IMPACTING THE POLITICAL SPACE

PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO S.A.N

HARAKAT AL –MUQAWAMAT AL-ISLAMIYAH

• THE ISLAMIC RESISTANT MOVEMENT

] THE ISLAMIC RESISTANT MOVEMENT

Palestinian Islamic socio-political organization which includes a paramilitary force, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.[2][3

• Hamas was created in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi and Mohammad Taha of the Palestinian wing of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood at the beginning of the First Intifada, an uprising against Israeli rule in the Palestinian Territories.

• Through its funding and management of schools, health-care clinics, mosques, youth groups, athletic clubs and day-care centers, Hamas by the mid-1990s had attained a "well-entrenched" presence in the West Bank and Gaza.[17] An estimated 80% to 90% of Hamas revenues fund health, social welfare, religious, cultural, and educational services.[18][19][20]

HAMAS WINS

• January 2006, Hamas was successful in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, taking 76 of the 132 seats in the chamber, while the previous ruling Fatah party took 43

WHAT IS THE POLITICAL SPACE?

THE DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNANCE ATTAINABLE BY ELECTIONS

THE DIFFERENT TIERS OF GOVERNMENT OF THE NATION

THE POLITICAL PARTIES , THE PRESS AND PRESSURE GROUPS WHICH INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME OF ELECTIONS

WHY IS THE POLITICAL SPACE IMPORTANT?

• WOE TO YOU O LAND WHEN YOUR KING IS A CHILD………ECCLESIASTES 10:16

• GOVT IS DESIGNED TO AFFECT OUR LIVES WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT

• WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS ARE IN AUTHORITY THE PEOPLE REJOICE BUT WHEN A WICKED MAN RULES THE PEOPLE GROAN ….PROV. 29.2

BUT WHO IS A “CHILD” AND WHO IS “THE WICKED”?

• PURELY SELFISH MOTIVES FOR SEEKING POWER

• GOOD MOTIVE BUT LITTLE OR NO PREPARATION FOR GOVERNANCE

UNDERSTANDING THE POLITICAL SPACE…. USING LAGOS AS A CASE STUDY

• 57 LOCAL GOVTS • 377 WARDS • 3 SENATORIAL DISTRICTS• 24 CONSTITUENCIES FOR HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES• 40 CONSTITUENCIES FOR HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY• 3.4 MILLION REGD VOTERS BUT LESS THAN 1.8 M

IS HIGHEST NO OF VOTERS RECORDED.

HOW ARE THE PARTIES ORGANISED?

PARTY AT WARD LEVEL AND EXCOS IN ALL 377 WARDS

PARTY AT LOCAL GOVT LEVEL WITH EXCOS IN ALL 57 LGS

COMPOSITION OF PARTIES E.G AC

• CUTS ACROSS RELIGION , TRIBE AND CLASS BUT SEVERAL INTEREST GROUPS SERVED.

• OFTEN BALANCING BETWEEN RELIGIONS IN NOMINATIONS FOR ELECTIVE POSITIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

• INDIGENSHIP AN ISSUE?• CAN A CHRISTIAN PLATFORM WIN ELECTIONS?

WHO WINS WHO LOSES AND WHY?

• THE MAVERICK CANDIDATE : NCP AND JIMI

• CAN A CHRISTIAN PLATFORM WIN IN LAGOS STATE?

THE STRATEGY: “THE LEAST OF THESE”MATT 25.45

THE STRATEGY FOR INFLUENCING THE LARGEST NUMBERS IS BY ADDRESSING THE GREATEST AND MOST WIDESPREAD NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE.

ALL OVER AFRICA THE PARISH TODAY MEANS SCHOOLS, HEALTH CLINICS, WORKSHOPS AND AN INDIGENOUS POSTAL SERVICE. IN MOST OF AFRICA THE CHURCHES HAVE DELIVERED MORE REAL DEVELOPMENT TO PEOPLE THAN ALL THE GOVERNMENTS, THE WORLD BANK AND AID AGENCIES ROBERT DOWDEN

WHAT ARE THOSE NEEDS?

HEALTH• STATE HOSPITALS 30

– LASUTH + AYINKE HOUSE 750 BEDS– GH LAGOS 450 BEDSDOCTORS 900

PRIVATE + TBAS 3000DISEASES MALARIA, TUBERCULOSIS, DIARRHOEAHIGHEST INFANT MORTALITY RATE 84.6/1000MATERNAL MORTALITY 8 PER 1000LIFE EXPECTANCY 47H

EVERY PARISH AN OASIS• SCHOOLS

• CLINICS

• LIBRARIES

• IT FACILITIES

ON EVERY STREET AND WITHIN 5MINS WALKING DISTANCE OF EACH OTHER A PLACES OF LEARNING , HEALTH FACILITIES, LIBRARIES, IT FACILITIES, AT SUBSIDIZED SUBSCRIPTION.

PREPARING THE RIGHTEOUS FOR GOVERNANCE

WE MUST BE INTERESTED IN THE PROCESS AND PROCESSES

• CONNSTITUTIONAL ISSUES

• ELECTORAL REFORM

WHY GOOD PEOPLE FAIL

• MANY GOOD PEOPLE WHO DESIRE AND ACQUIRE POWER HAVE NO GUIDING PRINCIPLES OR CLEAR IDEAS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE THE GOOD OF THE MAJORITY

THE CHALLENGE

• THE CHALLENGE FOR THE CHRISTIAN POLITICIAN IS HOW TO CHANGE OUR OWN WORLD IN NIGERIA.

ENTER….. THE LIGHT

•THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION

•THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

PRINCIPLES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

1. HARDWORK / PLANNING –THE PURITANIC WORK ETHIC Proverbs 14:2 LUKE 14:28

2. TIME-CONSCIOUSNESS-Eph 5:6 Ecc3:13. INTEGRITY – Matt 5.37 4. RESPECT FOR CREDIT AND OBLIGATION Psalm 37:215. SAVINGS AND INVESTMENT MATT 25 14:306. THE RULE OF LAW Romans 13:17. PAYMENT OF TAXES AND DUES TO GOVTS. ROM.13:6&78. FAIR PAY C0L.4:19. EDUCATION PROV. 8:10 & 11

EVERY DEVELOPED SOCIETY COPIED THESE PRINCIPLES

• JAPAN COPIED PROTESTANT PRINCIPLES –VISIT OF OCTOBER 1871 FOR MONTHS

• EXTENSIVE TEACHING OF ETHICS IN JAPANESE SCHOOLS

CONCLUSION

• CHRISTIANS MUST EARN LEADERSHIP BY FAITHFULLY ADHERING TO THE GOSPEL.

• INTEGRITY WAS THE SECRET WEAPON OF THE SAINTS WHO CHANGED THE WORLD.