Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Tuesday 4th February 2020

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Tuesday 4th February 2020

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 04/02/20

Ondo Christians Ask President Buhari To Resign Over Insecurity

The Christian Association of Nigeria in Ondo State on Sunday demanded the immediate resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari over rising insecurity in Nigeria.
The Christian group that converged at the Evangelical Church Winning All in Akure, the state capital, frowned at the consistent attacks, kidnapping and banditry in the country.
They alleged that Christians worshippers were now targets of attacks and abductions at the hands of Boko Haram insurgents.

BREAKING: Nigerian Government Acknowledges Support For Social Media Bill Despite Minister’s Denial

The Nigerian Government has finally admitted being aware of the social media bill despite denials by Minister of information, Lai Mohammed.
The minister during an interview in the United Kingdom had denied the existence of the ‘protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation bill 2019′, stating that he was sure nothing of such was pending before the National Assembly.
However, in a court process, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Government have both filed an application to justify the need to regulate the social media.
Human rights lawyer and National President of Revolutionary Lawyer’s Forum, Mr Tope Akinyode, had in suit number: FHC/LC/CS/2037/2019 dragged Buhari, Nigerian Government, National Assembly and Senate President before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, challenging the social media bill, stating that its enactment was going to violate citizens’ right to free speech.
Responding to Akinyode’s application, President Buhari and the Nigerian Government had argued that the objectives of the bill was to prevent transmission of false statements and suppress financing false information among others.
The office of the Attorney-General is putting up the defence for the President and government.
The suit is yet to be given a date for hearing but Akinyode is hopeful the court matter will be assigned a date.
He said, “It is the constitutional duty of the court to hear and determine the application.
“Definitely parties will be allowed to argue their case.
“The bill is repressive and difficult to maintain without a brutal violation of the citizen’s right to free speech.”

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Understanding Why Our Security Chiefs Deserve National Honours By Nkechi Odoma

