Exhortation
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of
thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may
lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men
to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. [2 Timothy 2: 1 – 4]
Introduction
In the memorandum [copy attached] which the NCEF submitted to the House of
Representatives on the Bill on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Regulatory
Commission for Supervision, Co-operation and Monitoring of Non-Governmental
Organizations, etc, we concluded that what Nigeria needs is not a Bill to regulate
NGOs but a Bill for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Unlike in the past when Christians made proposals without an instrument to promote
such proposals, the NCEF has decided to promote, institute and establish, subject to
the approval of the CAN or Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN), a body of
men and women volunteers to be dominated by non-Islamists and known as “Soldiers
of Freedom and Democracy”. Soldiers, in this context, would employ knowledge,
discipline and use democratic and non-violent methods to achieve their objectives
of freedom and democracy beginning with the present Nigerian government failing
which the in-coming government would tackle. Nigeria is yet to transit from neo-
colonialism to Demcracy. There is need therefore for the establishment of a Truth and
Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as a precursor to the re-structuring of Nigeria.
TRC will provide the required transition from colonial rule to freedom and independence.
A Constituent Assembly would then be convened to produce a Nigerian people driven
Constitution to be passed into law by an elected Democratic National Assembly after a
Referendum. The view of NCEF is that democratic methods (not jihad) are preferred to
achieve a democratic society that would transform Nigeria from a two race (negro and
negroid) country to a nation of over 390 Ethnic Nationalities of diverse cultures, religion.
Thereafter, Nigeria can have a national census that would accurately reflect her
population and diversity. Most, if not all present day politicians in Nigeria, were
operatives (mukharabat) of the military that ruled Nigeria for 29 years and as neo-
colonialists are yet to understand that democracy means freedom, rule of law and
Common Good. It believes in young men and women not trained in military methods
and strategies of the past to constitute the driving force for an untainted move to
democratic rule.
Man on the Spot
Nigeria, since amalgamation, first operated British colonialism in the philosophy of the
Christian South being subservient to Muslim North. It is pertinent to point out that the
British colonial man on the spot, Lord Lugard had a pathological hatred for educated
Africans and, in Nigeria, there was mutual hatred between Lugard and the educated
Yorubas of Lagos that represented Southern Nigeria. Lugard and successive colonial
masters were determined to cut the educated Yorubas to size by the extension of
Indirect Rule. “It is a mistake to think that administrators were motivated by liberal ideals
of democracy. In many cases they chose careers in the empire precisely because they
were n0t democrats. They were elitists, men who could write Latin and Greek epigrams
and had sought to wield power without having to go through the convenience of being
elected” [Ghosts of Empire pg. 5] says Kwasi Kwarteng which we agree with. To
achieve this, Northern Indirect Rule, Northern administration, Northern Land Law which
is clearly the product of jihad etc were imposed on the ‘Christian’ South. This imposition
continued even after independence with the introduction of Land Use Act, which is an
attempt to modify scared space under Sharia, the transfer of the National Capital from
Lagos to Abuja (North) proposed by Lord Lugard but was rejected by the colonial office
for reason that Kaduna (North) was too far from the coast for the transition of business
between London and the capital of Nigeria. Lagos was preferred because at that time
air travel was limited. The special status of warrant chiefs of the past now posing as
Traditional Rulers, is the continuation of Indirect Rule in a Republican Nigeria. The
above facts explain why Lugard did not actively support the conversion of all Nigerians
to Christianity which he must have considered as whiteman’s religion.
