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Tag: CLO

  • CLO indicts APC, PDP others for electoral malpractice

    The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Akwa Ibom State has slammed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well security operatives for their roles in undermining the credibility of the elections.

    Chairman Franklin Isong, who addressed a news conference yesterday, accused the groups of aiding and abetting electoral malpractices.

    Isong, who accused the APC and PDP of engaging in vote buying, accused security operatives of intimidating voters.

    According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not do enough to cover the electoral lapses, and advised the electoral umpire to go back to the drawing board to address them.

    HE said: “INEC should return to the drawing board to address the lapses which came to the fore during the general elections.

    Read also: March for Army in Rivers over INEC’s accusations

    “The critical stakeholders in the electoral process such as INEC, security agencies, political parties, civil societies and the press, should close ranks and ensure that elections remain free, fair and credible.

    “Perhaps, the greatest undoing of the elections was the large scale vote-buying which pervaded the state. Cash-for-vote was so pervasive that they were done in the open. Voters were made to write their names before voting and collect the cash after voting. In most cases thugs were fighting over money and sharing formula.

    “In Unit 7, at Village hall, Ikot-Anwanna Asanga Asanga Usung in Ikono Local Government Area, it was a free for all fight, and voting had to be stopped until the voters were paid. There is hardly any polling unit in the state where votes were not paid for, all happening in the presence of the security men”.

    He called for a reform in the country to address all the lapses in the elections.

  • CLO petitions Radio Nigeria over shutdown of Yenagoa FM station

    The Bayelsa chapter of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has petitioned the management of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) over the shutdown of broadcast by its FM station, Creek 106.5 FM, Yenagoa.

    According to CLlO, the station, which started broadcast in 2014  has remained inconsistent on air in the last one year denying the people of Bayelsa access to news and programmes on the station, particularly the network news at 7a.m. and 4p.m.

    In the petition made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, CLO gave the FRCN management two weeks to resume broadcast in the public station or the matter would be officially reported to higher authorities.

    The petition by the CLO State Chairman, Chief Nengi James, was addressed to the Director-General of the FRCN.

    The CLO wondered why the management of the station would have to rely on the Bayelsa State Government to continue to provide temporary accommodation for its operations in Yenagoa.

    James noted that such monetary assistance from the State government was capable of eroding the true independence of the station and would raise a lot of ethical issues.

    The civil society group said that the impact of the gesture on fairness and independence could only be imagined.

    The group observed that the development was a plot to undermine the people of Bayelsa, adding that the move was unacceptable and would be resisted.

    The group noted that there was ample evidence to show that the state government had since allocated land for the construction of the South South Zonal headquarters and the broadcasting house of the FM station in Yenagoa.

    James frowned at the temporary relocation of the Zonal headquarters to Port Harcourt since 2013.

  • CLO seeks recall of sacked YABATECH workers

    President of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Igho Akeregha, has urged the Federal Government to act on the report of the investigative panel set up to probe cases of financial mismanagement at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos.

    At a press conference in Lagos, he said eight workers of the institution were wrongfully dismissed for exposing fraud. He called for their reinstatement.

    Akeregha said: “I call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately take action on the report of the panel set up to investigate Yaba College of Technology case of fraud that involved the rector of the institution.

    “For the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to conclude its investigation after submitting an interim report on the massive looting of public fund in the institution and nothing seems to be coming out is act of injustice.

    “It is sad that the Lagos State Government had been surreptitiously recruited through the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to frustrate the eight members of  staff of the college.

    “The CLO had written letters to the Attorney General of Lagos State on the observed perversion and patently false fabrication charges proffered against the whistleblowers.”

    He said government should publicise the findings of the investigation, which would vindicate the workers who were dismissed for exposing fraud.

  • CLO seeks fairness for Saraki

    CLO seeks fairness for Saraki

    Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has said the rule of law must prevail in the trial of  Senate President Bukola Saraki. It called for fairness and transparency  in the anti-graft battle.

