From the desk of the Publisher Dare to Live Your Dreams The power of dreams is amazing... You are as big as your dreams and if the size of your dreams do not scare you then something is wrong with them. We started Life and Times magazine six years ago as an eight page spread after friends in the Community asked us to convert our memory book for my late mentor and friend, Ugo Anakwenze into a periodical. Today we publish a magazine that is usually greater than a 120 page spread, have an online newspaper- both of which reach an audience of more than 1.1 Million people, have a following of more than 50,000 people on Facebook and have become the go to publication for the most important personalities and organizations in the African diaspora. ..Even with all these, we do not even believe that we have arrived. We are pushing ourselves, reinventing ourselves, seeking new talent to infuse into our organization and positioning each new publication to be the best we have done so far! We have a dream that Life and Times Media Group will one day be bigger than some of the major news networks in America and become the TeleMundo of the African Diaspora in America and we believe God we will.
and took on the challenge of helping widows and orphans worldwide -Mr. Kenny Ojute, who left his comfort zone with a very comfortable job as an Accountant with Shell Petroleum in Nigeria and took a leap of faith in America,. Today Kenny and his wife employ hundreds of people through their business in home health care -Mrs. Sarah Philips who regularly leaves the comforts of life in America to go into the Mission field teaching Entrepreneurial skills to unemployed youth in Nigeria -Dr. Clifford Eke who periodically leaves the comfort of his job as a wellpaid surgeon in America to go on Medical missions in far flung parts of the world where health care is still a mirage -Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze who not only is an accomplished Physician but a great activist for Igbo causes, advocating for equity and fairness for Ndi Igbo and was recently snatched by God from the jaws of death during an Igbo advocacy trip to South Africa
Today at this 6th Life and Times annual festival, we honor other big dreamers in our Community who left their comfort zones and dared to change the world around them-
-Mr. Peter Lentini a young entrepreneur who rose from the backwaters of Lagos and is today promoting the beauty of our culture through Ankara fest LA that he founded in 2009 and has become a major force in show business in Los Angeles
- Dr. Lilian Asomugha, a retired pharmacist and Philanthropist, who became a widow at a young age and raised four very successful children
and of course our subjects for the cover of this special edition of Life and Times-
Dr. Iheanacho & Mrs. Magdalen Emeruwa who despite the comforts that America has given them- want to impact on lives back in Nigeria through the- African Primary health care Foundation My charge to you today is that like these great compatriots that we've profiled in this edition of LIFE & TIMES- you can also leave your comfort zone and dare to live your dreams... Chike Nweke CEO/PublisherLife and Times Media Group September 17, 2016
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CONTENTS From the Desk of the Publisher Cover Story Dr. Iheanacho & Mrs. Magdalen Emeruwa Profile in Excellence Dr Lilian Asomugha Community Service Award Nwachukwu A. Anakwenze Educational Excellence Award Sarah Kasham Philips Professional Excellence Award Dr Clifford Eke Entreprenuerial Excellence Award Kenny Ojute Youth Leadership Award Peter Lentini Fashion and Style House of Remi
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CONTENTS Performers Wamilele, Zmny, Matachi, Mercy U, Makeda People and Places The Ali Baba Show People and Places Celebrating Mrs Janet Okpale at 75 People and Places Umuada Akanchawa USA Inc, Blessed & highly favored People and Places The Tillman Wedding Spotlight Ogun State - The Gateway State Iruka's Corner Dancing in the Rain Religion Winning in Life by Making Goals
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Cover Profile
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heanacho Emeruwa never planned to come to America... Born in Pankshin Plateau Sate Nigeria to Parents from Ovim in present day Abia State, His first language was Hausa. Acho as he is fondly called by family and friends, had his early primary education in Dengi and St. Paul Jenta , Jos. He then proceeded to Government College Afikpo in January of 1966 for his Secondary Education graduating with honors in 1971 after the civil war. When Acho finished Secondary School he applied to several Universities in Nigeria including University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Ibadan and University of Lagos but was not accepted into any of those schools. Determined to pursue his dream of becoming a Medical Doctor he came to America in January 1974 on the invitation of his uncle, a college Professor that was then living in Pennsylvania. Dr. Emeruwa obtained his B.Sc. Summa Cum Laude at Edinboro State College, Pennsylvania in December 1976. He was accepted to Howard University College of Medicine in August 1977 and obtained his MD degree in 3 years graduating with honors (AOA).
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He completed post graduate education in Internal Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Because of his extensive experience in Emergency Medicine, he was an active candidate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He passed the written examination but did not complete the oral examination. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine as well as the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has taught medical students and postgraduate physicians in Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Emergency Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American College of Physicians Dr. Emeruwa has served as an Associate Medical Director of the Baltimore City Jail; a Special Clinical Fellow in the Department of OB/GYN, King Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles; Chief Resident in the Department of Internal Medicine of Howard University Hospital Washington, D.C. and Executive Chief Resident of the Dept. of OB/GYN KingDrew Medical Center. He had Attending Staff
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Cover Profile Privileges at the 22nd Strategic Air Command Hospital at March Air Force Base, CA. He was the OB/GYN Consultant for the California Department of Corrections at the California Institution For Women at Frontera, CA. He has served on the Medical Staff Executive Committees and chaired the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Riverside Community Hospital, Parkview Community Hospital and Corona Regional Medical Center in California.
organizations including ACLU and Common Cause. He is a Chartered Life Member of the Howard University Medical Alumni Association and an Old Boy of Government Secondary School Afikpo. He was listed in WHO IS WHO among students in American Universities and Colleges in 1976. He was an initial organizer and a member of the Board of Directors of Premier Service Bank (a Community Bank established September 2001) in Riverside CA.
He is a member of many civil
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Dr. Emeruwa is the Co-Founder (with his wife Meg) and First Executive Director of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas, Inc. (ANPA, Inc.). He is currently, the Chairman of ANPA’s Awards Committee. He is the CEO & Medical Director of Aspen Medical group Inc., an OB/GYN, Internal Medicine & Pediatrics practice providing primary Healthcare in Riverside and Corona. Dr. Emeruwa is licensed in the State of Maryland, the District of Columbia and the State of California. He is currently in
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Emeruwa and his wife Mrs. Magdalen Emeruwa talk about a range of issues including the He is passionate about Civil and journey to their American dream, raising up their three Human Rights and providing very successful children and care to the medically indigent. founding their new focus and He is very active in the Nigeria venture - The African Primary Community and a well respected philanthropist who has Healthcare Foundation through been recognized by the Commu- which they intend to impact on lives in Africa especially in nity with many awards.He Nigeria in the areas of health loves his work so much, he would do it for food and board. care and EducationPrivate Practice in Riverside, California.
