NIGERIA: APC Alerts Lawmakers on Anti-Democratic Antics

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 The All Progressives Congress prresidential campaign organisation has cautioned reconvening members of the National Assembly against taking any action that might affect the foundation of the country’s democracy.

The campaign team alleged that a car wash company with no experience in railway construction was awarded a railway rehabilitation contract at N24 billion naira. It also mentioned another case of N44 billion consultancy contract awarded at N488billion and jacked up by extra N2 billion overnight.

A statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation Malam Garba Shehu,  yesterday noted that the members of the National Assembly are returning to plenary at a time when the country is passing through a phase of some surreptitious attempt to tamper with the sanctity of the election date and the hand-over date.

The statement observed that the commentaries coming from leading members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) about a sinister plot to compromise on the sanctity of the May 29 hand-over date portends a great danger to the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.

“We wish to welcome back to plenary distinguished members of the National Assembly. We also wish to call their attention to the fact that their resumption is coming at a time when some senior members of the ruling party are mouthing overtures over a surreptitious attempt to compromise on the sanctity of the election day and the hand-over date.

“To the extent that the parliament is the heart of any democracy, our National Assembly members have a duty to ensure that they protect our democracy from the archeries of its enemies.

“It is on this note that we in the APC presidential campaign organisation call on every member of the National Assembly to add their voices to that of millions of other Nigerians and stand resolute that the general election must hold between March 28 and April 8 as scheduled and also that the May 29 hand-over date remains sacrosanct.

“In light of the foregoing therefore, the organisation is standing at the side of millions of other Nigerians to say that any form of government beyond the May 29 terminal date of this incumbent administration, whose authority is not legitimised by the ballot box is unacceptable, unconstitutional and, in effect, null and void.

“We call on the National Assembly to similarly lend its voice to that of the overwhelming number of Nigerians by proclaiming that any illegal government before or after May 29 is unacceptable.

Meanwhile, the  campaign organisation has reiterated that the Jonathan administration lacks the capacity or the moral courage to fight corruption, and cannot therefore be trusted to govern Nigeria again.
It said a government with a notorious record of indifference to corruption should not be taken seriously to fight corruption.

Citing the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NPC), which it alleged is creaking under the weight of corruption; the statement wondered how the so-called success story of the railway corporation could be sustained under the influence of corruption.

The statement alleged that a car wash company with no experience in railway construction was awarded a railway rehabilitation contract at N24 billion. It also mentioned another case of N44 billion consultancy contract awarded at N488billion and jacked up by extra N2 billion.

The organisation disclosed that despite repeated petitions, which were investigated and confirmed by the State Security Service (SSS), corruption and inflation of contracts continues to grow unabated at the railway corporation.

According to the it, most of the individuals involved in these shady deals cannot be touched because of their connection to powerful people in the presidential villa. The statement alleged that the Managing Director of the Railway Corporation has become so powerful that he boasted to Board Members that any of them fighting him “are fighting the First Lady.”

Suspecting that the board members were behind the SSS investigation, the statement accused the Managing Director of the corporation of using his alleged connection to the First Lady to award contracts without due process, and intimidates board members with impunity.

The APC presidential campaign noted that with this level of corruption and impunity at the railway corporation, it would be difficult for the Jonathan administration to convince Nigerians it has the will or the capacity to rid Nigeria of the scourge of corruption.

According to the statement, only in a country like Nigeria would a security agency indict a department of government of corruption and the government of the day would ignore the report.

The statement also reminded the Jonathan administration that it would not fight corruption by shielding corrupt people from prosecution, a situation, which it said, might embolden crooks to ruin the country with impunity.

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