Italy’s First Black Cabinet Minister, Faces Death Threats

But Cecile Kyenge says she’s not afraid and challenged Italians to respond to such intimidation themselves to prove that Italy isn’t racist. Kyenge, a Congolese-born doctor who has lived in Italy since 1983, has been the target of racist diatribes ever since she was named integration minister in April. She has been called “Congolese monkey,” and a member of a “bonga bonga government.” Last week, a local politician from the xenophobic Northern League party was expelled from the party after she suggested on Facebook: “Why doesn’t someone rape her (Kyenge), so she can understand what victims of atrocious crimes feel?” The official, Dolores Valandro, was implying that immigrants were responsible for violent crime in Italy….

Cleric admonishes Christians against materialism – As Oguta celebrates Father’s Day

The Catholic Men Organization (CMO) of Sacred Heart Catholic Parish, Oguta in Oguta LGA of Imo State have been admonished not to allow materialism to becloud their sense of judgement. The Episcopal Vicar of Zone 9 of Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri and Parish Priest of the Church, Very Rev. Fr. Jude E. Ike gave the admonition at a Mass to celebrate the Patron Saint (St. Joseph) of the Catholic Men Organization worldwide on Sunday, May 5, 2013. In his sermon, he enjoined the Christian Fathers to always be close to their wives and children, positing that a good home begets a good society and a good society is the pride of the nation. Fr. Ike…

The morality of sharing money to Pupils in Imo (2)

Wrong Formation: St. Paul’s foremost warning to Timothy is, “The love of money is the root of all evils” (1Tim. 6: 10). The worst offense any parent could commit against his child will be to introduce him to money as a standard for either consolation or love. Using money to attract a child is like using bone to attract dogs. When the bone is not available, the dog refuses to listen to the voice of the owner and could go wild. And scripture says, “Teach a child how he should live, and he will remember it all his life” (Prov. 22: 6). Let us therefore expose the harm which this practice of sharing money to…

Stop this Money sharing to Imo Pupils now

In his maiden broadcast to the people of Imo State in June 2011, Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha left nobody in doubt that education was indeed his top priority.  In keeping with his campaign promises, he unfolded details of his free education package.  The free education that was initially planned for public primary and secondary schools was soon extended to state-owned tertiary institutions of learning.  Governor Okorocha at every opportunity kept emphasizing the importance of saving the future of Imo children through qualitative education.   In addition to free tuition, he made budgetary provisions for textbooks, school bags and sandals, for them.  To crown it all his Government pays allowances of N300 per pupil and N500 per…

Let’s look at some words and their wrong use among us

When you hear that someone, especially a top politician, has dropped a “bombshell” you would automatically want to know what the big news is all about. The expression connotes an earth shaking event which is actually what an exploded bomb is. To those who must have experienced the early wars in history, crude bombs, when detonated, left their empty covers, shells or, if you like, lifeless relic or empty cases. A couple of years ago an angry war veteran, possibly from World War 1, complained in the prestigious “Letter  to the editor” column of the Times of London  that  he couldn’t  understand  why the newspapers were excited by “bombshell” as an expression of something real…

Dr Joe Obi-Njoku : Rising from the Grassroots

Imagine him chopping wood with an axe.  Imagine him also shirtless, barefoot, a climbing robe “akpi” on his left shoulder and a machete in his right hand, dividing the bush and heading for the nearest palm tree to cut down the ripe fruits for sale, so he and his family could eat.   Imagine him again taking bamboos from the raffia palm and carefully weaving the traditional bamboo bed – “okpukpo,” (agada in some dialet)  also to make a living. Finally, see him riding an old bicycle from his home at Umueme, Uzagba, in Ikeduru local government, to Mbaise to go to college.   That’s the life of Dr Joe Obi-Njoku, as a young man,…