Saturday, July 17, 2010

IBB is not Relevant- Tunde Bakare

Pastor Tunbe Bakare is not just the senior Pastor of Latter Rain Church, but also a social critic and Convener Save Nigeria Group, in this interview with LEADERSHIP Lagos correspondent Ayodele Samuel, Pastor B as he is fondly call gave his recipe for a credible election comes 2011 Sir what inspire Sava Nigeria Group? For also 45days Nigeria was headless and voiceless, after Late President took ill and was taken abroad for medical treatment the whole of the nation was waiting for a wayout apart from this we have understanding from series of revelation and which order we must taken , we summoned those we are in relationship with like Members of Afenifere Renewal Group, Members of Arewa, International for constitutional development Centre for we met at and we fixed an appointment for the 7th of January where we brought in civil society , It was in that hall of the 17th of January that the name Save Nigeria Group was given to the movement and we agreed to go to Abuja to protest that quiet contrary to we they thought was the order of the day according to Ogulafor, contrary to what thought was a road show it was a determined effort to bring an end to our headlessness and voicelessness so was what led to SNG and we thank God for the outing and sequence outing in Lagos , back to Abuja and Onikan Stadium now we are focusing on credible, free, fair and peaceful election 2011. Sir, when I Tunde Bakare, I see a man that is not Fulfill with the present suaition in Nigeria No Nigerian should be fulfilled because You are not an island on your own, when its everything is personal comfort, a place to lay my head, food on my table, education for my children whether within or outside the country I can afford it, whether the suffering Nigerian, no Nigerian with right thinking, we’re satisfied with the current situation of our country so you’re right. So when will you be fulfilled When will Nigeria becomes a force to be reckoned in the committee of nations. When the potentials of this nation are tapped maximally for the benefit of the people, when we have good governance, when the things that are strictly in order nations becomes a reality in our land like electricity, security, good health facilities, road network, infrastructure, then I know is a new day when Nigeria can competition vividly not only in the field of sport where we failed with our and worst eleven if in governance we have failed with our worst eleven, the worst of us have being ruining our country under the pretence that they are running it. I will be fulfilled when I see the best fittest, the most complement, men with cerebral capacity handling the affairs of our situation not just wambling through and try to anxigecity when they have a blueprint and following the blue print when we can compete with nations like Japan and we become the tourist centre of the world a nation to respect and reckon with. Sir clear the airwave in the section of the media that SNG is being sponsor by fromer FCT minister Mallam El-Ruffia ? I expect intelligent men to act intelligently, for example as a journalist part of your -responsibilities is investigation because I heard the rumour before not only from our former vice president now president who has never put a penny in my hand in my life or in the hand of anybody known to me. I’ve heard we are asking from OBJ, I’ve heard all kind of things by virtue of his being part of (three) 3G that is Good Governance Group that is El-Rufai, 3G being part of SNG,so many organization, its loose conglomerate, a coalition of different civil society organizations that come together to form SNG. The work everyone does in the corner of his room, each one will give account of it. But nobody will tell you not even El-Rufai himself that he’s sponsoring me, please give us some credit and there must have been some water in coconut even before rain fall. El-Ruffai was not in Nigeria, the game has begun before El-Rufai showed up and but 3G was part of what we are doing. Everyone was levied, many of us put our resource together is not a one man show so you can say someone is sponsoring us. We have records of what we have spent, may be they think if you are among us you have run into billions, that is why they are having what I call vary imagination. Sorry, if I sound may a bit modest, I too big, to be sponsor by any sponsor not at this stage of my life and I don’t know anyone in our group who is cheap not in the steering committee. His their any plan for SNG to transform to a political party? SNG will not transform to a political party we have said it before Alright sir coming to the 11 years of Democracy in Nigeria apparently ruled by PDP, How will you describe this 11years. We thank God they didn’t push us into depressible because they also did, I was reading a new book by the autobiography of Awujale, he has captured the 8years rule of Obasanjo in that book. I will recommend that book for you to read, By now electricity should be on a better by now corruption should have been brought to a stand still and he wasted those 8years chasing shadows and if you add that 8years add it to 3years of Umar sickness and debate and all kind of afflictions on Yar’Adua, you know that we have gone from go slow trend new politics and all kind of leaders, those who have been on the helms of affairs of Nigeria especially of the PDP class, their have power for self and not for service and they have not really give good account of themselves mostly when you think of the resources they have at their disposal, look at conditions of our roads, the only thing they are beating their chest about is GSM, telephone that Nigerians citizen are burning their money to maintain everyday and the networks are bad and then they will claim some peace in the Niger Delta, in the name of amnesty, who should give the other amnesty, were they criminals of war its only criminals of you give amnesty , but the truth of the matter is it is better than military regime and we trust in 2011, a new corps of people who love this country and love this nation who understand good governance and who are accountable and responsible to the people of this nation will begin to emerge all around. Sir, what are your recipes for a credible election come 