Posted by By TOPE ADEBOBOYE on
Ahead of tomorrow's elections, the Federal Government has been fingered as the architect of the increasing spate of armed attacks across the country, even as President Olusegun Obasanjo was particularly berated for declaring the polls a do-or-die affair.
Ahead of tomorrow's elections, the Federal Government has been fingered as the architect of the increasing spate of armed attacks across the country, even as President Olusegun Obasanjo was particularly berated for declaring the polls a do-or-die affair.
A group of eminent Nigerians, including Nobel laureate and leader of the Democratic Front for a Peoples Federation (DFPF), Professor Wole Soyinka; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) presidential candidate, Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and others who made the observation in a joint press statement, regretted that the presidency had "become the instrument of insecurity in Nigeria."
Other signatories to the statement were Michael Orobator of the Ethnic Nationalities Movement (ENM), Professor Kimse Okoko, leader of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Barrister Ledum Mitee of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Action Congress (AC) National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Solomon Asemota, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
The group regretted that over 400 billion dollars, which have accrued to the nation since the discovery of crude oil, has inflicted massive poverty, insecurity and misery on the people, adding that the latest importation of a large cache of ammunition by the police, purportedly, to curtail violence during the election has further heightened the tension in the land.
"We had thought that democracy as a process will be passed on to our children, in which case Boy Scouts and Girl Guides will be at polling booths and stations to assist in the process and thereby learn. Unfortunately, the executive, because of its monumental shortcoming, has decided to make it a do-or-die affair with AK 47 rifles rather than a piece of paper, the ballot which is the symbol of democracy," the statement said.
The group accused the Presidency of inflicting a large dose of penury on Nigerians.
"The executive has inflicted poverty on more than 70 per cent of the people of Nigeria, who live on less than one U.S. dollar per day in a country that produces two and half million barrels of crude oil per day sold for over 60 USD per barrel," the group further said, while noting that other British colonies, which gained independence about the same time as Nigeria have since overtaken the country in terms of positive developments.
While accusing the executive arm of government for holding Nigeria to ransom, the group said the country has been reduced to the sixth most corrupt nation in the world. The group lampooned the Presidency for its contempt for the rule of law and warned that the people might resort to their various ethnic nationalities if the executive continues "to see itself as the government of a conquered people."
Legal practitioners, medical doctor teachers and other professionals equally drew the group's ire for keeping silent while the executive allegedly unleashed blatant evil on the populace.
"The Nigeria Bar Association boasts of having more lawyers than the rest of the other black African countries put together. The same is applicable to the medical doctors, pharmacists, teachers, and university dons etc that constitute the civil society. Where are the pastors, the Imams, etc? Why the silence in the face of blatant evil committed with impunity by the executive?
"We can only attribute the silence to the fact that the leadership of these organizations and civil society organizations have been held hostage by the executive," said the group.
The group, which faulted the National Assembly's decision to go on recess, challenged Nigerians to "rise up to defend the constitution, rule of law and the judiciary."