CPC PRESS STATEMENT - by: Rotimi Fashakin

THE ORCHESTRATED DISTORTION OF RECENT COMMENTARIES OF GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI (GMB).

Our attention has been drawn to the recent call by Pastor Ayodele Oritsejafor, President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN ), for the arrest of General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) – the national leader of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – on account of his recent commentaries on national issues. We are aware that this is a rehash of the stance of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor to a previous piece of mendacious writing by Dr Reuben Abati in his Guardian Newspaper column, wherein he alluded to GMB as being responsible for post-election violence in some parts of the North in April, 2011. The subsequent libel suit instituted by GMB revealed that Abati had no shred of evidence for his reckless surmising. Meanwhile, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor had used the platform of CAN to impetuously seek the arrest of GMB based on fiction and orchestrated literary violence by the PDP-led Federal Government. The subsequent appointment of Dr. Reuben Abati as the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on media and Publicity revealed the fitting reward for that hatchet job. We have also noted the physical presence of President Good-luck Jonathan at the ceremony where Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor was presented a gift of Bombardier Jet on 10th November, 2012.

The kernel of the latest orchestrated distortion of GMB’s recent commentaries was done to blacken him as supporting the insurgency of Boko Haram in Nigeria. In fact, Pastor Oritsejafor impudently asserted:

“He is, therefore, the prime leader of this religious and blood thirsty sect called Boko Haram, a movement that is based on a warped interpretation of a strict adherence to force people of other religions into Islam. This kind of fundamentalism is the driving force behind his failure of each election in the country.”

It is our view that this statement is utterly tendentious and unsupportable by incontrovertible facts. We are aware that, as it was before and after the 2011 elections, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is keen on helping the electoral fortunes of his friend, President Good-luck Jonathan. We are therefore compelled to re-tell GMB’s uncompromising stand on Boko Haram.

In a recent interview in June 2012, this is what GMB said on Boko Haram:

“When we knew who was Maitatsine, wasn’t he arrested, killed and his corpse shown to everybody? But this Boko Haram, if you could recall somebody recommended me to represent Boko Haram. I told them the honest truth that I didn’t know who their leadership was and I still don’t know who their leaders are. I don’t know their philosophy because no religion advocates hurting the innocent. So, all those people giving it a religious meaning are wrong. You can’t kill a person and say Allahu Akbar (God is great). It is either you don’t know what you are saying or you don’t believe in it. It is one of the two.”

On 25th December, 2012 (Christmas day), bombings took place at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State; Jos, Plateau State; and Damaturu, Yobe State. This is what GMB said:

"Bombing other human beings to death at any time is callous. It becomes much more reprehensible on a Christmas day and all lovers of peace must condemn these gruesome acts and demand that the perpetrators be fished out and brought to book."

The amiable General and our National leader continued:

"How on earth would the Vatican and the British authorities speak before the Nigerian government on attacks within Nigeria that have led to the deaths of our citizens? This is clearly a failure of leadership at a time the government needs to assure the people of the capacity to guarantee the safety of lives and property. You can devote the entire budget to security and there won't be any result if there is no competence in leadership to know what to do at the right time."

We leave discerning Nigerians to judge and see the anomaly in Pastor Oritsejafor’s reckless call and GMB’s unwavering patriotic stand on Nigeria’s insecurity. Again, Pastor Oritsejafor has proven to be, a willing implement for destabilization in the hands of the Presidency, in the orchestrated heckling of GMB ahead of the 2015 elections.

As we shall prove shortly, the moral rectitude, personal discipline and patriotic love for Nigeria by GMB is head and shoulder above what the current leaders of the Nation possess. GMB is not in the mould of leaders that do not match their words with deeds. In the run to the 2011 election, Dr. Good-luck Jonathan told an unsuspecting Nation: “My ambition is not worth the blood of anybody.” But truly, his electioneering campaign was trailed by blood, tears and woes! As a ruling President, Dr Good-luck Jonathan has caused more destabilization of the polity through his capricious politics than any of his predecessors in office. Under his watch, the Nation state is tottering and statecraft in peril, but he prefers to use negative propaganda against those he perceives as interested in contesting for the Nation’s presidency, to actually evincing enviable leadership of the country.

