2015: APC goes for the kill

The All progressive Congress(APC) may look like it is going nowhere judging by past political mergers in the country but Sunday Sun can authoritatively report that the coalition is not only lacing up its kicking boots, it is also going full speed for the ruling PDP’s political jugular. Unlike in the past, the APC would adopt an uncommon approach to turn the table against the PDP, which has been in power since 1999. According to a reliable insider source, the opposition coalition’s strategy will be rooted firmly in a concerted effort to weaken the ruling party and cause as much rancour within its ranks as much as possible.
A top member of APC who spoke to Sunday Sun on condition of anonymity said the PDP will have a full plate of troubles to deal with until the APC snatches victory from the Peoples Democratic Party. Irked by President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to win at least 32 states of the federation in the 2015 general elections, the yet-to-be registered All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains are holding round-the-clock meetings to make the President eat his words at the 2015 polls. Asked if APC had a hand in the dissolution of the Rivers State PDP EXCO as part of the opposition’s plans to cause rancour in the PDP, the source neither admitted nor denied involvement.
“The more trouble there is in the PDP, the better for us. The more enemies Jonathan makes, the more friends we will have. We saw the Rivers trouble coming three months ago and we want and hope the PDP will dissolve more state chapters’ executive councils.” He prayed that President Jonathan would ‘terrorize’ more governors saying the development would help the APC to consolidate its merger deal before the election. “We will help President Jonathan to create more enemies and see to the imminent implosion in the PDP before the next general election. “The era of PDP has gone and you will see the end of the party in 2015. There is no policy that President Jonathan comes up with that will be allowed to work. Besides, Tony Anenih that the party is hoping to work some magic does not have that level of electoral value and would be humbled like what happened during the last Edo governorship election where he lost his ward.
“The question we should be asking PDP’s Mr Fix It is, ‘has he produced any president in Nigeria since the country returned to democratic rule in 1999? We all know the real powers behind the throne from Obasanjo to even President Jonathan. The truth is those who produced former presidents are those behind this new coalition and our candidate is the one they have endorsed. We are not moved or impressed by the mythical magic of Anenih. The old man does not help to cook the soup but comes only when it is ready for eating. “We are not ready to divulge information on how to win the next election but I can assure you that it is over for the PDP. “Soon, northern leaders would converge abroad to put finishing touches to the game plan that would finally clip the wings of the PDP”, he said. The development comes amid revelations that the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo has openly distanced himself from the re-election ambition of President Jonathan.
Our source said that the brains behind APC’s move to upset the PDP are encouraged by the recent presidential election in Kenya and what the opposition party has been able to do in elections in Ghana, a neighbouring West African country. He told Sunday Sun that the APC intends to take advantage of the seeming disenchantment of the masses against the present administration especially with regards to the increasing insecurity situation in the country. “Nigerians are not fools and they are not oblivious of happenings around the world and even in some African countries. They want a better life, which the PDP has not been able to provide them since 1999 that it has been in power.