    At a conference in Lagos, CLO President Igho Akeregha explained that the organisation was fully in support of the government’s anti-corruption crusade, but there must be no witch-hunt.

    He said the Senate President must be allowed to ventilate his rights through all the legal options, noting that judges must be encouraged to follow the fine lines of the law, devoid of external influences.

    Akeregha said “We make haste to applaud this administration for its courage in bringing to courts one of its principal actors in the person of the Senate President. We acknowledge that this is part of the administration’s effort in stamping out corruption from our national life.

    “However, after reviewing the trial so far, the CLO contends that while engaging this battle, the government may have unwittingly been walking in error and playing into the hands of those whose interest it is to whittle down and frustrate the anti-corruption battle.”

    He added that caution must be taken to avoid a situation where the people lose confidence in the anti-graft crusade.

  • CLO decries military ‘tollgates’on Anambra/ Enugu expressway

    The Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) in Anambra State has alerted to the presence of military tollgates on the Enugu/Onitsha expressway. It accused the officers of using civilians as toll collectors.

    According to CLO, the checkpoints had caused accidents.

    A statement by its Chairman comrade Aloysius Attah and Secretary comrade Chibueze Nwajiaku, urged the Federal Government to declare a state-of-emergency on the road.

    “The road can be aptly described as the most-delayed road contract in Nigeria, and the only way to ameliorate the incessant carnages is to fast track its reconstruction and dualisation”

    Other areas where the military allegedly collect tolls were Okpata, Ozalla/Ohebedim, on the Enugu 9th mile/Obollo/Afor/Makurdi expressway.

    CLO described the action as an indictment on the image of the Army.

    “The use of civilians as “toll collectors” is a misnomer, degrading and a mockery of the touted anti-corruption stance of the President.

    “This act of corruption cannot continue unknown to the Army authorities and should discontinue forthwith.

    “We call for the dismantling of the checkpoint on the Agu/Awka/Onitsha/Enugu expressway. The Army should mobilise an effective anti-corruption team to check the excesses of their soldiers.

    “Erecting road blocks at sloppy areas, coupled with the fact that the road had been under construction for an uncountable number of years, has made the spot a flash point for frequent accidents,” CLO said.

     

  • CLO decries political violence, insecurity

    The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) is worried about the political violence and insecurity pervading the country’s political landscape.

    CLO President Igho Akheregha said at a press conference in Lagos that the increasing incidence of violence is not only worrisome but that it is capable of wiping out the progress made so far in the last 16 years.

    Akheregha said the CLO has interpreted the current developments in the country as deliberate actions by politicians to undermine the huge gains Nigeria has made since 1999.

    His words: “The majority of Nigerians are now very worried about their safety and enjoyment of their democratic freedoms with escalating incidences of political violence and general insecurity that is adversely affecting citizens’ enjoyment of their basic freedoms and human rights.

    “This has led to increasing bitterness, acrimony and palpable feeling of insecurity, distrust in the governance process and looming anarchy in the country accentuated by political tension.

    “All these negative manifestations are against the recent peace agreement supervised by a former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.”

    The CLO’s worry, according to him, is that the consequences of these developments may precipitate voter apathy or low turn-out capable of creating doubts over the popularity of the eventual winner of the elections which could lead to breakdown of law and order.

    Despite these challenges, the CLO remains firm in its conviction that this should not be exploited by ambitious elements in the military to truncate the democratic process or for tribal and religious champions to beat the drums of war, he said.

    “The CLO is dismayed by the lackluster approach of law enforcement agencies in dealing with numerous cases of political violence in spite of the massive logistical support of government. The CLO calls on political parties and leaders to caution their members and supporters to respect the right of other candidates to campaign in their areas without restraint, fear or intimidation.”

    “The organisation calls on Nigerians to secure their voter’s cards and ensure their votes count. It advised the Independent National Electoral Commission to test run the card reading machines to avoid a repeat of the 2011 embarrassment when the registration machines failed Nigerians.

