ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The House of Representatives Minority Caucus has slammed the Federal Government over crackdown on citizens criticisms and demanded for the immediate release of detained persons.
This was contained in a statement dated December 22, 2024 and signed by the Minority Caucus Leader, Rep Kingsley Chinda, stating that:
“The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives is very concerned about the growing controversial clampdown of citizens criticizing government.
“It is equally disturbing that agents of state are fingered in the brazen, callous, and ill-tempered harassment, and intimidation of citizens who on various medium express their respective disagreement, and apprehensions about some government policies which they believe will further exacerbate the near-zero situations of Nigerians.
“As a responsive and responsible group, we condemn in strong terms any, and every actions by the government; through security, and law enforcement agencies geared towards creating fears, panic, and make people to cow-tow to submission.
The Caucus further explained that: “We wish to reiterate that democracy can only thrive where there is virile opposition, and dissenting voices, as well as enabling alternative opinions
to express their differing views without fear or let.
“The Caucus recalls that, before 2015 when the All Progressives Congress (APC) came to power, the party was very brazen, sharp-shooting, and sometimes not courteous in it’s vilification, and pillorying of the government in power.
” It is surprising that a party that went roughshod in attacking, and castigating the PDP, now abhors, rejects, and hates criticism with much derision.
“As a Caucus, while we counsel that every criticism should be civil, and align with accepted regulations, we enjoin government to eschew every action of citizenry intimidation, coercion, and prosecution which may have negative effects on democracy.
” We also encourage the government to evolve results-yielding, and life-changing policies, and initiatives that will impact positively on Nigerians as an ingenious strategy to “defeat” its critics.
“While the Caucus calls for immediate release of anyone detained by state agencies for criticizing government policies, or under any guise, we also promise to resort to legislative actions against continuous abuse.
