1901, a memorial service was held for her in the church. In 1902 a state service was held in the Church to mark the coronation of HM King Edward V11. It was HRH Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales, who laid the foundation of the present building in 1925. Later, during their state visit to Nigeria in 1956 HM Queen Elizabeth 11, and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, worshipped in the Cathedral. When he was head of state General Yakubu Gowon had his wedding in the church in 1969. The Church has hosted several Archbishops of Canterbury and many other foreign dignitaries, including Albert Schweitzer, the famous and celebrated Austrian Nobel Laureate.

    The  Revd. James Abner Lamb, who built the first Christ Church, at the Marina, was transferred to Sierra Leone in 1870. After two tours of duty in Freetown, he was transferred to East Africa. But when he was needed again he returned to Lagos in 1883 where, shortly after, on July 1, he died from an attack of diarrhea. His tomb lay originally outside the East end of the Church, but it was later transferred to the Chancel in the Lady Chapel. Last Sunday, at a commemoration service in the church, a memorial wreath was laid at his grave.  His heroic contribution to the development of the first Christ Church at the Marina should never be forgotten lightly.

     

    Early Progress at the Marina

    After the departure from Lagos of the Revd. Lamb in 1870, Christ Church remained largely in the charge of the European Clergy for the next fifty years. It had a chequered and rather difficult history in its early years at the Marina. First, the CMS faced immense difficulties keeping its white priests in the Church. Many of them found the Lagos climate too humid and inhospitable. Some refused to go to Lagos, while many of those who did preferred attachments outside Lagos where the humidity was less. Filling vacancies created by the premature departure of European missionaries was a nightmare for the CMS. Even the African priests also preferred working in the native pastorate established since 1871 which they considered more conducive. At its new site on the Marina, practical difficulties about the English service also began to emerge. The natives preferred the Yoruba service in the other churches at Ebute Ero, Breadfruit, Faji, and Aroloya.  In addition, the natives were irritated by the opposition of the predominantly white clergy to such native practices as polygamy and the Ogboni cult, on which they would not compromise. As Archdeacon Hamilton reported in 1885, ‘the stricter discipline by the church is not popular with the natives’. Many of them left the church in anger. It was recorded that in 1889 average attendance in the church fell from 300 to 228 for Mattins. The Revd. Hamlyn, who was in charge of the church, observed in 1887 that this was ‘because the Yoruba congregation are not able very intelligently to follow the English prayers, hymns and sermon in the church’.

    There were also serious financial pressures emerging in the church which the CMS could no longer fund fully. Such were these pressures that in 1883 the CMS actually asked the colonial government to take over the Church, but it declined. Then in 1887, the CMS in London informed its Lagos office that it was seriously considering handing over its CMS station in Lagos and the church to the Bishop of Sierra Leone to run it directly. But this idea was dropped due to a strong and determined opposition from both the local clergy and the congregation of the Church.

     

    From Pro-Cathedral to Cathedral

    The fortunes of the Church however began to change dramatically due to some significant and important events. In March, 1906, the Conference of Anglican Bishops in West Equatorial Africa passed a resolution for the formation of a new Province of West Africa. Dr. Henry Carr, M.A. B.C.L. the first African Inspector of Education in the colonial government, was appointed the first Chancellor of the new Province. Soon after, a new Lagos District Church Council was established for the general administration of the CMS Churches in Lagos, but Christ Church was again carefully excluded from this new Council to emphasize its special status. The European clergy were not yet ready to hand over the Church to the native pastorate. They wanted it to remain a model CMS Church. Then on Friday, May 17, 1912, good fortunes smiled again on the Church when, at the Third Synod, the Chancellor, Dr. Henry Carr, moved a powerful motion for the transfer of Christ Church to the Synod ‘for the purpose of the Church being constituted the Cathedral Church of the Diocese, and for a Sub-Committee to be formed to consider the question of enlarging the Church and to raise funds for that purpose’. The motion was enthusiastically adopted and endorsed by the CMS in London. This is the origin of the construction of the new Cathedral Church of Christ that stands so proudly at the Marina today, in replacement of the first Church on this site in 1867.

    On May 9, 1920, the Revd. M.S. Cole, formerly the Principal of the Abeokuta Grammar School, was appointed the first African Vicar of the Church. He wasted no time in setting up on October 1, 1920, the first Cathedral Building Committee. In May, 1921, it was decided at the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops that the status of Christ Church be raised to that of a pro-cathedral. Then on July 26, Bishop Melville Jones and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Randall Cantaur, launched an appeal in London for raising funds for the proposed Cathedral building. While fund raising arrangements were being made, the Cathedral building committee decided to start preparing the architectural plans for the new Cathedral. Two building plans were first prepared in England, but the local building committee asked a local architect, Mr. Joshua Bagandoji Benjamin, to prepare a plan. It is his building plan that is now the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina. Often referred to as the Christopher Wren of Lagos, in reference to the architect of the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral of London, Mr. Benjamin designed many other neo-Gothic buildings in Lagos.  The beautiful Cathedral he designed has remained an architectural master piece, and a major tourists’ attraction in Lagos.