Kwasi Kwarteng wrote “in 1922 he (Lugard) observed that ‘we are dealing with the
same generation, and in many cases with the identical rulers, who were responsible for
the misrule and tyranny which we found in 1902’. Yet he was wary of subverting these
indigenous institutions. Like Goldie, he mistrusted Westernized natives, who were trying
in India and, to a lesser degree, in Africa to bring democracy to their countries. The aim
of education in Africa was to ‘enable the African to “find himself” - to emerge from the
habit of mind which has through centuries marked him out as the slave of other races,
to show him the higher rungs of the ladder which lead from mere obedience to
cooperation’. A purely intellectual system of education would be, as it had been in India,
a great mistake.” [Ghosts of Empire pg. 292] At all the constitutional conferences
preceding independence, Land mass and population and population density in
abundance in the Muslim North were tilted in favor of the ‘Muslim’ North for the
anticipated advantage it would provide for Islamists. Rather than appreciate “Christian”
South for her generosity (oil wealth) and understanding for providing personnel in the
Federal and State administration, in the Judiciary after the British, the Islamists now
wants a marshal plan to further give Muslim North another advantage over the Christian
South. ‘Muslim’ North developed the mentality of British colonial masters. In 1967,
when a Christian Northerner established a twelve state structure for Nigeria, he found
no favor with the Islamist oligarchs to whom the British handed over power. Islamists
opposed to freedom and democracy, see themselves as the superior race in Nigeria
with the right to use jihad to promote and justify racism. Non- Islamist Nigerians must
stop this jihad of over 100 years with knowledge and quest for freedom.
Colonial Masters
British colonial method – Indirect Rule continues to this day with military derived
Constitutions that continue to protect the conduct and practices of the Sharia inspired
laws that clearly failed the repugnancy test of “natural justice, equity and good
conscience”. While native laws and customs of non-Muslim Nigerians remain personal
law subject to the Constitution and statute, Sharia law including its criminal law (hadith),
gained places in our Constitution and the criminal law of the twelve Nigeria States,
thereby foisting, two ideologies of quasi-Democracy and Sharia on Nigerians. Sharia
justifies jihad that is being waged by the Islamists against other Nigerians before and
after amalgamation of 1914 and is responsible for Nigeria’s stagnation in world
development indices despite her enormous human and material resources.
Democracy and Sharia
The two prevailing ideologies, Democracy and Sharia, are in conflict in Nigeria. NCEF
is of the view that: “over the years, since amalgamation of 1914, Islamists in Nigeria
have an established relationship and, wherever possible, penetrated and taken over
government, institutions including the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches of
the Nigerian Government at Federal, State and Local Government levels, the law
enforcement community, the Intelligence Services, the Military, Penal Institutions, the
media, think-tanks and policy groups, academic institutions, etc in order to dismantle
Western systems set up in Nigeria by the British. This fact is further reflected in the
appointments made by President Buhari. Islamists engage in this takeover for one
reason and one reason alone to subvert democracy and ensure the triumph of
Sharia. This explains the bizarre system of justice whereby a coup can have one of two
outcomes, depending on result. If the coup plotter succeeded, he is crowned and if he
fails, he is sent to the gallows, no doubt, derived from Sharia’s sense of justice. Until
recently, the Islamists have been able to convince some Church leaders that the
separation of Church and State is anti-religion. In other words, that a secular state
means no God. The implication is that all clerics would be rendered redundant. But this
has not happened and the churches and Mosques have more novices than they require.
Fortunately, Nigeria has between 1960 – 1966, tested Democracy, freedom and human
rights that have constituted a subliming blockage in the Islamists complete takeover of
Nigeria.” Islamists advocating for compatibility of Sharia and Democracy are Muslim
thinkers in Pakistan and Indonesia, while the Arabs hold firmly to the view that
Democracy and Sharia are incompatible.”
