ZION
B-BC NEWSLETTER.
[ A Publication of the Zion
Faith Bible-Believing Church, Kpeyegyi, Abuja Nigeria. ]
{ VOL. 2. NO 54. 24-08-14.}
“SIX
STATES MUST BE CARVED OUT OF ABUJA TO BALANCE THE EQUATION!”
The National Conference [three-volume report], submitted to
Nigeria’s President on Thursday, 21st August, 2014, is incomplete!
Delegates failed to recommend the creation of SIX States out of the existing
Federal Capital Territory [FCT] of ABUJA!
Although, FCT, is not headed by an elected Governor but a Minister
appointed by the president, it enjoys the privilege of administering SIX of the
country’s 774 Local Government Areas; namely, ABAJI, AMAC (Abuja Municipal Area
Council), BWARI, GWAGWALADA, KUJE, and KWALI.
Chapter VIII, Section 299 (a), states that provisions of the 1999
Constitution shall apply to the FCT, Abuja, as if it were one of the States of
the Federation, in that all the legislative, executive and judicial powers
vested in the House of Assembly, the Governor of a State and in the courts of a
state shall, respectively, vest in the National Assembly, the President of the
Federation and in the courts which by virtue of those provisions are courts
established for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In other words, if 19 States could be created out of the existing
36, “likewise, SIX new ones can be created from the Federal Capital Territory”!
WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR
THE GANDER!
These Local Council Areas [LCA’s] are very viable and are rich in
natural mineral deposits of MARBLE, TIN, CLAY, MICA, TANTALITE and when the
MONTHLY “FEEDING BOTTLE” FEDERAL ALLOCATIONS IS ADDED, THEY WOULD ALL FUNCTION
CREDITABLY AS STATES IN NO TIME!
In the just submitted report, delegates suggested the creation of
ONE additional (automatic State), for South East Geo-political Zone, to make up
for their ‘short-fall’, (presently, the zone has five States, while others have
six each). In addition, EIGHTEEN new States are to be created to bring the
total number of States to FIFTY-FOUR instead of a round figure of SIXTY STATES,
for the whole country!
The Federal Capital Territory’s Architectural MASTER’s PLAN was
not designed from the onset to accommodate the poor and the needy, the hewers
of the wood and the drawers of the water; neither was it contemplated by our
modern neo-colonial “Masters”, that the ‘dregs of the society’ would ever dream
of dwelling in the exclusive habitation
the “high and mighty, the rich and the opulent”!
At the last count, 13, (thirteen Ministers) have administered the
FCT between 3rd February 1976 to date, a total of 38 years and a
little over six months; but there was one “very distinguished Quantity Surveyor”,
between 17th July, 2003 and 27th July, 2007, who was
determined to enforce the letters of the “MASTER’s PLAN through demolition of
“illegal” houses of the poor masses to create more landed properties for his
cronies.
For FOUR consecutive years, the demolition expert could not be
restricted, not even by COURT ORDERS; from Abaji to Amac; Bwari to Gwagwalada;
Kuje to Kwali; he destroyed lives and properties unabated because many of his
victims committed suicide!
At the end of his
inglorious exit from office, it was revealed that he re-possessed and also
shared most of the “reclaimed lands” with wives, relatives, peer groups and even
with his employer! Although, cases instituted against him are still in court,
we are not optimistic of their outcome!
CLASS SEGREGATION in Nigeria was bequeathed by the British colonial
masters. In those days before independence, the District Officers [DO’s],
residences/offices were segregated to HILL TOPS, while citizens dwelt in the
valleys and suburbs to portray class distinction between masters and servants –
though the “masters” were foreigners in the land!
Today, the segregation legacy is still in force – with the
Government Reserved Areas [GRA] on one side and the SLUMS AND GHETTOS on the
other!
Leading the pack is FCT, home of Abuja and capital of Nigeria,
which was carved out in 1976 from parts of Nasarawa, Niger and Kogi States, to
occupy the central region of the nation on a land mass of 7.315 sq.km, for both
political and sentimental reasons!
Abuja has been developed to the taste of the ELITES of the society
and remains their exclusive preserve.
The small buses and motor-bikes of the poor have been banned from
the CENTRAL BUSINESS/RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS and each time (which is very
frequent), a Very Important Personality [VIP], was visiting Abuja, all
satellite towns are LOCKED-DOWN; ie. the peasants were disallowed to enter into
the elites city!
The twin Boko Haram bombs that exploded in February 2014, at
Nyanyan, a suburb of AMAC, have further compounded the plight of peasants who
ventured to visit the neo-colonialists sector of the capital city, because they
now have to spend at least five hours instead of 30 minutes to pass through the
myriad of military check points to reach their destination!
While we have no quarrel with the adequate security checks put in
place by the Federal Government, we believe that the precious work hours that
are lost daily could be economically utilized, when workers remain in their own
domain and serve their State Governments!
