A Letter to the Pope

A LETTER TO THE POPE

When the last unthinkable and unimaginable experience dawned on my person coupled with the other recently encountered ones, I felt it was high time I wrote the Pope – the grand master. Though it could be untimely, if not too late, but I’m strongly of the view that ‘it’s better late than never’.

Mind you; the ‘Pope’ as inscribed in the above topic does not signify the man who resides in the Vertical City of Rome; rather, it represents the leader of all the religious institutions across the globe, particularly my home country – Nigeria. Thus, you’re cordially enjoined to adhere strictly to the logical meaning of the word in question rather than its literal meaning as far as this critique is concerned, for the interest of me and you.

Dear Pope – the grand master, I sincerely tender this epistle in my lonely mood as fathomless tears are intensely ravaging my poor physiognomy. The manifestation of this candid epistle is solely attributable to the invariable obnoxious scenes as well as melodramas regarding our religious leaders I personally witness or overhear on a daily basis. Of course, I’m extremely convinced that you might have heard of some of them; notwithstanding, I promise to painstakingly and extensively list virtually all in this holistic letter.

It’s no longer news, that recently story titles such as Pastor rapes church member, Alabama Pastor accused of raping 15-year-old member, Pastor rapes Pastor’s wife inside church, Imam caught in the act, Alhaja and Imam caught having sex during this Ramadan period, Pastors offer politicians their pulpits, $9.3 million cash found in Pastor’s private jet, Reverend Fathers caught in gay act, Pastor defrauds members in the name of ‘deliverance’, just to mention but a few, have been making the banner headlines of thousands of hundreds of newspapers across the globe that if adequate and drastic approach is not taken towards avoiding subsequent emergence of such terrible and horrific stories, I’m afraid the world in its entirety might be headed for a severe doomed state in the nearest future.

Though these, as mentioned above, were alleged cases, but how would a clergyman be traceable to such ungodly stories? If someone who calls himself a ‘man of God’ distanced his person from any thought, action, inaction, practice, occasion that could lead to any social scandal, he wouldn’t in any way be found wanting. We all know that temptation arises daily, after all God Himself was tempted, but the gospel truth is that if a clergyman remains firm or passionately sticks to his faith, he would never be nailed down or trapped in the net as the devil intends; thus, by His grace he would continue to overcome any temptation that comes on his way.

It is apparent and appalling that most religious institutions no longer preach salvation as expected; rather, they prefer laying emphasis on financial prosperity or materialism thereby making the poor or less-privileged ones among their members see poverty as a curse or a reward for sins. Poverty can be referred to as a disease, which no doubt couldbe cured or addressed, but not a curse as being presumed in most quarters.

What about places where offertory would be conducted for over five times not unlike a social club where bidding is taking place? In this case, the rich would be seen dancing cheerfully while headed for the point where they would gladly and willingly tender their offerings regardless of the number of times involved; and the financially vulnerable ones amidst the congregation would also be expected to follow suit instead of the church or mosque as the case may be, being concerned or preoccupied with how to make them wave eternal goodbye to poverty.

Sincerely, everyone in his/her right senses prays to see churches or mosques in every nook and cranny owing to their innumerable positive impact on the society but it is so disheartening to acknowledge that the current fathomless establishment of religious bodies all over has ended up constituting more social, financial as well as spiritual miscarriages in our various societies rather than solving the already existing ones. For instance; it's not unusual that nowadays someone would be told by his/her so-called spiritual/religious director that his old mother in the village is solely responsible for his predicaments.

Surely, we are all aware that the tuition fees for virtually all the private citadels of learning in Nigeria, especially the universities that are owned and managed by religious bodies are indeed astronomical and unbearable to an average citizen in the country let alone the poor. But it is pertinent and amazing to note that the poor parents/guardians who could not afford the aforesaid fees contributed immensely towards the establishment of the institutions in question. Now that they are relegated at the background as regards taking their children/wards to the private schools, what becomes their fate?

It is obvious that churches and mosques do not pay tax due to the nature of the selfless services they render to the society at large; but I’m afraid if they continued with the culture of commercialization, the governments at all levels may be tempted to ask them to follow suit in regard to payment of taxes.

 About few weeks ago, I was opportune to worship at one of the Catholic Churches in Lagos State and fascinatingly the Reverend Father in charge of the Parish otherwise known as the ‘Parish Priest’ categorically told the congregation, whom are invariably addressed as ‘Parishioners’ according to Catholic doctrine, during the closing time that the completion of the ongoing new building for the church’s secondary school was far-fetched because the parishioners had not been helping matters as regards donation thereby urging them to wake up from their slumbers. Unarguably, other religious centres are not left out while discussing such phenomenon.

