A coalition of civil society has demanded the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari by the National Assembly over leadership failure and bad governance that have become overwhelmed by incremental insecurity, economic decline, increasing poverty, unemployment, and others. The coalition vows to mobilise for mass protest of bad governance, increasing insecurity and their consequences in Nigeria. The coalition, accordingly, declared that “enough is enough,” advocating that “workers and students must rise to end bad governance!”
the coalition in a joint statement issued by Andrew Emelieze, National Coordinator, All Workers Convergence (AWC); Kowe Odunayo Amos, Coordinator, NANS Zone D; Kazeem Olalekan Israel,
PRO, NANS Zone D; lamented: “Nigeria has continually shown us that we are in a sick nation, that, our beloved country is placed on a live support machine, and, that, if urgent action is not taken; the Nigerian state may collapse into irreversible crisis, such that may result into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis of a global dimension.” They noted that on a daily basis, citizens are being sacrificed, decrying that human lives no longer matter in Nigeria. “The people are being butchered on a daily basis and, most unfortunately, our government has continued to prove to us that they are absent or, rather, that they are overwhelmed with the crisis confronting the Nigeria of today despite the fact that they swore to an oath to protect the lives and properties of the citizens, the coalition declared.
The coalition pointed out that considering the definition of a failed State, one in which the government is no more in control, it will not out of place to conclude that Nigeria is a failed State. The coalition protested that under a government whose primary responsibility is to protect the lives and property of the citizens, “kidnappings is going on on a large scale and, our best and brightest people are being killed on a daily basis with the government making no effort to guarantee the safety of the citizens, to the extent that the Defence Minister had to admit that the Government can no longer secure the people, and, that, the people should secure themselves. Indeed, we are in a rudderless ship in the middle of a sea storm.”
The coalition leaders further lamented that “under this same government, schoolchildren were kidnapped at Dapchi in February 2018. As if that was not enough, we had the Kankara schoolchildren mass abduction in December 2020, and then, the Kagara’s abduction in February 2021 and, to the latest Jangebe abduction in same February.
“What these connote is that Nigeria is without leadership;” declaring that “this is the reason Nigerian people must unite and demand for the removal of the President and his Service Chiefs by passing a vote of no confidence in them.”
They were of the view that it was expected that the Buhari government would intensify efforts to get a grip on security and, to also restore trust in key governmental institutions, but the President will continue to prove to the larger populace that he is incapable. “This is enough for the representatives of the people in the National Assembly to push for the impeachment of the President;” declaring further that, “so far, he has proven to be incapable of handling the multidimensional crises we are facing as a people.”
The coalition also noted that security is not the only area where the State has failed. The CS leaders stated that Nigeria has more poor people (defined as those living on less than $1.90 a day) than any other country, including India. “Today, one of every five out-of-school children in the world lives in Nigeria, many of them girls.
“In all aspects of society, our country has done badly. Today, our national currency is daily being devalued by our rulers, and, most Nigerians have lost hope and are only waiting for the worst to come. “The question has always been how long can we continue to live in the face of uncertainty?
“How many more generations shall we waste before we get it right,” the coalition leaders declared.
They further protested that it is becoming more obvious that Nigerians cannot continue to tolerate the ordeals being faced in the country where there is abundance of resources.
“We the Nigerian Workers and Students, therefore, reject the daily worsening living conditions of the Nigerian people.
“We reject the daily massacre of Nigerians and the general insecurity in the land.
“We reject, in the strongest terms, the hardship being faced by the Nigerian people.
“We are saying enough is enough, and we will no longer sit-back and allow the mindless killings of Nigerians anywhere and in any manner, whatsoever be sustained. “We shall not sit-back again and allow the daily kidnapping, terrorism and wanton killings nationwide without showing displeasure, not just through writings but through protest which is also a form of expression.
“It is based on the foregoing, we, the Nigerian Workers and Students call on all Nigerians to prepare for a day of national protest of insecurity and massive poverty in the land which we shall communicate to the general public sooner than later.
“We call specially on students to mobilise like never before and participate in this clarion call to duty. We owe it a duty to rescue Nigeria from further sinking into the abyss.
“Together, we say NO to Fuel Price Hike.
“Together, we say NO to Killings.
“Together, we say NO to Bad Governance.
#StopTheKillings.
#No2Inseurity.
#No2BadGovernance.
“Together, we shall overcome,” they declared.