By Tony Adibe
The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), has cautioned the Federal Government of Nigeria and its security agents against the use of force and violence to stop or observe the nationwide protest planned by Nigerian youth for August, 2024.
In a statement signed by the Executive Director of CLO, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi Ezike, the human rights group also appealed to the protesters to be peaceful and conduct themselves and activities in absolutely lawful manners.
CLO recalled that the ENDSARS national protest staged by Nigerian youths across the country few years ago, turned violent and bloody arising from the untoward behaviour of overzealous security officers.
The human rights group insisted that protests across the world are “legitimate and democratic expressions by the citizens against their governments in the event of implementation of wicked, heinous and anti people policies that affect the people like it is the case in Nígeria.”
Part of the statement reads: “In Nigeria, today, things have fallen apart and the centre can no longer hold. Nigerian families are starving but refuse dumps are filled with leftovers by their families and dogs. Brilliant and intelligent pupils have been withdrawn from schools because of poverty and increasing cost of quack education. Graduates who left schools over ten years ago roam the streets without job with their flamboyant certificates. Our people die like fowls because of lack of quality hospitals, trained personnel and fake drugs while those in government run to foreign countries to treat malaria and headaches.
“Similarly, they have hitherto sold good and well-working national institutions and corporations like the telecommunications and NIPOST etc that provided massive employment and other opportunities for our people to themselves, relations and associates.
“Agriculture that provided huge employment opportunities for Nigerians, raw materials for industries and made good returns for the running of our government, has been neglected and abandoned. Wives are leaving their marriages out of hardship to join the wolves while some families are selling their children in order to enable them feed.
“The refineries are abandoned so that they will continue to refine overseas at larger costs to the country. Only late last year, the Tinubu Presidency lied to Nigerians that the Port Harcourt refinery had been fixed and would be put to uses in 2024. They also promised to fix Warri and Kaduna refineries this year. The year is coming to an end and it has been stories as usual. Where will we end our pathetic and ugly stories? Our roads have become total death traps, pensioners’ pension funds are stolen whereas millions of retirees have died without receiving their gratuities. The only country in the world where snakes, rodents and cockroaches swallow money is Nigeria. What a society of shameless, unconscionable and irredeemable looters.
“As Nigerians are starving and facing extreme poverty and hardship, the crooks in government are stashing billions in hard currencies in their banks in foreign lands as well as investing in those places. In the face of these travails and disturbing lifestyles by our politicians and families, they expected Nigerian youth and indeed people to stand with hands akimbo and watch helplessly.
“In view of the foregoing, CLO totally supports the nationwide protests until these hawks implement their demands or resign from office. We call on all suffering Nígerian peoples to give maximum support to the youth. We only caution both parties to tow the part of peace as we will document any grave human rights infractions committed while the protest lasted. Aluta continua!
