Saturday, 29 November 2014

The scourge of homelessness in Nigeria


YEMI OLAKITAN

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica on the subject of housing, ‘‘few social problems have increased so suddenly or been dramatized so effectively as the plight of the homeless in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Once an invisible people who could easily be ignored, the homeless are now recognized everywhere on the streets and in the public facilities of major cities.’’   

This quote describes the situation of homeless people everywhere and Nigeria is not an exemption. In major cities of the country such as Lagos, Porthacourt and Abuja homeless people are easily noticeable on the streets. It is not unusual to see someone sleeping under the bridge or by the roadside. The United Nations Statistical Division sets homeless persons into two broad categories:  Primary homelessness (persons without roof on their heads). This category includes persons living in streets or without a shelter or living quarters; Secondary homelessness. This category may include persons with no place of usual residence who move frequently between various types of accommodation (including dwellings, shelters or other living quarters); and persons usually resident in long-term ‘transitional’ shelters or similar arrangements for the homeless. This category also includes persons living in private dwellings but reporting ‘no usual addresses on their census form.’’

Homelessness is in fact a global tragedy according to Mr. Kayode Akorede a sociologist and educationist; he opined that it is a problem that is not limited to Nigeria alone. ‘‘It is a global problem. Homeless people are everywhere. It is a problem that is often neglected by governments particularly in Africa simply because they live it in the hands of the individuals. Government should rise up to the occasion because homelessness is a problem that can be solved if they put the proper policies in place. Private developers only build expensive homes that can only be afforded by the rich alone. This is because their only aim is to make huge profits at the expense of the populace.’’

Investigations by Sunday Mirror confirmed that homelessness is common in major cities of the country.  In Lagos touts popularly known as ‘Agberos’ often live in motor parks, garages, some live under the bridges. Sexual workers with no roof on their heads live in slums and beaches with houses built with bamboo leaves. There are also hundreds of people who live in slums built on top of lagoons who are not sexual workers on touts, people who live in uncompleted buildings and badly built houses made of planks and polythene bags. In a chat with a young lady, a Ghanaian living in Nigeria, who gave her name simply as ‘Surprise’ she said, my mother and I ran away from home in Accra, Ghana because of my father. He was a very violent man. In fact he can be described as terrifying. He was having issues with my mother. If we stayed in Ghana, he would still have looked for us, so we escape to Lagos, Nigeria. When we came to Lagos, it was difficult to find a decent accommodation because accommodation is expensive in here; the only accommodation we could find was built with planks. During raining season we often suffer a lot because the roof leaks. It is usually a nightmare and we still have to pay rents because we rented the place. We have no choice, we have to manage what we have until God provides another option,’’ she said.

In another chat with a Nigerian mother of four who lives in an uncompleted building in Ajah, Lagos and refers to herself as Mama Tunde, she said ‘‘my husband works in Lagos Island, he is a polygamist, we were living in a room with my children, his other wives do not live with us though. When we could not pay house rents the landlord got angry and he kicked us out. We went through great pains looking for alternative accommodation because it is way beyond our reach because of the costs, all the agents we talked to were quoting high sums of money. We had to pay agreements fee and commission fee. The owners of the house also want two years house rents in advance despite the law made by the Lagos state government that they should only collect one year rents. My husband then arranged an uncompleted building for us to live.  We have been living there since we were kicked out by the landlord. We still pay but it is not as high as paying for normal accommodation.’’ On how she has been coping with the situation he said, ‘I have been coping, I have no choice.’’

According to James Xavier, who described himself as an IT professional and a Lagosian, ‘‘there are many people who live under the bridges many people live on the streets. They have no place to stay. It is crazy; mad men roam the streets naked at times and in the night they lay anywhere they see and sleep. Sometimes it is difficult to ascertain whether these people are really mad because the case of Clifford Orji is still very fresh in mind. Clifford was reported to be a ritualistic serial killer who lived on the streets of Lagos, by day he pretended to be mad and at nights he carried out his atrocities until the hands of law caught up with him. Evil men often pretend to be mad or homeless while they lay in the dark to kill innocent people at nights. Homelessness in Nigeria in the urbanized cities particularly in Nigeria can go from the genuine to the pathetic and to the criminal. It can fall into different groups. What about streets kids, known as Almajiris in the North, many of them have nowhere to stay? Homelessness is real even some people who you think have proper accommodation are living under terrible conditions. Many are living in slums’’ he said.

Speaking further, James said, ‘‘Demolition of structures, which is most common in Lagos and Abuja, is another cause of homelessness in the country.  The Governments have a history of demolition of homes without providing alternatives for the people who are being displaced. In actual fact, it is enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria that government shall be responsible for providing basic accommodation for the people of Nigeria. They say that people are building illegal structures. Why would they build illegal structures in the first place if they have the resources to build legal ones? It is lack of resources that make people build houses wherever they find, ’’ he said.

