The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has advised the National Assembly to begin impeachment moves against President Goodluck Jonathan, if he fails to return petrol subsidy.

The umbrella body of lawyers also ordered its members to embark on nationwide strike from Monday.
This is in line with the mother of all strikes declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to protest the removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government.

In a statement yesterday in Kaduna by its President, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), NBA said the “much-touted palliative” measures reeled out by the government will “destroy what is left of the lives of Nigerians”.

The association regretted that “government took advantage of its people’s distress arising from the Christmas bombings and killings by the Boko Haram terrorists and insensitively caused the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (a creature of statute) to announce the withdrawal of petroleum subsidy”.

“If government should apply half the vigour with which it has pursued the issue of the removal of subsidy to the eradication of corruption in all the arms of government and in society in general, then trillions of naira would be freed up for developmental projects”, it said.

In the statement, entitled “Holding Government Accountable and Responsive to the People”, the NBA said the Justice Belgore Committee raised by government to negotiate with the labour and the civil society organisations is a waste of time “because there is in reality nothing to negotiate”.

“The minimum position is the immediate reversal of this provocative and uncalled for increment of petrol”, it stated.

The association recalled how it cautioned government against the subsidy removal and advised it to adopt a different strategy.

The statement reads: “The impression given by government was that the issue will be debated and the views of Nigerians properly considered. Government led its people to believe that the earliest time any possible action would be taken in the direction of subsidy removal was the  April 1,  2012. Instead, government took advantage of its people’s distress arising from the Xmas bombings and killings by the Boko Haram terrorists and insensitively caused the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (a creature of statute) to announce the withdrawal of petroleum subsidy, thereby escalating the price of PMS from the already suffocating N65 to the unbearable range of N141-N250.

“Nigerians have in the past four  days reacted angrily to government’s action described above. It is considered not only premature, but wicked and insensitive. Nigerians have now concluded that their leaders are truly detached from the reality of economic hardship endured by Nigerians. This is so because virtually all high government officials and their families feed and live off tax payers’ funds, yet they enjoy outrageous salaries and other emoluments. In some cases the amount budgeted for feeding and catering is as much as N1 billion. Government officials travel limitlessly round the world for the flimsiest of reasons collecting estacodes in billions even where the object of most of these journeys can be achieved by simply browsing the Internet. Consequently Nigerians have reacted spontaneously to this unwise and ill-motivated manoeuvre by demonstrations and other forms of protest nationwide.

“Government clearly does not understand the seriousness of the situation. It has failed to understand that all governments, be they dictatorial or otherwise, enjoy power because the people allow it to remain in power. No government can outlast the will of the people. It is clear that Nigerians do not and will not tolerate subsidy removal under the terms and conditions set out or laid down by government. Any removal of subsidy based on the importation of petroleum products is unacceptable to Nigerians. Government must create the infrastructure for the refining of 100 per cent of petroleum products in Nigeria and by Nigerians. It had been done in the past, it was sabotaged, and it can and will be done again.

“The response of government has been to say that there is no alternative to the removal of subsidy; with all due respect there are many alternatives.


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/32353-nba-urges-national-assembly-to-impeach-jonathan.html

Which National Assembly is doing the impeaching,is it the Nigerian own or UK own.Have you seen any of them sayng anythng about this sudsidy removal.Crooked bunch they all are.

They should go with Jona.

i think that's what we should be talking about now, Jonathan must go! My full support!

During the protests, we must also sack all our Senators and governors that support this evil. We can recall them by signing or voting to recall. Each zone or group can vote for who they want to represent their interest in moving the country forward. Omojuwa and take Jonathan's place. Or Owei. His name sounds Ijaw. NO to bad government!!!

phraoh:

Which National Assembly is doing the impeaching,is it the Nigerian own or UK own.Have you seen any of them sayng anythng about this sudsidy removal.Crooked bunch they all are.

They should go with Jona.

I'm not sure one should expect much from the senate, given their past. The reps, on the other hand, if newspapers reports are anything to go by, have vowed to take the executive on, once they reconvene.

lets wait and see.

Fuel Subsidy Removal - We Will Block It Legally - Reps

The House of Representatives will do everything legally possible to stop the removal of fuel subsidy, Deputy Minority Leader Rep Suleiman Abdurahman Sumaila (ANPP, Kano) has said.

Reacting to the announcement of removal of subsidy by the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) yesterday, Sumaila said when the House resumes from the Christmas break on January 10 the lawmakers will examine the situation and take necessary action.

"We will use the law to stop this inhuman act. It's another form of terrorism against Nigerians that are already impoverished. We will not fail to salvage them from this bondage and enslavement," Sumaila said.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201201020013.html

Jonah leaves no Nigeria.
1966
We have the money ready use your mind.

IF NIGERIA MUST SURVIVE, MILITRY SHOULD TAKE OVER, THEN ALL PAST GOVT OFFICIALS CAN BE BROUGHT TO BOOK TO ANSWER CORRUPTION ALLIGATIONS, FACE THE MUSIC, THEN WE START ALL OVER AGAIN.

THEN POLITICIANS MUST HAVE LEARNT THEIR LESSONS THEN.

All present and past leaders in Nigeria starting from LG Chairmen, Legislatures and senators, and presidents/head of state must be slaughtered. They are all crooks, particularly the LG Chairmen.

The peoples war must start in Nigeria now!