The Dangote refinery may resort to exporting its Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) following the refusal of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to be the sole buyer of its product.

The NNPC, in a statement by its spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, said on Saturday that it would not buy Dangote fuel unless it was cheaper than that of the international market.

This is contrary to claims by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, that the refinery was waiting for the NNPC to roll out its product.

On Saturday, the NNPC stated that it would only fully offtake petrol from the refinery if the market prices of PMS were higher than the pump prices in Nigeria.

The NNPC also declared that Dangote and other domestic refineries were free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, adding that it had no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment.

The company was reacting to a press release by the Muslim Rights Concern, which claimed that the Dangote refinery was being undermined by the NNPC.

MURIC stated that recent changes to the pump price of petrol by the NNPC would prevent the refinery from offering lower prices, and that the corporation had become the sole offtaker of all products from the refinery.

Responding, the NNPC said, “The pricing of petroleum products from any refinery, including Dangote Refinery Limited, is determined by global market forces.

“The recent changes in PMS prices have no impact on DRL or any other domestic refinery’s access to the Nigerian market. In fact, if current prices are perceived as high, it presents an ideal opportunity for the refinery to sell its products at lower prices in the Nigerian market.

“Furthermore, we emphasise that there is no guarantee of lower prices associated with domestic refining compared to any global parity pricing framework, as confirmed by the DRL. The NNPC Ltd will only fully offtake PMS from the DRL if the market prices of PMS are higher than the pump prices in Nigeria. The DRL and any other domestic refinery are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, which is the current practice for all fully deregulated products. NNPC Ltd has no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment, and therefore, the notion of becoming a sole off-taker does not arise.”

Soneye added that the NNPC could not undermine a business in which it held a billion-dollar investment.

Dangote’s wait

While unveiling the 650,000-capacity refinery on Tuesday, Dangote had stated that the facility would roll out petrol whenever the NNPC was ready.

Dangote disclosed that petrol would get to the filling stations in the next 48 hours (from Tuesday) after all arrangements with the NNPC were concluded, adding that the queues would soon be over.

“Our PMS can be in filling stations within the next 48 hours, depending on NNPCL,” he said.

He spoke further, “We are ready. I pray that within the next few days, you won’t see any petroleum queues as soon as we finalise with NNPC. We are ready, we are waiting for them (NNPC) and I hope they will be ready like yesterday.”

Dangote told newsmen that he could not disclose the price of the petrol because the NNPC was in a position to control it.

“On the pricing, I can’t say anything because we don’t control the pricing. At the moment, it is controlled by NNPC, not Dangote. We will wait for them. But, our own for now is to make sure that the product is available and round-tripping is stopped,” he noted.

The businessman emphasised that the NNPC was the company that would sell and distribute the product under the current naira crude sale arrangement.

“Once the NNPC is ready, we roll. We are even ready to load a ship this week,” he added.

Product export

But it seems the talk between the two companies have collapsed, which may result in the company selling its petrol abroad.

The NNPC has issued several statements denying that it will fix the price for Dangote or be its sole off-taker, even as the refinery has yet to roll out its product.

Nigerians have wondered why the NNPC decided to hike the pump price of petrol the same day Dangote refinery unveiled its petrol, after several months of implicit subsidy payment.

The masses, who were hopeful that the Dangote fuel would crash the price of petrol, may be losing hope.

Speaking on the Brekete Family live show on Monday, the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, said Dangote petrol would be exported if the NNPC and other petroleum dealers in the country refused to patronise it.

Asked if the petrol would be sold locally, Edwin replied, “There has been a kind of a blockade from lifting our products within the country. The traders have been trying to blockade, and so now, we have been exporting our petroleum products. We are ready to pump in PMS as much as possible to the country.

“But if the traders or NNPC are not buying the product, obviously we will end up exporting the PMS as we are doing with the aviation jet and diesel,” he declared.

Edwin expressed surprise that the company started facing challenges it never expected when the refinery was set to commence operations.

He recalled that the philosophy initially was to add value to the raw materials available in the country, regretting that Nigeria was still exporting crude and importing refined petroleum products after over three decades.

Despite having a gantry that can load 2,900 tankers per day, Edwin disclosed that the refinery had not loaded up to five per cent of the gantry’s capacity owing to low local patronage.

In an interview with our correspondent, a professor of Economics at the University of Ibadan and President of the Nigerian Economics Society, Adeola Adenikinju, advised that the government and the NNPC should buy PMS from the Dangote refinery instead of importing from another country.

“Dangote refinery is a private business; he will export to where he can make money. He cannot be subsidising our economy. It is still going to be cheaper for the NNPC to buy from Dangote than to import from Europe. Dangote has to run the business and pay his debts, he can’t subsidise us,” Adenikinju noted.

IPMAN ready to buy fuel

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria on Saturday said it would buy PMS from Dangote at any price, even if the NNPC refused to buy.

The National President of the association, Abubakar Maigandi, told our correspondent that the independent marketers were ready to patronise Dangote.

“Whatever the case, if Dangote starts selling his product, we are going to patronise him; if at all he wants to do business with us.

“We are ready to buy at any price because the NNPC is saying that they don’t want to involve themselves in fixing prices. So, at any price that he wants to sell, we are ready to buy and discharge and sell at a good price,” Maigandi stated.

Members of IPMAN own about 80 per cent of the filling stations in Nigeria, especially in rural communities.

On Thursday, the NNPC also said it was waiting for a September 15 timeline given to it by the refinery.

However, the latest comments from the NNPC indicate all is not well with the negotiations between the two companies.

The spokesman for the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, did not answer calls or reply messages sent to him by our correspondent on Saturday.

Black marketers sell fuel N1,400 in Benue

Meanwhile, black marketers are making brisk business as most filling stations in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, closed for business.

Since the hike in the price of the petroleum product, many filling stations have been shut down while the black market has resurfaced.

Our correspondent, who monitored the situation in Makurdi on Saturday, observed that several filling stations were not operating while black marketers were using their frontage to sell the product to motorists.

The product was sold between N1,300 and N1,400 per litre.

This development resulted in few vehicles plying the roads, while transport fares skyrocketed and  people resorted to trekking.

Motorists crowd NNPC stations for fuel

Despite the promise made by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, that fuel would be available in filling stations by the weekend, the situation in Ondo State has not improved.

A visit to some filling stations in Akure, the state capital, showed that many petrol stations were still under lock and key following unavailability of the product, while NNPC stations with the product had long queues.

Also, some stations of the independent marketers were selling for between N950 and N1,100 per litre.

