Revisiting The Blocked Channels
As Christians who believe in God, we are channels of God’s power to the outside world. God’s power is a spiritual liquid formula that serves as a deposit of His presence in every believer. It is a life-giving power that flows from within thus bringing healing and divine health to the church and conviction in the hearts of those who hear us. Unfortunately, we have lost it. We no longer preach to the peoples of the world by the assistance of God’s tangible power. The church has become entangled with worldliness and is struggling to come out of it.
What can be the probable factors responsible for this? There are four basic factors responsible for the seizure of God’s power in our generation. They are:
1. Lack of focus: A lot of times, we, the church has failed to take the river of God’s powerto places where it is needed. We only concentrate it on our church or denomination activities and programmes. We have become too self-centred to the extent that we no longer care to do something positive about reaching out to those outside the four walls of our church building and denomination. We now give priority to building of cathedrals and raising of millionaires instead of preaching and teaching the whole counsel of God to our hearers. We are divided by our various church doctrines rather than the finality of the Scripture.
2. Because there are holes in the riverbeds: Oftentimes, when there is a heavy downpour from the sky, water does not always flow easily to places where it is needed because of the presence of potholes.These holes serve as a limit to the flow of the deluge of water.
We are the channels through which God demonstrates His mighty power to the world. When there are holes in our lives as a church, the river of His power sinks without flowing. For instance, many people go for ordination into any of the five-fold ministries of Jesus Christ-Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher without being adequately prepared for this spiritual assignment. Many of them do not submit themselves to godly discipleship. They have become spiritual bastards and have thus taught their followers to be same with them. They are without spiritual guide and mentoring.
Some churches and para-church organizations are employing poor individuals and young unemployed graduates as pastors in their denomination for the sake of God’s kingdom and their denomination’s expansion. Some don’t even have well prepared follow-up outlines for their converts. They simply leave and expose them to greater influence of the world and the devil.
3. Because too many people depend on our river: Pastors with experiential daily knowledge of God are the most strategic change agents to deal with the problems in our society. Many church attendees look up to their pastors for help and solution to their spiritual problems. They see him as a person without weaknesses and problems.They throng into his office and home even at odd hours for counseling and prayers. They don’t do this with the intention of wearing out the pastor. But in actual sense, every true pastor called of God will always want to help their members because it is his responsibility.
When people draw too much virtue from the pastor without him going back to God to be refilled with spiritual strength, God’s power will not flow to other people’s direction. Jesus understood this fact. And the scriptures records that each time He ministered healing to the sick andoppressed, virtues flows out of Him. He returned to God to be filled with new power and anointing. He did not rely on yesterday’s revelation and anointing for today’s ministration. It was each day, new revelation. He was always retreating from activities and from the multitudes to regain new strength. The reverse is now the case with many pastors and Christian leaders who have become empty cisterns because they no longer go on spiritual retreats.
4. When there are limitations: Sin and inconsistency in observing our consecration are limiting factors to the flow of God’s power. When a minister does not pay proper attention to his strengths and deal with his weaknesses, there is the tendency for him to see more of his weaknesses than his strength.
A lot of times when God speaks or instructs us to deny ourselves of certain pleasures so that we can be more sensitive to Him, we see Him as a wicked God who forces His will on us. As a result, we begin to rely more on our strength rather than on our God. Samson, in the Bible at a point was no longer committed to his consecration. He reliedon his physical strength rather than God. He almost lost out of God’s plan for his life if not for the mercy of God that prevailed over him. The lesson here is this: Sin is a reproach and it has the capacity to block the flow of God’s power to our generation.
To clear the blocked channels of God’s rivers of living water, Christians must have faith in Christ and obey His teachings. Jesus said: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38, NKJV). Prompt obedience to the words of Christ is the secret to blessing our generation with the rivers of living waters which is evidently needed in our world today.
As Christians who believe in God, we are channels of God’s power to the outside world. God’s power is a spiritual liquid formula that serves as a deposit of His presence in every believer. It is a life-giving power that flows from within thus bringing healing and divine health to the church and conviction in the hearts of those who hear us. Unfortunately, we have lost it. We no longer preach to the peoples of the world by the assistance of God’s tangible power. The church has become entangled with worldliness and is struggling to come out of it.
What can be the probable factors responsible for this? There are four basic factors responsible for the seizure of God’s power in our generation. They are:
1. Lack of focus: A lot of times, we, the church has failed to take the river of God’s powerto places where it is needed. We only concentrate it on our church or denomination activities and programmes. We have become too self-centred to the extent that we no longer care to do something positive about reaching out to those outside the four walls of our church building and denomination. We now give priority to building of cathedrals and raising of millionaires instead of preaching and teaching the whole counsel of God to our hearers. We are divided by our various church doctrines rather than the finality of the Scripture.
2. Because there are holes in the riverbeds: Oftentimes, when there is a heavy downpour from the sky, water does not always flow easily to places where it is needed because of the presence of potholes.These holes serve as a limit to the flow of the deluge of water.
We are the channels through which God demonstrates His mighty power to the world. When there are holes in our lives as a church, the river of His power sinks without flowing. For instance, many people go for ordination into any of the five-fold ministries of Jesus Christ-Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher without being adequately prepared for this spiritual assignment. Many of them do not submit themselves to godly discipleship. They have become spiritual bastards and have thus taught their followers to be same with them. They are without spiritual guide and mentoring.
