The OccupyNASS campaign group has denied being sponsored to move against the National Assembly, or its embattled chairman, Bukola Saraki, pointing instead to a robust support package from unnamed Nigerians, at an average of N400, 000 daily, throughout its campaign.
The group on Thursday said it would bring down its tents and leave the main gate of the National Assembly on Friday morning, three days after starting a sit-in there.
At a hastily-arranged press briefing on Thursday night, the movement listed its achievements, demands and plans for its future.
Bunmi Awoyemi, the convener, said the protest was ending on a good note for all Nigerians.
“This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that Nigerians from all walks of life were able to galvanise each other to come to Abuja to shut down the National Assembly,” Mr. Awoyemi said. “We succeeded in sending a very strong message that Nigerians will no longer be taking for a ride.”
The group denied that the protest was against the Mr. Saraki, who is under pressure to step down from office as he faces corruption trial.
The OccupyNASS said Mr. Saraki was only the symptom of the entire rot in the National Assembly.
“As we have said since the beginning of this protest, it’s not about Saraki. The aim of this protest is not to get Bukola Saraki to resign because he’s a symptom of the entire rot in the legislature,” the group said. “The aim of this project is to achieve fundamental reforms.”
Foramfera
It also denied being sponsored against the nation’s legislature, saying its activities were fully funded by Nigerians who are sympathetic to the movement’s cause.
“From day one, when Nigerians said they’re interested in occupying the National Assembly, contributions started coming in. Nigerians started asking for the account of the movement,” Mr. Awoyemi said.
“Five thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand and even one million. A Nigerian, sitting amongst you today, donated ₦1 million to this protest. From U.S., from U.K., people were contributing to this movement. We were averaging ₦400,000 every day.”

“OccupyNass”, however, rejected calls it to open its internal activities to public scrutiny, describing a PREMIUM TIMES’ question about publishing details of its account for all Nigerians to properly scrutinise as “insulting”.
The group said a series of missteps by lawmakers in recent weeks informed their decision to take over the National Assembly.
“The National Assembly was trying to amend the law in order to escape justice. Some of them even said making laws that will further balance gender issues will make women turn to prostitutes,” the group said.
The group also held the lawmakers responsible for the ongoing budget impasse between them and President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We know the president sent a terrible budget,” the group said, “but they (lawmakers) took this terrible budget, mutilated it, destroyed it, pounded it, separated it and pocketed it.”

The group listed areas it believed the protest had been “resoundingly successful”, and acknowledged its agitation was buoyed by the overwhelming support from Nigerians on the Internet.
“When the movement of OccupyNass started, there were issues that were related to the amendment of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, it was when this movement took off that they took those controversial bills down,
“We succeeded in sending a very strong message that Nigerians will no longer be taking for a ride.
“The senators also held a private meeting in which they said there’s too much negative publicity about the National Assembly because of our protest.
“They also cancelled the summon of the CCT chairman.
“This is a victory not just for the Nigerian people but the agitation on social media as well,” the group said.


The movement demanded an immediate return of newly-acquired Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles by the lawmakers, immediate passage of the petroleum industry bill as well as a reversal of all constituency projects proposed in the budget.
Its members said they will take their campaign to the country’s hinterlands where they will interact with other citizens on the need to recall their lawmakers if their demands are not met.
They also promised to continue their agitation for a better Nigeria by sensitising rural dwellers to the activities of their elected lawmakers.
Other leaders of the “OccupyNass” who participated at the briefing included, Hamid Bakare, Isa Abubakar, Rekiya Sani and Jubril Gadzama.
The protesters had thronged to the parliament building in their hundreds on Tuesday morning, to demand an immediate end to what they described as a “criminal plunder” of the nation’s resources by the 469-member legislature.

Following initial squabbles with the police who denied them entry into the premises, members of the group agreed to settle beside the National Arcade, just across the passage from the main gate, where they unfurled the National Flag, installed their makeshift tents and mobile toilets.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/202626-%E2%80%8Boccupynass-group-received-n400-000-daily-national-assembly-protest.html

Jobless youths

We know they are sponsored by same people persecuting Saraki. What have they done about Government's unconcerned attitude towards the atrocities of the Fulani's herdsmen, Fuel scarcity, Almost total blackout across the nation with continual bill increase etc? Those are pressing national issues that need to be addressed not internal party war disguised as fighting corruption.

I'm sure Tinubu is among d unnamed Nigerians

Anyway. "Saraki must go"

Tinubu will never get away with these atrocities

nnachukz:
[s]We know they are sponsored by same people persecuting Saraki. What have they done about Government's unconcerned attitude towards the atrocities of the Fulani's herdsmen, Fuel scarcity, Almost total blackout across the nation with continual bill increase etc? Those are pressing national issues that need to be addressed not internal party war disguised as fighting corruption.[/s]

What do you gain from Supporting Corruption?

