Afam's Notes

GLOBAL RELEASE, FULL VERSION OF CHANGE BLUES BY KURO the official video.

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 17:43:00 +0000

GLOBAL RELEASE, FULL VERSION OF CHANGE BLUES BY KURO the official video.

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 17:43:00 +0000

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 12:27:00 +0000

Faith makes all things possible,

Hope makes all things work,

Love makes all things beautiful,

May you have all the three for this Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR IN ADVANCE.

Can the cause of SYNAGOGUE building Collapse be from an Infrasonic weapon?

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 03:28:00 +0000

Hi Friends,

Ever Heard of the word "Infrasonic" or "Infrasonic Weapon". Well such were claimed to be the cause of the collapse by a Witness in the Synagogue Building Collapse case.

Since, I am hearing the word for the first time, I decided to find out more. I quickly made use of one the most powerful instrument of information research known to the modern world, the Google search engine, and here are my findings;

1. The phrase "Infrasonic Weapon" appeared as a 1st result in the Google search result page and appeared only in the page of Vanguard Newspapers that reported the incidence of the Synagogue building collapse.

2. The word "Infrasonic" appeared as a 5th result in the Google search result page and was used for the first time in Vanguard Newspapers Page.

3. The first appearance of the word "Infrasound" on the Google Search result page was in a Wikipedia entry where there was no substantial description of an "Infrasonic Weapon" capable of destroying a buiding.

4. The other references to the word "Infrasonic" refers to a recording studio in the UK and Los Angeles, USA.

5. The Potential use of Deadly Infrasonic Weapons is still far from reality, though possible as can be seen from the document found here and here.

Or has the weapon been built without the knowledge of anyone?

Please conduct your research and draw your conclusions: Written below is the original text from the publication.

SYNAGOGUE: Collapse caused by infrasonic weapon —Witness
By Abdulwahab Abdulah, Bartholomew Madukwe & Ebele Okafor

Lagos—An expert in explosives and weapons, Mr Biedomo Iguniwei, yesterday, said the collapsed building of Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, was caused by a high energy infrasonic weapon.

Iguniwei, former research scientist in weapons production with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna, made the remark while testifying before the coroner’s court investigating the incident.

One hundred and sixteen persons were killed in the collapse of the six-storey building on September 12.

Scientific analysis

Iguniwei said he was instructed by the church to carry out scientific analysis of the materials from the scene, to ascertain the possibility of the collapse being caused by deployment of infrasonic weapon.

The witness said an infrasonic weapon was a low sonic radiation used as a weapon to cause structural damage and destruction to objects.

According to him, he interviewed two of the survivors and also analysed the CCTV footage of the incident before arriving at his conclusion.

Plane-like object

He said the “plane-like object” that flew over the church fired an infrasonic weapon that made the building crumble.

“An infrasonic weapon can be fired or deployed from any flying object or from a location within a distance of between one hundred metres and 1,000 metres away from the intended target.

“This infrasonic weapon employs vibration to induce high density destructive resonance in the building leading to a near perfect vertical crumbling experience.

“I bring to bear my experience in arriving at this conclusion that the building collapsed as a result of uniform destruction due to the infrasonic pulse fired unto the building”, Iguniwei said.

He cited the destruction of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington in 1940 as one of the cases where an infrasonic weapon was deployed.

The witness told the court that the technology was not visible to human eyes as radiation does not generate heat or lead to burning as in the case of bombs.

“The bomb expert who is looking for chemical residue will not see anything like a by-product.

“Of course, there is no charring because all that the radiation does is to cause a vibration of the atoms from their position resulting in the emission of electrons.

“Engineers generally believe that a structure would fail due to bad foundation and materials, but if you go there now, the foundation pillars are still very intact.

“My position is that the building weakened from the top”, Iguniwei added.

Research on incident

Following the testimony, the Coroner, Mr Oyetade Komolafe, directed him to submit his research on the incident to the court on January 5, 2015.

Also testifying, Mr Sunday Okojie, the Chief Security Officer of SCOAN, said church members swung into action immediately the building collapsed.

Okojie debunked the claims by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, and National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, that their officials were assaulted.

He said both agencies came to the scene without an ambulance, adding that the church provided 11 ambulances while the Nigerian Red Cross Society and Life Savers provided one each.

The matter was adjourned till December 23 for further hearing.

Meanwhile, Justice Lateefa Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court has adjourned the hearing of another suit filed by the founder of the church, Prophet Temitope Joshua, against the coroner till Jan. 12, 2015.

The judge adjourned the matter to give respondents (the Lagos State Government) time to respond to a further affidavit filed by Joshua’s counsel, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

In the originating summons designated ID/188MJR/2014, Joshua is asking the court for a judicial review of the proceedings before the coroner’s inquest.

He asked the court to declare the coroner’s summons on him to personally appear before the inquest as unconstitutional and a breach of his right to fair hearing.

The cleric also asked for an order restraining the coroner from taking evidence on the issues of approval and construction of the collapsed building.

According to him, these issues are clearly outside the scope and jurisdiction of the coroner’s court.

Joshua also asked for an order restraining Komolafe from continuing with the inquest “having demonstrated personal interest in the subject matter and his neutrality clearly compromised.”

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/synagogue-collapse-caused-infrasonic-weapon-witness/#sthash.a5Bh41eF.dpuf

SYNAGOGUE: Collapse caused by infrasonic weapon —Witness - Vanguard News

FISCAL FEDERALISM!

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 11:57:00 +0000

TRUE FEDERALISM!,The one English expression that best defines grassroots democracy.

The only system in governance that have the potential of uniting smaller societies into one large entity no matter their origin and belief, making it possible for all concerned to enjoy the benefits of a large population; big market,
large army, better resource management by the owners, huge collection of potentials in diversity etc, and at the same time giving the individual concerned entities the opportunity to expresses themselves as-is without much stress or influence on the neighboring communities thereby lessening domineering tendencies and protecting the individual entities cultures and belief.

With True Federalism in place, Nigeria can afford to make English a second language just for outside world communications while everyone's mother tongue becomes his/her first language and language of learning. Think of it that you can be thought mathematics or Robotics in Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba language like it is done in India, Japan, China,etc.

With Fiscal Federalism, the whole of West Africa or even the African Continent can become one country.
THE QUESTION IS, WHY ARE WE NOT PRACTICING TRUE FEDERALISM ?

send in your comments...............

