Dr Olukoya builds N1b Housing Estate inside MFM Prayer City

 

Dr Daniel Olukoya

The General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire Ministry, Pastor Daniel Olukoya is reportedly currently constructing a N1billion Housing estate inside the church's Prayer city camp ground located along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway. 

Reports has it that the housing estate which is being constructed by the church's owned construction company has various types of apartment depending on the taste of the buyers.

Some members of the church are said to have invested into the project. Those who want to buy into the estate signify interest and give a specific description of how they want the house to turn out. No name has been given to the estate yet but people who have been there say that construction works of different houses apart from the completed ones has reached window level.

Fasting Safely

As you begin your fast, you may hear from concerned loved ones and friends who urge you to protect your health. And they are right. You should protect your health. But I assure you, if done properly, fasting will not only prove to be a spiritual blessing, but physical blessing as well.
By all means, consult your doctor before you begin your fast. But, be aware that many doctors have not been trained in this area and so their understanding is limited. Even so, it would be wise to ask your doctor for a physical exam to make sure you are in good health. You may have a physical problem that would make fasting unwise or dangerous. Also, if you are under any type of medication, make sure you talk to your doctor before changing your regime. Prudence and caution are in order.
When you are assured that you are in good health, you are ready to begin your fast. Follow the guidelines in the Physical Preparations and Maintaining Nutritional Balance and Health parts of this website.
In spite of the absolute safety and benefits of fasting, there are certain persons who should NEVER fast without professional supervision. For example:

• Persons who are physically too thin or emaciated.
• Persons who are prone to anorexia, bulimia, or other behavioral disorders.
• Those who suffer weakness or anemia.
• Persons who have tumors, bleeding ulcers, cancer, blood diseases, or who have heart disease.
• Those who suffer chronic problems with kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, or other important organs.
• Individuals who take insulin for diabetes, or suffer any other blood sugar problem such as hyperglycemia.
• Women who are pregnant or nursing.

 If you have never fasted before, I applaud your present interest! Fasting has been a major emphasis in the lives of many of the great spiritual leaders throughout history. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist denomination, fasted every Wednesday and Friday and required all of his clergy to do the same. Effective ministers of God from the apostle Paul to Martin Luther to John Calvin made it a continual part of their walks with God.
 So, start slowly. Fast for one meal, or one day a week, or one week a month breaking by 3pm or 6pm . Build up your spiritual muscles so that you will be prepared in a period of several months to fast for an extended 40 day period.
 A partial fast is described in the book of Daniel. Although the water fast seemed to be the custom of the prophet, there was a three-week period in which he only abstained from "delicacies," meat, and wine (Daniel 10:3).

I personally recommend and practice water and juice fasting, especially if you are going to fast for an extended period of time. This type of fast will provide you with more energy than absolute or water-only fasts and still lead you into the humbling experience of denying your desire for solid food that you can chew.
When it comes to making your final decision about what type of fast is right for you, the best advise I can give you is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. He will guide your heart and mind as to what is best for you. Remember, the most important consideration in fasting is your motive. Why are you fasting? To seek something personally from God's hand or to seek His face in worship, praise and thanksgiving?

I remain Yours

How to Finish Your Fasting programe after retreat

All the experts agree that "breaking the fast" is the critical phase of fasting. While your body is in the resting mode, your stomach shrinks and your intestines become idle, so solid food must be re-introduced very slowly to avoid kidney failure or digestive distress. In fact, after a 40-day fast, you should make a careful transition for at least three days before returning to eating meats or fats or normal foods.
Further, if you end your fast gradually, the beneficial physical and spiritual effects will linger for days. But if you rush into solid foods, you may lose much of your deep sense of peace and experience physical problems such as diarrhea, sickness, fainting, and frankly even death in some cases, due to shock!
 Fasting, gives a specific daily food plan for breaking a 7-day fast that could be adapted and stretched out over several more days for a 40-day fast.

Breaking a Seven-Day Fast

5 o'clock as you end your 7th day of the fast

• Peal four or five medium-sized tomatoes - cut them up, bring them to a boil and then turn off the heat. When they are cool enough to eat, have as many as you desire.

