IS NIGERIA'S LEGISLATURE THE "WEEPING OR THIEVING CHILD”?

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER.
(Looking at Nigeria's Political System from a godly perspective). 

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church, Kpeyegyi, Abuja Nigeria. [VOL. 5. NO 165. 9th October, 2016.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32).

IS NIGERIA'S LEGISLATURE THE "WEEPING OR THIEVING CHILD”?

At every fora where the Nigerian Legislature fell under criticisms for inferior performances in the quality and content of its constitutional duties of law- making for the peace, order and good government of the Federation, the Nigerian Legislator never missed the opportunity to repeat the well-rehearsed parliamentary rhyme that; "Nigeria's Legislature was always the unfortunate weeping child of the three tiers of government in all past military aberration because it was usually prevented from functioning through the suspension of the Constitution." It is not in dispute that duties of the Legislature are very complex, intricate and deserve diligence, painstaking approach and dedication, but it is also very instructive for Nigerians to reject the doctrine that it has failed to perform optimally in its constitutional duties of law-making, investigations and oversights now because it was the "weeping child" which was stripped from performing its duties in almost 30 years of military rule, while both the Executive and the Judiciary functioned consistently and judiciously! Patriotic citizens do not need all the time in the world to prepare to serve their nations if they have sincere intentions!
Though Nigeria began its political experience as an independent and democratic nation in 1960, and though it was short-lived through military interregnum and that the First to the Third Legislative Assemblies failed, (in view of the coupists allegations of maladministration), yet those short periods were documented and would always remain in the annals of history as point of reference for present generation of Nigerians and for posterity! We strongly believe that intending legislators should have prepared adequately for the enormous task ahead through sound political education and orientation; though they might not have monopoly of continuity except that they were re- elected and such checks would always throw up fresh and new entrants who would have to learn the ropes in the arena of legislative environment from the beginning, yet, such unavoidable process should not diminish the quality of service and the purposeful and patriotic determination to serve the nation with diligence!

THE WEEPING CHILD OF MILITARY COUPS!
Nigeria experienced SIX military coups in 56 years of its independence as a nation during which the LEGISLATURE was usually castrated and the CONSTITUTION suspended to make way for martial laws and military dictatorship! At such periods all forms of politicking remained banned and suspected defiants were hunted and detained at the mercy of the Head of State while some stooges and boot lickers were hand picked to support military aberration, excesses and abuse of the rule of law, from among the civil servants for executive convenience and members of the JUDICATURE, to support "kangaroo justice"!
At the restoration of the present democratic experience which has now clocked over 17 years, Legislators still felt short-changed and had to make up for all salaries, allowances, emoluments etc, which eluded them for about 30 years and the ripple effects of their greed have been reflected in annual gaguantous appropriation, now at N150 billion naira as RUNNING COST, which has wiped out all their tears as most of them have become multi-millionaires and billionaires within the very short period! The Constitutution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999, Constitution approves 360 Geo-Political Constituency legislators for the House of Representatives, (HOR), and 109 Senators for the Upper Chamber, to jointly make laws for good governance of the nation but recent revelations of financial recklessness in the HOR by a ranking member, have confirmed several years of speculations and allegations of a secret Appropriation Office, which was not subjected to Revenue Mobilisation Allocation And Fiscal Commission's (RMAFC), scrutiny or control! The former Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Maikasuwa, who was jointly charged with Senators Saraki and Ekweremadu, in the celebrated forgery case of the Senate House Rules, was ordered by an Abuja High Court, in March 2015, to make available to a Non-Government Organisation, Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), NASS SECRETIVE CONSTITUENCY ALLOWANCES earned by Nigerian Lawmakers, but because he appealed the judgement, the matter was yet to be put to rest!