Dr. Emeruwa is married to Engineer Magdalen (nee Obi)M.Sc (Chemical Engineering) and they have three children Iheanacho Obinnaya Emeruwa,MD,MBA Ukachi Nnennaya Emeruwa,MD,MPH and Ezinne Ngwamma,MD,MPH. In this interview with our Publisher- Chike Nweke, Dr. SUMMER 2016
Q-Mrs. Emeruwa, I know it is traditional to ask the man how he met his wife but today I am going to reverse that role- tell us how you met your husband? In 1980, I was a young Chemical Engineering Student at Syracuse University. That Fall, new students were arriving from Nigeria but some were late and had missed the opportunity to se-
cure housing. I volunteered to accommodate the lady amongst the group. She had been with me for two months waiting and hunting for an apartment after school hours. An emergency situation arose and she had to depart to be with her siblings in Maryland. She later enrolled to finish her education in Washington, D.C. As a token of appreciation for being a big sister to the young woman, her family invited me to spend Thanksgiving with them. Although we were all in a festive mood, I was also mindful that I had a mathematics exam immediately upon arrival back to campus. In the midst of all the joyous activities, I could find time to sit behind everyone in the room, working through my math exercises. A young man approached the table, curiously wanting to know who I am. That evening, I
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Cover Profile reluctantly followed everyone to a party in town, but soon decided to excuse myself. I was after all supposed to fly back early next morning to Syracuse. So, a Good Samaritan who had inquired about me earlier in the day, volunteered to give me a ride back to the apartment. He again volunteered to drive me to the airport that morning. I safely got back to my apartment a few hours later. Just minutes into entering my room I received a call from the Good Samaritan, who happens to be Dr. Iheanacho Emeruwa, my husband of now 33 years. Q-Dr. Acho- You often say that Meg is instrumental to the raising of your three very successful children, who not only are
medical Doctors but all graduated from Ivy league schools in America. For the benefit of young parents like us, please tell us the challenges you faced in raising up your children and how you overcame those to make them the very successful children they are today. The biggest challenge we had was childcare. We had to make sure that our children were taken care of. At the beginning both Meg and I worked and we had to rely on hired childcare. As a result we had problems with reliability and consistency of childcare. We also had cultural differences with our childcare providers. So, Meg had to stop working because it became very difficult to care for the chil-
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dren while both of us were working. As the children were growing up, we also participated very actively in their schooling, being sure that when they came home after school, we looked over their homework and we prohibited them from watching television during the week. The weekend belonged to them but we also required that they spent at least one or two hours reading and doing their Math. Also, they participated in extra curricula activities, like attending Igbo lessons, Piano lessons, playing basketball and soccer, attending birthday parties. They also coached basketball at the YMCA. During the holidays, we reminded them that they had to continue to learn not only what they had
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done the previous semester but to prepare for the coming semester so that if they are going from Addition and Subtraction to Multiplication and Division we made sure we prepared them for the coming year. Q-Dr. Acho- You founded ASPEN Medical Group in 1988 and now operate from three locations in Corona,Riverside and Moreno Valley. Your wife is the administrator of the Medical Group. You have made a huge success of your medical practice with your wife as the administrator. How have you successfully worked with your spouse these past 28 years? SUMMER 2016
Working with your spouse is not easy and it has its own challenges. But over time you learn to have a clear separation of responsibilities such that each of you knows their area of expertise and decision making.. It definitely creates interpersonal difficulties with some of my colleagues sensing that my spouse is also the manager and I have to be very cognizant of that fact and respect some of their apprehensions. But over time I make them realize that it is important that we focus on the most important objective which is the growth of the Medical Group as an organization.. I do focus on the Medical and Clinical part of
the practice, handling the physicians and other Medical Providers while Meg handles all the administrative responsibilities of credentialing, insurance, human resources and other types of issues. Q- Dr. Acho & Mrs. EmeruwaThe African Primary Healthcare Foundation is your new venture through which you intend to impact on lives in Africa especially in Nigeria in the areas of health care and Education. What led you to establish this foundation and knowing the enormity of health care and education challenges in Africa, how do you intend to make a meaningful
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Cover Profile impact? African Primary Healthcare Foundation was founded in order to enable us and our children who are all physicians in different specialties to contribute to healthcare in Africa. With the contacts our children have, our son at Columbia, our daughter at Harvard and our youngest daughter at Stanford, we thought that creating a Foundation that they can be involved in will enable them leverage their relationships in these institutions for healthcare in Africa. Further more, we believe that providing care through African Primary Healthcare Foundation model could be an exampler to the
community we come from and to Nigerians at large, as to what a good healthcare system can be. We also want to participate in Education because we truly believe that education is the key to not only economic success but also to a healthier and fuller life. We are particularly interested in the education of young people but especially young women . One of my own interests because I was born in the North is to see if through African Primary Healthcare Foundation we can provide education for girls in Northern Nigeria. It is therefore, one of the missions of African Primary Healthcare Foundation to reach out beyond my home town in Abia State to other States in the
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North. Q-Dr. Acho & Mrs. EmeruwaWhat advise will you give to a young immigrant from Africa about achieving success in America? The secret to our success is hard work and staying focused to our primary objective, whether it is in our business or in raising our children. I will also recommend that any young African trying to succeed in America should remain part of his or her community because survivng in the larger community requires a network of support that you can share your successes and your challenges with.
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Profile In Excellence
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Profile In Excellence
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Profile In Excellence
Dr. (Mrs.) Lilian I. Asomugha is a retired Pharmacist and Naturopath. She wears many hats – as a motivational speaker, author, philanthropist and entrepreneur. In 2012, she retired after more than 40 years of dedicated work as supervisor, director and business owner in the health and pharmaceutical industries, to focus on her passion for philanthropy.
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Profile In Excellence
She is the founder of Orphans and Widows In Need (OWIN), one of two flagship programs of the internationally renowned Asomugha Foundation, Inc., OWIN provides disadvantaged widows with skills they can use to better support their families, and provides orphans with educational resources vital to a successful future. Under her leadership, OWIN has: Completed the Skill Acquisition Centre (Vocational Center) in Abia State, Nigeria allowing orphans and widows to gain skills in various trades to support their economic self-sufficiency. Erected a two-classroom school in partnership with the Gold Crest Family Centre in Lagos Nigeria for highly disadvantaged children and a Health Center in Ogun state. Reaches over 10,000 orphans and widows each year in Nigeria. Today, after eleven years, through hard work and perseverance with the help of her children and some honor-
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able men and women, the Asomugha Foundation, Inc. has become a household name around the world. Dr. Asomugha is a fearless leader and purpose driven woman when it comes to educating and empowering women and children, yet possesses the admirable sensibilities and selflessness of a saint. She has founded, co-founded and chaired many other organizations that support women and children and has demonstrated unparalleled business acumen in her various entrepreneurial ventures. She continues relentlessly to hire, support and uplift many people in communities in the U.S.A. and in Nigeria, regardless of ethnic or tribal background. Often called “a woman after God’s heart,” Dr. Asomugha has shared her life experiences as a widow and single parent in national and international forums and continues to advance issues concerning women and girls through the annual Global Women’s
Conference hosted by the Asomugha Foundation. She inspires audiences through her four inspirational books: The Advent of a New Hope – inspiring people to ignite their praying powers in times of adversity; Parenting Without Tears –illustrating that successful parenting incorporates a life of faith motivated into action; Are You Living in Someone Else’s Mind? – inspiring people to live a positive life by focusing on their God-given instincts; and, Special Moments – At the Throne of Grace - a carefully composed, sample prayers to help readers understand the foundation, purpose and reward of prayer while building relationships with God, family and fellow humans. She is currently working on her fifth book. Past and present California Governors, Mayors and Members of Congress have recognized Dr. Asomugha for her relentless service and contribution to the community. Her ability to bring people together, to inspire and moti-
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Profile In Excellence
vate others has earned her numerous awards including the “Ambassador of Goodwill Award,” the “Life and Times Humanitarian Award” and was the very first Nigerian woman in the U.S.A. to receive the “Akanu Ibiam Humanitarian Award” from the Ebony State Union (the home state of Sir Akanu Ibiam). She was also one of the first three women to be honored in the U.S.A. with the "CMS Humanitarian Award" - from the oldest grammar school in Nigeria. She is an esteemed member of the prestigious National Association of Professional Women (NAPW), and was named “Woman of the Year” by the organization in 2012 and 2013. Dr. Asomugha was born in a large
Christian family in Umuahia, Abia state. She learned compassion and giving from her parents. As a woman who leads by example, she attributes her success in life to her upbringing and is thankful to God for the parents she had. Besides reading, writing and dancing, she displays a natural agricultural talent as an ardent gardener. During the Nigeria-Biafra War, as a teenager, she would supply the entire village with fruits and vegetables she grew. She still plants fruits and vegetables and loves sharing her produce with friends and family.
ceived her doctorate in naturopathy from the College of Naturopathy at Warsaw Indiana and hosts her weekly inspirational blog “Prayer Thoughts” on her website www.lilieforinspiration.com. To learn more about her work and philanthropy, visit www.buildingtoday.org and become a part of the movement – an endearing ministry to build today for a brighter tomorrow.
Dr. Asomugha is the proud mother of four adult children and an alumna of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Texas (Austin). She also re-
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Profile In Excellence
Nwachukwu Anakwenze was born in Irua, Edo State, Nigeria on 8-28-1952 He had his undergraduate Education at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) obtaining Bachelor of Science in Biology 1978. He proceeded to Medical School Ed-
ucation at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD SOM) obtaining a Doctor of Medicine 1982 He did his Internship Baylor College of Medicine 1982-1983. He had his Post Graduate Education at the University of
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California, Los-Angeles School of Public Health obtaining an MPH degree (Masters in Public Health) in June, 2005. He also received an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) Program at UC Irvine in 06-17-07. He foundedVictorian Care MedSUMMER 2016
Profile In Excellence ical Group, Inc.in January, 2001. Victorian Care has two large medical clinics in the greater Los Angeles area with 25 employees. This is the private medical offices of Nwachukwu and his wife Dr Vicki Anakwenze M.D. They have approximately 8000 active patients in these facilities. As Medical Director he is supervisor to four physicians and one physician assistant. He also treats patient’s pediatrics and adults. Other work, social and political affiliations of Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze include: • Global Care Medical Group IPA, Inc. – 1993 to present Duties: Medical Director, Chairman and CEO We manage 2000 physician practices (primary care and specialists) in twenty-five hospitals regions through out Southern California in an independent physician association (IPA) setting with 102,000.00 patient members. We provide comprehensive medical services for all people in the various Los Angeles com-
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munities’. Gross budget $60 million • Holy Care Home Health Agency – 2006 to present Duties: Medical Director. I am involved in the medical affairs and administration section particularly the quality management aspect. • A.C. Home Health Agency – 1999 to present Duties: Medical Director. I am involved in the medical affairs and administration section particularly the quality management aspect. • Firestone Medical Group – January, 1983 to November, 1984 Duties: General Medical Physician School, Civic and Professional Distinctions, Honors, Awards I have won several commendations and awards from several elected officials (congressional, senatorial and governors) for communities activities, particularly for participating in the various health fairs because of provision of free health care to the poor.
