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Fellow Nigerians, the theme of this State of the Nation broadcast is: “The Prophetic Portrait of Nigeria in Her Latter Days.”
Let me begin by welcoming you into the Year 2019, a year that holds untold possibilities for our beloved nation. #SOTNB2019
Let me begin by welcoming you into the Year 2019, a year that holds untold possibilities for our beloved nation. #SOTNB2019
In the past thirty years, we have stood on this platform at The Latter Rain Assembly, in line with our God-given mandate, to birth timely interventions towards the making of a great nation. #SOTNB2019
I am aware that our engagements with the polity over the years have been keenly followed by many within and outside the shores of our nation. Some have followed with passionate faith and patriotic fervour and others have kept an eye with scepticism and cynicism. #SOTNB2019
Nevertheless, our contributions to the polity from this platform over the last thirty years have been shaped not by changing public opinion but by an unrelenting commitment to the dominion mandate. #SOTNB2019
Therefore, from the priestly to the prophetic and the princely, we have held the fort as nation builders for whom Nigeria is the primary place of assignment. #SOTNB2019
From inception, we recognised the incontrovertible truth that Nigeria’s greatest problem is a human resource problem and that nation builders are people builders. #SOTNB2019
It is why, from this platform, in line with our priestly mandate, we have deployed God-given tools in raising a purposeful people of integrity, for whom excellence is a non-negotiable value; #SOTNB2019
...an assertive, confident and patriotic company of Nigerians in every sector of human endeavour; a people who are uncompromising nonconformists and a radical opposition to corruption. #SOTNB2019
Having laid that people-building foundation, we then progressed to the prophetic front where we marshalled the divine will against the forces of oppression. #SOTNB2019
It was in the prophetic order that we foresaw and forewarned the major stakeholders in the June 12, 1993 transition saga. It was in the prophetic order that we became God’s battle-axe against the most brutal military dictatorship in Nigeria’s history. #SOTNB2019
It was in the prophetic order that we warned the nation regarding the pseudo-democratic transition that the military bequeathed to our nation in 1999. It was in the prophetic order that we confronted the so-called Third Term Agenda in 2006. #SOTNB2019
It was in the prophetic order that we foretold the emergence of “the tender plant from the side of the North, afore prepared before the foundation of the earth to steer Nigeria into her prophetic destiny”... #SOTNB2019
...and to pilot Nigeria into unprecedented economic growth and development far more miraculous than those of Asian Tigers like Japan; a prophecy that is in the process of being fulfilled right now, in your hearing. #SOTNB2019
Emerging from the prophetic, our engagement took on a princely dimension by the Year 2009 as we began active deployment of nation-building tools through direct intervention in the political landscape. #SOTNB2019
Indeed, our annual State of the Nation addresses have attracted a following from among the political class, the intelligentsia, the media, and many beloved citizens of our nation. #SOTNB2019
However, we are not unmindful that there are some who query the potency of such addresses made not from the presidential seat in the statehouse in Aso Villa, ... #SOTNB2019
...nor from a rostrum on the parade grounds of Eagle Square, Abuja, but from this platform at The Latter Rain Assembly, Akilo, Ogba, in Lagos State. #SOTNB2019
Like my Master, Jesus, I have been so accosted by friends, particularly those in the political class, who do not understand why I have not pitched my tent with the political aspirations of their respective candidates as we step into another election season. #SOTNB2019
Moreover, in view of what has now become known as the twelfth prophecy of 2018 wherein I declared God’s word to me that politics is not over for me yet, there are those who wonder why I did not step into the 2019 presidential race as a candidate,...#SOTNB2019
...and why I have, instead, continued to engage the nation from this platform. #SOTNB2019
I daresay that no other response is more fitting for such friends of mine than the response of my Master to the pressure put on Him by His brothers as recorded in John 7:6-8 (NKJV) #SOTNB2019
However, for the sake of inquisitive fellow citizens who sincerely question the relevance of our engagement with the nation from this platform rather than from the partisan political arena,... #SOTNB2019
...I will begin with a panoramic rundown of our God-enabled princely engagements from this platform within the past decade. #SOTNB2019
Lest we forget, at the beginning of 2010, when our nation was in the iron grip of a power-hijacking cabal, it was from this platform that we began to defreeze social mobility and to mobilise Nigerians in defence of constitutionalism. #SOTNB2019
In 2011, when the government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan prevaricated over crucial national reforms, particularly the restructuring of our polity,... #SOTNB2019