“Look at what we have on the ground before May 2015, the Boko Haram were even in Abuja, they were in Kano, they were in Kaduna. They were penetrating down to the South, we had to stop them. And for the past one and half years, we’ve not had any attack in Jos, neither in Abuja, in Kano, or in many other places, even as close as in Gombe.— Gen. TY Buatai, Nigeria’s Army Chief and Leader, counter-insurgency operations in an interview recorded and aired by BBC’s Hard Talk show, in January 2017 and rebroadcasted by The News in January 2020.
In very conspicuous bias, premeditated motives and partisan undertones during plenary sessions on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, National Assembly slammed the gavel in approval of negative resolutions on the President and our security chiefs.
This was after intensive debates, which reviewed the state of insecurities in the country as manifest in the spate of renewed attacks and killings in parts of the country.
Some members noted that 2020 resumed pockets of onslaughts by Boko Haram/ Islamic State in West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists and suspected Fulani herdsmen, which resulted in killings of innocent Nigerians. Therefore, in their selfish thinking, they have passed a vote of no-confidence on the entire security architecture in Nigeria and senselessly endorsed their ouster.
Their sword and venom spared none. All were unfairly pulled down by NASS, from the topmost echelons in Nigeria’s security apparatus like the National Security Adviser (NSA), Military Chiefs, Director-General (DG), Department of State Security Service, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and other security outfits in the country in the age of Nigeria’s multifarious battles with insurgencies and insurrections.
To my mind, their deliberations on the security situation was not a bad idea. But the tenor of the debates in both chambers mesmerised me. It was not tailored towards solutions, but undisguised vindictiveness.
Only a few legislators attempted to discern the problems underneath the renewed acts of terror of different dimensions in Nigeria. None of the Heads of Nigeria’s security deserved a word of commendation and encouragement from NASS for the priceless sacrifices they have continued to make for the peace, security and progress of Nigeria. NASS simply wished everybody goodbye for “failing” the nation.
What else could anyone expect from a congregation of national lawmakers, who are least concerned with public good outside their personal benefits? It stinks that NASS is more interested in siding the enemies of Nigeria against Nigeria.
But what do you expect, when internal emotions, personalised pursuits of objectives, hatred, ethnic and religious agendas infiltrate the chambers of a national parliament? Clearly, majority lawmakers are on a voyage of total ruination and destruction of Nigeria in order to voraciously scramble for the mutilated parts of the nation.
It beggared belief that majority of lawmakers sided with an odd position, while deliberating on state of the nation on security. The wisemen among them, who understood the dynamics and attendant impediments needed to be resolved before full assurance of securing Nigeria from armed mercenaries were in the minority.
Such issues like the gross underfunding of the security architecture, inadequate and outdated weapons, poor remuneration of troops, and insufficient number of personnel, among a motley of other debilitating problems were raised by faint voices. These spurred and berthed poor performance by security agencies in 2019/ 2020, but voices that were not strong enough to prick their conscience.
But the national parliamentarians’ obsession with the Security Chiefs overstay in office was lethal. I believe the NASS has a lot to learn from its pitfalls. It is never too late to bend even backwards to rectify an error. Obviously, the NASS resolutions on Mr President and the Chiefs are impermissible errors.
Our NASS cannot pass the guilt of their pleasurable negligence or dereliction of duty on fulfilling its constitutional obligations to other leaders on the simplistic assumption that they clad and bask in the euphoria of legislative immunity on the floor of the chambers. The recklessness they exhibited can be corrected, only if they know the hard reality outside the confines of the chambers of NASS.
Touting President Buhari and the chiefs as failures on securing the country in 2019 and the spillover to 2020, while exonerating legislators’ complicity resonates with maddening fury among sensible and clairvoyant Nigerians.
I keep referring to the wisdom of the prolific writer and famed international scholar, Prof Chinua Achebe, who’s timeless warning that “Unless you know where the rains began to beat you; you won’t know the extent you are soaked.”
By last Wednesday’s action from our national parliamentarians, it animated my judgmental instincts, pinned to a scary and dreary reality. Its simply that NASS members have neither any inkling into the intensity of Boko Haram before May 2015. Nor how it was tamed and reasons for its resurgence or the path to solving the problem, while extending patriotic honours to those in charge and leading the troops.
Like Achebe echoed, the Nigerian national legislature is devoid of this wisdom. So, some of them stood up in plenaries and disgorged rubbish like drunken sailors, spited everyone else except themselves.
I recall that by May 2015, when President Buhari came on board and appointed the current crop of Security Chiefs, Nigeria was under the worse siege by Boko Haram insurgents. It operated from a single plank, yet brutal in its violent campaigns or horrendous atrocities.
Nigeria lost control of at least 17 local government areas in the North-East to Boko Haram and terrorists had captured, declared and foisted jihadi flags in Gwoza and Baga as the administrative headquarters of the Islamic militants and pushing further to annex more territories. And outside the Chibok schoolgirls over 20, 000 Nigerians were held hostage in Boko Haram’s secret camps including women and children.
Boko Haram had captured the entire Northern part of the country and was on a steady supersonic speed to make ingress into Southern Nigeria. Terrorists freely tortured hostages and subjected them to various forms of dehumanization, forced labour, servitude, sexual abuses and extra-judicial executions.
The then lone Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau frequently insulted and derided our collective strength of nationhood by releasing videos of these horrible executions and threatening more. IDPs camps swelled in the Northeast and spilled into neighboring African countries by thousands of distraught Nigerian refugees fleeing from ravaging insurgency.
But the current impugned leaders of the counter-insurgency operation reversed the negative narratives as directed by the President. By December 2015, Boko Haram insurgency had been significantly decimated and technically defeated; Nigeria’s conquered territories retrieved from vicious terrorists and thousands of Boko Haram hostages regained freedom. These are facts documented in national archives.
There are several incidents of Boko Haram incidents that support my claims. But let me cite Nigerians’ one noticeable encounter with Boko Haram strikes reported on October 31, 2014. In symbolic conquest of Nigeria and field triumphs of terrorists against the country, Vimtin, in Mubi LGA, Adamawa State, and the home town of the then serving Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh (may his gentle soul rest in peace), was completely overrun by Boko Haram militants.
The terrorists’ onslaught on Mubi forced Nigerian troops to flee the area together with thousands of civilians was lethal. I know, similar gory scenarios were replete everywhere in the Northeast before May 2015.
That’s the level Boko Haram, though yet to be actively backed by the Iranian ISWAP wreaked havoc on a defenseless nation and her peoples. However, I learnt, that by beginning of January 2015, Boko Haram had struck underground ties with terrorists of the Islamic State sect (ISILS).
But the security chiefs have discharged this mandate evidentially as I earlier listed, by a determined and courageous push-back of insurgents and reclaimed seized parts of Nigeria. This is even in the face of multi-dimensional militant terrorists’ sects which have converged on Nigeria including ISWAP.
Yet, the service chiefs have contained them, capturing most of their top commanders, foot soldiers who either voluntarily surrendered or were captured in battles; blocked the recruitment and rearming of new entrants; terminated the reign of reckless female or child suicide bombers and so forth.
Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists has reenergized, ostensibly with increased funding from ISWAP. It heightened at the peak of 2019 partisan campaigns. Terrorists began raids with a greater number of fighters on their convoys; modern and sophisticated weapons. Nigeria failed to march up with the changing tide.
I do know, in the course of counter-insurgency combats, the armories of Nigerian troops are also depleted and requires constant replenishments. Nonetheless and perniciously, some Nigerians are brainwashed never to admit this fact and believe once weapons are secured for counter-insurgency, it should serve troops for a life-time.
This mindset has been emulated by a hostile NASS leadership, which rejected a request from President Buhari to grant about a mere $1bn loan to purchase Tucano fighter jets/weapons from America and other countries.
NASS is less concerned about improving allocations on defence budget, which is within their lawful powers. Each time they pad national budgets, the extra-budgeting only takes care of their personal welfare or other projects they have vested interests to grab from the nation.
I came across a phone interview, published in The Vanguard Newspaper edition of June 29, 2019, a soldier in the frontlines, who pleaded anonymity drew national consciousness to their plight in the battlefields. I decoded his message and discovered, resurgence of Boko Haram/ISWAM terrorism is not watered by the fault of the President, the Chiefs or the Nigerian troops in the frontlines, but mainly the coldness of NASS members in doing the right thing.
But year after year, NASS has refused to address these concerns in appropriating the budget. Even with the resurgence of attacks and killings, NASS still obstinately clung unto its reserved and selfish disposition on allocating meaningful votes for defence. It encompasses, all the Armed Forces and para-military agencies participating in operations of counter-insurgencies and insurrections in Nigeria.
Confessions of the anonymous soldiers reminded me of another thorny issue, which has impeded recent operations against insurgency in Nigeria. I challenge the NASS members to tell Nigerians how they responded to the plea by the Army for the operation of its airwing in the theatre of war when the 2020 Appropriation Act was still on their table?
The Theatre Commander of the Army’s Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, pleaded with a recent delegation of NASS’s Joint Committee on the Army, led by Sen. Ali Ndume, that Boko Haram had never been as formidable as perceived, as only combat helicopters are needed by soldiers to munch ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists to end the war, aside operating with outdated equipment.
The plea was made when the 2020 national budget was still at its infantile preparatory stage by NASS. Ab initio when President Buhari submitted the proposed 2020 Appropriation Bill to NASS totaling N10.33trn and a breakdown indicated a paltry N878,458,607,427 total allocation proposed for the Ministry of Defence, experts on security complained loudly about the inadequacy of the amount to quench terrorism and emerging allied criminalities in the country.