2011. We have started the rally in Onikan, we will need a credible voters register, we have consider the opinion that Jega we trust will not allow himself to be corrupted, some of the national commissioners should a credible people, when you have a credible voters register and you have credible personnel and that needed will now be citizen that are aware, that are conscious alert with responsibility so we are encouraging them to register in a place where they could vote, they should actually vote and select who they vote for, to make sure there are not selling their vote as we have done in the past, then to protect their vote so we need credible register, credible personnel, enabling environment, enabling legislation in Abuja on 14th of July by God’s grace we will spell it out in black and white, that it free, fair, credible and peaceful election, so that the police does not harass anybody they just stand there to make sure they want to protect them and do not play any partisan role at all. Also the politician themselves need to learn from the blunders of the past, not to create avenue for military adventures to hijack the sovereignty of the people one more time, so their should give out credible voter register, credible personnel running it. On PDP Zoning and Jonathan running, Jonathan is a Nigeria citizen, they have not being in the history of Nigeria, an incumbent president who not want to continue serving provided the law say so, Obasanjo wanted a third term, within the Africa continent perhaps the only person who have stepped down is Nelson Mandela, and he did so because of his age, and because he is a statesman, he came from prison to become president, he spent four year and he though he has done enough, step down and pass his baton, president Jonathan became by circumstances, so he now by God grace, he feel he has something to offer, those who are claiming it’s the turn of North should remember it was the north that chose him as Vice-President so he’s their choice, they should see it as a continuity of Yar’Adua administration, that is one way to look at it but I don’t want us to get stop in a major distraction, zoning is PDP agenda not our constitutional provision, PDP can do what ever they like to do with themselves, we are interested in a credible election, competence people those who are clamouring for zoning now, contested in 1999, Late Rimi, Atiku Abubaker wanted to contested against Obasanjo but their prevail on him not to contest, its their problem its their headache who ever their like, the Nigerians are not going to fold our arms and wait for them to play piporch with the destiny of a 150 million people. What is your view on IBB’s bid to come back. I think we are making him too important too relevant, I don’t want to comment on IBB, he was head of state for years and he didn’t achieve anything other than defrauding Nigeria and nullifying an election every Nigeria and international body called free and fair, he now wants to come back, I don’t think Nigerians will vote for him. Nigerians will not let him come back, I don’t think we should spend our time on him; nobody should take him serious he enjoys seeing his name in the press. Sir his their any plan for SNG to Transform to a political Party SNG will not transform to a political party we’ve said if in many interviews. On television, radio and print medium. SNG is not transforming to a political society organization because if such organization is not in existence what happened during Yar’Adua illness will happened again. And then we will start marching again. We have to continue until total we restore voice to the voiceless, the people realised sovereign and understanding how power works so that people can see that true sovereign lays in their hands and they are responsible for what is they get. If they do what it’s right and sealed the right people Nigeria will not remain in this situation we have find ourselves. So SNG is not transforming to a political parties. However, individuals in NSG, key operatives will be out of different political parties. Many of our members belong to different political parties and they are involved in the parties’ activities. Sir what do you have for the Nigeria youths? Shine your eyes , like one of the musician says, raise up the youth of the nation are the chokes of prosperity of that nation, not days youths in the world the current of civilization would not flow backward , raise up every one from age 18 and above you constituted the biggest, the largest number of voters in Nigeria, let the people raise up and talk to one other use everything at you disposal, internet, MMS, blogs, twitter, facebook, if you can persuade your president through facebook to change his position on FIFA and Nigerian football team, let the youth use it to talk among themselves to say NO to a rogue in government, let stop calling a spade an agricultural instrument, they may not allow you to live broadcast because you may say something that will offend them but nobody can stop the internet from your house to communicate with your friends, its up to you, as you lay your bed so are you going to lie on it, if you are disarverse with what is going on raise up, and demand change because you have the right to do so, power is all about perception, if you don’t say in your mine that anybody has power against you, they can use it, the power you give them is what there are exercising, it’s time the younger generation raise up to take their destiny in their hands because these men will die and go and all their lootings will be abnorad and you continue to suffer, no job, their massive youth unemployment and there are taking to crime for all kinds of things, we can take up the nation now before its too late. How can interested Nigerians Join SNG? Just easy go Online go to www.govenigeriagroup.org it’s a simple process we want to know your antecedent, we want to know that you are really you say are, we don’t want Mike Tyson, Michael Jackson like in the present voters register. What will you do if IBB decided to join SNG? he will not dare because we will accept him, he’s not the type of character that we can have in our midst, he will be an unnecessary burden and nobody will want him, I don’t know and I don’t think anybody in our group wants him