    The new Cathedral, estimated to cost 46,000 pounds, had to be built in three sections as, and when, funds became available. Canon M.S. Cole has highlighted the leading role and generous contribution of Mr. J. H. Doherty to the building of the new Cathedral. He not only contributed 1,600 pounds, the largest individual donation, to the church development fund, but supplied the Church with 3,000 barrels of Portland cement loaded in a steamer from Europe for the construction of the new Cathedral Church of Christ. The laying of the foundation stone of the new church was delayed and almost marred by the outbreak of a flu epidemic in Lagos.  But on April 21, 1925, after weeks of delay, HRH Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales, finally laid the Foundation Stone of white marble from Newcastle upon Tyne of the new church, to which he later made a princely donation of ten guineas. The event was widely reported in the British media.

    On June 15, 1929, the first section of the Cathedral, costing 14.500 pounds, was dedicated by Sir Frank Baddley, the acting colonial Governor, in the absence of Sir Huge Clifford, the Governor. But fresh funds were needed for the completion of the Church. The second section was to cost some 5,000 pounds. Because of lack of funds work on this was suspended until 1934. Some of the needed funds had to be borrowed from the CMS Bookshop, whose indefatigable manager, the Revd. C.W. Wakeman, and his wife Eva, worked tirelessly to raise funds for the new church building. It was not until 1946 that the new buildings of the Cathedral were finally completed. It had taken 21 years to complete the Cathedral. It was indeed a ‘venture of faith’. No major alterations have been made to the church since it was completed and dedicated in 1946. In fact, the statutes of the Cathedral expressly forbid any alterations to it.

     

    Church Music and the Choir

    Apart from its splendid buildings, the Church choir and music have also contributed immensely to the fame of the Cathedral.  Without its famous organists and choir the Cathedral would not have become as famous for its tradition of fine church music as it is today. It was the Revd Beulah who in 1853 laid the foundation of the church choir and music in the Church. In 1885, the Vicar, the Revd. N.T. Hamlyn, reorganized the choir comprising of 19 men and two female singers. In 1900, when a new Reed organ was acquired for the church, Hamlyn replaced the ladies completely with men and boys, and provided them with surplices. Soon after, a pipe organ, the first in Nigeria, was ordered for the church. Over the years the church has replaced its organs at least six times, the latest being its new beautiful pipe organ, the largest and most expensive in West Africa. The organ, which cost over N150 million, has 3,368 pipes, 640 setters, 21 octaves, 64 stops and 4 manuals. It was proudly commissioned in 2010 and has made music in the Cathedral even more enjoyable.

    Equally, the Cathedral has been fortunate in having some of the most outstanding and dedicated church organists in Nigeria. Of these, special mention has to be made of the legendary Dr. Thomas King Ekundayo (TKE)  Philips, who was the Organist and Master  of Music in the Cathedral from 1914-1962, a total of 48 years, during which he established himself as incomparably the greatest church organist and music genius ever produced by the Church and in Nigeria. Under his guidance the church choir made phenomenal progress and established a reputation for itself as the best church choir in Nigeria. When he retired in 1962, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Mr. Charles Obayomi Oluwole Philips, as the Church Organist from 1962-1993, a total of 31 years. He shared with his father an impeccable pedigree in church music. When Mr. Philips retired in 1993, he was succeeded by Mrs. Tolu Obajimi, the first female Organist and Master of the Music in the Cathedral. It was during her tenure (1993-2014) that the church acquired its new and impressive pipe organ. More recently, she has been succeeded by Mr. Tunde Sosan, a great grandson of Dr. T.K.E. Philips. The remarkable growth and fame of the Cathedral choir was also made possible by its dedicated members, some of whom have served as choristers for upwards of more than 50 years.

    The church has also been richly blessed and served by a succession of outstanding prelates, bishops and vicars, and its committed laity and societies. The distinct image of Christ Church as a special church was shaped by the determined and sustained efforts and leadership of these men and institutions. Each of its prelates and vicars left an indelible mark on the Church. In this regard, I am obliged to mention the Most Revd Abiodun Adetiloye, our deceased Primate, for his courageous, consistent, and determined opposition to the excesses of military rule in Nigeria under General Abacha, for which he was dubbed a ‘NADECO’ Bishop’.  It was the good fortune of Christ Church to enjoy the strong spiritual leadership of such outstanding prelates and clergy. Since 1919, the church has had 10 diocesan bishops and 14 vicars and provosts. All of them have been hugely successful. The fame and reputation of the Cathedral is also built on its tradition of religious tolerance. Liturgy in the Church remains low and liberal.

