..Faults Senator Adamu Aliero’s call for use of force to quell protests
By Ayo Kehinde
Former Senate Majority leader, Ali Ndume has blamed the #End SARS protest and the ongoing looting across the country on years of frustration and anger by Nigerian youths over their exclusiveness from the social, economic development in the country.
Nudume who is currently the Senate Committee Chairman on Army spoke who sopke Arise TV on Saturday, said: “All I can say for now is that the situation is unfortunate; it is the result of cumulative frustration building up by the past 10 years. With their energy and giving the barricade they have they are faced with regards to years of unemployment and the number keeps increasing, is unfortunate. I have always said is that if the son of anybody in this country cannot become somebody without knowing somebody, there will be no peace. During campaign with Presidential Buhari, I kept asking what should we do with the problems in the land, and he answered said when we come to power we will solve the problem. That is how the N-Power project came about. But when it comes to implementation, the response has not be commendable. N500 billion was voted for the project.
The implementor of the N-Power, he added, failed to make the desired impact of the project.
He praised the post #End SARS speech delivered by the Buhari and disagreed that he did not dwell on specifics. “You cannot be specific unless you have information at your hand. The Army said they would investigate and it was based on result they got that that the President gave the figure he released yesterday. I must confess it is only during COVID-19 that I have not been able to get across the President, ordinarily when I did, he respond to my questions immediately.”
“As at now Investigation is still going on. Under this circumstances when there is threat to facility, the army is usually alert. Unfortunately, that the protest that started peacefully degenerated. After the President yielded to their 5-point demands, I expected the leaders of the protest to come forward and monitor the implementation.”
He denied being among Senators who hired thugs to infiltrate the protesters in Abuja, but speaking for himself he said he monitored the situation carefully and did his best to calm frayed nerves.
He said another problem to blame for the ongoing crisis is false news. “When things like this happens, the first thing to do is to calm everybody down.”
He disagreed with Senator Adamu Alero who commented on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday that the protesters should be dealt with by any force possible
He said; “That was his opinion and I and many of my colleagues opposed him when he made that remark, even though he has the right to make that statement. So it should not be seen as the position of the Senate and \should not be seen as such.