Some churches and para-church organizations are employing poor individuals and young unemployed graduates as pastors in their denomination for the sake of God’s kingdom and their denomination’s expansion. Some don’t even have well prepared follow-up outlines for their converts. They simply leave and expose them to greater influence of the world and the devil.
3. Because too many people depend on our river: Pastors with experiential daily knowledge of God are the most strategic change agents to deal with the problems in our society. Many church attendees look up to their pastors for help and solution to their spiritual problems. They see him as a person without weaknesses and problems.They throng into his office and home even at odd hours for counseling and prayers. They don’t do this with the intention of wearing out the pastor. But in actual sense, every true pastor called of God will always want to help their members because it is his responsibility.
When people draw too much virtue from the pastor without him going back to God to be refilled with spiritual strength, God’s power will not flow to other people’s direction. Jesus understood this fact. And the scriptures records that each time He ministered healing to the sick andoppressed, virtues flows out of Him. He returned to God to be filled with new power and anointing. He did not rely on yesterday’s revelation and anointing for today’s ministration. It was each day, new revelation. He was always retreating from activities and from the multitudes to regain new strength. The reverse is now the case with many pastors and Christian leaders who have become empty cisterns because they no longer go on spiritual retreats.
4. When there are limitations: Sin and inconsistency in observing our consecration are limiting factors to the flow of God’s power. When a minister does not pay proper attention to his strengths and deal with his weaknesses, there is the tendency for him to see more of his weaknesses than his strength.
A lot of times when God speaks or instructs us to deny ourselves of certain pleasures so that we can be more sensitive to Him, we see Him as a wicked God who forces His will on us. As a result, we begin to rely more on our strength rather than on our God. Samson, in the Bible at a point was no longer committed to his consecration. He reliedon his physical strength rather than God. He almost lost out of God’s plan for his life if not for the mercy of God that prevailed over him. The lesson here is this: Sin is a reproach and it has the capacity to block the flow of God’s power to our generation.
To clear the blocked channels of God’s rivers of living water, Christians must have faith in Christ and obey His teachings. Jesus said: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38, NKJV). Prompt obedience to the words of Christ is the secret to blessing our generation with the rivers of living waters which is evidently needed in our world today.
As Christians who believe in God, we are channels of God’s power to the outside world. God’s power is a spiritual liquid formula that serves as a deposit of His presence in every believer. It is a life-giving power that flows from within thus bringing healing and divine health to the church and conviction in the hearts of those who hear us. Unfortunately, we have lost it. We no longer preach to the peoples of the world by the assistance of God’s tangible power. The church has become entangled with worldliness and is struggling to come out of it.
What can be the probable factors responsible for this? There are four basic factors responsible for the seizure of God’s power in our generation. They are:
1. Lack of focus: A lot of times, we, the church has failed to take the river of God’s powerto places where it is needed. We only concentrate it on our church or denomination activities and programmes. We have become too self-centred to the extent that we no longer care to do something positive about reaching out to those outside the four walls of our church building and denomination. We now give priority to building of cathedrals and raising of millionaires instead of preaching and teaching the whole counsel of God to our hearers. We are divided by our various church doctrines rather than the finality of the Scripture.
2. Because there are holes in the riverbeds: Oftentimes, when there is a heavy downpour from the sky, water does not always flow easily to places where it is needed because of the presence of potholes.These holes serve as a limit to the flow of the deluge of water.
We are the channels through which God demonstrates His mighty power to the world. When there are holes in our lives as a church, the river of His power sinks without flowing. For instance, many people go for ordination into any of the five-fold ministries of Jesus Christ-Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher without being adequately prepared for this spiritual assignment. Many of them do not submit themselves to godly discipleship. They have become spiritual bastards and have thus taught their followers to be same with them. They are without spiritual guide and mentoring.
Some churches and para-church organizations are employing poor individuals and young unemployed graduates as pastors in their denomination for the sake of God’s kingdom and their denomination’s expansion. Some don’t even have well prepared follow-up outlines for their converts. They simply leave and expose them to greater influence of the world and the devil.
3. Because too many people depend on our river: Pastors with experiential daily knowledge of God are the most strategic change agents to deal with the problems in our society. Many church attendees look up to their pastors for help and solution to their spiritual problems. They see him as a person without weaknesses and problems.They throng into his office and home even at odd hours for counseling and prayers. They don’t do this with the intention of wearing out the pastor. But in actual sense, every true pastor called of God will always want to help their members because it is his responsibility.
When people draw too much virtue from the pastor without him going back to God to be refilled with spiritual strength, God’s power will not flow to other people’s direction. Jesus understood this fact. And the scriptures records that each time He ministered healing to the sick andoppressed, virtues flows out of Him. He returned to God to be filled with new power and anointing. He did not rely on yesterday’s revelation and anointing for today’s ministration. It was each day, new revelation. He was always retreating from activities and from the multitudes to regain new strength. The reverse is now the case with many pastors and Christian leaders who have become empty cisterns because they no longer go on spiritual retreats.
4. When there are limitations: Sin and inconsistency in observing our consecration are limiting factors to the flow of God’s power. When a minister does not pay proper attention to his strengths and deal with his weaknesses, there is the tendency for him to see more of his weaknesses than his strength.
