By Simon Ateba The News online newspapers 11/29/07

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and President, Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), Mr. John Onaiyekan, has called on Nigerians to stop praying for God to deliver the country from misfortunes, but to stand up and fight for their rights.

Onaiyekan said it was not necessary to continue praying when God had on several occasions intervened in the affairs of Nigeria with no lasting effect.

He was the chairman of the Ajasin Foundation’s 8th Annual Colloquium that took place yesterday at the Imperial Hall, Ikeja, Lagos.

The CAN president asked rhetorically: “What do we do right now? Continue praying for divine intervention?

“Well, God helps those who help themselves. We should not forget that God had already intervened many times in our national affairs to no lasting effect.”

Onaiyekan warned that with so many un-elected people in power, Nigeria may remain where it is if the situation remains the same.

He said Nigerians may decide to tolerate the status quo, continue praying for divine intervention or take concrete action as this is the best option.

Among the actions listed by the Catholic Archbishop are the insistence on correcting the errors made in the past, the encouragement of the Election Petition Tribunals and the approach to reorganise “most of the flawed elections”.

As for electoral reforms, he said the political elite who should carry out these reforms are themselves in dire need of reform.

“Who will reform the reformers?” Onaiyekan asked, adding that “who will watch the watchmen?”

He stated that the constitution itself must be reformed and the issue of non-compliance addressed.

The president of CAN also called on various agencies to probe the actions of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for its role in the rigged elections, adding that those found guilty must not go unpunished.

"A perfect electoral system will lead us nowhere if people can simply disregard the rules, and get away with such crimes. They should be at least made to confess such crimes." he said

I personally do not pray. I do what needs doing.

This would be great if Nigerians who like to issue empty altimatums could learn how to fight instead.
We need to fight the corruption which has eaten into our national fabric.
We need to stop winking away crime, when we witness the commision of we know is wrong.

Some have said we need to leave Yar'Adua alone because we don't know who will replace him.
Yar'Adua knows full well he is occupying an office under and illegal transfer of office. Two wrongs cannot make a right. if Yar'Adua himself wants anything good for Nigeria, he will insist that his mandate come under a transparent, free and fair election. Which means new elections needs to be organized in the next year.

Our passivism and pessimism is the greatest obstacle to our advancement.
We see and know what is wrong, but we choose to explain it away, giving inane excuses.
We all saw how badly the last elections were conducted, and how inconsequential the leaders and conductors of the elections think we are. We have been divested of everything which belongs to the collective, and we have been disenfranchised from our own father land.
Yet, we remaim passive, making noises and yelling at God to send devine delieverance!.

God charged the people of Israel to go out and march around the walls of Jericho, making a lot of noise, with singing, drums and trumpet. The walls eventually fell down, with th people of Jericho frightened out of their minds.
People of Nigeria need to put their fear of God in the leaders who are misruling and looting us blind. We need to encircle them and deafen them with our voices of anger, letting them know we have had enough of them, and time of reckoning is here.

Under Obasanjo, we have had more criminals occupying elective offices. This is why corruption and the stealing of public money have reached a crescendo, not seen in years.
The past and present elective office holders, simply transfer public money to their parsonal accounts, neglecting all their wards and commitments.
This is why we have seen such a decay in our infrastucture, health, schools and life in general.

We have seen a rise in the banking sector, this is partly to do with the fact that they have playyed a part in the transfer of public money into private pockets.

Until we call all public looters to order and punish them to the fullest extent of the law, there will be no deterrence, business will go on as usual.

God admonished us that he has given us victory over the devil, we only have to believe it, go out and grab it.
God will not send angels down to earth to fight our battles. We have to pray, go out and do battle. Victory undoutedly belongs to us. We are in the majority.

Nigeria is dying because of religion people fail to open their eyes to simple truth and logic any more, if people want to get things done they will definately have to do it themselves, the advanced countries did'nt depend on prayers to get to the level that have attained presently they hand to stand up for themselves and they did what they felt was right. Instead of praying which we have done for so many years with out any significant or positive result i believe its time we do what is right that is take the bull by the horn and make our selves and our leaders accountable.

I do agree with the Archbishop that we as a people have been so lazy in fighting but spend more time trying to get God to magically come down to do everything for us. Prayer has it's place but there is a time to fight and this is the time.

Yar'Adua knows full well he is occupying an office under and illegal transfer of office. Two wrongs cannot make a right. if Yar'Adua himself wants anything good for Nigeria, he will insist that his mandate come under a transparent, free and fair election. Which means new elections needs to be organized in the next year.

well said.

Ode!

