From Jude Owuamanam, Managing Editor, Northern Operations
ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Human Rights campaigners, International Society For Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has said that it’s main aim of fighting for justice is for the institution of a just and egalitarian society where the citizens compete favourably and equitably.
The group said that it was for this reason they are opposed to the ‘no vote’ campaign in the Saturday governorship election in Anambra State.
In a statement made available to Sundiata Post on Thursday, Intersociety said it’s aim is to make government accountable to the people.
In the statement entitled “Understanding Intersociety’s Rights Campaign In Nigeria & Our Opposition To ‘No Election’ Or ‘Vote & Die’ Campaign In Anambra State”, the group said “Nigeria especially under the present central government of Retired Major-General Muhammadu Buhari is a notorious human rights violator. This explains why the same government hardly mentions human rights as one of its policy directions (if any) since its inception.”
The statement said, “Human rights campaigns around the world have no boundaries and are beyond municipal, regional and international legislative and executive policy restrictions. In other words, human rights campaigns are carried out in the entire 193 member-States of the UN, 46 trusteeship territories and territories of world’s 10 million Stateless persons.”
The statement, which was signed by the board chairman, Emeka Umeagbasi; Chinwe Umeche, Head, Democracy & Good Governance Programme and Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Programme, said, “Nigeria have over the years has been grossly misunderstood or taken for granted by the beneficiaries of such human rights campaigns, successive governments and other State actors. At the level of social organisations (i.e. pro Biafra agitators), defence of their human rights by the likes of Intersociety and SBCHROs has also grossly been misconstrued or taken for granted. Individual and group defenders of human rights are, in most cases, erroneously seen as ‘members’ or ‘branches’ or an extension of the victim-social groups. Both State actor violators and non-State actor victim-groups and individual victims are guilty of this.
It said violator-public office holders or government officials also see human
rights defenders as “bought over” or “sponsored by the opposition”.
“Defence of human rights goes hand in hand with democratic free speech;
yet in the recent words of Mr. Shehu Garba (Buhari’s media aide), “those criticising Buhari Administration are those wanting to be bribed to shut up”.
“Truly speaking, the defence of human rights through individual or group activism or advocacy has largely been corrupted, monetised and bastardised especially in present Nigeria. The central aim of human rights campaign has largely been lost. Natural or original defence of human rights and selfless and conscientious human rights defenders have eluded the present Nigeria.”
The statement said according to several scholars and researchers who studied the dark sides of human rights activism around the world, “human rights undertakers or profiteers of human misery have taken over and dominated the defense of human rights in modern world”. These, according to them are “professional advocates of civil, political, cultural, economic and environmental rights; who feed fat at individual and group levels, on human miseries or tragedies associated
with the gross violation of such rights”.
The group said “human rights undertakers and human rights merchants are the dark sides in matters of defence of human rights. This is because they hardly engage in defence of human rights or their campaigns without being funded or paid. Their advocacy attention or area is substantially depended on the interest of their funders.
“Two clear cases in point are the patterns and trends of rights CSO
activities in present Nigeria which have now shifted to government/its agency-CSO partnership or engagement; while the other is over concentration on ‘Election Day monitoring’ by rights CSOs and zero interest or involvement in pre-election advocacy (i.e. 2017 Anambra Governorship electioneering). The death and dearth of defence of core human rights values in Nigeria especially since the return to civil rule in 1999 are clearly rooted in ‘non profitability’ of defence of fundamental human rights in the country.”
The statement said, “Intersociety, was founded in 2008 as a grassroots based rights organisation for core purposes of rendering selfless and priceless services to humanity and empowering people in the knowledge and defence of their human rights with full realisation of the fact that where their rights end, those of others begin. This stance of ours is remarkably revisited not only to put the records straight, but also to make the direct and indirect beneficiaries of human rights advocacy to clearly understand who we are, what we do and why we do what we do for the betterment of humanity.
“Before our triumphant involvement into human rights aspect of non-violent pro Biafra struggle in late October 2015, Intersociety had been involved in several successful rights advocacy; such as a national survey on Police roadblock extortions and associated killings in Nigeria particularly in the Southeast, leading to dismantling of most of the roadblocks in January 2012.
“It is on record that our involvement in human rights aspect of pro Biafra campaign was totally voluntary and sympathetic, following government’s hash response or poor handling styles in connection with the agitation. Our aim of involvement was not only to expose those killings and maiming, but to seek to have them drastically reduced, if not totally stopped.
