Mass Mobilisation Against President Jonathan Begins In Lagos

Source: huhuonline.com

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Huhuonline.com / can reveal that there is a serious mass mobilisation against President Goodluck Jonathan, his government and other politically elected officials in the country. Reports say that the mobilisation, which began in Lagos state some weeks ago, is

 spreading progressively to other parts of Nigeria.

It was learnt that various social groups, civil and human rights organisations in the country have been cashing in on the perceived insolence of the government, especially in the statements by the presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, attacking perceived enemies, the high-level corruption in the land, the increasing poverty rate, the refusal of the President to act where it is needed as well as alleged empty promises by the government.

 
Huhuonline.com findings proved that organisers of the new movement have vowed that should the government fail to meet their demands, the rallies and protests to be engaged in by the groups to be led by Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, may culminate in the shutting down of the entire country.

 
The mobilisation is also aimed at sensitizing Nigerians to intensify the calls for regional government or true federalism through a review of the constitution.

 
Some of the mobilisers told Huhuonline.com at the GRA, Ikeja, Lagos headquarters of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) that with the current plans, what happened during the fuel subsidy crisis may just be a sample of what the Nigerian government should expect this time around.

 
They expressed disappointment at the government of President Jonathan, saying that he had brought disrepute to the South-south people of the country and have made them a laughing stock and that by extension, had given Nigeria a negative image in the comity of nations through his utterances and inaction.

 
They are also particular that if they do not engage the government through a mass rally again, the report of the ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives commissioned to investigate the management of fuel subsidy in the country and its subsequent approval of the House would not be implemented by the executive are of government.

 
Their stand was confirmed by Professor Soyinka, who has asked Nigerians to be set for mother-of-all marches to right the wrongs that are facing the country.

   
Soyinka, who spoke at a press statement Monday at the SNG headquarters, further confirmed that Nigeria had actually become an object of ridicule with all the challenges it is grappling itself with.

 
"What we that travel around undergo from commentaries against our nation and against our government; the humiliation is just too excessive and I think it is wrong that some of us have to bear this because of the criminality and lack of conscience of other people. So it is two things, further hearings should be in public and should be televised. Secondly, the anti-corruption body specially set up; I know that they are already overwhelmed, but we should not wait until the burden is taken off our shoulder by external courts.'

 
Soyinka advised Nigerians to challenge their representatives to begin a public hearing into the country's challenges publicly rather than within the confines of the legislative chambers stressing: "I think these hearings should take place in halls, so that we can hear those who are involved directly, attempt to exonerate themselves, it will also be an avenue for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other investigate arms to move in."

 
Pastor Bakare of the SNG in his statement titled: "Kleptocracy Unlimited," while thanking the members of the Farouk Lawan's Committee as well as the Speaker for being on the side of the suffering people, however questioned why the Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwanbo, who was the Accountant General of the Federation in 2009 and who reportedly issued cheques of N999 million 128 times in 24 hours totalling N127 billion, was left off the hook.

 
"The impression this gives is that the governor may have been exonerated in a deal to ensure that he does not spill the beans if push comes to shove. These dubious payments must be traced and the nation must know where the money ended.

 
"A great number of the indicted subsidy scammers are members of the ruling party and or businessmen who have over the time been billion donors at PDP fundraisers. There must be a thorough investigation of the possible connections between their dubious subsidy payments and the donations they make to the ruling party.

 
"President Goodluck Jonathan has played the ostrich by saying that no one indicted would be spared. That is fine for as long as that includes his oil Minister (Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke) and all the three ministers of Finance in the period covered by the report (Mansur Muhktar, Olusegun Aganga and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala).

 
'Now is the time to act to save our country from the grip of corruption. To this end, we are giving two weeks to see concrete steps in the direction of prosecuting the indicted officials failing which we shall be calling our people out on protest. Given the low confidence the people have in the anti-corruption agencies in dealing with political corruption in Nigeria, we are demanding the appointment of a private prosecutor to deal with these prosecutions."