The Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group has called on the Federal Government to investigate reported cases of human rights violations during the nationwide hunger protests that began on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
In a statement jointly issued by its Chief Executive Officer, High Chief Anthony George-Hill, and a member of the Nigeria Civic Space Protection Alliance, Stiv Obodoekwe, the group underscored the importance of democratic freedoms and the need to safeguard the civic space.
The statement was released following the group’s two-day civic space protection training held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The group stressed that the government has a duty to uphold and protect the rights of its citizens, particularly in times of civil unrest.
“The government must promote and protect the human rights of citizens at all times. Therefore, the government should create an enabling environment for citizens to breathe and exercise their rights,” the statement read. The group emphasized the critical role of human rights and civic space in maintaining a healthy democracy and urged the government to make the protection of these rights a priority in its policies and actions.
The statement further called for immediate action to ensure democratic freedom, safeguard civic space, and uphold the rule of law. The group urged authorities to allow citizens to freely express themselves and demanded that any incidents of rights violations or suppression of civic space be thoroughly investigated. State actors found guilty of such violations should be held accountable, the group insisted.
However, the group also cautioned against any calls for regime change through military intervention, reiterating that democracy remains the best option for governance. “Nigeria should be a democratic model in Africa, irrespective of its ups and downs,” the statement concluded.