In Ekiti State, many petrol stations dispensed petrol to customers, while a few did not have the product.

But the price was between N950 and N1,200 per litre at the stations dispensing petrol.

Long queues of vehicles were at the few stations selling the product at between N950 and N960 per litre.

A self-employed man, Mr Abel Olode, who said he bought some litres of petrol for N960 per litre on Friday, said, “I parked the car at home and boarded a motorcycle to my place of work today. Using it daily will drain my finances.”

Filling stations belonging to major marketers in Ogun State sold fuel for between N868 and N890 per litre, while independent marketers sold for between N950 and N1,200 per litre.

The NNPC outlets, however, sold at N865 per litre.

A motorist, Adeolu Bashir, said, “Nothing has changed with the fuel situation. The independent marketers are selling the fuel for N1,200; meanwhile, not many of the filling stations are selling the product.”

As of September 7, 2024, independent marketers in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were dispensing fuel at N1,100 and N1,200 per litre. There were no long queues in most of the filling stations in the city

Long queues still persisted in most of the filling stations in Zamfara State, despite the hike in fuel price.

Most of the filling stations, controlled by IPMAN in Gusau town and other parts of the state, were selling a litre of fuel between N1,100 and N1,150.

There was no fuel in all the mega stations visited by Sunday PUNCH as of the time of filing this report.

Despite the scarcity of PMS in some states, the product seemed to be available in most filling stations across the 13 LGAs of Nasarawa State.

When our correspondent visited some of the stations in Lafia, the state capital, on Saturday, it was observed that there were no queues.

The prices of PMS in Obi, Awe, Keana, Doma, Toto and Nassarawa Eggon LGAs had skyrocketed to N1,100 per litre.

Filling stations such as Sandaji, Hayattu, Alh Dauda Muhammadu, Nagoda, Rainoil among others, all sold at N990 per litre.

Meanwhile, the product is currently being sold between N1,200 and 1,400 by the black market dealers in several locations across the state.

In an interview with our correspondent, one of the black marketers, Musa Inusa, said getting the product had become “extremely difficult” for him because of the strict restrictions and increase in price.

 

Punch

Families and operators of businesses in the country have continued to decry the recent hike in petrol prices as they grapple with the escalating cost of living amid widespread discontent in the country. The 50 percent increase in petrol price has rippled through the economy, driving up prices of essential goods and services, and exacerbating financial hardships for many.

The price hike, which came into effect last week, has seen petrol prices soar to record highs of between N850/litre and N1,400 per litre depending on the area, adding to the already mounting pressure on household budgets.

Owing to the hardship being experienced by the citizens, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Dioceses, Matthew Kukah, called on President Bola Tinubu and the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to take measures to ease the sufferings of Nigerians and also reverse the petrol price hike.

Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) also condemned the recent increase in the pump price of petrol and warned the federal government not to take Nigerians for granted.

Speaking with our correspondent, a frozen food trader and mother of two, Mrs. Arinola Olusoji, said, “I’m finding it difficult to balance my budget. The increase in petrol prices has added to my transportation costs, and I’m struggling to afford necessities like food and rent.

“We expected so much from this government, but what we are seeing now is the least we expected from Tinubu.

“You can imagine when we are having a queue from the northwest, Gbagada, to Anthony. I left my vehicle in Ikorodu to come here. You cannot imagine how much I paid to get to this place.”

The situation is even more dire for low-income households, who are already struggling to survive on meager earnings.

“I don’t know how I’ll manage to feed my family,” said Johnson Odumakin, a Lagos commercial bus driver. The price hike has taken away what little savings I had, and I’m worried about our future.

“There is no fuel to work. There is even no black market. We bought last fuel at the black market price of N7,500 for five litres.

“Passengers have been complaining that the price of transport is too high, but what choice do we have when we are buying fuel for N1,300 per litre?“From Shonoyi to this place is N400. From Yetunde Brown to Bariga is N500, which is not supposed to be so.

“People are complaining that it is too bad. I’ve never seen this kind of scarcity before since my existence.

”In his remarks, a petty trader, Abdullah Isah, said, “I used to buy fuel of N7,000 per day. Now, I don’t even have N7,000, and it finishes on time. One litre of fuel is N868. I don’t know what to do. I used to enter from my house to this place N500 before, now it’s N1,200.

“You can imagine. It’s very terrible. Before you even see the bus, it’s very scarce. I have six children, how do I cater for them when I am spending that high on transportation and fuel? How much do you make from this business?”

Also speaking, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Treasury Capital and Trust Limited, Tom Achoda, pointed out that the implications of the latest hike in the pump price of petrol and high inflationary pressure for businesses would be very significant and negative.

Achoda, who is also an economist, said that their impacts may further erode the value of Naira and reduce the purchasing power of individual consumers. He projected that businesses were going to shut down and those that would be running would be running at negatives, which would lead to an increase in non-performing loans (NPLs).

According to him, “businesses will not be able to meet up operational costs and at the same time service their existing loans.

“The multiplier effect will be that as businesses are shutting down it will be affecting bank balance sheet because it will increase NPLs.

“All the cash flow analysis that were done by bank before approving existing loans to their customers has been overturned by current realities, especially hike in energy costs.

“Those cash flow projections were based on the realities at the time they took those loans.  At that time, the price of fuel was below N500 but is now above N1,000. I flew into Uyo on Wednesday and people were buying fuel in my presence for N1,3000.

“The cost of living has increased and there is no commensurable salary for workers. Even the new minimum wage has been eroded.

”Another impact on businesses, according to Achoda, was that many corporate organisations could lose the services of their skilled workers who could likely emigrate to foreign countries in search of greener pastures.

Speaking in the same vein, the Chief Executive of De-SME Facilitators Limited, Tony Chinwe, said the implications of petrol price hike for businesses would be multifaceted, very harsh and asphyxiating.

Chinwe, who was the former Group Head of SME Banking, Fidelity Bank Plc, said: “Unlike many countries where electricity is supplied from the public grid, over 90 per cent of MSMES use petrol-powered generators as a source of electricity for their machines and equipment.”Commenting on the development, Director General, Institute of Directors Nigeria (IOD Nigeria), Dele Alimi, said the high cost of commodities would erode households’ disposable income, adding that businesses should brace up for a corresponding decrease in profit margin as a result of high running cost. Worried that Nigeria was in dire straits, he suggested as a way out for rulers to strike a balance that would put all on the winning side.

“Unfortunately, we cannot blame oil manufacturers. Like any other business, they also sell at prevailing processing cost. They need to operate profitably to remain in business.

