The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has condemned the Federal Government’s attitude under President Muhammadu Buhari for denying some Southern Leaders a landing permit to land in Makurdi airport recently.
IYC made this statement today in a press release signed by its National President, Comrade Pereotubo Oweilaemi, and made available to our correspondent in Warri.
IYC said Nigeria is sliding into a full blown fascist state where dictatorship is the order of the day, adding that what happened to the southern leaders can be termed as “dictatorship in a civilian garb taking too far.”
The statement reads, “We observed with utter dismay the shenanigans associated with the Government of President Mohammadu Buhari. We fear that Mr. President is gradually turning the Country into a police state where the will of the citizens will be subjected to his whims and caprices.
“The news that prominent southern leaders who were going to Benue State to attend a meeting on restructuring were denied from landing at Makurdi Airport by the presidency on a flimsy reason of security issue is to say the least the height of insensitivity of the Government towards its citizenry.
“Indeed, it’s now glaring to all and sundry that our democracy is under serious threat. For Buhari to allow his appointees to display such disdain towards our leaders in a Country we are supposed to be free citizens means Nigerians are not safe in his Government. The action of the presidency in preventing the citizens of this Country from moving freely only portends danger. It means every discerning voice will be emasculated by the Government just to have its way. IYC foresee democratic doom in Nigeria.
“President Buhari who confessed in 2015 that he was a repented Democratic should rule the Country in accordance with the democratic norms. There cannot be any government if the will of the citizens is no longer tolerated. The power of the government resides in the people. Buhari should therefore allow Nigerians to exercise their fundamental rights. The clamour for restructuring predated his Government. No citizen was never prevented by his predecessors from holding meetings or conferences on restructuring.
“When pressure mounted on previous governments about the demands for true federalism, they organised people’s conferences to chat the way forward. Whether Buhari likes it or not Nigerians will continue to agitate for restructuring. That is the only panacea to end these mindless bloodbaths across the Country. Without restructuring, Nigeria’s continuous survival in the midst of her challenges cannot be guaranteed.
“President Buhari who declared that he is for everybody and for nobody should not constitute himself as a clog in the wheel of progress. No amount of intimidation will cow Nigerians from agitating for the structural balancing of the Country. We will resist any attempt to emasculate the people from agitating for their rights.”
