POLITICS
CHSR Cautions NASS Against Alleged Move to Criminalise Protests
The Centre for Human and Social-economic Rights (CHSR) has cautioned the National Assembly against the alleged move to criminalise protests.
The National President, CHSR, Mr Alex Omotehinse, gave the caution at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
Omotehinse said that activists rejected the bill sponsored by Emeka Martins of the House of Representatives(PDP-Imo), prescribing a five-year jail term for unlawful protesters in Nigeria.
He said that the bill had been passed for the second reading by the lower chambers of the national assembly.
Omotehinse said that CHSR, as an NGO was registered to defend, sustain and promote the fundamental human and socio-economic rights of citizens and residents in any part of Nigeria as guaranteed by the constitution.
The activist said: “National Assembly should stop further deliberation forthwith on the obnoxious bill to criminalise right to protest.
“National Assembly should henceforth abandon the route of undemocratic legislation which undermines the rights of Nigerians.
“The National Assembly should demand greater sense of responsibility and due diligence from the security agencies; particularly the police which must be held to account for the protection of public property during protests.
“The hallowed chamber should prioritise issues of security, electricity, education health, corruption, empowerment and fight against poverty etc which are the critical challenge Nigerians are facing at the moment.”
Omotehinse said that the right to peaceful protests is the common indicator of expression of freedom of expression under democracy.
He said: “Right to peaceful protest is guarantee under the Nigerian Constitution and as well as regional and international convention to which Nigeria is signatory.
“Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees the right of every person to freely assemble and associate with other persons in exercise of freedom of expression.”
According to him, throughout history, protests have been the driving force behind the most powerful social movements against injustice and institutional abuses as well as for demanding transparency and accountability from government.
“Citizens across the globe organise around issues of mutual interest and deploy peaceful protests to speak truth to power; thereby inspiring people for a hope in a better future,” he added.
Omotehinse said that the struggle for democracy in Nigeria was won largely on account of the expression of the right of citizens to protest under successive military regimes.
He said that even at the grave risks of physical harm and mental exhaustion under military rule, Nigerians remained unwavering and unbowed in the face of dictatorial tendencies of fascists who sought to deny the right to peaceful protest with the aid of draconian decrees.
“Those elected into various political offices in Nigeria today are direct beneficiaries of the product of the pains and anguish that became the price paid by those who championed the cause of democracy through peaceful protests.
“The last two decades under democracy has witnessed deliberate but futile attempts by enemies of democracy in position of authorities to undermine the right to peaceful protest through the abuse of state power or undemocratic legislation,” he added.
Omotehinse said that the latest attempt to criminalise protest by the national assembly was indeed a reflection of the depth to which anti-democratic forces are perfecting the coup to return Nigeria to the era of dictatorship.
He said that with the huge controversies trailing the conduct of 2023 presidential election, the resurgence of the bill to criminalise protest was no doubt an indication of the desperation to curtail freedom of expression.
He said that the bill was also to curtail rights to demand just, accountable and transparent governance by organised platforms of civil society and by extension the generality of the citizenry.
Omotehinse said that the bill amongst other “obnoxious provisions” seeks to amend the Criminal Code Act, Cap 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He said that the amendment supposedly meant to preserve the sanctity of human life and property, and to provide specifically for the crime of mob action, prescribe punishment and other matters.
“CHSR views the provisions of the bill as deliberate attempt to criminalize peaceful protests and cow Nigerians into further submission under the guise of protecting public property.
“We view strongly that the right to peaceful protests which is guarantee by the Constitution has been subjected to grievous attacks by this vexatious bill and must therefore be vehemently rejected by Nigerians.
“CHSR believes that the bill is borne out of the desire to cow Nigerians into submission by those who detest resolve by Nigerians to organise around issues of interest and demand for genuine change through peaceful protests,” he said.
He said that the bill was to suppress protests and silence critical voices in the society.
According to him, the bill portends danger to democracy and therefore deemed retrogressive and reprehensible by all genuine platforms of Nigeria civil society.
