The question of whether the law of defamation is a hindrance to freedom of speech and a curtailment to democratic process confronted the Burkinabe, a few years ago. Lohe Issa Konaté was Burkina Faso, that landlocked West African country’s own Dele Farotimi. He was a journalist with the newspaper, L’Ouragan (The Hurricane). Like a tempestuous hurricane, on August 1, 2012, Konaté published a series of articles in the weekly newspaper attacking the conduct of a local prosecutor in a money counterfeiting matter. A week later, Konaté doubled down on this same allegation against the judicial system of Burkina Faso by writing a stinging piece on another matter instituted by the same prosecutor.

Like Farotimi, Konaté shot bullets of expletives, which included “rogue officer,” against the prosecutor while alleging corruption in the country’s judiciary. Angered by this against-method manner of publicly shaming the judicial system, the prosecutor promptly filed a complaint against Konaté through a defamation suit. In it, he alleged public insult and contempt of court against the journalist. Alongside these, the state also filed criminal charges against Konaté and sought damages. In October, 2012, Konaté was found guilty by an Ouagadougou High Court. He was then sentenced to one year imprisonment, fined US $3,000, and a US $9,000 damages to be paid by him to the prosecutor. The court was not done yet. It suspended the L’Ouragan 

newspaper which published the articles for a period of six months. At the Ouagadougou Court of Appeal, the court upheld the judgment.

However, in June, 2013, an application was filed by the Media Legal Defense Initiative (MLDI), an NGO with special bias for providing legal defense to independent media, journalists, and bloggers under threat for their publications. It was filed at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Right (ACHPR). MLDI alleged that the penalties imposed by the Ouagadougou courts on Konaté were excessive and violated his freedom of expression rights as guaranteed by Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. On December 5, 2014, the court, in delivering this landmark judgment, which was its first case regarding freedom of the press, overruled the conviction of Konaté. It stated that the conviction was a disproportionate interference in the applicant’s guaranteed rights to freedom of expression. It noted that public figures in Burkina Faso must develop tolerance for criticisms. It then ordered the Burkina Faso government to amend its legislation on defamation so as to make it compliant with international standards. It also ordered a repeal of Burkina Faso’s custodial sentences for defamation.

Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti State, last Thursday, in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, delivered a thought-provoking lecture to mark the 80th birthday of journalism colossus and Nigeria’s former ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi. In the lecture, entitled “The future and the challenges of the Nigerian State”, Fayemi invoked the spirit of that ever-engaging locus-classicus book on Nigeria, The Famished Road, authored by Ben Okri. In it, Okri looks at the concept of nation-building as a generation-to-generation effort. Each generation possesses its own predilections, with which it confronts nationhood, he says. The generation that will take over from us is an impatient generation. It is the generation called the Gen Z. It was the generation whose impatience for excuses of previous generations goaded into trooping to the streets in what has now been known as the #EndSARS 

and #EndBadGovernance protests. It is fearless. It suffered yet-to-be-properly-enumerated casualties in the process. It is a defiant generation, what Yoruba call the esin-ò-ko’kú (the fly fears no death) generation.

In the lecture, Fayemi compares that generation to post-Apartheid generation of South Africa called the “Born free” generation. The generation literally carries no baggage and holds no captive. It is a generation that the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus was probably referring to when he said you cannot step into the same river twice. Everything happens for and to it at supersonic speed – inventions, technology etc. In Nigeria, that generation didn’t witness the orgy of military rule and a roulette of coups. It didn’t live to see the wickedness of rulers and servile, even if complicit following. One feature that hallmarks this generation is impatience with norms, long-held views, traditions, practices and orthodoxies.

Look at the Farotimi and Afe Babalola legal duel which is the main issue of discourse in Nigeria today. Take a look also at the huge swath of public opinion behind Farotimi. Not that Farotimi himself is a youth, properly defined, but he carries its anger, its venom and dis-alignment with the ruinous Nigerian status-quo. You will locate impatience with orthodoxy in this horde of youthful supporters egging Farotimi on, in spite of his alleged violation of legal orthodoxy. The youth is not interested in the obsessive fascination of the generations before it with norms, whether legal, social or political.

While legal orthodoxy tells us about the ancient rules of defamation, even criminal defamation, and the boundaries that must not be crossed, the youth cares less. It asks brash, carelessly confounding, even if seismic questions. It asks, for instance, how those rules can help in fighting endemic corruption which, with its twin, bad rule, has conspired to under-develop Nigeria. The Nigerian youth is aware that the judiciary is complicit in and has been known to be the imperial castle where corruption resides in Nigeria today. The youth doesn’t care if Farotimi’s allegations against Babalola are unfounded in law. It doesn’t care that Afe, a legal colossus, has the right to defend himself against this autumn tsunami which threatens to drown decades of his contributions to law and statesmanship. It doesn’t care that Afe is one of Nigeria’s greatest private investors in education. It just doesn’t care. Generations before this generation are the enemies of the youth, the Gen Z generation says.

