TOO BAD: How FG Wasted N143 Billion Natural Resources Fund In 8 Months?

But government records show that since its establishment, funds in the account have hardly been used to achieve this purpose.

Instead, the Federal Government has been drawing the monies to pay for items that should have been budgetted for—like monetisation arrears for PHCN staff and fertiliser procurement contracts.

Since 2004, government withdrew a total of N701 billion for purposes other than development of natural resources.

President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration alone made withdrawals of N142.63 billion in eight months, beginning weeks after when he assumed office as acting President in February 2010, documents from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation show.

From March to October 2010, the Jonathan administration drew sums from the account for payment of monetisation arrears for staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (N57.59 billion), loan to Consolidated Revenue Fund to accelerate capital budgets releases (N70 billion), funding of fertilizer revolving account (N10.7 billion) and withdrawals to fund reversal of excess crude distribution (N4.3 billion).

Although the withdrawals are called loans, there is no evidence to show that any of these loans have been defrayed.

The revenue sharing laws provide that 3 percent of funds accruing to the Federation Account should be remitted to the natural resources account.

The account was set up after then-President Obasanjo issued an executive order to make the revenue sharing formula conform with the Supreme Court ruling of 2002.

“This fund is supposed to be accessed by all tiers of government and it is to be channelled towards the development of natural resources aimed at diversifying our revenue base outside the oil and gas,” chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Elias Mbam told Daily Trust.

But President Obasanjo himself approved periodic withdrawals from the account to the tune of N270 billion between October 2004 and May 2007 for sundry expenditure that had nothing to do with natural resources development.

In two days alone, just two weeks before Obasanjo left office, his government withdrew N179 billion on May 7 and May 15, 2007 for national identity card project, purchase of chancery in Tokyo, budget financing and NHIS payments among others.

Early this month, at a Senate committee hearing, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Mr. Danladi Kifasi said a total of N873.4 billion had accrued into the natural resources account over the years but it was depleted by N701.48 billion.

“The cumulative balance in the account as at June 30, 2012 is N171.9 billion,” he said, adding all “releases from the fund are based on approvals from Mr. President. In some instances, the Federal Government do borrow from the fund and which is promptly paid back.”

A slush fund for the President

Speaking with Daily Trust in Abuja, RMAFC chairman Mbam said one of the problems about the account is that there is no specific government office managing it.

“Somebody who doesn’t know the details would assume it is a Federal Government fund, it is not. It is a federation fund which is held in trust by the Federal Government,” he said.

“Unfortunately, there is no administrative structure that I know for the management of the fund like we have for the Ecological Fund, and so the President, being the head of the federation can use his discretionary approval on allocating this fund on demand after all the necessary verification and confirmation have been done and it is supposed to be utilized in that direction— that is the development of natural resources,” Mbam added.

Apparently because of lack of administrative structure to manage the funds, drawing from the natural resources account appears to be a past time for successive Presidents.

President Umaru Yar’adua also made withdrawals from the account, making four approvals even at a time when illness was taking its toll on him.

Yar’adua approved four payments between June and October 2009 totaling N173 billion for the funding of 2009 supplementary budget (N50 billion), loan to settle liabilities of 2009 season fertilizer supplies (N27.8 billion), and N95 billion and N1 billion for the 2009 agric and food security programmes.

His administration earlier withdrew N10 billion for payment of arrears of monetisation of parastatals (October-December 2005) in August 2007, and then N1.9 billion for “release to IDP & ACGSF” in October 2007.

Also, N21.8 billion was drawn on December 24, 2008 as “loan approved by Mr. President to offset outstanding liabilities of ’08 season fertilizer supplies and to repaid back all affected states in four installments starting Jan ’09.”

How the monies are drawn

Mbam explained how the fund is accessed thus: “Sometimes what happens is that the states passed their request to the commission here, the commission inspects and then analyse the project they want to do so that it is conforms with what the fund is meant to do and then recommend to the president. So the greatest handicap is that there is no administrative structure to manage that fund.”

But he couldn’t say if any state has ever accessed the fund. “Since I came in here, we have received some applications but I can’t remember any state that has accessed it since I came in. We have processed like about five, six states. We have processed Zamfara, FCT, Plateau, Taraba and Adamawa. We are also processing now Imo, Kogi and Abia states. Those are the ones we have already processed,” Mbam said.

The probe instituted by the Senate public accounts committee is on going, and Accountant General of the Federation Jonah Otunla has been asked to appear before the panel to explain the withdrawals from the natural resources funds.

Source: Daily Trust

SHOCKING: PHCN Workers Pension Fund Gone?

Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji, yesterday, challenged workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, to demand from their leaders, the whereabouts  of their pension funds.
Nnaji in a statement by his Special Assistant on Power (Media), Ogbuagu Anikwe,     said the workers should find out from the three trade unions in the power sector, how hundreds of billions of dollars purportedly contributed over the decades by them towards their pension scheme disappeared.
It would be recalled that the three unions in the electricity sector—National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE; Senior Staff of Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEC and National Union of Pensioners, NUP, Electricity Sector, have continued to demand for the N400 billion said to have  accrued to their superannuation fund as part of the settlement.
They had claimed that 25 per cent of workers’ salaries was being deducted by Federal Government appointed management of PHCN over the years into the PHCN workers’ superannuation fund.
According to Nnaji, it has become necessary to ask PHCN employees to inquire from their labour leaders, what happened to the money because the company’s management and the labour leaders were the only trustees of the pension scheme.
Prior to the introduction of Pension Reform Act in July 2004, the state power utility operated an in-house pension scheme, which enabled the workers to enjoy a scheme different from the contributory scheme most public sector organisations operated.
He  said the PHCN management had over the years provided N3 billion annually for the payment of retirement benefits to members, who were retiring individually, making most workers believe that the scheme was well funded from the 25 per cent deductions purportedly made by the company over the decades.
“However, with the impending privatisation of 17 PHCN successor companies, which necessitates mass retirements, there are practically no funds in the account to pay the severance package of the 50,000 PHCN employees. Contrary to the propaganda by some labour activists to the effect that there was N88 billion in the pension account as of June 30, 2004, when the old scheme ceased to operate, what was available in the account administered by the union leaders and the PHCN management was a mere N3 billion.
“It is, therefore, incumbent on PHCN employees, whether retired or serving, to find out from their union leaders, who are the signatories to the bank account, what happened to the difference of N85 billion, in the interests of transparency, probity and accountability.”
Source: Vanguard

2012 BUDGET: We May Impeach Jonathan - Senators

There were indications at the weekend that some Senators are now backing members of the House of Representative on a plot to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan by September if there is no improvement in the 2012 budget’s implementation.
It was reported in “The Nation” that the senators met with members of the lower chamber at the weekend in Abuja and giving a support on the impeachment process of the President.
But, a presidential aide alleged that the House is angry because the executive rejected its demand for the execution of what was described as  some “bogus” constituency projects.
The aide also accused Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of using the House as a platform for his supposed 2015 presidential project.
It will be recalled that Last Thursday, the House threatened the president with impeachment over what it called “poor implementation” of the budget.
It gave him up till September 30 to ensure “full implementation” of the fiscal policy or “we will start drafting articles of impeachment”.
Sources said the senators joined forces with the representatives because both chambers (Senate and House) must work together on impeachment in line with constitutional provisions.
According to Section 143 (1): The President or Vice-President may be removed from office in accordance with the provision of this section.
(2): Whenever a notice of any allegation in writing signed by not less one-third of the members of the National Assembly:
(a) is presented to the President of the Senate;
(b) stating that the holder of the office of President or Vice-President is guilty of gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office, detailed particulars of which shall be specified.
At plenary last Thursday, the House accused the president of “gross misconduct” for alleged poor implementation of the budget.
A senator who spoke in confidence said: “Some of us have met with some members of the House of Representatives to tell them that we are in support of their action.
“The battle is not that of the House alone, it is for the National Assembly. Let Mr. President take his time to gauge the feeling of all senators, he will know that they are not happy with his administration on the poor implementation of the budget.
“As a chamber, the Senate has passed many resolutions too which the president has not implemented. We considered the reports on Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) and pension fraud but the government just kept quiet as if we are in the Senate as spectators.
“I can tell you that there are sufficient grounds to initiate impeachment process against the President.”
Another senator said: “The Presidency will be making a great mistake to bank on the Senate for reprieve if the House is adamant to actualise its impeachment threat.
“On security ground alone, the impeachment proceedings will succeed. We are all tired of the high-level of insecurity in the country.
“So, it is in the interest of the executive to implement the budget as directed by the House instead of glossing over last Thursday’s resolution of the House.”
Yet another senator said: “We will use this recess to consolidate our plans on what to do if the President does not address the budget implementation target.
“We all felt insulted that the president also recalled the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh, in spite of issues surrounding her tenure.
“Nigerians should appreciate that even if the Senate maintains a parallel position, senators and representatives will eventually hold a joint session where votes will count equally. With the numerical strength of the House, any motion can sail through at the joint sitting.”
A high-ranking member of the House said the overwhelming support for the ultimatum given to the President should be a signal that there is a communication gap between the executive and the House.
“Not even members of the House from the Southsouth could rally round the executive. That has confirmed that we all saw the Nigerian Project beyond ethnicity. It also showed the waning influence of the President in the National Assembly.
“As a matter of fact, the motion on the budget was drafted by a member of the House from the Southsouth. The member was determined to move the motion openly but for tactical reasons, the House leadership decided otherwise. The country is not moving forward, we are unhappy.
“We have opened up talks with some senators on the way forward. I think constitutionally, we can find a solution to the challenges at hand in the country. We have our game plan.”
“Some senators and House members are also meeting in the United Kingdom and United States during the vacation on this game plan.”
Source: Daily Post

BLOODY: 15 Year Old Twins Butchered In Yobe?

