* President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
By Ibidapo Olowolayemo, Ibadan
Monday September 16, 2024
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A Chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has called on the Federal Government to stop the arrest and intimation of human rights activists, saying it should instead focus on the revamping of the country’s dwindling economy.
Ajadi was speaking about Sunday morning’s arrest of the Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections and foremost human rights activist, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on his return from a foreign trip.
He also cited last week’s arrest of the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, by the men of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Sowore was also one of the leaders of recent protests in the country tagged #EndBadGovernace.
There were reports that Sowore was arrested on Sunday morning at Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State.
Sowore said “I had just arrived in Nigeria from the USA at MMIA in Lagos; upon reaching Nigerian Immigration, my passport was seized, and they told me they had orders to detain me.
“This is not unexpected because I have always known that it is part of the broader clampdown by the fascist @officialAbat regime on dissent and their fear of the upcoming #FearlessInOctober revolt.
However, in a post via his official X handle hours later, Sowore disclosed that he had been released by the Nigerian Immigration Service and his passport had been released to him after it was earlier confiscated.
He wrote, “I have just been released by the Nigerian Immigration after a brief detention and my passport released back to me.”
Speaking through a statement issued on Sunday, Ajad, who had earlier counseled against Sowore’s arrest,t said the issue bothering Nigerians is the bad economy that is making Nigerians live miserable lives.
According to him, “I want to implore the Federal Government to stop the arrest and intimation of human rights activists and face the herculean task before it, which is bettering the lives of Nigerians through the urgent improvement of the economy.
“The brief arrest of Sowore and last week’s arrest and seizure of the international passport of the NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, will portray the Bola Tinubu’s administration in a bad light.
“Ajaero was arrested on Monday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on his way to the United Kingdom for an official assignment. The NLC president was billed to attend the Trade Union Congress conference in London.
“The Department of State Services later granted administrative bail to Ajaero, but he missed the London event, and up till now, his passport has yet to be released to him.
“I will implore the government that as a democratic government, it should focus more on how to improve the lives of Nigerians. I think what should bother the government is the conditions of Nigerians presently, which are far from the best.
“Nigerians are currently experiencing the worst form of life now. The deregulation of petroleum products prices by the government has led to people buying the products at different prices from the marketers. As of today, many Nigerians are buying petrol between N1000 and N1200. This is absurd. A few months back, the price was N695. How will Nigerians cope with these high prices?
“The country’s economy is in comatose with the cost of foodstuffs going to the roof. Rice is unaffordable. The gari, elubo, and even pepper that are believed to be common are also in high prices. The new minimum salary agreed to by the government has not yet been implemented by the government, making average workers unable to go to their offices.
“As it is now, the country is parading two different sets of One thousand Naira, Five hundred Naira, and Two Hundred Naira Notes, giving room for the production of fake Naira Notes. To worsen the situation, the current exchange of the Naira has made the country’s currency worthless in comparison to Dollars, Pound Sterling, and even the neighboring countries’ currencies.
“I am very sad that Nigeria’s currency can no longer compare favorably with Ghana Cedis and West Africa Coast CFAs. That is the reality we are in now. Anybody still calling Nigeria the giant of Africa is economical with the truth. One Ghanaian Cedi now exchanged for almost N106, CFAs too has dumped naira behind.”
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