Tag: #Agba Jalingo

 

The person who built the first car surely did not have luxury in mind. The idea was to facilitate the faster movement of things and persons from place to place. To replace the use of carts and animals with a faster means of transportation. The first self propelled steam engine cart, built by Frenchman, Nicholas Joseph Cugnot in 1769, could only move at a walking pace of 3km/h and had to stop every 20 minutes to build a new head of steam. But it was the fastest and could carry the heaviest loads at the time.

A house, before it became luxury was only meant to be a safe place from hazards outside. To protect us from the elements. The famous Oldupai Gorge site, in Tanzania, still holds the oldest archeological evidence of what could be called, the construction of a house. It is a 1.8million year old, 13 feet diameter circle of stones surrounding a slightly sunken spot of earth. Nobody knows the human species who built the ‘houses’ found in Oldupai, but it is mostly agreed that the stones may have been built for shelter and fortress.

Like a house, clothes were equally made to protect us from the environment. Hazards like cold, insect bites, sun rays etc. From the time of animal furs and skin to when fibre was discovered, the primary essence of clothing was to cover our stark nakedness and protect us from environmental hazards. Then, it became luxury and labels.

Before food became luxury that is now graded into top notch classes and buzz names, food as one of the most basic needs of living things, is only meant to provide energy for us to sustain our lives. No matter how luxurious the food you eat is or how glamorous the table you eat the food is, the end goal is to provide energy for the body to proceed on its activity. Same thing with the person who eats in the dingy room, the goal is to get energy for the body.

Likewise Education, before it became luxury, the educational system, from its crude form, was created primarily to ensure the discovery, survival and transfer of accumulated knowledge, skills, values, and traditions over generations. What were called schools then, held under the tutelage and servitude of sages and philosophers, under tree shades, barns and in caves, until it became a luxury.

The gradual transformation of these basic human needs to luxuries is not bad and it has come with its benefits and challenges. It created a surge in innovation and jobs and also created a class society that has left a large chunk of citizens behind. It has also created social turmoil and exacerbated inequality; leaving most people hollow, even in the midst of the luxuries.

Yet, to find our path and return to happiness, we must learn to enjoy these things with their original purpose on the top most of our minds. We need to always remind ourselves of the original purpose of the things we own, anytime we enter into them. As you wake up nude or in your night wear, remind yourself of the original purpose of the clothes on you, the house you woke up in, the car you will drive, the schools you send your wards to and the food you eat. If you keep that in mind, it will keep you humble and save you the stress of the world. It will also inspire sympathy for others and make the world a more lovable place to live.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo, and does not represent TheLumineNews, the organization the author works for or its agent.

Is Giving Good?

Yes it is! When I go to the club, I pay an entrance fee. Some even have club membership fees, if you want to be a member.

When I go to my village meeting, I pay money for dues and donations.

In my age grade meeting, we contribute money.

In school, we pay school fees and other levies.

In our alumni associations, I gladly pay money.

In my professional associations, I pay money.

When I go to the lodge, I contribute money.

When I go to the temple, I contribute money.

When I go to the shrine, I contribute money.

When I attend trainings, seminars, workshops and masterclasses, I pay.

There are two mosques, and one Islamic children school on my street, and four churches on the same street. They do events periodically and send me envelopes and I still contribute to all of them till today, and will continue to do so.

Anytime they are holding men’s week in my wife’s church or any other activity that is pro-people, I make contributions to the church. These are just a few examples. I love giving. But there is a reason I bored you with that information.

There are none of these places where I will refrain from asking questions if it is clear that the contributions are now channeled to purposes for which they were not meant. It is like telling me not to ask questions even when I notice that the taxman is using my tax to finance his lavish lifestyle. Individuals should not be allowed to set up these places and milk people of their hard earned resources and use same to take care of only their personal lives and all we continue to say is ‘leave it to God’? That’s how society deteriorates. That’s how the cookie crumbles.

The obvious thing today about churches in particular is that, apart from the semblance of accountability demonstrated by the old orthodox and protestant Churches, most of which are owned by foreign nations/states, there is flagrant profligacy and bare-faced extortion of the people by the later days legion of scammers claiming to have been called to preach. These organizations have transformed into very powerful enclaves, emotionally blackmailing and hoodwinking people of untaxed billions and giving back tokens for validation. Some have even turned to money laundering conduits for politicians, leading opulent lives that even Christ will detest if he were still here.