But it all fell on deaf ears. Approved Nigeria’s 2020 budget is N10.59trn ($35bn). But defence entirely got just about one percent of it. The docility of Nigeria’s NASS over proper funding or attention to insurgency is heart-breaking.
Interestingly, in spite of these operational constraints, the Nigerian military and sister security agencies have continued to play their constitutional roles. They conscientiously battle insurgency attacks even in the face of life-threatening or grave dangers and recorded several victories. And they are more determined despite the setbacks.
Some Nigerians forget easily Nigerians. Former President Goodluck Jonathan did not see this level of multi-dimensional conspiracies against his move to fight Boko Haram before giving up. But what has made the situation then and now differently unique is the fact that a war tested Army General is in charge and this has reflected in the successful operations of the security chiefs.
Without mentioning names, everyone should be proud about the numerous achievements of the various chiefs and how much they have helped to sanitize the armed forces. These are the Military officers some Nigerians want Mr. President to drop in a jiffy under flimsy excuses and personalised interests. Based on this odious proclivity, whereas the world is looking for stars of counter-terrorism to fete with honour; in Nigeria, we are busy plotting ways to vilify and humiliate our security chiefs.
The NASS therefore has a religious obligation to reclaim its lost glory by doing the needful, including honouring the security chiefs.
All the security chiefs deserve national honours as the least they can get as appreciation from the national Government for their services to our country. Even if, institutions like NASS are deliberately blinded to this fact for whatever reasons, the world and those who understand global conflicts, prevention and resolution are celebrating Nigeria’s security chiefs.
Odoma is a public affairs analyst based in Abuja

