Says protest a ploy to derail war against corruption Christopher
Isiguzo in Enugu and Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja with agency
report
The presidency has commended the Senate for its stance that
President Muhammadu Buhari has not violated the law.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National
Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, said this in a statement
signed by his spokesman, Dr. Sabi Abdullahi, in Abuja friday.
Enang, who was fielding questions from journalists after an
interactive session with law students from Akwa Ibom State who
visited him in his office, described the Senate’s position as
commendable and constitutional.
Enang made the statement while reacting to protests by a
coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of Resume
or Resign, Our Mumu don du, and others who are demanding that
Buhari should resumes duty or resign if incapacitated.
He maintained that Buhari had broken no law as he complied with
the provisions of the nation’s constitution which stipulateds that
he must handover to the vice president and duly inform the two
chambers of the legislature about his medical vacation.
According to him, the National Assembly is satisfied that the
president’s absence left no vacuum, and therefore cautioned
protesters against creating unnecessary tension in the country.
“The stance of the Senate is very patriotic; very commendable
and very constitutional.
“The Senate has always stood upright on matters of national
interest, and whenever there is objection or anything that the
Senate has objection to, we look at it maturely and amicably and in
this particular situation, as in most other situations I commend
the senate.
“We thank the Senate for the stabilising statement and for the
position they have taken because it is the position of the law of
the constitution,’’ he stated.
The presidential aide said the president was entitled under the
constitution to go on medical vacation, saying Buhari had already
complied with all relevant sections of the nation’s
constitution.
“The president is entitled to, under the constitution, transmit
formal letter to the Senate and House of Representatives informing
them of his vacation and, until he returns and transmits another
letter, the acting president is still in charge and there is no
vacuum in the seat of power.
“So all actions of the government like that of the executive,
legislature and the judiciary are going on and nothing is affected
adversely by the vacation of the President since there is no vacuum
in the country,’’ he added.
Also, the presidency yesterday said attempts to derail the war
against corruption, using subterfuge and bluff would not
succeed.
The remark was made when members of the Centre for Civil Society
and Justice (CCSJ), a civil society coalition staged a
counter-protest against ‘Our Mumu Don Do’ protesters led by Charles
Oputa, who have been calling for the return or resignation of
President Muhammadu Buhari at the precincts of Aso Rock Villa.
According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the ‘return or resign’
agitation was an illegal assembly stealthily organised to deliver a
body blow to the war against corruption.
“It might be taken for granted that the beneficiaries of the old
order are fighting back. We have been warned that corruption will
fight back. In a country where just one woman for having the
opportunity to serve as minister has N47.2 billion and $487.5
million of public resources in cash and property traced to her by
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), you don’t
expect the beneficiaries of that order to allow the Buhari
administration some peace. They want to distract us. But what the
presidency wants to assure patriotic citizens is that the
government will not bend.
“As far the president is concerned, he has done the needful by
handing the reins of authority to the vice president. Since the law
of the country does not give a time limit for the president’s
return, it cannot be imposed by a saber-rattling musician.”
Shehu commended the CCSJ for being orderly in its demonstration
and urged them to shun all provocations by opponents of
government.
Speaking on behalf of the demonstrators, the convener, Goodluck
Obi, who said his group had absolute faith and trust in Buhari’s
administration, added that his group would sustain the protest at
the Unity Fountain, Abuja, for one month.
“We are saying from today, August 10, 2017, we will be holding a
rally/protest march here at Unity Fountain for the next one month
and beyond in order to send clear and unambiguous message to agents
of chaos and disunity that Nigerians are solidly behind President
Buhari’s administration based on our democratic mandate entrusted
to him on March 28, 2015,” he said.
Many youths yesterday hit the streets of Abuja and marched to
Unity Fountain to denounce Charlie Boy’s group which has been
calling on President M Buhari to return or resign.
The placard carrying pro-Buhari protesters kicked against what
they described as rented group which is trying to undermine the
peace in Nigeria.
They said those anti-Buhari protesters were agents of corruption
and had no reasons to clamour for Buhari’s return because there is
no vaccum in governance.
A group, ‘OurMuMuDonDo,’led by Mr. Charles Oputa, popularly
known as Charlie Boy, on Monday began an indefinite sit-out at the
Unity Fountain, Abuja, demanding Buhari’s resumption of work or
resignation.
The Senate has also denounced the protest.
The Buhari Support Organisation (BSO), Enugu State chapter,
yesterday rose in defence of President Buhari over his long medical
vacation in London, insisting that the president had not violated
any known law.
The group therefore berated those behind the resume-or-resign
protests led by music star, Charley Boy, and other celebrities
under the aegis of ‘Our Mumu Don Do’, stressing that rather than
attack the president, the protesters should redirect their protests
to the appropriate quarters.
Chairman of BSO in the state, Chief Anike Nwoga, who spoke to
journalists in Enugu declared that the president met all the
constitutional requirements before embarking on the trip to the
United Kingdom.
He said the protesters should redirect their attention to the
National Assembly, where a loan proposal of $30 billion by the
president to get the nation out of recession has been gathering
dust, describing the protests against the Buhari as needless.
“We are of the candid view that whereas our brother Charley Boy
and his group have the inalienable rights to assemble and protest
as provided by the 1999 Constitution, and the police have no
business to attack them tear gas, however, they should redirect
their energy in appealing to the National Assembly that sat for
over one year on $29.9 billion procured by President Buhari for the
development of our deficit critical infrastructure.
“Enugu State chapter of the BSO believes sincerely that the
hunger, gross unemployment and abject poverty ravaging our dear
country.
