President Buhari of Nigeria
Civil society organisation under the auspices of Guardians of Democracy and Development, GDD, alongside seven other groups, has lampooned clandestine attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari and his chief of staff, Abba Kyari.
Recall that a group, under APC Concerned Nation Stakeholders led by one Dr. Symeon Chilagorom, recently staged a protest it claimed was against internal forces pulling down the administration of President Buhari.
The group in its statement advised the president to distance himself from Kyari and his longtime allies, Mamman Daura and Ismaila Isa Funtua.
However, in a communiqué issued by the National Convener of GDD, Comrade Solomon Adodo, flanked by leaders of other CSOs, after their press briefing yesterday in Abuja, frowned at such malignant attacks, which it said were targeted at the president to whittle down the modest progress Nigeria had recorded so far under his administration.
“The Guardians of Democracy and Development alongside her pro-democracy partners have remained abreast with developments in our polity as it affects good governance and development of our dear nation.
“We are appreciative of the modest progress Nigeria has recorded and we are confident that greater successes will be achieved in this second tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, judging from his unimpeachable pedigree as a true patriot who has the best interest of Nigeria at heart, his measured judgement and above all, his firmness in leadership. We urge all Nigerians to keep faith with the government and perform their civic duties and discountenance every and any person, group, element or entity surreptitiously working against the democratic forward voyage of our nation or our national economic interests.
“As a collective of eternally vigilant pro-democracy and economic watch groups, we are meticulous in identifying and addressing any matter that stands antithetical to good governance, democratic ideals and principles of economic stability/growth. It is in this light that we wholly condemn the recently contrived efforts of some individuals masquerading as APC stakeholders whereas their intentions were fiendishly tailored against President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We herein bring to the attention of the general public that the charade by the group with a hastily contrived name (and unfittingly so) of Coalition of APC National Stakeholders is nothing but a heavily sponsored attempt surreptitiously geared at casting aspersions on the good government of President Buhari whilst hiding behind a finger and claiming they are working at sanitising the system through unbridled protests against the chief of staff to the president, Mr. Abba Kyari, and the respective persons of Mr. Mamman Daura and Ismaila Isa Funtua.
“It should be emphasised that these individuals have been long standing associates of President Muhammadu Buhari who have proved their mettle of trustworthiness even through the most adverse of challenges the President has assailed in the past. It is therefore evident that the protest was not only targeted at the trio of Abba Kyari, Mamman Daura and Ismaila Isa Funtua but a grand attempt to rubbish the arduous and sincere efforts of the President at moving Nigeria to the Next Level.
“At this juncture, it is imperative to appreciate the fact that Nigeria under the diligent and self-sacrificing watch of President Buhari drew up failsafe economic policies with matching actions that saw to the rapid recovery of Nigeria from the worst ever economic recession which was very hard biting on all Nigerians,” groups asserted.
They noted that as a true democrat, the president believed in consultation with patriots of like mind, with a strong will to propagate national development, adding that it was a slight on the intellect of the president for anyone to claim that he was being controlled by “an imaginary cabal.”
They also observed that the recent actions by the government geared at fostering fiscal transparency at the local government level, thereby bringing development to the grassroots through financial autonomy for the local governments, would not have been possible if not the strong will exhibited by the president.
They therefore warned all such “hastily contrived contraptions” seeking to disrupt good governance in the country to desist from such, noting that they were aware that the sponsors of such agitations were merely plotting their political pathways towards the 2023 presidential race, as they called for all hands to be on deck in joining the president to move Nigeria to the next level.
Other CSOs at the briefing included APC Youth Solidarity Network, Independent Public Service Watch, Transparency and Accountability Initiative, Initiative for Leadership and Economic Watch in Nigeria, and Concerned Democrats for Equitable Representation.
Below is the full text:
GUARDIANS OF DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT ALONGSIDE 7 PRO DEMOCRACY GROUPS CONDEMN THE SURREPTITIOUS ATTACK AGAINST THE GOOD GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI BY MALIGNING THE INTEGRITY OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE PRESIDENT
The Guardians of Democracy and Development alongside her pro democracy partners have remained abreast with developments in our polity as it affects good governance and development of our dear nation.
We are appreciative of the modest progress Nigeria has recorded and we are confident that greater successes will be achieved in this second tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari judging from his unimpeachable pedigree as a true patriot who has the best interest of Nigeria at heart, his measured judgement and above all his firmness in leadership. We urge all Nigerians to keep faith with the government and perform their civic duties and discountenance every and any person, group, element or entity surreptitiously working against the democratic forward voyage of our nation or our national economic interests.