A lot of times when God speaks or instructs us to deny ourselves of certain pleasures so that we can be more sensitive to Him, we see Him as a wicked God who forces His will on us. As a result, we begin to rely more on our strength rather than on our God. Samson, in the Bible at a point was no longer committed to his consecration. He reliedon his physical strength rather than God. He almost lost out of God’s plan for his life if not for the mercy of God that prevailed over him. The lesson here is this: Sin is a reproach and it has the capacity to block the flow of God’s power to our generation.
To clear the blocked channels of God’s rivers of living water, Christians must have faith in Christ and obey His teachings. Jesus said: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38, NKJV). Prompt obedience to the words of Christ is the secret to blessing our generation with the rivers of living waters which is evidently needed in our world today.
Related Topics
AN UNPALATABLE PANDEMIC HITS HUMANITY
BY MUOMA VALENTINE CHIBUEZE
An unpalatable pandemic hits humanity,
Causing pandemonium
Ravaging nations of the world
Has succeeded in holding us apart
in the name of social distance
Isolation, quarantine, lockdown, sickness, fear, panic, hunger has become the order of the day
Those who are sick now fear going to the hospital
For fear of being suspected of COVID-19
Even those with the virus are scared of opening up
For fear of being segregated
Thereby infecting others
Increasing the spread the virus.
The pandemic has become a throb in our neck
Its tremulous beats wake trenchant
Its stings becoming catastrophic to the well-being of the nation
The number of cases keep raising daily and has become a plethora
The social media has become agents of adulterated news
Bringing forth absurd means of combating the virus
Propagating outrageous number of cases
Creating panic, fear and chaos in the land.
Observing safety tips is the only panacea to contending the virus
Anything contrary exacerbates the pandemic
Continuous public health enlightenment Should be accessible to everyone.
Corrections of fallacies on the spread of the virus
Is our collective responsibility
Looking out for one another is imperative
With all these measures on ground
We can successfully overcome this unpalatable pandemic.
ABOUT THE POET
Muoma Valentine Chibueze is a poet, essayist and motivational speaker. He is currently a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
The truth forever remains that you are your greatest friend or enemy. When people are against you, you must learn to be for you. When people are pulling you down, you must learn to pull yourself up.
You are you worst enemy when you do not believe in yourself. Be your greatest cheerleader. When things are going against you, learn to give yourself a pep talk.
I have encountered times in my life when things were so bad and I was so confused but I had to calm myself down and controlled my mind and gradually things began to turn green for good.
Learn to take charge of your mind and everything will gradually fall into pleasant places.
Be your best friend by telling yourself truth, no matter how hard it may be.
I wish you all the best.
Yours in life betterment,
Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha
Financial reports are critical since they contain significant information about the financial health of a business. These reports allow business owners to make an informed decision as they highlight which companies’ areas offer the best return-on-investment. Unless exempted, companies in Singapore are mandated to file their financial reports or statements with ACRA. The reports must abide by the Singapore Financial Reporting Standards or SFRS that the Accounting Standards Council issued.
Other benefits of financial reporting include:
- Enhanced debt management: Regardless of the business sector, debt can cripple the company’s development all the same. Financial reports allow companies to track their current assets divided by their current liabilities on their balance to help gauge their liquidity and handle their debts accordingly.
- Identification of trend: Financial statements allow business owners to spot trends, both past and the present, which empower them to overcome potential weaknesses while assisting them in making improvements that will be beneficial to their business’s overall health.
- Real-time tracking: By getting access to centralised, real-time insights, business owners would be able to make informed business decisions swiftly, hence, preventing any possible hurdles while keeping their financial fluidity all the time.
- Liabilities management: Proper liabilities management is a vital part of the ongoing financial health of the company. Examples of integral liabilities include business loans and credit cards. The financial statements allow business owners to determine whether they need to decrease existing liabilities before making an official business loan application.
Business entities exempted from the financial report filing are as follows:
- Partnerships, including limited partnerships
- Sole proprietorships
- Solvent EPCs or Exempt Private Companies. While solvent EPCs are exempted, they are encouraged to file their financial statements.
- Dormant unlisted companies, which are dormant from their establishment’s time or since the end of the past financial year.
To ensure accurate and legally compliant financial reporting, business owners should seek assistance from reputable Singapore accounting services. When selecting accounting services in Singapore, be sure to consider factors like the agency’s credibility, reliability, industry expertise, pricing model, and extra services.
Posted By Izunna Okafor
"Cry Of The Forest", a popular short story by award-winnig Nigerian writer, Godwin Cornelius Udagbor, has been translated into Hindi, an Indian Language. The translation was carried out by an Indian writer, Mrs Rukiya Begum, a poet, famous for works in her country, India.
Earlier in 2018, Cry Of The Forest received powerful recommendation from two Indian Literary giants; Professor Sahjahan Ali Ahmed and Dr Rajdeep Chowdhury. Udagbor’s work has been flying since its publication in 2018.
It has been revealed that Rukiya Begum began the translation in March 2020 and finished it in June of the same year.
Information has it that a mass production of the newly translated work is in progress, following useful negotiations between the author, Godwin Udagbor, his legal team, and the translator, Mrs Rukiya Begum.
The translator has been an avid (online) admirer of "Cry Of The Forest" and its author, an admiration that eventually culminated to such an intellectual relationship. Their online discussion invariably centered on Polygamy.
