CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A BED OF ROSES

A man saw Jesus and declared he wanted to follow him. He must have seen some of the miracles Jesus performed or heard about them. He must have heard so much about Jesus. So, he just wanted to be part of this happening thing. But his declaration was met by a reply he would not have envisaged. Jesus revealed to him the nature of the ministry he wanted to join. It was not a ministry of comfort or pleasure. The son of man did not have a place to lay his head. That was the last time we read about that man in the scripture. He must have been so disappointed that he lost interest in Jesus’ ministry.

Discipleship is not a bed of roses. It is not a vocation of comfort. It is a vocation of commitment. Anyone who prefers to remain a Christian must be ready to put themselves within the structure of submissiveness to God. Such a person must erase false expectations and assumptions about Christianity. Such assumptions that life isn’t tough for a Christian should be confronted rightly. The storms don’t stop by the fact of giving one’s life to Jesus .the difficulties of life don’t cease; sufferings don’t disappear; life doesn’t turn blissful suddenly. These are wrong expectations that should be corrected. When peoples’ minds are fed with these venoms, it becomes difficult for them to explain why they should have temptations; why they should suffer, and the presence of predicament is viewed as a sign of unseriousness with God.

God wants you to know that  a Christian can be sick and still loves God; a man who loves God so much can also have his prayers unanswered some times; a true  child of God can be disappointed at times,. A person can still persevere through difficult circumstances and life’s disappointments and unanswered prayers and even unfulfilled expectations, but remains zealous in their Christian faith. Christianity is not a bed of roses .it is about commitment with God, come rain, come sun. it is a determination to keep focus on Jesus without fluctuating.

Please like and follow our blog.

Thanks for reading this.

NEWS GIST

Nigeria's recession not as bad as painted ' APBN


Idea- please,with all due respect, shut the f**k up.


Photos: Lagosians cook 'Egusi' soup with Alligator killed at Gbagada

Idea- i dey tell you



Edo governorship battle: Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu win poll units, Oyegun, Osunbor lose

Idea- three things are certain in Nigeria...Death,Taxes and Rigging elections.




Naira crashes to N465/ USD as CBN issues new directives on domiciliary accounts usage 

Idea- like wow..this is really deep

Amnesty International: Nigeria trying to muzzle dissenting voices

Idea- No comment




One feared dead as Avengers, security operatives clash in Imo

Idea- May God have mercy on us.



Biafra no longer feasible ' Okechukwu

Idea-he has a point.


Flood: 200 pupils escape death in Enugu

Idea-good news at last



NPFL: League winner to pocket N40m

Idea- well, im confused, i saw N90m on t.v.....



Looted Fund: There will be no cash handovers to Nigeria ' US Government

Idea- And there is absolutely nothing we can do about that.




Time to pass the PIB


Idea-Nigeria lost N61trn to non-passage of PIB ' NEITI



In Nigeria, government does more to prevent progress

Idea- this is true if really think about it.

Which way out of this recession

Idea- anywhere belle face.

Mourinho set to keep Rooney on the bench against Zorya Luhansk.


Idea- they should get him a 300,000 pounds customized bench seat.


This is how to survive the recession ' El Rufai

Idea- you know nothing 'jon snow'

UCL: Arsenal ease past Basel as City held to 6 goal thriller

Idea-Arsenal are playing good football lately.
city fans be like "it was great coming back after going down three times"..wtf,,you were expected to win COMFORTABLY



INEC denies allegation of ballot box snatching, gunshots

Idea- what do you expect?



Nigeria at 56: What Education was like before independence.


Idea- who cares about the past.



Tackling the recession together

Idea-is it me or is the word "together" and "recession" being used more often in the same sentence nowadays.



Job creation: Abia, Turkish governments partner to train 50,000 shoe, dress makers.

Idea- Nice...



Economic recession: Solution with us


Idea- i was just saying...




BIAFRA: Fani-Kayode's meteoric sympathy and antics on marginalization

Idea...hmmm

Video: Man kisses Kim Kardashian's butt on streets of Paris


Idea-he finally achieved something in life.




Now that Patience is on the menu


Idea- we'll savor it while it lasts.



Nigeria now a cattle republic

Idea- i'm telling you


Tinubu denies media reports that he 'bombed' Buhari


Idea- hmmm





Some 32,000 suspects arrested in Turkey coup probe


Idea- how many of them are Nigerians?





Yaya Toure disappointed with FIFA's fight against racism


Idea- i feel your pain bro



Cancer is on the rise!' Nigerians need to make drastic lifestyle changes

Idea- this is true.





We must evolve a system that harnesses latent talents


Idea- talk is cheap




Education USA urges Nigerian youth to take charge


Idea- we wrestle not against flesh and blood.





Best graduating students across Nigerian varsities honoured


Idea- And after that what next.





FMC Yola gets software developed by ex-AUN students


Idea-we develop software everyday, i suspect foul play.



World Heart Day: 'More Nigerians coming down with heart failure

Idea- well, this is true.



Study shows poor diet is greatest risk to health and wellness


Idea- we should pay attention to this.

Vanguard Headlines Today [Thu-29-Sep-2016]

ATIKU TO OYEGUN: You can't break rules without creating problems

EPZ project can stop militancy, reunite Ijaw, Itsekiri ' Bebenimibo

BoI, UNDP sign $2m pact on solar power to Nigerian communities

Residents of Amaechi' s hometown flays activities of Fulani herdsmen

NNPC raises petrol storage capacity by 87.7m litres

Agip pipeline explosion: House of Reps fact-finding committee visits Bayelsa

Nigeria's recession not as bad as painted ' APBN

Tebite scores Okowa high, says he's a grassroots politician

Soldiers provide hygiene service to Delta community

Cardinal Onaiyekan sues for religious tolerance, says God belongs to all

Photos: Lagosians cook 'Egusi' soup with Alligator killed at Gbagada

Edo election: Collation of results begins Thursday, says REC

Edo governorship battle: Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu win poll units, Oyegun, Osunbor lose

Naira crashes to N465/ USD as CBN issues new directives on domiciliary accounts usage

Amnesty International: Nigeria trying to muzzle dissenting voices

One feared dead as Avengers, security operatives clash in Imo

Biafra no longer feasible ' Okechukwu

I'll sign white paper on Nyako if', Gov Jibrilla threatens



Flood: 200 pupils escape death in Enugu

NPFL: League winner to pocket N40m

Federation Cup: FC IfeanyiUbah for final

Looted Fund: There will be no cash handovers to Nigeria ' US Government

Time to pass the PIB

In Nigeria, government does more to prevent progres

Nigeria lost N61trn to non-passage of PIB ' NEITI

Which way out of this recession

Mourinho set to keep Rooney on the bench against Zorya Luhansk

This is how to survive the recession ' El Rufai

UCL: Arsenal ease past Basel as City held to 6 goal thriller

INEC denies allegation of ballot box snatching, gunshots

Nigeria at 56: What Education was like before independence

Tackling the recession together

New marketing trends and advertising industry

Job creation: Abia, Turkish governments partner to train 50,000 shoe, dress makers

