Group urges ACF to causion Junaid over comments against Mrs. Jonathan
An Abuja based group known as League of Rivers Lawyers has taken exceptions to statements credited to Dr. Muhammad Junaid which it says were insulting the wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, urging him to use his energy to bring to an end the terrorist activities ravaging the north.
They have therefore called on the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to call their son to order because everybody will benefit from a peaceful Nigeria and not the crises that Junaid is stoking.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the Chairman of the group, Timi Briggs, said using derogatory words on the person of the First Lady over her perceived role in the Rivers State crises, smacks of irresponsibility and could only come from a “stark illiterate”.
The group further urged Junaid to dissipate his energy to put out the fire in his region caused by Boko Haram leading to the destruction of the economy rather than play dumb and helpless.
The group said Mrs. Jonathan did not do anything in Rivers State that will warrant her to be insulted by Dr. Junaid and his ilk.
Briggs said, “Rather than dissipating energy and time talking about Rivers State politics when his region is on fire and its economy broken by the activities of Boko Haram sect, Dr. Junaid has remained dumb and helpless. By calling Mrs. Jonathan names, Dr. Junaid is behaving like a gangster by saying that Mrs. Jonathan has no right to comment over the affairs of her state.
'If Dr. Junaid is looking for what to talk or work to do, the collapse of the Northern economy, rising unemployment, illiteracy and alarming insecurity under his nose are enough engagement rather than abusing Mrs Jonathan.
'What is his interest in Rivers State? Why is he crying more than the bereaved? A character like Dr. Junaid thinks he has a monopoly of odious language and rascality because he is one of those deceiving Governor Rotimi Amaechi to be spending public funds to betray his brother and pursue a Northern agenda”, the group said.
The League said Mrs. Jonathan had in all her activities during her recent visit to Rivers State play a reconciliatory role aimed at increasing collaboration among the political class so that the state can move forward.
“Rather than call for total reconciliation for peace to return to Rivers State, Dr. Junaid is happy that Governor Amaechi is operating like an emperor, wasting public funds on selfish ambition of being a Vice Presidential Candidate, causing friction, overheating the polity, and behaving like a fly that has no advisers.
The League further said that no matter whose interest Junaid is protecting, the people of the South South will not allow him or Amaechi and their cohort to pull the wool over the eyes of the people of that region come 2015.
“The political crisis in Rivers State PDP is not new in Nigeria. It is normal in a democracy and there is nothing to suggest a semblance of the old Western Region crises except as it exists in the demented mind of Dr Junaid, the League said.
'The relationship between the police and the governor in the state can be better handled if both sides drop pride but to say that Amaechi is right over and above all the other Rivers men and women he has been oppressing and intimidating with the police in the past is to say the least, shameful on the part of Dr Junaid' the League added.