A-word-of-knowledge-between-knowledge-economy-and-religion-economy
September 7, 2020 | News
A WORD OF KNOWLEDGE – BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AND RELIGION ECONOMY
Picture Showing a Mega Church
We have repeatedly noted that Nigeria, like most African countries, have allowed its ‘religiousness’ and ‘religious hypocrisy’ to prevent us from using our God-given human and natural resources’ potentials for our good and development. And that the planting/establishment of Churches, and other religious Centres across the length and breadth of Nigeria and the African continent, are not a sign that we, as Nigerians/Africans, are a religious country/continent and a morally-upright people. Rather, it has made us fall and remain within the confines of the Religion Economy.
Recently, I came across a short Editorial news broadcast by Anthony Afolo of the New Africa Broadcasting Network (NABN) who gave a word of knowledge on the subject matter from Simon Oladapo, that we all can catch in, as we reflect on yesterday, and what persists in our world today. The said Editorial broadcast noted that: “There are basically Two Economies in the world, and every nation on the face of the earth, fall under either of them. These are: The Knowledge Economy (which is an economy where the Production and Use of Knowledge are paramount), and the Religion Economy.
“The rich and prosperous nations in the world belongs to The Knowledge Economy, while the poorest and poverty-stricken nations in the world belongs to The Religion Economy. The Knowledge Economy is one that engages the brain; ask questions, relevant questions and proffer solutions to problems. The Religion Economy is one that blackmails God and dumps every responsibility on Him. The Knowledge Economy tasks the brain, while The Religion Economy numbs the brain. Japan for instance, is a Knowledge Economy. It has no natural resources, but it is a prosperous nation and one of the richest on the planet. At least 6 of every 10 cars in the world today are Japanese made. Japan is not a Religious Economy. But it is one of the most corrupt-free nations. China, on the other hand, is not a Religion Economy.
“African countries fall under the category of Religion Economy. More so than others, African countries are endowed with majority of the natural resources on the face of the earth. Yet, also, are the poorest. Africa wears proudly the badge of the poorest capital of the world. With endless corruption. It is also one of the most religious continents on the planet… God watches with disgust, as we mortgage our brains. But here is the irony. The two major religions in the world, Christianity and Islam, originated from Israel and Saudi-Arabia respectively. But none of those two nations fall under The Religion Economy, none!
“One of the evidences of their subscription to The Knowledge Economy is the yearly pilgrimages that generates for them revenues in billions of dollars. But hypocritically, some corrupt nations are comfortably disseminating nuisance to humanity with their globalization of religion economy. There is a reason He gave man a brain, and instructed him to build the earth. If you are a Christian or a Muslim, who does not commit yourself to pursuits of knowledge, your life will likely become a perfect reflection of some of these uninspired nations. That is the fact! It is an illusion to anticipate wisdom where people do not pay attention to Knowledge.”
A look at how we have been funding the nation’s Education sector and Knowledge acquisition centers, gives us a glimpse of how unimportant we consider this very vital sector in Nigeria. And so, it is with most African nations. For instance, from the Federal Government of Nigeria presented N8.6 trillion in 2018 Budget, only 7.04% was allocated to Education. Then in 2019, of the total N8.83 trillion presented, the education sector was proposed to have N620.5 billion, which is 7.02% of the entire budget. While a sum of N691.07 billion constituting 6.7% has been allocated to the nation’s education sector in the 2020 national budget. In all of these years, all of the budget for education is lower than the 26% of national budget recommended by the United Nations (UN) as global benchmark to enable nations adequately cater for rising education demands? And tomorrow, somebody will be wondering why the Nigerian Standard of Education has been on a downward ride for many years to ridiculous oblivion.
The basic thing that makes all the difference between African countries and the rest of the developed world, is the lack of ‘understanding’, on the part of African nations, of how things ought to work for the benefit of all. This is the basic reason why most African leaders, especially those in Nigeria, only think of today and what they will gain from the system, without regards to the ripple effects of the actions today against tomorrow or the far future. To make matters worse, we have crowned our already deplorable situation with our religious fanaticism and hypocrisy.