I’m not disturbed over asking church members to assist in building projects but my worry is that the downtrodden in the midst are invariably tasked whenever such issue is raised. Rather than being severely disturbed over how to help the said set of people combat poverty that is ravaging their respective households, on the contrary they usually end up being extorted by their ‘church/mosque leaders’. Besides come to think of it; aren’t the pupils or students in the affected missionary schools paying tuition fees, or are they enjoying free education?

Today, as a clergyman, if you don’t perform miracles in your church or mosque, you haven’t begun. Undoubtedly, everyone looks forward to seeing ‘miracles’ occurring in any worship house he finds himself. To say the least; this miracle mantra, which is ubiquitously on the rampage, has succeeded in making several genuine worship centres lose their members to other neighbouring ones that are famously known for miracle performance or as havens where miracles are being manufactured.

Currently, almost every shop situated in our various streets has been converted into churches, mosques, prayer ministries, house of prophesies, healing centres, and what have you. Similarly, they no longer worship calmly or praise decently in their various places of worship; loud speakers are extended to the streets and roads where their worship centres are located thereby producing uncalled cacophonies all in the name of ‘worship’.

Lest we forget; it is everywhere that most of our religious leaders have been, stylishly or wholly, indulging in electoral matters or issues relating to politics, which is unequivocally contrary to their calling. Most pathetically, these religious directors/overseers mostly campaign for political aspirants right in their various churches or mosques, or sometimes the aspirants would be privileged to stand on their ostensibly sacred pulpits to politic for themselves, all in exchange for a token. The churches or mosques are supposed to be institutions for liberation of mankind from all forms of bondage as well as to strengthen or uplift one’s faith with a view to bringing him nearer to his salvation.

During electioneering era, the prime duty of the church/mosque is to pray vehemently and rigorously for the various persons or bodies involved including the electorate, aspirants, electoral umpire as well as the nation at large with the aim of making only the distinguished and god-fearing aspirants emerge victorious at the awaited polls, but on the contrary you would notice that most of our so-called men of God have completely gotten it wrongly whenever electoral issues are raised. The religious bodies are expected to be involved toward actualizing good governance but are not in any way meant to delve into political matters or cases.

These and many more similar antics springing up on a daily basis in our various religious institutions, which are generating series of unbearable pandemonium, really call for a public outcry. Religion has been widely and popularly regarded as the ‘opium of the masses’; suffice to say that that is the only place the needy, frustrated ones, or mankind in general could be emancipated or embrace undiluted optimism, even when it seems they’re nearer to their graveyards. So if such institution is being misused and abused by its leaders whom are supposed to be seen as well as regarded as mortal gods, it signifies that significantly the society in its entirety is liable to encounter an unforeseen comatose circumstance.

The grand master, I tender this unalloyed epistle to you because I’m of the opinion that you have a very potent and inevitable role to play toward addressing the aforementioned quagmire that is seriously telling on us; thus I wish to drop my humble pen at this juncture. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

Follow: @mediambassador

Acknowledging Essence of Reciprocity

ACKNOWLEDGING THE ESSENCE OF RECIPROCITY

I thought it wise that it was high time I did something on the aforementioned factor, reciprocity, which has been profoundly misunderstood, misused as well as abused in various quarters thereby posing unquantifiable threat to the society at large. The last time I checked, most of the plights we faced here on earth were not unconnected to the invariable misuse of the factor in question.

Lest I forget; reciprocity can simply be referred to as the practice or act of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, such as the privileges granted by one individual, organization or society to another.

In social psychology, reciprocity is a social rule that says we ought to repay, either in kind or cash, what another person or organization as the case may be has provided us. That is; the need for people to give back the kind of treatment they have received from others.

To make it clearer; by virtue of the rule of reciprocity, we are obligated to repay favours, gifts, invitations, grants, loans, and what have you, as the case might be, in future or subsequently. For instance; if someone we invited to our birthday party or get-together buys us a gift or graced the occasion with a gift, we are expected to do the same when the time for their birthday comes. There are no two ways about it.

This sense of future obligation associated with reciprocity makes it possible to build continuing relationships and exchanges. Reciprocal actions of this nature are very important to social psychology as they can help explain the maintenance of social norms. Someone who violates the reciprocity tradition by accepting without making effort to return the good gestures of others is usually disliked by the social group; often times, he/she is best described as an ingrate.

Individuals who benefit from a social group’s resources without contributing any skills, assistance or resources of their own in return, are in most cases addressed as ‘free riders’. Both individuals and groups often punish free riders, directly or indirectly, even when the penalty results in considerable costs to the affected group or individual. So, it is not surprising that most rational or logical individuals will go an extra mile to avoid being regarded as a freeloader, moocher or ingrate.