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Man Attempting To Bomb Living Faith Church In Kaduna Caught With IED

A major tragedy was averted on Sunday at the Sabon Tasha branch of the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) in Kaduna
as a middle-aged man was caught with what is suspected to be an Improvised Explosive Device.
The incident, which coincided with the day General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, led members on a prayer walk to decry insecurity in the country.
SaharaReporters gathered that the suspect made several attempts to detonate the IED but didn’t succeed before security operatives in the church apprehended him.

Sources in the church revealed that the suspect was monitored on a CCTV camera carrying the bag into the church auditorium.
It was further disclosed that this was not the first time the suspect was coming to the church, adding that just last week, he came but was sent away.

The suspect was said to have been handed over to the police and moved to the Sabon Tasha Division of the Nigeria Police Force.
Spokesperson for the police in the state, DSP Yakubu Sabo, could not be reached for comments as his mobile phone was switched and a text message sent to him yet to be replied.

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Insurgency: Retired Officers Behind Troops In North-East, Says Ex-Lagos Military Administrator, Marwa

A former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd), has said that retired military officers in the country were behind troops fighting insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East.
Speaking as a guest during the 2019 West African Social Activities of the Army Headquarters Garrison, which held at Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja, over the weekend, Marwa whose community, Michika in Adamawa State had witnessed several Boko Haram attacks in recent times, noted that troops were fighting under difficult conditions like bad weather and marshy terrain replete with mines.
He said, “We retired officers appreciate the difficulty of the counter-insurgency operation. We recognise the difficulty, commitment, and doggedness as well as sacrifices of our troops.
“Please be aware and know that we retired officers are 100 per cent with you and are ready at all times to offer our advice if needed in tackling the counter-insurgency operation. We also appreciate the widows and their families for the sacrifices.”
Describing the 2019 AHQ Garrison WASA as one of the best he had witnessed both as a serving and retired military officer, General Marwa advised youths in military barracks to be hardworking, religious, respectful and follow the path of discipline.
The Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, Maj.-Gen. James Gwazs Kalifa Myam, in his address said the Army Headquarters Garrison had a very successful year 2019.
According to him, they were prioritising the welfare of personnel so as to boost morale and produce better results in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists.
He said, “The Command has continued to provide operational, administrative and logistics support to AHQ departments, formations, and units, as well as to conduct training activities throughout the year in line with the COAS’ Training Directive and NA Forecast of Events.
“This is in spite of the numerous security challenges confronting the country at this time in history and the arduous multiple tasks the command had to undertake within the year.
“During the year, the command successfully executed annual medical and physical efficiency test; annual range classification; corporals and below as well as warrant officers and senior non-commissioned officers’ competitions. Also, the Command successfully conducted the Operations Planning Cadre for middle-level officers in order to horn their skills at operations planning.
“The Army Headquarters Garrison also within Year 2019, made significant strides in terms of welfare in the form of administration of personnel and rehabilitation of some living quarters. Worthy of mention is the taking on board of Phase 1 of the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, which was recently constructed by the Army Headquarters and commissioned by the Minister of Defence in a bold move to mitigate the acute accommodation challenges confronting personnel of the NA in Abuja.
“Similarly, an ultra-modern housing estate was acquired and tastily furnished at Kurudu for NA officers in Abuja by the Army Headquarters.
“In terms of logistics, the Army Headquarters Garrison formations and units are proud beneficiaries of the issuance of several state of the art office equipment as well as repair and refurbishment of all the unserviceable vehicles on their inventory currently being undertaken by the Command Engineering Depot courtesy of the COAS.

