Odumeje Vs Pericoma: Surviving the Gods

(By Mitterand Okorie) - As the Pericomas unleash terror, has night come for Odumeje?

Chukwuemeka Ohanemere a.k.a Odumeje is an internet sensation. Yellow to the soles of his feet and lanky like an okro plant, the self-acclaimed Liquid Metal has given Nigerians so much to talk about in the last few days. Recently also he trended on Twitter and today, dominates discussions on Facebook since the Pericomas came to town. Individuals or corporations pay influencers to trend on Twitter; Pastor Odumeje a.k.a Ikuku a na-afu anya (the visible wind), has remained an organically trending topic on social media Nigeriana. In short, some now called themselves Indaboskians, culled from the pastor’s favourite war chant – “I am Indaboski Bahose”. Apparently, Marlians (fans of the singer Naira Marley) have not only met their match; they have been overtaken by a more exuberant bunch. 

Odumeje is a popular prosperity pastor who, unlike most of his colleagues, found an unconventional route to fame. He is remembered for his antics more than for his preaching. He throws his spiritual patients around like a wrestler in a WWE bout. I once saw a video of him taking a crippled man’s crutches and proceeding to hit the man’s legs with the iron frame in an attempt to heal him. Spirits, they say, work in mysterious ways. 

While pastors of conventional Pentecostal churches call for tithes, Odumeje enjoys people spraying money in his church, sometimes over his head while he jumps around with the flexibility of an excited ninja.

Nollywood, Stereotypes, and Misrepresentations of Igbo Culture

(By Immanuel James Ibe-Anyanwu) - There was that billboard of a certain West-African president who was dressed in an Igbo traditional attire. A loud caption gave meaning:"Igwe!" It was easy to locate the source of that cultural benefaction, credit rightfully placed at the feet of Nollywood, Nigeria's largest exporter of culture and values. Books and social media can tell the Nigerian story, but none can boast the compelling, even hypnotic power of the movie.

Which is why we should worry about the competence of movie makers—their cultural intelligence and sense of sensational restraint. Their products speak to millions, most of whom are illiterate and poor, but powerful. Powerful in their sheer number, in their capacity to spread a social or religious poison. They are the very agencies often punctual at lynching scenes, consumers of wild superstitions on whom depends the fate of that fellow accused of manhood theft in the local market. 

For the most part, the Old Nollywood is run by Igbo scriptwriters, directors, and producers, who are businessmen more than they are artists. For too long we have watched their cultural illiteracy ruin the integrity of much of what stands for Igbo culture and values; we have watched them distort historical facts, fixate on and promote ugly, exaggerated stereotypes, even invent cultural obscenities that do not exist. We have seen Igwes who do nothing all day other than look like frogs on shiny thrones, flanked by two able-bodied human fans, as they condemn villagers to evil forests, when they do not order their deaths outright. We can tolerate such cultural inventiveness for its decorative value, aware that fiction need not be exact and realistic.

Nollywood and Misrepresentation of Traditions

(By Immanuel James Ibe-Anyanwu)

There was that billboard of a certain West-African president who was dressed in an Igbo traditional attire. A loud caption gave meaning:"Igwe!" It was easy to locate the source of that cultural benefaction, credit rightfully placed at the feet of Nollywood, Nigeria's largest exporter of culture and values. Books and the social media can tell the Nigerian story, but none can boast the compelling, even hypnotic power of the movie.

Which is why we should worry about the competence of movie makers—their cultural intelligence and sense of sensational restraint. Their products speak to millions, most of whom are illiterate and poor, but powerful. Powerful in their sheer number, in their capacity to spread a social or religious poison. They are the very agencies often punctual at lynching scenes, consumers of wild superstitions on whom depends the fate of that fellow accused of manhood theft in the local market. 

Nigeria and the Effects of Religion

(By Raymond Ijabla & Biodun Aiyegboyin) – The Destructive Effects Of Religion On The Nigerian Society

From the professor of medicine who lectures at the prestigious University of Ibadan, to the almajiri destitute who roams the streets of Kano, to the wealthy real estate manager in Port Harcourt, to the lowly nomad of arid Baga, there is one thing that connects these people - religion. Religion permeates every facet of the Nigerian society and influences the collective mindset of its people. Religion supposedly makes people good except that the evidence does not support this claim.

What we know is that our society is plagued by all the inequality, injustice and atrocities that one rarely encounters in the godless Scandinavian societies, to use just one example. Our high degree of religiosity has not translated into good governance and prosperity for our citizens. The reasons are not far-fetched, and are discussed below.

One thing is undeniable – our society needs a change of attitude and values. So how can we do things differently? 

Mr. Biodun Aiyegboyin teams up with the secular humanist and commentator on Nigerian socio-political and religious matters, Dr. Ijabla Raymond, to explore these issues, and more.

Miracles and Wonders, Faith and Diaspora: On Tope Folarin's Miracle

Source: humboldt-foundation.de

(Aaron Bady)--Read Tope Folarin’s “Miracle,” in its entirety here.

That “miracles” are not real is, I think, a secular assumption that many of Tope Folarin’s readers will share. Some of us might say that we believe in miracles, and we might enjoy indulging in the fantasy of divine intervention, or biblical stories that describe Jesus’ ability to turn water into wine, or a few loaves and fishes into many loaves and fishes. But to turn one thing into another thing is the provenance of medieval alchemy, and we are moderns. We might say we believe in angels, but we tend to put the lives of our loved ones in the hands of doctors, instead of prayer. We believe in science.

The Internet of Prosperity Gospel

"In the hand of the Internet, Pentecostalism has also 'seen pepper,' to borrow a popular Nigerian expression. Contemporary Pentecostalism in Nigeria operates a theology of instant prosperity and endless miracles that has transformed it into one of the most lucrative sectors of the Nigerian economy.

