HOW NEGOTIABLE IS NIGERIA'S POLITICAL UNITY?

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER.  

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church, Kpeyegyi, Abuja Nigeria. [VOL. 5. NO 152. 10th July, 2016.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32).

HOW NEGOTIABLE IS NIGERIA'S POLITICAL UNITY?

Unknown to mere mortals who are very ignorant of divine spiritual doctrines, UNITY was displayed as an attribute of God in the creation of Man in Genesis.1:26-27, when He said: "Let us, (the Trinity, ie, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit), create man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth. "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." The Psalmist in Chapter 133:1-3 also emphasized the necessity and importance of unity amongst men when he declared: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it us for brethren to dwell together in unity! "It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard; that went down to the skirts of his garments "As the the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." And the Lord Jesus Christ in His prophetic prayers for His disciples said: "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me." (John.17:21).
On Wednesday 6th July, 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari, as the oracle of God, boldly told all those clamouring for secession, especially the Niger Delta oil pipe vandals that, "The Unity Of Nigeria Is Non-Negotiable" and regretted that while the anti- terrorism war was being won, the issue of militancy in the Niger Delta resurfaced! He also called on looters of the nation's treasury to return such stolen wealth through plea bargain, before the force of the law was brought to bear upon them! During his address, to Nigerians in the Diaspora about a year ago, he promised to defend the unity of Nigeria at all cost when he recalled the harrowing and gruesome experiences of the 30-month "Biafra War", (1967-1970), of which he was an active participant, when he said, and we quote: "I was in the war front for 30 months during the Civil War. I lost relatives and loyal people to the war. Considering that two million Nigerians died during the war, nobody should come forward to talk about a break up of the country. "My administration would kill corruption before it wrecks the nation. Nigeria would remain one country since God has given him another opportunity to re-organize its affairs. "What brought me back is the love for my country, APC will secure the country and improve its economy, create employment.

Political Pundits and Confused Ideologies!
A lot of outcry greeted the President's declaration of the gospel truth which was very categorical that, "To keep Nigeria one, is a task that must be done!" Beginning with the Nobel laureate, Professor 'Wole Soyinka, the Yoruba's Afenifere, the Igbo's  Ohaneze, Niger Delta Avengers, IPOB and MASSOB; every group faulted the President's divine assertion and capitalised on carnality and frivolity! Let us assume that the Niger Delta Region or all oil producing South-South States seceded, would they all transform to same TRIBE, LANGUAGE, CASTE, CULTURE, TRADITION or ETHNIC GROUPS etc,? How many fragments would they break into after secession for sectional independence? The call for secession is not new to Nigeria! The Igbos of the old Eastern Region broke off from the rest of Nigeria in 1967 without any consideration for the views and agreement of the smaller ethnic groups like the Deltan Ijaws, Urhobos and Itsekiris; the Ishans of Agbor/Asaba, Auchi, and Etsako; the Efiks, Annangs, and Ibibios of the Cross River area; and after 30 months of unnecessary bloodshed, Lt Col. Phillip Effiong, NOT AN IGBO MAN, announced the surrender of "Biafra”, on Monday 12th January, 1970,  following the escape of his Commander-In-Chief, Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu, who deserted his troops in the face of defeat and sought asylum in Ivory Coast (Cote d'ivoire).
Excerpts of Effiong's statement are reproduced below:
"We have always believed that our differences with Nigeria should be settled by peaceful negotiations. A delegation of our people is therefore ready to meet representatives of Nigeria Federal Government anywhere to negotiate a peace settlement on the basis of the OAU resolutions. Any question of a government in exile is repudiated by our people............" "I Major-General Philip Effiong, Officer Administering the Government of the Republic of Biafra, now wish to make the following declaration: "That we affirm that we are loyal Nigerian citizens and accept the authority of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria. "That we accept the existing administrative and political structure of the Federation of Nigeria. "That any future constitutional arrangement will be worked out by representatives of the people of Nigeria. "That the Republic of Biafra hereby ceases to exist." (15th January, 1970). Phillip Effiong died on 6th November, 2003, at the age of 78. After several years in exile Ojukwu was pardoned and given amnesty to return to his fatherland Nigeria, was re-absorbed into the Nigerian Army, paid all his statutory gratuity and all benefits due to him, died peacefully, about eight years after Effiong, on the 26th November, 2011, in the United Kingdom, at the age of 78, after a brief illness and was given a befitting burial in Nigeria! Can any place ever compare to one's birth place and heritage! During the terrible 30 months of civil war, the greater casualties of about TWO million dead, were the peasants, who either died through the bullets or hunger/starvation due to complete ceasation of food and medical supplies! Whilst they  survived on reptiles, birds, insects, and dead bodies of beloved children, parents or loved ones, the secession leaders and their top hierarchy manouvered through and survived with reserved victuals for as long as it lasted, but eventually surrendered when the heat persisted for longer than they envisaged! Neither the old nor the present South West is comprised of the Yoruba Tribe alone! They have the Aworis, Eguns, Ilajes, Akoko Edos etc, to contend with; which translates to the fact that without the collective support of the minority groups, the three major tribes, Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and the Igbos would find it difficult to secede!
Can cultural unity of inter-tribal/state marriages between the over 250 tribes of about 500 languages of the Nigerian State be divorced from political unity because the wild fire of current agitations for secession; permutations, confederations and amalgamations, of tribes and languages, would birth about 150 States out of the present 36 States of Nigeria and there is no doubt that IKENNE, the birth place and hometown of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Vice President Professor 'Yemi Osinbajo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN) would cut a niche!

