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Sermon: Of Life, Man and Death
By Babatunde Jose
Of all the mysteries confronting Mankind’s quest for knowledge, the greatest is the mystery called “life.” Evolution theory tries to explain how life on Earth evolved, all the way from the earliest, one-celled creatures to Homo sapiens; but it leaves many questions begging for answers. The earliest known life forms on Earth are putative fossilized microorganisms found in hydrothermal vent precipitates. The earliest time that life forms first appeared on Earth is unknown. They could have lived earlier than 3.77 billion years ago, but not long after the oceans formed 4.41 billion years ago, and not long after the formation of the Earth 4.54 billion years ago. The earliest direct evidence of life on Earth are microfossils of microorganisms’ permineralized in 3.465-billion-year-old Australian Apex chert rocks.
“Life” is defined as the ability to absorb nutrients (of any kind) and to replicate, not just to exist. Even the biblical tale of Creation recognizes that when the most complex being on Earth, Man, was shaped out of “clay,” divine intervention was needed to “breathe the spirit or breath of life” into him. Without that, no matter how ingeniously created, he was not yet animate, not yet living.
The Qur’an states that “Allah created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in six days” (Quran 7:54). While on the surface this might seem similar to the account related in the Bible, there are some important distinctions.
The verses that mention “six days” use the Arabic word “youm” (day). The word “youm” thus understood, within the Qur’an, to be a long period of time — an era or eon. Therefore, Muslims interpret the description of a “six day” creation as six distinct periods or eons. The lengths of these periods are not precisely defined, nor are the specific developments that took place during each period. There is no 7th day of Creation in Islam as God is not a man that he should rest, go on leave or sabbatical. The Bible corroborates this fact in Psalm when it affirms: indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:4
According to fossil records, man first appeared around 66 million years ago, soon after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event that eliminated about three-quarters of plant and animal species on Earth, including most dinosaurs. Theories regarding the causes range from climatic changes to viral epidemics, to destruction by a “Death Star.” Whatever the cause, there was an unmistakable end of one evolutionary period and the beginning of another. In the words of Genesis, it was the dawn of the sixth “day.” Modern science calls it the Cenozoic (“current life”) era, when mammals spread across the Earth. This is how the Bible put it: And Elohim said: “Let the Earth bring forth living animals according to their kind: bovines, and those that creep, and beasts of the land, all according to their kind,” And it was so. Thus did Elohim make all the animals of the land according to their kinds, and all the bovines according to their kinds, and all those that creep upon the earth by their kinds. Genesis 1:24. There is full agreement here between Bible and Science. The conflict between Creationists and Evolutionists reaches its crux in the interpretation of what happened next—-the appearance of Man on Earth.
Man was a latecomer to Earth. We are not the oldest story of evolution but only its last few pages. Modem science agrees. Where did man come from? According to evolutionists, one of the early mammals was known as a tree shrew. He was not much larger than a squirrel. This creature lived on trees and gradually evolved into primitive monkeys and other apelike creatures. From these apelike creatures there evolved two major groups: 1) the great apes, such as the gorilla, orangutan, gibbon and chimpanzee; 2) a creature who came down from the trees and who started walking upright (all monkeys and apes walk on all fours). He is now known as MAN! See: ” The Awesome ·worlds Within a Cell,” National Geographic, September, 1976, pp. 392-393.
There are many problems with the theory. Here are just a few:
1. It is impossible for life to come from non-life. Evolutionists teach that the first living cell evolved from non-life. There is no evidence that this ever happened. Life does not just happen by chance. The reason we have life on this planet (animal life, plant life, human life) is because the Creator made it so. God created all plants and all living creatures. All experiments made to simulate origin of life from a primordial soup never succeeded.
2. There is no evidence that amphibians evolved into reptiles. Nor that reptiles evolved into mammals. Not to talk of reptiles evolved into birds. The fossil record does not back up the claims of evolution.