Residents of Nasarawa ward of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, yesterday, woke up to the shocking news of the slaughter of twin teenagers by yet to be identified persons.
The state Commissioner of Police, Patrick Egbuniwe, who confirmed the incidence in Damaturu said the command was suspecting members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect.
He also revealed that the oldest private school in the state, Yobe Children’s Academy, had also been burned down.
According to the Police boss, the cases of night killings and burning of schools are on the increase in the state capital as the hoodlums no longer use gun or explosive devices but resort to slaughtering of their victims as sounds of guns and bombs often attracts immediate response by security agents.
The Commissioner of Police who wondered why the attackers will slaughter 15-year-old set of twins said the incident occurred at about 10pm on Saturda.
He also stated that the Yobe Children’s Academy was set on fire around 11 o’clock of the same day.
A staff of the school who spoke on condition of anonymity said 30 classrooms were razed as only the staff room, library and laboratory were spared.
The school, according to him, has pre-nursery, nursery, primary and secondary sections and currently with over 3,000 student population.
He expressed grief over where the students will write the Junior Secondary School Examination slated for today.
The school was established in 1992 and at the moment is one of the leading institutions with good academic records with several of its products excelling in high institutions at home and abroad and internationally.
Source: Vanguard

War Of The First Ladies: Patience Jonathan Get Land Revoked From Turai Yar’dua?

Mrs Jonathan and her predecessor are in a bitter struggle

Mr Mohammed said he revocated the allocation in overriding public interest with Mrs Jonathan saying she wants to build the secretariat of the First Ladies Peace Mission on the land.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, will this week host wives of other African leaders in Abuja during which a foundation laying ceremony would be performed on a land in central Abuja that has become a subject of deep acrimony between her and her predecessor.
The contentious land, allocated to Mrs. Yar’Adua’s Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF) in February 2010, was revoked by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, in November 2011 and immediately reallocated to Mrs. Jonathan-led African First Ladies’ Peace Mission after President Umaru Yar'Adua died and his wife slipped into political irrelevance.
Mr Mohammed said he revocated the allocation in overriding public interest with Mrs Jonathan saying she wants to build the secretariat of the First Ladies Peace Mission on the land.
On November 23, 2011, Mrs. Yar’Adua’s WAYEF sued the FCT minister, his ministry and the Attorney General of the Federation challenging the revocation.
On March 5, 2012 , Justice Peter Affen of the Abuja High Court granted an injunction restraining the Minister or any other person from affecting the title or interest of WAYEF over the plot of land pending the determination of the case.
But in spite of the ongoing litigation and petitions to the police by Mrs. Yar’dua, Mrs Jonathan is now set to effectively take possession of the land.
To that effect, Mrs Jonathan has approached the court, through the Federal Ministry of Justice, asking it to discharge the restraining order on the land or make an order of stay of execution  of the interlocutory injunction it earlier granted Mrs. Yar’Adua’s NGO.
In an affidavit in support of the motion, Mrs Jonathan, through Ballah Ali, a litigation officer in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation,  informed the court that she would be hosting African first ladies from 24^th to 27^th July and that a foundation laying ceremony would be performed on the land during the period.
“The image of Nigeria may be adversely affected in the community of Nations if this injunction is not vacated and the foundation ceremony is truncated,” the affidavit said.
Mr. Ali said the land in question was first allocated to First Ladies Peace Initiative when Mrs. Yar’Adua was its president but that she converted it to the use of her personal NGO.
He said on learning of the previous allocation, Mrs Jonathan reached out to Mrs Yar’Adua “who conceded to a revocation as the Minister of the FCT was prepared to give her another allocation.
“Subsequently, the first lady’s attention was drawn to the injunction obtained by the plaintiff after she was made to believe that the matter had been resolved.”
But Mrs Yar’Adua’s NGO is insisting that it remains the current and bonafide owner of the land and that the minister has no power to retrospectively revoke a right of occupancy.
Its lawyers claimed that WAYEF obtained the requisite approvals, and paid the statutory N184million to the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) for the right of occupancy.
It is also contending that “a purported notice of revocation of a right of occupancy on alleged public interest must disclose the fact and nature of the alleged overriding public interest in order to be valid.”
The court will rule on the Attorney General’s application for a vacation of the restraining order on Tuesday.
Source: Premium Times

ALARMING: Bomb Explosion At Bayan Gari, Bauchi?

The extremist Boko Haram sect is suspected to be responsible for the explosion
The Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ladan, has confirmed that one person died from the bomb explosion that rocked Bayan Gari area of the state this evening.
Mr. Ladan said the victim, was a teenager resident in the area, adding also that about 10 people were injured in blast.
"From the report gathered, there was IED explosion in Bayan Gari a small boy died, 10 people injured and they were taken to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital ATBUTH, Bauchi,”Mr Ladan told to PREMIUM TIMES Sunday evening.
Witnesses say the explosion occurred at about 6.40 p.m. when Muslims were about to break their Ramadan fast and that the incident caused tension and panic in the area.
They further said the suspected bomber arrived the area disguised as a hawker pushing a wheel barrow which he eventually abandoned with Improvised Explosives Devices, IEDS, that eventually exploded shortly after.
Most of those injured were patrons of the many relaxation spots littering the area.
Some shops and vehicles were also damaged in the incident.
Source: Premium Times

