REFERENDUM -NOT # REVOLUTION NOW! [BUHARI’S ADMINISTRATION IN FIVE YEARS – 2015-2020]

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. 9.NO 355. 31st  May, 2020.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You Free! (John.8:32). . PRAY & FAST EVERY WEDNESDAY TO STOP BLOODSHED IN NIGERIA!

REFERENDUM -NOT  # REVOLUTION NOW!
[BUHARI’S  ADMINISTRATION IN FIVE YEARS – 2015-2020]

To the natural and myopic, the myriads of Nigeria’s  decades of multi-faceted socio-economic/insecurity challenges; now compounded with negative fallouts from Covid-19 pandemic and a threatening global recession would be insurmountable without external assistance!

AND that is why the Presidential team of economic advisers MUST move against the politicians whose only stock in trade is to look outward whenever they met a brick wall in any national, state or local government social contracts – even in electoral lock jams! It is in the public domain that when the main opposition party (PDP), lost both the 2015 and 2019 Presidential Elections, they cried to high heavens and solicited all foreign powers to intervene and reverse the outcome in their favour! It’s like an unbroken chain of attitude for every Nigerian leader to always solicit for external loans from Obasanjo to Buhari, to shore up their ever-ailing economies that had been destroyed through institutional corruption!

BUT THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE BECAUSE THE NATION IS SO BLESSED IN QUANTUM NATURAL MINERAL DEPOSITS WHICH HAVE REMAINED UNTAPPED FOR CENTURIES BY SUCCEEDING ADMINISTRATIONS! ARE THERE CONCRETE OR VISIBLE PROJECTS THAT ACCOUNT FOR NUMEROUS FOREIGN LOANS OTHER THAN EXOTIC VEHICLES FOR EVERY DICK, TOM AND HARRY IN THE PRESIDENTIAL GOVERNMENT THAT PROVIDES FREE BREAD AND BUTTER TO THEIR PADDIES?

QUESTION: What stopped President Buhari from introducing “Socialist Presidency” from 2016 as a committed DEMOCRAT, which he claimed to be, scrap the “dollar-consuming” SENATE, reduce 360-member House of Representatives to 74 and divert all saved monies to equip every household with lands to pursue “mechanized agricultural revolution” to which the Minister of Information recently disclosed had now been allocated with a whooping USD$1.2 billion, which we believe would be quickly put to use and not be left in bank vaults to accrue interests for filthy and unrighteous executors!

QUESTION: What about all of the Abacha Recovered Loots which should have been allocated to the Education, Health and Power Sectors, to complement what is on ground and create more employment opportunities for the citizens?

NIGERIA AS THE FOREIGN CREDITORS SEE IT!  
Nigeria is still regarded as the POVERTY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, because of the undisputable fact that between 60-65% of the population able-bodied are idle hands and in spite of the application of all tricks in the books to change the situation, CORRUPTION as the albatross has occupied the driver’s seat of the economy and still riding high in the polity – especially among the politicians.
Street children have multiplied by leaps and bounds to about 13 million.
Health facilities were virtually non-existent until Covid-19 pandemic forced the Federal and State Governments to commence emergency construction of structural medical facilities to accommodate detected confirmed cases that kept rising by the day.
Although the over 10 years of insurgency by Boko Haram is on the brink of total extinction, increased bandits operation in the North Central/West, seemed to be on the increase.
Inflation according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), increased by 12.34% year-on-year in April 2020, the highest since April 2018.
Crude oil still remain the bulk contributor to the economy ( in spite of the sudden crash in international prices due to coronavirus pandemic), contributing about 85%  per cent in spite of the diversification drive towards AGRICULTURE which could provide more foreign currency  earnings if properly handled by righteous officers. (We hear that an embezzlement of over N48 billion naira had been uncovered in that sector and citizens are demanding that the Permanent Secretary, who was being accused be probed without delay), in spite of the fact that the nation was faced with an unprecedented financial crisis since independence!

HOW CAN PRESIDENT BUHARI REQUEST FOR MORE LOANS FROM THOSE WHO CASTIGATE, DESPISE AND DISHONOUR THIS MOST-POPULOUS BLACK NATION AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY; WHEN THEY WITNESS DAILY, THE PRESIDENTIAL CAPITALIST RECKLESSNESS AND WASTAGES IN GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATIONS AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS!
The SENATE
Having gotten presidential approval and have paid N 55billion naira for National Assembly Legislators FOREIGN CARS AND JEEPS;
Collected N37billion naira for the renovation of the National Assembly Complex, was quick to also approve a foreign loan of USD$ 22.7 dollars for the president to execute fresh critical infrastructures across Nigeria and another N850 billion loan which was a conversion of a planned external loan to domestic borrowing (in a “rub my back …I rub your back” gesture), in spite of the negative fallout of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy!  BUT the nation’s DEBT PROFILE SINCE 2015, which now stands at over N8TRILLION NAIRA AND STILL RISING MUST BE CONTINUALLY SERVICED ACCORDING TO CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT IF NOT RE-NEGOTIATED!!
AND now the President is going again cap in hand to beg for another FRESH FOREIGN LOAN of USD$5.513billion which request had gone to both Chambers of the National Assembly. The loan according to the President was (1) To finance the 2020 Budget deficit, (2) Financing of critical projects and (3) Supporting some States of the Federation! [The same old STORY!]

BREAKDOWN OF LOAN AND LENDERS:
IMF - $3,400,000,000; *World Bank -$1,500,000,000; *African Development Bank - $500,000,000; *Islamic Development Bank, $113,000,000
For the priority projects of Federal Government, the lenders are: African Development Bank - $125 million for support of Nigeria’s response to challenges posed by Covid-19 and Export-Import Bank of Brazil - £995 million, for Green imperative to enhance mechanization of agriculture and agro-processing in Nigeria.
The World Bank, African Export-Import Bank and Export-Import Bank of Brazil, will be lenders for projects to support various projects for State Governments, according to the President in the letters conveyed to NASS, in respect of the said total Loan for USD $5.513 billion, when he also presented a Revised 2020 Appropriation Bill and the 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper to both Chambers since the assumptions underlying the 2020 Appropriation Act were no longer  sustainable due to disruption to global economic activities through Covid-19 pandemic!

QUESTION: Was it not high time we RESISTED THESE RECURRING SHAME OF BORROWING BY COLLECTIVELY CALLING FOR A REFERENDUM ONCE AND FOR ALL? This is a wake-up call to all patriotic Nigerians – The Organized Labour, all Non-Governmental Agencies (NGOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), #  Hamza’s “Follow the money”, ARTISAN, Transport Workers, Farmers, Entertainment Industry etc, etc, to close ranks and say “NO” TO ALL EXTERNAL BORROWINGS!  THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) EL-RUFAI  COMMITTEE ON RESTRUCTURING OF NIGERIA IN JANUARY 2018, HAD RECOMMENDED THAT URGENT NATIONAL ISSUES WHICH SHOULD NOT BE DELAYED THROUGH NASS PROTOCOL OF UNENDING DEBATE SHOULD BE QUICKLY RESOLVED THROUGH A REFERENDUM, PUBLIC VOTE, POPULAR VOTE OR PLEBISCITE!
QUESTION: What is Referendum?  A general vote by the electorate on a single political decision which has been referred to them for a direct decision.
How does it work? Voting in a Referendum is similar to casting a vote in the Federal election – the key difference is what voters are required to write on their Referendum ballot paper. In a Referendum, voters are required to write either “Yes” or “No” in the box opposite each question on the ballot paper.
Why is Referendum important? It allows citizens, through the petition process to refer acts of the Legislature to the ballot before they become law. The Referendum also permits the Legislature itself to refer proposed legislation to the electorate for approval or rejection.
What makes a Referendum successful? An overwhelming support by all stakeholders as a united front in ensuring succour for the masses and for popular opinion to hold sway! 
Is a Referendum legally binding? Referendums are not legally binding, so legally the Government can ignore their results: for example, even if the result of a pre-legislative referendum were a majority of “No” for a proposed law, Parliament could pass it anyway, because Parliament in some democracies is sovereign.

BUT in Nigeria, SOVEREIGNTY BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE , and as such Referendum would DEFINITELY SAIL THROUGH WHEN PUT TO TEST! Nigerians are disgusted with the nation’s debt portfolio and with one VOICE say, “NO MORE FOREIGN LOANS BUT DEBT FORGIVENESS!” Nigeria’s foreign lenders would gladly cancel the debts in view of the pandemic!  President Buhari will exit on 29th May 2023, - just THREE YEARS AWAY! We expect that he and his economic team will take advantage of Covid-19 pandemic to totally close Nigeria’s land borders just like CHINA did several years back; get every person engaged in agriculture, extractive industry, manufacturing, fabrication, entertainment, film/ performing artistes engagements; SHUN ALL FORMS OF LOANS, grow and ensure FOOD SECURITY and turn around the economy in THREE YEARS, hand over to a younger/vibrant generation with brilliant ideas to continue with a good legacy! NIGERIANS ARE INGENIOUS PEOPLE AND WOULD NOT BE ENSLAVED TO FOREIGNERS BECAUSE OF THE GREED OF A VERY FEW INCONSEQUENTIAL POLITICIANS! “A Word Is Enough For The Wise”!

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,

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.