...despite the fact that he had benefitted from our march for constitutionalism in 2010, it was from this platform that we awakened a slumbering electorate. #SOTNB2019
Incidentally, contrary to our intention and motivation, and despite my initial hesitation, that same year, our engagement from this platform ushered us into partisan politics as I became running mate to General Muhammadu Buhari #SOTNB2019
One year later, when our nation gasped for breath under the stranglehold of a fraudulent subsidy regime, it was from this platform that we enlightened the Nigerian people on January 15, 2012, simplifying an opaque patronage system masquerading as petroleum subsidy #SOTNB2019
In 2013, when our beloved nation remained submerged in the cesspool of organised corruption while the perpetrators of unlimited kleptocracy were left unpunished, it was from this platform that we blew the trumpet for the rescue of the soul of a drowning nation. #SOTNB2019
The following year, 2014, a year in which Nigeria marked the centenary anniversary of her existence as an amalgamated entity, our princely engagement in the polity from this platform once again ushered us into more direct intervention in the affairs of our nation. #SOTNB2019
In 2015, when our nation placed the cart before the horse as we set sail towards elections in the midst of a gathering storm and avoidable Euroclydon, it was from this platform that we warned against the disastrous trajectory of a presumptuous political class.#SOTNB2019
Four years later, Nigeria is still reeling from the consequences of rejecting wise counsel. #SOTNB2019
In 2016, when our national economy staggered under the weight of a recession and suffered a severe shortfall in foreign exchange, even as the promised change was fast becoming a short-change, ... #SOTNB2019
it was from this platform that we challenged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to improve currency management as we presented a “Roadmap to Successful Change” at the State of the Nation broadcast of Sunday, January 10, 2016. #SOTNB2019
In 2017, when the lingering economic downturn pushed Nigerians to the brink of despair and the citizenry became increasingly impatient with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari,...#SOTNB2019
... it was from this platform that we guided the nation on Sunday, January 8, 2017 when we pointed to the future with the eyes of faith and began to unveil the detailed imperatives of restructuring. #SOTNB2019
In October of the same year, it was from this platform that we separated the noise from the voice as we profiled ten schools of thought on restructuring, and unveiled, for the first time, “Pragmatic Steps Towards Restructuring Nigeria.” #SOTNB2019
At the beginning of 2018, when the nation was thrown into mourning by the heinous activities of herdsmen which left the Benue towns of Logo and Goma devastated, it was from this platform that we warned a complacent government of complicity by deliberate sinful silence.#SOTNB2019
It was from this platform during the January 14 State of the Nation broadcast that we demanded a renegotiation of our union & inspired the Nigerian people with the possibilities of a great nation while reaffirming our destined role in the emergence of the New Nigeria. #SOTNB2019
Ten months later, on October 7, 2018, from this platform, we became even more explicit in our case for a New Nigeria as we unveiled “Sixteen Pragmatic Steps Towards Restructuring Nigeria.” #SOTNB2019
We can therefore confidently state that, over the past thirty years, we have faithfully executed our God-given mandate to the nation from this platform. #SOTNB2019
Over the past thirty years, we have deployed appropriate tools for appropriate occasions, from prophetic declarations to confrontational advocacy and from political activism to propositional policy advisory. #SOTNB2019
Over the past thirty years, we have done this consistently, sometimes at the risk of being misunderstood by friends and foes alike. #SOTNB2019
From the priestly to the prophetic to the princely, our message has been the same: it has been the making of a great nation where righteousness and justice reign; a prosperous nation whose leaders are motivated by service to the people. #SOTNB2019
Fellow citizens of our great nation, we shall not stop until we see the emergence of the Nigeria of our dreams. #SOTNB2019
Therefore, as a decade winds up in 2019, which, incidentally, is a crucial election year for our nation, I bring you the last January State of the Nation address from this platform in Akilo Road, Ogba, Lagos. #SOTNB2019
Having laid the background, it is pertinent at this juncture to state that this address comes a few days after Armed Forces Day. #SOTNB2019
As a fellow soldier, albeit of a heavenly army with an earthly mission, let me use this opportunity to pay a heartfelt tribute to the Nigerian soldiers who have continued to hold the fort with courage ... #SOTNB2019
...and self-sacrifice in the face of an asymmetric confrontation with Boko Haram and other armed enemies of the Nigerian state. #SOTNB2019
Our condolences go to the families of the soldiers who have lost their lives in battle, from the five airmen who died in the helicopter crash in Damasak at the beginning of this year,... #SOTNB2019