“Indeed, we make bold to state that no NA formation has had it so good like the Army Headquarters Garrison, in terms of operational, administrative and logistics support of the COAS.”

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E2%80%93adeboye US Visa Ban: We Pray For Restoration Of Our Nation –Adeboye

General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has called on God to restore Nigeria back to its full glory.
The respected Christian leader made the call on Sunday during a special service of the church at the National Headquarters in Ebute Meta, Lagos.
He spoke in reference to a recent visa ban on Nigerians by the United States.
Earlier in the week, the United States had announced fresh restrictions on immigrant visas for Nigerians and nationals of five other countries for not taking adequate measures to combat terrorism.
Following the move by President Donald Trump’s administration, prominent Nigerians have continued to react with many of them appealing to the US Government to reverse its stand on the matter.
In his submission, Adeboye said, “Some countries have banned Nigerians from coming into their territories. We pray for the restoration of our nation. Lord, have mercy on Nigeria.
“Let there be peace and security in Nigeria. God sees all things and knows where the terrorists are hiding. We pray that God sends His light to Nigeria and expose the evildoers in the country.”
FLASH: Pastor @PastorEAAdeboye Leads Massive Protest Against Insecurity pic.twitter.com/O34qFkABS4— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) February 2, 2020

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E2%80%93can Church Must Rise Against Killings In Nigeria –CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria has asked Christians in the country to speak up in condemnation against killings and insecurity in the country.
Lagos State Chairman of CAN, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, said this on Sunday while speaking on the deplorable state of security in the country and condemning government for not containing the killings.
He said that Christians needed to constantly send a message to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and force the government to stop the killings across the country.
He said, “We inherited a country of peace, not a country of violence. FLASH: Christian Association of Nigeria protests incessant killings of Nigeria, fumes at inability of President Muhammadu Buhari to end killings pic.twitter.com/9FpqJ287T4— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) February 2, 2020

“It is time for the church to rise up not in war. We cannot continue to fold our hands and see our brethren being slaughtered like goats.
“The church has to rise up and tell our leaders to do something.
“We need to get a message to our President and rulers in Abuja that we are no longer comfortable with the killings.
“Evil has taken over the land and we are going to ask the Lord to take over and rule over it.”
Also speaking, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, Lagos State Treasurer of CAN, dared the government to either curb the killings or be prepared to arrest more Christians, adding that they would continue to talk and demand action from Buhari.
He said, “Enough is enough, whoever is there cannot be there for more than eight years and if they really love this nation, they should fear God.
“They can open up the doors of their prison because they are going to pick more. We are not going to keep quiet, we will continue to speak and they must hear.”
He revealed that the body of CAN was in support of Amotekun and other security groups protecting the people.
Adegbite added, “The President of CAN asked me to tell you that he is in support of Amotekun and any other group that will be formed for the protection of the people.”
This came on a day General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, also led a protest against killings in the country.
The Secretary of Lagos CAN, Elder Dr. Israel Akinadewo, also stressed that the body would not rest until the government do all it can to put an end to killings in the country.
He said, “The song now is enough is enough, there is no way we can say this is a God ruling country.
“The church is saying we have had enough and we want out rulers to remember posterity.
“We will not rest until they listen to us and do the needful.”

