By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
A human rights and advocacy organisation, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has called on the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stem the tide of corruption which has gone astronomical and ravaging the socioeconomic lives of average Nigerians
CDHR identified endemic corruption as a major cause of Nigeria’s socioeconomic and political problems plaguing the country, traceable among leadership of various sociopolitical institutions in Nigeria and their collaborators elsewhere.
The Rights group made the call in a press briefing it held at Rights House Ikeja Lagos, on Thursday July 4, tagged ‘State of the Nation’ during which it identified myriads of burning issues in the country.
Addressing the press, the National President, (CDHR) Comrade Debo Adeniran noted that all dishonest and criminal behaviours like stealing, oppression, favouritism, nepotism, lying, embezzlement, misappropriation, bribery, cheating, fraud, and other antisocial vices are rooted in corruption which has made an average Nigerian poorer while an average leader unjustifiably wealthier than the capacity of his/her legitimate earnings.
As a pointer to the fact that corruption in the country is gradually gravitating to another level, he cited recent reports that some civil servants who relocated abroad are still drawing salaries from the government, which led to President Bola Tinubu’s order that all civil servants drawing salaries from the government after relocating abroad without formally resigning should be made to refund the money.
“As we are complaining of losing our best brains to the recent trend of brain drain popularly referred to as “Japa Syndrome”, the corrupt ones among the civil service are desperately wicked to allow people who are no more working to be drawing salaries from the government.
“We are calling on the government to bring the perpetrators of this corrupt acts to book. Their names should be made public so as to nail and shame them thereby serving as deterrent to others.”
Speaking on Rivers State crises, CDHR noted that from the speech made by President Tinubu at the public presentation of two books written on the administration of his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, held recently in Abuja, Tinubu claimed that Buhari has not intruded in his government since he left office and retired to his hometown, Daura, Katsina State and that the former President has not nominated anybody for appointment into his government.
“This is a show of true statesmanship on the part of the former President, but we are amazed by the way and manner Nyesom Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State is dealing with his successor Governor Siminalayi Fubara.”
CDHR faulted the power play being displayed in Rivers State and attributed it to God-fatherism principle commonly practiced in Nigeria’s political arena.
The Rights group said it would not delve into the details of what has happened in the state in recent time but considering the prevailing circumstances, “we feel strongly that all lovers of democracy should be concerned about the situation in Rivers State.” It cautioned that if the crises is not
properly handled, it will definitely have catastrophic consequences for our democracy as may snowballed into other States.
“We implore President Tinubu to call Nyesom Wike to order. He (Wike) has spent eight good years as the governor of Rivers State, he also has the whole of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to govern and provide responsible leadership to, hence he should desist from interfering with the affairs of Rivers State being governed by a democratically elected Governor.”
Dwelling on high cost of foodstuffs, CDHR stated the fact that food is a primary resource for human survival. It noted that for some time now, Nigerians have been under torment by the astronomical rise in the prices of basic foods in the marketplace. “This surge is reflected mainly in the prices of garri, millet, yam, fermented cassava meal (akpu), palm oil, vegetable oil, beef, rice, beans, among others.
It decried the high cost of these foodstuffs which is alarming, primarily because these food items are staples in most homes across the land and absence of these items would contribute seriously to hunger and malnutrition in the country.
“This gives room for a huge concern as the steep prices have battered the purchasing power of citizens, leading to uncertainty, an increase in poverty, and an unpalatable cost of living”
“The disruption caused by rising food inflation has further decimated the low wages of the people. A 2022 survey by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said 133 million Nigerians are living in multidimensional poverty”.
“Incessant killings, kidnappings, and destruction of farmland have led to farmers abandoning their farmland for fear of bandits and herdsmen, thereby contributing to food shortages across the country.
The group listed Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, and Borno, as states where violence is rampant and they are often regarded as Nigeria’s food belt.
“In Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, and other states, bandits and terrorists hold sway, collecting levies or tributes from farmers before they can plant or harvest their crops. So insecurity has contributed greatly to the high cost of food in the country”.
It tasks the government to make it a priority to secure lives and properties of the entire citizens of the country and not only the farmers as this would contribute immensely to the greater output and more investment opportunities in the economy of the country.
It urged the government at all level to undertake tangible programmes to defeat hunger in the land, adding that introduction of various social safety measures at a time like this would be a welcome development.
At the press briefing, other burning issues were highlighted such as the recent interception by Customs of a 40- footer container stuffed with arms and ammunition illegally imported into the country from Turkey,; the state of deplorable/bad roads in the country with particular reference to Ogun State; the long awaited Dangote Refinery and its products; and the SSANU/NASU strike threats.
Human Rights group commended the Nigeria Customs Service for this remarkable feat, and urge them to continue to be more diligent and vigilant as they carry out their duties.
Speaking on the information that the large cache of arms and ammunition intercepted by the Nigerian Customs Service would be destroyed after documentation has been completed, the group opined that the arms and ammunition should not be destroyed but given to vigilante groups and or civilian Joint Task Force (JTFs) around the country after they have been properly trained on how to use the arms”.
Stating its position on Dangote Refinery and shortage of crude oil, CDHR demanded the Nigeria National Petroleum Company to tell Nigerians what is really happening over lack of crude to fully take off.
“If the refinery is finding it difficult to access domestic crude oil and have to rely on importation from foreign countries then what exactly is happening in our oil and gas sector?, they asked.
On the Senior Staff Union of Universities (SSANU), and the Non-teaching Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions (NASU) strike threats for an indefinite strike over withheld 4 months salaries and the unpaid 13 months salaries to Abia State University workers, CDHR said
“We would like to call on the government to do everything within the ambit of the law to avert the strike considering the negative effects of the strike on the academic activities on our campuses. Their concerns should be looked into in order to avoid another industrial unrest”
“The state of roads in most parts of the country is appalling. The roads have become death traps, this also leads to farm losses and constitute encumbrance to the movement of food and raw materials in the country. The state governments should stop making excuses for this; they should prioritize the development of roads to ease movement of people and goods.
“In Ogun state for example, most of the roads that dotted the state are in a very bad and deplorable state. One can hardly point at one good road especially at the communities that share close proximity to Lagos State.
Stating its position on the performance of President Tinubu, CDHR expressed dissatisfaction with the President’s performance so far, regretting that they believed so much in him during his campaign going by his antecedents as one of those that spearheaded the PRONACO in those despotic military days.
“We thought his reign would bring succor and relief to the people especially as we missed that golden opportunity during the June 12 election, but the reverse is the case right now.
The group implored the President to explore the possibility of reaching out to more professionals even outside his cabinet so that his policies and programmes can have a more beneficial effect on the populace.