Constitutional reform

The need for constitutional reform. We have had our constitution since 1999. I have a suggestion for a constitutional amendment.

What was the mischief the constitution was seeking to avoid when it decreed that elective office holders should have a minimum educational qualification. The level is that office seekers should have had formal education by the age of 18. That is a secondary leaving certificate. That level of education is not mandated for the general public. It is therefore discriminatory against a large sect of the population. This requirement is now being used as a source of blackmail of public office seekers and holders.

The council of chiefs is a body accepted by the constitution and to be a Chief there are no educational requirements.

The most important requirement of being health and mental health wellbeing is not even a requirement for public office holders. And this to my mind is the most important. The decisions and actions of current and previous holders of the office of the president leaves much to be deserved and their mental health in question.

I rather a well and mental health wellbeing that a doctorate holder as president. There are remedies for an illiterate but not sure what the remedy is for mad person.

Who is guiding us

Who is Nigeria defence minister, who is the national security adviser, who are the chair persons of the armed forces committees both in the Senate and the house of representatives, who are members of the security council. Nigeria is at war and yet the people who are prosecuting the war on our behalf are conspicuous by their media and national absence. The press are not brining these folks to the fort for explanations why we are on our back foot fighting this war. We have a minister overseeing the economy. We need a war minister who will do same for the war effort. This is a war and fight we can not lose or afford to lose, the outcome after a defeat is not within human contemplation. The opposition can not just criticise but make specific plans to tackle the terrorists. Why are we allowing a land locked country like Chad sleep while we are kept awake by their actions or in actions. Where is our air forces, where are our alleged  intelligence service or are they too busy chasing their tails. Why are we not having special military courts to deal with caught terrorists and their sponsors. The current criminal courts are ill-equipped to deal with and should not. Normally legal safeguards are a receipt for failure in this respect. Who is the quatermaster of the Nigerian Army. When soilders say they have sixty bullets each rather than government apologest saying it's not true why not produce evidence of the truth. We need our Patriot Act just to assure Nigerians and others that we are serious about defending ourselves. I am from Baga and I am Nigerian when one of us dies in these circumstances, we all die in our humanity. The Council of states should hold public meetings to show they are concerned and offering solutions including practical contributions from the opposition and all Nigerians. Maybe these may come about after the elections in a couple of weeks. 

The crimes of Buhari-Wole Soyinka | Sahara Reporters

The crimes of Buhari-Wole Soyinka | Sahara Reporters

Full transcript of what Fr. Mbaka told his congregation about GEJ's administration

A month and a half after he prayed for president Jonathan and said he must return to power, Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka, changed his tune and blasted GEJ  during his New Year message to his congregation. Below is the full transcript of what he said...

"In the year 2014, we had a lot of bloodshed in this country. People were dying like rats without anybody asking about them. This country suffered a lot of blood experience. Many of us witnessed that people were in tears. Just like the ancient world, the year 2014, the 4 in it had the queen in it, which had to do with death. Our leaders failed us with reckless abandon and nobody asked them question.

The so-called democracy was a hidden autocracy. It was deceptive and questionable quack miler. Nigerians suffered hunger unnecessarily. We heard about oil subsidy being removed and added, whatever be(is) their jargon, nobody understood them. We heard about minimum wage, the civil servant suffered, the minimum wage was not paid and we were all calm. In 2015, Nigerians will not be calm again (shouts of AMEN!).

We need change. Whatever it will be, let it be. This is my golden message to my beloved country. What actually is happening (Ogini nne me?). The multitude of our youths, the quality young men, quality young women, brilliants youths but nobody has plans for any of you. Our so-called leaders should come and apologize. In 2015, it shall not continue like that (shouts of AMEN).

By the grace of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are announcing spiritually, change! 2015 should not be a year of any hooligan maneuvering to hijack power. This is our New Year message.  Listen, when you go home, tell anybody you see that from the oracle of the Holy Spirit, we are announcing change (AMEN). Can somebody help me to shout change (shouts of change by the congregation) in Jesus holy name.

Look at what it’s like, as I’m yet to bless your families, bless your industries, bless your destinies. Come 2015, your plans are blessed, your vision are blessed, your locomotive society are blessed. I cover this year with the blood of Jesus. I seal this year with the blood of Jesus.

My message is in two branches (folds). Number one branch, the theme of this first message to my fellow countrymen is from good luck to bad luck. Once upon a time, the whole countrymen were crying for a leader who will help us move forward with our economy, have an authentic democracy, give our unemployed youths jobs, enable our power to be steady, who will industrialize Nigerians, who will encourage mass education and agriculturalize Nigeria.  Having in view that oil will soon drop, give us security in a maximum level. By the grace of God, there emerged a Goodluck, all of us were happy, the Goodluck met Yar’ Adua and Yar’ Adua died. May the Holy Spirit help me as I utter this message, I know many will misunderstand it, but it will stand the test of time and you will know I’m speaking the truth.

The Goodluck met Yar’Adua and Yar’Adua died. Before you know it, the Goodluck met our oil and the oil had a bad luck and poured away, before we knew it, the Goodluck met our naira, our naira had a bad luck. Where are we going? What is the fate of this country? Shall we continue like this, we need change (shout of change from the congregation).

