PROTESTERS HOLD PROTEST AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, CALL FOR DEFENSE MINISTER TO BE REMOVED

Babatunji Wusu –

Pro-democracy protestors crowded the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday, demanding that Bello Matawalle, the minister of defense, be fired right away.

As they crowded the National Assembly premises, the demonstrators sang slogans of solidarity in response to their demands. They carried banners with a variety of slogans, such as “Our defense budget is in jeopardy” and “Sack Bello Matawalle now.”

The minister is accused by the activists, who are from the Civil Society Advocacy Groups for Accountability and Probity, of having dubious ties to bandits, which they say has led to the loss of life and property valued at billions of naira in the country’s northern region.

The group’s leader, Danesi Momoh, addressed the media in front of the National Assembly and urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to utilize his power to guarantee Matawalle’s removal.

Momoh said, “Maybe one of the biggest mistakes of this administration was giving the Defense portfolio to an incompetent leader.” The Senate can address it, though, by expressing their worries in that regard.

He added, “To restore faith in good administration, we beg the Senate to step in and see to it that he is removed immediately. Although we are aware of the limits of your position, it is imperative that you fulfill your duty in the benefit of the country. Additionally, as President Bola Tinubu is directly accountable for this issue, we will put pressure on him. The Senate plays a crucial role, and they ought to help make his exit from public office easier.

Salihu Abdullahi, the National Assembly’s Sergeant at Arms, who accepted the protestors’ petition on Akpabio’s behalf, responded to the demonstration by praising its nonviolent and orderly conduct and promising to take their complaints to the proper authorities.