Fada Oluoma responded Fada Unegbu

Fada Oluoma responded to my recreation to his his letter to Mr Matthias Ezeaku. He wrote as follows. 

"Hello Fr Unegbu, thank you for responding to my letter and also making your observations/ corrections. Among all the points you made, the obviously most important one is your point 10 which cascaded down to the end. You took your time to outline the achievements of our ancestors with archaeological proofs. This is professional scholarship and I doff my cap. I totally agree with everything you said about what our ancestors achieved and the need to avoid demeaning them. 

However,  it should have come as an addendum or a new perspective to my letter. I didn't create any impression or directly stated anywhere in my letter that OUR ANCESTORS achieved nothing. If you go through my letter again you'd see that I never used the term or phrase "our ancestors". It was a discreet and intentional omission. I challenged Mathias to name one thing "those who practiced the kind of religion" he is advocating invented. I could have used the expression "show me one thing your ancestors or our ancestors" achieved. I deliberately omitted the word "ancestor" for 2 reasons: I wasn't referring to our Igbo ancestors there,  I'm aware of their achievements as you outlined, I wouldn't have been born Igbo if my ancestors were daft. Secondly, I don't regard the "religion" Mathias is advocating same as our ancestors'. Search the media and see him gathering his co worshippers or followers in a building, that's not how I'm taught our ancestors practiced theirs. I'm not even sure he can replicate it even if they teach him. 

So,  I was deliberate in the omission of ancestors because of my sacred respect for them and didn't want to make them part of this conversation. 

Finally,  if you take into cognizance that my letter was in defence of Christianity against a rabid attack,  you'd understand  why all those things you felt I should have added aren't there. The letter was in defence of Christianity against someone who claims the Christian religion has done no good to our people,  so it's proper I took time to list the achievements of Christianity. When I'm going to write in defence of our culture(which will be published soon), it will have the emphasis it deserves. 

I hope you can publish this response in your wall so that your followers who have that impression will read my clarification. 

Once more,  thank you for your scholarly intervention done with respect and civility. Remain blessed."

Me: Thanks, Fr. Oluoma, for this clear clarification. It has dotted the i's and crossed the t's. It has not only enriched your letter but also the sincerity of your intentions. Keep being who you are. With people like you with burning zeal for the truth and decency, we have hope that one day our people will be reunited in brotherhood and progress irrespective of belief, religious, denominational, or ideological differences. 

Fada Angelo Chidi Unegbu

FIRST LETTER TO MATHIAS EZEAKU.

Dear Mathias,

We serve God bc of two fundamental reasons: creation and redemption. All religions, including the one practiced by our ancestors whom you have become a convert apostle acknowledge God as creator. How they worship or conceive this 'creator God' definitely differs.

 Common sense and intelligence agree that whoever is behind the origin of every person and things in the world deserves worship, that's the being we Christians worship. 

Redemption is fundamentally a Christian mystery and doctrine. This is where Jesus Christ comes in. Majority of Christians believe that the creator God, though one, is three persons( father, son and Spirit). 

To save humanity from eternal damnation, God the son(Jesus Christ) became man, suffered, died for our sins and rose again. In his name, repentance is preached to all people. 

This historical Jesus Christ was not an European, Christianity didn't start in Europe either. Jesus was a Jew and Christianity started in Israel and spread out. 

You always spew this falsehood that Christianity was brought to Africa by the Europeans to enslave us. Long before Christianity came to Africa, your ancestors were practicing slavery. There were slaves in igbo land and most other places before Christianity came. I'm sure you are aware of the osu and ohu practices. 

You also accuse Jesus of being the reason your people are not developing. You treacherously forget to acknowledge that most of the things you are advertising as solutions to our problems like education, medical facilities, industries etc came to our shore first through Christianity. 

The educational system that leads to the production of most of these modern technologies or systems you are advocating for is called western education, I can tell you authoritatively that most of it started from the church. 

Scholarship, industry and organized systems are traceable to monastic life. This alone exposes your diatribe against Christianity and the church as malicious and false.

I challenge you to name one thing those who practiced the kind of religion you are advocating now invented that everyone is using, while I can give you an endless list of the things you and everyone else is using that came from people who practice Judaeo Christian faith.

