Presiding Pastor, Livingspring Chapel International, Pastor Femi Emmanuel has attributed the myriad of challenges facing Nigeria to the military intervention in 1966 and the adoption of the unitary system that came up after the coup.
Answering questions as guest speaker on the popular on line interview discourse, ‘Boiling Point Arena’ on Sunday, Pastor Emmanuel noted that the insecurity, economic downturn, and other problems bedeviling the country all emanated from the disruptive structure.
The cleric stated that the country is built on a wrong foundation and could therefore not make headway unless it returns to the drawing board. According to him, despite copying the presidential system of government from the U.S, the country has corrupted and bastardized the system.
“Nigeria’s problem started when in 1966, the military came as we know it, the coup happened and the constitution was suspended and unitary system was forced on us which we still run till today.
“All the problems of Nigeria , the insecurity, the economic downturn, the do-or-die political struggle based on what we see all over the place, they are all emanating from that disruptive structure.”
“Unless Nigerians will be honest enough, we tell the truth to ourselves and say, let’s return back to the drawing board, there is nothing we could do or we are doing or we want to do that will take this country forward. Because the foundation is wrong the structure is wrong.”
“Nigeria missed it in 1966 when the unitary system was introduced and is still on till today which we deceitfully call 1999 constitution as amended, you can’t amend a lie.”
Speaking on the topic: Global ranking of praying nations: Why is God not answering prayers of Nigerians for national progress?, Emmanuel stated that Nigeria’s problem has nothing to do with God, stressing that God answers prayers of Nigeria and Nigerians.
“Nigeria’s problem has nothing to do with God, it has to do with ourselves. It is not that God is not answering our prayers.”
“God has answered our prayers but creating us different people.
The one time deputy speaker of the Oyo state house of assembly, called on President Bola Tinubu to be courageous and revisit the 2014 national conference document, stressing that it has answers to the problems of the country.
“The 2014 national conference was the closest but you know what happened, the APC government came in and they said they have nothing to do with it till today; and until we’ve something to do with that document, we are wasting our time. I just pray that our president, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will have take the bold step .”
He added that there is need for the different ethnic nationalities in the country to come together in agreement on how to co-exist and develop a system that will work for all.
“If we now decide to live together as we want to do, then we must agree that people should live according to their culture, tradition, their values, their histories and then let us have a system of coordinating at the top.”
Also speaking on the same topic, a Professor at the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan, Prof. Afis Oladosu asserted that Nigerians are praying but not supplicating.
He highlighted other nations like Saudi Arabia and Malaysia that are also religious and prayerful like Nigeria but do not have the same problem.
“Saudi Arabia is the epicenter of Muslim civilization, nothing less than two million people congregate at the Kabba daily. When you get to Saudi Arabia you discover that things are working, corruption index of Saudi Arabia is far less than most countries. Go to Malaysia, and you will see a country working, Malaysia is muslim predominant country, the country is working and they are prayerful.”
BOILING POINT, a news and general interest platform, comprises an array of eminent personalities including over 300 Professors, technocrats, industry leaders, High Court Justices, traditional rulers, security top shots, media professionals and several others.
The monthly discourse programme, the 13th in the series, on governance and nation building is the brainchild of season media professional, Ayo Arowojolu.
