BEFORE THEY COME FOR YOU

Silence must be resisted in the face of abuse of force against citizens' rights particularly,  in the case of past public servants. What is wrong is wrong irrespective of who is wronged.
As an ordinary citizen of Nigeria, whose tenure as National Security Adviser (NSA), despite the monumental security challenges,  recorded a smooth process of political transition against all odds, Col. Sambo Dasuki deserved a better treatment from the present authorities. To lay siege on his house by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) is most undeserving to him, two days after he was removed from office by the President who had thanked him for his service to Nigeria while he served as NSA.
Courts have often warned security agents against the unprofessional practice of derogation of citizens' rights before fishing for evidence to justify such violation of the fundamental rights of liberty and privacy.
While we accept that the DSS by a valid search warrant is authorised to search the house of the former NSA under our criminal procedure, a search warrant does in any way confer grounds to put the former NSA under any form of arrest. In fact, the NSA had the right to leave the house while the search was being conducted. He also had the right to be present during the search or to appoint two persons as witnesses while the search was being conducted. To have subjected him to questioning and the restriction of his movement even when he wanted to observe sacred moslem prayers are clear violations of his fundamental rights.
The DSS had the right to invite the former NSA for questioning or even, out rightly sought an arrest warrant to remove him from his house or restrict him to his house. For the DSS to have carried out all that has been reported in the media, to have been done against the former NSA, just on the authority of a search warrant issued by a magistrate,  is highly unjustified and sets a very bad tone for a new administration that has a lot to prove wrong in the area of human rights.
As a citizens rights group, we do not have any connections with the former NSA who was one of the highest government officials of the last administration of former President Jonathan. However, it is easy to be tempted to stand aloof while a citizen's rights are being violated just because he was such a hi ghly placed government official who is either being shown to be paying for his past sins or well considered to be strong enough to fight for himself.
We at Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) are very familiar with how the norm of citizens' rights violations are established. It starts with a simple playing to the gallery, by violating the rights of prominent persons who would not likely get public sympathy. Emboldened by either the apathy or tacit approval of the public when such citizens' rights are violated, authorities become unbridled in wielding the power of the State in further violation of the rights of ordinary citizens. Thus, before it becomes a norm, we must speak against the incipient establishment of such a norm.
Therefore, CASER condemns as unlawful, if true, the questioning and house arrest of the former NSA in his house. This new administration of President Buhari must desist from jettisoning the level of refinement attained in our criminal justice system. Particularly,  the DSS which has in recent time in the preceding administration, been quite cautious on citizens' rights and had established an interface with the public which sought to represent it as an agency for the maintenance and preservation of Nigerian State.
CASER therefore, urges the NSA to take immediate steps in enforcing his fundamental rights as an ordinary citizens.
Frank Tietie
Executive Director,  Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights ( CASER )
Abuja

Tribalism or ethnicity remains a potent tool used by politicians by Abujah Iyemah Racheal if used please give credit.

By Abujah Racheal , News Agency of Nigeria(NAN)

 Nigeria is a heterogeneous society with hundreds of different ethnic groups. The first step for Nigerians to really succeed in the 21st century is to put an end to tribalism and unite.

There can’t be any form of significant progress, in a country if the people are suspicious of each other based on their stereotypes and historical resentment. There is no point being a tribalist in this era. Maybe there were historical reasons for xenophobia, but these days none of the problems in Nigeria exist because of one particular ethnic group.

The Nigerian political parties are made up of governors and presidents from all the main ethnic groups and only a handful have had benevolent intentions for the country. To understand why such a diverse group of people are part of one country, we have to look at the history.

 Nigeria as we know it is relatively new and it was the British who drew the borders of the country during their colonial rule in the early 20th century. During the creation of Nigeria, many different ethnic groups were joined together, each with their own culture, languages and beliefs.

 Since then Nigeria inter-ethnic relations have been turbulent to say the least, with civil war and power struggles between ethnic groups causing violence and frustration among the people. Stereotypes about different tribes persist and are handed down through generations. Youths have been warned by their relatives to not marry outside their ethnic group, youths have heard negative generalisations about the Yoruba, Igbo people and the Hausas.

Tribalism or ethnicity remains a potent tool used by politicians to sustain their continued stay in power even though they govern poorly and are arrogantly corrupt and mostly inept. We are all guilty of this as they have continued to place emphasis on power rotation and zoning...Therefore, they take turns in helping themselves with our national coffers.

 Nigerians remain blindfolded by their irrational commitment to ethno-religious sentiments even though their supposed representative hardly ever represent their interest or deliver on improving the quality of their lives.

The North remains the poorest part of the country even though they have had a larger share of political leadership since the inception of our existence as a nation. This is not only true in the North but also in other parts of the country. Let's not choose our leaders on the basis of their origin...but on their capacity to lead.

The tribalism and religious intolerance ravaging Nigeria are the evil orchestrations of the political class to hold on to power and divert the attention of the gullible, unreasonable and dis united masses away from their follies and foibles. Tribalism is more pronounced in Nigeria than any other African country. It is always difficult to make meaningful progress in a society that is characterized by ethnicity and sectionalism; chaos, unrest, insecurity, vandalism,... reign in such society. Tribalism has no place in modern societies. I am afraid that if we (Nigeria as a country) continue to crown ethnicity in her affairs, the story would not be interesting.

Nigerians now use tribalism to determine who they support politically instead of focusing on manifesto & delivery. Religion, tribalism, nepotism, etc are some of our major problems hindering our steady progress as a nation to greater heights.  If we‘re ready to purge ourselves of these vices the better for this country, the youths are the most unwise of them all because the leaders use divide and rule methods on them .There's nothing like one Nigeria rather than a tribe and religious affair our real enemy in Nigeria is the often the corrupt elite.

 There is an inexcusable divide between the wealthy and poor, with not much of a grey area in between. Our infrastructure is limping along, but should be in a much better state for a country with so much potential.

The services are all but non-existent, this isn’t the fault of your Igbo neighbour or those Hausas – it’s the fault of the people who feel that they can rob the country and get away with it.

Let me add by saying that tribalism should be treated as gravely as racism. But of course that would be naive to expect that just yet, in a country like Nigeria. Nigerians should stop spreading lies and venom about fellow countrymen based on their ethnicity. Nigerians need to remember that they are all human, with the same wants and needs.

It’s important because tribalism is the reason why Nigerians have the zoning system in place, which many would argue is ineffective at producing the best leaders for Nigeria.

Tribalism is at the very core of the country’s politics and it will be a hindrance as long as it is allowed to continue. It’s time for Nigeria to become a nation and have a shared Nigerian culture, Unity in Diversity can still be portrayed in our dear country.