2 December 2008
interview
Lagos — Chief Okeosisi Eburu is the chairman, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Ebonyi State chapter. In this interview with PATIENCE AKPURU, he speaks on the challenges facing human rights activities in Nigeria, the spate of kidnapping in the South East and President Yar'Adua's performance.
AS a human rights activist, what do you say to the Federal Government recent treatment meted out to Mallam Nuhu Ribadu?
On the issue of Ribadu, it is said that it is the fruit one sow that he reaps. Following the events of Ribadu and his co-horts, you will see that he deserves what he is getting now. He who contradicts the law, will fall into the law.
But, some people are of the view that given the position of the president on rule of law that such things are not expected of him? What is your view on that?
They are deceiving themselves. Let us tell ourselves the truth. It is said that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Ribadu has messed this nation up in the issue of economic power and control. He messed it up. He led Nigeria to an unknown ground. Whatever he is receiving now is what he really deserves.
But some people believe that he at least raised national consciousness on corruption.
Has corruption really reduced? Has he probed Obasanjo, his mentor? Has he even arrested Same Egwu, who built a hope-high school in Ebonyi and did not give any accountability of his stewardship to the people in Ebonyi State? And today, he is among the number one on the list of ministers. What has he done? Because Sam Egwu is the highest donor. He gives to cover his irregularities so, Ribadu has not done well.
You are in charge of the Civil Liberties Organistaions (CLO) in Ebonyi state. There is so many cases of kidnapping in the South East. How does the organization feel about such trend? And what do you think is responsible for it?
Well, this is an issue that resulted from the one-party system that we have in this country. The PDP and their administration have bundled this country to an unknown destination. The kidnapping issue is all about one -party system. It is the result of the mentality that the winner takes all. The opposition and the other oppressed party are the victims of failed democracy. The other people who we call aggressive mob or politicians because they could not win them, they also refuse to join them in their irregularities. Because they cannot get what they want, they have to come in through another means. I know of a commissioner whose wife was kidnapped in Abakaliki. The kidnappers later asked for a huge sum of money for the ransom, and it was the same political party opponent.
So, what is happening in the east is a case of 'you undoing who' 'I am in government, and you are not in government.' So that person in government assumes taking all credibility and power in the place. That is what is causing the problem in the South-East. Kidnapping in the east is becoming uncontrollable because the security of this country are not doing their job.
Are you saying that it is a fallout of the 2007 elections?
Yes, it is its fallout, because between 2005 and 2006, the rate of kidnapping was not that much. But after the election, and the real people who are supposed to serve were not given the opportunity. The culprits of this kidnapping are not supposed to be so. They are supposed to be protectors of the people that they are serving. So, after the 2007 election, everything changed.
So, what do you think is the way out of such menace?
The security agencies need to be alive to their responsibility to protect the lives of Nigerians. At the CLO, we believe that if the security of this country is harnessed through the appropriate channels, the kidnapping problem will gradually reduce. But I tell you, that even the security officers are part of the perpetrators of the crime, because they know the criminals, but do not want to call them to book. When you use someone as an example, the others will go back. They are not serving the government, rather they are serving money. Ritualists and kidnappers are the same thing. The security men are compounding the matters.
You did mention one-party system being the cause of the kidnapping cases. What party system do you think is suitable for Nigeria?
I will tell you that three-party system is not even suitable in Nigeria. But we have been forced not to cough in one-party system.
But we currently have a multi-party system?
The multi-party is just in name, it is not in practice. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the only party in Nigeria. The others are just there in name. The so-called PDP co-horts have denied the citizens of this country their freedom of association. The majority of the parties are not in existence, we only know about their names.
How will you rate the performance of the Federal Government?
He seven-point agenda of the present government is a failure, because they are not executing anyone. Security in the law is called social protection, but we are lacking this. That is to say that the present government is a failure. Until we have a change there can be no meaningful progress.
How will you score President Yar'Adua with regards to his promise to uphold the rule of law?
The rule of law is the social protection. I keep on hinting it, we are lacking it. We are not moving freely, are you?
But the social protection you are talking about can be ensured by the legal system or following the rule of law.
That is if the people in government will allow us to uphold the rule of law. But they stay in their house and decide what should go into our law books. They stay there and take decisions. It is better we start praying for a saviour for this country.
As a human rights activist, are you satisfied with the operations of human rights organizations in Nigeria?
Well, if other organizations are like the CLO, there will be no irregularity in our operations. Other activists should come and imitate the spirit of the CLO. We fought the military dictatorship out of Nigeria. We were openly brutalized in the days of Gen. Sani Abacha, but we kept up our struggle that they must go. The same way, we are still saying that this administration is bad.
What are the challenges facing human rights organizations in Nigeria?
Nigeria has been violating a lot of human rights tenets. Nigeria is the worst country in the violation of human rights. Nigeria is violating the rule of law, because we are not upholding what is contained in the law such as the chartered declaration of equity- freedom of speech, movement, religion etc. You know that God gave us this life freely and we expect everything to be free. But in Nigeria, the reverse is the case. So, we are saying that Nigeria is violating the rights of individuals in this country.
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