Polygamy has two faces however; and in Africa, it implies a man marrying more than one wife simultaneously. In India it is Polyandry, that is, a woman marrying more than two husbands, to contrast with the popular African notion of Polygamy.
Presumably, it was this shocking contrast that magnetized Mrs Rukiya Begum that she decided not to let it go unattended to; hence, she decided to translate, from English to Hindi, Godwin Cornelius Udagbor’s bombshell as far she is concerned.
On his part, the author, Godwin Udagbor wishes that he could speak and write Hindi to enable him know and feel the emotions of a Hindi reader who has just discovered that, on the same planet earth, lives another version of the Polygamy their tradition has always fed them with.
Sometime ago, I attended a youth programme and overheard one of the high-ranking priests lamenting that many of the youths in the Anglican Church are breaking their (spiritual) fathers’ hearts by relocating to the Pentecostal circle especially after they had invested so much virtues in them. Several questions came up in my mind when I heard this statement. (1). Is it really compulsory for a Christian youth to remain permanently in the church/ denomination he was born into? My answer to that question is “No”. If God is leading a Christian youth to relocate to another church especially if he or she is no longer enjoying spiritual balanced diet, he or she should by no means move on to another church.
(2). Must all outstanding Christian youths become members of the hierarchical pastoral order of a church? My answer is “No”. If God has not called a youth into the ministry let no pastor or priest ‘call’ him into any of the five-fold ministries. He or she should not be cajoled or pressurized into accepting such ‘call’. Otherwise that would amount to asking the young man or woman to take on more responsibilities than he or she was created/destined to handle.
(3). Is it really wrong for a member of a church or denomination to attend programmes of other churches or denominations? My answer is “No”. It is quite alarming that several Christian leaders had promoted and are still promoting disunity by discouraging their younger followers from attending meetings or fellowship organized by other church leaders or even interact with other Christians no matter how spiritual or godly they are. Some of them even go to the extent of suspending those who attended such programmes from their responsibility (ies) in church. Let us stop the hypocrisy. Pray for unity in the Body of Christ, preach unity in the Body of Christ and practice unity in the Body of Christ.
(4). Is it compulsory for a Christian youth to remain bounded to his or her church/denomination by marrying a fellow believer from his or her church? Marrying a believer from your church/ denomination is a good idea but it is advisable that a Christian marries a man or woman that fears God, irrespective of his or her denomination.
Please do not get me wrong. It is not that I do not care about the emotional pains pastors go through each time their followers relocate to another church for whatever reason. I do but the best bet is that pastors and priests should learn to release people from their hearts when they leave the churches they oversee without hurting themselves or anyone. It is also important for a pastor or priest to identify and discover the departments or units of his church where more hands are needed and personally ask the Lord of the harvest to send more labourers to meet those specific needs in the church he pastors.
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, a slave is ‘a person that is controlled by another person or thing’. He does not have an independent mind-his decisions are strongly influenced by another person or thing.
A slave to sin is a person who is controlled by the force of sin. He cannot do without committing sin. He is strongly bonded to the yoke of sin no matter how much he tries to break free from it.
WHAT IS SIN?
Sin is the transgression of the law. It is an act of disobedience to God’s established laws and commandments. Anyone who lives with the habit of breaking God’s laws is a sinner.
CONSEQUENCES OF BEING A SLAVE TO SIN
There are six main consequences of being a slave to sin. They are:
1. He is an alien to God: Anyone still living in sin is a stranger in God’s house. He does not have a permanent residence in God’s kingdom. “The slave does not continue in the house (God’s family) for ever… (John 8:35a, words in bracket mine). He cannot have access to God’s kingdom riches unless he repents from sin.
2. He is the devil’s possession: Anyone who has the devil’s property (sin) in him is automatically a toy in the hands of the devil. “He who commits sin is of the devil” (1 John 3:8a). The devil uses him to fulfil his whims and caprices.
3. His prayers are unanswered: A sinner’s prayer is an abomination before God (Isaiah 59:1-2). God doesn’t hear such prayer. The only prayer of a sinner that is acceptable to God is the prayer of genuine repentance.
4. He is a victim of God’s wrath: God’s face is against anyone who does evil (1 Peter 3:12b). His wrath rests evidently with sinners daily (Psalm 7:11b, John 3:36b).
5. He is spiritually separated from God: Sin separates a man from God because His eyes are too holy to behold iniquity (Isaiah 59:2). It makes a man to be far from God. It is the cry for mercy that brings him close to God.
6. He has an eternal home in hell: A sinner has a permanent home in hell, a place that burns with fire and brimstone eternally if he fails to repent from his sins (Revelation 21:8). No unrighteous person will enter into heaven, the eternal home prepared for the saints.
THE WAY OUT OF SLAVERY
Living a life that is free from the bondage of sin is a choice to be made by those who are tired of being the devil’s captive.
The first step to living a sin-free live is to hate sin, confess your previous sins and forsake them (Proverb 28:13).
Secondly, you must invite Jesus into your heart by faith now that He can still be found. When He comes in, He will break the yoke of sin in your life and give you the power to become God’s child (Matthew 11:28-29, John 1:12).
