Opinion I Xmas Commemoration: The Best Of Its Kind

XMAS COMMEMORATION: THE BEST OF ITS KIND

       

Many of us have taken to wearing visors and other similar devices to protect our eyes and visages from the possible effects of harmattan. Taking Nigeria as a case study, many would testify that the ongoing climatic phase causes virulent feelings, and may as well lead to various virulent diseases. While some would definitely testify that it is a welcome scene, therefore ought to continue for eternity. Honestly, these and more similar phenomena observe amongst mankind is not man-made but wholly natural.

         

Let’s put it this way; if brandy is good in bringing the real man or woman in you as a person at any given time. And, that fellow that appears to be intimate to you believes in the work of whisky in respect of similar purpose. Then conclusively, it signifies that you both are of different nature, or possess distinct idiosyncrasies. Thus significantly, no matter the level of intimacy in any relationship or affair, be it symbiotic or parasitic, the exact nature of the two or more parties involved can never be compromised or interchanged.

           
 

In geography, we were taught that about seventy percent (70%) of the earth crust is covered with water, while about thirty percent (30%) is covered with land. There’s a big problem or error attached to this geographic estimation coupled with approximation. The astronomers who carried out the research and rounded off with such conclusion were so myopic to understand the fact that, even the part of the earth crust covered with water is as well covered with land. It’s not a paradox. It’s a fact, and it is natural.

         

 

Of course the bedrock of any sea, ocean, river, pond, lake, et cetera, is land. In agriculture, we call it the soil. Suffice to say; every part of the earth crust is covered with the soil (land).  But this is not my optimum interest in this piece. My concern is; despite the level of intimacy between the land and the natural water, they still don’t mix together. This simply signifies that each of the compounds or substances in question is made up of a certain distinct nature. This is a fact.  

       

Each of the paragraphs above has proven to us that nature is indeed very powerful. Nature could be regarded as all the animals, plants and other things in the world that are not made by man; and all the events, features and processes that are not caused by mankind. In a nut shell, nature is anything that is not man-made.

        

In other words, it’s older than the world. Yes, nature has been in existence before the world was created. This is the reason most times anything caused by it seems to be mysterious. That is, beyond man’s imagination, creativity or creative ingenuity. Therefore, nature controls; it rules; inter alia, it finalizes.

         

Let’s I digress; this piece is solely focused on Christmas otherwise known as X-mas. We’re discussing its annual commemoration. First and foremost, what is X-mas celebration or commemoration? X-mas celebration is a religious festival or ritual being observed on every 25^th December by the Christendom to mark the birth of Christ.

        

Next question; who is Christ? Christ is one of the names of Jesus whom Christians believe to be the only begotten son of God and whose teachings are the basis of Christianity. According to the Christian writ, Christ was sent by God to sanctify the sinful world and He obliged. He came, saw, taught, healed and delivered the world. Most importantly, He died for our sins to be forgiven. Needless to assert that He eventually conquered.

        

As a devoted Christian, Catholic to be precise, I understand that Christ was not really born on the 25^th of December; but such date was selected by the ancient Christendom in order to mark the day such generous being came into the world since the actual date of His birth was not painstakingly recorded by the scribes or historians of His time. They considered it consequential for such date to be monumental or be remembered by mankind because the day in question marked the beginning of mankind’s sanctification, deliverance as well as total emancipation, which remains the most vital Christian tool in existence.

         

Truly Christ came or was born, saw and conquered. Above all, He accomplished His mission because mankind was freed from bondage by His death. After the death of Christ, He resurrected. Before His death, He resurrected many souls. And this remains the most mysterious act performed by Him. Thus, resurrection is nature. If truly we believe that such vital tool is nature, in other words, Christ is nature. He’s beyond man’s imagination. Starting from His birth down to His death, everything about Him was mysterious.

        

So, as we commemorate this season of love, let’s endeavour to recall the spiritual essence of its existence towards doing the needful as long as it lasts. Hence, I enjoin us to use the period to have a rethink in our respective endeavours with a view to making our immediate societies, and Nigeria at large, a better place for me and you.

 

It's indeed a season of love; a season of peace; a season of reconciliation; a season of sharing; a season of jubilation; a season of fellowship; a season of oneness; a season reexamination of our lives; a season for sober reflection; among all, a season of thanksgiving.

        

There is really a tremendous reason for this season. Such a moment set aside to mark the day Christ was born should not in any way be compromised because it is the birthday of our Messiah. Therefore, remains a worthwhile Christian virtue, which is arguably ‘the best of its kind’. Think about it!

