THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN INSTITUTIONAL CORRUPTION AND POLITICAL CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA!

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER.  

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church, Kpeyegyi, Abuja Nigeria. [VOL. 5. NO 148. 12th June, 2016.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32).

THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN INSTITUTIONAL CORRUPTION AND POLITICAL CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA!

Political conflicts escalated on June 12, 1993, during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, when he unilaterally and corruptly annulled the Presidential Election that was adjudged to be the most credible since Nigeria's independence and which was believed to have been won by late Chief Moshood Abiola, a Southern Nigeria politician and many lives and properties were destroyed in the ensuing process of national protest! Today marks 23 years of that great and popular election though not celebrated by subsequent governments but would remain unforgettable water shed in the annals of the Nigerian history which would be incomplete without its mention! With the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 Presidential Elections and with 23 States in the All Progressives Congress (APC's), kitty, the electorate heaved a sigh of relief because the new leader was acceptable to all patriotic citizens across the entire nation in view of his impeccable antecedents and righteous pedigree - a man full of love and not hatred like most of his predecessors in office!

Causes Of Societal Voices Of Dissent In Nigeria Is Absence Of Love!
Dissenting voices are commonplace phenomena in the market place of human activities! The possibility of unity of mind, soul or spirit among peoples of identical language or dialect had failed the litmus test of peace or togetherness while those with diverse languages, cultures, traditions and origins had perpetually dwelt in chaotic situations of daily conflicts that defied religious, spiritual and even divine solutions because of the absence of love! When arguments, quarrels and altercations were not predicated on marginalization or tribalism among geographical entities of any form or style of government - capitalist or socialist inclined or oriented, they could take the forms of nepotism or favoritism in political appointments, breach of manifesto promises or the sharing formula of natural resource earnings of the conglomerate and incensed people were ever quick to forment trouble over any issue and even kill one another; no matter the triviality!
Biblical Cain clandestinely and cruelly clubbed his only sibling, Abel, to death because God accepted the latter's offering which was produced from the best of his flock of animals and rejected Cain's paltry presentation of some fruit of the ground, and since that murder, men had been at each other's throat! (Please read Genesis. 4:1-13, 23-24 and 6:11-13). The loveless and corrupted mind of Cain culminated in the first recorded global homicide and that wrong footing turned out to become the Achilles heel and genesis of heinous crimes of murder, robbery, assassinations, arsons, burglaries, homosexuality, gang rapes, incest, etc, that have permeated every generation of Man since the Creation!
The Word of God states as follows: "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. "Not as Cain who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." (1John.3:11-12).

Grand Corruption in Government!
1. Celebration of institutional deceit of unkept promises amidst wallowing poverty of the masses in Nigeria had been largely responsible for restiveness among youths and conflicts by pressure groups, communities and societies against insensitive governments which had reneged on all social contracts!
2. Land disputes among various clans of common dialect had resulted into communal clashes and loss of hundred of hundreds of innocent lives through the use of force instead of amicable dialogue and peaceful resolutions.
3. Religious fanaticism among the various tribes was still responsible for gang attacks and jungle justice kind of termination of the lives of people of opposite faiths in Nigeria of the twenty first century world!
4. Election riggings in which all manner of fraudulent practices were employed to keep dubious characters perpetually in positions of authority where they could continue to deprive the electorate of the dividends of democracy through the embezzlement of funds meant for their welfare!
5. The most outrageous and the root cause of all vexations was institutional corruption which was judiciously perpetrated by the custodians of the treasury and nurtured by a cabal in power for 16 years years of horrible administrations!

Transparency International Corruption Perception Index. (2016).
The most recent Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, which ranked Nigeria very low at 136th out of 168 countries for two consecutive years was based on  expert opinions of public sector corruption but emphasized that criterion for being corrupt was a lot more that missing monies!
Key characteristics considered according to the report included:
1. Level of Press freedom.
2. Assess to budget information so that people would know how money was spent.
3. Levels of integrity among the people in power.
4. Impartial judiciary.
5. Strength of public institutions. etc.

