Gramps Avweruosuoghene

At a time when the drive and crusade for better inclusion of a marginalized section of society (Persons with Disabilities) is gaining speed the world over, it is sad to witness religious institutions (by their very nature and calling supposed to be shining examples in this just cause) acting with apparent indifference. Whether this is happening unintentionally or otherwise, I do not know. One thing I know: the situation calls for urgent redress. In June last year, I was at the headquarter church of one the country’s leading Pentecostal denominations for Sunday worship service. It was my first time. Among the features that caught my attention on that first visit was the sheer size of the location, the state of the art equipment in use, the warm welcome of public relations staff, the fine show of opulence (children of the King are not supposed to be poor), and the generally conducive ambience. With these and more on ground, i was eager to settle down to quality time in Divine fellowship....

When I woke up this morning, I didn’t have it mind to write on this topic. No. I was rather primed up to pen something in honor of Deeper Life's venerable Kumuyi who turned 81 a couple days ago. However, as I stepped into the restroom for a cool shower, the restless stirrings of the muse within took a detour. The next I knew, my train of thought diverted to the phenomenal social media trend of the day before. That brief burst of spiritual energy was like nirvana to me. Yesterday, WhatsApp statuses, Profile pictures, Facebook timelines, stories, etc, were flooded with a classic beauty of red and white texts. Omo! Folks weren’t celebrating Christmas as in December 25th or thereabouts. Yet, it was the man at the heart of Christmas being recognized, venerated and adored. It was a “Jesusmas” in June. The name Jesus was the trending message. While the trend continued, social media users displayed fine dexterity in extolling the power of that immortal name with remarkable creativity. The ...

As the crusade for better social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities into the mainstream society continue to gain ground, there’s a need to guard against the green snakes in green grass phenomenon that might ultimately sabotage this laudable cause. To fail to do this is to settle for what may be called “Pseudo-inclusion” instead of the “full-inclusion” we originally set out to achieve. Pseudo-inclusion. This term might sound strange to the lay reader. Well, let me explain briefly. Pseudo simply means something fake. Therefore Pseudo-inclusion is fake inclusion. This type of inclusion subtly cheats Persons with Disabilities by appointing people outside it to decide for PWDs matters. That’s one angle to the concept. Again, pseudo-inclusion is the direct and indirect barring of Persons with Disabilities (because of their disabilities) from specific leadership positions in the larger society. It’s an irony of the Inclusion crusade that insults the sensibilities and human intelligence of...

The jet of local brew wine from mother’s mouth hit my frail, naked body in fine spray as she made spirited efforts to hold back the ravaging spread of measles rashes. Occasionally, wine particles would find their way into my eyes and the stinging sensation left me feet stomping and wincing in discomfort. This remains one of the earliest memories of my childhood.   I was barely eight years old when measles struck – leaving in its wake a steady decline in my hearing, impaired nervous functions, and a compromised gait. I never recovered fully from those scars. Instead, this definitive occurrence and its sequence were to peg me many years behind the normal developmental milestones of the average person. It took an extraordinary spirit of resilience and a deathless hope to keep going right from that time – till now. Prior to that tragedy in the 90s, I was this lively, hyperactive kid set on the fast lane of life. At eight or thereabouts, I was on the verge of gaining admission into...