Tithing in Nigeria- The Truths and The Lies

Okay this is going to be my last post about this tithing ish and you have to read from beginning to the end because it is very explosive and educative. 

WHO AM I: My name is Iyke, I am a Nigerian Christian born in a Catholic family though not confined to any particular church. I travel alot so I attend any church close to wherever I am staying, it doesn't matter whether it is Catholic or Pentecostal. In my village I attend the Catholic church, in Port Harcourt I attend Salvation Ministirs, in England I attend Family Church Portmouth, in Asia, Ghana etc I attend any nearby Nigerian church. God is one and I worship God, not church or pastor. I love everyone from all denominations and cultures, and I dont believe that I am better than anybody. 

I believe in God, not because my parents told me to, NOT because my pastor told me to, but because I have experienced how AWESOME GOD is. I am a living proof that God is real and NO I am not against paying tithe, helping the church or pastor that is why I said read the entire article so you can understand me more better. I just do not like the way Nigerian pastors are lying up and down just to steal our money. To me they should forget about money / flamboyant lifestyle and concentrate on winning souls for God bc that is their main job.

THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT TITHING: 

1. Tithing is not by force, it's a personal choice so don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

2. Any pastor that is more concerned about tithes, offerings, first fruit, seed etc than salvation is FAKE.

3. The primary job of a pastor is to win souls for God, material things and flamboyant lifestyle is for worldly people..  God does not need tithing anyays.  It is no longer with the covenant Jesus made with Christians (Jeremiah 31:31; Luke 22:20). Tithing is with the Mosaic law and not for Christians. Besides, we are no longer under the law of Moses. For example the Mosaic law says an eye for an eye but Jesus says to forgive 77 times, Mosaic law says to go to the temple with a lamb for cleansing but Christ says pray through me to the father for forgiveness.. 

4. You cannot bribe God with money like the way our pastors want us to believe that once you are a tither life will be so easy, no devourer, no sickness, no calamity bla bla bla. Its all lies to deceive the gullible. God will bless whomever HE chooses to bless whether you pay tithe or not. Check list of the top 20 richest people in the world and show me which one of them is a chistian or tither???? God doesn't need your money in the first place and Jesus has paid the ultimate price. I know lots of Catholic families that do not pay tithe and they are extremely wealthy, healthy and successful and I also know tithers IN Pentecostal churches that are facing one problem or another. Once again, paying tithe or not will not stop good or bad things from happening to you. The only time we wont face any life challenges is when we die, as long as we are alive there will be challenges.

5. If you pay tithe or put hundreds of thousands or even millions in the offering box but you are NOT helping the poor and needy people in your family or community, then my brother you are just deceiving yourself.

6. Nigerian churches will raise millions to build church, universities and pastors birthdays but when their church member need money for food, house rent, job or kidney transplant they will raise prayers instead of money????? How come the pastor needs money but the poor church members need only prayers? Why the double standard???

7. The same way these pastors invest so much energy convincing people to give them money for building projects, tithe, seeds, offerings, new cars, birthday gifts etc. If they use same energy and method to raise money for charity work or even to help their poor church members nobody will complain. The masses are complaining bc fake pastors have turned the CHURCH into FAMILY business. They now turn God's word upside down to SCAM the people they are supposed to help.

8. Just recently a Nigerian widow sold her only house and donated the money to church because that was what the pastor commanded them to do so that God will bless them. I thought the church and pastor should be the ones helping poor widows?

9. Most Nigerian tithers think that they are bribing God. They pay millions in tithe and donate millions to their pastor's cars and birthdays but they will never help their poor friends and family members. 

10. A great number of Nigerian pastors are corrupt, greedy, stingy, selfish and judgemental. They love money more than yahoo boys. I am close to many of them so I know what I am talking about. If you remove money Nigeria will not have up to 10 pastors. Most of them are there just because of the money.

11. Paying tithe in my church in the UK is never a problem because we have record books where all expenses are recorded, one man does not decide how church money is used like in Nigeria where church is one mans business center.  Pastors in developed nations are humble and loyal while many of our pastors in Nigeria are arrogant and self centred. At Family Church Portsmouth our most senior pastor is Pastor Mark, each time he comes to church his entire clothing is not up to £300, but in most Nigerian churches our pastors wear multi million naira designer clothing's, drive the most expensive cars and live in multi million dollar mansions. Whatever happens to living a modest lifestyle. 

12. I am not judging anyone, I am saying it as it is without mincing words so please spare me with your touch not my anointed bs. And if its okay to talk about our corrupt leaders then it is not bad idea if we call our pastors attention when they go wrong bc for one they are not God.

