Jonathan: Senate Acted
In Nation's Interest, - Mamora
The Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, has said that the Senate did what it considered best by empowering Dr Goodluck Jonathan as acting President.
Mamora, who spoke in Lagos recently at a book launch, said that the Senate's action saved the nation from political crisis.
He described critics of the upper chamber's action as being ignorant of the pressures that led to the decision.
Mamora advised that the action of the National Assembly should not be assessed from legal or constitutional aspects alone but from the perspective of a necessity to solve a ``political situation`` .
He added that it was far too late in the day for people to complain of the decision, as they did not have a clear understanding of why it was taken.
``The resolutions were unanimously passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
``They were endorsed by past heads of state and government in this country; endorsed by chief justices of this country, endorsed by the forum of governors, endorsed by the conference of speakers and by civil society.
``So we did what we thought was right and I stand by it; no regrets at all because the Senate was right to have done what it did,`` he said.
Mamora said that although some have complained about the decision, they must however; appreciate the peculiar circumstances surrounding the decision.
``When you try to build consensus on an issue, it is painstaking; you need time to convince all and sundry.
``Probably, we need time to convince people that what we did is the best way out and having achieved that, it was a kind of primary issue.
``The secondary issue now is how to avert a repeat of that kind of situation that led to the Senate's action.
The launched book, entitled: “Lagos State House of Assembly: A Decade of Positive Legislation'', was authored by Miss Folake Oke, an assembly staff.
Group Seeks End
To Lawsuits
Against Orthodox
Anglicans In U.S.
A group of Orthodox Anglicans in the U.S. have called for an end to ``un-just Christian actions'', instituted against its member-churches in the name of law suits.
The call was contained in a document issued by the American Anglican Council (AAC), a copy of which was made available to Newsday recently in New York.
The document, ``The Episcopal Church: Overbearing and Unjust Episcopal Acts,'' gave an account of how The Episcopal Church (TEC) has spent millions of dollars in more than 50 lawsuits.
It also provided information on how TEC deposed or inhibited 12 bishops and more than 400 other clergy.
The document, chronicles each of these subjects and ``a number of other abuses or injustices committed against faithful Anglicans in the U.S.''
`` The Episcopal Church is systematically targeting, intimidating, suing, and ultimately persecuting orthodox Anglicans throughout the U.S'', Bishop David Anderson, President of AAC said.
``This paper illustrates the lengths to which TEC leaders will go to silence the voices of orthodox Christians in the Anglican Communion - Anglicans whose only offence was to stand for the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and Anglican Communion teaching,'' he said.
Rev. Philip Ashey, AAC Chief Operating Officer and a practicing attorney, who originally authored the 29 page paper, made comments.
``I don't think there has ever been a period of time in the Anglican Communion where one church has deposed such a huge number of clergy.
``It is my hope that Anglicans around the world will read this paper and do something to halt these unjust and un-Christian actions,'' Ashey said.
The AAC, which the Nigeria-driven Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) is an affiliate group, includes many former Episcopalians who left that church over deep theological differences, particularly on homosexuality.
NEWSDAY recalls that the outgoing Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Archbishop Peter Akinola had described the lawsuits as a ``demonic attack against the Church of God.''
``It is (the law suits) a major challenge. It is not CANA going to court; it is the demonic powers in the so-called Episcopal Church that are suing CANA churches.
`` They are fighting us with everything they have with the hope of crushing us.
``It is so ungodly, so demonic and they are determined to completely wipe us out and this is costing millions of dollars.
``Money that could have been used in more positive work of the gospel, is now being used for legal battle; it's so sad,'' Akinola told Newsday last week, during his recent visit to the U.S.
