The National Coordinator of “Atiku Professionals For Better Nigeria” (APBEN), Barrister Benita Dike-Israel has come heavily on the federal government over a statement credited to the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed that the United States should be cautious in granting visa to the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in order not to create the impression of endorsing him for the 2019 election
The minister who gave the government position at an interactive session with media executives in Abuja also said that the government was aware of the move by the former vice president to lobby the U.S to lift the visa ban imposed on him. The minister went further to say that while the U.S has the prerogative of whom to issue visa, it should be mindful of the timing, in order not to give the impression that Atiku has been endorsed by the U.S government
Reacting swiftly in a statement personally signed by her, Barrister Benita Dike-Israel said this statement coming from the chief spokesperson of the federal government is a clear indication that the government has taken its political ‘witch hunting’ of Atiku to another next level. She said it is becoming confusing and indeed ridiculous to understand what exactly the federal government is up to, considering this recent meddlesomeness in Atiku’s visa to the U.S.
She said the federal government of Nigeria cannot dictate to the United States on whom to grant visa to and cannot also tele-guide the U.S on who to endorse or not in the coming 2019 presidential elections
Barrister Benita Dike-Israel further pondered on the sheer pettiness of this statement made by the information minister, likenning it to a “hailmary” attempt!
According to her, “this is a government that has consistently claimed that Atiku was wanted in the U.S for some alleged crimes, and has actually dared him that if he travels to the U.S he would be arrested by U.S security agents only for the same government to turn around and ask the U.S not to grant him visa” Barrister Dike-Israel enthused
The APBEN National Coordinator further said only a week ago the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay has told a bewildered nation that there is no proof that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is corrupt; stressing that all along the former Vice President has been falsely labelled several times as a “corrupt man” by the ruling All Progressive Congress(APC) in order to tarnish his image.
She said, Prof Sagay in debunking the corrupt allegations against Atiku had said despite the allegation that the PDP Presidential candidate was corrupt, the federal government has not been able to provide any proof to that effect that the Wazirin Adamawa is truly corrupt as Nigerians has been made to believe.
Barrister Dike-Israel said this latest revelation by Prof. Itse Sagay has not only vindicated Atiku but has equally shown that Atiku is innocent of all the alleged corrupt cases he has been accused of by his traducers.
Continuing, Barrister Dike-Israel advised the federal government to concentrate more on the business of governance especially in the areas of security, adding that the heavy casualty recorded at the military formation in Melete, Borno State, a forth-night ago where the nation lost about 118 of its gallant and brave soldiers could have been avoided if the government was proactive enough. She highlighted that the federal government had failed to make available an endowment fund for the bereaved families of the fallen soldiers,however the same Atiku Abubakar that is being persecuted was the one who gallantly provided an endowment fund for bereaved families of the slain service men.
She further urged the government to re-direct all the energies being dissipated in meddling in Atiku visa issue towards providing purposeful leadership in the country that will bring succor to the Nigerian people who have been badly short-changed by the government.
