For the purpose of ensuring total compliance
and strict adherence to Fundamental Objectives & Directive
Principles of the State Policy, contained in the Chapter Two (Sections
13-24) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended; Section
22 of the same Constitution morally charged “the
press; radio, television and other agencies of the mass media to at all times
be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and
uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people”. Section
13 of the same Constitution superbly provides that “it
shall be the duty and responsibility of all organs of Government, and of all
authorities and persons, exercising legislative, executive or judicial powers,
to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of this Chapter of this
Constitution”. The Fundamental Objectives & Directive
Principles of the State Policy is Nigeria’s version of the Social
Contract between the people (ethnic nationalities) of Nigeria and the
public office holders (elected and appointed); totaling 17,500. The Constitutional
Oaths of Office & Allegiance for public office holders in the
country is fundamentally laid on Fundamental Objectives & Directive
Principles of the State Policy.
However, and sadly
too, the reverse is not only the case, but also the press; radio,
television and newspaper industry in Nigeria has long
lost its independence and public ownership; making it one of the most gagged
and corrupted media industries in the world, with an exception being the online
media; which, too, is battling for its independence and freedom from political
corruption and censorship, particularly under the present Buhari
administration. It is also our grounded observation that the sacred foundations
of not only the press, but also judiciary, rule of law, human rights,
political pluralism, non Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba ethnic
nationalities, rights based CSOs and leading professional bodies like NBA, NLC,
NUT and NANS; are steadily under intense threats. Of these, Southwest based
CSOs and press (electronic and newspapers); are already cocooned and bottled
up. Those in a verge of being cocooned and bottled up are the judiciary, rule
of law, political pluralism and leading professional and occupational
associations. These bodies have in the past become formidable agents of
democracy and democratic constitutionalism in Nigeria; reaching their
peak when military was chased out of power and returned to barracks.
Therefore, we, the Southeast based
Coalition of Human Rights Organizations (SBCHROs); coordinated by Intersociety,
have watched with deepest dismay concerning the unfolding sad and sore
events in Nigeria particularly the riotous elevation and deployment of falsehood
and propaganda as the official policy of the Government of Muhammadu
Buhari. The elevation of the assets and liabilities of the propaganda machinery
of the current federally ruling party to the level of the Federal
Ministry of Information & Culture in Nigeria is one of the greatest
policy blunders of our time.
Apart from the ignoble roles of Abacha’s
Wada Nas and Uche Chukwumerije; leading to institutionalization of State
terrorism during his maximum khaki era; consequences of institutionalizing
falsehood and propaganda as a State policy have remained
generationally catastrophic and unforgiving in a country like Rwanda where the
propaganda machinery of the Hutu’s main political activists later became
widespread and elevated as the official policy of Government of Gen Juvenal
Habyarimana; including the establishment of a hate radio station called Radio
RTLM, through which official lies, propagandas and other messages of
bigotry and hatred were spread and institutionalized. The Tutsi population was
during the inglorious epoch labeled “inyenzi” (cockroach) and
murdered in their hundreds of thousands within three months of the country’s
genocide (April to July 1994) (credit: Carol Ajie & Co and Intersociety).
We therefore note sadly that institutionalized
falsehood and propaganda is on rampage in Nigeria. Appointing an arch
propagandist and; some say, “professor” of falsehood; as a chief
information officer in Nigeria is a serious threat to the country’s democratic
and rule of law foundation. Falsehood and propaganda are major triggers
of violence and warfare in both past and modern times. Totality of the two is
also called “cyber terrorism or information warfare” in modern
time. It is a settled fact in the field of criminology &
security studies that information mismanaged or distorted is propaganda;
and facts distorted or corrupted is falsehood (credit: Emeka
Umeagbalasi).
It is therefore
correct to hold that the Federal Government of Nigeria through its
Minister of Information & Culture is solely responsible for the renewed
killings and recent death and wounding of over 200 Nigerian citizens within
three days of 25th to 28th December 2015. While over 80
innocent citizens were murdered in one day in Adamawa and Borno States in
Northeast by Boko Haram terror group, at the verbal instigation of the Minister
of Information & Culture; over 13 others were killed in another village of
Borno State on the Xmas Eve. Scores of citizens were also critically wounded in
the multiple bomb and gunshot attacks. The Minister’s infantile and inflammable
comments have further been worsened by more propagandist public comments such
as “Boko Haram attacks prove that we have won the war”. The
Minister has continued to probate and reprobate on the issue till date.
