“The
near anarchic responses constantly oozing out from the media desk of the
current presidency in Abuja Nigeria always attacking persons with a difference
of positions on certain national issues is totally antithetical to
constitutional democracy which thrives on exercise of the freedoms of
expression; free speech and must encourage and stimulate the people to participate
actively in the governance of the nation state.”
With
the above assertions, the prominent civil Rights advocacy group – HUMAN RIGHTS
WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has tasked president Muhammadu Buhari
to listen carefully to the patriotic and sound counsel made to his government
on a platter of gold by Nigeria’s erstwhile chief of Defence staff General
Alexander Ogomudia (rtd) concerning the need for a constructive implementation
of reform measures to restructure the Nigerian state.
HURIWA
said the government at the centre should be grateful to such open minded and
courageous former top flight military and security officers for speaking out
and contributing to constructive debates rather than take him on as if to say
it has become a crime for retired military chiefs to express their opinions
within the bounds of the law. "For distinguishing himself as a charismatic
patriot and speaking out his mind with the best of intentions, it is immoral
and disrespectful for the Media official of President to condemn the exercise
of the right to freedom of expression by the erstwhile military General. There
are many others who retired as top Generals that have gone into their shells
and are not concerned about engaging in constructive national debate for nation
building purposes but are simply watching developments from one side of their
eyes whilst within themselves they nurse bottled up angst over the
deteriorating state of insecurity in Nigeria. Government should appreciate
those who take out their time to speak out."
HURIWA
has also asked the president to direct his media aides to show respect to the
erstwhile chief of Defence staff in both his military career which culminated
in him becoming a top ranking service chief without blemish just as the Rights
group stated that leaders in any constitutional democracy all around the world
achieve more objectives for the overall good of the people by doing a lot of
listening and taking into account what is good and useful rather than to
constantly become cantankerous and intolerant of divergent opinions coming from
the citizenry.
“We
take strong exception to the persistent bellicose responses emanating from the
desk of the media team of Mr. President, an office that is sustained by the
public and at public costs. The Nigerian constitution in several relevant
sections which we will cite below clearly stated that president Muhammadu
Buhari holds his high office in trust for the good people of Nigeria who are
the real owners of the sovereignty of Nigeria. The sections to be cited below
also clearly stated that those in government must by all means encourage the
participation of the people in the running of government. It is therefore
unacceptable that the media office of Mr. President has become the unethical attack
dog of the holder of the highest office in the land. Mr. President is the
father of the nation for the remaining period he would spend in this last term
in office and must not operate under any mindset of a regional overlord of his
geopolitical region or birth nor is he to assume the ignominious role of a
religious bigot. Nigerian President must at all times be the Statesman that the
voters voted him to be”.
Section
14 states: “(1) The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State based on the
principles of democracy and social justice. (2) It is hereby, accordingly,
declared that: (a) sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom
government through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority; (b)
the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of
government: and (c) the participation by the people in their government shall
be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.”
HURIWA
reminded President Muhammadu Buhari that there is no crime in what the former
Service Chief has said regarding restructuring because section 39 states: “(1)
Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to
hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without
interference. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this
section, every person shall be entitled to own, establish and operate any
medium for the dissemination of information, ideas and opinions: Provided that
no person, other than the Government of the Federation or of a State or any
other person or body authorized by the President on the fulfillment of
conditions laid down by an Act of the National Assembly, shall own, establish
or operate a television or wireless broadcasting station for, any purpose
whatsoever. (3) Nothing in this section shall invalidate any law that is
reasonably justifiable in a democratic society - (a) for the purpose of
preventing the disclosure. of information received in confidence, maintaining
the authority and independence of courts or regulating telephony, wireless
broadcasting, television or the exhibition of cinematograph films; or (b)
imposing restrictions upon persons holding office under the Government of the
Federation or of a State, members of the armed forces of the Federation or
members of the Nigeria Police Force or other Government security services or
agencies established by law.”
HURIWA
said also that it is not incorrect that there is no a general breakdown of Law
and order even as insecurity of lives and property of Nigerians has been
severely compromised by the inability of the law enforcement agencies to check
the growing spate of kidnappings and violent attacks by armed bandits.
HURIWA
recalled that General Ogomudia, had in his the keynote address at the Good
Governance Lecture organized by the Catholic Church of Warri’s Justice
Development and Peace Commission, warned that the continued suppression of the
agitations for the restructuring of the country could lead to a violent breakup
of the country.
He
urged those opposed to restructuring to borrow a leaf from the break-up of
Yugoslavia and Sudan, saying that “even in Spain the Catalonians want to break
away and that in Britain, Scotland seeks autonomy.”
HURIWA
lamented however that rather than listen to the wise counsel made put of
genuine patriotism, media office of the Presidency on Sunday negatively reacted
to comments credited to a former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Alexander
Ogomudia (rtd.), who had said that “Nigeria may be restructured violently.”
HURIWA
recalled that the Presidency said democracy, not violence, was the known
constitutional means of bringing any type of change in the polity just as the
Presidency’s reaction was contained in a statement signed by Presidential
spokesperson, Mr Garba Shehu in which he stated thus: “This vituperation,
coming from a former military chief speaks volumes about the mindset of groups
of citizens who have yet to accept democracy as a form of government. It is
very important to stress that we, as a nation, are a constitutional democracy
and changes to the country in structure, its systems, policy and politics must
abide by the norms of democracy, otherwise they would be extrajudicial and
therefore unconstitutional. This system has subsisted, uninterrupted, for upward
of 20 years and still going, and the country’s law courts, with its armed
forces are primed at all times to defend it, using all means that are lawful.”
HURIWA
however faulted this reaction as negative and thoughtless just as the Rights
group reminded the Federal government that the current Nigerian Constitution
even recognizes the People as the owners of the Sovereignty which confers the
powers on the people to determine whether to change and restructure the current
dysfunctional structure put in place hurriedly by the military Generals under
the watch of General Sani Abacha the then military tyrant with an overwhelming
dominance of Moslem Northern officers who ensured that the political and
economic structuring as stipulated in the military's choreographed constitution
inherently favoured the North. The Constitution correctly recognizes the
authority of the Nigerian people in some constitutional forms to determine how
best to restructure the Country because nothing is cast in stone just as the
Rights group reminds the President that even the Constitution of the United
States of America that is over 300 years had undergone major amendments to
bring it up to speed with the demands of the greatest percentage of the people.
HURIWA
also stated that there is nothing wrong in cautioning the government to allow
for constructive restructuring to avoid violent restructuring because according
to the Rights group a universally acknowledged maxim states that if peaceful
change is not legislated into law then violence may spring up. The Rights group
said the erstwhile Chief of Defence staff did not call for violence but only
sounded a note of warning about the LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE OF A FAILURE TO PERMIT
PEACEFUL AGITATION FOR RESTRUCTURING.
HURIWA
has therefore recommended further capacity building exposures in any Nigerian
top rated federal Universities and on the job training to be conducted by media
professors for the top Presidential media aides so they can learn to interprete
correctly the positions expressed by Nigerians on how the nation can attain
good governance.
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