...Seeks immediate release of detained persons
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has slammed the Federal Government over its crackdown on citizens for criticising the policies of the government of the day.
It has therefore demanded the immediate release of all persons. currently under detention for offering dissenting opinions in different locations in the country.
Minority Caucus Leader, Rep Kingsley Chinda( PDP/Rivers) who issued the demand on behalf of the Caucus, expressed concern about the growing controversial clampdown on citizens for criticizing the government and those on the corridors of power.
Chinda said that it was equally disturbing that “agents of the state have been fingered in the brazen, callous, and ill-tempered harassment, and intimidation of citizens who on various medium express their respective disagreement, and apprehensions about some government policies” which they believe will further exacerbate the poverty situations of Nigerians.
“As a responsive and responsible group, we condemn in strong terms any, and every action by the government; through security, and law enforcement agencies geared towards creating fears, panic, and making people kowtow to submission.
“We wish to reiterate that democracy can only thrive where there is virile opposition, and dissenting voices, as well as enabling alternative opinions
to express their differing views without fear or let,” he said.
The Caucus recalled that, before 2015 when the All Progressives Congress (APC) came to power, the party was very brazen, sharp-shooting, and sometimes not courteous in its vilification and pillorying of the then government in power.
” It is surprising that a party that went roughshod in attacking, and castigating the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), now abhors, rejects, and hates criticism with much derision.
“As a Caucus, while we counsel that every criticism should be civil, and align with accepted regulations, we enjoin the government to eschew every action of citizenry intimidation, coercion, and prosecution which may have negative effects on democracy.
” We also encourage the government to evolve result-yielding, and life-changing policies, and initiatives that will impact positively on Nigerians as an ingenious strategy to “defeat” its critics.
“While the Caucus calls for the immediate release of anyone detained by state agencies for criticizing government policies, or under any guise, we also promise to resort to legislative actions against continuous abuse,” the caucus said.