Long after the British left Nigeria, Nigeria has waxed strong in religion to the extent that Nigerians now set up religious branches of their homegrown churches in Europe, the Americas, Asia and other African countries. Just like the Whites brought the gospel to us, Nigerians now take the gospel back to the Whites. If the United Arab Emirates, a country with 75% Muslims, is erecting the tallest building in the world and encouraging the world to come and invest in its country by providing a friendly environment, Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen have ensured that the economy of the North (and by extension that of Nigeria) is crippled with bombs and bullets unless every Nigerian converts to Boko Haram’s brand of Islam, or farmlands and communities are left for the Fulani Herdsmen as the case may be. Then in the East, we have the so-called Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that was only ‘silenced’ recently. While in the South - South region, we have MEND, Avengers and so many other militant groups that are rising up every now and then, and are bent on destroying the Heart of our nation’s economy. We are indeed a very religious people. Meanwhile, while we are building the biggest churches, the Indians, South Africans, Chinese, Europeans and Americans have taken over our key markets: telecoms, satellite TV, multinationals, banking, oil and gas, automobile, aviation, shopping malls, hospitality, etc.
Ironically, despite our exploits in religion, we are a people with little godliness, a people without scruples and conscience. In fact, we are where we are today in Nigeria not because of any other thing other than the fact that we have become a people that have lost their ‘value system’. And as such, every level of ‘leadership’, be it in politics, family, or even religion, have all been ‘corrupted’ one way or the other. We have become a people that value ‘ephemeral gains’ of life more than life itself. We have exchanged the value of life for material wealth, even if our actions will adversely affect millions of our fellow human. We have exchanged the virtues and values of hard work, integrity, sincerity, honesty, punctuality, accountability, patience, brotherliness and so on for the most ‘self-centered’ corrupt tendencies and mediocrity of highest proportions. That is why the present generation of Politicians have become leaders that are more interested in their well-being than that of those they are meant to ‘serve’.
It is rare to do business with a Nigerian Pastor, Deacon/Deaconess, Bishop, Evangelist, Knight, Elder, Brother/Sister, Apostle, Mallam, Alhaji or Alhaja without the person laying ‘landmines of bribes’ and ‘deception’ on your path. It is even more saddening that we have coined different names to cover this immoral act. We call it “PR,” “facilitation fee,” “processing fee,” “transport money,” “financial engineering,” “deal,” or whatever that suits the circumstances. But if it does not change hands, nothing gets done. And when it is amassed, we say it is “God’s blessings” – what a shame! Some people assume that sleaze is a problem of public functionaries, but the private sector seems to be worse than the public sector these days.
One would have assumed that the more Churches that spring up in every nook and cranny of Nigeria, the higher the “morals in our society.” But it is not so. The situation is that the more religious we get, the more ungodly we have become. Our land never knew the type of bloodshed experienced from religious extremists, political desperadoes, ritual killers, armed robbers, kidnappers, internet scammers, university cultists, and lynch mobs. Life has become so cheap and brutish that everyday seems to be a bonanza.
No matter how we look at it or try to justify it, we really do not have any iota of excuse to be where we are presently as a nation that is replete with all kinds of ills and problems making life daily miserable for its common citizenry. Like we have often reiterated, no foreigner can effectively and efficiently develop our country for us. That onerous task, no matter how challenging it might seem, only belongs to us and can best be done by us. So, it is high time our political leaders and all citizenry as followers stop making excuses; stop all the religious hypocrisy, and start using our God-given brains and ‘thinking faculties aright’ in developing this nation and get it out of the league of Third World countries in no distant future.
We need more godliness than religion; more work and less hope; and more action and less words. LET EVERYONE TIDY UP HIS OR HER CORNER FIRST AND DEMAND FERVENTLY THAT OUR POLITICAL LEADERS TIDY THEIR AREAS OF GOVERNANCE. Our nation is degenerating at a fast pace and we need to save it now. We as a people must positively change our attitude towards our dear country!
