Protesters Demand Immediate Sacking of Defence Minister at National Assembly.
In a bold display of civil activism, scores of pro-democracy activists marched to the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday, demanding the immediate sacking of the Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle.
The protesters, under the banner of the Civil Society Advocacy Groups for Accountability and Probity, voiced their concerns and accused the minister of various wrongdoings.
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The demonstrators chanted solidarity songs and held banners with inscriptions such as “Sack Bello Matawalle now” and “Our defence budget not in safe hands.”
They expressed their dissatisfaction with Matawalle’s performance in the Ministry of Defence, particularly in handling security issues in the northern part of the country.
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Danesi Momoh, the leader of the group, addressed the media in front of the National Assembly, calling on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to put pressure on the President to remove Matawalle from his position. Momoh emphasized the importance of having an efficient leader in the Defence portfolio and stated that it could be corrected with the Senate’s intervention.
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“We call on the Senate to weigh in to ensure that he is immediately removed to restore some hope in good governance,” Momoh said.
He added, “Let us also assure you that we know how limited your role could be, but it is very important that in the national interest you play that role. We shall also be mounting pressure on President Bola Tinubu, whose table the buck stops directly, to replace him.
All the Senate needs is to play its part. The Senate should help in easing him off the public office space.”
Salihu Abdullahi, the Director of Sergeant at Arms at the National Assembly, received the protesters’ petition on behalf of Akpabio.
He expressed satisfaction with the peaceful and orderly conduct of the demonstrators and promised to convey their grievances to the appropriate authorities.
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The protest is expected to stir discussions on the performance of the Minister of Defence and the role of the Senate in addressing public concerns.