"Instant razzmatazz woven around a deified character always known as Founder General Overseer. If the God of Nigerian Pentecostalism is not a God of poverty, as adherents of that version of Christianity insist, He nonetheless has this annoying habit of always zeroing in on the Founder General Overseer as the only example of boundless prosperity among thousand of poverty-ridden church members. Thus, the Founder General Overseer is often the only one God elects to deck in Armani suits and Ferragamo loafers, supply with posh cars that can sometimes run two hundred kilometres on empty, and ferry across the world in a private jet. Sometimes, as is the case with [some of them], the bonus of a fake American accent is added unto these numerous blessings.

"But the Internet is what we Nigerians call amebo--a busybody, a loudmouth, a flaneur, a voyeur, and a whistle-blower rolled into one. And so, when the Internet pokes its unwanted nose into the business of the gospel, you could have a scandal of international proportions develop around something as ordinary as a pastor buying a private jet in an ocean of poverty."

Pius Adesanmi

You're Not a Country, Africa

Religious "Mumugiousity" by Charly Boy

For starters, don't pick up the dictionary to lookup ‘Mumugiousity’, I coined it myself but you go soon grab weytin I wan yarn.

As I approach this topic I want to be careful so readers don't get the whole essence of this write up, twisted. E no dey hard some people. Religion is a touchy subject for a lot of people and in my household it is generally not considered "polite conversation."

For some, an attack on religion is an attack on their god or gods. I only wish to put down certain points or aspects of organized religion I’m not comfortable with, I am not questioning anyone's belief in a personal god. 

In Nigeria, religion has helped us to remain sane or else we all for donkolowith the way our environment is stifling us. Religion can give people a sense of community and make people feel welcomed.  But life is never that simple sha. Kai! Oh lord.

In Nigeria especially, religion has turned a lot of my people into MUMU's.  Instead of learning to discern truth on their own and formulate their own mindset, they're told how to think. These are the people engaged in ‘Mumugiousity’. For them Religion has turned them into group soul's, sheep, cows and goat with their Shepherd as their pastors, who have erased their trust in their own intellect and gradually convinced them to put their trust in them(pastors) as the only true men of god, convincing them that without them they would be lost. Hummmm! They fall for this like very poor people would fall for a bag of rice. Odikwarisky…

That Ain't Right: Teachable Moment for the Nigerian Christian

I am getting old. I don't know how I could have forgotten this story, given its relevance to the Nigerian tragedy (a tragedy which shall prevail until we make some progress in rewiring the atrocious psychology of the Nigerian).

My brother from another mother, Bayo Aregbesola, a Director in Canada’s Federal civil service, reminds me of something that happened during our days at the University of British Columbia in the 1990s. Those were our wild oats graduate student days. We crawled the nightclubs of Vancouver to get our beering right between intra and interracial dating.

Of Pentecostalism, Pastors, and Politics

Pastor Adeboye praying for President Jonathan

Keeping Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s Feet To The Fire

By Pius Adesanmi

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the Daddy General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has been in the headlines for all the right reasons lately. In August 2010, several newspapers quoted him as he declared war on election rigging and riggers.

"We shall resist election riggers in 2011", the famous preacher was reported to have fumed decisively. He ended 2010 on a grand note: Goodluck Jonathan went to beseech God at Daddy General Overseer’s feet, creating a famous photo-op in the process. Our internet commentariat went gaga for the wrong reasons, condemning Goodluck Jonathan for contacting God through the pastor’s intermission. Jonathan’s genuflection before God became the issue. Nobody paid attention to Pastor Adeboye’s iteration of his warning that election riggers would not be tolerated in 2011. He even fired a warning shot at Attahiru Jega and threatened to lead protests against fraudulent elections in 2011.

This is a heartening development. Pastor Enoch Adeboye is welcome to the Pastor Tunde Bakare corner of our collective struggle to take Nigeria back from the vultures in Abuja and the state capitals. What took him so long? Hopefully, his residency in this auspicious corner of the struggle shall not be temporary. For now, we shall pretend that we don’t mind the fact that Pastor Adeboye is spending too much time warning INEC and Jega instead of just kuku directly telling the scurrilous Presidents, state governors, ministers, senators, reps, chieftains, stakeholders, elder statesmen and such other ridiculous characters who regularly go to him for kneeling sessions and photo-ops that their irresponsibility and corruption will no longer be tolerated.

Pastor, Don't Teach Me Nonsense

L-R: Pastors T.B. Joshua and Chris Okotie

(SaharaReporters)--Last week, in the first part of this article, I argued that pastors are not immune to error. Ecclesiastical impostors are having a field day dredging up fables that impoverish the spiritual, mental, financial and emotional wellbeing of many. In fact, in a bid to make Christianity a syncretistic, money-spinning, show biz religion, some Nigerian pastors have inadvertently become couriers of delusion. It is worthy of reiteration, if a pastor is swayed by the spirit of seduction, he will be Satan’s bait to those within the orbit of his authority. Doom looms when people uncritically accept theological nonsense.

There is hardly any catastrophe as huge as having a pastor that is Satan’s bait to his flock. It fosters satanic colonisation of the minds of weak-knead churchgoers. Baits do numb minds. They induce false happiness, senseless actions and blind loyalty.  It is safe to assume that was why some South African Christians eagerly ate grass under the instruction of their pastor, claiming it will get them “closer to God.” Generally, heresies have the effect of a lullaby, when dripping from the mouth of a respected preacher. Or better, tsetse-fly effect; causing the sleeping sickness of the soul. If a Christian starts listening to “doctrines of devils”, he would inevitably cultivate dangerous habits of the mind and become docile in Spirit, even though he may still be hyper-active in church.