 You take flight, the pioneers of aircraft were the Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville. Their dad was a Christian clergy man, they believed in Jesus Christ and worshipped him as God. Oya tell me which one adherents of the religion you are agitating for pioneered. 

From the car you drive, to the electronics you use, to the medical treatments you receive, to the phones you use, this internet you are using to propagate your views and more than 95% of the things you use everyday, I can bet that more than 70% of them are Western inventions or products. 

May I inform you that Western civilization is built on Judaeo Christian traditions, this is why majority of the world's scientists, inventors and winners of the Noble prizes on different areas are Christians and Jews. You can Google it. 

If Jesus were "useless", you wouldn't even be alive to make that statement twice Because his followers would have lynched you. The reason we will never do that is bc he told us never to fight physically for him, but to bless even those who curse us or Him. More importantly,  if Jesus were "useless", you wouldn't be enjoying most of the things his followers invented. 

I do agree with you that a certain version of Christianity or Jesus preached by a certain breed of priests and pastors in Nigeria is not just fake but criminal. Jesus didn't die to make anyone financially wealthy, the  bible never mentioned that either, there's no one in the bible that Jesus Christ made rich.

 So all those who preach a Jesus that solves peoples existential problems by miracles or any other spiritual means are charlatans, and we have many of them. If their prosperity by miracle works, they should have made everyone in their villages wealthy by now, but check all of them that preach that fake gospel, they always look for lands in big cities to build ministries.

The Bible and the church make it clear that a well organized society with competent political and civil leaders are what a country needs to prosper and live in peace. A country where hard and honest work is rewarded, opportunities created, is where prosperity happens, not a country with big church auditoriums and miracle crusades taking place everyday.

 So you have to isolate the fake Jesus and fake  Christianity that some gospel merchants in Nigeria are propagating for their self interest from the true and authentic Christian faith. The most prosperous nations in the world are Christian in origin and identity, so Christianity is not the problem. 

You must also learn the difference between criticism and blasphemy. Against false prophets who are ripping our people off in the name of Jesus and Christianity, I'm with you in calling out their cruel manipulation, we can do this without mocking the Lord Jesus Christ and the Christian faith.

 

For want of space, I can't tell you how much the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ changed the world order for better, maybe some other time. Also, miracles happen in the name of Jesus Christ, I mean verified and confirmed by third party, but we leave that for another time. 

Udo diri gi

STORY OF PRINCE NICO MBARGA

THE STORY OF PRINCE NICO MBARGA, a boy who made a living by playing music every Sunday night at Onitsha Plaza Hotel, is one you may not have encountered in history. There is probably no street or building named after him. And when Nigerians list the legends of this country, Nico’s name doesn’t make the cut. But on the board of the most sold singles in the world (1998) – where Elton John’s Candle In The Wind, Celine Dion’s My Heart Goes On, etc., were captured – only one African, with over 13 million copies sold, made the list. His name was Nico Mbarga.

You see, Nico was the child of a Cameroonian father and a Nigerian woman from Mbembe (Obubra LGA, Cross Rivers State.) 

He was born and raised in Ikom – present-day Cross River State. He started fishing as a boy, and his father, who sawed timber, was a nice man. He bought his boy a secondhand Philip Radio, and the boy became addicted to highlife music. He couldn’t stop listening to Bobby Benson’s ‘Taxi Driver.’ But the death of his father when he was still too tender made his mother, a peasant farmer, the sole breadwinner.

The mother suffered a lot, but the boy wasn’t a prodigal. He moved from one bar to the other doing what he loved - singing. Sometimes he got a little pay, others didn’t pay at all. At his 17th year, the Nigerian – Biafra war broke out. And while his mother stayed back in Nigeria, Nico found his way to Mamfe – Cameroon. That’s where he met Lucy. The article said that both lovers were so poor they couldn’t afford a pot of boiling water. But Lucy married Nico anyways.

It’s 1970. The Biafran War comes to an end, and Nico and Lucy - without a penny to their names, or passports - traverse “the bush way” to make it back to Nigeria, settling in Onitsha, a trading down on the Niger River. And oh, what a town Onitsha would be for them.