Yet, they have been bred with so much haughtiness that they feel unquestionable. They have assumed the Messianic high throne that once you question any of their actions, they and their followers quickly accused you of questioning God. Which God? At what point were these human beings elevated to God? Because there is a clergy prefix attached to their names? So they are no longer servants of God but now God, whom you cannot question?

In a nutshell, giving is good. Very very good. It is a sure path to so many good things. But don’t give foolishly. Don’t give to finance people’s personal lavish lifestyles, regardless of what is attached to their names. Give to the poor who are genuinely in need in these very hard times. Above all, always ask questions about how your giving is utilized, unless you know God’s account number where you send the money to. But so long as you pay it into someone else’s account in a bank here on Earth, always ask questions. If you remove the tithes and the collections, many of these people will abandon the so called “calling” and return to their jobs.

This opinion is strictly mine!

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo, and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for.

 

Like many other lies that foreigners told us about Africa and we swallowed them hook, line and sinker; lies like, it was Mungo Park who discovered River Niger, we also bought into the lie that Africa is Pantheistic. Meaning African religions have multiple gods. Those who accept and romanticize that lie are doing so because they don’t want to think.

Long before the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten (1353-1336 BCE), who is credited with declaring the global concept of monotheism, (belief in one God), all known African tribes had a name for the ALMIGHTY GOD. There is no tribe or vernacular in Africa that did not know or had a name for, or had a form of worship to the Almighty God.

Unim is almighty God in my Bette language. Abasi is almighty God in Efik. Chukwu is almighty God in Igbo. Eledumare is almighty God in Yoruba. Ubangiji is almighty God in Hausa. Nyame is almighty God in Twi language in Ghana. Unkulunkulu is almighty God in Zulu language in South Africa. Mungu is almighty God in Swahili. It is not foreigners or missionaries that brought these names. All these names existed before the coming of Islam and Christianity. Even before Pharaoh Akhenaten.

So if you can stretch your thinking faculty a little bit, you will know that Africa has always been and still remains Monotheistic. African Religions believe in the existence of one God and worship only one God. The almighty God! Every other god(s) is a deity under the almighty God. A medium through which prayers are taken to the Almighty God. Like Christians pray to God through the name of Jesus.

Christian and Muslim missionaries did not invent God for Africa. We know God. Some persons only came around to lie to us so we will worship that God through the lens of their own eyes. They didn’t bring us God. They brought us methods which they claim were superior to ours and majority of our people accepted. That does not in any way detract from the rich knowledge of God that Africans have. The same God, unless you think there are two almighty Gods.

So when you hear an African religionist express faith in God or thanksgiving to God and you cringe, it is because you don’t know your history or probably have not thought about it. No religion owns God. God is God of the universe. Not God of any religion and the earlier you realize that, the better.

Good morning and have a blessed weekend.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo, and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for 

 

Students of the school of Health Technology Calabar, in their final year are preparing for their national examination and have each been asked to pay the following:

 

1. National Examiners comfort levy – 50K.

2. Gift for lecturers – 25K.

3. Lecturers comfort – 15K.

4. Departmental fee every semester – 4k

5. National exams fee – 75k.

6. Five pages handout N2500 (that makes up the student’s assessment).

7. Class levy – 3k and students are issued a receipt of 2k, after paying to the assistant class rep who is collecting the money on behalf of the HOD, Community Health. In all these fraudulent levies, school fees is not even included yet.

 

They also have their final year Urban and Rural practicals. In November 2023, they all paid N10k each, for the urban practicals which lasted for two months. Now in May 2024, they are again asked to pay another N10k for Rural Practicals which will last for three months. This illegal fee according to some management staff, is for the one time transportation of the students, in school arranged buses, up to Ugep in Yakurr LGA in central Cross River and every student will find their way from there to their place of assignment.

 

Now, there are a total of 231 final year students.

 

JCHEW 100lvl-50

CHEW 100lvl-75

CHEW ND2 -106

All put together – 231

 

10k multiplied by 231 students is N2,310,000. Yet the bus will drop them once in Ugep and their 10k is gone.

 

What does management mean by examiner’s comfort levy of 50k? The explanation I got from a management staff is that, some invigilators will be sent to the State who will stay in hotels for at least one week and they need money for their comfort. They want to fund sleaze. So that sub-head simply means corruption.

 

What is gift for lecturers? What do they mean by lecturer’s comfort? The school doesn’t have students union, so what do they mean by departmental fees? The sale of handouts in the school is illegal, yet they are collecting N2,500. Class levy of N3k for which a receipt of 2k is issued, is for what? A management staff claims they use it to maintain electric fans and sockets. But they are actually collecting the money for the HOD and some other management staff. In any case, is it the students that are supposed to pay for maintenance of electrical appliances?