13. I have countribued money, cement etc to build churches in Nigeria and Ghana and I dont regret it. I used to pay tithe to one of Nigerians biggest /richest church till I saw the convoy of the GO. He has over 25 mobile policemen armed to the teeth but in church he sells oil and stickers for us to defeat our enemies and witches. I was wondering why he couldnt defeat enemies or armed robbers with the same stickers. So I woke up from slumber and since then I have been using my tithe to help poor people, orphans, widows etc. Till date I still help many pastors in Nigeria eventhough I dont attend their church. Pastor Joe lives in Port Harcourt and since the last few years I have been paying his house rent etc. I am not supposed to say it openly but I am saying it for those that will attack me without understanding why I made this post. Its okay to help REAL men of God, its okay to help spread the gospel but I wont give money to a billionaire pastor that has private jets, billions in his accounts while his members die in poverty. Such rich pastor should be the one giving me money, this is common sense.

14. Don't let fake pastors deceive you. Paying tithe won't stop good or bad things from happening to anyone, You CANT bribe God. Umar Ukpai is one of the most respected evangelists we have in Nigeria, he is a preacher, he pays tithe but few years ago he lost his wife and children in a car accident. What this implies is, temptations will always come to us whether we pay tithe or not, so dont let anyone deceive you into believing that you can bribe God with your tithe. 

15. God doesn’t need your money. Grace is not for sale. You can’t buy grace, blessings, happiness or heaven. Grace is free, salvation is free. They go about telling people to pay tithe and that if you don't pay you are cursed, regardless of how you make your money.

16. Most Nigerian pastors say we should pay tithe to become rich and successful, and if you dont pay tithe you are cursed. This is a BIG fat lie. God doesn't need your paper money, God needs your heart and soul. The 10 richest people in the world can buy the entire African continent, yet they are neither Christians nor tithers. Dangote is the richest black man, he doesn't pay tithe yet he is more successful than any tither. Catholic church does not force its members to pay tithe, yet many of Nigeria's billionaires are Catholics. 

a. Bill Gates is an Atheist, he doesn't pay tithe but yet he is the richest man in the world. He can buy Nigeria. Eventhought he is not a Christian, he is doing more charity work than our billionaire pastors. Bill Gates donated most of his wealth to charity. Through his Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, he is fighting Polio and HIV/AIDS with Billions of Naira in Nigeria alone. Most of his work/donations is freely available on Wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundation

b. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook owner is also an Atheist,  he has donated  $45 billion Dollars to charity. And recently he is offering free Facebook browsing etc. Can someone tell me what our billionaire pastors are doing with all the billions in their possession? Many people will be shocked on the last day. 

DO YOU BELIEVE IN PAYING TITHES: Yes I believe it is okay to pay tithe IF the pastor will channel most of the money to charity/ humanitarian works especially to help the poor members of the congregation. A church should be a place we all can get one help or another.  I dont mind paying tithe at OPM church in Port Harcourt because the guy is doing wonders with church money. He has free restaurant for EVERYONE, that is, whether you are their church member or not, no matter your race or religion you are welcomed to eat free food. OPM also has free primary and secondary school, the guy is planning to build Nigerians first 100% FREE Private University. Did I mention that OPM has a welding workshop for people to learn welding and fabrication for free? There is FREE fashion school for the ladies. OPM has given scholarship to hundreds of people. He celebrated his birthday few months ago and someone bought him a very expensive porsh car which he sold off and donated the money to widows. 

Prophet TB Joshua is another great man of God that I will not forget. He helps people worldwide for free. Emmanual TV and Its partners are helping thousands of people worldwide in many different ways and they dont care whether you are christian or Muslim, black or white. This is commendable. 

But in some Nigerian churches it is mandatory for people to pay their tithe before they can be joined in marriage or they can be buried by the church.
Yes most of the top churches in Nigeria have big register for tithers, the pastor must see the tithe card of anyone who wants to do anything in the church or he will forbid members of the church from attending. In these churches if you are not a church member they will not help you. And even if you are a member, if you are not up to date with your tithe payments nothing for you. 

SO WHAT ARE YOU AGAINST: I am against giving money to billionaire pastors that live flamboyant lifestyles. In the bible Jesus feed 500 poor hungry people but these days Nigerian pastors are being feed by 500 hungry people. The church is supposed to be a place where poor people should get help. You should use your money to help poor people in your family, community or wherever you are based. 

WHAT IS GODS POSITION IN ALL OF THIS: God will condemn the false prophets on the last day because they have made a merchandise of the gift of the Holy Spirit . God's purpose for prophets is to speak words into the air that will prosper the children of God.  Now His prophets by their own greed has added condition of give me before I speak the Word to you. Jesus did all of HIS work for free without having any property in HIS name.

FINAL VERDICT: Like I said earlier, God will bless and protect you whether you pay tithe or not. Tithing is not among the 10 commandments of God. And if your pastors wears multi million naira designer clothing's, drive multi million naira bullet proof cars, live in multi million dollar mansions, acquire properties in their own names, fix their children in strategic church positions (family business) and they tell you to save for the heavenly treasures while they enjoy the ones on earth; then my brother he is not called by God and there is no need for you to use your small money to finance his flamboyant lifestyle. 

Yes many of you have attacked me for years saying pastors should not be poor and should live a good life. Yes I know that, poverty is never good for anybody, but let the truth be told, FLAMBOYANT LIFESTYLE IS FOR WORLDLY PEOPLE. Any pastor that is living like a rap star is not called by God. even the bible tells us to share our wealth with those in need. No wonder the bible says it will be almost impossible for a rich man to make heaven. Can any of our millioniare pastors sell off all their expensive houses and cars and share the money with the poor in their church? I dont think so.

Jesus taught us to put others first, therefore, I expect Nigerian pastors to put WINNING SOULS FOR GOD and CHARITY WORK ahead of the luxury life they are living. 

Did you learn anything from this post? Or you have something contrary to say? Please let's have your views. I am not perfect and Perhaps we can learn from each other. It's very easy to contact me. My handle on all social media is iykbethany (twitter, instagram, facebook, snapchat, linkedin etc.

Culled From IykBethanys Blog: www.iykbethanygistville.com/2018/03/26/tithing-in-nigeria-the-truths-and-the-lies/

TO THOSE IGBOS THAT CALL INNOCENT PEOPLE OSU

What is Osu: Osu means an outcaste in Igboland. It is Igbo’s version of Apartheid  which ascribes an inferior “Osu” status to a group of people that limits their social interaction, marriage relationship of love with the “Diala”. It is an ancient practice in Igboland that discourages social interaction and marriage with a group of persons called Osu which like I already explained means outcast in Igbo.

The Osu are treated as inferior human beings. They are subjected to various forms of abuse and discrimination. The Osu are made to live separately from the freeborn. In most cases they reside very close to shrines and marketplaces. The Osu are not allowed to have sexual relations with Nwadiala, the freeborns. They are not allowed to break kola nuts at meetings. No Osu can pour libation or pray to God on behalf of a freeborn at any community gathering. It is believed that such prayers will bring calamity and misfortune which to me is absolute rubbish.

We are the most religious people on earth. Every Sunday almost 80% of Igbo people go to church so I wonder why this ancient, obnoxious and discriminatory Osu caste system is still prevalent in Igboland? How can we say we are Christians and still look down on some people as slaves or inferior? How can we progress with this kind of hatred, abuse, injustice and stigmatization???

THIS IS WHY I HAVE MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS WITHOUT FEAR OF ANY CONTRADICTION:

1. If you claim to be a Christian but still call someone osu in this modern age and time then you are a hypocrite and you are going straight to hell. 

 

2. If you have the guts and temerity to call someone osu but you go to CHURCH and pray to God for blessings and protection you are a hypocrite and your prayers can never be answered. Go home and make peace with yourself first. 

 

3. It baffles me how Igbos are crying and shouting marginalization up and down but the same Igbo people ostracize their brothers calling them osu.

 

4. If a white man calls your sorry ass a black monkey you cry to high heaven's but you are happy to call your brothers osu????

 

5. I am a freeborn but I don't believe that I am better than anyone. Each time i say these things online some ignorant people will attack me claiming i am osu that's why i am defending them. Truth is I am well traveled free born and I have experienced racial discrimination so i know how the fuck it feels. It makes you feel less human. It makes you wanna kill yourself. 

 

6. When i was in primary and secondary school Osu used to be a very big issue in my village, BACK then I was ignorant and used to insult those innocent people but it's over 7 years now realized my mistake and asked God for forgiveness. Every right thinking freeborn must join me to speak openly against this injustice. 

 

7. If i was not married I would happily marry an osu girl at worst friends will not want to associate with me and that's very fine with me. You stop feeding me init? 

 

8. I did a research and discovered that the only crime these people committed was idol worshiping which all our forefathers practiced before the white missionaries brought Christianity to Nigeria. So if idol worshiping is what made these people osu then all of us are osu unless you have proof that your great grandfathers didn't worship an idol? We are all sinners but Jesus died on the cross of Calvary for our sins, so this Osu bs should stop already.

 

9. I believe that God created all of us for different purposes, I don't know what is your own purpose on earth if you are in support of injustice and racial discrimination. Apart from helping orphans, widows and the less privileged, part of my mission on earth is to fight injustice and racial discrimination.

 

10. My name is Ikechukwu but you can just call me Iyk for short. I'm a self-driven entrepreneur and part-time blogger. I established my blog to educate and enlighten people especially Nigerians. I stand for freedom and justice and I've written several articles on this osu caste system which is available at my blog: www.iykbethanygistville.com

 

Did you learn anything from this post? Or you have something contrary to say? Please let's have your views. Perhaps we can learn from each other. It's very easy to contact me. My handle on all social media is iykbethany (twitter, instagram, facebook, snapchat, linkedin etc.
Culled From IykBethany Blog:  https://iykbethanygistville.com/2018/03/22/to-those-igbos-that-call-innocent-people-osu/

Medical Treatment At Apollo Hospital India

This will be very long so you have to read from the beginning until the end because I will document everything and say things the way they are without mincing words.
My name is Ikechukwu but you can just call me Iyk for short. I'm an entrepreneur from Nigeria. My mom has spinal stenosis problem which is presently being taken care of in India.

India was not my first choice, but I decided to come to India because when the desirable is not available the available becomes desirable. My first choice was the United Kingdom or Isreal because they are more developed, advanced and organized than India that is still a developing country. But to get a medical visa to UK you need a support letter from a UK hospital. I contacted 10 hospitals in the UK only 5 responded and none agreed to send me this support letter.

Anyways I tried applying for Israeli visa, searched online and within few hours Lisa Kurztag, Medical Consultant of Herzliya Medical Center (www.hmcisrael.com) replied and gave me the most info I need to apply for a visa. To get Israeli visa you need to pay $4,000 bond for each person traveling, so I and my mom will deposit $8,000 just for bond and I was told the money will be returned to us if we return to Nigeria. That's very risky for me because I don't know if this hospital is really existing or not. Also,  Lisa Kurztag told me that if I don't send the visa application within few days that the Nigerian embassy will be shut down for one month for some celebration, maybe its Easter celebration or something else I don't know but she said the embassy in Nigeria will be closed for 1 month. My mom's condition doesn't need all these unnecessary waiting so I decided to take her to India so her health can be sorted ASAP before its too late.

So I searched Indian hospitals online, contacted about 5 hospitals in India and they all replied within 24 hours unlike UK hospitals that took 2 days to reply and only a few even replied.
Choosing a hospital in India wasn't easy for me because I don't want any mistakes. I know that God is the giver and taker of life but I also know that in good hospitals the chances of mistake is minimal. So I choose Indraprastha Apollo Hospital New Delhi over Fortis and other Indian hospitals because Appollo Hospital seems to be the best hospital group in India, that is judging from my online research.

Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals (JCI USA accredited) is one of the oldest and most prestigious multi-speciality tertiary acute care hospital in India.  With 52 specialties under one roof, Apollo Hospital is one of the most sought after destinations in Asia for healthcare).
Another reason I choose Apollo Hospital Delhi is because the Orthopaedic Surgeon that will handle my mom's case, Dr. Yash Gulati seems to be among the best in India. Online reasearch shows that he has the following national Awards in India.

1. Padma Shri National Award by president of India
2. Dr. B.C Roy National Award.
3. Hon. Surgeon to President of India (2016)

PROFILE OF THE TREATING DOCTOR (DR YASH GULATI):

DR. YASH GULATI
Specialization: Orthopaedics and Spine
Department: Institutes of Spine
Location: Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi
Qualification: MBBS, MS (Ortho), Mch(Ortho) England, Dip Sports Medicine Dublin

APPOINTMENT
Fellowships / Memberships
 Indian Orthopaedic Association (IOA)
 Association of Spine Surgeon of India
 Indian Arthroplasty Association (IAA)
 Indian Society for Hip & Knee Surgeons (ISHKS)
 Delhi Orthopaedic Association (DOA)
 South Delhi Orthopaedic Society (SDOS)
 Indian Medical Association (IMA)
 Delhi Medical Association (DMA)
 Indian Federation Of Sports Medicine (IFSM)
 Delhi Medical Council (DMC)
Awards and Achievements
 Awarded Padma Shri by President of India.
 Commendation from President, Indian Orthopaedic Association.
 Commendation by Delhi Orthopaedic Association.
 ‘Romesh Chander’ Best Doctor Award for his Service to the Elderly.
 Commendation Award by International President of Lions Club.
 ‘Chiktask Ratna Award’ given by Akhil Bhartiya
 Swantrata Lekhak Manch.
 Awarded ‘Distinguished Service Award’ by President New Delhi IMA, New Delhi on Doctor’s Day June.
 Commendation Certificate from Aligarh Muslim
 University for teaching Spinal Surgery to Teaching
 Faculty in Orthopaedic & established Spine Surgery.
 Commendation certificate from Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, for Teaching.
 Best Paper Award, Annual Orthopaedic Conference, Delhi.


The above CV/awards is what gave me the confidence to treat my mom at Apollo Hospital.
Once I chose Apollo over other hospitals, I contacted Apollo team via whatsapp/email and requested for Support Letter to enable me to apply for a Medical visa from the Indian embassy in Nigeria. Within 24 hours the support letter was sent to me, so I booked our tickets and departed to Abuja.
As we landed in Abuja I went straight to the Indian embassy in Abuja because my mom was in pains so I didn't want to waste any days without achieving something. We got to the embassy around 1pm and was told the embassy closes at 12noon, I was so depressed that we have wasted one day without achieving anything but I didn't give up. I started talking to the touts that hustle around the embassy premises, most of them are from the Northern part of Nigeria, they told me that they can give me the phone number of the Indian High Commissioner maybe if I am lucky he could let us in. So I called the commissioner on phone and explained that my mom is in serious pains and we need to get her visa ASAP, he told me embassy was closed, I begged, pleaded and he said anyways if I have proof that we came from Owerri today that he will let us in, I told him yes i still have our plane ticket/boarding pass so that was how we were let into the embassy. Before going into the embassy I had already filled the visa forms and I also have all the required  documents which included bank statements showing you have at least 5 Million Naira in your account, consent letter from my bank showing that the bank account is really mine, court affidavit to proof relationship between me and my mom, isn't that ridiculous? We share the same surname so I don't understand what further proof they need. Maybe those touts at the embassy use these documents to extort money from unsuspecting individuals but they told me that the embassy will not accept our application without these documents.

So as we got into the embassy, we paid the visa fees, did biometrics and was told to call the next day to see if a visa is ready. I called by 3pm the next day and was told come and our visa was stamped, so we are now ready to travel to India.

I contacted my travel agent, she told me Emirates is 890,000 naira for a return flight for me and my mom. My wife went to Emirates website and got it cheaper at 795,000 Naira. I'm sure we would have got it cheaper if we were traveling in a months time but there's no need to waste any further time in Nigeria. We spent 2 nights in Abuja, then departed to India the next day via Dubai.

The flight from Nigeria to Dubai was smooth and we were fed very well. We landed in Dubai in about 7 hours later, waited 5 hours before catching the next flight to New Delhi, India. The flight time from Dubai to India was less than 4 hours. We landed at Delhi International Airport, waited about 30 minutes for immigration stamping/clearance. After the immigration cleared us we met a lady that said she came from Apollo Hospital which was very nice. Before I left Nigeria I informed Apollo Hospital that it was our first time in India so we will like them to pick us from the Airport which they did. From the airport, they took us straight to International Lounge of Apollo hospital. I was made to fill up forms and made some payments to see the consultant. Then we were allowed to go to our hotel, but they didn't let me go to the hotel I paid online before coming. I paid to lodge at EMBLEM hotel but they took us to HC GRAND hotel telling me that EMBLEM Hotel is not among the hotels they work with which is a lie because the hotel list they sent me before I came EMBLEM HOTEL was clearly written there, so I don't know why they didn't let me lodge there.

The next day we came to the hospital, we met with the consultant, Dr. Gulati. he asked us a couple of questions like when did the problem start, any history of diabetes, etc. Asked mom to lie down and point the areas that she's feeling pain. He used some instrument to check areas mom is feeling numb etc. He requested for the medical results and scans from Nigeria which I gave him but I told him to do their own scans and test to be sure which he agreed.

So I paid all the fees for scans and blood tests, the results came out 2 days later including the MRI scan, then we met the consultant again. After reviewing the MRI scan Dr, Gulati said there is no doubt that mom needs a surgery, but he is considering if there is no need for screws. I told him it is his profession so he should decide. He said that he will leave the option open until the surgery day, that if its necessary they will use screws but if its not very necessary he will not use it. I asked if this will do the job he said he has a feeling it will do the job. Dr. Gulati said he will admit my mom on Monday and do the surgery on Tuesday.

So I went to the billing department, got the bill, paid for everything including use of screws etc.I forgot to mention that a guy that works at Dr. Gulati's office mislead me about payment of the bill. he told me that they accept Indian rupees but when I was paying they told me they cant accept more than 100,000 Indian rupees in cash that I MUST pay the rest in Dollars. Vikash who happens to work at Dr. Gulati's office misled me into changing most of my money from USD to Indian rupees. so now I have to buy dollars again which cost me more money but I had to do it because no time to waste.
So on Monday, we were admitted at the hospital, we were sharing one room with another patient because my mom refused to stay in a private suit, she said its ok to share room with other patients so that it will be easy to have access to nurses and doctors in cases of emergency.

I know how risky spinal cord surgery is so I was always praying and I was very scared but i didn't let my mom know how scared I was because I needed to be strong boost her own faith and confidence. To be honest on Tuesday morning when the medical team came to take mom to the OT it was very difficult for me to let mom go with them because I didn't know if I was gonna see her again. Its one of the hardest things I ever did. I just prayed and said mom you will come go to the theater and back alive, healthier and better and she said Amen. I forgot to mention that when we were admitted on Monday different doctors came to ask questions. This one will come and say I am Dr. this from that department, I want to ask a few questions, any drug allergies, any history of heart disease, diabetes, any implants etc. I answered no to all the questions. They told us to wake up by 5am because they will take mom to the OT by 6am. So as early as 4am my mom was already awake, praying like she always do. In my heart I was telling God to please answer my mother's prayers and let the surgery be successful without any complications or regrets.

Immediately they took mom to the OT I left the hospital, rushed to my hotel room and started praying. My prayer was for a successful operation without any complications. While I was praying a strange number called me saying he was calling from the surgery room and that I need to identify myself first bc he has information for me. My heart skipped, I thought it was bad news. I was shaking like a baby. I told him my name etc then he said they are about to start the surgery and that it will last 5 hours. Jesus I removed my underwear, this time I was behaving like I was mad. Rolling all over my room, woke up few hours later and went back to the hospital.

They told me the surgery will last 4 hours but it was already 6 hours and no news. 7 hours later I gathered courage and called the surgeons office, Vikash the surgeons assistant told me Mr. Tony I have good news for you. Your mom's surgery was successful and she's now in the waiting room according to International best practice. After surgery we monitor the patients for few hours, if everything is okay they will go back to their room otherwise they will spend few days in INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (ICU). Menhh I started praying again.

God answered my prayers despite my shortcomings, my mom came out of the operating room alive and since few days now she has been going to the washroom without my assistance, I thank God. We were discharged from hospital 5 days after the operation even though Dr. Gulati wanted to discharge us just after 3 days. I told him I paid for 5 days and I don't need to rush mom back to the hotel room bc I cant manage any emergency situation.

In one of the papers, they gave us the stitches will be removed after 10 days but when we visited Dr. Gulati 2 days ago for check up he wrote on a paper that the switches have been removed? I wonder why he would remove the stitches in 7 days instead of the 10 days they wrote on a paper. I confronted Vikash about it he said Dr. Gulati made a mistake that he cannot remove the stitches in 7 days. Then while I was buying medicine at the Pharmacy I met Bhawna a Pharmacist and Madhushree who introduced herself and being in charge of all international patients. I told them that he came to the hospital for the doctor to dress mom up but the doctor removed the stitches, he said the Doctor knows better I shouldn't worry. Anyways tomorrow is the 10th day so I will find out if the stitches were removed or the Dr. wrote "Stitches Removed" by mistake.

One thing I have found about Dr. Gulati is that he doesn't have time for his patients. Each time we are in his office he rarely spends up to 2 minutes with us. He sounds bossy and harsh. For example, on Monday after we were admitted he came to see mom and he said so tomorrow is the operation. I don't think we will use the screws, I said okay sir as long as the problem will not come back again he said: "IF YOU LIKE I WILL JUST OPEN UP THE WHOLE PLACE". That statement was a bit harsh and scary, how can you open up the whole place? Maybe you are saying the truth, but why not say it in a polite way, I am not a surgeon, this is your field, but at least explain the situation to us in a way that we will understand.

Another thing they didn't do is tell us the advantages of the surgery or what to expect or the risks. I haven't had any surgery before but from what I've read online a surgeon will tell you the risks, advantages etc of a surgery before proceeding. Nobody discussed such things with us, maybe that's their standard at Apollo or maybe it's not necessary. Maybe he is bossy because he is a rich, famous doctor like many locals have told me that Dr. Gulati is a celebrity doctor.

I will close for now because its already past 12 midnight here and we will have to be at the hospital in few hours time. I will continue this blog on daily basis throughout our stay here. I will try and upload all the pics and photos tomorrow.