If public opinion is the barometer for measuring guilt or innocence of action, check the social media: Afe Babalola is guilty as charged. I am not surprised that 

Babalola’s counsel, on Friday, chose to address a press conference on the matter, in disregard for the upbraid of Nigerian lawyers, especially senior lawyers’ penchant for discussing cases pending in the court, by Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. The CJN upbraided them during her screening in the senate in September. There, she decried senior lawyers’ declarative or authoritative pronouncements that border on the subjudice.

In the Konaté case in Burkina Faso, the ACHPR did not seem to have provided answers to burning questions. One of the beliefs by those against legal orthodoxy is that the law of defamation is anti-democratic and has served as bulwark against the fight against corruption. Enshrined in Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the purpose of the defamation law is to protect reputation from arbitrary mudslinging, abuse and damage. The same Nigerian Constitution, under section 45, limits the exercise of individual freedom for the purpose of ensuring that this right is exercised with caution. Under sections 60, 373-380 of the Criminal Code, provision is made that, where the effect of defamatory words seems to cause a breach of peace, the Police or the Attorney General may prosecute the defendant for offence of criminal libel. Taken in its totality however, the defamation law has been held to constitute an impediment to the guarantee of rights to freedom of expression and a major shield against promotion of democratic virtues.

Among the major cancerous afflictions that Nigeria suffers today is corruption. Judicial corruption is its handmaiden. Corruption’s audacity and permeating influence are terrifying. It is almost an impossibility to get anything done in Nigeria without corrupting officials. All over the world, the renown of Nigerian institutions as beehive of corruption precedes any interface with them. Globally, Nigeria wears its maggots-laced badge as the place where the umbilical cord of corruption was buried. A pervasive stench culture of corruption and impunity reigns here. This culture is almost unanimously accepted as native to us, though it hinders effective governance and erodes public trust. The culture also kills enterprise, industry, talent and excellence, replacing them with mediocrities and reign of the adder-brained in public service.

Since the advent of colonial rule, so much fuss had been made about how ingrained corruption is in the heart of Africa. Some claim it is genetic since, even pre-colonial rule, African relations were watered by kleptocracy. We have some wise-sayings that are enablers of and symptoms of corruption which we were born into. Only a few of our mores and lore frown against corruption. Africa, like Shakespeare’s Othello, however, espouses a good name. “Good name in man and woman…is the immediate jewel of their souls…he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed,” Shakespeare says.

It becomes difficult to reconcile this same Africa, which espouses the virtues of a good name, with the fact that it, in another breath, also encourages corruption. Take for example an ancient pithy saying in Yorubaland which says, only the one who pre-waters the ground walks on wet ground, or the Igbo saying that it is the person who holds palm-frond that the goat saunters towards. Or the Yoruba saying that, “If you are unlucky not to have a representative in the judicial council, even if you are innocent, you can be found guilty – “B’éèyàn ò l’éni ní’gbìmò, bó ro’jó àre, èbi ló mí a je.” All these affirm unmistakably that corruption and favouritism predate colonialism in Africa. Either in the isms – nepotism, favouritism, cronyism – or even financial subversions, Nigeria has had its share of the vermin of kleptocrats in high and low places, right from the establishment of official structures of public service.

Judicial corruption is king here. Though many attempts have been made to dress it in borrowed robes of euphemisms, judicial corruption is growing in leaps and bounds in Nigeria. In its bother about corruption in the house of justice, Transparency International affirms that all sectors of society rely on the courts to sanction corrupt officials, politicians, citizens and businesspeople, who steal resources and weaken integrity in public and private life. It maintains that, when the judicial system is corrupt, justice cannot be done and the whole society is done for. It was in recognition of this that Kekere-Ekun, at her screening in the Senate, literally swore to tackle corruption.

As if bitten by the metaphysical bug the Yoruba call “sìse-sìse” – inexplicable constant errors – in June last year, Nigerian senator, Adamu Bulkachuwa, whose wife, Zainab, was judge and President of the Court of Appeal, publicly confessed to influencing his wife’s judicial decisions. He had said: “My wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while (she) was in office, and she has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and extended her help to my colleagues.” Bulkachuwa, now 84 years old, and a stalwart of the APC, who represented Bauchi North senatorial district in the 9th Senate, made this revelation at a valedictory session of the senate. The video of this revelation instantly went viral.

