THE CONTINUED
MILITARISATION OF GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA – ROCHAS HAS BECOME BLOODTHRISTY!
We
woke up early this morning to the news of the demolition of a popular market in
Owerri the Imo state capital called Ekeukwu market by agents of the State
Government allegedly supported by the Army, the Police and other armed groups
both legal and illegal. As at the time of this writing, many lives have been
lost and scores lying in the Hospital seriously injured while yet many more
lost properties running into billions of Naira.
We
condemn this as barbaric, unconscionable and out of sync with the dictates of
modern societies that thrive on strict adherence to the Rule of Law and natural
justice. This once again is a national eyesore that leaves a deep gash on our
collective conscience as a people and as a country.
Our
members in Imo having followed this matter through and investigations from the
Headquarters of the ULC suggests that this matter is understandably in the
Courts pending adjudication and Rochas has rather chosen to circumvent this
lawful process which the citizenry have subjected themselves. We are deeply
worried that a State Government will allow itself to be dragged down this lane
of infamy to unleash mayhem on its own people despite being illegal and amoral.
We have unfortunately seen an increasing lawlessness and impunity not perpetrated
by criminals in the society but by those who wield the instrument of Power
scattered all over the nation.
Every
day when we wake up in Nigeria, we are regaled with one sad tale or another of
the dubious use of the Military to destroy the lives of Nigerians by those who
are in position of authority despite the fact that the military are needed
somewhere else very urgent in the North East to defeat the Boko Haram
insurgency including in other parts of the country to curb the murderous Fulani
Herdsmen uprisings and others
We
are aghast at the continued militarisation of Governance processes and the
deployment of high-handed and violence methods in attempting to settle disputes
arising out of Government decisions that the people considers wrong – headed or
ill-advised. Any Governor that cannot patiently subject himself to the dictates
of the Law loses the right to continue in Office. He becomes a threat to
democracy and democratic practices as he places himself above the Law through
which he in the first place assumed office.
Through
such actions, the affected public official undermines the basis of his
government destroying the foundation of his office making it inchoate with the
strictures of the Law thus creating a situation where he is no longer worthy of
that office.
ULC
does not see any reason no matter how well thought – out for Rochas to embark
on self-help and lawlessness in a matter that is before courts. He has not only
shown disdain for the Courts but has also shown deep contempt for the people of
the state and indeed the whole Nigeria. He is following a trend that we are
scared stiff about in Nigeria. The emergence of small despotic gods in our
hallowed halls of governance who have decided on their own to play with the
lives of their citizenry without recourse to the rights and privileges of the
people and to good conscience. A people in Power who believes that they are
above all and everything are a danger to democracy and social stability.
We
therefore are forced to call for the immediate resignation of Rochas Okorocha
on the basis of this perfidy and the threat he has become not only to his own
people but also to Nigerians knowing fully that if he continues contributing to
the destruction of our nation, Nigerian workers who we represent will be the
first casualties. He has made his continued occupation of that exalted office
tenuous and horrendous.
It
is wrong for the military to once again allow itself to be used by wicked and
self-seeking politicians to mow down innocent lives that they were
constitutionally sworn to protect and who are their employers and pay their
salaries no matter what the situation is. It is also wrong for the Governor to
have to bring in the military into a civil matter that does not in any way
require the use of extreme force as the case has clearly demonstrated.
Institutions of state can only maintain their integrity when they subject
themselves to the rules setting them up. It is this integrity that guarantees
their sustainability which can only obtained by continuously being allied with
the people. When the military authorities therefore decide to be used, they not
only whittle down the effectiveness of that institution they also undermine its
capability and capacity to continue playing its role as the ultimate defender
of the citizenry.
ULC
demands the immediate investigation of the circumstances under which the
killings and maiming of innocent life was carried out in a peaceful time. We
demand that the officers involved in this act be prosecuted by the courts and
if found culpable incarcerated. This action has totally undermined the office
of the GOC commanding the 36th military Battalion at Obinze whose officers may
have constantly been used against the people. We therefore call for his
immediate removal and prosecution.
We
want to remind Nigerians that just last Tuesday we alerted then on the
increasing militarisation of the nation’s governance processes and cried out on
the dangers to lives and properties which this has become. This is another
manifestation of this evil by the ruling elite. We call on all reasonable men
of goodwill to immediately stand against this evil by condemning it in its
totality to avoid being tarnished by the action of this Governor who has shown
no respect for the people he claims to lead.
All
patriots must come together to build a network of morality and justice against
this evil genie that seems to be stepping out of the bottle now before it shows
up somewhere else with the attendant loses of lives and properties in its
trail. It is time to stop the evil and impunity which Rochas has come to
represent and it will only take not just responsible Imo citizens to condemn
this action totally but also for all men of goodwill to gather themselves
together so that Nigeria will be protecting from this rampaging bulls.
Finally,
we call on the President of the federal republic and the national Assembly to
quickly call the military to order. We suggest that machineries are set in
motion to audit the live operations of the military throughout the country
especially in our workplaces and as it rears its head in Public to avoid this
increasing fear that is being generated in the Land. Nigerians have not become
this afraid in a very long time.
It
is time for all patriots to come together to stop our spiral into anarchy as a
nation!
Comrade Joe
Ajaero
(President)
No comments:
Post a Comment