From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Group, Arewa Citizens Watch for Good Governance appears to be adamant about its planned protest to demand the removal of the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kolo Kyari.
The Group warned it is not backing down from its planned protest scheduled to take place at the NNPC towers from Thursday even if it means dying in the process in the face of the ongoing threats and concerted efforts to frustrate the protest.
Publicity Secretary of the Group, Aminu Abbas alleged that his members have uncovered “an evil plan by Kyari and his errant boys” to infiltrate the protest with hired thugs and goons to cause chaos and turn the civil rights from peaceful to a very violent one.
“No matter the intensity of their threats and evil plot, we will go ahead with the protest. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for our people and nation. We are at a point of no return, it’s now or never. We will not fold our hands and let our people die a merciless and agonising death.
“With the present status quo in Nigeria; hike in the price of PMS, catapulting into hike in food prices, hunger, tension, and insecurity cannot be averted in our land.
“Thus, no reasonable Nigerian will say he is happy with Mele Kolo Kyari because nothing has improved. We have moved from bad to worst. Lingering and damning fuel scarcity, importation of adulterated products, hikes in price, facility vandalism, and oil theft are the only achievements under Kyari. He has brought nothing but suffering to the Nigerian masses while he keeps enriching himself and his circle.
“Therefore, we are calling on hungry Nigerians who are the direct receivers of this suffering brought on board by Kyari to come out and protest for their future and that of their children.
“We will occupy the NNPC towers and protest continuously. We will not leave because ours is not a protest of going and coming. We will protest until Kyari is sacked because he has failed. Let more credible and capable hands take over.
“We are using this opportunity to notify the relevant security agencies to be more vigilant of the hoodlums that have been hired to disrupt this process. They are not part of us. We urge you to take measures of dealing with them and aid us in exercising our civil rights”, the statement read in part.