Onitsha was booming, literally. And it was there that God blessed Nico. He became a darling of the town. He built a band named Rocafil Jazz. 

Continue in commentssection👇

MY CULTURE IS MY IDENTITY: MY STORY

By Rev. Fr. Angelo Chidi Unegbu (cangelo123@yahoo.com) written April 9, 2021

1) During my 4th year (SS1) as a minor seminarian, my cousin and classmate Fr. Elias Chima Unegbu (of blessed memory) and myself decided to spend our Easter holidays together at Owerri with our uncle Bishop Mark Unegbu, the then bishop of Owerri diocese. The day we arrived coincided with the first day of the Ikeji festival. The bishop, who was not expecting to see us, asked, "When is Ikeji beginning?" "It began today, my Lord," we answered. “Why are you here? Why did you not go to the village to celebrate with others?” The question threw us off balance because it was the least we had expected from him. We had thought that he would have been happy that we decided to spend the holidays on the holy grounds of Assumpta Cathedral rather than going to the village to celebrate what was largely considered a ‘non-Christian’ festival. He did not ask us any other questions. Quickly, we retired to the boys’ quarters, where we normally stayed each time we visited. 

2) The next day, after breakfast, he asked us to dress and get our belongings ready so he could take us to the village. As we were driving into the village that sunny afternoon, we were greeted by the sounds of ekwe and other musical instruments. Various chants and Ikeji melodies by young men filled the atmosphere. We saw some masquerades. Some were dancing to the tune of the choruses and instruments as they marched along the road, while others were walking swiftly as if they were late for an appointment. Intermittently, our car was halted by one masquerade or the other, or by young men in frenzy who would later grant us passage. The bishop asked the driver to slow down so that he wouldn't injure anyone.

3) I was sitting with the bishop at the back as he kept on feeding his eyes with those cultural displays. That was the first time he was home during the Ikeji festival as a bishop, I think. Normally, he visited the village once every year on December 26 to celebrate Christmas with the entire family. That was also his last visit to the village during the Ikeji festival. From his countenance, he was very happy for such a rare opportunity. He dropped us off at our family home and returned to Owerri. 

4) Because of this and subsequent experiences, my interest in or appetite for deeper knowledge of African/Igbo culture, as well as its religion, politics, and history, grew. The more I tried to know, the more I realized how little I knew, and the more I wept for my long years of ignorance. After my graduate studies before my priestly ordination, I thought that I had understood it all until I traveled to Europe for my postgraduate studies. It dawned on me how little I knew of the beauty, richness, and value of our culture. One of the saddest experiences an African will ever have is being asked by a European professor: Why do you not see the beauty in your culture and tradition? More than once, I had some portions of my theses returned because I did not show my culture enough respect and appreciation. It is sad that I learned to appreciate my cultural values in a foreign land and from a foreigner!

5) Unfortunately, a good number of Ndigbo/Africans are still caged by the chains of cultural ignorance and hate. Many are still in the business of disrespecting their culture and even seeing it as evil and diabolic. We still see men and women of God in the 21st century who still go about demolishing cultural establishments and castigating our cultural norms. Funny enough, these people have no reason to justify their actions except that they were brought up to hate themselves. Many of them do not even know that hatred for African culture, religion, history, tradition, negrophobia, and afrophobia pre-existed the Christian mission. They have little or nothing to do with religion!

6) Well, I do not blame African Afrophobes or negrophobes so much because I once belonged to that school of thought. The truth of the matter is that the education system in Nigeria, at all levels and in all places, is basically faulty and intrinsically destructive. If we don’t move our education system from this imbecilic stage, we will continue to sink into the mud of ignorance, retrogression, and self-destruction. Just like religion, quality education must recognize and develop the educational tools and paradigms of our forebears. It must be rooted in our culture if we are to make progress; otherwise, we shall forever remain imitators, copycats, or dependents.

7) Only natural and organic growth is sustainable and beneficial. Our desired character, cultural, and environmental values can only be realized by pruning to improve on what we already have. It is never done by uprooting, importing, or replacing. That would be a lazy and unwise way to address real human issues. 

8) Even with the decline of Christianity in the West, elements of Christianity have remained in their cultures; they still have their flamboyant carnivals, festivals, Dorpsfeest, Santa Claus, and so on. These are ways of sustaining their community consciousness, linking the past generation to the present.