... to those who were killed in the attacks on the military bases in Jilli, Yobe and in Garunda, Metele and Baga, Borno State. #SOTNB2019
Our military must prove that it is fully equipped to prosecute this war not just by attempting to win the propaganda war, but by winning on the actual warfront. That is the only way to justify our defence spending over the past decade. #SOTNB2019
Between 2008 and 2018, N6 trillion has been allocated to the Federal Ministry of Defence. Between 2012 and 2014, it received a whopping 19.9% of the total budget on average. #SOTNB2019
In 2017, N6.8 billion was budgeted for defence equipment, while Operation Lafiya Dole “and other operations of the armed forces” received N78 billion. #SOTNB2019
With these relatively huge allocations, even with average budget performance, the allegations that our soldiers fight under poor conditions are intolerable. #SOTNB2019
Even more disturbing is the 2017 investigative report that soldiers in the theatre of war lack basic necessities such as food, uniforms and footwear despite the fact that a portion of their wages is questionably deducted as feeding allowance. #SOTNB2019
These reports, in addition to the 2018 protests by soldiers deployed in the theatre of war, give cause for concern especially against the backdrop of the recent resurgence of the terrorists. #SOTNB2018
The President, the National Security Council, the Ministry of Defence, the Army Headquarters, and the National Assembly Committees on Defence must re-examine the defence architecture, ...#SOTNB2019
...especially the human resource factor, and address every anomaly in the interest of the vulnerable rather than the powerful. #SOTNB2019
The soldiers, on their part, must approach the call of duty with civility and courage; with civility because the reports and allegations of human rights violations by the military are repugnant and unbecoming of the distinguished profession. #SOTNB2019
In addition, we enjoin them to continue to act with courage, because, in the words of General George S. Patton: “Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.” #SOTNB2019
For those who have died in combat, we owe these heroic patriots the eternal duty of ensuring that they did not die in vain. #SOTNB2019
Not only does the government owe their families adequate welfare packages and the assurance of a decent future, we, the people of Nigeria, for whose sake they laid down their lives, must become soldiers in our own right; we must become soldiers for good governance. #SOTNB2019
We owe the memories of these soldiers a well-governed nation, a nation that is worth their sacrifice, because good governance is the soil upon which patriotism is nurtured, and a nation that is worth dying for must be worth living in. #SOTNB2019
I am of the considered opinion that the apathy of our war-weary soldiers transcends matters of conditions of service or the question of whose weapon is superior between the army and the terrorists. #SOTNB2019
I believe that, more than any other factor, patriotic zeal, backed by transformational leadership, is the missing element in our nation-building experience. #SOTNB2019
Therefore, the real problem is the absence of a compelling enough reason to lay down one’s life for one’s country. #SOTNB2019
The pertinent question is: What kind of nation will the Nigerian soldier be willing to pay the ultimate price for, if need be, and what kind of nation do the Nigerian people deserve to live in? #SOTNB2019
A nation worth dying for must have sacrificial, inspirational leaders. #SOTNB2019
When a people cannot look to their leaders, or listen to them, or watch them live their lives, and find a reason to look to the future irrespective of the difficulties of today, I highly doubt our young people will consider such a nation worth dying for. #SOTNB2019
A nation worth dying for must value human capital development. When 13.2 million of our young citizens are categorised as “out of school,” it is unlikely that our young people will consider such a nation worth dying for. #SOTNB2019
A nation worth dying for must have people-centric governmental structures. #SOTNB2019
When the local government office in the neighbourhood is nothing but a redundant administrative appendage of distant political forces, rather than a facilitator of community development, I doubt that the people will consider such a nation worth dying for. #SOTNB2019
A nation worth dying for must have critical infrastructure. When citizens lack basic amenities such as electricity and clean water; and when a nation’s roads, railways and airports require a unique brand of long-suffering; ... #SOTNB2019
...when the cities of other nations provide much higher standards of living than one’s own country, it is very likely that the people of that nation would be more concerned with relocating because they “cannot come and go and die.” #SOTNB2019
A nation worth dying for must place a premium on the health of its citizens. @SOTNB2019
...when government officials and others who can afford it would rather seek treatment abroad than in the local hospitals, then you can take it to the bank that the people of that nation would scarcely want to die for a country they can hardly bear to give birth in. #SOTNB2019
A nation worth dying for must prioritise the interests of its people. #SOTNB2019
