Members of the House of Representatives from Nigeria’s aborted Third Republic have urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the nation’s democratic heroes do not die in poverty.
This plea was made in a statement signed by the spokesperson for the former lawmakers, Mr. John Fasogbon, on Wednesday in Osogbo.
According to Fasogbon, the Third Republic, led by the late MKO Abiola, is the foundation of Nigeria’s current democratic era. He lamented that those who fought for the democracy the country now enjoys are living in severe poverty.
“We, members of the House of Representatives in the Third Republic, contested and won our elections, which was adjudged as the most free and fair in the history of the country. But, unfortunately, after we were sworn in, we were sacked by the Military junta without any benefit. Today, June 12 is being celebrated with the heroes of democracy dying in anguish and penury. Many of us have died without any benefits, while those of us alive are living in poverty. In the spirit of national reconciliation, we appeal to the president to assist us in the payment of our entitlements between 1992-1993, when we were at the Federal House of Representatives,” he said.
Fasogbon, who represented Ife Federal Central Constituency, called on President Tinubu to honor the former lawmakers in the same manner that his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, honored Chief MKO Abiola and his running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe. He also extended his congratulations to the president and Nigerians on the celebration of 25 years of uninterrupted democracy.