Head of Transparency International, Jose Ugaz, strongly believed it was time to tackle grand corruption in governments because it has been established that the most corrupt countries of the world are the least peaceful! Nigeria' history did not begin with the love "Amalgamation" in 1914! Long before that deliberate effort by Great Britain in the 19th Century at consolidating its position on the West African Coast as a frontline colonial power, Portuguese explorers with the expressed connivance of the natives had introduced slave trade into an otherwise peaceful commercial businesses of grains, gold and ivory which were in full throttle during the periods between the 15th and 16th centuries in which a lot of human lives were wasted! All heinous crimes are still with us in Nigeria including Slave Trade which is now described as Human Trafficking
Presently, the crime of human trafficking, and militancy have become very lucrative in spite of the rigorous efforts of law enforcement agents and counter-insurgency operations across the nation to curb the crime because in some cases some kidnappers have been found to have been aided and abetted with logistics by some black legs among the security operatives who benefit from illicit business. The spate of insecurity is increasing by the day because politicians who failed at the last 2015 General Elections have sworn to disrupt and thwart all efforts by the Change Administration to win the war against terror, Presently some unpatriotic youths of the Niger Delta origin operating under several pseudo identities had consistently vandalized the crude oil pipelines belonging to the Federal Government and international oil companies within the riverine areas of the South-south Geo-political Zone, with terrible financial losses to the economy!

First, crude oil exportation figure had declined to 1.4 million barrels per day from 2.2million! Secondly, international oil prices have risen to over $50 USdollars in the last two weeks but Nigeria cannot benefit from the windfall though the 2016 Budget benchmark is fixed at $38 US dollars per barrel! Thirdly, though the war against the Boko Haram is dwindling with continued onslaught by the Federal Troops and the Military Joint Task Force (MJTF), on their pockets of resistance, detractors of the new administration have infiltrated the rank and file of the Fulani Herdsmen with dangerous weapons to create panic across the nation through destruction of farmlands and also of several lives and properties in the process while the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State Of Biafra (MASSOB), in the South East are also flexing muzzle to become autonomous entities outside of the Nigerian nation! Fourthly, Niger Delta greedy and misguided youths are now on the rampage, in the Creeks and have vowed to continue their treasonable acts until the region could have total control of all oil resources, and all revenues accruable therefrom because they had been marginalized and sidelined by the older militants in the past!
Constitutionally, all extractive mineral resources derivable in any part of the Federation have been placed under the control of the Federal Government for equitable distribution of their accruable monies among all States of the country and presently, the Niger Delta Region is allocated with the 13% derivation formula outside of the other allocations from the Federation Account, above other regions because of land pollution through oil spillages. The question to be addressed now should be; how much of the all the huge funds got to the grassroot people who suffer the environmental degradation most when all past allocations were made? Virtually nothing trickles down to them in view of their predicaments of lack of all the basic amenities of life and while the Federal Government tries to ameliorate the very bad situation, more pipelines were vandalized on daily basis by restive youths of the region!
While the clean-up of Ogoni land is already in progress on the western flank of the Rivers State, more crude oil spillages are devastating the precious agricultural lands and fishing ponds of the eastern flank of the Delta State of the oil rich south-south! Do they prefer to remain in perpetual slavery to the God-given mineral resources meant for their well being through the existing constitutional arrangement and co-operate with the Federal Government or keep wasting the collective economic resources to the detriment of all? Apart from the 13% derivation fund paid to the Niger Delta oil producing States, the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs are on ground to actualize all of the social and economic needs of the people but care should be taken to ensure probity and sincerity among the Governors and officials who have been saddled with the responsibility of managing the funds judiciously.

It is on record that monetary allocations never trickled down to the grassroot peasants for health, housing and education facilities because they were looted by those who were trusted with the disbursements while the unemployment and death statistics remained on the high side! The major solution to the several conflicts around the nation lies in truthful process of accountability to the people in respect of faithful deliverance of the dividends of democracy to the grassroot electorate without further delay!
However, it is important that the militants of the Niger Delta trust the genuine concern of Mr. President, who has promised to proffer permanent solution to the imbroglio through peaceful dialogue.

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 or http://www.zfbbc1.blogspot.com, https://www.google.com/+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch.

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.

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor. 08130669886, 08098194390.  08080243066   g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.