3. There are variations found in the various “kinds” of animals which God created which evolution cannot explain. For example, think of all the varieties of dogs; all the varieties of cats. Think of all the varieties of humans. All humans came from the same parents (Adam and Eve) and yet we do not all look alike (different colored skin, different eyes, etc.). God has made the various kinds of animals with great genetic potential for variation. He did this for humans as well. However, one kind of animal does not change into another kind. Animals always reproduce “after their kind” (Genesis 1: 1 1, 21 ,25). Lizards do not change into birds. Reptiles do not evolve into lions. Dogs do not evolve into cats. Land mammals do not change into whales. Eels do not evolve into snakes. Apes do not evolve into humans. The most common spiritual denominator between man and other creatures is death.
Death has been described as an inevitable corollary of living. It is inescapable and according to the good books, all men must taste death. There are 131.4 million births per year and 55.3 million deaths each year. This translates to 250 births per minute and 105 deaths per minute. “No self knows what it will earn tomorrow and no self knows in what land it will die.” (Quran 31:34)
It is this death that took our father Dr Isma’il Babatunde Jose eleven years ago. This same death took our cousin Waliu Ademola Elegbede away last Wednesday July 31, 2019: A fine gentleman per excellence. The same death had during the year claimed many of our loved ones and relations, including Iya Gani and Laide in rapid succession. Recently it knocked on the door of Chief Mrs Comfort Osebosade Fajemirokun, mother of our friend and brother Dele Fajemirokun; she would be buried in Ondo next week Thursday.
May Allah forgive them their trespasses and admit them all to the garden of bliss.
But we give thanks to God for the life of our brother, Abubakar Oluwatosin Jose, who adds another milestone today. May Allah preserve him: Happy birthday Abu.
Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend
The Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, has ordered the removal of speed bumps on the country’s highways to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion on major roads.
Umahi gave the directive during a two-day Retreat for Federal Ministry of Works Highway Engineers and Managerial Staff on Friday in Abuja.
The retreat with the theme “Ensuring Delivery of Mr President‘s Agenda on Road Infrastructural Development,” was organised by the ministry.
The minister said the order to dismantle the speed bumps was necessary because some were haphazardly done causing accidents and elongating travel time.
“I came through one of the federal routes and for a journey that is supposed to last like one hour within that stretch, it lasted like three hours because every 20 metres you will see a bump.
“Although there is nothing wrong with speed bumps in certain designated locations. But there is an approved technical design for bumps.
“There are also allowable locations for bumps and that is what we want to do. So the National Assembly has directed that these speed bumps should be dismantled.”
Umahi said the ministry had noticed some speed bumps were a menace and causing multiple accidents and deaths.
“Some speed bumps are high, touching the bottom plates of vehicles; that is not desirable. It defeats the aim.
“So, this is what we are saying; and that is what the National Assembly is saying; the ministry as well as motorists want them to dismantle it.”
Umahi said subsequently for any speed bump to be constructed, applications would be made to controllers for the locations through the Permanent Secretary and to the minister for approval after meeting technical compliance.
He added that there must also be a safe side distance of not less than 100 metres and warning for motorists to beware.
Speaking on infrastructure development, Umahi said President Bola Tinubu’s massive infrastructure development is aimed at providing the much needed impetus to stimulate the economy and improve the lives of the citizenry.
He therefore, said the retreat is aimed at educating participants to properly understand the president’s renewed hope agenda with specific reference to road infrastructure development among others.
The Minister of State for Works, Mr Bello Goronyo, commended the president’s infrastructure development agenda, saying that it was putting smiles on the faces of Nigerians.
“Let me urge you to use the knowledge that you will acquire today in ensuring that you come up to speed with the modern technologies and innovation so that our country will be better in terms of roads, infrastructure.
“Without the road infrastructure, there cannot be economic growth, and there cannot be prosperity,” he said.
The permanent secretary in the ministry, Olufunso Adebiyi, said the Federal Road Safety Corps’ record revealed that accidents were traceable to reckless driving, drunk driving, disregard for road instructions and unauthorised crossing of the road among others.
“It may surprise you that the percentage of accidents caused by bad roads were less than 10 per cent.
“The bad roads are traceable to inefficiency on the part of the engineers, poor supervision of our road works among others.”
