The Neglect of Igbo Language IS worse than Defeat of Biafra

Another disaster is on the verge of be falling ndigbo. The tragedy worse than the defeat of Biafra is about to happen in our generation. The impending doom is the threat of imminent death of Igbo Language. Already Igbo Language  is in a critical condition today.
These were part of the lamentations of Prof. Pita Ejiofo while delivering this year’s Odenigbo lecture, at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral Owerri, November7. He spoke on Oganihu Igbo: Onodu Asusu Igbo. (Igbo Progressive Welfare: Where does the Igbo Language stand?)
Prof Ejiofo noted that at the moment, Igbo Language is in a serious condition, and its survival depends squarely on Igbo governors. He therefore appealed to them to rescue this God-given Language so that the tragedy which befell Biafra will not be its fate.
In a well-researched paper, with statistical and empirical evidences, Prof Ejiofo gave several instances, of actions and inactions of ndigbo to prove that Igbo Language is on danger list.
He said that ndigbo both in Nigeria and  in diaspora are 31million and that out of 6809 Languages in the World, Igbo Language is ranked 41st based on the population of ndigbo.
Continuing, he observed that in Africa, apart from Nigeria, Igbo population is greater than any other country in West Africa.
“In Nigeria, ethnic nationalities are between 200-250 in number, Igbo is ranked among the first three. Also, in Nigeria with a population of 155 million, one out of every five Nigerian is Igbo.”
 he lecturer regretted that despite these blessings, Igbo Language is on the verge of being subsumed by other languages.
For example, in 2010, out of 920 Nigerian home videos, 127 were produced in English Language, 291 in Hausa, 470 in Yoruba, 29 in Bini (Edo), only one in Igbo.
The result has not changed. Quoting  statistics released by the National Film and Video Censors Board, for Sept 2011-April 2013 out of 215 films produced, 80 were in Hausa, 72 in Yoruba, 42 in English, 20 in Bini, only one in Igbo.
Also, DSTV Africa Magic, was initially aired only in English Language. But following the popularity of the progrramme, DSTV promised Nigerians that it would introduce African Magic in Nigerian Languages. Everybody was happy. But when the programme took off  in April 2010, only two Nigerian Languages were selected- African Magic Hausa and Africa Magic Yoruba, which are currently running on Channels 156 and 157 respectively. Igbo is not there.
Similarly, Hausa service runs in both Voice of America (VOA) and British Broadcasting Cooperation BBC. Igbo is not there. So, the World doesn’t seem to know there is a language called Igbo.
On those responsible for the present critical situation of Igbo Language, prof. Ejiofor blamed teachers, many of who prevent pupils from speaking Igbo Language in class; Igbo parents who speak only English to their children and who unashamedly tell visitors that, “Junior does not understand Igbo;” Universities that use English Language to teach Igbo; Igbo elders who write address and funeral orations in English, and who encourage such phrases as “Happy Birthday,” “Happy New Year”, “Happy Easter” etc.

Also to blame are priests who conduct masses and services in English Language simply because 5% of the congregation is non-Igbo. However, he heaped the biggest blame on Igbo government: “How much was budgeted for the promotion of Igbo Language since the end of Civil War? What law did they make to ensure that Igbo language is compulsory in both primary and secondary schools, and also made a condition for gaining admission into the higher institutions in Igboland?”
 
 CULLED FROM www.theleaderassumpta.com

7 lies you must stop telling yourself

1. My past defines me.

The past only has the power to dictate the future if we let it. Just because you were in an unloving marriage doesn’t mean you aren’t worthy of being loved. Just because you got a fancy engineering degree from M.I.T. doesn’t mean you have to be an engineer, despite the fact you hate engineering.

2. Work is supposed to suck, that’s why it’s called work.

I have no issue with hard work and in fact, I advocate it. But working for the sake of working doesn’t make sense. Sure you have to pay your bills, but so do all the small business owners, online entrepreneurs, and people who are happily pursuing their dreams.

 3. I don’t deserve to be happy.

Unfortunately this is a deeply ingrained lie that can cause you to spend your life living just above average. From early childhood, you are led to believe certain things about yourself and many times, it’s negative.

Many of you falsely believe you are not good enough to be/do/have what you want in this life. And I’ll tell you with absolute certainty–it’s complete bullshit.

4. I can’t change.

Of course you can. It’s very challenging to change, especially permanently, but it needs to happen if you are going to improve your life. Doing the same things and making the same decisions every day and thinking something new will happen is madness.

Being unhappy can caused by a number of things, but chances are, it’s your negative, self-defeating habits that are the culprit.

