Press Release
Few days ago, our Movement put up an advertorial pointing on the way forward for Nigeria. However, some Northerners joined issues with us bordering on the rationale behind the Movement. We hereby wish to state that our Movement is not involved in militancy as some Northerners think. Rather it is a Movement designed to promote Southern unity which has eluded us in the past. We also articulate and defend the interest of Southern Nigeria, just as the Arewa Consultative Forum and the Northern Union articulate and defend the interest of the North. Our position is clear- southern unity is our goal!
Against this background, the attention of the Southern Protectorate Movement (SPM) has been drawn to the horrendous calls for the resignation of our daughter- the Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akinyili.
The Cabal
The agents of darkness who have made this call are those whose stock-in-trade is the continuous exploitation of the South, deceit of the Nigerian state and her people. Nigeria was erected on lies and has been sustained on lies and the so-called Northern caucus in the National Assembly is uncomfortable with the refreshing breath of fresh air provided by Dora Akunyili who has decided to call a spade a spade.
Now, is it not interesting that the Northern caucus of the National Assembly called for the resignation of Prof Dora Akunyili for speaking the truth, while the caucus refused to address the core issues? Is it not a known fact that a cabal has imprisoned our President, making him inaccessible for over a 100 days? Why can’t the caucus address this issue that has been troubling Nigerians instead of chasing shadows?
The Hypocrisy
Late last year, the Minister of Petroleum Dr Rilwan Lukman had arrogantly stated that the removal of the Petroleum Institute from Warri in Delta State to Kaduna was not a big deal and that government cannot reverse itself on the matter. He insisted that the college he attended in Glasgow in Great Britain was not in an oil producing area yet it was sited there. Many southern leaders , including the South South governors called on him to resign or be called to order. Where was the Northern caucus of the National Assembly at that time? Would they say they were unaware of the insensitive remark made by Dr Lukman? Yet , today when a princess from Southern Nigeria merely defended public interest and her office as an Information & Communications Minister of the nation who deserve to be informed of the happenings around the President, they are calling for her to be crucified. How sad! Akunyili dey kam pke! No shaking! No tension!
Nigerians may recall the unfortunate utterances of the Honourale Ibn Allah who exhibited political neophytic exuberance by calling for the extermination of 20 million Niger Deltans to pave way for continuous parasitic expedition. The so called Northern caucus of the National Assembly were in such a slumber when he made that comment that they could not reprimand one of their own neither did they scold him with a possible recall.
The Southern Protectorate Movement is watching this set of leaders who hide under tribe, prefer untruths, and should know that Prof Dora Akunyili, a proud daughter of Nigeria and a thoroughbred, has earned all that she is worth not on the altar of dismissive quota system but because of her patriotism and competence. If ordinary people like us are not afraid to tell the truth, why would an amazon of her status be? In any case, the Acting President should dismiss these childish calls for her removal. We call on Nigerians to stand by the truth which Akunyili and other leaders like her represent. We are tired of sycophants who rose to their positions through mediocrity, ethnic and tribal considerations.
Conclusion
We wish to call on the leadership of the House to stop forthwith these divisive meetings of ethnicity bent which is holding Nigeria’s development hostage. We also demand the unconditional apology from the so-called Northern caucus for the show of arrogance . The caucus has forgotten that they are being sustained by the resources from the South.
Professor Dora Akunyili is therefore advised to ignore the calls by these unpatriotic elements parading themselves as representatives of their people but who daily erect legacies built on mere sand (lies).
Lekan Adeyemi (Lagos) Etim Bassey (Calaber)
08131602320 08021278613
Felix Idahosa Ebiweni Ebiokpo (Yenagoa)
08035163967 07036797730
Chukwuma Nwokedi (Enugu)
(08035163967)
Your Comments
Exact message for the idiots calling themselves Northen senators!
As a pacifist, I ponder on the state of affairs in Nigeria and my summation is that we are still decades away from modern-day politics. Nigeria politics continue to be based on regional and tribal parameters. – NO, this is not the way. What we need is a consensual political determination to ensure popular ideologies. Why would the northern reps want Akunyili out of office? Is it because she is an idealist who makes the effort to tell the truth – the way it should be told and perceived by all?