Morning of the 8th day

• Salad of grated carrots and grated cabbage, with half an orange squeezed over it.
• Bowl of steamed greens and pealed tomatoes (spinach, Swiss chard, or mustard greens). Bring the greens to a boil, then turn off the heat.
• You may eat two slices of 100 percent whole-wheat bread, which has been toasted until it is thoroughly dry-this is called "Melba toast." After it has been cooled, the toast should be so dry that it would powder if you squeezed it in the palm of your hand. As I have stated, this first food should be in the morning.
• During the day, you may have all the distilled water you wish to drink.
• For dinner, you may have a salad of grated carrots, chopped celery and cabbage, with orange juice for dressing. This will be followed by two cooked vegetables, one such as spinach, kale, shard, or mustard greens, and one such as string beans, carrots, steamed celery, okra, or squash. You may have two pieces of whole-grain "Melba toast." These meals are not to contain oils of any kind.

Morning of the 9th day

• You may have a dish of any kind of fresh fruit, such as banana, pineapple, orange, sliced grapefruit, or sliced apples. You may sprinkle this with two tablespoonfuls of raw wheat germ, and sweeten it with honey, but not over one tablespoonful
• At noon you may have a salad of grated carrots, cabbage, and celery, with one cooked vegetable and one slice of "Melba toast."
• At dinner you may have a salad dish of lettuce, watercress, parsley, and tomatoes, and two cooked vegetables.

Most experts agree that breaking a fast with vegetables, either steamed or raw, is best. Your stomach is smaller now, so eat lightly. Stop before you feel full. Stay away from starches like pastas, potatoes, rice, or bread (except for "Melba toast") for at least a week. Also avoid meats, dairy products, and any fats or oils for a week or more. Introduce them very slowly and in small amounts.
Extended fasts are not the only fasts which need to be ended with caution. Even a 3-day fast requires reasonable precautions. It is wise to start with a little soup -- something thin and nourishing such as vegetable broth made from onion, celery, potatoes, and carrots -- and fresh fruits such as watermelon and cantaloupe.
In terms of resuming any sort of exercise routine, the advice is the same. Start out slowly, allowing time for your body to re-adjust to its usual regime.

Written by Kay

ODUDUWA( Progenitor of Yoruba Race )