“As opposed to the intents of human rights undertakers or profiteers of
human misery, we do not want continued and wanton spilling of blood of innocent and unarmed citizens and other gross abuse of rights of citizens in connection with pro Biafra struggle in Nigeria. This is because it is morally damnable to suffer to bring a child into life and nurse-maid same for years only for the same innocent citizen to be shot and killed in a twinkle of an eye or tortured to death with impunity. This is more so when such a citizen is made a ‘dark side’ or ‘forgotten hero’ by his or her social group and its leadership which activities resulted in his or her untimely death.
“Rather than the Government of Nigeria learning or acting on the expert content of our defensive rights advocacy as it concerns its poor handling of pro Biafra agitation, the same government turned around and resorted to frivolities and wild goose chase. The IPOB itself got
carried away by our voluntary involvement in the human rights content
of its agitation to the extent that it now commands our leadership and treats same as its unit or branch.
“For instance, in its recent response to our coalition’s statement opposing its call and its associated threats for the boycott of Anambra Poll, the group warned and commanded us to desist from ‘Igbonising Biafra struggle’, among similar ‘instructions’ and ‘commandments’ issued against us in the immediate past. To them, singing the praises of any ill-conceived and unpopular action taken by the group is the only right way or correct thing to be done all times.
“Therefore, our opposition against ‘no election’ or ‘vote and die’ campaign and their campaigners in Anambra State remains irrevocable, sacrosanct and unchanged. Exercise of human rights has no room for extremism or recklessness. As a matter of fact, human rights of any citizen or group end where those of another begin.
“To threaten or force a population to boycott its all-important election for no just and empirical cause is a height of extremism. If it is human rights, then it is human rights exercised in extremism; which only rears its ugly head in a Banana Republic.
“Despite denying issuing a threat of violence against Anambra voting
population in its last statement, the same last statement of IPOB still contained another round of threats against ‘commercial vehicle drivers, okada and Keke riders, etc in Anambra State to stay off roads or be regarded as hostile enemies with consequences’.
“Let it be clearly stated that Intersociety has nothing against IPOB world-wide as a group. But we will not hesitate to take a different position on actions taken by the group which try to impinge on the collective human rights of others. As a stickler of pacifism or non-violence including non-threat of violence, Intersociety will always stand and support the adherents or exponents of pacifism and disassociate ourselves whenever reverse becomes the case.
“It is still on record that through the nonviolent activities of IPOB in the immediate past, the Federal Government of Nigeria had killed not less than 400 unarmed citizens who supported its activities and those who are not involved. Hundreds have been maimed and hundreds of others are presently languishing in various detention custodies with many having their cases stunted; likewise scores of others who have Pdisappeared or been tortured to death.
“Human rights organisations within and outside Nigeria are therefore more sympathetically interested in: who are those killed in connection with pro Biafra agitation using non-violence since August 2015 including those killed in September 2017? How many are they? Where are they from? How many of their corpses have been recovered and befittingly buried and how many have not been seen? Who killed them? How, where, when and why were they killed? Have their killers been fished out and punished? What are the socio-economic conditions of those they left behind?
“The rest are: How many pro Biafra activists are presently been detained? Who are they? Where are they from? How many of them are in prisons? How many are in the SSS, Police and Military custodies? What are their conditions under detention; tortured, sick or starved? How many of them have been missing since 2015, 2016 and 2017? What is the present status of court cases involving arrested and detained pro
Biafra activists; stunted or speedily ongoing? What are the socio-economic conditions of those they temporarily left behind?
“We thank immensely the people of Anambra State especially the voting
population for their robust support to Intersociety and Southeast Rights Coalition during our electioneering advocacy campaigns. We are by this public statement of ours drawing the curtain to a close as it concerns pre-election awareness or sensitisation campaigns of Intersociety and Southeast Human Rights Coalition (SBCHROs).
“Anambra voting population is again called upon to come out and vote
massively and ignore any threat or call not to vote in the all-important poll. A bird at hand, they say, is much better than millions of others in the bush. The IPOB’s call for sit at home on 30th May 2017 was very justifiable; but entirely different from its ongoing forceful call or threat on Anambra voting population not to vote or ‘vote and die’ on 18th November 2017. The rights of Anambra
people to choose their leaders democratically are inviolable and
sacred.”