Breakthrough of the Year: The top 10 scientific achievements of 2014

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 02:12:00 +0000

Each year, Science’s editors choose a singular scientific achievement as Breakthrough of the Year. Past winners have included the discovery of the Higgs boson, cancer immunotherapy, and the first quantum machine. This year’s winner captured the world’s attention and reminded us of the immense scope of human scientific accomplishment—as well as how far we have yet to go. Below we briefly summarize the winner and runners-up and link to the expanded stories, with references, in the Science Magazine, which are freely available.

BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR

The Rosetta mission lands on a comet

Europe’s most ambitious space mission captured the public's imagination with a series of hard-won pictures, beamed to Earth from a place beyond Mars. Rosetta’s continuous orbit around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is helping scientists figure out how life began on Earth—and heralds a new age of comet science.

RUNNERS-UP

The birth of birds

It took a lot to turn lumbering cousins of Tyrannosaurus rex into agile hummingbirds and graceful swans. This year, evolutionary biologists figured out the mode and tempo of this spectacular evolutionary transition.*

Using young blood to fight old age

In work with profound implications for aging, researchers showed that blood from a young mouse can rejuvenate an old mouse's muscles and brain. If the results hold up in people—an idea already in testing—factors in young blood could help fight the ravages of aging in people.

Robots that cooperate

Robots are getting better all the time at working with humans, but this year several teams demonstrated that these machines can also work together without our supervision, an important first step in their path to eventual world domination.

Chips that mimic the brain

Computer engineers rolled out the first large-scale “neuromorphic” chips, designed to process information similarly to living brains. Why? Unlike computers, human brains are good at tackling tasks that integrate massive amounts of data, like vision. These brainlike chips could transform the way computers handle complex jobs, revolutionizing machine vision and environmental monitoring.

The world’s oldest cave art

Scientists discovered prehistoric graffiti on Sulawesi Island in Indonesia that's at least 40,000 years old, potentially usurping Europe as the location of the world’s oldest cave art. The finding could rewrite the history of a key stage in the development of the human mind.

Cells that might cure diabetes

Researchers have reported a significant step toward finding a cure for diabetes. They’ve figured out how to turn human stem cells into functional pancreatic β cells—the same cells that are destroyed by the body’s own immune system in type 1 diabetes patients.

Manipulating memories

If you think you can rely on your memories, think again. Last year, scientists figured out how to manipulate specific memories in mice by zapping their brains with laser beams. This year, they managed to change the actual emotional content of memories, turning good memories bad, and vice versa.

Rise of the CubeSat

A decade ago, CubeSats were just educational tools. Now, a record-breaking number of these 10-centimeter boxes, built with off-the-shelf technology and costing hundreds of thousands of dollars rather than hundreds of millions, have been launched into space—and they’re starting to do real science.

Giving life a bigger genetic alphabet

All life on Earth as we know it encodes genetic information using four DNA letters: A, T, G, and C. Not anymore! Researchers have created new DNA bases in the lab, expanding life’s genetic code and opening the door to creating new kinds of microbes.

People’s choice

From (lots of) official meetings to a suggestion jar in the office kitchen, Science spends a lot of time choosing each year’s Breakthrough. This year, we wanted to give you a say, too! After 35,676 total votes and two rounds of voting, “Giving life a bigger genetic alphabet” won the people’s choice for Breakthrough of the Year! Click through to see the rest of the results.

To read more about the biggest scientific achievements of 2014, as well as the see the biggest breakdowns of the year, find out about exciting areas to watch in 2015, and judge us on last year’s predictions, check out our full Breakthrough of the Year special issue.

*Correction: The summary of "The birth of birds" originally linked to a recent news story and slideshow on avian genomes that is not the specific work recognized as a runner-up. We have changed that to a link to some of the relevant research.

Posted in Meghna Sachdev

Africa's first fact-checking website hits a million visitors

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 01:17:00 +0000

Africa’s first independent fact-checking website Africa Check, launched two years ago to promote accuracy in public debate and the media, announced Thursday that it had hit a million visitors.

Crossing the million mark “is symbolic for us”, said Africa Check editor Julian Rademeyer.

“It is reaching a milestone moment in the number of readers.”

The main point of the website is to promote transparency and push for “accuracy in public debate, and encourage honesty of politicians”, he said.

Through a network of researchers spanning the continent, the organisation checks facts pronounced by politicians, business leaders or in the media, verifying them and then publishing their findings.

It has over the past two years published over two hundred guides, factsheets and reports casting a critical eye on fake health cures, water quality exposés, and the effect of gun control legislation on murder rates.

“We had a number of cases where changes have been made,” following some of the exposés, said Rademeyer.

“It’s a way of checking claims made by public officials.

“It’s holding them to account. It gets people to interrogate the claims that have been made,” he said.

The africacheck.org website was set up by the AFP Foundation, the non-profit media training arm of Agence France-Presse, in October 2012 with seed money from Google.

It operates in partnership with the prestigious University of the Witwatersrand’s journalism department and a core team of researchers based in Johannesburg.

Modelled on similar lines to US and European websites such as FactCheck.org, it also features a guide for identifying fake “facts”.

Most of its readers are from the continent, with the majority drawn from the sub-Saharan Africa’s three largest economies — South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya — but users are also recorded from Europe and the United States.

- See more at: Africa's first fact-checking website hits million visitors

QUOTE OF THE DAY

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 05:50:00 +0000

"Perfection is not attainable but if we chase Perfection we can catch excellence".

RENEWAL OF FRIENDSHIP CONTRACT FOR 2015

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 10:45:00 +0000

I'm taking count down of friends who might qualify again as friends in 2015........ hence I've already started dropping some. After serious consultations & cautious consideration, your contract has been renewed for the year 2015. Take good care of yourself & continue being there for me. I'll also do the same. It's impossible to find a friend who is loyal, smart, genuine, kind, talented & lovable just like you..

I don't wanna lose u.. that's why l'm renewing this contract.
Please sign here ___________________________ HAPPY 2015

QUOTE OF THE DAY

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:56:00 +0000

"Do not worry when you seem not to have much friends and accomplices in the journey of life, you might be an eagle, the clear leader which always fly high ahead alone, and others follow below behind in group. I encourage you today fly ahead alone achieve your dreams cos Eagles flock alone".