Miscarriage of justice by judicial officers and judicial corruption are not a new phenomenon in Nigeria. Hubert Ogunde’s famous play, Yòrùbá Ronú – Yoruba, think! – performed in 1964, though aimed as an attack on S. L. Akintola, Premier of the Western Region, was a damming review of intra-Yoruba relations where probity was becoming an anathema. Ogunde excoriated a phenomenon where the guilty are set free and the innocent are adjudged guilty “wón á gbé’bi f’áláre, wón á gb’áre f’élébi”. Earlier, in the 1962-published book, The Incorruptible Judge, written by D. Olu Adegoke, the concept of corruption was brought to the fore and how the judiciary can help tame it through its impartiality. The virus of compromise of court decisions has become cancerous today as it is generally believed to be a recurrent happening. That was why when Bulkachuwa confessed to the crime in the Nigerian parliament, without prodding, many Nigerians saw it as Karma fighting for the common man. But, what has happened ever since?

There are many real but unsubstantiated allegations of cahoots between judges and senior lawyers in perpetration of judicial corruption. You must be against-method and possessing the wild spirit of the Gen Z generation to say this openly and pin names and faces to it. Corruption in the judiciary is however not an openly advertized bazaar. It is operated under cultic darkness by the parties. While lawyers know among themselves who and who are corrupt elements, lawyers also know pliable judges who can be bought for a price. It is to this set of people that they go when there is the need for mortgaging of conscience for a fee.

Both Farotimi and Babalola, as lawyers, are aware that the vermin of corruption is destroying the judicial institution in Nigeria. However, if Farotimi does not have evidence that irresistibly points at the facts before making all those weighty allegations in his book, it will be the height of recklessness by any worshipper ever in the temple of justice. If he has evidence, it will be good for the sanity of the legal system and the expansion of democratic frontiers in Nigeria, especially in combating the demon of judicial corruption.

But, come to think of it, which institution in Nigeria is corruption-free? Are judges and lawyers not part of the corruption whole that is sucking the blood of Nigeria like a leech? Is journalism corruption-free? The other day, the EFCC said it seized 753 duplexes, its highest ever recovery since its inception. The political class swims in sewage, bankers do and Nigeria in totality is one huge stinking sewer.

Legal orthodoxy does not support Farotimi. That is why many lawyers feel scandalized and horrified at the claims in his book, Nigeria and its criminal justice system. However, Farotimi represents the growing impatience with legal norms that are incapable of taming the shrew of rot and underdevelopment. The reality of corruption in the judiciary is one that many Nigerians know, are aware of the destruction it daily wreaks but are consigned into silence because of judicial orthodoxy. After all, two people cannot suffer the calamity of lie-telling; if the one being told does not know he is being told a lie, the one telling it will certainly be aware he is telling a lie. If bystanders to courts do not know that bribery takes place between litigants, lawyers and judges, the lawyers will know, the giver knows and judges who receive the bribe know. Judicial orthodoxy spells out silence if the one who alleges does not have irrebutable evidence to buttress their claim. What Farotimi did with that book of his was to peer torch into the eyes of the leopard in the dark (gbé’ná wo’jú olóólá, ekùn). What he did, even if a mountainous animal like the elephant does it, the animal will get his horns twisted (ìwo è á ló!). Farotimi has figuratively entered a mythic forest called Forest of the Wicked, the “Igbó Òdájú.” It is a forest that can be likened to D. O. Fagunwa’s Igbo Olodumare – the Forest of God. In this forest, there are ghommids which included Esu-kekere-ode, a two-foot-tall ghommid which lives in an anthill and prevents travelers from entering Igbó Olódùmarè. There is also what Fagunwa calls the Anjonnu-Iberu, a ghommid that guards the entrance to Igbó Olódùmarè and a furry-bearded-One, a part-human, part-ghommid creature that lives on a rock.

While entering Igbó Òdájú, elders warn the faint-hearted not to dare come near them. The ones whose mothers have not weaned from suckling are exempted. Mothers are also warned to hold their children with a leash, lest they stray into the forest. It is a forest where flesh-eating animals inhabit – the leopards, lions, jackals, ghommids and the Queen of fishes – Àrògìdìgbà. Farotimi’s matter is made worse because the judges who he alleged as recipients of the alleged bribe will sit in judgment over his matter. Again, apprehending him like a common criminal, and keeping him in jail for this long, for a bail-able offence, are too punitive and a reflection of the vengeful nature of those who wanted him to suffer for standing up to a legal shark in Nigeria’s reckless river.  But if Farotimi survives in this task of breaking the coconut pod on his own head – and I pray he does – he may have begun a major revolution against corruption.