Mind you; reciprocal gestures differ slightly from altruistic gestures.Reciprocity is mainly the act of repaying someone or a group for what they have done for you. Whilst, altruism is not act of repayment, or expectation of something similar orgreater in the future. Although both are worthwhile and acceptable gestures but it is noteworthy to comprehend the dichotomy between them.

Reciprocity is majorly requiredin any relationship, be it informal, business or social, towards its sustenance. But we need to understand that there are two major classes of relationship in existence which are parasitic relationship and symbiotic relationship. In the former, which is a one-sided relationship, only one party or either party benefits from the other; while in the latter, both parties benefit mutually from each other.

However, the fact is that; even in parasitic relationship, there’s an element of reciprocity which could be seemingly infinitesimal. Needless to say that, reciprocity remains inevitable toward the sustenance of any form of ongoing relationship.

Let me quickly intimate us on the precise and unequivocal statement that was made on Saturday December 5, 2015 by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), David Cameron on his twitter handle in respect to the recent Paris terror attack. In his words, the leader in question succinctly said, “If I could just remind France when they asked us to go to war with them… when Scotland needed them at the battle of Derby, they let us down.” The rest is history.

The bone of contention is that we must not feel insouciant over reciprocity in any field of endeavour we find ourselves. In the political terrain, if a political aspirant eventually won an election, he/she is indeed expected to reciprocate to the good gestures they received from the electorate at the polls by ensuring that good governance prevails during their reign. Hence, they mustn’t betray them (the followers) while they lead. This very factor, which signifies the essence of reciprocity, is no doubt obligatory; but it is quite appalling that most of our politicians see it as elective or optional.

Similarly, in an emotional relationship otherwise known as ‘love affair’, or even in marriage, if one of the partners involved showers the other with enormous and genuine love, courtesy demands that the recipient of such kind gesture would reciprocate accordingly in his/her own little way. This implies that both parties are meant to be beneficiaries of the relationship.

Business relationship isn’t left out while discussing reciprocity. The moment a partner in a business relationship introduces cheating, that would significantly mark the beginning of the downfall of that relationship. Likewise in a bilateral relationship between two countries, the norm of reciprocity is obviously expected to be abided by both countries involved; else, a doomed state awaits either or both parties.

Even when you give money or gift to a beggar in the street, you are no doubt expecting the reciprocity of the kind gesture; yes, we render such help with the view that God would bless us in return. Suffice it to say; whatever love we showcase to the less-privileged we do so in expectation of God’s infinite blessings. Sociology tells us that we don’t just give; hence, we give for a tangible purpose or reason.

Most importantly, we often tend to forget that greeting itself is reciprocal. Of course, it takes two to tango; thus, for greeting to take place anywhere, anytime, it takes the consent of the parties involved. It’s very amusing that most times, people especially in the contemporary African society are of the view that the younger or junior person as the case may be is the only one expected to tender a greeting to the older or senior person respectively. That is completely an awkward ideology and this is why we severally misunderstand ourselves when it calls for greeting/salutation. We really need to note that, much as the younger/junior person is meant to forward his/her greeting to the older/senior, the anticipated greeting would be needless if the supposed recipient is not ready to receive the said salutation. Summarily, the both parties/individuals involved irrespective of their ages or hierarchy must agree for any greeting to take place. Hence greeting requires an agreement and it’s obvious that the latter requires two or more persons. Agreement is very vital because if I greet you, I equally expect you to respond cheerfully and open-heartedly or vice-versa; and that’s the reciprocity.

Unequivocally, we often encounter series of tribulations in our various relationships owing to the fact that we end up abusing or misusing reciprocity at the long run. For our relationships to be duly sustained or grow healthily, we ought to endeavour to acknowledge that reciprocity, which we must abide by, is not just a veritable factor but not unlike a law initiated by nature itself. Think about it!

 

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

Follow: @mediambassador  

 

Brief Hint on The Media Ambassador

The Media Ambassador

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Birth Name: Fred Doc Ndu Nwaozor

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Born: May 25, 1985

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Birth: Awo-Omamma, Imo State, Nigeria

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Residence: Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

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Nationality: Nigerian

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Ethnicity: Igbo

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Hobbies: Reading, Solving Mathematics, Listening to music,

                 Playing Scrabble & table tennis, Travelling, etc.