I don’t mind being a second wife — Nkiru Silvanus

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 14:13:00 +0000

The dream of every woman is to find a man to spend her entire life with. Even the Holy religious books have enjoined men and women, to seek each other out and cohabit as man and wife.
But as beautiful and simple as this may sound, marriage has long gone from being a simple item on a menu, it has become a task, as finding a true life partner has become as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. It is particularly more difficult for the womenfolks as they have to be proposed to.

As liberated as our society is now, it is hard to find a woman that would go out of her way to propose to a man. The norm is the other way round. So, for a woman, waiting to get a marriage proposal may me as certain as waiting for the proverbial hen to play a golden egg. It doesn’t have to do with beauty, wealth or status, or else all the Nollywood divas would have been long married before they hit their 30s. Why are these ladies still single in spite of their relative affluence and beauty? Meet some of Nollywood singles in their 30s, 40s still single and why:
Talented Nollywood actress, Nkiru Sylvanus is still single though not getting younger. The former aide to the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has declared that she wouldn’t mind being a second wife if the need arises. While speaking on a TV programme, she said: “ If the situation and the person is good, I’ll go for it. I’ve said it before that if ladies don’t stop this nonsense they call ‘one-man-one-wife’, many of them will get to 40 and still remain single. There are more women than men. Go to churches, the number of single ladies in most cases is three times the number of single guys”.

- See more at:I don’t mind being a second wife — Nkiru Silvanus - Vanguard News

Nollywood diva yet to marry and why: I am afraid of divorce — Genevieve Nnaji

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 14:11:00 +0000

The dream of every woman is to find a man to spend her entire life with. Even the Holy religious books have enjoined men and women, to seek each other out and cohabit as man and wife. But as beautiful and simple as this may sound, marriage has long gone from being a simple item on a menu, it has become a task, as finding a true life partner has become as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
It is particularly more difficult for the womenfolks as they have to be proposed to.
As liberated as our society is now, it is hard to find a woman that would go out of her way to propose to a man. The norm is the other way round. So, for a woman, waiting to get a marriage proposal may me as certain as waiting for the proverbial hen to play a golden egg. It doesn’t have to do with beauty, wealth or status, or else all the Nollywood divas would have been long married before they hit their 30s. Why are these ladies still single in spite of their relative affluence and beauty? Meet some of Nollywood singles in their 30s, 40s still single and why:

Despite probably being the most popular name in Nollywood, screen goddess Genevieve Nnaji is yet to find a man to call her own. One name that has been linked to the pretty actress is that of the self acclaimed ‘Koko master’, D’Banj.
The Imo State-born screen diva is a single-mother who revealed in an interview that she is still single because she is afraid of divorce. “If I get married, I really want to stay married and staying married is not an easy thing. It means you are completely in tune with your partner. It means you have found your soulmate because you will have to be able to stand a lot of disappointments that would definitely come but then again you have to learn to forgive,” she said.

- See more at: Nollywood diva yet to marry and why: I am afraid of divorce — Genevieve Nnaji - Vanguard News

Smartphone may replace purse by 2020, Ericsson report predicts

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 13:19:00 +0000

Barely two weeks to the close of 2014 , Ericsson ConsumerLab in its annual trend report has released ten consumer trends, identifying the most important trends for 2015 and beyond. The new iPhone 5C is displayed during an Apple product announcement at the Apple campus on September 10, 2013 in Cupertino, California. While mobile money

is gaining ground across many markets, the report among predicted that 48 percent of smartphone owners would rather use their phone to pay for goods and services.

Accordingly, 80 percent, the report indicated believe that the smartphone will replace their entire purse by 2020.

Meanwhile, the report has a special focus this year on smartphone owners aged 15 to 69 in Johannesburg, London, Mexico City, New York, Moscow, San Francisco, Sâo Paulo, among others.

It represented the views of 85 million frequent internet users. Speaking on the highlights of the report, Michael Björn, Head of Research, Ericsson ConsumerLab, in a video conferencing last week told IT Journalists in Lagos that, “The cumulative effect of smartphones becoming part of mainstream society is astonishing. As consumers, we try out new apps and keep the ones we think improve, enrich or even prolong our lives at such a rapid pace that we don’t even notice that our attitudes and behaviors are changing faster than ever. “With only five years until 2020, the future really does seem closer than ever before.” For Rebecka Cedering Ångström, Senior Advisor, Ericsson ConsumerLab, said that the report is changing the mentality of the consumers in the digital economy.

The streamed future

According to her, media use patterns are globalizing, adding that viewer are shifting towards easy-to-use on-demand services that allow cross-platform access to video content.

She explained that 2015 would be historic as more people would watch streamed video on a weekly basis than broadcast TV.

Helpful homes

Consumers, based on the study she said showed high interest in having home sensors that alert them to water and electricity issues, or when family members come and go.

Mind sharing

New ways to communicate, she explained would continue to appear, offering us even more ways to keep in touch with our friends and family.

According to her, many smartphone owners would like to use a wearable device to communicate with others directly through thought and believe this will be mainstream by 2020.

Smart citizens

Speaking further, she said that the idea of smart cities is intriguing, adding that a lot of that intelligence may actually come about as a side effect of the changing everyday behaviors of citizens.

Consumers, according to the report believe traffic volume maps, energy use comparison apps and real-time water quality checkers would be mainstream by 2020.

The sharing economy

As the internet enables us to efficiently share information with unprecedented ease, the idea of a sharing economy, she said is potentially huge.

Half of all smartphone owners, she explained in the report were open to the idea of renting out their spare rooms, personal household appliances and leisure equipment as it is convenient and can save money.

My information

Although sharing information when there is a benefit is fine, smartphone owners, she further explained in the report see no point in making all of their actions open to anyone. 47 percent of smartphone owners would like to be able to pay electronically without an automatic transfer of personal information.

Longer life

From the report findings, smartphone owners see cloud-based services of various kinds giving them the potential to live healthier and longer lives.

Jogging apps, pulse meters and plates that measure our food, in the report were believed to help prolong our lives by up to two years per application.

Domestic robots.

Although Nigeria was not among the countries used in the report, she said that consumers were welcoming the idea of having domestic robots that could help with everyday chores. 64 percent also believe this will be common in households by 2020.