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Open Letter To Pastor E.A. Adeboye And Pastor W.F. Kumuyi Come To Macedonia And Help Us! By Bayo Oluwasanmi

Bayo Oluwasanmi

Dear Venerable Pastors:
After a lot of inner turmoil concerning the situation in Nigeria, I decide to write you this open letter. Each time I visit Nigeria I experience a deep inner threat as to the direction of the country.
I have deliberately addressed this open letter to the two of you out of more than dozen Nigerian Pentecostal and Charismatic Preachers with Mega Churches both at home and overseas. Three of you including Pastor Tunde Bakare in my view, are the only influential men of God in our country that Nigerians hold in awe and high esteem.
Pastor Bakare is not included in this letter because he is already a proven combatant in the war against oppression, corruption, and injustice that have become the trade mark of the Nigerian ruling class. You’re a target of this letter in order to conscript you as it were, into the people’s army of non-violence to be soldiers in the long running battle of oppression that has decimated Nigeria as well as her citizens.
Fifty three years ago, Nigeria became independent after a century of British rule. October 1, 1960 became a momentous occasion and a beacon of light and hope to millions of Africans and other oppressed people in the world.
Fifty three years after independence, Nigeria remains a symbolic elephant casting off the colonial yoke; and today is being replaced with a new authoritarian yoke of a representative democracy.
Since independence, the antecedents of Nigeria’s crisis has acquired a drama all its own. The historical genesis of the Nigerian crisis is well known to you. Therefore, I don’t intend to bore you with annoying repetition.
Just as the prophets of the eight century BC under the mandate of “thus saith the Lord,” deployed their Gospel of Liberation to fight religious, political, social, and economic injustice and oppression in their hometown and far beyond the boundaries of their land; so also you’re called to take up the mantle of the struggle in today’s contemporary Nigeria.
Like Apostle Paul, who initiated, instigated, encouraged, and fought for the oppressed in the Greco-Roman world, and championed the gospel of freedom, likewise you must NOW respond to the Macedonian call for help!
I’ll like to remind you that to fail to confront when confrontation is required for the freedom of the oppressed represents a spiritual as well as moral failure. To confront or criticize is a form of exercising leadership. It is nothing less than an attempt to influence the course of events human or otherwise. When we confront or criticize someone it is because we want to change the course of the person’s life.
The two of you are highly regarded for your enviable humility. The paradox of being humble is the more humble one is, the more one is awed by the fear in exercising leadership with activism: Who am I to influence the course of human event? By what authority am I entitled to decide what is best for my country or the human race? Who give me the right to dare to believe in my own understanding and then to presume to exert my will upon Nigeria? Who am I to play God? That is the risk.
For whenever we attempt to influence the course of the world, of humanity, we’re thereby playing God. To act is to play God. Yet, we also know that there is no alternative except inaction and impotence. Within this consciousness the apostles of old assumed the responsibility of attempting to be God and not to carelessly play God, but to fulfill God’s will without mistake.
I’m troubled by your deafening silence and inaction to the subjugation, repression, oppression, exploitation, injustice, and impoverishment of the poor by the greedy and corrupt ruling class. I realize that siding with the poor against your friends in government may not be most politically correct thing for you to do. But your inaction is coming at the cost of our God given freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
Many Nigerians remain confused about the ways religion relates to government and the way politics intersects with religion. For this reason, some people actively discourage political participation and most will remain silent.
I believe the church should be involved in political activism with the primary objective to fight tyranny of government whenever and wherever it exists. Some pastors see themselves as religious leaders. They believe the role of the church is to focus on the spiritual needs of their congregation and perform charitable works to aid the needy. To this group of pastors, the social-political activism I’m calling for amounts to dangerous radicalism.
I’m the least qualified to stress to you the importance of discipline of theological reflection: it causes one to constantly aware of God’s hand and leading in every aspect of life. It is expected therefore that you should lead from a posture of being led.
If I may ask, what role if any, do you see for yourselves as religious leaders in a political society with tyrants, oppressors, thieves, and wolves as rulers who are devouring the very sheep you’re called to shepherd and save? The twin expectations of your discipleship are serving the spiritual needs of your congregants while at the same time serving the “outsiders.” This is the meeting point of interaction between religion and public life.
The challenge before you now is to go where you would rather not go – to lead the people to confront the tyranny of the majority in Abuja – Aso Rock and the National Assembly. This is the challenge of “somebody else will take you” by Jesus to Peter:
“In all truth I tell you
When you were young
you put on your belt
and walked where you liked;
but when you grow old
you will stretch your hands
and somebody else will put a belt around you
and take you where you would rather not go.” (John 21:18)
Soon after Peter has been commissioned to be a leader of his sheep, Jesus confronts him with the hard truth that the servant-leader is the leader who is being led to unknown, undesirable, and painful place.
Just like Jesus told Peter that he would be an old man being led by others to place he would rather not go, so also Nigerians are pleading, urging you to be willing to plunge yourselves into the indescribable crisis of political, economic, and social injustice destroying the multitude of the Nigerian poor caused by the ruling class. To be in the forefront leading the poor, confronting a tyrannical government to end its wickedness in high places, I believe will be the high octane attention and expectations of your discipleship.
As you well know, the way of the Christian leader is not upward mobility the mantra of the world, rather the downward mobility which ends on the cross. The Christian leadership I’m calling you to embrace is not a leadership of power and control, but of powerlessness and humility. By powerlessness and humility I do not mean a weak leadership position that renders Christian leaders as passive victims. It is not Christian leadership without spine who let people make decisions for them. It is a Christian leadership that is “radically poor, journeying with nothing except a staff – “no bread, no haversack, no money, no spare tunic” (Mark 6:8). The “radically poor,” leadership allows you to be led and suffer with the poor.