Investigations revealed that, Twenty-two plaintiffs had recently commenced a suit against the Lagos state Government under the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules, on behalf of other residents. They are claiming N100 billion as damages from the police. The people claimed that the Lagos state Government had wrongfully demolished their homes in the Atinporomeh Community in Badagry. The plaintiffs are claiming damages against the respondents, for alleged wrongful demolition of their houses.
According to reports, nearly 10,000 residents of the community have now been displaced following the demolition of their homes despite a subsisting legal suit over the land.  The community’s problems began on December 14, last year, when the police authority brought a notice of eviction which claimed that the Nigeria Police Force had become the “rightful owner” of the community’s land, the law enforcement agencies, accompanied by bulldozers, stormed Atinporomeh demolishing schools, churches, hotels, shopping complexes, as well as residential homes.
A report by Amnesty International says, ‘‘over 1.5 million people have been ejected from their homes and driven into street life following the wave of ejections and demolition that began all over the country in 1995, similarly, the Social and Economic Rights Action (SERAC) estimates that in just one location alone—Ogunbiyi village of Ikeja, Lagos, about 12 thousand people were forcibly ejected from their homes in December 2005 by the action of the Nigerian Police, Army, and Federal Task Force on Environment; and that often, victims of forced evictions have been government workers living in publicly owned apartment buildings.’’ 
Investigations by Sunday Mirror reveals the condition of the homeless in the country, people live like rats and cockroaches in makeshift facilities under bridges, slums, beaches and at abandoned buildings; some engage in petty trading for their survival, earning meager amount of money. Others are regular employees in government or in the commercial sectors, but are homeless because they were forced out of their homes and cannot afford rent for homes due to high demand by landlords and Real Estate agents. Reports reveals that the problem of educated and employed homeless persons is common in the Niger Delta areas such as Port Harcourt, Warri, Sapele, Agbor, and Ughelli—in these places landlords are inclined to solicit or court employees of oil companies who can afford to pay inflated rents from their high salaries. Many are forced into nefarious activities such as prostitution, pimping, drug peddling, and robbery. In Lagos state the homeless include young boys and girls scattered over the fifty-two development areas of the state among which are the marked dangerous zones under the bridge sections such as Ojeulegba, Orikpako at Ijora, Alaba, Ajegunle, Badagry, Ojota, and Ikorodu.
Another common feature in many large cities in the Northern Nigeria is the presence of homeless kids and youth, also known as “Almajiris.  In Lagos, these children work and live on the streets, mostly with their mothers. They work as beggars puling people’s clothes are they walk by, though, the federal government have made attempted to remove these children from the streets in the Northern part if the country. They have not done so in the southern parts of the nation.  Investigations reveal that, the problem of homeless kids, begging on streets is not limited to the North alone.
Hawking and street trading is usually common with some of these older children, particularly teenagers or young adults.  Many of these children run away from home, struggling to support themselves through various means. They are often sleeping beaches at nights after their day’s activities.
In another chat with Mr. Femi Gbolahan, an educationist, he defined homelessness as the “condition of people who lack regular legal access to adequate housing”. According to him, many factors could lead to homelessness. Some of them are local or regional unemployment, war, racial discrimination, mental or physical disability, terrorism as it is presently experienced in the North Eastern part of the country.’’
According to the United Nations, the number of homeless people globally is estimated to be in excess of 1 billion; it says it is impossible to get the actual number.  This is because of the transitory nature of the homeless. Whereas the homeless population in the West is largely made up of men, (though the proportions of women and children are steadily increasing), the homeless in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos, appear to be mainly children, women and youth.  Reports show that homelessness is mainly an urban problem. This is partly because of the commercialization of land and housing markets in the world. Homelessness among families with children is increasing not only in low income countries but also in high income countries despite their high level development.
According to report by UNICEF, It has been suggested that possible reasons for leaving home may include abuse, a desire for excitement or relief from oppressive home conditions, conflicts within the family; physical, emotional and sexual abuse; single parenthood, poor parenting, poverty, termination of education, child labour and peer influence. 
Young people may become vulnerable to all forms of abuse and hazards on the streets. They are especially harmed by harsh physical conditions, violence and harassment, labour exploitation, absorption into criminal activities and denial of their right to receive an education that will equip them for a better life. Many of these homeless children are usually seen dodging traffic as they sell goods to passing motorists. While many are engaged in legitimate work, others are involved in illegal activities including engaging in crime and theft, pick pocketing, commercial sex or drug trade.
Investigations reveal that, homeless children and youth in Nigeria are mainly from large families. In this regard, the pursuance of aggressive family planning programmes to reduce the present high level of fertility is important. The high degree of extortion and exploitation and abuse of homeless children testify to the violation of their human rights. This calls for an urgent need to protect the right of the homeless child. Besides, poverty, polygamy, marital disruption in family life and large family sizes, are major background characteristics of the homeless children and youth. The low status and polygamous family background coupled with the high fertility and marital disruptions may have created a condition in which homeless youth must have received inadequate parental care. The street life is such that the children and youth are exposed to various hazards.  They face a number of problems ranging from financial problems to harassment and extortions from police and miscreants known as area boys, or Agberos.  Insecurity, severe beatings and fighting, sexual abuse (especially of the females) are common experience of Nigerian youth facing the problem of homelessness.  
In another chat with Mrs. Shola Abimbola, an educationist she opined that, ‘the judiciary and the law enforcement agencies need to understand the problems of homeless persons so that their sympathy can be engaged. The need to improve the access of children to education is important.  There is the need to intensify education on the risk inappropriate sexual behaviour such as having multiple sexual partners, unprotected sex, and commercial sex.
