Southeast youth leaders, yesterday, backed calls to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that he has failed the country in all ramifications.
They urged Nigerians across the country to ask their representatives at the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against the President.
Expressing support for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in House of Representatives earlier calls to impeach President Buhari, the youths insisted that the move had become unavoidable to salvage the country from total collapse.
In a statement issued in Enugu under the aegis of Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), the youths said they agreed with one of the leaders of the PDP House caucus, Kingsley Chanda, stressing that the President had shown inability to deliver on security of life and property, which it said was the first responsibility of any responsive government.
The statement, signed by their President, Goodluck Ibem, noted that security was the most important thing in any society and any leader that could not provide security for its citizens had no cause to continue in office.
“Even in a society of fools and nonentities, they will not keep quiet if they are being slaughtered like rams and goats on daily basis. The office of the President is a position for service and when the President cannot deliver on government’s responsibility to its citizens, the most honourable thing to do is to resign.
“In this case the President has refused to resign despite failing to protect Nigerians. Only recently, Boko Haram massacred 73 farmers on their farms. These persons have loved ones and people who depend on them for survival. They were butchered in broad daylight and you don’t some expect Nigerians to clap for Mr. President for a job well done,” the statement reads.
Continuing, they said: “The National Assembly and Nigerians have told the President to sack the service chiefs and he has remained adamant to the call. You can’t be doing one thing the same way and expect to get different results.
“The President and his service chiefs have failed Nigerians and we are totally in support of his resignation or impeachment.”
The youth leaders said in Britain, America and South Africa among others, government functionaries found wanting in their duties would resign but in Nigeria, “ our leaders sit tight in office even when it is obvious that they have failed woefully. The see the office as a means of corrupt enrichment and so they must stay tight even if everyone is against them”
However, they cautioned against politicising the call for Buhari’s resignation or impeachment, saying it was in the country’s best interest.