“The approach of the opposition this time is going to be different and for the first time, we are confident that the PDP can be beaten in a free and fair election. “Even without much effort, the APC would sweep the votes in North West, North East and South West. We all know why PDP cannot win in those zones. And with that obvious advantage, the APC can now go to fight for votes in the North Central, South East and South South. Remember that even in the South South where President Jonathan comes from, the APC is likely to take two states. Or can you compare the votes APC will get in Lagos with what PDP will record in Bayelsa. “One of the states, we are already sure of but the other one, another oil-rich state is almost in our kitty too. The governors are powerful and if you are fighting a governor controlling a state, you do not expect him to support you when you need him. So, where is the PDP going to win?” He said that one of the strategies the APC will deploy is to neutralize the already familiar tactics of the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Mr Tony Anenih popularly known as “Mr Fix it”.
Our source said that the former Minister of Works who has assumed a cult figure in the PDP has clay feet and has already been demystified during the last gubernatorial election in his home state. He reasoned that the PDP would witness an implosion before the election considering the level of discontent among members of the party. Our source revealed that three months ago, the new mega party saw the ordeal the Chairman of the Governors Forum, Chibuike Amaechi would go through ahead of 2015. Our source also revealed that Chief Obasanjo had made it known to President Jonathan that he would support the emergence of a president of northern extraction in 2015. He said that all efforts to woo Obasanjo to support President Jonathan including the recent delegation led by Chief Anenih to his country home in Otta failed to convince the former president. Sunday Sun learnt that what finally sealed Obasanjo’s conviction against President Jonathan’s re-election ambition was the edging out of virtually all his (OBJ) loyalists in the PDP. “In several fora, Chief Obasanjo’s body language has shown that his support in 2015 would go to a northerner, ” he said. Opposition political parties last week turned the heat on President Jonathan over his directive to the PDP to widen the party’s grip on power by winning 32 states in the 2015 elections.
National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur recently described 2015 as a year of serious electoral battle which, the party must win in its desire to fast-track the process of change as envisioned by the transformation agenda of the present government. Tukur had asked every member of the party to brace up for the task of winning the next round of elections in Nigeria, as according to him, the PDP had President Jonathan’s mandate to widen its grip on power by winning no fewer than 32 states by 2015. Tukur made this known when a caucus of the party from the South West, led by Professor Taoheed Adedoja, paid him a visit at his residence in Abuja. He maintained that for the purpose of delivering the presidential mandate of winning more states without cutting corners during any election, the PDP members must close ranks and prove to the world that it has indeed, been the party with the widest spread in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the ACN which adopted the APC in a convention it held in Lagos on Thursday denounced the presidential mandate, saying that Jonathan and Tukur must begin to realise that Nigerians would not vote for them in 2015. National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said: “ They have been talking about plans to capture 32 states.
If you observe the lexicon of the PDP, you will see that there is nothing democratic about them. By the time Tukur and Jonathan wake up, they will realise that they have been living in a fool’s paradise because Nigerians have deserted them a very long time ago and no amount of coercion can make them achieve that kind of fathom ambition. “The only thing is that it probably confirms our fear that there may be no election in 2015 since they have been given a mandate to capture 32 states. They are not talking about elections. “Nigerians should be very, very wary. Don’t forget that last week, we raised the alarm that the way the Federal Government was going, there was no guarantee for free and fair elections. Nigerians should take note and be very, very vigilant but we want to assure Tukur and Jonathan that Nigerians will not vote for them in 2015.”
Culled from The Sun