There is also the need to step up efforts to eliminate substance abuse. The involvement of governmental and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) as well as religious bodies would be useful in this regard. Finally, more research should be carried out on homeless people in Nigerian cities especially in Lagos and Port Harcourt. This would provide the basic descriptive information that could assist in putting in place the relevant programmes that would reduce the problem of homelessness among Nigerians particularly the youths. Support could be sought from national governments and international bodies such as UNICEF, World Bank, USAID and many others.’’
In a chat with Barrister M. Shittu, Real Estate Investment Attorney, on the solutions to the problem of homelessness in Nigeria, he said, ‘‘there are many people that are suffering from homelessness in Nigeria. In fact the stories can be pathetic. The worst thing is that there is no relatable statistics on the problem.  We don’t know the actual number of homeless persons in the country.  There are numerous Nigerians living in uncompleted buildings, slums, under the bridge, beaches, badly built homes. My Company is planning a NGO on the issue. This is to tell you the extent of the problem. We know the extent of the problem we are stakeholder in the industry. People come to my office with different tales. This gentleman here, (pointing to a man in office sitting in front of him),’’ is here because of the same problem.  The landlords have just sold his house he still staying there and he could not raise the money to get another apartment for his family. The solution is clear; government must step in through private and public partnership. We need robust policies that can provide comfortable accommodation for our large population. Some of the things they must do are to reduce taxation on those that inventing in real estate or building mass housing. Government must provide an enabling environment for them. They should also provide land for our people to build.  It is very important that government should return land to the people. Anybody that needs land should just go to the government and get it. Look at the number of young people on our streets.  The government cannot claim ignorance of the problem. Many of these young ones have no place to lay their heads. You can go to the beaches at nights. Many sleep there.  The problem of land acquisition by government, demolition of structures without an alternative provision for the people is completely unacceptable. Government should return land to the true owners; they should return land to families and communities.  The people that actually own them should have them from the government instead acquiring them and denying the people. The government will just go to one particular area and declare it as government acquisition. This is wrong.  The opportunity of developing the land is taking away from the people. We need to completely minimize the costs of building or contracting homes. How are our fathers building homes in the olden days? They do it with low cost materials. They do it with mud bricks, our government should look at ways of building using low cost materials like our forefathers did. We can use burnt bricks which are far cheaper for low income earners. Anyone earning N500, 000 in a year should be able to build his own home. Our mortgage banks also need to look at loans for low income earners. The government knows what to do. As we are speaking, they have fantastic polices in place but do not have the political will to implement these policies. There is also the Nigerian factor, the problem of corruption. We cannot continue to play lip service to tackling corruption and expect a better life for the people, add to this, is the problem of collapsed buildings.  There are policies and institutions that are set up to tackle all these problems. Government policies on housing will continue to remain on paper, and we will never be able to solve our housing problems if we continue to pay lip service to issues of corruption.’’
Sunday Mirror investigations on recent government efforts to tackle the problem include,  a major bid to bridge the housing deficit gap in the country, put which the federal government put at 17million deficit, the Federal Government in a report says it has embarked on various policy reforms as well as some intervention programmes. For instance, the idea behind the establishment of the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, NMRC, by the federal government was to expand the frontier of funding for housing finance.  NMRC was conceived to bridge the funding cost of residential mortgages and promote the availability as well as the affordability of good housing to Nigerians by providing increased liquidity in the mortgage market through the mortgage and commercial banks.  The NMRC is a key component of the Nigeria Housing Finance Programme which was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMOF), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Ministry of Lands & Urban Development & Housing and the World Bank/IFC, with the principal objective of addressing the long-term funding constraints hindering the growth of the primary mortgage market, and reducing the costs of residential mortgages and available housing to working Nigerians.  Under this programme, the federal government has rolled out 10,000 mortgages for first time home buyers, especially the young people. In order to achieve a portal was created and prospective house owners have applied and applications are currently being processes by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development. Making clarification on the first phase of the affordable housing scheme in Abuja in January, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala had said “We try to aim this scheme primarily at the first time home buyer who is on the market to purchase a home costing between N2 and N20 million. So we try to keep it low to address the first time buyer and above all, our young people,” the coordinating minister noted as she unveiled the programme in Abuja. “With the 10,000 mortgage scheme, Nigerians can now begin to realise their dream of owning a home and looking forward to improving socio-economic outcomes”, the coordinating minister added. Another laudable programme aimed at addressing homelessness in the country was the recent flag-off of the N2.4trn Centenary City project and lately the constitution of three critical committees to push for the actualisation of housing for all programme.  Other institutional step taking by the government also includes the set up of critical committees to look at the housing programme of government. Some of the committees include the Ministerial Committee on Presidential initiative on the delivery of 10,000 Housing Units under the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, Ministerial Committee on Verification and Auditing of Federal Government Lands and Landed Property in the 36 States of the Federal and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Ministerial Committee on National Housing Survey.

