Coalition of Peace In Nigeria (COPIN) has warned a faceless Northern group threatening to lead protest against the Director-General of State Services (DGSS), Yusuf Magagi Bichi, to refrain from the protest or face a counter-offensive by well-meaning and better informed Nigerians.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Emeka Akwuobi, COPIN said that it’s investigations revealed that there is a paid demolition campaign against the DGSS.
COPIN described Bichi as a reformer”, “transformative”, and “welfarist” leader and charged the Northern Group to answer some of its questions before embarking on its protest.
The statement reads in part:
“Our investigations, as a patriotic, non-profit group, revealed that billions of naira have been earmarked for this orchestrated demolition campaign against a gentleman officer, who is widely described as a “reformer”, “transformative”, and “welfarist” leader.
“We want the so-called Northern Group to answer the following questions, before embarking on what is obviously an ill-motivated and subversive action:
“1:. Where, in contemporary history, did a serving Central Bank Governor declare interest in partisan politics, considering the enormity of the monetary policy challenges before him?
“2: Should the public not ask questions on why, until today, the group’s benefactor did not denounce the branding of over one hundred exquisite vehicles in his name, at a time when the poor masses were struggling try to survive?
“3: How easy is it for these characters, who do not represent the interest of a sophisticated entity such as Northern Nigeria, to forget this heartless comment, in the wake of that devilish naira redesign: ‘Let them (Nigerians have heart attacks; it’s good to have a heart attack”?
“As a responsible civil society organisation (CSO), we dare to say that we will not allow any institution of government to be ridiculed, or undermined by any discredited individual, purporting to deploy a certain fundamental human right which, to all intent and purpose, is not absolute.
“We, therefore, wish to sound a note of warning to these characters trying to intimidate government establishments, that Nigeria is a nation governed by extant laws.
“At all material times, individuals, and groups must uphold the principle of “presumption of regularity” on the part of agencies of government, hence the compelling need to allow the rule of law to take its course.
“In the fullness of time, we shall, through the instrumentality of the law, expose those masquerading as “northern group”, for who they truly are: enemies of state, anti-masses, cash-and-recruit tendencies.
“We challenge the so-called Chairman of the group, one Adamu Musa, to tell Nigerians, and indeed the world, where his amorphous group’s office is located, and members’ identity.
“We want to close by advising the promoters of this ill-informed group to rethink their planned, albeit sponsored protest, especially that no individual, or group has the monopoly of violence.
“It is said that he who comes to equity, must do so with clean hands; a word is enough for the wise.
“Signed: Pharm. Emeka Akwuobi
(National Coordinator)
Hajiya Fatih Yakub (National Secretary)”