SCHOOL, CIVIC AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY AND AFFILIATIONS Skills: Business Administration and Management, Strategic Thinking and Medical Caring as a Physician Community Service I worked on a voluntary basis with the Los Angeles local initiative healthcare group at the various committees’ levels, during the development stages. This local initiative latter became LA CARE Community Organizations • World Igbo Congress Position: National Vice Chairman August, 1996 to 1997 • Anambra State Association of Southern California Position: Founding President 1987 to 1990 • Anambra State Association of Southern California Chairman of the Board 1990 to 1993 • Anambra State Association-USA(ASAUSA) National President 10-2006 to 10-2010
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Profile In Excellence
• Free Medical Missions(ASA-USA and PAAHCF) Provides free medical care through its Nigerian Medical Missions to the poor. We gave out free medicines, free examinations and free surgeries to the poor in Nigeria with more than 500000 people benefiting so far since 2005 Enyimba (Pan-Igbo Think Tank) Position: Founding Chairman 1997 to 1999 • Pan-African American Health Care Foundation(PAAHCF) Position: Vice President/Treasurer 2001 to present A non-Profit group that provides free health care services and medications to the poor. This organization have collaborates with ASA-USA in several medical missions to Africa • Organization of Nigerian Unity(ONU) based in USA Position: Vice President from 1992 to 1996.This was a Pan Nigerian group in the Los Angeles area • Nigerian American World Affairs Council Founding Chairman/President of this Nigerian think tank group From 1997 to 2005 Council of Igbo States(CISA) Current Chairman Board of Presidents and was a Presiding Officer in January 2008 for CISA which is the Apex Umbrella Organization for Igbo’s States in Americas • Igbo World Assembly (IWA)
Founding Chairman of IWA since May 2008. IWA is the umbrella organization for the Igbo Diaspora Organization’s in the various countries (>20 countries) • ASA-World(AW) Founding Chairman of AW, since May 2009. AW is the umbrella organization of the Anambra Diaspora Organization’s in the various countries (>7 countries) • Los Angeles County Medical Association Just elected to the Vice presidency for Los Angeles County Medical Association since June 2008 • West African Village Museum ,Staunton Virginia I was appointed to the Board of Trustees of this Famous Museum by the Governor of the Commonwealth State of Virginia ,USA in June 2010 to represent all Africans. • Preceptor for several nursing schools Nurse Practitioner programs Charles Drew University, Long Beach State University Long Beach, Cal State LA University, Los Angeles etc. Medical Societies • National Medical Association Past 14 years • Drew Medical Society Past 18years Position: Board Member 1990 to 1992 • California Medical Association • Los Angeles County Medical Association(LACMA) Charitable Organizations
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Pan-African American Health Care Foundation Position: Secretary-Treasurer 2001 to present (The group went to Nigerian villages in early August, 2001 to deliver free basic medical care to poor orphans, elderly and disabled) • Chieftaincy Titles Titles Igbo World Assembly(IWA) Chairman Couuncil of Igbo States in Americas(CISA) Chairman Board of Presidents/Representatives Anambra State Association(ASA) Worldwide Chairman Ohanaeze Ndiigbo Diaspora Committee Chairman Okaa Omee na Abagana Omeligbo na Agulerie Ife Ndiigbo na Nri Kingdom Ike Ndiigbo na Iduu Eri Kingdom Okala madu na okala muo Onowu Abagana on December 31, 2016 (pending coronation) Hospital Affiliations Centinela Hospital Medical Center, Inglewood Gardena Memorial Medical Center, Gardena St. Francis Medical Center, Lynwood Southern California Health System, Culver city.
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Profile In Excellence
Sarah Kasham Philips is a Marriage and Family Therapist with Outreach Nation Corp, a fast growing consulting firm which specializes in community services to empower and improve the quality of life of families. Sarah is an accomplished social service professional with 25 years of experience in administration, community development, child abuse investigation and psychotherapy. Prior to Outreach Nation Corp, Sarah worked with Muktar Foam Company (a Nigerian Industrial Development Bank subsidiary) subsidiary as an Administration and Human Resource Officer. Sarah specialized in people issues such as strategic planning of the day-to- day running of the company, organizational effectiveness, staff development, and employee engagement to help the company meet its business goals.
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Profile In Excellence In 1986, she served as supervisor of the Family and Social Relations Unit of the Directorate of Mass Mobilization for Social and Economic Recovery (MAMSER) under the President Babangida regime. She became an advocate for women and children’s issues and a community development worker. Sarah spent several years serving in different capacities; the Kaduna State Committee of Women in Development, Better life for Rural Women, the Family Support Program, and Secretary of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) which championed the creation of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in Nigeria by President Babangida and President Sani Abacha regimes. Her delegation to the Economic Commission for African conferences in 1989 and the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995
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gave rise to an unprecedented spate of evidence-based community development programs in collaboration with United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), African Network for the Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) and Women in Mobilization Activities (WIMA) for which Sarah was the originator. At the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Sarah was a Chief Legislative Officer and took charge of parliamentary duties during the second republic. She was Secretary to the House Committees on; Public Petition, Commerce and Industry, and Women Affairs. In 2006, Sarah relocated with her family to Southern California and took positions with Child Welfare Agencies including the County of
San Bernardino where she worked as a social worker with Child protective services for many years. Sarah is an active member of the Rotary Club International and TrepMakers as the Director of African Programs. Since 2005, Sarah and a delegation of Savvy Rotarians from the United States have trained 12, 000 students from different universities and Secondary Schools in Nigeria on Entrepreneurship Education for poverty alleviation and social change. Sarah is a Doctoral Candidate in Public Health with Walden University. Yesterday, she successfully defended her dissertation topic; Heroes or Victims: The Lived experiences of Women on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in North Western Nigeria.