I understand that there is the temptation for you to be relevant to your congregation and to influence the new converts to the Lord as in what you can offer in terms of their needs and their desires, etc. You don’t need to be relevant leaders only to your congregants. I believe now is the time for you to adopt a radically counter-culture tactic: to be like Jesus you must give your power away, divest yourselves of human privilege and status, and practice the downward mobility of Christ.
It is now – this is it – the opportunity for you to radically redefine the meaning of your spiritual leadership. It’s time to put off the yolk of Mega Churches and ally yourselves with the oppressed poor of this nation so that you can make impact and be more relevant to the 99.9% poverty stricken Nigerians.
You are positioned and privileged to be the Christian leaders of the future (and the future is now) who are called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but your own vulnerable selves. That’s the way Jesus came to reveal God’s love.
If you’re sick, you need a competent doctor, if you are poor, you need a competent politician, if there are technical problems, you need competent engineers, if there are wars, you need competent negotiators. Is Nigeria a sick nation? Yes you bet! Are Nigerians poor, no doubt. Do we have competent politicians from the president to governors to federal, state, and local government legislators? Absolutely not!
God and ministers have been used for centuries to fill the gaps of incompetence. It happened in the Bible. It was replicated in the United States. And of course it was duplicated in South Africa and elsewhere.
Needless to remind you, Nigerians are hurting, they are sick spiritually and physically, they are hungry, they are homeless, they are jobless, they are useless, they are hopeless, they are helpless, they are pulverized by extreme poverty, neglect, abuse, and disuse. These Nigerians are extended families of your congregations – mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, cousins, uncles, nephews, and nieces.
You will find God’s charge to Prophet Isaiah instructive and compelling to mobilize, organize, and lead the masses like Martin Luther King Jr. and other clergy men of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Reverend Leon Sullivan (Lion of Philadelphia), Bishop Tutu, Albert Luthuli (author of the bestselling book Let My People Go) and other preachers too many to mention.
Isaiah, one of the greatest prophets in Jewish history and one of the most powerful models in the Bible was known in his days for his uncompromising convictions, and clear vision that drove him to continue speaking out despite the unfaithfulness of his people. His convictions teach us about avoiding ungodly compromise. Isaiah furnishes a beautiful case study of a leader who led from vision that brought about national reforms.
Listen to God’s mandate to Isaiah:
“Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people (the wicked, corrupt Nigerian rulers) … To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed (Nigerians) go free.” …”If you take the yoke from your mist, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday … And you shall be called the Repairer of (Nigeria) the Breach, And restorer of Streets to Dwell in.”
Evangelization is good. Planting churches all over the world is desirable. But God delights not merely in his people going without some daily staples, but in loosing the “burden of wickedness” and undoing “heavy burdens” of the oppressors in government.
God is calling on you to fight the destructive agenda and oppressive attitudes of the ruling class. Ethics supply the foundation of our values. Values supply the power that drives leadership. Moses led without compromise because his life was controlled by his popularity with God, not popularity with people.
It’s time for you to leave the theological elite world of popularity to experience and tell the Biblical story of Jesus and his compassionate and loving kindness to the poor and the oppressed by leading the protest and agitation against the oppressors of God’s children.
Nigerians remain shackled in many ways to the past and face a difficult and unpredictable future. They are living a suffocating existence. Here is my suggestion on what you could do to help free Nigerians from oppression, injustice, and poverty:
Form a non-violence and Civil Rights organization of Christian leaders patterned after the Southern Christian Leadership Conference founded in 1957 by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other Baptist ministers. The organization will fight on behalf of the poor using the non-violent method – civil disobedience – the idea of not cooperating with evil system:
(a) Organize a poor people’s campaign to address issues of economic justice – economic bill of rights for poor Nigerians.
(b) Set up mobilization committees to end unemployment and corruption, to fight for decent housing for the poor, voting reforms, education reforms, judicial reforms, police reforms, and infrastructures.
(c) March on Abuja for jobs, social welfare, and social security for senior citizens, and provision of 21st century hospitals.
As leaders of the proposed organization, you should maintain policy of not publicly endorsing any political party or candidate. This would allow you to look objectively at the parties and be the conscience of all – not the servant or master of any of the parties. The parties have not served Nigerians well.
The record of non-violence/civil disobedience has been very impressive. Successful precedents of non-violence include Mohandas K. Ghandi’s challenge to the might of British Empire and Dr. King’s objection to White America racism. They used and relied solely on the weapons of truth, soul force, non-injury and courage.
Just like Ghandi and King had been influenced by Jesus’ teaching on non-resistance to evil force so also as Christian leaders you should follow their examples and make Nigeria a better country. Revolt against injustice is not only honourable, but it is imperative.
One of the greatest remedies for our own suffering is serving others. Servant-leadership becomes a solution for both the one serving and the one being served.
Venerable Pastors, consider this: your righteousness on this matter will answer for you in time to come!
Sincerely,
BJO
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Article was first published in SaharaReporters December 17, 2013