    Since its dedication in 1946, this magnificent neo-Gothic Cathedral has remained a famous landmark in Lagos. Amidst the daily turbulence of city life in Lagos, many have found solace and spiritual fulfillment in its hallowed portals. Its spiritual influence on Nigeria has been pervasive, profound, and indelible. The Church has remained, proud, distinctive, and alluring, not only to its parishioners, but to all Christians of other denominations, as well as to those of different faiths. As Lord Hunt, then the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, wrote of the Cathedral in 1967 on its centenary celebrations, the Cathedral has been ‘reassuring, a rock of stability, and a symbol of continuity in a changing world. The spiritual influence emanating from this great and beautiful Church has been diminished neither by time nor by changing ways’. It was a fitting tribute to our great Cathedral that has continued to exercise its spiritual influence on the Anglican Communion in Nigeria and beyond. It is a legacy and heritage we must preserve at all costs. May God continue to bless the Church and its parishioners.

  • Spiritual, moral lives of hunters

    Spiritual, moral lives of hunters

    Hunting has always been regarded as pastime for lazy men who have no serious means of livelihood. It is also regarded as vocation for those who have no regard for the mores of the land and, therefore, can indulge in any unwholesome activity. But hunters have refuted these views, saying they are an organised and law-abiding group guided by some ethical rules. BISI OLADELE writes that the joy and satisfaction hunters derive from the game are not as a result of wealth but as a result of members of the hunting profession upholding pristine and old-time values of honesty, respect for Ogun the god of iron and self-worth.

    Hunting has always been  an important aspect of life in rural communities. In the past, hunting provided the main source of animal protein and professional hunters occupied a highly respected position in the society. Even in modern times, some hunters depend almost entirely on hunting and gathering to obtain essential protein and cash income, while many others supplement their livelihood considerably by hunting.

    Hunting with guns and bows is predominantly a male activity.

    This age-long practice is still a hobby or better still, a source of income for most people living at the grassroots in Yoruba land.

    In the circumstances, local hunters are enjoying their world across communities in the Southwest region. The joy and satisfaction they derive therefrom are not as a result of wealth but as a result of members of the hunting profession upholding pristine and old-time values of honesty, respect for Ogun, the god of iron and self-contentment with the little they have.

    Against expectations, hunting, an age-long profession, is attracting more youths as they seek more ways of earning additional income and involvement in game-like activities. But the career is guided by strict rules that forbid members from allowing modernity to destroy their cherished custom.

    Aside individual hunting, group hunting has become regular, and used to celebrate popular festivals such as Christmas, New Year, Sallah and other traditional festivities.

    Unknown to many, hunting in modern time is highly regulated, not only by the government or society but by the association of hunters. The rules guiding joining and remaining a member are generated from inherited values summarised in the concept of omoluabi.

     

    Hunting as a vocation

    The vocation is not just about hunting down animals in the bush. It is learnt for a period of time before one begins practising. The learning process also includes accepting the leading of Ogun, the god believed to be in charge of anything that has to do with iron, in Yoruba land, how to participate in group hunting and how to protect oneself with charms.

    According to Mr Rahman Adeyemo, for a hunter of over 15 years’ experience, hunting is a serious business that does not accommodate people with shady characters. Only honest, committed and highly spiritual people survive in the profession.

    Adeyemo, who is the Vice-Secretary, Hunters’ Association, Badeku, Ibadan branch, said he inherited hunting as a vocation from his father.

    He posited that the profession is profitable if carried out with sincerity.

     

    Hunting is spiritual

     

    Adeyemo underscored the spirituality of the profession by explaining that the entire hunting activity is based on the faith and reliance on Ogun. He added that the fear of God and Ogun paves way for success in the vocation.

    “Handling guns makes one to fear God and Ogun. Then one prays Ogun to make animals whose time to die has come to cross one’s path as one goes hunting. We pray in the name of Ogun. We pray against killing humankind while hunting. Without the prayers, one may find oneself wandering in the bush throughout the day or night without killing any animal. One may shoot an animal and it still escapes.

    “One may even get injured while roaming the bush. But once one prays, one does not trouble oneself if one is unable to get animals into one’s kitty. We believe that is the way Ogun wants it for that day.

    When we shoot animals and they refuse to die, we believe their appointment with death is not sealed. When we return to the village, we still thank Ogun for bringing us back safely,” Adeyemo said.

    He said any hunter who has an unresolved issue with a fellow hunter settles the issue before embarking on fresh hunting expedition. If two hunters have unresolved issues, other members intervene to resolve the issues before joining them for group hunting. If the differences are irreconcilable, both of them are prevented from participating in the group hunting exercise.

    If they are allowed, Adeyemo said, the group will end up without killing any animal throughout that day.

    When Ogun is unhappy with any hunter, Adeyemo said, such person would be unable to get animals during hunting and could sustain injuries regularly, among other discomfitures.

    However, their belief in God and Ogun does not prevent them from practising modern religions such as Christianity and Islam. He said many of their members belong to those religions.