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Profile In Excellence
Dr. Clifford Eke, MD, FACS, FICS is a general and generalthoracic surgeon at Kaiser Permanente in Fontana and Ontario, California. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Loma Linda Uni-
versity School of Medicine (LLUSM), completed his General Surgery Residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Postdoctoral Fellowship in General Thoracic Surgery at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in
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Fontana. Dr. Eke is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at LLUSM. Dr. Eke is the founder and CEO of Chima Medical Missions International, a non-profit organiSUMMER 2016
Profile In Excellence
zation that provides general medical care and surgical services in Nigeria. He volunteers for many other organizations and has received numerous awards for his achievements and professional contributions. He is also the Executive Director of Imo Medical Mission, Inc., and leads annual medical/surgical mission teams to different parts of the world including underserved areas of the United States of America, Mexico, Guatemala, and Nigeria. Dr. Eke is a past President of the American Cancer Society, California Division, and in 2016 he was honored with the St. George National Award by the American Cancer Society Board of Directors. Dr. Eke was among 24 recipients in the SUMMER 2016
United States to receive this honor, considered the society’s most prestigious award presented to volunteers. The St. George National Award recognizes outstanding volunteers who have demonstrated ongoing leadership and dedication to helping deliver on the American Cancer Society’s mission and supporting key initiatives such as patient outreach, legislative advocacy, fundraising, and special events. A charismatic speaker, Dr. Eke has spoken on behalf of the society on countless occasions, encouraging his audience to donate, get recommended checkups and screenings, eat well and maintain a healthy weight, and be informed voters. In 2006, the Southern California Permanente Medical Group
presented Dr. Eke with the highest honor award in the group, The Physician Exceptional Contribution Award for the Fontana area. “Volunteerism,” says Dr. Eke, “especially by physicians, is one of the highest services in life, since what we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. I encourage everyone to volunteer in something because the reward is priceless!” Dr. Eke had this to say about the medical Mission to Guetemala in 2015- "As the founder and CEO of Chima Medical Missions Int'l , CMMI , a non-profit organization I just returned from a very well organized multi specialty medical
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Profile In Excellence missions to Guatemala in association with the North American Taiwanese Medical Association (NATMA). As part of the surgical team, we performed 53 cases in 3 days at the national hospital in Amatitlan (laparoscopic & open cholecystostomies, incisional/ventral hernias repair with mesh, ingiunal/femoral hernias repair with mesh, breast lumpectomy, lipomas excision, variety of hand procedures, etc), with the help of the local surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses. Then we joined our medical/dental/pharmacy/acupun cture team, who saw and attended
to > 3,000 people in Gautemala City, Mixco, Amatitlan, and Rio Hondo. We also taught medical students and residents. We visited Hope of Life International in the city of Rio Hondo, and witnessed firsthand the wonderful job this Christian organization and it's founder, Carlos Vargas, are doing there. After all the hardwork we experienced some sightseeing excursions of the beautiful country including San Felipe Castle of Lara, Izabal Lake, Volcano Pacaya National Park, and a great speedboat ride to the city of Livingston. All these were punctuated by wonderful meals and hospitality by the Tai-
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wanese Ambassador Sun, his staff, interns, generous Taiwanese business and religious leaders, and people from the Guatemalan Cultural and Tourism offices. Attached are some pictures that summarize the experience. This was the most organized medical mission that I have been part of in my 20 years of missions to Nigeria, Mexico, and even USA! Thanks to the collaborations of the aforementioned organizations. Special thanks to God, my parents, Mr. Ross Sams, Jr. and his family who helped me through college and medical school, CMMI Board of Directors, Dr. Tony Lee, who invited
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me, Dr. Charles Hsu, mission team leader, Dr. "Tiger" Lin, my roommate there, my compadre, surgical tech and interpreter, Chris Payes, the entire mission team members, and my wife, Ada, and children who allow
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and support/assist me to pursue my passion of sharing God's love with the underprivileged people around the world. My belief that "what we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others and the
world remains and is immortal" has been reaffirmed, by the smiles on the faces of those touched. I pray for strength from God to continue doing so. �
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Profile In Excellence
Born September 23,, 1965 to Musiliu and Taiwo Ojute, a renounced teacher and a hardworking businesswoman, Kehinde Ojute was the 2nd of 13
children in his family. Educated in Ogun State, Nigeria, he continued his education by attending Yaba College of Technology, receiving a Higher National
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Diploma in Accounting. Even still, Kenny was not done with his education, instead choosing to attend the University of Lagos for his Master’s degree in BusiSUMMER 2016
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ness Administration in Finance, and California State University for a Master’s degree in Business Administration in Business, fields he had been interested in since his childhood. A proud member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Kenny worked several years for the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria as a Senior Accountant before he moved to the United States. After journeying to the United States he gained a position as a
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Senior Accountant with Public Communication Services in Los Angeles, California where he remained for several years. Shortly thereafter he chose to leave for a position with the Pepsi Bottling Company (also as a Senior Accountant). Each of these positions allowed him to grow and develop additional skills that have served him throughout his other pursuits as well. Currently, he is the President and CEO of a healthcare company he founded with his wife
in 2004,Kenny has also given his life completely to Christ, devoting himself to a steadfast service. A member of the International Christian Center in Los Angeles, he has willingly used all his resources to promote the work of God and bless those around him. Kenny is married to his sweetheart, Jummy Ojute, his best friend and mother of his three beautiful children.
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Profile In Excellence
Peter Lentini is the founder and creative director at Ankara Festivals and Naija Entertainment. Both of which have become household names in the city of Los Angeles. He got into the entertainment business as an event promoter in Lagos, Nigeria, organizing street carnivals and concerts like the Benson and Hedges Road Show, Nigerian Breweries Promotion and Performing Musician Association of Nigeria (PMAN) events.
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He moved to California in 2000 and started Naija Entertainment Organization in 2004, to create an avenue to foster unity among Nigerians in the Bay Area through social events.
ing career working with a production company on a new series titled CSI: Las Gidi, which premiered that year at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.
He has always been fascinated by the African culture and everything that surrounds it, and so in the summer of 2009 he moved to the entertainment capital of the world. Here he re-launched his entertainment company and went on to birth Ankara Festival Los Angeles (AFLA), an organization that showcases the African culture through fashion, music, arts and food. The aim of Ankara Festival Los Angeles is to create a social landscape for cultural pride in North America.
He has since then gone on to organize and promote several events such as The Nigerian Reunion (NRC), CSUN Africa week, Mocolatee fashion show, African Focus premier dance competition in Los Angeles and the list goes on.
In 2011 Peter Lentini debut his act-
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He is constantly getting inspired by the works and creativity in others and has fast become an inspiration in his community. At the launching of the Peter Lentini Brand on August 27, 2016- Chike Nweke, CEO of Life and Times Media
Group had this to say about Peter: ‘I met Peter about 2009 at the debut of Ankara Fest LA at UCLA. I was struck by this young man's vision and foresightedness. Over the years we have collaborated on a number of projects aimed at bringing quality entertainment to our community and sustaining and exporting our rich heritage. It is amazing how Peter has grown and how God has brought him a mighty long way. From the backwaters of Lagos to commanding a solid following especially among the African Diaspora youth in Los Angeles, launching his own brand and becoming an entertainment impresario..it shows that with hard work and determination you can live your dreams, conquer any mountains and surmount just about any impossibility’
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Fashion & Style
Remie, the brand was born over 50years ago, as the alter ego, twin and invaluable companion of Mrs Remi Ayisire, the Designer. She initially obtained
a BS in Chemistry from University of Lagos, Nigeria some years ago. Later on, she realized the true, pure, unadulterated and
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endowed talent from the heart of God, the creator himself, which people who have known her from childhood have always noticed and seen glimpses or SUMMER 2016
Fashion & Style flashes of. The exquisite works of art, classic styling, poise, and effortless elegance that are now being unveiled are simply her character traits. Remi Ayisire migrated to the United States in November 2006 to expose her children to quality western college education. As her children grew older and engaged fully on their campuses, she enrolled at the Art Institute of Inland Empire (affiliated to Argosy University). While taking courses in Fashion Designing, she registered Remie formally in December, 2012. House of Remi, the corporate vehicle, brings together under one roof, an inclusive blend of class, culture, color, exquisite, daring and contemporary designs, suitable for generation X and those that came before it. We specialize in a glittering array of luxury, ready to wear, and effortlessly elegant Kaftans that are guaranteed to both astonish and pleasure you at first glance. The wrap around is soft, smooth and designed to stand you out in any and every type of gathering or occasion. They cut across culture, race and color. We also encourage you to elevate your ensemble with contemporary and sophisticated accessories that match your appearance and also make an ordinary outfit look great. We stock exclusive beaded necklaces, bracelets and earing. Our silk scarf necklaces are highly sophisticated looking and attention getters. Mrs Remi Ayisire believes that fashion should be all encompassing. It starts from the inside and reflects on the outside. Therefore, Insideout is the vehicle through which the company reaches out to the community; encouraging women in particular to help their families look fashionable in every area of life. Remie is presently working on introducing classic and sophisticated men’s garments, kid’s garments, exclusive footwear and home décor. “We are dedicated to setting new standards for elegance and class”.
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Beauty of the Moment
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Performers
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Highly respected Nigerian Comedian, Wamilele, has been making Africa laugh for the past decade. Whether hosting widely publicized government and state events, performing at some of the most prestigious church functions in Nigeria, acting as the official M.C. for all Chevron/Shell Oil events, or doing stand-up alongside Kings of Comedy Ali Baba, Basket Mouth and Basorge, Wamilele's versatile style of comedy has made him one of the most sought after comedians in West Africa. "Wamilele has defiinitely become one of the Big Boys in our industry", Ali Baba said. "He's the type of guy that will quickly become an international sensation. He even makes me laugh!"
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Although a funny man by nature, Wamilele does not joke when it comes to his relationship with God. He is also a motivational speaker who uses his platform as a comedian to encourage others. "From a young age, I always knew that putting God first would help to make my dreams become reality. When people ask how did a young boy from Warri reach the status of becoming a successful comedian, I let them know that my faith in God has gotten me to this point, and will continue to take me to greater heights. Eyes have not seen nor ears have heard the plans God has for all of us". Blessed by Bishop Mike Okonkwo of TREM Lagos, one of the largest churches in Africa and North America, Wamilele has always stood firm in his committment to providing quality
entertainment within the church. "Wamilele is well embraced and respected in our community", Bishop Okonkwo states. "His comedy is clean, uplifting, and has a positive message. Wamilele is one of the few comedians I've met who can sing, dance, and make people laugh all at the same time!" Wamilele's touring schedule for 2011 is already filling up fast. For those who have not yet heard of this young comedian, sit back, relax, and watch as Wamilele "The Comedian" takes the comedy world to a whole 'notha level. www.wamilele.com
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Performers
Zmny is the one the newest fresh faced artists hitting the scene to bring a new energetic sound to music. Ozie “ZMNY” Nzeribe hails from
Hollywood CA. Zmny is not like any artist you have seen in years who exudes the creativity and talent he has expressed at such a young age.