However, the Editorial Board of the weekly Zion B-BC Newsletter wish to draw attention of the TALAKAWAS - the TAX PAYERS and the ELECTORATE - to the following revelations by Abdulmumin Jibrin, a ranking member and an insider in the House of Representatives whom the LORD has opened his mouth to expose the rot of financial mismanagement in the hallowed House, even at this austere period of national economic recession because  his uncontrollable outbursts are the answers to our several prayers and supplications to the Almighty God over institutional impunity in government! The unedited version of his submissions to the WORLD are reproduced below unedited:

"HOW WE SHARED NIGERIA MONEY BY HON. Abdulmumin JUBRIN "I got N650 million as my running cost as the Chairman of Appropriation Committee. Speaker Yakubu Dogara got N1.5 billion, His Deputy Yusuf Lasun got N800 million. House Majority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila got N1.2 billion; Deputy Majority Leader Buba Jibrin got N1.2 billion. House Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa got N1.2 billion, Deputy House Whip got N700 million. House Minority Leader Leo Ogor got N1.2 billion, Deputy Minority Leader Onyema got N800 million. Minority Whip got N700 million, Deputy Minority Whip got N700 million. I have documents to back up all these.

"TO ALL HONOURABLE MEMBERS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ABUJA.
My dear Colleagues, BURDEN OF PROOF OF EVIDENCE: RUNNING COST OF HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
"I wish to draw your attention to the fact that since you suspended me yesterday and the suggestion of the Ethics Committee report that my allegations were generalized and without proof, I have come under intense public scrutiny and pressure to prove that there exists systemic corruption in the House. I have taken it as a responsibility to prove to the public that the House is a den of systemic corruption. As colleagues, I have bound with many of you and built a life long friendship.
"I have some of you that I hold in high esteem. If you end up at the receiving end of the actions I will be taking up in the next few days, I want you to know there is nothing personal but commitment and fervent desire to ensure that corruption is wiped out of the House and reforms that will restore the battered image of the House and take back the House to the Nigerian people is implemented. Consequent upon the above and before I proceed with the aggressive steps I intend to take, I hereby DEMAND that if you have illegally taken or stolen any money meant for the RUNNING COST OF YOUR OFFICES FOR YOUR ENTIRE STAY IN THE HOUSE, YOU SHOULD RETURN THE MONEY WITHIN ONE WEEK TO THE CLERK OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF CLARITY, I AM REFERRING TO ABOUT 10 MILLION NAIRA YOU COLLECT FROM TAX PAYERS' MONEY MONTHLY. THE CLERK WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH OFFICIAL ACCOUNT DETAILS, FAILURE OF WHICH I WILL TAKE NECESSARY ACTION TO ENSURE THAT YOU RETURN ANY MONEY STOLEN AND STAND WITNESS AGAINST YOU IN CASE OF PROSECUTION.

"I have written to the Clerk of the National Assembly to stand by in anticipation. In the face of the revenue challenges and biting hardship the country is currently facing, there is no better time the country needs such money than now. In the case of the Presiding and Principal Officers, in addition to my demand in this letter which applies to them too, I have written them yesterday and gave them 72 hours ULTIMATUM to make public the total amount they have received as running cost in their entire stay in the House, failure of which I will proceed with necessary legal action to compel them to make the total amount each of them have received public. There are other issues of monumental corruption in the House that I will be raising in the following weeks which we must all deal with, but first let’s get done with this one.
"Thank you. God bless. Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin Ph.D, MBA. APC-Kano, Kiru-Bebeji Federal Constituency, Kano."

URGENT SOLUTIONS NEEDED TO MOVE THE NATION FORWARD!
Nigerians from all walks of life had always played lip service to the agitation for the blockage of  wastages of funds by the three tiers of government but from these developments, which are so glaring to all TALAKAWAS that they were being taken for a ride by their so-called representatives, it was high time that drastic measures was taken by President Buhari and his determined Change Team to attack this malaise frontally, by instructing crime detection agencies of government, who already have copies of Jibrin's Petitions, to swing into action, recover all fraudulently-acquired monies from the now SMILLING LEGISLATORS, and prosecute all who are found culpable in the shameful racket!
We also suggest that there could not be a better time than this, for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to propose a bill for a BI-CAMERAL LEGISLASTIVE HOUSE, which will consist of only TWO REPRESENTATIVES from each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and which will be remunerated according to the Civil Service Financial Regulations, so that only patriotic and genuine citizens would go into politics to serve their nation. It is also expedient for the Nigerian government at this austere period of economic recession to mop up all exposed illicit monies stashed abroad by Nigerians and those yet to be recovered from fraudulent politicians at home as exposed by Hon. Jibrin, to shore up and fill all deficits in the 2016 Budget as it works assiduously to defeat the temporary economic set back. As it is written, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach unto any people." (Proverbs.14:34).

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.