On the other hand,
the new twist (media propaganda and falsehood) in the persecution of Citizens
Nnamdi Kanu and Ibrahim El-Zakzaky is a further attestation of elevation
of falsehood and propaganda as official policy of the Government of Muhammadu
Buhari in Nigeria. While the likes of the Nation Newspaper, Sahara
Reporters and TV Continental have turned blind eyes to unprovoked,
unwarranted, unjust and unconstitutional killing of 25 innocent citizens and
wounding of scores of others by soldiers and police in Onitsha over peaceful
pro Biafran protests that took place on 2nd and 17th
December 2015, as well as flouting with reckless abandon of four consequential
orders of the Wuse Zone 2 Magistrate Court and the Court Six of the Abuja
Division of the Federal High Court; the named media outfits with their
political owners and associates are riotously on news loose over Citizen Nnamdi
Kanu. Their latest propagandist headlines are: “how Nnamdi Kanu was
arrested by DSS in hotel hibernating with a young lady and how he wanted to
escape or slip off the hands of the DSS”; “unmasking the real identity of
Nnamdi Kanu”; and “Kanu apologizes to Buhari, etc for calling him a terrorist”.
Hired and conformist columnists have also
been recruited and directed to awash their newspaper columns with associated
falsehoods and propagandas so as to divert the public attentions away from
poised persecution of the Pro Biafran self determination activist and shameless
disrespect to court pronouncements by the Presidency of Muhammadu Buhari. That
is to say that Citizen Nnamdi Kanu’s phantom prosecution for phantom offense of
treasonable felony has been moved from court room to the pages of
newspaper.
It is obvious that
the real motive behind this latest propaganda onslaught and falsehood against
Citizen Nnamdi Kanu by Federal Government of Muhammadu Buhari and the DSS;
using named conformist media; is to cause intervening factors or
circumstances that could lead to the death of Citizen Nnamdi Kanu’s heavily
pregnant wife and her unborn child. She is reported to be medically due
for delivery in coming weeks. The onslaught is also designed by the Federal
Government and its leprous media agents to cause break up of Citizen Kanu’s
marriage, leading to in-captivity divorce; otherwise what
has catching Citizen Nnamdi Kanu in a hotel hibernating with a young lady got
to do with phantom charge of treasonable felony and associated spurious
accusations slammed on him and ors? It is obvious that the Federal
Government and its leprous media outfits want to project Citizen Nnamdi Kanu in
a bad light as an “irresponsible married man who sleeps around with women
in hotels outside wedlock”.
We further ask: what
smartness is the DSS claiming when it unlawfully engaged in riotous breaking of
hotel rooms without search warrants; thereby infringing on the right to privacy
of the guests in the hotel? When has it become unlawful for any citizen to use
his middle names (i.e. Nwannekaenyi) or other affiliated names while lodging in
hotels? How truthful and commonsensical is it for the DSS to have caught
Citizen Nnamdi Kanu “hibernating with a young lady in a hotel room” (i.e.
making love)? When have hotels in Nigeria started planting hidden cameras in
hotel rooms through which the DSS saw or caught Citizen Kanu “hibernating with
a young lady in a hotel room”? Where are the video clips showing Citizen Nnamdi
Kanu “hibernating (making love) with a young lady in a hotel room”? Did the DSS
ascertain the social identity of the “young lady caught hibernating with
Citizen Nnamdi Kanu in a hotel room”? Is the young lady in question
not Ms. Maryam Ibezimakor (alias Ada Biafra); one of the ardent pro Biafran
activists? Is it now a crime in Nigeria for a hotel guest to be visited by his
or her opposite sex including his or her associates, relatives, partners and
friends?
Ordinarily, the
issues above are not worth responding to, but experiences of the recent past
have steadily taught us “the Lyndon Johnson’s way”, that it
is better to speak out and clear a doubt than to remain silent and be thought a
fool. We had severally raised alarms concerning the desperation of the
Buhari administration to use all know dark forces and forces of
evil to crush the Igbo Ethnic Nationality in Nigeria including
sending Citizen Nnamdi Kanu to jail by fire by force. In the perceived
reasoning of the ageing President, he will remain in power forever and
live on earth immortally. To him and his associates, power is not
transient and government tenure has no end. We are therefore not
surprised over the unfolding sore and sad events under discussion. Having been
deceived by Igbo political gangsters and traders that with billions of
naira from federal purse, if released; pro biafran protests will be buried; and
having been released, pocketed and failed to bury pro Biafran protests; all
dark forces and forces of evil have been mobilized by the Federal Government to
kill the message and the messengers and continue the age-long
structural violence and injustices against the Igbo race.
Instead of going
back to the drawing board to critically examine the age-long atrocities and
injustices against the Igbo Ethnic Nationality, for the purpose of addressing
them politically, geographically, geopolitically and economically; the Buhari
administration is bent on entrenching them and pursuing their grievances in the
hard and wrong way. Apart from its rapacious disobedience and disrespect to
judicial pronouncements, it is laughable and vexatious too, to observe further
mockery of judiciary and abuse of court process in the so called six
count charges concocted by DSS and the Federal Ministry of Justice
against Citizen Nnamdi Kanu and ors. The phantom charges include alleged
offenses which Citizen Nnamdi Kanu knows nothing about. For instance, the personal
(private) firearms said to have been recovered in the house of another
citizen and some communication gadgets alleged to have been imported and
managed by a different citizen are deliberately and mischievously lumped up to
rope in Citizen Nnamdi Kanu and convict him at all costs.
