A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has thrown its weight behind the position of United Kingdom Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameroon that Nigeria is not only ‘fantastically corrupt’ but ‘rottenly corrupt’, saying that the fight against the menace of corruption by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is being fought mainly on the pages of newspapers.

The coalition issued the statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman on Thursday after its emergency meeting on the ‘State of the Nation.’

The groups under the aegis of Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) include: The Christian Awareness Mission Group (CAMG), Passengers Fundamental Rights Group (PATRGIA), The Islamic Political Awareness Group (TIPAG), Centre for Social Justice and Equity of Nigeria (CESJEN), Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS), Veteran Groups for Operation Clean Crusade (VGOCC), Apata-Aiyeraye Social Political Volunteer Group (ASPVG), De-Mainstream Independent Group (DMIG) and Coalition Against Illegal Arrest and Unlawful Detention (CAIA&UD).

Others were; Centre for Constitutional Rights and Counter Corruption Crusader, Save Lagos Group (SLG), The Conscience Mainstream (TCM), African Masses Voices for Survival (AMVS), The Christians Youths for the Peoples’ Rights and Development(CYPRD), Islamic Movement for Muslims’ Rights (IMMR), Divine Nigerians Liberators for Peoples’ Fundamental Rights (DNLPFR) and The Christians Volunteers Groups for Good Governance in Nigeria (TCVGGGN).

The coalition demanded for the unconditional release of the Lagos-based Human rights lawyer and Legal Counsel to the former leader of the Niger Delta Militant Volunteer Force, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (a.k.a. Tompolo), Barrister Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa for allegedly leasing a residential property seized by the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to an oil company without its approval, adding that other detained people against the Court should also be released without further delayed, noting that their continue detention shows the level of lawlessness of Buhari’s government.

The group described the much publicised fight against corruption of President Buhari as self-serving, selective, witch-hunting and against the principle of fairness, equity and justice, maintaining that Buhari should direct his anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to extend its investigation into where his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) got funds to sponsor his Presidential election, if Buhari wants the International Community to take him serious on the fight against corruption in

Nigeria.

The group, equally, said that there should not be sacred cow in the fight against corruption of the current administration because some All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors who sponsored Buhari’s March 28, 2015 Presidential election have crippled their States financially

today which made the masses of their various states to be wallowing in abject poverty, adding that it is a known fact that the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and All progressives Congress (APC) spent public funds on the last Presidential election and 2015 General elections

which was against the laws including Electoral Act and amended 1999 Constitution, guiding the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

The coalition, again, criticised Buhari over the new Pump price of Petroleum from N86.50k to N145.00k, calling for immediate reversal of the price to N50.00k promised during the 2015 Presidential election, stressing that the groups had concluded arrangement with other local and international organisation to mobilise the masses of the country on mass action against the new petroleum price and other anti-masses policies of Buhari’s administration which made life miserable and unbearable for the Nigeria people.

•Photo shows president Buhari.

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