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Best Colour(s): Red, Green & White respectively

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Citizenship: Nigerian (1985 - present)

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Occupation: writer/poet, thinker, researcher, analyst, activist,

                       blogger, media commentator & technologist

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Years active: 2005 - present

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Religion: Christianity

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Marital Status: Single

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Parents: F.A Nwaozor (Father), Vero Nwaozor (Mother)

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Early Life:

Fred Doc Nwaozor born May 25, 1985 as the last child of his beloved parents Mr & Mrs Fidelis Nwaozor who hail from Awo-Omamma in Imo State (the Eastern Heartland), Nigeria. Amazingly, being a science-oriented student, Fred Nwaozor intended to study Medicine but he willingly gave up the longed nurtured dream for Engineering because he couldn’t afford forfeiting or doing without Mathematics which was his best subject while in secondary school. As a growing child, he was preoccupied with series of fantasies which included becoming an astute societal leader as well as emerging as one of the world’s respected activists cum humanitarians. Since childhood, he had been known for his quiet but smart and brilliant nature, which had fetched him several favours and opportunities from mentors, relatives and associates. Above all, one unique idiosyncrasy peculiar to his person since childhood remains his ability to create/initiate ideas, which had attracted countless and endless accolades from his fans and friends.   

Education:

Comr Fred Doc Ndu (FDN) Nwaozor – the Media Ambassador as he’s fondly called by his fans and friends, who invariably strive for excellence and precision at all times in all positions and circumstances attaining professional distinction and proficiency in line with his life objective cum philosophy had his basic education in Santana Nursery/Primary Boarding School, Awo-Omamma, Imo State, Nigeria before proceeding to State High School Oyewole – SHSO (now known as State Senior High school Oyewole), Agege, Lagos State, Nigeria where he acquired his Senior School Certificate. Furthermore, he bagged a Bachelor of Technology – B.Tech (Hons) in Physics/Electronics in 2008 from the prestigious Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, Nigeria; thereafter, he participated in the Nigeria’s compulsory National Youth Service Programme. During his final year in the university, his degree project work was on ‘Design, Construction and Testing of Electronic Power inverter (EPI)’ – an individual research work that exposed him into the actual mechanism behind Power/Electricity supply. He later opted for various professional honours in ICT to include Cisco Certified Network Associate/Engineer (CCNA) in 2010 from a globally recognized firm – KarROX Computer Education & Training Institute for Information Technology, Owerri, Nigeria; Certificate in Microsoft-Office Suite in 2010 from Goshen Computer & FOREX Institute Owerri (an affiliate of the University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria); Certificate in Multimedia, Web Design, Graphics & Animation also in 2010 from Quest Taid International Ltd, Nigeria; among other numerous professional honours both in ICT and beyond.

Skills:

Fred Nwaozor is gifted with several skills/talents including writing, creative thinking, oratory, presentation of public commentaries, activism, blogging, and humanitarianism, just to mention but a few. Among all, he can boast of a skill in Autocad/Archcad; designing, testing, installation and maintenance of various electronic circuits and devices.

Career/Profession:

Fred Doc Nwaozor, a prolific writer/poet, creative thinker, public affairs analyst, researcher, civil rights activist, social crusader, versatile blogger, veteran columnist, controversial media commentator, humanitarian, motivational speaker, entrepreneur as well as a chartered technologist, came into limelight in 2007 via presentation of media commentaries during his six months Industrial Training in Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) while in the university having discovered his writing talent far back in 2005. As a prolific writer/poet, he has over sixteen books in different areas comprising prose, drama, poetry, inspirational, among others, to his credit. Among his creative compilations is a trilogy titled, ‘Expensive Expedient, Horrible Hut, and Real Repentance’ respectively. To say the least, he obviously has over five hundred (500) published articles/essays to his credit. Presently, he’s a freelance columnist and guest writer/contributor on different fields including Public affairs cum civil matters, Sports, ICT, Crimes as well as short stories to several national daily newspapers in Nigeria such as the Punch, the Guardian, New Telegraph, the Sun, the Nation and the Authority Newspapers; he commenced his writing career in 2007 concurrently with the Announcer Express and Newspoint Newspapers  – local tabloids based in Owerri, Nigeria coupled with other local tabloids too numerous to mention before he proceeded to the Whitepaper Newspaper, also a local tabloid based in Owerri, in 2010 where he established a regular fascinating weekly column on Public matters titled ‘Fancy Facts’ – a column that is still awake till date in spite of his current countless writing commitments; needless to say that he is no doubt an enigma. He’s also a guest writer on News Commentaries to various radio stations across Nigeria to include Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Abuja otherwise known as ‘Radio Nigeria’; Orient FM – a subsidiary of Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), Owerri; Heartland FM Owerri, Voice of Delta (VOD) FM – a substation of Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS), Asaba, Delta State; and Unity FM, Awka, Anambra. In addition, he is a renowned contributor to uncountable programmes presently existing in various Nigerian radio stations such as ‘Radio Link’, Issues of the Moment, Politics Nationwide, Police Diary, Anti-Graft Hour, Talk Junction, among others – all peculiar to the FRCN; alongside that of other stations situated all over Nigeria including Issues of Blaze FM - Oraifite, Anambra state, Matters Arising of Orient FM Owerri, Issues of the Moment of Heartland FM Owerri, ‘Frank Talk’ & ‘Convince Me’ both of Voice of Delta – Asaba, various programmes on Radio One FM - Lagos State, and a host of others. More so, he had in several occasions played guest to several radio/TV programmes on many thought provoking issues.