Economic recession: Solution with us

BIAFRA: Fani-Kayode's meteoric sympathy and antics on marginalization

Video: Man kisses Kim Kardashian's butt on streets of Paris

King Sunny Ade, a living legend worth celebrating, says Ooni of Ife

Now that Patience is on the menu

Nigeria now a cattle republic

Tinubu denies media reports that he 'bombed' Buhari

Playboy Magazine features first Muslim woman in hijab

Some 32,000 suspects arrested in Turkey coup probe

Yaya Toure disappointed with FIFA's fight against racism

It is not too late to dialogue with Boko Haram, says Archbishop Onaiyekan

Edo Guber: Our leaders have been placed under house arrest ' PDP

Cancer is on the rise!' Nigerians need to make drastic lifestyle changes

We must evolve a system that harnesses latent talents

LASTVEB partners Transtouch to boost technical skills

LASTVEB partners Transtouch to boost technical skills

Education USA urges Nigerian youth to take charge

Best graduating students across Nigerian varsities honoured

Administrators seek global best practice in teachers' employment

FMC Yola gets software developed by ex-AUN students

Nigerian makes history in UK varsity

Creatures of habit

World Heart Day: 'More Nigerians coming down with heart failure

Study shows poor diet is greatest risk to health and wellness

Health financing through PPP gets nod of experts

LACK OF INCUBATORS: Tragedy of Nigeria's premature babies

ATTITUDE

We have control of our attitude. How we respond to circumstances determines our attitude. The
circumstance itself should not control our attitude, else we become manipulated like puppets by the environment.

Our minds strongly determine the control we allow ourselves over our attitude. We can respond positively with self control or negatively with anger.
It's how we react to situations, not the situations themselves that influences our attitude. Environment only influences us to the point that we allow it to influence us.
Your life is judged not so much by what happens to you as by the attitude you display the face of what happens.
Your mental picture of the environment is the determining factor in the control you have over yourself and others.
One truism about bad feelings often goes unnoticed.
We cause them to occur, not the environment.
An external dilemma presents the challenge to us and waits for a reaction.

So we must concern ourselves with our reactions instead of the circumstances involved. What happens to you is not a function of power but what happens inside your mind and within your reactive control is a function of your power as a man.

This is very evident in the world of sports today with younger and younger athletes obtaining more and more money and fame which they mistake for power. Then they show how much true power they have in their reaction to unfavorable circumstances.
In life there are two dominant forces, external and internal.
We have very little control over external phenomenon such as the way our coach coaches, the way the referee makes a call, the way an opposing athlete plays us, etc.. What really shows the character of the man is the internal reaction. How do we respond to those predicaments? Over that we have complete and utter control.
No one can make you do anything, you have control within yourself. The problem is not the other person; it is the way you behave to the other person.
External phenomenon can’t make you poor, only without money.
Being poor is an internal mindset. Being without money is only an external situation.
Life at any time can take fateful twists and turns.
Winning the race of life depends on how you respond to whatever twists and turns you must make to stay on the right track.
You can’t always control your environment, but you can always control your attitude.

Let us share (Arondizuogu popular villages)

There are indeed a lot of slightly developed villages in Arondizuogu. developed in terms of motorable paths and  commercial areas. for example , the Nkwo Achi road, ndi awa and Ndi Akunwanta. not forgetting the T junction at Obinetiti, the college of education under construction at Ndi Adimoha my village, the rice fields at the notorious Ndi Akeme Ohiauchu
and many other places.
we are one big,great people with strong personalities and i urge we the young ones to look to invest in our community so as to attract more people from far and wide. i really see us becoming the hub of the whole Orlu Zone in the near future.
please, let us therefore talk about those villages that are in need of serious attention in terms of development and those ones that have really tried . kindly drop your comments please

Overcoming Obstacles

We achieve to the degree that we overcome the negative. 

Conquerors are willing to pay the price necessary to overcome anything that stands in their way.

They sacrifice, struggle, work continuously while being alone, weary, and discouraged. They overcome the
negative despite all obstacles. Overcoming obstacles is simply one tool required in the work shed of successful people.

Success can be measured by the magnitude of the obstacles which have been overcome to achieve it. Not by the rank you have obtained in your chosen field.
The more insurmountable the obstacle that has been surmounted, the more successful the accomplishment.
Life’s tools are, in all cases, found within ourselves and must be searched for and obtained at all costs. Effort is required of the seeker and honor is bestowed on the sweat. If there were no obstacles to overcome, would there be as much sense of accomplishment? If there were no effort required, would there be as much satisfaction in acquiring the success seeked?
Important in life is to overcome, success is secondary.
Inherent in life is the desire to give everything you’ve got - to conquer is secondary. If too much emphasis is
placed on winning then too much focus is taken away from the effort you can place into the work at hand.

HOW TO WIN OVER YOUR FEARS

If you really want to do something

you will always find a way.

But if you don't want to do it,

you will find excuses.

The easiest way to combat fear is by not using excuses. Instead, you need to look for positive approaches to accomplish your goal. If you want to start a business, Read some  magazines like "Income Opportunities" or "Spare Time."

Start reading the business section of your newspaper. Gather some ideas and do a little reading before actually jumping into a business. Surely you can find some spare time to read.

Also, begin associating yourself with people who are in their own business already. If you're afraid to go out and make new friends, attend local business-related seminars in your community. Start watching television shows that are related to business. You'll eventually find people to associate with who know others and you'll be the part of a new crowd -the motivating ones!

FEAR is always your enemy. Look at it this way: If you never try,

FEAR wins by 100%. However, if you do try, FEAR only has a chance of winning by 50%. If you needed a place to live and only had 10 naira to your name would you allow FEAR to win and make you homeless? No, most of us would find a job or borrow the money to have a roof over our heads! FEAR is the root of failure, depression and lifelong problems.

Are you going to let FEAR ruin your life?

FEAR also will cause you to lose out on many other things in life.

If you FEAR the boss at work is going to fire you _ it will naturally
be on your mind day in and day out. It will eventually wear you down and you will begin making mistakes on the job. You will also get depressed and build up resentments that may have never been there in the first place.

