Politics
HURIWA Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) whilst stoutly condemning the pockets of violence that characterised the commencement of the End bad governance protests across the country, it however thinks that the federal government grossly mismanaged the protests by spending weeks attempting to muzzle and stiffle fundamental rights of citizens to protest peacefully.
HURIWA has through the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko issued a media statement urging the Federal government to implement the demands of the protesters and salvage the value of the Naira, check the uncontrolled inflation, check the unprecedented hike in the pump price of petroleum products, fight corruption, reduce the costs of governance by pruning down the number of ministers and aides, reorganise the ministry for humanitarian affairs and poverty Alleviation and fight terrorism with all vigour instead of the dubious ways that the counter terrorism war is being waged.
Besides, HURIWA has condemned the government for disallowing the peaceful protesters from gaining constructive access into the Eagle squares in Abuja whereas political thugs are freely allowed into the same venue whenever political party controlling the federal government is staging conventions. The Rights group said the President could have asked the relevant authority in the country’s capital to give unimpeded access to the peaceful protesters led by an organised structure instead of shooting teargas canisters at the citizens who were making their ways into the complex.
HURIWA said it is unbelievable that an otherwise peaceful protest almost turned chaotic at Eagle square in Abuja as police fired teargas to disperse demonstrators gathered to voice their discontent with the government.
The protesters, organised by the Take It Back Movement, had reportedly gathered around Eagle Square and the Federal Secretariat to demonstrate against bad governance,economic hardship and hunger.
HURIWA expressed sadness that the peaceful assembly was met with a heavy security presence,including police and military personnel. The security agents told the protesters to leave the venue for the National Stadium, but they refused which led to teargas been shot.
“We think that the security forces overreacted by opening fire with teargas canisters on the peacefully gathered group of Nigerians who were at the entrance to the Eagle square demanding to be allowed access into the complex. The wise thing to do by government is not to rush to the Abuja or Lagos State high courts to obtain jankara market’s injunctions to stop the so-called unknown protesters dragged before the court just hours to the commencement of the protests to ban them from exercising their fundamental rights of peaceful assembly”.
“The Eagle square was built with public fund and if in the public interest a group of people have applied to use the place for peaceful assembly in the exercise of their constitutionally guaranteed fundamental freedoms, why should politicians not allow them to quietly and constructively gain access there?”
Tags: Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria HURIWA
