Ajaero: PDP cautions FG against indiscriminate arrest of citizens over #EndBadGovernance protest

The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has cautioned the federal government against indiscriminate arrest of citizens, in the aftermath of the #EndBadGovernance protest.

National Publicity Secretary of the former national ruling party, Debo Ologunagba, while reacting to the arrest today (Monday, September 9) of the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress ( NLC), Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS), said although the PDP is not fully abreast of the issues surrounding Ajaero’s arrest, the government would not need to arrest citizens over protest should he tackle the challenges confronting the country with a sense of despatch and responsibility.

Ajaero was earlier today arrested by the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where he had gone to board a flight to London to attend a conference.

“This is a breaking story. Let us see, hear what it is. We will find out. Let the government face the welfare challenges of this country, then there will be no protest,” quipped Said Ologunagba, who warned that there is every need to be cautious on the part of the government.

“There was a protest in this country.You arrested some people and said they were terrorists and charged them to court. You say some people were the sponsors of the protest…but we know those who sponsored the protest. The sponsor is hunger, the President and his people should arrest hunger and there will be no problem,” the PDP spokesman sneered.

“You wake up one morning, you cannot plan because the government is so insensitive and irresponsible, without consulting the National Assembly and coming up with policies that destroy the plan of the people, destroy the opportunity to have what we call pursuit of happiness.

“Why does the government exist?; for the welfare and security of the people. Now we don’t have welfare. No security.”

Ologunagba accused the government of asking the people to make sacrifices while funding the profligacy of its top officials, who live as if the country had no financial challenges.

“You must show leadership by saying okay, you are telling me to tighten my belt and you are buying a new jet. This is a country that seemingly cannot pay a N70,000 minimum wage but can buy a $150m plane. The President is trying to test how good it is and he is flying everywhere,” the PDP chided.

“This is a country where you spend N21bn to renovate the Vice President’s House;, this is a country where they have no money, according to them, but the President will buy a yacht. There is no water body in Abuja so for the president to get to the Yacht he will have to travel one hour to Lagos.

“The yacht has a-24 hour security protection. Until we talk about these issues, the president should know that when he is in a position, it is in our interest that he succeeds. Because the success of the president is our success. Nobody wishes him failure, but if his decisions are such that it is causing Nigerians pain, we will speak.”