 

Comrade FDN Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri

__________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com
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Opinion I Still On Int'l Human Solidarity Day

CLARION CALL FOR UNDILUTED UNITY AS WE MARK THE 2017 INT’L HUMAN SOLIDARITY DAY 

         

Yesterday, December 20, the world over celebrated the 2017 International Human Solidarity Day. The annual International Human Solidarity Day was established on 22^nd December 2005, by the United Nations (UN). Having acknowledged the fact that solidarity is one of the basic and universal values that ought to underlie relations between peoples in the Twenty-First Century, on the aforementioned date, the UN General Assembly decided to proclaim December 20 each year as International Human Solidarity Day.

        

Prior to the adoption of the Day by the UN, by resolution on 20^th December 2002, the General Assembly established the World Solidarity Fund which was duly set up in February 2003 as a trust fund of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Its motive is to eradicate poverty as well as promote social and human development in developing countries, particularly amongst the poorest segments of their populations.

         

Solidarity, in a precise term, can be defined as a complete unity and support among people of a certain group. It can also be addressed as an absolute togetherness showcased by members or occupants of a given society or locality, as the case might be.

         

Solidarity is identified in the Millennium Declaration as one of the fundamental values of international relations in the twenty-first (21^st) century, wherein those who either suffer or benefit least deserve help or support from those who benefit most. Consequently, in the context of globalization and the challenge of growing inequality, the uplift of international solidarity remains unavoidable.

       

Surely, the concept of solidarity has defined the work of the UN since the birth of the organization. The establishment of the UN drew the peoples and nations of the world together to promote peace, human rights, social and economic developments. The body was founded on a basic premise of unity and harmony among its Member States. It is indeed in the spirit of solidarity that the union relies on cooperation in resolving international plights or misunderstanding of socio-economic, cultural and/or humanitarian origin in order to maintain universal peace and security.

       

Frankly, solidarity is a very vital tool required to solve problems in our interconnected world. We can only reach our shared goals if people are able to participate in the formulation and implementation of plans, policies, programmes, or what have you, to shape our common future, since it is already noted that commitments without empowerment are merely words without meaning.

         

Having noticed that absolute unity is synonymous with solidarity, there is no need reiterating the fact that thorough brotherhood or unity can only be actualized through participation in solidarity-related activities or causes. Thus, adoption of human solidarity by any entity is no doubt a pathway towards actualizing absolute unity, which is no doubt an epitome of exemplary peace and harmony.

        

Since it is apparent that solidarity which guarantees absolute unity is as well a giant step toward alleviating the poverty level of any society, hence there is an urgent need for a right thinking citizen of any poverty-stricken nation such as Nigeria alongside other developing countries across the globe to support the ongoing human solidarity crusade as much as they can.

         

In addition, it is imperative for a country like Nigeria that is currently ravaged by insurgency and other forms of treason to do everything humanly possible to ensure that solidarity among the citizenry becomes the order of the day without much ado.

         

Nigeria can promote thorough brotherhood among her populace by closing the existing gaps including ethnicity, corruption, nepotism, favouritism, religious cum social discrimination, chauvinism, and personal aggrandizement that are invariably found on the country’s socio-political and economic platform.

        

To this end, as the present administration ably led by President Mohammadu Buhari is ostensibly willing and determined to sweep out corruption, which remains the fundamental bane to unity and societal development, we are cordially expected to rally round the administration with the spirit of solidarity rather than the reverse, with a view to making Nigeria become a country to reckon with in the nearest future.

       

We can contribute our respective quotas by regularly and relentlessly preaching unity in every field of human endeavour we find ourselves, most especially in the schools, markets, worship centres, motor parks, and our immediate communities. More so, parents and guardians ought to sensitize their wards, right from their childhood, on the fact that no one can thrive successfully if he/she chose to stand alone since it is obvious that ‘a tree can never make a forest’.   

       

So, as Nigeria joins the global community to commemorate the annual International Human Solidarity Day, I call on everyone who thinks good of the country to borrow a leaf from the country’s fallen nationalists and heroes to include Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, and Chief Tafawa Belewa, just to mention but a few, who believed in the inevitable role of human solidarity in nation building. This is arguably the only way we can actualize undiluted unity among ourselves, which remains the gateway to the long awaited change. Think about it!