The controversy surrounding the origin of Oduduwa has, over time become a major challenge and mystery that not only historians and anthropologist have tried to unravel but also followers, students and even the descendants of this great progenitor of the Yoruba race have seen searching for the truth vis-à-vis his origin, life and time.
This piece is painstakingly aimed at demystifying the controversy behind Oduduwa’s origin and debunk some of the stories written by some possible to explain the nitty-gritty of Oduduwa’s origin based strictly on oral tradition.
Samuel Johnson’s account that the Yorubas originated form Lamurudu and that he, Lamurudu was the father of Oduduwa is mendacious and historically incorrect, thus has to be debunked.
Other historians have given account that Oduduwas came form the quench tribe of Mecca and settle in Ile-Ife where he established the first Yoruba political kingdom. Given the fact and genuine oral history at our disposal, Oduduwa never came from Mecca hence; the question now is who is Oduduwa?
Oduduwa means Odu t’o da iwa i.e how to behave. Oduduwa was a deity cum spirit who was never given birth to by any human being. Lamurudu, it should be underscored, was never Oduduwa’s father. The creation of Ife began with Olodumare who sent Obatala and Oduduwa to the world for an important purpose. While they were going, Obatala came across the group of people who were drinking palmwine. He decided to join them and abandon the task assigned him and Oduduwa by Olodumare. On seeing this, Olodumare instructed Ododuwa to collect the cockerel on Obatala’s shoulder and to proceed to Ife to accomplish the assignment. It was however, Oduduwa who completed the job which was the fact that he carried a handful of earth, a cockerel and a palmnut. He then scattered the earth over the water and the cockerel scratches it to become the land. The word Ife was derieved from the Yoruba adjective ‘Fe’ meaning to be wide.
The duo later went back to heaven and Olodumare queried Obatala for getting drunk and sleeping off. Meanwhile, Olodumare praised Oduduwa for a job well done and promised to make him the king of Ife. Prior to this time, Orunmila had informed the people of Ife that a king was coming and would be recognized by the Aare (the crown) he would be wearing. Also before this time, Obatala had come to Ife with other deities and boasted that he would become the king of Ife. But that turned out to be a mirage. Eventually, when Oduduwa was descending with a chain form heaven with the Aare, the people of Ife recognized him immediately.
On getting to the world this time around, Orunmila was the first to sight them and he immediately recognized Oduduwa as the king of Ife, a place which had been lacking a well structure political leadership. It is significant to know that it was that Aare worn by Oduduwa during his second coming that is being worn by Yoruba Oba's today.
It was established that when Oduduwa arrived ancient Ife, he and his group conquered the component communities and eventually evolved the palace structure with an effective centralized power and dynasty. Going by reliable record, Oduduwa is the progenitor of Yoruba race having been named the first Ooni of Ife.He also referred to as the Olofin Adimula.
Oral history tells us that Oduduwa had a son known as Okanbi. Okanbi had seven children who came to be known as Onisabe of Sabe, Onipopo of Popo, Olowu of Owu, the Orangun of Ila, Oba of Benin and the Alaketu ketu. it should be noted here that Oranmiyan was the grand son of Oduduwa and not one of Oduduwa’s sons as claimed by some historians.
At this point, it should be recalled the statement credited to the Oba of Benin sometimes ago that Oduduwa originated from Benin. According to him, Oduduwa known as Elkalederan, was a Benin chief who went to Ife some centuries back to establish kingdom there. This is historically spurious and it should therefore be critically condemned and debunked. What is true, however, according to reliable oral tradition is that there was turbulence in the Ancient Benin City states during the Ogiso period. Oranmiyan, the grand son of Oduduwa was called upon by the Benin chief to come and restored peace and orderliness.
During his stay, he married a Benin princess who gave birth to a boy called Eweka. When Eweka was born, he was disabled as he could not speak. The name Eweka emanated when Eweka was playing a game and in the process of trying to express his dominance over his opponent, he said o-w-o-mi-ka meaning I could handle it. It was from that stammering expression that the name Eweka was derived.
It is important to know that Eweka the some of Oranmiyan was the one who later established the Eweka dynasty in Benin. It is therefore lucid that the origin of Oduduwa would not have been likned to Benin because it was Oduduwa’s grand son who prepared the ground for the establishement of the first well organized political dynasty in Benin land.
On his itinery to Mecca, it is true that Oduduwa went to Mecca on a visit just as a sojourned to Israel on a visit but he was never form that apart of the world as postulated by some historians. After his visits to these places, he returned to Ife to continue the administration of his kingdom.
It is also pertinent to know that Oduduwa, the great Progenitor of the Yoruba race, never died. He was said to have angrily entered the earth (ground) with the chain he had used to descend from heaven initially. To this end, Oduduwa still lives like any other deity or spirit but can not be seen by ordinary humans except by individuals who have supernatural powers to see and communicate with him in the spiritual realm.
It is, at this juncture, significant to use this medium to call on all south west governors to try and encourage the effort at changing the age-long misconceptions and distorted history about the origin and personality of Oduduwa. Most of the histories written by the historians like Samuel Johnson and Professor Akinjogbe about Oduduwa are incorrect and hence, should be debunked totally. We are writing based on oral tradition and evidence which the most reliable source African historiography. And these facts and evidence can still be found in Ile-Ife, the ancestral home of all Yoruba people, even till present time. Research also has it that Oduduwa was a representative of Olodumare on earth. It has also ben established that of all beloved spirit of Olodumare, Oduduwa was one of them just as he never disobeyed Olodumare in the spiritual realm.
In all, it is important to implore our political leaders to stop the battered history about the origin of Oduduwa which has been in circulation for centuries. Today, primary, secondary and even university students have been misled about the authentic story of Oduduwa’s origin. We believe this is to belittle the personality of Oduduwa which is very sad and uncalled for. For those who are interested in investigating the true history of Oduduwa’s origin should visit the Ooni of Ife at his palace in Ile-Ife. Over there, there are several evidences to justify what we have documented here including the Oodua shrine in Ile-Ife.

