The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has warned the federal government not to capitalise on the controversy generated by the illegal removal of Justice Ayo Salami as President of the Court of Appeal to distract Nigerians from serious issues of governance.
In a statement issued yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Nigerians were conscious of the activities a shady group being sponsored by unseen hands to place series of newspaper and television advert in recent days to confuse the issues involved in the Justice Salami issue.
“There is no doubt that huge public funds are being frittered away on these self-serving adverts by mushrooming phony groups, who are simply echoing their master’s voice and seeking to distort the facts in a case of serious constitutional infraction.
“It is sad however that this dirty game of distraction is being played at a time of worsening insecurity in the land from the activities of Boko Haram, armed robbers and kidnappers; at a time of rising unemployment due to lack of ideas on the part of the government, and at a time that innocent Nigerians are being slaughtered like chicken due to the resurgent crisis in Jos.
“Nigerians are more concerned that their country is fast becoming a police state, where public buildings and other facilities are being guarded by armed soldiers and the entire polity is militarised, and the government of the day spends little or no time on governance,” it said.
ACN repeated its earlier warning that the Salami issue would not go away until those who precipitated the crisis did the right thing, which is to reverse their illegal actions and reinstate Justice Salami.
“These people can spend all the money in the coffers or use all the media in the world in their attempt to justify their unconstitutional acts, but they will not succeed in hoodwinking Nigerians.
“All they need is a little introspection, and it will become clear to them that only by doing the right thing, which will not even involve wasting public funds, can this lingering controversy be laid to rest,” the party said.