And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age ~ Genesis 21:1-2a

Introduction:

The presence of God is a quintessential supernatural experience we all should aspire to have, and be determined enough to keep in our lives. Our success in life, homes and businesses is dependent on how much of God we have in our spaces.Even the quality of our Christian faith depends on how much of heaven we have in our hearts.

Jesus’ life and ministry thrived on the abiding presence of the Father, which He fully enjoyed. Ever before He commencedHis gracious works on earth, He established an open-heaven access. Though He came from there, He still ensured He maintained constant touch with base till the end (John 8:28-29).

Divine visitations always bring about sweet manifestations of God’s incredible power and goodness in the lives of the visited. This is true whether He personally shows up or He deploys His covenant emissarieson the assignment (Luke 10:1-9).

God is very eager to visit His people again this season! And by this message, He’s marking and scheduling you for His special life-changing visitation. Alleluia!

The Manifestation of the Incredible Power of God’s Visitation

No matter how difficult any circumstancemight be, when God steps in, His glory changes the story, and His majestic power forcefully terminates every satanic contradiction.

Some years ago, I was requested to pray for a woman who had been bedfast for several weeks. When I saw her, I became very concerned in my spirit because of the helpless state I met there. But then, I had an assurance within me that God was going to help her.

After sharing few words of encouragement with her to focus her faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, we offered a short prayer to the Lord for her healing. At that instance, there was nothing to suggest that anything had happened, but by the following day she had become healed, whole and agile.

Later in her testimony, she said in the night after the healing prayer, she had an open vision, wherein she saw someone that looked exactly like me in her room, dressed as a medical doctor, who administered some medical procedure on her and made her to swallow some pills. Immediately she became completely healed.

Certainly, that was not me or any other human being, but an angel of the Lord who visited her to carry out our order for her healing. And after that supernatural visitation, the rest was a story of God’s glory.

The incredible power of God’s visitationalso fences off attacks of the devil, and nipsthe future plans of the wicked in the bud. The King of Syria, in one of his battles against Israel, erroneously thought that there was a black sheep within their camp because even their well kept military plans were always foiled by Israel (2Kings 6:8-12).

No, it wasn’t any human being playing the double agent, but the Lord Himself handicapping the enemy via the prophetic ministry of Elisha.

Furthermore, God’s visitation enforces thefulfillment of prophecies from dateless pasts, and terminates age-long barrennessand reproaches (Genesis 21:1-2). It puts a perpetual end to any present exile experience, and grants instant restoration to His people (Jeremiah 29:10).

When God sees our pain, He comes in His power to relieve us of our anguish.Thereafter, seasons are shifted, the enemyis defeated, breakthroughs occur and new things are supernaturally birthed for us. In the end, Jesus Christ gets all the glory.

Provoking The Power of the Lord’s Visitation

Undoubtedly, it is God’s earnest desire that all His children should regularly enjoy the incredible power of His visitation. Nevertheless, it’s our personal responsibility to make deliberate preparations for this.

Preparation is an essential groundwork for greatness, and the very backbone of prominence (Proverbs 6:6-11). We mustfully prepare because, as people say, opportunities dance with those who are ready at the dancing floor.

The Bible is replete with examples of men and women who enjoyed divine visitation at different times and in various forms.Abraham stands out as a reference point for supernatural blessings (Galatians 3:13-14). Nevertheless, we must be ready to walk in his steps to enjoy a guaranteed access to this order of blessings (Isaiah 51:1-3; John 8:39; Galatians 3:29).

Abraham was a very spiritual man, and full of integrity (Genesis 12: 1-3; 14:21-23). Hehad strong faith in God, with a fair share of prosperity mentality (Romans 4:1-21; Genesis 13:14-15). He was a liberal soul, and a tither (Genesis 18:1-10; 14:19-20).

Of course, Abraham was also very diligent in business (Genesis 13:1-2). These outlined above are some of his salient attributes that we are encouraged to sincerely and earnestly imitate.

Meanwhile, our wise preparations must also include a lifestyle of righteousness, prayerfulness, thanksgiving, fasting, purposeful living, true obedience and earnestness in taking stands that favour the Lord’s covenant demands (Psalms 15:1-4).

A practical demand of the covenant that can provoke divine visitation for anyone, any day and everywhere, is the giving faith(1Samuel 1:11). Abraham’s life clearly exemplified this fact (Genesis 15:9-21).

God told him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. As he wanted to carry out the instruction, God provided him a lamb for the sacrifice instead, and swore to bless him (Genesis 22:1-18). Consequently, Abraham ended his journey a roundly blessed man (Genesis 24:1).

