The Mayor of Urhoboland, and an ex-militant leader in the Niger Delta region, Eshanakpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro, has told a self acclaimed leadership of a National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, to take its planned protest to the former President Mohammadu Buhari in Daura in Katsina state saying the fractional students group should ask the retired general why the past administration allegedly sold Nigeria’s crude oil in advance for two years and collected the proceeds before leaving office.
Akpodoro made the call on the students from his Ughelli, Delta State South-South Nigeria Mayoral Palace in a message to the agitating students over the weekend.
He said: “since they have refused to atune themselves to the dynamics of economic management in an emerging economy under the reformative administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, they should go and protest in Daura.
“If Adewumi and his factional NANS must protest, which power they lack, the group should go to Daura on behalf of Nigerians, ask the retired general why the past administration allegedly sold Nigeria’s crude oil for onward of two years and allegedly collected the proceeds.
“We were alarmed to hear from the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Yemi Cardoso, that the former administration sold out the nation’s crude for upward of two years and collected the revenue therefrom.
“Tell Buhari to render his stewardship of corruption to your group and leave Nigerians out of the grip of your manipulators.”
According to the Mayor, the only legitimate NANS leadeship known to all and sundry is the Comrade Lucky Emonefe-led NANS presidency as he called on the security agencies to go after those he described as impostors, interlopers and usurpers saying they are not known to Nigerian students as leaders but are known as weapons to the opposition elements who intend to promote civil strife in the country.
A livid Mayor Akpodoro tasked the office of the National Security Adviser to the President, and the Department of State Secuirty Service, DSS to rein in any troublemaker who intends disturbing the nation in the name of protest.
He said well-meaning citizens are patiently waiting for the President Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress, APC administration to deliver its reformative dividends of democracy as promised to the people, adding that the threatening the government should never be an option.
In a September 4, 2024-dated letter signed by a self style District Senator District Senator Okunomo Henry Adewumi, had informed of a planned protest bid to hold on September 15, and calling on students to shut all the major cities in the country to protest the recent increase in the pump price of premium motor spirit, PMS.
Mayor Akpodoro argued that an impostor has no right to call out students on protest saying such call is lawless, reckless and an uncharitable thing to do by any splinter group of an organisation maintaining that only Comrade Omoefe’s NANS presidency has the power to call out students for protest.
Mayor Akpodoro argued that Adewumi is possibly acting the script of the Peoples Democractic Party, and its cohorts. He advised Okuwumi to face his studies and should not allow politicians use him as a cannon fodder to achieve their evil plans against the Nigerian state.
He further stated that election losers are stopping at nothing to destabilise the country adding that whoever wanted protest should call out their children to take the lead rather than goading innocent children whose future he said depended on academic and vocational empowerment as provided in the policies and programmes of the current administration.
The only recognised leader of NANS, Comrade Omonefe according to the Mayor has in chats with him and senior government functionaries dissociated himself from the planned September 15 protest challenging Adewumi to tell Nigerians whose interest he represents.
In same vein, Akpodoro took a swipe on the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi for not doing enough to sensitise and enlighten Nigerians on what he described as superlative policies of the government.
He said most Nigerians’ misgivings against the Tinubu’s administration stems from the “gross laxity and lackadaisical attitudes of the Ministry of Information led by Malagi.
He said the minister is dormant, clueless, sleeping on duty, dumb with dearth of loyalty to the government that appointed him a minister of the Federal Republic.
“The President should sack all unproductive and disloyal ministers serving in his government.
“He should also relieve domant heads of agencies and parastatals who are inactive and doing nothing other than the razzmatazz of being in the federal cabinet.
“The national orientation agency should not be left in the president’s cleansing exercise as most of the appointees are not in tune with the responsibilities bestowed on them.
“President Tinubu should appoint in the place of administrative liabilities, young and vibrant Nigerians burning with developmental ideas.”
The vociferous Gbaregolor, Ughelli South Local Government Area-born Mayor added that the immediate past administration bequeathed poverty and despondency on Nigerians.
He called on President Tinubu to break the barriers of impossibilities to probe the administration of his precedessor particularly on the allegations of the two years payment of crude proceeds to that government.
“President Tinubu should write his name in gold by taking the giant stride to probe Buhari and members of his cabinet for corruption.
“It is glaring that this administration inherited empty treasury yet, the president we overwhelmingly mandated to lead us is not making any revelation.
“Tinubu should lay the foundation for probing a past president. General Buhari must be made to render his 8-year stewardship to Nigerians. The President’s loyalty should be for Nigerians and not one self acclaimed saint.”
