FNM Press Relese (8/21/97)

[Free Nigeria Movement <FNM@ix.netcom.com>]

  Free Nigeria Movement
  P.O. Box 441395
  Indianapolis, IN 46244
  Phone/Fax +1 (317)216-4590
  Email: FNM@ix.netcom.com
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  FREENIGERIA"
  Radio Station:  Voice of Free Nigeria (VoFN) 11.680 kHz, every Saturday
  at 1900Hrs GMT (8:OOpm Nigerian Time)
  
  “Nigeria; Nazi Germany of the 90s”
  		- Ibrahim H. Muhammed 
  
  For Immediate Release
  (Please distribute widely)
  
  On Abacha’s intervention in Sierra Leone
  
  
  Contact: Nasiru Ikharo  at +1(317)216-4590 or FNM@ix.netcom.com 
  Thursday, August 21st, 1997
  	
  	The Free Nigeria Movement, a global, grassroots based non-violent mass
  movement working for the restoration of freedom to Nigeria and its
  people, is dismayed at the deployment of Nigerian troops in Sierra Leone
  by the Sanni Abacha led illegal Nigerian military dictatorship,
  allegedly to restore the President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah led Sierra Leonian
  democratically elected government.
  
  	The Free Nigeria Movement knows that the Abacha military dictatorship
  has no constitutional or moral right whatsoever to deploy Nigerian
  troops anywhere, talk less of restoring another country’s democratically
  elected government . For indeed, under the 1989 Constitution of the
  Federal Republic of Nigeria, the only one which the FNM recognizes, only
  the duly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with the
  permission of the duly elected members of the Nigerian upper house of
  Assembly, the Senate, has a right to deploy Nigerian troops into battle,
  or into any other military related duty. More precisely, only President
  Moshood K. O. Abiola, the duly-elected and legitimate President of the
  Federal Republic of Nigeria, acting with the permission of the
  duly-elected and legitimate Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
  those elected under the auspices of the Social Democratic Party (SDP),
  and the National Republican Convention (NRC) can commit Nigerian troops
  into battle or any other military related duty.
  
  	From the moral perspective, Sanni Abacha has no right to restore
  another country’s democratically elected Representatives to power, when
  presently, and for the past four years, the democratically elected
  Representatives of the Nigerian people have been denied the right to
  perform their constitutionally mandated duties; solely due to the whims
  and caprices of General Sanni Abacha, and those unpatriotic and
  self-seeking military and civilian collaborators he has chosen to
  surround himself with.
  
  	Indeed, the only good thing about Abacha’s decision to deploy troops to
  Sierra Leone, and restore the duly elected government of that country,
  is that he has in principle given an open invitation to those patriotic
  Nigerians who wish for Nigeria, what Abacha wishes for Sierra Leone; an
  open invitation and indication, that the best and most practical way to
  restore the duly elected Representative of the Nigerian people, elected
  under the SDP and NRC, is through the use of force. 
  
  	Therefore, to all intents and purposes, from the minute Nigerian troops
  fire their first shot, or suffer their first casualty, in the quest to
  restore democracy in Sierra Leone, Abacha, and those who have benefited
  and continue to benefit from his self-imposed illegitimacy, should be
  aware that they have themselves set in motion a process that would
  ultimately culminate with the restoration of the duly elected
  Representatives of the Nigerian people elected under the auspices of the
  1989 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, based on the
  Sierra Leone principle. For as the old saying goes, what is good for the
  goose, is definitely good for the gander.
  
  	General Sanni Abacha, instead of wasting the lives of Nigerian troops
  in an ill conceived and ill advised adventure in Sierra-Leone, ought to
  release all his political prisoners immediately, and restore the
  leadership of the country to the duly elected Representatives of the
  Nigerian people, based on the mandates given on the structures enshrined
  in the 1989 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  Then, and
  only then can Nigerian troops be deployed to Sierra Leone or any other
  place on earth for whatever duty, our elected Representatives choose to
  assign them to.
  
  	The Liberian military campaign, waged by General Ibrahim Babangida and
  his successor, General Sanni Abacha, involving an unimaginable waste of
  financial, natural and human resources, is a showcase of  handling  a
  complex problem with  instincts, and personal emotions rather than
  reason, logic, or that which is in the best interest of the citizenry of
  Liberia .  Nowhere is this more obvious than in the Abacha and Babangida
  policy of creating, arming, and funding splinter warring factions, as
  well as their policy of trying to impose their own chosen leaders on
  Liberia.
  
  	Indeed, the FNM sees the Abacha campaign in Sierra Leone as a ploy to
  garner an unprofitable goodwill within the community of nations. A
  goodwill that might be beneficial to Abacha, but definitely not to the
  great mass of the Nigerian people who, as a result of Abacha’s
  repressive and illegitimate regime have borne hitherto unprecedented
  intimidation, oppression, environmental degradation, hunger, disease,
  and a sense of general hopelessness in a land blessed with abundant
  human and natural resources.
  
  	We call on the community of nations, especially the Economic Community
  of West African States (ECOWAS) to tell Abacha in the most unequivocal
  terms to restore the Presidential mandate he seized from President
  Moshood Kasimawo Omowale Abiola of Nigeria, instead of going all the way
  to Sierra Leone to restore that of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. 
  Furthermore, it is only the duly elected, legitimate and democratic
  governments in ECOWAS, OAU (Organization of African Unity), and the UN
  (United Nations), that can and should talk of, and act upon restoring
  democracy in Sierra Leone, or anywhere in the world where democracy is
  threatened.
  
  	This is the position of the Free Nigeria Movement.
  	
  Long live Freedom, Long live the Free Nigeria Movement, Long live the
  Federal Republic of Nigeria.
  
  On behalf of the Free Nigeria Movement:
  Sincerely,
  
  							Nasiru Ikharo,
  							National Information Secretary
  
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  National Officers 1997-1998
  
  Mr. Tunde Okorodudu             
  President
  
  Alhaji Ibrahim
  H.Muhammed                                                       
  1st Vice-President                          
  
  Mrs. Eniola Ajayi                  
  2nd Vice-President
  
  Mr. Mukhtar Dan’Iyan                   
  Secretary-General
                                               
  D. Chidi Amamgbo Esq.             
  Deputy Secretary-General
  
  Prince Ayo Ajisebutu                                         
  National Treasurer
  
  Mr. Nasiru Ikharo
  National Information Secretary