Thirdly, you must make a permanent commitment to Jesus to serve Him as your Lord and Saviour all the days of your life. Living a sin-free life comes with its own special demand and package-a life of total surrender to the Lordship of Jesus now and forever.
Lastly, learn everything you need to know about Jesus by attending a church where God’s words are taught with sincerity. Study and meditate on His actions, teachings and commandments. Ensure that you obey Him every time and everywhere. Regular obedience to God is the surest way to maintaining your liberty in Christ Jesus. Make the decision to obey Him today. Shalom.
Society of Young Nigerian Writers, (SYNW), which is a national umbrella of young writers in Nigeria, has joined in the global fight against coronavirus, by launching and championing a new movement — 'Writers Against Covid-19'.
This was disclosed by Chairman and Coordinator of the movement, Izunna Okafor, through a release he jointly signed with the Secretary of the movement's committee, Musa Sunusi Ahmad who also doubles as the National Public Relation Officer of the SYNW.
According to the release, the movement was primarily formed to integrate writers in the ongoing fight against COVID-19 pandemic, and to give them platforms to employ their pen, creativity and dexterity towards combating and winning the war against the novel virus, which is currently 'harassing' the world in all ramifications.
The ideation cum formation of the movement is more or less corroboratory to Edward Bulwer-Lytton's age-long pithy saying, that 'pen is mightier than sword'; and is also in keeping with the fact that writers have a plethora of roles to play in this global fight against the novel virus, and to which many of them are very ardent to give their best, if given a platform.
The statement reads in part:
"The pursuit of this new movement is tripartite in nature, with regards to the (equally new) projects it has been launched to undertake.
"One of these is administration of the association's newly launched online certificate course on coronavirus, called 'SYNW Covid-19 Correspondence Course' (which could be taken at: www.https://covid19correspondencecourse.blogspot.com ).
"The correspondence course has been rightly renamed after Menegian Saro-Wiwa, son of late playwright, Ken Saro-Wiwa, who recently died of COVID-19 in London.
"The movement is also charged with managing and regularly updating the SYNW COVID-19 Information Hub —
www.https://synwcovid19informationhub.blogspot.com (which is a new site exclusively created by the association, for publishing news relating to coronavirus).
"Lastly, the movement is to publish an electronic anthology on the COVID-19 pandemic (which is expected to be out by May, featuring literary works on coronavirus, from writers across the world)."
Izunna Okafor further noted through the release that, "aside publishing of successful writers' works in the anthology, certificate(s) of participation and automatic membership into the association will also be given to the successful participants in each of the projects."
He also appreciated the President of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers, Mr. Wole Adedoyin, and other National Executive Members of the association for coming up with such an apt movement.
He called on both bourgeoning and established writers from different parts of the world to identify with, and take part in the projects; even as he solicited the support of goodhearted individuals, private and public organisations, as well as government, to support the movement to achieve its reputable objectives.
Okafor, who himself is an author and equally the National Secretary of the young writers association, advised that further enquiries about the movement could be directed to the committee via: writersagainstcovid19movement@gmail.com .
Other committee members of the movement include:
Angelica C. Uwaezuoke — (SYNW Coordinator, University of Nigeria Nsukka)
Abdulrazak Denja Balema — (SYNW Coordinator, Federal University Lokoja)
Sakinah Yusuf — (SYNW Coordinator, Bayero University, Kano)
Adebayo Iwalola — (SYNW Coordinator, Adekunle Ajasin University)
Innocent David Chinaecherem — (SYNW Coordinator, Federal University of
Technology Owerri)
Alabi Matthew — (SYNW Coordinator, University of Lagos)
Luqman Alawode — (SYNW Coordinator, Osun State)
Henry Ndifreke Precious — (SYNW Coordinator, University of Abuja)
As the world celebrated the 2020 World Poetry Day, young writers in Anambra State, under the umbrella of Society of Young Nigerian Writers have reiterated call for immortalization of Chinua Achebe, one of Nigeria's foremost literary figures.
The Coordinator of the association, Mr. Izunna Okafor announced this during a one-day literary event organized by the association, in commemoration of the day in Anambra State.
The event which held at the Anambra State Central E-Library, Awka on Saturday, was also used to mark the association's March monthly reading, and also for remembering seven years of Achebe's exit, who coincidentally died on World Poetry Day (21st March, 2013).
He disclosed that the association has been in the forefront in celebrating the legend, Achebe, and his works, through the annual 'Chinua Achebe Literary Festival'; through publishing of annual poetry/essay anthology in his honour; and through organizing annual secondary school essay writing competition in his honour, which he said, was recently endowed by the Anambra Newspapers and Printing Corporation, among other numerous ways they keep Achebe's memory alive.
According to him, the 2019 edition of the Chinua Achebe Literary Festival birthed a world class anthology —Arrows of Words; and also birthed a six-point communiqué and recommendation, which the association sent (with accompanying letter) to the State Governor, Chief Dr. Willie Obiano, and other concerned ministries and agencies of the State Government, for implementation.
He disclosed that the number-one item in the six-point communiqué (which he said they deliberately did not publish online for public consumption, until one month after the event) was the call for Chinua Achebe's immortalization, as well as suggestions/recommendations on how that could be best done.
Okafor, an award-winnig author and journalist, however, further regretted that, up till today, the State Government is yet to commence implementation of any of the items contained in the communiqué.