Children connect everything

Children, according to the report would continue to drive the demand for a more tangible internet, where the physical world is as connected as the screens of their devices.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/smartphone-may-replace-purse-2020-ericsson-report-predicts/#sthash.lLFFHowO.dpuf

Smartphone may replace purse by 2020, Ericsson report predicts - Vanguard News

Difference between A simple friend and A real friend

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 01:40:00 +0000

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest. A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself (and doesn't feel even the least bit weird shutting your 'beer/Pepsi drawer' with her foot!)

A simple friend has never seen you cry. A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names. A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party. A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late! to help you clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after they've gone to bed. A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems. A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history. A real friend could blackmail you with it .

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument. A real friend calls you after you had a fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them. A real friend expects to always be there for you!

A simple friend reads this e-mail and deletes it. A real friend passes it on and sends it back to you!

Pass this on to anyone you care about......if you get it back you have no beginning, no end.
It keeps us together, like our Circle of Friends.

Today I pass this on to you. Pass it on to someone who is a friend to you......

Dunni Palmer

QUOTE OF THE DAY

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 10:27:00 +0000

"Obstacles are in our way simply to test our desire to achieve greatness."

Nokia ends three decades of smartphone ecosystem

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 02:55:00 +0000

Apparently, after three decades of leading the smartphone ecosystem, the introduction of Lumia 830 flagship may be the last smartphone to wear the iconic Nokia logo.

One thing is certain. Once the branding switch to Microsoft Lumia is completed, it will bring to an end nearly three decades of Nokia phones, a long run that stretches back into the 1980s.

- See more at: Nokia ends three decades of smartphone ecosystem

Your phone can now help you avoid traffic

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 02:27:00 +0000

For most people, food clothes and shelter are most priorities of life. You worry about these things because their absence dehumanizes a being and denigrates standard living. But for those, particularly, living in Lagos metropolis, these, are ironically, not far fetched. No matter how poor, in Lagos, one must feed. There is food for all categories of people. Problem, is when one steps off his category to where his or her earnings can not accommodate. There is also abundant clothes to cover everybody’s nakedness. No matter the income strata, Oshodi, orile and Yaba markets, can give you what to wear. - See more at:Your phone can now help you avoid traffic

What exactly is your wife telling her friends about your sex-life!?

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 02:11:00 +0000

What exactly is your wife telling her friends about your sex-life!?, Women have been known to be the worst kind of blabbermouths – they tell each other everything and anything. “But to the point of discussing intimate bedroom secrets of their partners?”

Could this be True? Pastors Are Planning a Major Robbery in the Churches in January

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 02:06:00 +0000

The armed robber takes your money from you with a gun in his hand: the pastor takes your money by brandishing a bible.

Jesus berated the mercenary religious leaders of biblical days. He told them: “‘It is written, my house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Matthew 21:13).

This word remains pertinent to pastors in the churches of today.
They come up with all kinds of schemes designed to squeeze money out of their church-members. They search the scriptures, looking for quotable quotes that can be used to make merchandise of men. Some of their favourites are those scriptures dealing with giving first-fruits to priests.

Fleecing the flock

Those months with names ending with “ember” in English are sometimes referred to as the “ember” months. These include September, October, November and December. Strictly-speaking, October does not fit this bill; otherwise it would have been called “Octoember.” Nevertheless, it is conventional also to include it as one of the “ember” months.

In these months, there is a definite change of emphasis in the messages preached by pastors in many of today’s new generation churches. If you have been paying attention, you would have noticed this already. In the “ember” months, pastors start to talk repeatedly about the need to give “first-fruits;” laying down the foundation for a major robbery routinely planned for January.

In the Old Testament, first-fruits were required to be given to priests. Ezekiel says: “The best of all the first-fruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests.” (Ezekiel 44:30). This scripture is seized on by today’s money-grubbing pastors who now insist that the “first-fruits” of all the members of their congregation must be handed over to them.

This is disingenuous because, in the New Testament, there is actually no longer an exclusive priesthood. Instead, Jesus has made all believers: “kings and priests to our God.” (Revelation 5:10). But this fact is conveniently ignored by today’s first-fruits collectors.

First-fruits were given to priests because they were not allowed to own landed-property in Israel. God said: “I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession.” (Ezekiel 44:28-29).

However, the pastors of today are men of means and property owners. In no way whatsoever do they fit the bill of a people without inheritance who only have God as their possession. Indeed, some of today’s mega-pastors are multi-millionaires who drive around with bodyguards in a cortege of Jeeps and even fly around in private jets.

Fruits of money

As the word indicates, first-fruits were strictly-speaking agricultural produce. Moses says: “The first of the first-fruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God.” (Exodus 23:19). This shows first-fruits were crops. Indeed, money was never regarded as first-fruit in the bible; neither was it ever paid as such.

However, today’s pastors would not find it funny if you were to bring your first-fruits to them in bananas or pineapples. First-fruits are now only acceptable in cash or cheque. If you ask why, don’t be surprised if you are told that: “Money is the answer to everything.” (Ecclesiastes 10:19).

Scripturally, first-fruits were only required from Jews living in Israel because God gave them their land. First-fruits were inapplicable to Israelites living in foreign lands. This also means first-fruits are inapplicable to today’s Christians who are mostly non-Israelis and do not live in Israel. Nevertheless, pastors hoodwink Christians by claiming there are special blessings attendant upon giving first-fruits to pastors anywhere.

In biblical days, first-fruits were not required from those in non-agrarian trades, such as carpenters or fishermen because these professions were not tied to the land. However, today’s opportunist pastors collect first-fruits from anybody and everybody.

It should be clear from the foregoing therefore that pastors who insist on collecting first-fruits in the churches of today are nothing but thieves and robbers. The armed robber takes your money from you with a gun in his hand: the pastor takes your money by brandishing a bible.

Bonanza

It used to be the case that first-fruits were defined as a Christian’s first salary after leaving school and securing gainful employment. But some pastors quickly realised that this only gives them the right to a Christian’s salary once in a lifetime. Therefore, this soon became inadequate, leading to more ingenious and more financially lucrative biblical “revelations” about first-fruits.

Many pastors now insist that since the January salary is the first in the year, it legally falls under the definition of first-fruits. Therefore, they now require that all church-goers hand over to them their entire January salaries in the name of first-fruits. This makes the first-fruits boon far more profitable than the tithe; which is just a tenth of the Christian’s salary. Moreover, the tithe is nominally given to “the church.” The “first-fruits” is a far more rewarding scam because the money is specifically addressed to the pastor.

