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. 6. NO 193. 23rd April, 2017.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You Free! (John.8:32).
BUHARI’S GOVERNMENT DOES NOT NEED THE DISTRACTION OF 2019 ELECTION DATES NOW!
In the sixteen years before the advent of the Change Administration of the ruling All Progressives Congress [APC], most Nigerian politicians did not prepare to win elections because they were accustomed to rotational sharing of political offices and appointments through a cabal which guaranteed monthly collection of mind-blowing salaries and allowances by mercenary politicians who had contributed no SOCIO-ECONOMIC VALUES TO THE NIGERIAN PROJECT! The penchant for acquiring illicit wealth was all that goaded them into the political landscape and to date, one can hardly find any POOR POLITICIAN in Nigeria, among the three tiers, Federal, States and Local Governments,- even among those who spent only one term in office because each one of them went into politics not to serve the people, but their PURSES!
The Peoples Democratic Party had monopoly of government almost at all levels for consecutive 16 years, 1999-2015, until it lost the elections, but instead of providing a veritable and vibrant opposition to the incumbent ruling Party, members have dissipated energy toward how to regain POWER in 2019 and they have very good reasons to feel that way because they have INEC’S official backing! The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], who recently announced early dates for the 2019 General Elections might think that he was bringing something new to the table, but he was very wrong because at the end of every four-year period towards fresh national elections as stipulated in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, “batons” would automatically change hands in rotation from outgoing PDP politicians according to a pre-arranged order which gives opportunities to those who have not had a bite of the NATIONAL CAKE to do so without the hassle of any PROPER PLANNING which Professor Yakubu suggested!
This INEC boss needs to be reminded that the Constitutional provisions that elections should be held not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days to the end of an incumbent’s tenure, had already taken care of the ADVANCE NOTICE and that was why no politician bothered to fault the proposal which he gleefully “plagiarised” from some foreign countries.
Part of his statement is reproduced below:
“Our democracy is maturing and the Commission believes that there should be certainty with regards to the time table for elections. For instance, in the US, general elections always hold on the second Press Tuesday of November in the election year.
“In the election year in Ghana it’s the 7th of December of the election year, while in the other places like Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Costa Rica and Switzerland, the dates are also known in advance.” Although the Nigerian Constitution without ambiguity states categorically when elections should be held every four years, “not earlier 150 days and not later than 30 days to the end of the incumbent tenure,” but even at that, Nigerian politicians hardly spent SIX MONTHS after a general election before planning for the next without delivering any dividends to the electorate.
The Nigerian nation existed as two independent entities of Northern and Southern States before the amalgamation of 1914 which united them as one indivisible country, by the British colonial masters. But in spite of that seeming confederacy which favoured the North in respect of trade and commerce, Nigeria still served the British for about 46 years to be qualified for political independence! At age 57, should Nigeria remain a nation of COPYCATS? Nigeria has wrongly copied the Presidential system of government and has imbibed prodigality, which was not part of the nation’s founding fathers culture and values; Nigeria has mimicked foreign dress codes from nearly all parts of the developed countries and could hardly be proud of our rich cultural heritage of traditional attires because it had become the dumping ground for discarded second-hand clothing; from other nations; About N8 billion worth of foreign exchange is annually frittered into the importation of foreign RICE, when the best brands grow in our land; Nigeria imports Brazilian Hair with millions of hard-earned foreign exchange reserves and the women purchase one piece for over N150.000, to look like foreign women!
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the incumbent Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, who assumed office on 21st October, 2015, and was preceded by both Professor Attahiru Jega and Amina Zakari, as a Nigerian academic, should have known better that the INNOVATION OF ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF THE 2019 ELECTION DATES, would not produce foolproof, undisputable, and acceptable election results by stake holders but instead, more distractions to the new CHANGE MANTRA that is yet to complete two years of vigorous economic reorientation to get Nigerians out of institutional corruption that nearly destroyed the nation’s socio-political fabric!
Since his assumption, over 70 new political associations have signified their intention to register as Political Parties apart from the existing 40 that INEC is finding to manage from one election to another! How many of the current political parties are constitutionally and management-compliant or financially viable to be recognized as political parties? How many of them are represented in any of the three tiers of government structure from the local councils to the legislature?
INEC should focus on Voter and Civic education which is imperative now if citizens must shun monetary-inducement which allegedly characterised the KOGI, EDO and ONDO States Elections.
INEC needs to collaborate with all Civil Society and Civil Rights Organizations to intensify efforts and move en-mass to educate voters especially at the grassroots and ensure that they were fully prepared to elect only credible candidates into positions of governance!
We need not emphasize that to ensure democratic and successful elections in 2019, voters needed to be sufficiently knowledgeable and well-informed on the electoral process of how to identify credible politicians and political parties through their ideologies, manifestoes and most importantly on how to check their antecedents and pedigrees!
Globally, it is the fundamental duty and primary responsibility of a sincere government and its election management team to educate citizens on all aspects of voting up to their civic duties on election days, but where there is deliberate plan to disenfranchise the Citizens, Non-Governmental Organisations [NGO’s], MUST intervene with Godly precision to bridge the gap!
We recommend creative approaches of spreading the 2019 General Elections information through educative posters, leaflets, hand bills, tracts and public awareness activities of radio jingles, songs, comic strips on television and internet campaigns; to ensure that all eligible voters – especially, the RURAL MEN AND WOMEN, have access to the needed information and participate intelligently in the voting process!
CONTINUOUS VOTERS REGISTRATION [CVR] EXERCISE, WOULD COMMENCE NATION-WIDE from 28th April, 2017, according INEC’S ANNOUNCEMENT and we need not remind Professor Yakubu that he should make the difference by ensuring that the exercise was professionally handled by qualified staff so that no ELECTORATE is disenfranchised!
NIGERIA IS OUT OF ECONOMIC RECESSION!
Luckily, Nigeria has already moved out recession which contracted consecutively for 10 months in 2016, according to APRIL SALES MANAGERS INDEX [SMI], data reports by World Economics, because it has experienced a steady growth in the past few months. The London-based organisation dedicated to producing financial analysis, insight and data relating to questions of key importance to the world economy declared on Tuesday 18th April, 2017 that despite negative growth that caused the death of many businesses, NIGERIA’S ECONOMY IS OUT OF RECESSION, but panellists explained that although “conditions remain difficult for businesses”, they were adapting to the challenges and that the recent changes to the Naira’s foreign exchange rate were aiding sales transactions.
The National Bureau of Statistics [NBS], at Easter also corroborated the Report that the inflation rate dropped by 0.52% in March, the second consecutive decline recorded in two months! “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to all 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.
Please look forward to divine revelations in The Sure Word Gospel Tracts, Our divinely inspired books on the Amazon KINDLE Store Namely: The Unbroken Chain of Grace, Nigeria’s Pot Pourri (Volumes 1-5), Godly Politicking For World Peace, and The Wedding Mascot Died.
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.
