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Sani seeks national honour for Yar’Adua, Saro Wiwa, Ubani, others

By Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna
19 June 2018   |   3:59 am
The Senator representing Kaduna central, Shehu Sani, has said that the declaration June 12 as new Democracy Day and posthumous honour for the late Chief Moshood Abiola can only be acceptable if other pro-democracy activists who died for the struggle are regarded as national heroes.

• Wants Abiola declared winner of 1993 poll
The Senator representing Kaduna central, Shehu Sani, has said that the declaration June 12 as new Democracy Day and posthumous honour for the late Chief Moshood Abiola can only be acceptable if other pro-democracy activists who died for the struggle are regarded as national heroes.

Sani, who spoke to journalists in Kaduna at the weekend, listed those that deserved similar honour bestowed on Abiola, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to accorded them national honour for their struggle towards enthronement of democracy in the country.He said: “President Buhari should move further to honour and apologise on behalf of Nigeria to the families of Ken Saro Wiwa and the Ogoni 8, families of the late General Shehu Musa Yar’ Adua, Chima Ubani and all others who fought and sacrificed there lives for democracy..

“We must move to appreciate and recognise those who fought for freedom and those who fought to bring us to where we are today. The president should move further to instruct the then chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, to formerly declare the winner of June 12, 1999 presidential election so that Abiola will be formerly considered as a former president of this country even though he wasn’t sworn in.”

Buhari, the lawmaker said, “must also appreciate the role played by National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG), Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASAN), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the media that played great roles in the struggle against military dictatorship and for the emergence of democracy.”

According to Sani, the name of Abiola and June 12 should not simply be recognised by the government, they should be given an eternal place in the history of this country by ensuring that a step is moved further to restructure Nigeria in order to give every citizen a sense of belonging. Government must also address the myriad of our social economic problems in the country today.”

On the posthumous granted Abiola, Sani said it was commendable and unprecedented in the history of the country.“President Buhari’s intervention is a step towards addressing the prolonged injustices that have remained unattended to since the restoration of democracy in Nigeria in 1999. “

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