  • Jonathan’s govt, a failure, says CLO

    Jonathan’s govt, a failure, says CLO

    Human rights group, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), has scored the President Goodluck Jonathan administration low for failing to live up to the expectations of the electorate.

    Addressing a news conference on the state of the nation in Lagos yesterday, CLO’s Acting President, Comrade Igho Akeregha, regretted that “the situation has become so helpless that our people, especially those of us who were in the trenches during those dark days of military authoritarianism, have begun to question why we fought the military in the first instance”.

    Akeregha said: “The CLO has watched with agony, how some politicians have, without conscience, plundered our patrimony and squandered our resources. As one of the richest countries in the world, Nigeria parades some of the poorest and hungriest citizens in the world today, with lack of social services, including a persistent inability to supply basic energy and potable water.”

     He noted that the insurgency in the Northeast keeps escalating everyday and worsening the security situation in the country. Akeregha said rather than addressed the menace, government functionaries have resorted to observing a minute’s silence for the victims of terrorist acts. ”Our conclusion is that our government has failed in its duty to provide adequate security for Nigerians,” he said.

    The CLO leader said corruption, executive impunity and lawlessness have become the most worrisome challenges confronting the Nigerian society. “Things have gone so bad that loopholes in the Constitution are dubiously utilised to entrench lawlessness. Public officers routinely plunder the state treasuries without being brought to book.

    “Nigerians have continued to experience wanton and arbitrary abuse of human rights and utter disrespect for the rule of law and due process. Citizens are frequently arrested, detained and tortured in custody without recourse to the respect for their rights. Cases of extra judicial killings, disappearances, disrespect for court orders and trafficking in human beings including lethargy by state agencies to try perpetrators of these violations and abuses have increased.”

  • ‘Probe kids’ death, teargas shooting’

    ‘Probe kids’ death, teargas shooting’

    The leadership of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Bayelsa State has urged the inspector-general of Police (IGP) to set up an independent panel to probe the bloody outing of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, in the state.

    CLO said the death of two kids and the firing of teargas canisters by the police at the event, organised by Mrs Jonathan in Yenagoa, the state capital, should not be swept under the carpet.

    Mrs. Jonathan was leading the distribution of empowerment items to women’s groups last Thursday when the event became chaotic.

    The police were said to have fired teargas canisters that caused the stampede, leading to the death of three and six-month old babies.

    In a statement in Yenagoa, State CLO Chairman Nengi James said the crowd control at the event was poor.

    The activist noted that the crowd was gathered at the football pitch of the Samson Siasia Stadium with only one entrance and one exit.

    He said it was irresponsible and callous for the policemen to have fired teargas canisters at such unbefitting venue.

    James said: “IGP Suleiman Abbah should order a probe into the incident to avoid a recurrence.

    “The action of the police is wicked and should be investigated to avoid another act of manslaughter and murder in the state as the political campaigns draw near.

    “It is sad to note that the police could shoot teargas canisters into the crowd of women instead of being more civil.

    “It is a violation of human rights and it is clear case of murder. Such inhuman treatment will discourage people from attending rallies in the state.”

    The CLO chairman also called for adequate compensation for the families of the deceased.

    He regretted that the kids were crushed to death in a stampede caused by armed security men, including men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield.

  • Abia CLO condemns clampdown on media

    Sunny Nwankwo

    The swoop on the media at the weekend by soldiers has continued to draw reactions from Nigerians. The Chairman, Civil Liberty Organisations (CLO), Abia State Chapter Prof. Charles Chinekezi has condemned the action, urging President Goodluck Jonathan to call the army authorities to order to avoid a future occurrence.

    Chinekezi who was speaking with journalists in Aba, the commercial nerve of the state, described the military action as the “height of irresponsibility and anti-democracy”, stressing that such action could truncate Nigeria’s nascent democracy.