There are certain incongruities in the Nation state under President Jonathan that GMB has continued to sensitize Nigerians about, and for which the government has continued to distort with its divisive weapon of preying on the ethno-religious fault lines in the Country.

· In 2009, Mohammed Yussuff, the leader of Boko Haram, was arrested by the military and handed over to the Nigeria Police. He was paraded with hand-cuff before Journalists. Barely twenty four hours’ later, Yussuff’s lifeless body was shown to Journalists and still in hand-cuff! In a related development, persons suspected to be Boko Haram members or sympathizers were shot by the Police at point-blank range. The video footage of the incident posted by al-Jazeera showed some of the people on crutches and made to lay face-down before a police man bent over and summarily executed them all.
This act of cruel injustice, coupled with the official acquiescence of the PDP-led Federal Government of President Good-luck Jonathan was what GMB said to be the genesis of the bloody insurgency of Boko haram.

· In Baga, a fishing community in Borno State, a Nigerian Soldier was killed. The ensuing reprisal attack by the Military left in excess of 185 persons dead – mostly children and women – and many houses destroyed.

· The previous prosecution of the war on terror in northern Nigeria had been done with such unprofessional ferocity that left tales of human rights abuses and extra-judicial murders. The United States of America (USA) had pilloried the Nigerian military for this. It is on this background that GMB expressed his scepticism about the current declaration of state of emergency in three northern states. With the communication black-out over these states, are we not to expect more abuses in the name of enforcing security?

· In May, 2013, about 60 security men (consisting of police and State security operatives) were allegedly gruesomely murdered in Nasarawa by the Ombatse cult group. In a bizarre twist of the events, the Director-General of Directorate of State Security (DSS), Mr. Ita Ekpeyong, said he had forgiven the killers of the service men and left them to God’s judgment. GMB, in his characteristic candour, lambasted the head of Nigeria’s spy agency for this perfidious statement. These are his exact words: “However, the Nasarawa attack is a cult that infiltrated the police itself. The latest I learnt from you the press is that the number of security personnel killed is 56. The cult group slaughtered 56 security men. The SSS boss or whoever that said he has left everything to God has no right to do that.

Constitutionally, Nigerians can practice any religion they want or they can be atheists or anything they want to be, that is constitutional. But nobody should hurt a citizen of Nigeria and then get away with it, not to talk of slaughtering 56 law enforcement agents and then somebody coming out from the system to say such a thing. It is either that person doesn’t know what he was talking about or he shouldn’t even be there.”
In many jurisdictions, notably the advanced democracies, any murderous violence on the service men is viewed with uncompromising severity. In the same vein, there is also a concomitant punishment of the service men for any breach of service codes or rules of engagement.