Soldiers of Freedom and Democracy
Soldiers of Freedom and Democracy have knowledge and learning as their main
weapon in that while Islamists use arms to win jihad, Soldiers of Freedom and
Democracy would use knowledge and learning to win the peace. The result will be
similar to where President Buhari, found himself as patron of cattle grazers that has now
embraced ranching, as it is expected that the Islamists will abandon Sharia for Freedom
and Democracy. Knowledge has shown us that trained operatives that were initially
mukharabats now occupy key government positions. In a memo, the NCEF wrote to
CAN, part of it reads: “the enemy we face is not Boko Haram (jihad) per se. We must,
instead, come to grips with the jihadist imperative that derives from Sharia doctrine itself
– and the reality that all who know and actively follow that doctrine are dedicated to
jihad for the purpose of imposing Islamic law on this country and all non-Islamic
societies worldwide. This is a fact not speculation or hearsay. The enemies at war
with Nigeria are not just Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen but also a significant
percentage of the hundreds of millions Islamists who are dedicated to the imposition of
Sharia on Nigeria by violence or by stealth jihad methods coupled with the
government’s leadership willfully misconstruing the threat by failing woefully in its
constitutional responsibility to “support and defend the Constitution” as contained in
their oaths of office and Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution. Islamists have also failed
to support and defend the Constitution. Rather, their unstated purpose is to blind
Nigeria’s strategic thinkers including Church leaders to the existence of doctrinal
justification for Islamic terror. The (expected) end result is that they, themselves
including Church leaders, “by their own hand,” will cripple Nigeria’s ability to respond
effectively to jihad.” God forbid. The NCEF suggests that Soldiers of Freedom and
Democracy be formed immediately with a Constitution, drafted and approved within 30
days from December 16, 2017.
Sentiments to be considered by SFD
Soldiers of Freedom and Democracy may wish to consider the sentiments of the NCEF
and include same in their objectives. These include the following:
1. The NCEF expect the Soldiers of Freedom and Democracy to use the moral fiber
of Christianity that has permeated the civilized world as their code of conduct;
2. Soldiers of Freedom and Democracy weapons are knowledge and discipline to
replace jihad, stealth and conventional, of over 100 years that has failed to bring
prosperity and happiness. It is time for Democracy full steam;
3. There are no founding members;
4. There are only two ranks – members and officers. Once one ceases to be an
officer, he reverts to member;
5. Separate the past to create a new Nigeria;
6. No North, no South but North-West, North-East and North-Central. South-West,
South-East and South-South. Boundaries adjusted with the use of Niger and
Benue should be considered;
7. Respect for human rights is paramount;
8. Zero tolerance of all forms of corruption;
9. The pillars upon which Nigeria rests are all the Ethnic Nationalities not just the
big three;
10. Training of the mind to reduce greed;
11. Part of SFD’s objectives should include to return Nigeria to a Parliamentary
System;
12. Nigeria be re-structured to the extent that each state is able to meet its financial
obligations and allowed to grow as determined by its peoples
13. Membership of religious organizations such as OIC, D8 etc should be prohibited
as Nigeria is a secular state;
14. The Intelligence Service and other law enforcement agencies must be loyal to
Nigeria and Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief must be loyal to the Constitution not
the Bible of Quran;
15. Violence, conspiracy theory, cloak and dagger antics should not be the major
weapons of security in Nigeria to replace social security for security vote;
16. Stealth jihad is now a way of life and, there is need to show that actions of
government are not stealth jihad;
17. Life members of SFD may be invited to apply provided he or she is over 70 years
old;
18. The NCEF expects Soldiers of Freedom and Democracy to use the moral fiber of
Christianity as their code of conduct.
Conclusion
Nigeria must have only one ideology – Democracy and no other. We must battle
against barbarism under the name of Religion. Soldiers of Freedom and Democracy,
must build bridges, promote rule of law and freedom. SFD must peddle love not hate,
unity not division, nation not state of origin.
Christians’ vote must be respected and this can only happen when Christians
appreciate the fact that the Islamists over the years have been waging war against non-
Islamists in Nigeria. It is time to use morality and spirituality to defeat jihad.
- We, NCEF and SFD are against the new tribalism and “superiority” of Islamists
5% voters to 95% of other Nigerians;
- We are against all forms of corruption and greed;
- NCEF and SFD must look forward to new challenges not repeat the mistakes of
the past that include complicity, intimidation and fear;
- Re-consider centralized security because it is not and cannot be part of
community policing. Rather it aids stealth jihad against non-Islamists
- NCEF and SFD must practice democracy in all its ramifications, the way ranching
is being legalized as the obvious choice between grazing and ranching, so is
Democracy over Sharia;
- Promote human rights, rule of law and democracy for the common good of all.
It is not enough to talk. We need to pray and take action.
God bless Soldiers of Freedom and Democracy
God bless Nigeria
Solomon Asemota, SAN
Chairman NCEF
16 th December, 2017
