THISDAY

Agbakoba Asks Nigerians to Take over Country with the National Interventi­on Movement

-

Segun James Okobi Sunday initiate NIM as a platform to uplift and ‘defreeze’ Nigerians (who he said are frozen right now) so as to salvage what is left of the country.

According to him, Nigerians need a coherent platform to prevent bad leadership in the country, hence the constituti­on of NIM, adding that “we want a functionin­g democracy where political office holders are accountabl­e to the people, public institutio­ns are strengthen and the rule of law works.

“We want the government to work for Nigerians. Presently, it is not. President Muhammadu Buhari needs to take his job seriously by sacking his entire cabinet because they have failed. In the meantime, he is sleeping on the job.”

Agbakoba, who noted that against the insinuatio­n that he has the backing of some political bigwigs, stated that former President Olusegun Obasanjo did not give him any support in the formation of NIM, adding that NIM is a political movement but not a political party, and has no political interest at the moment.

He explained that “membership of the movement is free and easy. Participat­ion will be based on social media among others to galvanise Nigerians to speak against bad government in one voice. Changing the way our political leaders think and act is what the movement is all about. The movement which was formed by G90 doesn’t hold onto anybody’s political ideology or interest, it doesn’t also prevent any member’s political interest but must be distant from the movement because it is strictly apolitical.”

On the many wrongs in the system which the former Nigerian Bar Associatio­n (NBA) president said led to the initiation of NIM, he asked: “Why for instance has nobody been fired for Mainagate? What is government plan for unemployme­nt? 70percent of our young people are unemployed, and this is alarming!

“What is the federal government plan for power? Should the privatisat­ion process be reversed? Why are our bidding and procuremen­t processes failing? Why is government still appropriat­ing billions of naira for turnaround maintenanc­e of dead refineries?

“At the states, governors must deploy state resources efficientl­y. For example, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State is fixing federal roads when state roads are deplorable; Governor Rochas Okorocha is erecting status of all kinds of people when Imo State owes pensioners; Governor Ayodele Fayose is making Christmas clothes for children but has not paid Ekiti State workers, and on his own, Governor Nyesom Wike is using River State money to buy SUVs for members of the National Assembly. All these must stop! Is it not a scandal that oil producing states like Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia, Delta among others owe salaries? So the Nigerian people will use this movement to guide as well as cut the excesses of their political leader. Enough is enough!”

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria