ACN MP's Condemn Deployment Of Soldiers To Lagos

ABUJA, January 19, (THEWILL) - Members of the Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] in the House of Representatives Thursday condemned the deployment of armed soldiers in the South West following the peaceful protests that trailed the removal of subsidy on fuel by the Federal government.
 
The lawmakers said the presence of the soldiers was a harsh reward for supporting the aspiration of the President in the last presidential election and called for their immediate withdrawal.    
 
In a statement signed by the Minority Whip, Hon. Samson Osagie [ACN, Edo], the ACN party caucus in the parliament pointed out that the deployment was done in bad faith as no circumstance (s) exist in those States to warrant deployment of troops.
 
“We are shocked that days after labour have suspended strike action, the Federal Government still deems it fit to continue to retain heavily armed soldiers on the street of these States to harass and intimidate innocent citizens.
 
“It is therefore important to state that the presence of soldiers on the streets of these States is only reminiscent of the attitude of military government which this country has since 1999 bided farewell. 
 
“Therefore, it is in the interest of the vast majority of our people that government should not further militarize their psyche by urgently withdrawing troops from these States and to stop the harassment of the civilian population because the country is not at war”.
 
Earlier in a press conference, lawmakers including Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, Adeola Solomon, Mudashiru Akinlabi and other ACN members from Lagos, Oyo and Ogun said the continued deployment of soldiers on the streets of Lagos was not acceptable by the caucus.
 
Dabiri-Erewa said the President’s action was tantamount to a declaration of war on Nigerians who voted for him. “It goes without saying that Lagos is a mini Nigeria, everybody has something to do with Lagos and with the protest, we cannot say Nigerians do not have rights to say no to government policy.
 
“It is a wrong move, it is ill-advised and we call on the President to please redeploy those soldiers away from the streets of Lagos.
 
“We are not at war, this is democracy, Nigerians have the right to speak out against policies they do not want, it is left for the government to find ways round it.
 
 “Mr. President, take the soldiers out of Lagos streets because it is bad for democracy,” she said.
 
In her submission, Jumoke Okoya-Thomas noted that there was no justification for the deployment, since, according to her, “There was no incident during the protests that warranted the deployment of the soldiers. In every developed society, the only way for people to protest is though a march on the government which we did peacefully in Lagos.
 
“This peaceful march does not require military intervention; they are needed in the areas of Boko Haram. Lagos is peaceful cosmopolitan State with every ethnic group in this country having one thing or the other to do with it,” she added.
 
Adeola Solomon who is Chairman House Committee on Public Account said the presence of the soldiers on Lagos streets has created fears in the mind of the ordinarily peaceful people of Lagos.
 
“What Lagosians protested against was about policy that was not acceptable to the generality of Nigerians and what happened in Lagos State happened in virtually every part of this country.
 
“For the President to now say for the actions or inactions of what transpired in Lagos for the past one week is something unacceptable to him and to that extent deploy soldiers to the streets of Lagos is unfortunate in a democratic setting”.
 
According to Solomon, “The fears the presence of these soldiers have created in my people can only be imagined. The Governor has addressed the State and has written to the President that Lagos is not at war with the federal government and has not done anything that point in that direction.
 
“There are critical areas of security challenges where the President can direct the services of these soldiers to, but as far as Lagos is concerned, we have no security challenge of that magnitude, our people are peace loving.
 
“The President should listen to the voice of wisdom and take these soldiers out of Lagos streets and let Lagos be in peace.
 
In his contribution, Mudashiru Akinlabi contended that the deployment has called to question the principles of federalism in practice in the country.
 
“This is because if soldiers are deployed in a State without the knowledge of the Governor, then something is not just right.
 
“It is the duty of the Governor of a State to make request where there is break down of law and order to the President according to Section 305, 306 and 307 of the constitution of Nigeria. To the best of my knowledge, the Governor has not requested that there was break down of law and order Lagos State.
 
“So it is amazing for this type of situation to occur in a democratic setting on the basis of a protest. This type of development makes agitation for true federal more imperative. Mr. President should as a matter of urgency withdraw the soldiers from Lagos streets”.
 
Samuel William [ACN, Ogun] said the people of Lagos have not made a mistake in voting ACN to power, “If Lagosians should make the mistake of voting Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] to power into any form of government in Lagos State. If for any reason, you vote PDP in the future, they will not only deploy soldiers they will come with armour tanks.
 
“This is an opportunity for Lagosians to know that they have not made a mistake for voting Fashola and ACN to power in the State.
 
“To Mr. President, deploy the military to where they are need not to peaceful regions. I implore him to listen to the voice of the people and to the cabal that he has always listened to and do the right thing for this country by ridding Nigeria of the menace of Boko Haram onslaught”.