Up to date, all peasants have performed functions of Local
governments by appropriating their meagre incomes to dig wells for ‘portable’
water, generating sets for electricity power, private schools for their
children’s education, motor bikes for transportation, agricultural products for
food sustenance of their families and community-assisted rural road
construction for transporting farm products to the cities; etc.!
More than ever, it has now become imperative that the ELITES AND
PEASANTS in the FCT must part company to avoid a conflict of interests! As the
existing SIX LOCAL COUNCIL AREAS transform into NEW STATES, the Master civil
servants will now have to administer the over 150 Ministries, Departments and
Agencies [MDG’s] all by themselves; - because
all former servants, security guards, gardeners and house helps would be gone –
to jostle for political positions/ appointments in the new FCT States!
The Federal Civil Service [FCS], boasts of about two million
personnel, most of who dwell as peasants in the Satellite Communities.
Definitely, FCS would lose over 1.5millon of its work-population to the New
States, since the MDA’s would neither move offices nor forgo their COMFORT
ZONES to satellite towns
At this juncture, the most appropriate step to take as the
CONVENER AND SPONSOR OF THE JUST CONCLUDED NATIONAL CONFERENCE , is for Mr.
President to set up another MINI FEDERAL CONFERENCE, to inject his own
contributions in respect of the controversial RESOURCE CONTROL AND DEVOLUTION
OF POWER ISSUSES, which polarized former ‘distinguished Conference delegates’,
also the urgent need of additional SIX STATES for the FTC and forward copies of
the over 1000-page documents, to the National Assembly [NASS] which has the
FINAL AUTHORITY on Constitutional Amendments and not, National Council of
States [NCS] or a REFERENDUM!
While we await an Executive move before the close of this
administration on 29th May, 2015, we advise that all eligible voters
should register and collect Permanent Voters Cards [PVC’s], to avoid
disenfranchisement in all impending elections!
We have on good authority that the Voters Registration of 20-25
August, 2014, in 11 States and FCT, actually took place at over-crowded Ward
Levels instead of designated Polling Centres. As at the time of this
publication, it was hue and cry among the people as eligible voters could not
access registration and attributed the whole exercise to a deliberate,
calculated and well-designed plan to disenfranchise them! We do hope that the
non-partisan Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], would re-adjust
the system to accommodate everyone at the polling centres.
We rejoice that the official conclusion and closing ceremony of
the ‘famous’ 2014 National Conference on 21st August, has now afforded
the requisite passport for the long-awaited declaration of intent and
endorsement for a second term in respect of , “a job well-executed”!
Unfortunately, the processes leading to States creation is very
cumbersome and cannot be influenced by Mr. President, in view of the under listed 1999 Constitution stipulations
under Chapter I, Part II, 8-(1), (a-d):
*An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new
State shall only be passed if:
(a) a request, supported by at least two-thirds majority of
members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in each
of the following –
(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives,
(ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and
(iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is
received by the National Assembly;
(b) a proposal for the creation of the State is thereafter
approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the
area where the demand for creation of the State originated;
(c) the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple
majority of all the States of the
Federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly;
and
(d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds
majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.
The Word of God states: “Unless the LORD builds the house, its
builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen
stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food
to eat – for He grants sleep to those He loves”[Psalm.127:1-2].
The National Conference had come and gone like the others before
it! Self aggrandizement, greed, avarice have all played out as over N7Billion
Nigerian Naira exchanged hands in the struggle for their share of the NATIONAL
CAKE! Delegates pushed the painful issues of Boko Haram insurgency and the over
250 Chibok girls in the terrorists detention for over 130 days, into the
background! Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? Those at the helm of
affairs want to rule forever, by hook or crook because they do not believe in
the partnership of GOD OF CREATION – the only ONE who can guarantee human
success!
Thirty-four of the present 36 States of Nigeria cannot claim to be
BETTER THAN ABUJA SATELLITE TOWNS IN RESPECT OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUTURES AND
NATURAL RESOURCES, WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE MONTHLY FEDERAL ALLOCATIONS!
Since States creation is the rave of the moment, we suggest that
all 774 Local Governments, (including IKENNE, the home town of Late Chief
Obafemi Awolowo) should all metamorphose into States, to satisfy political
greed and ambitions! Nigeria has always come first among the comity of nations
in negative conceptualization!
If
you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this
great opportunity as you pray this prayer:
Lord
Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of
the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every
sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and
write my name in the Book of Life. Amen.
If you
prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and
daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations. Please look forward to more divine revelation
in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and
remain blessed in the Lord.
[For
weekly access,to this newsletter, log on to: facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch
&
Zfbbc1.blogspot.com]
I am, Yours
sincerely,Dr. David B.A. Olufon,
Resident
Pastor and Editor.08058436756 08098194390.g-mail-
dvdolufon@gmail.com .
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