While the committee on the delivery of NMRC 10,000 housing units, headed by the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, is expected to come up with clear action plan, set targets and timelines for the actualisation of the housing project, propose sound eligibility criteria for the participation of developers and builders, the Verification committee is set up to carry out a comprehensive inventory and auditing of Federal Government Lands and Landed Property across the 36 states of the federation, including FCT, Abuja, and carry out a review of the current use of the assets with a view to effectively putting them to use.  In this same vein, the committee on national housing survey, is saddled with the responsibility of ascertaining the characteristics of the various housing estates developed by the Ministry, Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) over the last four years and propose a framework for undertaking a national housing survey in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and recommend concrete measures to operationalise it. Efforts are also being made to review land policy in Nigeria especially as it concerns the power of the governor under the Land Use Act, to regulate all issues regarding access to land. Also in order to set standard in the housing sector and prevent sharp practices that often result in building collapse, a committee set up by the government to review the National Housing Code has submitted a revised National Housing Code and ready for the approval of the Federal Executive Council.

In a chat with our correspondent in Abuja, Mr. Ayoola Ayedogbon, an Abuja resident, said that although government had begun to show seriousness in addressing the housing problem in the country, it had not achieved the desired result because some of the programmes and policies merely operate on paper rather than in reality. For instance, he said the pocket of interventions of government, particularly in Abuja has not resulted in housing provision for those who needed houses. According to him, some of the houses purportedly conceived for the low income earners are being bought over by moneybags, politicians and their cronies. "If government is serious about bridging the housing deficit gap in the country, it must make the process of housing acquisition, especially those conceived principally for certain segment of the society, transparent," he said. 


Is Bible in support of Infant Baptism?


Yemi Olakitan

Infant baptism, the practice of baptising infants is unarguably a controversial issue in Christendom. While many orthodox churches practise it, the Pentecostals have rejected it, preferring to baptise older people.Yemi Olakitan examines the subject.

According to the encyclopedia Britannica, Baptism is a sacrament of admission into the Christian church. It involves immersion or sprinkling of water in the case of infants, with the invocation; ‘I baptize you in the name of the father and of the son and the Holy Ghost.’ This practice is popular with the Catholic Church as well as other orthodox churches but very unpopular with Pentecostals, Protestants, The Jehovah’s witnesses and the Seventh Day Adventist among others.
In a chat with Pastor Emmanuel Onoja of Hope of Life Evangelical Church, he said, Baptism is for adults and older children, because it is to be administered only after one is “born again,” after one has “accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour.”
“When the adult becomes a Christian, and his salvation is assured; when he is born again and thereafter, Baptism follows. This is because babies cannot reason in the word of God,” he added.
In another chat with Elder Ogunjobi of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, he said, “baptism is a public manifestation of the person’s conversion. Since only an adult or older child can be converted, baptism is inappropriate for infants or for children who have not yet reached the age of reasoning.
“Parents and Guardians make decisions for children, a child can grow up and decide that he does not want to be a Christian or he wants to be a Christian. Therefore, what is the point in baptizing them,? he asked
Deaconess Shola Abimbola of the Global Church of the Living God, Lagos, also opined that infants are incapable of being baptized.
“A person is baptized when they have reached the age of reason and have been taught the word of God and they have accepted it and believed in the name and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. Since infants are not old enough to do this, they cannot be qualified for baptism,” she said.
The Catholic Church in a statement says that it is a sacrament which accomplishes several things, the first of which is the remission of sin, both original sin and actual sin—only original sin in the case of infants and young children, since they are incapable of actual sin; and both original and actual sin in the case of older persons.
Apostle Peter explained said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). But he did not restrict this teaching to adults. He added, “For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him” (2:39). We also read: “Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). These commands are universal, not restricted to adults.
Further, these commands make clear the necessary connection between baptism and salvation, a connection explicitly stated in 1 Peter 3:21: “Baptism . . . now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
The Catholic Church has also held that Christ’s law applies to infants as well as adults, for Jesus said that no one can enter heaven unless he has been born again of water and the Holy Spirit (John 3:5). His words can be taken to apply to anyone capable of belonging to his kingdom. He asserted such even for children: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14).
A member of the Jehovah’s Witness, (name withheld) while speaking on the subject of Infant Baptism said, ‘‘one need to have accurate knowledge of the Bible before one can become baptized as a member of the Jehovah’s Witness. Infants do not have such ability and are therefore not qualified for baptism”.
According to him, only a person who has studied the Bible and come to a decision to follow Jehovah should be baptized.’’
In another chat with Ayinde Stephens, a member of the Catholic Church, he quoted, ‘the book of Luke which states, “Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God’” (Luke 18:15–16). Jesus said: “to such as these belongs the kingdom of heaven.” The Lord did not require them to make a conscious decision. He says that they are the kind of people who can come to him and receive the kingdom. So on what basis can infants and young children be excluded from baptism? If Jesus said “let them come unto me,” who are we to say “no,” and refuse to baptize them,? he asked.
Speaking further Stephens said: “Apostle Paul wrote that baptism has replaced circumcision (Col. 2:11–12). He refers to baptism as “the circumcision of Christ” and “the circumcision made without hands.” Only infants were circumcised under the Old Law; circumcision of adults was rare, since there were few converts to Judaism. If Paul meant to exclude infants, he would not have chosen circumcision as a parallel for baptism.
‘In the Old Testament, if a man wanted to become a Jew, he had to be circumcised. In the New Testament, if one wants to become a Christian, one must be baptized. In the Old Testament, those born into Jewish households could be circumcised in anticipation of the Jewish faith in which they would be raised. Thus in the New Testament, those born in Christian families can be baptized with the hope of the Christian faith in which they will be raised’’.
Elder Ajibola Theophilus of the United African Methodist Church said: ‘‘The Bible did not say baptism is to be restricted to adults; the people whose baptisms we read about in Scripture are adults, because they were converted as adults. This makes sense, because Christianity was just beginning—there were no people brought up from childhood in Christian homes.’’
In the New Testament, we read that Lydia was converted by Paul’s preaching and that “She was baptized with her household” (Acts 16:15). The Philippian jailer whom Paul and Silas had converted to the faith was baptized that night along with his household. We are told that “the same hour of the night . . . he was baptized, with all his family” (Acts 16:33). And in his greetings to the Corinthians, Paul recalled that, “I did baptize also the household of Stephanas” (1 Cor. 1:16). In all these cases, whole households or families were baptized. This means more than just the spouse; the children too were included. If the text of Acts referred simply to the Philippian jailer and his wife, then we would read that “he and his wife were baptized,” but we do not. Thus his children must have been baptized as well. The same applies to the other cases of household baptism in Scripture.’’
‘‘Granted, we do not know the exact age of the children; they may have been past the age of reason, rather than infants. Then again, they could have been babes in arms. More probably, there were both younger and older children. Certainly there were children younger than the age of reason in some of the households that were baptized.
Furthermore, given the New Testament pattern of household baptism, if there were to be exceptions to this rule (such as infants), they would be explicit. Why do we have no record of the Apostles condemning infant baptism, if it was not practiced by the first believers?’’
Methodists contend that infant baptism has spiritual value for the infant. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, held that baptism is a means of grace, but it was symbolic. Methodists view baptism in water as symbolic.
However, Pastor Akereja of Christ Lights Assembly, Lagos, opined that whether one is baptized as an adult or as an infant does not really matter to God. According to him, the important thing is that one is baptized.
“It is a symbolic activity of one’s acceptance of the goodness of the Gospel and the sacrifice that was made by Jesus Christ for all humanity. No-one is excluded whether one is a baby or an elder. Look, the most important message of our Lord Jesus is not even baptism, it is love.”
He said, we should love our neighbours as ourselves and love God with all our hearts. If you love your neighbour, you will not do anything to harm him. I think Christians should focus more on the message of love because that is the true heart and soul of Christianity,” he counselled.


