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Hunger protest: Let Anyaoku lead talks with angry Nigerians – group
“To be sure, the act of protest is legitimate and a veritable feedback mechanism in a democracy, which affords the citizens the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with government policies and actions. Through peaceful protests, aggrieved citizens are able to publicly voice their concerns and challenge acts of injustice, and by so doing, not only participate actively but also deepen the democratic process.
These were the exact words with which Anya-Ndi-Igbo, a socio-political and economic development-oriented organisation, tried to douse the current tension in the country, occasioned by the approaching 10-day mass protest, being planned by some interest groups across Nigeria to call attention to the biting huger in the country, which they hinge on bad government policies.
To start with, the group, proposed that The Patriots, a group led by the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, should be asked to mediate between the government and aggrieved Nigerians to prevent the situation from boiling over.
The statement Chairman, Board of Trustees, Uma Eleazu; President, Chris Okoye; Secretary, Okey Nwadinobi; and Chairman, Media and Strategic Communication, Ikechukwu Amaechi, said: “Nigeria is at a crossroads and there is palpable fear in all the nooks and crannies of the country. The anxiety has been heightened by the proposed country-wide protest tagged #EndBadGovernance, scheduled to run from August 1 to 10, 2024. More disconcerting is the seeming panic in government circles and threats of punitive action against the would-be protesters.
“So fundamental is the right to peaceful protest that it is enshrined in international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and, indeed, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended. It is also worth noting that Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
“Therefore, while it is the right of aggrieved citizens to protest peacefully, it is also the responsibility of government to give them maximum protection. While protests serve as a vital mechanism for holding leaders accountable and ensuring that their actions reflect the will and needs of the people, there is ample evidence that government’s manifest highhandedness and covert attempts to suppress such mass actions and popular ventilation of public grievances through intimidation, excessive use of force, or unjust legal actions always end up being counterproductive.
“The national imperative, therefore, is for both leaders and citizens to truthfully and sincerely examine the current state of affairs and agree on genuine actions for achieving security and implementing programs that give true meaning to the twin concepts of citizens’ welfare and well-being. It is a fact that without achieving the primary purpose of government, which is good governance, the accomplishment of any other purpose is impossible. Since those in authority have acknowledged that the welfare and well-being of the citizens have been challenged by government’s fiscal measures, there is need for restraint in dealing with citizens who are voicing their frustrations.
“Moreover, in a country where peace is historically tenuous, creating factions by fabricating accusations against individuals and nationalities is an ill[1]wind. We urge the security services to refrain from making bogus announcements of findings that suggest particular interests are fomenting trouble without providing evidence. Leadership is serious business; it should not be trivialized.”
Anya-Ndi-Igbo said protests by their very nature are peaceful unless infiltrated, adding that it is the government’s responsibility to forestall such infiltration by identifying and arresting such malcontent.
The group recommended the following: “Rather than threatening to clamp down on beleaguered citizens who are only clamouring for a Nigeria where life is meaningful, the President and Commander-in-Chief should address citizens on the actual state of the nation and what the government is doing to address the pervasive anomie.
“The detribalized pressure group, the Patriots, led by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCON; whose credibility and patriotism are not in doubt, should be nominated to mediate between the Government and the groups of aggrieved Nigerians with a view to proffering workable and implementable solutions to the current crisis.
“If all entreaties fail and the planned protests must go on, then the security of the protesters and the sanctity of the protest must be guaranteed by all stakeholders, especially the security operatives. Anya-Ndi-Igbo believes in a Nigeria that works for all. Good governance should be a given and not something to fight for.”
With an angry riposte, the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday, waved away the sweltering criticisms from a groundswell of the public, lacerating Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State, on his now viral video where he exhibited great difficulty in pronouncing the N650 billion figures, he presented to the Edo State House of Assembly as the state’s 2025 budget.
The social media have been awash with the video of the governor repeatedly trying to mention the figure correctly, and even at a point explaining that he was confused, a development, which has elicited different reactions from the public, with critics saying it was emblematic of the degeneration in the nation’s polity, where hugely incompetent people were being recruited into positions clearly beyond them for political purposes.
In the video, Okpebholo appeared to have gone smoothly until he got to the figure, and then began to flutter and stutter repeatedly, thus: “The Edo State 2025 Appropriation Bill of 6 billion… 650… 605 billion… 76 thou… 76 million…“Let me take it again. 506 billion… 605 billion… sorry… 776 billion… sorry, it’s confusing me.”
