By Teddy Nwanunobi (Sundiata Post)
Abuja – Following the recent developments in the country, a new political pressure group, National Rebirth Group (NRG), on Thursday, called on Nigerians to join hands to bring to an end the pervading poverty and attendant widespread hunger occasioned by suffocating and ill-advised economic policies of the present administration.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, its Interim Chairman, Salisu Mohammed, observed the obvious and indisputable fact that Nigeria is desperately in need of renewal.
Mohammed, who was the factional National Chairman of Labour Party, resolved to get to the root of the disturbing issues so that Nigerians can begin to enjoy life, and live according to their hopes and aspirations.
While reminding President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigerians voted him into power, Mohammed maintained that they are prepared to uphold and protect their chosen stance, with all the consequences the choice implies.
“The idea of forming the National Rebirth Group (NRG) arose from a shared concern about the ills afflicting Nigeria and a common vision on how to salvage the nation by a dedicated crop of Nigerian patriots.
“From inception, NRG was conceived as a very robust and strong democratic and national political advocacy platform, to raise awareness and inculcate democratic orientation and consciousness amongst the generality of Nigerians.
“It is also driven by the strong desire to work tirelessly in joint efforts with other social groups, sharing similar objectives, aimed at mobilising the Nigerian people to fight against the vestiges of social exclusion, corruption, ethnicity, gender inequality, marginalisation, nepotism, impunity, economic deprivation and other forms of oppression, to which our people are unjustly subjected.
“In the same vain, NRG shall spare neither efforts nor resources in waging a relentless campaign and mobilisation against any bad governance and anti people policies designed or adopted by government, which is inconsistent with the democratic principles upon which, our members stand firmly and unshakably.
“What is obvious and indisputable is the fact, that our country is desperately in need of renewal. By ordinary and commonsensical reasoning, we felt compelled to throw the gate of this upcoming organisation wide open to all Nigerians, who identify with the vision, mission and the overall goals highlighted above to contribute their quota towards the attainment of these noble objectives.
“NRG is poised to rekindle the patriotic spirit of Nigerian people, and make them redirect their energy and natural endowments towards the long awaited pathway to national prosperity. It is a trajectory on which we intend to stay until victory is achieved.
“Accordingly, we want to assure citizens of our country that we have an unshakable resolve to reach to the bottom of this disturbing issues so that Nigerians can begin to enjoy life, and live according to their hopes and aspirations.
“Flowing from the above, we want to strongly draw the attention of our citizens to the following ills, which must be addressed and corrected immediately.
“1. The NRG refuses to accept or reconcile itself with a dismal reality, where poverty is rampant, hunger prevalent, and inflation uncontrollable. NRG openly proclaims its strong repugnance to a deplorable situation in which majority of Nigerians have been wantonly abandoned to wallow in unspeakable ignorance and disease.
“2. We want to make it abundantly clear that the drastic negative slide of our currency is unacceptable and would not be tolerated.
“3. In the same vain, we reject, and shall strongly resist the rising cost in prices of essential commodities, which (have) gone out of the reach of our people, who are currently living in abject squalor – it must stop.
“4. Over the years, Nigerian leaders and their allies have been paying lip service, and offering cosmetic solutions to these well entrenched problems, whose solutions require fundamental and holistic approach.
“6. The Nigeria Rebirth Group (NRG) will, henceforth, be a veritable platform for aggrieved Nigerians to express their feelings in form of mass protests aimed at mobilising citizenry towards achieving good governance at all levels.
“In conclusion, we call on civil society organisations, market women, the organised labour, youths and students to join hands with us in the struggle to bring an end to this pervading poverty, disabling rate of inflation, and attendant widespread hunger occassioned by suffocating and ill-advised economic policies of this and previous administrations.
“They must join us in categorically telling the makers of these harmful policies that we gave our votes and not our rights; we gave our votes and not our liberty; we gave our votes and not our freedom; we gave our votes and not our conscience; and we are prepared to uphold and protect this chosen stance, with all the consequences this choice implies.
“Nigerians must be reminded of the sacrifices and struggles they made to bring about democracy, and this government, which is predicated on the change mantra. To, therefore, remain mute and docile in the face of this excruciating difficulty would compound the problems of our people’s belief in the democratic system capable of creating apathy and refusal of our citizens to participate in future elections,” he said.