The Southern Women Forum(SWF) has described the recent call for the removal of the former governor of Rivers State and Minister of Federal Capitsl Territory (FCT) Nyesome Wike as not only wicked but provocative.
The group ,in a statement by its National President,Dr Hellen Taiwo-Adebakin also condemned the viral video clip featuring Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, an Islamic cleric from Kaduna being at the centre of the ignoble campaign of calumny .
The forum therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to see the call as a distraction which should be ignored .
It equally impored Mr President to give Wike the necessary moral support to sanitize the system and return the FCT to it prime status as the beacon of hope of the nation .
” We are miffed by the ignoble campaign of calumny targeted at the active and performing Minister of the FCT,Nyesome Wike.We are of the view that only enemies of progress would indulge or involve in such campaign going by the efforts of the Minister to sanitize the system .
“We are also not surprised that Sheikh Gunmi was at the centre of the unpopular campaign because of his antecedents .
“Recent activities of the supposed Muslim cleric did not put him in a good stead to fight for a Progressive course. He is a self-styled Chief Protector and Negitiator of the mindless bandits who have killed and maimed many innocent Nigerians (Muslims &Christians)
While we are not averse to the rights to the freedom of speech of every Nigerian, we want to caution the likes of Gunmi not to ignite or fan the ember of discord or bigotry, most especially now that the nation is going through one of the most difficult moments of its existence.
“We expect Gunmi to offer honest advice to the President and his aides on how best to manage the affairs of the nation and not to be making frivolous call for sack of any.”
The forum reiterated that every Nigerian, regardless of religious and ethnic affiliations, should have the right to be appointed to public office. They emphasized that Wike is highly qualified for his current role as the FCT Minister.