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YOUR CHILDREN, NOT YOUR OWN

Emmanuel Okom
  It is a common yet flawed assumption that children belong to their parents. Many, particularly in African societies, operate under the illusion that biological connection equals ownership. But let us pause for a moment and reflect – who among us can claim ownership of another’s soul? Who among us chose their own entry into this world? The truth is as old as time itself: we do not own our children; they are God’s, lent to us for a time, to be raised and nurtured, not possessed and manipulated. The Divine Custodianship of Parenthood Children are not commodities to be controlled, coerced, or commanded at will. They are gifts from the Almighty, entrusted into our care for a fleeting season. Psalm 127:3 reminds us, “Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” The language is clear: they are a heritage, not an acquisition. Parents are custodians, not owners. In Genesis, when God blessed humanity with the ability to multiply, He did not ...
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GAMBLING: THE MODERN SLAVE TRADE OF THE DIGITAL AGE

Emmanuel Okom

 


No addiction in the history of mankind has wrought as much devastation as gambling. It is a dark magnetic tunnel, sucking its victims into an abyss where they throw away everything – wealth, family, dignity, and even their lives. Unlike smoking, drinking, or womanizing – vices that extract a toll but leave some room for survival – gambling strips a person to the bone, leaving them broken and enslaved to an unquenchable thirst for a win that never truly comes.

History is littered with gamblers who have pawned their heirlooms, depleted savings, and even borrowed vast sums in a desperate bid to reclaim their losses – only to sink deeper. They are the slaves of a monstrous system, toiling through the rough contours of life, yet surrendering everything they earn to the faceless gods of gambling – the rich Mammon-s who sit atop empires built from the sweat and suffering of their enslaved bettors. These owners revel in boundless luxury, feasting on the wealth of their addicts, who labour tirelessly, only to funnel all they have into this dark, inescapable abyss.

Consider Charles Wells, the man who “broke the bank” at Monte Carlo – only to end up penniless and imprisoned; or the tragic tale of Fyodor Dostoevsky, who was so enslaved by gambling that he repeatedly gambled away his earnings, forcing himself into a cycle of destitution. Vincent Van Gogh’s brother, Theo, fell prey to the same fate, losing all he had in a desperate quest for fortune. Countless nameless souls have walked the same path, ending in ruin or worse – suicide. The weight of their losses became too much to bear, leaving behind nothing but despair and desolation.

The modern age has made this addiction even more insidious. Once confined to smoky casinos and underground betting rings, a secret room of a prison locked in with you and your phone or computer, gambling has now invaded every corner of the digital world. With a mere tap on a screen, unsuspecting individuals are pulled into a universe of online casinos, sports betting, and virtual lotteries. Flashy advertisements, carefully designed algorithms, and the false promise of easy riches lure victims into the trap, only to watch as their savings disappear, their debts skyrocket, and their lives bitterly unravel.

To those who have yet to fall prey to this merciless vice, heed this warning: there is no easy road to wealth without toil. The illusion of a quick fortune is a cruel mirage; and, the deeper one goes, the harder it becomes to escape. True wealth is not won through reckless bets but earned through patient, relentless labour. Even the minutest accretion of honest toil, compounded over time, transforms into a vast ocean of prosperity. Do not trade years of effort for a fleeting moment of illusion.

If you value your future, if you cherish your loved ones, steer clear of gambling! Do not become another statistic, another soul lost to this voracious monster! Walk away before it consumes you; before you, too, find yourself standing at the edge of an abyss, with nothing left to throw in but your very life! Never pander to the illusory bright lights of gambling, waiting to throw its black blanket over your life!

                                                                                                        Okom, Emmanuel Njor (PhD)

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