CNPP rejects NOA’s proposed summiton leadership, others

OPPOSITION leaders under the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) have rejected the summit called by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to redress the nation’s leadership problems, insecurity and the evolving challenges of democracy in Nigeria.

The CNPP said on Tuesday that it has warned its members of the dangers of participating in the two-day political parties’ summit.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezegwu, it urged the Director General of NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri, “to stay within his brief and back down from his ongoing attempts to ignite a crisis among political parties through a phony summit purportedly being put together by his agency at his behest.”

CNPP pointed out that it has informed its member political parties on the expediency of staying away from the ‘Two-day Political Parties Summit on Political Leadership, Security and Evolving Challenges of Democracy in Nigeria,’ saying it “is an attempt to compromise parties’ leaders ahead of the 2015 general elections.”

Musa stated that “Omeri exposed his true agenda and intention to cause mischief when he summoned the so-called summit without first consulting the leadership of the political parties before arriving at the form, content and substance of the meeting.”

According to him, “before his compensatory position as DG of NOA, we all knew Omeri was an arrow head in the Goodluck Jonathan campaign organisation prior to his removal for unbecoming behaviour.”

“Even the position he holds at NOA is held in trust for the PDP, so we are wary of this his surreptitious invitation to the leadership of political parties to a summit at which they can be compromised or induced. We have seen it happen before when leaders of political parties were tricked into endorsing Jonathan for the 2011 elections.”

Musa added: “As humans with conscience, it is callous for NOA and Omeri to be talking of a political parties’ summit at a time that citizens are wallowing in pains from floods, extra-judicial killings and Boko Haram related violence.”

The resources of NOA and any discerning agency or individual for that matter, should at this time be aimed at addressing the humanitarian crisis facing different parts of the country where citizens are in refugee and relief camps.

“Omeri’s invitation to political leaders also covertly indicted the opposition of being behind political violence in the land without admitting the role played by his party, the PDP in the travesty that is usually the precursor to election related violence.

NOA and its leadership are apparently playing the ostrich when they said in the invitation that the recruitment of youths as thugs or militants by some politicians to intimidate and harass supporters of political opponents is against mentoring the youth for leadership and responsibility since they should have simply gathered the leadership of political parties and tell them the truth.”

CNPP further queried NOA’s rationale of trying “to pass off the so-called summit as a serious business when its invitation clearly confirmed it as a jamboree that would have participants, who make the mistake of taking part, spend one day for arrival, one day for the summit and one day touring development projects in the state.”

“NOA and its leadership should be bold to own up to any contract it entered into with the Imo State government to run a PR campaign of showcasing its projects.”