By Dele Ogbodo
In the heat of the ongoing debate over the hunger protest: Self-styled Niger Delta defender better known as Mr. Asari Dokubo, has asserted that President Bola Tinubu, is not a magician even as he claimed that the planned protest slated for tomorrow (August 1) is uncalled for and should therefore be jettisoned,
According to him, President has just spent one year out of his 4 year tenure in office, it would therefore be out place to score him on the basis of these number of days in office, he reasoned.
Dokubo, made the disclosure on Friday July 26, while addressing a cross section of Nigerians, mainly women, the Nigerian students arrowed by its leader, Mr. Lucky Imonefe, representatives of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project from the 6 geopolitical zones.
The different group converged at the instance of a rally organized by the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye in Abuja to reinforce support for President Tinubu Administration.
The Minister who also addressed the media advised the women not to let their children who are students in different institutions to be used as sacrificial lambs by the organisers of the protest.
Speaking directly to the women, Dokubo, added: “You women are the mothers of the nation and when you gather together to organize a programme for President Tinubu, especially against demonstration, the women know more than the men know.
“The women feel more pain than we men feel because they control the home front they. This government has been there for just 365 days plus.
“The President is not a magician and as women, you feel the pinch of whatever is happening more than any other group like the youths because whatever you are given by your husbands you use it to manage and manage so that the men and children can eat.”
While advocating for support for President Tinubu, he said: “The president must be supported at this moment to save this country. People should set politics aside.
“Who has ever visited Somalia, Liberia, Sierra-Leone and Libya? For instance Libya used to be paradise, go and see what Libya is today. These countries are not the same again after the removal of their presidents. I was very close to Muhamad Ghadaffi, before the horrible and tragic event that led to his death.
“There are some people, you know that story about Solomon in the Bible and the two women, the death child and the child that is alive. I cannot have it, I will destroy everything.”
According to him, the people of Nigeria chose President Tinubu, I also chose him and supported him and I put my life on the line for him and I ask people: If President Tinubu fail, what will be your gain?
“I did not a collect one Kobo from President Tinubu, he is alive, and you can call and ask him, throughout that period, he never gave me a dime, but the miracle that you did not perform you did not perform when you were in power, you want another person to perform that miracle.” He said.
He acknowledged that Nigeria is passing through crises which part of the global crises, adding, that is why all over the world there is crises here at home.
If any politician has solution or advice to give to the President it will be well that he should give the advice and proffer the solution.
Dokubo, said: “On behalf of my brothers who are gathered here, I’m not afraid to tell anybody that I’m a supporter of President Tinubu.
“I have always been his supporter and today I sit here because I believe that the right thing will be done should be done, Nigeria is going through a new path and new direction for change that will affect every Nigerian.
“There is nobody that is not feeling this suffering if you were used to buy a car for N50 million now it is N150 million.
“So, there is nobody that this suffering has not touched and when we talk, you people know me I advise always.
“If the crisis starts today now, innocent people will fall victim. People are saying let us bring what is happening in Kenya, do you how many people have died in Kenya?”
He accused some faceless as being organisers of the protest, adding: “Some of the people are behind the scene doing the remote control, they will never come out to lead.
“Me, I lead from the front even when I had bad legs, I was leading from wheel chair.
“At 60, I should not be afraid of telling the truth, what you cannot do don’t expect somebody else to do it.
“If you can do it do it, do it and let us see? Did you do it when you were somewhere else? All the people who contested this election they have been in government before now. We have their report card with us.
Have you transformed the place that you governed to be like the Eldorado that you are talking about, he asked?
He asked: “What morale authority do you have to come out and speak? When elections are over, let us wait for the next election season, let us now make the country greater, now that elections are over.
“We no longer have any party, all of us are party Nigeria. Some of us want anarchy and when it comes, it is our women that are dancing now that it will affect.
“Most us we know the route to take to run away. Most of us have visa on our passports, some of us have dual citizenship, they will run away when crisis starts. These women don’t have that.
“Nobody is saying that revolution and change cannot happen, but you that is calling for revolution, who are you and on what authority are you calling for revolution?”
“It is not to call the people to come out and cause anarchy and your children will not be there.
“Me, when I’m leading protest, my children will be there. You are not better than me and you are not even as rich as me.
“I have never stolen government money and I have never been in government. You have been in government eating government money, you have become government pickin, immediately they ‘commot government feeding bottle’ from your mouth you have become a revolutionary.
“You are now calling people to come out and destroy because the feeding bottle that you have been given to be feeding has been removed from your mouth.
“You these people that are here which of us have government feeding government feeding bottle in their mouth, we don’t have, they have.
“And immediately they can’t have the feeding bottle for 4 years they want people to come out.
“You find yourself as Minister you stayed so many years you stole and when we are talking are talking those of us who made the sacrifice, those of us who made the sacrifice, those of us who staked our lives.
“This is the first time in the history of Nigeria, one of our own is President, one of own who was in the trenches, you were not there, we were there and at that time why didn’t you come out.
“You were not sitting on the fence at time there was no fence you were hiding your face.
“Forever, hide your face and when we are talking show us some respect. We have earned these respect, we didn’t buy it.
“So, those of you can pray, pray for Mr. President. Every religion, I’m a Muslim, every religion says pray for your leader. You pray for your leader instead of cursing them.”
In his speech, which connotes some spirituality, he added: “When you curse those in government, they are still in government house and he is eating free food and you are cursing him.
“The curse will be affecting you and when you are cursing the government, the governor is at the government house and you are cursing them.
“The President is in Aso Rock, he is eating government food the curse will not get to him, the curse will not get to him, and it will get to you first.”
However, Asari Dokubo, advised President Tinubu to respect the rule of law that he has been talking about which according to him is the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people.
He said: “What is not good is not good is not good. What is good is good. And they should allow the president to hear us.
“He should watch television, he should go to social media and read.
“He owned us the responsibility to hear us and not to shut his ear against us.”