Why don't you guys call on the true winner of the elections to come and take his true place as President. Is it Atiku, Buhari, or Chris Okotie? Call on the person to come and take over the mantle of leadership. I'm tired of hearing this same stupid tale every single day. At least if Yar'Adua didn't really win the elections, then definitely, someone else did. WHO IS IT!!!!

At least if Yar'Adua didn't really win the elections, then definitely, someone else did. WHO IS IT!!!!

you joking?

how can there be a winner in rigged election where the ballot papers are not produced to cross-checked the thumb prints?

the only way left is for election to be re-done with clear rules.

You say the elections were rigged. So since the candidate who rigged is being called on for disqualification, then who will now be the true winner of the elections? Atiku, Buhari or Okotie?

At least in Anambra, when Ngige rigged and was later disqualified, Peter Obi was declared as the true winner. In different states recently, we have seen the same thing.

So according to you claiming that Yar'Adua and the PDP rigged, please tell us the rightful winner of the April 2007 Presidential Poll.

Or are you actually trying to suggest that all the contestants rigged?

Kobojunkie:

I do agree with the Archbishop that we as a people have been so lazy in fighting but spend more time trying to get God to magically come down to do everything for us. Prayer has it's place but there is a time to fight and this is the time.

So true, Heaven helps those who help themselves
If you pary with no action or at least an attempt how do u expect things to happen. People just use religion as an excuse of being lazy, praying for everything to happen whilst they remain at home

denex:

You say the elections were rigged. So since the candidate who rigged is being called on for disqualification, then who will now be the true winner of the elections? Atiku, Buhari or Okotie?

At least in Anambra, when Ngige rigged and was later disqualified, Peter Obi was declared as the true winner. In different states recently, we have seen the same thing.

So according to you claiming that Yar'Adua and the PDP rigged, please tell us the rightful winner of the April 2007 Presidential Poll.

Or are you actually trying to suggest that all the contestants rigged?

Maybe he wanted to say Yar'Adua outrigged them all.

If another "election is re-done with clear rules" and Yar'Adua beats them all over agian, What will be the next excuse?

chuckdee4:

So true, Heaven helps those who help themselves
If you pary with no action or at least an attempt how do u expect things to happen. People just use religion as an excuse of being lazy, praying for everything to happen whilst they remain at home

I concur. I have lived in that country and watched person after person claim to belong to one religion or another but at the same time continue in exactly the same dubious path people before them have gone all because they somehow think God will be the ones to change things if He really wants to. Even the so called leaders we have had in that country all claim religious backgrounds of one form or another but have so far been lacking when it comes to standing up for the true beliefs of whatever religion they ascribe to.

I don't need anybody to tell me that praying and doing nothing can not save anybody from any predicament, i see it in this forum all day,

check the thread about what we can do for Nigeria and all you will see is "i will pray for Nigeria" springing from all corner. Hope to see the day our eyes will open back home. And Nigerians can be cruel you know!! too many petitions from Nigeria to Heaven in a single day and i am part of it , if i am God i will just leave them because it's getting too much. But he's not like me of course

romeo:

I don't need anybody to tell me that praying and doing nothing can not save anybody from any predicament, i see it in this forum all day,

check the thread about what we can do for Nigeria and all you will see is "i will pray for Nigeria" springing from all corner. Hope to see the day our eyes will open back home. And Nigerians can be cruel you know!! too many petitions from Nigeria to Heaven in a single day and i am part of it , if i am God i will just leave them because it's getting too much. But he's not like me of course

Ever noticed how people pray for good from God and then use it to do evil in the end and then claim it is what they had to do?? I see that a lot among Nigerians. People like that make me cringe and that would include most of those who have ended up in leadership roles in that country as well as the average Nigerians

This is a true man of God, how long we will continue shuffering and shmilling?

This is one of the topics close to my heart. According to a poster, prayer has its place and yes I believe the prayers have kept the country together.

But we as a people need to get off our backsides and do something about the rot and decay in the country. It's like a married couple praying for compatibility. That can never work.

The million man march was successful. I don't know if any concensus was reached after it happened but it went through the process of organisation all the way to implementation/completion. (And I thought as a people we couldn't organise anything to save our lives)

(Wishful thinking) but a million people storming Abuja or wherever demanding change surely will send a message to the ruling class that these people mean what they say.

proo212:

This is one of the topics close to my heart. According to a poster, prayer has its place and yes I believe the prayers have kept the country together.

But we as a people need to get off our backsides and do something about the rot and decay in the country. It's like a married couple praying for compatibility. That can never work.

The million man march was successful. I don't know if any concensus was reached after it happened but it went through the process of organisation all the way to implementation/completion. (And I thought as a people we couldn't organise anything to save our lives)

(Wishful thinking) but a million people storming Abuja or wherever demanding change surely will send a message to the ruling class that these people mean what they say.

good idea!

Bump