Facing FEAR head on is the best way to combat it. If you think the boss is going to fire you _ go up and ask him. It takes guts, but isn't it better than putting yourself through many months of agonizing torture? Are you full of so much FEAR to even ask him because you think it will trigger him to say "yes" when he might not have been considering it at all? Believe me _ asking a boss "if" they are thinking about firing you will put you in no different position than you are now. In fact _ it will have the opposite effect. The boss will more than likely respect you for your candidness and ability to face FEAR head-on.

Is FEAR holding you back from a lot of things? Are you afraid to confront people and tell them how you really feel? Do you smile in their face and talk about them behind their back? What's so hard about being truthful but using tact? Doesn't it get rid of FEAR and solve many problems?

Complaining is also an act that emotionally drains you and goes
hand-in-hand with FEAR. In fact, FEAR is normally the root of any complaint.

People don't want to admit their FEAR so they will complain to release some tension. This is a crazy merry-go-round! Instead of complaining, try to find ways to solve the problem.

VANITY OF A GODLESS LIFE

Life, when lived for itself without God has no meaning. such life is an empty repetition without eternal purpose.The book of Ecclesiastes is ascribed to Solomon,the wisest and richest king of Israel. After he had seen and experienced wealth and riches,power and prestige, he concluded that everything is vanity. He concluded his reflection by pointing out that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep his commandments" (Eccl 12:13). A life that is Godless seems like a person chasing after the wind.

Such a person can build the biggest houses, buy the best cars and achieve the highest ever imaginable. 

But without God,everything ends at once,including the person. The point is that we are not here on earth just to acquire riches and popularity. The catechism of the catholic church says God made us to love him, serve him in this world and be happy with him in the next. We are created for communion and fellowship with God.We are created to fill the earth with the praise of God and make him known everywhere.

Whenever we are operating outside of God's plan for us, we are doing something that is vain.

Where are you right now? Is God there? Is God in those things you are doing? Where have you diverted your passion? In what things are you engrossed? if God is not involved, it means you are doing something futile.

When we exclude God from something we are trying to achieve,then we are chasing after the wind. With all the material acquisition, ideologies, positions, philosophies, if there is no God, you have wasted your life. you have invested wrongly. This is an opportunity for us to evaluate our motivations and interests. where we find ourselves missing out on God's plan for our lives, let us retrace our steps.

10 Reasons You Should Be Skeptical About Becoming Catholic

Are you considering becoming a Catholic? Are you thinking about taking your Catholic life seriously, if you had neglected it? I do not know if converting to Catholicism is a good idea. If I was you, I would think it carefully before taking the next step. Catholicism is not a “well-being club.” To be Catholic is to be a little crazy. A little crazy of love for Christ, and a little crazy of love for Mary and, consequently, a little crazy of love for others. And being crazy in such “rational” world is not easy. And the crazy things we Catholics do, many times bother those who are not Catholic, because most of the time they are taken as an accusation that those who are so “rational”…are…wrong. But that is not our intention: what happens is that we live “crazily” and, according to this world’s “good sense,” our lives should be a complete disaster. Nonetheless, against all odds, our lives are full of joy!

Therefore, let this little article serve as a warning: if you are thinking about converting to Catholicism, you will become, almost inevitably, a “strange” person. Maybe you will even become a happy person, and nothing jars so much in this saddened world we live in as a genuinely happy person. Committed Catholicism is a one-way route. Do not say we did not warn you.

I write this article partly as a joke, but also seriously. Seriously since all things related to God are serious, but that does not mean they have to be boring, or necessarily solemn. In essence, humor invites reflection. And when we have to compare what is negligible with that that is sublime, a viable way of doing it is humor: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1Cor 1:25).

1.Beware! You can find the meaning of life.
Catholics believe that God created us with a purpose and that, if we manage to discover that purpose, we can aspire to sainthood. And what is sainthood? To complicate one’s life unnecessarily. To make difficult what is easy. Not taking any shortcuts. To resolve to reach a goal and accomplish it with God’s help. To enter by the narrow gate. And how is it possible that by making everything more difficult we still have time to be happy? Well, that is the secret. Sainthood is God’s plan for our lives, and if we follow God’s plan, how could we ever be unhappy? Even martyrdom is gain, because we do not place our happiness in this life, but in the incredible reward God has prepared for us…”What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard…” (1Cor 2:9)

2.Perhaps buying a new car will not longer be a priority.
Perhaps finding the meaning of life will change your priorities and what seemed important before, like having a new car, will become something secondary. What is dangerous about this is that these priorities will be replaced by completely “ridiculous” things, like participating in a religious formation class, or helping the victims of an earthquake. Pay attention: Christianity will turn your priorities upside-down. And we will end up looking crazy. Crazy of love for our neighbor, and less crazy of love for the new car.

3.Attention! You might want to have more than one child. Two, three, four…


“All the children God might send!” “How so? All the children He might send? How reckless! Children need the newest technologies to be happy! How are you going to bring a child to the world if you do not have enough money to guarantee his education in the best schools?” This is something else in which us Catholics are crazy. Crazy of love for our children. And we give them the most valuable and exclusive thing one can find in today’s world: time, quality time, spent just in loving them, listening to them, and nurturing them. This is why, despite not having the newest tablet, or wearing mended clothes, our children grow up to be confident and happy persons.

4.You might stop supporting abortion, divorce, euthanasia, etc…
Catholics are basically against mostly everything the world stands for, since we strive to keep an opinion opposed to the dominant culture. We are always “out of fashion. ” We are against abortion, divorce, euthanasia…because we do not like the easy way out! We believe everything has meaning in this life, even suffering! So, why don’t we just live our faith and let others live as they please? Once again, the answer is: because we are crazy. We believe that everyone has the right to know the truth, and we also believe that we have to offer this truth to everyone. This is what we call “being yeast in the dough.”

5.And what if you discover that you are called to religious life?
Some crazy Catholics say that God showed them that they have to devote their entire lives to Him. “Their whole life?” “Yes!” “Without any conditions?” “Unconditionally!” “And what is the trick?” “There is no trick.” Just for the love of God and others, this crazy Catholics dare to live the most unbelievable adventures, like teaching the Gospel to the poor in Tanzania, or in the midst of war in Syria and Iraq, or to extremely poor communities in the Philippines. And as if it was not difficult enough in itself, they commit to live in celibacy for the rest of their lives! They are our favorite crazy people, and according to the worldly standards, they should be the saddest and most miserable persons in the world….Nonetheless, they are tremendouslyhappy!

6.Warning! If you are Catholic, you will always celebrate!
In January we finish the Christmas Octave (our celebrations are so big that they do not fit in a single day), and then we celebrate the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Then, in the following days we celebrate the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, and a couple of days later we have the celebration of the Epiphany! Not even a week has passed in the new year, and the celebration that started with Christmas, continues. Catholics believe that life is a celebration, and therefore we have to celebrate. And the celebration continues throughout the year: February with the Presentation of the Lord, Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle; in March, with Saint Joseph, and the Annunciation of the Lord (when Easter does not fall in March, it falls in April), and so it continues throughout the year.

