ABUJA—A rally meant to persuade the National
Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck
Jonathan over the lingering Rivers State crisis was weekend prevented by the Nigerian Police in Abuja.
The protest, which had the support of General Muhammadu Buhari, Tunji
Braithwaite, Ben Nwabueze, SAN, Mike Ozekhome, among others, was planned
by over 49 groups of eminent Nigerians who fused under an umbrella
known as United Nigerians Group, UNG.
The grouse of the group
against President Jonathan hinges on the current state of the nation
which, according to it, was affected by insecurity.
Amongst other
reasons advanced for the protest was also the lingering Rivers State
political crisis which the group fingered President Jonathan to be the
mastermind.
It further accused the President of lacking the political strength to curtail the insecurity in the country.
Co-Convener of the Mass Protest, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, who spoke to
Vanguard condemned the action of the Police which stopped the rally last
week.
He said: “The protest was supposed to commence Wednesday last
week. But all of a sudden, on Tuesday, we got a letter from Force
Headquarters, by the IG restraining us from holding any peaceful protest
or rally and what we did to prove that we are law-abiding citizens was
to formally write to the Police that we intend to hold a peaceful rally
and we are marching down from Berger Round-About to the National
Assembly, telling them that we need their protection.
“We are not
asking them for permission because we knew that under the constitution,
there is a law backing us to hold peaceful protest as free citizens of
the country. The next thing we saw was a letter that we are being
restrained from organising any rally. It has been banned. To us, we felt
it was an abuse of our right.”
Yerima who is also the National
President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, however, stated that
the stoppage was a blessing to them as the group was strategizing and
recording an influx of more Nigerians who have invested interest in the
rally.
“We are protesting because there are reasons that the present
government is long overdue for impeachment. Let me cite a common one.
Rivers crisis is enough to impeachment the President. We can state more
than 10 reasons but that of Rivers State is worth it and we will ensure
that justice is done because we can’t afford to fold our arms and watch
some class of people who never fought for democracy to destroy the
democracy we made sacrifice for only because they are privilege to be in
power.”
Reminded that the Presidency had consistently denied any involvement in the crisis, Yerima said such was already expected.
He said: “Of course, you don’t expect them to admit that they are part
of it. They will always claim that they are not part of it. With
insecurity, with the kind of casualty situation we are getting, it
clearly demonstrates that this President lacks the strength to handle
the affairs of the country and to that extent we are saying that
Nigerians must rise up and save this country so that it will not be
destroyed.
He added that: “We have over 49 organisations that came
together and formed this movement as a coalition. We have other resource
people that we reaching out to. Already, we are in touch with ASUU. We
are moving ahead to meet with people like Buhari, Balarabe Musa, Tunji
Braithwaite, Mike Ozekhome, Ben Nwabueze, so many of them. Hopefully,
they will be at the rally because, they have shown interest”.
Source: Vanguard
