Kemisola Oye
CONSTITUTIONAL lawyer and human rights advocate, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) has called on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to review the neo-liberal policies that are promoting poverty and hardship in the land in order to make any form of unconstitutional change of government unattractive to the people of Nigeria.
He also said the legitimate protests against hardship in the land should not be turned into a campaign for an unconstitutional change of government, noting that waiving the flag of Russia was unconstitutional.
The senior lawyer disclosed that calling for a military coup or waiving the flag of Russia, a country that is noted for supporting an unconstitutional change of government in Africa, constitutes a gross abuse of the constitutional right to protest against the government of Nigeria.
Mr Falana urged those who are involved in the illegal campaign for another military rule to stop it forthwith. Otherwise, they may be accused of engaging in the offence of treasonable felony in contravention of Section 41 of the Criminal Code Act.
He said the fundamental right of every Nigerian citizen to protest for or against the government is guaranteed by sections 39 and 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and articles 9 and 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
The human rights activist also said he supported the constitutional right from all walks of life to exercise the right to protest.
According to him, “The right to protest is required to be exercised peacefully within the ambit of the law. Hence, Section 83(4) of the Police Establishment Act 2020 has imposed a duty on the Nigeria Police Force to provide adequate security for citizens who may wish to participate in public meetings, rallies and protests.
“In many parts of the country, the Police provided adequate security for the ##EndBadGovernance protesters, and in some cases, professionalism was glaringly on display. Having won the legal battle for the Nigerian people to exercise their constitutional right to protest against unpopular policies of the government, I have supported the constitutional right from all walks of life to exercise the right to protest.
“While we have supported the right of the #EndBadGovernance protesters, we have a patriotic duty to call on them to distance themselves from the undemocratic forces who have taken advantage of the peaceful protests to engage in violence or campaign for another military coup in the country.
“It has become necessary to point out that calling for a military coup or waiving the flag of Russia, a country that is noted for supporting unconstitutional change of government in Africa, constitutes a gross abuse of the constitutional right to protest against the government of Nigeria. The legitimate protests against hardship in the land should not be turned into a campaign for an unconstitutional change of government.
“Those who are involved in the illegal campaign for another military rule are advised to stop it forthwith. Otherwise, they may be accused of engaging in the offence of treasonable felony in contravention of section 41 of the Criminal Code Act.”
He, therefore, advised the Tinubu administration to review the neo-liberal policies that are promoting poverty and hardship and to make any form of unconstitutional change of government unattractive to the people of Nigeria.
He said, “For instance, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited should negotiate lower prices of petroleum products since the Federal Executive Council has directed that 445,000 barrels of crude oil be allocated daily and sold to the Dangote Refinery in the Naira.
“Government officials should also articulate policies in a more engaging way. The feedback from such civic engagements should also positively inform policies. That’s the popular democratic path for citizens to take as against the reprehensible invitation to the tragedy of military rule.”
Eighteen-Eleven Media