…APC has stifled fundamentals of independence — PDP
…Over 40 million people marginalised in Middle Belt – Coalition
….FG plans low-key celebration as Nigerian youths protest against hunger
As Nigeria celebrates the 64th anniversary of its independent, the Labour Party (LP), has called on the President Bola Tinubu to rescue Nigerians from avoidable hardship.
The party, which made the call at a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, gave a damning verdict on the socio-political and economic situation in the country, saying Nigeria is at the crossroads.
Addressing newsmen on the State of the Nation entitled “Nigeria at 64 Stands AT A Cross Roads: A Call On The President Tinubu to Safe Nigerians from Poverty and Hunger”, the LP Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, who highlighted several problems bedevilling the nation since independence, said Nigerian citizens are more impoverished than they were under the colonial powers.
The LP Publicity Secretary chronicled the the raging controversies on supply of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, to the Nigerian market describing some of the arguments on the matter, as untenable.
Arabambi said, “Nigeria the economy and political giants of Africa as at today is at the lowest ebb and at a crossroads grappling with an economy that is struggling despite at 64 years”.
“As a true Nigerian, we need to asked ourselves if our country is better off governing ourselves or are we better than when we are under colonial rule, or is Nigeria worse now?
“Nigeria citizens are more impoverished than we were under the colonial powers. We are enveloped in abysmal and massive corruption especially under the past administration of President Muhammad Buhari who successfully paralyzed, destroyed and decimated Nigerians economically”
“Our country groans under the weight of unprecedented excessive imports and a depreciating currency with the exchange rates of $1 at ₦1,652, £1 at ₦2,010, and €1 at ₦1,985 which has rendered virtually all sectors of the economy in effective”.
“Automobile assembly plants like Peugeot and Volkswagen, agricultural sector’s and textile industry that were the means of generating our country external reserves through exportation are all dead because we import everything from automobiles to food, PMS and drugs while our once-thriving industries languish in the shadows of neglect”.
He also bemoaned the unreliable electricity supply in the country, asking Tinubu to withdraw operating licences of electricity distribution companies.
“The President must be conscious of the fact that some haters of democracy and purveyors of bad news are still in trenches planning to destabilise Nigeria over the present economy situation and which is no fault of yours.
“We therefore urgently requested your Excellency to execute some measures in order to make lives more meaningful to ordinary Nigerian and put Nigeria back on the right economy track.
Specifically, he requested immediate sack of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr Mele Kolo Kyari.
He also called for immediate sack of all executive managements from office and replace them with competent and patriotic Nigerians
Arabambi equally, demanded the immediate withdrawal and suspension of the monopoly agreement between NNPC Limited and Dangote Refinery which the former claimed that the cost of the latter PMS is far expensive than the cost of imported one which is an absolute falsehoods.
“The president is also hereby urged to dismissed all incompetent appointees ministers and head of Federal Government agencies with immediate effect to bring about better and effective government,” Arabambi said.
APC has stifled fundamentals of independence — PDP
As Nigeria marks its 64th anniversary, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of stifling the fundamentals of independence.
The main opposition has, however, charged citizens to use the 2024 Independence Day Anniversary to reawaken the spirit of nationalism in defence of our democracy and national sovereignty against the emerging totalitarianism allegedly being foisted APC.
In a statement on Monday to make the occasion, the PDP urged Nigerians not to surrender to the bullying tactics of the APC administration which it, observed, seeks to undermine the Constitution, emasculate citizens, compromise Institutions of Democracy and turn Nigeria into a fiefdom where APC leaders arrogantly carry on like lords and treat other citizens as conquered people.
Signed by Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, the statement added: “The Independence Day celebration is not the symbolic marching at parade grounds, taking of salutes, inspection of guards and making of speeches but it is the freedom of the citizens to express themselves, pursue legitimate endeavors and freely participate in the process to choose those who lead them through an unhindered expression of their Will at elections.
“The independence of a nation is embedded in the respect for the Rule of Law and Constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens by a transparent and responsible government that is democratically elected, answerable and committed only to the good of the people.