5. This is just how life is.

This is ridiculous. Life is exactly how you make it and is a direct result of all the decisions you’ve made up until this moment. Life doesn’t just happen, you create it. Do not accept your fate and believe that life can’t or won’t get any better. Believe me, it can!

6. Things will get better.

Again, wrong. They won’t get better until YOU get better. The world doesn’t owe you anything nor will it just hand things to you. You have to work hard to get what you want. Hell, you’re already working hard now, you just may be directing your energy in the wrong places.

Start by taking small steps towards your goals. And if you have no goals, set some. Don’t try to go from miserable cubicle worker to lifestyle design magnate overnight, that will never work and will only serve to demotivate you. Instead, take it slowly and be realistic about what you can accomplish each day.

7. I have responsibilities.

And while this may be true (I don’t know any adults who don’t have them), they shouldn’t be limiting your happiness.

People tend to let their boring jobs not only define them, but dictate how they live their lives. I’ve heard it a million times, “I can’t quit, I have responsibilities.” They believe they can’t quit because that would be selfish, lazy, and irresponsible.

Written by Steve Roy

MAJOR REASON ARTISTIC TALENTS ARE LEAVING THE CHURCH

What is a talent?

Talent means the skill that someone has quite naturally to do something that is hard. Someone who has talent is able to do something without trying hard. It is an ability that someone is born with. It is a high degree of ability or of aptitudes. People may have talent for music,dancing acting or other skills. Someone who has talent is talented and If someone has talent they still have to work very hard if they want to be very good at something. Some people become quite good at something even if they do not have much talent, but if they are willing to work very hard at the skill. Some people “waste their talent” (they have talent but do not work hard at it, they do not use their talent.
 It's becoming increasingly popular for artists and creative artists to leave the church in search of deeper fulfillment. But why? What is it about the local church that is failing to capture the attention of this generation? Why are so many leaving the church? Why is serving the local church not capturing the imagination of our young musicians, writers, dancers, painters, and videographers?It's not about the money. We already know that creatives aren't just looking for the biggest paycheck. They crave, more than anything else, to do work that matters - to have freedom to create.
 The church is made up of all kinds of people–businessmen and women, farmers, industrial workers, theologians, teachers, blue collar, white collar, entrepreneurs, servants, and leaders–but there’s one group of people that the church is in danger of losing: her creative talents.
Dbanj,Banky W, Terry G, P-Square, Wande Coal, Dare Art Alade, KC Presh started from the church but they ended in the circular world because of one major reason.
That reason is that church culture has made it difficult for artistic people to express their creativity so they go into the world because the world accepts them better,so why are artistic people leaving your church?
I’m not trying to condemn the church, but I do know that the Reformation, which was a great movement by the way, was also partly responsible for throwing out church art to fight against the worship and veneration of images. However, in reaction, the church started to embrace a more austere and plain worship style–one where the arts and artists where no longer valued, and to some degree, kicked out with the icons. It was right to put a stop to the worship of images, but as a backlash, I think we’ve been fighting an anti-creative current for generations as a result.
The bottom line: the church at large needs to learn, once again, how to embrace and empower its creatives.
We need a creative revolution.
Not a revolution that makes creativity king, but a revolution that seeks to embrace artists. A revolution that restores value to their Kingdom contribution in deeper ways

7 things you must not say to your husband

One of the best parts about marriage is being so comfortable with your hubby that you can say just about anything to him. But if you don't watch your mouth, sometimes the ugly truth comes out in hurtful—not helpful––ways. Though you may have legitimate concerns to express or issues to bring up, doing so in a harsh manner can be damaging in the long term, to both your husband's feelings and your relationship.


1. "Yes, I had an orgasm." (when you didn't)

Lying is never a great idea, especially when it comes to sexual intimacy.The definition of intimacy is letting another person see your vulnerabilities, and that includes admitting that your sex life might need some S.O.S. When you pretend you're enjoying sex with your husband, you may think that you're sparing his feelings, but you're actually pushing him away by not being honest. And chances are, you aren't fooling him: The very fact that he's asking usually means he suspects that something is up.

 2. "You're just like your father.
This is just a no-no.It's nasty and belittling, and it gets at his fear that he may be exhibiting the worst traits of his family.If you're about to spout a criticism like this, stop and think about what's behind it: Maybe your father-in-law is the kind of guy who never cleans up after himself, and your husband's habit of leaving dirty dishes around the house is getting to you. You should skip the insult and get right to a reasonable request, such as: "Hon, when you're done with your sandwich, can you bring your dish over to the sink?" That way, you can achieve your goals without hurting him in the process.

 3. "When are you going to find a new job?" First, figure out why you want him to find a new job so badly. Do you dislike how much time he spends away from home? Do you think he can or should be further ahead career-wise? Is he not bringing home a healthy-enough salary? Before you say anything that could be hurtful to him, think about what your own issues are,Be particularly careful that you're not attacking his ability to support you and the kids: Part of how a man evaluates himself is by how well he can take care of his family,so insulting him in this sensitive area can be a serious blow. To avoid this, have regular talks about both of your jobs, career ambitions and budget concerns.

 4. "My mother warned me you'd do this!"

Something must have seriously infuriated you, because what you're doing here is letting him know that there are other MEN in your camp.You are trying to validate your 'side' of an argument, as though you're marshalling an army to your side,But that's never a good idea because it's telling him that you're not on his side, or on the side of your relationship. Though you should never let the opinions of others' dictate your relationship, if there is some kernel of truth to a concern that your mother raised, think about how to address that.

 5. "Just leave it––I'll do it myself!

This is hurtful in two ways. First, it gets at your husband's elemental need to be a provider, supporter and capable person in the house. Second, it's just plain demeaning for any adult to hear that his efforts are sub-par. Do this too often and your husband might think, "I can never do anything right or anything that'll please her".A better choice is to pick your battles. If he's in the middle of a task and you think that he's doing it wrong, evaluate whether it really matters, keeping in mind that, just because he's doing something differently than you would doesn't mean that he's doing it wrong—he is, after all, an adult too.

 6. "You always... " or "You never... "

These are two phrases I advise couples never to use,because they set up an instant, negative tone; they halt communication and they put the other person on the defensive.These blanket statements can make your husband feel unfairly attacked, and chances are he'll just fire back with all the times he did help. If there are legitimate problems you'd like to address (he really does tend to leave his tools all over the garage floor or often forgets to put gas in the car after driving it), avoid generalizing and try to focus on the issue at hand while also communicating how his actions make you feel: "When you come home with an empty tank of gas, I feel like you don't care about the next person who has to drive the car—which is usually me." Then add the phrase "would you be willing...,""Would you be willing to fill up the car when it gets below a quarter tank?" Most men are willing to do most anything that'll make you happy

 

 7. "Please watch the kids. But don't do this, take them here or forget that..."

This is a classic nervous-new-mom move: When you're in anxiety mode, it can be hard to let go of childcare tasks (even though you would love to have more help). It's also an attitude that can become a habit no matter how long you've been a mom, leading to some very unhealthy feelings: You may become resentful because he doesn't pitch in, but you don't always give him room to, either. At the end of the day, no husband is going to be inspired to be a better, more hands-on and involved dad if his every effort is shot down.

Written by Denise Schipani

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH:I MUST MARRY

For spinsters and bachelors who feel that obtaining the right partner is getting rather late.  The best way to arrest delay in marriage is to engage in constant wrestling bouts with the enemy and to call back all the benefits you would have gained if you had gotten married earlier.  God is waiting for you to fight it out with your enemy.

 No word of God shall lack power of fulfillment!  God's words are always backed by His authority and we know His words cannot return to Him void. We serve a God that cannot lie. His dreams, vision and words concerning our lives will surely come to pass.  God is the one that instituted marriage and He performed the first wedding ceremony in Genesis chapter 2.  God has a man for every woman and if you feel that you have lost God's perfect will for your life, don't forget that for every Vashti there is an Esther.

 Lateness in marriage can come as a result of collective captivity, manipulations of household wickedness, spirit husband/wife and other anti-marriage forces. "In His time God makes all things beautiful" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  The God that makes all things beautiful, will step into your situation, break down every wall of parti­tion between you and your God-ordained partner (Ephesians 2:14) and gather you together by His Spirit (Isaiah 34:16; Ephesians 2:13). 

CONFESSIONS

 Habakkuk 2:3 says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

 Isaiah 34:16 says, “Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.

 Philip. 2:9-10 says, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: [10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;”

 Col. 2:13 says, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”

 Rev. 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

 Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

 

 PRAISE WORSHIP

1.    Thank the Lord because your miracle has come.

2.      Ask the Lord to forgive you any sin that would hinder answers to your prayers.

3.    Lord, make known to me the secrets of my inner life. Help me Lord, to discover my real self.

4.    Help me Lord, to discover my real self.

5.    Let every imagination of the enemy against my marital life be rendered impotent, in the name of Jesus.

6.      I refuse to co-operate with any anti-marriage spells and curses, in the name of Jesus.

7.    I cancel every bewitchment fashioned against my settling down in marriage, in the name of Jesus.

8.      Let every force magnetizing the wrong people to me be paralyzed, in the name of Jesus.

9.    I break every covenant of marital failure and late marriage, in the name of Jesus.

10.  I cancel every spiritual wedding conducted consciously or uncon­sciously on my behalf, in the name of Jesus.

11.  I remove the hand of household wickedness from my marital life, in the name of Jesus.

12.  Let every incantation, incisions, hexes and other spiritually harmful activities working against me, be completely neutralized, in the name of Jesus.

