PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Nigerian civil society coalition wants President Jonathan removed
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Pastor Tunde Bakare, Convener of the civil society coalition Save Nigeria Group (SNG), Wednesday urged the National Assembly (parliament) to begin the process of impeaching President Goodluck Jonathan.
The privately-owned Punch newspaper reported Thursday that Bakare was speaking at an anti-fuel subsidy removal rally in Ojota, on the outskirts of Lagos, on the third day of the national strike called by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the civil society organizations.
Moving what he described as the motion of the Peoples’ Court, Bakare said Jonathan had committed impeachable offence for "illegally deducting money' from the Federation Account''.
He said: “The budget for 2012 was 4.749 trillion naira. The past budgets, what did they do with it.? During Obasanjo’s eight years, over 800 billion naira was voted for road construction and maintenance, there are no roads today (150 naira = US$ 1).
“They budgeted US$800 billion for the turn-around maintenance of the refineries but they did not maintain our refineries. We are back to square one. This budget that they have been voting is for the government by the government and for themselves. It is not for us therefore, they cannot punish us in order to sustain this budget.’'
According to him, in 2007, the money allocated for fuel subsidy was 300 billion naira. ’’Every year, until 2011 it would have been 240 billion naira, but because of the election, the President by himself without any budget, without telling the governors, without telling the Senate, spent the total sum of 1.3 trillion naira on subsidy.
“They took the money before they paid to the Federation Account. Today, we are asking the National Assembly to impeach Mr. President for illegal deduction. He has stolen our money, he has given to his people. Nigerians are asking for his impeachment.
“If the National Assembly will do their duties, time has come, because the President has committed an impeachable offence by taking money before paying into the Federation Account; for spending it before the budget. Right now, we are asking for our money back. They gave the subsidy money to those who sponsored its election. Nigerians are wise now,'' Bakare said.
The government is likely to interpret the call as political gamesmanship, considering that Pastor Bakare was the running mate of the presidential candidate of the opposition Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Muhammadu Buhari, who ran against President Jonathan in last year's election.
-0- PANA VAO/SEG 12Jan2012
The privately-owned Punch newspaper reported Thursday that Bakare was speaking at an anti-fuel subsidy removal rally in Ojota, on the outskirts of Lagos, on the third day of the national strike called by the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the civil society organizations.
Moving what he described as the motion of the Peoples’ Court, Bakare said Jonathan had committed impeachable offence for "illegally deducting money' from the Federation Account''.
He said: “The budget for 2012 was 4.749 trillion naira. The past budgets, what did they do with it.? During Obasanjo’s eight years, over 800 billion naira was voted for road construction and maintenance, there are no roads today (150 naira = US$ 1).
“They budgeted US$800 billion for the turn-around maintenance of the refineries but they did not maintain our refineries. We are back to square one. This budget that they have been voting is for the government by the government and for themselves. It is not for us therefore, they cannot punish us in order to sustain this budget.’'
According to him, in 2007, the money allocated for fuel subsidy was 300 billion naira. ’’Every year, until 2011 it would have been 240 billion naira, but because of the election, the President by himself without any budget, without telling the governors, without telling the Senate, spent the total sum of 1.3 trillion naira on subsidy.
“They took the money before they paid to the Federation Account. Today, we are asking the National Assembly to impeach Mr. President for illegal deduction. He has stolen our money, he has given to his people. Nigerians are asking for his impeachment.
“If the National Assembly will do their duties, time has come, because the President has committed an impeachable offence by taking money before paying into the Federation Account; for spending it before the budget. Right now, we are asking for our money back. They gave the subsidy money to those who sponsored its election. Nigerians are wise now,'' Bakare said.
The government is likely to interpret the call as political gamesmanship, considering that Pastor Bakare was the running mate of the presidential candidate of the opposition Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Muhammadu Buhari, who ran against President Jonathan in last year's election.
-0- PANA VAO/SEG 12Jan2012