God also visited, with diverse blessings, many other Bible characters — Job, David, Solomon, Peter, etcetera — who offered acceptable sacrifices unto Him (Job 29:2-11; 2Samuel 24:24-25; 1Kings 3:1-13; Luke 5:1-10). God is immutable; if we care to do what they did, we will certainly get what they got.

Meanwhile, every significant encounter in the Christian life works by faith (Matthew 21:20-22). Faith’s adventures sometimes appear risky, but that’s what makes it a worthwhile walk. It was risky when the three Hebrew boys said they wouldn’t bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image; eventually, God showed up for them in a unique way.

Real faith in Christ works wonders! The woman with the long standing issue of blood said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." She did, the power of God hit her immediately, and she was healed of the affliction (Mark 5:25-34).

Beloved, God is very eager to visit you in your plight. Right now, He is rending the heavens by the power of His Spirit to come down and eliminate darkness in all its shades and forms in your life-space (Luke1:78-79). May you not be found unprepared on the day of His visitation, in Jesus Name.Amen. Happy Sunday!

 ____________________

Archbishop Taiwo Akinola,

Rhema Christian Church,

Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Connect with Bishop Akinola via these channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bishopakinola

SMS/WhatsApp: +234 802 318 4987

James warns that a double-minded man is unlikely to receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:7-8). By the same token, Jesus does not bring to the Father those who already have a father. To be led to the heavenly Father, we must repudiate our earthly father. 

For God to be our Father, we must be born of God. This means we must be born again. Jesus says:  

“Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” (John 3:3). 

Inheritance of Salvation

If God is our Father, we are heirs of God:

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:16-17). 

If God is our Father, then all things belong to us:

“Let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come- all are yours. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23).

Therefore, a man blundered by seeking Jesus’ help in securing his inheritance from his earthly father:

“Then one from the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ But He said to him, ‘Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?’ And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’” (Luke 12:13-15).

Jesus has come to reveal our inheritance from God, our Father. So, how can He be expected to help us secure an inheritance from another father? That is a contradiction in terms. We inherit sin from our earthly fathers, so Jesus’ assignment is to sever our earthly inheritance.

“Then Peter began to say to him, ‘See, we have left all and followed you.’ So Jesus answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time - houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions- and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:28-30).

Note that we receive a hundredfold of everybody and everything we leave but our father.

We have only one Father: God. We have no other Father but God. 

Like Father, Like Son

However, we have brothers and sisters and children all over the world through the union of the Holy Spirit who is the blood of Christ:

“He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth.” (Acts 17:26). 

As God’s children, we live in God and move in God and have our being in God:

“For we are also His offspring.” (Acts 17:28).

Accordingly, Jesus is now our brother; as He demonstrated when He was told His mother and brothers were looking for Him.  He answered:

“Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.’” (Matthew 12: 48-50). 

Take note again that other believers can be brothers or sisters or mothers to Jesus. But none can be His father. Jesus has no other father but God.

According to the principles of the kingdom of God a son bears the nature of his father and he does the works of his father. Jesus says to his Jewish adversaries:

“‘I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.’ They answered and said to Him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.’” (John 8:38-40). 

We cannot do the works of God unless we acknowledge him as Father. But if God were our Father, we would do the works of God. 

Moreover, we cannot bear God’s divine nature unless He becomes our Father. But if He is our Father then:

“By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable us to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” (2 Peter 1:3-4).

God Copycats

The Fatherhood of God provides the only motivation we need to be exactly like God. This is because:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” (James 1:17-18).

Our call to perfection is for one singular reason: because our Father in heaven is perfect. Jesus says:

“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). 

He also says we should love our enemies for the same vital reason: that we may be sons of our Father in heaven:

“Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:34-36).

Our righteousness must come from a desire to be like our Father in heaven. 

Our Father

Bilquis Sheikh was born into a rich and conservative family in a non-Christian nation. Her husband was a General in the army, and she lived a life of opulence, junketing to Paris, London and Rome.  But her world came to an end when her husband left her. Then her world was turned upside down yet again when Christian missionaries preached to her and gave her a bible. 

In a country where conversion to Christianity was punishable by death, she started reading the bible in secret, while also continuing with the faith of her birth. But she soon became confused. Which one is the true faith? Which book reveals the true God? 

In her confusion, Bilquis finally knelt down before the Lord. She held the book of her traditional faith in one hand and the bible in the other, and cried out to God: “Which one is your book?” 

It is better to hear her testimony in her own words:

“A remarkable thing happened. Nothing like it had ever occurred in my life in quite this way. For I heard a voice inside my being, a voice that spoke to me as clearly as if I were repeating words in my inner mind. They were fresh, full of kindness, yet at the same time full of authority.

‘In which book do you meet me as your Father?’” 