13.    I command all forces of evil manipulating, delaying or hindering marriage to be completely paralyzed, in the name of Jesus.

14.    Let all evil anti-marriage marks be removed, in Jesus' name.

15.    Lord, restore me to the perfect way in which You created me if I ha been altered.

16.    Father, let Your fire destroy every satanic weapon fashioned against my marriage, in the name of Jesus.

17.    Lord, expose all the schemes and plans of satan ever devised again me through any source and at any time.

18.    I forsake any personal sin that has given ground to the enemy, in the name of Jesus.

19.    I reclaim all the ground I have lost to the enemy, in Jesus' name.

20.    I apply the power in the name and blood of Jesus to my marital situation.

21.    I apply the blood of Jesus to remove all consequences of evil operations and oppression, in the name of Jesus.

22.    I break the binding effect of anything of evil ever put upon me from any source, in the name of Jesus.

23.    Let all the enemies of Jesus Christ operating against my life be ex-posed, in the name of Jesus.

24.    I sever myself from any satanic linkage and any strange power, in the name of Jesus.

25.    I remove the right of the enemy to afflict my plan to get married, in the name of Jesus.

26.    I break every bondage of inherited marital confusion, in the name of Jesus.

27.    I bind and plunder the goods of every strongman attached to my mar­riage, in the name of Jesus.

28.  Let the angels of the living God roll away the stone blocking my marital breakthrough in the name of Jesus.

29.  I remove my name from the book of seers of goodness without mani­festation, in the name of Jesus.

30.  Let God arise and let all the enemies of my marital breakthrough be scattered, in the name of Jesus.

31.  Let the fire of God melt away the stones hindering my marital bless­ings, in the mighty name of Jesus.

32.  Let the cloud blocking the sunlight of my glory and breakthrough be dispersed, in the name of Jesus.

33.  Let all evil spirits masquerading to trouble my marital life be bound, in the name of Jesus.

34.  The pregnancy of good things within me will not be aborted by any contrary power, in the name of Jesus.

35.  Lord, let wonderful changes begin to be my lot from this week.

36.  I reject every spirit of the tail in all areas of my life, in Jesus' name.

37.  I receive my right match in the name of Jesus.

38.  I stand against every spirit of discouragement, fear, worry and frustra­tion, in the name of Jesus.

39.  Lord, turn away all that would jilt, disappoint or fail me.

40.  Thank God for the victory.

 

The skillful husband

Most women think their husbands should know everything about sex and most men even believe that about themselves. This way, there is no room for improvement. Sex is an art which can be learnt and improved on. In the bedroom, you have an option to either be a shallow husband or a skillful husband. Come with me as I elaborate on how you can be a skillful husband of a happy wife.
Strategy 1
A skillful husband knows that the mind is the strongest sex organ of his wife; hence, he is devoted to meeting her emotional needs.
Strategy 2
A skillful husband is a total husband, a real man. He loves his wife not because of sex, but because of her person. He will do everything to show his woman that he cares.
Strategy 3
A skillful husband will do everything to defend, protect and provide for his wife.
Strategy 4
A skillful husband will not rape his wife but knows how to work on her to get her in the mood.
Strategy 5
A skillful husband is selfless in bed. In fact, he focuses on the enjoyment of his wife.
Strategy 6    
A skillful husband is not angry when his wife is not available for sex. Rather, he faces it maturely, meeting the needs of his wife.

 Written by Bisi Adewale
 Bisi Adewale is a family expert and president of college of marital success; He is an international conference speaker and an author of more than 52 books on marriage and family life, singles, love, sex and purity and intimacy.

SELF MARGINALIZATION

 
"Do you know that Uwazurike prevented the Igbo from being counted during the population census? He told them that they were not Nigerians; hence they should not come out to be counted. Do you know that Uwazurike and co prevented Igbo people from getting Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs)? That is why you saw that the total votes in Igbo land were not more than the total votes in a small hamlet in the North. They didn’t register." - Ibezimako Aghanya

Five Ways to Keep your Cash Flow Pumping

While it's important to spend time on building your brand and generating sales leads, it's downright vital to quickly cultivate a steady stream of what accountants call "free cash flow" -- that is, the amount of cash coming into your company over and above all of your expenses. After all, if you don't have money, you won’t be around long enough to worry about those other things.
If possible, keep 10 percent to 20 percent of monthly revenues on hand because at that point, in most companies, you’ll be able to reinvest into the growth of your business -- from purchasing additional product or service lines to roping in more suppliers or even building up your team when you need to.


