Headline

Friday Sermon: The Purpose of Life

Published

8 years ago

March 30, 2018

Eric

By Babatunde Jose

“Through the wise ordering of Creation man has been given the power to shape conditions for himself with the Power of the Creator.

Happy is he who uses it only for good!

But woe unto him who succumbs to the temptation to use it for evil!”

― Oskar Ernst Bernhardt (Abdrushin): In the Light of Truth

When we ask: “What is the goal and purpose of life?” And we get many different answers; it is because people are confused; they don’t really know. Is our purpose in this world simply to eat, sleep, dress, work, acquire some material things and enjoy ourselves? Is this our purpose? Why are we born? What is the object of our existence? What is the wisdom behind the creation of man and this tremendous universe?

Man, by default and by nature, contemplates life and death and his own relevance and place in this vast and expanding universe. Are we here and now by chance or are we for a purpose?

Though there is complete agreement between science and religion about our biological nature and our interconnectedness with the rest of the animal world: But there is a sharp divide and divergence of opinion between biology and philosophy, religion and materialism when the destiny of Man is the focus.

It is also impossible to explain human behavior in accordance with the theory of natural selection or, in other words, is he tailored according to Darwinian logic. There are so many dimensions of Man that simply defy any kind of Darwinian reductionism and the popular attempt of biological determinism to explain man’s nature.

It is not so much the physical attributes that differentiate Man from Ape. It is his inner world of cult, prohibition, taboos, beliefs and superstitions, aesthetic creativity and spiritual anxieties, and his relentless quest for meaning and purpose that make the difference between Man and ape.

Man shows an innate sense of right and wrong irrespective of culture, language and faith. It is because the human soul is the theatre of God and his conscience is His signature. Man is not only a physical being; he is also a spiritual being. There are two states of man, his body and his soul.

The longing for God, the quest for meaning, an innate sense of right and wrong, self-awareness, death consciousness, freedom of choice and free will, the power of articulation, willingness to self-sacrifice and aesthetic, ethical and spiritual concerns are some of qualities of Man that materialists cannot comprehend .

Man is not here by chance but for a purpose. What does the dignity of Man mean? It means that Man is different and human life is sublime and sacred. Allah said:

“I have created the jinn and humankind only for My worship.” (Quran 51:56)

However, the concept of worship has a deeper meaning, as espoused by the prophets of God including Jesus; worship, according to the final revelation, means obedient submission to the will of God: In other words, ‘keeping the commandments.

The equality of Man is also a metaphysical concept and appears to be mere wishful thinking if we can’t accept the fact that we are created quintessentially equal by one God. If people are judged by their talents, physical attributes, charm, grace and level of accomplishments, certainly they are unequal; but if we accept the presence of a divine spirit that radiates equally in all of them, then we are equal.

The search for the Absolute and the innate sense of right and wrong are the striking features of Man. The first Man was born the moment he directed his gaze onto the firmament, started wondering about himself and his surroundings and began his relentless search for God: Even the Cave Man was no less spiritual. Man is therefore, naturally inclined to be a believer. God-consciousness is deeply imprinted and soft wired into our DNA.

Man is not linear, his progress is also not and there is a steady regression in the fields of art, culture, religion and philosophy. Just as science and technology is consistently progressing, better means of communications, the Internet and all, the spiritual quality of Man is suffering a decline as a result of his aggrandizement. Today, man spends less time to reflect on himself and his God; hence he has moved away from the Source and is prone to much deviancy in both behavior and character.

At the root of the chasm between religion and materialism is the question of Man’s place in the universe. The religious view is that Man has another dimension beyond his biological existence and his presence here is with a purpose and for a mission.

Man still remains unknown to the men of both science and religion and the correct balance between faith and reason is the way forward, but how to reach and maintain that dynamic balance is a challenge to everyone and every community…

It is said that Man’s lust for the treasures of life began with the offer and his acceptance of the Apple in the Garden of Eden. He became conscious of the effect of the charm of the woman and their intentional exploitation. “With this began the cultivation of the intellect, with its accompanying manifestations of greed, falsehood and oppression, to which men finally subjected themselves completely, thus of their own free will making themselves slaves of their instrument. But with the intellect as ruler it inevitably followed that, in accordance with its very nature, they also chained themselves firmly to time and space, thereby losing the ability to grasp or experience anything above time and space, such as everything spiritual and ethereal. Abdrushin

But now at last we are very near the hour when the next great epoch in Creation sets in: The birth of the fully spiritualized man! Then there will be no more room for the oppressive materialist, chained to time and space. He will be a stranger in all the lands, homeless. He will wither away and perish like chaff that is sifted from the wheat. Take care that in this sifting you are not found too light! Abdrushin

With the end of the Holy Week and the ushering of Eastertide, we call on all those engrossed in greed, falsehood, and oppression to seek and emulate the abiding words of Jesus in Matthew 19:16-17 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Barka Juma’at, Happy Easter and a happy weekend

+2348033110822

Headline

Corruption Allegations: NMDPRA Boss Farouk Ahmed Meets Tinubu, Resigns

Published

4 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Eric

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has resigned following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu amid corruption allegations.

