By Sam Akanimo
Foremost human rights and pro-democracy organisation in Nigeria, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), has indicted governments at all levels for the current hardship ravaging the country.
CLO says policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration and those of the 36 state governors of the federation, are incapable of solving the problems of the Nigerian people.
The Bayelsa State wing of the rights group, rose from its general meeting in Yenagoa, the state capital, urging President Bola Tinubu and the governors, to give a human face to their programmed.
CLO’s Acting State Chairman,
Joshua Amangala, a lawyer, the State Secretary, Dr. Timi Igoli, in a communique say it is only programmes and policies with human face that will lift Nigerians out of the present excruciating economic condition.
The group is calling on governments at all levels to initiate policies and programmes that are home grown and have human face to lift Nigerians out of the current harsh economic condition.
This reporter gathered that the CLO meeting was richly attended by critical advocates and respected voices in the human rights community in Bayelsa.
Ebullient members of the state branch extensively deliberated on crucial human rights and socio- economic issues confronting Bayelsans and Nigerians.
At the end of the deliberations, the following resolutions were taken: CLO commends the Bayelsa State Government for its infrastructural development especially on road construction across the three senatorial districts and prompt payment of workers’ salaries.
CLO is alarmed at the spate of human rights violations and abuses and observed with dismay that the issue of extrajudicial killings in the state is resurfacing reminiscent of the ugly days of Operation Famou – Tamgbe which CLO resisted some years back.
“CLO will not sit back and watch but will resort to all possible legitimate actions with a view to ensure that justice is served in the interest of humanity”, says the communique.
The CLO wing is urging the state government to prioritise the improvement of; educational facilities, science oriented manpower development, health care services, pipe borne water and electrification of our communities to make the life of rural dwellers meaningful across the state in its second term mandate.
The rights group fervently supports and commends the the organised labour for the planned industrial action billed to start this Monday, June 3.
“Nigerian workers deserve a living wage and not a pitiable minimum wage, especially in the face of the galloping inflation resulting to the high cost of goods and services across the country.
“While we concede that the re-introduction of the old national anthem was part of the resolutions of the 2014 National Confab.
“We are of the firm view that the effective and religious implementation of all the resolutions in the 2014 confab report would go a long way in resolving the numerous socio – economic and constitutional challenges plaguing the Nigerian federation and not the replacement of the over four decades familiar national anthem with the collapsed colonial era imposed Nigerian national anthem.”
The Bayelss branch of CLO is bemoaning the worrying state of insecurity, worsening socio-economic conditions, collapse of cohesive social fabric and increase in ethnic tensions across the Nigerian state.
While urging governments at all levels to be more alive to their constitutional responsibilities, CLO strongly recommends that the time is ripe for the reconfiguration of the Nigerian federation and implementation of all the recommendations of the constitutional conferences.
The communique was also endorsed by the chairman of its drafting committee, Ebinyu Aderigha, a lawyer.
