Following the removal of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume from his position as Chief Whip and Vice- Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation, due to his utterances against the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which he claimed, is characterized with ‘hunger and insecurity, women groups and supporters including Wards and some Units Coordinators of Senator Mohammed Ndume in Southern Borno Senatorial District have vowed to stage a peaceful protest naked to the national assembly.
This is as Ndume’s Coordinators in each of the 101 Wards from the nine (9) Local Government Areas of Biu, Hawul, Bayo, Shani, Gwoza, Chibok, Kwaya Kusar, Askira -Uba and Damboa stormed the residence of the ousted senator in Maiduguri on Thursday for a solidarity visit and vowed to stand with Ndume in all political ramifications.
Addressing the Senator Spokesperson of the aggrieved women groups, Mrs Mada Musa from Damboa council area said, “it is unfortunate that Ndume who granted an interview with Arise TV recently echoed the voices and feelings of the masses over severe hunger and insecurity which have dominated the present administration will be punished or relinquished him of his position at the Red Chamber, stressing that, instead for the government to act swiftly in addressing the current economic hardships and wanton killings and kidnappings, it only teamed up with the APC and the Senate Caucus and axe Ndume by unconstitutionally and unconditionally relieved him from his position as Chief Whip.
“We elected senator Ndume to go and represent Southern Borno people, and by extension, Borno and Nigeria as a whole irrespective of political affiliations, therefore we enjoined our Senator who is passionate about the plights of average Nigerians to please go back to Media Houses and add that, apart from hunger and insecurity in the land, there are corruption, unemployment and lost of hope due to bad policies of the present administration.”
Also speaking on behalf of the Ward Coordinators, Pastor Moni Mushari who hails from Askira- Uba local government area quoted John 8:31, which says: ‘ If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free’.
To this end, Pastor Mashari said, all the 101 Ndume Ward Coordinators are strongly behind Senator Ndume for saying the truth and nothing but the truth.
He noted that, the people of Southern Borno are proud of Governor Babagana Zulum’s unprecedented development, in which Ndume has also played his own parts in complementing efforts of the state government in providing dividends of democracy to the grassroots.
Responding, Senator Ndume expressed gratitude for the solidarity visit, even as he enjoined them to be calm and law- abiding.
“I sincerely thank you for the visit, I want to also advice you to engage in farming and businesses, as it is the only solution to mankind at the moment. We will continue to provide you with agricultural incentives such as fertilizers and pesticides to grow what you will eat, as we continue to receive the desired support from Governor Babagana Zulum.
“I am happy that recently, President Tinubu approved N70,000 as minimum wage per month to Nigerian workers, but as i keep saying, the minimum wage is equivalent to a bag of rice or maize. And so, there is much need to be done compared to a family where there is one or more children who needs healthcare, transportation, school fees, house rent and other unforeseen economic realities within the stipulated 30 working days.
“On the call by APC National Working Committee (NWC) that I should leave the party and join any other political party, let me say that, it is only God that give power to whom He wish. And so, I want to categorically state that, I am one of the founding members of the APC, our Leader, Governor Zulum is in APC, and wherever our Governor is, that is where i belong”.
Ndume therefore called on all and sundry, especially the people of his constituency to continue give their maximum support and cooperation to the present administration of governor Zulum to enable government continue with the good works.