7.Maybe you will agree with the Pope!
We read the documents the Pope writes, we study them, and write books, and give conferences about them. Why? What makes more than 1000 million people follow each word this elderly man says? Well, the answer is easy: the things this elderly man says make a lot of sense, and every time we follow him, we are convinced that what he says is the truth. The great truths that have make the world uncomfortable have come, in the last 20 centuries, from the mouth or the pen of a Pope. And when the world gets uncomfortable, is generally because the Pope has touched upon the cause of the evil that afflicts humanity.

8.And if you become such a “strange” person, will you not be persecuted?
That is guaranteed! Persecution is almost the watermark that help us distinguish a true Catholic from a “comfortable” Catholic. Are you being persecuted? Then you certainly are a good Catholic! It happened to the best of our own, starting with Our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the point where everything gets interesting: for us, those persecutions are rewards! Are we crazy? Well, I believe I already mentioned it about a couple of times before in this article. Jesus told us, in the Beatitudes, “to be happy whenever we were persecuted.” Why? Because our reward in Heaven will be great! Does Jesus consider us worthy of suffering for His Name? Then we must be doing something right!

9.Maybe you will become aware that you are a great sinner.
But as the well-known saying says: “for great ailments, great remedies.” We have the sacrament of Reconciliation, to which we can resort to as many times as needed! Did you sin? Go to Confession! Did you sin again? Confess again! What? To confess all your sins to another sinner? What craziness is that?! The craziness of the Mercy of God, who left us a sacrament to forgive all our sins! It does not matter how big your sins are, the confessor has an experienced ear! Besides, he is also a sinner, thus he will treat you with exquisite mercy. And once you get out of the confessionary… What a relief of the soul! It feels as if we had been carrying a burden the size of the world in our soul and then, suddenly it is gone after Confession. The relief is COMPLETE! There is no other way to recognize that we are great sinners without experiencing God’s Mercy.

10.And the most dangerous thing of all: You could finally be happy.
And in order to be happy one must be able to take things lightly. That is how us Catholics are. We do not take danger too seriously, because we put all our trust in God. Can we be happy in the midst of the calamities of this world? We can, because we know that our stay in this world is only temporary, and all the calamities we can live here are nothing compared to the incredible benefits that God will reward as with if we endure them patiently. But, also, since we do not get easily discouraged, we know that God calls us to fight these calamities, and that we have to change the world. And since we do not trust in our own strength, but God’s, we know that we can actually change it, and that makes us very happy!

Information will keep you in formation!

Lately, I have been pondering on this quote that says “Experience is the best teacher” and I totally disagree with this quote. I think that experience is a good teacher but it is definitely not the best teacher. Be calm and let me justify my point.


Yes! Life is full of experiences both good and bad and we are supposed to learn from every experience. Experience in this context is mostly associated with the negative thus, it reminds you of things you’ve done wrong or a wrong someone did to you, it makes you remember your mistakes and enhances regret.


This is a topic I really really want to explore because i get uncomfortable when i hear statements like “you don’t have the experience so you wont know how to handle it” or “you went to a private school so you can’t handle streets”. Whatever happened to information? Why do you have to experience something before you have the knowledge about it? Someone once said if you think experience is the best teacher why don’t you contact HIV and let the experience teach you..lol..but really it is the truth..victims of the disease wish they had a proper orientation on how to avoid it and that is the reason you’ll hear them make statements of regret like “if I had known”.


Most people learn from bad experiences they’ve had as the more painful the experience, the stronger/deeper the lesson. But how many of us really learn the right things from these experiences? Imagine a girl that has had numerous heartbreaks in her relationships deciding to make her next boyfriend pay for all the heartbreaks she had in the past. Has she learnt the right thing from her experiences? You see, the whole idea is to be smarter and not to jump from one mistake to another all in the name of learning.


I think people use knowledge and understanding interchangeably but there is a huge difference. We don’t have to experience a situation before we are knowledgeable about it! Experience doesn’t give you knowledge, it just makes you understand better. For instance, in a work setting employers would always prefer a candidate with work experience not because the other candidate doesn’t have knowledge about the job but because the former is expected to understand it better but ONLY if he is knowledgeable about the job and not just entering blindly with no prior information regarding the job. A candidate that has experience without knowledge will be unable to handle sudden changes but a candidate with knowledge is better prepared and will have an idea of how to handle flexible situations. Do you get my point?


Experience teaches in some cases but when it finally teaches it is already too late, the deed has been done, the havoc has been caused. Won’t it be better if when experience comes wanting to teach you a lesson and you tell it you have learnt it already?


Really ehn, the world is changing and developing. Lets not do things with closed eyes people. You don’t have to go through a painful experience when it can already be avoided through proper research and orientation. With information, you learn better and are better equipped to face the situations that come your way!


Empower yourself with information because information will definitely keep you in formation!
copied from Amarachi Asinobi

SHOW A LITTLE KINDNESS

An unemployed graduate woke up one morning and checked his pocket. All he had left was $100. He decided to use it to buy food and then wait for death, as he was too proud to go begging. He was frustrated, as he could find no job; nobody was ready to help him. He bought food and as he sat down to eat; an old man and two little children came along and asked him to help
them with food as they had not eaten for almost a week. He looked at them. They were so lean that he could see their bones coming out. Their eyes had gone into the socket. With the last bit of compassion he had, he gave them the food. The old man and children prayed for him that God will bless and prosper him and then gave him a very old coin. The young graduate said
to them "you need the prayer more than I do". With no money, no job, no food, the young graduate went under the bridge to rest and wait for death. As he was about to sleep, he saw an old newspaper on the floor. He
picked it up, and suddenly he saw an advert asking for people with old coins to come to a certain address. He decided to go there with the old coin the old man gave him. On getting to the place, he gave the proprietor the coin.
Alas, the proprietor screamed, brought out a big book and showed
the young graduate a photograph. This same old coin was worth
$3M. The young graduate was overjoyed as the proprietor gave him a bank draft for $3M within an hour. He collected the Bank Draft, went in search of
the old man and little children.

By the time he got to where he left them eating, they had gone. He inquired from the owner of the canteen who told him that they even left a note for him. He quickly opened the note thinking it would lead him to find them. But alas, the words in the note read thus:

"You gave us your all and we have rewarded you back with the coin"



Signed:

God the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

1 Kings 17:10-16; Matthew 11:28-30
If you have been blessed with this message, please live it and bless others.

COMMITMENT - If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize,and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.