Adebiyi urged the engineers to step up and curb some of the irregularities, noting that the ministry was committed to building their capacity to deliver on the administration’s agenda.
The Chairmen, Senate and House Committees on Works reiterated their commitment to supporting the ministry to deliver on its mandate.
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
We are all familiar with the Law of karma, which implies that every action has consequences, or that whatever a person does comes back to them. It’s also known as the law of cause and effect, which means for any action, there’s usually a corresponding consequence.
This has a close resemblance to a foremost scientist, Isaac Newton’s theory, the Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that “whatever goes up must come down”.
The principle and ideology behind these laws and principles are centered on the principle of life that stays, the way you lay your bed that’s the way you will lay on it. The question we need to ask ourselves is what seeds are we sowing? It’s instructive to note that nobody plants an orange seed and reaps a mango fruit, nor can a watermelon seed produce a pineapple fruit.
The principle of sowing and reaping is sacrosanct. It is whatever one sows that they will reap. This principle is universal. When you sow a seed, you might not get the result immediately, but you will get it in due time by and by.
As a man, when you treat your spouse with love and affection, you will surely get a reciprocal from her, and as a woman there’s the tendency to reciprocate a support from a partner, especially when he is down. These are laws that work with conscience and heart of gratitude of the recipient. No doubt, common sense entails one does the needful.
As a business owner, when you invest in your company and staff, you are bound to reap the fruits in due time. As a parent, when you invest in your children’s good home training and quality education, you’ll be glad for the foundation you laid at your old age.
As a progressive mind, when you invest in reading books, building sustainable relationships, networking, learning skills and adding value to your life, updating and upgrading your life via personal development, you are bound to reap the fruits of your labour.
The challenge most people have is that they haven’t taken time to learn, nor have they taken time to sow the seeds that will create opportunity for them. Some people are just comfortable with begging or looking for parasitic opportunities where they haven’t invested time and resources. Some people are even entitled to someone’s work just because they are friends, family or have a form of relationship. This shouldn’t be the case. As human beings, it’s important for one to be intentional and strategic. Nobody likes to be “used”, rather people like to give value to their time and money.
It is important to note that any seed one sows today, will produce the fruit they will either eat or need tomorrow. In my personal development journey, I was a little bit confused on how I wanted to execute my vision. Because I lacked the right mentors to strategically guide and inspire me, I began to live my life based on experience with no set plan.
In some cases I failed, and in some cases I was able to make an impact. However, one thing is certain, I was moving in the direction I needed by being at the right events and meeting the right people. In the course of time, I began to see myself gaining clarity about my interest. Overtime, I had mentors who were instrumental in guiding and strategically positioning me in the right direction.
When I look back in retrospect, I can only give God the glory because the little works and skills I invested in my life have gradually begun to pay back. The moral here is that I sowed the seeds I am reaping today. It took a while, but it finally came through. This experience has shown me one can get to any height in life, in addition to getting recognition when one is consistent, intentional and passionate about a cause.
Whether you are a boxer, teacher, singer, athlete, journalist, lawyer, coach, writer or minister of the gospel, please do it diligently, and if what you are doing is your purpose in life, the universe has a way of conspiring with you to get to the top.
When people say someone is lucky, blessed, privileged, smart, highly connected to a mentor, or resource person, they are just crafting words of art to describe or qualify their point just to convey a message. This is because though all these words might play a role, if one has not taken a time to do the work, the required opportunity will not pop out and even if they pop out, and one is not destined for the opportunity, the corresponding blessings will not come.
The question we need to ask ourselves is what are we doing with our lives? What seeds are we sowing for the blessings and opportunities we are hoping to get. In my native belief in law, there’s a latin maxim that says “Nemo dat quod non habet” which translates to ‘you can’t give what you don’t have’. This is the reality of many people. They want money, but don’t want to work. They want opportunities but don’t want to intern or serve in probono capacity. They want favours just because they are related or have a kind of relationship with someone, and therefore, automatically believe it will rub off on them without them giving substantiated reasons why they need support. These sets of people believe wealth is sexually transmitted.
I can go on and on, but as a sage will say, a word is enough for the wise.