CONCLUDED.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; www.femiaribisala.com

Renee Onque

Meditating is a proven way to reduce stress, improve sleep and keep you engaged in your work and relationships. While a regular meditation practicemight sound intimidating, it can actually be quite simple and take up very little of your day, according to Dr. Esther Sternberg.

Sternberg, a physician and author of “Well at Work: Creating Wellbeing in any Workspace,” encourages people to try what she calls “micro-meditations.”

“It doesn’t have to be the daunting kind that requires months, if not years, of training, like Zen meditation,” she tells CNBC Make It. These small acts require a lot less time, and don’t have to involve sitting in stillness.

These five steps, whether done routinely or in a stressful moment, offer some of the same benefits of meditation — and you can do them pretty much anywhere.

5 simple techniques for a calm mind, from a doctor

1. Deep breathing exercises

Inhale deeply from your diaphragm, while placing your hands on your stomach. Aim for your stomach to move out as you breathe in.

“You do that a few times, and that will immediately put a brake on the stress response,” Sternberg says.

Another deep breathing exercise that Sternberg recommends is the 4-7-8 technique: inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for seven and exhale for eight.

2. Fix your attention on something

“Attention is another aspect of micro-meditation,” Sternberg says.

Just looking out the window and noting what you see, like the way the sun hits the leaves, “takes [you] out of [your] immediate anxiety zone.”

Sternberg’s suggestion resembles the 5-4-3-2-1 method which prompts you to pay attention to the things in your surroundings. Identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you hear, two things you smell and one thing you taste.

3. Spend time in nature

Head to your local park or any green space and just take a walk, Stenberg says. “Inhaling deeply, slow walking, all of those things kick in the relaxation response.”

When you walk or hike in the woods, “you’re breathing in what we call biogenic volatile organic compounds, which are the molecules released from plants just before rain or just after rain, when the air is moist,” Sternberg says. “Those molecules themselves are relaxing.”

Even if you aren’t anywhere near a forest, a walking meditation in nature where you actually pay attention to what you see and hear, “takes you away from worrying about your troubles,” she adds.

4. Practice gratitude

There’s a Choctaw tradition that starts the day by “looking at each of the four directions, north, south, east, west and up and down,” Sternberg says. The goal of the practice is to “feel gratitude for everything you see, all the trees, all the houses, whatever you see, feel gratitude, and feel gratitude for your loved ones.”

Expressing gratitude for what you have and what nature provides moves you into a state of compassion.

“When you’re in a compassion state, you’re releasing dopamine, you’re releasing endorphins, all these feel-good molecules,” she says.

Keeping a gratitude journal and adding to it once a week left participants in a study feeling more optimistic than groups who wrote about the negative events that happened or general thoughts about the week’s events, according to one study.

5. Drink a cup of tea

Having a cup of tea may not seem like a meditation but it can be, Stenberg says. An ancient tea ceremony in Japan involves giving thanks to everyone who attends and being grateful for everything that contributes to the experience, including the teapot and the cup.

“When you focus on that [and] slowly, instead of just pouring the tea in and gulping it down,” and watch the tea change the color of the water and give off steam, the act becomes a micro-meditation. Relax and “feel the warm cup against your hands,” she says.

CNBC

Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa has unveiled a comprehensive approach to national security, declaring that military interventions can address only 30 percent of Nigeria's security challenges, with the remaining 70 percent dependent on critical socio-economic factors.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion on "National Security and National Interest," Musa challenged traditional perceptions of security, arguing for a holistic approach that extends far beyond military might. He emphasized that true national security requires a multifaceted strategy addressing social, economic, and environmental dimensions.

"In our complex geopolitical landscape, we cannot view security through a narrow military lens," Musa stated. "While military strength is crucial, it represents merely 30 percent of the solution to our national security challenges."

The defence chief highlighted the critical importance of non-military interventions, stressing that the remaining 70 percent of security solutions lie in developing a robust, educated, and socially cohesive population. He called for a broader understanding of security that encompasses human development, economic stability, and social harmony.

Musa advocated for a collaborative approach involving the military, journalists, and media organizations to foster national unity and address security challenges comprehensively. He recommended several strategic approaches, including:

- Prioritizing human security

- Implementing investigative reporting on policy impacts

- Promoting dialogue and inclusive stakeholder engagement

- Advocating for sustainable practices

- Utilizing evidence-based reporting and data

"National security cannot be the sole responsibility of the Armed Forces," Musa emphasized. "It requires a holistic strategy that builds trust, understanding, and cooperation across all sectors of society."

The defence chief's remarks underscore a critical reframing of national security, positioning military action as just one component of a more comprehensive approach to addressing Nigeria's complex security landscape.

