Protest: Pro-Buhari Group faults Protesters, describes demonstrations as needless

THE Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) Enugu State chapter has faulted the anti- Buhari protests led by Music Star, Chairlieboy Oputa and other celebrities under the auspices of ‘Our Mumu Don Do’, describing the demonstrations as needless.

Speaking to newsmen in Enugu on Thursday, the State Chairman of the BSO, Chief Anike Nwoga, said, “instead of attacking Buhari who met all the constitutional requirements before embarking on his medical vacation in United Kingdom, the protesters should redirect their attention to the National Assembly, where a loan proposal of 30 billion dollars proposed by the President to get us out of recession has been gathering dust”

Chief Nwoga noted, “We are of the candid view that whereas our brother Chairlieboy and his group have the inalienable rights to assemble and protest as provided by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; however, they should redirect their energy in appealing to the National Assembly that sat for over one year on $29.9 billion procured by President Muhammadu Buhari for the development of our deficit critical infrastructure. BSO Enugu State Chapter believe sincerely that the hunger, gross unemployment and abject poverty ravaging our dear country, will be half addressed if the loans are approved by the National Assembly.”

Nwaoga, who is also the Vice Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu East Senatorial  Zone, explained that the President fulfilled all the constitutional requirements before embarking on his medical trip to the United Kingdom.

According to the Enugu BSO chairman, there is no vacuum in leadership and the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo has discharged his duties creditably and diligently.

“There is no need to protest, since Buhari fulfilled all the constitutional requirements before he left. He wrote the National Assembly and intimated them of his medical vacation. By so doing, he transferred power to his Vice as Acting President. So, there is no vacuum in leadership. The acting President is doing very well.

“I can also confidently say that Buhari has commenced his plan to fulfill the promises to Ndigbo and Nigerians in general. Work has progressed in our expressways such as Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways while 14 billion naira has been released for Second Niger Bridge and N7billion is 2017 for the bridge.”

“The problem in Nigeria is the economic recession, which is responsible for hunger in the country and lack of jobs. To address these problems, Buhari before he left for medical vacation, proposed a 30 billion dollars loan, which is before the National Assembly to fund critical infrastructure that will get us out of recession.

“In this docket now gathering dust before the National Assembly is 500 million dollars for East-West road, linking the entire South-South, 50 million dollars for Enugu-Nsukka and other states water scheme, Abakiliki and Aba township roads, $11 million dollars for coastal railway line, 4.8 billion dollars for Mambilla hydro-power plant which will generate about 3000 megawatts of electricity and over 5 billion dollars for agriculture. The revamping of Enugu Coal project will take early next year.”

“The loan will be accessed through multiple sources, including Eurobond, Africa Development Bank, JICA of Japan, Chinaexim Bank, World Bank, Islamic Development bank (AFDB)” Nwoga said.

“The APC chieftain therefore urged Charlie boy and his group to stop dissipating energy on the needless protest against a recuperating President Buhari, but rather redirect their attention to the National Assembly and tell them to give attention to the 30 billion dollar loan.

He said “if the National Assembly could in one day give attention to 33 items in the constitution amendment, they should the same way give attention to the 30 billion dollar loan, to bring us out of recession and put food on people’s tables and create jobs.

According to him, “sickness is not anybody’s monopoly as it could happen to anyone and should therefore not be a subject for protest or activism in any form.

Nwoga therefore enjoined Charlie boy and his group to join other well meaning Nigerians in praying for our President’s speedy recovery.

He, however, pointed out that Charlieboy and the other protesters were entitled to their fundamental human right of lawful assembly and the police have no business to throw tear gas at them.