CLO blames government on NASS fracas
Posted by admin | 9 years ago | 1,316 times
Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Nigeria’s foremost civil rights group has expressed shock at what it described as “the odious event of Thursday, November 20” at the National Assembly (NASS). The group was disappointed that members and staff of the assembly, notably members of the House of Representatives were prevented from entering the complex on the day in question to perform their official functions.
In a release signed by Ibuchukwu Ezike, Executive Director of the CLO, which was made available to Factnewsonline yesterday, the group gave reasons for its position. According to Ezike, CLO was particularly not happy that NASS members and their leaders, including, the Senate President, David Mark; and Speaker of the House of the Representatives; Aminu Tambuwal; the entire staff of the Assembly present on the day; and the Press were tear gassed by police men and other security operatives.
The CLO described the act as barbaric and blamed the government of President Goodluck Jonathan as being responsible. CLO therefore noted: “these barbaric and demeaning acts which have become the trade mark of this administration were last experienced by Nigerians during the dark days of military authoritarianism when human rights of the citizens were brazenly and wickedly violated.
“We make bold to say that these repressive, dehumanising and undemocratic practices were not what motivated Nigerians to rise up against the military in the 1990s and to demand for the return of our society to a democracy where citizens’ rights shall be respected, honoured and guarded from primitive interference by the state and its actors.”
It informed the executive arm of government led by Jonathan that the National Assembly was a significant and separate institution from the Executive and Judiciary, which must not be intimidated and that its running must not be interfered with. CLO went on to describe the National Assembly (Legislature) as an independent arm of government which distinguishes a democracy from other types of government. “The deploying of security agents to the National Assembly without their invitation by the NASS is unlawful, a huge threat to our democracy, and amounts to desecration of that institution” CLO declared.
It therefore viewed the government’s action at the NASS ground that day, through its law enforcers as not only a gross infringement on the rights of NASS members, their staff and the media, but also a sacrilege.
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