-- Lord Chesterfield

SOME WISE SAYINGS

· Education without God makes clever devils

· Never love a friend like a flower, because it will die in the seed. Love a friend like a river because it flows forever.

· The pride of an old man is his grey hair and that of a young man is his strength. The strength is not in the number of times he falls but in the number of times he is able to rise again after falling.

· Humility is the acceptance of the possibility that someone else can teach you something else you do not know about yourself. Conversely, pride and arrogance, close the door of the mind.

· Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your mind off your goal.

· The teaching of politics is that the government; which was set for the protection and comfort of all good citizens; becomes the principal obstruction and nuisance with which we have to contend.

· The real essence of life becomes a mirage when such life is lived in isolation from the Maker.

· Life without success and failure is an unbalanced.

· Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless. 

· What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down.

· You can judge a wise man by the number of times he avoids the path of quarrel with his wife.

· Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time.

· Private faces in public place are wiser and nicer than public faces in private places.

· Some joys are better expressed in silence as a smile holds more meaning than laughter.

· Face your Pharaoh; he does not have choice than to let you go. Snob your Herod, he is too small for you. No one can stop a destined child like you.

WHO UNDERSTANDS MEN?

It's not so complicated!

The nice men are ugly.

The handsome men are not nice.

The handsome and nice men are gay.

The handsome, nice and heterosexual men are married.

The men who are not so handsome, but are nice men, have no money.

The men who are not so handsome, but are nice men with money think we are only after their money.

The handsome men without money are after our money.

The handsome men, who are not so nice and somewhat heterosexual, don't think we are beautiful enough.

The men who think we are beautiful, that are heterosexual, somewhat nice and have money, are
pigs.
The men who are somewhat handsome, somewhat nice and have some money and thank God are heterosexual, are shy and NEVER MAKE THE FIRST MOVE!
The men who never make the first move, automatically lose interest in uswhen we take the initiative.
NOW, WHO IN THE WORLD UNDERSTANDS MEN? Men are like a fine wine.
They all start out like grapes, and it's our job to stomp on them and keep them in the dark until they mature into something you'd like to have dinner with.

DEFEAT OF THE TONGUE

Insensitivity makes a wound that heals slowly. If someone hurts your feelings intentionally you know how to react. You know the source of the pain. But if someone accidentally bruises your soul, it’s difficult to know how to respond.

Someone at work criticizes the new boss who also happens to be your dear friend. “Oh, I’m sorry—I forgot the two of you were so close.”

A joke is told at a party about overweight people. You’re overweight.
You hear the joke. You smile politely while your heart sinks.

What was intended to be a reprimand for a decision or action becomes a
personal attack. “You have a history of poor decisions, John.”

Someone chooses to wash your dirty laundry in public. “Sue, is it true
that you and Jim are separated?”

Insensitive comments. Thoughts that should have remained thoughts.
Feelings which had no business being expressed. Opinions carelessly
tossed like a grenade into a crowd. And if you were to tell the one who
threw these thoughtless darts about the pain they caused, his response
would be “Oh, but I had no intention…I didn’t realize you were so
sensitive!” or “I forgot you were here.”

Listed under the title of subterfuge is the poison of insensitivity.
It’s called subterfuge because it’s so subtle. Just a slip of the
tongue. Just a blank of memory. No one is at fault. No harm done.

Perhaps. And, perhaps not. For as the innocent attackers go on their
way excusing themselves for things done without hurtful intention, a
wounded soul is left in the dust, utterly confused. “If no one intended
to hurt me, then why do I hurt so badly?”

God’s Word has strong medicine for those who carelessly wag their
tongues.

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.
It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on
fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (James 3:6)

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.
(Proverbs 21:23)

He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will
come to ruin. (Proverbs 13:3)

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is
wise. (Proverbs 10:19)

The message is clear: He who dares to call himself God’s ambassador is
not afforded the luxury of idle words. Excuses such as “I didn’t know
you were here” or “I didn’t realize this was so touchy” are shallow
when they come from those who claim to be followers and imitators of
the Great Physician. We have an added responsibility to guard our
tongues.

These practical steps will purge careless words from your talk.

1. Never tell jokes that slander.

2. Never criticize in public unless you: have already expressed your
disappointment with the other person in private, have already taken
someone with you to discuss the grievance with the person, and are
absolutely convinced that public reprimand is necessary and will be
helpful.

3. Never say anything about anyone in their absence that you wouldn’t
say in their presence. Insensitive slurs may be accidental, but they
are not excusable.

WE ARE MISSING THE POINT.

It is rather confusing how prosperity is being preached in churches of today. Apparently, a lot of churches are started on daily basis on the bedrock of favors,wealth and constant progress,people believe that once everything moves fine with you, it is with no doubt some sort of proof that God is with you then why then did God say that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven?.
 A group of people walked up to me one day during my time at akwaibom state demanding that i start  worshiping  with them (haha), i told them that i was satisfied with my place of worship and had no intentions of changing,all the points they gave to convince me was based on wealth,miracles and the likes, of course that was before i dismissed them.
let us understand something,God is not a magician and there is a clear distinction between magic and miracles with great respect to purpose for the later. people demand signs and wonders;they want things appearing and vanishing;instant changing of conditions,you name it.
 miracles depends on purpose,need,faith and good works
what am i saying?
maybe we are forgetting or missing the point,prosperity is good but that is not all there is to life, its not even up to 30%.
the wealthiest king in the bible was king Solomon whom as we know was also the wisest and when we read Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 a book written by king Solomon in his old age,we see how he makes little or nothing of all the riches he had.
also, in the new testament , Jesus gave an instruction that those willing to be saved should carry their cross and follow him hence their is no crown without the cross and we all know what the cross signifies, why then do we think that we are supposed to live a problem free life?
All the apostles of Christ when we read their history died of persecution(they were martyred),they never had it easy,they embraced suffering,trials and persecution and with the help of God overcame them all knowing that it was a pathway to eternal peace.

all i am saying here is we should beware of what we get into in the name of pursuing prosperity and progress. we should look beyond earthly riches having in mind that whatever we temporarily have now or wherever we temporarily find ourselves now should be used to serve God.

We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we cannot.

Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,
there will always be sunshine, after the rain....
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall;
But God's always ready, to answer your call....
He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
a word from His lips, can calm every fear...
Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish, by dawn's early light...
The Savior is waiting, somewhere above,
to give you His grace, and send you His love.
May God fill your day with blessings!!!







Thank you.

Arondizuogu (reason for it being underdeveloped)

it has been said by quite a number of people that Arondizuogu's present condition is as a result of a curse by a certain person who was buried alive long ago.
Just imagine the state of roads in Arondizuogu, Imo State. a big and mighty town that encompasses 3 local governments in Imo State - Okigwe, Onuimo and Ideato North. The roads have been abandoned for 3 decades and Okorocha will still have mouth to say he has turned Imo State inside out.