But in a swift pushback to the barrage of criticisms from the public, who also wondered what manner of budget would stop at just a round figure without fractions Jarrett Tenebe, Chairman of the APC in the state, in apparent defence of the governor, dismissed the issues raised as unfounded, arguing that the “mistake” was common to humans, including world leaders, including Jacob Zuma, former President of South Africa.
In his apparent anger over the meaning being adduced to the supposed blunder, the party boss, inferred that nobody was unfazed in the state, particularly within the APC camp, insisting that the people had willingly chosen the governor to lead them for the next four years and those in opposition of the choice should “go to hell and burn to ashes.”
Hear him: “The Social media has been agog with our governor’s budget presentation about a mistake on 650 billion and the rest of it all. It’s a normal thing. (Jacob) Zuma made such a mistake, and a lot of people make such mistakes. I don’t know figures. You see, that is how to know original figures. Obaseki will not make such a mistake because he has stolen figures. Asue Ighodalo will not make such a mistake because he has stolen billions before.
“Monday is not a thief, so he’s not familiar with figures. So, anybody who wants to talk can continue to talk. It’s nonsense. “He’s the governor of the state, he’s performing, and he will continue to perform. And anybody who does not like his face should go to hell and burn to ashes, period, and thank you,”
The budget titled: The Appropriation Bill is titled “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo, the first by the governor, who emerged the winner in the election of Saturday, September 21, and was sworn in on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, which was presented was said to have reflected a 25 per cent increase from the 2024 budget.
Justice Maryanne Anenih of the HIgh Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama on Tuesday ordered the remand of Yahaya Bello, immediate past Governor of Kogi State in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja pending his bail application.
By the court’s ruling, that the former governor’s bail application would now be given on January 29, 2025, it means that he would be spending the whole of Christmas and New Year period in prison, as the court adjourned further proceedings in the criminal case involving the alleged theft of N110billion against him instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Anenih, who had agreed with the submission that Bello’s bail application was filed prematurely, having been filed when Bello was neither in custody nor before the court, was incompetent, said: “Consequently, the instant application, having been filed prematurely is hereby refused.”
Rejecting his plea, of the former governor, who had earlier filed the application on November 22 before he was arrested on November 26 and arraigned on November 27, Anenih granted bail to Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, with whom he is standing trial on the ground of a N300million bond and that they must produce sureties who must have property worth the said amount within the court’s jurisdiction.
The former governor, is said to have since filed a fresh bail application with a plea to the court for an early hearing date, to prevent him from spending the yuletide period in Kuje correctional centre.
Abayomi Adeosun, the Presiding Magistrate, at the Chief Magistrate Court in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday returned Dele Farotimi, lawyer and activist to prison till December 20, when his bail application will now be determined in the case of criminal defamation against Afe Babalola, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) foremost lawyer and educationist.
Adeosun agreed with the prosecution that who had told the court that the bail application submitted by Farotime was incomplete and not properly filed, a development which came after a hot argument between police prosecuting lawyer and the legal team of Farotimi, over the propriety of Adeyinka Olumide-Fasuka, (SAN) in the matter, being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Samson Osobu, the police lawyer prosecuting the matter, had also objected to the appearance of Olumide-Fasuka to represent the activist, standing trial on a 16 count-charge of defaming the legal luminary in his book, titled: Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, which accused Babalola of corrupting Supreme Court judges, on the ground that members of the Inner Bar, were barred from appearing at magistrate courts.
Objecting to the senior lawyer taking over the matter, he cited the recent judgment of a court of Appeal in Ibadan, Oyo State delivered on July 16, 2024, where the court ruled that SAN could not appear before the magistrate court.
But countering, Olumide-Fasuka, who explained that the Ekiti state magistrate court law enacted by the House of Assembly allowed lawyers irrespective of status and title to appear in the court especially in criminal matters as it related to the suit against the defendant, urged the court to reject the argument of the prosecuting lawyer, noting that the verdict he cited might not have put into consideration all magistrate court laws across the country.
After listening to the argument, the Magistrate who stepped down his ruling on the matter for him to read the judgement, asked Olumide-Fasuka to step down and allow the most senior lawyer in Farotimi’s team to continue the case, pending his ruling on the matter, enabling Taiwo Adedeji, another lawyer in the team to take over.
After further argument on the matter, the court, which had on Wednesday, last week when Farotimi first appeared, slated the determination of the bail application for Tuesday, shifted proceedings to the new date while ordering that the activist be returned to prison custody till the new date.
Budget blunder: Go to hell, burn to ashes, Okpebholo remains governor – APC
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