If there is any evidence that the vestiges of dictatorship remain with us long after we bade military rule goodbye, it is the current travails of political activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore.
Since the beginning of the fourth republic on May 29, 1999, successive governments have worryingly engaged in practices that can best be described as antithetical to democratic norms. Put plainly, democracy has failed to end abuses that characterised the jackboots era of intolerance.
Who will forget the infamous Odi massacre and the disregard for a Supreme Court order that the Lagos State funds seized by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo-led Federal Government be released? Or the clampdown on media houses perceived to be enemies of former President Jonathan because of their criticism of his government for not adequately tackling Nigeria’s security problems? Who will forget the seizure of newspapers and destruction of thousands of copies by soldiers during the Jonathan administration which was described by the presidency then as “isolated incidents of security checks”?
In the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, nothing appears to have changed. Only recently, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, said Nigeria had gone back to the repressive and dark days of the Abacha era following the unceasing human rights abuses traced to the Buhari government. Also, Nigerians known to be too critical of the present government have either been detained or their whereabouts unknown.
Back to the travails of Sowore, an egregious example of the blatant disregard for human rights and dissenting views was displayed when the activist was arrested and detained for calling out Nigerians to protest the failings of the Buhari government and was later charged with treasonable felony and accused of insulting the president.
True, the #revolutionNow convener called for a revolution to get Nigeria out of the woods – a call seen as an attempt to topple the president. To be fair, no lethal weapon was seen with either Sowore or his disciples to provide evidence to support the claim of an attempt by the activist to violently take over government.
Rather than get agitated about the mention of revolution and protests, the Buhari government would do well to address the issues raised by the activist and his group. Except those who choose not to see the ugly realities confronting us on a daily basis, no one can deny that Nigeria is currently bedeviled by nagging security problems, grinding poverty, especially with Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world. Or is it the romance with individuals with various corruption allegations hanging over their heads who have now become new creatures by belonging to the ruling party? Or is it the economy that is in a tailspin?
Instead of breathing down the necks of Nigerians that demand good governance, the call to protest should be a wakeup call to the concerned authorities to address the aforementioned problems for the betterment of Nigerians.
Curiously, the same government that would not allow harmless protesters a breathing space has no issues with negotiating with bloodthirsty terrorists that have brought sorrow, tears and blood to many homes, justifying their action with the argument that it is a global practice.
Without any whiff of doubt, freedom of expression is under threat in Nigeria. And when a government justifies brazen disdain for court orders, it is not for any other reason but to kill dissenting voices.
Ladesope Ladelokun,
Ladesopeladelokun@gmail.com
and then