When a country is quick to give away its territory to look good before the world rather than staunchly defend its land and people; when a country exports some of its brightest brains and imports the bare necessities; ... #SOTNB2019
...when a nation cannot stand up to other countries but makes excuses when its citizens are being massacred by xenophobic mobs,... #SOTNB2019
...it is unlikely that the citizens of that country will consider it an honour to put their lives on the line to defend her unity and uphold her honour and glory. #SOTNB2019
A nation worth dying for must be bound by a strong political ethos that confers on that nation a unifying and integrated identity. #SOTNB2019
Far beyond the sophistication of our weaponry, the underlying issue behind the spate of soldiers losing ground to the enemy is that the Nigerian soldier, like the ordinary Nigerian people, has not inherited a nation worth living or dying for. #SOTNB2019
It is the reason our people, peasants and professionals alike, are looking for the next exit route away from our country, whether via the violent waves of the Mediterranean or armed with a one-way ticket to Canada #SOTNB2019
People resort to quick fixes when they have no stake in the community; they are unwilling to pay the price or make sacrifices when they cannot relate to the common interest. #SOTNB2019
Fellow Nigerians, I want you to know that there is much more to our country than this; more to live for, more to hope for, more to work towards; more to leave as an inheritance for our children’s children. #SOTNB2019
Together, as a people, we can build a great nation of which posterity will be proud; the kind of nation that will give every Nigerian the confidence to declare, “I am Nigerian!” As I conclude, let me paint a picture of that nation.#SOTNB2019
It is a nation of servant leaders, where Nigerians at home and abroad, the best of the North and the best of the South, can come together in one political family, to provide effective and transformational leadership that will birth the Nigeria of our dreams. #SOTNB2019
It is a nation in which government is big enough to protect you & small enough to serve you; expansive enough to reach you, and close enough to know you, to touch you, to feel your pulse, to know where the shoe pinches, and to bring solutions straight to your doorstep. #SOTNB2019
It is a cutting-edge nation with viable federating units that have global relevance and local impact. #SOTNB2019
The Nigeria of our dreams is a nation of unprecedented economic growth and development, built on geo-economic parameters through regionally focussed fiscal policy and targeted monetary policy #SOTNB2019
The Nigeria of our dreams is a nation that prioritises human capital development; a nation that brings the highest quality healthcare close to the people... #SOTNB2019
...and ensures that healthcare policy is closely linked with the education & innovation thrust at every level of government.#SOTNB2019
The Nigeria of our dreams is a nation of massive infrastructural development, where government at all levels – the federal, zonal and local – works with the private sector to provide uninterrupted power supply #SOTNB2019
A nation with an interconnected network of multimodal transportation systems, laid out to facilitate the enterprising Nigerian spirit. #SOTNB2019
The Nigeria of our dreams is a land where no one is above the law; where the law applies equally to the rich and the poor; to the president and the petty trader; to the Senator and the janitor #SOTNB2019
It is a land where public officials understand that impunity is criminality; where the custodians of the law are held to a higher standard of responsibility and accountability #SOTNB2019
It is in this regard that I enjoin every Nigerian to put Nigeria first and approach the current matter involving the highest judicial officer of the land without bias,... #SOTNB2019
...in the interest of justice and accountability, with the objective of institution building and in the spirit of the New Nigeria. #SOTNB2019
This ethos of regard for due process, respect for the rule of law, and reverence for justice over politics is the spirit of the Nigeria of our dreams. #SOTNB2019
Furthermore, the New Nigeria is a nation that asserts Nigerian leadership on the African continent; one that is respected across the world; a strong nation that defends the dignity of every individual that carries the Nigerian passport #SOTNB2019
Fellow citizens, the New Nigeria is a nation that gets the national defence and security question right; a nation that better integrates its diverse military, paramilitary and intelligence agencies into one coordinated unbeatable defence and security machinery #SOTNB2019
The New Nigeria is a nation that our soldiers will be proud to fight for and to defend with the last drop of blood in them; it is a nation of unmatched patriotism #SOTNB2019
As we approach the elections, 73 candidates are gunning for the presidency, a seat reserved for only one person. The most prominent candidates have come out with promises as regards how they intend to take our nation to the desired destination. #SOTNB2019
We have seen President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defend his scorecard on security, anti-corruption, job creation, infrastructure and social investments. #SOTNB2019
