Buhari’s tolerance level: Learning the democratic culture

The nature of democratic rule is such that all shades of opinion are given free expressions subject to the law of libel. To make it even more secure, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provided that: “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”

It is in that light that we consider it unfortunate and even dangerous reports that men of the Department of State Security DSS prevented a former governor of Anambra state, Emeka Ezeife, and political economist, Pat Utomi, from speaking at a book launch in Awka recently purportedly acting on orders from the presidency.  According to Eziefie, he was invited to the event – a book launch on Ojukwu by some students in Awka – and on coming into the town, he started hearing that the DSS was discouraging the event.  According to him: “Those who talked to the young boys told them they do not like me and Pat Utomi playing a role in the launching. I called the Director of SSS and he told me that the directive was from Abuja, that it was a directive from above and that there was nothing he could do. He said that i should talk to the DSS in Abuja and I knew that they all travelled with the President. I tried to reach the operation officer and his phone would ring and would not answer. That is what is called humiliation in a very dehumanising way.”

Sadly, close to two weeks after this revelation was made, neither the DSS nor the Presidency has issued a statement to deny stopping the duo from the event. In that case, we will be justified to take the report as true.

Similarly in March, the former National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Victor Umeh, was arrested at his country home and whisked to Abuja in a dehumanising manner also purportedly over some innocuous comments he made on his campaign trail. He was released two days later with no charge pressed against him.

We consider this a very dangerous development. The Nigerian constitution clearly and unambiguously provided for and defended the right of every Nigerian to freedom of expression and association. That a Nigerian does not subscribe to the ideologies or policies of the government in power does not make him subject to harassment. The president must realise that this is a democratic regime and not a military regime like the one he led in 1984 that was very intolerant of oppositions and criticisms.

We think the government has its hand full already with many challenges begging for urgent attention than to spend precious time harassing innocent citizens for expressing views that the government finds uncomfortable. The economy has almost collapsed; growth has slowed down; unemployment and inflation are at an all time high and the prices of goods and services have skyrocketed while fuel queues are becoming a permanent feature of life in the country. In the area of security, Boko Haram has only been ‘technically’ defeated; terrorists and killers masquerading as herdsmen are on rampage all over the country and causing disquiet and Niger Delta militants have been blowing up oil installations and causing great economic havoc.  We believe these should occupy the attention of the government and not the innocuous comments of some individuals who feel rightly aggrieved that the government is not steering the country on the right path.
It is as if events of 1984 are gradually being re-enacted. We recall that in 1984, at the peak of the crushing and debilitating economic hardship caused by severe scarcity and endless queues for essential commodities like milk, sugar, rice, and bread, the criticism of the government became rifer. The Buhari military regime, in response, became more oppressive and intolerant of criticism. It also expanded the powers of the Nigerian Security Organisation (NSO) significantly to deal with Nigerians that criticised the regime. Sadly, we are in the same situation as 1984 and the response from the regime seems not to be different from that of 1984.

We call on the President to rather focus on his policy choices and listen to enlightened Nigerians who are suggesting ways to wriggle out of the current economic malaise rather than attempt to deny Nigerians their constitutional rights to express themselves.