As I’m speaking with you, most of our civil servants did not celebrate their Christmas. The Christmas season that should be a Goodluck time became a bad luck time for our Nigerians forgetting that very soon, from 3rd January, the children will go back to school and the parent are going to pay school fees. From where? Are they going to use their urine to pay? (Shout of NO from the congregation). But where is the good water even if they are going to use their urine. Are they going to use their stool to pay the school fees of their children? (Shout of NO from the congregation). You have to eat well to defecate.

What is the fate of our children? Tears fill my eyes when I see our young graduates hoping and walking our streets. What is the meaning of kidnapping? Kidnapping is the grandson of unemployment. Boko Haram is a grand great child of the same unemployment, mass looting, and poor governance.

I’m not saying that Goodluck is a bad man. He is a good man. But he cannot lead Nigeria. As things stand right now, from the oracle of the Holy Spirit, Jonathan should honourably resign quietly and let Nigeria be. The destiny of Nigeria is greater than Goodluck Jonathan. The Goodluck in Jonathan has become a bad luck to Nigerians. Whatever brought him in should send him back and let Nigeria be.
By this time in few months to come, many are going to lose their jobs and there is no alternative.

During election, Jonathan will answer Azikiwe, Ebele and become an Igbo man and after election, the Ebele, the Azikiwe and Goodluck will vanish from his identity. Who is fooling who actually?
Look at our federal roads, we are not even asking for new ones, roads built by Buhari and Babangidas —  the so called Hausa people— cannot be maintained. Follow Enugu here to Onitsha, children born some years ago do not know that there was a lane along the other side of Isiagwu and we are all saying continue. The continuity of Jonathan means disaster to Nigeria.

We need change. May the Holy Spirit help me to vocalize what he has shown to me while I was waiting on him to give me a message for my people? I’m worried about the future of you my children. Go to school, go to school, mention any government school functioning in Nigeria now? Our schools are dilapidated. Nigeria is like an egg about to break in the hands of Jonathan Goodluck and we cannot allow it to happen. It is so unfortunate that pastors are becoming vultures around the president. Pastors are becoming hawks around him, eating the porridge of Jacob and selling their prophetic rights. And anointing is being merchandised in Aso Rock, carrying our nairas, turning it to dollars and carrying it in jets moving out of the country.

Listen, this is the voice on the pulpit: all these men of God, who are telling Jonathan to continue because they are benefitting one thing or the other, you should question your apostolic, prophetic anointing. What the Bible say is that Samson did not know that the Holy Spirit had left him. Let them watch if the Holy Spirit is still in them.

Listen, they will begin to tell us this one is a Christian the other one is a Muslim. I don’t believe in that. Who is a Christian more than Judas? Did Judas not betray Jesus? Judas was not just a Christian, he was not just a mere apostle, he was a super apostle like a cardinal but at a time he messed up and Bible says his office, let another take. That is the normal thing.

The way Nigeria is going right now, the office of Goodluck Jonathan let another take. I’m not campaigning for anybody. I’m filled with tears over what is happening in Nigeria. Some of us who have nongovernmental organisations funding charity, I know what I’m suffering. The more they are looting our resources, the more they are rending you unemployed, the more some of us suffer the more. If I have been paying for the school fees of 500 people, it would now jack up to 3000, or more.
What the government should do, individuals are struggling to achieve. When there is no road, no power, all this fake promises… where is the power? That Onitsha Bridge, has it now been built? No. After 6 years, and Goodluck has what it takes to do whatever. He surrounded himself with hooligans. By the time he comes down, he won’t have anybody to work with. He played himself into the hands of hooligans.

My interest is about the wellness of this country. Nigeria must survive what we are passing through by the help of God. The same God who saved us from Ebola will save us from this bad luck season (shouts of AMEN from the congregation).

Look at it, there was a time there was an argument about pension fund – such billions. Who is talking about it now? Billions and we were hearing it… from excess crude oil money, where is the impact of the excess crude oil money? Now from oil boom, it has met a bad luck; it’s now oil doom. If my father will be my leader and my siblings will all die, let a stranger be my leader and let my family be. All I’m trying to tell you is that we have not entered into any covenant with anybody.
Last time, the First Lady came here. We are not partisan; we welcomed her. We did a spiritual drama here. Lifted four birds to fly up, the main one that should fly up refused to go. I did everything possible and that one is the healthiest of them all but refused to fly and the spirit of God said, don’t disturb him.

When God rejected Saul, David took over. Let me tell you, in the history of Nigeria, we have never experience bloodshed as we have in the time of Goodluck. If Goodluck means bloodshed for Nigerians are you waiting until your own blood is shed? (shouts of No from the congregation).
We need change, however God will do it. Look at the insecurity if you go to the northern part of Nigeria.

My fellow priest, my fellow pastors, don’t just stand up to attack this message, because you have mouth. Think well before you put your mouth, the voice is beyond your own contribution. Listen, are you waiting for your own church to be bombed before you speak out? If you go to Maiduguri, some parishes have closed down. Go to Potiskum. People no longer go to church on Sundays in many parts of this country. Now imagine a scenario where a president cannot fight a simple insurgence. This is not an external country attack o. It is not like another country invaded Nigeria. It is an intra distraction. And many of us are claiming that it was because Buhari said that he was going to make Jonathan’s government ungovernable. Listen, let’s assume Buhari said something like that, even though it’s not Buhari who said it. So if you are the president and somebody say something like that, will you not arrest such a person?