A labour-oriented civil society organisation, the All Workers Convergence (AWC), on Tuesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign, arguing that his government’s economic policies have been ‘devastating and ruinous.’
In a press release made available to National Record on Tuesday, signed by Comrade Andrew Emelieze, National Coordinator of AWC, the CSO said it was time for President Buhari to resign from office so that he does not “plunge Nigeria into another civil war” and that “the country is in a deep crisis under your care.”
Adding that the reign of torture, trauma and terror is everywhere in the country, Comrade Emelieze, who was a former State Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said it has “been bad news, massive mindless killings, hunger, penury and unbelievable wastage of human resources in Nigeria.”
According to the AWC, while President Buhari’s electoral promises were soul lifting, what Nigerians now have were opposites of those promises.
“Mr President, your electoral promises were soul lifting but what we have now is the negation of what you promised us. Everywhere in Nigeria, it has been drums of war. The country is so tensed that the human skin can feel the ugly atmosphere.
“Economically, our currency is being daily devaluated by your government to suit the impositions of the World Bank and the IMF. Thus, the unbearable daily increase in the cost of living and monumental hardship in the land.
“The only thing you have succeeded in doing is to aggressively privatize Nigeria in line with ideological impositions of unseen foreign forces thereby destroying our cherished values and national orientation of the collective spirit. This has encouraged corruption and pocketization of our joint wealth by a few.”
According to the AWC, Nigeria is today more divided along ethnic lines than ever before, leading to a sharp rise in ethnic nationalism.
“Socially Sir, Nigeria is badly divided more than ever before; the rise of ethnic nationalism has taken the place of national cohesion of which your body language has encouraged. Your obvious one-sidedness which you cannot deny, has led to suspicion and mutual distrust among our people.
“Funnily enough, at your ascendency, it is as if your ethnic group is empowered to wage a war against the rest of us , hardly will a day pass that Nigerians are not massacred, yet you personally refused to see these as terrorism. You will rather justify the killings by providing reasons for the daily butchering of Nigerians.
“The tension on the land is unprecedented Mr President. Our case is that of massive unemployment, collapse of infrastructure, acute want, poor wage structure, general insecurity, unending strikes, massive corruption, social denials and a failed hope. Little wonder, the prevalent high rate of suicide now in Nigeria and false consciousness.
“The implications of all these are that governance has collapsed under your care; we are only managing to exist and it is as if you are helpless and have abandoned Nigerians to their fate.
“Our people no longer see the value of governance. Hence, desperation, hostility and frustration have taken over the land. Living in Nigeria has been turned into a struggle, more of a survival of the fittest. Social solidarity among our people is eroding and gradually almost everybody is seeing each other as a prey.
“Mr President! What are you doing in Aso rock? Perhaps you have been sleeping all day. You owe Nigerians explanations concerning the decadence we are experiencing. You owe Nigerians apologies for your failed promises. Mr President, you are overwhelmed, why not humbly accept failure and bow out honourably instead of pushing us to further crisis, lamentation, torment and despair. It is obvious nothing extraordinary will come from you. Nigerians don’t even trust you for credible elections in 2023. My passionate appeal now is that please don’t plunge Nigeria into another civil war. Your government is creating hostile camps everywhere and Nigerians are beginning to attack themselves at all fronts.
“As regards our youths, the case has been that of massive unemployment and unimaginable repression by security forces, hence the #EndSars agitation and the massacre that followed especially in Lekki, which your government has been denying despite the findings and assertions of a panel set up by government, which assert that what happened in Lekki was a massacre. Mr President, the reactions of government is promoting tension, especially in the light of the provocative denials and propaganda by your Minister of information, Mr Lai Mohammed.
“Apart from the findings of the different ENDSARS panel across the federation, your government has refused to answer these fundamental questions: 1. Who invited the military to the Lekki toll gate? 2. Are security personnels supposed to use live ammunitions against protesters? 3. Who switched off the CCTV cameras in Lekki toll gate? 4. Who ordered the switch off of the street lights in Lekki? 5. Who put off the bill board at same venue? 6. Why would an agency of the Lagos State government clean up and sterilise the venue of the shooting at Lekki? 7. Why won’t the military allow the investigation of their mortuary? It appears that what we are having is a pogrom, inevitably, the dispositions of government towards the unwarranted killings of protesters during the ENDSARS protest will no doubt promote unexpected reactions from our youths.
“Mr President, our people are not happy that your government is mortgaging the future of unborn Nigerians through continuous loans and indebtedness, your government is putting Nigeria into. This is tantamount to a financial embarrassment of Nigerians. The position of our people is that you secure only loans you have the capacity to pay back within your tenure else note it that future Nigerians won’t pay for a loan they did not approve.
“It is also observed that your government is trying to cage the media at all cost. Your government has also not shown any significant difference in the war against corruption and as such the massive economic deprivation of the citizenry which has encouraged mass apathy to the extent that our people are pushed to the wall ; and they are either calling for a revolution or an End Nigeria. Funnily enough, the agitators created by your reign are also being detained by you. Mr President , if only you know the tensions you have caused by detaining the likes El Zazaki, Nnamdi Kanu, Omoyele Sowore, Sunday Igboho etal, then you will immediately significantly reduce tensions and opt for dialogue to release these agitators.
“Mr President, Nigerians are now endangered people, living a live of uncertainty and misery. Our people are no longer sure of their next moment. What we see in your regime is a massive failure and you know it. Ordinarily, you should cover your face in shame and resign honourably. The blood of citizens murdered daily is on your head, sooner than you expect; something will ask you. You might be smiling now but the blood of the Innocent must surely cry.
“The bad story is almost unending. Our country has been put on the edge and all indications are pointing towards further tensions. This is what has been giving us nightmares that if the tensions are not abated, the country might be thrown into another civil way. Most unfortunately governance under you has been absence, perhaps the reasons for general insecurity and the untold hardship across the country.
“Mr President, you have shown us clearly that you have nothing good to offer us. You are more of a gate keeper serving the interest of foreign powers that made you President. Sir, your government has longed lost the legitimacy to continue to rule. You have lost the respect of Nigerians. If only you are sincere and upright you would have much earlier resigned. If only you have conscience, the crisis of insecurity is enough reasons for you to quit Aso rock, but you don’t care. You will rather stick to power even when you know within you that you lack the sophistry to continue to pilot the affairs of Nigeria
“Mr President, is it a crime to have voted you to power?
“Is this how you will pay us back for putting our trust in you?
“Is this the change you promised? Nigerians are groaning, the country is bleeding, everything is upside-down. Nigerians are now victims of your failed leadership. Sir, you have betrayed Nigerians, governance under you is terrorizing Nigerians. This we shall no longer tolerate.
“Mr President, it is the great desire of most Nigerians that you honourably resign now. Our sufferings have gotten to the point we can no longer bear. Resign now to save Nigeria. If however, you refuse to resign, Nigerians will have no other option but to resist bad governance. Resign now Mr President.”