Here are five ways to keep cash flowing consistently into your business:
1. Know your expenses.
Although discounting -- through coupon sites like Groupon and BuyWithMe or even on your own -- can help you attract new customers, selling anything at a loss won't help you generate a positive cash flow.
My view? Never discount. But if you do, know the costs and impact of what you’re offering and be prepared for the fallout. Among other things, you'll need to know your overall cost basis -- that is, what you paid for something. You should also know your how much you should ideally charge, the cost of your offer and the profit margins on your product or service. How else will you know if your discount has you breaking even or operating at a loss? To do the math, see our break even calculator
2. Bundle products and services.
Even though discounting isn't always recommended, adding value is. By creating bundles of products or services, for instance, businesses can inject tremendous amounts of perceived -- and tangible -- value into their offerings for very little cost.
A good example is the maintenance agreements some car manufacturers are now providing with the purchase of a new car. Not only does that type of offer help allay a major concern or frustration customers have -- paying for a breakdown or time lost at the dealership -- it also offers real value in terms of limiting out-of-pocket maintenance costs.
Put more simply, you can increase your price point initially since you've helped lower a perceived risk by offering something as basic as a guarantee.
3. Create a back-end product or service.
If you know your initial offer to reel in new customers won’t be profitable, find ways to create higher price points on back-end products or services. Perhaps the first hour of catering is free, but subsequent hours shoot up in price. Or maybe an attorney will agree to draft your will for less if she thinks you're a likely candidate for estate-planning consultations in the future.
4. Encourage repeat business.
If you're in a volume-driven business like retail, landing repeat shoppers is your holy grail for cash flow, profit and growth. In most cases, you won’t start to profit on a customer until the third, fourth or even fifth transaction. For this reason, you need to devote your efforts toward getting customers coming back -- and more often.
Consider loyalty programs, VIP offers and other frequent-shopper programs, which can be ideal vehicles for systematizing repeat business. Also keep in mind that the word "free" is a popular incentive among shoppers, and the costs of funding a freebie may easily be covered as long as you're dealing with excess inventory or low-cost, but valuable add-ons.
5. Pre-sell products or services. 
For owners who want to encourage sales sooner, pre-sell your products or services. You might couch the pre-sale as a way for consumers to plan for their future or get a jump on shopping. You can also offer to take old, outdated products back at a pre-arranged price.

Written by Brad Sugars

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BIAFRAN AGITATIONS(Part2)

   

Written by Rev Sunday Adelaja

 

A LIST OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN A MARGINALIZED SOCIETY.

1. The marginalized group are not allowed to speak their native languages. Tell me who stopped the Igbos from speaking their language?

2. The marginalized group are not allowed to practice their religion. Are the Igbos not allowed to practice their religion?

3. A marginalized group are not allowed to carry out socio-economic activities on the level of the privileged groups. Are the Igbos not allowed to carry out socio-economic activities on the same level as everyone else?

4. A marginalized group is not given the right to be actively involved in the political life of the country. This obviously is not happening in Nigeria, because the Igbos have their own governors, they vote for their governors, the people who rule over them are of their ethnic groups. Some people will claim that those who rule over them came as a result of corruption; well that happens all over Nigeria, not just among the Igbos in the Igbo land.

5. In marginalized societies, the marginalized groups are not allowed to send their children to school or receive higher education, I don’t believe this is happening in Nigeria. In that sense, only the poor people are marginalized in Nigeria; since the Igbo people control the economy, they are surely not marginalized.

6. In marginalized societies, the discriminated groups are not allowed to intermarry with the privileged groups, we simply don’t have that in Nigeria. As I have mentioned above, even my family is intermarried with Igbo people. My nephew who is like a twin brother to me, married an Igbo girl and paid the full bride price or dowry as the case may be.

7. Marginalized people are not allowed to have a voice in the mass media: newspapers, television or radio. Igbos don’t just have that right in their own state, but even in most of the other states in Nigeria where the majority are not Igbos. Igbos are allowed to have their voice in the media all over Nigeria. I am not saying there are no cases of marginalization here and there, but this will be in individual cases not a systematized thing in the federal government of Nigeria against the Igbo people.

If we are to look at a list of marginalized people groups in our world today, we will see that we cannot compare what these people are going through to what the Igbos are enjoying in the Nigerian nation.