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LIFE
...THINKING ABOUT LIFE;THE GOOD THE BAD, THE UGLY.LIFE IS ESSENTIALLY BEAUTIFUL
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Monday, January 5, 2015
TEXT OF SPEECH BY PASTOR 'TUNDE BAKARE
THEME:
THE GATHERING STORM & AVOIDABLE
SHIPWRECK:
HOW TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC
EUROCLYDON
CENTRAL TEXT: ACTS 27:1-25
(NKJV)
ACTS 27:1-25 (NKJV):
1 And when it was
decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other
prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment. 2 So, entering a
ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia.
Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us. 3 And the next day
we landed at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty
to go to his friends and receive care. 4 When we had put to sea from there, we
sailed under the
shelter of Cyprus, because
the winds were contrary. 5
And
when we had sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to
Myra, a city of Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship
sailing to Italy, and he put us on board.7 When we had sailed slowly many days, and
arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we
sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone. 8 Passing it with
difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.9 Now when 2 much
time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already
over, Paul advised them, 10
saying,
“Men, In perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not
only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” 11 Nevertheless the centurion was
more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things
spoken by Paul. 12
And
because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set
sail
from there also,
if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the
southwest and northwest, and winter there.13 When the south
wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting
out to sea, they sailed close by Crete. 14 But not long after, a tempestuous head
wind arose, called Euroclydon. 15 So when the ship was caught, and could not head into
the wind, we let her drive. 16 And running under the shelter of an
island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty. 17 When they had
taken it on board, they used cables to
undergird the
ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they
struck sail and so were driven. 18 And because we were exceedingly
tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. 19 On the third day
we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands. 20 Now when neither
sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all
hope that we would be saved was finally given up. 21 But after long
abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you
should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this
disaster and loss. 22
And
now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but
only of the ship. 23
For
there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I
serve, 24
saying,
‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted
you all those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe
God that it will be just as it was told me. 3
INTRODUCTION
Fellow citizens
of our country, gentlemen of the Press, ladies and
gentlemen:
At this crucial
juncture in the history of our nation, I bring to you a word
in season which,
in time to come, may turn out to have been a final warning regarding the
imminent storms threatening to hit our nation. At
the same time,
this is a word of hope; the assurance that despite the looming chaos, Nigeria
in the hands of God is going to be the biggest miracle of the century.
First, I must
reiterate in unequivocal terms that my position in the
unfolding
political situation of our nation is that of a nation-builder and
not a
politician, and that my desire is to see a nation that works in my
lifetime. On the
16th
of
November, 2014, as I stood on this platform to
share with you
“The Nigeria of My Dreams”, I laid it bare to all and
sundry why I
would rather incline my ears to the melodies within my
reins as to the
beat of a distant drum. Although the position I stand here
today to declare
may appear as controversial to many, I do not go about
seeking
controversies. It is the Lord who has a controversy with the
nations, with
the inhabitants of the land, and with His people, because
their counsel is
contrary to His, according to Jeremiah 25:31 (NKJV):
'A noise will
come to the ends of the earth - For the Lord has a controversy with the
nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are
wicked to the sword,' says the LORD.
Let me therefore
declare upfront my desire for a successful transition exercise irrespective of
political party interest. About this time five years ago in 2010, when the
nation was engulfed in a constitutional crisis that bordered on the refusal to
transmit power to the current president, Dr.
Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan, and the hijack of presidential powers by a
4
cabal following
the incapacitation of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua,
as I was inspired
by God to take action, I gathered the heroes of
democracy with
the help of civil society organization leaders at The
Sheraton Lagos
Hotel, Ikeja, and the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) was
born. We marched
the streets of Abuja and Lagos until the Doctrine of
Necessity paved
the way for the restoration of constitutionality. After
President
Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in, we, at the Save Nigeria
Group, had a
series of meetings with him in the bid to chart a new
course for our
nation offering him what we termed “A Contract to Save
and Transform
Nigeria”, which we consider an irreducible minimum
standard of
governance below which the Nigerian people should not be
subjected. We
sought to lend capacity to a man in whom both God and
the people had
great expectations. We thought that, having come from a
part of the
country that had borne the brunt of our lopsided political
structure, Mr.
President would understand, like the Biblical Queen
Esther, that
“for such a time as this he was brought into the kingdom” to
be the
facilitator of geopolitical restructuring and national integration.
However, when we
could not find fruit of genuine commitment to these
ideals at that
time and when it appeared to us that the president had
chosen a path
that could lead to the antithesis of what we consider his
unique role, we
went across the nation talking to leading political
contenders in
search of the most suitable candidate to whom we could
lend our
support. On the 31st
of
July, 2010, we brought together those
we called 'Arrow
Heads' who could constitute a team of transformational
leaders for our
nation, including the likes of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
Dr. Oby
Ezekwesili, ex-governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke,
Mallam Nasir
El-Rufai, Nuhu Ribadu, Fola Adeola, Jimi Lawal, Hon.
Wale Osun, Yinka
Odumakin, amongst others. Meetings were held in
my home where I
made it clear that I would not be seeking political
office so that
people would not think I convened Save Nigeria Group for
5
that purpose. It
was thereafter some of us found General Buhari to be the
most suitable of
the leading presidential contenders. When, months later,
he invited me to
be his running mate on the platform of the Congress for
Progressive
Change (CPC), I flatly refused until after much persuasion
and corroborating
counsel. Details of what transpired in that period will
be out in my
book, Strategic Intervention in Governance: Volume I,
which will be
presented to the public on the 4th of February this year by
God's grace. I
say all of this to make it clear that I do what I do just
because I desire
a Nigeria that works, not because I seek any political
office. However,
it is my considered opinion that capable men and
women who love
God and love the people must offer themselves to
serve when the
opportunity arises, for, as Plato said, “the price good men
pay for
indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men”. That is
why I am so
grateful to God and thankful to General Buhari for offering
me the
opportunity to break the jinx and forever eliminate from our
consciousness
the notion that no pastor should have anything to do with
politics. The
fact that another pastor who has never won an election is
running mate to
General Buhari in the 2015 elections is a testimony to
that.