It once felt good to hail from communities fringing the Nnewi-Arondizogu-Okigwe-Enugu Road in Imo State. Residents happily tilled the land, producing such cash crops as rice.

They also milled palm oil and made a fortune for their efforts. From Lagos, Enugu, Cross River states and the north, many flocked to the Farm Produce Market in Arondizogu in Okigwe Local Government Area of the state to buy their produce. The people prospered and so did the settlements. Life was good.

Not anymore.

Why not?

The 19km Trunk-A road on which patrons trooped to the communities has since failed and along with it, the booming industry.

But today what reminds the indigenes of those good old days of prosperity and abundance, are abandoned rice farms, failed cottage industries and sad remains of what used to be beautiful travelers’ guest houses and whether –beaten gigantic roofs of filling stations and factories.

The communities are almost completely deserted, save for some adamant indigenes who are managing to eke a living out of their peasant farming, hoping that one day their plight will draw the attention of the Federal Government.

Today, the few travellers who still brave the road have tales of horror in the hands of daredevil armed robbers who have turned the once busy highway into a den of terror.

Now described as one of the worst Trunk-A roads in the country, the Nnewi-Arondizogu-Okigwe-Enugu Road was awarded to different contractors in the past, Doliz Brown Group, who abandoned the project shortly after mobilising to site, dashing the hope of the people each time.

At different points along the now snaky road, heavy duty equipments belonging to the absconded firms litter the road.

After years of fruitless hope for intervention, the communities have once again brought their plight to the knowledge of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari.

The traditional ruler of Ihieme-Izuogu, Eze Cosmos Ndubuisi Kanu lamented that the state of the road has brought untold economic hardship on the people.

He said, “We have managed this terrible situation for over fifteen years. Everything in this community has been at a standstill. We can’t take our farm produce to the market because of the road. Most of the people have abandoned their rice farms and gone to the cities to search for nonexistent jobs.

“We have 12 autonomous communities along this road that are affected and terrible accidents happen on this road always. It has brought economic and social services to a halt, the few industries and hotels that were flourishing when the road was still good have all closed down. The contractors handling the road in the past have all abandoned it but we are not apportioning blame but we are appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to come to our aid and fix this road, given its importance”.

He continued that, “We are agrarian communities and we cultivate rice in commercial quantities but since the road collapsed, we are no longer cultivating that much because we don’t have road to take them to the market. This important Trunk-A road connects six states in the Southeast and Southsouth geopolitical zones”.

Another indigene, Mr. Uche Ohia, a legal practitioner and rice farmer, called for urgent and drastic intervention on the road, stating that the state of the road has forced out young farmers who could have been contributing to providing the food need of the nation.

He said, “we have lost millions of naira to the collapse of this road, the level of impoverishment among the people is very high because no business can thrive under the present situation. The economy of the communities has totally collapsed, it is indeed a terrible situation.

“This situation is not encouraging most of us who returned home to invest in agriculture. For instance I have a large palm plantation and for almost last two weeks now I have been looking for means to transport the harvest fruits to the market and they are beginning to get bad.

“One other major problem created by bad road, is the increase in criminal activities. There is high rate of vandalization of electrical installations by vandals who operate unchallenged at night because no one dare move out once it is night. It gets even worse any day it rains. We are appealing to the Federal Government to order the contractors handling the road to return to site or revoke it and award it to a more committed firm”.

Another angry indigene and a banker, Dr Ikenna Uche, noted that the contractors handling the road contributed to its present state, adding that, “the contractors destroyed the road totally by abandoning it after excavating deep boroughs on the road and this has resulted in flooding and serious erosion. This road used to be the shortest route to Lagos but our people now travel to Onitsha or Owerri before going to Lagos.

“Our people don’t come back home anymore because of the bad road. Those of us that manage to come leave our cars in Owerri and ride on okada, which is very dangerous. We are appealing to the relevant authorities to come to our aid and I can assure you that once this road fixed the economy will bounce back and all the collapsed industries will be revived because our people are willing to invest at home.

“Another area of serious concern is that the total collapse of the road has also affected the state of other social infrastructure like school, market, health centers, electricity and pipe borne water. All these have either ceased to exist or are in very poor state because the communities are cut off by the bad road”.

Apart from this particular road, other Federal roads in the state have equally collapsed. The Owerri-Port Harcourt and the Owerri-Umuahia roads have also been abandoned and are currently in a terrible state of disrepair.

Speaking on the development, the Chief of Staff to the Imo State Government House, Chief Uche Nwosu, decried the state of the roads, adding that in the last four years, the state government has spent huge sum of money carrying out palliative repairs on all the Federal Government roads in the state.

He however assured that the situation will not remain the same under the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration, noting that, “the situation of the Federal Government roads in the state will not remain the same because the Governor has already taken it up with the President but that does not mean the state will not continue to maintain the roads because the common road users does not know the difference”.

Proffering solution to the problem, Nwosu suggested that all Federal Government roads in every state should be managed by the state but financed by the Federal Government.
what do you know about this story?
please drop your comments.

ARONDIZUOGU HISTORY

Arondizuogu is a group of sprawling communities with the largest area located in the land obtained from Umualaoma town (formerly known as Isiokpu). Some people believe that this land was obtained by begging, trickery, guerrilla warfare and open massacre of people from Umualaoma. However, this is a matter of perspective.

Arondizuogu is located in Imo State of Nigeria. Most of the wars were stopped by one powerful charismatic Patriarch of the host community (Isokpu) by the name Ezerioha Udensi of Obiokwara, Obinihu, Umualaoma(Isuokpu). Ezerioha has subsequently organised peaceful allocation or donation of land by different villages and towns close to Arondizuogu after cleverly discovering that Arondizuogu people cannot go back to AroChukwu.

Arondizuogu communities are spread out into three local government areas: Ideato North, Okigwe and Onuimo according to the various indigenous villages were the lands were obtained through the same means.

Arondizuogu was founded by the use of force by Mazi Izuogu Mgbokpo and Chief Iheme in the mid-18th century. Izuogu Mgbokpo was a charismatic slave merchant who came from Arochukwu to Awka in search of slaves. He was usually harbored by a friend from Umualaoma where he slept when going in search of slaves and with his goods (slaves. Iheme, himself, was his Chief Servant and he came from Isi-Akpu Nise, in Awka. .Iheme and his master Izuogu used all the arsenals at their disposal including the slaves, juju, guns and the equipments for securing slaves which they sold to the European slave merchants Arondizuogu people refer to themselves as "Izuogu na Iheme".

