Human rights activist and president of Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, Prince Dr. Kehinde Taiga, has said that protest, as being planned by aggrieved Nigerians, is a constitutional right of the citizens of the country.
He said it is part of the constitutional provision for Nigerians to make their demands known to government officials.
In a phone interview with Emerald News on Thursday night, Taiga, known for his advocacy for human rights, condemned the use of force and security operatives to hound and intimidate Nigerians who want to express their minds through protest to the Nigerian government.
He said the Nigerian government has consistently utilised the security apparatus to intimidate and harass citizens of the country.
He added that the security officials who themselves are also hungry but for fear of losing their jobs, make themselves instruments in the hands of the federal government to become available tools to harass Nigerians even in hunger.
The phone interview is reproduced verbatim:
“Protest is a constitutional right of Nigerians. Government should not use violence or security personnel to threaten people who want to protest. It is used to correct the errors of government. The only language Nigerian government understands is protest. When you write to themt they wont listen.
“When Nigerians want to protest, they will bring the negative side of the protest to water you down. They are the people who will sponsor the opposition to the protest and turn it to become violent.
“I have also come to understand that ethnicity and religion are the greatest problem of this country. People are trying to protest, the government offcials are going round ethnic groups. They have spoken to Yoruba groups, Arewa youths and others. Urhobo youths have assembled and agreed that they are not part of the protest.
“Government should stop using security operatives to threaten Nigerians. Protest is a constitutional right. Government should stop intimidating Nigerians who want to protest. They want to communicate their grievances and it can only be done through protest. Security men are to protect protesters and not to harass and intimidate them.
“They are making themselves tools in the hands of government to shut up Nigerians. Government gives them directives and they work with it, whether favourable to them or not. The security chiefs are afraid of being removed from office if they do not listen to the president. They are like puppet in the hands of the president.
“Security men are supporting bad governance in Nigeria. Tomorrow they will cry saying they are not well paid, not well funded but when Nigerians want to protest, the protest that will in the long run also benefit them they will subject themselves to be used as bad instruments against civilians.”
Responding to a question on the argument from some quarters that the hunger in Nigeria was caused by last administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Taiga disagreed saying during the suffering in the country was not the making of the previous government.
He said: “No, you cannot blame the previous administration. The cause of the crisis is due to the removal of fuel subsidy. We are not seeing the effect of the money on the lives of Nigerians. Before removing fuel subsidy, Tinubu should have provided solutions.
“State governments are receiving higher allocations now due to fuel subsidy removal, but there is no development in the states. It would have been better we remain with the subsidy and food prices reduced.
“The money should be returned to fuel fuel subsidy. Nigerians are comfortable with it. The government both state and federal have not been able to tell us what they are doing with the money saved from fuel subsidy removal.
“You cannot blame the previous government. Buhari’s government was able to manage the fuel subsidy and things went on well. We were not buying fuel more than N200. When late Yar’Adua reduced fuel price, were they not paying fuel subsidy at that time?
“So, Mr. President who removed fuel subsidy without providing solution does not mean well for Nigerians. If the previous administration was able to manage it, why can’t this one manage it? Our refineries, industries and seaports are not working. They are dead.
“Government can no longer regulate fuel price, Every state now sells at any amount they like. Tinubu has nothing good for Nigeria.”
Reacting to whether the protest can solve the problem in Nigeria, the activist agreed that the protest cannot solve all the problems in the country but it will send a message to the authorities that Nigerians can no longer ve fooled.
According to him: “It may not solve it but it’s a way of communicating to Nigeria government the pains and challenges of the people. That is the only weapon the masses have to communicate their needs to the people in authority. Not that it will solve the problem. But one or two things will come out of it.
“Nigeria is presently in a state of doom. We are in a democracy but we are practicing cabacracy. It is only those in government that are benefiting from the system. The poor are getting poorer while the rich are getting richer. Law and order are no longer being followed.”