Would all inter-marriages then be dissolved against divine injuction which states:
"And therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh." (Genesis.2:24), become a nullity? It was credited to Chief Awolowo that the clamour for States agitation would never come to an end until his native town, Ikenne, became a Nigerian State! The lesson to learn here is that those who plan secession or break-aways hardly suffered the consequences of their senseless rebellion predicated on avarice and greediness for short-cuts to illegal wealth but the foolish peasants who always supported such agitations forgot that they were doomed to be slaves and fifth-rated citizens under the smart 'guys' even if they succeeded and that positions of authority, political, economic and monetary gains from the venture would never be shared with them! Is it not an irony of fate that descendants of the major players during the "Biafran War" of the same old Eastern Region are now ready to damn the consequences of another bloody confrontation with the Federal Government of Nigeria in spite of the Olive Branch of peaceful resolution being extended to them by no other personality than President Buhari himself?

The Present Agitators Are Not Saying Anything New!
Lopsided Federal Government appointments; neglect of the principles of Federal Character of proportional sharing of all bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels of government; principle of derivation and resource control, fiscal adjustment of the sharing formula from the federation account etc. are their rantings. Was Biafra before the civil war an Utopia? Were there no lopsided appointments, neglect of principles of Republic Character of proportional sharing of major and minor posts at all levels of government etc,?
Secession Agitators Are Ungrateful To God!
Twenty-six of the existing 36 States are barely viable and almost gone comatose! They have deliberately refused to generate funds internally but only collect monthly oil revenue allocations from the Federation Account instead of digging their God-given soils for agricultural products, and solid mineral resources with which all States are endowed with! For over one year of the new Change Agenda, State Governors still go cap in hand to beg Mr. President for financial bail-out and yet, some renegades still want to secede! Bayelsa State's workers have agreed to collect only 50% of their monthly salaries since the second coming of Seriake Dikson, because they were indebted several months of arrears of payment during his first term! Rivers State which swims in the ocean of crimes criminality, large scale militancy and agitations for secession is also neck deep in unpaid workers salaries indebtedness! The same challenge is applicable to other southern states that are spoiling for break-away! Latest reports show that the following 10 States have regularly paid workers salaries and allowances without fail; and they are: Edo, Lagos, Delta, Eboyin, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Kano, and Enugu. When as States duly recognized by the1999 Nigerian Constitution, they are bedeviled by such irresponsibility’s, how would they fair when they become militant juntas where jungle justice would become the order of the day!

There Could Be A Permanent Solution!
If the agitators and their sponsors could for one moment put on their thinking caps and embrace dialogue, the following suggestion would proffer permanent and everlasting peace: Resource Control, Derivation Principle and Fiscal Federalism which translates into restructuring of the Nigerian Federation to produce  stronger federating units that would explore, and exploit agriculculture, solid mineral resources, entertainment and the tourism industries within their borders for internally generated revenues and become fiscally responsible to contribute meaningful percentages to the Federal Government which is saddled with the greater responsibilities of overall national security and the effective control of the economy, without seceding would be appropriate and embraced by the agitators for peace to reign in the Niger Delta and for the economy to pick up again in the overall interest! The 2014 National Conference failed to recommend meaningful solution to the imbroglio which they described as very technical and should therefore be handled by a technical committee to be set up by the government and this omission had constituted the crux of present agitations by militants but we suggest that the Change Government should make an urgent pronouncement on these three critical issues to favour the Niger Delta States which represent the GEESE THAT LAY THE GOLDEN EGGS and pursue vigorously the aggressive diversification of the economy to the farmlands and encourage the local farmers who are the food engineers of the nation with modern agricultural equipments for the quick and expected turn around from an importing to an exporting nation, not only in food export but in textiles and solid mineral products to increase our dwindling and depleting foreign reserves and definitely peace will reign in Nigeria! Let all patriots say NO to secession!
RENDER TO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR'S AND TO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD'S! (MATTHEW.22:21).

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.