     

    Training

     

    Explaining further, the State Secretary of the association, Mr Ismaila Saka, told Southwest Report that hunting is not all about competence in handling the gun.

    According to him, learning how to hunt animals takes minimum of six months. Apprentices begin with how to hunt, using dogs.

    He pointed out that some never mastered how to shoot, hence remain with dogs. Some still specialise on hunting with traps, including wire traps.

    After mastering the use of dogs and traps, apprentices are allowed to participate in group hunting. After group hunting, animals killed are cut into equal pieces for every participant.

    In group hunting, Saka further explained that only those competent in shooting are allowed to carry guns. Others go with dogs to chase out animals from the bush.

    This they do by combing the bushes. During this process, the hunters encircle a patch of vegetation known to harbour animals and work towards the centre beating and slashing the bushes.

    Signs used to determine whether or not a patch of vegetation is likely to contain animals include presence of droppings and food remains. The method is popular for hunting rodents, especially the grass cutter. Animals emerging from the bushes during the combing are either chased and caught by dogs or killed with clubs and cutlasses.

    For the spiritual aspect, apprentices also learn how to make charms to protect themselves against all forms of attack.

    “Professional hunters depend on their skills, experience; knowledge of the behaviour of wild animals as well as a thorough knowledge of the forest within which they operate. However, hunters may also adopt a number of strategies involving the use of “magic”, which are believed to either increase hunting success or offer protection for the hunter,” Saka added.

    Four such strategies that are well known and have widespread use, even though their effectiveness has not been studied are identified. They are:

    Use of charms: A hunter may wear a ring on his finger or toe, a bracelet, a necklace or a talisman round his neck or a waistband around his waist, which is believed to improve hunting success by acting as a charm which draws animals towards the hunter.

    Magic of transformation: This is another form of magical power which is supposed to confer the ability for a hunter to transform into an animal e.g., a hunter may transform into, say a bushbuck. This then increases the chances of individuals of the same species coming closer to the hunter, which greatly improves the hunting success.

    Power of invisibility: This is a “magical” power which makes a hunter invisible to a wild animal and the hunter is therefore able to approach the animal without being detected and is able to shoot at close range; this may involve a magical preparation which the hunter carries around and places on his head at the appropriate time.

    Disappearance powers: This form of magic is aimed at protecting the hunter. It normally involves a long process of rituals comprising periods of confinement, bathing in a series of herbal preparations and living on a prescribed diet.

    After the initiation, the hunter may or may not be given a magical band which he wears. It is more common among old big game hunters. The process is believed to confer on the hunter the ability to disappear in the face of danger. For instance, if a hunter is faced with a charging lion or bush dog, he might draw on such powers and disappear from the scene. The magic is invoked as soon as the hunter panics or when the hunter utters a word or a phrase.

     

    The don’ts

     

    A hunter is not allowed to look into the face of another hunter’s wife. If he does, Saka said he is adjudged to have committed adultery.

    “If you want to assist a fellow hunter’s wife to lift a load onto her head, you must not face her directly. Otherwise, you are adjudged to commit adultery with her. If a fellow hunter’s wife stands up from a seat, you are not allowed to sit on that chair. Otherwise, you have committed adultery. If you meet an animal struggling to survive on a trap set by another hunter, you will kill the animal and leave a sign there to show that a hunter helped kill the animal. You must not take the animal home; whoever does that, will be punished severely by Ogun. A hunter must not snatch another hunter’s wife,” he said.

     

    Profitability

     

    In spite of the excitement derived from hunting, the profession, they said, is not self-sustaining economically.

    Adeyemo said: “As interesting as hunting is, our members have to combine farming with it. Many others are into other vocations while some take up security jobs in the city.”

    He recalled that the situation was the same during his father’s time.

     

    Prospect

     

    Against expectation, many young men are going into hunting. Adeyemo said the 50-member association in Badeku village is made up of virtually youths. He said only two members are elderly people.

    But for the strict requirements aspiring members must meet before they are admitted as members, Saka said the association would have had more members.

    “We watch and scrutinise them thoroughly before finally admitting them because Ogun does not want dishonesty and indiscipline.

     

    Ogun Festivals

     

    Annual Ogun Festivals are still celebrated with items used from time immemorial. They include palm wine, roasted yam, plantain, salt, honey, red oil, sugarcane, beans, fried maize and killing of dogs.

    During the annual Ogun Festivals, members embark on group hunting and cook the meat for everyone to enjoy together. They can also share fresh meat for individuals to cook and enjoy at their various homes.

    Hunters believe animals will always exist in the bush. They don’t believe in possible extinction of any animal.

     

    Hunting materials

     

    Adeyemo and Saka revealed that hunters’ implements would include a gun, a small bag (often made out of animal skin) containing a supply of gun powder and cartridges, a cutlass or heavy knife and in the case of night hunting, also a powerful lamp which is carried on the forehead.

