The Action Congress of Nigeria ,ACN, has accused the federal government of plotting to destabilize the South-west, alleging that the FG had engaged the founder of Oodua People’s Congress,OPC, Frederick Fasheun to do so.
It alleged that the multi-billion naira contract awarded to Dr Frederick Fasehun for the protection of oil pipelines in the region was a smoke screen aimed at instigating OPC against opposition leaders in the region.
Addressing a press conference yesterday in Lagos through its spokesman, Lai Mohammed, the ACN accused the government of mapping out strategies to ignite political crises in the region in order to scuttle the 2015 general election.
“The PDP is keenly aware that it has totally lost the confidence of all Nigerians, and the long-suffering people of this great country are now ready and eager to vote out this clueless party.
Keenly aware of this fact, the PDP has now realised that if, indeed, the 2015 elections are free and fair and conducted in a conducive environment, there will be no chance for the party.” he declared.
“What is the way out for the PDP? The party has decided to go for broke: either there will be no elections in 2015 or the polls will be conducted in an atmosphere of chaos, thereby paving the way for the PDP to do what it does best – rig the elections!”
“Since the Boko Haram crisis broke out in some parts of the north, it has been largely restricted to those parts. This has made it possible to say to prospective foreign investors and others that the whole country has not been engulfed in violence and insecurity. But now, the areas that have been largely peaceful are being targeted by those who will only be happy when the whole country is in turmoil.”
The ACN image-maker further listed three recent development to drive home his point.
Continuing, he said“The questions that arise are: what is the real intention of the federal government in awarding this oil pipelines protection contract? Is it a mere coincidence that the main beneficiary of the multi-billion naira oil pipelines protection contract is also the same fellow who is promoting the revival of the UPN? Could the huge contract have been meant to provide the seed money for the promoters of this party?” Mohammed asked.
“Is it true, as it is being alleged in certain quarters, that the essence of the contract is to recruit 30,000 youths who will ostensibly protect the pipelines, but in the real sense are ready hands to foment violence on demand in the southwest? Is it true that the so-called revival of the UPN is to provide a platform for anarchists and end-gamers in the southwest to infiltrate the ranks of the progressives and throw the region into chaos?”
“Why is it that, suddenly, Boko Haram suspects are popping up in Lagos, and some of those who have been arrested were residing in a building owned by the Bayelsa State government? Is the Bayelsa state government aware of this and, if so, what has it done to evict them from the building?” the spokesman further queried.
Reacting, Dr Fasehun denied the allegation. He asked Lai Mohammed to provide proof to back up his claim if he had any.
According to him “I am not aware of the multi-billion naira contract Lai Mohammed was talking about. It is true the OPC, not Frederick Fasehun, requested the NNPC to award the contract to offer protection services for the oil pipeline in the southwest three years ago. But since then, we have not heard anything from the federal government. Even if we had been given the contract, are we not Nigerians and are we not qualified for the contract from the federal government of Nigeria?
“We have over six million people in the OPC; if the federal government gives a contract to the OPC, not to Fasehun, why are you challenging the government of Nigeria for giving out the contract? If the contract is N2.4billion as Lai Mohammed claimed, I am not capable of protecting the entire pipelines; we have to involve our teeming jobless youths since the contract would cover 5,250 km. The contract is not meant for me, or for my children; it is for Nigerian people – and Lai Mohammed is saying it is wrong?”
“We have been crying of marginalisation in the South-West; we have been saying that the federal government is not doing enough for the Yoruba; giving OPC such a contract would have shown that the government is not insensitive to the our yearnings as a race, but Lai Mohammed said that it is wrong. Claiming that the contract is aimed at scuttling the 2015 general election is a big lie. We applied for the contract three years ago; they have not replied us, and if they have and Lai Mohammed has hijacked our letter, he should return the letter to us because where he got the figure he was quoting, I do not know.”
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