..Insists President Buhari’s Silence Fueling Protests
Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has warned that there
will be catastrophic consequences if the Police and Nigerian military
allow themselves to be pushed into using force to suppress the ongoing
#EndSARS protesters.
The CNPP in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Chief Willy
Ezugwu warned that “Nigeria will burn if the police and military
authorities allow themselves to be used by selfish government officials
who have demonstrated an unprecedented level of insensitivity and
shielded president Muhammadu Buhari from knowing the reality of things.”
According to the umbrella body of all registered political parties and
political associations in the country, “the situation is worsening
because our President has locked up himself in the Presidential Villa
while those who elected him are on the streets protesting against bad
governance and policy reform.”
Recalling that “during the build-up to the planned labour unions strike
and after the eventual disappointment by the labour unions, the CNPP
continued to reach out to civil society groups across the country on the
need to arrest the continued maladministration in the country.
“But at the peak of the consultations and mobilisation, the SARS attack
that sparked the rise of the #EndSARS Movement occurred.
“Today, the federal government, through its intelligence networks,
should have known that young people across the country, on their own
accord, opted to take their own destiny in their own hands after obvious
sellout and betrayal by labour unions in the country.
“As the labour unions lost the trust of citizens, the youths are raising
their funds to support each other while the protests last, with some
Nigerian celebrities supporting them with food and water.
“At the momentum of the widespread protests, any attempt to use force to
disperse these demonstrators will be disastrous for the country and may
lead to a total collapse of the already collapsing Nigerian economy.
“We, therefore, warn the Nigerian military and the Police authorities
not to allow selfish politicians to use them to destroy the country.
“Unfortunately, the presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress
(APC) did not, as expected, heed earlier advice by CNPP that there was
an urgent need for President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation to
calm ruffled nerves of the protesting youths.
“As usual, the presidency saw such advice as an attack from the
opposition, even though it was based on intelligence within the CNPP
network of impending total shutdown of the country, which fatherly words
of assurances from Mr President would have prevented.
“We saw it coming and today, we are all living witnesses to the growing
agitations against bad governance both at home and abroad.
“The APC and the Presidency should know that the worst is yet to come.
It’s not the time to be adamant and insensitive. #EndSARS is a movement
of the people which no Pharaoh can stop.
“No government is above the people; the people give power to those in
government and all government officials at all levels, including
security operatives, must immediately realise that the Nigerian people
are their employers and treat them as such.
“Nobody can tell his or her employer to go to hell without dire
consequences. For the umpteenth time Mr President, it’s time to address
Nigerians. A word is enough for the wise”, the CNPP stated.