Last March, Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a veteran of four US combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, ran amok and killed sixteen persons in Kandahar province of Afghanistan, while also burning their houses and villages. The United States (US) authority did not go the way of Nigeria. The offending service man was arraigned before the Court by military prosecutors. From latest developments on the case, Bales stands the risk of life imprisonment or death sentence. We have stated this example to show the utter irresponsibility and ineptitude currently pervading the business of governance in the Nigerian state. The Federal Government, under President Good-luck Jonathan, had shown complicity in the exacerbation of security concerns in Nigeria.
As a Party, we know that the Federal Government of President Good-Luck Jonathan, like the previous PDP administration, seems too intimidated by GMB’s sterling qualities and previous meritorious service to Nigeria that no effort is spared to depreciate his status through deliberate distortions and misrepresentation of his statements. We sincerely sympathise with them! For the avoidance of doubt and within the ambit of space/time constraints, we hereby avail discerning Nigerians some aspects of the stellar public service performance of General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB):
§ In August 1975, as a Lt. Colonel, GMB was appointed military governor of North-Eastern State, an area now comprising the six states of the North East geo-political zone. He governed with such acuity and urbanity that was undoubtedly the basis for the future development of the area.
§ As Federal Commissioner for Petroleum resources (March 1976-July 1978), two of the Nation’s four refineries, that is, warri and Kaduna, were built. Also, thousands of kms of pipelines and fuel depots were constructed.
§ In 1983, the patriotic fervour of GMB was rudely put to test when the Chadians, in a mindless expansionist adventure, invaded and occupied 19 Islands in Lake Chad within Nigerian territory. As the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the 3rd Armoured corps, GMB successfully carried out a blockade, forcing the return of the territories -and thereafter pursued the Chadians as far as 50kms into Chadian territory; a feat loudly applauded as forward defence strategy at its best!
§ As the incoming Head of State on December 31st, 1983, he excited the Nigerian people into a new wave of Patriotism with his often-quoted statement: “This generation of Nigerians, and indeed future generations, have no country other than Nigeria. We shall remain and salvage it together.” This aptly captured what later defined the conduct of the Buhari administration. The 20-month era of strong leadership espoused what later became known as ‘Buharinomics’, which simply put, is an admixture of frugality, probity, respect for contractual agreements, expunction of all covert or overt attempts at subjugating the Nigerian economy to world powers and above all, the economic policy with Nigeria as the centre-piece. It is therefore without any whiff of equivocation to state that the boldest attempt, in the last thirty years, at alleviating the pains of the teeming masses was during the enactment of Buharinomics. It was not surprising that inflation rate inherited from the ruinous and immediate past civilian regime was lowered by more than 18 points, from 23.2% in 1983 to 5.5% in 1985! The Buhari regime rebuffed all entreaties by IMF and World Bank to devalue the naira, remove subsidies on services and increase pump price on fuel; not even a special envoy from President Ronald Reagan was sufficient to make him rescind his decision!
§ As Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), hundreds of kms of roads were constructed to hitherto unreached rural communities. He ensured the supply of drugs to the health centres of Educational institutions. The infrastructural development of the Country was massive with his inimitable management of the funds released for PTF operations. It is no wonder that the subsequent scrutiny of the financial dealings of the PTF showed an excellent work done by the agency.

It is against this back-drop that we understand the frustrations of the current leaders and their sympathizers in the heckling expeditions of GMB. As things stand, he poses the greatest challenge to the continued existence of the indignity and incongruity that the Jonathan administration represents. The tottering edifice of the weather-beaten umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is aptly captured by the well-reasoned words of Othman Dan Fodio: “a kingdom can endure with unbelief but it cannot endure with injustice”.

As GMB once posited, “the battle for social justice is not just for me, or the opposition, but a challenge to all Nigerians. Each and everyone of us has a duty to stand up and speak for justice. The first principle of justice in a democracy is the right of the citizens to freely choose their leaders. This can only happen if elections are free and fair, not according to INEC or a bare majority of the Supreme Court. They must be free and fair by all counts and in all senses.”

In the run to the April 2011 elections, GMB saw through the entire gamut of deception of the Jonathan regime and wept. Many jeered, some excoriated him but the discerning ones were also inconsolable. Unfortunately, his tears are drying up but the teeming Nigerian people are now made to weep. Every act of the Jonathan regime is a scripted venture in ruinous adventure. There is confusion in the engine room and the statecraft is on auto-pilot. We are sure that though the situation is sordid, help is on the way! The merger of the opposition parties shall provide the fulcrum for springing the Nigerian nation back to life.

Indeed, to wrestle Nigeria from the vice-grip of the current unpatriotic leaders is a task that must be done. Eternal vigilance is still the price for our liberty.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Rotimi Fashakin (Engr.)
National Publicity Secretary, CPC.


Source
http://www.naijatopnews.com/2013/06/cpc-replies-cans-comments-on-gen-buhari.html

Just read it on El Rufai's facebook page. Very long but full of stuff. A fitting reply to the Buhari critics.

It says a lot about Nigerians that this man contested a Presidential election in this country against Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and lost. It shouldn't surprise anyone that we are where we are today.


All because of some silly sentiments.

Find Out!:
Just read it on El Rufai's facebook page. Very long but full of stuff. A fitting reply to the Buhari critics.

It says a lot about Nigerians that this man contested a Presidential election in this country against Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and lost. It shouldn't surprise anyone that we are where we are today.


All because of some silly sentiments.

If not for the fanatics who can't pay school fees, dying in hospitals/homes with no hope, etc but will still not want to hear anybody saying anything against their religious leaders, I would have advocated for GMB to file a libel suit against Oritsejofor.

jjcbuthot:

If not for the fanatics who can't pay school fees, dying in hospitals/homes with no hope, etc but will still not want to hear anybody saying anything against their religious leaders, I would have advocated for GMB to file a libel suit against Oritsejofor.