    The hunting lamp is a special device made from brass with a polished reflector and contains carbide. The reflection of the lamp in the eyes of the wild animal enables the hunter to spot the animals. The strong light has the effect of dazzling the animals and the hunter is therefore able to approach them and shoot at close range.

    They, however, regretted that imported hunting materials are now very expensive, a situation that has forced local producers to come up with cheaper alternatives.

    For instance, they now use torch instead of imported hunting lamps.

     

     

  • Ayade goes spiritual as governorship tussle goes to Supreme Court

    Ayade goes spiritual as governorship tussle goes to Supreme Court

    Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State yesterday went spiritual, as he handed over to God the impending December 9 Supreme Court judgment, in the suit filed by Joe Agi (SAN) against him.

    Agi, who came second in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries, had in a pre-election matter, dragged Ayade and others to the Federal High Court, claiming among other things that Ayade paraded different age declarations, and by the constitution of the party, was not qualified to be the candidate of the party.

    Agi argued that, since he came second in the party primaries, he should be declared as the candidate of the party.

    Agi lost the matter at the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

    Not satisfied with the lower courts’ judgments, Agi headed to the Supreme Court, where in a curious twist, the PDP lawyer withdrew support for Ayade in the last hearing on September 27. The Supreme Court slated judgment for December 9.

    Ayade, who was received by a rapturous crowd at the Margaret Ekpo Airport in Calabar on his way from Abuja, went spiritual and told the crowd to “Let God’s judgment prevail.”

    Numbering several thousands, the crowd carried inscriptions like, “Welcome back our beloved governor, we are behind you”, “Your Excellency, you will surely prevailed”, “Our digital governor, no shaking” and “Our well elected governor, you have conquered, nothing do”.

    Addressing the crowd after alighting from an Air Peace airline, Ayade enjoined the people to remain steadfast and prayerful in order to gain God’s salvation and freedom.

    “God is a wonderful God. God shall not forsake us at this point. God will not forsake us at this point because God sees the heart. When we started, we knew the situation of our people. I am a child born into poverty, so I understand the circumstances of my people.”

    Assuring that the people of the state have a heritage that is akin to a people who love each other, the governor said: “Let God’s judgment prevail for He is wonderful and shall not forsake us at this point. Let us take our cry to Him for He sees the heart.”

    The governor, who explained that he decided to go into the deepest and finest idea to completely decouple the state from its dependence on federal allocation, averred that God will not stop those great dreams and projects, which he said are aimed at boosting the economy and creating jobs.

    Speaking further, Ayade said: “Once God is in charge, once God is leading, once you are righteous, when the righteous people are in tune, God will take control.

    “God will never stop our great projects. God will not. God is greater than any law. God is greater than any might. You might have the intellect or legal capacity. You may have the capacity to manipulate anybody, but you can never manipulate God.

    “God sees our heart. I came into this office through the inspiration of God and I swore in that name of my late parents that I will always do that that can help the people. Today we are before the court of man to decide the fate and destiny of Cross River people. God shall take control. God shall establish himself. The lion of Judah shall conquer because truly in the name of God I am totally innocent.

    “And God knows the truth. If I come before the court of man, I come with supplication and clemency from God because God sees my heart. God knows the direction of this government. That is why I believe God brought me here for a purpose and God shall not disgrace us. God shall not send us out in shame. God knows our heart. God knows the innocence, and I cry to God for the manipulation of man will come to nothing because God sees our hearts. I cry to God and I call God severally, I dedicate today to God that if indeed I came to serve, I came with intention.

    “We don’t have the money, but we have the spirit, we have God and the fear of God. God will go ahead of us. Worry no more, cry no more, fear not. If the worst happens, it is God’s will. We have not capacity to appeal at this level. We can only appeal to God. But God you know our heart, you know the case in question.”

    Meanwhile, the Inter Party Advisory Council in the state said it frowns at “the drama” in the Supreme Court where a political party (PDP) called on the apex court to disqualify its own candidate.

    A statement signed by its chairman, Mr Baron Eyo and secretary, Mr Paddy Ally, described the development as a calculated ambush, which negates the ethics of the law profession.

    They called on the Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the lawyers, so as to restore confidence in the judicial system.

  • Ikpeazu seeks spiritual intervention to tackle violence

    Ikpeazu seeks spiritual intervention to tackle violence

    •Babcock University graduates 1,616

    Abia06 State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has urged Nigerians to ponder on the crises plaguing the nation and look heavenward for solutions.

    He spoke while delivering the keynote address at Babcock University’s 14th undergraduate and fifth postgraduate convocation yesterday.

    Ikpeazu said: “Nigeria is looking for solutions to various problems: insurgency, Fulani herdsmen, among others. We must ponder on what time we are in history and look heavenward for solution.”

    He urged the graduands to be apostles of the ministry, who will provide those solutions, while the rest of the world follows their lead.

