Atiku S. Sarki Abuja,
THE Transition monitoring Group (TMG) has called on the
Nigerian government to pursue economic and political policies that will
enhance the well being of Nigerians.
The group also called on the Nigerian government to
honour and respect its international human rights obligations by ratifying
international and regional covenants and optional protocols that expand the
frontier of human rights enjoyed by Nigerians.
A release signed by the TMG chairman, Festus Okoye (ESq),
explained that the Nigerian human rights record since the advent of the
current democratic government cannot be said to have scored any appreciable
result in the promotion and protection of the rights and fundamental
freedoms of Nigerians, rather it has flagrantly encouraged their abuses.
According to the group, the various crises that have
engulfed the nation, ranging from the Niger Delta crisis to the crisis in
Kano, Numan, Jos, Anambra and many others which led to the breach of peace
and consequently the rights and freedoms of Nigerians to freely live and
co-exist, have all been the result of government's ineptitude to protect the
rights of citizens.
Also, they observed that apart from the state of
emergency declared in Plateau state, no body has been directly or indirectly
reprimanded on account of such breaches, adding that the Anambra crisis for
which the culprits are well known have never for one day been reprimanded.
Commenting on the media which represents a cardinal
institution in any democratic society, cannot be said to have enjoyed much
freedom as stipulated by the constitution or the UN declarations on media
practice, the TMG stated.
It would be recalled that in September this year
operatives of the state security service (SSS) broke into the office of a
media outfit, Insider Weekly, and arrested some of its staff for as
the government put it "attacking, disparaging and humiliating." This act,
they said was a flagrant abuse of the rights of the publishers to freedom of
expression.
It is also common knowledge that through out the year,
there have been series of un warranted arrest and detentions of Nigerians
who for want of freedom, have expressed their displeasure over certain
government actions by organized rallies or strikes and which the government
found distasteful, invoked the obnoxious public order to stop such rallies
and even went ahead to arrest and detain the leaders of such groups.
"We therefore call on the security forces, especially the
police to respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals and
institutions that are subjected to arrest, detention and prosecution. It is
only through unadulterated commitment to, and fidelity to the rule of law
and due process that our democracy can flourish," they added.
The group also urged Nigerians to remain steadfast in the
struggles for their rights in the society.