Written by Gani A

Muslim shopkeeper killed after wishing Christians a Happy Easter

Scottish police say the killing of a Muslim shopkeeper who wished Christians a happy Easter is being investigated as “religiously prejudiced.”
Vigils were held on Saturday in memory of 40-year-old Asad Shah, who was killed Friday night in Glasgow.
He had apparently posted messages on Facebook calling for religious harmony: “Good Friday and very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation x!”
Police say a 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with Shah’s death. The suspect, who police say is Muslim, has not been identified or charged.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined the Friday vigil in support of Shah and his family in Glasgow. Many lit candles and left flowers.
Roughly 150 people also gathered in a light rain on Saturday to honor him, an event organized by local teens.
Police Scotland said that ‘’a full investigation is under way to establish the full circumstances surrounding the death which is being treated as religiously prejudiced.”

Suicide bomber kills dozens at football stadium in Iraq

A suicide bomber has blown himself up at a football stadium south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing at least 30 people and injuring 95 others.

The blast in Iskandariya happened in the early evening on Sunday at the end of an amateur football game, Falah al-Khafaji, the head of security for Babel province, said.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) - which controls large areas of the country's north and west - later claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mobile phone footage widely shared by Iraqis on social media showed players in football kits gathering to collect trophies and footballs as at least one child stood nearby.
One man throws a new football to the crowd, before the camera shakes violently and the footage ends, at what witnesses said was the moment a bomber in the crowd detonated an explosives belt.

President Buhari Disowns Istandwithbuhari Advocacy Group

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday dissociated himself from an advocacy group, Istandwithbuhari, and demanded that the group should immediately stop claiming any alliance with his administration.
Buhari’s position was contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
According to the statement, Buhari also demanded that those behind the group should stop using his name and that of his wife, Aisha, to promote themselves and their activities.

The statement said, “Among other reasons, we have found it necessary to distance the Presidency from the #Istandwithbuhari group because its premature and ostentatious celebration of the present administration’s achievements is totally inconsistent with President Buhari’s philosophy of service with humility.
“While the present  administration has indeed recorded significant successes in its priority areas of improving security across the nation, ending the Boko Haram insurgency, curbing official corruption and revamping Nigeria’s economy, President Buhari is well aware that his government still has a lot of national challenges to overcome.
 “The President prefers to give his fullest attention to addressing those challenges without the unsolicited and unwelcome distraction of untimely praise-singing from groups with dubious and questionable motives.”

Biafraud‬ Vs ‪Biafra‬-a lunch with the "Friend-enemy"