Merchandised Holy Water: How Christian?


YEMI OLAKITAN




Holy water is a popular phenomenon in some Christian denominations in Nigeria. This concept held so much belief by some Christians that it is said to cure various diseases.  This water is even reportedly sold to believers in some churches.  Yemi Olakitan examines the concept in the light of biblical texts and Christian views through various interviews and chats with many clerics from various denominations. 

In a chat with Prophet, Dr Isaiah Oluatansuyi (Baba Aladura) of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and seraphim Church, Ijo Peter Omojola Memorial, Apongbo, he said, ‘‘Holy Water is one of the paths that was laid down by the founder of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church. The late Moses Orimolade, the founder of the C&S Church used water, olive oil, perfume and incense to do various types of healings and miracles.  Water, in particular, is a tool of power and grace in the Cherubim and seraphim Church Movement. Moses Orimolade used Holy water for cleaning and prayers. Water is one of the substances that God first created and it signifies life. It is a life given force. We usually pray over water, sometimes for three days, sometimes five days. It is by faith. These prayers are conducted by anointed prophets of God in the church. The Holy water is then used for deliverance, miracles and healings of various types. A child was brought to me recently for prayers. He was born with an ailment in his tongue and could not talk as he began to grow. The parents wanted to take him to the hospital, not that hospital is bad, but the Lord told me to use olive oil and we used it and the child began to speak.  God makes use of whatever he chooses in this ministry of healing. He can use water to heal, he can use oil. We cannot limit him. The important thing is faith. I have used sugar cane to heal a certain woman who was suffering from a severe cough and she received her healing. No-one should say that Holy water is it is wrong, it depends on how God wants to deal with you.’’ speaking further, he said, it is wrong to sell Holy water to believers, salvation is free. Christians are to give a freewill offering. They should not be coerced,’’ he said.

       In another chat with Ms Chibuzor Momoh, a member of the Celestial Church of Christ, Holy Cross Parish, Ikeja, she opined that ‘‘Holy water is usually prescribed for a person in the Celestial Church of Christ. The practice is attached to one’s faith. It can be used for healing and deliverance. There was a time I was fighting some battles in my personal life. The holy water was prescribed to me. There was also a time I was sick I used Holy water. It can be used to watch one’s feet, head or bath. I believe in holy water because I have had personal testimonies from using it. Sometimes, it can be prescribed that one should use it with perfume. It is the Holy Spirit in the water that performs the miracles and answers one’s prayer. I believe in it because it worked for me. You can sprinkle it upon yourself. Holy water is used in the Celestial Church of Christ, Cherubim and seraphim and the Catholic Church. It is peculiar to us at the Celestial Church of Christ. If a believer uses it in spirit and in truth, it works but you have to back it up with prayer and fasting.  The anointing oil that the Pentecostals used, is it not mixed with faith? It is the same thing. The Bible says, according to your faith be it unto you. I have drunk it for about 41 days at some time when a prophecy was given to me, I followed it to the latter. In celestial Church of Christ, we do not sell Holy water. You have to bring your own water and the shepherdess will pray on it and it will work if you believe.’’
In another chat with Deacon Olayemi Tijani of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Agbala Ore Ofe Model Parish, Lagos Island, he said, ‘‘Holy water is not emphasized in the Bible when Jesus shed his blood on the cross, and he already paid the price. The blood of Jesus Christ was enough for the Christians, there was no longer any need for holy water or any other sacrifice. The bible says that anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus shall be saved.  I do not blame those who use Holy water, it is their doctrine. When you go to the Catholic Church, they still use many old doctrines; they do not want to change. Many of these doctrines have changed and they are modernized.’’  

Speaking on those who are selling Holy Water, he said it is very wrong for any man of God to sell Holy water because salvation is free. Jesus Christ died for humanity. He gave his life as a ransom; he did not collect money for it. There was a man in the Bible that requested to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit from the Apostles, he was rebuked. You cannot buy the Holy Spirit or any of his gifts; therefore the merchandising of Holy water is a terrible error of Christianity.’’