Actually, Oritsejeafor/PDP is expecting him to do just that, like he did against Abati, so that they can shout ''religious bigot'' again.

oristeJale don find his voice back after his re-selection as CAN of Worms President , he had been silent since 6month to CAN's wuruwuru selection

#yawns#.....he ll still say another one soon...a dog would always bark like a dog..........even that pastor oritseGEJafor sef...

Find Out!:


Actually, Oritsejeafor/PDP is expecting him to do just that, like he did against Abati, so that they can shout ''religious bigot'' again.

Its obvious that is what Oritse wants - a law suit that they can then say is Islamic fanaticism versus Christian holiness and politicize.

However, God is watching and way I see it, Jehovah looks at the heart, not the Cloak or the pretense. Whoever is being truthful and sincere will be justified and the wrong party will be punished whichever is Christian or Muslim

I am glad CPC seperated Oritsejiafor from CAN..

This man should leave them to continue spewing gabbage with out any meaningful proof. Smh! For them!

I think a commission or agency be opened in nigeria to conduct criticisms and responses, because this has recently turned to be the main thrust in the political fabric of the nigerian state. Every week there is a reply to one statement or the other. Do these people have families and businesses? Can anything ever distract them from destroying this country?

Its obvious that dis country is really preparing for 2015 where baboons n others will shed their blood

Mr Rotimi, no mind dem. God dey !

Central Problem controller

Thank God the Catholic Church suspended its activities with CAN because of undue politicization of CAN by Oristejafor and Co. However i stil dnt support Buhari,no matter hw u want to look at it Buhari remains tribalistic, how come loud-mouthed fashekin did not mention the favouritism gvn to Niger Delta Militants as alleged by Buhari against the treatment of the murderous bastards called Bokoharam which he clearly sympathizes wit jst because they are muslims?, CPC my foot,we are not gullible ok. Buhari wil stil weep again cm 2015

This is what I will call clinical finishing!End of discussion!why can't Abati and orijestafor abi wetin b his name sef be as half as brilliant as Fashakin's!!its becoming so obvious everyday that morons parade themselves at the center.Tell that funky Pastor to stop embarassing himself.Abati is a gonner

bbpreye.:


pls what is CPC?

must you quote the whole article? You must be new on nairaland, next tym,u learn and not just do things cos others are doing it.

how much long would fashakin park buharis mess? Even some right thinking APC members complained abt buharis comment, fashakin should shut them up first b4 responding to others outside Apc.

Pastor Ayo made d call 4 d arrest of Buhari because Buhari asked dat BH should be treated like d Militants. 4 all those supporting this press statement by CPC, should answer this question. What are BH fighting 4 & is their cause justified.? Buhari fans pls answer.

I WEEP FOR MY COUNTRY............I WOUNDER WHOSE FOOTSTEP OUR YOUNGER GENERATION ARE GOING TO FOLLOW,IMAGING OLD MEN CRITICIZING ONE ANOTHER ALL IN THE NAME OF NATIONAL CAKE....OK

domcarez: Thank God the Catholic Church suspended its activities with CAN because of undue politicization of CAN by Oristejafor and Co. However i stil dnt support Buhari,no matter hw u want to look at it Buhari remains tribalistic, how come loud-mouthed fashekin did not mention the favouritism gvn to Niger Delta Militants as alleged by Buhari against the treatment of the murderous bastards called Bokoharam which he clearly sympathizes wit jst because they are muslims?, CPC my foot,we are not gullible ok. Buhari wil stil weep again cm 2015

Will you shut up your ignorant mouth? What did Buhari say about South South that is a lie? Didn't insurgency start from there? Who bombed Nigeria on Oct 1, 2010? Wasn't it Niger Deltans? Who started kidnapping and bombing in the country? Wasn't it Niger Deltans? Did the government of Yaadua wage war against Niger Deltans states to resolve the problem? Dont we have peace in Niger Deltan through the arrangement made by Yaadua? How are you so sure that declaration of war will stop insurgency despite huge civilian casualty and paralysis of the economy of those states? And how will insurgency stop when we dont know and have not done any thorough intelligence gathering to apprehend their sponsors and leaders? The leaders and sponsors of Niger Delta insurgents came out and that was what stopped Niger Delta insurgency. It wasnt the killing of Niger Deltan foot solders and innocent civilians that stopped Niger Delta militancy.

maggilove: must you quote the whole article? You must be new on nairaland, next tym,u learn and not just do things cos others are doing it.

you have no idea...
what is CPC?

bbpreye.:


you have no idea...
what is CPC?