Tinubu, on Wednesday, summoned Ahmed to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, following allegations of economic sabotage and corruption.

Also caught in the web of resignation was the CEO of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, according to a statement on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy.

Tinubu was said to have nominated successors to the senate for approval.

“Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC),” the statement reads.

“The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC.

“Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

“To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA.”

Onanuga said the two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.

Headline

Alleged Corrupt Practices: Dangote Petitions ICPC Against NMDPRA MD Farouk

Published

1 day ago

December 16, 2025

Eric

Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has formally submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Ahmed Farouk, over alleged corruption and financial impropriety.

The petition, dated December 16, 2025, was submitted through Dangote’s lawyer, Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, and received at the office of the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN.

In the petition, Dangote called for the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the NMDPRA boss, alleging that Farouk has been living far above his legitimate means as a public servant.

Dangote specifically accused Ahmed Farouk of allegedly spending over seven million United States dollars on the education of his four children in Switzerland, paid upfront for a six-year period, without any lawful explanation for the source of the funds.

According to the petition, the four children and their respective schools in Switzerland were clearly identified, along with the amounts paid on their behalf, to enable the ICPC verify the allegations.

The industrialist further alleged that Farouk Ahmed had been using his position at the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain and private interests, actions which he claimed had recently triggered public protests and widespread criticism of the agency.

Dangote maintained that Ahmed Farouk has spent his adult life working in Nigeria’s public sector, adding that his cumulative earnings over the years could not reasonably account for the alleged seven million dollars reportedly spent on the overseas education of his children.

“It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement constitute gross acts of corruption, for which your Commission is statutorily empowered under Section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” the petition stated.

It further noted that under the same section of the ICPC Act, any person found guilty of such offences is liable to imprisonment for a term of five years without an option of fine.

Dangote urged the commission to act decisively, stressing that the ICPC, alongside other anti-graft agencies, is strategically positioned to investigate and prosecute corruption-related offences.

“In view of the foregoing, we call on the Commission under your leadership to investigate the complaint of abuse of office and corruption against Engr. Farouk Ahmed and to accordingly prosecute him if found wanting,” the petition added.

The Dangote Group Chairman also expressed confidence that the matter, being in the public domain, would not be ignored, urging the ICPC to act in the interest of justice and to protect the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Dangote further pledged his readiness to provide additional evidence to substantiate his allegations of corrupt enrichment, abuse of office and impunity against the NMDPRA Managing Director.

Headline

Tinubu Didn’t Win 2023 Election, Will Lose in 2027 – Abaribe

Published

2 days ago

December 16, 2025

Eric

The lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has predicted that it would be impossible for President Bola Tinubu to win second termn in the 2027 presidential election.

Abaribe, who claimed that the President never won the 2023 election, said the level of hardship Nigerians are currently facing has made them more determined to ensure that Tinubu does not return as president after 2027.

Reacting to suggestions that Tinubu has never lost an election, Abaribe, who appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, said, “I do not think so. Everybody loses elections, and you will see when the time comes. He will lose in 2027 because I know what Nigerians are feeling outside.”

He added: “Tinubu never won the 2023 election, and everybody knows it. But we said fine, he has been declared the winner, no problem. We acknowledge him as president, but we are going to meet him in the field, and I will see how he is going to cobble together what will make him win again.

“It won’t work, because this time everybody will be ready. It will no longer be an announcement at 3am before people wake up in the morning. This time, people are ready; we are ready, and the masses are even more ready.”

The senator, who said the economy has collapsed under Tinubu and that the president has yet to solve the problem of insecurity, wondered where he would get the votes to win in 2027.

On the defection of some opposition leaders to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abaribe vowed never to join the wave, saying he would be the last person to do so.

He said that rather than strengthening the APC as a party, the defections would deepen internal divisions and fuel leadership tussles.

“If there is anybody who is going to defect to the APC, I think I should be the very, very last one. By the time I defect, it would mean there are no parties left in Nigeria, including the APC,” he said.

“I have a very simple theory about defections. I think it is very good for us in the opposition that these defections are happening. All the APC is doing is absorbing all the problems it is going to face; they are right inside the party now. Ask yourself, in all the states where there are defections, what is going on there now?”

The lawmaker described the APC as a giant with feet of clay, saying the opposition would target its weak points during the election, leading to its collapse.

Abaribe, who reaffirmed his membership of the opposition coalition, said there is a consensus among opposition leaders to unite in order to dislodge the APC from power.

The coalition has adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the platform for the 2027 elections, but many have claimed the move is a strategy to enthrone Atiku Abubakar and compel all opposition members to support him.

However, Abaribe disagreed, saying the party has yet to release its guidelines and other arrangements ahead of the 2027 elections.