Pastor Jaiye Abiola, of the Christ Life Church, said, ‘‘the concept of Holy water is only symbolic and the denominations that practice the use of Holy Water use such to key into the faith of the individual. The Bible says, according to your faith be it unto you. We cannot condemn the use of Holy water in prayers neither can we condemn the people who make use of it. It is part of African behaviours we attach a lot of importance to the concept of symbolism. When clerics say that one should go and bath in the river or pray into the water to drink it is basically symbolic. All these are meant to arouse the faith of the person involved. We cannot say that it is not biblical because water itself is symbolic, it symbolizes life even Jesus Christ told the blind man to go and wash in the pool and he got his healing. It is not unbiblical to use water to minister to believers. However, that does not mean that one must use water because the same Jesus healed people without water by merely touching them.’’

On whether holy water should be sold, He said, it is absolutely wrong to sell Holy Water to the believers. Salvation is free and should not be sold. Anyone involved in such practices is definitely not a Christian. It is purely unbiblical to sell holy water.’’ He said.
Deacon Chima of the Global Church of the Living God, said, ‘‘holy water can be used to minister healing or deliverance because the Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways. The same Holy Spirit who uses anointing oil can also use water. He, however, said that the sale of holy water in whatever disguise is repugnant and unbiblical and should not be encouraged.’’ According to him, ‘‘many false prophets are on the loose, they all want money. This is why they merchandise Holy water for their congregation. This is not right, salvation is free, our Lord Jesus Christ died for humanity. He gave his life as a ransom for humanity and he did not sell anything.  The men who are in the ministry for the money they will make will always find a way to carry out their agenda. The Lord Jesus did not sell anything, his mission was clear; to give his life as a ransom for many and he commanded us to preach the Gospel of salvation free of charge.’’

In another chat with Pastor Emmanuel Onoja of Hope of Life evangelical Church, he said, holy water is not a doctrine of his church and it is not condoned. ‘As you know, Christianity is a subject of faith. The bible says that if we have faith as a grain of mustard seed, we shall say to this mountain be thou cast into the sea and nothing shall be impossible unto you. A Christians who believe can pray to water and it will become a healing tonic or medicine to the body. We do not discourage people who use holy water either. We at the Hope of Life Evangelical believe in the use of anointing oil and that is what we preach in all our services.’’ He said.  

In a conversation with Mrs Shola Abimbola, a Deaconess at Global Church of the Living God, she said, '' We cannot completely condemn the sale of Holy Water. We have to look at the motives behind the sale. If the motive is to enable people to contribute financially to the preaching of the Gospel, then, there is nothing wrong with the sale. It all depends on the motive.  If a token is attached to the distribution of packaged Holy Water for healings, miracles, prayers and works of deliverance to enable people to sow a seed in the work of evangelism, charity, Church building projects, overseas missions, etc how can we condemn that? I believe that motives must carefully be examined before we condemn anything as Christians because only God knows the intents of the hearts. We humans do not have all the information to make an imperfect judgement. I will not condemn anybody,''' she said. 

How should Christians pray?



YEMI OLAKITAN
 

Prayer is very important in the lives of Christians, it is also a subject of divergent opinions  and approaches, while some believe that eyes must be closed during prayers, others prefer to open their eyes, some go to the mountains, others go to the sea, some kneel, others shout. Senior Correspondent, Yemi Olakitan examines the subject of Christian prayer in the light of Biblical texts and Christian views.

The Lord Jesus while speaking on the subject of prayer said, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:5-8).  He also gave us a pattern of prayer called the Lord’s Prayer in the gospels of Matthew 6: 9-13

Reverend Father Abiona of the Catholic Church while speaking on the subject of how Christians should pray said, ‘‘‘there is no law in the catholic church that says that a Christian should close his eyes or should not close his eyes during prayers. People close their eyes in the Catholic Church and some people do not. The most important thing is that we should pray without ceasing, according to what the Bible commands.  Those who close their eyes when they pray do well and those who do not also do well. When people close their eyes, they do so in order to enhance their concentration and focus. It enables the believers to avoid distractions and to put their minds on the subject of prayer. You cannot say, you are praying when you are looking here and there. You have to put your mind to it.  The people who go to the mountain to pray and the people who go to the sea or river to pray do well as long as they do not do other things that are contrary to the word of God when they get there. God is everywhere and Jesus himself said that when we pray that we should go into our house and shut the door and speak to our heavenly father.’’

The Bishop of Kogi Diocese, the Right Reverend, A.I Dawodu of the African Church Cathedral opined that prayer is a spiritual activity and communion with God, ‘‘the bible says those who worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth. Those who go to the river to pray have not done anything unscriptural. Christians go to the river to pray because of the need to stay close to God in an environment of quietness and solitude. Jesus himself regularly withdrew to the mountains to pray and to hear from God. Let us not forget that the African people believe in symbolism. They believe that symbols connect them to the divine that is why they go to the river or the mountain. In the bible, Naaman, the leper was healed after he bathed himself at a river.  (2 Kings 5:1-19)  There is nothing unbiblical about going to the river or the mountain to pray.  Jesus himself preached by the river banks, it was there he met one of his greatest disciples, Apostle Peter. God is everywhere and Christians can pray anywhere, in the church, at home, in the office and they can open their eyes or close it. There is now where in the bible where Christians are told to pray with their eyes close or opened. They can pray with any posture that is convenient for them and at any time in any place. The instruction is to pray without ceasing.’’


