This month, the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, Musa Aliyu, brought senior journalists described as “northern Nigeria media editors” to Abuja. He apparently wanted to showcase his achievements and describe how difficult it is to fight corruption. Aliyu was concerned that corruption in the Nigerian public sector thrives “despite the efforts of the anti-corruption agencies.” He regaled the editors with stories of ICPC bravado to buttress the point that corrupt officials manipulate the judicial process to escape sanction and protect their proceeds. One of his stories was of a certain hospital, or better still, non-hospital, somewhere in the…

"God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9). Introduction: One of the strongest truths in the entire Bible is that God is inherently faithful. He is trustworthy. He honours His words, fulfills His promises, and He won’t let down anyone that trusts in Him. Our God is too faithful to fail! God’s faithfulness is in direct contrast to the other heathen faiths. Other gods are, generally, immoral, selfish, cruel and careless with their promises regardless of their pledged word. Contrariwise, the God of the Bible is always…

The bus was going from Jerusalem to Jericho and highway robbers waylaid it. They got on the bus brandishing automatic weapons: “This is a stick-up,” declared the leader of the gang in a menacing tone designed for maximum effect. “Is there anybody here who has been paying his tithes? If you have been paying your tithes raise your hands.” A few passengers raised their hands sheepishly. He told those who did to move to one side. Then he declared: “Those of you who have not been paying your tithes are thieves and robbers. You have been robbing God. Therefore, we…

Among all the people of the first-century Mediterranean world — from Praetorian guards to peasant farmers — the child was the most powerless, and this is the main reason that Jesus uses children as exemplary disciples. No doubt childhood 2,000 years ago was very different from childhood today. (In truth, even the concept of childhood is a social and cultural development that varies across the world.) Nevertheless, amid all our modern developments, one aspect of childhood remains true across the years: vulnerability. Children are extraordinarily vulnerable because they are weak, needy, and defenseless, and this is one of the major…