“Since its calamitous arrival in the Nigerian political space, the APC continues to barefacedly stifle these fundamentals of our nation’s independence.
“It is therefore an irony that the APC deludes itself that Nigerians should celebrate Independence which essence has been completely diminished by the anti-people policies and programs of the APC that have not only discounted the lives of citizens but also deprived them of the independence to legitimately pursue their endeavors and freely participate in governance.
“It is clear that APC is not interested in the wellbeing of the people. Instead, it is practically returning our nation to a state of bondage, where government is a cabal that has no respect for citizens but relishes in inflicting pain and hardship; where dissenting voices are treated as enemies of state, where corruption, treasury looting, election manipulation, suppression and exploitation of citizens through excruciating tariffs and taxes are now instituted as state policies.
“It is indeed agonizing that all the gains achieved by the PDP in the development of our democracy and credible electoral process; personal freedom, liberty and security of citizens; good governance that resulted in better living standards and flourishing investments in education, healthcare, electricity, housing, railways and roads infrastructure, manufacturing, hospitality, real estate among others have all been reversed by the APC.
“Our Party is alarmed by the inexcusable insensitivity being exhibited by the APC which continues to resort to lies, false performance claims and empty promises in the face of abysmal failure.”
The PDP called on the APC to recognize that Nigeria is an independent nation and that sovereignty belongs to the people.
“The APC-led administration must therefore listen to Nigerians and review all its anti-people policies and actions that are suffocating life in the country.
“The Federal Government should, without further delay, reduce the pump price of fuel and stem the slide in the value of the Naira by immediately reordering resources to jumpstart the ailing productive sector.
“Again, the PDP urges President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to listen to the heartbeat of Nigerians. Indeed, Nigerians are hurting! He must act now by channeling resources to projects that have direct bearing on the wellbeing of Nigerians so that the people can have the life they deserve as free citizens of an independent nation,” the PDP added.
Over 40 million people marginalised in Middle Belt – Coalition
As Nigeria marks its 64th Independence anniversary, a Coalition of Indigenous Middle Belt Ethnic Organisations (CIMBO) has noted that over 400 indigenous ethnic nationalities in the Middle Belt, with an estimated population of over 40 million people, are marginalised in the nation’s socio-political arrangements.
To this end, the coalition urged President Bola Tinubu to brave the storm and give the country and the people a new lease of life from the stranglehold of a few, who are believed to have held the nation to ransom.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, the Chairman of CIMBO, Mr. Timothy B. Gandu disclosed that the marginalised ethnic groups, cut across Adamawa, Benue, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba and fringes of other Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“While some Nigerians are marking the nation’s independence with fanfare, the ethnic groups of the Middle-Belt are groaning under the suffocating weight of internal domination, exploitation and marginalization derivable from the political structure called indirect rule that was left behind by the British.
“The British in 1958, two years before the political independence of Nigeria, got ‘the Minorities Commission Report’, which was written with a view to granting the ‘Minorities’ as the Middle-Belt was called, the right to have regions or a region of its own. It is on record that Dr. J.M. Muffet, the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) and the British government connived and denied the Middle-Belt a region separate from the North. In a similar vein in 1963, when the Mid-West region was created, once again, the Middle-Belt was denied a region. In 2014, the much heralded National Conference recommended the creation of 8 States in the Middle-Belt. It is a matter of regret that this recommendation has not been acted upon.
“On the occasion of the 64th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence, the Middle-Belt is calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National and State Assemblies to heed its cry for equity, fairness and justice. The voice of the Middle-Belt cannot and will not be drowned. Its people will continue to demand for redress. A tolerant people should not be taken for granted because they may not always be a peaceful people.”
He then echoed the call to be known as the Middle Belt and not North, West, East or South of Nigeria adding, “We demand that the 2014 National Conference report be activated, our indigenous ethnic groups are tired of the mischief of being referred to as the ‘Minorities’ of the North.”
