A Peep Into 2024 Nigeria

 By Owei Lakemfa

The  year 2023 held a lot of hope for Nigerians as the Buhari administration  which had put the country on autopilot, was programmed to end its tenure by mid-year. Indeed, the past year had begun as a traumatic one with a currency change   which impoverished the people as they could not readily access their  bank accounts or money.

The Naira, rather than be a means of exchange became a commodity traded in the streets. The local currency was  so  scarce that people paid as high as 15-20 per-cent as commission for Naira notes.  Unfortunately, in the first seven months of the Tinubu administration, governance has not changed in a fundamental way. If  anything, the economy for the people got worse with the ill-advised and ruinous increases in PMS prices and the water boarding of the of the Naira. These are the major factors   that  pushed inflation  to 28.2 per-cent. Also in 2023, the Tinubu government was unable to end the scarcity of the Naira leading to it being traded in the streets, sometimes at rates as high as 10 per-cent.

Onitsha Massacre And The Shame Of A Nation

By Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu

Buhari would probably go down in history as the worst violator of human rights and by consequence the most undemocratic president ever to walk the shores of this blighted land. It is ironic that one day after the regime celebrated democracy day and its one year anniversary on the 29^th of May with much pomp, pageantry and fanfare, feeding the public with fanciful tales of its commitment to democracy, the rule of law and much propaganda on what it claims to have achieved in one year;   the next day being the 30^th of May heralded an unprovoked bloodbath as the infamous Nigerian army treaded the familiar path of killing more than 50 IPOB and MASSOB adherents who were peacefully marking the 49^th anniversary of the declaration of Biafra.

The most fundamental attributes of democracy are the freedoms of expression, association and dissent. Democracy in effect gives citizens the largest unrestricted space to air their views no matter how unpalatable—to assemble for what they believe in and above all to express dissent through peaceful means. In nations where democracy is practiced as it should, citizens express themselves freely and organise frequent public protests to register dissent. In none of these countries are citizens arrested or killed for expressing their opinion or for organising public protests. In rare occasions where possibly because of violence the security services deem it necessary to terminate such protests; civil means such as tear gas and water cannons are employed to disperse protesters.  It is thus paradoxical that one day after celebrating democracy day, the army is unleashed to kill peaceful  protesters who are exercising the most fundamental right that democracy affords them.

More so when as has been reported, IPOB and MASSOB had actually written the Anambra state commissioner of police, formally notifying him of their upcoming rally, for which the police should ordinarily have provided security while they carried out their peaceful rally as is done in true democracies. How can an administration celebrate the virtues of democracy and at the same time kill unarmed peaceful protesters? Is their own definition of democracy different? How come the same administration that has refused to act and infact maintained a studied silence while Fulani herdsmen slaughter people across the middle belt and South is ever so quick to kill peaceful IPOB/MASSOB protesters? By these contradictions Buhari has again demonstrated his deliberate refusal to align with democratic tenets.  After decades of struggling to have democratic governance and 17 years in a supposed democracy, these blatant suppression of rights and extra judicial executions  only serves to indicate that Nigeria has returned to full blown despotism.

IPOB Protests: We Will Not Tolerate Any Breach Of Peace Under Any Guise – Gov Obiano Warns

Text Of Broadcast By Gov Willie Obiano Of Anambra On The Evening Of Wednesday, December 2, 2015 

“My beloved people of Anambra State, I wish to address you on the on-going protest staged in Onitsha by the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and MASSOB.

“The government of Anambra State has been monitoring developments and is greatly concerned about the security of lives and property of residents and visitors to the state. As your Governor and Chief Security Officer of the state, I am compelled to act to avert any likely breakdown of law and order. In all situations, the preservation of human life comes first and I am determined to enforce that.

“Since the inception of my administration, we have made the security of lives and property our priority and we are not going to compromise on that. I, therefore, sincerely appeal to members of the IPOB, MASSOB and other aggrieved groups and individuals to maintain the peace and resist any attempt by hoodlums to take advantage of the situation and destabilize any part of Anambra State.

“I am in constant touch with all the security agencies in the state to ensure that what has otherwise been a peaceful protest is not hijacked by trouble makers. All mischief makers are hereby warned to keep off as we will not tolerate any breach of peace under any guise or pretext. You are seriously warned! I therefore wish to assure Ndi Anambra and all visitors to the state to go about their normal businesses peacefully as the security agencies are on top of the situation to preserve law and order.”

We Didn't Kill Pro-Biafran Activists - Police

PRESS RELEASE 

The attention of the Nigeria Police Force High Command has been drawn to several false posts on Facebook and other social media, accusing Police of shooting, maiming and even killing members of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who have taken their protests to streets, markets and other public places in some eastern states of Nigeria, infringing on the rights and freedom of innocent citizens who were ordinarily going about their lawful businesses.

Despite provocation, the Police have maintained and managed the situation with high sense of responsibility and professionalism.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon E. Arase, fdc, NPM wishes to state that, the Nigeria Police Force is conscious of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association amongst others as enshrined in Chapter Four of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), and cannot afford to maim or kill citizens exercising these rights.

Noting that the Nigeria Police are duty-bound to enforce these rights, the IGP charged Police officers in State Commands to ensure that citizens embarking on rallies and other peaceful demonstrations are provided adequate security in line with the standard operational practice of the Force.

The Inspector-General of Police therefore called on all law abiding citizens to disregard the allegations by these groups, describing their allegations as false and calculated attempt to attract undue attention and sympathy. Even though the Nigeria Police Force appreciates the freedom and rights of citizens under the Constitution, the groups are strongly advised to respect the rights and freedom of others while exercising theirs.

The IGP, while calling on leadership of Ohanaeze to wade into these superfluous protests, to save the law-abiding and innocent citizens in the affected states from the hardship being melted out by the groups, reminded those embarking on violent protests/assemblies that such actions are criminalised by law, and anybody arrested will be treated as such under the appropriate legislations.

Ag. ACP Olabisi Kolawole

Force Public Relations Officer,

Force Headquarters,

Abuja.