The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday asked the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, to check his excesses or humbly resign his appointment.
It described as disgusting, barbaric and shameful the stopping of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, from entering the National Assembly.
In a statement signed by the President of the Congress, Abdulwaheed Omar, the NLC said that the action of the police was unlawful and an act of impunity in furtherance of partisan consideration.
The statement entitled “This Evil Must Not Stand”, reads: “The barricading and preventing of the Honourable Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and members of the House of Representatives from gaining access to the premises of the National Assembly for a lawful duty, their harassment, intimidation, molestation and tear gassing by the members of the Nigeria Police Force was disgusting, barbaric and shameful.
“We at the Nigeria Labour Congress believe the conduct of the police is unlawful and an act of impunity in furtherance of partisan consideration. It is worrisome already that the government has done little to mitigate the damage done by its previous acts adjudged to be unconstitutional.
“Yet every government that seeks legitimacy must demonstrate a certain level of sophistication even in violation. We find the explanation by the police for their conduct, spurious and puerile and not worthy of response.
“We however, do admit we have a major problem on our hands when the police lend themselves to doing private jobs instead of their prescribed duties. The Inspector General of Police must check himself or do the next honourable thing, resign.
“We believe Honourable Aminu Tambuwal about whom this Gestapo operation was, holds a constitutional office and deserves all the respect and privileges befitting that office. It was bad enough that the IGP unlawfully withdrew his security detail.
“While we await the next scene after this messy attempt at denying him access to the National Assembly, we find it necessary to quote a popular Chinese proverb: “ Those who seek vengeance must dig two graves”.
“We similarly find it urgent and necessary to warn that we cannot continue like this. We shall resist with every lawful means available to us any further attempt to put in jeopardy this democracy.
“Nigerians will resist any further brazen and naked use of power or any conduct capable of truncating this democracy. The National Assembly is a critical institution in our democracy and should be accorded all the respect it deserves”.
Also, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, (CNPP), yesterday demanded the sack of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the fracas.
President Goodluck Jonathan, it said, should immediately effect the removal.
Reacting to the development, CNPP National Publicly Secretary, Osita Okechukwu, through a telephone conversation said: “Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) condemns in no uncertain terms the brigandage and rascality of the Nigeria Police Force as evidenced with the desecration of the National Assembly.
“CNPP is yet to understand the motive behind the violence unleashed by the Nigeria Police Force, to Honorable Members of the House of Representatives, in utter violation of the core mandate of the Police to protect and defend the people and the laws of the land.
“We wish to warn those who wittingly and unwittingly discredit and abuse our hard won democracy, to desist forthwith from such ignoble act.
”For we had witnessed voter apathy in election after election showing clearly that there is voter unhappiness and voter disquiet; an ominous sign-post of anarchy, the unintended consequences which are better imagined than welcome.
“Consequently, His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, in the collective interest of our dear country and fledgling democracy; should sack the Inspector General of the Police (IGP), Mr. Suleiman Abba, so as to absolve himself from the insinuations gaining ground that the new IGP is his attack-dog”.
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