The National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari over the continued siege on the residence of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, by the operatives of the Department of the State Services (DSS).
He said the action of the federal government in deploying the DSS to the premises of Dasuki in flagrant disregard to a court order was a clear sign of lawlessness and danger for the nation’s democracy.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja, Abdulsalam also faulted the attitude of the Buhari-led administration towards the recent upsurge in agitation for Biafra, warning that unless the government does something fast to properly engage those behind the protests, the country faces the risk of another major security crisis.
Abdulsalam warned that unless something urgent was done to address the grievances of the protesters, it could degenerate into chaos and lawlessness.
He said previous governments paid lip services to Boko Haram insurgency when it reared its ugly head during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
On the siege by the DSS at Dasuki’s residence the LP chairman said the act amounted to disrespect to court order and an invitation to lawlessness and anarchy if allowed to continue.
“Whatever is the reason behind the disregard for a court order regarding the former NSA, spells danger. It is dangerous for democracy. If the government starts disrespecting court judgments, then there is a problem.
“What Buhari is doing is not new. Buhari is a dictator. Under him, Nigeria is drifting into a lawless state. Things are done with impunity.
“What Buhari says is different from his actions. He is always lamenting. He told us he was going to fight corruption with everything. Now he is saying he will use the same method Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Obasanjo used. He says one thing and does another. Buhari and All Progressives Congress (APC) are not consistent,” he said.
He condemned the deafening silence by President Buhari regarding the massive pro-Biafran protests in the South-east and some states in the South-south.
According to Abdusalam, “Boko Haram insurgency started like this and the government then did not take it seriously. Look at what we have now. You cannot say there is no neglect in the South-south and South-east. You might not know if you have not been there.
“The soldiers are saying they want to crush Biafran protesters, they should go and crush Boko Haram in Sambisa forest and bring out the girls first.”
The LP chieftain also lent support of his party to the threat by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to organise mass protest if the current fuel scarcity was not arrested by the federal government
He said the president has derailed on his perceived handling of the current fuel scarcity and corruption war.
Accordingly, Abdulsalam said not until the refineries are put in place, the country will continue to suffer repeated fuel scarcity. He also described the president’s anti-corruption war as a repeat of previous administrations.
“My take on the issue of subsidy is that Buhari has not undertaken any project since he came in. Our refineries are not working, and until that are done, we will not get out of this mess. It goes beyond appointing yourself as Minister of Petroleum. Nothing has happened in Nigeria since he took over. The president needs to do more.
“If the labour unions decide to go on strike because of the fuel scarcity, we will carry placards and join them. Even now, you cannot bring in foreign investors. The country is not safe. We do not have a data in this country. They said they want to pay N5, 000 to graduate how will that help Nigerians?
We are in a serious problem,” he noted.
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