In another chat with Elder Theophilus Ajibola of the United African Methodist Church, he said, it is not true that Catholics or orthodox churches do not close their eyes when they pray. We close our eyes and we kneel down..  The Pentecostals stand. They believe in praying while they stand. They hardly kneel. The white garments like going to the sea or river banks. All these are good, if we do them according to our faith.  The reason why we close our eyes is so that we can concentrate on the task at hand. We close our eyes so that we can focus on God and avoid distractions.  What the Bible says is, according to your faith be it unto you.

Deaconess Shola Abimbola of the Global Church of the Living God in Lekki, Lagos says prayer is a communication between man and God. Christians should close their eyes when they pray.  This is because of concentration and focus and it helps to avoid distractions. This is important in prayer. It is not wrong to go to the mountain or the river. You can go to the mountain in your room. It does not necessarily mean that one must go to a physical mountain.  The idea of going to the mountain or the river is just to achieve concentration. It helps to be alone with God and communicate with him. There is no posture that is not acceptable to God, whether you kneel, jump or stand does not matter all that is required that you communicate with your God.  There are instances when one can open the eyes during prayer. If I am driving and I am praying to God. I cannot close my eyes. If I am praying with a prayer list on a paper, I will not close my eyes since I have to read from the list. In whatever way, we choose tom pray God hears.

 Pastor Emmanuel of Hope of Life Evangelical Church said, going to the mountain or to the hill is not wrong, when it comes to the subject of prayer what is important is the faith of the individual believers. It is not wrong for people to go to the sea to pray as long as they go there to pray and not to do unbiblical acts. Prayer can be offered anywhere since our God is everywhere. He is everywhere and he is omnipotent. Prayer is a personal thing between you and God. Consequently, I believe that the exact manner people pray is also between them and God. The exact manner isn't specified in the Bible... Some people may like to kneel, some people may turn out the lights, and some people may look up towards the sky while others may pray silently within their heads. Different people communicate with their saviour in different ways but the most important thing is that communication is occurring.’’

Pastor clement Ofunoye of the Global Church of the living God while speaking on the subject of prayer, said, that Christians should pray with all their hearts and might’s and without ceasing. Some believe in gentleman prayers. I don’t, because the devil is not gentle. Jesus Christ prayed and blood comes out from his face as sweat. If you pray with vigour and you pray sluggishly, which one will enter your subconscious man? I believe in violent prayers. I don’t do gentleman prayers.’’

Evangelist Ezekiel Keith of the House on the Rock, said, ‘prayer depends on the state of mind of the believer.’ According to him, ‘one does not need to close eyes. It is not compulsory but closing one’s eyes connects one to the spiritual, which is God because you then avoid distractions.  There is no definite place where a Christian can pray. You can pray in your room or outside your room but Jesus Christ warn us not to make a show of prayer. Our God is omnipresent and omniscient. One can pray anywhere and at any time in any posture. It is one’s state of mind and the condition of the heart that God is looking at. Christians should pray as they see fit to pray. God is well aware of what's in your heart as you pray; he's aware if you're doing anything out of traditional formality, or if it's being done sincerely. You can pray anywhere.
You can sit, stand, run, lay, kneel, or whatever. I often pray as I lay in bed at night, and when I'm at work - always asking God for his grace. I will pray when I'm just sitting around and sometimes it's as if I'm just having a normal conversation in the same way I would with anyone else - just sitting there casually and talking.  The Bible says,
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. This is what I live by when it comes to the subject of prayer.

Elder Veronica Osai of Good shepherd Church, Ajegunle said, ‘‘prayer is a personal thing. It's a conversation between you and God. It isn't between you and someone else and God. The way that you have that conversation is between you and God. No one has a right to come and give you rules about how to talk to your best friend. You may do it laying down -- standing up -- walking around. We should be comfortable, open to talk and open to listen. We should just be ourselves. If having your eyes closed helps you, do it. If it doesn't, don't do it.  The bible says, according to your faith be it unto you.








Pilgrimage to Jerusalem: Tourism or Spirituality?


YEMI OLAKITAN
Today, many Christians have made pilgrimages to Jerusalem a part of Christian religious exercise. In 2013, even President Goodluck Jonathan was on a Christian Pilgrimage to Israel. He was among many other pilgrims at the Wailing walls in Israel. However, some have argued that the Bible does not prescribe a holy pilgrimage for Christians; hence the practice is not biblical. Senior Correspondent, Yemi Olakitan, examines the subject.