“Unfortunately, the government failed to plan properly for subsidy removal which is why we are here. It is disappointing that one year after fuel subsidy removal, what we see is 20 CNG buses distributed to states when ordinarily we should have mass transit business flood major cities”, he asserted.

On his part, President, the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Samuel Agbeluyi decried another fuel hike at a time when Nigerians were grappling with inflation, unemployment, and a declining standard of living.

He submitted the decision would exacerbate inflationary pressures.

“Already, transportation costs have surged by approximately 50%. Businesses are struggling to stay afloat, thus the economic strain on citizens would worsen. This situation disproportionately affects low- and middle-income earners, who are already struggling to make ends meet. This, coupled with hike in electricity tariffs compounds this problem, particularly the operational cost of SMEs, which are the backbone of the Nigerian economy”, he expressed.Also speaking, the Registrar/CEO of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), Babatunde Okuneye, said recent hike in fuel price may not be unconnected to the deregulation agenda of the downstream sector of the Nigerian petroleum industry, targeting general good. He said, ”We should expect a reduction in disposable household income which will also impact access to food, healthcare, education, and other household priorities. This will equally exacerbate the plight of the already agonising populace, majority of whom are reeling under the scourge of poverty.”

Kukah to Tinubu, APC: Nigerians Are Hungry, Reduce Fuel Price

Bishop of Sokoto Dioceses, Bishop Matthew Kukah called on Tinubu and the leaders of the APC to reduce the price of petrol to ease the sufferings of Nigerians.Kukah, who spoke at the formal unveiling of the APC Progressive Institute yesterday in Abuja stressed that there was serious hunger in the land.The clergy also urged political leaders to urgently find a way of reducing hunger and suffering of the masses in the land.His words: “I have always said that I am not a politician but I am political. I am not a member of the APC. If Labour party invites me, I will go, if it is the PDP that invites me, I will also go. One thing I will appeal to politicians is to write your biography so that the younger generation will appreciate the mistakes you have made.

“The Institute will help the political leaders to change the rules of engagement. Once they are elected, spiritualists, ritualists will dictate their activities. I want to urge Nigerian politicians to move from marabout to scientific approach to administering the country.

“As I commend the APC for this feat and I am happy that the political leaders are here and I want to say that Nigerians are hungry. You must find a way of reducing the prices of fuel to reduce the suffering in the country.”

AYCF Warns Against Taking Nigerians For Granted

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF)  condemned the recent increase in pump price of petrol and warned the federal government not to take Nigerians for granted.

In a statement yesterday, in Kaduna, President General of the forum, Yerima Shettima, said, it was becoming clearer that the present government seemed to have lost touch with the reality of things in the country. He said the current economic situation is pushing Nigerians to the wall.

Shettima, noted that it was unfortunate that the government which had earlier appealed to Nigerians not to embark on protest with the promise to make life better, only to add to their pains by suddenly increasing petrol price.The statement called on the federal government to have a rethink on its policies and the challenges facing the country.

“For me, the federal government should have a rethink on the numerous challenges.

“President Bola Tinubu must allow Nigerians to breath, because with the situation of things now, angry and hungry Nigerians are further being pushed to the wall and the reaction of an hungry and angry person may be unimaginable”, Shettima said. He urged the government to leave up to its responsibilities and let Nigerians feel the positive impact of the renewed agenda by making life better for Nigerians.

The statement added that, “The sudden increase in price of petrol has already created a multiplying effect on prices of not only food stuffs, but in several other areas such as transportation among others.”Shettima asked the federal government to urgently do the needful to avoid revolt from Nigerians by prioritising their welfare.

 

Thisday

Reactions are trailing the announcement of the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media & Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, to embark on an indefinite leave of absence.

Ajuri, in a statement on his Facebook page on Saturday, said he had informed the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of his intention to proceed on an indefinite leave of absence, citing health matters involving his nuclear family.

The statement read, “On Friday, I submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President informing my office that I am proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters presently affecting my immediate, nuclear family.

“While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonizing decision — entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President; Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen — was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home.

“I look forward to returning to full-time national service when time, healing, and fate permit. I respectfully ask for some privacy for my family and I during this time.” he said.

Following the development, some Nigerians have taken to the social media platforms to share their thoughts.

On X, formerly Twitter, Shehu Sani @ShehuSani wrote: “Ajuri can now rest well, sleep well, eat well, switch off his phone and even add some weight.”

Jaafar Jaafar @JaafarSJaafar: “Ajuri Ngelale is the first presidential spokesman whose television face and Oyibo accent — not PR or media expertise — earned him the plum job. Tinubu’s family brought him for cosmetic effect to smarten the president’s geriatric outlook and gutteral voice. But soon afterwards, his inflated sense of importance and domineering attitude put him at odds with other powers around the president.”

Queen Bee @QueenBee_: “Maybe he wasn’t lying enough as required and he was asked to step aside for Onanuga to assume full lying responsibilities.”

Safety Cabal @gabriel_bolatit: “We are not going to miss him maybe for appointment announcement sha.”

FEJIRO @realFejiro: “It’s no surprise to hear that Ajuri Ngelale has resigned.
Do you realize how difficult it is to defend someone like Tinubu? You would have to abandon all sense of integrity and logic to do so. You’d end up calling black white and white black. Best of luck to Ajuri Ngelale!”

Ifeanyi Ejechi @ifeanyi_ej53035: “What kind of semantics is “indefinite leave of absence*’? Okay! I can now understand. It means Ajuri Ngelale was gently shown the door, without necessarily being pushed out.”

Adamu Ibrahim Aliyu @hrh_aia: “I have a lot of respect for Ajuri, because he has proven to be one of the spokespersons that have regards for the citizens. Very careful with his choice of words when addressing the citizens. I wish him the best in his future endeavours.”

Dr Croc @MgajiInnocent: “Ajuri Ngelale is just 37 year old, but he has accomplished a lot. At first, it’s music to listen to him, but as you listen the more, his voice becomes boring and the lies becomes apparent. This is coming from me (as an APC card carrying member).”

Emma ik Umeh (Tcee) @emmaikumeh: “Ajuri Ngelale is tired of telling Nigerians lies. It’s not easy defending this government”

Shafi’i Hamidu @shafiihamidu: “Tinubu government must have frustrated Ajuri. He is the best spokesman in this government and he speaks with facts ????. It is unfortunate he left Baba,”

Meanwhile, Facebook users have also expressed different views.

Mazi Ifeanyi Nweze said: “His conscience no allow him to continue defending obvious failure of a president. He wants to exonerate himself from the mess they call governance in Nigeria. Good of him, he can still regain his image and dignity.”

Hamma S. Idi: “I salute the courage of this young man despite the benefits that he has been enjoying and he has decided to leave. Bravo”

Okpueze Emerueh: “Kudos to him. He has a conscience. It’s very difficult to defend a clueless government. Let the Lagos boys take over as usual.”

Muhammad Gaddafi Rabiu: “The biggest PR has resigned. He may be tired too for incompetencies. May his former principal be next to resign.”

 

Daily Trust

The federal government has imposed a deduction of N50 Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) from every inflow of N10,000 and above received by customers of Fintech companies, including Opay, Moniepoint, and others.

In a notice to its customers on Saturday, the online payment platform stated that the charges in line with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) regulations, will take effect from September 9, 2024.

“Dear valued customers, please be informed that starting September 9, 2024, a one-time fee of N50 will be applied for electronic transfer of N10,000 and above paid into your personal or business account in compliance with the Federal Inland Revenue Service regulations,” the notice read.

The company clarified that the charges are requirements from the President Bola Tinubu-led government and not a source of revenue for the payment platform.

“It is important to note that OPay does not benefit from these charges in any way as it is directed entirely to the Federal Government,” it added.

Similarly, Moniepoint, in a terse notification to its customers on Saturday, said: “A N50 fee would be charged on inflows you receive of N10,000 and above from Monday, September 9, 2024.

“Your BRM is available to answer questions you might have.”

 

Daily Trust

CIA director says more detailed Gaza ceasefire proposal due in days

The head of the CIA, who is also the chief U.S. negotiator for an end to the Gaza war and release of hostages held by Hamas, said a more detailed ceasefire proposal would be made in the next several days.

After 11 months of conflict in Gaza, CIA Director William Burns said he was working very hard on "texts and creative formulas" with mediators Qatar and Egypt to secure a ceasefire, by finding a proposal which satisfies both parties.

"We will make this more detailed proposal, I hope in the next several days, and then we'll see," said Burns, speaking at a Financial Times event in London alongside Richard Moore, head of Britain's MI6 foreign spy agency, in an unprecedented joint public appearance.

Burns added that it was a question of political will and he hoped leaders on both sides recognised "the time has come finally to make some hard choices and some difficult compromises".

He said 90% of the paragraphs had been agreed but the last 10% were always the hardest.

"My hope is that you know, they'll recognise what's at stake here and be willing to move ahead on that basis," he said.

Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies, while Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed nearly 41,000 Palestinians, Gaza's health authorities have said, largely levelling the coastal enclave.

 

 

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine says Russia launched 67 drones in overnight attack

Ukraine's air force said on Saturday Russia launched a total of 67 long-range Shahed drones in a mass overnight attack, 58 of which it was able to shoot down.

The air force said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app that air defence units were scrambled into action in 11 regions across Ukraine.

Drone debris was found next to the parliament building in the capital Kyiv, the legislature said in a separate statement it posted on its official Telegram page along with several photographs.

It is rare for a Russian missile or drone to get so far into central Kyiv, as the city is protected by a network of Soviet-era and Western-donated air defence systems.

The hilltop government quarter in the city centre is perhaps the best-defended site in Ukraine, as it also houses the offices of the president, cabinet and the central bank.

The pictures on Telegram showed at least four pieces of debris scattered on the ground near the parliament building. One piece lay at the foot of the steps to the building's main entrance, while another hunk of metal looked riddled with shrapnel.

Reuters correspondents in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, heard a series of explosions shortly after 3 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Saturday, some of which resounded loudly around the city centre, waking up its residents.

Since the start of its invasion in February 2022, Moscow has launched thousands of missiles and Shahed drones into Ukraine.

The Iranian-designed drone has been used by Russia since September 2022 as a cheap, more expendable alternative to missiles, which are expensive and harder to manufacture.

The propeller-powered Shahed flies at less than 200 km per hour (125 miles per hour) but can be tricky for conventional air defence systems to track because it flies low and emits far less heat than a missile.

Kyiv's air force said the drones were launched from two border regions in Russia as well as from the Russian-occupied peninsula of Crimea.

 

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian drone destroys US-made howitzer in Ukraine – MOD

The Russian Defense Ministry has released a new video showing the destruction of a US-made M777 howitzer in Ukraine. The artillery piece was taken down by a Lancet loitering munition, the military said on Saturday.

The howitzer was discovered during redeployment in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region. Infrared drone footage released by the ministry shows the artillery piece getting towed by a truck, with an apparent escort vehicle seen traveling ahead of the consignment.

The M777 ended up hit by the Lancet as it reached a wooded area outside of a village. Drone footage shows a large blaze and secondary detonations at the site, suggesting the artillery piece and its ammo stock were destroyed.

US-made 155mm NATO-caliber M777 howitzers have become one of the main medium-to-long range artillery tools in the Ukrainian arsenal, with at least 200 pieces delivered to Kiev by its Western backers. A vast majority of the howitzers have been provided by Washington, with a small number supplied by its allies, including Canada and Australia.

More than 100 units of the type have been destroyed by Russian forces during the hostilities, with the systems repeatedly ending up hit by Lancet-family drones at their firing positions, as well as falling victim to other means of counter-battery warfare, including aerial, missile and artillery strikes.

 

Reuters/RT

No doubt, photographs evoke metaphors, imageries and diverse interpretations. Imagery was evoked in my mind as I read President Bola Tinubu’s remarks during his recent adventure to China. He spoke while addressing Nigerians living in that country. “Nigeria is going through reforms, and we are taking very bold and unprecedented decisions. For example, you might have been hearing from home in the last few days about fuel prices. But, can we help it?” the president said cavalierly like a cruel surgeon about to dissect a patient to whom he had neither empathy nor any iota of feeling. We had thought the president was not aware of our interminable queues at petrol stations since he was in far away China. We thought he didn’t know that Nigeria was literally comatose as Nigerians burnt precious man hours on petrol queues. But, with that statement, we now know that our president is aware that Nigerians are dying as a result of his so-called reforms. Nigerians’ situation today is such that, even if one was as cold-bloodedly unfeeling as to be able to chew the meatless, ugly head of a tortoise, they would empathize with them.

