Kenny Martins: The days of moneybag politics will be over

Kenny Martins, grand patron of Legacy Initiative International, a civil society organisation, says the days of moneybags taking key decisions in the political space will be over.

Martins said this at the first stakeholder’s dinner and interactive session of the organisation, themed inter-faith collaboration in nation building, in Lagos on Thursday.

He said the group is set to bring Muslim and Christian leaders to work together together and build the nation.

Martins said he has met with top leaders of the two faiths and they have shown willingness to work together.

He added that religion should be a uniting factor and not a dividing line, but few people take advantage of it to divide the people.

“We believe it is time for Nigerians to rise up and say no more will this country and the people be taken for granted,” he said.

“And that is why we believe that we have two critical pillars that will play a role in this. They are the pillars of interplay of the two faiths that hold this country together, the Islamic and the Christian religions. Having met all the leaders of these two faiths, privately and publicly, we are overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and readiness that it is time they work together.

“We have played on the separation of these two religions to the advantage of very few. It suits them to be Christians or Muslims when it is to their advantage. It is time we go back to those times where the Christian leaders will sit down with the Muslim leaders on the other side and look at the factors that are critical to our development and unity in this country.

“Today, Nigerians need to take that decision that we are moving forward and challenging ourselves that in the next decade or so we want to be among developed nations. We want to bring conscience into politics. We want the will of the people to reflect in the polity and power dynamics. This is what legacy is about. This is the sermon we are preaching.

“The days of politics by moneybags will be over. Credibility, acceptance and approval of God and the people shall be your only reason to enter into the office.”