When God came down to Akwa-Ibom State, years after

LET me start by congratulating God Servant, Bishop David Olaniyi Oyedepo for the mighty deliverance from an imminent air crash . God Almighty has not let all traducers, mockers and agents of destruction in this Nation / Africa and the world at large to have the last say in our affairs.  About four (4) years ago, when I was nominated by a past  President of NBA  (Mr Okey Wali SAN)  into the Board of National Orientation Agency. I discovered that one of the ways by which  NBA and NOA both as  National body and agency was for the two of them to partner in the effective  enlightenment of  grassroot citizenry of this great  Country  on the  need  to use information gathering and dissemination  to positively change our orientation and attitude to Government policies and actions.

I chosed Dr David Oyedepo  to be the lead Speaker and I was  invited by  him  to his office at the Presidency in Canaan Land, Ota, on Monday, August 26, 2013  to throw more light on the lead paper  “Information as a Powerful tool for Nigeria Transformation to Glory” . In my discussion with His Grace,  4th and 5th November, 2013 were chosen as dates for the Summit . His Excellency, the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State  was contacted through his officers to speak on “The Role of Good Public Governance as an Effective Tool In Building Citizen Confidence” while   His Excellency, the Governor of Osun State   was to speak on          “Bridging The Gap- Duties of Public & Private Institutions In Information Dissemination and Feedback”.

Despite the lukewarmness of NBA and   tardiness of NOA leadership, Dr David Oyedepo  gave everybody a surprise when  he  insisted that he will personally attend the Summit and  instructed me to  be his Research Fellow on the topic. I was intimidated and felt uneasy what can I write that will match His Grace expectations but consoled myself that since the Year is the Year of Double Portion and His Grace had personally imparted me in his private office vide a long prayer on  the same 26th August.2013 which unknown to God Servant was the date of my marriage anniversary, a man that has written over 93 books many of which are  bestsellers, an employer of several Professors and Founder of two World Class Universities but I kept faith that I will give it my best shot.

Dr David Oyedepo  further proved  his commitment to empower Nigerians with the right kind of Information when His Grace on getting to the Airport  on Monday 4th of November, 2013 discovered that his private Jet was giving unfavourable signals  and so could not fly. That was the same jet that had brought His Grace back from South Africa three days earlier specifically on Friday 31st of October, 2013   and I was so privilege to be the first person His Grace will call on phone to intimate me of his return to Nigeria .Despite this challenge, His Grace immediately chartered an airplane to keep his commitment in Uyo. At that time when His Grace and his team were at the Airport in Lagos and we were already in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, I kept asking  Pastor Chinedu who followed me from Ibadan and I was trying to fathom , what on earth, I  could have done to be bequeathed with this over indulgence . His Grace had even gone ahead to book/pay for the World Class, Hotel Le Meridian for himself and members of his entourage because when he asked me what had been put on ground, I was short of words.

On Monday 4th November,2013, His Grace was welcomed  by His Excellency , Senator Godswill Akpabio , the immediate past Governor of Akwa-Ibom State  and from there came to the LFC ( aka Winner Chapel), Ikot Ebido ,Uyo   for an evening priestly blessings on the people of Akwa-Ibom State.

The next day i.e Tuesday, November 5, 2013, His Grace had a breakfast meeting with the state governor and came down to the Summit venue to deliver his paper. Excerpts of what His Grace delivered at the Summit are as follows:

“What you don’t pursue you can’t possess. Information is a requirement for the pursuit of your good intentions and most importantly your visions. Information is a very powerful tool in the school of visions. All Nations and Companies were developed by their people. These are contributors and people who did their best to move the Nations and Organizations they worked for, forward. To be transformed as citizens ,we must first be  informed as citizens. It is not Nations or organizations that develop people, it is people that develop Nations and organizations. In every Nation and Organizations, there are great people, great names and great contributors. The Transformation (Now Change) programme  of this Administration must begin with the development and deployment of qualitative resourceful information to the people. To be involved as citizens, we must first be informed and this is what makes us to transform. Information is  one of the most vital ingredients in the race for realization of destiny. Get the most resourceful material in your area of endeavour and very soon you will see yourself at the top. There is a story of two young men .One of them after graduation from High School went to study over 700 books within three years while the other took up employment in a restaurant as a manager. After three  years, the one who  read over 700 books was earning close to $ 200,000 (Two hundred thousand) dollars per hour doing consultancy work  for major companies in the World while the other who took up employment  was earning just a little over $ 200 dollars per hour. What brought about the difference in their income is the information they acquired and put to use.The more informed a man is, the more transformed the man. Particularly, you need the right kind of information. Where there are no information, the people are depraved and have nothing to look up to. You cannot be committed to what you are not informed about.

We need to move from the level of agricultural produce or producer of raw oil to manufacturers of refined products. I came here (Uyo)  some years ago  i.e 2004 and what I saw now  is a different world entirely as there are things you can see, touch and feel. What has happened is a great transformation in the entire State. A lot of bridges ,flyovers and six lanes expressways. You need the right kind of information in order to be converted from consumers to producers, you need the right kind of information in order to be an effective contributor to society.You cannot be committed to a cause you are not informed about. If for instance, I am told that the road leading to my house will cost N2Billion Naira and I have the resources to spend,  of course, I will be involve in the construction if I am adequately informed and made to be involve and that amount  of money can be transferred to the provision of other demanding infrastructures / basic needs e.g education. At the end of the day, we are able to spread our thin or limited resources. This can only be done by direct access to basic information and we all need it. Information helps the citizens to be engaged productively in the affairs of our Nation. We need to invest in our citizens to engage in acquiring information. Our citizens must have a direct access to basic information about what will be beneficial to the citizenry. The more informed you are, the more committed you become to a course. There are Four Benefits of the FOI ACT:I am not a lawyer but these are benefits of the FOI Act from the human perspectives and they are:   Enhancement of peace and security of this Nation: The challenges of security  in the North is intimidating to our National peace. The weapons that the terrorists are using are not cheap. There is  no investor that will go to Yobe State  to invest there. Investors are leaving these areas of the North in droves .No parent will allow his or her son to go  for Youth Service in Borno or Yobe State  though  such parent  love Nigeria. It is disheartening that students and teachers will sleep in the night and the Nation will watch them  being killed and nobody is doing anything about it. This Bill (now ACT) will give access to peace and  security as everybody have access to all activities of government touching on their individual lives. We must not watch Nigeria disintegrate and that shall not happen and  peace must be restored to this Nation. 2ndly, the Bill (now ACT) will give support to our fight to eradicate corruption as It will protect the image of government functionaries because many of them are victims of smear campaign. Some of them that are honest and responsible will be brought to the fore. The FOI Act will enhance citizenship dignity or honour  and Lastly, this Act will make the entire citizenry to be responsible members of the Society.

The question one may ask is , what are the benefits that the People of Akwa Ibom  and Nigerians at large have gained since this  great  Messenger of God delivered this thought provoking speech ; the visit and speech have resulted in unusual peace and harmony within the State and changed Nigerians mindset towards becoming more creative producers / manufacturers and brought together every centripetal lords along various political divide of the need and necessity to make Government administration more open and transparent.The end result is that it has  brought about  massive human capital and  infrastructural developments into all areas of Nigeria through the attraction of Institutional Investors within the past Years.

To my mentor, spiritual father and benefactor,  DR DAVID OLANIYI OYEDEPO, I THANK YOU as all  your personal prophecies on me is finding real fulfilement in particular your impartation on me three times in 2013, year of Double Portion specifically on Mon 26th August, 4th and 5th November, 2013. May I also say  Congratulation, Congratulation and Congratulation in your Evangelistic campaign to win multitudes of souls for Christ resulting in massive increase of Church attendance in Faith Tabernacle , Ota from  around 75,000 to 850,000 congregation within 3( three) Years.

• Oshinubi, Esq was a Legal Consultant to the 2014 National Conference and can be reached on oshinubilegal@yahoo.com