Tinubu’s coldblooded statement on his reforms is not dissimilar from the image provoked by the award-winning photographer, Kevin Carter. Aged 33, Carter’s highly-rated photo appeared in the New York Times of March 26, 1993. It was the photo of a famine-stricken Sudanese boy. Initially thought to be a girl, his name was later found out to be Kong Nyong. The boy had collapsed of intense hunger and lay on his face in the hot desert sun of Sudan. He had an empty food bowl hidden beside his face like an Almajiri. A beaded necklace of his Sudanese nationality jutted out of his feeble neck. He was said to be on his way to Ayod, the United Nations ration centre in Sudan, which was about a half-kilometre away. As he walked languidly down the coarse road of the desert, all of a sudden, Kong’s hungry strength failed him.

Less than a meter from the collapsed boy was the unnerving figure of a vulture eyeing the gaunt boy and awaiting his eventual death, so that it could commence his devouring. Carter, on a United Nations photography assignment, according to him, took diverse photographs of the “interesting scene” of the collapsed boy and hurriedly left the scene. The photo went mega viral. Although, entitled ‘The Struggling Girl’, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1994, Carter committed suicide four months after, on July 27, 1994. He poisoned himself with carbon monoxide. Carter had been reportedly taunted by the world and haunted by what people perceived as his inhuman treatment of the dying boy. A caller on a radio programme, who asked what Carter did to help Kong after taking the “interesting” picture of the young boy, was shocked at his curt reply of, “I had a plane to catch.” Carter had earlier confessed to his friend that, “I see all this, and all I can think of is Megan,” his young daughter. The radio caller’s stinging retort was the clincher. It led to an emotional turmoil that eventually led to Carter’s breakdown and suicide. The radio caller had told him pointedly: “On that field were two vultures – you and the cadaver-eating bird!”

Nigeria is at the juncture where three footpaths meet. It is a critical intersection that troubles the stranger newly come to town. Speaking directly to the dilemma of a stranger at a loss on which of the three intersections to follow, Yoruba aptly named the juncture Ìkóríta méta tíí dààmú àlejò. There seems to be no need for pretext any longer. Efunsetan is Akinwumi Ishola’s dramatization of the exploits of Efunsetan Aniwura, the powerful matriarch and pre-eminent slave merchant of Ibadan in the 19th century. At that intersection when she finds out that her slave had been impregnated by a fellow slave, Efunsetan burst out into a scornful laughter. I paraphrase her hysterics: “The wild wind has blown and the naked rump of the hen is free to be beheld by all!”

It is same for Nigerians. The duo of those who aided and abetted the current runners of Nigeria into office, and those who didn’t, have come to same intersection. Bishop Mathew Hassan-Kukah drew the grim picture succinctly, in a recent beautifully arresting imagery. “A girl was asked, ‘which party are you, APC, LP or PDP?,’ she said: ‘I am hungry’”.

In literature, at the final part of a play, film, or narrative, when a natural resolution and the final strands of a plot are tied together, with knotty matters straightened, a denouement is said to have been achieved. Here, Yoruba conjure the allegory of the dead (Ení kú) and the lost (pèlú eni t’ó sonù) who have finally met each other. Today in Nigeria, hunger and pain have united us all. Our brains seem to have reset. If you watch viral videos of regrets and recounts about the Tinubu misadventure that litter the social media today, you will agree that the dead and the lost have indeed found their mutual level. At this critical stage, ownership of the clothing regalia found on the Egungun masquerade can no longer be denied. It belongs to the Egungun. No one can deny that the last fifteen fatal months of the Nigerian life have been an experience in weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Moving forward is as challenging as back-pedalling. Nigeria is in dire straits. The Nigerian birds have refused to chirp as is their wont. Our rats now mutter foreign tongues. The government in power will seem to have exhausted all the talismanic magic wands in its pouch. Lies (iró) have failed liars and falsehood (èké) has broken the spines of its spinners.

In 1925 Abeokuta, the Alake, paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Ladapo Ademola, was trapped inside a puddle of falsehood… until a denouement came. The Oba arrived his own Ìkóríta Méta without bargaining for it, trapped in a puddle of lies and mischief. Writer, radio broadcaster and educationist, Isaac Oluwole Delano, collated the king’s dilemma in a 1955-published book he entitled Aiye D’aiye Oyinbo (This world has morphed into the Whiteman’s). The story gained such huge traction in the Abeokuta area that it was nicknamed the Faripo Incident.

Faripo was a notorious convicted criminal. One morning, as warders conducted their rounds, findings revealed that Faripo had escaped from the Egba Native Administration Prison. There was pandemonium. Blame game began. The story whooshed from one home to the other with baffling speed of lightning, until it encircled the land. In no long a time, grapevine fingered Oba Ademola as one behind Faripo’s disappearance. Permutations were based on alleged past financial malfeasances of Oba Ademola as a prince in Lagos. In 1890, very hardworking Prince Ademola was head printer of Horatius Jackson's Weekly Record 

newspaper and played a leading role between Lagos and his hometown Abeokuta in negotiating the passage of railway through Egbaland. The year 1920 was specifically fingered as the year Ademola engaged in the less-than-straight financial transactions. Thus, the disappearance of Faripo was put to the pre-monarchy association between the convicted criminal and the king. According to the rumour, while in prison, Faripo had threatened to spill the beans. The above was a perfect foundation for the allegation that Oba Ademola secured the services of fellow prisoners to murder Faripo in prison and carefully put away his corpse.

Faripo’s disappearance caused immense tension in Abeokuta and environ. Even the Resident and District Officer were not immune from the spinning lie. The two officers then ordered police investigation. In the process, a corpse, assumed to be Faripo’s, was exhumed. Even Faripo’s mother identified the remains as her son’s. At this time, the lie had taken a full weight of truth. Oba Ademola, the major suspect, was about to be investigated. Then, all of a sudden, Faripo was reported found in Oyo town. A few days later, Faripo himself appeared in Abeokuta. Then the police cornered all who made false statements regarding the alleged murder. Oba Adedapo survived his traducers, made up of liars and merchants of falsehood.

A lot of talks have been generated over the sincerity or otherwise of this government in the last fifteen months. Without making a mountain out of a molehill of the issue, the truth is, governments, all over the world, tell lies. If you listen to the narratives from former President Donald Trump, he accuses the Joe Biden administration of lying to the people. It is also vice versa from Biden. Governments have so many reasons to engage in falsehoods. These falsehoods can sometimes be helpful. They range from ones in defence of national security to national integrity. However, when falsehood becomes a defining governmental character, then something is awesomely wrong.