CONFESSION: I Befriended Animals When I Was Growing Up - Actress Nse Ikpe Etim

ADEMOLA OLONILUA, after speaking to Nollywood actress, Nse Etim about her career and sundry matters, gave the following report of all she said:
My hairstyle
I don’t wear dreadlocks, it is just my natural hair that you are seeing. I twist it and loose it when I choose to. I do not fix a weave-on because it is artificial. I carry my hair most of the time, except when I have to attach something else to it.
If I am playing a role in a home video film, I wear another hairstyle. I am an easy-going person, though I am inclined to lose my temper sometimes. My bark is worse than my bite and I am a simple person.
Life after graduation
After graduating from the University of Calabar, I worked with a radio station and a television station. I did a bit of film acting before getting a job in a bank.
Why I quit banking
I don’t think I remember the year I quit banking. But when I decided it was not longer what I wanted to do I had to leave. I was doing the same thing everyday. I was not passionate about it and I think if you want to earn a living, you should be passionate about what you do.
How I became an actress
A movie producer, Emem Isong, brought a script to me and asked me to read it. Initially I wasn’t enthusiastic about it, but she insisted and I eventually did it. I decided to start a career as an actress after I took part in the movie titled, Guilty Pleasures. That was my turning point. I owe this to moviefans. They made me who I am today.
My parents’ reaction
When I decided to be an actress, I was old enough to choose for myself. But my mother only hoped it would work. Now she is my greatest fan. When I say I was rebellious, I mean that I was assertive as a child. I knew what you wanted and went for it. That is how I was brought up: to know what I want. My mumdid not think it was right. So I left acting and went into banking. When I got out, I said to her: now that I have done your wish, let me do mine.
Most challenging movie
Honestly I haven’t found any movie that I’d describe as most challenging for me. Also, no role has been insurmountable to me.
Nollywood
I am an ardent fan of Nollywood. I think it is still developing. We are trying our best to keep it alive, considering the fact that we work under difficult conditions. We hope it will get better some day.
Challenges facing Nollywood
The greatest challenge is, perhaps, the environment. There are no good roads and there is irregular power supply. Basically, we are suffering in order to put smiles on the faces of the people. In terms of infrastructure, I think we are doing our best, too. We are struggling to succeed in spite of the odds.
Why I lived with my godmother
Since my parents were very busy when I was much younger, I had to live with my godmother. My mother was still in school and my father had a busy work schedule at the time. But my godmother was not too busy for me. We were quite close. Apart from the neighbour’s son who was my friend, the other friends I had were animals. That was how I grew up. I never felt lonely all that while.
Growing up in the North
I grew up in the North. Life was beautiful then. Kaduna had lovely hotels where we used to go and swim. Zaria was peaceful and the residents were friendly. Jos had the best yoghurt in the country at that time. As a child, I loved to take yoghurt. Today, I doubt if you could find any that is as tasteful as what we used to buy in those days. Now you have to go all the way to a big store to buy bread. And then, everything in the North just changed.
The crisis in the North
It is just heart breaking. I think Nigeria is passing through a phase. Some people have said that for the land to be cleansed, blood will have to be shed. I think that is selfish. I do not want my blood to be shed. This is not the way to solve problems. It is painful that we resort to violence to get things done in this country. I hope that the problems in the North will be solved soon.
My most embarrassing moment
My most embarrassing moment is the day fell off an airplane. I did not remove my glasses and everything went misty. I fell down when I was descending the staircase. The worst part was that I had to struggle to get up on my feet.
My relationships
I am not involved in a relationship. I don’t think that everybody needs a companion. Lonely people ought to keep themselves occupied with work or they would be bored to death. When I don’t have any work to do, I read books to keep my mind busy. If I don’t have any book to read, I watch a movie or get busy in the kitchen.
Source: Information Nigeria

TRAGEDY: Super Eagles Star, Gbenga Okunowo's N800 Million Ibadan Duplex Gone?

An early Sunday morning fire has razed the Ibadan duplex of ex- Super Eagles star, Gbenga Okunowo.

A pathetic Okunowo told MTNFootball.com that his house was completely razed to the ground by a fire coming from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria premises beside his house on Ring Road in Ibadan.

“My whole house is gone. Even the clothes, boxers and slippers I’m wearing now were given to me by friends.

“My passport, my European residence papers, my medals and trophies, all my belongings in the house were lost to the fire, which started around 2.30 am on Sunday from the PHCN compound next to my house.

“I’m lucky that no one was injured from this fire. I had to escape from the fire for me to still be alive today.

“I' m still in a big shock, but I have contacted my lawyers to know what next to do,” the ex-Barcelona defender told MTNFootball.com.
Source: MTNFootball

CERTIFICATE FORGERY: Senate Committee Leader Uzodinma In Hot Soup?

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has been accused of lying about his Degree in Arts/Criminology from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, according to a news portal, Pointblanknews.com findings.

The Senator had, in an interview with a national newspaper (Not Sunday Mirror), and on his Facebook page and other documents, indicated that he obtained a Degree in Arts/ Criminology from the Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.

However, Pointblanknews. com’s investigations at the Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, showed that the Senator representing Orlu Senatorial District never obtained a degree from the University.

