The Nation Newspaper

Tag: civil society organisation

  • NGO calls for prosecution of electoral offenders

    Ccivil society organisation, the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA Africa), has called for the prosecution of perpetrators violence during the supplementary elections.

    It said the non-compliance with electoral guidelines, intimidation of voters and observers, violence and voter suppression in some states impeded on the integrity of the exercise.

    In a statement by YIAGA Africa’s Watching the Vote (WTV) Working Group Chair Dr. Hussaini Abdu and Executive Director Samson Itodo, the group said it deployed 264 observers to 311 polling units in the 98 Local Government Areas (LGA) where supplementary elections were held.

    It also sent 95 observers to 95 LGA results collation centres in the five states, namely Bauchi Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto.

    YIAGA Africa questioned the credibility of some results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in polling units and LGA collation centres where observers and voters were allegedly chased away by thugs and police officers.

    It said: “The level of impunity observed in the supplementary elections is an indication of democratic recession in Nigeria. Political thugs unleashed violence and terror on unarmed voters, INEC officials and citizens without any form of restraint or reprimand from security agencies deployed for the elections…

    “Nigeria cannot continue to condone this brazen disregard for law and order by political actors. As a country determined to make progress, electoral impunity must be checkmated else it will imperil our 20 year old democracy.”

    Calling for the prosecution of offenders, the group said: “Several electoral offences were observed and reported by WTV observers and other domestic and international observer groups.

    “We urge INEC and Nigerian police to properly investigate cases of infractions and ensure diligent prosecution of electoral offenders.

    “INEC and the police should extend the investigation to reports of complicity and collusion of its staff to compromise to the process.”

    YIAGA Africa praised INEC for “improved management of election logistics and timely deployment for the elections”.

    “We urge INEC to make concerted efforts to vacate the substituting court order restraining it from concluding the elections in Adamawa and Bauchi states.

    “YIAGA Africa calls on all stakeholders to reclaim our democracy by demanding accountability against all state and non-actors whose act undermined the electoral process,” the group said.

  • Obasanjo did worse as president, say Balarabe Musa, CD

    Elder statesman, Balarabe Musa and a civil society organisation, the Centre for Democracy (CD) on Sunday accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of laying the foundation for impunity in the country.

    The former Kaduna state governor accused Obasanjo of doing worse than the present government in terms of using instruments of state to harass political opponents or opposition.

    The elder statesman was reacting to the former president’s state of the nation press conference.

    In a telephone interview, the elder statesman said: “Not only harass his political opponents but killed them. Obasanjo did that. Obasanjo did worse than what is happening today. In fact he continued like his predecessors in laying the foundation for the present negative state of the nation.

    “I have been aware of obasanjo’s attitude towards those in power. Since after he handed power as a military president, he has been consistently acting like an agent provocateur on behalf of international imperialism. Particularly now that Nigeria has no alternative.

    “It can’t rely on PDP, it can’t rely on the APC. They are both the same. They are both at the root of the present negative state of the nation and most unfortunately, there is no credible, demonstrative and qualitative alternative in view from the political system. Nigeria is now facing a calamity and Obasanjo is using it, apparently to serve the interest of imperialism.

    “Watch it, instead of using his relevance as former head of state to correct things, he always wait until things are bad and he makes it even worse.

    CD’s President, Usman Abdul,, said Obasanjo is not a saint for criticising President Muhammadu Buhari’s led federal government.

    Mr. Abdul accused the former president of doing exactly what he is criticising the Buhari led Federal Government of.

    He accused Obasanjo of highhandedness when he was president.

    He said: “During the era of president Obasanjo too you will agree with me that there were some unlawful and unwarranted highhandedness that happened. He is equally not a saint as far as democracy is concerned.

    “You will remember vividly that the Lagos state funds were at his disposal till after he left that the late President Yar’Adua released those funds for Lagos state.

    “That military mentality is still with in those people despite being in a democratic setting. It is left for we the civil society to as a matter of urgency look for credible democrats to head or lead this country and take us to the promise land.

  • ‘Buhari’s elevation of ‘national interest’ above rule of law legal, constitutional’

    Project-2019 (P2019), a civil society organisation on Thursday said that President Muhammadu Buhari‘s statement on national interest and the rule of law is legal and constitutional.

    Mr Wale Ogunade, Convener of the group told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)  in Lagos, that President Buhari ‘s statement was a restatement of the provisions of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Read Also:Buhari to May: 2019 polls will be free, fair, credible

    According to him, the President’s statement takes its foundation from the fact that, the rule of law can only exist when the national interest and security is secured in a state of peace and tranquility.  Otherwise, it is a farce.

    President Buhari while flagging off the 2018 Annual General Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja on Sunday,  asserted the supremacy of national security and interest over and above the rule of law, quoting a judgment of the Supreme Court.

    He said: “Rule of law must be subject to the supremacy of the nation’s security and national interest.

    “Our apex court has had cause to adopt a position on this issue in this regard and it is now a matter of judicial recognition that; where national security and public interest are threatened or there is a likelihood of  being threatened, the individual rights of those allegedly responsible must take second place in favour of the greater good of the society”.

    Ogunade said that fundamental rights of citizens are not absolute as there could be limitations.

    ”As active stakeholders in the political development of the country, it becomes imperative to examine the statement dispassionately and objectively for the collective good.

    ”While it is a recognised fact that the rights of citizens are fundamental according to the constitution and international treaties of which Nigeria is a signatory, it’s also a fact that such rights are not absolute on their own, but with limitations.

    ”For example, the right to free speech is limited by the aftermath of libel or slander by whoever has been defamed.

    ”Also, the fundamental right of a citizen to free movement can be limited in the public interest or national security, if his or her actions constitute a threat to societal order through the provocative act of assaulting public sensibilities. For  example, exercising the right to movement naked.

    “‘Again, the right of an individual or group to practice his/their religion is not an absolute right to permit the infringement on the rights of other citizens through making the public space inaccessible to them in the discharge of one’s religious rights.  This is tantamount to a threat to public or national interest.

    ”Again, the fundamental right of association of citizens, of being members of an ethnic nationality or group does not confer on them, the absolute right to undermine national security by deriding and threatening the lives of other citizens who are not of same ethnic stock.

    ”This act if not curtailed is a threat to national security and interest.

    ”Furthermore, under our laws, an individual right to property can be abridged in the public or national interest by the state, through acquisition and the right of the former owner can only be remedied by compensation in most cases only on the basis of the owner having legal documents to the property.

    ”This again is a reaffirmation of the fact that where national or public interest comes into contact with individual right, the latter becomes subsumed, ” he said.

    Ogunade said that section 45 sub-section 1 of the 1999 constitution is clear on the issue.

    According to him, the power to determine what constitutes a threat to national security and national interest  is solely vested in the executive arm of government for now.

    ”Section 45 (1) of the 1999 constitution states explicitly that:

    “Nothing in sections 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41 of this constitution shall invalidate any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society –

    (a)  in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or

    (b) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other person’s.

    ”Therefore, instead of dissipating energy of whipping up emotions and sentiments in condemning Mr President’s statement which is in alignment with provisions of our constitution, we will be more interested in extensive public engagement on this matter if and only if genuine and legitimate concerns are directly focused towards curtailing the abuse of power likely to arise from the power to determine what constitutes a threat to national security and national interest which is solely vested in the executive arm of government for now.

    ”Like the French philosopher Montesquieu posited, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

    ”Unless and until the law is amended  to take care of the concerns noted above, President Buhari’s statement is a restatement of the provisions of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is indisputably right, ” he said.

     

  • NLC tells workers to vote out defaulting governors

    NLC tells workers to vote out defaulting governors

    The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ), Mr Ayuba Wabba, has urged workers to get their Permanent Voter Cards ( PVCs ) to vote out state governors owing salaries and allowances.

    A statement signed by Ms Freda Ukpoju, Media Officer, Say No Campaign, a Civil Society Organisation ( CSO ), on Tuesday quoted Wabba as making the call at the group’s “DoroCorruption programme’’ held in Abuja.

    Wabba decried the ordeal of workers at the hands of state governments in Nigeria, insisting that the Nigerian government treat workers like slaves.

    “It is time the workers used their numbers to push back; I encourage members to get their PVCs to vote out every defaulting state governor.

    Read also: NLC rejects APC panel’s proposal on minimum wage, local govts

    “State governments owing salaries were given bailouts and different Federal Government interventions, including the Paris club funds meant to offset their debts to state workers.

    “While some have met their responsibilities and paid off, chronic debtors like Benue and Kogi states remain adamant in fulfilling their responsibilities and clearing their debts.

    “The challenge is not lack of resources but sheer unwillingness and misplaced priorities. ‘’

    Wabba said that the reality of the matter was that the problem had never been about resources, saying “In most of those states, their priority is not to pay salaries but white elephant projects.’’

    He said that before this current administration came in, Plateau owed seven months salaries but through ingenuity, the governor utilised all the money given to him to settle everybody.

    He said that many states had utilised their money, but some states, about twelve of them, including Benue and Kogi had failed.

    He, however, said that the governors should be held accountable because democracy was about the people.

    He said that if as governors, they were not able to address the fundamental constitutional issue of security and welfare of the people then the people also must be able to hold them accountable.

    “Workers and pensioners must unite to use their PVC to chase these type of people out of government; if workers, in unity, demand it and also use their power of franchise to vote them out of office,’’ he said.

    Also speaking, the co-convener, Say No Campaign, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, encouraged citizens to join unions or associations and actively participate in ensuring that their collective interests were championed.

    Nwagwu said that where members noticed that leadership had been compromised or failed to promote their interest, there should be no hesitation in voting such leaders out.

    He said that the demand for accountability should begin at the  communities level, adding that only when citizens were able to hold their leaders accountable, would they have the courage to hold government accountable.

    He advised Nigerians not to be divided along ethnic or religious sentiments in the demand for accountability because citizens needed to develop the culture of giving ultimatums to government and demand urgent response to their plights.

    He condemned state governors owing workers and insisted that they were inflicting the worst kind of terror on their people by attacking their means of survival.

    NAN

  • NGO raises alarm over increasing cases of girl defilement

    Arrida Relief Foundation, a civil society organisation, on Monday pleaded with the Kaduna State Government to take urgent actions to stem the rising cases of defilement of underage girls.

    Hajiya Rabi Ibrahim, the founder of the foundation, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that reported cases of rape had risen from an average of two to eight every week.

    According to her, the age of the victims range from between four and 10 years.

    “Many of the cases of defilement are not reported by the victims’ parents due to either fear of stigmatisation, lack of awareness, poverty or threat by suspected culprits.

    “Cases of defilement that we are prosecuting in various courts in the state are increasing at alarming rate.

    “Therefore, we call on the Kaduna State Government to declare a state of emergency because our children are no longer safe,’’ Ibrahim said.

    She appealed to the state government to give free medical examination and proper treatment to victims.

    “We are also seeking for speedy domestication of the Child Right Act in the state and free medical examination for victims of such cases,’’ she said.