By Joseph Erunke
ABUJA—Civil rights campaigner and former member, House of Representatives, Dino Melaye,yesterday,led members of his newly formed Citizens Arise Movement of Nigeria,CAMON,across the streets of Abuja,in demonstration against what he called the ‘ills of the nation’ after 54 years of independence.
The demonstration took members of the group to different parts of the nation’s capital city,chanting different slogans against the Federal Government.
But unlike his previous protests where he was either arrested and locked up in detention cell or harassed by security personnel,Melaye was left alone with his members yesterday, as he took his protest rally round the streets of Abuja,culminating at the Eagle Square.
Speaking to newsmen during the protest march, Dino Melaye said the essence of the event was to express the group’s disappointment and displeasure over the state of affairs in the country.
Just as he said there was nothing to celebrate, Mr Melaye berated President Jonathan’s Independence Day speech for being silent on government’s effort at rescuing Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram over five months ago.
“I want to say that the president’s speech this morning (yesterday) is not different from the one he has been giving before. It has become a normal tradition. Unfortunately, the President addressed the nation this morning, the 54th birthday of Nigeria and he did not say anything about the missing Chibok girls. This is calamitous and, painful,”he said.
He accused the president of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians, saying insecurity, official corruption,money laundering and lawlessness had gone high under his watch.
He said for the president not to incur the wrath of his organisation,through daily protests across the country,within two weeks from now, he (Jonathan) must address his 27- point demands, among which include arrest and prosecution of those involved in the $9.3 million seized in South Africa and setting up of independent panel to investigate alleged involvement of former Borno State governor,Ali Modu Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff,Major General Patrick Ihejirika in the
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