By Chimezie Godfrey
The Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Nigeria and the Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA) have expressed worry what it describe as the shrinking of public space by the government of President Bola Tinubu.
This is contained in a statement jointly signed by the National Coordinator, (PWYP), Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye, and the Program Officer, CODWA, Adebayo Titus.
The CSOs lamented that for several weeks the civic space in Nigeria has been under severe attacks from the President Bola Tinubu’s government.
They pointed out that peaceful protests witnessed unprecedented killings, unlawful arrests, torture and detention of rights activists by security forces, adding that all over the world decent governments do not resort to attacking their citizens over their rights to freedom of speech and expression.
They said,”The Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Nigeria and the Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA) are worried that for several weeks running, the civic space in Nigeria has been under severe attacks from the government of President Bola Tinubu.
“The peaceful protests witnessed unprecedented killings, unlawful arrests, torture and detention of rights activists by security forces. All over the world, decent governments do not resort to attacking their citizens over their rights to freedom of speech and expression rather they give listening ears, and act to resolve the people’s concerns.”
The CSOs stressed that,”The recent arrests of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe AJAERO at the Lagos airport, and the primitive occupation of the office of a foremost civil rights organization working to strengthen the Rule of Law and the oil and gas sector accountability, the Socio- Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by the State Security Services (SSS); are strong concerns that we are in the middle of a FASCIST REGIME reminisces of the eras of brazen global totalitarian regimes.
“We wonder why the government of Bola Tinubu is jittery over citizens’ outcry for good governance and accountability?
“For how long would this government continue to repress its own citizens?
“SERAP is known for over three (3) decades to have walked the path of the Rule of Law, even under Tinubu’s government as the governor of Lagos, taking issues of public interest to Court on behalf of the people.
“Why is this government afraid of SERAP’s approach to the demand- side of accountability (DSA) of taking issues of corruption to Court?
“On the arrest and detention of Comrade Ajaero, an injury to one, is an injury to all!.”
They added,”It is time Labour Unions in Nigeria Wake up to their responsibility to provide the leadership for political freedom in Nigeria. We have long abandoned the political stage for mediocres and Kleptomaniac syndromes that have wrecked our country.
“We strongly condemn the primitive excesses of the Tinubu administration that within a year in office, has evolved into full fascist emperor’s dynasty.
“Nigerians must wake up to the present realities and the need for solidarity to restore sanity to the polity.”
