IMMUNITY CLAUSE IS A TOOL FOR POLITICAL LICENTIOUSNESS FOR GOVS. EL RUFAI AND NYESOME WIKE!

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. 8. NO 287. 10th February, 2019.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32).

IMMUNITY CLAUSE IS A TOOL FOR POLITICAL LICENTIOUSNESS FOR GOVS. EL RUFAI AND NYESOME WIKE!

Of the 200 million un-official figure of Nigeria's population, only 74 serving government officials are constitutionally granted immunity against any form of litigations in their official capacities! According to Section 308 (1) (a-c) (2) and (3) in summary: "no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against the person to whom this section applies during his period of office." Such person can neither be arrested nor imprisoned during such period either in pursuance of the process of any court or otherwise required or be compelled, to appear to answer to any charges, while functioning as PRESIDENT, VICE-PRESIDENT, GOVERNOR AND DEPUTY GOVERNOR, but did the drafters/crafters of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria envisage that such exclusive immunity cover could be licentiously abused by highly-placed/highly-revered government functionaries?

In fact, some past Presidents and especially several past and serving Governors, had desecrated the lofty ideals and sacredness of their offices through unguarded/divisive utterances that had and are still capable of incensing or inflaming feeble/idle minds to fury, destruction, carnage, etc.

HATE/INCITING SPEECHES are criminal acts in Nigeria's Statutes, because they could incense civil disturbances, disobedience, riotings, cultural disharmony, insurgency or even, terrorism, but do the Nigerian beneficiaries cherish or appreciate the enormous respect accorded them through that noble gesture by the 200 million good people of this magnificent nation? With the hindsight of avoiding blanket judgement, we make bold to say that the "big men" who have terribly abused that magnificent honour in recent times were products of the Nigerian society, who benefited immensely from the socio-economic, educational and employment opportunities of past administrations on the platter of gold, but have now attempted to destroy the very foundation through which they rose to limelight, fame and recognition!

THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN THE DISSEMINATION OF HATE SPEECHES - 2014-2019!
Hate speeches/publications have been made popular by the Nigerian Media - print, electronic and lately, the all-comers and very notorious SOCIAL MEDIA where every Tom, Dick and Harry, have uninterrupted field day to disseminate outrageous messages of disaffection that had triggered blood-letting mostly in socio-political activities, especially before, during or after elections, without any noticeable censorship by the BROADCASTING ORGANISATION OF NIGERIA (BON)!

In the year 2007, ex-President Aremu Obasanjo, who lost his diabolical plan for a THIRD TERM in office resorted to the hate and incisive cliché of a DO-OR -DIE election that MUST be won by his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at all costs! It is on record that several innocent Nigerians lost their lives in the aftermath of that very controversial elections in which results were announced in Abuja while collation of votes still went on at States collation centres! Protests that greeted ex-President Jonathan's election in the year 2011, when the same Obasanjo master-minded the process of his, (Jonathan's), election through the same "do-or-die" machinery and "imposed" him on Nigerians, also claimed precious lives as the Northern political class believed in continuity through a northern candidate to complete the tenure of the late President Shehu Musa Yard 'Adua!
In 2015, PDP politicians came out in their worst behaviour in massive incitements through hate speeches, publications, advertorials, on newspapers, radio, televisions, social media, when a new All Progressives Congress (APC), emerged with the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari as its flag bearer and got away with all their crimes!

THE IMMUNED ONES ALWAYS GOT AWAY WITH THEIR CRIMES!
Even when Buhari emerged victorious, the hate speeches continued unabated through ex-Governor Ayodele Fayose and a sitting Niger Delta Governor Nyesome Wike, whose Rivers State is notorious for blood- letting and decapitation of perceived opponents - including security agents! Fayose got away with all his crimes of hate speeches against President Buhari and will Wike also get away? We strongly believe that both sitting and ex-governors could be thoroughly investigated and at the appropriate time of exit from office, be brought to face prosecution through the International Criminal Court (ICC), in The Hague, in order to serve as deterrent to would-be defaulters of the immunity clause! BUT DOES NIGERIA POSSESS STRONG SECURITY INSTITUTIONS TO DEAL WITH HATE SPEECHES/PUBLICATIONS OR SHOULD SECTION 308 BE EXPUNGED FROM NIGERIA'S CONSTITUTION?

"WRITE YOUR WILL BEFORE COMING TO MY TERRITORY!" -Gov. Nyesome Wike, Rivers State!
Before the commencement of the 2015 General Elections, PDP 'S GOV. NYESOME WIKE, RIVERS STATE. WARNED Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ELECTORAL OFFICERS who might likely be partisan, to write their TESTAMENTS, and put their houses in order before travelling to his domain, because they might lose their lives in the event of any negative actions! Many deaths were recorded in Rivers State in virtually every election, general or supplementary - and the governor seemed to be getting away with all the atrocities!

