The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use his power to address insecurity and hunger plaguing the nation instead of arresting those against his policies like activists, labour leaders and opposition elements.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the party gave the words of caution while reacting to the arrest and detention of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The party also urged Tinubu to channel his energy towards addressing the nation’s rising inflation, poverty, and hunger and improve security because this is what he was elected to do.
Ologunagba said, “There is a need for caution, there was a protest in this country, but the government did not do anything.
“You arrest some people and say they were terrorists and you charge them to court. You say some people were the sponsors of the protest.
” We know those who sponsored the protest. The sponsor is hunger, the President and his people; arrest hunger and there will be no protest.
“Let your draconian policies, that are bringing people to their knees. This is the season school is resuming, we know what all of us are going through for those who have pupils in school.
“You wake up one morning, you cannot plan because the government is so insensitive and irresponsible, without consulting the National Assembly and come up with policies that destroy the plan of the people, destroy the opportunity to have what we call pursuit of happiness.”
The party’s spokesman said for the sake of emphasis, government exists for the welfare and security of the people. He lamented that under the present administration, none of these currently exists.
Speaking specifically on news of Ajaero’s detention, he said, “This is a breaking story. Let us see, and hear what it is. We will find out.
“Let the government face the welfare challenges of this country, then there will be no protest.
“Nobody cares who the president of this country is, if the government provide us with the opportunity to pursue our own goals and aspirations.
“So, we will as a party, find out, since this is breaking and take it from there. Indeed if the government is about welfare and the people are saying we are dying, it is sane to review those policies.
“Then you must show leadership by saying okay, you are telling me to tighten my belt and you are buying new belt.
“This is a country that cannot pay N70,000 according to them, minimum wage. But this is a country that can buy a 150 Million Dollar plane.
“The President is trying to test how good it is and he is flying everywhere. This is a country where you spend 21 billion naira to renovate the Vice President’s House, this is a country where they have no money according to them, but the President will buy a yacht.
“There is no water body in Abuja so for the president to get to the yacht he will have to travel one hour to Lagos.
“The Yatch has a 24 Hours Security protection. Until we talk about this issue. The president should know that when he is in a position, it is in our interest that he succeeds.
“Because the success of the president is our success. Nobody wishes him a failure, but if his decisions are such that it is causing Nigerians pain, we will speak.
“We know the reality of Nigeria, with its constraints of tribe and ethnicity, but it pales into insignificance with the reality of Nigerians. People are dying every day and you know that.”
