LightofEarendil:


True men of God are always careful to be partisan in any way and like the One whom they represent, always be ready to tell the truth in love. God is fair and not a respecter of persons, so should be his messengers.
The same Samuel that annointed Saul was called upon to reject him later and annointed David in his place. He loved Saul and always wanted to help him, but had to submit to God when Saul crossed the line.
Any man of God that openly and sentimentally supports a leader should be careful, for the same God that ask them to bless such leader could also call on them to judge the same leader if he errs.

tjesssie:
Sorry... That was too long for me to read. What did he say?

…He arrogated to himself the absolute knowledge of problems and solutions and acted in accordance with what was convenient to him using the machinery of government as his tool

bombay:
[s]The old bastard, Awolowo who is now roasting in the deepest part of hell had died as a frustrated bigot and tribalist leaving behind a series of scandals while Sir Ahmadu Bello died as a matyr. All Yoruba jingoist cannot fathom why they lack the capacity to wrest power from the north hence their penchant to breed discord and mischief among the people of the north while forgetting that every body knows that Yoruba are inherently hypocrites, uncultured, bastards, cowards and blabber mouths. They are easily identifiable by their embarrassingly loud mouth and cowardice.[/s]

tommyrayrich:
Am a jerk, but this man is making sense!!

chenkov:
That's my bishop, so full of wisdom.

Mexyz:
Sis just admit that you did not read the article.... Point out the questions there that were not answered, you will definitely find fault since the write up is somehow not in support of our supposed "Messiah ".

babyphaze77:


Go back read sense from a sensible Man of God.

PHIPEX:
Until we build institutions that stand the test of time, all the one man show and messaic expectations will always fail us. I listened to him deliver this speech and I was proud of him. What we should ask ourselves is "after Buhari what next?"

SenseiX:
.
Cont'd
Why did we not win the war against illiteracy? Why did we not win the war against hunger despite Operation Feed the Nation? Why did we not win the war against armed robbery? Why did not win the war against poverty? Why did we not win the war against insecurity? What makes us confident that we will win this war? Should it not be clear to us that there is more than meets the eye?

President Buhari is not new on the block. He came and saw but we all know the story. In declaring a war against corruption, he lost his job. It is quite interesting that none of all of those who have suddenly become vocal now in the war against corruption went out on the streets to condemn the overthrow of their hero. If Nigerians were so convinced about the war against corruption, why did they all cross to the other side of the street where President Babangida was already offering them a decaffeinated form of war by stating that the overthrow of Buhari had become necessary because, in his words on August 27th, 1985: “Muhammad Buhari was too rigid and uncompromising in his attitude to issues of national significance?”

General Babangida justified his coup by claiming that General Buhari had been rather impervious to reason. His words: “Efforts to make him understand that a diverse polity like Nigeria requires recognition and appreciation of the difference in both cultural and individual perception only served to aggravate these attitudes…He arrogated to himself the absolute knowledge of problems and solutions and acted in accordance with what was convenient to him using the machinery of government as his tool”. This was 30 years ago and both men are still alive.

So, when I warn about the consequences of our hysteria, euphoria and amnesia, it is based on the feeling that, in a more serious country, we should appreciate that we have been on this road before.

The question we should be asking ourselves now is, how and why is it that every coup plotter in Nigeria hung his colours on the mast of fighting corruption? How come that all successive governments have come in, accusing their predecessors of massive corruption only to turn around and do even worse or leave a similar legacy of rot?

In my book, Witness to Justice, I titled one of the chapters, Do Not Forget to Remember. The idea was to call attention to a chronic lack of a sense of history that was unpardonable. I drew from a few of the speeches of coup plotters to illustrate this tragedy and argued that we are all culpable and that we are also sinners, not a bunch of innocent people who have been sinned against. Let me very briefly trace this same trajectory to make the point.

On January 15, 1966, Major Nzeogwu told a stunned nation that he and his colleagues had intervened to establish a strong, united and prosperous nation, free from corruption and internal strife. The highpoint of his speech was when he said: “Our enemies are the political profiteers, the swindlers, the men in high and low places that seek bribes and demand 10%, those who keep the country permanently divided so that they can remain in office. He ended his speech by proclaiming that: We promise that you will no more be ashamed to say that you are Nigerians”. As we know, he and his men went on to commit heinous crimes against this nation by killing innocent men and finally triggering off the ugly events that led to a civil war.

When the war ended, General Gowon was overthrown on July 29, 1975. Brigadier General (Murtala) Muhammed stated that the military had intervened because: “Despite our great human and material resources, the government has not been able to fulfill the legitimate expectations of our people. Nigeria has been left to drift”. Even the charlatan, Lt. Col BS Dimka, opened greeted Nigerians on February 13, 1976, by saying: “I bring you good tidings” and ended his speech by reminding Nigerians: We are together”.