Omotehinse said: “It is imperative to assert that the right to peaceful protest intersects with citizens desire to be freed from all forms of oppression including deprivation and marginalisation.
“Democracy guarantees that everyone should be free to protest and without any form of inhibition or codified threats by way of ambiguous legislation.
“Nigerians must be allowed to exercise their right to peaceful protests as enshrined in the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, African Charter on Human and Peoples Right as well as Universal Declaration on Human Rights.” (NAN)
The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), says Nigeria’s economy did remarkably well in the first quarter of 2024 under President Bola Tinubu in spite of criticisms.
Chief Niyi Akinsiju, the Chairman, IMPI said this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.
He said following government economy reforms, Nigeria had bounce back an economic giant waiting to take its position in the sun.
This, he said, was in spite the fact that the country had remained stunted over the years because of policy misapplications.
“Already, we have started witnessing the green shoots of the impact of the policy deployments on the economy,” he said, adding that the periodic under review witnessed commendable strides in the oil and gas sector.
These, he said, included the domiciling of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) revenue account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which had facilitated a truly single treasury account platform for the country’s oil earnings.
“In addition, in a continued upward trajectory witnessed in oil and gas exploration activities, oil rig count, an index with which upstream activities are measured, surged by 23 per cent year-on-year to 16 rigs in February 2024.
“The increased rigs activities have resulted in higher crude oil production inclusive of condensates averaging 1.65 million barrels a day as per last quarter.
“While this has positive prospects for accretion to our foreign reserve, we estimate that crude oil production should increase to 1.8 million barrels a day
“Which is more than the 1.78 million crude oil production target projected in the 2024 federal budget, by the end of the second quarter of 2024,” the IMPI chairman said.
He said the government had taken the economy a notch higher with the introduction of the Consumer Credit Scheme known as The Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CrediCorp).
This, he said, had the potentials to improve consumption capacity for Nigerians, resulting in expanded productive capacity for the manufacturing sector.
“This implies that you do not need to wait until you have saved so much to purchase what you desire.
“The establishment of the Credit Scheme and the extension of payment of Social Security to NCE graduates upward with a commitment of N100bn by the President.
“And the approval of Social Security Unemployment Programme to alleviate economic difficulties for unemployed youths.
“Are part of the actions and decisions of the Tinubu administration within the first quarter of the year, which we consider to be courageous, timely and commendable,” Akinsiju said.
He called on the media to sensitise and encourage them to register for BVN and NIN to enable them benefit from government’s social security programmes.
He also advised government on the urgent need to rejig its cash transfer programmes to ensure effectiveness, transparency and accountability.
He said the group was delighted to note that the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered transportation system had become a reality as promised by the president.
This, he added was especially as Nigeria had now joined the group of nations with fleets of CNG vehicles.
Akinsiju said this was as all was now set for the launch and deployment of the first set of mass-transit CNG vehicles and tricycles across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in May, 2024.
He said the eco-friendly vehicles would transport commuters at reduced cost, provide thousands of job opportunities for our youths, and improve the standard of living of the people.
He added that in the immediate, the Federal Government was growing stronger on opening up and truly liberalising the Nigerian national economy from the fetters of the past.
He further added that this had reflected in the market-determined movement of the naira in the foreign exchange market.
He said with the situation at the parallel market, the naira was now competing favourably with other world currencies and continued to affirm its place as one of the best performing currencies globally.
“On the revenue side, the removal of fuel subsidy has become a financial elixir for the hitherto constricted revenue earning capabilities of the national economy.
“Nigerians are now witnesses to the monthly spectacle of Federation Accounts Allocation Committee’s (FAAC) sharing and savings never-before-earned revenue among the three tiers of government.
“Which has averaged N250bn monthly, thereby enhancing the Federal, States and Local Government Areas capacity to pay workers’ salaries and provide critical infrastructure.
“While the economy is gaining much needed momentum in the enunciated areas as recorded in the first quarter of the year,” he said.