If this “godliness” is taught effectively, a pastor can make a bundle of money at the beginning of every year. Just do the maths. Imagine a situation where the pastor gets the January salary of every single member of his congregation. Depending on the size of his church, he can get in one bonanza enough money to last him a lifetime. Is it any wonder, therefore, that pastors are very zealous in preaching about first-fruits in the “ember” months?

Many even refuse to be limited to their churches. Turn onto Christian television such as the Trinity Broadcasting Network in the “ember” months, and you are likely to find Paula White or Steve Munsey extolling the blessings of giving first-fruits. Of course, the first-fruits must be sent to them and to no one else.

Comeuppance

In one of Nigeria’s big churches with a large branch-network, the pastors were making a killing collecting first-fruits. But one of them used the money to put up a church building. This went a long way to endear him to his congregants. Other pastors who had nothing to show for the first-fruits they collected became concerned that the pastor would soon bring them into disrepute. So they decided to take “appropriate” action.

They reported him to the General Overseer of the church. His transgression was that he put up an entire church building single-handedly. So doing, they claimed, he prevented others from getting blessed by not taking contributions from them. The General Overseer wondered where he got the money to erect the entire building by himself. So they told him the money came from the first-fruits he collected from his church-members.

The General Overseer became even more curious. Just how much first-fruit were these pastors collecting? He was astonished to discover the sums involved. It was unacceptable that such lucrative business was taking place in his churches without due recognition for his position. Therefore, he fired a memo to all his parishes: henceforth, all first-fruits must be forwarded intact to headquarters.

However, his memo backfired. Thereafter, his subordinate pastors noticeably lost all interest in collecting first-fruits. “Let everybody shout hallelujah.”

“They are greedy dogs which never have enough. And they are pastors who cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his own gain, from his own territory.” (Isaiah 56:11).

- See more at: Pastors Are Planning a Major Robbery in the Churches in January

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. Read on....

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 00:18:00 +0000

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next
morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land and he was able to eat it's fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren!

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, there was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, again there was nothing!

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing!

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."

"Tell me, O God," the first man asked the voice, "What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

"He prayed that all your prayers be answered.."

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

My prayer for you today is that all your prayers are answered. Be blessed.

"What you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself"
This Is for u , Read till the end it's adorable! I sent an angel to watch over you last night, but it came back and I asked,"why?"...The angel said,"angels don't watch over angels!" Twenty angels are in your world. Ten of them are sleeping, nine of them are playing and one is reading this message. God has seen you struggling with some things and God says its over. A blessing is coming your way. If you believe in God send this to 14 friends including me, if I don't get it back I guess I'm not one of them. As soon as you get 5 replies, someone you love will quietly surprise you... Not joking. Pass this message on. Please don't ignore it. You are being tested and God is going to fix two big things tonight in your favor. If you believe in God drop everything and pass it on TOMORROW WILL BE THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE. DON'T BREAK THIS. SEND THIS TO 14 FRIENDS IN 10 MINUTES IT'S NOT THAT HARD. WHOEVER SENT THIS TO YOU MUST CARE ABOUT U...

WHY MORE CAR OWNERS ARE DYING OF CANCER....A must Read....Updated!!

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 18:17:00 +0000

Hello Friends,
I just got this from a friends, and I feel it will be beneficial to you too. Plz read and assimilate the information, and share with loved ones!!!

This is very interesting for every Car AC User, and a MUST READ , as it concerns HEALTH !...

Our Car Manual instructs us to roll down the windows to let out all the hot air before turning on the A/C. WHY ?
No wonder more folks are dying from cancer than ever before.
We wonder where this stuff comes from, but here is an example that explains a lot of the cancer-causing incidents.

Many people enter their cars first thing in the morning, and the last in the evening, 7 days a week.

Please do NOT turn on A/C as soon as you enter the car. Open the windows after you enter your car and then after a couple of minutes, turn ON the AC .

Here's why: According to research, the car's dashboard, seats, a/c ducts, in fact ALL of the plastic objects in your vehicle, emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin. A BIG CARCINOGEN.

Take the time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car when you open it,
and BEFORE you start it up.

In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anaemia and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure can cause Leukemia and increases the risk of some cancers. It can also cause miscarriages in pregnant women.

The "acceptable" Benzene level indoors is: 50mg per sq.ft.

A car parked indoors, with windows closed, will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene - 8 times the acceptable level.

If parked outdoors in the sun, at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level.

People who get into the car, keeping the windows closed, will eventually INHALE excessive amounts of the BENZENE toxin.

Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidneys and liver. What's worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.

So friends, please open the windows and doors of your car - give some time for the interior to air out
-(dispel the deadly stuff) - before you enter the vehicle.

Thought: 'When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others. PLEASE SHARE.

Cybernetic immortality. Fantasy or scientific problem?” Read about a Project to make humans immortal by Year 2045

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 13:00:00 +0000

David Dubrovsky, co-chairman of the Scientific council of the Russian Academy of Sciences for artificial intelligence modeling.

Cybernetic immortality – fantasy or scientific problem? I can answer that right away. It is a scientific problem – of approximately the same type as the problem of people going into outer space, which was proposed by Tsiolkovsky at the turn of the 20th century.

Why, despite the support of important scientists (such as V. Turchin, C. Joslyn, R. Kurzweil, A. Bolonkin, B. Bainbridge and others), is this idea rejected by many, or at best treated with skepticism?

There are many reasons for this. Firstly: the scale of this super-project, which really does verge on fantasy, is too “overwhelming”, for the “average” scientific mindset, which is mundane and cautious, and too dependent on the opinion of the scientific management. Anything is proposed nowadays if financing can be secured for it. I’m not even talking about the colossal growth of false science – charlatans, mages, “miracle-workers”. All of this throws a shadow on the idea of cybernetic immortality.

Furthermore, we are now only at the approach stage of a solution to this problem, specific steps for its development are in many ways only at discussion level, and creative solutions are required. The eternal idea of immortality has been expressed in myths, legends and religious beliefs. Hence the prejudice that it is not compatible with science.

