….as NLC calls for immediate release of Ajaero

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately direct Nigeria’s Department of State Services, DSS to end the intimidation and harassment and attack against its organization and the threat of arrest against directors.

Meanwhile, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Lagos State Chapter, has called for the immediate release of National President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero by the DSS and stop forthwith the harassment and witch-hunting of Labor leadership at all levels.

Some officers from DSS had on Monday invaded the Abuja office of SERAP. “A tall, large, dark-skinned woman entered our office, accompanied by a slim, dark-skinned man.

“Other officers were sighted in two unmarked vehicles stationed outside our office. The officers who interrogated our office requested to see our directors,” the organisation claimed.

The invasion of SERAP’s office followed call on President Tinubu and his government to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL to immediately reverse the apparently illegal and unconstitutional increase in the pump price of petrol and to ensure the prompt and thorough investigation of alleged corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC.

In a statement by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare on Monday, the organisation said: “We condemn the invasion of our Abuja office today by DSS.

“The Tinubu administration must immediately direct the DSS to end the intimidation and harassment of SERAP and our staff members.”

Human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana said: “We condemn the invasion of SERAP’s office. The Tinubu government must urgently fish out the officers who carried out the invasion of SERAP’s office in the name of the government.

“Anyone found to be responsible for the invasion must be prosecuted. The government must allow human rights defenders to freely carry out their work, consistent with the Nigerian Constitution.”

SERAP’s statement, read in part: “The invasion of SERAP’s office by the DSS and the harassment and intimidation of our staff members is a brutal assault on the entire human rights community in the country.

“The escalating crackdown on human rights, and harassment and intimidation of NGOs and human rights defenders that have shown astonishing courage in their human rights work hurt those most in need, undermine access of Nigerian victims of human rights violations and abuses to justice, and contribute to a culture of impunity of perpetrators.

“This government has an obligation to support and protect civil society groups and human rights defenders.

“We are seriously concerned about the growing restrictions on civic space and the brutal crackdown on the human rights of Nigerians.

“President Tinubu must urgently instruct appropriate authorities to promptly and thoroughly investigate the invasion of our offices and to bring to justice those involved.

“Nigerian authorities must allow SERAP to freely carry out our mandates as recognized under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

“Nigerian authorities must end the harassment and intimidation attacks against SERAP and ensure the safety and security of our staff.

“If the Tinubu government does not take all necessary measures to immediately end the intimidation and harassment of SERAP or any other civil society groups for that matter, SERAP will to take appropriate legal action nationally and internationally to challenge the brutal crackdown and hold the authorities to account for their constitutional and international human rights obligations.

“SERAP will continue to work to challenge any attempt to restrict, silence or eliminate the voices of credible civil society in the country.

“We urge the presidency to speak out strongly against intimidation and harassment of SERAP and our staff.

“Under the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and international human rights law, everyone whose rights are violated is entitled to a right to an effective remedy. Exposing human rights violations and seeking redress for them is largely dependent on the degree of security enjoyed by civil society groups and human rights defenders.”

Lagos NLC reacts

Chairman, Lagos NLC chapter,, comrade Agnes Funmi Sessi in a statement on Monday, stated, “We received the news of the arrest of the NLC President Joe Ajaero this morning (Mondat) with shock and disappointment for the kind of humiliating treatment being meted out to NLC President.

“Ajaero is a child of circumstance and a soft target by the government since the

Organized Labour is the only organized and large group aside the youths that can pressurize government into submission on agenda and people’s oriented policies and for this he is regarded as an opposition to the government.

“The Police invited him for questioning and he responded to their invitation. DSS should have been professional in their approach and duty by inviting him and definitely he won’t say no.

“We are indeed pained and unhappy with this witch-hunting of Labour Leadership by trying to hang a crime on their neck all in a bid to silence the group but we remain resolute and will continue the struggles for not only the welfare of the workers but also call government out and condemn any anti -people policies after all we practice democratic governance.

“The NLC and indeed all workers hereby asks for the immediate release of Ajaero by the DSS and stop forthwith the harassment and witch-hunting of Labor leadership at all levels.

“What government should prioritize and dissipate their energy to is how to lead right and rescue the Nation from the imminent economical collapse,

“Labor should be regarded as a critical stakeholder in the Nigerian project and should be seen as such.

“We equally ask Nigerian government to release the youths arrested during the endbad governance protest and engage them positively.

*We are all interested in the survival of the Nation.”