Also, how these
translate to commission of offense of treasonable felony leveled
against Citizen Nnamdi Kanu, is surprising and shocking. To the extent that
peaceful and non violent assertion of African Charter’s rights to self
determination, existence and development and Constitutional rights to peaceful
assembly, association and expression; now constitutes commission of offense of treasonable
felony, remains one of the wonders of 2015 in Nigeria.
Also in the charge sheet under reference, charges preferred against
Citizen Nnamdi Kanu at the Magistrate Court, such as criminal conspiracy
and managing and membership of unlawful society; which were
later discontinued and dismissed and struck out by the Magistrate Court; were
again brought back and included in the new charge sheet.
The personal
(private) firearms or un-prohibited firearms (i.e. pump action guns)
allegedly found in the house of another suspect in Ihiala; has nothing
whatsoever to do offense of treasonable felony. In the plain
language of Section 28 of the Firearms Act of 2004, when possessed by a citizen
without valid licenses including a license from the Inspector General of Police
or his top subordinates, the bearer on judicial conviction; goes to jail for a
term not exceeding five years imprisonment. In other words, it is lightly
bailable. All the charges lumped with the so called treasonable felony
against Citizen Nnamdi Kanu and ors are all bailable offenses, yet they
were so lumped to rot and possibly kill them in jail.
The same political
persecution being undergone by Citizen Nnamdi Kanu and hundreds of his
supporters clamped into jails without fair trial across the country is also
being visited against Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of the Nigeria’s Shiite
Muslim Movement. The Buhari administration not only massacred over 300 of his
followers and destroyed his Movement’s headquarters, but he was also battered,
arrested, detained for over two weeks before being charged for criminal
conspiracy and remanded in prison custody few days ago. In other words,
he was held unconstitutionally for 13 days or more before being charged over a
bailable offense requiring only 24 hours pretrial detention. Similar media
propaganda and falsehood unleashed on Citizen Kanu and his teeming followers
have also been unleashed on Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his teeming followers
by the Buhari administration and its hired media propagandists.
We call on all
lovers of democracy, rule of law, human rights and constitutionalism in Nigeria
and across the globe to take proactive notice of renewed efforts of some hired
and paid media practitioners recruited by the Federal Government of
Nigeria for the purpose of unleashing falsehood and propaganda against
Citizen Nnamdi Kanu and Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and millions of their
followers particularly by attempting to stain their impeccable personalities
and characters and demonize their constitutional and treaties’ rights to
existence, development and self determination; personal liberty, life, dignity
of human person, movement, thought, conscience and religion; as well as freedom
of expression, peaceful association and assembly.
We appeal to social
saints and change agents all over the world to step up their global
campaigns for the unconditional release of the duo of Citizens Nnamdi Kanu and
Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and hundreds of their detained followers. Such campaigns
must also include pressures on the Buhari administration to obey the judicial
pronouncements and desist from mocking and impugning the judiciary and rule of
law. The Federal Government of Buhari’s Presidency must also be compelled to
respect the fundamental human rights of all Nigerians and apply to the letter
the principles of rule of law and constitutionalism when dealing with citizens
accused of being in conflict with the law.
All Nigerians of
good will should henceforth ignore any media report of falsehood and propaganda
backgrounds sponsored by the Federal Government of Nigeria to divert public
attentions from its ignoble roles in the two recent catastrophic events. As the
Federal Government had failed twice in its desperate bids to politically and
vindictively nail and convict Citizen Nnamdi Kanu; it will fail again until it
stops chasing shadows and gambling with the collective destiny of the Igbo
People which no amount of illicitly spent billions can buy or upturn. We have
warned and are still warning that should anything causes or leads to the death
of Citizen Nnamdi Kanu in the hands of his captors (DSS and the Federal
Government), Nigeria will explode inflammably!
Signed:
For: Coalition of Southeast Based Human Rights
Organizations (CSBHROs):
1.
Emeka Umeagbalasi (+23474090052
For: International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
(Intersociety)
2. Comrade Aloysius Attah
(+2348035090548)
For: Anambra State Branch of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO)
3.
Comrade Peter Onyegiri
(+2347036892777)
For: Center for Human Rights & Peace Advocacy (CHRPA)
4. Comrade Samuel Njoku (+2348039444628)
For: Human Rights Club (a project of LRRDC)(HRC)
5.
Justus Uche Ijeoma,
Esq.(+2348037114869)
For:
Forum for Justice, Equity & Defense of Human Rights (FJEDHR)
6. Comrade Chike Umeh ( +2348064869601)
For: Society Advocacy Watch Project (SPAW)
7. Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq. (+2348034186332)
For: Anambra Human Rights Forum (AHRF)
8. Comrade Alex Olisa(+2348034090410)
For: Southeast Good Governance Forum (SGGF)
9. Jerry Chukwuokolo, PhD (+2348035372962)
For:
International Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights Initiative
(ITERSOLIDARITY)
10. Evlyn
Chinwe Eze, Esq. (+2347019646494)
For:
Street Law Africa (LawAfrica)
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