From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The Bishop of Diocese of Ogbaru, Anglican Communion, Rt Revd Prosper Amah has called for a review of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution to remove encumbrances working against the nation’s political system, describing Nigeria as the headquarters of poverty across the globe.
Angered by the outcome of the Presidential Elections Petitions Court (PEPC) verdict which affirmed Bola Tinubu as the winner of the election, the Bishop advised the presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi and his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to go and rest and prepare for 2027 elections, having fought gallantly, according to him, but laboured in vain in the February 25 presidential election because of what he described as a flawed political system.
Bishop Amah bared his mind on the national issue, on Tuesday, at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Nnewichi, Nnewi, Anambra State on the occasion of the 14th general synod of the Anglican Communion held every four years.
He explained that the meeting which had His Grace, The Most Rev Henry Ndukuba, the Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate, Church of Nigeria as the man in charge had gathered for the general synod as the highest decision-making body of the Church. He said the deliberations primarily centred on issues that bordered on faith and society.
“For us in the Church of Nigeria, it’s coming in a time when our nation needs some practical interventions in some critical sectors like the economy because on the issue of the economy, God cannot throw money down to Nigerians, we are the ones that will do it because God has given us the ability.
“What we are suffering in Nigeria is misappropriation. Some will call it corruption; it has so many names but it all boils down to misappropriation. And that has accumulated over the years. That’s why Nigeria is being tagged as the world headquarters for poverty, the giant of Africa is now the headquarters of poverty. But out there you have the resources revolving around a few individuals. I blame the Western world for giving them a soft landing.
“Let’s refer to the last presidential election. All of us listened to the judgment. Thank God I didn’t waste my time because at a point I left. They wasted our time telling us that the election that was marred by so many irregularities is now affirmed and Bola Tinubu was declared winner. Don’t forget that our President is busy jumping from one country to another seeking legitimacy. That’s all he is doing now and it takes him time.
“So, what time does he have to fix the economy? Even though I will not blame the incumbent to some extent because what we are suffering today started eight years ago. It was the immediate past regime that inaugurated it and the thing comes to maturity in this government. The past regime was busy borrowing. You don’t borrow to share. It’s a big error, you borrow to invest. If they had borrowed to invest, I tell you that our foreign reserve would have made us millionaires. But they borrow to share every week. You cannot see anything to show for it and look at what we are suffering today. So, part of what will top the agenda in this meeting, for me, is how to restore Nigeria.
“If the society is not functioning optimally, there is no way the Church will do well. The same people that constitute the society are the same people you see in the Church. So, if we get it right in society, the Church will have less work to do.
“So, in this general synod, we prayed no doubt. But we have prayed too much, the time now is for us to work. Let us walk the talk, let’s work it out. We pray for righteousness, go out there and live righteously so that the whole world will see.
“On the presidential election issue, if I’m to advise Obi and Atiku let them go and rest. They have laboured. It is quite unfortunate that the judiciary has, I don’t know how to put it, it’s no longer the hope of the common man. They may call it the temple of justice, that is what it’s supposed to be but I have a question mark there because what you will see at the Supreme Court is the foundation they laid at the Appeal Court. Had it been that the incumbent was not inaugurated; I tell you the truth would have been unravelled. You can’t challenge your boss.
“Our constitution has so many encumbrances. We need a simple civilian constitution to solve this problem. It’s high time our constitution was reviewed, “the Bishop concluded.