 

Comrade FDN Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub - Owerri

___________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador

      

 

 

Opinion I Aftermath Of The PDP Elective Convention

AFTERMATH OF THE PDP ELECTIVE CONVENTION

       

Years back, I was painstakingly taught by my mentor that politics – though interesting – was a game of warriors. In a bid to throw more light on the vague political theory, he said “Fred, politics is only meant for those who can compete vehemently with all their muscles just as in the case of a warfront or battlefield”. In order to round off the exegesis, he succinctly stated “above all, politics requires skills and intelligence”.

        

Since I received that out-of-class lecture, I’ve been rigorously making frantic effort to marry the aforementioned clauses. One; politics is like a warfront. Two; it requires intelligence and skills. I kept pondering over the connection between the three key factors – warriors, skills and intelligence – not until lately when I eventually fathomed the candid analysis to the fullness.

        

Lest I digress; it’s noteworthy that this critique is mainly dedicated to the Nigeria’s current main opposition platform in the country’s political terrain, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). It’s not anymore news that the party had its national elective convention on Saturday, 9^th December 2017 at Eagle Square, Abuja after its protracted impasse was judiciously settled by the Supreme Court.

        

Prior to the eventual end of the internal crisis that ravaged the party’s progress, several concerned Nigerians both home and in the Diaspora – mainly political analysts – opined that the acclaimed Africa’s largest political group was liable to go into extinction. It suffices to assert that the apex court’s judgement was not unlike a messiah.

        

Before the convention, a series of allegations cum mixed feelings was trending among the members, particularly most of the chairmanship aspirants. According to the aggrieved persons, there was an underground mechanism by some of the party stalwarts, such as Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers and Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti, to impose a particular candidate – precisely Uche Secondus, the former acting National Chairman of the party – on the party delegates.

       

Barely a few hours to the election, many of the chairmanship aspirants, including Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Rashed Ladoja, Bode George and Jimi Agbaje, unceremoniously pulled out of the race, citing the alleged circulation of ‘unity list’ as their reason for the action. Hence, the contest was left with only four aspirants namely Prof. Tahoed Adedoja, Raymond Dokpesi, Prof. Tunde Adeniran and Uche Secondus.

       

After the voting by the delegates, Mr. Secondus polled 2,000 votes out of the overall 2,296 votes, to emerge the winner of the race. It’s worth noting that the controversial emergence of Mr. Secondus as the new substantive National Chairman of the PDP outrightly divided the party members, although most of the aggrieved individuals including the defeated aspirants had reportedly congratulated the said victor.

       

It’s really intriguing despite all the promises made to Nigerians by the convention’s Organizing Committee led by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as well as the Electoral Committee headed by Gabriel Suswan that the party would have a convention devoid of pranks, the election was still characterized by anomalies as was alleged by some of the members. How then do we reconcile these?

        

If suchlike allegations hold water, it implies that the assertion by the officials of the PDP about restoration of internal democracy ahead of the awaited 2019 general elections could be interpreted to be misleading. It’s indeed hard to believe that the party, having gone through those odd times, could still lapsed into its old method of forging a consensus candidate in the enthronement of its leadership. Little wonder my mentor unequivocally opined that ‘politics is a game of warriors’.

         

It’s imperative to acknowledge that I’m not here to analyze or narrate the story of how the PDP apparently disappointed the expectations of the teeming Nigerians as regards the just concluded elective convention. My concern is solely informed by the need to let the members whom are still aggrieved to comprehend that ‘two wrongs do not make a right’. So, for the sake of way forward, they must sheath their swords and concentrate on how to take the party to the next level.

        

Similarly, the victorious members need to close ranks and extend an olive branch to the ‘defeated’ ones with a view to making the party become a formidable opposition, which every sane and rational citizen of the country yearns for. Nigeria and Nigerians need a party that could serve as a reliable opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); a party that can compete favourably; most importantly, a party that would place the country’s interest ahead of any other one.

       

The members must note that whatever affects the PDP does not only destabilize the party’s wellbeing but that of the country as well. Needless to assert that, an injury to any major opposition in any nation across the globe stands the chance of negatively affecting the nation’s polity in general. In view of this, the PDP must henceforth wake up as a people and reconsider how to do only the needful for the good of all.

        

The newly inaugurated National Chairman, Mr. Secondus has in his acceptance speech pledged to move the party forward, hence the need for him alongside the entire leadership of the party to endeavour to consult the cognoscenti and strategists towards making amends where need be.

       

Summarily, the new leadership must take into cognizance that the party can’t afford to be in court again. Think about it!

 

Comrade FDN Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri

__________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Follow me: @mediambassador