Viral Gist
There is this archbishop and founder of one of the very popular pentecostal ministries in Nigeria that I met while I was in secondary school
He organized an inter-schools debate competition and I represented my school. I won the competition, he gave me the prizes and promised to support me in my academics.
My dad died the previous year and my mum was having a hard time seeing us through school. I was so happy I could relieve her some burden on my side.
The bishop told me that I was free to come to his office whenever I need help. He placed me on a monthly salary for my academics which I always submitted to my mom.
He told me that he would like to meet my mum, I was surprised cos of his huge status…I didn’t expect he will have such interest.
To my surprise he came to our house, saw my mom and told her how interested he was in me, how intelligent and smart I was and even went ahead to tell her that if it was possible for him to turn himself into a young guy, that he would do it and come to ask for my hand in marriage.
They laughed over it, he gave her 100k to take care of my waec registration and that of my two siblings cos we were in same class.
After he left, my mom gave me a prayer topic to start that night. Topic was to tell God that I’m very grateful for the destiny helper he sent my way through that bishop, and that he should please continue to control his heart not to go astray from the reason he sent him my way.
She also told me to always tell her whatever discussion I have with the man and I should for no reason accept to follow him to his house or any enclosed space.
Just as if she knew what was about to happen, the man invited me to his office like he always does at the end of every month.
I got there, he attended and dismissed every other person there including his secretary. He told me that he about traveling to abroad to visit his branch ministry there, and started telling me how we would soon start touring the world together.
He reaffirmed that he will try his best to fill the vacuum of my late dad and make sure I don’t lack anything. He gave me a brand new smart phone and asked me to hug him in appreciation.
He normally hugs me whenever he sees me and I didn’t see anything wrong with it. So I hugged him as usual and he gripped me tightly in his arms and the next, he started kissing me.
I struggled with him and let my self loose from his grip. He looked very embarrassed and he started apologizing. I accepted his apology and told him I wanted to go home.
He told me he forgot to bring the envelope containing my monthly salary that he was supposed to give me and that he is running out of time already to catch up with his flight.
He suggested that I follow him to his house and take the envelope so that he can also pick his luggage and leave for the airport.
I told him that i was out of time already to pick my younger ones from school and suggested that he gives it to any of his workers to pay it into my account.
He refused and said that none of his workers knows his relationship with me and he doesn’t need them to know. He gave me the option of following him home or forgetting about the salary for that month.
I chose the later and I left. He didn’t even give me transport fare as usual. I trekked from there to our house and I told my mom what happened.
Since then, our relationship diminished to a point that he even avoids seeing me. Whenever I chat or call him, he would tell me that he’s either critically sick and hospitalized or that he wasn’t in the country.
I got admission into the university and he sent me 20k to support my registration. He also sends me monthly declaration message and still sends me birthday prayers and wishes every year.
I chat him myself once in a while to check on him. When I was about getting married, I called him to know if he was in Nigeria so I could bring him my invitation card with a wine or any other gifts but he told me he was not in Nigeria.
He didn’t sound excited at all, he just asked me some background questions about my husband and I answered them all. He told me that I was still very young for marriage but he wishes me well and would be there on my wedding if he’s in Nigeria by then.
As my wedding drew closer, I resent him the invite as a reminder but he didn’t acknowledge receiving them. On my wedding, he didn’t come and he didn’t call or chat to know how it went.
I called him some days later to know if he was okay at all but he didn’t pick up. After 5months, he chatted me to check on me. I wasn’t surprised cos that has been his behavior for over 5 years since that incident at his office.
I was happy he still remembers to check on me and I sincerely hold nothing against him. He was really sent by God to me and my family and I’ll always be grateful for what God used him to do for us.
I gave birth few months later and a week after I was discharged, I chatted him and told that I gave birth. He rained congratulations on me and asked for her pictures which I sent to him. He responded that my baby is so beautiful and special and that was all.
Just 4 hours later, my baby began to cry uncontrollably. Everything we did to make her stop crying wasn’t fruitful, she kept crying and jetting like someone having seizure. She even refused sucking breast.
This lasted for almost twenty minutes and we got so restless because since almost 2 weeks she was born, she hasn’t cried like that before. She only cries when we are bathing her. She’s always quiet and peaceful.
I wanted to try dialling my sister’s number so I can speak to my mom and just immediately, my mom’s call came in. I was surprised to see her call cos her phone is always switched off whenever she goes to church.
She asked about my daughter and I told her what was happening, she asked me who I sent my baby’s picture to and I said nobody except few of my friends abroad.
She told me she had a strange sign of danger concerning my baby while in church so she switched on her phone immediately to call.
