Nigerians in the US will stage anti-government protests side-by-side the annual Nigerian Independence day parade in New York on Saturday. The march, tagged "Enough is Enough" would target Nigerian public officials billed to participate at the event. The Nigeria Liberty Democratic Forum (NDLF) has requested Nigerians to attend the march en masse as a way of sending a strong message to the Yar'adua regime that Nigerians abroad rejects his numerous policy somersaults and shielding of corrupt individuals.
See press statement below:
It is that time of the year again when the NDLF with other Nigerians converge at the Nigerian Consulate to protest the state of our country in New York. In previous years we succeeded in confronting Nigerian governors who abandoned suffering Nigerians back home to take part in Independence day parade in New York. Being profligates, about five state governors once came from Nigeria to take the "salute". But the salute they got was a resounding message of stop the ruins, stop the destruction!
On October 1st 2009, the country would be 49th. It has continuously had the misfortune of being governed by greedy, heartless and incompetent public administrators. For almost five decades, we have watched the country drift and become a caricature of her greatness. Our pride has become our nemesis! The dreams and vision of of our founding fathers have turned into a mirage and a utopia.
Our blessed country whose former leader once said that expending financial resources was our challenge and we actually paid the salaries of workers of a foreign country! We have earned billions of dollars over the almost five decades but the people have become impoverished by the second. The military debased us while the civilians are striving aggressively to take our future and that of our children away from us.
We now have a country that abnormalities have become the norm and the unimaginable a way of life. Successive administration in Nigeria have turned out to be worse that its predecessor. The current President-Umaru Yar' Adua apparently is clueless about what he should be doing. A sick man who has spent most time looking after his health and ignoring the health of the country. There is a leadership vacuum in Nigeria. No one in charge, as the looters of our collective wealth embark on a looting spree. Those whose preoccupation is to ruin the country are calling the shots while we have become on lookers.
The quality of life in Nigeria is inexplicable, our universities have been shut down for over three months,
and the President jets out to Saudi Arabia to open a University in that country!. A country that cannot generate power! A country that is the 7th largest producer of crude oil and still imports diesel and fuel! A country that spends about #794B on importation of fuel and #796B on capital projects! A country that has abandoned the actualization of her MDG which is to guarantee minimum quality of life for her citizenry! A country whose lawmakers have abdicated their roles to take part in the looting spree! A country that cannot conduct an election successfully in few wards/local government in Ekiti state!
Ours is a country where the Attorney General of the federation has changed his portfolio to the AG of the felons and looters, the financial system is moribund, the infrastructure is in a state of collapse; those who have destroyed the country jet out with the slightest fever with over $200 billion dollars lost on overseas medical expenses. Nigeria that became a home for citizens of a nearby country not too long ago now have her citizens as economic refugees in countries that would confound everyone. Professionals that ought to contribute to the growth and development of the country have been forced out, sometimes taking up menial jobs in less developed nations.
The question that we should all ask ourselves as citizens of Nigeria is "Where is our outrage?" Are we going to fold our arms and continue to acquiescence to the destruction of our country by the rogues in power? Are we going to give up without even trying to challenge the status quo in whatever small way we can individually and collectively?
To the Nigerians in the Diaspora, the comfort we enjoy is the result of the sacrifice of citizens of those countries and to Nigerians at home, when we fought against the military, we did not embark on that struggle for a democracy that "ruining elites" would be in power to rob us blind. Let us remember that things are made impossible by inaction. Let us organize ourselves internationally and walk our way back home to take our country back.
To this end we are calling on you to join us at the "Nigeria Enough is Enough" protest march which would take place during the Independence day parade on Oct. 3rd 2009 on 2nd Avenue & 45th Street, NY, NY at 9am. Let us come out in large numbers and express our outrage and collectively say NIGERIA ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
JOIN US FOR THE "NIGERIA ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" PROTEST MARCH ON SAT. OCTOBER 3RD 2009 AT THE NIGERIAN CONSULATE ON 2ND AVENUE & 45TH STREET AT 9AM
Signed
Bukola Oreofe
Executive Director
NDLF
Dr. Willie Nwiido
Director, International Relations
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