CSOs task FG, state govts to respect freedom of peaceful assembly

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria under the name WERISERS, have called on the Federal Government and other sub-national governments in the country to respect the right of citizens to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly (FOPA).

They said the right of citizens to FOPA is enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other legal instruments and international charters that the country is signatory to and recognizes.

The WERISERS group who spoke at a one-day interactive and strategy session held in Makurdi, Benue State capital lamented that civil space across the state was shrinking a development they said was detrimental to human rights.

Speaking at the event, the Project Director, Lazarus Mom said the WERISERS Project, birthed and funded by CIVICUS, is currently ongoing in 13 countries of the world where a gradual shrinking of the civil space has been identified especially in South America, the Middle East and North America (MENA) region and sub-Saharan Africa.

Mom said WERISERS advocates are mobilized to work towards expanding this space for the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly to thrive and be respected pointing out that threat to FOPA remains a big issue globally, not just in Nigeria.

The rights activist condemned strongly the sad situation where children were arrested and arraigned in court in Nigeria for participating in the End Hunger protest only for the cry of condemnation from CSOs and the media to cause the government to order for their unconditional release.

According to him, in 2023, out of over 200 countries of the world, only 16 had been officially confirmed to give room for ample freedom to protest without government interference.

Mom disclosed that rising from the Annual General Meeting of WERISERS, it was observed that even the meagre 16 had further reduced to 12 indicating a further and dangerous shrinking of the civil space.

He lamented that no Africa country featured in the first 100 of countries that have free civil space for FOPA to thrive with Nigeria currently ranked the 8th with the least allowance for civil space.

He noted that the 1948 Universal Declaration for Human Rights, the African Charter for Human and People’s Right and other instruments guarantee that as human being, you have a right to assemble and air your views, provided it is done peacefully.

Mom, who insisted that FOPA which is about the right to air your grievance or opinion is a function of democracy so people should be allowed to air their views, however urged protesters to exercise decorum and be orderly in their protests to ensure they do not degenerate into lawlessness and wanton destruction of lives and property.

A Senior Legal Officer with Lawyers Alert, Barr. Solumtochukwu Ozobulu who stressed the importance of the Freedom to Peaceful Assembly pointed out that incidents such as the famous Aba Women Riot of 1927 was proof that long before the various international declarations, charters and conventions that give legal backing to FOPA, protests have since been taking place in Nigeria.

She urged CSOs to step up advocacy against forces that tend to crackdown on voices of dissent which is a major hallmark and one of the necessary characteristics of a healthy democracy.

Unveiling the project, Communications Officer, Grace Tyowua explained that the WERISERS project tagged, “Empowering voices, strengthening the right to peaceful assembly in Nigeria” is a one-year project being implemented by two NGOs in Nigeria, Lawyers Alert Nigeria and Hope Behind Bars.

She said project aims at bringing CSOs together to sensitize the people by “engaging a critical mass that will work towards advocating for peaceful assembly”.

According to her, there is a right way to exercise the right to peaceful assembly so people need to be sensitized on the ideal way to go about it underscoring the need to properly educate some misguided persons who misconstrue protests to be tantamount to causing harm to others and destroying property.