She told me that an occultic person I sent my baby’s picture to is making an occultic invocation to siphon my baby’s star and if the access he has to her isn’t cut off, that my baby would cry continuously and loose breathe or she will turn to an imbecile.
She asked me to give the phone to my husband, she then told my husband what to do and that she will call us again after church.
My husband brought the annointing oil we had and anointed her forehead while bridging any access to her through prayers and she suddenly stopped crying and slept off.
I was so scared and kept checking on her breathe almost every minute. She woke up after a long sleep and was back to normal.
My mom came after church and asked if I sent baby’s picture to that bishop. For a minute, I was lost because if I’m to count my enemies or those that would hurt me or my child, he won’t cross my mind.
She told me that the man is very occultic and there is no occultic person that would see the kind of star my daughter is carrying and wouldn’t want to have it for him or herself.
I couldn’t say a word, my mouth was just open. She said the man has done it to few of his members that brought their child for dedication and it’s just few because its a rare kind of star to find amongst children.
She said he uses it to intensify his powers and make his church more powerful. I was so shocked, all I could say was “what did I do to him to deserve such??, did I offend him?”
I picked up my phone to give him a piece of mind and I found out that he had blocked me. That was even more shocking. Someone I chatted not up to six hours ago, we had no disagreement whatsoever, nothing at all.
I tried calling, he also blocked my line. I used my husband’s line and checked him on Whatsapp, he was online, I called him and it rang. I was numb.
My mom gave me strict warnings on how to guard my daughter until she is of age. Till today, whenever I remember that man…I feel goosebumps all over me.
My daughter has brought us so much fortune that I cannot mention all. I got my first dollar in life as postnatal gift from someone I least expected..huge amount o.
Someone gave my husband a car gift, our business started booming again, our business associates that forgot us for years suddenly started remembering us, even our debtors that we already considered bad debts are paying us.
The fortune effect extended to my mom and mother inlaw and even to three of my friends that brought me a gift at the hospital. My daughter is just six months and I feel so special to be her mum”
Viral Gist
I’m 21 years old. My dad abandoned me, but he suddenly showed up two months ago. I only found out about him when I was 10, But right now I’m having sexual urge for him
“I’m 21 years old. My dad abandoned me, but he suddenly showed up two months ago. I only found out about him when I was 10. He used to work for my grandparents as a house help when he was 16. My mom was 19 then. They had an affair, and she got pregnant with me.
My grandparents took my mom to Ghana while she was pregnant. Now, 21 years later, my mom decided to relocate, and that’s how she and my dad reunited. I was amazed to see my dad for the first time. He’s young and handsome. But after a while, things changed. I realized I don’t feel that father-daughter bond between us. To be honest, I’m sexually attracted to my dad. I’ve been in relationships before, but I’ve never felt this way. I’m currently in my third relationship, but I’m losing interest in my boyfriend.
Sometimes, I unknowingly flirt with my dad. I think he might feel the same way, but he doesn’t say anything. Lately, I’ve been jealous of my mom, especially when they’re intimate. I listen or peek through the door. I feel like if I could just be with him once, I’ll stop having this urge. We’ve been separated for a long time, and we don’t share a bond. My mom traveled back to Ghana two days ago and will be back in two weeks. I’m left alone with my dad, and the temptation is strong.
Please, is there something I can do to stop this urge? I’m really trying.”
Viral Gist
Roman Catholic Reverend Father Michael Ogochukwu Ezeh and Reverend Sister Claire Chioma O. Set to Tie the Knot
The path of love is often unpredictable, leading people to unexpected places, and it seems to have done just that for Reverend Father Michael Ogochukwu Ezeh and Reverend Sister Claire Chioma O. The couple, who have found a deep connection in each other, are now preparing to celebrate their love through the holy sacrament of marriage. The event is scheduled to take place on the 26th of October, 2024, at St. Phillip Catholic Church, Port Harcourt, where they will exchange vows and embark on this new chapter of their lives together.
Reverend Father Michael, hailing from Enugu State, and Reverend Sister Claire, originally from Afikpo North in Ebonyi State, come from strong Catholic backgrounds. Their lives, dedicated to the service of the Church, saw them traverse the paths of religious devotion, spirituality, and community service, until eventually finding love in each other. Their decision to step into matrimony, having both embraced celibacy at different points, comes as a unique and bold testament to the beautiful surprises life can offer.
The journey of transitioning from religious service to a committed marital relationship is indeed an extraordinary one for Father Michael and Sister Claire. Traditionally, members of the Catholic clergy adhere to vows of celibacy and service. Yet, some, having deeply discerned their calling, may find themselves choosing the path of marriage, feeling that their love for one another is in alignment with God’s purpose for their lives.