But no matter what people say, the idea of immortality still holds a rank of the highest value in human culture, and expresses the fact that humans are not reconciled with death. “The will of the human being to immortality is a natural continuation of the will to life”. These are the words of the outstanding scientists and authors of the famous “Cybernetic Manifesto”, Valentin Turchin and Cliff Joslyn. They note that the power of religious teachings and their deep-rootedness in culture has always been based on the promise of immortality an of life beyond the grave. However, under the influence of critical scientific thinking, these promises are becoming increasingly illusive for the general public. And now, they say, “the successes of science have made it possible to raise the banner of cybernetic immortality”. This banner is being raised by the 2045 Initiative, and there are already over 15,000 people in this movement, including many important scientists, and their number will swiftly grow.

What is the basis for the conviction that the problem of cybernetic immortality is a real scientific problem?

It does not contradict the principles of science. In fact, it finds a theoretical basis in them – above all, in the fundamental principle of the iso-functionalism of systems, which essentially heralded the beginning of the computer era. The idea of this principle is that the same complex of functions may be reproduced on substrates with different physical properties. Hence the fundamental possibility to reproduce the functions of a living system and the brain on non-biological substrates, which also fully applies to mental functions.

Extensive prospects for this are opened by the convergent development of NBICS (nano-technologies, bio-technologies, information, cognitive and social technologies, and fields of scientific knowledge corresponding to them). Mutually enriching each other, these technologies create unprecedentedly powerful methods for transforming the human and the social environment, in particular, the possibility for constructing systems that are capable of reproducing the functions of life and thought on non-biological substrates. This is the path of trans-humanistic transformation, the transfiguration of the mind and the personality.

Let us move from theoretical considerations to the scientific and practical results that have already been achieved. It is hard to list even the most important of them. The human genetic code and genome have been deciphered. The first artificial organism has been created on this basis. There have been successes in deciphering the cerebral codes of mental phenomena. There are achievements in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. Integral bio-electronic systems have been created. Prosthetics of internal organs and extremities are developing rapidly. Recently, French scientists created an artificial heart, which has been put into mass production. A paralyzed person can have an electronic chip put into their brain, allowing them to move a computer cursor and a wheelchair with their thoughts. Issues of creating an artificial body have been raised and begun to be solved, along with many other tasks which were unthinkable until very recently.

The problem of the artificial body requires creating a self-organizing system of a non-biological type – at the first stage, probably, with the inclusion of biological components in it. The combination and unification in a single system of biological and non-biological forms of self-organization is a transitional stage on the path towards the radical prolongation of life and cybernetic immortality. At the sametime, this is the path towards transforming the nature of the human being, human consciousness, and as a result earthly civilization. It is impossible to change society without changing the human being. Our irrepressible consumerism, aggression, egotistical willfulness – these are the causes of the destruction of the natural world and the social environment itself.

The process of trans-humanistic transformations organically involves the formation of new meanings, values and goals of life activity, which expand the horizons of the mind, restricted by the biological and earth-bound way of existence. It is extremely difficult from the position of our own minds to imagine the mind of the future rational being that is freed of them problems of biological corporality (pain, disease, fatigue, low instinctive drives, the decrepitude of old age). But undoubtedly, this will be a mind with much higher values, meanings and goals, which are not polluted with trifling cares, motives, ambitions, worries, and the fuss of our present-day life.

The “2045” Initiative puts the problem of cybernetic immortality in the context of a new model of civilization. Or rather, it urgently sets the problem of the global future and evolution of the human being, the problem of preserving earthly civilization in a situation of an approaching singular boundary, beyond which it await either degradation or destruction, or a transition to a new level of life activity. Therefore, cybernetic immortality is directly connected with the problem of the immortality of the human being, and may serve as the pledge and guarantee of the immortality of earthly civilization, and the human mind.

The project that is promoted by the “2045” Initiative is sufficiently specific, and sets the main stages of advancing towards the main goal. This megaproject is extremely necessary for our scientific community, which lacks powerful spiritual stimulus; it is capable of inspiring talented scientists, to awaken new creative forces, and the will to great accomplishments. A great goal gives rise to great energy and strength of spirit. The high mission of the “2045” Initiative is to develop and consolidate a new ideology, and on the basis to create a new community, capable of concentrating the intellectual, financial, organizational and media resources necessary for realizing the super-task. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, to this day not a single political party or political leader has set a long overdue and momentous task of this scale.

Undoubtedly, the concept of cybernetic immortality requires thorough development in future, and many very complex issues must be solved. We should be aware of simplifying a number of approaches to this problem. It is difficult, for example, to agree with the position of A. Bolonkin which he vividly outlined in 1998 (in an interview with Izvestiya newspaper on 8 September). He said that soon the power of a supercomputer will surpass the information power of the brain. We will be able to record all the information from the neurons of the brain on to an electronic chip. Thus, an immortal “electronic person” will be created, who will be able to take any type of bodily shell, will not need to fear radiation or extreme temperatures, will not need air and water, and will be able to travel freely in outer space at the speed of light.

Not to mention the fact that A. Bolonkin’s prediction proved to be overly optimistic (he promised that immortality would be achieved by 2020), his concept draws objections. Yes, the IBM company announced that by 2019 a supercomputer would be created with an information capacity equivalent to the human brain. And they were quite serious! But what comes from this? Even if we allow the possibility of recording all (?) information on to a chip, this will not be enough to create an “electronic person” – a personality as an independent, thinking, self-aware being. Here the most important thing is lacking – the thing that has called awareness, which has the inalienable quality of subjective reality. The most complex and difficult thing in the problem of cybernetic immortality is reproducing on a non-biological medium the self-organization of information processes, which create the quality of subjective reality.

According to data from neural science, this quality is realized at the level of the Ego-system of the brain – a special structural and functional subsystem of the brain, which is responsible for the personal qualities of the person (it is also called “selfhood”). The ego system is a conscious and unconscious circuit of information processes, and includes two mutually connected levels: genetic and biographical, reflecting the history of the personality and its awareness.

A study and understanding of the specific functional structures of the Ego system of the brain, and their self-organization can open paths for creating an equivalent functional structure on a suitable non-biological substrate. Of course, we are still at the beginning of this path. But neural sciences are developed at extremely fast rates, and there are grounds to believe that in the next 10-15 years, there will be a major breakthrough in this field.