  I Ran into a Biafraud activist, sorry a sympathiser to Biafran activists last week at London Waterloo station & we agreed to meet Easter Saturday, he gave me his home address and invited me, I am almost sure he did take it I wont honour the invitation but today I went into the home of a fellow human, I did not meet a #Biafraud activist. I met a man who felt a people deserve more than what they are getting in the Nigerian deal today, everyone feels they deserve more but no one appear to want to admit everyone contributed to our inability to give unto ALL a true share of what they deserve, so my host and I disagreed a lot on quite a number of issues but agreed on some fundamental issues.
His main grouse with me was the continued use of the word #Biafraud. He felt it was insulting to the memory of the several thousands, *Some say almost 2 Million* who died on the Biafran side. I respectfully clarified the difference between #Biafraud and #Biafra
Well I had requested for Ofe Onugbu (Bitter leaf soup) a delicacy I loved so much during my NYSC days in Enugu. I devoured the meal with no fear whatsoever that I will come under any harm.
Anyway at the end of our conversation we could not agree on me dropping the use of #Biafraud but I had the opportunity to explain to his wonderful wife that my opposition to #Biafraud is not the same as my stand on Biafra.
To me Biafra represents the genuine concerns of an oppressed people, well are we not all oppressed? Did it not take my people in Ayobo-Alimosho forever to get 3 Yoruba Governors Tinubu, Fahola and finally Ambode to fix the Ayobo-Ipaja road? Those who stole and appropriate the commonwealth of Oduduwa investments in Yoruba land are Yoruba, some of them with tribal marks, including my Fathers class mate who is recognised a a first class Yoruba entrepreneur on Wikipidia but was more or less a beneficiary of the largesse and the freebie when the Yoruba ruling elite decided to share the assets of Oduduwa investments amongst themselves and their family.
Was it not a Yoruba man that more or less allocated a Senatorial seat to his wife, Iya-Oloja to his daughter, House of Reps ticket to his son inlaw and even a seat in Lagos House of Assembly to his half brother. So appropriation and oppression cuts across Nigeria.
The so called OPPRESSOR NORTHERN NIGERIA are the worst of it, you only need to visit the core North to see who the ruling elite oppress ordinary Northerners be it Muslim or Christian more than they oppress the South. In fact they have more in common with the Ruling elite in the South than they have with the oppressed poor in the North.
How about the East and the South South? When last did you hear from loud Niger Delta activists and militants of the region about the destruction of the environment by the oil companies in collaboration with the Nigerian government? Did they not all CHOP BELE FULL under Yar'Adua a Northerner and GEJ a Southerner? They chopped from a Muslim and a Christian and today it is FEM or Panumo or Ki Ishuru from Tony Uranta and all those 'brilliant' experts on Niger Delta.
#Biafraud represents the use of the genuine grievance of an oppressed people to instigate hate against others, to raise an army of a vulnerable oppressed many, oppressed both by their own kith and kin and by others but to make them feel their enemy is the average poor none -Igbo or none Biafran. That is what I stand against the Bifraud Supremacists and not the proud Biafran. I recognise every right to self determination but not the right to promote and encourage hate against others in others, no cause earned trough a campaign of hate and bigotry is worth a serious consideration. My opposition is so if people chose to fall for the #Biafraud campaign, they should know it will not be a smooth journey.
My host made one VALID observation and I raise up my hand admitting guilt, he noted I was quiet regarding the human right violation against IPOB members. I admit my guilt, the unjust and unwarranted assassination of peaceful protesters was unacceptable and I should have spoken more against that than silent embarrassment expressed to people in government trough the backdoor. I must say if the meeting achieved anything, it highlighted my wrong within the context of the unjust attack. We also both agreed blocking roads and stopping people from going about their normal daily bread is against the law. On Nnamdi Kanu we disagreed and I am not sure we can agree on that.
My host would want his identity and that of his family protected but I would want to say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart and that contrary to his joke, the Ofe Onugbu is yet to 'run my belle' I am still savouring the taste of the Okporoko and I thank him in advance for accepting to come to mine for a taste of my 'Ila alasepo'.
I know he his reading my note and I am hoping he would approve me publishing his name and the photograph soon.
We will never agree on a lot of issues but our humanity is much more stronger than our differences. Happy Easter all

Written by Olukayode Olumide

How blindness killed Opabunmi’s football career

When Femi Opabunmi started his footballing career in the ancient city of Ibadan, he was hopeful and dreamt of becoming the best in the world.True to hmself, he played for Shooting Stars Football Club before luck shone on him and he found himself in Europe:
True to his dream, within a short period of time he was playing for the national team and represented Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup.
He was the youngest footballer ever to play at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he also played against David Beckham.

 Growing up in those years and from a humble background, he idolised Roberto Baggio. He looked up to him with the hope of surpassing the Italian football superstar. Little did he know that his woes were just around the corner.
 The player had a stint with Grasshoppers Zurich and Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Israel after which he came back to Shooting Stars to play when the eye problem got worse.
Opabunmi was the third youngest player to play at the FIFA senior World Cup. He was the player who scored the winning goal when Nigeria won the U-17 Championship in 2011.
He scored a hat-trick in 2001 at the U-17 FIFA World Cup. Amongst his honours were the Silver Shoe and Bronze awarded to him at the same tournament as the second highest goal scorer in the tournament.
 He scored a goal for the Super Eagles in 2002, and he was a FIFA 2002 senior World Cup player in which he later played against England. Unfortunately, he was overlooked after the World Cup.