2015: The Brickbats Between Presidency and Opposition Parties

The presidency needs to overcome its obsession with fear or odium for opposition, which often leads to inordinate reactions, writes Vincent Obia
The relationship between the presidency and the opposition has become increasingly dominated by mistrust, abuse, and outburst. The past week saw a lot of this awful politics of paranoia, as the government and the opposition grabbed the headlines in an epidemic of mutual invectives.
Leaders of the opposition merger initiative involving Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party, Congress for Progressive Change, and a faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance opened the explosive exchange during the ACN convention on April 18 in Lagos. Expectedly, the Peoples Democratic Party-led federal government was the subtext of every speech, as speaker after speaker tried to justify the change the opposition craves.
The ACN National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, said, “In over 14 years that the ruling party has been in power, not only has it failed to deliver on its promises, it has also infected all institutions of the state with its aversion for the rule of law and entrenched monumental corruption.”
He said due to the massive corruption superintended by the PDP government, Nigeria had “become a society where the safety of lives, private properties and public installations is at its lowest ebb. It also explains deepening level of poverty, which is now at its highest. It finally justifies the reason our countrymen are waiting patiently, but with latent breathe, to see the successful outcome of the merger talks. We must never let them down.”
ACN National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, accused the ruling party of chronic non-performance, saying, “Where the road is bad, they budget for it, still the road gets worse. Where the road is impassable, they offer excuses and empty promises. Our billions are embezzled and shared to cronies. The slogan of the ruling party is ‘power’, but corruption is the fuel that powers their government.”
Tinubu said, “The current government’s trademark is to throw empty words and hollow actions at our problems.”
CPC leader and former military Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, said the opposition parties were merging into the All Progressives Congress “to avoid a state of anarchy and disorder in Nigeria, our own fatherland.”
The opposition believes Nigeria is teetering on the brink of collapse under PDP’s watch and the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan presidency cannot be trusted to pull the country back from the precipice. Continuing with PDP, they say, is taking a leap of motiveless faith into the unknown, while embracing the opposition APC is a rational escape from the perilous situation Nigerians find themselves.
But Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, in a swift reaction last Sunday, addressed a news conference in Lagos where he said the PDP government would not be distracted by “empty” criticisms from the opposition. Okupe virtually picked out every one of the opposition leaders for rebuke.
“It is evident that the proposed merger revolves around two personalities only, Senator Tinubu and General Buhari. Unfortunately, both are heavily burdened political liabilities,” Okupe said.
He followed up with even heavier comments on Tuesday during a visit to the THISDAY corporate headquarters in Lagos. Okupe predicted doom for the proposed opposition merger, APC, saying, “It is a politically defective and weak organisation, and by coming to the national stage, the wind is going to blow them open. If they don’t crumble and disappear by 2014, don’t call me Okupe.”
That outburst was unnecessary and, in fact, illogical. Nigerian politics would gain nothing from the failure of the opposition. It would, in reality, lose so much of its surviving credibility.
Besides, many Nigerians feel the same frustrations the opposition emphasises and they blame the PDP presidency – even though some within the opposition camp are also part of the problem they now believe should be wholly laid at the door of the ruling party. Nigerians expect the Jonathan administration to deliver the primary purpose of its existence, which is the security and welfare of citizens. The citizens certainly have nothing to gain from the presidency’s frenzied keenness on winning arguments with the opposition.
As for the president’s handlers, silence can be a coin of choice – if they cannot restrict themselves to a sincere representation of what their principal is doing to better the lot of the people.
The mutual diatribes between the government and the opposition underscore a politics of paranoia that seems to define political relationships in the country ahead of 2015. The president seems so frightened of opposition that he believes every perceived contender must be summarily dealt with. And his template, it appears, includes both newfound enemies within PDP and those perceived to have existed from the pre-2011 presidential election preparation days. Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State are currently suffering the consequences of that perception. So are former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his supporters. Others like Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, and many others appear to be on the “watch list.”
That may just be the tip of it. The country may see a constant stream of more draconian reactions as the climate of fear and mutual suspicion gets more intense ahead of 2015.
The president should make a conscious decision to tone down the bellicose course of politics.
The opposition, too, can take lessons from the inclement chorus of doomsayers about its emergence and prove that it is not the unserious bunch that elements within the ruling party tend to see. Like Okupe said regarding the opposition promoters, “I expect that when you post an aggregate of people of that calibre, who want to run government, by now they must have a policy statement on power, agriculture and employment and not just talking about PDP leaving.”
Culled from Thisday Live

Anambra's Daughter Becomes UK Mayor: "People Slammed Doors at Me When They Saw I'm Black"

Kate Anolue, hailing from Nanka in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, was elected Mayor of Enfield Borough in the United Kingdom. A widow and mother of four, the midwife-turned-lawyer speaks on politics, her challenges and marriage during her visit to Nigeria.

