The Presidency says there is no room for dialogue with secessionist groups aiming to tear apart the unity of the country
Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the President also dismissed ongoiseccessionist agitations across some geopolitical regions of the country as a sham, declaring that President Mohammadu Buhari would not be bullied nor intimidated by anyone or group.
He also ruled out prospects of the government convincingly a national dialogue over the national question, as has been suggested by individuals and groups, stressing that Buhari will not pay anybody to stop seccessionist threats and agitations .
Garba,who spoke at a media parley organized by APC Professionals Forum, insisted that the country is united and will remain united.
He said despite the agitations credible voices of leaders of the various nationalities including Afenifere and Ohaneze as well as governors of the South East and South West states have all denounced the seccessionis groups.
He promised that the violent attacks on police formations in the South East would be addressed pointing out that no group or terrorists is greater than the Nigerian Army.
He advised advocates of national conference to approach the National Assembly which is the only democratic way to address the concern of citizens
“What National Conference do more than a parliament? Anyone who is a democrat in heart, in practice in their beliefs they should believe in the tripartite structure of government. Governments that are democratic, there was be a parliament, the executive arm of the government and the judiciary, each one being independent and cooperating with the other.
” We have an elected parliament, which mandated is to be the custodian of the sovereignty of the Nigerian people. Look, a lot of these people were crying for this secession, they are unelectable. If you think your are electable go around for a parliamentary seat whether House of Representatives or Senate and come and table an amendment for the constitution.
” The process is ongoing as we speak now under the Deputy Senate President. They are calling for memoranda, why can’t you present what you want? So the issue is that people who are not democrats want a parallel parliament to be set up and this Constitution does not recognize two parliaments in this country. We have one parliament that is sovereign, that is the custodian of the sovereignty of the Nigerian people. If your member representing you has failed to present this request, whether we should change of structure at state, local government or national level, pull him out four years after, don’t vote for him. Put another representative who will do what you want. This is how democracy works, periodic elections.
He expressed worries over thebdaily reports of killings and kidnapping across the country,saying the situation is both global and historic one.
Blaming the problem on the Sahel region to infiltration of al-Qaeda elements from Syria, Libya as well as the easy access to small arms in the subregion, Malam Shehu said that with cooperation of citizens the problem would fixed by the security agencies in the country.
Shehu maintained that the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari has performed exceedingly well in the provision of infrastructure in rail, road, power, and sundry areas .
In rail sector, he said,the 156km Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail is nearing completion while 327km Itakpe-Warri Standard Gauge Rail is already completed and commissioned, 33 years after construction began.
He also explained that Executive Order 7 is mobilizing private investment into the development of key roads and bridges like Bodo-Bonny in Rivers and Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojota in Lagos
According to him: “Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), a public-private partnership program to mobilise, in its first Phase, over a Trillion Naira in private investment into the development and maintenance of 12 Roads, amounting to 1,963km in length.
He also explained that more than N360 billion worth of Sukuk Bonds raised since 2017 have been spent on dozens of critical road projects across all six geopolitical zones, among other numerous achievement of the government he said cut across agriculture, power, oil and gas, ports and education .
