ABUJA, NIGERIA – A coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria have sent an Open Letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu urging immediate end to importation of refined petroleum products, establishment of non-partisan framework for civic engagement and policy dialogue.
They also called for a halt to irresponsible borrowing practices, the need to ensure equitable and reliable power supply, and the implementation of comprehensive social protection policies and programs to cater for poor Nigerians.
The letter jointly signed by the organizations’ leaders, including the Executive Directors of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor, YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, Founder WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiode, CenterLSD; Monday Osasah, CISLAC; Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC); Rev Fr. John Patrick Ngoyi, Policy Alert; Tijan Bolton Akpan, SERDC; Tijani Abdulkareem, as well as the Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Mamedu, and Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice, Barrister Eze Onyekpere.
In the letter, the CSOs Leaders who condemned the action of criminals who have been duly tried and found guilty for looting and destruction of private and public properties and sabotaging recent organized nationwide protests, called for immediate and unconditional release of over 1000 peaceful protesters still being detained by security agencies across the country.
They noted that the right to peaceful protest and assembly is a fundamental democratic principle enshrined in international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Other rights documents cited were the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), reminding President Tinubu of his past involvement in protests under previous administrations, which underscores the importance of respecting citizens’ rights to express their grievances.
The CSOs Leaders Letter entitled “Demanding the right to peaceful protest and assembly in Nigeria” reads in part: “Your Excellency, Nigeria is at a critical juncture. Since your assumption of office, several of your policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira, have led to significant economic hardship for the average Nigerian. Prices of essential commodities have surged, and the exchange rate has deteriorated, exacerbating the challenges faced by millions of citizens. Coupled with the ongoing insecurity in many parts of the country, the situation has become increasingly untenable for the people.
In the light of the above the CSOs urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to initiate the process to unconditionally release all individuals detained for participating in peaceful protests, pointing that the citizens should not be criminalized for exercising their democratic rights and opined that law enforcement agencies should respect human rights norms as they enforce the use of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act.
They also called on the President to “Establish a credible and non-partisan framework for civic engagement and policy dialogue at the Presidency to address the root causes of the protests by implementing short, medium, and long-term strategies to alleviate the economic hardships faced by Nigerians. This includes, but is not limited to:
“Ending the importation of refined petroleum products by fully operationalizing existing government and private refineries. This will not only reduce the cost of fuel but also stabilize the prices of other essential goods.
“Ensuring utmost transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector, particularly with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). We urge that NNPCL’s dealings be open to public monitoring, with regular publication of updated and detailed information on financial transactions and contracts. This is especially vital following the subsidy removal, which has impacted all Nigerians.
“Halting irresponsible borrowing practices and providing transparency and accountability for the use of borrowed funds.
“Implementing comprehensive social protection policies and programmes to address the high rate of poverty in the country, and;
“Ensuring equitable and reliable power supply across all regions, eliminating the current discriminatory power distribution system.
The Leaders noted that as Nigeria stands at a crossroads, the actions President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration takes in the coming days will significantly influence the direction Nigeria will take and expressed optimism that with decisive and compassionate leadership, President Tinubu can restore public confidence and steer Nigeria toward a path of prosperity and justice for all its citizens.
Below is full text of the letter:
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU
August 29, 2024
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU
August 29, 2024
His Excellency
Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR
President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Aso Rock Villa
Abuja
Dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
DEMANDING THE RIGHT TO PEACEFUL PROTEST AND ASSEMBLY IN NIGERIA
We extend our warm regards to you and hope that this letter finds you in good health. As representatives of the undersigned Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) across Nigeria, we are writing to you with deep concern over recent developments in our beloved country, Nigeria.
Your Excellency, Nigeria is at a critical juncture. Since your assumption of office, several of your policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira, have led to significant economic hardship for the average Nigerian. Prices of essential commodities have surged, and the exchange rate has deteriorated, exacerbating the challenges faced by millions of citizens. Coupled with the ongoing insecurity in many parts of the country, the situation has become increasingly untenable for the people.
In response to these hardships, from August 1 to 10, 2024, Nigerians took to the streets to express their frustration and demand better governance. The peaceful protests were a call to action for your administration to address the suffering of the people and to take decisive steps to improve governance and economic conditions.
Although we do not condone the actions of criminals who have been duly tried and found guilty of looting citizens’ and government properties, and sabotaging the protest, we are deeply troubled by the government’s response to these peaceful demonstrations.
Reports indicate that several individuals have been detained nationwide, with some facing legal action for exercising their constitutional right to protest. Moreover, the excessive use of force by security agencies, resulting in the tragic deaths of several protesters, is alarming and unacceptable.
Even more concerning is the government’s characterization of the protests as an attempt at “regime change” or a “coup,” which has further escalated tensions. While we acknowledge the recent steps taken by your administration, such as the signing of the amended National Minimum Wage Act and the distribution of food aid, we believe these measures, though well-intentioned, were not sufficient to address the root causes of the unrest.
Your Excellency, the right to peaceful protest and assembly is a fundamental democratic principle enshrined in international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended). We remind you of your past involvement in protests under previous administrations, which underscores the importance of respecting citizens’ rights to express their grievances.
In light of this, we strongly urge you to:
Initiate the process to unconditionally release all individuals detained for participating in peaceful protests. These citizens should not be criminalized for exercising their democratic rights and law enforcement agencies should respect human rights norms as they enforce the use of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act.
Establish a credible and non-partisan framework for civic engagement and policy dialogue at the Presidency to address the root causes of the protests by implementing short, medium, and long-term strategies to alleviate the economic hardships faced by Nigerians. This includes, but is not limited to:
Ending the importation of refined petroleum products by fully operationalizing existing government and private refineries. This will not only reduce the cost of fuel but also stabilize the prices of other essential goods.
Ensuring utmost transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector, particularly with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). We urge that NNPCL’s dealings be open to public monitoring, with regular publication of updated and detailed information on financial transactions and contracts. This is especially vital following the subsidy removal, which has impacted all Nigerians.
Halting irresponsible borrowing practices and providing transparency and accountability for the use of borrowed funds.
Implementing comprehensive social protection policies and programmes to address the high rate of poverty in the country.
Ensuring equitable and reliable power supply across all regions, eliminating the current discriminatory power distribution system.
Your Excellency, Nigeria stands at a crossroads. The actions your administration takes in the coming days will significantly influence the direction our country will take. We believe that with decisive and compassionate leadership, you can restore public confidence and steer Nigeria toward a path of prosperity and justice for all its citizens.
We look forward to your prompt action on these critical issues and we are available for any clarification on how to take our demands forward.
Regards,
Yours Sincerely,
David Ugolor, Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ)/On Behalf of the CSOs Representatives
Andrew Mamedu, Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria
Auwal Ibrahim Musa, (Rafsanjani) Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
Samson Itodo, Executive Director, YIAGA Africa
Abiola Akioyede, Founding Executive Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC)
Rev. FATHER John Patrick Ngoyi, Director, Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC)
Tijani Bolton, Executive Director, Policy Alert
Monday Osasah, Executive Director, Africa Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre-LSD)
Eze Onyekpere, Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ)
Tijani Abdulkareem, Executive Director, Socio Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC)