 

And this is only for the final year o. I will bring you the fraudulent figures for other classes soon.

 

Now tell me how this is not a criminal enterprise and management?

 

My dear late friend who died a few months ago, Professor Thomas Agan, a former CMD of the Unical Teaching Hospital, while having a bottle of wine together at Jorany Hotel in Calabar, jokingly told me that: “Agba, the way the medical schools are now collecting bribes to pass students, very soon, we will have medical professionals who do not know the difference between panadol and paracetamol. They are churning out butchers now.”

 

Whoever is supervising the school of health technology in Calabar must wake up now and do the needful and very urgently too.

 

Yours sincerely,

Citizen Agba Jalingo.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo, and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for 

 

As the uproar continues over the demolition of the replica of the Ikom monoliths at Zone 6 roundabout in Calabar, and its replacement with the sculpture of Jesus the Good Shepherd, CrossRiverWatch today sent a team to Alok, the original sites where the monoliths were found. Government aparachiks have continued to insist that Jesus must reign over our State and everything that represents idolatry, in their judgment, must be brought down. Now what exactly is the bone of contention.

The stone monoliths of Alok in Ikom LGA of Cross River State, originally consisted of around 400-450 engraved standing stones of varying heights between one to two meters, distributed around thirty communities, and are thought to be up to 3000 years old. The carved stones are grouped in circles facing each other. They bear a form of writing and a complex system of codified information.

According to the United Nation’s World Heritage site, “Although they seem to share the same general features, each stone, like the human finger print, is unique from every other stone in its design and execution. They are similar in arrangement and ordering to the Stone Circles in the Gambia, but unique in their complexity of design and interpretation. Like most rock art works in Africa, like the one in Tanzania, the Ikom monoliths could be West Africa’s answer to the United Kingdom’s Stonehenge monoliths.

“The geometric images on the monoliths suggest that their makers possessed more than a basic knowledge of mathematics, not only because they are geometric, but also because of the obvious implication that there were computations and numbers on the layout of the stones. While the images and texts carved on the monoliths remain undeciphered, researchers and linguists believe that the inscriptions represent a prehistoric form of writing and visual communication.”

An environmental study of the site identified the most immediate threats to the stones to include, neglect, effects of weathering, erosion, exposure to heavy rainfall, extreme heat and sun, biological attack caused by high humidity, damage from falling trees, theft, vandalism, local agricultural practices such as bush burning.

The threats have depleted the number of the stones and there are now estimated to be less than 250, with many having been distributed amongst major museums throughout the world. Because of these threats, in 2007 the monoliths were added to the World Monuments Fund’s list of sites in danger and are being considered for inclusion into UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list.

The Stonehenge monoliths generated more than £30m in tourism income to the UK, in the past five years, according to Tourism Minister John Penrose on BBC. Average of £6m annually. Tanzania is ramping efforts to open up the ‘Rock Arts’ in Kondoa to increase tourism revenue and Gambia has completed plans to massively promote the ‘Rock Circles’ of Senegambia, to also boost tourism revenue. But the attempt at Christianizing Cross River State by our new leader, is not only demonizing our monoliths, it is threatening the value and history behind the famous Ikom monoliths.

The replica of the monoliths which was erected at the Zone 6 roundabout in Calabar, by the Duke administration was meant to draw attention and tourists to the original sites. Like putting an advertorial bill board on a highway or at the airport. It was meant to arouse curiosity in both indigenes and visitors to our State, of the existence of a pre historic civilization and academia in our State, that is older than the birth of Christ, and draw them to the original site with a view to generating tourism income. But that replica has been destroyed and replaced with the sculpture of Jesus the Good Shepherd. While the monoliths in Ikom are threatened by environmental and human factors, the replica in Calabar has been demolished by the antics of political gerrymandering

What exactly will be the value of the new statue to us? Does the erection of religious statues increase the godliness of the people? Will the new religious statues springing up in Calabar stop our leaders from stealing our money and make them govern us well? Will these statues survive beyond Governor Otu’s administration if his successor isn’t interested in the Christianization agenda or are we going to continue wasting tax payers money on statues in every administration? Are those who harbor and are implementing this agenda aware that there are Cross Riverians who are not Christians? Were these leaders voted to govern us or to teach us God? Can these leaders tell us a roundabout in Israel, the holy land, that is decorated with the statue of Jesus? I just say make I ask.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo, and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for.