“Sorry, we don’t have such name in our database; you can please call or reach out to the Registrar’s office, a lady who refused to be named in the Office of Alumni Affairs of the School, had told the news portal.

A check at the Registrar’s office where data of all students including those that have graduated are kept did not find the name “Hope Uzodinma,” or any similar name.

“Please, we don’t have such name in our record. But you can also check at the National Clearing House,” an official who simply gave his name as Kelvin at the Registrar’s office of the Washington University, told Pointblanknews.com.

The News organisationalso checked through official records at the National Clearing House and was told the name, Hope Uzodinma, does not exist in any of its database.

“We cannot get any record with such name, I am sorry,” Kerry Anderson of the National Clearing House, allegedly told Pointblanknews. com.

It was gathered that Pointblanknews.com investigation came about as a result of the alarm raised by a group, Save Imo, that Uzodinma did not have the two degree certificates from a Nigerian University and another from oversea as he had claimed.

The news service reported that a statement endorsed by the coordinator of the group, Nze Ebubeagu Ekenulo, said findings by the organization revealed that the lawmaker’s claims were unfounded.

“Both universities have confirmed that the senator never attended their institutions, hence obtained no degrees from them,” Ekenulo maintained.

The group promised to make public the result of another investigation carried out at a secondary school in Imo State and a report from Government College, Etche in Rivers State.

It will be recalled that Uzodinma, who heads the Senate Committee on Aviation, had in the newspaper interview claimed he obtained a degree from Washington University and a Higher National Diploma from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State.

Senator Uzodinma has been dogged by allegations bordering on fraudulent activities. In 2005, Spring Bank Plc, lodged a complaint with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against the Senator for fraudulent diversion and obtaining money under false pretenses.

After a thorough investigation, the Commission found a prima facie case against him and filed a ninecount charge against him at the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja Division in Charge No. ID/82C/2008: F.R.N V. HOPE UZODINMA.
Source: Ascology

How To Change Government Peacefully And Make Society Better By Pastor Tunde Bakare

Pastor Tunde Bakare

Fellow citizens of our great country, household faithful at The Latter Rain Assembly, Gentlemen of the Press, and every other person present, welcome to this special occasion. At the beginning of this month, during the Father’s Day celebration, an invitation was extended to every concerned citizen of our nation to attend this special lecture - our humble contribution towards nation building. We would like to place on the register our gratitude to God and our profound appreciation for the leadership and members of The Latter Rain Assembly for the provision of this auditorium. After all, in matters of public enlightenment, the church should be in the forefront of such efforts, going by the definitive proclamation of Jesus concerning the church.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV):
  
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be     hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a     lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so     shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your     Father in heaven.
  
In addition, for those befuddled in their minds about our role in this process, let me again rely on the words of Prophet Malachi written exclusively to those in priestly garments who have forgotten their God-ordained role in matters of nation building:
  
Malachi 2:1-9 (NKJV):
    1“And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If you will not hear,     and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to My name,” says the     LORD of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your     blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to     heart. 3 “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants and spread refuse on your     faces, the refuse of your solemn feasts; and one will take you away with it.     4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My     covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of hosts. 5 “My covenant     was with him, one of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might     fear Me; so he feared Me and was reverent before My name. 6 The law of     truth was in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips. He walked     with Me in peace and equity, and turned many away from iniquity. 7 “For     the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law     from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. 8 But you     have departed from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law.     You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of hosts.     9 “Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base before all the     people, because you have not kept My ways but have shown partiality in     the law.”
  
For those questioning our intentions and the use of this platform to disseminate truths that will unblock the minds of our citizens and set them free from limiting thoughts that produce self-defeat, there you have it in black and white in the Holy Writ:
     Malachi 2:7 (NKJV):
        “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek     the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.”
    Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, saints and strangers, do I then have your permission this morning to perform this noble role of a messenger to a nation on the road to perdition and self-annihilation?
    Having given me an overwhelming yes, please permit me to quickly add that, beyond the church being a lighthouse to a dark world, and beyond the role of the priest as a messenger whose lips should keep knowledge and from whose mouth the people should seek the law, there is an additional burden of the watchman and his message that is totally lost on the prosperity merchants and their crowd. Please turn your Bibles with me to the Book of Ezekiel the Prophet, chapter 33:1-20:
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ 7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. 10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ 12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. 14 Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live. 17 “Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”

 I invited all and sundry here this morning because I can see the sword already upon this land – shall I then blow the trumpet? Not to do so would be a disservice to my nation and outright disobedience to God - a luxury I cannot afford. Therefore, lend me your ears.
For the sake of clarity and to keep within the boundary of the subject of our contemplation this morning – ‘How to Change Government Peacefully and Make Society Better’ - I have arranged this lecture under four major headings:
1.    WHO TRULY RULES IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN?
2.    THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT IN A NATION
3.    HOW TO CHANGE GOVERNMENT IN A PEACEFUL MANNER
4.    THE WAY FORWARD
I will take the headings one by one.
  
 HEADING 1: WHO TRULY RULES IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN?
  
Today, it is common practice among pseudo-intellectuals worldwide to mock biblical teachings on God, Satan and demons. But to those who are wise and discerning, it is clear that behind the socio-political and economic evils of our time lie supernatural powers.
  
