‘Lori Iro’ factorial!

Last Saturday, at the monthly meeting of the Young Men’s Fellowship of our Church, we discussed the different ‘LORI IRO’ (based on lies) scenarios that often play out in business, marriage, politics, and even religion. Many people, organizations, and countries are living a lie, and they know it!

People tell age lies to secure job opportunities or gain professional advantage.

When I was 26, a friend wanted me to doctor my age to 25 on my CV so I could qualify for a bank job. Desperate as I was for employment then, I refused. I had all they were looking for, except the age, and I have no regrets, whatsoever, for not lying about my age. And, that’s why I often say, “Be wary of all these people who carry around sworn age affidavits. Many of them are lying about their date of birth!”
‘Lori Iro!’

Some 15 years ago, at a Badagry Beach Leadership Retreat of the Church I belonged to then, we were having fun passing the basket, when one of us picked a question from the basket. The question was, “How old are you? What is your age?”
The man’s response was both shocking and amusing. He asked, “My professional or actual age?”
‘Lori Iro!’

What about the lies people (intending couples) tell themselves during courtship? “I’m a virgin!”……”I’m a British citizen.”……. I’ve never slept with any woman in my life!”…… “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you!”……..”There’s nothing you can ever do that will make me beat you. I have never raised my hand against the opposite sex before.”……..”My father owns the National Stadium!” etc, only to discover that everything: love (infatuation, actually), marriage, plans for the future, were all based on lies!
‘Lori Iro!’

About 3 years ago, long before ‘Lori Iro’ became this popular, someone asked me, “Sir, if you discovered that your marriage was based on deceit, can one say it was GOD that joined such a couple together?!”
I leave you to answer that question O!

If you lied to your spouse about your past, and the truth comes a month or two, a year or two, into the marriage, and scatters it, would you be blaming GOD, the devil, or yourself? Mr and Mrs ‘Lori Iro! Wedone O!’

Recently, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), at the opening ceremony of its two-day 16th Biennial Conference in Enugu, conferred Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State with the ‘Grand Defender of the Faith’ and ‘Defender of the Faith’ awards, respectively.
The question is: how have these two men defended the Christian Faith in Nigeria since they assumed their different offices?

That’s an award ceremony based on lies, lip service, and ‘Oju aiye!’

An unpleasant start for the new leadership of PFN.

‘Lori Iro!’

Nigeria itself is a lie! The amalgamation of 1914 was founded on a lie; the first census in Nigeria, pre and post independence, was a big lie; the constitution that is currently governing the country is a phenomenal lie, because, we, the PEOPLE, neither discussed nor endorsed it, the military forced it on us, and the propagators of lies adopted it for their own selfish gain!

And, the biggest of all lies is, “Nigeria is one!” Na lie!

‘Lori Iro nla!’

What more shall I say of parents who lie daily to their children, “I’m working because of you!”, yet, the children wear rags while they don the latest of everything; or senior pastors who keep calling for sacrificial pledges when there’s nothing SACRIFICIAL about their lifestyles and conducts; or the parish pastors who lie, in weekly reports, to their senior pastors about offerings, tithes and attendance; or the grand masters of ‘Lori Iro’ themselves – our political class!

And, do you know what the most annoying/frustrating aspect of all this, is?

The sanctimoniously religious will tell you to keep praying and fasting (without acting, protesting, demonstrating, resisting and petitioning) in the face of obvious lies, injustice and utter wickedness; and even label people like us who dare say, write or expose these things as the ‘bad guys’.

How does that agree with Psalms 45:6-7?

“Your throne, O GOD, is forever and ever; A SCEPTER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You love RIGHTEOUSNESS and hate wickedness;……”

How can we talk about RIGHTEOUSNESS, and not REPORT or mention wickedness? How do we preach Grace, and not talk about TRUTH?

Check the Scriptures, the two: RIGHTEOUSNESS and wickedness, Grace and TRUTH, often go together!

But, the religious wants us to focus on one, and neglect the other. No, it doesn’t work like that!

Now, you see how big, and deeply entrenched ‘LORI IRO’ is, in Nigeria – a country where you are only supposed to know the truth, but never say, write or talk about it!

‘Lori Iro!’

‘Abeg, E don tire me O jare!

No be lie O!’

SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND!

“Seek first to understand, before you seek to be understood!” is the fifth habit in Stephen Covey’s sensational book, ‘THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE.’ It’s a very good habit to cultivate.

There’s this lady who has an unauthorized shop beside my house. She sells recharge cards, some groceries, and other household goods.

We greet whenever I’m going out or coming in, but I could tell there was something off/unusual about her, even though I couldn’t put my finger on the exact thing.

Earlier in the year, she started showing signs of derangement, and became very cantankerous with her neighbours, customers and estate residents.

One morning, about six weeks ago, as I was taking my son to school, I needed to move forward slightly, so I could back out of the Close we live; early as that was, she was already in her shop, and she came out ranting, “Don’t ever let me see you come in front of my shop again, or else, I’ll break your windscreen!”

Prior to that incident, we had noticed that she throws pure water nylons into our refuse drum, placed outside the premises. When we tried to get her to at least ensure the nylons are properly dumped in the drum, and not on the floor, she snapped, “Are you the one paying for the disposal of the drums?” That day, I knew she was definitely mentally unstable.

Then, she slapped the daughter of a Reverend gentleman who lives opposite us, and harassed a couple of other easygoing residents.

At that point, I decided to call the Chairman of the Residents’ Association, to report the menace she was becoming. The man told me that two or three other people had already reported her to him, and assured me that something would be done to rid the Estate of her.

Few days after my chat with the Chairman, the Reverend opposite my house sought an audience with me. He told me how the lady had insulted and assaulted him few weeks back, despite the fact that her mother was a member of his Church, and the lady’s son used to join his own children in the Church bus, to school, daily, till he finished Secondary School.

Then, he mentioned to me the fact that the lady had been raped some 20 years, or so ago, hence the son, and her recurring mental illness.

Wow! I suddenly felt pity and concern for her. One wicked, devious fellow had scarred this lady many years ago, and made her life a tumultuous hell. What a life!

All the while, she had stopped greeting me, always maintaining a straight face; but, she started greeting me again last week. She’s obviously resumed her medication, and had regained control over her senses, emotions and impulses.

Returning home last Friday, I noticed an elderly woman in front of her shop whom I quickly deduced had to be the mother. I went over to the shop, which, by the way, had lost many customers, and said hello to the two women. I asked the lady how she was doing, and for her name; she said, “H—n.” She asked for mine, and I obliged her. Then she asked, “Are you a pastor?” I get asked that often.

She then turned to her mother, and said, “He’s one of those I had issues with ‘that time!'”

We all parted, after that brief exchange, as happier persons.

Like Stephen Covey said in his book, “If you know better, you will think better, act better, and live better!”

You can only do so if would learn to SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND the reason behind the action, inaction, behaviour, attitude or stand, of others. It’s a lot easier to jump into conclusions, to assume or presume, and develop opinions, instead of seeking to understand ‘WHY?!’

Stop it! Stop it now!

Go and find out ‘WHY’, and see what you can do to HELP that Brother, Sister or Friend; then, do it!

GOD bless you as you so do, in JESUS Name.