Since its establishment, the NNPC has been an opaque corporation. A 1995 Working paper with the title ‘NNPC and Nigeria’s Oil Patronage Ecosystem’ had this unflattering word about the corporation: “Any attempt to analyze NNPC… must first confront the question of what it really is. Despite its formal organization as a vertically-integrated oil company, NNPC is neither a real commercial entity nor a meaningful oil operator. It lacks control over the revenue it generates and thus is unable to set its own strategy. It relies on other firms to perform essentially all of the most complex functions that are hallmarks of operating oil companies. Yet unlike some NOCs it also fails to fit the profile of a government agency: Its portfolio of activities is too diverse, incoherent, and beyond the reach of government control for it to function as a government policymaking instrument.”

Irregularities in financial operations and non-conformity with statutory laws have been the NNPC’s abiding operational philosophy. Governments upon governments have capitalized on the opacity of its operations to fleece the people. It begins with the fact that Nigerians don’t know the amount of crude oil their country processes in a day, nor the amount of fuel they consume. You could hide an elephant inside the purse of the NNPC and remove foreign currencies of similar size. Perhaps, the most phenomenally distressing has been this regime of fuel subsidy. It has since made emergency billionaires of laggards and is continuous till today. Nigeria has been fleeced of trillions of Naira all in the name of regulating the prices of this precious commodity.

Those who invested hope in this government believed, upon being sworn in, that it would dissemble the ancient incubus of corruption that has festered untamed in the NNPC. Only God knows where they got that illogic. Can Beelzeebub fight Beelzeebub since a house divided against itself falleth? They didn’t have to wait too long for the quashing of their hope. Some have even said that the foundation upon which this government is built is falsehood. Take for instance the subsidy regime pronounced by the president on May 29, 2023. Mountainous lies were told to give that lie a life. Government had begun making huge savings from subsidy, we were told. Economists however told us that it was incongruous that government wouldn’t be paying subsidy when the Naira to a dollar’s incestuous relationship is this abiding. At a time, the exchange rate went as high as N1,900, with government purchasing processed petrol in dollar. Recently, that adulterous relationship went burst and, as Efunsetan cried, “The wild wind (then blew) and the naked rump of the hen is free to be beheld by all!”

As it is often said, tonnes of lies are needed to defend a single strand of falsehood. It is same here. NNPC has gone into a binge of falsehoods ever since. When Reuters alleged that the corporation owed its oil suppliers to the tune of $6.8b, NNPC promptly and vehemently denied the claim. To shore up that lie, in August, NNPC announced via what it claimed was its audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, that its revenue from crude oil sales in 2023 had jumped up to N14.07 trillion, an increase of 298.7 percent. This was against the N3.52 trillion earned in 2022. Shortly after, in admitting that it was indeed owing oil suppliers $6 billion, NNPC painted a scenario of national insolvency.

In its relationship with the Dangote Refinery, NNPC has extended its serial falsehoods. This it does in its communication with Nigerians on what actually is the subsisting deal between the two. The most laughable scenario we are left to grapple with is that of a private refinery and national oil giant, the NNPC, exchanging liability of responsibility to fix fuel price as cavalierly as beer mugs are exchanged in shebeens. Trillions of Naira have been spent to make the four Nigerian refinery corpses walk, to no avail. It is either the Tinubu presidency infected NNPC with its lie virus or NNPC cleverly learnt the lying body language of Aso Rock. Or, both. The buck of this falsehood regime however stops at the table of the president. He is perceived as either abetting the lies or doesn’t see anything wrong with it.

The trust deficit between Nigerians and their president is as a thick fog. The people believe he has exported the “Eko for show opacity” to the federal. A government that wanted to disconnect from the rank corruption in NNPC won’t have the president as minister of petroleum. Its first hammer, according to projections, would land heavily on Mele Kyari and his oil-sucking bug directors. There was no hammer and no head for it to land on. The president compounded the equation by appointing his old warhorse ally as chair of board, a man whose recency of knowledge of the oil industry is as fossilized as prehistoric remains. Rumour also circulates that every liter of petrol bought in Nigeria is a goat tethered for sacrifice by the grove of Bourdilllon. The corruption broth is finally cooked.

Now, Nigeria is on her knees, totally castrated by a binge of falsehoods and Nigerian rulers’ illicit thirst to make money at the expense of Nigeria and Nigerians. Roiling angers are the mask worn by Nigerians as they walk long hours on the street to their destinations. Nigerians are dying in droves and fat cats are still talking about policies. You could feel the thickness of hopelessness hanging in the Nigerian sky. Yet, the president talks unfeelingly like a compassionless surgeon who just had a job to do – yank some goddamn flesh off the navel. I have analyzed Tinubu’s China speech severally in less than 24 hours. He talked about a reform that is painful but which would yield results. Results to who, and for whom? To skeletons or cadavers in the mortuary? The president seems to have snatched the trophy of heartlessness from Ibrahim Babangida and his MAMSER, SAP excruciating policies. We should have known that Tinubu learnt the art from the Prince of Niger.

Deploying the image of Kevin Carter and his award-winning photography, dying Nigerians are Kong Nyong, battered by hunger and long hours at fuel stations. Hungry vultures are biding their time to feast on our carcasses. Our president has a reform to carry out. And, like Kevin, has “a flight to catch”.

 

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth ~ 2 Thessalonians 1:3.

Introduction:

Faith is a quintessential faculty that must be allowed to fully develop in us. It’s the incontestable means by which we can offer remarkable kingdom services, develop an honorable character, and obtain a good report in God’s trustworthy assessment.

Faith is a living thing; indeed, a living power from heaven: “faith is…”(Hebrews 11:1). It’s firm trust and sound confidence in God and the integrity of His Word (Hebrews 3:14). Faith substantiates the promises of God, making them present realities to us.

The assurance of the things hoped for, whatever they are, is available to us through the assent of faith because faith infers the reality of the objects believed for (Hebrews 6:5-6). Faith is an agreement with the truth that’s credible upon the testimony of God as found in the Bible.

Faith deals with spiritual and invisible things. It proves to the mind the reality of things hoped for, and gives the believers the “convincing proof” of things not yet seen.

By faith, our souls can see the buried past, the unseen present and the unpredictable future.Faith is a firm persuasion and an unyielding expectation that God will perform all He has promised to us in Christ.

There are different levels/kinds of faith: little faith (Matthew 6:30; 14:31), mustard seed faith (Matthew 17:20), great faith (Matthew 15:28), strong faith (Romans 4:20), living faith (Galatians 2:20), steadfast faith (Colossians 2:5), and sound faith (Titus 1:3).

Every believer has faith in a measure, as a gift from God (Romans 12:3). However, our faith must grow adequately for it to produce our desired expectations (Romans 1:17). It must be bold in speaking forth God’s promises (1Timothy 3:13; Romans 1:8).

