Former minister says President Buhari values crude oil more than a Nigerian life

Ezekwesili made the allegation after members of the BBOG were denied access to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.

The BBOG group had embarked on a peaceful march to President Buhari's residence to demand the release of the Chibok girls as well as an explanation for the arrest and detention of their members on Tuesday, January 23.

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"The fight for the Chibok girls is the fight for the soul of Nigeria," BBOG members declared as they marched under the scorching sun of Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.

A group of anti-riot Police officers built into a human barricade at the entrance to the Villa prevented the protesters from seeing President Buhari.

"You have been sent out to stop us?" Ezekwesili queried the Police officers.

"But let remind you that we are also standing for the policewomen, your colleagues, who were taken into captivity by Boko Haram on their way to bury their colleague. Has your government acknowledged that a thing like that ever happened? Has the inspector general of police acknowledged that fact?

"Is it not a shame that a promise is made by a President of a country, he does not keep the promise but instead, he turns on his citizens?" Ezekwesili asked.

She condemned President Buhari's decision to send lecturers on oil exploration in Chad Basin despite the security situation in the region.

"The lecturers that were sent to explore for oil at the Chad Basin were abducted by Boko Haram and up until now, President Muhammadu Buhari has not spoken to their families.

"President Buhari is the Minister of Petroleum Resources, he signed the approval for the lecturers, NNPC staff, and consultants to a place that is the highest security risk to explore for oil. They were abducted and the President has not spoken a word neither has any of his team engaged with the families.

"The President knows that according to his ranking in this country today, oil is more important than the life of an average Nigeria. That will not be so. The Nigerian life matters," Ezekwesili reiterated.

The former minister expressed displeasure over President Buhari's inability to fulfill one of his campaign promises which was the rescue of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted in a secondary school in Chibok in 2014.

"Is it not a shame that a promise is made by a President of a country, he does not keep the promise but instead, he turns on his citizens?

"The President must tell us why the Police violated our rights yesterday. Anyone of our members could have been harmed grievously, yesterday by an unruly Police Force.

"Since he is the commander-in-chief, he needs to tell us what remediation effort he would take in order to address this untoward situation that happened yesterday," she said.

Attempts to get the leader of the Policemen sent to barricade the entrance to the Villa was unsuccessful as he failed to appear after over an hour of waiting.

Addressing journalists, another prominent member of the BBOG, Aisha Yesufu, accused President Buhari of incompetence.

Citing the President's medical trip to the United Kingdom, Yesufu said Buhari lacked the capacity to fix the problems of the country.

"Today, as you are standing here, if you are taken away, President Muhammadu Buhari will do absolutely nothing. I will be the one to stand here to demand your rescue.

"We have a President who refuses to take responsibility for anything but all he thinks about is himself.

"People are in captivity, citizens are being hacked and all the President does is nothing.

"Yusuf Buhari had an accident just like the children of other Nigerians but there was no committee on their behalf. Nothing was done for them," Yesufu categorically said.

Head of the BBOG strategy team, Florence Ozor, told journalists that the group would not be deterred by the actions of security agencies.

"The Police said we were invited to the station yesterday. I think they just redefined the meaning of the word 'invitation'," Ozor announced.

"You do not invite people by dragging them on the streets and hauling them into your trucks and taking them to the station for no reason.

"The President needs to tell us why our rights were violated by those who were paid to protect us yesterday. They have brought the battle to us and we want them to know that we are battle-ready," she declared.

Spokesman of the group, Sesugh Akume, said the group would not stop demanding for the release of the Chibok schoolgirls and other Nigerians abducted by Boko Haram

"We wish to, however, reiterate to the Presidency, the Federal Government and the Police authorities that no one and no amount of repressive action can intimidate our movement to stop demanding for the rescue of our remaining 112 Chibok Girls, 16 Lassa Women and men including two police officers and 3 University of Maiduguri Lecturers," Akume stated.