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)
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
The Senate yesterday charged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja to urgently increase police and military presence in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State, with a view to forestalling the recurring clashes between suspected marauding fulani herdsmen and indigenous people, which has oftentimes resulted in loss of lives and property.
The Senate resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the need for the IGP and COAS to urgently curb the “senseless killings and maiming” of innocent indigenous peoples of Nimbo, Adani in Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu state by bandits, which was sponsored by Senator Okechukwu Ezea (LP, Enugu) and co- sponsored by Senator Chukwu Kelvin (LP, Enugu) and Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West).
In the motion, Senator Ezea said that on April 7, 2024, five innocent farmers in Adani; a popular rice production community in Uzo-Uwani, were callously murdered by some bandits who invaded the community in the wee hours of the morning to commit the dastardly act.
He said on April 28, 2024, at about 2 pm, another attack was carried out in the same area where four innocent people in the farming village of Nimbo were gruesomely mowed down by bandits in an unprovoked attack that was reminiscent of the April 2016 Nimbo killings.
He recalled that in February 2016, Abbi community was the first to be hit by the same assailants where two people were gruesomely killed while 19 others were declared missing.
The senator noted that there was a major massacre in Nimbo community in the early hours of April 25, 2016, which left over 46 people dead and 14 persons injured, with their houses and other property completely razed.
He expressed worry that the killings did not seem to be isolated as their persistence indicated a pattern, saying that even with the 2016 killings, the authorities both at the state and Federal levels had not taken robust steps to mitigate the menace.
Senator Ezea expressed worry that if nothing very urgent and sustainable was done to put an end to the recurrent menace, people would begin to resort to self-help to ward off the criminal elements, stressing that “this might eventually lead to a complete breakdown of law and order, especially given the already challenging security situation in the region”.
He said that with the strategic location of Uzo-Uwani as a net producer of food in the country, the killings would have a significant impact on the nation’s food security as more and more farmers were now becoming afraid to go to farms for fear of being killed.
He said residents were abandoning their communities and relocating to urban areas, thereby, exacerbating the rural-urban migration crises in the country.
Senator Kelvin Chukwu (LP, Enugu)who seconded the motion added that the killing of members of the community was unacceptable, pointing out that there was need to put an end to the killings.
He said considering the strategic nature of the affected communities in rice production, there was the need to protect the residents from attack.
However, in his contribution, Sen. Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) said although he was a co -sponsor of the motion, he was disassociating himself from the fifth paragraph of the motion, which stated that the state and Federal governments had not taken robust steps to stop the killings.
Senator Ngwu said it was a misrepresentation of facts that the state and federal governments through the security agencies were not working hard to put an end to the attacks and killings and protect members of the communities.
According to Ngwu, the Enugu state Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah and the security agencies had visited the affected communities with relief materials, adding that the state and federal governments, together with the security agencies were doing everything possible to protect the people and end the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Senate in its resolution, urged the IGP, COAS and Director General of the Department of State Services to investigate, arrest and prosecute the criminal gangs to serve as a deterrent.
It also mandated its Committees on Legislative Compliance, Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence to ensure compliance and proffer lasting solutions.
It further urged the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to the victims to cushion effects of the unwarranted attacks.
POLITICS
Ebonyi LG Polls: EBSIEC Gives 3rd June Ultimatum for Political Parties to Conclude Primaries
By Godwin Okeh, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission, EBSIEC, on Wednesday gave 3rd June 2024 ultimatum for all political parties in the state to conclude their chairmanship and councillorship primary elections.
The Commissioner in-charge of Public Affairs in the commission, Chief Nnanna Nweze-Offor stated this while answering questions on the commission’s timetable for the Local Government Election.
According to him: “Political parties participating in the forthcoming Saturday 20th July Local Government election in the state must conclude their Chairmanship and Councillorship primaries not later than third June, 2024.
He noted further that the list of nominated candidates for the Chairmanship and councillorship position must be submitted to EBSIEC before the end of Monday 3rd June 2024.
Chief Nweze-Offor pointed out that political parties conducting primaries must invite EBSIEC to observe the primaries as required by the law, noting that the commission was poised to conduct a free, fair and credible election without bias for anyone or political party.
He pointed out that soon the commission will advertise for recruitment of adhoc workers for the election, adding that various trainings will be conducted towards a successful Local Government polls in the state.
Chief Nweze-Offor noted that the commission was working round the clock to ensure a smooth election and called on all to join hands with EBSIEC in the bid to give the people the best Local Government election in the state.
Daily Asset reports that the Local Government election in Ebonyi State is slated to hold on Saturday, 20th July 2024 across the thirteen Local Government Areas of the state.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, Amos Magaji has called for an urgent financial investment in the Federal Teaching Hospitals across the country in line with the renewed hope agenda of the current administration for the betterment of the citizenry.
Magaji who led members of his Committee on a visit to the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo said the need to allocate more funds in the health sector cannot be overemphasized considering the primary place of health institutions in the country.
He appreciated the Chief Medical Director and his management staff for showing interest in the growth judging by the tremendous achievements recorded within a period of one year.
He said that as head of the House Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, he will work with his members to ensure that more funds are made available to develop the needed infrastructure including the medical equipment to meet up with the expectations of the people.
“We are glad to be in Otukpo today to see things for ourselves. We don’t want to depend on second hand information on the true condition of the Federal University Teaching Hospital Otukpo.”
The Committee Chairman assured the management of full support of the Federal House of Representatives as appropriate incentives will be given through interface with other critical stakeholders in Abuja.
Magaji, who also observed that most of the Federal Teaching Hospitals were having almost the same challenges, advised the leadership team to accommodate all Nigerians irrespective of tribe including the host Community.
He however enjoined the Staff who he described as foundation staff to work as a team despite the working condition, “we have seen how the environment is looking and we will continue to monitor the progress. So as foundation staff, you all have the opportunity to write your name in gold”.
In his brief welcome address, the Chief Medical Director, Prof Silas Ochejele Commended the Federal Government for the establishment of the Teaching Hospital in Otukpo which has drastically changed the medical services narratives in the State.
Prof Ochejele also commended the Committee for undertaking pains to come down to Otukpo, ” the Hospital is very happy to have you here as we strongly believe that you’re coming to see things yourselves we go a long way in repositioning the Hospital for the betterment of the people’s health needs’
After the briefing, the House Committee inspected some of the ongoing projects and appreciated the efforts being made by the CMD particularly the level-playing ground provided to both staff and patients which earned them recommendation.
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