The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, has said that democratic governance is nosediving, while the majority of Nigerians are getting poorer due to unprecedented hardships across the country.
The right group also alerted the nation about the worsening insecurity, high cost of living, and general frustration facing the people, which needed to be fully addressed from getting worse.
Speaking at a press parley in Lagos on Thursday, the Chairman of CDR, Debo Adeniran, lamented that despite huge budgetary allocations to various sectors of the economy at all levels of governance, Nigerians are still not enjoying democratic dividends.
Adeniran, who is also the Chairman of the Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, decried the impeachment of the former Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Dr. Mudashiru Obasa, by the House, saying that due process ought to have been followed before the action was taken by the House.
The parley, which dwelt on the state of the nation in its series of public policy analyses by the group, urged Nigerians to be steadfast in demanding their rights and accountability in the public sector in particular.
According to him, Nigerians continued to face economic hardships, insecurity, and environmental challenges, while corruption has permeated all sectors of the society, including the “executive, legislature, and judiciary, as well as the private sector.”
He said a report on the challenges facing the anti-graft agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, was disturbing and highlighted that a report by the ICPC covering the years 2022-2023, showed that corruption, especially in high places, did not abate, while its sister organization, EFCC, is currently facing the internal challenge of corruption and financial theft by some of its operatives.
He rued the increasing costs of healthcare, high electricity, and call tariffs by the telecommunications providers, transport, and other areas of the economy, adding that Nigerians are currently in a state of despair and deprivation.
Hunger is worsening, he said, adding: “High food prices, factory shutdown, traders’ losses” continue to be faced by Nigerians.
He said his group would snub the strike called by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, next Monday to protest against the tariffs’ increase, adding that the union has abdicated its responsibility to fight for Nigerians over increase in electricity tariffs, petrol price increase, and others.
Adeniran said what is demanded of the telecom providers is quality service rather than tariff increments.
He lauded the Federal Government of Nigeria for adding value to Nigerians in some specific sectors of the economy.
He said, “The Nigerian government has made commendable progress in the area of infrastructure, particularly with the completion of some road projects, rail lines, bridges, like Lagos- Ibadan, Lagos-Abeokuta expressways”, pointing out that these two critical infrastructure could stimulate the economy, just as he lamented that several roads are begging for reconstruction across the country to mitigate against rampant cases of accidents and deaths.
Adeniran, however, urged the government to take practical steps to address the worsening society.
He said the government “must take a holistic approach on security, expand social safety nets to alleviate economic hardship, prioritize healthcare, education, and employment, especially through increased budgetary provision; improve working conditions, career development and provide adequate incentives to workers to reduce the increasing rate at which Nigerians leave the country, otherwise called “JAPA’.
He counseled the government to “enact policy that addresses systemic corruption and inefficiency in all sectors to build trust/ confidence in the system.”
