.Livingspring Chapel International celebrates Annual World Lifting Conference
AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The presiding pastor of Livinspring Chapel International, Pastor Femi Emmanuel, has warned that giving attention to election matters and constitution amendment while the country is at the brink amount to postponing evil days.
Femi Emmanuel, who doubles as the National Director, Politics and Governance, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, spoke at a press briefing that heralded the 2022 Annual World Lifting Conference of the church holding between December 12 and 18 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The festival is billed to feature sermons, worship, seminars and workshops with free shopping, free medical outreach, love feast, ministers’ conference etc.
Describing the decision to go ahead with the elections despite the odds as putting the cart before the horse, he said, “In my sincere view as a person who has been in Nigeria’s political affairs up to being elected as the deputy speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly between 1992 and 1993, I am not just a pastor, I have been in the political trenches and I know how Nigeria democracy works.
“Election is not our priority now as a nation. It is like putting the cart before the horse and postponing evil days. What our country needs now is a rearrangement to establish fairness, justice and equity in the nation. We have been operating a unitary system of government which we deceptively called democracy. Our constitution is not a democratic constitution. It is like a military decree.”
Questioning the credibility of the nation’s constitution, he said, “It is a military decree. Where did we sit to agree as a people to make Nigeria 36 states? Who divided Nigeria into 774 local governments? This happened on the table of a military general that came to govern Nigeria. The country called Nigeria died in 1966 when the military took over and the constitution was suspended and replaced by a unitary system and the constitution was suspended and replaced by a unitary system and within the long years of military rule, a military decree was imposed, whereas where Nigeria was divided into 36 states from the three or four regions that were negotiated under the British colonial masters.
“The fathers of Nigeria met and agreed with the British colonial masters that we are not just one people.”
He stated that in the political space in Nigeria, the centre is too strong, adding, “The first thing we should do is to sit down and negotiate this country. We can bring out the 2014 constitutional conference agreement and redo it. Nigeria should collapse the 36 states and let each zone be self governed, have their own constitution, security system, develop and grow their own resources and their own economy and have loose centre.
“No state assembly should pass the so called amendment to the constitution. Fraud cannot be amended, our constitution is a fraud. It is a lie and there are so many lies told in that constitution that has to be jettisoned. You don’t amend a line. How can you amend a constitution where rights of the citizens to say yes or no are not included? How can we pass a constitution that has no referendum included? There is no country in the world, except those governed by theocracy where there is no provision for a referendum when it is not oligarchy, when it is not other nation where you don’t have democracy.”
On the aim of the conference and the current state of the nation, the man of God stressed the need for for Christians and other patriotic Nigerians to “arise and save the ship of the nation from capsizing.”
Expressing appreciation to God for sustaining the ministry and its workforce, he rejoiced that the church witnessed the growth of the church and its 29th anniversary despite all odds.
According to him, whatever transpires consistently for a period of 29 years is enough to redefine a life or a system. To us in the Livingspring family Chapel, this voyage of two decades and eight has culminated in a consolidated ministry as well as enviable monumental achievements. Our 29 years odyssey encompasses our inception, cradle, struggles, challenges and growth. What you see today began as a dream.
The clergyman, who said that church grows amid challenges, said, “Today, the ministry is blessed with a covenant home of all ‘Livingspringers’ worldwide in the heart of Ibadan city called Dominion city at Aduloju Bus Stop, Iwo Road, Ibadan. I must confess to you that nothing is free of challenges. There were challenges of money, infrastructure and manpower. There were moments of terrific shakings and contentions. As a church, we have always subdued our challenges.
“We converge this time every year as one family to pray, plan, review our activities for the outgoing year, learn and receive specific divine direction for the New Year. There is always an avalanche of testimonies.
“Despite the challenges, the church is moving on. We are set to make our impact better felt, not just as a religious organization but as a partner with the government in the areas of youth empowerment, provision of basic infrastructural facilities, establishment of schools, hospitals and provision of other facilities, playing a supportive role with government in stemming insecurity, corruption among other trending vices bedevilling our society.
“The church can no longer say let the politicians do politics. The days of saying politics is evil or politicians are gone. The church must be part of the machinery producing credible candidates that the general public will vote for. The church should not just direct their members to obtain their voter cards and vote for the candidates of their choice.”