 

Nigerians today boasts of the biggest churches in the world. For the members of those ministries, it is a huge achievement. For many who understand the dynamics, it is a sign of endemic poverty, deprivation and bad governance.

Let me try to explain. Some of the most pressing things that force our people to churches are basic needs that are essentially the responsibility of government. Health, security, education, housing, food, and money. Our people go to pray for what their government is meant to provide for them. They even pray fervently for the thieves who have stolen their dues.

Let’s take examples from a place where the government is functional.

In the USA for example, public schools from pre-kindergarten to high school are free and don’t need prayer and fasting for a child to be in school. There are no hidden charges by teachers. In college, if you have made good grades, there are scholarships for you to the university for free. And there are well established government scholarships too for Masters degrees that you may not have to pay a Dollar till you finish.

But if you do not qualify for scholarships then you will get a grant, and grant is free money. Depending on the type of university that you enrolled in, the grant might be able to cover your tuition and some fees. The rest you could take a student loan to make that up. It is a federal government loan. You will start paying the loan small small every month, six months after your graduation and starting a job.

It is college fees that are typically paid for by students and the way college fees are paid can vary widely depending on the individual circumstances of each student and their family. It could be paid by your parents or via student loans which could come from the government (federal loans) or private lenders or scholarships and grants, which could come from the college itself, private organizations, or government sources, or by work-study programs, where students work part-time jobs on campus to help cover their expenses, or from other sources such as contributions from relatives, crowdfunding campaigns, or other creative ways to cover their college expenses.

But on the whole, public schools provide free education to children in the United States. They are paid for by the government with local taxes, State money, and federal resources. Any child can attend public school. There are children from different cultures who speak many different languages in public schools across the USA. Even if you bring in your child for vacation and decide not to return the child back to Nigeria, the child will be enrolled in school for free. So if you were in the US, your children’s school fees prayer point and fasting is useless because there is a functional government.

On health, kids in the US have health insurance either through their parents jobs or the government issues a health insurance policy for the kids within a certain age bracket. Even if that is not the case, no hospital has the right to refuse a child treatment. You treat and send the bill to the home address. The parents will take it to what they call “Charity Care” and address it with the department. It could be cancelled or reduced or you will be asked to pay in small instalments.

For adults, there are senior citizens. Those ones are seen and cared for with what they call Medicare Supplementary Insurance. This comes from what the government took from you during your working days. This will be used when you retire from work at 65 years. But you could even use it at your young age depending on the situation that you are in. But for the younger adults from 18 years of age, it is expected that you should be working and most jobs will insure you. If that isn’t the case, your parents can resubmit your birth certificate to their job and the child will be included in parents insurance. So if you were in the US and you are sick, it is not Olive oil you will carry or phone your pastor, you will call the hospital and emergency services will come over.

On housing, even with all the homeless immigrants you see on TV, there are over 95 thousand immigrants in New York today as we speak. They live in government shelters for free until their documents are ready. If you engage in drugs or other crimes, you may not qualify to get a room. But the government is providing shelters for the citizens.

Typically, when Americans go to Church, their prayers revolve around thanksgiving. They have food, shelter and still have public assistance(money) from the State. It is because your government has abdicated its functions and resorted to palliatives that don’t even get to the citizens, that is why our churches are still filled up with people shouting at God, everyday of the week to do things we are supposed to hold government accountable for. We pray even more fervently for thieves we are meant to hold accountable.

America is not even the best example. The Scandinavian nations provide adequate welfare for their citizens from cradle to death. They have the lowest church attendance in the world. So the halls, domes and auditoriums in Nigeria are filled up not because our people are filled with God. On the contrary, the more the crowds, the more the poverty and wickedness in the land. It is because the government has failed the people. It is because the basic needs of the people aren’t met and there are no jobs to go to, so people have time in their hands to loiter around. When these problems are fixed, if they ever will, then we will return to this conversation again to compare notes.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

DISclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for.

 

Inside Afokang Prison in Calabar, the place I spent my time the most was in the welfare department where we make phone calls, receive counseling and where the prison library is. I was always borrowing their books. I had a favorite counselor, Madam Nancy. A wonderful Ikom woman that was so kind and generous to me.

Different NGOs and religious organizations used to come with different welfare packages including cooked food for us inmates. Having spent quite some time in the facility, I started interacting with several of them freely. Many of the Christian preachers who came for evangelism also came purposely to preach to me after hearing about my incarceration in the news. They were genuinely concerned.