    “The apostles of these solutions are graduands of Babcock University. Therefore, the world is looking upon you to show us the way so that the rest of us will follow… Depend totally on God and be yourselves. Be the change agents of the world, rather than allow the world change you. Every effort you make without looking first upon God will come to naught.”

    Delivering the commencement address, President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Mr. Aigboje Imoukhuede told the graduands to exploit every opportunity and shun phobia of starting up their own business.

    He noted that the Africa Initiative of Governors (AIG), an NGO he founded, has signed a bill, over the weekend, to grant scholarships to Nigerian and Ghanaian students to have their masters in public policy at Oxford University, United Kingdom (UK).

    The former Access bank boss said: “The AIG was founded to teach governors how to improve governance and transform the public sector. The initiative was just signed by Kofi Annan last Friday. But all the recipients must commit to come back to Nigeria to practice for at least five years.”

    The university graduated 1,616 undergraduates and 220 postgraduate students.

    Among them, 66 made first class honours, of which Comfort Inyang of the Department of Computer Science emerged overall best with cumulative grade point average of 4.96.

    The university’s vice chancellor, Prof Ademola Tayo, in his advice to the graduands, said: “You have been trained to solve real world problems… That makes you entrepreneurial job-ready graduates. You must continue to function to lead and influence the thinking on best strategy to align infrastructure, education and skills to growth and productivity. As you move into the world, the new challenges and opportunities that come your way would demand fresh thinking and a different way of working to make positive impact.”

  • Continental campaign Heartland go spiritual for Enyimba, others

    Continental campaign Heartland go spiritual for Enyimba, others

    In what could pass for a rare show of sportsmanship and spirit of being their brother’s keeper, Premier league contenders heartland of Owerri Saturday intensified prayer for oriental brothers Enyimba, Warri Wolves and Nasarawa United ahead of CAF Champions league and CAF Confederation Cup ties today.

    Heartland who would have squared up against Enyimba in an oriental derby of the Nigerian premier league this weekend had to observe rest instead, following Enyimba’s Champions league clash against Vital O’ of Burundi.

    Warri Wolves equally flying the nation’s flag in the Champions league host Al-Merreikh  of Sudan just as Nasarawa who are the surviving flag bearers in the Confederation Cup following the exit of Akwa United battle CS Constantine of Algeria. Heartland apparently looking at the bigger picture and the benefits that will come not only to the country but teeming soccer fans in the country should the three flag bearers record Super Sunday wins, took to the social media to pray for the three clubs appealing to mother luck to grant them this day on one hand, and charging the teams to ensure they conquer the first round of the competitions on the other.

    “Goodluck to the teams representing Nigeria,  #CAFCL (@EnyimbaFC & @Warri_Wolves_FC) and #CAFCC (@Nasarawaunited). Go conquer the 1st round!”The Owerri landlords dished out.

    Heartland who are hoping to have a good run in the premier league this season with a view to returning to Continental campaigns, have recorded just a win in five matches played so far. The Nazi Millionaires who replaced coach Bethel Orji with Alphonsus Dike following home defeat by Abia Warriors last month, subsequently recorded a 3-1 loss away to Akwa United but earned a lone goal victory over Lobi Stars, last Sunday.

  • Ember-months’ road crashes not spiritual, says Amosun

    Ember-months’ road crashes not spiritual, says Amosun

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has urged motorists to stop the erroneous belief that road crashed in the “ember” months are spiritual or the result of evil spirits working during the season.

    The governor urged motorists to understand that there are usually increased economic activities, making people to speed, in the last quarter of the year.

    Amosun, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, spoke at the Ita-Oshin Motor Park in Abeokuta, the state capital, at the beginning of “Ember-months’ Safety Campaign.

    The governor noted that the last four months of the year, popularly called the “Ember-months”, usually witnessed an upsurge in vehicle movements and the number of travellers.

    Accompanied by Acting Corps Commander of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Commander Seni Ogunyemi and the General Manager of the State Parks and Garages, Alhaji Ola Ayo Ogunsolu, the governor stressed that road users should always show the highest sense of discipline and avoid any act that could violate traffic rules.

    He warned drivers to desist from speeding, overload, wrong overtaking, use of phones while driving, drunken-driving and other traffic offences.

    Amosun said any motorist caught driving against the traffic would be taken to Aro Psychiatric in Abeokuta for a psychiatric test.

    The governor advised drivers and passengers to always fasten their safety belts, adding that this would reduce accidents and fatality rate during road crashes.

    He added that the objective of his administration’s safety campaign was to reduce road crashes.

    The Chairman of the Road Transport Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Alhaji Owotade Monsuru, and his National Union Road Transport Worker (NURTW) counterpar, Alhaji Adetunji Odunifa, thanked the governor for organising the campaign.

    They said it would further reducing accidents during the “ember-months”.

     

  • Health and spiritual benefits of ramadan

    Another Ramadan wave swept across the Islamic world last Thursday, inviting adherents to new life in body and spirit.