"BE READY TO DEPART FROM MY COUNTRY IN BODY BAGS IF YOU MEDDLE IN OUR ELECTIONS!"
The latest of incisive and hate speech is coming from the sitting APC'S Governor Nasir El Rufai, of Kaduna  State, who has issued a very stern warning to FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVERS whom he perceived would support the opposition to rig Nigeria's 2019 Elections to desist or face the consequences of death! El Rufai did not mince his words, he was very categorical and emphatic during a television interview when he said that such persons would go home in body bags!
Are these chief executives/chief security officers of their States in possession of some exclusive information which must not be shared with their security agencies according to the law, but believe should be personally executed through misguided or disgruntled persons who might likely kill, maim and destroy lives in the event of mob actions through such incitements?
WOULD THE BOKO HARAM ACTS OF TERRORISM OF MERCILESS KILLINGS OF INNOCENT CITIZENS IN THE NORTH EAST, WEST AND CENTRAL GEO-POLITICAL ZONES BE DIFFERENT IF EL-RUFAI'S INCITEMENT WERE TO DEGENERATE INTO BODILY ATTACKS AGAINST THE INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES FROM AFRICA, EUROPEAN UNION (EU), UNITED STATES, etc, etc.

RUFAI'S PREVIOUS HATE STATEMENT ON FULANI VENGEANCE TRAITS!
It seemed that propagation of hate speeches and utterances has become El Rufai past-time, who in 2016 during the height of the herdsmen and farmers clashes over grazing rights said the a Fulani man would always avenge the death of his peer or animal, no matter how long it took! At that time, the governor claimed that he sent emissaries to Niger State to pay heavy ransoms of money to dissuade Fulani mercenaries from coming to Nigeria to avenge the killing of some of their cattle in Kaduna State during a clash with some locals!

GARBA SHEHU'S STATEMENT IS NOT BUHARI'S STATEMENT!
The Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu has not helped matters either if the statement about the zeal for "nationalism" credited to El Rufai by him is indeed very true!  What is nationalistic in cold-blooded murder of defenceless people who could be summarily terminated on trumped up charges? Who will prove the innocence or guilt of any FOREIGNER if accused of interference in Nigeria's domestic affairs? Would it be an INCITED MOB, incensed through hate speech but had neither moral justification to take other persons lives nor take laws into their hands or security agents were sidelined by the governor in this case? WHEN DID HATE SPEECH QUALIFY AS A NATIONALISTIC PRODUCT?

FOREIGN OBSERVERS ARE PART AND PARCEL OF NIGERIA'S POLITICAL PROCESS BECAUSE NIGERIA IS NOT AN ISLAND TO ITSELF!
Working on the assumption that FOREIGNERS plan to meddle and support the opposition PDP, what should be the immediate line of action of the chief security officer of a State other than to order discreet and meticulous investigations by highly professional/trusted officers to ascertain the veracity of the allegation and take appropriate actions BUT DEFINITELY NOT TO UNLEASH MOBS UPON PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE PROVED INNOCENT EVENTUALLY! Nigerians have served as foreign observers during political elections in other parts of world since independence and we are not aware of any recorded incident of threats to their lives! We have to place it on record that Nigeria will never yield nor succumb to any form of NEO-COLONIZATION by any foreign power be it America, Russia, European Union, China or the Koreas; because with earned our SOVEREIGNTY in maturity as a determined people who believe in the sanctity of life!  We regret that we have to contend with the Boko Haram insurgency for this long but we would not as a developing nation resort to BARBARIC destruction of lives and properties which those enemies of the State have adopted as their trade mark!

THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC), RIOT ACT TO NIGERIA!
Fortunately, Nigeria is signatory to several international treaties and conventions including those that confers ICC with powers to try criminal cases involving Nigerian citizens in thei court! And already, the ICC Chief Prosecutor, Ms. Fatou Bensouda, in a special broadcast on 5th February, 2019, read the riot act to Nigerian politicians - including Gov. El Rufai and others in respect of threats to the up-coming 2019 General Elections!
They are warned not to INCITE OR ENGAGE IN ACTS OF VIOLENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SAID ELECTIONS! "No one should doubt my offices resolve to prosecute individuals responsible of ICC crimes whenever necessary", she unequivocally warned adding that ICC had jurisdiction over Rome Statute crimes committed on the territory of Nigeria.  She also said that violence was not a solution to electoral competition and admonished Nigerian politicians to send a clear message through the conduct of peaceful elections that such contests did not have to result into violence and crimes!
WE VEHEMENTLY CONDEMNED HATE SPEECH PEDLARS IN 2014-2016, WE STILL CONDEMN THEM NOW! A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE! "Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shall call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise." (Isaiah. 60:18). Amen.

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.