KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE
With REMI AKANO
By the time you read this, the elections would have come, but certainly not gone. Balloting in the Presidential and National Assembly elections would have been concluded. Possibly, results from all the governorship and state assembly elections held the previous week would have been announced. Against all predictions, violence would have been relatively low, but our nation would unfortunately be at its most divided in her post-civil war history.
No, this is not doomsaying. This is simply stating it the way it would be – for a while. As a believer steeped in the word of God, I know that would not be the end of it, because God never ends anything on a negative; and certainly not where Nigeria with her prophetic destiny as God’s end-time tool for evangelizing the world, is concerned.
But we must do very rigorous soul-searching. We must move swiftly to set aright those things that are not right, because as one wise man has said, nothing is settled until it is settled aright. And there are so many things wrong, most of them fundamental; so many in fact that one is tempted to suggest that we consider beginning all over again. That is because, as the Chinese would say, no matter how far you have gone on a wrong road, turn back!
The late leader of the Christian Men’s Network International, Rev Dr Edwin Louis Cole it was who said that the characteristics of a kingdom derive from the character of the king. How so apt! If you have been following the electioneering from the death of the tenure elongation project right up to now (a few days to the presidential elections), you will have little doubt that everything took on the abrasive, divisive, desperate, do-or-die character of President Matthew Obasanjo. The result, of course has been serial injustices, disdain for and manipulation of due process, misuse and abuse of virtually all the instruments of state power and violence, which but for our prayers would have been much worse.
Professor Maurice Iwu also took on the character of his principal leaving the Independent National Electoral Commission, which he heads, with no choice. In the event, those who suggested earlier that the president and his vice be impeached so that Senate President Kenechukwu Nnamani conducts elections as acting President were right, very right. Most people disagreed at the time because it seemed like an invitation to chaos. But look what we have on our hands – restive peace, without justice and equity.
Enamoured as we all are of breaking the jinx of civilian-to-civilian transition, we may be tempted to patch things up and simply say to the aggrieved: go to the election tribunals, accept your fate as the will of God but I wish to warn that God is no longer going to allow injustice to go unpunished in Nigeria. The end-times are here and all his tools have to be shaped and sharpened, and Nigeria is pivotal to the move. We must remove the scepter of injustice that we have continually allowed to hand over our nation. It is these stomaching of injustice that is working against our nation. That is why all programmes, social, economic and political, including Obasanjo’s reforms don’t achieve the desired results.
Talking about stomaching injustice, the place of the South-South region of Nigeria in the scheme of things must rank rather high as injustice and inequity writ large.
You may recall that the issue of which zone of Nigeria should produce the next president was hotly, even acrimoniously debated at the onset of preparations for Elections 2007. The South-East and the South-South zones made what was incontrovertibly a strong case for either of them to produce the next occupant of Aso Villa. And at a point it seemed almost certain that at least the People Democratic Party candidate for that top spot will come from the South-South. That party’s primary held and as the cliché goes, the rest is history! All the other big parties soon followed suit and before you could say “equity”, the two zones were already cozying up to the vice-presidential slot. And some might think that settles it.
But even as we try to close the books on Elections 2007, I remain burdened that unless yesterday’s presidential election results in either of two things that spectre of injustice and inequity will continue to hang over our nation. The first, of course is that the next president emerges from one of these zones, particularly the South-South. The second is that the candidate that we elect be one that is committed to returning Nigeria to the path of socio-economic justice through restructuring.
I am saying therefore that if by this morning we have not called the bluff of those who think might is right by having refused to vote for candidates from outside of the two disadvantaged regions, we would not have voted for equity and justice. After all there were a number of candidates to choose from. There was Professor Pat Utomi who apart from his other attributes of character, compassion, competence and freshness, uniquely meets the objective of filling the South-South/South-East slot. As a Deltan, his geo-political home is the South-South while as an Igbo, his root is in the South-East. Thus, he could even be the President that completes the rotation circle and free our nation to henceforth shop for the best from anywhere at all times.
Of course there was also Rev Chris Okotie whose grasp of our nation’s challenges is as amazing as the obviously inspired solutions that he has been proffering. His South-South origin should stand him in good stead in our bid to enthrone justice and fair play.
The alternative which, other things being equal, could also have placed us on the route to righting the wrongs of the past, of course, was the Buhari/Pronaco Option. Its attraction is the commitment to restructuring the federation along regional lines. This option has been articulated by the likes of Chief Olu Falae of the Democtratic Peoples Alliance and Rev Ajibola Oluyede of the National Advance Party, both allies of Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. The vision here is to turn the current geo-political zones into regions similar in operation to the three (later four) regions that existed during the First Republic. These regions would, by the proposal, substantially control the resources in their areas and supervise the states under them, among other things. With the Niger Delta in control of her resources, justice and equity would largely have been restored.
The bible, which is my compass and by which I have chosen to evaluate public policies and the activities of public officers who claim to subscribe to the Christian faith is very clear about equity in all issues. I’ll draw attention to only two passages to buttress my position.
In the book of Psalms chapter 82 and verse 3 is this clear directive: “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.” Contextually directed at judges, this is in fact God’s absolute minimum in the conduct of public affairs. Whether we like to admit it or not, the South-South zone of Nigeria, in particular, qualifies to be described as poor, afflicted and needy, all on account of decades of wanton exploitation of her resources to the benefit of the rest of Nigeria but the pauperization of the people of the area.
The Message bible paraphrase of this verse brings it home a little clearer: “You're here to defend the defenseless, to make sure that underdogs get a fair break.” The Niger Delta youths may have of recent decided to shake off the toga of defenselessness – in their wrong but understandable resort to violence - but there is as yet no doubt that they remain the underdog in Nigeria’s current socio-political and economic arrangement! And the scripture says to give the underdog a fair break. The same situation applies substantially to the South-Eastern zone.
As I reflected on this and the amount of prayer and fasting of all sorts that have been going on in private and even in public including the Christian Association of Nigeria/ Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs joint effort, I am reminded of the word of God in Proverbs 21:3 which says” To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” Again, I find the Message translation illuminating: “… justice with our neighbors mean far more to GOD than religious performance.” If we would pay more attention to doing right, we would not have to resort to the fire-fighting of calling upon one and all to fast and pray at the approach every electioneering period.
The point being made here dear reader is, if we have not used our votes to empower the disadvantaged, or put in place a political arrangement that is capable righting the wrongs of the past, our nation would be outside the will of God. If we are willing to accept the rule of the unjust because off some seemingly smart socio-economic programme based on the wisdom of man and or because we just want to move on with our lives, we would have enthroned unrighteousness and the consequences are as implied in the book of Proverbs: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn (Proverbs 29:2). It is an eternal truth that whether as individuals or groups or nations, we reap what we sow.
With REMI AKANO
By the time you read this, the elections would have come, but certainly not gone. Balloting in the Presidential and National Assembly elections would have been concluded. Possibly, results from all the governorship and state assembly elections held the previous week would have been announced. Against all predictions, violence would have been relatively low, but our nation would unfortunately be at its most divided in her post-civil war history.
No, this is not doomsaying. This is simply stating it the way it would be – for a while. As a believer steeped in the word of God, I know that would not be the end of it, because God never ends anything on a negative; and certainly not where Nigeria with her prophetic destiny as God’s end-time tool for evangelizing the world, is concerned.
But we must do very rigorous soul-searching. We must move swiftly to set aright those things that are not right, because as one wise man has said, nothing is settled until it is settled aright. And there are so many things wrong, most of them fundamental; so many in fact that one is tempted to suggest that we consider beginning all over again. That is because, as the Chinese would say, no matter how far you have gone on a wrong road, turn back!
The late leader of the Christian Men’s Network International, Rev Dr Edwin Louis Cole it was who said that the characteristics of a kingdom derive from the character of the king. How so apt! If you have been following the electioneering from the death of the tenure elongation project right up to now (a few days to the presidential elections), you will have little doubt that everything took on the abrasive, divisive, desperate, do-or-die character of President Matthew Obasanjo. The result, of course has been serial injustices, disdain for and manipulation of due process, misuse and abuse of virtually all the instruments of state power and violence, which but for our prayers would have been much worse.
Professor Maurice Iwu also took on the character of his principal leaving the Independent National Electoral Commission, which he heads, with no choice. In the event, those who suggested earlier that the president and his vice be impeached so that Senate President Kenechukwu Nnamani conducts elections as acting President were right, very right. Most people disagreed at the time because it seemed like an invitation to chaos. But look what we have on our hands – restive peace, without justice and equity.
Enamoured as we all are of breaking the jinx of civilian-to-civilian transition, we may be tempted to patch things up and simply say to the aggrieved: go to the election tribunals, accept your fate as the will of God but I wish to warn that God is no longer going to allow injustice to go unpunished in Nigeria. The end-times are here and all his tools have to be shaped and sharpened, and Nigeria is pivotal to the move. We must remove the scepter of injustice that we have continually allowed to hand over our nation. It is these stomaching of injustice that is working against our nation. That is why all programmes, social, economic and political, including Obasanjo’s reforms don’t achieve the desired results.