As a collective of eternally vigilant pro democracy and economic watch groups, we are meticulous in identifying and addressing any matter that stands antithetical to good governance, democratic ideals and principles of economic stability/growth. It is in this light that we wholly condemn the recently contrived efforts of some individuals masquerading as APC Stakeholders whereas their intentions were fiendishly tailored against President Muhammadu Buhari. We herein bring to the attention of the general public that the charade by the group with a hastily contrived name (and unfittingly so) of Coalition of APC National Stakeholders is nothing but a heavily sponsored attempt surreptitiously geared at casting aspersions on the good government of President Muhammadu Buhari whilst hiding behind a finger and claiming they are working at sanitizing the system through unbridled protests against the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari and the respective persons of Mr. Mamman Daura and Ismaila Isa Funtua. It should be emphasized that these individuals have been long standing associates of President Muhammadu Buhari who have proved their mettle of trustworthiness even through the most adverse of challenges the President has assailed in the past. It is therefore evident that the protest was not only targeted at the trio of Abba Kyari, Mamman Daura and Ismaila Isa Funtua but a grand attempt to rubbish the arduous and sincere efforts of the President at moving Nigeria to the Next Level.
At this juncture it is imperative to appreciate the fact that Nigeria under the diligent and self sacrificing watch of President Muhammadu Buhari drew up failsafe economic policies with matching actions that saw to the rapid recovery of Nigeria from the worst ever economic recession which was very hard biting on all Nigerians. We cannot forget in a hurry that this was the challenge the greeted this government on assumption of office and yet was expeditiously dealt with. Nigeria was faced with several other obvious challenges which were bent on crippling the nation to grinding knees principal amongst which was the ravaging threat of Book Haram which threatened to sack the government and made a constant mess of our sovereignty as a nation. These and other challenges are being constantly addressed and fought back with records of appreciable success thanks to the unwavering devotion of Mr. President and his adroit Team who have placed national interest above self serving purposes. Evidently these successes have the imprimatur of these longstanding co-labourers to wit Mr. Abba Kyari, Mamman Daura and Ismaila Isa Funtua whose loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari and commitment to national development have been tried and tested for decades in the furnace of adversity in service to Fatherland.
A careful study of the person of President Muhammadu Buhari will show any discerning mind that he is not one to be subjected to the unwieldy control of any external forces. However as a true democrat, he believes in consultation with patriots of like mind with a strong will to propagate national development. It is therefore a slight on the intellect of Mr. President to adduce that he is being controlled by an imaginary cabal. The recent decisive actions by the government geared at fostering fiscal transparency at the Local Government level thereby bringing development to the grassroots through financial autonomy for the Local Governments would not have been possible if we did not have a strong willed and focused President in Muhammadu Buhari as these misguided critics would have the public believe.
We will not fail in our bounden duty of sounding the warning knells that there are individuals who benefitted from the old order of corruption and anomie and forcefully seek to pitch tent with the ruling Party in order to curry undue benefits. Their ploy was however resisted. Evidences show that the sponsors of these mudslinging protesters desperately worked against the reflection of President Muhammadu Buhari when they realize his government gave no room for sacred cows to pilfer the nation at the detriment of our collective. Having failed in their initial bid they have resorted to publicly fighting Mr. President’s most trusted allies particularly the Chief of Staff to the President who alongside his compatriots have paid tireless sacrifices for good governance and development to thrive under PMB. These individuals deserve the commendation of all true Nigerians rather than the cheap blackmail being marshalled against them. As a group we pitch our tent with Mr. President in appreciating their sterling, altruistic, patriotic and incorruptible commitment in supporting President Muhammadu Buhari to take Nigeria to the Next Level. We urge them not to rest on their oars or be discouraged by the minuscule few who seek to smear their pristine image. Service is about sacrifice and such happenings as these are not ruled out.
Finally, we herein sound this as a warning to all such hastily contrived contraptions which might seek to tow a similar path in disrupting good governance that they desist from such dastardly and unpatriotic meditations. We are not unaware of the fact that the sponsors of these chaotic agitations are plotting their political pathways towards the 2023 Presidential race. They should therefore leave Mr. President and his co-stewards out of their permutations. It is too early in the day to start sacrificing the more important issues of governance and development for political exigencies. The warning should be reiterated for an umpteenth time that we shall not relent in using all strategies within the precincts of the law in combating all those who seek to cripple the good government of President Muhammadu Buhari. The President has his full discretion to choose those he can trust and work with and will never be swayed by warped opinions.
We call on all hands to be on deck as we join our incorruptible and Patriotic President Muhammadu Buhari in moving Nigeria to the Next Level.
God bless Nigeria!
Comr. Solomon Adodo
National Convener
Guardians of Democracy and Development
Prince Danesi Momoh
Convener
APC Youth Solidarity Network
Mallam Suleiman Musa
Executive Director
Independent Public Service Watch
Ms. Amarachi Okeke
Executive Director
Transparency and Accountability Initiative
Amb. Splendour Agbonkpolor
Executive Director
Initiative for Leadership and Economic Watch in Nigeria
Comr. Stephen Eriba
National Secretary
Concerned Democrats for Equitable Representation