He said the group however, observed with mixed feelings, rocketing food prices which continued to manifest in high headline inflation rate recorded at 33.2 per cent, driven by a 40.01 per cent food inflation rate in March.
He said in spite of the increase in food prices, the conscious efforts of President Bola Tinubu to rejig the economy and ensure food security through massive investment in agriculture must be encouraged.
He commended the administration for funding the ongoing dry season cultivation of 120,000 hectares of farmland for the production of wheat.
He noted that this aggressive push to boost food production was a confirmation of the president’s seriousness on his declaration of State of Emergency on Food Security on July 13th 2023.
He also commended Jigawa government for allocating 80,000 hectares of land to the Presidential initiative on wheat, and the Government of Kano and Kaduna States for making available the remaining 40,000 hectares.(NAN)
Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says President Bola Tinubu will remain in office beyond 2027.
Ganduje said this on Monday in Abuja at the party’s national secretariat when he addressed a crowd of supporters who paid a solidarity visit to him.
He said the opposition parties were afraid of defeat haven been defeated in the 2023 general election.
“The NNPP is already foreseeing another defeat in 2027 hence its recent propaganda against the leadership of the APC.
“They are so afraid because we are consolidating, they are so afraid all over the country because we are receiving new entrants into our party.
“That is creating fears in their minds, they are already eyeing 2027, but that time, there is no vacancy in the presidency, only our President Bola Tinubu will, Insh-Allah, continue as President of Nigeria,” Ganduje said.
He urged APC supporters to ignore the antics of the opposition parties and to remain focused.
“We urge you to be committed to our party so that we will continue to forge ahead, we have seen your commitment and heard your speeches, and we understand your mission.
“Our eyes are on those who are diverting our attention through political propaganda against the APC, but we will not allow them to continue that way.
“We understand what they are doing, it is a political drama, it is African magic drama to convey a failed programm and projects by failed politicians, we will not allow them continue.
“They are also sponsoring pockets of diffident protest from all over the country and spending huge amount of money for people to demonstrate against the leadership of our party,” Ganduje said.
He added that from what the APC had seen across the country, the action was a complete failure, saying the opposition party in Kano State was sharply divided because it was a mixture of failed politicians.
“If you follow what is happening in that party, you will find out that it is sharply divided between authentic and fake members, lacking leadership qualities,” he said.
Speaking, Prof. Salihu Alizaga, the Convener of the solidarity visit said it was to show support for the APC national chairman.
“We are here to tell the world that APC is one united family, devoid of rancor as being erroneously portrayed and speculated by few individuals under the obvious sponsorship of opposition political parties.
“We advise those who wish to be APC National Chairman after Ganduje to wait till the next elective convention where everyone will be allowed to test their popularity at the convention.
“The National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party has elected Ganduje as national chairman, and he has a tenure of office to complete, there is no ambiguity at all.
“As faithful party men and women, we unequivocally pass a vote of absolute confidence on President Tinubu and Ganduje for jobs well done, our support for them is 100 per cent,” Alizaga said. (NAN)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended Rep. Awaji-inomek Abiante (PDP- Rivers) for anti party activities.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of his Ward 1, Ngo town, Andoni, Mr Dike Bara, and the Secretary, Mr Dokubo Jackson on Monday in Port Harcourt.
“That Hon. Awaji-inomek Abiante should be, and is hereby suspended from the party for not only promoting factions at the ward level but also belonging to a group under the guise of the party: not being a group provided for in the party’s constitution.
Which action is in breach of Sec. 58(l)(j) of the party’s constitution.“Furthermore, the suspension of Dagomie Abiante became indispensable putting into consideration his involvement in organising, training and equipiing group of members for the purposes of employing violence coercion and other form of intermediation within the party.
Thereby, breaching section 58(l)(k) of the party’s constitution.“We are committed to the party and determined to weed out bad eggs who are acting as agents of opposition political parties to weaken our party no mater how highly placed and to ensure that our ward remains PDP irrespective of the inducement and threat.”(NAN)
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