Protesters in Edo State have called on the Federal Government to provide good governance, adequate security, noting that the ineptitude of the President Muhammadu Buhari has brought Nigeria to its knees.
The protesters who began their match at Ring Road in Benin were provided security by the men of the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and vigilante group, who accompanied them to the Government House where they were received by the Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu.
Marxist Kola Edokpayi of the Talakawa Assembly who spoke on behalf of members of seven other civil right groups lamented that the nonchalant attitude of the President toward the security of lives and properties have brought the country to this present unacceptable situation.
He also called on the Edo State Government to ensure that the 14 members-elect of the House of Assembly are given the opportunity to represent their constituencies instead of being shut out of the system.
He said, “The ineptitude of President Buhari has brought us to this sorry state. His nonchalant attitude has caused a lot of security problem. It has been difficult to combat Boko Haram, bandits and kidnappers. Nigerians now live in fear and nobody knows what will happen next.
What we now hear is ‘unknown gunmen’ who are killing people in the South-East, while other parts of the country are becoming unsafe to live in because of insecurity. The prices of goods and services are moving up daily beyond the reach of the common man.
“In Edo State, the Benin/Auchi Road is still unsafe despite the effort of the state government, while we still have 14 elected lawmakers who are being shut out of the House of Assembly. This is not good for democracy.”
The Deputy Governor commended the protester for conducting themselves peacefully and promised that all their grievances would be channelled to the right quarter.
On the 14 lawmakers, they said, “We did everything possible to have them in the House but they decided to follow a godfather who misleads them. Even with a month to when their seats would be declared vacant, we urged them to join the Assembly but they were asking for a second proclamation.
“They also went to court and that had stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission from conducting a fresh election. The INEC has said no new election can be conducted until the cases are decided.