From your observation, do you think we have enough participation of women in Nigerian politics? - I am disappointed at the level of women's participation in Nigerian politics. Nigerian women have a lot to contribute to the development of the nation, but unfortunately, their presence is not felt. It's sad at the way they allow their potentials to waste away.
What in your view is responsible for this? - Politics in Nigeria favours men. It's quite different from what holds in the United Kingdom. There, politics is hinged on merit. Here in Nigeria, there is no equality between the male and female. I believe everyone should be given an equal footing. We went to the same school and do possess the same certificates. Nigerian women need to speak out and put in their best to make a change. They shouldn't allow themselves to be pulled down. 
What advice would you give to Nigerian women interested in politics? - I will advise them to go for it and put in their best. Women are the wealth of the economy. I will also add that the thought of making fast money should be far from them. I believe people move on in the UK because they do a lot of voluntary works for the society which do not involve money. 
Survival in the UK is believed to be difficult. How did you combine your responsibilities as a mother and duties as a midwife? - I joined my husband in England at a young age in 1971. I trained as a nurse, since this had always been my dad's desire, and became qualified after three years. I also had another 18 months training as a midwife.
By 1977, I had already acquired two certificates while I also had two children. I was able to stay on my job as a full-time worker with my husband's support. By 1984, my children were four while I had also risen in my profession to the post of a team leader.
Unfortunately in 1985, October precisely, I lost my husband and things took a downturn. The future became bleak. I was left with four kids to cater for. The eldest was 13 years and the others were five and nine years old respectively. The youngest was 18 months old. Fortunately for me, I had around me friends who were supportive.
I saw my husband's death and the responsibility of raising my children as a cross I had to bear. I therefore rose to the challenge. Most of my managers were likewise supportive. They all did their best to encourage me by giving me work schedules that were flexible. With this, I was able to give my children the necessary attention.
At what stage did you decide to study Law? - When my last daughter was eight years old, the urge to do something different from nursing came up again. I applied for Law, and, during an interview with my lecturer, he asked with utmost disbelief "With a good profession as a midwife, why do you want to study law?" I told him I studied nursing to please my father and he's happy. Now I also want to make myself happy. It took five years to complete the course as a part- time student.
How did you make it to your present office? - I knew that, as a Nigerian and a woman in a foreign land, I must not settle for less, this was my driving force. After studying and graduating in Law, I started going to the council to seek information on issues. I later began to make enquiries on how councils were run and how their leaders were elected. I was advised to join a political party. I began to study the manifesto of the existing parties. I was attracted to the values and ideas of the Labour Party.
In 1997, I became an active member and my activities moved from Ethnic Minority Officer between 1998 and 2000 to that of Women Officer between 2000 and 2002.
My post as the Women Officer kept me busy because I was always bringing women issues to the fore. This opened me up to a lot of information. I later became a school governor and was privileged to have more information and knowledge of how the society was run.
As time went on, I began to develop interest in the councillor seat. I was always at the campaign meetings, learning how to pull all the strings. Next, I joined members of the parliament to build my confidence in public speaking.
At the time of selection for the councillor seat, I was interviewed and asked to present my qualifications. I presented with confidence my resume as a school governor, Enfield Women Aid (support to women who suffered domestic violence), Enfield Women Centre (support to enhance women’s mental revolution), full time worker and an active member of the party. My background in Law also gave me an edge. I was selected and then the campaign kicked off.
What efforts did you put in convincing people that you were fit for the post? - Before the election, I knocked at 6,000 doors to present our party manifesto and campaign my candidature. This went on every day till I was able to achieve meeting everyone one on one.
My campaign cut across all races and tribes living in my ward. I was able to convince them that I was competent for the job and that they could count on me. Some slammed the door at me when they saw I'm black, while others threatened to pour water on me. I won my first election in 2002 and had a repeat of this victory in 2006 and 2010.
Towards the end of my tenure as a councillor in 2010, I gave the post of mayor a trial. The biggest hurdle was winning 37 colleagues to my side for endorsement. At the end of the day, I had more than the required number for the endorsement. I eventually won the seat of deputy mayor. This was to nurture and put me under observation to see how I would perform if I later became the mayor.
This was quite necessary because the mayor is the first citizen of a borough. Enfield is the fourth largest borough out of the 32 boroughs in London. Enfield is a big borough while I receive any visitor coming to this borough.
Would you agree that merit is solely the major consideration for selecting and electing candidates into political seats in the UK? - Yes. For whatever office you are vying for, who you are and what you have done to boost the society should speak for you. If positions are given to people because they are liked and not on merit, it is obvious that there would be no performance. Merit means you have shown one way or the other that you are fit for the job and this has nothing to do with money. 
What plans do you have for Nigeria? - The top on the list is coming back to Nigeria and imparting the society with the skills I had acquired. I have over 35 years experience as a mid-wife. I gave up my job in April 2012. I have 11 years experience in local government administration. Working in the community is another, while motivating and inspiring people are the other skills I possess which I believe will enhance me in whatever I engage myself in. 
Politics in Nigeria is a different ball game. How do you plan to cope? - I do visit Nigeria on a yearly basis and I have taken time to observe how politics is played here. In Nigeria, the square peg is put in a round hole. People who have no idea of what is happening around them are given exalted positions. I tell you, they will not perform. I will try to operate from a different angle. Women development will be an area I would launch into rather than go into full politics which I believe I may not meet with people's expectations.
Message to Nigerian women? - No matter how bad or bleak the state a Nigerian woman finds herself, she should not give up. Learning to manage time is essential. If you lack this potential, you are not likely to accomplish all your aims. Again, education is a must for every female.

