SAN FRANCISCO, November 24, (THEWILL) – Warri-based human rights group, Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged (CENTREP), and apex Ijaw youth organisation, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, have disagreed over the fracas at the National Assembly a few days after President Goodluck Jonathan asked for extension of emergency rule in three Northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
While the human rights group condemned the Police for laying siege to the Assembly complex, IYC faulted those it described as enemies of Jonathan’s government who, according to him, are bent on truncating the nation’s democracy for being responsible for the siege.
CENTREP said the siege on the National Assembly was a script handed to the Police to act upon by the Presidency as same was allegedly targeted at the embattled Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, whom it said was tear-gassed in company of other members of the House.
But the Ijaw Youth Council disagreed with the position, saying; “The whole drama was orchestrated by the enemies of democracy who have vowed to ensure that the Jonathan’s administration does not succeed and are ready to do anything to truncate the nascent democracy in Nigeria because of their selfish interest.”
CENTREP’s Executive Director, Oghenejabor Ikimi said; “We stoutly condemn the recent siege at the National Assembly by the Nigeria Police under the leadership Mr. Suleiman Abba as Inspector General of Police and describe the above action of the Police root, stem and branches as an act of thuggery and an affront to our fledgling democracy.
“We make bold to state that the above action of the police under the pretext of maintaining law and order based on an intelligence report that hoodlums were about to invade the National Assembly Complex was indeed a script handed down by the Presidency to the Nigeria Police to act as the action itself was aimed at the Hon. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Aminu Tambuwal, who was tear- gassed in company of members of the House sympathetic to the embattled Speaker in an attempt to stop him and his said supporters from gaining entry into the National Assembly Complex.”
According to the group, “It is worthy of note that while the siege lasted, no hoodlum was arrested by the Police as it turned out that the said intelligent report was a hoax.
“The above further underscores the level of desperation by the Presidency ahead of the 2015 general elections. The above unholy act of the Nigeria Police which is a well acted script handed over to it by the Presidency is presently a source of national embarrassment to Nigerians and the entire nation as Nigerians now see their Police as partisan and we call on the hierarchy of the Nigeria Police to apologise to Nigerians to redeem their image or Nigerians would continue to regard the Police as the thuggery arm of the Presidency as a stitch in time saves nine.”
But while condemning the incident, IYC Worldwide said “the show of shame” was orchestrated by the enemies of democracy who have vowed to ensure that the Jonathan’s administration do not succeed and are ready to do anything to truncate the hard earned democracy in Nigeria because of their selfish interest.”
According to the group, “President Jonathan whose request led to the reconvening of the House of Representatives could not have orchestrated the show of shame that was displayed at the National Assembly.
“It is the handiwork of the desperate and power hungry politicians who had promised to make the country ungovernable for President Jonathan.”
“It would be recalled that just a day before the incident, some politicians embarked on a protest in Abuja where they made treasonable statements meant to incite the Nigerian public against the government.”
“The crisis at the National Assembly is a continuation of the same agenda which they have failed to achieve through Boko Haram insurgency.”
“The IYC for the umpteenth time warn the agents of destabilisation to refrain from any attempt to truncate the administration of President Jonathan and democracy in Nigeria as it would result in dare consequences”
“We also call on President Jonathan to take drastic steps to bring to justice those who are desperate to truncate our democracy. President Jonathan must not allow disgruntled politicians to endanger our democracy in the name of exercising democratic rights as it is now time to come hard on the obvious enemies of our democracy.”
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