We need fresh hands to fix Nigeria’s problems ― Pastor Bakare

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By Segun Kasali - Lagos

On Oct 10, 2021

The General Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church (CGCG), Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said that Nigeria needs fresh hands to fix its problems.


Pastor Bakare explained that this is necessary as the change of hands would bring in competent people to handle critical issues.

The clergyman made this disclosure known on Sunday during his state of the nation address titled: ‘The black box of Nigeria’s politics’, at the church auditorium, Oregun, Lagos.

He explained that he was calling for a change of guards and not a change of government as such would set the country back just like the military government landed it in trouble many years back.

The general overseer also stated that prioritizing 2023 elections without addressing the basic issues is akin to putting the cart before the horse, noting that meeting the requisite conditions is germane.

“We need fresh hands on how to fix the problems of Nigeria. We need a change of guards to bring in competent people to handle critical issues.

“I am not advocating for coup d’etat. God forbid because that would set us back many years again.

“Military coup landed us in trouble many years. Anyone thinking about changing our system, it is illegal. I didn’t say change of government. I said a change of guards.

“If you think the 2023 election is a priority, then you are putting the cart before the horse. I am not saying that there will be no election in 2023 but I am only saying that certain things have to be properly put in place before that time.

“I was in the United States and I was to deliver a lecture on democracy at the John Hopkins University. And there was an election that day. It looked like a picnic.

“They were having coke, drinks and they were voting. And yet those things can be accomplished. It can be done in Nigeria.

“1993 was free, fair and it was clear to us. Yes, we annulled that. I think we need to put our house in order before we start throwing any hat into any ring,” he said.

Meanwhile, The Former Presidential Candidate asked for the jettisoning of the presidential zoning arrangement but focus on competencies, character and capacity of the leader.

While describing such as majoring in the minor and minoring in the major, Pastor Bakare explained that zoning has not birthed any productive fruit in the Nigerian history looking at the North, South-South and South-West.

“The truth of the matter is that we major in minor and we minor in major. I took time to explain that where a president comes from does not benefit that region. It should have been cleared to us.

“For almost 40 years out of 62, the North had been in power but the people there are impoverished.

“When Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was in power, did it benefit South-South? When Obasanjo was in power, was it not the local government allocation that was frozen and kept away?

“Shouldn’t we be much more concerned about who leads us than where they come from?

“Is the person competent? Does he have character, capacity and what are the things he is bringing to the table?

“As long as the person is a Nigerian and has what it takes to steer the affairs of Nigeria accurately, so be it,” he said.