LA2LAGOS

Leave Former Ministers Alone, Probe Me Instead, Obasanjo Challenges Jonathan

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised the establishment of an agency to protect oil pipelines and described it as corruption in governance.

The former president also said he is ready for a probe of his eight-year administration instead of the present administration descending on his cabinet ministers.
Mr Obasanjo, who made the criticism at the 50th birthday thanksgiving of former minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili in Abuja, said he is ready to account for his stewardship.
He said if the present government finds anything wrong with his administration, he would bear the responsibility.
The former President was reacting to the recent moves to probe Mrs Ezekwesili by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and challenge thrown to the former World Bank VP by the presidency to account for her tenure as Minister of Education.
He said, “I have always said this, whatever you want to blame in my government, blame me, don’t blame any of those people who assisted me. If there is any credit to dispense we share it.
“But for anything you want to say is wrong, I was the one in charge and I was in charge.”
ChannelsTV

We Have Not Rejected APC Merger Bid, INEC Says

APC

By SaharaReporters, New York

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied newspaper reports that it has rejected a bid by some political parties to merge into the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This is to affirm that the reports in the Nigerian Tribune and the Daily Champion are utterly false,” the commission said today in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Kayode R. Idowu.  “The Commission has not written to stop the merger bid as APC.”
The commission explained that it only declined an application by another association seeking to register as the All Progressives Congress of Nigeria (APCN), as the acronym proposed by that association is similar to that of another which is already seeking registration, supposedly the APC.
“The Commission hereby reassures Nigerians that it will always do the right thing as a dispassionate and impartial regulator of the political process,” the statement said.

Saharareporters.com

President Jonathan's Chief Protocol Officer And Over 100 Directors At The Foreign Ministry Refuse To Retire

Nigeria's minister of foreign affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru

Directors at Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs are refusing to retire after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60 years, sources have said.
Several Ministry workers confirmed that the directors, with the approval of the Minister, Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru, have been campaigning against retirement, claiming that if about 100 of them retired by January 2014, the Ministry will collapse.
The sources, speaking anonymously, told our reporter that the decision of the aging directors to remain in office is hurting staff morale as junior directors are made to feel they are incompetent and stand no chance of moving up the ladder.
The reality of the situation hit them on Sunday when Olutola John Onijala, State Chief of Protocol (SCOP) to President Goodluck Jonathan, turned 60 but showed up in office to continue work today.
As a civil servant, he should have been retired from the service according to the statute, but for reasons beyond anybody's comprehension, President Jonathan is alleged to have been misled into allowing Mr. Onijala to stay on. 
The Ministry, from which SCOPs are picked, was supposed to have nominated three directors to the President since February 2013 from which to choose a suitable replacement, but because of the active connivance of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ashiru and Jonathan's Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe, this was not done.
Instead, Minster of foreign affairs waited until late April to direct his Permanent Secretary to send a letter to the President’s Chief of Staff, recommending that Ambassador Onijala remain in office indefinitely.  The COS, in-turn, reportedly “coloured” the recommendation before forwarding it to the President for his endorsement.
A source told Saharareporters that as highly-regarded as Ambassador Onijala may be, it is against the law for any retired officer to occupy a position reserved for serving officers, especially as there are over 100 capable hands readily available to choose from.
Political observers cite this indiscretion as one of the manipulative excesses of President Jonathan.  They recall cite the removal of Governor Sylva from office, and his ongoing prosecution.  Furthermore, he retained Ms. Oruma Oteh in office, contrary to the directives of the National Assembly; refused to restore Justice Ayo Salami to his rightful position even against court orders, and granted pardon to convicted "thief" DSP Alameiseigha even though there exists an international arrest warrant.
SaharaReporters reached out to Ambassador Onijala today to ask why he returned to office after turning 60 years.  He requested that we call back in one hour, but did not answer subsequent calls or return text messages sent to his phone.
Saharareporters.com

Article of Faith: What Is The Name Of Jesus? By Femi Aribisala

Femi Aribisala

The name “Jesus” was never heard of until 1,500 years after Jesus walked the earth.

Several years ago, I was listening to a sermon by Ethel Aderemi, when the Lord suddenly asked yet another of his enigmatic questions.  “Femi,” he said, “what is the name of Jesus?”  I was dumbfounded.  I asked myself: “Is Jesus not the name of Jesus?”  What then could be the meaning of the Lord’s question?

Real name

I soon discovered that the name of a person is usually not his name.  The real name of a person is the very essence of that person.  It is his character, personality and profile.  I know a lady called Peace; but she is neither peaceful nor peace-loving.  Her real name must be “Trouble-maker.”

But in the bible, no one ever acted contrary to his or her name.  If your name is “Thief,” then you are a thief.  Abigail says of her husband: “As his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him.” (1 Samuel 25:25).  Jacob’s name means “one who supplants.”  All his life, he acted according to that name until God changed it to Israel.  He deceived Esau out of his birthright.  He deceived his father and obtained his brother’s blessing.

So what is the name of the Lord?  The name of the Lord is the very nature, character and personality of God.  God revealed to Moses that his name is compassionate, gracious and slow to anger. (Exodus 34:5-7).  Likewise, the name of Jesus is the very personality of Jesus.  It represents all that Jesus is.  The name of Jesus is Saviour of souls.  His name is Joshua; it is Saviour from sins.  His name is wonderful, counsellor; mighty God. (Isaiah 9:6).  It is love; merciful; goodness and holy.

Unanswered prayers

Jesus says to believers: “I will do whatever you ask in my name.” (John 14:13).  Why then do we pray and get no answers?  It must surely be because we don’t really pray in Jesus’ name.  We simply attach his name to the end of our prayers and presume thereby that we have prayed in his name.  But to really pray in Jesus’ name, we must have the character of Jesus.  We must have his faith and his compassion.

That means we cannot tell lies and then pray in the name of Jesus.  Neither can we be quarrelsome and pray in the name of Jesus.  We cannot walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners and pray in the name of Jesus.  To pray in Jesus’ name, we must walk in his name.  To pray in his name, we must stand in the righteousness of God.  The psalmist says: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Psalms 66:18).

Jesus said to his disciples: “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.  Ask and you will receive.” (John 16:24).  This indicates that hitherto the disciples prayed according to their own wishes and desires.  Thenceforth, they were to pray only according to the desires of Jesus.  Nevertheless, many of us still go to the bank of heaven with forged cheques.  We attach the name of Jesus to requests he would never make.  We fail to appreciate that praying in Jesus’ name is not “my will be done” but “God’s will be done.” (Matthew 6:10).

Formulaic prayers

Moreover, praying in Jesus’ name is not a formula.  We don’t need to say “in Jesus’ name” with every prayer.  If it is in his name, then it is in his name.  If it is not, it is not.  The fact that you put my name on a cheque does not mean you can get anything out of my bank account.  The cashier can tell the signature is not mine.  And if he contacts me, I will not confirm the cheque.

There are many counterfeiters of the name of Jesus.  You will know us by our fruits.  We are people who swear and lay down curses “in the name of Jesus.”  We go to prayer-meetings and kill our enemies “in the name of Jesus.”  We practice witchcraft “in the name of Jesus” and use his name to hold men in bondage.

We need to recognise that Jesus only knows those who know his name.  Nobody gets introduced to Jesus in heaven.  We must make sure he knows us by name now, by walking in his name.  When we deceive and tell lies “in Jesus’ name,” it shows we don’t know him.  Jesus says: “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.’” (Matthew 7:22-23).

Lost in translation

Some years later, I discovered Jesus could not have been the actual name of Jesus.  Jesus is not a Hebrew name.  The real Hebrew name of Jesus is ‘Yahushua,’ which means “God saves.”  Accordingly, the angel must have said to Joseph: “You shall call his name ‘Yahushua,’ for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21).

‘Yahweh’ is the Hebrew name for God.  ‘Yah-ho’ is usually appended to the beginning or ending of Hebrew names, just like the Yoruba ‘Oba’ or the Ibo ‘Chukwu.’  ‘Shua’ means deliverance.  Both are combined to form ‘Yahushua’ (pronounced ‘Yah-hoo-shoo-ah’), which is then shortened for everyday use to ‘Yahshua; and then even shorter still to “Y’shua.”  In the process of conversion to English, “Y’shua” became ‘Yeshua’ and then ‘Joshua.’

In order to render Yahshua in Greek, it was transliterated by exporting the Hebrew sound, instead of translating it into the Greek equivalent of its meaning: ‘God-saves.’  This had certain implications.  Ancient Greek did not have the ‘y’ and the ‘sh’ sounds found in Yahshua.  In order to make the ‘y’ sound in Greek, the letters ‘iota’ and ‘eta’ have to be combined together to form ‘ee-ay.’  And in order to make the ‘sh’ sound, you had to make do with the softer ‘s’ sound of the letter “sigma.”  Therefore, Yahshua could only be transliterated into Greek as ‘Ee-ay-soo-ah’ instead of ‘Yah-shoo-ah.’

However, masculine Greek names that end with vowel sounds were usually given the letter ‘s’ as a suffix.  Thus, ‘Judah’ became ‘Judas’ and ‘Cephah’ became ‘Cephas.’  This suggests ‘Ee-ay-soo-ah’ should become ‘Ee-ay-soo-ah-s.’  But there was yet another dilemma.  It is unconventional in Greek for there to be two vowel sounds before an ‘s.’  So the last vowel sound was dropped, leaving us with ‘Ee-ay-soos’ (Iesous) as the Greek pronunciation for Yahshua.  When Latin became the predominant language of Christianity, Greek versions of the New Testament were translated into Latin.  In this so-called Latin Vulgate, ‘Ee-ay-soos’ was further transliterated, making it ‘Iesus.’

The letter ‘j’ did not exist in the Old English language.  But around the early 12th century, ‘j’ began showing up in certain English dialects, often replacing letters “i” and “y.”  Therefore, names like ‘Iames’ became ‘James;’ ‘Yohan’ became ‘John;’ and ‘Iesus’ became ‘Jesus.”  The publication of the popular King James Bible in 1611 effectively “ratified” Jesus as the English name of our Saviour.  In effect, the name “Jesus” was never heard of until 1,500 years after Jesus walked the earth.

Femi Aribisala is the fellowship coordinator of Healing Wings. Healing Wings is a pentecostal Christian fellowship which meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He blogs at Femi Aribisala . E-mail: faribisala@yahoo.com

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