It is true that God Almighty is “the blessed and only Potentate [Sovereign], the King of kings and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:13-16). It is also true that honour and everlasting power belong to God. Nonetheless, in the wisdom of God who rules in the affairs of men, He allows or permits the lowest of men to occupy apex power positions in order that the living may know and hopefully learn.
The New Testament’s perspective on the grip of evil over our socio-political and economic systems comes from the Old Testament prophet, Daniel. Daniel was a young man when Babylonians invaded his city Jerusalem, destroyed it, brutally massacred his people and carried their royalty into slavery in Babylon. Later, they returned to destroy God’s temple and placed God’s sacred vessels in the temple of their god.
This humiliating horror raised disturbing theological questions: Who really rules in the affairs of this world? Who is in control of history - at least at this moment? Why are the kingdoms of this world at times so cruel, brutal, exploitative and oppressive? From the Book of Daniel come three clear answers that can help us navigate our own murky political waters and deliver our nation from imminent bankruptcy and balkanization:
1.    GOD IS THE SUPREME POTENTATE:
Daniel 2:20-22 (NKJV) -
    20 Daniel answered and said “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,     For wisdom and might are His. 21 And He changes the times and the     seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the     wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. 22 He reveals deep     and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with     Him.
2.    GOD, THE SUPREME POTENTATE RULES IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN AND GIVES IT TO WHOMEVER HE WILL AND SETS OVER IT THE LOWEST OF MEN:
Daniel 4:13-18 (NKJV) -
13 “I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. 14 He cried aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, and the birds from its branches. 15 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth. 16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be given the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass over him. 17 ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.’ 18 “This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”
3.    WHENEVER THE LOWEST OF MEN OCCUPY APEX POWER POSITIONS, IN THEIR NAIVETY, THEY YIELD TO DEMONIC POWERS WHO THEN RULE THROUGH THEM:
  
As Daniel humbled himself, fasted and prayed for understanding, he was given a glimpse of the supernatural realm. He saw clearly that behind the socio-political and economic evils of his time lay supernatural powers.
  
For example, in Daniel chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar dreamt about a statue made of gold, silver, bronze and iron, each representing four successive empires: Babylonian (gold), Medo-Persian (silver), Greek (bronze) and Roman (iron). After their rule, a mere stone – the kingdom of God – brought all the evil kingdoms of this world to an end.
Curiously, in chapter 7, we read that Daniel, a captive turned learned governor and president, humbled himself in fasting and prayer, seeking to understand where history was going and God’s role in its unravelling. He was given the vision of the same four kingdoms Nebuchadnezzar had seen earlier, except that Daniel saw them not as a dazzling statue of precious metals but as beasts that devoured: the lion (Babylonian), the bear (Medo-Persian), and the leopard (Greek), and the “fourth beast [was] dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong”. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left (Daniel 7:7). This fourth beast was Daniel’s vision of the Roman Empire.
Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, the kingdoms of this world were and are beastly, because behind them were and are evil supernatural forces. This understanding of evil as something more than natural, human or socio-political did not begin with Daniel. Israel’s first king became evil, despotic and murderous, and the Bible explains that God’s Spirit had left him and an evil spirit began to torment him (I Samuel 16:14-23).
Likewise, in the Book of Judges, socio-political evils are seen as a direct result of spiritual evil, specifically the operation of the spirit of ill will sent by God when Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men to kill all the seventy (70) sons of Gideon so that he could become king.
Judges 9:22-23
        
22 After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years, 23 God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech...
  
Each of the above mentioned biblical texts and a plethora of others affirm that God remains Sovereign over His creation even when He allows evil spirits or devils to hold sway. Apostle Paul explains in Romans 1:18-32 that God gives whole cultures over to evil when humans choose to suppress truth with wickedness. This is where we are in Nigeria today. To the discerning, the nation has been thrown to the dogs of pervasive corruption and disruptive, perennial insecurity. The question begging for an answer is: Who will deliver us from this self-induced chaotic disorder?
HEADING 2: THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT
  