By highlighting the 30-70 percent breakdown, Musa is calling for a paradigm shift in how Nigeria approaches national security, emphasizing that long-term stability depends more on socio-economic development than military actions alone.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

At least two explosive devices believed to have been planted by terrorists went off at separate locations in the Dansadau District of Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Two explosions occurred on the road between Dansadau and Malamawa and another on Malele Road, all in the Dansadau district.

A resident, Nuhu Babangida, said passengers in a Canter Truck going to the Dansadau weekly market on Friday escaped death after the truck, loaded with grains, ignited the bomb.

Babangida said the explosions on Malamawa and Malele roads went off simultaneously but recorded no casualties.

This was the third explosion in five days in the Dansadau Emirate, occurring on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday.

At least 12 people were reportedly killed Wednesday morning after an explosive blew off a bridge at Tashar Sahabi.

The victims were travelling in an overloaded Golf car to Gusau from Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State when the incident occurred at about 8 a.m. at the Maru LGA.

PT

Nigeria's economic landscape showed mixed signals in the third quarter of 2024, with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reporting a robust trade surplus of N5.81 trillion and a moderate capital importation of $1.25 billion.

The trade data revealed a significant expansion in total merchandise trade, which increased by 81 percent from N19.38 trillion in Q3 2023 to N35.16 trillion in Q3 2024. Exports dominated the trade balance, accounting for 58.27% of total trade at N20.48 trillion, with crude oil remaining the primary export, valued at N13.4 trillion and representing 65.44 percent of total exports.

Regarding capital importation, the figure dropped by 51.90 percent compared to the previous quarter, declining from $2.60 billion in Q2 2024 to $1.25 billion in Q3 2024. However, this still represents a 91.35% increase from the same quarter in 2023.

Foreign portfolio investments led the capital importation, contributing $899.31 million (71.79 percent), followed by other investments at $249.53 million (19.92 percent) and foreign direct investment at $103.82 million (8.29 percent).

The banking sector emerged as the top recipient of capital inflows, attracting $579.48 million (46.26 percent), followed by the financing sector with $294.55 million (23.51 percent) and the production/manufacturing sector with $189.22 million (15.11 percent).

Geographically, the United Kingdom was the primary source of capital importation, contributing $502.60 million (40.12 percent), followed by South Africa with $185.03 million (14.77 percent) and the United States with $163.86 million (13.08 percent).

Lagos state continued to be the leading destination for capital importation, attracting $650.41 million (51.92 percent), with Abuja (FCT) following closely at $600.02 million (47.90 percent).

On the international trade front, Spain emerged as the top export destination, accounting for 11.07 percent of total exports, while China remained the major import partner, representing 24.36 percent of imported goods.

These figures indicate a complex economic environment with challenges in capital importation but strength in export performance and trade balance.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The price of local rice in Nigeria surged by 137.32% in October 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This sharp increase has propelled rice into the top ten most expensive staple foods in the country.

The NBS's Selected Food Prices report for October 2024 highlighted the significant rise, with the average price of local rice reaching N1,944.64 per kilogram, up from N819.42 in October 2023. This increase underscores the ongoing inflationary pressures affecting food prices and exacerbates the economic challenges faced by Nigerian households.

Month-on-month, local rice prices also saw a 1.56% rise, climbing from N1,914.77 per kg in September 2024. The report indicated notable regional disparities, with Kogi State registering the highest price for local rice at N2,693.41 per kg, while Benue State recorded the lowest at N1,267.25. These variations reflect regional differences in supply, demand, and distribution challenges, which local farmers and producers are grappling with amid rising production costs.

The NBS report also pointed to a broader trend of high food inflation in Nigeria, which was 39.16% in October 2024, up from 31.52% in the same month the previous year. The rise in food inflation was attributed to price increases across several categories, including rice, maize, yams, palm oil, vegetable oil, and other essential foodstuffs.

On a month-on-month basis, food inflation rose by 2.94%, compared to 2.64% in September 2024, signaling that food prices are likely to continue rising. The report highlighted that inflationary pressures are being driven by factors such as exchange rate volatility, fuel price hikes, and persistent supply chain disruptions.

In addition to local rice, the price of agricultural rice, often sold by local farmers, also saw a significant increase. Agricultural rice prices rose by 138.90% year-on-year, reaching N2,023.68 per kg in October 2024, up from N847.08 in the same period in 2023. The price of agricultural rice varied across states, with Nasarawa reporting the highest price at N3,120.49 per kg and Benue recording the lowest at N1,354.87.

Even local rice varieties like Ofada rice, popular in southwestern Nigeria, have experienced steep price increases. Ofada rice saw a 199.16% year-on-year rise, with the average price reaching N2,428.65 per kg in October 2024, up from N811.83 in October 2023. Prices varied significantly across states, with Osun State recording the highest price at N3,400 per kg.