In conclusion, as you journey through life, always remember that whatever you sow has a way of coming back to you, if not today, in your old age, or transmuted to your children. Just like when you assist your boss in saving money, tomorrow when you have a company, your employees will pay you back without you knowing it’s the deed you invested many years ago. As a single man or lady, when you derive joy in sleeping with married women or men, just know that you will get a corresponding visit in due time.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
A Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square on the Island has acquitted and discharged the “Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate” in the State, Frederick Nwajagu on allegations of terrorism.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya held that the prosecution, the Lagos State Government could not prove the offence of terrorism against him beyond any reasonable doubt.
The court, however, found him guilty of parading himself as a titled chief in Lagos, contrary to the Oba and Chiefs Law of Lagos State, an offence for which he was consequently sentenced to one year imprisonment, without an option of fine.
But Justice Adesanya held that since Nwajagu has been in the Correctional Centre for over two years for the alleged offence while the trial lasted, he would be allowed to go home, as he has already served more than the jail term stipulated for the offence.
Eze Fredrick Nwajagu, aged 67, was arrested on April 1, 2023, following a viral video in which he allegedly threatened to invite members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra to Lagos to secure properties of Igbo people living in the state.
In the 49-second viral video, Nwajago was heard saying, “IPOB, we will invite them. They have no job. All of the IPOB will protect all of our shops. And we have to pay them. We have to mobilise for that. We have to do that. We must have our security so that they will stop attacking us at midnight, in the morning, and in the afternoon.”
On April 5, Nwajagu was docked before the Magistrate court by the police on a two-count charge of conspiracy and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The police prosecutor, SP Thomas Nurudeen, told the court that the Eze Ndigbo and some others at large committed the offences on March 26 at No. 2, Akeem Shitu St., Ajao Estate, Lagos State.
He alleged that Nwajagu put fear in Lagos residents when he threatened to bring IPOB to the State. Nwajagu was also said to have publicly stated that IPOB would shut Lagos State for one month.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
On May 6, Chief Magistrate Peter Nwaka, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1million with 4 sureties, all of whom must be resident in Lagos.
The court also ordered that one of the sureties must own a property in Lagos which must be registered with the land bureau and which documents must be deposited with the court.
But he was unable to meet the bail conditions and remained in custody.
On May 9, 2023, Nwajagu was arraigned by the Lagos State Government on a nine-count charge bordering on attempts to commit Acts of Terrorism under Section 403(2) of the Criminal law of Lagos State, 2015; Participation in Terrorism Meeting to Support a Proscribed Entity, Attempt to finance an Act of Terrorism, Preparation to Comit an Act of Terrorism under Sections 12(c), 18, 21, 29 & 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022, amongst others.
The Defendant pleaded not guilty to all the nine counts and trial was adjourned to July 4, 2024.
During trial, one of the prosecution’s witnesses, Raulat Ibrahim told the court that Eze-Ndigbo was not a recognised Chieftaincy title in Lagos State.
The witness who is a civil servant at the Ministry of Local Governments, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Developments, narrated to the court the processes involved in confirming a chieftaincy title in Lagos State.
The witness said that the procedure was governed by the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State, 2015.
She noted that there was no Oba or any recognised chief in Ajao Estate.
The witness explained that for the Obas, the local government will forward the requirement letter to the ministry and then they will send it to Ministry of Justice, where it will be forward to the Lagos state standing tribunal enquiry for chieftaincy matters.
She stated that the standing tribunal publishes the name in the national newspaper, and interested parties will join the tribunal.
“After it has been resolved, the file will be sent back to our ministry for further processing. Then we start all over again to the ministry of justice to the governor’s office etc. Then the ministry will now issue a letter of approval. On the installation day, a certificate of issue will be sent by the Governor for approval, then the ministry will install the Oba.
“The letter of approval will be signed by the permanent secretary of the ministry. There is no installation for Chief. It’s the letter that shows his recognition as a chief in Lagos State,” Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim also told the court that the defendant did not parade himself as Elegushi of Ikate, Baale of Addo nor any of the recognised chiefs.
