Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The National Consultative Front (NCFront) yesterday condemned what it described as a mindless statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, over the Department of State Service’s (DSS) invitation to the Chairman of the NCFront and Former Speaker of the House Representatives, Mr. Ghali Umar Na’abba.
The NCFront also confirmed that Na’Abba arrived at the DSS headquarters at noon yesterday in company of members of the NCFront and is still being held as at press time by members of the secret police
A statement issued by the Head of the Public Affairs Bureau of the NCFront, Dr. Tanko Yususa, stated that the timing, promptness and alacrity with which the DSS summoned for questioning those who disagreed or criticised the misdemeanor, incompetence and misrule of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, like the case of Na’aba and Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Mailafia Obadiah, respectively, betrayed the sinister and dastardly motive of the Buhari regime to silence responsible criticism and opposition at all cost in a desperate and panicky move to turn the country into a police state.
Yususa said: “For instance, if the DSS has anything serious or concrete against Na’aba (as mindlessly suggested by Garba Shehu, the attack dog of the Aso Villa presidential cabal; presently running the Nigerian Presidency without the mandate of the Nigerian peoples and electorate), why hasn’t the DSS invited the former speaker for questioning before now?
“Why wait till now, when he is now speaking for a major alternative political movement, the NCFront on the group’s mission to rescue and save Nigeria from the exploitative grip of the tiny political cabal who have since captured the Aso Villa, running the Nigerian Presidency as their personal estate and using elements like Shehu Garba and co as errand boys.
“Why now? Are we back to the dark days of totalitarianism? Are we on the odious path to fascism? Why is the state more obsessed about hate speech than containing and curtailing its obvious hate actions and reckless impunity all over the country? For the avoidance of doubt, Na’aba only read the official statement of the NCFront on the deplorable and worrisome state of Nigeria and not his personal speech. So we all stand by him as a popular alternative to the Buhari regime.
“Would it not pass for irresponsibility and complicity on the part of the government, which came to power on the basis of its 419 crusade for national security that rather than protect Nigerians, for upward of five years now, to be pleading for more time to stem the orgy for human massacre and barbecues pervading the entire country, with the latest casualties being Southern Kaduna with the new reign of bandits in the North, including the President’s home state of Katsina, and the terrorists and insurgents in the North East”
The group’s spokesperson said that there is obviously a big trouble for the people when human’s rights and freedom of speech are being stylishly stifled under the guise of hate speech and sedition.
According to him, when the DSS were deployed against critics of government rather than criminals then the country is in trouble, adding that when an agency of the state other than the courts determines, defines and punishes for what is termed as hate speech like the N5 million fine imposed on Nigeria Info Fm by the NBC, then there is a clear descent to fascism.
He said: “We must then get ready for a popular resistance to take back our country for such oppressive government.”