We must develop our faith, otherwise it will naturally ebb away  because of the unpalatable winds that occasionally blow around us (Matthew 7:25-27).

Faith is never static. It is either growing, diminishing or withering. Sadly, faith can wither without the owner knowing that something precious is slipping away from him. Hence, our Lord Jesus Christ warned the Laodicean church against such an ugly scenario (Revelation 3:14-22).

We cannot truly live without faith (Habakkuk 2:4). Yet, the devil incessantly hunts it in order to rubbish our Christian testimony (Hosea 7:8-10)! We must therefore never become careless with our faith; rather, we must always strive to maintain and even grow it.

In Matthew 17:14-21, a man took his son, who was tormented by the spirit of lunacy, to Jesus' disciples for healing. But they couldn't cure him. The man then went to Jesus, and He immediately cast out the devil with a mastery touch of authority.

Now, just like every serious-minded learner would make recourse to his teacher whenever the occasion demands, Jesus’ disciples privately asked Him why they weren’t able to cast out the despicable spirit from the boy.

Jesus told them that it was their unbelief that made it impossible for them to cure the boy. This is always the case with us when we refuse to grow our faith as we ought to.

Unarguably, the disciples then were on a learning curve, and hadn’t attained a spiritual level of faith required to heal the boy. Nevertheless, Jesus still reprimanded them, calling them a “faithless and perverse generation”, because He had expected they would learn fast enough to grow their faith to a degree of kingdom relevance (2Timothy 3:5-7).

Understanding The Mustard Seed Faith

Of a truth, Jesus clearly said that anyone with “faith as a grain of mustard seed” can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). But, this is one of the most commonly misunderstood passages in the entire Bible.

The “mustard seed” kind of faith is often roughly interpreted as “just a little bit of faith to do great exploits”. Some people therefore become content with their ground-level, puny faith. Undoubtedly, this wasn’t the intention here.

Jesus didn’t mean that our faith should be small, and remain so. Little faith doesn’t accomplish big things, only big faith does. Anything beyond your faith level remains undone! It certainly takes full-grown faith to move mountains (Matthew 17:16).

“Mustard seed faith” refers to the kind of faith that can grow to the extent that it can produce signs: heal the sick, cast out demons and wrought wonders. It’s that “little faith” that grows and eventually moves mountains.

Jesus explained this in Matthew 13:31-32, saying, “The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof”.

Our faith is expected to grow to the extent that our lives become a pleasant fragrance of God's grace, that we become solution-bringers to our world, and that we begin to touch other destinies just like birds of the air find a haven in the enormous tree that grew out of the tiny mustard seed.

Faith has always been the mark of God’s servants, from time immemorial. The disciples had faith, otherwise they wouldn’t have prayed at all. It was just not enough. We must be determined to develop our faith!

At the onset, we don't have to go in at the deep end, but we must start where we are and steadily increase in it by believing God for small things and then graduating to higher things. Thereafter, our faith can move any mountain (Mark 11:22-23).

Necessary Conditions for Faith To Grow

Faith isn’t a matter of works, soulical activities, or something that comes about as a result of our emotional rollercoaster. Developing our faith is about being increasingly focused on God's Word, relying on His grace and following Him in intentional fellowship (Ephesians 2:8-9).

A conducive atmosphere is highly essential here; otherwise, our mustard seed faith won’t grow. It may even lose its potential. The soil is certainly important. It must be fertile and very nourishing. This refers to a well-prepared and well-watered heart, always eager to hear the Word (Ephesians 5:26).

Albeit, hearing the Word is more than a mere audible perception. It entails obeying it as well (James 1:22). Disobedience hinders growth. Your faith cannot grow beyond your obedience.

There must also be good “sunlight” for our mustard seed faith to grow  (Malachi 4:2). When our lives are exposed to Jesus' light, we become energized by love, and we certainly produce bountiful yields (Galatians 5:6).

Furthermore, prayer and fasting are very essential to the administration of faith and power in the Holy Ghost. Prayer and fasting speak to death. Before our mustard seed faith will sprout, grow and produce, it must die first. The way up is the way down!

Prayer and fasting require a lot of discipline, diligence, determination and perseverance! Fasting is a valid means of dying to the flesh, and when it’s coupled with prayers, we become finely-honed to pick the signals from the invisible realm.

Friends, your faith is very precious! The glory of God shows in your life only to the extent that you have grown your faith. Guard it jealously; don't trifle with it, and don't allow anyone (or anything) to steal it!

Faith grows by speaking right words (Revelation 12:11). If your faith is not sown, it will lie dormant and useless. There’s an incredible power in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Moreover, the mouth of the righteous is a well of life (Proverbs 10:11).

Never side with Satan! Take side with God by saying what He says. Believe also what you speak. Your faith will grow big, and it shall produce bountiful harvests for you. You won’t miss it, in Jesus name. Amen. Happy Sunday!

____________________

Bishop Taiwo Akinola,

Rhema Christian Church,

Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Connect with Bishop Akinola via these channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bishopakinola

SMS/WhatsApp: +234 802 318 4987

Stop trying to be good because: “There is none good but One, that is God.” You are a man. You cannot be God.

I was at a midnight prayer meeting and the Lord took me briefly out of the meeting by engaging me in a conversation. He said to me:

“Femi, the first lesson I taught you is that something can be nothing. I told you on Airport Road: “Nothing will happen to you here.’ But something happened after I said that: you were shot. I insisted the something of a bullet in your leg was nothing. I then made nothing out of that “something’ by healing your leg.”

“You must understand that I make nothing out of something. I also make something out of nothing. What men call something is really nothing. Without Me, you can do nothing. People think they have done something when what they have done is nothing. A man cannot do something. I AM the only one who does something.”

Catching Something

Peter fished all night and claimed he caught nothing. He said to Jesus: “We toiled all night and caught nothing.” (Luke 5:5). 

Do you believe Peter?

I do not. You cannot toil all night on the sea and catch nothing. You will catch something but can regard what you catch as nothing.

Why was Peter’s something nothing? Because without Jesus, we can do nothing. (John 15:5). But then, Jesus, the Person who makes something out of nothing tells Peter to try again. He tells him to fish in the same place but now even at the wrong time. (It is better to fish at night).

But now there is a fundamental difference. He would fish at the word of Jesus. He must now believe he would catch fish because of the word of Jesus. That belief would not be in doing the right thing. That belief would be in Jesus Christ. That belief would be in doing what the Lord asked him to do.

When Peter did this, he caught so many fish his net broke.

