Oyemade is the host of The Platform, which attracts resource persons to discuss matters affecting the nation. Obi was a frequent feature on The Platform.

The post tagged: “The wisdom of Solomon” made reference to the judgment of Solomon in the Bible, in which King Solomon ruled between two women claiming to be the mother of a child.

Although the cleric did not mention any name or make reference to any political issue, the tweet was seen as questionable especially with the post-election outcome, sparking a backlash and fierce criticism.

Oyemade wrote: “Solomon in his wisdom wanted to find out who the mother of the child truly was. He had a dilemma for the two women who claimed the child was theirs. Back then there was no DNA test so this could only be solved through unusual wisdom.

“Solomon said to bring out a knife and attempt to kill the baby. Whoever truly owned the baby will rather have the baby live even if not with her than to see the child die.

“There and then the owner of the baby was revealed for a true mother will rather see her baby live with another than witness the baby crying in deep pain as she bleeds to death under the slice of a sharp knife. Selah.”

His post attracted a flurry of reactions. Many alleged that the cleric ‘blocked’ them because of their opposing views.

Reacting @CharmXtova: said: “Since the sham elections, everyone on the opposing side has pushed Obidients. They stole our mandate and asked us to go to court. We did. They said we shouldn’t come out to protest and allow the courts do their job (but they came out to protest). We allowed the courts do their job.

“They told us not to protest on inauguration day so as to not scuttle the peace of the Nation. We heeded. The case at the court have begun to seem like it’ll end in our favor, they have already started protesting and threatening the peace of the Nation.”

Dr. Kelvin Alaneme posited: “You cannot gaslight your way to the truth. As a pastor, you are meant to be an apostle of truth. But alas! It is a shame to see your unraveling. Retrace your steps before it is too late. You know the truth. Only that truth will set you free. Selah.”

Another commentator, Dr. Kelechi Ugonna (PhD) argued: “Thank you @pastorpoju. And the disciples asked him, what is the meaning of this parable. And he said unto them. The baby is the seat of power in Nigeria. The mothers are the presidential contestants in the past election, and Solomon is the judiciary.

“The mother who stole the baby is that candidate who was illegally declared the winner with fraudulent documents. He did not care if he’s putting a knife through the heart of democracy in Nigeria, he wanted the prize at all cost. The other mother is the one who chose the path of peace through the courts to reclaim his stolen mandate, and asked his people to follow the process.”

For @klez_evans1, he said: “When talking about the wisdom of Solomon, Let’s also talk about the process and condition a baby was put through before the real mother was found.”

Also, @Mayokun said: “Multilevel dimension of wisdom in today’s context on all fronts. That’s how to discern who is envisioning the larger picture, despite a personal sense of being exploited, aggrieved or taken advantage of. If you own it, you first priority will be its survival.”

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Speaking during ‘The Platform’ programme organised by The Covenant Nation on Saturday, Oyemade argued that no one is certain about how a war in Nigeria would end.

There has been heightened tension in Nigeria over the recent months as the country continues to grapple with insecurity among other challenges.

Oyemade said while the elites may have the opportunity to escape war in Nigeria, poor and old citizens would be the worst victims.

“It would be immoral, let me say it to the elites, to advocate for violence when you have a foreign visa on your own passport. The theatre to exit the nation and the theatre if anything happens,” he said.

“A war is something you can only determine when it starts, you cannot determine when it ends. You can be in it for 30 years, you may run away from that theatre but the poor that you claim that you are fighting for will be the one left fighting and suffering.

“You may run but remember elderly ones are in that theatre. People who are weak. You will have family members that will be left behind.”

The pastor added that the major problem of the country is the lack of political will from the ruling class.

“Is it that Nigerians are not bright or intelligent? Our society is not a reflection of our intellectual content and capacity,” he said.

“Nigerians are some of the most intellectually able people in the world. The problem is lack of political will.

“It is clear that the way we are going about, things must change. We cannot keep doing things the same way and expect any significant change.”

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Speaking at ‘The Platform’ on Saturday, Kukah, however, added that those seeking to secede from Nigeria may be right regarding their concerns.

His comments come amid continued calls for Nigeria’s breakup from both the proponents of a Biafran government and other aggrieved citizens.

At the annual programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre, the cleric said the government must, through its body language, convince people that Nigeria’s unity is worth it.

“It may be right for everybody to want to go. Yes, it may be right for people to want to feel so dissatisfied that they want an end to what we have today. But the cost of staying together is far cheaper than the cost of everybody going his way.

“The most important thing here is that the government must give us a reason. The body language – we need to be inspired as a country to inspire ourselves that this country is worth the psychological, the spiritual and the cultural engagements.”

Kukah further said the government must develop a sense of empathy for the victims of the rising insecurity in Nigeria.

He condemned the incessant killings across the country, adding that it is unclear whether those in power understand the pain of many Nigerians.

According to him, “the government must develop a sense of empathy and I have said this on several occasions, I do not mean anything negative and everywhere you turn to this is what Nigerians are saying.

“People are dying and we do not get a sense that those who govern us understand and see our pain because we have not seen them at funerals nor on condolence visits.

“We have not seen them whether by telephone call or whatever. Empathy is not sympathy. Empathy is at the heart of who we are as human beings.”