9) We do not condemn or discard Christmas, Easter, or Valentine celebrations as evil because of the aberrations that are today associated with their celebrations. It is also unreasonable to condemn or discard our cultural celebrations and values because of aberrations that have crept into them. Our duty is to remove the aberrations so as to preserve their purity and purpose. May we remember that Ikeji and most of our cultural celebrations are nothing but acts of thanksgiving to God for his love, protection, and provision of bounty harvest.

10) Unfortunately, ours today is to destroy what we have inherited from our forebears instead of transforming (where necessary) and promoting them. May our eyes be open to the reality that our doom or success as a people will depend on our attitude toward our culture, tradition, history, and identity. As for me, I am very grateful to God for letting me be born an Igbo. I thank him for my culture, which gives me my identity and pride. Every African should feel the same about his or her culture and identity. 

With the psalmist, I say:

"For it was you, Lord, who created my being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation." Psalm 138.

As the Ikeji celebration begins today (April 9, 2021), may we remind all the participants that Ikeji is nothing but a celebration of thanksgiving to God for his love and care and also a demonstration of love for our forebears who have gone before us. Let us avoid acts and behavious that might suggest otherwise. Peace be with you!

Fada Angelo Chidi Unegbu

20 SIGNS THAT YOU ARE READY FOR MARRIAGE...

1. As a lady, you are at least 23 years old and the man is at least 25 years old.

2. You have a job/ business that can take care of you, your wife and at least a baby.

3. As a man you have your own apartment and you pay all your bills by yourself.

4. As a lady, you can take good care of yourself and another person without any stress.

4. You love children and hope to have yours.

5. You enjoy cooking and do house chores without being told.

6. You can live at least a thousand miles away from your parents.

7. You can make major decisions about your life and face the consequence.

8. You are no longer under the control and command of your parents.

9. You do not yield to peer pressure. You do what needs to be done regardless of what anyone feels.

10. You are sexually responsible. You know how to say NO to premarital sex and mean it.

11. As a lady you have a good relationship with your dad and you are submissive to authorities.

12. As a man, you love your mum, sisters and treat women generally with respect and dignity.

13. You know how to make and multiply money.

14. You are spiritually sound. You pray and receive answers to your prayers. You know how to hear God.

15. You are generous. You give with pleasure.

16. You have a healthy sexual desire.

17. You know exactly what you want in life and you pursue it daily to attain it.

18. You have a strong desire to love, bond with and help another person be all what God wants them to be.

19. You do not have destructive bad habits.

20. You are in full grip of your emotions. You are not hot tempered, lustful and possessive!

Remember: These and more are the signs you are ready for marriage. Marriage requires all round maturity: physical, social, financial, mental, emotional, psychological. It is not compulsory you must marry at 25.  And wait till you are mature or your immaturity will destroy your marriage. I see it happen all the time. May the Lord grant you understanding. Gid bless us all

Fellow Me Maxwell Derrickson

A COUNSEL FROM PAPA TO DAUGHTERS.

1. No matter how much a man loves you he will never love your indiscipline: Your financial indiscipline, sexual looseness, carelessness etc.

2. No matter how stunning your look is, if your character is ungodly and unwelcoming your suitor will be unwilling to pay your bride price. Character looks good on you than cosmetics.

3. A man always wants you to be a wife before he can take you to his home. Being a wife is more than being a sexual toy but neatness, spirituality, discipline, insight, kindness etc.

4. Always know what you want in a man before saying YES I DO. There is no such thing as "I JUST LOVE YOU I DON'T KNOW WHY"

5. Any man you can compromise for will find it hard to believe you after wedding. If you can offer him your virginity before wedding then you've traded your value. If you can't stand for "NO SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE" You have sold your trust after wedding.

6. You can't change any man because you're not the Holy Spirit. Why will you ignore all good and spiritual brothers in fellowship, church and your group only to claim you're attracted to a carnal, sensual and whore on the street then you want him to change? You're very sick!

7. You don't look for money in a man but his manliness and the dignity of manhood in him. Be wise! Papa Zion gives you this eye opening keys.

LOVE IS SWEET  Love Life Matters