The
Presidency has described the “Return or resign’’ group as an illegal assembly
formed to frustrate the ongoing Federal Government’s campaign against
corruption in the country.
The Senior Special Assistant to
the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated this when he
addressed members of the Centre for Civil Society and Justice, CCSJ, at the
precincts of the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
Members of the centre, a civil
society coalition, staged a rally in support of President Muhammadu Buhari, who
is on medical vacation in London.
Mr. Shehu dismissed the “return or
resign” agitation as an illegal assembly stealthily organised to deliver a body
blow to the war against corruption.
According to the presidential
aide, any attempt to derail the war against corruption using subterfuge and
bluff will not succeed.
Mr. Shehu praised members of the
coalition and other Nigerians for rising against “the chaotic rout of protesters’’
who assembled at the Unity Fountain demanding the return of President Buhari,
dismissing such demands as unlawful.
“It might be taken for granted
that the beneficiaries of the old order are fighting back. We have been warned
that corruption will fight back.
“In a country where just one woman
for having the opportunity to serve as minister has N47.2 billion and 487.5
million dollars of public resources in cash and property traced to her by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) you don’t expect the
beneficiaries of that order to allow the Buhari administration some peace.
“They want
to distract us. But what the Presidency wants to assure patriotic citizens is
that the government will not bend.
“As far as the president is
concerned, he has done the needful by handing the reins of authority to the
Vice President. Since the law of the country does not give a time limit for the
president’s return, it cannot be imposed by a sabre-rattling musician,’’ he
added.
The presidential spokesman
commended the CCSJ for being orderly in their demonstration and urged them to
shun all provocations by opponents of government.
He said: “By divine intervention,
Muhammadu Buhari unexpectedly got elected with the ostensible mandate of
reversing national decline and securing its future.”
“He got
into the Villa through democratic victory at election. Anybody desiring to
replace him, whether you are wrestler, a hairdresser or a musician, you should
go through that process. “In a democracy, threats don’t work.’’
Speaking on behalf of the
demonstrators, the convener, Goodluck Obi, said his group had “absolute faith
and trust in President Buhari’s administration not machinations of corruption
and destabilization.
“We are saying from today, Aug.
10, we will be holding a rally/protest march here at Unity Fountain for the
next one month and beyond in order to send clear and unambiguous message to
agents of chaos and unity, that Nigerians are solidly behind President
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration based on our democratic mandate entrusted to
him on March 28, 2015.’’
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls
that the Senate on Tuesday via a statement signed by its spokesman, Sabi
Abdullahi, reacted to the protests by a coalition of civil society
organizations, who are demanding for the return or resignation of President
Muhammadu Buhari over his medical vacation in the United Kingdom.
The Senate maintained that
President Buhari had broken no law as he complied with the provisions of the
nation’s constitution which stipulated that he must handover to the vice
president and duly inform the two chambers of the legislature about his medical
vacation.
According to the statement, the
National Assembly is satisfied that the president’s absence left no vacuum, and
therefore cautioned the protesters against creating unnecessary tension in the
country.
Source: News Agency Of Nigeria
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