"The State Government needs not ignore or allow such a wonderful communiqué as that to die a natural death, as that would not be fair or encouraging who aspire to toe Achebe's path," he added.
He therefore reminded the State Government and other concerned authorities of the need to productively utilize the communiqué and immortalize Chinua Achebe, who he said is overdue for the that, owing to his great contributions and legacies in the literary field of life, before bowing out seven years ago.
Others who spoke at the event, including the author of "Pregnancy of the gods" and Managing Director/Chief Creative Officer of Brande Aristotle Limited, Mr. Odili Ujubuońu; award-winnig Journalist, Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, among others, tasked the young writers on creativity, and further re-emphasize the inestimable importance of such literary gatherings to those who truly want to excel in the literary field.
The three-in-one event featured readings (both in honour of Achebe and the World Poetry Day), literary appreciation, observance of a minute silence in honour of Chinua Achebe's soul, among other literary packages slated for the day.
Editor's Note:
Out of their ardency, eighteen poets and poetry lovers identified with the need to give the 2020 Valentine celebration a poetic taste glamour.
With a view to harvest and immortalize this zeal, each of these bards donated a tranche of poetic condiment in response to a call for submissions made in that regard.
The fabrication of these romantic lines of epopees, as was edited by Izunna Okafor, gave birth to this panoramic poetic montage —My Love My All.
Here in this second edition of this journey, these poets explore the theme to register what love holds for them and their inamoratos in its various dimensions.
They write:
My love my all
In whose heart my treasure grows
From whose spine my pleasure flows
Nigher oh my love for in you I repose my all
Where is the inamorata who chained my treasure
She whose smile holds my pleasure!
The time fast approaches,
With its augur on rose hedges..
Where are you, my love, my all.
You whose love tower, I grow tall.
The field of love is verdant with hue;
My heart wanders for nothing, but you!
Give me the love that leads the way
And the kiss that heals the pierced heart
The faith that nothing can dismay
Lest I sink to be a clod.
Stretch your loving hand to me my love
The hand which comforts beyond measure
In the midst of adversity
You shall forever be my treasure.
Come to me my love.
And feel me all as my heart trembles for your love
Out of my loneliness
Heal me and hold me closer to thee.
Loneliness becomes an unbearable sickness
Every second your absence is felt
Storms trouble my sailing heart
In every flash of our last romance.
Never will the world ever be sweet
If not with you reposing on my laps
In you alone
I found meaningless of life without a woman.
You are my all and true love
Both far and near
For in you, I felt what Nnewi's progenitor felt for Nnobi damsel
That made him start a religion deifying her
Your love tastes like abacha
And Nwoke Udi special palm-wine
joined together
My love my all
Ị sọgbuo m!!!
The smile on your face is sun
The only thing that stands when everything becomes dark.
Your smile is a map directing men of goodwill
I will camp you in my heart forever.
For you are my salt
That flavors the taste of my love.
And you are my light,
That brightens my darkest plights.
For God's love to all,
He gave His only Son.
But for His love for me,
He gave a precious gift of you
my heart's key.
You pick the lock
Oh! You do it all over again
My heart, creaking, opening its arms to you
You, gliding in with a fragrance of warmth.
Your visits leave me nimble
Your sweet perfume arouses my soul
And when you sway, that liquefied sublime motion
My brain falls into oblivion.
Deeper in your veins my love flows
Beckoning you closer to my sinews
Peak me to the point my love temper swells
For in you all trust I my all
Your love and touch are sensational
They give this feeling of nostalgia
And make me feel like an infant
Please let me be your boo just for a day or two.
Thy love is better than wine
Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels
As the lilly among thorns
So is my love for you!
As the apple tree among trees,
So are you before me always.
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet,
Onitemi! kiss me, with the kisses of your mouth.
Clothe my heart with your love,
For its own love is dead.
Toss off one bit of it,
And the garden would be finer than Eden.
Hold my lips, let's make it last,
Now I am seconds closer to you.
Let it be a thing they could jot down,
Knowing well how much we love each other.
Youare my love my all,
On this beautiful island of scented glory, surrounded by the emerald sea
Under the blue sky and crescent moon of passion
And blessed with the sweet serenade of nightingales.
I crave to dwell in the freshness of your presence
Which is as pure as a lily;
As rare as a blue rose
And as lovely as venus.
I only desire company of you
To better express the freedom
Found in our affection
For you are my all.
In sincere confession of this,
I beseech God to marry us
In timeless matrimony of divine and infinite love
Beneath the twilight of cupid's divinest dreams.
My love you’re my all
My forever Valentine
My giant for eternity you make me feel secure even when all around me is chaos!
Your imperfections are nature's reward to me.
They define your humanity,
In that man who is perfect lies all the deceit in the world.
My love you’re my all
While we fold and drink from each others' lips
And as moon lends a scenting aroma to our eyes
At this love station, countless for the trip,
Then I hear a voice pouring from the skies:
"This liquid love will soon solidify
Only take your sleep gently and watch tears dry
For I shall be coming by,
Yes, I."
How can I make you see what I feel
When love is blind?
When I push hard
You might think love is wicked
Here you are staring at me
The only thing I want is to deep my lips into yours
And our love will be unbreakable
Don't call it magic, it's a miracle!
With you, it's like honey and bread
Sweet to the body and blessing to the soul
My love, with you I know we will reach for the stars and even beyond
With you, I have no cause to look elsewhere, cause I am at rest.