    ”For me, what has happened is the height of irresponsibility on the side of whoever that was involved; whether the military or government. Whoever was the brain behind that action is anti-democracy. That person, group or organization is anti-democratic and we cannot go on with people like that. The CLO condemns it in the strongest term and brand such people, irresponsible Nigerians. They are people that want to truncate democracy.”

    He added “democracy that is available in Nigeria today was only obtained through the efforts of media organizations, writers who use only paper on pen and mere speech to try to remodel the society up to the level it has gotten to today. And how can we now accept anybody to truncate our democracy; be him a soldier, policeman, secret service agent, public servant or top government functionary who now want to staple the operational methodology of the Nigerian press? That person we cannot tolerate and we will go to any extent and whoever in this action wants to terminate the democracy in Nigeria.”

    “Look at the level of trauma, disorganization that we are suffering in the hands of insurgents called Boko Haram and the trouble Nigeria is suffering in the international community. Look at the level of economic and political trouble we are going through inside our country at present and somebody is now targeting to destroy the press, how far can that person go? He asked

    Reacting on the statement issued and signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General Chris Olukolade on why the military confiscated and stopped the circulation and sales of The Nation and other newspapers across the country on Friday, the civil right activist asked “What type of routine check would warrant soldiers to invade media houses and stopped paper circulation, what kind of routine check is that? Where has that kind of check ever been conducted before? If for example, the military had anything to inquire for, don’t they how to meet the editors, publishers among others to have a personal chat with them and also inquire to be helped in a particular area of information? Why should they take the extreme measure of invading their offices?

    Continuing he stated; “the intention of whoever that is carrying out such nefarious activity is to stifle or reduce the effectiveness of the free flow of information. That is the only target they have, but I want to assure them that they have failed. It cannot deter the genuine process and the objective principles of objective and professional journalism and we will not be intimidated by anybody. We cannot be deterred. It is unfortunate that we will be talking this type of issue by now, it is very unfortunate. That is not the duty we send them to do.

    “The duty we send them to do is to help and curb the level of insurgency that is rearing its ugly head in the north which is trying to disintegrate or disorganise Nigeria. They should know that by their action, they are trying to threaten National security by threatening the security of the press.

    They want to destroy newspaper and mass media business and investment. They want to also destroy people’s carrier and government by extension. What they are doing is evil. Even in the draconian Abacha government and all the military juntas that have passed, we have gone through all these things. We have known the methodologies and I am advising the executive president to call whoever that is behind this action to order. He has a duty as the president of this country to call this people to order because they have crossed the Rubicon and are now going haywire and we cannot accept that, the CLO Abia chapter chairman stated.

  • nPDP, CLO disagree with Dickson on foreign loan

    nPDP, CLO disagree with Dickson on foreign loan

    The new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) in Bayelsa State and the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) on Wednesday disagreed with the state governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, over his explanations on the N13 billion (60million Euros) fund obtained from Poland.

    Dickson had explained that the money was a proposed developmental grant from the Government of Poland tied to the construction of a Maritime Academy in Okpoama, Brass local government area of the state.

    While denying that the money was a loan being processed by his administration, the governor insisted that the Polish government intended to build the academy and recoup their investment within 30 years.

    But the interim leadership of the new PDP and CLO accused Dickson of half truth, saying he was deceiving people in the state with his rhetorics.

    The interim Chairman of the Kawu Baraje-led nPDP, Chief Richard Kpodo, asked the governor to resign for allegedly lying to the state.

    He said: “Dickson lied that the facility is not a loan and the investment recovery plan mapped out by Poland does not have anything to do with the state government.

    Also, the state Chairman of CLO, Chief Nengi James, rising from an emergency meeting of the body, said the governor’s explanation left much to be desired.

    He said such attempt to cover-up the issue was contradictory and a deliberate act to promote falsehood in governance.

    James in 10-point communiqué he signed alongside the Secretary of CLO, Mr. Timi Igoli, after the meeting, said the governor’s attempt to explain the deal had thrown up many questions.

    He said the hurried manner in which the state House of Assembly approved the deal was worrisome.