Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari
By Anthony Maliki
The Coalition of Civil Societies and Media Executives for Good Governance in Nigeria (COCMEGG) has passed a Vote of Confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari for his overall performance.
COCMEGG is an umbrella body of over 350 Civil Society Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations, human rights activists, bloggers, media executives, who have, over the years, advocated for transparency, accountability and good governance regime in Nigeria.
The President, COCMEGG, Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, speaking at a press conference in Abuja said the decision was premised on a press statement by a self-acclaimed Coalition of 70 CSOs in Nigeria that allegedly passed a Vote of No Confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
According to him, as champions and propagators of good governance and accountability in Nigeria, having seen and read the said press statement, COCMEGG have come to the conclusion that it is the handiwork of fifth columnists, rabble-rousers, agent provocateurs, divisive tendencies from enemies of Nigeria and their foreign collaborators aimed at bringing down the present government of at all cost, not minding whose ox is gored.
He noted that as a result of that the Coalition is compelled to issue and state that the security situation across Sub-Sahara Africa is a fallout of the disintegration of Libyan State with antecedent proliferation of small arms across the sub-region and, as such, Africans and, indeed, well-meaning Nigerians, are abreast of the concerted efforts by the present administration to curtail the excesses of these criminal elements and Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents.
It pointed out that it is a known fact that the government of President Buhari inherited a ramshackle military with obsolete equipment, low morale but stressed that today’s Armed Forces can boast of state-of-the-art equipment, armoury and one of the best standing forces in Africa.
Aigbegbele said present administration of President Buhari has sacrificed both men and equipment to keep Nigeria safe, secured and united, in spite of all these subterranean forces masquerading as foreign NGOs with local collaborators, aiding, abetting and inciting divisiveness, hate speech and ethnic bias amongst the populace, so as to give the dog a bad name in order to hand it.
“We want to let Nigerians know that security is on the concurrent list of the Nigerian Constitution, and, as such, everyone’s business and should not be left to the government alone,” the President explained.
He said these CSOs that are supposed to be partners in progress with government, have remained passive and aloof to these security challenges and allowing themselves to be used as pawns against the hard-working administration of President Buhari.
The Coalition called on all well-meaning Nigerians and the international community, to jettison, disregard these innuendoes, orchestrated by vile elements who have sworn for their self-inordinate ambition and mesh of porridge.
COCMEGG said it has on good authority that these groups have been sponsored to stampede the government of President Buhari, whose only perceived crime is that the government has refused to play along their story line.
It urged the government to remain steadfast, focused, and not be distracted from concentrating on its avowed agenda to safeguard lives and property in Nigeria and the delivery of good democracy dividends to the grassroots.
Besides, it appealed to international community, friends of Nigeria, politicians and well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with government in its endeavor to protect lives and property in the country.
The Coalition stressed that despite the CSOs’ insinuations, Nigeria is safe for investments as it is a choice destination and an investment haven.
It will be recalled that the Department of State Services (DSS) has consistently warned Nigerians for the past three months that, there are orchestrated plans and motives by political jobbers, non state actors and boot-lickers who are fanning the embers of disunity and insecurity by increasing and constantly gathering and disseminating fake news through social media and recycling old videos and clips so as to look as fresh to fan ethnic clashes and banditry.
Aigbegbele called on the media and Nigerians, not to be gullible from the antics of these merchants of death, originators of hate speech and sponsors of disunity in Nigeria.
It also called on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), to reign-in broadcast stations that have been abridging the Nigerian Broadcasting Code and apply appropriate sanctions where necessary.
It is commendable that, while most nations are still in economic recession occasioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic, Nigerian government has, through deft economic, prudent management of scarce resources, exited the recession to the applause of the World Bank and other financial world bodies. It said the support and diplomacy given to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to emerge as the first African Woman to occupy the exalted office of the World Trade Organization (WTO), drew global acclaim to the good works of President Buhari.