Their decision serves as a poignant reminder that love knows no boundaries. It is a beautiful demonstration that one’s commitment to God and spirituality does not necessarily end with the choice to share life with another person. Instead, it could signify a new form of serving God—through the sacred union of marriage.
The wedding ceremony at St. Phillip Catholic Church in Port Harcourt promises to be a significant event. With the blessing of family, friends, and the church community, Father Michael and Sister Claire’s union will be celebrated in a traditional Catholic mass, officiated by church leaders who support their decision to marry. The couple has extended invitations to fellow clergy members, friends, and well-wishers, asking for prayers and blessings as they prepare for this sacred moment.
The event will undoubtedly attract attention, not just within the local Catholic community but also across Nigeria. Their journey serves as an inspiration to many, showcasing that love and faith can indeed walk hand-in-hand, and that every love story is unique in its path to fulfillment.
Reverend Father Michael and Reverend Sister Claire’s story is a testament to the power of love. Their courage in choosing to follow their hearts, even if it means taking an unconventional path, reminds us all that love is indeed a beautiful and transformative force. It has the power to transcend expectations, societal norms, and even religious traditions when it aligns with one’s understanding of divine purpose.
As the couple gets ready to walk down the aisle, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and wish them a lifetime of happiness, love, and shared faith. May their journey together continue to inspire others to embrace love in all its forms.
Let’s raise a toast to the soon-to-be newlyweds and celebrate their beautiful union! Congratulations to Father Michael and Sister Claire, as they embark on this blessed and exciting journey together.
You need to understand your own cultural identity; otherwise, you will keep seeing yourself as those who control the mainstream media see you, rather than how you really are. For example, Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Igbo, Ijaw and Edo are not tribes.
A tribe is a small group of primitive people, existing in a traditional society, subdivided into families and communities connected by a common language and ancestry.
Going by that definition, supported by the Oxford English Dictionary, most Nigerian ethnicities are not tribes. They are ethnic nationalities.
So, why do we use the term tribe to describe our ethnic identity? It is because the colonialists deliberately used the word tribe to make you look and feel inferior.
Just as they beat Kunta Kinte in the fictional TV series Roots, until he recanted and replaced his real African name with the slave name Toby, so did the colonialists browbeat you and I until we accepted that we were tribesmen and tribeswomen.
Take the Yorubas, for example. The Olukumi Omoluabi are found in large numbers in Nigeria, Brazil, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, and Cuba and are scattered throughout the Caribbean.
Hausa and Yoruba are Africa’s second and third most prominent indigenous languages.
Ndi’Igbo have significant indigenous populations in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
Yet, members of these groups use the word tribe to describe themselves.
Each of these sub-nations has a population far in excess of the population of Belgium, which has 11.7 million people of primarily Flemish origin.
But since you were born, have you ever heard the Flemish people being described as a ‘tribe’? So, why refer to your ethnicity as a tribe?
Look, if a cat wants to grow and become a lion, it must stop chasing mice. If Nigeria is to become a great nation, we must remove the subliminal barriers and glass ceilings that the colonialists put in our minds.
Take a look at these Ife Bronzes. They are a thousand years old and show Olukumi Omoluabi people fully dressed, wearing jewellery and holding iron tools.
How could you be this advanced a thousand years ago and still believe you are a tribe?
Belgium did not exist a thousand years ago, and they are a nation, but you, who existed over a thousand years ago, are a tribe? Make that make sense to yourself.
It is time to make a mental shift. Do not use the word tribe to describe yourself or your ethnicity. You are an individual member of an ethnic nationality. Once you understand that, how you see yourself and allow others to treat you will change.
And while you are at it, give up your suave slave name and start bearing an original African name.
The right people will like you better if you just be yourself rather than who you are not. Bear your heavy African name. Take a poll. Whether Aliko Dangote, Kemi Badenoch, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Wake Adeyemo, Chimamanda Adichie, Tope Awotona, or Bayo Ogunlesi, the most successful Black Africans bear their African names, not European, Jewish or Arabic names.
And wear your cultural attire. It does not look funny. That is your inferiority complex, speaking. And refuse to bleach. Organic cream is an organic fraud. You can be Black and beautiful. Solomon wrote the only love letter in the Bible for a Black woman (Songs of Solomon). Your Blackness is your greatness. Please don’t get in the way of it. Instead, get in line with it!
Reno Omokri
Gospeller. Deep Thinker. #TableShaker. Ruffler of the Feathers of Obidents. #1 Bestselling author of Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years. Hodophile. Hollywood Magazine Humanitarian of the Year, 2019. Business Insider Influencer of the Year 2022.