Eye problem
Opabunmi never anticipated any problems during his blossoming career: his eyes did not give him any hint of blindness. Everything was working well and he seemed to have a perfect life.
All he knew was football and how to get better. Then he woke up one morning to a sharp pain in his left eye. He ignored it and continued training thinking it was a one-off thing. Instead it was the beginning of the end of a great career.
“I just noticed the sharp pain and never saw it as a big deal. I started suspecting all was not well when the pain won’t go away.”
“I couldn’t take care of myself in France, I operated my eyes twice in Paris and the Doctor said my case is complicated.”
After a two unsuccessful attempts at surgery in Europe, he left for Ibadan to seek spiritual help from pastors and imams as he suspected that he had been bewitched.

Challenges
Living with one eye became the norm for the player who knew nothing all his life except football. It was a tough time for him. Some of his associates mocked him and called him names. He was a topic of discussion in football circles in Ibadan.
“I faced a lot of challenges, as I am talking to you now. I only see with an eye, so it is a great challenge but we have to give glory to God,”.

Life has not been easy for Femi Opabunmi who was the cynosure of all eyes having played alongside the likes of David Beckham and John Obiora.
He spent all his hard-earned money on medical treatment and gave money to spiritual homes in his quest to regain his sight and get well so that he could resume his football career. Despite that nothing changed and the pain would not go away.

Family and love life

                                          Femi Opabunmi’s children. Credit his Facebook page.

It is commonplace that footballers attract women because of their fame and wealth. They make so much money that it is usually enough to go around all the women circling them.
Opabunmi fell prey to women who wanted to have a share of his wealth.
“In the life of footballer, a lot of women come closer to you. I saw a lot of them during my career; they never stopped coming,” 

Helpers
To his disappointment, few of his ex-colleagues rallied round him to give him support. He reached out to many but they turned deaf ears to him. Some of them even labelled him a beggar.
However, Osaze Odemwingie, Seyi Olofinjana and a former sports commissioner in Oyo state,Nigeria are some of those who helped him.
“Osaze Odemwingie may his days be long and Seyi Olofinjana they will never lack, they will never see sorrow. Osaze is always there for me even last year always there for me. I will never forget him in my life.”