However, besides the focus on the results of studying the brain, this dynamic functional structure may also be constructed by a method independent of them, on the basis of a phenomenological analysis of the awareness, thinking, complex forms of activity and construction of models of them (these are the areas that are called “artificial intelligence” and “artificial life”). On this path, serious breakthroughs are also possible in the near future.

It is important to stress that theoretically, we may also conceive of variants of the desired self-organizing functional structure that differ from structures invented by biological evolution. They may also be more “simple”, economical and reliable. As biological life is constructed on a protein basis, its higher forms are extremely complex, multi-dimensional and multi-tiered functional structures, the reliability of which is attained by a colossal superfluity of elements, functions and circuits of control. Fish, for example, produce millions of eggs, of which only a small number survive. Disrupted functions of the brain caused by the death of millions of neurons may be compensated for by others. Not to mention the quantitative indicators of the brain, the scale of the complexity and superfluity may be illustrated by the example of the blood circulatory system: in the body of each one of us, this circulatory system is 100,000 kilometers long in total.

It is obvious that this level of complexity and superfluity is not necessary when moving to a non-biological substrate, and the problem of reliability will be solved here by completely different means, and the range of reliability will be incomparably wider.

The mega-project of cybernetic immortality as a prospect for the transformation of earthly civilization should become a powerful experimental and creative testing ground for solving vital tasks for improving medical technology and prosthesis, extending life, deciphering the cerebral codes of mental phenomena, for developing artificial intelligence, exploring outer space, creating quantum computers, bio-robotic systems, neuro-machine interfaces, an artificial body and self-organizing systems of a new type, for realizing the colossal potential possessed by the convergent development of NBICS. We may be sure that on this path, we can expect outstanding scientific discoveries and creative achievements that cannot be foreseen today. And undoubtedly, this movement should be organically connected with the profound development of humanitarian and social issues.

After the technological solution of the final task is achieved (through a series of intermediary stages), the next period of the transformation of earthly civilization will come, and will certainly be a lengthy and extremely complex period. It will pose difficult problems of new social self-organization, transfiguration of the personality, the compliance of individual and integral intelligence, preservation of the natural world and interaction with it, and many other issues of forming neo-humanity, which we hope will nevertheless be solved – if we believe that in the coming century, earthly civilization, along with earthly intelligence, will not plunge into the abyss of oblivion.

Specially for VZGLYAD newspaper

Source: http://vz.ru/opinions/2012/10/25/604264.html

Russian tycoon seeks human immortality, artificial brains by 2045

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 16:03:00 +0000

Russian billionaire Dmitry Itskov speaks to the Global Future 2045 Congress, June 15, 2013 at Lincoln Center in New York. AP PHOTO/MARY ALTAFFER

CBS New York reports that Dmitry Itskov was at Lincoln Center Saturday for his Global Future 2045 Congress. Itskov, who looks younger than his 32 years, has an aggressive timetable in which he'd like to see milestones toward that goal met:

By 2020 - a mere seven years away -- robots we can control remotely with our brains.

By 2025, a scenario familiar to watchers of sci-fi cartoon show "Futurama:" the capability to transplant the brain into a life-support system, which could be a robot body. Essentially, a robot prosthesis that can replace an ailing, perhaps dying body.

By 2035, the ability to move the mind into a computer, eliminating the need for the robot bodies to carry around wet, messy brains.

By 2045, technology nirvana in the form of artificial brains controlling insubstantial, hologram bodies.

Itskov has promoted his idea as the next step in human evolution, or "neo-humanity," according to a Vice Magazine report. He has even formed his own political party in Russia , called "Evolution 2045."

Testimony by neuroscience experts at the conference indicated that Itskov's timetable was ambitious to the point of being unrealistic.

Still the gathering was a rare public airing of questions that will face us as technology progresses.

Is immortality desirable, and if so, what's the best way to get there? Do we leave behind something essentially human if we leave our bodies behind? If you send your robot copy to work, do you get paid?

Japanese robotics researcher Hiroshi Ishiguro's presentation started out with a life-size, like-like robot representation of himself on stage.

The robot moved its lips, nodded and moved it eyes while a hidden loudspeaker played up Ishiguro's voice. Apart from a stiff posture and a curious splay of the hands, the robot could be mistaken for a human, at least 10 rows from the stage.

Ishiguro uses this android or "Geminoid" (after the Latin word for "twin") to meet with students at a research institute two hours away from the laboratory where he also has an appointment. He controls it through the Internet, and sees his students through a webcam.

"The problem is, if I use this android, the research institute says it cannot pay for me," Ishiguro said, to laughter from the audience of hundreds of journalists, academics, Buddhist monks and futurism enthusiasts.

Ishiguro flew to the U.S. with his robotic twin's head, the most valuable part, in the carry-on luggage. The body rode below, in the luggage compartment.

To Itskov, who made his money in the Russian Internet media business, the isolated achievements of inventors like Ishiguro are not enough. He wants to create a movement, involving governments and the United Nations, to work toward a common goal.

"We shouldn't just observe the wonderful entrepreneurs -- we need to move ahead systematically," Itskov said in an interview. "We are really at the time when technology can affect human evolution. I want us to shape the future, bring it up for public discussion, and avoid any scenario that could damage humanity."

Itskov says he tries to eliminate his "selfishness" day by day, and has spent about $3 million promoting his vision. He organized the first conference on the theme in Russia last year.

But in bringing the idea to the U.S., a cultural difference is apparent: Itskov's desire for a shared, guiding vision for humanity does not mesh well with the spirit of the American high-tech industry, which despises government involvement and prizes its freedom to pursue whatever projects it wants.

Space entrepreneur and X-Prize Chairman Peter Diamandis articulated that spirit at the conference; the freewheeling capitalist system, he said, is one of the strongest engines for effecting change.

"The rate of change is going so fast, I do not believe any of our existing government systems can handle it," he said.

Archbishop Lazar Puhalo of the Orthodox Church in America, who has a background in neurobiology and physics, offered another critique at the conference.

"A lot of this stuff can't be done," he said.

If it can be done, that's not necessarily a good thing either, the robed and bearded patriarch believes.

"I'm not too fond of the idea of immortality, because I think it will be deathly boring," he said, with a twinkle in his eyes. Giving up our bodies could also be problematic, he said.

"There's a lot of stuff in them that makes us human. I'm not sure they can be built into machines," Puhalo said.

