Insecurity: FJP gives Buhari 14-day ultimatum to declare emergency

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One of the newly registered political parties in Nigeria, Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), has given President Muhammadu Buhari a 14-day ultimatum, to declare a state of emergency on national security. Failure to do so, the party threatened to mobilise other political parties, Nigerian youths, Civil Society Organizations and well meaning Nigerians to protest to foreign embassies and the National Assembly. The National Chairman of the party, Dr. Onwubuya Breakforth, who addressed newsmen in Abuja on Friday, said the party would not fold its hands and watch the President and his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) slide the country into a state of anarchy. Onwubuya said Nigerians voted for Buhari in 2015 with the expectations that, with his military background, he would bring his experience to bear in tacking insecurity and insurgencies. “Our country is in a war-like situation due to overwhelming security challenges, where innocent Nigerians have become vulnerable and living in fears of not knowing who will be the next victim like what happened in Rivers State, where innocent worshippers were murdered in cool blood by unknown gunmen, the Fulani herdsmen/farmers clashes in different parts of the country, the bombings, killings and burning of houses by Boko Haram and killings in Benue, Taraba and other parts of the country testify strongly of lack of security of lives and properties of citizens”, he said. While sympathising with Benue State government over the killings of 73 farmers in Guma and Logo local government areas; the party also condemned the herdsmen attacks and burning of houses in Adamawa state that led to many deaths. The party also lambasted the President, who also doubles as Minister of Petroleum, for not being proactive in tackling the incessant fuel scarcity which has brought embarrassment and untold hardships to the people of Nigeria. “FJP calls on Mr. President who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum to quickly address the increasing crisis and shortage of PMS, Aviation fuel and others causing hardships to Nigerians”, the party said. As a way of tackling insecurity in the country, the party urged President Muhammadu Buhari “to immediately overhaul the entire security architecture, recruit and train a minimum of one million capable Nigerian youths in the next 6 months into the various security agencies in the country.” While advocating for proper funding, auditing and monitoring of existing security agencies, the party also asked the President to address unemployment and general sufferings of Nigerians. The Freedom and Justice Party, which was registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 14th December 2017, claimed it was currently talking with 18 other political parties for possible merger, which would topple the ruling APC in the 2019 general elections. To achieve this, the party said it would begin “nationwide membership online registration, local membership drives, sensitization tours and inauguration of State chapters, beginning from February 1st, 2018.”