With you, I feel complete
You make me see the beauty in my imperfections
Your love gives me room to live and truly live
With you, I am a giant with great strides.
Give me your love, and I will give you my all
Kill me with love, and resurrect me with love
For it's a season of love
Oh! Valentine is here again.
Contributors:
Izunna Okafor
Nket Godwin
Odinaka Nworie
Innocent Chikodiri Paul
Nwokeabia, Ifeanyi John
O'star Eze
John Chizoba Vincent
Stanley Ezechukwu
Rosemary Nwadike
Dishon Obok
Gloria Oluchi John
Kayode Awojobi
Chidiebere Ezekwesili
Marcel Ike Okonkwo
Dayo Ayilara
Maureen Onyinye Kenneth
Udo Okoronkwo-chukwu
Michael David Ogbonnaya.
Compiled and Edited by Izunna Okafor
By Izunna Okafor
It was Haruki Murakami who once said that death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it —an aphorism buttressed strongly by George Eliot's apothegm that "Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them."
It is on these long-standing witty sayings that the Nigerian literary community received the her first shocking news of 2020, that foremost Nigerian novelist, who was also the Traditional Ruler of Ndikelionwu Kingdom in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra, Eze Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike has gone asleep.
The news which ushered in the dawn of the second Thursday of the year was hitherto faulted and scored a grapevine, to the credit of two points —the source from which it came, and the terminology with which it was broken.
By way of reaction to the news, it was rightly argued that, in Igbo land, Traditional Rulers do not die. In other words, in Igbo land, it is wrong for one to say that a Traditional Ruler is dead; instead, one could say that the king has joined his ancestors, is sleeping, is resting, or has fallen asleep.
Secondly, no one is authorised to disclose such information (that the king is sleeping) except the affected community's cabinets or Council of Elders, in agreement with the members of the royal family or the ruling dynasty, as the case may be.
Although, people, especially the closest relatives or community members may be aware that the king has fallen asleep, they won't dare disclose it or tattle over it, pending an authorised disclosure by the right source.
Little wonder why, when interviewed on the hideous development, a stakeholder from the Ndikelionwu Community, Prince Emma Okoli-Ijeoma said, “'As far as I am concerned as a member of the ruling house in this Ndikelionwu Ancient Kingdom, I am saying that Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike Eze Ndikelionwu, the 11th of Ndikelionwu is not yet dead!
In our tradition, nobody opens his mouth to tell outsiders that the Traditional Ruler is dead. You don’t say it because according to the customary law of Anambra state, king doesn’t die!
"If at all there is anything of that nature, one would say the king has joined his ancestors. It is not the duty of anybody to tell outsiders that the king is dead. It is after the royal family has met and agreed before such thing would be announced. Not just a rifraf would come and say what he doesn’t know!
"So I am saying that as far as the royal family is concerned, we have not announced anything to the public, that is, if something really happened."
Also, in most cases, the Elder In Council may not even announce the news, except a replacement or heir is found, especially in a situation where the crown is rotational.
These formed the basis upon which the news of Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike joining his ancestors was held in the air on arrival.
Be it as it may, succeeding sunset and sunrise have unmasked and unearthed the rock.
As Nze Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike rests on in his ancestral home and palace, Ndikelionwu, literary enthusiasts, fans and some other stakeholders in the country have continued to register their feelings and pour their tributes to the legend.
Breaking the news, the Anambra State's Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C-Don Adinuba said, "Goodnight, Prof Chukwuemeka Ike. We all drank from the fountain of The Bottled Leopard as students to assuage our curiousity for mystery. We were stunned by the shenanigans of Expo ’77 and thrilled, to no end, by Sunset at Dawn.
“As you join your ancestors, let’s pray you never stumble from The Chicken Chasers or undone by Conspiracy of Silence. Adieu, a great man of letters, a king who wore humility like a robe.”
On his own part, the Executive Governor of Anambra, H.E Chief Willie Obiano said, "I am saddened by the death of HRM Eze Chukwuemeka Ike. He was always a regal presence around us here, bringing his wealth of experience to bear on the deliberations of the Traditional Rulers Council. We shall sorely miss him. But we shall also find strength and consolation in his exemplary life and the legacies he left for mankind through his literary works and stellar contributions to the traditional institution in Anambra State.”
Former PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar said, “I mourn one of Nigeria’s prolific novelists and traditional ruler of Ndikelionwu in Anambra State, H.R.H. (Prof.) Chukwuemeka Ike.
“He will be remembered for his classics: "Toads for Supper" and "Sunset at Dawn" among others. May he rest in peace."
In similar tones, other literary enthusiasts and concerned Nigerians have also bared their minds thematically on the development, ruefully registering their reactions to the news and their tributes for the legend, as collated below:
Denja Abdullahi, immediate past President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) says:
"Prof. Ike's death was sad all the same but it was not a shock because he was an old man. He was a contemporary of all other first generation of Nigerian writers and his death was like the end of an era. We could say that the last of the titans has gone home.
Tributarily, Abdullahi said, "Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike was a productive writer of several novels with interesting stories and catchy titles. You could locate his works between the popular and literary fiction genre. He was a very good satirist of the human condition.I feel that he was not celebrated enough like some other people feel. It may be because of his self-effacing nature and unwillingness to indulge in needless literary and critical controversies.