The purpose of any meaningful government is the welfare and security of the people. In our clime, neither welfare nor security of the lives and property of our people seems to matter anymore. Our malady is not new. History holds records of nations who were bled to death by their rulers and tells how such leaders were ultimately dealt with when the oppressed could no longer bear the heavy weight of their oppressive and insensitive leadership. Biblical history also alludes to this. While the people kept suffering in the midst of plenty in the days of King Solomon, who used his wisdom to satisfy his unquenchable thirst and hunger for material acquisition and outlandish women of all shapes and shades, a day came in the life of the nation when the people kicked and shouted, “We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel!” (I Kings 12:16). The rebellion did not only stand, God also rubberstamped it and said “this thing is from me”(I Kings 12:24) -- it was orchestrated by the GREAT ORGANIZED DESIGNER (GOD).
It is unfortunate that our people are crying today for change, but they are expecting the change to either fall from the sky or come from sources that cannot produce it. It is simple logic that when a corrupt leader is in office, he corrupts those he leads. This is true of a family, true of a church, and true of a nation. A corrupt father will ultimately corrupt his family as he cannot distinguish between his wife and his son’s wife. A corrupt pastor will corrupt, influence, affect and infect his church as he prioritizes outreaches, programmes and projects executed with filthy lucre flowing from the perverse and the corrupt above the spiritual welfare of the congregants. And a corrupt elected official will infect his nation with corruption. I cannot but borrow a leaf from the profound lecture delivered by Prof. Niyi Osundare recently on the state of the nation titled: ‘Why We No Longer Blush: Corruption as Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’. He said, and I quote:
“Watch out, Nigeria: a new Jonathan seems to be emerging, one who confuses cockiness with confidence, tactlessness with toughness, strong-manship with statesmanship.”
    President Jonathan’s combination of naivety and amorality is as profound as it is injurious to the health of this country. Can a corruption-compliant ruler really lead a corruption-free country? If change – positive change – will ever come to our clime, it will not be engineered by those who are benefitting without conscience from the present cesspool of corrosive corruption. It will and can only come from a new breed without greed and a radical opposition to corruption. True, genuine change can only come from those not infected by the present corruption malaise; it can only come from positive agents of social change who are totally sold out to public good.
HEADING 3: HOW TO CHANGE GOVERNMENT IN A PEACEFUL MANNER
    Every time I have considered this subject, only one thing flows from me towards President Goodluck Jonathan – genuine pity. Anyone who has had the privilege of sitting with Mr. President, as I sometimes have, will feel the same for this simple soul who has become a victim of circumstances generated and orchestrated by his bramble predecessor, who, in his bid to be king of all trees, used his position to force on the nation the sick, the weak, and the ill-equipped in an attempt to dominate the polity and maintain his larger than life status out of office (Judges 9:8-15). So, it did not come as a surprise to me at all when, two days ago, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila cited Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution, saying that any action of the President defined as “gross misconduct” by the National Assembly was “sufficient grounds to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.” Let me quote verbatim from Friday July 20, 2012’s Punch [‘Budget: Lawmakers threaten to impeach President’] to buttress my point:
Gbajabiamila had proposed the amendment to a motion before the House     on the poor implementation of the 2012 budget.
  