Early in the 19th century, Mazi Okoli Idozuka was an immigrant from Isi-Akpu Nise to Arondizuogu. As a great slave warrior, he expanded Arondizuogu's boundaries. He later changed his name to Okoro Idozuka, an Aro equivalent of his former name. He was a wealthy ruthless and almost conscienceless slave trader like Izuogu Mgbokpo but was also a great leader. Nwankwo Okoro was the first son of Okoro Idozuka. At the age of 21 he joined his father in the slave trade.

By collecting slaves and war-captives he was able to build a very large family. When the British came, they made him a Warrant Chief because they believed he could subdue any body and collect the tax they desperately needed for they them. Until this day, Arondizuogu is the biggest former Aro colony and a land of immigrants settling mainly on the rich land.






Some Places of Interest in Arondizuogu include Mazi Mbonu Ojike Cottage (Village home of Nigeria's late "BOYCOTT KING”), Mazi Mbonu Ojike at Ndiakeme Uno; Uno Ogologo (a safe house built in 1887 for hiding children during the slave trade era); The Stone Palace (a storey building cast in stone erected by late Chief Green Mbadiwe, West Africa’s first millionaire for his father,Umualaoma Nkwo Ochie (old Nkwo).

Mbadiwe Odum at Ndianiche Uno); Ngeze (legendary stream at Ndiakeme Uno); Ogbuti Ezumezu (exotic visitor’s chamber of Ikeji music maestro Pericomo Okoye at Ndiogbuonyeoma Ofe Imo; LN Motel Plaza, Home Diamond Hotel (luxury hospitality rendezvous at Ndiawa); National High School, Arondizuogu (pioneer model school built by community effort and commissioned in 1951 at Ndiakeme Uno); Iheme Memorial Secondary School (second model school built by community effort and commissioned 1951 at Ndianiche Uno); Palace of The People (legendary country home of grandiloquent Nigerian politician, Dr. K.O. Mbadiwe at Ndianiche Uno commissioned by late Prime minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa in 1965); Upiti (expansive rice fields at Akeme Ohiauchu); Obi Omenuko, homestead of Igwegbe Odum (Omenuko), the hero of Pita Nwana’s book; Ngene Okwe (natural spring at Ndiawa). Obi Ezerioha in Obiokwara, Obinihu (Agbualla) Umualaoma where the agreement for

Ndi izuogu live many local governments in Imo State. Although they have almost the same dialect with the group of Igbos in Anambra state, apart from Ndi Uche (descendants of the first son of Izuogu)that still retain a slightly different language as they live at the border to protect other members of the clan. Their language was slightly affected by their neighbours.It is very remarkable of Arondizuogu to be the only community that inhabits three local government areas apart from Mbaise. The local Government they inhabit include Okigwe, Ideato North and Onuimo.

The literature of Arondizuogu will never be complete until the erroneous rift between NdiUche and NdiAwa is recorded.This no doubt was a contraption by some individuals to distort history and cause chaos.Late Chief Edwin Imo ll of NdiAwa in a memorandum submitted to the Imo State Government inquiry Panel for the recognition of traditional rulers claimed that Uche Izuogu was disinherited by Mazi Izuogu. That action he asserted made Awa Izuogu to become the first son. Eze Jonas Ekemezie Uche of NdiUche in a similar memorandum presented to the Imo State Government Panel on Chieftaincy disputes claims that Uche Izuogu as the senior son of Mazi Izuogu succeeded his father when he died; and that Uche Izuogu performed the funeral rites and the; Ikwa Icha” ceremony which involved presented of gifts to the Aro community and his maternal home (Asaga). Whatever may be the arguments for and against claims and counter claims, what seems most tenable is that the late Eze Aro the eldest living descendant of Oke Nnachi, Mazi Kanu Oji as the custodian of Aro culture and tradition, sought for and obtained permission from Imo State Government to ameliorate the situation by settling the dispute. For three consecutive times, representatives of Uche Izuogu and Awa Izuogu were invited and for three times Awa’s representatives failed to show up arguing that there is a limit to Arochukwu’s interference in the internal matters of Arondizuogu or any other Aro community. Uche’s representatives honoured all the invitation. The Eze Aro - Mazi Kanu Oji; Eze Ibom Isii – Mazi Okereke Nwosu and Eze Agwu - Mazi S.U. Okorafor submitted a documented ruling for and on behalf of Eze Aro cabinet during the enquiry for the installation of traditional rulers and creation of autonomous communities (IMSN NO 43 Vol. 6 1981) which stated inter alia: (i) That UCHE was the first son of Late Mazi Izuogu Obunukpo Akuma Nnachi in Amankwu village in Arochukwu (item No. 6) (ii) That by Aro custom, the first son of a man is his successor. Mr Jonas Ekemezie Uche from Ndiuche Royal family is the right person to look after the house of Izuogu as he was selected by the Uche Royal Family. (Item No. 7). (iii) That Awa was Mazi Izuogu’s second son by another woman. Anybody from Awa’s family can only rule Arondizuogu if and only when there are no males in the royal family of Uche Izuogu (item No. 8) (iv) ……There is nothing whatsoever to deny Mazi Uche and his descendants their birthright in the royal house of late Mazi Izuogu Obunukpo Akuma Nnachi. (Item No. 9) see appendix ….. Present at the meeting where the above decisions were taken were Mazi Oji Ezuma who as at that time was the eldest Arondizuogu man living at Arochukwu and incidentally a member of Ndiawa family. Mazi Okereke Izuogu was also present.


Arondizuogu is made up of 20 Towns and 10

–
Uno
Umulolo
Aro-Okigwe
Uno
Uwakonye)
Imo)
Imo
Aro-okigwe)
Uno
Amuro
Okigwe
Akanu
uno
Obinetiti
Aro-okigwe
Imoko
Uno
Akaputa
Ocha
Ama
Igbo
Amuro
Akwu
Ejezie
Adimoha
Anyake
Okigwe
Umulolo
Umulolo
Uno
Obinetiti
Uwakonye
Ezeana
Ogbuda,
Ikpenyi
Ogene

–
Uno
Imo
Umulolo
Umulolo Uno
Imo Uno
Uche
Umudike
Achara
Umuedi
Orji Uno
Uchu
Okoli
Nduka
Ugwaku
Okigwe)
Uno
Imo
Uno
Fada


Instituted in 1948, ‘Arondizuogu Day’ which is an annual end-of year convention of people of Arondizuogu descent resident in Nigeria and the Diaspora. It is a day set aside to celebrate achievements, review challenges, and generally keep the flag of patriotism flying in the community. For the culture – loving people of Arondizuogu, the day is a special annual homecoming which they celebrate with much aplomb comparable only to their popular Ikeji Festival which is touted to be “the greatest carnival of masks and masquerades in Africa”.
Ikeji[edit]

Ikeji cultural festival of Arondizuogu in Imo State is a popular festival that brings the Igbo speaking community around the world together. Its origin dates back to over five centuries and it is acclaimed as the biggest pan-Igbo cultural community festival with strong heritage, international recognition and is witnessed by thousands of people on a yearly basis. It is arguably the biggest cultural festival in Igboland. In contemporary times, each passing year has witnessed an increase in grandeur, display, dance, sophistication and an all inclusive participation of all Arondizuogu people and friends. The festival is marked with colourful display of different masquerades such as Ogionu, Mgbadike, Nwaaburuja and Ozoebune; prestigiously parading across the market square to the admiration of the public. The essence of the festival, which ranks among the best surviving traditional ceremonies of the Arondizuogu people, is to celebrate the harvest of the first yams. It serves to unify and foster ties among Aro people who are spread across the entire Igbo speaking states and part of Cross River state. It appeals to the entire Igbo speaking peoples both at home and in the Diaspora.