Faith in Jesus

How should you express your faith in Jesus? Just do whatever He tells you to do. Do not do whatever He says you should not do. As Mary, Jesus’ mother, says: “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5).

If He tells you to put water in a jar when it is wine you want. Just do it. If He tells you to fish where you know there is no fish. Just do it. Solomon counsels: “Don’t lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5).

And so Peter did the wrong thing by faith. Peter fished the wrong way by faith and caught so many fish his net broke.  He caught so many fish, his boat was sinking.

God says: “I have put a Rock in the path of the Jews, and many will stumble over him (Jesus). Those who believe in him will never be disappointed.” (Romans 9:33).

Whoever believes in Jesus will not be disgraced. Whoever believes in Jesus will never have cause to be sorry. Whoever believes in Jesus will never have any regrets. The reason is quite simple, Jesus is the Truth.

If you believe in Jesus, your belief, that is your faith, will always lead you to the right way. That is what the Bible means when it says that the righteousness of God is by faith in Jesus Christ.  (Romans 3:22). The right thing to do is always what expresses faith in Jesus Christ. 

How do I know the right thing to do in any situation? The right thing is always what expresses faith in Jesus Christ.  

Wrong Question

A man who had something but feared it amounted to nothing came to Jesus. The man had something: because he was rich. But Jesus told some rich men:

“You say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked —  I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” (Revelation 3:17-18).

This rich man who came to Jesus needed something. He knew his something was nothing because he did not have eternal life. So, he came to Jesus and asked: “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16).

This man had done some things in his life that made him rich. Now he wanted to know what good things he should do to have eternal life.

But there was nothing he could do. He does not seem to know that there is nothing any man can do to inherit eternal life.

This rich man was so incapable of doing anything right that he could not even ask the right question. He should have just asked: How can I inherit eternal life?

We can do nothing to inherit eternal life. We did nothing even to have temporal life.

The word of faith says we are not required to climb up to heaven to inherit eternal life. Neither are we required to dive down into the abyss to achieve it. The word is in our mouths and our hearts. (Romans 10:5-8).

Eternal life is not an Olympic Games for which we can win a medal after exerting ourselves. This rich man with nothing should have asked what or who he must believe to inherit eternal life. So, to expose his ignorance, Jesus told him to obey the commandments He knew the man could not obey because, without Jesus, we can do nothing.

This man foolishly told Jesus he had kept all the commandments without Jesus from his youth. So, Jesus instructed him to obey the first commandment (love the Lord with all your heart) and the second commandment (love your neighbour as yourself).

He said to him: “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Luke 18:22).

And this man could not do this because he had great possessions. He could not obey because he had a lot of “something” that was really nothing.

Incapable Man

The Bible says: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10). What does this mean? It means there is nothing a man can do that can be something in the eyes of God. Without Jesus, we can do nothing.

As far as God is concerned, nothing a man does is something. Everything a man does is nothing. How can that be? God says:

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9). 

Therefore, says Jesus: “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 15:15).

With God, man always does the wrong things: “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

When a man does something, it always turns out to be nothing in the eternal scheme. Even when a man does what he considers to be right, it always turns out to be wrong in the eyes of God.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 16:25).

Big Mistake

Today, the Christian is seen mistakenly as someone who must not do bad things. No! No! No! We cannot stop doing bad things. Without Jesus, we can do nothing. It is not in the doing. It is in the believing.

They say in the churches: “If you are a Christian, thou shalt not steal.” “If you are a Christian, thou shalt not fight.” “If you are a Christian, thou shalt not curse.” “If you are a Christian, thou shalt not drink.” “If you are a Christian, thou shalt not smoke pot.” 

In short, a Christian is still that person imprisoned by a lot of dos and don’ts. We are back again under the Old Testament regime of “Thou shall and thou shall not.”

But Paul points out that: “Those laws are good when used as God intended. But they were not made for us, whom God has saved; they are for sinners who hate God, have rebellious hearts, curse and swear, attack their fathers and mothers, and murder. Yes, these laws are made to identify as sinners all who are immoral and impure: homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, and all others who do things that contradict the glorious Good News of our blessed God.” (1 Timothy 1:8-10).

The believer is not under the law but under grace: “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Romans 6:14).

The believer sins UNINTENTIONALLY but his sins are no longer counted against him. The believer still cannot help himself. As believers. we still sin because:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10).

Imputed Righteousness 

God has ascribed to us something we do not yet have; righteousness. Righteousness has not yet been given to us, but it has been credited to us. We have not earned the money but Jesus has put it in our account.

What believers have is right standing with God despite our sins because of what Jesus has done. That is why, writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David says: “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him.” (Psalm 32:3).

We are not righteous but God does not count our sins against us because of what Jesus has done on our behalf. CONTINUED.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; www.femiaribisala.com

An airline pilot has melted hearts all over the internet after a video of her most special announcement yet went viral on social media.

The heartwarming video, shared on TikTok in August by the pilot herself under the username @michelleherbie, shows the first officer standing by the speaker, right before take off, giving her passengers some delightful news.

"Today is actually a very special flight for me because both my parents will be joining me on my flight and it's the very first time," she can be heard saying as the crowd cheers ecstatically.

"I would like to thanks my parents because without them this would have never been possible, so thank you mom and dad," she continues.

A caption shared with the viral clip reads: "Flew my parents for the first time, decided to make a little PA! Had a great bunch of [enthusiastic] passengers on board."

While it's becoming a much widespread career choice among women, still only 4 to 6 percent of all airline pilots are females, according to the latest global data shared by the Centre For Aviation (CAPA).

As for the U.S., women account for around 5.2 percent of airline pilots and 10.3 percent of all pilots. However, despite the low numbers, women's interest in qualifying as cockpit crew is growing.

"The number of women holding FAA student pilot certificates increased almost five times, from 9,897 in 2003 to 49,286 in 2023. As a share of all student pilots, the figure increased from 11.3 percent in 2003 to 15.6 percent in 2023," the Centre For Aviation says.

CAPA also found that women are under-represented in the senior ranks of airline management too. The only group in aviation where women outnumber men is flight attendants, however, this role is usually at the lower end of the salary range in the industry.

Flew my parents for the first time, decided to make a little PA! Had a great bunch of enthousiastic passengers on board ???? #memories #family#aviation #proud #fyp#positivevibes #goodvibes

The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 280,000 views and 8,750 likes on the platform.

One user, EGCC_Aviation, commented: "There's my favourite pilot."

User8267849990503 said: "Much respect for this woman."

BGrant added: "Bet that was a very proud moment!"

Richardlee wrote: "Checking on their investment!!"

 

Newsweek