He’s a Blogger par excellence; since 2013 he established his Blog entitled ‘Fred Nwaozor’s Blog’ – where he publish most of his works, he has been relentlessly publishing series of research-oriented works done by his person. The intriguing part of his mind-blowing Blog is that it comprises different areas such as Public matters, crimes, sports, current affairs, as well as creative works like short stories, poetry and inspirational quotes manufactured by him. Being a creative thinker, motivational speaker and a gifted orator, he had been invited both in the past and present to various public lectures, seminars, workshops, conventions, conferences, and what have you, to do justice to what he knows how to do best. His inspirational instinct motivated him to established a Centre named Docfred Continental Special Clinic – DCSC (Centre for Counselling, Research, & Career Development) based in Owerri, Imo State, where he counsells people on different areas of human endeavour such as leadership, citizenship, marriage and relationship, as well as grooms talented young ones in various careers.

As a trained and chartered technologist, he had always dreamt of being an employer of labour rather than the reverse. Owing to this aspiration; in January 2012, he came up with a firm named Docfred Enterprises that majors in Engineering, ICT and Media consultancy, which was later in the year, September precisely, duly incorporated with Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as DOCFRED (NIG.) ENTERPRISES. The company, which is still maintaining the status quo, is operating vigorously across the country and beyond.

Professional/Academic Affiliations:

FDN Nwaozor who is affiliated to several notable professional societies including Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), International Society of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), Nigerian Institute of Physics (NIP), and Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) Alumni Association, is an regular contributor to numerous international journals among which are:            

 *International Journal of Engineering & Science Invention (IJESI)

 *International Journal of Engineering Research & Applications (IJERA)

 *International Journal of Modern Engineering Research (IJMER)

 *Quest Journals Inc.

 *Int’l Organization of Scientific Research - Journal of Engineering (IOSR-JEN)

 *International Journal of Engineering & Science (IJES)

 *Int’l Journal of Latest Research in Engineering and Tech. (IJLRET)

 *Int’l Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering & Management (IJAREM)

 *American Journal of Engineering Research (AJER).

Social Affiliations:

As an ardent humanitarian and social crusader, so far, Comrade Fred D.N Nwaozor has founded many social and humanitarian organizations to include Oru Youths Platform (OYOPLA) - defunct, Imo Fans Fortress (IMOFAF), Nigerian Solidarity Network (NISON), and Fred Nwaozor Foundation (FRENOF). FRENOF, which is a global civil rights society, is targeted to render succour to the less-privileged as well as stand as a voice to the voiceless in any country where it is established. The veteran comrade is also currently affiliated to innumerable social bodies, both local and international, including the Orluzurumee Cultural Union (OCU), Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), Rotary International (RI), and Amnesty International (AI).

Appointments/Honours:

Based on competence and trustworthiness, the Media Ambassador was in January 2014 appointed as the Special Adviser (SA) on Media & Publicity to the then Transition-Committee Chairman of Oru East Local Government Area (LGA) – the LGA where he hails from. Furthermore, he was appointed/recognized as the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media & Public Affairs to the Commandant General of the Imo State Civil Guard Corps (IMCG) – a paramilitary body in the Eastern Heartland (Imo State, Nigeria) founded by law. He has bagged too many awards in line with his dogged and unrelenting efforts toward the uplift of humanity and society at large; while on campus, in 2008 to be precise, he was recognized as the most distinguished student leader and humanitarian. Still on campus, he was also nominated and duly endorsed as the Commandant of Nigerian Red Cross Society, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) Detachment in 2006 – a position he held till 2008 when he graduated from the university.

References:   

http://sunnewsonline.com/news/intensifying-awareness-on-diabetes/

http://newtelegraphonline.com/derailed-homosapien-2/

http://thenationonlineng.net/unending-atm-conundrum/

http://punchng.com/combating-malnutrition-in-nigeria/