Press Statement
Friends, Citizens, and Compatriots, Nigeria stands today at a threshold of iniquity, intrigue, and fear unleashed upon helpless Nigerians. While Nigerians are battling hunger, terrorism and kidnapping, our meager resources are being plundered by the ruling class in the Senate and House of Representatives, working in cohort with dubious elements in the civil service and judiciary. The national law making body charged with the responsibility to make laws and statutes to protect us has become an albatross, a source of national shame, and a leading entity in national decay.
Nigerians are aware of the disproportionate salaries drawn by Senators and their ostentatious lifestyles in the face of national hunger with citizens scrambling for bread crumbs scattered on the ground by some governors for hapless citizens to struggle for as if we are dogs. While they do this, our school children, youths, parents, and foreigners are being kidnapped in broad daylight. Sadly, the Senate has lost its voice on these critical national issues. They have shown that they are incapable of making laws to arrest the insecurity and hunger in the land.
This week, as we listen to the stories of rot in the Senate as they pad the national budget to be redistributed as constituency allowances! This is despite standing constituency allowances for senators and House of Representatives members.
We, the people under the leadership of the Association of Nigerians Abroad (ANA) at home and Diasporas, call for a National Judicial Inquiry to be established by the President to address and:
1) Investigate and establish the level of rot in the Senate
2) Bring the salaries of Senators and HOR members to be at par with salaries drawn by citizens and civil servants in the country. Senators and HOR members are not sacred cows.
3) Arrest the deplorable hunger in the land
4) As a matter of urgency, investigate, pursue and punish publicly elements responsible for kidnapping of citizens country wide
5) Drastically reduce the cost of governance nationally
It has become very obvious that the current Senate leadership is incapable of the roles and responsibilities vested on them by the peopje. We the people in line with attributes of civilised democracies require stealing of public funds in the Senate by padding the budget need to be stopped.
Furthermore, the senate is NOT the executive arm of government. Hence giving senators constituency allowances is strange. Constituency allowances has to be stopped and be redirected to local governments. To be legislating and executing at the same time is a strange behaviour. The function of legislature is to make laws and the role of the executive is to EXECUTE those laws so legally passed. The legislators cannot be the judge and jury. This illegality has to STOP.
We urge Mr President with the support of the people to address these issues as a necessary step. We plan to take further legal steps nationally and internationally if these sought-after citizens’ demands fall on deaf ears.
Signed
- Prof Johnson I Agbinya (Australia)
- Uzoma Onyemaechi (USA)
- Prof Thaddeus Mku Ityokumbul (USA)
- Dr. Rosaline OKOSUN Ph.D (Nigeria)
- Prof Felix O B Akojie (USA)
- Dr. John Okoye (USA)
- Dr. Fatai Oyejobi (USA)
- Victor Adewusi (USA)
- Dr. Robert Okojie (USA)
- Dr. Monday Gala (Canada)
- Lee Olaniyi Kareem (USA)
- Dr. Akobuije Chijioke (USA)
- Prof. Folabo Ajayi Soyinka (USA)
- Dr Abraham Girgir (Canada)
- Chief Bright Igodo (USA)
- Comrade Ogbale Oga (Nigeria)
- Barr Agbinya S Agbinya (Nigeria)
- Hon Kelvin Odatse-Peters (Nigeria)
- Chief Ode Oko (Nigeria)
- Hon Dan Onda (Nigeria)
- Hon Amity Ijwuo (Nigeria)
- Comrade Andyson Iji (Nigeria)
- Dr Kenneth Okedu (Australia)
- Michael Sekoni (USA)
- Thomas Akagbosu (USA)
- Eno Godson Beedie (UK)
- Callistus Duruihezie (Argentina)
- Mr Hilary Ahonye (UK)
- Mr Otor Ade (Nigeria)
- Engr. Charles Akure (USA)
- Dr. Wonuola Yomi-Odedeyi (Canada)
- Pastor Nevkaa Richard Chenge (USA)
- Barr. Adima Edo (Nigeria)
- Prof. Chukwudi Okafor (USA