On December 31, 1983, the nation woke up to the voice of one Brigadier Sani Abacha, who conscripted Nigerians into the witness box by arguing: “You have been witnesses to the grave economic predicament and uncertainty which an inept and corrupt leadership has imposed on our beloved nation…Our economy has been mis-managed. We have become a debtor and beggar nation…In some states; workers are being owed salaries of 8-12 months”. General Abacha concluded that he and his colleagues had intervened because it was their duty as “promoters and protectors of our national interest”.

The new Head of State was announced as Brigadier General Muhammadu Buhari who, in his opening address, noted: “The change became necessary in order to put an end to the serious economic predicament and the crisis of confidence afflicting our country….This government will not tolerate kickbacks, inflation of contracts and over invoicing of imports, nor will it condone forgery, fraud, embezzlement, misuse and abuse of office and illegal dealings in foreign exchange and smuggling…..Workers who have not received their salaries in the past eight or so months will receive such salaries today or tomorrow. It was interesting that the President acknowledged that even the criminals had a role to play in his vision for the nation. He said: We expect all Nigerians, including those who participated directly or indirectly in bringing the nation to this present predicament, to cooperate with us”.

When Brigadier General Dogon Yaro announced the overthrow of the Buhari administration on August 27, 1985, he acknowledged that the government had been welcomed with what he called, “unprecedented enthusiasm”. He complained that members of the Supreme Military Council had been sidelined and made redundant because only “….a select few members were charged with the day-to-day implementation of the SMC’s policies and decisions….the concept of collective leadership has been substituted by stubborn and ill advised unilateral actions, thereby destroying the principles upon which the military came to power”.

On the same day, General Abacha, in his own speech, complained: “The Buhari leadership lacked the capacity and the capability to lead this nation out of its social and economic predicament….It is most disheartening that most of the ills that plagued the nation during the civilian regime are still present in our society”.

President Ibrahim Babangida then stepped up and opened his speech by reminding a stunned nation that Buhari had come to power with the most popular enthusiasm accorded any government in the history of this country.

But, sadly, he continued: “Since January 1984, we have witnessed systematic denigration of hope. He continued: Muhammadu Buhari was too rigid and uncompromising in his attitudes to issues of national significance…He arrogated to himself the absolute knowledge of the problems and solutions and acted in accordance with what was convenient to him using the machinery of government as his tool”. General Babangida made the usual noises about the state of the economy and the plans to end economic mismanagement and place the nation on the path of rectitude.

Then General Abacha came back a third time, this time to oust Chief Ernest Shonekan. This was a rather curious speech because it was like no other. General Abacha broke from the tradition of denigrating his predecessor as a way of justifying his coup. Instead, he commended Shonekan for, in his own words, “showing the greater courage of knowing when to leave”. He promised to lay a solid foundation for the growth of democracy. He ended his speech by again, lamenting Chief Shonekan who, again, in his words, “unfortunately, resigned yesterday”, stated that the government was a “child of necessity” out to enthrone lasting democracy.

I know I sound like a bearer of bad news, a cynic or one who does not support Buhari’s war as my enemies have concluded. Indeed, the opposite is actually the case. First, as the American television series, ‘Everybody loves Raymond,’ will say, “Everybody loves Buhari”. But that is the first danger. It is not in President Buhari’s interest that everyone presents a face of love for him. The country is more than one man. President Buhari himself has said that much. What the President needs is an army of non-partisan patriots committed to supporting him, but looking well beyond him and his party and focusing on the nation and its future.

Despite our claims of moral probity, the President’s men and women, who will be Ministers, will be taken from among us. They will serve in the same public service that has deteriorated into a conveyor belt of corruption and malfeasance. We do not know how long they will stay on the high horse of moral probity before we start hearing the usual cry of, “na morality we go chop?” These men are from among us, and they will be surrounded by the usual coterie of carpetbaggers. So, the President requires other men and women outside his formal choir of party members who can help him think, men and women who are unencumbered by the vagaries of the sweet juices of political power and office, men and women who are not seduced by popular approval, men and women who live for tomorrow, men and women who have ideas about how nations are build, men and women who do not see public trust as a vehicle for vengeance, men and women who live by the law of live and let live, men and women who do not see the exigencies of the moment as our turn to eat.

ADAMUdaCOWBOY:

Right! This man of God failed to correct gej when he crossed t he line

MyFlair:
what. Brought about GEJ in this educative write up? He has on several occasion constructively criticise GEJ. I hv come to. Believe tht. D problem most of u. Hv with GEJ is simply HATE. Pls leave the man GEJ alone if he dies today (God forbid) our problem. Won't die, corruption won't seize.

Abeymills:
[s]Pls all apc zombies kindly advice president 2 direct daura security service 2go n arrest d rev kukah abeg[/s]