MEDIA CHAT: PDP, RELIGIOUS GROUPS TACKLE BUHARI

MEDIA CHAT: PDP, RELIGIOUS GROUPS TACKLE BUHARI
President Muhammadu Buhari's maiden presidential media chat Wednesday night yesterday elicited sharp reactions from sections of the Nigerian public on wide ranging issues raised in the live television programme.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some Muslim organisations were among those that reacted to Buhari's comments yesterday.
Buhari had said among other things that he would press on with the anti-corruption drive, try to dissuade members of the National Assembly from buying 469 exotic cars worth billions of naira and also hinted he would ban the wearing of hijab by Muslim women if bombings by Boko Haram continue.
He had also said that he would not devalue the naira further and that former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki and pro-Biafra activist, Nnamdi Kanu, would not be allowed on bail because of the gravity of their offences.
Senate President, Saraki yesterday in his reaction, said senators won't spend N47bn on cars under his watch.
On his Facebook wall late yesterday, Saraki said the lawmakers would not spend such amount under his leadership.
"Not in my time will the senate spend N47bn on cars. Details of the 2016 budget will be made available and open to public debate and scrutiny," he said.
Our correspondent reports that the budget of the National Assembly has been shrouded in secrecy as it is a one line item on the budget.
Until last year, the National Assembly had been receiving N150bn annually. Last year, it got N120bn in the 2015 budget while N115bn has been earmarked for the lawmakers in the 2016 budget.
The PDP on its part said the president's comments were not only embarrassing but further exposed his undemocratic character without regard for the rule of law.
The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the president confirmed his "partisanship in the much-vaunted war against corruption by openly absolving his ministers and party members of what it termed corrupt practices."
The PDP said Nigerians must take copious note that President Buhari gave no "inspiring" answers to questions pertaining to his campaign promises, the fight against insurgency and rescue of the Chibok girls, the poor state of the naira, the sudden plunging of the economy under his watch and the gradual loss of democratic rights and freedom.
"On the issue of the Chibok girls, President Buhari's embarrassing declaration of seeking information on the whereabouts and state of the girls betrays an obvious insincerity which is in total conflict with his campaign promises in that regard. Thus, by this declaration, our dear president has accepted failure on this issue and should therefore apologise to Nigerians for all the insults, abuse and aspersions cast on the past administration by himself and the leadership of his political party.
"On the issue of devaluation of the naira, there is an obvious conflict between the budget speech wherein the president stated that the government was assessing the foreign exchange rate with a view to attracting foreign investments and his categorical pronouncement during the media chat that the naira would not be devalued", the party added.
On its part, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) condemned the president's statement on hijab ban.
MURIC's director, Professor Isahq Akintola, in a statement in Kaduna, said the ban on hijab would open the floodgates of anarchy.
"MURIC rejects any idea of imposing a ban on hijab, it is escapist, it is scapegoatism and will open the floodgates of anarchy which instead of solving Nigeria's security problems, most likely compound it. If army and police uniforms are not banned although they are often used by bandits, why should we ban hijab?
"Security agents know how they often fish out hoodlums who use police and soldiers' uniforms to commit atrocities. The same method should be used to prevent the use of hijab for bombing. What crime have Nigerian Muslim women committed that they should be de-robed in public? Without their hijab, Muslim women feel as if they are naked, users of hijab are in all walks of life.
"They are civil servants, business women, teachers, etc. Most importantly, they are tax payers and voters. They voted Buhari into power, is Buhari's government warming up to encroach on Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslim women; is this an appropriate pay-back?
"MURIC appreciates Mr. President's dilemma, we understand that Boko Haram must be defeated. But Muslim women must not be the scapegoats, Nigerian Muslims will not succumb to a policy that dehumanizes their mothers, wives, daughters and sisters, hence, banning hijab tantamount to institutionalizing the stereotyping of Muslim women and this is unacceptable," he said.
Similarly, the members of the Izala sect urged the federal government not to contemplate banning Muslim women from wearing hijab under any condition.
Leader of the sect in Nigeria, Sheik Abdullahi Bala Lau, gave the advice yesterday while reacting to the president's statement.
He said wearing of hijab by Muslim women was ordained by Almighty Allah.
Also expressing reservation on Buhari's statement on Hijab, the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) said the banning of hijab won't enhance the fight against insurgency.
The group's executive chairman, Malam Disu Kamor, MPAC said the ban would compound the situation.
In its reaction to the president's statement on Zaria clash, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria said President Buhari shouldn't wait for the Kaduna State government and the military to take action on the murder of their members in Zaria by the military.
Reacting to the president's remarks on the clash between its members and the Army, the movement's spokesman, Ibrahim Musa, faulted Buhari for passing judgment "based on a clip" he got from the military.
"Did he ask those who showed him that propaganda video why were those protesting? The protesting youths were angry because the Nigerian Army killed their friends and brothers. They killed them as if they were flies. That video clip was after the first round of killings by the army," the statement said.
The sect said the Kaduna state commission of inquiry cannot be trusted because "Governor El-Rufai has already declared and made public his stance and condemned our movement and even desecrated the grave of the mother of his Eminence, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky. How can IMN get justice from such a person?
However, the president's party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), came to his defence, especially regarding the comments by the PDP.
APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, condemned what it called the PDP's 'unprovoked insults and unguarded statements' on President Muhammadu Buhari and other members of his party.
The APC was reacting to the PDP's spokesman, Olisa Metuh, in a statement issued yesterday in which amongst others, he called President Buhari an 'unrepentant tyrant' and 'fascist'.
The PDP, which accused the ministers and APC members of corruption, also accused the president of a selective anti-corruption fight.
Odigie-Oyegun said: "The APC is worried by PDP's inciting statements. Respect for the office of the president or heads of government in any clime is not a matter of choice but a civic obligation sanctioned by laws. Being an opposition party or critic is no license to issue abusive, intemperate and slanderous statements on government officials, most especially the president of the country.
"The PDP has proven that it is not a party to be trusted or taken seriously. Only recently, the PDP said in a December 24, 2015 statement: 'We urge that Nigerians should not recourse to hauling insults on the president'.
"For the umpteenth time, the APC urges Nigerians who see merit in the war that the President Buhari-led administration is waging against corruption, not to be distracted by the PDP and their agents of corruption to discredit the war. For the records, the ongoing war against corruption is not selective. Anybody guilty of corrupt practices will face the law.
"If the PDP has any proof of corruption against any APC member or minister as alleged, we advise that they approach any of the anti-graft agencies constitutionally mandated to handle such cases.
"PDP's rant suggesting a selective anti-corruption fight by the present administration should be seen as a plot meant to distract the citizenry from the successful ongoing war against graft. The PDP does not have the luxury of dictating how the present administration carries out its legitimate duty of catching looters, as long as it conforms with the rule of law", the party added.
-Daily Trust
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