Sunday Okobi
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Olisa
Agbakoba, has called upon Nigerians of all creed and tongue to take advantage
of the rave of the moment in Nigeria called the National Intervention Movement
(NIM) to put the country where it rightly belong by demanding good leadership
at all time from the political class. He called on Nigerians to wrest power
from the political elite for the betterment of the society.
Agbakoba who visibly lamented the current ‘pathetic’ state of
the country, highlighted the many wrongs in the system, saying it was time
Nigerians called their leaders to order through a credible and apolitical
platform like the NIM.
At a media parley on Thursday in Lagos, the maritime
lawyer cum activist who disclosed that on November 29, he and other concerned
Nigerians, out of serious anxiety about the state of the nation, decided to
initiate NIM as a platform to uplift and ‘defreeze’ Nigerians (who he said are
frozen right now) so as to salvage what is left of the country.
According to him, Nigerians need a coherent
platform to prevent bad leadership in the country, hence the constitution of
NIM, adding that “we want a functioning democracy where political office
holders are accountable to the people, public institutions are strengthen and
the rule of law works.
“We want the government to work for Nigerians.
Presently, it is not. President Muhammadu Buhari needs to take his job seriously
by sacking his entire cabinet because they have failed. In the meantime, he is
sleeping on the job.”
Agbakoba, who noted that against the insinuation
that he has the backing of some political bigwigs, stated that former President
Olusegun Obasanjo did not give him any support in the formation of NIM, adding
that NIM is a political movement but not a political party, and has no
political interest at the moment.
He explained that “membership of the movement is
free and easy. Participation will be based on social media among others to
galvanise Nigerians to speak against bad government in one voice. Changing the
way our political leaders think and act is what the movement is all about. The
movement which was formed by G90 doesn’t hold onto anybody’s political ideology
or interest, it doesn’t also prevent any member’s political interest but must
be distant from the movement because it is strictly apolitical.”
On the many wrongs in the system which the former
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president said led to the initiation of NIM, he asked:
“Why for instance has nobody been fired for Mainagate? What is government plan for unemployment? 70percent
of our young people are unemployed, and this is alarming!
“What is the federal government plan for power? Should
the privatisation process be reversed? Why are our bidding and procurement
processes failing? Why is government still appropriating billions of naira for
turnaround maintenance of dead refineries?
“At the states, governors must deploy state
resources efficiently. For example, Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State is
fixing federal roads when state roads are deplorable; Governor Rochas Okorocha
is erecting status of all kinds of people when Imo State owes pensioners;
Governor Ayodele Fayose is making Christmas clothes for children but has not
paid Ekiti State workers, and on his own, Governor Nyesom Wike is using River State
money to buy SUVS for members of the National Assembly. All these must stop! Is
it not a scandal that oil producing states like Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia, Delta among
others owe salaries? So the Nigerian people will use this movement to guide as
well as cut the excesses of their political leader. Enough is enough!”
Agbakoba also urge Nigerians to use the medium to
demand that confidence return to the country’s judiciary, adding that “how come
corruption cases involving politicians never terminate in our courts? Governors
accused of corruption after office, get judicial immunity? Politicians charged
with corruption present themselves for public office in every election circle;
some are even senators making laws for the country.
“Therefore, we believe strongly that the way forward
is for civil society (including the media) to wrest power from this ruling
political elite to achieve a new system that is inclusive and works for all and
not a few.”
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