Comr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, the Executive Director of the Resource Center for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has said that citizens can hardly find examples of conduct that fall in line with principled, purposeful and people-oriented leadership right from the local, state and even the federal level.
According to him, Impunity, Insecurity, bad governance, ravages the country even as impunity and reckless use of political power takes center stage.
He disclosed this at CHRICED’s State of the Nation Press Conference held in Abuja. He noted that the unaccountable use of public funds, particularly the so-called bailouts without recourse to the demands of transparency and probity, has become a norm in the country.
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“There are many clear cases of reckless and self-centered use of political power by people entrusted with it. For the current political leadership, power is not for the good of the collective, but for narrow, self-serving and anti-people ends. These factors, which border on failed political leadership are responsible for current crisis affecting the country.” He said.
Security Situation
Comr. Zikirullahi believes that Nigeria’s territorial integrity and its internal security had been severely compromised by relentless groups of terrorists. “Before our eyes, our country is literally burning, and there appears to be no concerted and sustained efforts to put out the fire. It appears that on the watch of the current government, human lives no more have any meaning or sacred value attached to them.
“On a daily basis fellow citizens are decimated, bruised, maimed and killed all over the country without any consequence whatsoever. Barely a week ago, the incident in Sokoto State, wherein citizens traveling in a bus were set ablaze by terrorists, goes a long way to illustrate how bad things have become. The Sokoto incident is a metaphor for the impunity with which terrorists and criminal gangs operate across the country taking lives at will, without any comprehensive response from law enforcement agencies.
He said that the only way out is for the government to arrest and expose the backers, and sponsors of terrorist gangs, whom the government claimed it knows. He advised the government to take a critical look at all the recruitments into the military, police and Department of State Security Service and other security agencies to be sure the right people are in charge of running Nigeria’s security architecture.
The Economy and Its Impact on Citizens
Comr. Zikirullahi said that the inflation rate in the country had gone beyond control, leading to the astronomical rise in the cost of living. He cited the Consumer Price Index of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which measured that inflation had increased by 15.40 percent (year on year) as at November 2021. According to the NBS the inflation rate stood at 0.51 percent, higher than the rate recorded in 2020, which stood at 14.89 percent.
He also cited another data from the NBS also showed that the composite food index was 17.21 per cent in November 2021, adding that the NBS data made it clear that the rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, fish, food product, potatoes, yam and other tubers, oil and fats, milk, cheese and eggs and coffee, tea and cocoa.
“The skyrocketing inflation rate explains the high price of several basic commodities. It is so bad that a bag of rice now sells for between N30,000 and N32,000. The price of a bag of cement now hovers around N5000 with the likelihood of further increase, especially around the yuletide. 12kg of cooking gas, which used to sell for between N3800 to N4000, now sells for between N9600 and N10,000. The prices of many other basic commodities are up, and the government is also talking of hiking the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol.
“With the lowly minimum wage hardly being implemented in several states, extreme poverty is now the lot of many citizens. Little wonder, the government itself declared recently that 109 million Nigerians will be living in poverty by the end of 2022.” He explained.
Shrinking Civic Space
Comr. Zikirullahi said the increasing shrinking of the civic space in order to stifle the voices of frontline activists and human rights campaigners was a thing of concern, noting that the attacks, and threats against journalists and human rights activists have intensified all through the year.
“Even in cases where the State is not directly carrying out the attacks against citizens, activists and journalists, there is now an emerging trend of mobilizing thugs and street urchins to inflict harm on those who insist on invoking their right to demand accountability from government.
“The other day, thugs were mobilized to attack the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Comrade Omoyele Sowore, and as the assault was going on, the law enforcement officers looked the other way. CHRICED condemns this resort to crude tactics to intimidate, harass and silence voices of dissent and advocates of good governance.
“CHRICED notes that the shrinking civic space is also taking its toll on the anti-corruption program of the government. A ready example is the ongoing prosecution of frontline anti-corruption crusader, Mr. Olarenwaju Suraj, Chairman of HEDA by the office of Attorney-General of the Federation.” He said.
“Mr. Suraj’s only offence is that he worked tirelessly to ensure those behind the looting of the Nigerian treasury through the Malabu Oil Block deal, are held to account, not only within Nigeria, but also in other foreign jurisdictions.” He added.
Towards 2023: Ensuring A Credible Electoral Process
Comr. Zikirulahi said that 2022 presents another important opportunity for Nigerians to work towards overhauling the polity, using the instrumentality of the 2023 elections. “Given the fact that the off-cycle elections conducted so far have been blighted by voter apathy and low participation of the electorate, it is important to reform Nigeria’s electoral process before 2023.
“As such, President Muhammadu Buhari must rise to the occasion by assenting to the Electoral Act amendment, which the National Assembly has passed and transmitted to him. CHRICED is not unaware of pressures from political cliques within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to shoot down some provisions of the amendment.
“CHRICED calls on the President not to cave in in the face of these pressures because they are driven by self-interest, and not by patriotic and nationalistic objectives. CHRICED also calls on citizens, especially the youth, women and People with Disabilities to brace up to use the electoral process to put in place leaders at all levels, who would work for the interest, welfare and security of the people.”
