—Urges FG to reach truce with Twitter

—Calls for drastic reduction of poverty

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

THE Inter-Party Advisory Committee, IPAC, has joined in the opposition against the appointment of Lauretta Onochie, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, as a National Commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, saying such appointment would undermine the independence and neutrality of the Commission.

IPAC said appointment of a card-carrying member of a political party in the country  was a bad and unhealthy precedent.

Besides, it called on the Federal Government to reconsider its banning of Twitter in the country and reach a truce with the Social Media Company for the sake of Nigerians that use the medium for their legitimate businesses.

This is as the group has bemoaned the worsening security situation in the country and called on the government to be alive to its responsibilities.

Briefing journalists on the state of the nation in Abuja, the National Chairman of IPAC, Dr. Leonard Nzenwa, urged the Federal Government to attend to the cry of Nigerians for inclusivity, and  appealed to all those formenting trouble in the country to desist from it and allow peace to reign.

Dr. Nzenwa, flanked by other members of the council, also told the government to reconsider the ban on Twitter and also enter into truce with the social media blogger

for the sake of Nigerian that use the medium for their  legitimate businesses.

It, however said that the government should give clear warning to Twitter and enter into agreement with ith that it should not allow its handle to be used for hate speeches  or incitement detrimental to the Nigerian State.

According to Nzenwa, “IPAC reechoes it’s opposition to the appointment of Lauretta Onochie, an aid to Mr. President as a National Commissioner in INEC as this will undermine the independence and neutrality of the Commission with key appointment of a card-carrying member of a political party in the country – a very bad and unhealthy precedent in the country. We call on National Assembly to ensure that they yield to demands of Nigerians not clear her.

“We call on the government to reconsider its banning of Twitter in the country and reach a truce with the Social Media Company for the sake of Nigerian that use the medium for their  legitimate businesses with clear warning and agreement that it should not allow its handle to be used for hate speeches  or incitement that is detrimental to the Nigerian State.

“The Council counsels the government to attend to the cry of Nigerians for inclusivity, and  appeals to all those formenting trouble in the country to desist from it and to allow peace to reign. We are sure these trouble makers, bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, known and unknown gunmen and criminal elements are human beings like everyone of us who have mothers, sisters, brothers, children and fathers and speak to their conscience to note that how they would feel if what they inflict on other people are visited on them or their own people!

“The Council urges leaders of political parties and their aspirants to ensure free, fair, credible, transparent, acceptable, inclusive and rancour free primaries for the Anambra State governorship poll.

“As we march gradually towards 2023, and if indeed we are honest and sincere  and subscribe for all to be part of the leadership of the country at the highest level, we should all work collectively to ensure that the area that have not had opportunity to produce a leader at this highest level in the country should be given the opportunity to do so.”

The council moaned with Nigerians over the death of the former chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru and reiterated its earlier call on President Buhari to rijig Nigerias’ security architecture to work for final decapitating of terrorists and other criminal elements troubling the country.

“Now is time to flush out this criminals as Nigerians are fed up,” it said.

Continuing, it said,  “IPAC is disturbed  by the level of suffering in the land, a nation blessed with abundant human and natural resources. The economy is  sluggish, real sector is epileptic and ultra-high Unemployment. Key economic indicators are slow and businesses are stifled.

“This is a time bomb that needs to be addressed urgently. The factories have to be resuscitated to absorb millions of jobless and hopeless youths that are resorting to crime. Corruption in the various social safety net programs must be checked to make it work.

“We ask the government to redesign the social safety programs and direct it to the vulnerable. Corruption in high places must be fought vigorously. Any economic policy that do not put food on the people’s table makes no meaning to them. Poverty rate in the land must be reversed  to dignify Nigerians.

“Council condemns in strong terms the incessant burning of INEC and Nigerian Police facilities in some parts of the country and demand a stop to this arson against the country. We call on Securty agents to identify and deal decisively with these criminal elements that are perpetrating the burning of national assets.

“The Council calls on INEC to redouble it’s effort as much is expected from them ahead of the 6th November 2021, Anambra State gubernatorial election which is  litmus test for ahead of Ekiti and Osun Gubernatorial Electonics 2022 as we approach the 2023 general election for which the Commission created new polling units to fast track voting processes in the State, and across the nation.”

Also Read: Nwaoboshi: We’re not worried over those who are neither here nor there — PDP

On the worsening security situation in the country, IPAC said,” There is a cloud of uncertainty across the country. If we are sincere to ourselves, can we wholeheartedly exclaim  that we have a beautiful country, the one we used to know, now? Can we say heartily that we are giant of Africa, as euphemistically echoed in the past. We seem to have lost the Nigeria we used to know.

“Everything has gone to the dogs. Everybody seem to have taken their own path. Herdsmen are killing farmers, kidnappers are invading our homes, our schools are no more safe for learning, bandits are terrorising everyone of us and terrorists with all sort of names are raiding our villages. We no longer sleep with our eyes closed!

“The level of killings that have been perpetrated by criminal elements in this country in so short a period as this is much . Sadly, Nigeria is ranked the third most unsafe place to live on earth.

” How did we get to this horrible point? A sore point where lives do not matter anymore? Where our laws do not make any meaning to all of us? How did we get to this consciousness-less verge? 

Where calls for secession has become stringent and deafening? Where we have non-state actors dethroning state actors? Where our farmers can no longer go to their farms ? Where we have bred a nation of outlaws, an army of anarchist, and gangs of cannibals. I am tempted to conclude, and say that we are enmeshed in buckets of wicked problems which has overwhelmed us all.”

Vanguard News Nigeria