Abdullahi Olesin, Ilorin, Joshua Dada, Oshogbo, AZA MSUE and NONYE EKWENUGO, Kaduna
Leaders from the northern part of the country, including Senate President Ahmed Lawan, governors of the 19 northern states, top federal government officials and royal fathers under the northern traditional rulers council led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III yesterday called for the censorship of social media practice in the country.
The decision to get the federal government to censor the country’s social media space was taken at a crucial meeting of the northern leaders in Kaduna State.
The meeting also had in attendance the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari; minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu and other political leaders in the region.
A communiqué read by Plateau State governor and chairman Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), Simon Lalong, after a closed door meeting noted that the northern leaders took note of the devastating effect of the uncontrolled social media in spreading fake news.
They rejected and condemned what they described as the subversive actions of the #EndSARs protesters, noting that the superlative agitations and other change-regime actions outside the ballot box took advantage of the peaceful protests to push for their separative agenda.
The northern leaders endorsed the indivisibility and oneness of the nation, just as stressed the need to keep a strict watch on the Federal Capital Territory to guide against unwarranted and destructive protests to safeguard critical assets of the nation.
Reading the communiqué, Lalong said the meeting appreciated the roles of traditional rulers in containing the menace of #EndSARs protests in the north and collectively agreed that traditional rulers be given formal roles in the governance architecture of the country.
Lalong noted that the forum also commended religious leaders, including the Ulamas, JNI and CAN for their positive intervention in resolving the #EndSARs conflict, even as it further hailed the National Assembly and the presidency for being proactive in addressing the issues of #EndSARs protests across the country.
The communique reads:” In furtherance to its resolution to further engage with the critical stakeholders of the North, the Northern States Governors Forum held a meeting today Monday, 2nd of November, 2020 at the Council Chamber of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.
“After extensive deliberations the following resolutions were arrived at: (the forum) appreciates the roles of Traditional rulers in containing the menace of #Endsars protests in the north; collectively agreed that traditional rulers be given formal roles in the governance architecture of the Country.
“The meeting rejects and condemns the subversive acțions of the #Endsars protesters. The superlative agitations and other change-regime actions outside the ballot Box soon took advantage of the peaceful protests to push for their separative agenda. The meeting endorsed the indivisibility, indissolubility and oneness of the Nation.
“The meeting took note of the devastating effect of the uncontrolled social media in spreading fake news. Therefore, it calls for major control mechanism and censorship of the social media practice in Nigeria. Meeting raises attention on the need to keep strict watch on the Federal Capital Territory to guide against unwarranted and destructives protests to safeguard critical assets of the Nation.
“Meeting commends the national Assembly and the Presidency in being proactive in addressing the issues of Endsars protests across the country. Need to further push for amicable resolutions of ASUU strikes to enable students resume their studies.
“Meeting resolved that there is the need for regular meetings of this nature, calls for further engagement with other critical stakeholders such as Religious Leaders, Business community, youths leaders etc”.
Accordingly, Lalong said the meeting approved the setting up of two major engagement committees namely committee on roles of traditional rulers’s membership, with the Emir of Lafiya as chairman and two representatives from the National Assembly, one representative from each of the 3 zones and one from the Federal Executive Council.
The second committee is the committee on Youth and Civil Societies which has the Emir of Zazzau as chairman, one representative each from the Geo Political Zones, one youth each for the Geo political Zones, one representative of women / girls, one each from Muslim and Christian Clerics, persons living with disability, business community, and representative of the Inspector General of Police.
Lalong said the engagement committees are to commence work immediately.
The communiqué further while appreciating the role of religious leaders, such as the Ulamas, JNI and CAN for their positive interventions in resolving the Endsars conflicts, the meeting called “for collective effort in addressing the lingering challenges of the North e.g. Almajiri system, insecurity, illiteracy, poverty, etc”.
The meeting also commended the roles royal fathers in ensuring that the #Endsars protests did not escalate significantly in the North by adopting sentimental issues such as ethnicity and religion.
The leaders resolved to continuously engage royal fathers in addressing this challenge.
The communiqué noted: “Meeting noted and appreciated the far reaching efforts of Northern States Governors’ Forum in taking proactive measures to address the Endsars protest in the country and the North in particular.
“Equally Forum notes with satisfaction the actions taken by the Governors to revive the economic fortunes of the region particularly during the post Covid-19 period.
“Forum appreciates the roles of the National Assembly in engaging the youths and other critical stakeholders of the Nation in resolving the Endsars conflicts. The Forum appreciated Mr. President and his Cabinet for the quick intervention in meeting the demands of the #Endsars protesters and resolved to give him the maximum support as he reels out measures to address the lingering challenges of youth unemployment, banditry and Boko Haram insurgency in the country.
“The Forum also appreciates the roles of the youth for their response to the #Endsars, in curtailing the spread of hooliganism, thuggery and other separatist tendencies.
“Forum appreciates the major reforms going on in the Police Force and pledges to support Mr. President on this course. The Meeting resolves to support the Nigerian Police Force to serve the country better and calls for the strengthening of trust between the people and the Police.
“The Meeting expressed concern over the low level involvement of relevant of stakeholders in the implementation programmes of Government and calls on the relevant Agencies to review implementation strategies to make for maximum impact and benefits”.
Governor Lalong further said the forum condemned attacks on persons and properties of especially persons living in other parts of the country. Also condemned attacks and burning of places of worship in some parts of the country in the name of Endsars protests”.
Presidency Expresses Worry Over Fake News
Meanwhile, the presidency has again expressed concern over circulation of fake news and misleading information occasioned by the EndSARS protests aimed at causing social discontent and disunity in the country.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, stated this yesterday at a media parley with international journalists organized by presidential media team at the old Banquet Hall of the presidential villa.
