The Presidential Campaign Office of the All Progressives Congress in the Central Business District of Abuja was on Thursday sealed by heavily armed policemen.
As early as 8:00 am, two truckloads of mobile policemen had been deployed to the office which also accommodated the bodyguards of President Muhammadu Buhari and members of the Buhari Support Organisation who participated in the campaigns for the 2015 general elections.
When THE PUNCH visited the office fierce-looking police officers who refused to have their photographs taken, had taken over the place.
Our correspondent learnt that many of the occupants of the facility were not allowed to go outside, while none was allowed to enter.
The spokesperson of the Buhari’s Bodyguards, Olabiyi Balogun, said they were posted to the Presidential Campaign Office from BSO as volunteers, while some others said they were employed as protocol staff for the campaign office.
He said, “This (Thursday) morning, two truckloads of mobile policemen were deployed to our office which also houses over 20 people. The police said the instruction was that they should not allow us access to the office and that the people inside should not be allowed to go out.”
Balogun said they were promised that should the APC win the 2015 presidential election, they would be offered automatic employment in the paramilitary agencies of the Federal Government.
“But 16 months after, we have not seen anything to show that a promise was made to us. This is injustice that should be condemned by all Nigerians. We have been fooled. This is another one chance and they can’t get away with it,” Balogun added.
Balogun had warned that their marginalisation constituted security threat to the nation.
He said, “Right now, we need Mr. President to appreciate our hard work for him. We need Mr. President to recognise the fact that we have lost everything because we championed the change agenda.
“Definitely, it is not just our exclusion that is a security threat to the country. Anything that would deny any man his dues and legitimate rights can be concluded to mean a security threat because when you don’t get your dues and what is rightly due to you, then you are opened to a lot of temptations. So, we are indeed a security threat.”
A woman who spoke flawless Igbo and Hausa languages, Joy Ebere Umeh, displayed her appointment letters which, she said, was signed by the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and now Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.
She also claimed that she served as a protocol officer for the defunct Congress for Progressive Change Presidential Campaign Office in 2011 and her appointment letter then was signed by Muhammadu Buhari.
She said, “l am Joy Ebere Umeh, Protocol officer APC campaign council. We were at the PCC on appointment as we were given letters in February 2015. From the day we resumed office, there was no salary, and there were no allowances.”
Copyright PUNCH.
No comments:
Post a Comment