BY INALEGWU SHAIBU
ABUJA – A coalition of civil society for PIB campaign yesterday called on Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, to resign for calling those protesting the delay in the passage of Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, charlatans.

Coordinator of the group, Rev. David Ugolor, who spoke to newsmen yesterday, said it was shameful and disgraceful for the deputy senate president to call peaceful protesters who are working for the growth of Nigeria charlatans.

He said: “For the deputy senate president to call civil society groups that came here on Monday to protest why the PIB has not been passed since the Joint Committee on PIB submitted its report to the Senate, without any violence as charlatans is very disgraceful.

“Sen Ekeremadu is not the type of leader we need in this country. The deputy senate president should, therefore, resign for making such statement.

“Do they want what happened in Niger Delta before to happen again? Can Sen Ekweremadu refer to ex-militant as charlatans? A man of his calibre should not call protesters charlatans.

Rev. Ugolor noted that the deputy senate president should have taken advantage of his office to make history by passing the bill, instead of involving in frivolities and name calling.

According to him, “with that comment, do you think somebody like Sen Ekweremadu should be in that position?

“He had the opportunity of making history with the privilege of chairing the Senate in the absence of the Senate President and all he could do was to call peaceful protesters charlatans, we resist any effort to frustrate the passage of the bill because its passage will benefit Nigerians.”

The group also demanded an apology from the deputy senate president, insisting that it was impolite for a Senator of Ekweremadu’s status to ascribe such abusive word to Nigerians who are seeking the benefits of the larger society through peaceful protests.

Rev. Ugolor added that the civil societies is committed to better Nigeria, stressing that no amount of verbal harassment will deter them from mounting protest to ensure that the PIB is passed into law.