Presidency Dares APC Over Government Shutdown

Following the directives by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that its members in the National Assembly should block the passage of the 2014 appropriation bill.

The Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak said the APC resolution was a recipe for anarchy and vowed that whatever actions were made towards self-help, particularly in Rivers State would be matched with appropriate reaction by security agencies.

Gulak in a statement said: “The Federal Government has directed the law enforcement agencies to take seriously all statements aimed at inciting violence and disturbing the peace.”

He said no responsible administration would fold its arms and watch politicians incite their supporters to take up arms or resort to extra-judicial means to resolve disputes when there are legally established channels for conflict resolution in the country.

Noting that the Federal Government has a responsibility to protect all Nigerians and ensure that every Nigerian is free to pursue his business and happiness in an atmosphere of concord and tranquility, he said: “The Federal Government fully recognises the constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, we regard such enshrined constitutional guarantees of basic rights of Nigerians as the pillars of democratic governance; we know that the full enjoyment of such rights come with personal and civic responsibilities on individuals and groups, it is therefore regrettable and unfortunate, that APC which prides itself as a progressive party, should go all out to incite its supporters to resort to self help to redress their grievances”.

According to Gulak, “this is a display of desperation and crass opportunism by a political party that wants to win at all cost. There are rules of engagement and we expect all parties to abide by such rules rather than fomenting trouble in order to gain media attention.