 “If by September 18, the budget performance has not improved to 100%, we     shall begin to invoke and draw up articles of impeachment against Mr.         President”, he said.
    Members shouted aloud “yes”, “yes”, “yes” and clapped for the minority     leader as Gbajabiamila made the proposal.
    He accused the executive of allegedly breaching the Appropriation Act,     2012    by engaging in “selective implementation” of the budget.
    Gbajabiamila added, “What we have in our hands today is a budget of     abracadabra; a budget of voodoo economy.
    “I like Mr. President, he is a fine gentleman, but I like my people, the     Nigerian people more.”
    Indeed, Mr. President may be a fine gentleman thrust into a position of leadership by circumstances beyond his control who is now facing a barrage of problems he is incapable of solving. He deserves our sympathy, our prayers, and whatever else we can honourably and legally do to make sure he gets back to his home-base safely.
Perhaps a few suggestions may change the course of our rapid descent into the abyss, since free, fair and credible election is presently alien to our polity. In all honesty, I perceive very strongly that our next general election will be better, though it may come earlier than expected.
Now, a few suggestions:
1.    First and foremost, THE UNQUESTIONABLE GOD FACTOR: From both biblical and human history, sometimes – if not at all times – God moves behind the scenes in unimaginable ways and fosters changes that are beyond human comprehension - especially when all hope is lost. Indeed, God changes the times and the seasons, He removes kings and raises up kings (Daniel 2:21 & 22).
The same God who raised David the shepherd boy from the sheepfold and made him king over Israel, and deposed the insane King Saul, still does what pleases Him in the nations of the earth. Oftentimes, when citizens are pushed to the wall and rulers boastfully think they are irremovable due to their political sagacity and ‘matter of cash’ policy, a Jehu type of prophetic revolution is in the making. Other times, God replaces the mighty and the powerful with their own appointed palace administrators. One biblical example is sufficient for our time and our clime.
Hear the declarations of God as recorded in Isaiah 22:15-25 (NKJV):
15 Thus says the Lord God of hosts: “Go, proceed to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the house, and say: 16 ‘What have you here, and whom have you here, that you have hewn a sepulcher here, as he who hews himself a sepulcher on high, who carves a tomb for himself in a rock? 17 Indeed, the Lord will throw you away violently, O mighty man, and will surely seize you. 18 He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball into a large country; there you shall die, and there your glorious chariots shall be the shame of your master’s house. 19 So I will drive you out of your office, and from your position will pull you down. 20 ‘Then it shall be in that day, that I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; 21 I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open. 23 I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, and he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house. 24 ‘They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the posterity, all vessels of small quantity, from the cups to all the pitchers. 25 In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘the peg that is fastened in the secure place will be removed and be cut down and fall, and the burden that was on it will be cut off; for the Lord has spoken.’”
By the way, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah was a palace administrator lifted by God to the status of a king. God placed upon his shoulders the very keys of David to open and shut as he willed (Isaiah 36:3; NKJV). With God all things are possible -- so he who has ears to hear, let him hear.
2.    RESIGNATION: Even for a seasoned, well-cooked and well-equipped UK prime minister like Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady, the moment the people rose against her policy, she did the honourable and noble thing – she resigned and returned to the parliament before retiring from politics. Resignation is not a sign of weakness - it is a sign of patriotic truthfulness. It is giving opportunity to those who can do a better job in the interest of the nation to carry on with nation-building where the exiting leader stops.
3.    IMPEACHMENT: This can only be carried out by the National Assembly and the process has begun. It may be aborted, or it may be carried to its logical conclusion. Either way, it is a worse option and carries a load of shame with it compared to resignation. Come to think of it, Mr. President should not wait for the conclusions in the court of law and the court of public opinion for the rape and atrocities committed against the Appropriation Act 2011 in respect of the subsidy scandal (a ghost that still haunts his administration and will not rest in peace until the truth is made known and justice is served). The admission of extra-budgetary spending of over N2 trillion without appropriation is another impeachable time bomb that can explode anytime. It would be a total disgrace if resignation comes after that explosion as was the case for Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal.
At this juncture, I cannot but wonder what is going on in the minds of those who falsely accused us of crying for regime change in January during the fuel hike crisis. It is the House of Assembly that is now championing same with overwhelming shouts of “yes”, “yes”, and “yes” from the floor members. History truly is lived forward but is written in retrospect. Today’s headlines and history’s judgement are rarely the same. Those who are too attentive to today’s headlines will most certainly not do the hard work of securing a positive verdict from history. Whether or not the President resigns or allows himself to be impeached is his call. In the words of Lord Chesterfield:
“A weak mind is like a microscope which magnifies trifling things but cannot receive great ones.”
If I were Mr. President – unfortunately, I am not, and I do not envy his tottering position, but if I were he – I would give no thought to what the world might say of me, or the drum the hangers-on and political jobbers benefitting from the present chaotic disorder might be beating. I would not “give a damn” if I could only transmit to posterity the reputation of an honest man thrust into the boxing ring to fight enemies I am ill-equipped to fight, and I would therefore resign before I receive a death blow.
4.    THE PEOPLE’S REVOLT: I seriously wish and fervently pray that it will not get to the stage of a people’s revolt before positive changes begin to happen in the north and south of Nigeria. Without a doubt, if corruption remains king, violence its deputy, and insecurity the treasurer of the ill-fated status quo Federal Republic of Nigeria, we might as well write the gravestone epitaph today:
“Here lie the remains of a potentially great country whose ruin came because leadership did not give a damn; her filthiness was in her garments, her collapse was awesome, because she did not consider her destiny.”
HEADING 4: THE WAY FORWARD
Without a doubt, the catalogue of scandalous mismanagement of national resources, the unbridled stealing of public funds, and the bewildering exposure of the level of corruption in almost every arm of government as well as governmental agencies and parastatals, call for a change of guards – more so when the president has openly admitted that the security situation in the country has changed his pre-election agenda. And in spite of the president’s promises to deal with insecurity head-on, this government appears helpless because it cannot see the linkage between corruption and violence.
During the fuel hike protests in January this year, neither the threats to our lives nor the tanks that were rolled out brazenly to suppress genuine agitation against oppression, were scary to me. Rather, it was the bold placard held up in Abuja and Ojota Freedom Park by people unknown to me. The placard contained this startling message: “ONE DAY THE POOR WILL HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO EAT BUT THE RICH”; that was very scary to me, “because no nation, no matter how enlightened, can endure criminal violence. If we cannot control it, we are admitting to the world and to ourselves that our laws are no more than a facade that crumbles when the winds of crisis rise.” (Alan Bible)
For that not to happen is the reason for this message. This is no time for false accusations and counter accusations. Mr. President may be doing his best but the impact is not felt anywhere except in the bank accounts of oil vultures, his corrupt political allies and corporate cowboys. We have a patriotic duty to educate our people and we will continue to do that until light replaces the darkness in foggy minds, since education is considered a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army. In the words of Henry Peter Brougham:
“Education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive, easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.”
If this message does that, our expectations would have been fully satisfied.
  
The starting point of any great enterprise is reality. If we are all ruthlessly and brutally honest about our inventory as a nation, Nigeria requires better handling than we are presently experiencing.

 May the good Lord in His infinite mercies look down upon our affliction as a people, burst the gloomy cloud of despair over our nation, and raise for us visionary leaders imbued with wisdom, integrity, justice, courage, temperance and fortitude; leaders who we can trust and who can inspire confidence in our people for the rebuilding of our nation. Let me end this message by quoting Joseph Addison:
  
“There is no greater sign of a general decay of virtue in a nation than a want  of zeal in its inhabitants for the good of their country.”
May the zeal of God consume us as a people for the good of our country.

 Thank you so much for your attentive ears. And may the good Lord heal, save, and make Nigeria great in our lifetime.
  
Once again, thank you all.
Dr. ‘Tunde Bakare
Serving Overseer,
The Latter Rain Assembly
Being text of speech delivered at the Latter Rain Assembly on Sunday, July 22 2012, as a contribution to public enlightenment on the state of the nation
Source: Sahara Reporters