Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has described the ‘prayer walk’ protest against the disturbing insecurity in the country led by the General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, as a vote of no-confidence on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
While commending the action of the RCCG general overseer, Frank argued that the protest was a confirmation that the APC has failed Nigerians.
In a statement he issued in Abuja, Frank claimed that it will amount to a breach of agreement for Buhari to sack the current service chiefs, alleging that “the powers that be are directly benefiting from the corruption in the military.”
He urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) not to relent in mobilising more Christian leaders to join the likes of Pastor Adeboye on the streets, saying a “one-off protest will not be enough.”
The Bayelsa-born politician lauded Sheik Gumi for speaking against the APC, calling on other Islamic leaders to join the fray, just as he warned that the situation might get worse if religious leaders fail to speak.
“Nigerians must forget religious sentiments at this period. Muslim and Christian leaders need to come together and speak out loudly because it is only in the atmosphere of peace that anybody can practice his or her religious faith,” he said.
Frank called on traditional rulers to join Christian and Muslim leaders to “tell the failed Federal Government to step aside if the administration cannot protect the people any longer.”
He insisted that despite the trillions of naira expended on the military by the APC administration in the last four years, “the dreaded Boko Haram is still more vicious and appearing to be outwitting the Nigerian military.
“The service chiefs and the APC government under General Buhari will be questioned by the International Criminal Court (ICC) one day to give an account of how these monies were mismanaged while Nigerians died avoidable deaths and untold hardship,” the activist said.
Frank called on regional leaders to emulate the South-West by constituting security outfits capable of protecting their people instead of relying on the national security architecture.
“I call on my South-South leaders, South-East leaders, North-Central, North-East and North-West governors to urgently consider what they can do to protect the lives and property of their people and not rely on the central government anymore,” he said.
On the recent US visa ban on Nigerians, Frank blamed the President and the corruption of the military, saying it has led to the degeneration of security in the country.
He, however, called on the United States Government to review the ban in the interest of innocent Nigerians.
“I have to make it clear that Donald Trump’s administration does not hate Nigerians but it hates injustice, human rights abuse, non-adherence to the rule of law, lack of freedom of speech and all manners of impunity and corruption under the General Buhari-led government,” Frank said.
He appealed to the international community to come to the aid of Nigerians now confronted by unnecessary attacks and killings on a daily basis.