I need to quickly find out how to donate and contribute my quota..

I knew definitely money is involved. I wonder how someone will spend his hard earned money to put up banners just to occupy nass.
This thing was politically motivated.

rapistbuhari:
...Bunmi Awoyemi, the convener, said the protest was ending on a good note for ALL Nigerians... Other leaders of the "OccupyNASS" who participated at the briefing included, Hamid Bakare, Isah Abubakar, Rekiya Sani, Jubril Gadzama.

Just look @ d names of d leaders involved & u know where they're coming from & yet they shamelessly claim it's ALL Nigerians. My problem with Buhari/APC is not that they are corrupt. My problem with them is their relentless effort to deceive me into thinking otherwise. That's a new layer of corruption altogether; insult added to injury; actually a worse case of corruption than we ever had. Saraki is corrupt & Buhari is more. If dis people didn't have FG backing, police tear gas would have told d story better than Bunmi.

If it isn't altruistic, count me out.

Nobody is supporting corruption coz every Nigerin head of state from the inception of this unholy matrimony called Nigeria are corrupt,,infact,pmb is one of the most corrupt leader among them all coz we heard abt his financial looting in 1978 as petroleum minister under obj,same corrupt practices he was involved in during his first stint as the president & also his shady financial deal as PTF boss under abacha.
so why are the youth not protesting at Aso rock ?,,,,
it is purely a Tinubu /Apc protest coz we can even hear names of those involved.
jobless youth & miscreants coz if they have work to do they wount leave their jobs & be going to protest at NA gate.
They should protest at aso rock so tht pmb can provide jobs for them since they are jobless coz it is pmb tht is setting the country backward & not NA members.

omenka:
If it isn't altruistic, count me out.

hmmm, patriotic citizen indeed.

Bumi awoyemi,& his few cronies should go to their wards where they have their various representative offices to lodge their complain if they have any & stop disturbing public peace.
he should also stop attaching the word 'Nigerians' coz watever he is doing he is on his own & i wonder why the police didnt weep the hell out of them & tear gas all of them coz jobbles ppl are risk to the society.

weep=whip

[s]

NgeneUkwenu:


What do you gain from Supporting Corruption?

[/s]
ogboo shatap

[s]

omenka:
If it isn't altruistic, count me out.

[/s]
Nonsense trash
hypocrite
who you epp sef

BreketeMind:
Just look @ d names of d leaders involved & u know where they're coming from & yet they shamelessly claim it's ALL Nigerians. My problem with Buhari/APC is not that they are corrupt. My problem with them is their relentless effort to deceive me into thinking otherwise. That's a new layer of corruption altogether; insult added to injury; actually a worse case of corruption than we ever had. Saraki is corrupt & Buhari is more. If dis people didn't have FG backing, police tear gas would have told d story better than Bunmi.

When the likes of Tunde Bakare, Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana, Yinka Odumakin, Joe Okei-Odumakin, etc used the Save Nigeria Group to fight for Jonathan to be made the acting president in 2010, they're not tribal?

[s]

OrlandoOwoh:

When the likes of Tunde Bakare, Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana, Yinka Odumakin, Joe Okei-Odumakin, etc used the Save Nigeria Group to fight for Jonathan to be made the acting president in 2010, they're not tribal?

[/s]
Nonsense

If I was in Abuja I will join that protest for free...

How many are they?? 400? Datz 1k a day.. Good job guys! OccupyNass so that your lord and saviour Tinubu will install his man there.. Numskulls!

"All men are currupt except Tinubu and Obasanjo."...Zombies

Politicians using Nigerians brain matters to prepare yam porridge since 1914 - Herbert Macaulay 1946.

The jobless pay as u protest southwest zombies has finally dumped their one week recruitment job, without achieving any meaningful goal. The jobless mofos and their sponsors mistook Saraki as gentle man GEJ, who succumbed to their Gani Fahwemni park OWAMBE cum protest over fuel subsidy removal.

arresa:
I need to quickly find out how to donate and contribute my quota..

You should join them when next they gather for such meaningless and fruitless protest, instead of walking aimlessly on the streets of ikeja or sleeping and waking up on nairaland.

400 what? Mheen am going to join them at NASS o i need that money badly to buy land.

NapoIeon:
[s][/s]
Nonsense

Counter his point

Gud

NapoIeon:
[s][/s] Nonsense

Shut up.

OrIandoOwoh:
How many are they?? 400? Datz 1k a day.. Good job guys! OccupyNass so that your lord and saviour Tinubu will install his man there.. Numskulls!

"All men are currupt except Tinubu and Obasanjo."...Zombies

are you really orlandoowoh or an impersonator.....

[s]

OrlandoOwoh:

Shut up.

[/s]
Otu nne i shut up

they are all corrupt including them