APC Directs Lawmakers To Block 2014 budget, Nominee Lists…They Are Anarchists Says PDP

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Interim National Chairman of APC

The opposition All Progressives Congress [APC] has asked its members in the National Assembly to block all executive bills including the 2014 Appropriation Bill in protest against what it calls the impunity of the Police in Rivers state.

But in a swift reaction, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party PDP condemned the directive, saying it as a call to anarchy and a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

The Interim National Executive Committee of the APC  in a communiqué at the end of its 8th NEC meeting in Abuja yesterday specifically directed its lawmakers to frustrate the passage of the 2014 budget as well as the confirmation of ministerial nominees and service chiefs currently before the two chambers of the National Assembly.

The communique read in part: “The APC hereby directs its members in the National Assembly to block all legislative proposals including the 2014 Budget and confirmation of all nominees to military and civilian positions to public office until the rule of law and constitutionalism is restored in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria in general.”

Interim Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed, told Journalists that the directive was as a result of what the party considered “an acts of impunity by the presidency in Rivers State.”

Said he: “Any cursory observer of events in Rivers State since February 2013 would be left in no doubt as to the culture of lawlessness and impunity being promoted and supported by the Presidency and executed by the State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu, who has become the de-facto military governor of Rivers State and the sole administrator of PDP in that state.

“In view of the joint resolutions of the National Assembly on Rivers State, and other constitutional breaches by the Presidency, the APC hereby directs its members in the National Assembly to block all legislative proposals, including the 2014 budget and confirmation of all nominees to military and civilian positions to public office, until the rule of law and constitutionalism is restored in Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria in general,” he said.

Rivers state has for some time now been engulfed in political crises between groups loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Chubuike Amaechi resulting in occasional political violence between the two. Amaechi is believed to be supporting the Hausa/Fulani agenda against Jonathan, his kinsmen.

The latest crises was the reported disruption of the Save Rivers Group rally by the police in which a senator was allegedly shot. The APC has since called for the removal of the state commissioner of police, Mr. Joseph Mbu who it accused of bias in the Rivers conflicts.

It accused the presidency of foisting Mbu on the state, describing the Police CP as the de’facto military administration of the state.

 

But in a swift reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party, has described the APC directives to its lawmakers and members as a clear and direct call for anarchy.

However, the ruling party said yesterday that the opposition’s call was a vindication of its earlier position that the APC was out to destroy Nigeria’s democracy and the unity of the nation.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Thursday night said, with the anti-people directives, Nigerians could now see that the PDP was not crying wolf when it alerted them that the APC did not mean well for the nation.

“In asking that service chiefs should not be confirmed by he Senate, the APC has revealed its devilish plot to undermine the nation’s security system, create a state of anarchy and pave way to unleash mayhem on the people,” Mr. Metuh said.

He said the APC call to frustrate the passage of the 2014 budget, the APC had exposed its plot to cripple the nation’s economy and plunge the people into untold hardship.

“It is now clear to all Nigerians that the APC has commenced the implementation of its orchestrated plot to truncate the nation’s democracy, push the country into a state chaos and achieve its doomsday predictions; a plot which must be stopped,” the party said.