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He began his career at Old Firehouse Recording Studio in Pasadena CA, where he has truly started to showcase his talents. His first single “Hater SUMMER 2016
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Free” ft Ray J is just an introduction to his confident and clever rap style. He recently shot the video for “Hater Free” and with the high production value, creativity and youthful energy displayed, this is set to be a big door opener for Zmny into the industry… In addition collaborated with Artist Reekadoo in Lagos Nigeria to create an outstanding song called “Winning”. I AM HERE TO STAY!! With a growing fan base and a skill set growing daily his second single “Function” which will release Spring 2016, will definitely show his budding fans he is around to stay and keep them on the dance floor.
itive. The “Hater Free” video is setting the bar really high for new artists hitting the scene. Zmny prides himself on having top of the line production value from his music to his videos, he will always compete on a major level which will help take his career to the next level. With influences from Jay’z, Kanye to Snoop he has some big shoes to follow and is ready to tackle the industry head on. He is looking forward to collaborating with several budding artists to embrace other sounds and creative energy to keep evolving his sound and experiences.
Zmny is a student of the game and will do what it takes to stay ahead of the Zmny’s first ever release game and make sure he is will be an EP set of 6 songs prepared for the opportuon his own independent nity! Opportunity meets record label entitled Zmny Records, which will feature preparation and this attiboth singles. This will make tude will take him to the Zmny the captain of his own next level in the game. Wise beyond his years, Zmny is ship paving the way for a very fruitful career. His first here to stay! Hear him now…hear him later…he is single was just distributed a true talent. His star will to radio outlets and DJ’s soon shine bright! across the country and the feedback has been very posSUMMER 2016
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Matachi is a worship music leader at her local church.she sings passionately and effortlessly connects with her audience.She is a sensational gospel and inspirational music singer as well as aspiring recording artiste. contact information is 4242221020 and matachy@yahoo.com
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Mercy U aka “Nonso,” is a NigerianAmerican Artist based in Los Angeles California. Mercy started singing at the very young age of eight in her home church choir. She has received several recognitions at school talent shows and community talent events. Her voice is often described as smooth, melodic and unique. Mercy has always been aware of her talent as a vocalist but didn't discover her songwriting capabilities until she wrote her first song titled "Barbie N Ken" released early 2014. The song and video buzzed on YouTube and musical sites such as Soundcloud and Reverb. She also gained many fans from the country of Nigeria. Mercy has performed in popular venues such as The Viper Room, The Vision Theater, and The House of Blues Hollywood and live T.V events such as Punch T. V’s new years SUMMER 2016
eve bash. Mercy took a break from the music scene to finish up schooling at CSUDH and now she is back and excited to put all she has on the table. She is currently working on her debut EP entitled "Vibes Don’t Lie" (V.D.L) a combination of songs that truly embody who Mercy is an artist, writer, and entertainer. Mercy is truly an allaround artist. She not only writes and composes all of her music, but also choreographs for her live performances and music videos. Her mission is to inspire others through example and through her music, which consists of feel good tunes and positive messages. The highly anticipated EP "Vibes Don’t Lie" is set to be released January 28th 2017. Mercy U says, "I've taken so long to release a body of work because I am somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to my art. I like to
make sure everything is on point and perfect before I release and its almost to a fault. I now realized that being an artist is not about being perfect or like the most popular artist out there. It’s about being yourself, being vulnerable, and sharing your gift and message.” Mercy is not your typical singer within one genre and sound in every song. She simply makes songs that she is inspired to do which ranges from Gospel, R&B, Pop, EDM, and Afro-Beat. Mercy's style and fashion sense can be described as a blend of Chic-Glam and Neo-Africana which is shaped from her culture and her surroundings. You can check Mercy out at www.mercyumusic.com also on Instagram @nonso_onthebeat. For business inquiries please email Iwantnonso@gmail.com.
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After years of studying Musical Theatre, Opera, ballet, tap, jazz, violin, and classical piano, Makeda traveled to New York City where she received a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College. While in New York, Makeda landed leading roles in the OffBroadway productions of Road and The Colored Museum. One of the highlights of her career was touring throughout Northern Italy with famed Opera/Jazz singer, Cheryl Porter. As a result of her operatic studies, she is comfortable singing in many languages, including Italian, French, German, and Spanish. A few months after arriving in Los Angeles, Makeda became a member of the world renowned Los Angeles Jubilee Singers, under the direction of Dr. Albert McNeil. While traveling with the Jubilee Singers, the coloratura soprano performed in operas such as Porgy and Bess and Carmen Jones. Makeda has also studied piano under Wycliff Gordon, trombonist for the Winton Marsalis Jazz Quintet. Shortly after graduating from Pepperdine University (MA Psychology) Summa Cum Laud, Ms. Tene’ was cast in the musical, If You Don’t Believe: A Love Story, which was nominated for a NAACP Award for Best Play. The soul stirring musical, which featured the classic music of Deniece Williams, starred actress/singer Tatyana Ali, and was directed and produced by Michael Ajakwe, Jr. and Deniece Williams. In June 2007, Makeda world premiered her original One-Woman Show, “Love-In Concert”, at Lucy Florence Cultural Center in Los Angeles to sold-out audiences. She also toured the production in Georgia, and was featured on the renowned television program, “The Parade of Quartets” on ABC. Other notable performances include: Verizon Wireless “How Sweet The Sound” Gospel Competition: Marvin Sapp noted that Makeda’s voice “reminds me of a young Kathleen Battle singing in the style of Porgy and Bess”; Holy Ghost Congress in Lagos, Nigeria (the Congress was also broadcast on LIVE TV throughout Nigeria and neighboring countries). “A remarkable performance by an American artiste, not only got all enraptured in a frenzy of worship, but calling for more when the time came for her to exit the stage”— Nigeriafilms.com; Guest International Artist at historic Wesley Church in Belize City, Belize; Featured Soloist for Claremont Institute’s Winston Churchill Dinner at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel; Vocalist for the 21st Annual New York Alumni Night of Nostalgia honoring Neil Sedaka and Mitzi Gaynor—Joan Mangum of the Beverly Hills Courier wrote, “ Robbie Britt and Makeda Tene’ opened the show with God Bless America (the most stirring rendition I've ever heard)…”; and Guest Soloist at City of Angels Church in Los Angeles—“An electrifying version of ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ was magnificently performed by Makeda Tene'”--Virgie Murray ,The Los Angeles Sentinel.
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People & Places The Rhema House, Los Angeles as part of of its outreach Ministry in support of an Orphanage in Lafia , Nassarawa State, Nigeria run by House Care Evangelism Ministry brought Africa's greatest Comedian based in Lagos, Nigeria- Ali Baba to Los Angeles on May 22, 2016. It was a great time as family and friends came to-
gether to laugh the night away. Anchored by Ace Nigerian-U.S. based Comedians Wamilele and Seyi Brown other Ace Comedians and performers based here in the United States including-Laugh Up. Jedi, Seyi Alesh, MC PC, Vektor,
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David Mel will also be on hand to perform and support Ali Baba. Music was supplied by DJ Tos. It was quite a hilarious night dedicated to fun. philanthropy, networking and family Following is a photo essay of this fun night:
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People & Places
The Los Angeles Nigerian Community was agog with the celebration of the 75th birthday of Mrs. Janet Okpale on May 1st, 2016. Madam Janet Okpale, popularly called “Mama”, was born on January 31, 1941 in Ameka-Owo, Oju Local Government Area in Benue State, Nigeria. Mama was married to Late Mr.Alfred Okpale and together had eight children. As in her days in the 40s to 60s in
Nigeria, most women were stay at home moms with no high education. When mama was forty-two years old, she lost her husband and faced a bleak future. However, with no formal education, mama, through faith in God, sheer resilience and hard work, single-handedly raised her children in a godly path and provided them the unquantifiable gift of education which has seen
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her children being successful in their different endeavors. Mama’s 75th Birthday is highly celebrated because it tells a story of Faith in God, Resilience, Hard Work and Patience as necessary ingredients to living a fulfilled life when confronted with hopelessness.
