Group: Looters Out to Blackmail Buhari to Regain Power

The Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations in Nigeria (FONGON) on Tuesday said the campaign against a second term in office for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 was being orchestrated by those who have looted the treasury.

The forum said it has uncovered a plot by some economic saboteurs to demonise Buhari and hoodwink unsuspecting Nigerians to vote against the president.
It however said the 200 NGOs in the forum would fight to the finish to ensure that Buhari continues in office.

FONGON made its position known in a letter date February 6 to Buhari which was read at a mass rally at the Unity Fountain in Abuja to kick-start a nationwide mobilisation support for the president.

The letter, which was read by the National Coordinator of FONGON, Wole Badmus, said the NGOs came together to “serve as a counter-voice to the nay sayers and looters who are increasingly dominating the polity.”

FONGON said: “Mr. President, we have chosen to come out this time because there seems to be an orchestrated and well-choreographed campaign going on across the country at the moment to demonise Buhari administration and hoodwink unsuspecting Nigerians into believing that the administration has achieved nothing since assuming office.

“The looters, economic saboteurs and unpatriotic fellows are feeling the heat of Buhari administration’s fight against corruption.

“They are earnestly yearning for a return to the immediate unedifying past in which the national treasury became the piggy bank of a few.
“They also want to pave the way for the return of the same people who brought the country to where it was before you assumed office.

“Your excellency, the recent spate of letter and memo writing is not an accident. We believe it is aimed at discouraging you from running for a constitutionally-guaranteed second term which they are afraid will put Nigeria on irreversible path of probity, prudence and progress.

“We believe there will be more letters and more voices urging you not to run. And we urge you (Mr. President) not to heed such calls. Those who are for you are more than those who are against you.
“That is why we have decided to come out. We are concerned that unless an urgent action is taken, the voices of these people, whom we believe are being sponsored by looters and their ilk, may become the dominant voices.”

In spite of the criticism of the President, FONGON insisted that Buhari had been doing well.
The forum added: “Mr. President, your administration is putting Nigeria on a solid footing. We believe you have what it takes to do it but that all Nigerians must give you their unalloyed support because it will not be an easy task. After all, it is easy to destroy than to build.

“We (members of the FONGON) will match the naysayers’ propaganda for propaganda, memo for memo, and rally for rally. We will go from door-to-door, house-to-house, city-to-city and state-to-state to let Nigerians know the good work that your administration is doing.

“As we say never again to the enemies of the nation, looters and criminals taking charge of our nation’s affairs, we pray that Allah would continue to strengthen, guide and protect you. We urge God to give you more wisdom and good health to pilot the affairs of this great nation.
It asked Buhari to ignore calls not to vie for second term in office.

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