Not long ago, President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, while on a visit to President Goodluck Jonathan asked the President to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem an annual duty to enable him continue to seek for spiritual guidance in the governance of the country.
According to him, “Mr. President should make the Presidential pilgrimage and "A Day with Jesus in Jerusalem" an annual event as the spiritual benefits of that exercise to our dear nation and its people are immeasurable”.
The Encyclopedia Britannica, describes pilgrimage as a journey undertaken for a religious purpose. A Christian pilgrimage is described as a pilgrimage or journey made by Christians to places which have moral or spiritual significance.
The question that then arises is: What is the significance of holy pilgrimage to the Christian faith? Does it have any spiritual relevance in the Scripture or is it merely another tourist exercise?
In a chat with Deaconess Shola Abimbola of the Global Church of the Living God, Ajah, Lagos, she said: ‘‘Christians undertake pilgrimages to Jerusalem because most events in the life of Jesus Christ happened in and around the city. These places include the Garden of Gethsemane, Golgotha, the Upper room where he appeared after resurrection to His disciples and His tomb”. She however said the practice of pilgrimage is not mandatory in Christianity. According to her, Jesus Christ did not recommend pilgrimage for Christians; instead he said the kingdom of God is within us and that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
“This clearly shows that a Christian does not have to go on pilgrimage before he can have spiritual rejuvenation unless he wants to go on tourism. We do not have to go on a pilgrimage because the other religion goes on pilgrimage. I personally do not consider it a necessary part of my Christian experience unless I want to go on vacation and I want to visit some Christian tourist centers. I do not attach any spiritual attachment to it. What is recommended by the Bible is that we should be born again, be baptized by water and the Holy Spirit. Jesus also commanded us to love our neighbours as ourselves. If we do these, we would have done all that Jesus commanded while he was on earth and the world would be a better place to live. Do you know that some Nigerians abscond when they get to Israel? They use the opportunity for illegal immigration. That is very shameful,’’ she said.
In another chat with Pastor Emmanuel Onoja of Hope of Life Evangelical Church, Lagos, he said, “for a Christian to see the places where Jesus walked, talked and performed his miracles is an experience in spirituality and to behold the beautiful ancient churches, the garden of Gethsemane, the pool of Siloam, (Pilate's Court), the empty tomb of Jesus is a deepening of one’s faith in God”.
He added: “Many Christians have come back with numerous testimonies when they visit the holy land. It is something that we Christians should encourage. I believe that it is something that will increase someone’s faith in God. We read all these places in the Bible; a pilgrimage will enable Christians to see them face to face, that to me is more than just tourism, it is spiritually uplifting’’.
According to him, though the Bible does not instruct Christians to go on holy pilgrimage to anywhere, he said he is convinced that pilgrimage to Jerusalem and other places mentioned in the Bible would be a humbling spiritual experience. 
However, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Pilgrims Commission, John Kennedy Opara disagrees with those criticizing pilgrimage to Israel by Christians.
He said: ‘‘Contrary to the misconception in some quarters that pilgrimage is not commanded by the scriptures, it is a serious spiritual business which is clearly spelt out in Psalm 122 verse 6 “that those who love Israel, I will secure.
“Also in Zechariah 8 verse 22, ‘many people and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord Almighty, and pray for his blessing. Others could be found in Zechariah 14: 16 -17.
“This is why on our own part, at NCPC and indeed the states’ Christian Pilgrim Welfare Boards, we are driving pilgrimage as a tool for moral transformation and spiritual rebirth. Pilgrimage is not the same as tourism in several ways. It is a spiritual journey to which the pilgrim tends to benefit tremendously. It is a journey to holy, sacred places to usher the pilgrims into the presence of God. Pilgrims embark on this journey with joyful hearts in anticipation and expectation of encountering God and are transformed, renewed and restored”.
Speaking further, Opara said ‘‘No fewer than 30,000 Nigerians perform Christian pilgrimage to Israel annually. “Pilgrimage is a tool for moral and spiritual upliftment and not a jamboree.It is a journey to the very source of Christianity, to the very place where "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Visiting this pre-eminent spiritual destination is truly an experience of a lifetime and something not to be missed”.
Speaking further, the NCPC boss said: “We have widened the scope of the pilgrimage. Before now, our national pilgrimage ends only in Israel and Sinai but we have extended it to Rome, Greece, Corinth, Thessalonica and the Philippi and other places where Apostle Paul worked. If you are going on pilgrimage, you must have prepared your mind spiritually. If you prepare your mind spiritually, then you would be able to appreciate the visit and profit from it. The whole essence is to make people to be spiritually and morally transformed. When they come back, they will help the system and help the government to move forward. The Bible says faith cometh by hearing the word. When Christians go on pilgrimage, they do not hear alone, they see that which is preached physically and the effects is always awesome. They come back renewed. While in Israel, they see things the way it truly is that Jesus worked there; there is no fortress, and there are no hectare of land that they say belonged to Jesus and the message is clear to the people. Christ did everything without attributing or acquiring any wealth for himself, so it helps a lot.
“I want more than one hundred thousand Nigerians to go to Israel annually that is my dream; that more people should go to Israel annually. If I am able to get hundreds of thousands of Nigerians to go to Israel, every one of them will be able to affect lives. So, the multiplier effect will be much and over millions of lives will be transformed and we will live in peace and harmony. Pilgrimage is a tool for spiritual transformation. Pilgrimage is an act ordained by God almighty in the Bible.’’
In a testimony from the Nigerian Christian Pilgrimage Commission, NCPC, a woman pilgrim, name withheld, narrated her experience.
“I waited for the fruit of the womb for 18 years after marriage. There was no name people did not call me, even my in-laws did not spare me. Somebody told me about going on pilgrimage to seek the face of God. After much persuasion, I conceded to it. We travelled in 2009 to the State of Israel. At every site, I made it a point of duty to pray and when we got to the Wailing Wall (Solomon's Temple) in Jerusalem, I wrote out my prayer request, inserted it in the wall. Two months into our arrival in Nigeria, to the glory of God Almighty, I got pregnant and thereafter delivered a bouncing baby boy. After the arrival of my baby, the devil struck again, the baby was not crawling, talk-less of walking. After one year, I went back to the Wailing Wall to remind God of His promises. All glory to God, my son is not only walking but can talk fluently.’’
Attesting to its powerful impact on the visitor; William Johnston, author of a handbook on the Holy Land, says: "Here, the pilgrim who is open to God's grace will be deeply enriched in the Faith, for the mind will be filled with the awesome wonder of so many sacred shrines and this will be cemented in the heart never to fade". 
According to Pope Francis of the Catholic Church, a pilgrimage to the Holy land should be a time of prayer and close relationship with God.












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