Imported rice, which remains a significant part of Nigeria’s rice supply, also saw a dramatic rise in price. The average price for imported rice increased by 143.21% year-on-year, reaching N2,471.28 per kilogram in October 2024, up from N1,016.12 in October 2023. The highest price for imported rice was recorded in Kogi State at N3,187.35, while Niger State had the lowest at N2,017.04. This increase is largely due to the devaluation of the naira, import tariffs, and global rice price hikes, influenced by factors such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and rising energy costs.

These price increases in local, Ofada, and imported rice are contributing significantly to Nigeria’s escalating food inflation, which continues to strain household budgets across the country. While local rice production has grown in recent years, it remains insufficient to meet domestic demand, further increasing Nigeria’s reliance on imported rice.

Notable legal practitioner Afe Babalola has launched a defense against allegations made in Dele Farotimi's book "Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System," claiming the publication has irreparably damaged his hard-earned reputation.

At a press conference held at the Afe Babalola Bar Centre in Ado-Ekiti, Babalola, through his lead counsel Owoseni Ajayi, expressed deep concern over what he describes as defamatory remarks in Farotimi's publication.

"The assertions made in this book threaten to destroy what I have spent my entire life building," Babalola stated, emphasizing that the damage goes beyond monetary compensation.

The legal luminary has taken formal action, submitting a petition to the Ekiti State Police Commissioner requesting intervention. The petition calls for:

- Farotimi to provide proof of the truthfulness of his publications

- Potential prosecution for criminal defamation

- Confiscation of allegedly defamatory publications pending investigation

- Preventing further publication of content that attacks Babalola's reputation

Drawing on a traditional Yoruba proverb, Babalola highlighted the importance of hearing both sides of a story, stating, "Anyone who judges by the report of just one party is the most wicked."

The dispute stems from Farotimi's book, which Babalola claims contains misleading and damaging statements. He argues that while free speech is fundamental, it should not come at the cost of deliberately injuring another's reputation.

Challenging the Nigerian Bar Association's (NBA) position on the matter, Babalola cited the legal precedent of Aviomoh v C.O.P. (2022), asserting that defamation can be both a civil tort and a criminal offense.

"Is it wrong for me to seek justice against these false utterances?" Babalola questioned, challenging those who might view his legal action as an attempt to silence criticism.

The press conference serves as a defense mechanism, with Babalola urging the public to verify facts and not rush to judgment based on one-sided narratives.

As the legal battle unfolds, the case raises important questions about the boundaries of free speech, professional reputation, and the legal recourse available when those boundaries are allegedly crossed.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Ghana holds a presidential and parliamentary election on Saturday (today) amid hopes for an economic revival after the worst financial crisis in a generation, which led to a major debt default in the West African nation.

President Nana Akufo-Addo is stepping down next month after serving the two terms allowed by the constitution in Ghana, the world's second-largest cocoa producer and a significant gold producer.

Twelve candidates are vying to succeed him, but the race is seen as primarily between Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, chosen successor of Akufo-Addo's New Patriotic Party (NPP), and former President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Opinion polls have tipped Mahama, who served as president from 2012 to 2016, for a potential comeback.

Polling stations open at 0700 GMT and close at 1700 GMT. Some provisional legislative results were expected by Saturday night and Sunday, while the presidential outcome is expected by Tuesday, although trends often allow an early prediction.

Mahama, 66, has framed Bawumia as representing a continuation of policies that led to Ghana's economic woes, and has promised to renegotiate terms of a $3 billion IMF bailout secured last year to restructure the country's debts. The crisis peaked in 2022 when Ghana turned to the IMF.

"I will fight corruption to restore integrity and fairness, two critical ingredients missing from our governance," Mahama said in closing campaign remarks in Accra's Madina neighbourhood on Thursday.

Bawumia, a 61-year-old former central banker, has highlighted Ghana's gradual recovery from the crisis, with economic growth surging by 6.9% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024, the fastest rate in five years. He told supporters he will foster policies that will strengthen Ghana's recovery.

He has promised to simplify the tax system, halve the number of government ministers, and cut public spending by 3% of GDP if elected.

"The reason why we are going to win this election is because of the good work that we've done as a government," Bawumia told cheering supporters at the University of Ghana campus during a final rally on Thursday.

Ghana's cedi currency has been strengthening, however high inflation and government debt sustainability remain a concern for investors.

"This election holds significant importance not only for Ghana but also for West Africa, where democracy is under scrutiny," Oxford Economics said in a research note.

Approximately 18.7 million out of Ghana's 34 million population are registered to vote.

Reuters