Zik Gbemre.
February 20, 2020
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
Picture Showing a Mega Church
We have repeatedly noted that Nigeria, like most African countries, have allowed its ‘religiousness’ and ‘religious hypocrisy’ to prevent us from using our God-given human and natural resources’ potentials for our good and development. And that the planting/establishment of Churches, and other religious Centres across the length and breadth of Nigeria and the African continent, are not a sign that we, as Nigerians/Africans, are a religious country/continent and a morally-upright people. Rather, it has made us fall and remain within the confines of the Religion Economy.
Recently, I came across a short Editorial news broadcast by Anthony Afolo of the New Africa Broadcasting Network (NABN) who gave a word of knowledge on the subject matter from Simon Oladapo, that we all can catch in, as we reflect on yesterday, and what persists in our world today. The said Editorial broadcast noted that: “There are basically Two Economies in the world, and every nation on the face of the earth, fall under either of them. These are: The Knowledge Economy (which is an economy where the Production and Use of Knowledge are paramount), and the Religion Economy.
“The rich and prosperous nations in the world belongs to The Knowledge Economy, while the poorest and poverty-stricken nations in the world belongs to The Religion Economy. The Knowledge Economy is one that engages the brain; ask questions, relevant questions and proffer solutions to problems. The Religion Economy is one that blackmails God and dumps every responsibility on Him. The Knowledge Economy tasks the brain, while The Religion Economy numbs the brain. Japan for instance, is a Knowledge Economy. It has no natural resources, but it is a prosperous nation and one of the richest on the planet. At least 6 of every 10 cars in the world today are Japanese made. Japan is not a Religious Economy. But it is one of the most corrupt-free nations. China, on the other hand, is not a Religion Economy.
“African countries fall under the category of Religion Economy. More so than others, African countries are endowed with majority of the natural resources on the face of the earth. Yet, also, are the poorest. Africa wears proudly the badge of the poorest capital of the world. With endless corruption. It is also one of the most religious continents on the planet… God watches with disgust, as we mortgage our brains. But here is the irony. The two major religions in the world, Christianity and Islam, originated from Israel and Saudi-Arabia respectively. But none of those two nations fall under The Religion Economy, none!
“One of the evidences of their subscription to The Knowledge Economy is the yearly pilgrimages that generates for them revenues in billions of dollars. But hypocritically, some corrupt nations are comfortably disseminating nuisance to humanity with their globalization of religion economy. There is a reason He gave man a brain, and instructed him to build the earth. If you are a Christian or a Muslim, who does not commit yourself to pursuits of knowledge, your life will likely become a perfect reflection of some of these uninspired nations. That is the fact! It is an illusion to anticipate wisdom where people do not pay attention to Knowledge.”
A look at how we have been funding the nation’s Education sector and Knowledge acquisition centers, gives us a glimpse of how unimportant we consider this very vital sector in Nigeria. And so, it is with most African nations. For instance, from the Federal Government of Nigeria presented N8.6 trillion in 2018 Budget, only 7.04% was allocated to Education. Then in 2019, of the total N8.83 trillion presented, the education sector was proposed to have N620.5 billion, which is 7.02% of the entire budget. While a sum of N691.07 billion constituting 6.7% has been allocated to the nation’s education sector in the 2020 national budget. In all of these years, all of the budget for education is lower than the 26% of national budget recommended by the United Nations (UN) as global benchmark to enable nations adequately cater for rising education demands? And tomorrow, somebody will be wondering why the Nigerian Standard of Education has been on a downward ride for many years to ridiculous oblivion.
The basic thing that makes all the difference between African countries and the rest of the developed world, is the lack of ‘understanding’, on the part of African nations, of how things ought to work for the benefit of all. This is the basic reason why most African leaders, especially those in Nigeria, only think of today and what they will gain from the system, without regards to the ripple effects of the actions today against tomorrow or the far future. To make matters worse, we have crowned our already deplorable situation with our religious fanaticism and hypocrisy.