As we approach
the general elections few weeks from today with
President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) pitted
against General Muhammadu Buhari of the All
Progressives
Congress (APC) the second time around, there have been
questions
regarding my political leanings. It is clear except to the
mischief makers
where my loyalties lie but this broadcast is not about
political
endorsements; it is about alerting the nation of the storms
ahead. If you
must know, my political loyalty lies with General Buhari
and I cannot
claim not to know the issues surrounding the APC Primary
and the
processes that led to the selection of his current running mate.
6
Nevertheless,
this broadcast is about the counsel of the Most High who
rules in the
affairs of men and gives rulership to whoever He wills.
THE WINDS AND
THE MAKING AND UNMAKING OF
NATIONS
First, I would
love to remind you that the Most High cannot be crowded
out of history
because history is His story. Kingdoms have emerged or
disappeared,
nations have risen or fallen, great leaders have mounted
and exited the
stage, but none of these have occurred without the
direction or
permission of God Almighty. Not only has He authored
history, He has
also ordered the times and seasons for the unveiling of
the content of
its pages, having predetermined the appointed time for
each nation. As
though opening the pages of a book with His hands to
reveal its
content, God orders and unveils the story of the nations with
the stirring of
the winds. In the Bible, we see the destiny of nations
unfold in
response to this stirring of the winds upon the earth and the
sea. Whenever
these winds blow, changes occur in the governance of
nations, for
good or for evil.
In the Book of
Daniel we see the Four Winds of Heaven stirring up the
Great Sea which
represents the people, multitudes, nations and tongues
(Daniel 7:1-8).
In response to this stirring, four beasts came out of the
Great Sea. These
four beasts were four kings and their kingdoms known
today as the
Babylonian Kingdom, the Medo-Persian Kingdom, the
Greek Empire,
and the Roman Empire. The Four Winds of Heaven are
the attributes
of God: Mercy, Truth, Righteousness and Peace.
7
Psalm 85:10-13
(NKJV):
10 Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace
have kissed. 11 Truth shall
spring out of the earth, And
righteousness shall look down from
heaven. 12
Yes,
the LORD
will
give what is good; And our land will
yield its increase.
13 Righteousness
will go before Him, And shall make His
footsteps our pathway.
Ironically, when
these forces impact upon the earth, they expose the
beasts in the
rulers of nations. These beastly rulers leave behind them a
trail of
devastation and dryness after which the Four Winds of the
Heavens are
again prophetically stirred to expel these beastly forces and
bring
restoration to the Valley of Dry Bones and its content (Ezekiel 37:
1-14).
In the parallel
Book of Revelations, the Four Winds of the Earth are revealed as forces
affecting the nations. These forces result in the troubling or change of
governmental orders. The Four Winds of the Earth are politics, economy,
military and religion. These forces could
be channeled to
either the making or ruining of nations depending on the
dispositions of
the leaders and the people. For instance, national ruin was the result in many
African states with the emergence of tyrants after
independence -
the likes of Idi Amin Dada of Uganda, Mobutu Sese Seko of Democratic Republic
of Congo, Jean Bédel Bokassa of Central
African
Republic, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, General Sani
Abacha of Nigeria, and many other ambitious men
whose dreams,
drives and delusions unleashed a devastating storm into
the political
space of their respective nations. This political storm resulted, or has
resulted, as the case may be, in economic ruin as these
men enriched
themselves at the expense of their respective nations. At
some point in
Uganda, for instance, currency was printed just to satisfy
8 the
whims and caprices of Idi Amin without recourse to any principle of monetary policy
management. Mobutu, on his part, amassed so much
wealth through
corruption that he was reportedly richer than his country
and appropriated
many of his country’s assets as it plunged into infrastructural collapse.
Bokassa, intolerant of opposition politicians whom he allegedly killed and ate
or fed to crocodiles, diverted and squandered the little wealth his country
had. General Sani Abacha became the most brutal dictator in the history of
Nigeria, eliminating perceived opponents by means of a deadly killer squad and
stashing away over $3 billion of public monies in foreign accounts. Obiang, who
is still the
president of Equatorial Guinea, is reportedly worth $600 million. He is said to
have taken full control of his country's national treasury and deposited more
than half a billion dollars into accounts controlled by himself and his family
claiming that he did this to prevent
civil servants
from being tempted to engage in corrupt practices. It will
be observed that
the emergence of these African dictators was as a result
of the invasion
of the military wind manifesting through coup d’états or
civil wars
which, in some cases, resulted in counter-coups or extended
civil wars. In
more recent times, especially since the turn of the century,
the wind of
religion and the wind of the military have been unleashed
upon the
continent and upon the nations of the earth like a genie in a bottle,
manifesting in the form of terrorist organizations from Boko Haram in Nigeria
to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al-
Shabab in the
Horn of Africa; from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda to the
Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria (ISIS); and from Hezbollah in Lebanon to
Hamas in
Palestine.
Conversely, the
Four Winds of the Earth have also served in ushering
nations into
seasons of genuine or perceived transformation. For example, the formation of
the United States of America was preceded by
the stirring of
the combined winds of religion, economy, politics and 9
military in
Europe as well as in America. Many of the colonies which
formed the
United States were created by settlers who fled religious persecution in
Europe. This quest for religious freedom and the discipline that characterized
the puritan migrants became the fuel for the
highly
profitable agricultural and commercial activities that produced
economic
prosperity in the colonies. The political wind blew when the
colonies
declared independence and this declaration was accompanied
by the war of
independence upon which was laid the foundation of a prosperous nation that has
become the most powerful country on earth
today.
Similarly, the formation of the Islamic kingdoms, the largest of
which was the
Ottoman Empire that later transformed to modern day Turkey under the leadership
of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was inspired by
this interplay
of the four winds of the earth. Other cases in point include
the economic
miracle of the Asian Tigers including Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and
Singapore as well as the Asian giant, China.
It is gladdening
to know that the Four Winds of the Earth, no matter how
ferocious, are
under the God's control:
Revelation 7:1-3 (NKJV):
1After these things I saw four angels
standing at the four corners
of
the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind
should
not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I
saw
another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the
living
God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to
whom
it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do
not
harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the
servants
of our God on their foreheads.”10
NIGERIA AND THE
FOUR WINDS OF THE EARTH
Let us now bring
this back home by taking a brief look at the interplay
of political,
economic, military and religious winds in the journey of the
Nigerian nation
so far. Our pre-independence history saw the emergence
of empires,
kingdoms, fiefdoms and communal political arrangements
whose rise and
fall were driven by military expeditions motivated by economic interests and,
in some cases, clad in religious motives. Since
independence,
these winds, operating through political power blocs, have produced
governmental change from one regime to another. Between 1966 and 1999, it was
often a case of one military government
taking over from
a civilian government or from another military government citing, amongst other
factors, economic mismanagement and political corruption, and expressing a
messianic mission to correct
the blunders,
even if insincerely. In the democratic arrangements that
preceded the
return to civil rule in 1999, such as the 1993 elections, religion was a much
more silent factor among the four winds in the determination of political
outcomes. That was why the June 12, 1993 elections could produce victory for a
Muslim-Muslim ticket. However,
following the
return to civil rule, religion has become a major factor in
the
determination of election outcomes especially since the 2003 elections in which
General Muhammadu Buhari first contested for the
presidency, as
he has often been erroneously associated with religious
fundamentalism.
The import of this factor got to what some might have
thought would be
a crescendo in the 2011 elections when, for the first
time in
Nigeria’s history, a pastor stepped into politics as running mate
to General
Buhari.
Nevertheless, in
the year 2015, a crucial year in the unfolding history of
our nation, the
Four Winds of the Earth are about to hit the nation in one
combined storm
that will not leave her the same. The purpose of this
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broadcast is to
give a timely warning before the storm arrives like
Apostle Paul did
on that journey to Rome in the Alexandrian ship (Acts
27) as well as to
proffer an alternative pathway even if the warnings and
the proposals
are rejected as occurred in Paul's case. But first, let us
examine the
state of the nation and show how we have stirred the ship of
state with
difficulty (verse 7), ignoring the warning signs, laying claim
to fictitious
economic achievements, celebrating political institutions
with weak
foundations, allowing criminality and rebellion to fester in the
guise of
religion, and denying the seeming comatose state of our military
and its
inability to withstand the pressure, thereby subjecting our nation
to a depth of
instability never before experienced since the Civil War.
THE STATE OF THE
NATION
Today, Nigeria
is supposedly the largest economy in Africa, surpassing
South Africa and
Egypt with a GDP of $522 billion, a value obtained since the rebasing of the
economy in April 2014. With this nominal GDP, Nigeria is now the 26th largest economy
in the world. It would appear, then, that her aspiration to become one of the
twenty largest economies in the world by 2020 is within reach. However,
whenever the
GDP figures are
brandished by the government as signs of achievement,
red flags start
emerging as the people look around them and wonder if
GDP stands for garri
don peme because even staple foods are becoming
unaffordable to
the so-called ordinary Nigerian. In any case, we need not
go into those
socio-economic realities that challenge the bogus claims of
economic growth;
let us simply dwell in the realm of economic statistics
with which
experts have often attempted to blind the eyes of Nigerians.
According to the
National Bureau of Statistics as well as Trading Economics, a resource centre
for economic indicators for countries the
12 world
over including Nigeria, there was a decline in average GDP
growth rate
between the third quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2014 with growth
declining to an average rate of 4.5% within that period
compared to
earlier rates as well as a 2014 rate of 6%. Were these not
signs of a
staggering economy; signs that were strongly denied by the government until
recently when the fact could no longer be hidden following the fall in oil prices?
One also wonders if this decline was not
the pointer to
the fact that the economy could no longer sustain the massive corruption in the
fuel subsidy regime which then informed the
attempted
subsidy removal and the increase in fuel price in January 2012, a policy which
the people protested, defying intimidation until the
protests were
crushed by a combined force of political intrigues, economic sell-outs and
military deployment with no action taken against
the major
culprits in the subsidy fraud. Also, one wonders if, despite all
the acclaimed
benefits of the rebasing exercise, it was not mere recourse
to plastic
surgery as an attempted solution to an internal disease in a lastminute effort
to window-dress the economy and attract investments
rather than
address the problems fundamentally, considering the fact that
it was done in
the first quarter of 2014.
The gap between
the bogus GDP claims and the economic realities of
Nigerians is
seen in the fact that Nigeria, according to the World Bank,
has one of the
lowest GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity
(PPP) in the
world at the 123rd
position
out of 185 countries, thus revealing that the value of our currency as an
import-dependent economy makes our GDP claims of little worth. Worse still, the
level of
inequality in
the distribution of wealth that shows that a select few have
cornered the
wealth of the nation is seen in a Gini coefficient of 43.8 which is one of the
highest inequality indicators in the world according
to World Bank
statistics. To explain to Nigerians what this means, the
Leadership newspaper of
March 1,
2014 revealed that in a population of about 170 million people, only about
twelve Nigerians
control
one-eighth of the entire Nigerian economy!
More damning
revelations were unveiled in an article titled “Bitter Truths about Economy the
Jonathan Govt. Does Not Want Nigerians to
Know”, published
by Premium Times on December 22, 2014. In it, inconsistencies in
statistical indicators being brandished by the government were unveiled. The
fact was revealed that in the first five
years of civil
rule, oil prices were not as high as they were between 2009
and 2013. Yet,
whereas in those first five years, we had fiscal surpluses,
we have been
having fiscal deficits despite the relatively more favourable oil prices
between 2009 and 2013. It will also interest Nigerians to know that within the
same period when oil prices were high, all other oil producing countries
recorded surpluses and deployed
those surpluses
to long-term infrastructure projects while Nigeria was
recording
deficits and borrowing to service the deficits. Again, despite
the fact that
only about 70% of the budget is implemented annually in
Nigeria, we keep
borrowing and accumulating debt supposedly to service the contrived deficit.
Also, whereas growth has supposedly remained strong, we have never been as
indebted as we are now since
our exit from
the Paris Club with a $3.5 billion external debt and a N2.2
trillion naira
domestic debt even though what the debt has been used to
achieve remains
to be seen. Considering the negative correlation
between growth
and public debt, does this not suggest a statistical
window-dressing
of our claims of growth? Why do we store our excess
earnings in
foreign reserves that give us a paltry 3% interest while we
accumulate debt
at an average interest rate of 13-15%? Even worse is
the fact that,
according to Chatham House, oil theft averages $3-8 billion
annually. Yet,
this monumental loss of an industrial scale does not
reflect
negatively in our growth claims. Definitely, some voodoo
economists are
cooking our books.
Furthermore,
earlier in 2014, the then Governor of Central Bank, Lamido Sanusi Lamido
alleged that about $20 billion was not remitted
to the
federation account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) - a
claim that was later dismissed. Was this allegation thoroughly investigated
without bias? Considering the fact that this allegation was made in a year
preceding general elections, and
just before a
fiscal era where Nigerians are being asked to tighten their
belts, we are
compelled to ask where recent huge campaign donations are coming from and for
what purpose such humongous donations in clear violation of the law are made.
It appears the PDP campaign slogan
for the 2015 election
is “to hell with the poor”.
In the midst of
these provocations, a supposedly successful Transformation Agenda is being
peddled as the basis of re-election for
four more years.
We have failed to admit that our economic growth is not so much the result of
astute fiscal and monetary policy as it is of the
global stirring
of the Four Winds of the Earth. In our mono-product economic structure,
international political and military crisis, especially
among oil
producing states, has been the cause of our acclaimed economic growth due to
the resultant high oil prices brought about by a
shortfall in the
supply of the product. Now that the prices have fallen,
with some of our
erstwhile major importers abandoning our crude and
with the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) vowing not to cut
production output even if the price falls to $20 per barrel, we are
face-to-face with an economic crisis that an austerity budget based on
uncertain income projections cannot address.
These red flags
of economic upheaval are being raised alongside an alarming security situation
that has so far cast serious doubt on our military capability. Who would have
thought that Nigerians would one
day be displaced
from their homes and would become refugees in countries like Chad and Niger?
Who would have thought that entire communities in one geo-political zone of the
country would one day be
under the
control of terror groups or that the time would come when hundreds of women and
children would be carted away by terror groups
on more than one
occasion with no intervention by security forces? Who
would have
expected that Nigerian soldiers would one day be helpless
against
insurgents to the extent of abandoning inferior weapons and fleeing to
neighbouring Cameroon? Who would have thought that Nigeria would one day be
classified alongside Iraq and Afghanistan on
the list of
terror-stricken nations? In the recent Global Terrorism Index,
based on 2013
incidents, Nigeria ranked 4th among 162 countries with
303 reported
attacks, 1,826 fatalities and 457 injuries. Terrorism was said to have cost
Nigeria $28.48 billion in the year 2013. Nigeria is surpassed only by Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Iraq in this index. Given the dastardly activities of Boko
Haram last year, the 2014 index would
be even more
damning for Nigeria.
WELCOME TO FAIR
HAVENS: A TRANSITIONAL HARBOUR
ACTS 27:7-8 (NKJV):
7 When we had
sailed slowly many days, and arrived with
difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not
permitting us to proceed, wesailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone 8 Passing it with difficulty,
we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
With great
difficulty, the Alexandrian ship in which Paul travelled
arrived at a
place called Fair Havens and, in verse 8, we notice that there
was
contemplation to temporarily harbor the ship in that location but the
16
harbor was not
suitable to winter in. In like manner, the journey of the
ship of the
Nigerian state has thus far been difficult and we have largely
been drifting
under the influence of the winds. It is clear that a great
storm lies ahead
as we are approaching elections without addressing the
fundamental
flaws in the polity. These flaws include:
i. the awkward geopolitical structure
that has the form, but lacks the substance, of federalism;
ii. the consequent lopsided economic
structure in which a single product from one region of the country contributes
the bulk of the revenue of the entire nation despite the abundant resources
spread across the nation;
iii. a constitution that lays claim to
the phrase “we the people” but to which the people made no input;
iv. contentious population figures that
have been the harbinger of election disputes since the pre-independence era;
and
v. an electoral
body that wears the label 'independent' but is
practically
under the control of the presidency.
These factors
have directly and indirectly contributed to the current economic crisis, the
political instability, and the security situation. We managed to trudge on in
this condition, advancing with great difficulty
until we got to
our Fair Havens. We arrived at our Fair Havens when, for
the first time
in the history of our nation, a person from the South-South,
the region worst
hit by the fundamental flaws in our polity, became president. One would have
expected that being from the Niger Delta and
an academic for
that matter, President Jonathan would understand the role carved out for him,
lay aside transient political ambitions and champion the cause of restructuring
while pursuing national integration,
and then go down
in history as Nigeria’s greatest leader hitherto; but this
is yet to be
seen. However, President Goodluck Jonathan came close to
living up to
this when he convoked the 2014 National Conference – a
gathering of
nobles, elders and the young from across the nation in which these issues were
critically examined and recommendations made.
Fellow
Nigerians, I speak expressly to you that the report of the 2014
National
Conference is the Fair Havens in which Nigeria must winter to
avoid the storms
that are ahead.
Just the way
Paul on the Alexandrian ship perceived that the voyage would end in much loss
and warned the centurion, helmsmen and shipowner (Acts 27:9-10),
I warned the nation through a broadcast and press conference held at the Latter
Rain Assembly on Sunday, July 22nd, 2012. I told the nation that I
perceived that there would be no 2015 if we failed to fix 2014. Indeed, those
perceptions were signals I was picking at the time but there are practical
pointers in that direction today even if faintly perceptible to the discerning.
Between 2012 and now, the signs have become more visible though stakeholders
still refuse to pay attention. Like Paul, our counsel has become unpopular. As
it was in the
Alexandrian ship
(verse 12), the majority has asked that the ship of state
set sail towards
the general elections rather than winter in fundamental
reforms such as
those proposed in the 2014 National Conference and the
reason is
obvious – just like Fair Havens was an inconvenient place for
the Alexandrian
ship to winter in, change or reformation is a difficult process and is often
not suitable to the comfort zone mentality that prefers to do the same thing
over and over again and hope for a different
result; a
mentality which, according to Albert Einstein, is the very definition of
insanity.
WEATHER
FORECAST: OMINOUS SHADOWS AND
GATHERING STORM
In Acts 27:9-10,
Paul warned that the voyage would end in disaster. But
the centurion,
the commander of the army that was charged to take Paul
to Rome, was persuaded
more by the opinion of the 'experts' – the helmsman and owner of the ship -
than by what Paul was saying. One
would want to
ask: were there no visible signs of the impending storm?
Was it just
Paul’s spiritual perception that was at work? We will find that the journey all
the way to Fair Havens from the coasts of Asia, beginning from the ship of
Adramyttium, was laden with difficulty because of contrary winds that caused
difficulty in navigation and obstructed procession (verses 4 and 7).
Likewise, in our nation, despite
the warnings,
Mr. President is more persuaded by the assurances given
him by the
experts - including the managers of the economy, the organizers of the
elections, the heads of the armed forces and security
agencies - as
well as the expectations of the majority than by a lone voice charging him to
camp for a while in order to fix the fundamentals.
However, the
same question applies in the case of our nation: is it just
my perception
and those of others in the minority that have prompted this warning of an
impending storm? Are the signs not visible? What is
the weather
forecast saying?
Weather
forecasting entails the gathering of quantitative data and the
application of
an understanding of atmospheric behavior to predict the
changes in
weather. Jesus made reference to this practice in Matthew
16:1-3 (NKJV):
1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came,
and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said
to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is
red’; 3
and
in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather 19 today, for the
sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of
the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.
When I first
alerted the nation that there would be no 2015 if the fundamentals were not
addressed, I was asked if I was giving a prophecy
in the order of
“thus saith the Lord”. Even now, many are asking the same question. At that
time, like Paul, I told you that I had perceived it.
But, I would
want to ask, are the signs not there? If we can predict the
weather, would
it not be hypocritical to feign ignorance regarding the foreboding state of the
nation? Can we not see the clouds gathering ahead of a major storm? Warning!
There is too much turbulence ahead! A competent helmsman knows not to
sail in such a situation
instead of
ignoring the weather forecast only to subsequently shipwreck, kill
himself, the crew and the passengers, as well as destroy the ship
and cargo!
I will briefly
highlight certain crucial developments that we may be disregarding as we set
sail into the general elections but I must first point
out that the
purpose for highlighting these red flags is to challenge decision makers and
political stakeholders as well as security, military
and intelligence
agencies to take the steps necessary to avert crisis before elections, during
elections and after elections whenever they hold.
I must also warn
that if we sail into general elections at this time without
fixing the
fundamentals, no matter what precaution is taken by the helmsman and the owner
of the ship, once the ship sets sail from Fair Havens, an encounter with
Euroclydon would be inevitable. Against this
backdrop, I
present the signs of the gathering storms:
Sign 1: Poor Level
of Election Preparedness
Reasonable
people are inclined to ask how prepared the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) is for the upcoming general elections. Despite the desperate
efforts of the Commission to manage pre-election logistics, the tales of woe
that have trailed the Permanent Voters’ Card collection exercise have raised a
lot of questions as to the level of preparedness of the Commission with many
Nigerians fearing
disenfranchisement.
The Vanguard of November 15, 2014, in an article
titled
“Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVC: How INEC Failed Nigerians”, reported that more
than 75% of the PVCs in rural areas in Lagos were
left
uncollected. Similar and even worse tales of woe trailed the exercise
in other states
such as in Edo State where PVCs were stolen. The Nigerian Pilot of
November 17, 2014 reported a collection rate of less than 50% in Abia State. A
survey conducted by News Agency of Nigeria
on public
perception regarding INEC’s preparedness for the elections, including the
organization’s handling of voter registration and card collection exercises and
the adoption of recommendations to forestall the
challenges of
the 2011 elections, gave INEC a low scorecard.
Similarly, acts
of lawlessness on the part of political parties and seeming
partisanship on
the part of security agencies have raised questions as to
the readiness of
stakeholders to conduct or to allow the conduct of free,
fair and
credible elections. How else can one explain the fact that in violation of
section 99(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), political campaigns
commenced long before the opening of the window?
How else can one
explain the invasion of the secretariat of the APC by
the Department
of State Security? Either a political party was devising
unlawful schemes
in which case culprits ought to be prosecuted and details exposed or the DSS
was acting out a script written to repress 21
opposition
parties. Whichever may have been the case, it questions the
readiness of
stakeholders to operate by the rules.
Sign 2: Safety
and Security Risks
A study on Boko
Haram attacks in Nigeria in the period between 2006
and 2013 by
Chatham House in the United Kingdom revealed that 17 states in the North were
terror prone and recorded varying degrees of
violent attacks
leading to violent deaths. In terms of frequency of attacks, Borno, Yobe, Kano,
Kaduna, Adamawa and Bauchi, in that order, led the other states. Further
compilation of recorded incidents from other sources showed that towards
mid-2014, Boko Haram attacks
had become an
almost daily occurrence in Borno State. Terror attacks or
threats of same
were also reported in northern states that had previously
been free of
such, including Kogi and Nasarawa, as well as in southern
states such as
Lagos, Delta and Imo.
Given the new
tactics being adopted by the Boko Haram sect especially suicide bombing by
teenage girls who, it appears, the sect is increasingly
targeting for
abduction, the risk factor in massive political rallies and polling units
across the North of the country and, to a lesser extent, in
the South, is
dangerously high. Let us not forget that in December 2014,
a female suicide
bomber arrested by vigilante forces in Borno State revealed that 50 other
female suicide bombers had been let loose.
As INEC has
requested of the Federal Government a massive deployment of armed forces and
security agencies for the general elections, a proposal that is being opposed
by opposition parties, I challenge the Federal Government to conduct an honest
assessment of
the capability
and numerical strength of each of the security agencies and armed forces and
assure Nigerians that the ratio of forces to polling
units across the
federation is such that can effectively ward off potential
attacks and
guarantee security. The logic would be to deploy more forces to areas that are
highly prone to terror but security tacticians must
not forget that
deceit is a weapon of war. Terrorists might seek to take
the nation by
surprise and target less protected areas which, ordinarily,
might have been
less terror prone. Let the security agents also be mindful of what I will refer
to as the Ziklag factor (1st Samuel 30). If
security
agencies are to be massively deployed to polling units on Election Day, it
would be risky to leave the home front unprotected in
terror prone
areas as terror attacks might be unleashed on homes to target the non-voting
population. Worse still, with their antecedents of
becoming
partisan and getting caught up in politicking during elections,
can our security
agents maintain the level of alertness required to quell
potential
attacks? We might have succeeded in organizing some gubernatorial elections in
the South, and the aborted gubernatorial election in Adamawa due to the
subsequent swearing-in of the deputy
governor, by
massively deploying military and civil defence forces; however, we cannot
ignore these threats ahead of the general elections.
Sign 3: Likely
Minority King-making
Nigeria has a
history of low voter turnout. For instance, the 2011 parliamentary elections
recorded 25.8% turnout while the presidential
elections
recorded 48.32%. In essence, electoral decisions in Nigeria are
made by the
minority. Given the state of the nation, in spite of the excitement trailing
the emergence of candidates, the 2015 elections threaten to record an even
worse turnout. Aside the problems associated
with voter
registration and PVC collection, if the reported hundreds of
thousands of
displaced persons in terror prone areas are considered with
respect to their
status as part and parcel of the electorate, and if terrorstricken towns are
considered in terms of polling units involved, then we are faced with the
likelihood of massive disenfranchisement and voter apathy that could render the
elections disputable and inconclusive.
Sign 4: Looming
Constitutional and Legal Crisis
The
constitutional provisions for election into the office of the president
as articulated
in section 132 of the 1999 Constitution provides a window
for challenging
the validity of any presidential election if elections cannot be held in some
parts of the country as might be the case if the security situation is not
addressed before the elections. Section 132(4)
provides that:
For the purpose of an election to the
office of President, the whole of the Federation shall be regarded as one
constituency.
Section 47 of the Electoral Act 2010
further provides that: Voting in any particular election under this Act shall
take place on the same day and time throughout the Federation.
By these
provisions, it is clear that any presidential election that excludes certain
parts of the nation will result in constitutional crisis and
legal battles
that may further heighten sectional tensions.
Sign 5: Impending
Post-election Tension
This
necessitates a look at those pointers to possible post-election tension. First,
like the gathering of the clouds, the utterances of vested
interests from
the northern and southern sections of the country as to how they will react if
the election turns one way or the other is a pointer
to an impending
storm that the nation must not ignore. In recent times, direct threats in this
regard have been coming from vested interests in the South-South with a history
of militancy. This should give the nation
a grave cause
for concern when considered against the massive oil theft
in the region as
well as reports suggesting arms build-up with exmilitants allegedly linked to a
botched South African arms deal that was widely reported, and to the purchase
of six warships as reported in The Punch newspaper of December 13, 2014.
Mind you, the Global Terrorism Index report identified 6 terror groups in
Nigeria. Contrary to
public
perception, according to the report, even though Boko Haram is
currently the
deadliest terror group in the country and has laid claim to
about 90% of the
terror attacks in the period covered by the report, the
largest terror
group in Nigeria is the Movement for the Emancipation of
the Niger Delta
(MEND) with a membership strength of about 15,000
despite its
having recorded much fewer attacks than Boko Haram. Ladies and gentlemen, one
does not need a soothsayer to know this is a
red flag!
On the other
hand, the readiness of the multitude of northern youth to violently defend what
they perceive as theirs, rightly or wrongly, is well
documented in
our recent election experience. The nation would not want to be caught-up in
violence involving two regions. Another civil
war in addition
to terrorism would be too much weight on an ailing nation. Why not first
address the root causes of these tensions that mount
up every
election year - root causes that elections themselves cannot resolve but
aggravate?
Sign 6: Looming
Economic Collapse
Alongside these
pointers to political upheaval are the signs of an impending economic collapse.
Any of the following scenarios is possible:
1.
Inflation
With the
proposed diversification of revenue base from oil to taxation
and with the
devaluation of the naira in an economy that is largely import dependent,
cost-push inflation is likely to occur. Also, the flow of
money into the
economy through politics within the first quarter of the
year ahead of
the elections could as well facilitate a demand-pull inflation. The so-called
average Nigerian who has no place on the dinner
table would bear
the brunt. It is even doubtful that they can access the crumbs that fall from
the master's table.
2.
Deflation
With the
expected reduction in government spending for a nation whose
financial sector
is still largely government supported and with likely reduction in purchasing
power due to taxation and possible job cuts in
the public as
well as private sector, a fall in aggregate demand would eventually lead to
deflation. An inflation-deflation transition could result
in losses for
investors in volatile markets such as securities and property.
3.
Monetary
Collapse
The depletion of
our foreign reserves, the dip in crude oil prices and its
downward impact
on our foreign earnings, the weak state of our manufacturing sector, and our
import dependence could lead to a sustained downward spiral in the value of our
currency.
We are therefore
faced with the challenge of managing a volatile transition process and a
looming economic downturn at the same time. It will interest you to note that
the same fundamentals that must be addressed in the political dimension of our
challenges also hold the key to economic stability and prosperity for our
beloved nation. However,
before we take a
look at these fundamentals, it is necessary to point out
one more sign of
the gathering storms that has to do with my constituency, the church, and its
interaction with the political space in 2015.
Sign 7:
Potential Religious Confusion, Betrayals, Scandals and
Persecution
In 2011, when I
was selected by General Buhari as running mate, there
was a gang-up
against that ticket by a substantial section of the church
which preferred
the candidate that was perceived as Christian, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Not only
was the church not convinced about General Buhari’s non-fundamentalist stance,
it also refused to give support to the running mate who, in its perception, is
controversial and
non-conformist.
At that time, the mantra amongst many men of God was
that a pastor
had nothing to do with politics. Reports also have it that Christian clergy
received financial inducement from their preferred candidate who is again
contesting against the same General Buhari in 2015. To compound the matter,
General Buhari's running mate is another pastor who should ordinarily have the
support of his home church, a very influential denomination in and outside the
country and
whose head is
highly respected in the Christian establishment. Therefore, ordinarily, for
those to whom religion means a lot in the making of electoral decisions, the
current running mate of the APC should be tiwa n tiwa, that is, “our
own” and should be massively supported by the church. But it is not going to be
that easy. What would
be the
implication of turning away from the incumbent who was massively supported in
2011 by the church establishment? How about
those for whom
the president has done one favour or another, such as
waivers,
contracts, soft landings, protection of vested interests in one form or
another, or even outright monetary gifts - not necessarily bribery, just a
'harmless' gift? Would these pastors, priests and prophets
now turn against
their benefactor, the president, to give support to “our
own”? What will
be the position of the Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN) and the
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), organizations
that have been
massively behind the president and who are likely biased
against APC as
PFN's 2015 round-the-clock circulated prayer bulletin
reveals? Would
there be reminders that this same incumbent has knelt before us at our
conventions where we laid hands on him and supposedly endorsed him? Or, would
we make a u-turn now that this is
“our own”? Would
such a u-turn not come with dire consequences reminiscent of the Abimelech
experience with the men of Shechem in
Judges 9:22-24
(NKJV)?:
22 After Abimelech had reigned over Israel
three years, 23
God
sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men
of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 that the crime done to the
seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their blood be laid on Abimelech
their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided him in the
killing of his brothers.
Let us not
forget that the men of Shechem paid dearly for it - with their
lives, in fact.
Do we see persecution looming for the church? Do we see
high profile
scandals emerging if the church makes such a u-turn? Or would the church simply
deny or betray its own or, like the ostrich deprived of wisdom, treat its young
harshly and choose to support incumbency in order to stay safe and protect
interests and investments?
Would the
question of support and endorsement pitch major religious
leaders against
one another with brothers fighting against brother whether in secret or in the
open? See Job 39:13-18 (NKJV):
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s? 14 For she leaves
her eggs on the ground, And warms them in the dust; 15 She forgets that
a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may break them. 16 She treats her young
harshly, as though they were not hers; Her labor is in vain, 28 without
concern, 17
Because
God deprived her of wisdom, And did not endow her with understanding. 18 When she lifts
herself on high, She scorns the horse and its rider.
Challenging as
all these may be, our confidence is in the fact that no matter the degree of
shaking that will occur, it will only produce a glorious church without spots
or wrinkle, for Jesus, the true Head of the
Church, said He
would build His church and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against
it. Alleluia! (Matthew 16:18)
Having said
that, let us take a look at the options available to our nation,
that is, the
alternative to setting sail in spite of the imminent storms of a
political,
economic, military and religious nature - the stirrings of the Four Winds of
the Earth upon our nation.
OUR
PROPOSITIONAL ALTERNATIVE
What I have said
in the past to our nation and our leaders, I will repeat
here once more.
To avoid the gathering storms, the following steps
should be taken:
1. Activate the
constitutional provisions for the suspension of
Elections
Section 135(3)
of the 1999 Constitution provides as follows:
If the
Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is
physically
involved and the President considers that it is not
practicable to
hold elections, the National Assembly may by
resolution extend the period of four
years mentioned in subsection (2) of this section from time to time; but no
such extension shall exceed a period of six months at any one time.
The argument
against this would be the notion that the country is not at
war. If indeed
the country is not at war, how can one explain the invasion and annexation of
Nigerian territory by insurgents launching attacks from our borders and
neighbouring countries? Let us not forget
that on May 14,
2013, while declaring a state of emergency in three states, President Goodluck
Jonathan said of the activities of terrorists:
“These actions amount to a declaration
of war and a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of the Nigerian
state and threaten its territorial integrity. As a responsible government, we will
not tolerate this”.
Records indicate
that since that declaration, the situation has only worsened. Therefore, if the
country was at war then, according to the
president, it is
even more so now.
I do recognise
the fact that opinions are divided on whether or not the Boko Haram plague can
be described as war or just an act of insurgency.
Truth be told,
this is mere semantics. As Aesop said, “the injury we do
and the one we
suffer are not weighed in the same scales”. Depending
on which side of
the divide one belongs, the difference between war and
insurgency can
be likened to the difference between terrorists and freedom fighters. One man's
meat is another man's poison, just as one man's music is another man's noise.
Those that are condemned as 'terrorists' by one group are hailed as 'freedom
fighters' by another.
Therefore, I
submit that if the President considers that a part of the federation will be
disenfranschised by reason of the Boko Haram plague,
a postponement
of the election may not be out of place. In my view, the
litmus test to
arrive at the type of war contemplated by the constitution is
the practicality
of getting people in the affected states to line up to vote
for candidates
of their choice in situations where they cannot predict when the next attack
will be launched by insurgents. I hold the view that
the drafters of
the law feared for mass disenfranchisement of Nigerians
who will refuse
to risk their lives, hence the requirement that the nation
wins the war
before conducting an election.
Be that as it
may, there is yet another argument. It goes thus: “Since the
government has
demonstrated a very high degree of incompetence as far
as combatting
terrorism, is it not better to have a replacement, particularly in terms of a
new government led by the person of the APC
candidate,
General Muhammadu Buhari, which can only happen through
elections?” This
reasoning seems valid, for though the president has made several attempts at
tackling the issue, his avowed political will has
not yielded
fruit and the situation has only worsened. It is perhaps too complicated for
him to deal with. But what is the guarantee that there will be free, fair and
credible elections and the opposition will not be rigged out of victory once
again? What is the guarantee that the power of
incumbency will
not successfully manipulate the presidential elections?
Even if General
Buhari wins, what would happen if, in response to a Buhari victory, another
wave of insurgency explodes in the South-South
in such
proportion that will completely ground the Nigerian economy? Is
that what we
want as a nation?
However, I must
state that the proposal for suspension of elections is not
with a view to
giving the president an avenue for undue tenure elongation but for the purpose
of building a coalition that will bring lasting solutions to our problems.
2. Create a
Transitional Government
In suspending
the elections, to gain the support of all stakeholders, the
president must
not act with the intention to seek re-election. Rather, he
should, within
the period, commit himself to building a non-partisan coalition comprised of
major stakeholders and competent statesmen from each geopolitical zone. This
coalition, headed by the president, will
constitute a
combined force that will tackle terrorism and address what I
have earlier
referred to as the fundamentals, within a time frame of two
years or less.
4.
Address the Fundamentals
Addressing the
fundamentals calls for immediate implementation of the
report, or part
thereof, of the 2014 National Conference especially as it
relates to:
A.
Restructuring
with a view to achieving true federalism under Zonal Commissions as well as
fiscal federalism ensuring, as proposed by the report of the National
Conference, that adequate allocation is given to a Solid Minerals Development
Fund in addition to other recommendations geared towards economic
diversification.
B.
Achieving
national reconciliation and integration by adopting, constitutionalizing and
propagating the National Charter for Reconciliation and Integration.
4. Conduct
accurate census
Aside
facilitating development planning, an accurate census will lay the
foundation for a
sound identity management scheme, facilitate effective
and efficient
local government administration, provide the basis for proper constituency
delineation and enable the conduct of wellorganized
voter-registration
exercises.
5.
Establish a truly independent electoral body
A truly
independent electoral body whose head will no longer be appointed by the
president and whose funding will be drawn from first
line charge on
the federation account will guarantee the conduct of free,
fair and
credible elections.
6. Create a true
people’s constitution that will reflect the
aforementioned
features
A true people’s
constitution, rather than being preambled by a military
decree, as in
the case of the 1999 constitution, will be preceded by the
people’s
expressed interest to co-exist as a nation and be governed under
agreed
principles as espoused in the Charter for National Reconciliation
and Integration
adopted at the 2014 National Conference.
7. Conduct free,
fair and credible elections in the consensually
accepted
constitutional arrangement
In the end, as
an integrated rather than regionally and religiously divided
nation, we will
arrive at the same juncture we are currently but, at that
time, better
prepared with the fundamentals in place and with the nation
set for the
leadership of the best of the north and the best of the south
while the
federating units, truly federal, are constitutionally empowered
for
collaborative and competitive development.
SETTING SAIL IN
SPITE OF THE STORM CLOUDS
Despite this
timely warning which includes the way forward to credible
elections and to
a stable and prosperous nationhood, I am almost certain
that, like the
helmsman and owner of the Alexandrian ship in Acts 27 as
well as the
majority in the ship, the handlers of our nation will prefer to
set sail rather
than winter at Fair Havens. From the 13th verse of Acts 27,
we understand that the decision to set sail was fuelled by the fact that
the southern
wind blew softly and gave the illusion of safety. It reads:
13When the south
wind blew softly, supposing that they had
obtained their desire, putting out to
sea, they sailed close by Crete.[Please note that Crete means carnal or
fleshly.]
Ladies and
gentlemen, the south wind blew recently, when Gen Muhammadu Buhari against
formidable contestants and money bags won with a landslide majority at the APC
primary in the heart of Lagos,
South-western
Nigeria - and that against all odds.
Added to that,
the relative peace in the South has kept us from seeing the
severity of the
crisis rocking our nation and its potential to be aggravated
by premature
electioneering. However, in the 14th verse of Acts 27,
we
find that, not
long after, a tempestuous wind called Euroclydon arose and hit the sea and the
ship was caught in the midst of it until it could no
longer be
controlled. That ship drifted until it was wrecked.
Euroclydon is a
cyclonic,
tempestuous north-east wind. It is reminiscent of the wave of terror
attacks bedeviling the nation from the
North-East as
though reminding us that, going by precedent, an incumbency-rigged election
could cause the volatile electorate in the region to take advantage of the Boko
Haram crisis which has snowballed
from the
North-East to unleash a storm on the nation from the North and
that likewise, a
Northern victory will only resuscitate a South-South resistance.
AFTER THE STORM: NIGERIA,
THE BIGGEST MIRACLE OF
THE CENTURY
It is noteworthy
that, after all was said and done, just as God assured
Paul, no life
was lost, though the ship was wrecked and property was
lost. It is very
gratifying that, in the end, the majority that was wrong
became the
minority and the lone voice minority that was right became
the majority.
Paul, the
prisoner, became the commander with a clear blue print on
how to salvage
lives from the avoidable wreckage. And as he instructed
the centurion,
he had no choice but to comply.
Ladies and
gentlemen, my heartfelt prayer at this juncture is that our
leaders will
listen and do the needful to avert an avoidable disaster, so
that there will
be no need for anyone to say at the end, “we told you so”.
I find it very
useful to repeat the words of Paul here with all humility,
trusting God
that all men of goodwill in and outside of government will
hear, heed and
act accordingly.
Acts 27:20-26
(NKJV):
20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared
for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved
was finally given up. 21
But
after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said,
“Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and
incurred this disaster and loss. 22 And now I urge you to take heart, for
there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood
by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Do not
be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted
you all those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe
God that it will be just as it was told me. 26 However, we must run aground on a
certain island.”
Paul further
said in Acts 27:30-36 (NKJV):
30 And as the sailors were seeking to
escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under
pretense of putting out anchors from the prow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and
the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the
soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let
it fall off. 33 And as day was
about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the
fourteenth day you have waitedand continued without food, and eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge
you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will
fall from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he
took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken
it he began to eat. 36
Then
they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves.
Ladies and
gentlemen, brothers and sisters, let me at this juncture encourage you all,
those within the country and those in the Diaspora, to
join us at The
Latter Rain Assembly as we observe a 14-day solemn assembly - a time of
corporate fasting and prayer from Sunday the 1st of
February to
Saturday the 14th
of
February, 2015 to entreat the God of heaven for the survival of our nation. We
shall meet daily for corporate
prayers on all
14 days from 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.
In closing, let
me place on the register my full persuasion regarding the
outcome of our
present dilemma. I am fully persuaded that, no matter
how dark it
becomes for Nigeria, there is a silver lining beyond the dark
clouds and this
nation will overcome the storms and rise to fulfill her destiny. I believe that
no matter how unstable the polity may become, we will transit from shame to
fame in the name of Jesus. Amen. I am persuaded that no matter the level of
economic collapse, the economy of
Nigeria will
recover. So, in preparation for a previous prophecy, let us
begin to expect
the emergence of the tender plant from the side of the
North,
afore-prepared before the foundation of the world to steer Nigeria
into her
prophetic destiny. We are in the season of his emergence. What
the mouth of the
Lord has spoken, the zeal of the Lord will accomplish.
Amen.
I am further
persuaded that our national reconciliation, integration and
full recovery
will be a wonder to the world and that leaders of nations
will beat a path
to our doorstep to understudy God’s power at transforming nations. Our
authority for this assertion is God's word as recorded in Psalm 126: 1-6
(NKJV):
1 When the LORD brought back the
captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with
laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great
things for them.” 3
The
LORD
has
done great things for us, And we are glad. 4 Bring back our captivity, O LORD, As the streams
in the South. 5
Those
who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 6 He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing
seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his
sheaves with him.
Therefore, come
rain, come shine, by the grace of the living God, Nigeria will be saved,
Nigeria will be changed and Nigeria will become
great in my
lifetime.
Thank you, God
bless you and God bless Nigeria. Happy New Year to
you all.
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