Itskov acknowledges that his vision would leave part of the human experience behind. But he believes it would be worth it.

"We're always losing something for what we're doing. We're always paying," Itskov said.

Click here to read more

Noah's Arch....Wisdom Practicalised

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 03:22:00 +0000

A Zambian’s response to “You Lazy (Intellectual) African Scum!”

afam.aniagu@gmail.com (Afamatik) — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 13:44:00 +0000

This Article is in response to the post "You Lazy (Intellectual) African Scum!" A Compelling Read -" Please read it first.

I read the “transcript” of your conversation with my compatriot with much intrigue. Your view of the “third world” is not only dated in nomenclature, it is also dated in reality. When was the last time you were in Zambia? The Zambia of the 1980s is not the Zambia of 2012! Zambians are far from sleepy and lethargic (though I do not see sleep or dreaming as a bad thing). Perhaps it is because I subscribe to Rabindranath Tagore’s words, “I slept and dreamt that life was joy, I woke and saw that life was duty. I acted and behold, duty was joy.”

I know many other Zambians who live by the same value. I know doctors, artists, cleaners, entrepreneurs, innovators, and intellectuals, amateur and seasoned, small and big, who, despite the odds, work slavishly to improve Zambia. Some work 9-5 and others do not, but rather than focus on “billable hours”, they focus on results. People see the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps because you spent your time behind a wall fence-watching the people rather than interacting with them, you failed to notice that.

Lastly, I contend there is no Lake Zambia. As the Chinese proverb goes, “Water not damned won’t rise.” Dams are being built. No longer will anyone rape, pillage and exploit Zambia. Zambians will not accept the morsels. People are tired of being sick and tired. In case you did not understand the lyrics to the popular Dandy Crazy song, “Don’t kubeba”, citizen action is in full swing – we just have not told you yet.

“What is different?” you wonder. In 2011, the World Bank categorised Zambia as a lower middle-income country, which means the per capita gross national income is between $1,006 and $3,975 per year. This categorisation came with pride and sorrow. Zambians know development is more than statistics. Zambians understand that development is an inclusive process; decreasing poverty is a priority. Zambians peacefully elected a new government thus demonstrating that the government is one of the people, by the people, for the people.

Arguably, Zambians have not always made the best political decisions, but the last election was testimony that the people command the way forward and will not blindly allow government to regress national progress. If government does not serve the people, the people will get a new government. Good governance in action is in Kalingalinga. No longer is it the neighborhood (where I went to school as a child) from where we would hear gunshots at night. Flimsy housing structures are replaced with brick houses, street kids are going to school thanks to free education offered from primary school to basic school (grades 1 – 9), sanitation has improved and it is a bedrock for micro, small and medium enterprises.

Not all Zambian intellectuals are sitting twiddling their thumbs “waiting for Godot”. We are not willfully sitting as our people die. The sad reality is that it takes time, time to reverse the rot in the system and time to create new visions, innovations and achievements. While Zambia may not have many patented inventions, Zambian products are part of the global supply chain. We subscribe to the “Made in the World” concept. According to the World Trade Organisation, “The statistical bias created by attributing the full commercial value to the last country of origin can pervert the political debate on the origin of the imbalances and lead to misguided, and hence counter-productive, decisions.” Nevertheless, we bear much guilt because people die under our watch. That forces us to work harder to make good on our commitments to Zambia.

Though we sometimes get sidetracked by intellectual banter, fail to connect theory to life’s realities and get frustrated by our history and point fingers, we know it is our responsibility to build Zambia. Granted, there are some Zambians in the diaspora who want nothing to do with Zambia; those are not our concern. There are many Zambians, who if called home to serve, would. Diasporans spill their sweat in other countries to be able to provide for their extended families and invest in Zambia. In 2010, remittances were over USD $68 000000. Whether from Timbuktu, Mali or Namushakende in Zambia, the money many Zambians earn invariably goes into the Zambian economy.

I recognise the fact that we all need to make a living, but you working for a vulture fund makes me question where you get the authority to apportion blame? Though we might not have domestic legal resources to go up against your New York or London lawyers, we will fight to the end, be assured. There are resources like the Africa Legal Support Facility (affiliated with the African Development Bank) that provide legal assistance to African countries to fight vulture funds. In case you did not learn this in Zambia, here is for a lesson, “Wanya!”. It will not be like the Donegal case. This time Zambia will win the case, plus costs.

I agree all humans are equal and we have quirks. Yes, some Zambians drink more than they should, and others have a negative self-perception about their black skin and their abilities compared to other races, while others do nothing but pull others Zambians down. Luckily, that is not the whole population. Furthermore, I cannot say any human is incorruptible. What I can say is that we do have institutions in place to enforce anti-corruption laws. In case you have not paid attention to the news, the current government is slowly trying to eradicate institutional corruption. Obviously, it will take time.

Rather than criticising Africa, I think you need to be critical of human nature generally; after all it is not Africa that caused the current global economic crisis. Lastly, if you want an example of a president that has not fallen for “the carrot at the stick”, look at President Kagame of Rwanda. Rwanda has in successive years ranked as the least corrupt country in East Africa. According to Transparency International, “The likelihood of encountering bribe demand occurrences is 3.9%, the prevalence of bribery is 2.15% and the impact of bribery on service delivery is 1.98%, while more than 80% of Rwandans have neither encountered nor witnessed corruption.” Botswana, Cape Verde and Mauritius all rank in the top 50 least corrupt nations in 2011.

Didn’t you know, anyone with money, black or white, is a bwana? So no, I do not think you are racist. Misinformed and prejudgmental, yes. You might have interacted with “old school” Zambians. Let me tell you, we, the “new school”, are dancing to a new beat. We are innovative and driven to find solutions to the challenges, we are globally connected and getting more people exposed and we have learned from our ancestors. Failure is not an option.

I know that when my child sits in a plane next to yours, they will be having a very different conversation.

Please read the article here

By Jacqueline Muna Musiitwa

Jacqueline Muna Musiitwa runs Hoja Law Group, a boutique New York and Kigali (Rwanda) law firm that uses the law to bridge the African development gap through advising on deals that create wealth for Africa. HLG advises investors investing in and companies expanding within Africa. She is a frequent speaker and writer on African affairs. She is a Mo Ibrahim Fellow at the World Trade Organisation and Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.