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Umuada Akanchawa USA Inc. is a group of progressive Igbo Women from the six Eastern Nigeria States of Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo & Rivers. Led by Lolo Barbara Amadi (Lady Whitehouse) and founded in 2015. Umuada Akanchawa is about about uplifting the children, respect, peace, love, honesty, healthy matrimonial unity, empowerment of women, and the less privileged. Foundation based on sisterly love, togetherness, being there for each other, lift-
ing each other in love and prayers and helping out the less fortunate in society. Their motto is- Blessed Umuada, Akanchawa bu nke anyi, which literally translates to- "we are blessed and favor is ours" The organisation with an Exclusive nuclear membership intends to consolidate on the gains of their sisterhood and remain focused on being there for each other. As united, dedicated and God fearing sisters, we pledge to fulfill all the great
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ideals of our great association. They count on your support to help move UMUADA AKANCHAWA to greater height. On Sunday July 17, 2016, Umuada Akachawa USA Inc. celebrated their first year anniversary with a thanksgiving service at St. Eugene's Catholic Church Los Angeles and the services was followed by distribution of food and drinks to members of the community. Following is a photo Collage of members, and photos from the thanksgiving..
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Health & Wellness
by Olufemi Y. Saliu, M.D. If you are a man, and over forty, sooner or later, you will develop urinary problems. You might find yourself needing to visit the restroom many times a day, or avoid-ing drinking water before bedtime for fear of waking up in the middle of the night, or rushing to the restroom for fear of losing control of your bladder. And you find your-self worrying in advance about the availability of restrooms when you go out. What if the only available re-stroom is occupied? I leave what would happen to your imagination. These urinary tract symptoms are telltale signs of aging. As a man grows older, his prostate enlarges and gradually impinges on the urethra, the tubular outlet of the bladder, setting off a long process of urinary obstruc-tion. At some point, bladder emptying becomes difficult and incomplete. As a result, men find themselves visiting the restroom
more frequently. If no action is taken, the prostate continues to grow, until there is complete ob-struction.That is what happened to a meat seller I met in 1986 at Ile-Ife, Nigeria. I was a House Officer (Intern) at Seventh Day Adventist Hospital. I was called to the Ca-sualty department (Emergency room) after midnight. The man was sweating profusely due to his discomfort. I re-lieved his bladder obstruction with a catheter which I passed through the urethra to drain the urine. I con-nected it to a urinary bag-and sent him home with a refer-ral to the specialist for a definitive treatment. Do not let such an extreme case happen to you! When you begin to have symptoms, do not ignore them: make an appoint-ment to see a physician. I followed that advice myself. When I developed urinary issues in 2011, I began to mull over who among my colleagues-urologists, who special-
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ize in the health of the urinary tract- I would consult. Then something else happened that put my worries about prostate issue on hold. During my annual medical check up, my LDL (bad) cholesterol was very high. I was so overwhelmed by con-cerns for coronary artery disease and other complica-tions of chronic cardiovascular diseases that I stopped thinking about the urinary symptoms, even though my prostate was found to be enlarged. I was more concerned with my overall health. At the insistence of my physician, I changed my diet and exercised more. I cut off soda, cut down my consumption of refined carbohydrates, and ate more vegetables and fruits. I changed my lifestyle to optimize my cholesterol level. The bad cholesterol level fell by 100 points in nine months without medications. Something unexpected also SUMMER 2016
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happened: I regained control of my bladder. After urinating around five in the morning, I no longer need to go until noon or later. I no longer have urinary urgency, or nocturia (waking up dur-ing the night to pass urine). When he examined me after I made all my health changes, my doctor said, “Your prostate is perfectly normal.” "Keep on doing whatever you are doing." The dramatic impact these dietary changes had on my health spurred my interest in nutritional science. This adventure afforded me the opportunity to be aware of amazing dietary discoveries. One of those discoveries is the medicinal power of tomatoes.This is attributed to lycopene, an antioxidant found in red pigmentedvegetables and fruits such as wa-termelons. Numerous studies have linked high serum le-vels of lycopene to a reduced risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlargement), and prostatic cancer, the commonest cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the US. As African men, lycopene is particularly important for our health. Studiesshow that black men have lowest serum levels of lycopene and highest SUMMER 2016
incidence of pros-tatic cancer: in the US, the incidence of prostatic cancer is 50 percent higher among blacks than whites. There-fore, we have the most to gain from increasing our lyco-pene levels. It is strongly recommended that all men should daily find ways to consume a significant amount of lycopene, through the consumption of fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato juice. It is better not to limit your source of lycopene to raw tomatoes because the body has difficulty releasing lycopene from uncooked toma-toes. On the other hand, processed tomatoes, like tomato sauce, tomato juice, and tomato soup, easily release lycopene into the blood stream. We should increase the amount of tomato products used in meals. Another good option is to make tomato smoothies or juice to drink. Watermelon, pink guava, and pink grapefruit are other sources of lycopene, though they are not as good as cooked tomatoes. Do whatever you can to increase the amount of lycopene in your diet. I do it every day. Maintaining an optimum prostate health is part of my overall health strategy. There is a measure of salad in my food at breakfast, lunch, and dinner-and tomato is in-cluded in every salad. Over all I eat about five
golf-ball size tomatoes every day. That is over 1,500 tomatoes-in a year- more than you, if you don’t eat extra tomatoes. My wife also increases the amount of tomatoes she uses for cooking. As I type this article, it’s been over eight hours since I used the rest room. Most nights I drink a glass of water on my way to bed. Despite this, I don’t wake up during the night to use the rest room. I am now in control of my bladder, not the other way around. I have sharedinformation about the medicinal bene-fits of tomatoes with my brothers in Nigeria. They have in turn shared it with relatives and friends. The feedback I get from them about the changes in their health after in-creasing their tomato intake is wonderful. "Your brother is right," said a family friend. "I urinate better now.” "My urine is good, and I see better,” said a friend from Sokoto. I am not surprised his vision got better: tomatoesare rich in vitamin A, which is required for normal function of the retina, a vital tissue in the back of the eye. I am not the only one who
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Health & Wellness knows about the power of tomatoes. I took a guest from Nigeria to a cafeteria in the summer of 2015 and I watched him as he served his food. After getting some rice and catfish, he went to the salad bar. I was curious to see how he would make his salad; he got just tomatoes. When asked why hejust got tomatoes, he responded with an anecdote about a woman who complained to a doctor in Nigeria that her husband suffered from erectile dysfunction. “Let me give you a love portion,” the doctor said. “You don’t have to tell your husband. When you cook, add plenty of tomatoes. Serve it to him as many times as he eats.” Several months later the woman went back to thank the doctor. "I don't leave home without tomatoes," said my guest. "I chew them day and night.” Although I am still reviewing the relationship between tomatoes and erectile dysfunction, I would not be sur-prised if tomatoes helped. A relative called me from Nigeria in March. His friend was having what he described as "prostate issues". He had consulted a doctor but my brother wanted him to consider tomatoes as welland he wanted me to talk with his friend. I called him many times but I
could not get through. After many phone calls, emails, and text mes-sages from my brother, I decided to write a short article on tomatoes for his friend. This piece of writing is an ex-panded version of that article. The only thing I need from you is to pass the information to all the men you know, and women that have men in their lives. Finally, while it is important to cut down the risk of prostatic cancer, it is equally important to reduce the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and chronic cardiovascular diseases. That is why you need a comprehensive health strategy. Whether you have symptoms or not, visit your doctor at least once a year for a check up. Eat right. Cut down consumption of refined carbohydrates. Avoid eat-ing heavy carbohydrate foods like rice, pounded yam, eba, amala, tuwo, and fufu before bedtime. You do not need a lot of calories while you sleep. I avoid such meals after 5 P.M. Serve variety of vegetables with every meal, including breakfast. And do not forget to do an age-appropriate exercise regularly.
Aug;94(33):e1260. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000001260 2. Lycopene/Tomato Consumption and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Pros-pective Studies Chen J1, Song Y, Zhang L. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2013;59(3):213-23. 3. Serum lycopene, other serum carotenoids, and risk of prostate cancer in US Blacks and Whites. Vogt TM, Mayne ST, Graubard BI, Swanson CA, Sowell AL, Schoenberg JB, Swanson GM, Greenberg RS, Hoover RN, Hayes RB, Ziegler RG. Am J Epidemiol. 2002 Jun 1;155(11):1023-32
References: 1. Lycopene and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A systematic Review and MetaAnalysis. Chen P1, Zhang W, Wang X, Zhao K, Negi DS, Zhuo L, Qi M, Wang X, Zhang X. Medicine (Baltimore). 2015
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Iruka's Corner
There are a slew of quotes and often used phrases we tend to spout when someone is going through a rough patch. I’m sure you’ve heard some of these
clichés before – • “Consider the glass half full, not half empty” (are you kidding me?)