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Bayo Oluwasanmi

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Shehu Sani Commends Adeboye For Leading Protest Against Insecurity

A former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani has commended General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, for leading a protest against killings and the rising spate of insecurity in Nigeria.
Adeboye had on Sunday morning led his congregation in a protest walk to express his dissatisfaction with the level of insecurity in the country.
Sani in a post on Twitter, said Adeboye had finally disembarked from the fence of caution and neutrality. Pastor Adeboye finally disembarking from the fence of caution,moderation and neutrality and leading a match against insecurity is commendable.Protest gives wings and wheels to Prayers.— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) February 2, 2020

He said, “Pastor Adeboye finally disembarking from the fence of caution, moderation and neutrality and leading a match against insecurity is commendable. Protest gives wings and wheels to prayer.”

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SaharaReporters, New York

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RCCG Protest Signals A Call On Buhari To Resign By Tope Akinyode

Tope Akinyode

We commend the leadership and members of Redeemed Christian Church of God for exercising their constitutional rights as enshrined under Sections 38, 39, 40 and 41 of the 1999 constitution by taking to the street to protest against rising insecurity and wobbling economy in Nigeria.
It is unfortunate that the backward President Muhammadu Buhari regime considers every criticism unpatriotic. The biggest disservice of the regime is its clamp down on human rights, free speech and press freedom.
It is worthy of note that by virtue of S 33 of the 1999 constitution, every Nigerian has right to life and that right cannot be illegally taken away. It is for this purpose that Section 14 (2) of the constitution provides that ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government’. Where government is failing in its primary responsibilities as prevalent today, patriotic citizens of goodwill must protest and register their displeasure against such anomaly.
We wish to remind President Buhari that if he find it hard to perform his constitutional duty of protecting the lives and properties of citizens, it is very lawful for him to resign as provided by S 306 (1) and (3) of the constitution. Otherwise, the National Assembly should take the bull by the horn and commence impeachment proceedings against him in accordance with S 143 of the constitution.
It is our considered view that there is no more time for Nigerians to sit on the fence or fold their arms over the incompetence of this administration. We hereby call on all Nigerians to raise their voices and demand for the resignation of the president.
Tope Akinyode is a human rights lawyer and National President of Revolutionary Lawyer’s Forum

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