You Can’t Criminalise Protest, Activists Tell Buhari As Demonstration Is Set To Resume In Abuja

Human Rrghts activists have told the Nigerian Government not to criminalise peaceful protests by citizens calling for good governance.

They described the plan by security agents to clampdown on #ENDSARS protesters on Wednesday in Abuja as an attempt to subvert democratic tenets in the country.

According to the Convener, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, Ariyo Dare Atoye, who spoke with SaharaReporters on Wednesday, #ENDSARS protesters had the right to return to the streets to protest.

He condemned the undue persecution of participants and members of the #ENDSARS movement by the government with indiscriminate arrest and freezing of bank accounts.

He said, “We have not seen any commitment on the part of government and they must take these demands seriously. The #ENDSARS protesters has every justification to return to the streets.
We have recorded situation where people have been unfairly treated and government is not responding and they are going after the protesters one by one.

“It is possible that #ENDSARS people are coming out to show solidarity with their brothers and sisters who have been unduly profiled and being persecuted by government.

“They have every legitimate reasons as guaranteed by the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria to stage protest to organise rally when they so deem fit.

“They have right to assemble and make their demands and tell government to stop persecution of their colleagues.”

Atoye said some decisions recently made by the government coupled with the increment in the price of petrol were enough to trigger another round of protest.

He, therefore, called President Muhammadu Buhari to call the security agents particularly the police to order to stop the threat against unarmed citizens and allow the peaceful protest to hold.

Another activist and member of #BringBackOurGirls Movement, Ms Maureen Kabrik, berated the government for attempting to stifle the civil space, adding that protest was not a crime.

She said that protest was a constitutionally guaranteed right of citizens all over the world and any attempt to criminalise it would be resisted by Nigerians.

She said, “The truth of the matter is that protest is not a crime and people are free to protest for anything as long as it remain peaceful. This democracy that we have today some people actually died for it while some of them were jailed just for us to have democracy.

“It is only tyrant and despotic government that are afraid of protest. The government have nothing to fear or to hide. Government who communicate and articulate its stand on issues clearly to the citizens have nothing to worry about.

“For people to come out and protest, it is their freedom as guaranteed in the constitution. The President we have today was on the street several time. So precedent have been set, so don’t let us take ourselves back to the dack day.

“Protest is a right and no one can criminalise it even all over the world. The #ENDSARS protesters have rights if they want to come back to the streets, no one should stop them from expressing themselves. I don’t see any sincerity on the part of this government. They have never been an administration that can be trusted.”

AddThis

Original Author

SaharaReporters, New York

Disable advertisements

from 24HRSNEWS
via 24HRSNEWS

from EDUPEDIA247https://ift.tt/2ILRMfl
via EDUPEDIA

Nigerian Academy Of Science Inducts First Female President

The Nigerian Academy of Science has inducted a professor of Parasitology/Epidemiology, Ekanem Ikpi Braide, as its 19th President on Thursday. In a statement issued by Oladoyin Odubanjo, the Executive Secretary of the Academy, Braide is the Academy’s first female President in 44 years of existence. It read, “Braide was a member of the national committee that achieved the laudable feat of guinea worm eradication in Nigeria. “She has a rich professional experience as a researcher and an administrator. In July 2010, Professor Braide was honoured by the President of Nigeria with the award of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) for her contribution to disease control in Nigeria. “She was nominated by the Honourable Minister of Health to serve in the Ministerial Expert Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Health Sector Response (MEACoC-HSR). “Professor Braide served as Vice-Chancellor, Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH) Calabar, Nigeria (2004 to 2009) and as P...

NLNG Signs Letter Of Intent On Delayed Gas Expansion Project

The Nigerian Natural Liquefied Gas LTD has signed a letter of intent for the engineering, procurement and construction of its long held up Train Seven project. In a statement released by the company on Wednesday, it said that the $10bn project will be executed by a consortium of Italian firm Saipem, Japan’s Chiyoda and South Korea’s Daewoo. The statement reads, “The project will form part of the investment of over $10bn including the upstream scope of the LNG value chain, thereby boosting the much needed Foreign Direct Investment profile of Nigeria.” Managing Director of NLNG, Tony Atta, said in 2018 that the Final Investment Decision would be made in the fourth quarter of that year. This did not however, materialize. According to the release, the project will have a four to five-year execution time after the signing of the FID. The project is expected to add an extra 8 million tons per annum of gas to the 22 mtpa currently exported by the company. Oil News AddThis :...

Former Maritime Agency Boss, Buba Galadima, Accuses AMCON Of Witch-hunt After Property Takeover

A former Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Agency, Buba Galadima, has accused the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria of witch-hunt after the agency took possession of his business and assets on Tuesday in Abuja. Galadima, an ardent critic of President Muhammadu Buhari, claimed that he did not borrow money or have unpaid debt with Unity Bank, which lodged a complaint against him and occasioned AMCON’s move on Tuesday. The properties taken over include House No. 15, Addis Ababa Crescent, Wuse Zone 4, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and House No. 4, Bangui Street, Wuse 2, also in Abuja. Reacting to the situation, Galadima said, “This is an attempt to disgrace and break me down. This is injustice and an attempt to humiliate me. "But I am unbreakable and they can never silence me. They sacked me and over 50 people that sleep in the apartment. "We don’t know where to go. We will remain on the streets. We will remain on the streets until God provi...

EDUPEDIA247

Search This Blog