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• “This too shall pass”(when?) • “The power of positive thinking”(not helping) • “Everything happens for a SUMMER 2016
Iruka's Corner Thankfully, I am a naturally positive person so a big part of me always believes that I will get through whatever is going on, eventually. I also believe that“in the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity” as Albert Einstein once stated. This has been a guiding principle in my life. So rather than wish I could wave a magic wand to make it all go away, I maintain my sanity by deciding what to do while the wound heals. I search for the opportunity. Depending on how deep the wound is, this could The list goes on and on. Depending on one’s mental state take a while. It’s usually difficult, but I try to focus on other things. at the moment, some of these My first instinct is to shut down, quotes may get the “motivator” retreat, or have a “pity party”. an eye roll, a burst of “you don’t These reactions only make the understand”, a variation of my responses above or a quick end to wait even longer. So, I stop the conversation. I must confess, I waiting. I get busy doing the things I love doing. The problem have used these clichés in my attempt to encourage or support is still there, but I refuse to focus on it. I am not in denial. I someone. I should know better. understand I still need to deal Even with the best intentions, these sayings may have the effect with it;I just need a distraction. of minimizing what one is going In Violet Greene’s words,“life isn't through. Think of whatever you about waiting for the storm to are going through as a wound. If pass... It's about learning to dance it is a small cut that just needs a in the rain”. So I dance. I live. I Band-Aid, a powerful positive engage. I connect. I move quote may do the trick. If it is a forward. As often as I can. As deep wound that needs stitches, quickly as I can. As patiently as I you definitely need more than a can. At some point during my Band-Aid. dance in the rain, the wound begins to heal to the point where I have had quite a challenging only a Band-Aid is required. It all year and no amount of positive quotes my friends shared with me begins to make sense. They are not merely clichés anymore but a helped. My wound was deep. It needed sutures and time to heal. guide and a process to navigate through life. They become road My challenges were not something that could be glossed maps and a part of life’s journey. It is passing and the reason it over with a well worded quote. I had to feel the pain of it all – loss, happened is clearer now. It didn’t negativity, fear, frustration, anger, kill me. I feel stronger and I’m beginning to like lemonade. I impatience, doubt, etc. The handled it well, just like God wound had to heal well enough knew I would. I’m counting my for the salve to be effective. blessings. reason”(It doesn’t make sense) • “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” (seriously?) • “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade”(I don’t like lemonade) • “God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle” (He just did!) • “It wasn’t meant to be” (says who?) • “Count your blessings” (so, grateful people are not allowed to have a bad day?)
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As usual, it all boils down to choice. I choose active waiting. I’m impatient, so this is hard for me. But I do it. It is indeed an opportunity to re-ignite. I’m almost grateful for the problem. What will you do while you wait for the wound to heal?Will you choose to “dance” or hold your breath untilthe storm blows over? Remember, “life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will.” - Jawaharlal Nehru. Choose wisely.
Iruka A. Ndubuizu is a Negotiations Expert, “Contract Guru”, Attorney, Consultant and Trainer. She is an Assistant Director for Contracts Administration at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and the Founder of Eureka Consulting, LLC (www.eurekaconsultingllc.com). Contact info: info@eurekaconsultingllc.com; +1 678.224.1960.
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Life’s Issues A general overview on the crisis in some of our Nigerian marriages in diaspora. My beloved husband (may his soul rest in peace) once said to me, “My father told me not to set my hands on a woman and besides what will I tell your mother if I beat you up?” He understood that marriage is the union of two very different people and requires true love, patience and tolerance to grow. Marriage is love and love is reciprocal. Neither the man nor the woman is perfect, therefore no marriage is perfect; but one must be able to pick up where the other always drops off. What would it profit a man or a woman to destroy the very thing that is supposed to bring joy to
his or her life? When the woman’s respect (submission) is lacking, the man should throw in his love, life moves on amicably and vice versa. I write as a Christian and from a biblical approach. I understand the vital role culture, traditions and the bible have played in shaping our marriages at home in Nigeria or here abroad. The best is the bible (the word of God). The sacredness and beauty of marriage are repeated several times in the bible, as found in Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; and Ephesians 5:31… For this reason a man shall leave his mother and his father and cleave (join) to his wife and they shall be one. Man and woman (husband and wife) shall become one (one body). A
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man should leave his mother and father simply means he has become a man and should be capable of reasoning on his own to build his own family. There should be no parental or anyone else’s intrusion except for needed advice for this union. Mark 10:9. Therefore what God has put together let no man put asunder (separate). Marriage was first ordained by God and unless you believe in His marriage laws, you will not make it through marriage. It is an honor that everyone deserves, bestowed on Adam and Eve by God Himself in the Garden of Eden. Ephesians 5:25, Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Him-
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self for her. How many men can proudly say they love their wives truly in spirit? How many can admit the honor given them through a faithful wife? How many can say, “I will sacrifice my life for this woman who I love so much?” The bible tells us that: He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22. A marriage that is built on God’s law survives the test of time. Therefore except a man and a woman unite in spirit and in truth their marriage will not survive. That is what we are experiencing presently among our men and women who marry for commercial reasons. There is no love in some of our marriages. People just marry with hope of surviving for better or for worse. With their little faith, when hope fails them they pick up their guns. Ephesians 5:22-23 & 25, Wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is Savior of the body. SUMMER 2016
Sadly enough most women have deviated from the law of submission. They think it’s a thing of the past and sometimes they don’t even think it should exist, (law of equality). Because of this, many of our women have suffered terribly in the hands of unscrupulous husbands. Many have died untimely and more are living in misery – depression and mental horror. Reasons for failure: Note that the failure of any marriage is contributed by both husband and wife. Chances are that they are not equally yoked. It takes two to tango (tangle) as well as to break up. 2 Corinthians 6:14, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? This biblical text does not necessarily mean people of different religious beliefs. It also refers to two
people who are not compatible. Love and hate do not harbor in the same house. These days, most Nigerian marriages in diaspora are based on material gain, what the man or woman is bringing to the marriage, your wealth, achievement or parental wealth. For most young women in Nigeria, it is the promise of America, the land of milk and honey. For the men, it is the promise of the money machine, the nurse-wife who will work endlessly to help quench his financial thirst. Therefore it is all for commercial benefit and if the wealth does not flow, marriage becomes a burden. Most of these marriages are arranged and there is no true love in it. This is acceptable by our culture and tradition in which boys grow up to be men and looked forward to becoming husbands and fathers. Girls grew up and of course have no choice than to be given into marriage to become slave-wives, mothers of many children and frequently one of many wives even in this time and
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age. The man dominates the family. He lords himself over his wife or his wives as in Nigeria. Yes, women are supposed to be married but I think we can do better. Marriage breakdown sometimes begins from the upbringing of the individuals involved. It is said that a child learns what he grows. That is to say that parents actions speak louder than their voices to their children. A child that grew up from a violent family has more chances of being violent than the one from a peaceful family. The fundamental tenets of violence in marriage include: anger, lack of patience, greed (envy & jealousy), laziness, pride (peer pressure & ego), fear of failure, lack of respect (no humility), dishonesty, adultery, lack of communication, financial insecurity and of course shame and more. If these are not controlled, marriage will surely suffer. The end stage is shame and that’s what leads to the killings. Husbands have killed their
wives for these reasons and vice versa. Because we are a pride-mongering group of people, we constantly compare ourselves with each other believing that my wife, my husband or my child has shamed me by not achieving or by not worshiping me. When violence comes into a marriage, love flies and communication, the major vessel for good relationships with God or fellow men equally becomes far-fetched. Rather than talk things over, most Nigerian men act over things because they, the head (literary head) of the family feel belittled. They try to force a change but end up with violence in once great relationship. It is not uncommon that a Nigerian man (a husband) is depressed and angry when he cannot find a decent job or stand up to his peers while his wife is busy making all the money. He feels his lordship threatened. He no longer thinks of the welfare of the family but dwells on vengeance because he may no longer dish out con-
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trol over their common wealth. The wife in turn takes it out on this “my foolish” husband who drinks and cares less about the family. Nigerians like most other people are full of greed in diaspora or at home. Igbo man especially those who kill their wives first would jealous this wife, envy her thoughts and get greedy over her high achievements. He becomes insecure and his once beloved wife becomes his biggest threat. As this husband becomes more non-challant and less caring, the hard working wife who struggles to keep the family together becomes belligerent, angry and insubordinate, feeling threatened by her husband’s attitude. Her reaction in turn ruffles the greedy and arrogant husband. Then the power struggle sets in, “let’s see who can win this battle.” I am the boss (our Nigerian cultural and traditional marriage myth) is already fussed in the man’s head, she has to do what I say because I brought her SUMMER 2016
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into this country.” But our now western world says, “No, to the man, this is America, you cannot treat your wife that way or you go to jail.” A once happy marriage of I do, for better or for worse begins to fail. They no longer remember their vows. When money or law is in their favor, most women can go to any length to make a man feel miserable especially a man who lacks respect for them. “I will put you in jail” snaps the woman. Of course, the law here is very good at that. In the same token, when this once humble man feels like he has control over money he equally disrespects his wife, other women become his priority. Jealousy that leads to unhealthy competition sets in. It spreads to unnecessary spending, more disrespect and insults from both husband and wife. That of course drives a man crazy to a fight. The fear of failure coupled with pride and peer pressure would drive a man to do the unthinkable. Most of these men are so arrogant that even when they beg, there is no humility but arSUMMER 2016
rogance and disrespect attached to it. Most of the women who fall prey to this category of men are those who are intolerant of a husband who is no longer able to provide but still is very demanding of their hard work. Pride and arrogance go before a fall. Both husband and wife should refrain from peer pressure competition especially in difficult times.