Ikeji is a four-day festival of propitiation, thanksgiving and feasting which is held annually in March or April. Reckoned with the Igbo calendar, these four days correspond to one Igbo week of four market days (Eke, Oye/Orie, Afo and Nkwo). Each of these days has a special significance and represents one of the several dimensions of Ikeji – a festival renowned for sumptuous feasting, fascinating masquerades, pulsating rhythms, and colourful performances. Traditional musical instruments used to accompany the masquerades are ekwe (wooden slit drum) of various sizes, ogene (metal gong), bells, maracas and oja (wooden flutes). The flutist is a very important element in the ikeji festival. He deftly communicates with the masquerades - weaving soulful melodies and blending esoteric messages into the intoxicating rhythm of the drums. Another interesting aspect of ikeji is the raconteur known as ima mbem - an imaginative tale delivered with a musical cadence that only the initiated can sometimes understand or comprehend. The importance of the flutist during Ikeji festival is very vital, for he communicates things hidden from the ordinary eyes to the masquerades, combined with soulful melodies, steps and gestures, “blending esoteric messages into the intoxicating rhythm of the drums” to the admiration of the crowd.

During Ikeji festival,ON THE LAST DAY, a ram is usually tied to a pole at a popular market square with a single thread.Somebody with the strongest protection from any juju of whatever type is expected to leisurely walk to the ram amids heavy attempt with juju from other people to knock him down, maim him or kill him.Only the brave can participate in, while the NOT SO BRAVE will either abstain from or remain with the crowd as spectators. Only the brave can stand forward from the crowd, one after another and approach the tree with a view to untying the ram. However, each contender will be attacked by forces which are beyond the scope of this article to explain, with a view to stopping him reaching the ram. If overwhelmed, he will beat a retreat back to his starting point. Until eventually, the bravest among the masquerades participating in the competition for that year’s festival, after overcoming all odds, will reach the ram and untie it and take it, to a thunderous applause by the spectators. This will be followed by visits to his house by fellow kinsmen with food and wine for elevating the status of his village. Each year this is used to commemorate the person in Arondizuogu and neighbouring towns with the strongest juju or voodoo power.







Arondizuogu Patriotic Union (APU) is the umbrella organisation of all Arondizuogu communities in Nigeria and the Diaspora. Established in 1932 in Aba, APU is one of the earliest and most enduring organs of community development set up by an Igbo clan in colonial Nigeria. The young men of Arondizuogu who laid the foundation for APU left their homes for the first time in the 1920s and early 1930s to seek a better life in the emerging urban centres of colonial Nigeria. They found themselves in social, economic and political environments different from the life they knew at home. Refusing to be intimated or alienated, they held on to that deep feeling of love for the community with which they grew up. They assembled at Aba on October 8, 1932 to aggregate ideas on how best to convey the concomitants of modern development with which they were surrounded in the city (such as wide roads, schools, hospitals, post offices, portable water, electricity, court rooms, etc.)to their village community.

Nigerians Must Speak Their Minds.

Presidential spokesperson, Shehu Garba, yesterday came on twitter to deny reports that Zahra Buhari and her sister went with their father, President Buhari, to the US using government funds.According to Garba, the ladies single handedly funded their trip. Many Nigerians apparently don’t believe his claims. Some are even asking for the ladies boarding pass as evidence that they flew to the US with their personal funds.

LESSON!

Many hundreds of years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the merchant's beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant's debt if he could marry the daughter.

Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.

The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender's wife and her father's debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant's garden. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a cheat.

3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble.

Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked." Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an advantageous one.

MORAL: Most complex problems do have a solution, sometimes we have to think about them in a different way.

Free website,free money

Good news for everybody who is looking for some extra money these days. Nigeria’s go-to-platform for cash loans has attracted new loan companies with loans for nearly everyone. TopCheck.com.ng is a free comparison site where users can directly apply for loans online, while the application goes directly to the loan companies, e.g. banks, microfinance banks, online loan companies, etc.The available loans onTopCheck.com.nginclude:•Personal Loans(without collateral):can be used for any purpose, the amount is usually between N40k and N3m•Microfinance Loans(without collateral): less paperwork, come with short durations, loan size between N30k and N100k•Pay-Day Loans(without collateral): short-term loans, easily available, loan amount usually between N10k and N30k.•Car Loans: can be used for new and used vehicles, loan amount can be up to N10m• And many more!Why is no collateral needed?When you meet certain security requirements setby loan provider, e.g. having a steady income, a bank account, proof of identification, and so on, the loan company can assess your credit worthiness and grant a loan without collateral. Find loans without collateral here:
How do I get a Loan with TopCheck?It’s very easy! Just go toTopCheck.com.ngand:1.Insert some personal data2.Compare Loans Online3.Submit your application (100% FREE and NON-binding)4.Get a free call back from the Loan Provider within 24h5.Payout of CashHow does TopCheck make money when their service is for free?The service is 100% free for everybody using the website. TopCheck get’s a small commission from the loan providers when a loan has been successfully disbursed. TopCheck has no direct influence whether the loan application is successful or not.So if you are in need of cash and you are looking for the cheapest and most convenient way to get a loan, go to TopCheck.com.ng and apply online.It’s free!

"If linda ikeji started blogging this present days,she wouldn't have made it this big"

Someone said "if Linda ikeji started blogging this present day,she wouldn't have made it this big".
Well this could be true because Linda started blogging in the 90s when internet use wasn't as popular as it is now. With the competition on the net these days flooded with different bloggers,it could be said that her head start privilege gave her a lot of advantage.
Take nothing away from her though,the lady is an inspiration to all bloggers,the hard work and time she puts into blogging is nothing short of amazing but we all know that if mtn wasn't the first network to come into Nigeria,it wouldn't have as much subscribers as it does now.