We have heard the incumbent insist that Nigeria’s current problems were created within the sixteen years of the previous administration and that, little by little, they are working to rewrite the narrative. #SOTNB2019
On the other hand, we have heard the “Atikulated” side of the contest argue that the 16 years argument is now stale news. We have seen former VP, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Peter Obi, of the (PDP) downplay the achievements of the current government. #SOTNB2019
We have seen Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) project his experience in economic management at national and international levels as he promises better economic management and a geo-economic restructuring of Nigeria. #SOTNB2019
Meanwhile, Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) has eloquently promised a New Nigeria where the cost of living is reduced, power, security and healthcare are guaranteed, jobs are created, and law and order are maintained. #SOTNB2019
In addition, we have seen the likes of Omoyele Sowore of African Action Congress (AAC) crisscross the nation, mobilising the young, especially students, in his drive to take our country back. #SOTNB2019
However, of the new breed seeking to disrupt the political space, none gives me as much hope for the near future as does my sister, Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili, of (ACPN), whose candidacy I shared publicly several days before her official announcement. #SOTNB2019
One thing is very clear in my mind: with her candidacy, no Nigerian can reasonably say after the election that there was no credible alternative to the status quo in 2019. #SOTNB2019
Fellow Nigerians, I understand that many are wondering if I am endorsing any candidate. I understand that there are those listening carefully to decipher where I stand. #SOTNB2019
In my address to the nation on Sunday, October 7, 2018 titled “The Road to 2019: Quo Vadis Nigeria?,” I charged you to choose nationhood. #SOTNB2019
Fellow Nigerians, what we need is a political family, a team of patriotic Nigerians committed to one agenda, the restructuring of a united Nigeria, so that we can begin to build the Nigeria of our dreams. #SOTNB2019
It is in this regard that I look forward to a Presidential Commission on National Reconciliation, Reintegration and Restructuring, a team of incorruptible Nigerians of unquestionable integrity and bridge-building antecedents, endowed with wisdom and judgement...#SOTNB2019
...driven by unshaken faith in the essence and possibilities of the Nigerian nation, who can work with the presidency and the National and State Assemblies towards restructuring a united Nigeria. #SOTNB2019
For those who care to know, I belong to “Team Restructuring.” Convening such a team has been the nature of my contributions to our nation in the past decade. #SOTNB2019
Fellow Nigerians, beyond the elections, this is what our nation needs: a uniting force that can rally our diverse strengths around a common narrative, towards a common objective, to achieve a common vision – The Nigeria of Our Dreams – and through a common strategy. #SOTNB2019
After all is said and done, may Nigeria win, no matter who wins or loses in this year’s elections. #SOTNB2019
After the elections, we have a nation to build together. I am reminded of the words of Anwar al-Sadat: “There can be hope only for a society which acts as one big family, not as many separate ones.” #SOTNB2019
With our zero-sum game and winner-take-all-politics, we could be losing the ideas, the brilliance, the institutional memory, and all the strengths required to build a nation. #SOTNB2019
But when, beyond the elections, the Buharis, Atikus, Moghalus, Ezekwesilis, Durotoyes, Sowores and the like come together to minimise our weaknesses and maximise our strengths, as one political family, with one agenda–nationhood–we can shape a new nation beyond 2019. #SOTNB2019
That is what Team Restructuring is all about and that is the climax of my message on this platform in this final state of the nation broadcast – The Can-Do spirit that accompanies Restructuring for a United Nigeria. #SOTNB2019
This is a new kind of “can-do spirit.” It is the word “can” with two “n’s”: C-A-N-N. It is the call to Create A New Nigeria (CANN) and the message is simple: “Divided we can’t, together, we CANN” – Divided, we can’t, together, we Create A New Nigeria. #SOTNB2019
Fellow Nigerians, if you believe in the New Nigeria, if you believe that we can surmount the obstacles that face us as a nation and build a great nation,... #SOTNB2019
... if you believe that we can rewrite the Nigerian story and create a great nation that will amaze humanity and inspire posterity, if you believe that we can Create a New Nigeria,... #SOTNB2019
...one that our young people will be willing to live in, to live for, and, if need be, to die for, then stand with me on this day, as part of a new political family, a new breed without greed, a radical opposition to corruption...#SOTNB2019
...a people of excellence, bound by a common purpose, inspired by a common destiny, driven by a powerful creed: Together, We CANN. #SOTNB2019
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless Nigeria. #SOTNB2019
