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By Luminous Jannamike, ABUJA

The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education, CHRICED, has called for a state of emergency to be declared on security in parts of the country.

The group’s Executive Director, Zikirullahi Ibrahim, while addressing a world press conference on the state of the nation in Abuja on Thursday, said that invoking emergency powers will signal a fresh resolve to tackle the existential threat of insecurity.

He expressed disgust over the gruesome killing of a serving Commissioner in Katsina State, a member of the House of Assembly in Kaduna State, saying their deaths indicated that the perpetrators of these dastardly acts have no fear or respect for the capacity of the state to arrest, prosecute and bring them to justice.

Ibrahim said, “In many cases, these outlaws not only kill, displace or inflict other forms of harm on Nigerians, but they are also now taking over swathes of spaces to further incubate their terror cells. Before our eyes, our country is literally burning, and there appear to be no concerted and sustained efforts to put out the fire.

“Things have become so bad that farmers can no longer engage in their occupation, without the fear of being killed by armed assailants. Given the enormity of the situation, 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.

“Government should also 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.

“Finally, the government should immediately declare a state of emergency in parts of the country, which have witnessed the most horrendous atrocities against innocent citizens. Invoking emergency powers will signal a fresh resolve to tackle the existential threat of insecurity, just as it would enable the government to summon all the required human and material resources to restore its authority in the most affected parts of Nigeria.”

The Economy And Its Impact on Citizens

On the economy, the group noted that the state of the Nigerian economy was a source of utmost concern for citizens.

Ibrahim said, “The inflation rate has gone beyond control, leading to the astronomical rise in the cost of living. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation increased by 15.40 percent (year on year) as at November 2021. This according to the NBS is 0.51 percent point higher than the rate recorded in 2020, which stood at 14.89 percent.

“Data from the NBS also shows that the composite food index was 17.21 per cent in November 2021. The NBS data makes 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 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. When citizens in other parts of the world were getting a reprieve from their governments due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigerians got none.

“We believe the starting pointing is to put as many Nigerians as possible back to work. The government needs to stop being aloof, while its citizens suffer. Thus it can achieve by drastically cutting down on wastage in government due to corruption and mismanagement.

“Government should also respond to the astronomical cost of basic commodities by mandating its economic team to come up with measures, which could stabilize the prices of essentials like cooking gas, foodstuffs, healthcare and building materials.

Shrinking Civic Space

Ibrahim condemned the reported attempts by some powerful elements to stifle the voices of frontline activists and human rights campaigners, noting that attacks and threats against journalists and human rights activists intensified all through the year.

He said, “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.

“CHRICED condemns this resort to crude tactics to intimidate, harass and silence voices of dissent and advocates of good governance. We note that the shrinking civic space is also taking its toll on the anti-corruption program of the government.

“We, therefore, call on well-meaning citizens and civic groups to continue to speak up in defence of these innocent activists and journalists who are being targeted, not because they ran afoul of the laws of the land, but because they used their God-given talents to demand transparency and accountability in the use and allocation of public resources.

2023 and Credible Electoral Process

On the 2023 elections, the group stated that notwithstanding the myriad of challenges in the polity, 2022 will present another important opportunity for Nigerians to work towards overhauling the polity, using the instrumentality of the 2023 elections.

Ibrahim said, “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.

“As things stand across all strata of political authority, impunity has replaced democratic decision making, while those holding political power carry on without any consideration for social and economic justice. Abuse of citizens’ rights, attacks on dissent and free speech have all become the order of the day.”

Vanguard News Nigeria