THE Federal Government has been urged to investigate, arrest and prosecute “mischief-makers” behind the rumoured death of President Muhammadu Buhari said to be on vacation in London.
President of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups (COSG), Mr Etuk Bassey Williams, made the call when he led a peaceful protest march on Tuesday in Abuja against incessant sponsored media attacks, blackmail and protest against President Buhari, especially on the grounds of his health condition and state of the economy of the nation.
The protesters carried placards of various inscriptions such as “President Muhammadu Buhari is alive”, “stop blackmailing Buhari & CBN Governor,” Economic recession: blame past leaders not Buhari, Emefiele,” “we support government policies,” we pass vote of confidence on CBN Governor” among others.
Williams, said information available to the Coalition revealed that certain group  sponsored by some “disgruntled” politicians who were bent on destabilising the nation have perfected plans to stage a massive protest against President Buhari, they alleged “is dead”.
He gave one-week ultimatum to the Police and other security agencies to arrest, expose and prosecute the blackmailers who are going around telling Nigerians and international community that President Buhari is dead, so as to serve as deterrent.
He said it was a height unpatriotic act for anyone to have wished the President dead even when he duly notified the National Assembly of his 10 Days vacation and handed over to his Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to act on his behalf as provided in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Williams also condemned those he alleged blackmailers and have sponsored protests against the Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, and calling for his removal in spite of his commitment to managing the nation’s fragile economy as well as ensuring that Nigeria gets out of the recession as soon as possible.
He said it has become obvious from all indications that corruption was fighting back at the Presidency, saying some corrupt politicians who could no longer have their ways as a result of the strict economic policies and zero-tolerance to corruption of the current administration were fighting the government.
He said: “The continuous blackmail against President Buhari, and some of his cabinet members by some corrupt politicians who may feel aggrieved by the strict monetary and fiscal policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria and economic team respectively, through several media propaganda and sponsored protests are retrogressive actions capable of unsettling the polity and should be condemned in its entirety.
“More worrisome is the constant media barrage of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, whose introduction of a strict foreign exchange policy regime unsettled some cabals who hitherto benefitted from the loopholes in our FOREX policy.
“It is noteworthy that the situation could have been worse but for the dogged stance of President Buhari in backing the CBN to ensure economic growth.
“Furthermore, the rapidity at which stage-managed protests are organised by the same set of unscrupulous elements every other week has become a cause for concern and we can no longer sit back and watch these shenanigans play out again,” he said.
Etuk Wiliams said the declaration of President Buhari dead while observing his vacation in United Kingdom was a joke taken too far and must be condemned by all meaning Nigerians.
“It is on this note that we call on the various security agencies to investigate, arrest, and prosecute these corrupt politicians with penchant for sponsoring protests and media propaganda against political office holders,” he said.
He said it was shameful that Nigeria was still importing toothpick and many other domestic items with billions of naira while the nation’s economy suffered because of capital flight.
He said Nigerians should be hopeful that the current economic recession would be overcome before the end of the third quarter based on the projection by the government officials as well as the obvious steady rise in the price of crude couple with the ongoing strict implementation of the diversification policy and zero-tolerance to corruption.
He expressed the commitment of the Civil Society Groups to support President Buahri government, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria to succeed.