Talking about stomaching injustice, the place of the South-South region of Nigeria in the scheme of things must rank rather high as injustice and inequity writ large.
You may recall that the issue of which zone of Nigeria should produce the next president was hotly, even acrimoniously debated at the onset of preparations for Elections 2007. The South-East and the South-South zones made what was incontrovertibly a strong case for either of them to produce the next occupant of Aso Villa. And at a point it seemed almost certain that at least the People Democratic Party candidate for that top spot will come from the South-South. That party’s primary held and as the cliché goes, the rest is history! All the other big parties soon followed suit and before you could say “equity”, the two zones were already cozying up to the vice-presidential slot. And some might think that settles it.
But even as we try to close the books on Elections 2007, I remain burdened that unless yesterday’s presidential election results in either of two things that spectre of injustice and inequity will continue to hang over our nation. The first, of course is that the next president emerges from one of these zones, particularly the South-South. The second is that the candidate that we elect be one that is committed to returning Nigeria to the path of socio-economic justice through restructuring.
I am saying therefore that if by this morning we have not called the bluff of those who think might is right by having refused to vote for candidates from outside of the two disadvantaged regions, we would not have voted for equity and justice. After all there were a number of candidates to choose from. There was Professor Pat Utomi who apart from his other attributes of character, compassion, competence and freshness, uniquely meets the objective of filling the South-South/South-East slot. As a Deltan, his geo-political home is the South-South while as an Igbo, his root is in the South-East. Thus, he could even be the President that completes the rotation circle and free our nation to henceforth shop for the best from anywhere at all times.
Of course there was also Rev Chris Okotie whose grasp of our nation’s challenges is as amazing as the obviously inspired solutions that he has been proffering. His South-South origin should stand him in good stead in our bid to enthrone justice and fair play.
The alternative which, other things being equal, could also have placed us on the route to righting the wrongs of the past, of course, was the Buhari/Pronaco Option. Its attraction is the commitment to restructuring the federation along regional lines. This option has been articulated by the likes of Chief Olu Falae of the Democtratic Peoples Alliance and Rev Ajibola Oluyede of the National Advance Party, both allies of Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP. The vision here is to turn the current geo-political zones into regions similar in operation to the three (later four) regions that existed during the First Republic. These regions would, by the proposal, substantially control the resources in their areas and supervise the states under them, among other things. With the Niger Delta in control of her resources, justice and equity would largely have been restored.
The bible, which is my compass and by which I have chosen to evaluate public policies and the activities of public officers who claim to subscribe to the Christian faith is very clear about equity in all issues. I’ll draw attention to only two passages to buttress my position.
In the book of Psalms chapter 82 and verse 3 is this clear directive: “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.” Contextually directed at judges, this is in fact God’s absolute minimum in the conduct of public affairs. Whether we like to admit it or not, the South-South zone of Nigeria, in particular, qualifies to be described as poor, afflicted and needy, all on account of decades of wanton exploitation of her resources to the benefit of the rest of Nigeria but the pauperization of the people of the area.
The Message bible paraphrase of this verse brings it home a little clearer: “You're here to defend the defenseless, to make sure that underdogs get a fair break.” The Niger Delta youths may have of recent decided to shake off the toga of defenselessness – in their wrong but understandable resort to violence - but there is as yet no doubt that they remain the underdog in Nigeria’s current socio-political and economic arrangement! And the scripture says to give the underdog a fair break. The same situation applies substantially to the South-Eastern zone.
As I reflected on this and the amount of prayer and fasting of all sorts that have been going on in private and even in public including the Christian Association of Nigeria/ Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs joint effort, I am reminded of the word of God in Proverbs 21:3 which says” To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” Again, I find the Message translation illuminating: “… justice with our neighbors mean far more to GOD than religious performance.” If we would pay more attention to doing right, we would not have to resort to the fire-fighting of calling upon one and all to fast and pray at the approach every electioneering period.
The point being made here dear reader is, if we have not used our votes to empower the disadvantaged, or put in place a political arrangement that is capable righting the wrongs of the past, our nation would be outside the will of God. If we are willing to accept the rule of the unjust because off some seemingly smart socio-economic programme based on the wisdom of man and or because we just want to move on with our lives, we would have enthroned unrighteousness and the consequences are as implied in the book of Proverbs: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn (Proverbs 29:2). It is an eternal truth that whether as individuals or groups or nations, we reap what we sow.
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