Top 7 Hotels in Owerri

Imo State is commonly referred to as the “Heartland” and is also the entertainment capital of Eastern Nigeria. Owerri is the State Capital and a top tourist destination in the South Eastern part of Nigeria. Many fun seekers troop into Owerri every weekend to enjoy life.

There are so many top quality hotels in Owerri but in my Own Humble Opinion, these are the top 7 hotels in Owerri. I

These are the criteria I used in compiling this list. 

 

1. Customer Service: Ofcourse this has to be number one

2. Facilities and overall quality of the hotel 

3. Cost

4. Security

5. Reputation

 

 

So here we go.

 

1. IMMACULATE ROYAL INTERNATIONAL HOTEL:
ADDRESS: Port Harcourt Rd, New Owerri, Imo State. Website: http://immaculateroyalhotel.com  Phone: +234 803 203 6011  Email: info@immaculateroyalhotel.com

Total Number of Rooms: 200

 

In my own humble opinion, Immaculate Hotel is the best hotel in Owerri hands down eventhough they are not the biggest, neitehr are they the largest or most beautiful hotel in Owerri but when you compare their room rates, services, facilities etc with other hotels in Owerri they come top. THis is my opinion, another person may have a contrary opinion which is why we are all unique in our own ways.

Immaculate Hotel top my list because of so many good reasons. Good quality hotel both inside and outside, quality finishing, very clean, best customer service, well equiped gym, clean swimming pool, bars etc. Some things you enjoy at Immaculate Hotel as standard features cost extra money in other hotels. Even the cheapest rooms at Immaculate hotel has safety deposit box, bathrobe, hair dryer in all rooms. Immaculate hotel has very big beds that can accommodate 4 persons, 3 big towels in all rooms, most hotels have just one or two towels. They have the most spacious rooms in Owerri.

The only thing Immaculate Hotel needs to work on is their FOOD/COOK.

Whoever that is fixing food for them is terrible. Maybe it is just me but the only meal I enjoy at Immaculate hotel is their FISHERMAN'S SOUP with OATMEAL .Its worth giving a try. I am not dissing or hating, I am just saying it as it is. Everyone that lodges here knows that I am saying the truth. Apart from the food there is no other complaint.

 

Immaculate hotel lift is connected to either an inverter or some power source i don't know about. When there is power failure the lift is not affected, this is the only hotel in Owerri that has this. I have been trapped in many hotel lifts in Owerri whenever they are changing power from government PHCN to their private generators, you will be stuck in the lift for  minutes. Whoever owns Immaculte hotel has a good taste.

 

2. PROTEA HOTELS BY MARRIOT:  Part of Marriott International,

ADDRESS:  Plot H/1 Nekede Pocket Layout, Protea Road, New Owerri. Telephone: +234 813983331019.
Website: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/phcpr-protea-hotel-owerri-select/
Number of rooms: 90 Rooms

 I was told that Leo Stan Eke brought this hotel to Owerri. They opened for business in late 2017. This is the only international Hotel in Owerri at the moment.

 

The only reason Protea hotel is not in number one in my list is because it is still brand new and not tested yet. I have learnt not to judge a book by its cover, lets test them for 1 year and then decide. I wanted to lodge here with my family last Xmas but was told they were fully booked till January 4th, 2018. I and my family had our dinner here several times in December 2017 till January 2018, and I can tell you, they have the best selection of food in Owerri, they have the best buffet hands down but it is not cheap.

This is presently the most expensive hotel in Owerri. I was allowed to tour the hotel and these are my observations: Clean swimming pool, well-equipped gym but its small too. They have massive land at the backyard so I expect this is only phase one of this hotel, they are likely going to expand in the future. I haven't seen the rooms yet, but the hotel is clean, brand new and world class. If you nor get money, abeg hide your face from this hotel.

 

3. ROCKVIEW HOTEL OWERRI:
ADDRESS: Plot Cp/2-Cp/5, Opposite Imo State Government House Owerri. Telephone: 08159791261-64, 08159791251. WEBSITE: http://www.rockviewhotels.com/

Number of Rooms: 107

 

 There's no doubt that Rockview is a very good hotel with good facilities but this hotel is unreasonably expensive. Their room rate is outrageous, but they do have good food, their cook is one of the best in Owerri.  I have only lodged here once and I didn't return because it is expensive.

To me its not for the average man, most politicians lodge here.

4. OXYGEN HOTEL OWERRI:

ADDRESS: Plot 2-10 Lady Annas Nwosu lane off Assembly Road, Area E New owerri L/out Owerri. Phone: 08162195186 | Website: https://www.oxygenresorts.com 

 

Oxygen is a standard hotel. Good food, good customer service, good reputation but unreasonably too expensive. Oxygen has the best PRESIDENTIAL SUITE IN OWERRI. Their presidential suite has 3 bedrooms, very large living room, jacuzzi in rooms, so many world-class facilities but its too expensive @250,000 per night, though this includes free food for 8 people,  housekeepers, free wines etc.

5. TRANSTEL HOTEL & APARTMENTS:

ADDRESS: Plot SH/14 Evan Enwerem Avenue Behind CBN, Opposite Ebere Links Filling Station Portharcourt Road, Imo State. Phone: 08174629016, 08032039964, 08097966506
Website: http://www.transtellhotelsandapartments.com/index.php/en/ EMAIL: info@transtellhotels.com

 

 

Transtel hotel has so many things going for them. To me their gym is the biggest in Owerri, their gym instructor is among the best as well. They have good cook, very nice and clean swimming pool,  tennis court. They also have so many indoor and outdoor bars for your relaxation. Transtel staff are very friendly,  their rooms rates are very reasonable and affordable. Their apartments is the best in Owerri.

 

The hotel is quite large, but the owners are not done yet, presently they are building the largest EVENTS CENTRE in Owerri which Im sure will open for business in less than one month time. If you are  traveling to Owerri as a family and you want to cook your own food, please lodge at TRANSTEL Hotel Apartments, their rooms are spacious and the kitchen is well equipped. There are some apartments that has just one bedroom with one sitting room, there are also 2 bedroom apartments with sitting room, kitcken etc. How can I forget that Transtel Hotel have one of the best barbeque fish in Owerri.

6. VILLA GARDEN HOTEL:

ADDRESS: 5028 Commercial/Action Rd, New Owerri, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
Website: https://villargardenhotelng.online/index.html    Telephone (+234) 0906-722-9011, 0906-707-9986

Number of Rooms: 80

From the outside the hotel building is world class, it is a beauty to behold from the outside, their front office is quite intimidating and among the best in Owerri. Their staff uniform is very nice, very friendly customer service but the hotel is expensive.

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Villa Garden Suit of 45,000 Naira suite has only one toilet while Immaculate hotel and transtel hotel suite of 25,000 has better finishing, and most importantly they have a toilet in the bedroom as well as the sitting room. Villa Garden has very clean swimming and gym though the gym is still under construction, I think it will be ready within few weeks. Villa Garden has very large conference hals for all occassions, their security network is also good.

 

 

7. IMO CONCORDE HOTEL & CASINO:
ADDRESS: Concorde Boulevard, Owerri, Imo State Nigeria.

Number of Rooms: Not sure, but it should be the largest hotel in Owerri.

This is the oldest hotels in Owerri. It belongs to Imo State government, I think it was built by Late Sam Mbakwe. Back in the days it used to be the best hotel in the entire South East, until our politicians killed it. Like most government properties in Nigeria, the politicians and bad management killed Imo Concorde Hotel. Few years ago, all the Imo State House of Assembly members had rooms at Concorde, they lived there for years without paying a penny till the place became so rotten that it was only animals and rodents that are fit to live there, then it was shut down for long time before Governor Rochas Okorocha renovated it. This is one of the achievements of Governor Rochas, he did well here because right now Concorde has come back to life and employed many people. Concorde hotel has the largest swimming pool in Imo as well as the largest car park. Concorde has a night club called Octagon Night club as well as a casino. Their food is nice and good buffet too. Their presidential suite used to be the best, thats where the presidents and governors lodge when they visit Owerri back then but things have changed, these days them big boys with fat bank account prefer Oxygen presidential suite. 

 

Titanic View Hotel & Suite is supposed to be on this list but I won't include it because the facilities there breaks down easily. When i lodged there everyone was complaining about the lift not working, there was something wrong with the plumbing work in my room. When building a hotel its advisable to use quality finishing, im sory but things break down here easily I dont know why.

 

NOTABLE MENTIONS: FULLMOON, ALL SEASONS HOTELS, Citi Global, Manwood, GreatWood Hotel, Titanic View Hotel & Suite

 

NOTICE: Apart from Lagos and Abuja, there are few cities in Nigeria that parades the number of hotels like Owerri but this list will only concentrate on the top 7 hotels in Owerri.

As at December 2017, about 20 brand new hotels were opened to the public,I didnt include any of the new hotels except Protea.

As at the time i am posting this, there are over 50 hotel projects of different sizes that are nearing completion in Owerri.