A coalition of vexed, angry and frustrated Nigerians under the aegis of #Occupy Unlimited & Be The Change Organisation# on Thursday demanded the removal of immunity clause from the constitution to pave way for the prosecution of the President and governors whenever they contravene the law and dip their hands in public purse.
While protesting against the high profile looting of the national treasury by political office holders, the organisation demanded urgent review of salaries/benefits for politicians and part time legislature in the National Assembly.
They also demanded total compliance by the National Assembly with government’s policy on Treasury Savings Account; making National Assembly budget public; stopping of constituency fraud and unicameral legislature that would ensure scrapping of Senate.
The National Coordinator of the coalition and ace showbiz promoter, Charles Oputa popularly called Charly Boy aka Area Father and Co-Convener, Retson Tedheke, made the demands during a press briefing in Abuja to unfold plans for a nationwide mass protest beginning from November 15 (Tuesday next week) at the National Assembly.
Oputa said he had mobilised 10,000 Nigerians for the protest adding that until Nigerians begin to change their own attitude, nothing about governance or the system would change.
He said, “I know that in the past I have been critical of government on ground. In the last regime of ex-President Goodkuck Jonathan, he was seen as a very good man who was too quiet and didn’t know what to do. And everybody did rubbish around him. But in this current dispensation, we all know that Muhammadu Buhari who is our President was elected or selected because of his past credentials in the prosecution of the War Against Indiscipline.
“Now that he is in the office and fighting corruption, the anti-corruption fight is not for one man. I tried to look around his cabinet and the people around him to see if they are all saying the same thing with him in the anti-corruption campaign. But I don’t see them. I always have the interest of the youths and have always said that the salvation of this county lies in the hands of the exceptional youths.
“Until we begin to change our own attitude, nothing about governance or the system will change. That is why as the Area Father, I am just hosting you people. I recall that in the 1970s when the youths use to enter the streets against military government but somebody decided to factions the youths until they become redundant. We need to retrieve our stolen future. We are going to give a warning shot, test run the protest and sustain the tempo. I have mobilised 10,000 Nigerians for the protest which will kick off next week Tuesday (November 15) in the National Assembly.”
Tedheke said zonal mobilisation groups would soon be inaugurated adding, “we are going to make the National Assembly our camp for the next two weeks.”
He said, “We are a coalition of vexed, angry and frustrated Nigerian. This country is so so richly blessed in everything and also poor in everything. We are represented by men and women who steal to survive and we praise them to high heavens. The people who steal little things are burnt alive
“Beginning from November 15, we are going to start a process of unlimited occupation; the politicians believe that we are always tired but we are going to change the narrative and make it a continuos process of engagement, we will never be tired until things improve.
“Our target is the National Assembly, Executive and Judiciary. The salary and allowances of all politicians should be reduced by 70 percent. We have written to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission and they have invited us for a meeting.
“For the Executive, they are not monitoring the spending of public funds, especially the National Assembly. They should open the books of NASS. The TSA is constitutionally mandated to get all monies into the federation account.”
