SNG concludes plans for protest against corruption

Punch

6 February 2012

SNG concludes plans for protest against corruption

The Save Nigeria Group has said it is concluding plans to begin a nationwide protest against corruption and official graft in the country.

The Convener of the group, Pastor Tunde Bakare, who said this in Lagos during the Sunday service at the Latter Rain Assembly, where he is the Serving Overseer, argued that corruption remained the major hindrance to the country’s progress and not the removal of fuel subsidy.

According to the cleric, the group is putting finishing touches to the rally which will not be announced.

SNG was one of the organisers of the Occupy Nigeria protest rally against the removal of subsidy on fuel, which held for one week at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, Lagos.

Bakare explained that unlike the Ojota rally against fuel subsidy removal, the planned protest would be prolonged until the “official excesses” like the emoluments of the National Assembly members were slashed.

He said, “The next rally that we are holding is against corruption in Nigeria. Corruption is the major enemy against the nation; the protest against subsidy was just one phase. But this one, we are not going to announce it; it will just come suddenly.

“This time around, we will occupy until the lawmakers agree to cut all that we will demand. No one will continue to take more than he is entitled to.”

Bakare added that the House of Representatives would do well than probe subsidy payments without taking action, noting that the SNG would compel the federal lawmakers to prosecute those who were found to have defrauded the nation through frivolous claims.

He said, “This probe will be different. It is better that the House (of Representatives) handles this probe very well. This is not the era of concluding a probe and throwing the report away. The lawmakers may come up with the usual excuse that they do not have the power to prosecute offenders.

“They did that during the independent power probe. We will not accept that this term. We will compel them to prosecute those who have been found to have illegally cornered our wealth. We have had enough.”