Adesina condemned what he described as deliberate misinformation and incorrect reports by some international media outfits who reported the protests in some part of the country.
He explained that the meeting was part of the ongoing critical engagements with both local and international media aimed at ensuring better understanding of events in the country.
He said, “There have been different kinds of reportage, particularly from the international media, some informed; some not quite informed and some downright incorrect.
“We just felt it was necessary to invite these international journalists so that we can share perspectives with them and it can condition their reportage positively, because if they have background information I don’t think journalists will set out deliberately to skew reports.
“At times, their reports end up being skewed because they do not have enough information.
“So, that is why we held this meeting so that the necessary background information that they can condition their reportage.
“There should be no end to engagements. We should continue to engage – engage with local journalists and engage with international journalists.
“Engagement should be a continuous process because through engagements we can forge better understanding”.
Also speaking at the forum, the Attorney-general of the Federation (AGF) and minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, saluted the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) for the mature way it handled the #EndSARS protests despite the killing of its personnel in some parts of the country.
Malami assured that the federal government would continue to ensure institutional provisions to the NPF to enhance the quality of policing in the country.
He stated: “How does the reform of police now translate into manifestation associated with the #EndSARS incident.
“I think the answer is clear. For the first time in over 20 years, we do not have incidences associated with massive loss of lives by way of reactions of the police.
“And in effect, we eventually have in our hands an incident where 20 policemen were provocatively killed by purported protesters without counter reactions by way of counter provocative attacks on the part of the public.
“What further evidence do you need of a reform of the police force in a situation whereby in as nation our security outfit, security personnel and indeed our security infrastructure are being attacked with impunity to such an extent that over 200 police stations were set ablaze without provocative reactions on the part of the police.
“I think I have made my point that we do not only have a reformed police force arising from the legislative frameworks that are in place, but we have an established proof of reform both in terms of attitude, sentiment and associated reactions on the part of the police’’.
The media engagement also featured questions and answers session where Malami and the Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi, debunked the allegation that soldiers were ordered to shoot EndSARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate in October.
Malami disclosed that the federal government had directed that all cases of police brutality and maltreatments of innocent citizens by security personnel should be investigated and culprits should be brought to book.
On his part, Magashi revealed that the Lekki #EndSARS incident was being investigated by both the federal and Lagos State governments.
He, therefore, appealed to the media to always avoid speculative reports on the incident as the government was doing all it could to identify and prosecute all those behind the crisis.
The minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed, who highlighted the state of the nation’s economy, reiterated the commitment of the government to ensure full implementation of the 5-point demand of youths occasioned by the EndSARS protests.
She also expressed the readiness of the federal government to complement the efforts of those state governments that established a Compensation Fund meant to compensate families of victims of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) killings.
In his remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, expressed hope that the presidency would sustain the media engagements for the general good of the society
Lawyers Divided Over Massive Looting, Imposition Of Curfew
Meanwhile, about a week after hoodlums across the country broke into warehouses and looted COVID-19 palliatives, vandalizing public properties across the country, lawyers have expressed divergent views about the action.
While some of the legal practitioners applauded the actions of state governors in the country who quickly put certain security measures in place, including imposing of curfew, to halt the looting, others condemned the actions of the state governors, accusing them of hoarding palliatives meant to alleviate the suffering of the masses during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Osun State Administrator, General and Public Trustee, Barrister Biodun Badiora, said the governors have constitutional power to declare dust-to-dawn curfew without prior notice to the citizens.
Badiora, who spoke in Osogbo, said as Chief Security Officer of their state, in a state of threat to lives and property of the citizens, governors can declare curfew.
He however cautioned that such constitutional power should not be abused.
An Ilorin based lawyer, Barrister Omotayo Ishola, on his part said a governor has the power to declare a state of emergency, including imposing curfew in his state if there is a state of disorder.
He however added that the governor must seek the approval of the state House of Assembly before declaring a state of emergency and or curfew.
He said, “If there is a state of disorder in a state, the governor can declare a state of emergency which includes curfew in that state subject to the approval of the state House of Assembly.
“However, if the time large will not allow him to instantly inform and secure the approval of the state House of Assembly, the governor can summarily impose curfew and later send a bill to the house to seek approval for his action”.
A United States-based lawyer, Barrister Emmanuel Ogebe, disagreed with the submissions of Barristers Badiora and Ishola, saying the government should apologise for hoarding COVID-19 relief supplies for the public and punish those responsible for withholding them.
“Indeed, the government should release all detained peaceful protesters and alleged food looters,” he stated.
According to him, people who have looted country’s coffers for 60 years have no moral authority to harass citizens for liberating their COVID-9 entitlements.
Ogebe said, ”The crisis occurred when government storage facilities were found filled with Covid relief supplies that the government had falsely claimed had been distributed to citizens. This discovery led to “looting” as more of these hoarded foods were located across the country.
”These incidents were not attributable to political thugs per se but general population who were both hungry and angry at the government’s theft of foods donated for their relief by a wide variety of donors at home and abroad
”It’s not “looting” but “repossessing” or “reclaiming” or “recovering” your property. In law we have the Defence of “Bona fide claim of right.”
On his part, Abdullahi Busari, an Abuja based legal practitioner, blamed the state governors for the looting of warehouses where food items were kept.
He said while he was not justifying the looting that took place across the country last week, the state governor should also share in the blame.
”I think the government should apologise to the people for depriving them of what is due to them. I am not saying the state rate youths are justified for looting the warehouses where the palliatives were kept but I feel the government too should have done the right thing”, he said.
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