Long after the British left Nigeria, Nigeria has waxed strong in religion to the extent that Nigerians now set up religious branches of their homegrown churches in Europe, the Americas, Asia and other African countries. Just like the Whites brought the gospel to us, Nigerians now take the gospel back to the Whites. If the United Arab Emirates, a country with 75% Muslims, is erecting the tallest building in the world and encouraging the world to come and invest in its country by providing a friendly environment, Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen have ensured that the economy of the North (and by extension that of Nigeria) is crippled with bombs and bullets unless every Nigerian converts to Boko Haram’s brand of Islam, or farmlands and communities are left for the Fulani Herdsmen as the case may be. Then in the East, we have the so-called Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that was only ‘silenced’ recently. While in the South - South region, we have MEND, Avengers and so many other militant groups that are rising up every now and then, and are bent on destroying the Heart of our nation’s economy. We are indeed a very religious people. Meanwhile, while we are building the biggest churches, the Indians, South Africans, Chinese, Europeans and Americans have taken over our key markets: telecoms, satellite TV, multinationals, banking, oil and gas, automobile, aviation, shopping malls, hospitality, etc.
Ironically, despite our exploits in religion, we are a people with little godliness, a people without scruples and conscience. In fact, we are where we are today in Nigeria not because of any other thing other than the fact that we have become a people that have lost their ‘value system’. And as such, every level of ‘leadership’, be it in politics, family, or even religion, have all been ‘corrupted’ one way or the other. We have become a people that value ‘ephemeral gains’ of life more than life itself. We have exchanged the value of life for material wealth, even if our actions will adversely affect millions of our fellow human. We have exchanged the virtues and values of hard work, integrity, sincerity, honesty, punctuality, accountability, patience, brotherliness and so on for the most ‘self-centered’ corrupt tendencies and mediocrity of highest proportions. That is why the present generation of Politicians have become leaders that are more interested in their well-being than that of those they are meant to ‘serve’.
It is rare to do business with a Nigerian Pastor, Deacon/Deaconess, Bishop, Evangelist, Knight, Elder, Brother/Sister, Apostle, Mallam, Alhaji or Alhaja without the person laying ‘landmines of bribes’ and ‘deception’ on your path. It is even more saddening that we have coined different names to cover this immoral act. We call it “PR,” “facilitation fee,” “processing fee,” “transport money,” “financial engineering,” “deal,” or whatever that suits the circumstances. But if it does not change hands, nothing gets done. And when it is amassed, we say it is “God’s blessings” – what a shame! Some people assume that sleaze is a problem of public functionaries, but the private sector seems to be worse than the public sector these days.
One would have assumed that the more Churches that spring up in every nook and cranny of Nigeria, the higher the “morals in our society.” But it is not so. The situation is that the more religious we get, the more ungodly we have become. Our land never knew the type of bloodshed experienced from religious extremists, political desperadoes, ritual killers, armed robbers, kidnappers, internet scammers, university cultists, and lynch mobs. Life has become so cheap and brutish that everyday seems to be a bonanza.
No matter how we look at it or try to justify it, we really do not have any iota of excuse to be where we are presently as a nation that is replete with all kinds of ills and problems making life daily miserable for its common citizenry. Like we have often reiterated, no foreigner can effectively and efficiently develop our country for us. That onerous task, no matter how challenging it might seem, only belongs to us and can best be done by us. So, it is high time our political leaders and all citizenry as followers stop making excuses; stop all the religious hypocrisy, and start using our God-given brains and ‘thinking faculties aright’ in developing this nation and get it out of the league of Third World countries in no distant future.
We need more godliness than religion; more work and less hope; and more action and less words. LET EVERYONE TIDY UP HIS OR HER CORNER FIRST AND DEMAND FERVENTLY THAT OUR POLITICAL LEADERS TIDY THEIR AREAS OF GOVERNANCE. Our nation is degenerating at a fast pace and we need to save it now. We as a people must positively change our attitude towards our dear country!
Zik Gbemre.
February 20, 2020
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes