- Warns against any attempt to arrest Obi
National Chairman of Abia State Elders Consultative Forum, Archbishop Professor Princewilll Ariwodor, has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to honourably quit if he had no solution to the crumbling Nigerian economy.
The cleric who was recently
elected the world President of International College and Council of Bishops and
Apostles, ICCOBA, in Dublin, spoke with Vanguard in the wake of the nationwide
protest against hunger and bad governance.
He argued that the President
should not have made himself available to lead the country if he knew he had no
solution to the challenges plaguing the nation particularly the hardship
created by his anti-people policies.
Professor Ariwodor cautioned
Government against any attempt to scare citizens from holding peaceful protest,
describing such as an ambush against democracy.
He described the precarious
economic situation in the country, and called for urgent action to revamp it.
“We have never experienced this
level of decay in the economic management of this country. Other leaders were
in one way or the other better than the current Government.
” Tinubu should resign if he is
unable to fix the economy. The Nigeria economy was far better before he took
over. Buhari handed over to him a better economy which he has now destroyed.
” But his allies and
psychopaths don’t tell him the truth. Nigerians are suffering, there is no
pretense.”
Archbishop Ariwodor warned
against use of force to suppress the nationwide protest, insisting that
Nigerians have right to peaceful protest.
“Nigerians are hungry and have the
constitutional right to express their grievances through peaceful protest.
”The people are not violent,
so, why will you apply force against peaceful protesters?
” Why will you flog people and
ask them not to cry? You are flogging the nation and shouldn’t ask the people
not to cry.
”Government should listen to
public opinions. Pressure groups, provided they are not violent, make
Governments to sit up. “
The Abia Elders Consultative
Forum helmsman, also warned against any attempt to arrest the 2023 presidential
candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, for speaking truth to power.
He said that Obi should not be
persecuted for constructively criticising the Tinubu-led administration over
its poor management of the economy.
Archbishop Ariwodor declared
support for Obi and other Nigerians who had criticised the bad policies of
Government, or declared support for peaceful protest.
” Abia elders solidly stand
behind Obi. And if anybody attempts to arrest him, we will all march to Abuja,
and they should get ready to slaughter all of us there. If anybody touches him
for speaking the truth, the person should be ready to kill all of us.
” I spoke with Obasanjo and I
agree with his advice to Tinubu that peaceful protesters should not be touched.
This is democracy. I totally endorse the position of the former President in
the statement he had issued.”
The cleric disagreed with those
calling for the shelving of the nationwide protest, accusing them of deceiving
the President for personal gains.
“We want to dissociate
ourselves with the advice of Igbo leaders who found themselves in position of
authority, and do not see the level of suffering of the Nigerian masses as a
result of bad governance.
” Why will you want people to
keep quiet and remain in the House when a cup of beans is N600 and two cups of
garri N500?”
He, however, advised the
protesters not to go violent but express their grievances within the ambit of
the law.
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