Firstly, adhere to correction before asking what is CPC

Wat in D Name of God is christianity going too?,,can president dnt hav To be lambasting anybdy..I Dnt See any sense in Dis..bt guys bcareful dnt say bad ting To a Man of God

jjcbuthot:

Will you shut up your ignorant mouth? What did Buhari say about South South that is a lie? Didn't insurgency start from there? Who bombed Nigeria on Oct 1, 2010? Wasn't it Niger Deltans? Who started kidnapping and bombing in the country? Wasn't it Niger Deltans? Did the government of Yaadua wage war against Niger Deltans states to resolve the problem? Dont we have peace in Niger Deltan through the arrangement made by Yaadua? How are you so sure that declaration of war will stop insurgency despite huge civilian casualty and paralysis of the economy of those states? And how will insurgency stop when we dont know and have not done any thorough intelligence gathering to apprehend their sponsors and leaders? The leaders and sponsors of Niger Delta insurgents came out and that was what stopped Niger Delta insurgency. It wasnt the killing of Niger Deltan foot solders and innocent civilians that stopped Niger Delta militancy.

shut the crap u fool, if ur murderous bastards bokoharam had come out and embraced amnesty things wud av been different,Niger delta militants fought a just cause which is the pollution of their environment witout cleansing or compensation and besides they neva bombed mosques or killed innocent civilians,now u slowpoke tell me wat is ur bokoharam brothers fighting for? Bokoharam engage in mass killing of civilians in churches and public places for no just cause yet govt stil considered amnesty for them which they threw away to the winds. I tell u very soon bokoharam n their sympathizers wil be wiped away. Get that into ur bloody bokoharam skull u fool

maggilove: must you quote the whole article? You must be new on nairaland, next tym,u learn and not just do things cos others are doing it.

is it up to dt, then tel him d meanin. Congres for progresv chang

[/color][color=#006600][quote author=jjcbuthot]
Didn't insurgency started 4rm d SS? Who bombed Nigeria on Oct 1, 2010? Wasn't it d SS? Who started kidnapping and bombing in d country? SS. PLS WHO LEAD D 1980s MAITAITSINE INSURGENCY.? Northerners

Lets pray 4 our country: OH GOD/ALLAH anybody that is causing NIGERIA so much pain pls let his house(wife and kids) never know peace,,may he live an unhappy life all d days of his life,,let him never live 2 see d next election and may he regret his action with tears,sorrows,and pains.

[quote author=domcarez]
Niger delta militants never bombed mosques or killed innocent civilians,now u slowpoke tell me wat are ur bokoharam brothers fighting for? [color=#006600] 72 VIRGINS. NO WONDER CONDOMS WERE FOUND IN THEIR CAMPS.

maggilove: must you quote the whole article? You must be new on nairaland, next tym,u learn and not just do things cos others are doing it.

Nope,you are the one who is new to Nairaland..He has been doing this thrash before you even thought of joining Nairaland..I think it is high time that guy has his brain checked.

[quote author=domcarez]
Niger delta militants never bombed mosques or killed innocent civilians,now u slowpoke tell me wat are ur bokoharam brothers fighting for? [color=#006600] 72 VIRGINS. NO WONDER CONDOMS WERE FOUND IN THEIR CAMPS. Hahaha

EasternLeopard: Pastor Ayo made d call 4 d arrest of Buhari because Buhari asked dat BH should be treated like d Militants. 4 all those supporting this press statement by CPC, should answer this question. What are BH fighting 4 & is their cause justified.? Buhari fans pls answer.

Dat is exactly what dis cpc publication did not address...dis publication is ad hominem against Pst AYO, whether He is political or not do not equate ''Resource control'' militant to Blood spilling and barbaric destroying sects Boko Haram, nd someone in Buhari position should know dis.. GOD KNOWS HIS OWN!!! pple remember 2 kings 2:24...watch ur commentd