have it. The law of God and of the nation (the government) must be obeyed. Give to Caesar what is his and to God what is His, Mark 12:17
Our people are too much into parties and show-off of accumulation of unnecessary wealth - Vanity and vexation of heart. This is an evidence of greed that starts by ruining relationships.
When a man finds his home in disarray (lawlessness), he sees himself as a failure. He is bound by the agony of defeat from marriage and high expectations. Thoughts of a far-fetched American dream throbs his heart. If wife tries to leave or challenge his actions, his only defense is that if he could not lord over her, no one would. No thought about the precious children in the marriage. The unthinkable will happen.
Having two or three jobs to make more money will not bring us Peace or Joy. Too much gossips and times spent on irrelevant habits can only cause more stress and helps to divide husband and wife, denying the children love and care. Everyone yearns for the American dream but we forget that America is a land of law and order. You cannot eat your cake and
Answer and Solutions: The blame in our marital problems is beyond that of a husband and wife. The society especially our Nigerian community plays a major role in dividing our families. Our men and women have fallen so low as to have lost humility and respect for God Almighty and each other. The end result is competition that takes away from the love of God
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Life’s Issues making us church goers (fighting for material things) not Christians. We must turn to our God and pray to Him for deliverance. 2 Chronicles 7:14, If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Your land includes your home, your marriage and all that you have. The IGBO communities in diaspora must deviate from double life style, living in denial, dishonesty and fraud. Most men will lie about their status to trick a young girl in Nigeria into marriage. They bring them overseas and subject them to the stress and hardship of a crash program nurse-education (the money machine) as some would call it. When the money starts rolling, they quickly forget who brings it in. These young women need the love of their husbands. We as a community must put a stop to excessive partying, fraudulent wake keepings, negative competitions, too
much title-greed, both men and women. When we pay attention to the things that matter, our spouses and children, we will have more joy than stress in our homes. As mentioned earlier, neither the husband nor the wife alone is to blame in marital problems. Men may be wrong in many ways, but to be submissive is to support, lend a hand and be an anchor. Our women should be helping the men (but not without the men’s love) who by nature need the support of women to survive the stress of life. Genesis 2:18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” This helper is Eve for the man Adam. She is neither equal nor less than him. She is c-o-mp-a-r-a-b-l-e to him. A man’s strength lies in the intelligence of his God fearing wife, the pillar that holds him strong. The bible calls for women to be submissive to their loving husbands. Our men should stop the serpent from coming into their marriage to steal their love for their wives.
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Adultery is a home breaker our men and women are guilty of that, chasing their brothers’ and friends’ spouses around. If you believe in God, all you church goers, I will truly urge you to listen to the word of God so that it may be well with you and your family. An Igbo idiom says, “Aka nri kwoo aka ikpa, aka ikpa akwoo aka nri.” Both left and right hands help to cleanse each other. Live and let live. Help me and I’ll help you. Money or no money, we can still live in peace as husband and wife.
To be continued ...
Contributed by Dr. Lilian I. Asomugha (Nwanyichinalu), A retired pharmacist/Naturopath, mother and grandmother, prayer warrior, inspirational author and philanthropist @ www.lilieforinspiraion.org OR www.buildingtoday.org
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Religion
Pastor Dipo Kalejaiye It is good for a soccer team to play hard. Great when they play smart. Mesmerizing when we behold the tapestry or symphony of Spain's national soccer Team's "tiki-taka" - "a nonsensical phrase that has come to describe the three Ps - (short) passing, patience, and possession". But what
has made this team to be ranked number one in FIFA ( Federation of International Football Association) world rankings, and what made them win their last three major tournaments: the 2008 UEFA Euro Cup, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup is not the
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"tiki-taka". It is scoring goals. They could have played all the "tiki-taka" they knew how, without making goals, they would not be winning games. Winning in life's journey is not too dissimilar. Setting goals sets you up for the trophy because on the way to reaching your goal, regardless SUMMER 2016
Religion of whether you do, you are inevitably scoring winning goals. Please read on. 1. GOAL-SETTING IS A COMMANDMENT
(for a total of 6 hours a day, 6 times a week, six months a year). No wonder he is already being celebrated as a basketball legend. The bible says Jesus Christ came "in the fullness of time", namely, at the time appointed. God hi/mself set that goal. He is a goal-setter and he commands us to be. The bible says we should write the vision down ( the revelation, the plans, the goals) and make it plain. Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians:
Corporation s sets goals, particularly production and fiscal goals so that they can maximize their performance and profit. Athletes set goals so that they can become the best : Kobe Bryant's off-season workout has been called the 666 program because he spends 2 hours running, 2 hours on basketball, and 2 hours weightlifting " I do not mean that I am already as
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God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. 13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above. Those who set goals in life live
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Religion purposefully. They have a destination. They know where they are going. They have goals. They are not living by neglect and ceding their lives to others to run. They are in charge, adjusting and responding to life's vicissitudes not reacting, kneejerking and drifting through life. They identify and determine what is important in life and they plan "scoring" goals as they propel their lives in that direction. A goal-less life is a direction-less life and a directionless life is a purpose-less life. Take charge of your life and start setting goals. 2. GOALS ARE YOUR FAITH MANIFESTO
Politicians unveil their manifesto to announce their promises to their constituents regardless of whether they are able to keep them or not. At least they are expressing their desire and hope that the promises will be kept. At wedding ceremonies, couples exchange vows expressing statements of faith and fidelity to each other. My wife and I founded the International Christian Center in our small apartment in 1999. We set a goal that we would move to one of the best Hotels in town within six months. God honored it and moved us to the Hilton and Towers Hotel within the time frame. Again we set
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a goal that that we would move into our own owned facility within one year. God honored it and we bought a prime property in a prime location within the time frame. Five years later, we set another goal and believed God to move us to a bigger multi-purpose facility. He did. He never fails. But without setting those goals, without making those statements of faith and praying them through, I am not sure we would be where we are today. When you set a goal, you are simply saying that I trust God's word to give me the desire of my heart which is to achieve or attain to so and so by so and so period in my life. That is faith and
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because faith honors God, God in honors faith. Jesus told those he healed that it should be unto them according to their faith. So start making big and fantastic statements of faith. God can handle them. He says open your mouth wide and I will fill it. Read ephesians 3:20 and it will "wow" you:
putting deadlines on those dreams turning them to goals. Goal-setting is not only a commandment from God, goals are also your faith manifesto which God will honor if they are godly. ( To Be Continued )
Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] ***This article was first published do superabundantly, far over and in Life & Times in April 2014 above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]. Think about that! Superabundantly, far over and above all that you dare ask or think!! Infinitely beyond your highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, and dreams!!! So what are you waiting for? Start dreaming big and SUMMER 2016
Oladipo Kalejaiye holds a Ph.D degree in law and was a litigation attorney in Nigeria, Europe and the United States for over 17 years. He entered into full time ministry in year 2000, and currently serves as the pastor of International Christian Center, Los Angeles ( You can contact him on the web: www.iccla.com, Facebook: iccla/facebook, Twitter: @DipoKalejaiye)
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