    I say New Life because, as given to mankind, the Ramadan should be a lifeline for the salvation of a humanity rapidly sinking into spiritual perdition. That is, it is well recognize, well understood and the help it brings well applied in daily relationships. But just in this, many adherents appear ignorant and fail. For the fast on its own does not confer any spiritual value or benefit or bring any blessing from On High upon the dutiful adherent who observes it as a matter of routine.

    What brings blessings is the value of the change which the change Ramadan experience wrought in the adherent who observes it.

    To understand this, it is important to appreciate life in Arabia before the advent of Prophet Mohammed, who was called and sent on a Spiritual mission to that region, from which the message he brought was to spread to people in other regions who may need it.

    In Arabia before the prophet, earthly existence was brutish, hellish and short. A father could have his daughter murdered in sacrifice to a guest just to prove to the visitor that he was well valued. Distrust, like mischief and treachery, was rife. Robberies were well organized and on large scale. From the book TALES FROM ARABIAN NIGHTS, those days of yore can still be gleaned in stories of Abdul and the Angel, and Alli Baba and the forty thieves. The trade routes were menaced by gangs of thieves Evil filled the land which the Darkness had embraced suffocatingly. Yet it was in this land that hope for the spiritual salvation of mankind was anchored long, long before the prophet.

    A pure tribe, like an oasis in the desert, separated itself well enough from this morass to become what we may call a “chosen race”. I am not speaking about the children of Israel. What we know of them and the anchorage of Jesus the Lord in their midst, happened long after the anchorage of an equally high one among them in the beginning of a monumental spiritual world event. Definitions are important keys for unlocking a code or laying bare of concepts. The world is a concept which, spiritually speaking refers not to this earth. Man, in his obtuseness, dragged down the concept to mean the earth. The World refers not just to our gigantic universe but to all the seven which comprise the material areas of Creation. Of them, the Bible speaks of “the seven churches of Asia”. Asia is the spiritual name of this World. And each “church” is each of the sevens in our universes. In our own universe; Ephesus is the spiritual name of earth our host.

    The Lord Jesus would speak of “my Father’s House” in which there are many “many mansions” How else may one fathom, many mansions in one house except through spiritual understanding of the concept which encapsulates the information?

    As I said, a world event was unfolding long ago in Arabian land in which, later, prophet Mohammed would be privileged to participate, having made himself worthy of the call of his Maker, Allah, to serve Him in Arabia. Unknown to many people, including some adherents of Islam, it was not only in the bringing of Islam to Arabia that prophet Mohammed had been involved in Allah’s service.

    Not to digress, that pure tribe, an oasis in the hellish Arabian before the prophet, was no more by the time of Prophet Mohammed. It had fulfilled its mission, its ruins buried deep in the Arabian desert, to preserved and to be unveiled in the fullness of time, like all things else, as the  cycles of events spurn a long time ago close, alongside the closing of all great cycles of World Events in the Final Judgment.

    s the World inches its way towards this end –time, help was sent to man in different parts of the earth to prepare them for this inevitability.

    Thus, Prophet Mohammed received instruction which he passed on, and in what it today, we know as Islam. We must appreciate nevertheless to the capacity of some of the followers to distort these pure teachings for their selfish pursuit in the search for power and influence over men. Accordingly, we must approach these teachings spiritually and meticulously fish out grains of truth from the hay stack of their distortions.

    Islam, as the great prophet Mohammed taught, comprises Seven Pillars. Ramadan is one of these pillars. Ramadan is a month in the Islamic Calendar set aside for dawn to dusk fast. Some Islamic teachers have tried to locate social deficiencies which the Ramadan is meant to correct. Some scholars believe some Arabians of those days lived in Opulence while a majority lived in abject poverty with little or nothing to eat. The Ramadan, say these scholars, was to teach self deprivation and sharing. I believe, like some other Islamic Scholars that the Ramadan has far deeper origins in the spiritual destiny of those people it was addressed to. And this falls in two dimensions, namely: (1) support for the radiant health of man’s physical body. Without this body, he cannot exist on earth; without this body being in perfect, radiant health, he cannot use it as a tool for achieving the purpose of his existence, especially on earth.  As stated, this purpose is self-development, from unconscious to self conscious life, recognition of God, recognition of creation, other species of creation and various worlds they inhabit. Understanding and unconditional fulfillment of His adamantine or unchanging Will in His Creation. But just this Lucifer opposes and ever seeks to prevent. When a man is calm and his body is healthy, he is able to ask such helpful questions as (1) who am I? (2) Where am I From? (3) Why am I here? (4) Where do I go from here? What become of me after earthly sojourn? Only a healthy and calm man asks these questions. But suffering and the imminence of death may also help. To make the body unhealthy and unable to support the spirit in this quest, Lucifer’s minions gave to man ideas for the nurture of his physical body which oppose the plan of Mother Nature, through whose activities God speaks to His creations, including man. Thus, cigarette smoking damages the lungs and the respiratory system, apart from inhibiting the immune system, and above all pollutes the gift of fresh air not only for the smoker,, but also of other inhabitants of the earth.

    Alcohol suppresses the brain, damages the liver and supports prostate enlargement. Refined sugar, hydrogenated fats and fried foods cause digestive disorders, obesity and degenerative diseases such as Diabetes, hypertension, strokes and even cancer.

    Drinking water is polluted. So is the air. Pesticides poison food crops, while fertilizer devitalize and denature foods. So do carbonated drinks and sodium.

    A fast such as the Ramadan fast helps to free the body from the burden of food and digestion and releases energy for the detoxification of poisons it has accumulated from food, air and water over many months or years.

    The effects can be noticed on the tongue and the skin, when the fast begins, some tongues exhibit coatings of all sort of colours, indicating the biochemistry going on within. Some people may develop a rash on the skin if the toxin discharge from the cells is so much that the liver and the kidneys cannot cope with it and the skin, ask for a helping hand, is irritated and reacting accordingly. It is unhelpful to suppress such a rash with creams. Like water disturbed in it course, the toxins will find another exit. Or, rather, the body will find another exit route for them. If this is through the respiratory system, another eliminating outlet, the bombardment may cause, say, asthma in the future.

    Spiritually, the aim of the Ramadan is to prevent full-scale plunge into materialism, which gives man little or no time for matters of the spirit, his being, and so life beyond this earth, in the vast world beyond senses of the earth body. When the body rests from food and the stress of work pursuits every day, its currents becomes finer and it is able to loosen its almost suffocating embrace on the Spirit, the tenant within, without dis-engaging from their union. Thus freed, the spirit for a while, is able to soar homewards. Already, the five daily prayers and the ablution have prepared some grounds for this. When one has to think of Allah five times in one day in prayer sessions during which the forehead is made to touch the earth in “submission” to Him, one should have little or no time for evil thoughts or actions. The ablution reinforces this. Before each of these five prayers, the adherent of Islam must wash hands, feet and mouth. Externally, this symbolizes cleanliness before Allah is approached. It also signifies that, while the “outside” Is clean, the “inside”, too, should be.

    One of the reinforcements of the injunction is the admonition that no annoyance or guile survive beyond sunset in the heart (soul). Contravention is rewarded with denial of Divine blessing. These, and more, are great life lines for spiritual development and ascent which, through the Prophet Mohammed has been afforded a true adherent of Islam, as indeed any human being who follows the injunctions. For the Koran makes no distinction among men in this regard. It says in two references to this fact that only three conditions are necessary for salvation. (1) Belief in one God (2) Belief in the hereafter and (3) A righteous life.

    he Koran says any Christian, convert (moslem) or Jew (unbeliever) who fulfils these conditions would be admitted to Paradise. But, alas, today many Islamic scholars lead the adherents on the easy broadway where they teach that, by merely fasting, they please God. This has the tendency to make the Ramadan become a routine, a habit, and not a festival which it should be, when all the rags of the soul are shred and, burned, and the ash buried, and new enabling nature takes root in the soul. It is this inward change which characterizes being born again, not empty, verbal proclamations even among Christians who are quick to utter these words.

    During the Ramadan and any organized fast such as the Christian Lent, I strive to observe the season inwardly, that is, in spirit. And I know joy when, at the end of it all, I discover I have taken something good away for the improvement of my earth life. Currently, I have been sharing ideas with one of my sons on the human world. There are no accidents in Creation. There cannot be any in God’s work. And it isn’t accidental that only the human specie form words and speak them the way we do. When I remember the opening words of the Bible, the significance of the human word for the fate or wellbeing of the speaker strikes me powerfully. It says “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and God is the Word. “of course, we know the Word is the Law, and it was the Divine words LET THERE BE LIGHT which brought creation into being under the pressure of the Law. In other words, those words had a creative effect. In other words, the Human word as a gift has a forming effect. When we alter a word, that word exerts pressure on the environment. We are, with the spoken word, like posters forming objects with clay.

    Nature beings impress our words on enteric substance, thereby forming them into forms which correspond to the nature of our thoughts or the words we express from them, good or ill, noble or ignoble. These then forms attach themselves to us as their authors, drawing into themselves similar forms. One day, this huge army will cause the nature of their being to manifest in our environment and around our persons. The human word, spoken, derives its origin from thought. And as the forms of those words spoken must bring to us the fate which corresponds to their nature, no- one will ever rise beyond his thoughts and the words he utters asked my son and henceforth watch people around him carefully, and see if their lives and well being are different from the nature of words they utter. He is reminded that this is why, while he was growing up, he was forbidden to say certain words. Today, these words fill the music of young people and the vocabulary of many people. Any wonder, then, that everything is more upside down today than the parents of the people of my generation said our days as young people were dis-arranged? 2015