Impending Government Shutdown: Presidency Dares APC

The Presidency and the leading opposition party, APC, are now locked in a war of words for the opposition party’s directive to its members to shut down the affairs of Government. This came as APC House members at the weekend vowed to heed the party’s directive if the Presidency fail to stop the reign of impunity.

According to APC: "They say the non-approval of the 2014 budget will pauperize Nigerians, as if the yearly ritual of budget passing since 1999 has benefited anyone but the fat cats. In any case, of what use is a budget when the lives of citizens are at stake? Are budgets not made for the people? Do they understand that even the budgets are based largely on earnings from oil, which we cannot even produce if the violence in Rivers escalates and spreads to other oil-producing states?

"All over Gombe, our party flags, billboards and posters are being vandalized by hoodlums aided and abetted by the police. Our youth supporters are being arrested while our members are being threatened by the police and the state government officials.... This madness must stop!"

But flaying APC’s threat, according to Vanguard, the Presidency vowed that it will apply security sanctions to any effort to derail the normal working of government.

We’ll match action with action —Presidency
Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, vowed that whatever actions were made towards self-help, particularly in Rivers State would be matched with reaction by security agencies.

Gulak in a statement said: “The Federal Government has directed the law enforcement agencies to take seriously all statements aimed at inciting violence and disturbing the peace.”

Is Gulak trying to say that the security agencies are now working for only PDP and the Presidency?

Our crtics are ignorant —APC
In a sharp reaction, the APC described critics of its directive to its National Assembly members to shut down the Federal Government, until sanity is restored. as those who are either ignorant of the workings of real and genuine democracy or those who have chosen to play to the gallery for pecuniary gains.

“This is exactly what we are saying, that Nigerians, irrespective of their party leaning, who wish to stage a peaceful protest anywhere in the country must be able to do so without the police looking away while hired goons attack them. It is all about justice, fairness and equity, without which democracy will not thrive.”

We’ll heed APC directive —Osagie
Minority Whip in the House of Reps, Hon Osagie, said:
“I am a member of a political party and I cannot disagree with my party. All I can say right now is that even the deaf can hear, the blind can see that this government is not only rudderless, it is involved in huge illegalities and unconstitutionalities; it has no respect for the rule of law, neither does it have respect for the right of citizens.”