Says protest a ploy to derail war against corruption Christopher
Isiguzo in Enugu and Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja with agency
report
The presidency has commended the Senate for its stance that
President Muhammadu Buhari has not violated the law.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National
Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, said this in a statement
signed by his spokesman, Dr. Sabi Abdullahi, in Abuja friday.
Enang, who was fielding questions from journalists after an
interactive session with law students from Akwa Ibom State who
visited him in his office, described the Senate’s position as
commendable and constitutional.
Enang made the statement while reacting to protests by a
coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of Resume
or Resign, Our Mumu don du, and others who are demanding that
Buhari should resumes duty or resign if incapacitated.
He maintained that Buhari had broken no law as he complied with
the provisions of the nation’s constitution which stipulateds that
he must handover to the vice president and duly inform the two
chambers of the legislature about his medical vacation.
According to him, the National Assembly is satisfied that the
president’s absence left no vacuum, and therefore cautioned
protesters against creating unnecessary tension in the country.
“The stance of the Senate is very patriotic; very commendable
and very constitutional.
“The Senate has always stood upright on matters of national
interest, and whenever there is objection or anything that the
Senate has objection to, we look at it maturely and amicably and in
this particular situation, as in most other situations I commend
the senate.
“We thank the Senate for the stabilising statement and for the
position they have taken because it is the position of the law of
the constitution,’’ he stated.
The presidential aide said the president was entitled under the
constitution to go on medical vacation, saying Buhari had already
complied with all relevant sections of the nation’s
constitution.
“The president is entitled to, under the constitution, transmit
formal letter to the Senate and House of Representatives informing
them of his vacation and, until he returns and transmits another
letter, the acting president is still in charge and there is no
vacuum in the seat of power.
“So all actions of the government like that of the executive,
legislature and the judiciary are going on and nothing is affected
adversely by the vacation of the President since there is no vacuum
in the country,’’ he added.
Also, the presidency yesterday said attempts to derail the war
against corruption, using subterfuge and bluff would not
succeed.
The remark was made when members of the Centre for Civil Society
and Justice (CCSJ), a civil society coalition staged a
counter-protest against ‘Our Mumu Don Do’ protesters led by Charles
Oputa, who have been calling for the return or resignation of
President Muhammadu Buhari at the precincts of Aso Rock Villa.
According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the ‘return or resign’
agitation was an illegal assembly stealthily organised to deliver a
body blow to the war against corruption.
“It might be taken for granted that the beneficiaries of the old
order are fighting back. We have been warned that corruption will
fight back. In a country where just one woman for having the
opportunity to serve as minister has N47.2 billion and $487.5
million of public resources in cash and property traced to her by
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), you don’t
expect the beneficiaries of that order to allow the Buhari
administration some peace. They want to distract us. But what the
presidency wants to assure patriotic citizens is that the
government will not bend.
“As far the president is concerned, he has done the needful by
handing the reins of authority to the vice president. Since the law
of the country does not give a time limit for the president’s
return, it cannot be imposed by a saber-rattling musician.”
Shehu commended the CCSJ for being orderly in its demonstration
and urged them to shun all provocations by opponents of
government.
Speaking on behalf of the demonstrators, the convener, Goodluck
Obi, who said his group had absolute faith and trust in Buhari’s
administration, added that his group would sustain the protest at
the Unity Fountain, Abuja, for one month.
“We are saying from today, August 10, 2017, we will be holding a
rally/protest march here at Unity Fountain for the next one month
and beyond in order to send clear and unambiguous message to agents
of chaos and disunity that Nigerians are solidly behind President
Buhari’s administration based on our democratic mandate entrusted
to him on March 28, 2015,” he said.
Many youths yesterday hit the streets of Abuja and marched to
Unity Fountain to denounce Charlie Boy’s group which has been
calling on President M Buhari to return or resign.
The placard carrying pro-Buhari protesters kicked against what
they described as rented group which is trying to undermine the
peace in Nigeria.
They said those anti-Buhari protesters were agents of corruption
and had no reasons to clamour for Buhari’s return because there is
no vaccum in governance.
A group, ‘OurMuMuDonDo,’led by Mr. Charles Oputa, popularly
known as Charlie Boy, on Monday began an indefinite sit-out at the
Unity Fountain, Abuja, demanding Buhari’s resumption of work or
resignation.
The Senate has also denounced the protest.
The Buhari Support Organisation (BSO), Enugu State chapter,
yesterday rose in defence of President Buhari over his long medical
vacation in London, insisting that the president had not violated
any known law.
The group therefore berated those behind the resume-or-resign
protests led by music star, Charley Boy, and other celebrities
under the aegis of ‘Our Mumu Don Do’, stressing that rather than
attack the president, the protesters should redirect their protests
to the appropriate quarters.
Chairman of BSO in the state, Chief Anike Nwoga, who spoke to
journalists in Enugu declared that the president met all the
constitutional requirements before embarking on the trip to the
United Kingdom.
He said the protesters should redirect their attention to the
National Assembly, where a loan proposal of $30 billion by the
president to get the nation out of recession has been gathering
dust, describing the protests against the Buhari as needless.
“We are of the candid view that whereas our brother Charley Boy
and his group have the inalienable rights to assemble and protest
as provided by the 1999 Constitution, and the police have no
business to attack them tear gas, however, they should redirect
their energy in appealing to the National Assembly that sat for
over one year on $29.9 billion procured by President Buhari for the
development of our deficit critical infrastructure.
“Enugu State chapter of the BSO believes sincerely that the
hunger, gross unemployment and abject poverty ravaging our dear
country.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/presidency-hails-senate-for-supporting-buharis-medical-vacation/