I made friends with a couple of them. One day, one of the regular Pastors who was coming with a particular prison ministry from a popular church engaged me in the welfare department and one thing led to the other and he told me how he hasn’t gone home for over two decades because of the wickedness of his family people.

He told me about the many wicked acts his family people had wrecked on him, including killing his younger brother and how he swore never to have anything to do with them. He revealed with relish, how happy he is anytime he hears that the family members are dying one by one and quoted a scripture to buttress his point, ‘suffer not a witch to die.’

There is no privacy in the welfare department. There are correction officers around and they are constantly eavesdropping on all the inmates. So Madam Nancy was keeping tabs on us. She is still in the yard. I remember interjecting the Pastor at a point and asking a question that got him into a conundrum. What was the question?

“Man of God, you appear to harbor so much hate against your family members for unproven allegations of witchcraft and even killing your brother. You are happy that they are dying in penury one after the other, according to you. Yet you cook and come to prison every week to give to people who have committed the most heinous crimes? There are people in CC (condemned cell), who murdered and butchered several human beings who eat the food you bring here. Yet you cannot treat your own family members who have wronged you with the same love? What is the color of the God you serve?”

He was dumbstruck. And Madam Nancy had a good laugh. Topic changed. Now, look at yourself. Do some introspection and ruminate on your recent actions. Are you like that Pastor?

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for.

 

The Economist Magazine estimates that, as at 2019, there were over 100,000 registered tailors in Nigeria. That figure is quite conservative to say the least. There is not much reliable data on the precise number of artisans countrywide. But millions of them, including, barbers, hair dressers, tailors, business center operators, welders, frozen food sellers, carpenters and wood workers, bars and pubs owners, etc, are out of work and finding it extremely difficult to cater for themselves and their families. And the only reason they are out of work is the shameful epileptic supply of electricity in Nigeria.

Yet, instead of working to improve power supply, in the 2023 national budget, N81.7 billion was allocated to the purchase of solar street lights, surpassing schools and primary health centers, which were allocated N77.9 billion and health centers, which got N3.1 billion. Yet these lights die off after a few months. They can’t power anything. Not even a blender or a clipper to cut your hair or a dryer to dry your hair. I do not know how much of that budget came to my senatorial district but I think we can separate ourselves from the pack.

What do I think we can do other than the street lights? I do not have any perfect idea. I am sure that elected leaders were trusted by the voters and do have their own solutions, but there are some thoughts racing through my mind which I will share with you. I am deliberately restricting my suggestions in this article to the five LGAs in Cross River North, where I come from. My only desire and goal here is to see how my suggestions may help to revamp the informal sector, check urban migration and drive investment to our place.

In March 2023, President Buhari signed into law, the constitutional amendment allowing states in the country to licence, generate, transmit, and distribute electricity. Under the Act, states can issue licenses to private investors who can operate mini-grids and power plants within the State. This de-monopolization of Nigeria’s electricity generation, transmission, and distribution empowered states, companies, and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.

The best bet for us from Cross River North is to explore the Obudu Dam Resort. The Federal Government on Wednesday 14th August 2012, at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, approved the contract sum of N1.165 billion, awarded to Consolidated Construction Limited, CCL, for the rehabilitation of the dam, which has a storage capacity of 1.25 million cubic meters and was meant to serve the entire northern Cross River, up to Ikom LGA. But the former Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Stella Ochekpe, was accused of misappropriating the money and she is serving a jail term in Jos.

Our National Assembly Members from the North need to constitute and support a lean technical committee to immediately determine the encumbrances surrounding the project and the possibility and plausibility of intervening to even make the place work partially.

Where that is not possible immediately; the technical team can work with experts to identify an artesian well within the proximity of the dam where groundwater can be harnessed for power generation. In the 2025 budget year, our three NASS Members can then deliberately accommodate into their joint constituency project, the development of a small dam and mini grid that can generate between 2-5 megawatt of electricity from that artesian well. Five megawatt can power Cross River North and energize a designated industrial zone within any of the LGAs in the Senatorial district. Experts say, without corruption and padding, N500 million can achieve that.

The project can be funded from NASS constituency intervention, PPP where citizens will be encouraged to own equity, and private capital. But I do not think that N500million is too much money to raise for such a vital project by our legislators. The generated energy can then be isolated from the national grid and be promptly evacuated to a designated technology hub or economic zone, that will be specially designed and allocated for all those artisans listed in my first paragraph that are currently out of jobs and other private investors who would want to come and utilize the regular power supply for small scale processing of our wasting agricultural produce and other electricity dependent business endeavours.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.