I wish to react to the opinions of some northern legislators in the lower chamber of the National Assembly under the aegis of the “Northern Members Caucus”, calling for the resignation of Prof. Dora Akunyili as the Minister of Information and Communication because of her public comments. In our young democracy, it is bizarre to engage in a campaign of calumny aimed at discrediting the reputation of leaders who against all odds have been guided by their conscience to always fight for what is right and true.
The call by these legislators whose reasoning has been beclouded by sectional interest is a slap not only to the personality of Prof. Dora Akunyili but a slap to the entire Igbo race. When has the north being the only voice in the country? Is it because Akunyili speak the truth about the situation in Nigeria? Are you all afraid that she is the only one that stood up against the evil coming from the North?
The call for her resignation is a wasted effort, she cannot resign. She has made her mark of distinction on the face of the whole world. You northerners think that Nigeria Presidency is your birthright and nobody dare speak up on it. Well, Akunyili did and stood upon it without looking back. Akunyili is a woman that has won the admiration of the whole world because of her principles.
Akunyili’s travail started with her highly praised memo-haram that spur the Federal Executive Council into action, and acted as a catalyst that ended the vacuum in the presidency. While patriotic Nigerians stood by her in the presentation of the memo, some political jobbers out of there selfish interest started engaging in name-calling, treacherous lies, and propaganda to thwart her stand – to fight for the rule of law.
What is Dora Akunyili’s crime? Is it because she tells Nigerians the truth, which we all know is very bitter? Is it her memo-haram which all Nigerians, home and abroad appreciated? Is it because of her high-rising profile, which she gained through hard work, diligence and steadfastness? The question these groups of legislators failed to answer is; what has Akunyili done to warrant her resignation?
They alleged that “she makes public comments that heat up the polity”, they later claimed that “under the doctrine of collective responsibility, she is incompetent to make public statements in contradiction of the collective decision of the Federal Executive Council.” This is a silly excuse to warrant her resignation. She has the freedom of speech which the constitution of Nigeria still guaranty. Point of correction, only the parliamentary system of government operates with the principle of collective responsibility; we are in a presidential system that operates on individual responsibility. A minister takes the praise and blame in her ministry, and if Akunyili’s duty as Information and Communication Minister is to act as the mouthpiece of the government, then, she has done creditably well by telling Nigerians the truth.
Akunyili swore an oath of allegiance to Nigeria, not Yar’Adua. Therefore she is accountable to the entirety of Nigerians, including the North and the South. Even if she still remain loyal to ailing president Yar’Adua, that doesn’t warrant a fly to follow the corpse to the grave. Her call for President Yar’Adua to come out and address the nation, in other to douse the tension in the country is patriotic, and doesn’t warrant any threat from the House of reps members in the Northern region.
Have the Northern House of representative members under the aegis of the “Northern Members Caucus” asked for the resignation of their brothers (the cabal) and empress Turai, who are blackmailing and disgracing Nigeria with a motionless corpse? Enough of these nonsense from the Northern reps; these ethnic chauvinists from the north have no moral right to demand for Akunyili’s resignation. Nigeria has lost moral right in the comity of nations, we have become very comical. We have made nonsense of our 1999 constitution because of some cabal in the north, which are bent on protecting their selfish interests.
Why should these myopic politicians allow ethnic and regional sentiment becloud the unambiguous provision of the constitution? We did not hear the Northern Members Caucus when Aondoakaa was blaspheming. We did not hear you when Olusegun Adeniyi was referring to Acting President Goodluck Jonathan as Vice President. We did not hear you say anything when the Ambassador of Nigeria to Saudi Arabia said Yar’Adua is walking about and healthy, only for him to be smuggled into the country in the dead of the night like contraband goods. Now you want Dora Akunyili out! Why? Is it because she is a woman? Is it because she is an Igbo? Is it because she has integrity which she won’t mortgage because of personal ambitions and gains?
Akunyili ride on, the world is watching your courageous act. Martin Luther Jr stood up for his beliefs and shows the world that one can make a difference. You have changed our generation way of hiding under the truth because of earthly vanity. You are a mirror that reflects the faces of under privilege voices. Be among them, but continue to distinguish yourself among them. Your name is already in the golden book of Nigeria history. Your courageously lonely voice saved Nigeria from sinking to the bottom of the ocean which these cowards find hard to swallow. Akunyili carry go; the Igbos are solidly behind you. The entire Igboland is proud of patriotic and sincere daughters like you.