"He has gone beyond just being a writer to contribute to the development of the Nigerian Book Industry through his Nigerian Book Foundation. He was always there anywhere you invite him to if it had to do with writing,writers and the books.
"Prof Chukwuemeka Ike will live eternally in the minds of all of us through his evergreen stories of the foibles of man."
Mr. Oseloka Henry Obaze, a published author, poet and literary enthusiast says:
"The passing of HRM Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike, Eze Ndikelionwu is numbing. He was an exceptional, gifted, resolute and most unassuming person. I was privileged to be considered his friend and welcomed freely into his palace. He was chair of my book presentation in 2018.
His tribute: "Eze Chukwuemeka Ike lived life fully and made enduring contributions to our educational system, literature, cultureand traditional institution. He motived many writers, even those who never met him personally.
"He has immortalized his name and his footprints will linger for years to come. May God grant him eternal rest and his dear wife HRM Bimpe Ike, the fortitude to bear the loss."
Okeke Chika Jerry, an author, publisher and literary arts promoter says:
"I was in deed shocked when I heard the sad news over the radio. I wished he stayed a bit longer so that this generation of ours will have tapped a lot more from his wealth of wisdom.
"But I believe Professor Ike is not totally dead and he will never die completely because all his works are still breathing all over the world. "Rest in peace Papa ndi authors."
Odili Ujubuońu, award-winning author and literary enthusiast says:
"This is a huge loss. Chukwuemeka Ike was a great inspiration to a lot of writers who came after him. The choice of subject matters he treated in his novels spoke a lot about the kind of man he was and the whole essence of his writing.
"He was never complex in his style and or his plot and that led us easily into the wonderful worlds he created. These worlds would live forever with us. Through them, we would keep remembering him. May his gentle and kind soul find eternal peace."
Reginald Chiedu Ofodile, author and international award-winning actor says:
"I received news of his demise with sighs. I'm told Professor Ike is asleep, which is a correct phrase to apply to a traditional ruler. His subsiding into sleep did not shock me. He lost his only child three years ago. It must have been a massive blow, and he was also in his late 80s."
Tribute: "Eze Ike was an engaging, fluent and satirical writer. He created fascinating characters and witty, wicked situations. I remember 'Sweetie' in TOADS FOR SUPPER, 'Peace Bozo' in THE CHICKEN CHASERS, 'Mrs Ikin' and 'Dr Okoro' in THE NAKED GODS... and many others. I recall his books appeared under the FONTANA imprint, not the AFRICAN WRITERS' SERIES."
Prof. Sam Uzochukwu, Igbo Poet and Novelist says:
"Prof Ike's death is indeed a loss to the nation, particularly to the literary class.Though he lived to old age, death, particularly of an icon always evokes shock to the living; so I feel shocked by his death as his other admirers .
"Prof. Ike was among the respected writers, in the same class as Chinua Achebe, for which Umuahia Govt college was renowned. He produced novels that dealt with topical issues of his time.
"Above all, Prof. Ike was a man imbued with tenacity of purpose. He never wavered on any issue he was convinced about. This quality of his was manifested when I worked with him, a few years ago, on an Igbo project for which we were appointed by the Anambra State Govt.
May the Lord grant him eternal rest, amen."
Untill he slept off, Eze Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike (born on April 23, 1931) was award-winning and pioneer Nigerian writer, known for a mixture of lampoon, humor and satire, a writing style believed to be tied to his Igbo cultural upbringing.
He attended the Government College, Umuahia, where he started writing for the school magazine, The Umuahian, which published his first ever written story —‘A Dreamland,’ a work which set his foot on the literary space.
Some eminent Nigerian writers who attended the school include Chinua Achebe, Christopher Okigbo, and Ken Saro Wiwa, among others.
A graduate of the University College, Ibadan, Prof. Ike made a plethora of impacts and left great legacies in the literary and academic fields, and was conferred the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) Award which is Nigeria's highest and most prestigious national prize for academic and intellectual attainment, making him the second Novelist to receive the award since its inauguration in 1979, the first being Prof. Chinua Achebe.
Prof. Ike's works include Toads for Supper (1965), The Naked God’s (1970), The Potter’s Wheel (1973), Sunset and Dawn (1976), Expo ’77 (1980), The Bottled Leopard (1985), Our Children are Coming (1990); Conspiracy of Silence (2001), among other publications.
Away from the literary flank, Prof. Ike served as an academic in different roles such as a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, registrar at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and visiting professor at the University of Jos.
He was also the President of the Nigerian Book Foundation, as well as the first Nigerian to be the registrar of the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC).
Ike slept at 88.
As Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike peacefully joined his ancestors, Nigerian literary community, fans, and the world at large heartily bid him farewell and wish him eternal repose in the world of immorality.
Goodnight great man.
About the Author:
Izunna Okafor is an award-winning Nigerian Novelist, Poet, Journalist, Essayist, Editor, Translator, Publicist, Igbo Language Activist and Administrator who hails from Ebenator in Nnewi South L.G.A of Anambra State Nigeria. He writes perfectly in English and Igbo languages, and has published several books in both languages.
Izunna has received over 25 awards, and has over 2000 articles published online, both nationally and internationally.
He can be reached via: izunnaokafor70@mail.com
