The Diocese of Igbomina West of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has joined those advocating for a new constitution for Nigeria.
The diocese made the call at the Second Session of its Fourth Synod which held recently at the St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Sanmora, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The Synod with the theme “We shall rise and stand firm” taken from Psalm 20:7-8 had as guest speaker the former Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Prof Dapo Asaju.
At the end of the three-day event, the Synod demanded a new constitution. It noted that amending the 1999 constitution which was put together by the military will yield no positive result in solving Nigeria’s numerous problems.
In the alternative, it urged the nation to adopt the 1963 Republican constitution explaining that it is the only constitution that guarantees total autonomy of the Legislature and the Judiciary at both the Federal and State levels.
The Synod also calls for a wholesale restructuring of Nigeria to reflect a true Federal System.
This according to the Synod will allow each region to harness its resources for the ultimate good. It noted that with resource management at the various regions, the federal government will only be entitled to a certain percentage of the income in the regions while the burden of attending to basic welfare needs of the masses will no longer be a federal obligation but that of the regions.
A David will destroy Nigeria’s Goliath-Asaju
In his speech at the event, Prof Asaju assured Nigerians not to lose hope as there are signs that Nigeria will soon overcome her challenges.
He said God will soon raise a David that will destroy the goliath that is troubling Nigeria.
While noting that the theme of the Synod was in sync with the situation of Nigeria, he said God will no doubt raise a David for Nigeria.
He described the biblical King David as one very brave courageous and dedicated person in God’s kingdom. “David fought relentlessly against the enemies of Israel and God gave him victory in most cases except when the people deviated from the path of righteousness. God would raise our own David to trouble our troublers and deal decisively with the cankerworms and scavengers in our society, who are hell-bent on destroying Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.
While urging Nigerians to shun sin and trust in the Lord, he said there was a need for Nigerians to keep hope alive.
He also stressed the need for Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion, to unite to bring Nigeria back to her lost glory. He called for a conscious effort to seek the Lord’s face in putting an end to the nation’s numerous challenges.
Bishop Adebayo’s charge
The Diocesan and President of Synod, the Rt. Revd Olajide Adebayo, in his charge, expressed profound appreciation to all those who have supported the diocese to get to its present status
He thanked the former Bishop of Lagos Diocese Dr. Ephraim Ademowo, The Most Rev. M.O. Akinyemi, retired Archbishop of Kwara Province, and the Pioneer Bishop of the Diocese, Bishop J.O. Akinola and his wife, friends, families, mission partners, and supporters of the Diocese.
The bishop, who spoke extensively on the theme of the Synod said, “In life, there are always reasons, situations, and circumstances that challenge or try our tenacity, strength or faith. Even the acclaimed strong and mighty have their moments of trials, tribulations, and temptations, such occasions call for leaning on or trusting in powers, ideas, conventions, or personalities.”
He observed that there is a tendency to look for shortcuts in solving a nagging problem noting however that trust in God is the ultimate and only gateway to an enduring solution.
Beyond hard work and perseverance, Adebayo admonished Nigerians to keep hope alive and trust God for a lasting solution to the country’s challenges.
He urged Nigerians not to be scared of threats from insurgents and bandits. “We are not to be scared of their horses and chariots but this is the time to remember the name of the Lord our God and they shall collapse and fall while we shall rise and stand firm.”
Other demands of Synod
The Synod made other demands which include unbundling the power sector just the way the telecommunication industry was unbundled for it to be effective.
It expressed grave concern on the security situation in the country asking the Federal government to declare militant Fulani herdsmen and bandits as terrorists.
It also called for the introduction of State police as it will go a long way to stem the tide of crime in the country.
It decried the spate of kidnapping in the country calling for a quick prosecution of those found guilty to serve as a deterrent to others.
It called for the nationwide ban of open grazing describing the practice as anachronistic. It also called on the government at all levels to strengthen the health care system in view of the covid-19 pandemic and other possible health-related issues. It urged Nigerians to continue to adhere to health protocols to prevent the spread of diseases.
Igbomina State
The need for the creation of an Igbomina State as well as separate Oro Local Government was also stressed by the Synod. It posits that the action will jump-start the development of the areas and bring governance closer to the people.
The Synod commended Governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq for prompt payment of workers’ salaries and the upgrade of infrastructure in Ilorin, the state capital.
It however regrets that there is no sign of any concrete projects by the Irepodun Local Government in the areas comprising the Diocese of Igbomina West.
It then called on the Kwara State Government to allow Federal Government allocations to go to the Local Governments directly as part of efforts to ensure Local Government autonomy.
Personalities at the Synod include His Royal Highness the Eleju of Eju land, Oba Idowu Ajiboye and his wife, the Archbishop of Kwara Province, the Most Revd Israel Afolabi Amoo, The Bishop of Jebba, the Rt. Revd Yinka Aderogba among others.
