By Vera Wisdom-Bassey
The Four Square Gospel Church has stressed the need for a paradigm shift which will evolve a new Nigeria, especially in view of the present challenges that are threatening the corporate existence of the country.
The General Overseer, Rev. Sam Aboyeji, stressed this during the 10th, Annual Public Lecture and the 68th Annual Convention of the church in Lagos, spoke on the “theme” “Paradigm shift: Panacea for a New Nigeria.” “is for the progress of our dear nation.” and that God has helped them as a church to make tremendous effort over years, as the church continues to grow in all frontiers.
Aboyeji, noted that as a church, one of the tenets of faith which the members are committed to, is civil government. and would want to use the lecture to bring development and contribute to the growth of the nation. “We believe and preach that as responsible citizens of this great nation Nigeria, we have a duty and an obligation to partner with the government at all levels and other relevant stakeholders in the building of the Nigeria of our dream”.
He said Nigeria is a country with different resources and God will give us a nation of our dream which is not a negotiable thing.
“The annual public lecture is meant for the purpose of contributing to the wellness of Nigeria because the progress of Nigeria should not be left in the hands of politicians. Nigeria is blessed with natural resources and great diversity.
Therefore all both home and sundry must be involved and engaged in nation building.
He urged the participants to “let your light shine wherever, you find yourselves, things will work well in Nigeria, “if we live up to what Jesus taught us, things will not be like this as it is today”. “if Christian should live their lives even as we are taught in the church, Nigeria will not be these bad”, he said.
The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye noted that there has never been any success in the system of governance since independence which will shape the country social, political and economic growth.
“As a country, we have experienced the British parliamentary kind of election, but currently we are experiencing the democratic election.
“Bad Roads also has been taken as our loss, Economical down turn too is occurring in every sectors.”our youths are asking what we have done for them”, he said.
The guest lecture Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo SAN, the immediate Past Attorney General Oyo State in the course of his lecturing remarked in his lecturing that “if I am older than Nigeria why is it that those leaders have not been able to manage the affairs of Nigeria so well, as I have learnt so well from those who brought me up”. He said Nigeria problem is enormous.
“I don’t believe Nigeria is a failed state but fallen of architectural structures, insecurity is so bad, there is no day that we don’t hear news of this, or that”. Kidnapping, killing is no longer news, he said “I remember the Chibok girls who were kidnapped, we made efforts for their release, but today Nigerians has adjusted to this and have moved on”.
“We realised that the present Nigeria is not for the people, by the people and of the people” which means we don’t have democracy”.
In Nigeria we have not understood what democracy is”. “Political Parties are created as vehicle to assess to power” but today we are power in fatherism”.
He said “the 1999, constitution guarantee us the right to be happy, Our resources has not been well managed, other countries who do not have what we have manages theirs resources more than us”, he said.
In the course of his lecture he outlined Five problems of Nigeria during the lecture, which includes: un-compromised security around our territory, our political parties are opposed to the state called Nigeria. Our stunt growth, He asked the question, how long shall we continue to pretend that things are okey, we have not raised up to make our leaders accountable, this leadership this state by all standard has failed us”.
So, Solution were proffered which includes,
The leadership of the country must be addressed; we must address the average Nigeria; we must do something about the federal constitution; the managing of our resources must be adequate.
He said our manner must not be wasted we are in the promised land”. he mentioned that “it is time when the states takes things from the federal must be compensated, restructure our development; our federalism must be enhanced”. He also mentioned that “the six geographical states must be allowed to compete with one another, decentralised electricity; over haul the Nigerian Police; Technologies in our forces need to be improved, because the world has moved on”.
He also mentioned on “the longterm, medium term and seek on how we must maintain them, when they are not working”. “We must reward teachers because they are the ones that laid the foundation”.
He mentioned other things the government must do, “go to the root cause of corruption”, “family planning he said is key”, “poverty alleviation programs must be carried out that gets to the citizenry”.
On the youth, he said “we must go beyond the white collar job’s we know rather the youths should focus on the gifting that God has given them” “they must be taught to learn skill.
He added that “women must not be neglected, they must be involved in all our national lives”. “we should have family values”, and all these things are doable, he said.
“Paradigm is a model or pattern of how something should be done.
“According to the Cambridge dictionary, a paradigm shift is a time when the usual and accepted way of doing or thinking about something changes completely. A paradigm shift can also be described as complete change or thinking, beliefs, attitude, character and conducts, etcetera.
Nigeria’s unity is a British intention. Our leaders used our ethnicity and religion to their own advantage.
He called on Nigerians to know that God created them in Nigeria for a purpose, find that purpose and fulfil it”, he said.