Agbakoba, who is former president, Civil Liberty Organization (CLO), gave this assertion at an interactive session with newsmen at his office in Ikoyi, calling on Buhari to sack his entire cabinet who he said had failed in their duty to the country.
“We want government to work for Nigerians. Presently, it is not. President Buhari needs to take his job seriously. He is sleeping on the job. He needs to sack his entire cabinet because they have failed,” Agbakoba said.
This was just as the leading human rights activist admonished state governors to ensure they deploy state resources efficiently rather than engaging in frivolity that made no positive impact on the people they ruled over.
Agbakoba, who addressed the purpose for which the NIM was established by about 90 patriotic Nigerians, threw a lot of posers to justify his conclusion on President Buhari and his ministers.
“Why for instance has nobody been fired for MainaGate? What is government’s plan for unemployment? 70% of our young people are unemployed. It is alarming! What is the Federal Government’s plan for power? Should the privatisation process be reversed? Why is our bidding and procurement processes failing? Why is government still appropriating billions of naira for turn around maintenance of dead refineries?” Agbakoba queried.
Speaking on his concerns about the affairs in the states across the country, the NIM leader wondered why Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, should be fixing Federal Roads when Lagos roads were begin for his attention, or why his Imo counterpart, Governor Rochas Okorocha was erecting statues of all kinds of people when Imo State was owning pensioners in arrears.
According to him, Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State should not be making Christmas clothes for children when he had not paid salaries of Ekiti workers up to date, just as he frowned at Governor Nyesom Wike using Rivers State money to buy SUV cars for members of National Assembly from the state.
He said it was a scandal that oil producing states like Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia, Delta, among others should be owing their workers salaries.
“At the states, governors must deploy state resources efficiently. Ambode is fixing Federal roads when Lagos State roads are deplorable. Okorocha is errecting statues of all kinds of people when Imo State owes pensioners. Fayose is making Christmas clothes for children but has not paid Ekiti workers. Wike is using Rivers State money to buy SUVs for members of the National Assembly,” Agbakoba said.
“Is it not a scandal that oil-producing states like Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia, Delta, etc owe salaries?” he queried.
Agbakoba said it was the resolve of the newly formed NIM that confidence should be returned to the judiciary, lamenting that the current situation was that corruption cases never terminated in Nigerian courts.
“We want confidence to return to the Judiciary. How come corruption cases involving politicians never terminate in our courts? he further queried.
According to him, governor accused of corruption after office get judicial immunity, while politicians charged with corruption presented themselves for public office in every election circle with some of them becoming senators, making laws for this country.
Agbakoba, however, said the way forward for the country to achieve a new system that was inclusive that works for all and not a few was for civil society, including the media to wrest power from the ruling political elite.
“We believe strongly the way forward is for civil society (including the media) to wrest power from the ruling political elite to achieve a new system that is inclusive and works for all and not a few,” he said.
On the National Intervention Movement (NIM), the former CLO president said the movement was formed to uplift Nigerians, declaring that it was not a political party or organization.
According to Agbakoba, NIM is a network of people committed to make a difference in the country, saying its objective was to mobilize Nigerians to hold government accountable at all levels and grow Nigeria by inspiring and supporting people to start small groups across the country.
“As you are aware, I and some concerned Nigerians on 29th of November 2017 initiated the National Intervention Movement (NIM).
“NIM is a movement to uplift Nigerians. It is not a political party/ organization. It is a network of people committed to make a difference in our country. Our objective is to mobilize Nigerians to hold government accountable at all levels. We want to grow by inspiring and supporting people to start small groups across the country.
“We want a functioning democracy where political office holders are accountable to the people, public institutions are strong and there is the rule of law,” Agbakoba assured.
and then