South-East Based Coalition of Human Rights Organisations, SBCHROs,
has called on the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, the umbrella body of
lawyers in Nigeria and other rights groups in the country, to direct
their members to boycott courts in Nigeria in protest over President
Muhammadu Buhari’s disobedience to orders of courts in the country.
Leaders of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Director, Radio
Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), former National
Security Adviser, NSA, are still being held by the Department of State
Security, DSS, despite being granted bail by courts of competent
jurisdiction.
Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu
CSBHROs is comprised of Emeka Umeagbalasi of International Society
for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety); Aloysius Attah
Anambra State Branch of the Civil Liberties Organization, CLO; Peter
Onyegiri of Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy, CHRPA; Samuel
Njoku of Human Rights Club, HRC, (a project of LRRDC); Justus Ijeoma, of
Forum for Justice, Equity and Defense of Human Rights, FJEDHR; Chike
Umeh of Society Advocacy Watch Project, SPAW; Obianuju Igboeli of
Anambra Human Rights Forum, AHRF; Alex Olisa of Southeast Good
Governance Forum, SGGF; Jerry Chukwuokolo of International Solidarity
for Peace & Human Rights Initiative, ITERSOLIDARITY; Evlyn Eze of
Street Law Africa, LawAfrica, and Tochukwu Ezeoke of Igbo Ekunie
Initiative (pan Igbo rights advocacy group)
Chained democracy
CSBHROs in a statement, said: “It is no longer a subject of debate
whether or not Nigeria of Buhari’s civilian presidency is
tyrannical-cum-dictatorial; as the country is fully back in dictatorship
or chained democracy. Nigerians should also not lose sleep or express
surprises over recent or ongoing public antics and pro-dictatorial
comments of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar
Malami, SAN, and the likes of Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, and Senator Ali
Ndume, Senate Majority Leader; rather all Nigerians, particularly the
NBA and other democratic forces should concern themselves sleeplessly
with how to rise up endlessly against the resurrected dictatorship and
its destructive forces.
“Our coordinating partner: Intersociety had severally argued expertly
and seminally that the emergence of dictatorship or tyranny and its
sustenance under a civilian administration, is not the sole activity of a
dictator or tyrant; but a hatched conspiratorial project involving
other dictatorial or tyrannical elements. It further observed that the
first victims of dictatorship are the judiciary and the legislature,
leading to instant death of rule of law, separation of powers and checks
and balances.
“Further attestation to the existence of the two forces of opposite
direction under the Buhari’s dictatorial presidency is the recent launch
of online signature project spearheaded by a risen constitutional
lawyer and Georgetown University law scholar, Ms Carol Ajie; for the
purpose of compelling President Buhari to obey court orders and other
judicial consequential pronouncements or resign or be impeached.
“This followed President Buhari’s blundered and incoherent maiden
media chat of December 30, 2015. The online petition signing, which has
since exceeded its target, was met with a counter online petition
project, launched by Buhari’s laptop activists and funded by the
Presidency. While counsel Carol Ajie’s online petition targets at
protecting and preserving rule of law, constitutionalism and human
rights in Nigeria, the Presidency’s sponsored online petition targets at
protecting and preserving rule of lawlessness, un-constitutionalism and
gross disrespect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
“In other words, the former represents agents of change while the
latter represents chain agents. Counsel Carol Ajie’s advocacy step is
deeply commendable, exemplary and emulative.
Welcome development
“It further gladdens our heart to note the recent public position
taken by the national leadership of the NBA against the Buhari’s recent
justification to his disobedience to court orders in Nigeria,
particularly as it concerns the duo of Nnamdi Kanu and Sambo Dasuki. Its
insistence that court orders and judgments must be obeyed and enforced
to the letter in Nigeria by all authorities and persons; is a welcome
development. In Section 287 (1) (2) (3) of the 1999 Constitution, the
decisions of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal High Courts,
High Courts of State and FCT and other subordinate courts, shall be
obeyed and enforced in any part of Nigeria by all authorities and
persons including President Buhari and his AGF.
“Disobedience to court decisions is one of the dimensions of
corruption and a gross abuse of office; contrary to Section 15 (5) of
the 1999 Constitution. The AGF utterances under reference are worse than
his principal’s blundered and incoherent media chat.
“Protection of public interest can never be equated with obvious
presidential threats to citizens’ sovereignty; enshrined and entrenched
in Section 14 (2) (a) of the 1999 Constitution; to the effect that
sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government
through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority. The
inflammable and defenseless utterances of the AGF are therefore not
surprising; which explains why English Language professors also hold
that liars use passive voice while truth tellers use active voice.”
Meanwhile, one of the persons that
contested for the throne of Obi of Onitsha, Chief Godwin Odukwe, has
said that the leaders of IPOB, and Director, Radio Biafra, Mr. Kanu
personally put himself into the trouble he is currently going through,
saying that he does not have the right to breach the norms and the unity
of Nigeria.
The Onitsha chief spoke as Nigerians continue to react to the
continued incarceration of Kanu, despite the protests for his release,
in South East and South South states by pro Biafra agitators.
50 years of marriage
Speaking during the celebration of his 50 years of marriage, the Obi
stool contestant, who is still pursuing his case for the stool in the
court, said he felt very bad over the agitation for Biafra
actualization.
“I personally believe that Mr. Kanu personally put himself into
incarceration, his coming back to Nigeria, the abusive words and speech
by him through Radio Biafra was unnecessary and uncalled for, it amounts
to fanning the embers of war.
“I feel very bad on their agitation for a sovereign state of Biafra,
Igbo suffered during the war, younger men who never knew what war looks
like, are the people who have started talking about war by agitation for
sovereign state of Biafra,” he said.
Admitting that the South East zone was marginalized in all
ramifications, he advised that dialogue and round-table discussion
should be used, instead of being confrontational over the poor condition
of the zone.
Chief Odukwe stressed the need for the Igbo to be at the same level
with other ethnic groups and states, adding that the infrastructure
decay was a source of worry that prompted the agitation.
“We have to be at par and on equal level and with other parts of the
federation. Look at the condition of South East roads, this country
belongs to all of us, the money in this country belongs to all of us,
and therefore, we should not be going through the marginalization we are
seeing now,” he said.
He thanked God for making it possible for him to attain the level of
celebrating golden jubilee, adding that it was achieved through prayer,
perseverance, love and hard work.
