Stop Insecurity, Stop The Drift Now! – New Nigerian Network Campaigns

A group under the aegis of New Nigerian Network has embarked on a campaign requesting of the leaders a better deal to fix the country.

During their press conference, they enjoined Nigerians to join hands in campaign against the anomalies tearing the country apart.

At issue borders of lack of functional health care system that led to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical trip to London, calling on the federal government to fix Nigeria’s health care system.

The group through the Conveners, Adesina Ogunlana and Sanyaolu Juwon delved into other issues that challenges the spirit of the country ranging from security to independence of the Judiciary among others.

Our reporter, Adeola Abiola was present to cover the event, which held at Palmgroove, Ikorodu Express way, Lagos State.

Excerpt:

We of the New Nigerian Network welcome our friends in the media and fellow Nigerians to this all-important press conference where we intend to examine the latest developments in the Nigerian polity. We enjoin you to patiently follow our painstaking analysis.

BUHARI’S FOREIGN MEDICAL TRIP AND SUSPENDED NATIONWIDE DOCTORS’ STRIKE: PEOPLE’S HEALTH SACRIFICED AT THE EXPENSE OF LUXURY OF THE FEW

As we speak, President Muhammadu Buhari is still “observing his short rest” at a private hospital, in his own words as expressed in his letter to the Prince of Jordan. The “short rest” was commenced shortly before the indefinite strike action of the National Association of Resident Doctors, which we are now aware has been suspended for four weeks.

The demands of the striking Resident Doctors which include increase of their salaries and N5, 000 hazard allowance reflect the dilapidated state of the health sector. The foreign medical trip of President Muhammadu Buhari at the inauspicious period while the strike of the Resident Doctors was on only confirm the insensitivity of the regime in particular and the abandonment of people’s health by the entire capitalist ruling elite for their own luxury. This situation is a poignant reminder of the serious injustice in which just about 500 super rich Nigerians spend over a billion USD annually on medical tourism while over 11, 000 doctors flee the country’s parlous health infrastructures every year, as well.

We express solidarity with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Nigerian Medical Association in their struggle for better healthcare system. We We call for the rejuvenation of the health sector to meet the health demands of all.This will include increased funding of the health sector and better pay for all health workers.





US REPORT ON LEKKI SHOOTING AND FRESH CASES OF POLICE BRUTALITY: WHY THE RESISTANCE AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY MUST CONTINUE

We are seized of the 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released by the United States wherein they asserted as follows:

“Accurate information on fatalities resulting from the shooting was not available at year’s end. Amnesty International reported 10 persons died during the event, but the government disputed Amnesty’s report, and no other organization was able to verify their claim. The government reported two deaths connected to the event. One body from the toll gate showed signs of blunt force trauma. A second body from another location in Lagos State had bullet wounds. The government acknowledged that soldiers armed with live ammunition were present at the Lekki Toll Gate. At the year’s end, the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution continued to hear testimony and investigate the shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate”

There are several questions to ask from the assertions in the Report which have become known as the “US Report on Lekki Report” but some are:

1. Why did the Report claim that “accurate information on fatalities resulting from the shooting was not available at year’s end” and at the same stating that “(sic) at the year’s end, the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution continued to hear testimony and investigate the shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate”? Why did the Report not await the outcome of the proceedings at the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution?



2. What sources does the US Department of State depend upon in arriving at the position that there are no “available statistics of fatalities”?



It is clear to us that the answers to the above questions are in the negative, consequent upon critical scrutiny of the US Report. We hold that the US Report is condemnable in its entirety and amounts to interference with the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We urge the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution into SARS-Related Abuses saddled with the investigation of the Lekki Shooting Matter to proceed unbiased and issue summonses on all parties in order to arrive at the truth. We also call for the extension of the tenure of the Panel by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu.

We are also aware of fresh cases of police brutality. One is the spectacular case of Tunde Abass, an #EndSARS activist, who was unlawfully arrested and detained by police officers attached to Onipanu Police Station, Lagos for filming violent extortion of a motorist by the police officers and released after being tortured in detention. The case of Nicholas Mbah, an #EndSARS protester who is still in Prison on trumped-up charges. Solomon Akuma, a Twitter user who tweeted about Buhari’s poor administration is still in prison in Abuja. There is also the case of Kemi Ogunniyi and Opeyemi Ibikunle , #EndSARS protesters who are still in Prison in Ondo State.

What all these attacks represent is that police brutality has not ended. To add insult to injury, the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) which was created to replace the proscribed Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has now been deployed by the new Inspector General of Police, Usman Bakar Baba to all the states of the Federation. We reject this action in its entirety as it is another means of restoring the old SARS through a new bottle , without carrying out comprehensive reforms in the Nigeria Police Force as contained in the “5 for 5” demands of the #EndSARS movement.

On the whole, we call for resistance against brutality by all security agencies to continue as same has not ended. We restate the “5 for 5” demands of the #EndSARS movement and call on government at all levels to meet the demands.

GROWING INSECURITY: A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER

We are also alarmed at the growing rate of insecurity. The South-eastern part of Nigeria has come under siege of unknown gunmen, who have been hitting police formations, one after the other, without any comprehensive response from the government. We are also worried that the rate of kidnappings and banditry have not abated in the Northern parts of the country. The cases of herdsmen attacks are stills prevalent in the Western parts of the country, while terrorism is gradually taking foothold in the South-southern parts of the country. We wish to state that the growing scepter of youth unemployment which is a result of recessive economy overburdened with excessive indulgencies and massive corruption of political office holders coupled with the penchant of the same political class for arming unemployed youths to muscle political opposition largely accounts for growing insecurity.

We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to cut short his “short rest” and come back to the country to address these issues. We are of the view that without addressing the main problems of unemployment, which jumped by 33.3 percent and mass poverty, the wave of insecurity will continue unabated.

INDUSTRIAL UNREST: STRIKING WORKERS NEED SOLIDARITY TO WIN DEMANDS

We are also seized of the ongoing indefinite strike actions by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). We welcome these strike actions as they represent workers’ resistance against the economic attacks on their living conditions.

We solidarise with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in their ongoing strike action for financial autonomy of the Judiciary. We view this struggle as just and constitutional as it will enhance the rule of law. We call on the national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association to support JUSUN in this struggle. We differ with the leadership of the NBA on their proposal for the reopening of the Federal Courts and continuation of the strike in the States’ High Courts. We are of the view that this will break the solidarity chain of the striking workers. We call for solidarity by lawyers and litigating public with the Judiciary workers in order to win these demands.

We also solidarise with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics in their ongoing strike action for improved pay and better learning conditions in the Polytechnics. We are of the view that the strike action reflects the worsening state of the education sector and neglect by government. We call for the demands of the striking lecturers to be met.

On the whole, we call on the central leaderships of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, the labour centres to which the striking unions are affiliated with, to call Joint Day of Mass Actions towards a 48-hour warning general strike action, latest by May Day, May 1st, 2021 to bring down the weight of the entire labour movement on government to meet their demands. We hold that where the central labour leaderships fail , refuse and neglect to provide a concerted leadership to the growing mood of struggle for total liberation in the country, the striking unions , JUSUN, NARD and ASUP) as well as other civic organizations including the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Medical Association (to which NARD is affiliated with), fighting youth organisations, active students’ forces and genuine civil society forces should work towards a Joint Day of Mass Actions to commence the nationwide mass mobilization for total liberation towards a new Nigeria , devoid of want and war.