Culled from Naij.com

Fake ECOWAS Passport Allegation:Over 200 Nigerians reportedly stranded

I am in Accra at the moment. I Just came into Accra Ghana on Friday from Togo . After a terrible experience at Togo Ghana border Aflawo On Thursday.
I arrived Togo /Ghana border Aflawo on Thursday 24/3/2016 , and saw over 50 Nigerian innocent travelers stranded and vulnerable. When I asked , they told me that Togo immigration had seized all their regional Ecowas passport claiming that the passports were fake. Meanwhile they all came through Nigerian Seme border passing through Nigerian /Benin immigration with the same passports officially stamped by both immigrations and without any problem only to reach Togo Ghana border and started experiencing the ugly incident with Togo immigration.
I hearing this , thought it was a joke, but as I also went in to stamp mine they also seized it . Meanwhile this is a passport I went to Nigerian immigration Umuahia to obtain by myself and has been using the same passport across the borders including the same Togo border for over 18 months . As a matter of fact , I went to Abidjan with the same passport from Ghana on the 21/2/2016, and back to Ghana on the 29/2/016 , and then to Nigeria on the 1/3/016 by air and returned back through road on the 10/3/016 , passing through Nigerian Seme border to Benin border with the same passport officially stamped both by Nigeria immigration and Benin immigration, even Togo Benin border Hilakonji also stamped it as I was coming with no problem before I entered Togo and stayed few days, and then proceeding to Ghana on Thurday , only to get to Togo /Ghana Aflawo border and stared experience this terrible ordeal with other fellow Nigerians .
The most painful part of this to me is that I have in that my passport my present Ghana resident permit. So I was totally shocked wondered how Togolese immigration could be in a better position to know a fake Nigerian Ecowas passport than the Nigerian immigration authority that issued it and has been officially stamping on it in and out across borders without saying it was fake . Why should it be only Togo that sees it as fake when other Ecowas countries do not see it to be fake . Come to think of it , I also wondered how could Nigerian immigration be issuing fake Ecowas passport to their innocent citizens? In dis believe of these thoughts , I therefore requested from Togo immigration to give me a note to confirm that they had seized my passport, this they gave me after much struggle with them .
I then fellowed the case up to Nigerian embassy in Togo .
When I arrived at the Nigerian embassy , I was shocked at the way I was treated . Even to give me reasonably attention was a great problem for them . Even when they finally did, they just told me that many people had come to complain the same even diplomats, that they had written to Abuja on it but had not gotten any reply back. That the only thing they could do would be to give me an emergency traveling letter to enable me go back to Nigeria but however such a letter would be at a cost of $50,000. Claiming that it was only thing they could do to assist .
That they had given such letter to many at that cost, as they came to complain and requested for assistance to go back to Nigeria either by air or road.
Just imagine an innocent stranded traveller paying $50,000 to his embassy just to get a traveling letter to go back to Nigerian . In fact I was saddened in disbelieve and asked ten when I could come back to know the response from Abuja as they claimed to have written to them on the issue. The reply I got was "I don't know " . Even to at least collect telephone numbers and email addresses of those us who came to lodge complain and use it to get back to us on the outcome of the issue this they didn't do nor even took any officially written down complaint from any of us.
Nigerian a very disappointing county I must say .
My brother I had to go back to the border to ask Togo immigration were they had taken our passports to and they told me to their immigration head office inside alone Togo. Luckily I know my way around Lome Togo , so I quickly went there and asked , and was directed to the officer in charge of all the passport seized from Togo /Ghana Aflawo border . While in the office of the officer , he opened a carton and showed me 258 Nigerian Ecowas passports they had seized so far as at that time 25/3/2016 , all from
Togo / Ghana Aflawo border . Only Togolese side not Ghana .
Then I asked him why , and he said "the passports are fake but not the fault of the holders but the fault of Nigerian immigration that issued them" he said . That some of the passports are even different from each other and many of then are hand written with no biometric features which Togo immigration machines can't capture . That they had earlier told and written to Nigeria immigration to upgrade their Ecowas regional passport and stop issuing the hand written ones but they refused to do so , and therefore in order to stop them from doing that , they Togolese immigration has started seizing any such Nigeria Ecowas passport that comes to Togo.
That they also believe that there are some immigration officers within the Nigerian immigration that are even printing the booklet themselves as a personal business and issuing to innocent Nigerian Citizens . In conclusion he said that the only thing he could do for me would be to give me my passport to make photocopies of all the relevant information pages including my Ghana resident permit .
After that he brought out mine passport and sent his subordinate to go and photocopy the relevant pages for me . That he did and kept back the original in their custody .
What surprises me most in this matter is that this passport in question was a passport I personally went to Nigeria immigration Umuahia to obtain. In fact it was processed by one Mr Okoro a senior immigration officer for that matter . I have also called Mr Okoro more than 3 times to explain this issue to me and he insisted that Togolese immigration are too wrong to act in that way. Thar Nigerian immigration has always been officially issuing Ecowas passports manually and not biometric as in the case of International passport , and that this manual method does not constitute fake at all.
And I agree with him because that is all I know about Nigerian regional Ecowas passport . But I think they must do something to resolve this issue with Togo .
As I am speaking now , my passport and that of other Nigerians are still with Togolese immigration .
The Togolese immigration officer I met at his office even said to me that he was surprise that Nigerian embassy Togo has not even contacted them on this issue since they stated seizing our passports .
In fact I was so ashamed of my country Nigeria with her lack of concern for their citizens .
Can you just imagine that I even got better attention at Togolese immigration head office than than the attention I got from Nigerian embassy Togo.
My brothers and sister , this is my story a personal experience just this week Thursday /Friday .
In case you have people traveling to Togo with Nigerian Ecowas passport please notify them of this development to save them from falling into same embarrassment .
I mean regional Ecowas passport Not international .
I think it is also good to make this aware to the relevant Nigerian authority for the safety of innocent Nigerian citizens traveling to Togo in particular.
If Nigerian immigration has issue with this Ecowas passport with Togo , they should sort it out and stop pushing innocent Nigerians into risk in the foreign country of Togo .
Someone like me can fight my way through , but what about those who don't have such ability . That is my major concern.

Written by Eugene Orji Ikoro Okoronkwo .