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Beyond a short-term fix that resulted in the ongoing rehabilitation of highways and arterial roads, the Governor said Lagos would be expanding the capacity of its water transportation and leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to address the observed disorderliness in the mass transit system.

To this end, Sanwo-Olu said his cabinet had approved the deployment of a six-kilometre wide metropolitan fibre optic cable to be laid across the city. Upon completion, it would deliver fast Internet broadband to all residents across the length and breadth of the State. The project, which is expected to be delivered in four months, would be used to drive compliance with the State’s traffic laws as well as expand the capacities of its waterways, the Governor said.

The Governor was a guest at The Platform Nigeria, a yearly programme organised by the Covenant Christian Centre in Orile-Iganmu, Lagos. The church’s senior pastor, Poju Oyemade, coordinated the session.

Giving details about why Lagos would continue to experience traffic congestion, Sanwo-Olu said more than 10 per cent of the nation’s 180 million population resided in the State, adding that Lagos also has a vehicular movement average of 240 vehicles per kilometre as against the national average, which ranges between 11 and 15 vehicles per kilometre.

For these reasons, the Governor said there would always be traffic congestion on Lagos roads, but pointed out that the transportation programmes of his administration were developed to proffer solution that would reduce the residents’ pains.

He said: “To solve Lagos traffic problems from short to medium term basis, we have decided to come up with intermodal transport scheme, which will simultaneously see us developing capacities in waterways, rail and terrestrial mass transit. Our intervention is largely focused on the road, because it is the most used method of transportation. Once the rainy season passes, we are going to embark on extensive road rehabilitation across the State.

“The BRT programme is on course and we have taken delivery of additional 800 buses, which we are currently trying to clear from the Nigerian Port. Once this is done, we will be able to remove a lot of yellow commercial buses off the road and we will have articulated buses in line with our transportation plan.

“Our medium to long-term plan involves the strengthening of water transportation system. We have just acquired about seven new boats and we are about introducing ‘water taxis’ that can ferry about 60 to 80 passengers each on a single trip. In our long-term plan, we are developing our rail system by completing the Blue Line, which started from Mile 2 to Marina.”

Sanwo-Olu explained his administration’s policy direction on education, giving details on how technology and fast Internet connectivity would be leveraged to deliver quality education to pupils in public schools.

The Governor said the State had finalised agreement with a tech-based education consultant to begin the process of digitising school curriculum, with the objective to promote accountability in the delivery of quality education.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration had audacious programmes lined up to address the current challenges facing the State, but hinted that the implementation of his development agenda had largely been slowed down by a number of irrevocable financial liabilities tied to the State’s resources by his immediate predecessor.

He said: “We have to look at the finances of the State. But, I know I cannot give excuses to Lagosians that I met the State in financial mess. It would amount to meaningless stories. And nobody will never know the real status of finances of any State until they get there. It is until I got there that I realised how bad we are in terms of outstanding liabilities, financial commitments to local banks and Federal Government’s bonds.”

The Governor said efforts were on to widen the tax net and improve the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State, which, he said, would be used to fund some of the pending capital projects.

Sanwo-Olu cautioned those passing judgment on his four-month old government with a charge that the period was “too short” to measure the impact of the administration. The Governor said he believed in proper planning of key programmes before implementation of decisions that would affect lives of the people.

The post How we are addressing Lagos traffic congestion – Sanwo-Olu appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Osinbajo stated this in a keynote address he delivered on Tuesday at a programme titled `The Platform 2018′ organised by the Covenant Christian Centre, Lagos.

According to the vice president, “our business as government is to create more enabling environment for entrepreneurs to do business and create more infrastructure.

“We have to provide more jobs as more people are added to the population everyday. Today we are confronted with the remnants of Boko Haram with farmers/herdsmen clashes and ethno-religious conflicts,’’ he said.

Osinbajo recalled that when oil was selling for 100 to 142 dollars per barrel, the budget of Transport and Agriculture Ministries; all the ministries together got 139 billion.

“Today with oil prices between 60 and 70 dollars per barrel, the Power, Works and Housing, Agriculture and Transport Ministries got N560 billion.

“How come we can do more with less income? How come we are able to invest in infrastructure. How come we can do the Lagos-Kano standard rail gauge; the Second Nger Bridge, with 60 per cent less income than we earned a few years ago,” he asked.

According to the vice president, the truth is that if we can control corruption, we can do more with far less income than we earned many years ago.

“The job of the builder is not to complain. I believe the solution is in building that Nigerian bridge.

“A bridge that will be built on the strongest materials of all and to excel in our commitment to build a new society.

“A bridge that connects us across tribes; across ethnicity; across dialects; a bridge that connects us across religion; across politics; and across even generations.

“Everyone of us can travel on this bridge. A bridge that rises from innovation and traditions and stands the troubled waters of our past.

“A bridge that can take the traffic of all our best Nigerians and creativity; and human and materials to the destination of our dream.”

The vice president commended many Nigerians in both public and private sectors, who had contributed toward nation-building and contributed immensely to the growth of the economy.

He listed many Nigerian entrepreneurs, farmers, entertainers/comedians, teachers, writers, poets who have excelled, saying that they were determined and prepared to do their jobs.

Osinbajo said that the task of nation-building should be the responsibility of all, noting that many young people were doing creative things in both government and private sectors.

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