Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

Monday Ubani, former Second Vice- President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Wednesday said Japan cannot stop members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) from demonstrating against President Muhammadu Buhari because the constitution of Japan protects freedom of speech and expression.

He said protests against leaders who are attending foreign meetings and summits is a normal practice all over the world.

He however said the host country may not allow the protesters to have direct access to the President so as not to attack him which may lead to retaliation by the security forces on the protesters.

While urging President Buhari to address the grievances of the IPOB members, Ubani said while the President may not do that in Japan where he is currently participating in the 7th Tokyo International Conference, he can do that immediately he returns to Nigeria so that IPOB members who felt they have been treated badly can have a sense of belonging in the country.

“When people have agitations, it could be a group or certain persons against their leaders, they usually manifest such grievances by protests and sometimes they can even follow their leaders to wherever they go in the world to express their grievance. We saw it whenever all these international leaders gather for any event, those who are protesting on climate change always come to the venue to protest and express their grievances”.

“For example, US President Donald Trump has always had strong views against climate change and sometimes there are people who gather to protest against his views on climate change”.

“So, it is a normal practice all over the world”.

“I think IPOB members are saying there are certain things that the President has done back home against IPOB members and they are there in Japan to express those grievances. I have never seen leaders trying to engage those protesters on the international fora to discuss issues”.

“There is nothing wrong in President Buhari coming home to look at those complaints and address them. People protest because they want their grievances to be addressed. If what IPOB members are protesting for is worth considering, I will ask the president to look into those issues and address them. But stopping them from protesting is out of it”.

“Even Japan will not stop people from protesting against their leaders. They can’t do that because freedom of expression allows that especially in a country like Japan. But the IPOB members must not abuse, beat up leaders as they did to Ike Ekweremadu. We condemn that”.

“People can express their grievances against leadership, people can protest against misgovernance but physically manhandling leaders is not something we should encourage because it may lead to consequences that may be fatal.

“If the security operatives of the leaders begin to shoot, those protesters may be killed. If the protesters are also given unrestricted access, they can mob the leaders to death. So, we should always try to strike a balance in all these things” he posited.
https://www.independent.ng/why-japan-cant-stop-ipob-members-from-protesting-against-buhari-ubani/

STC

Forget, you think say them nor know scores of Nigerian leaders and politicians?

4th to comment very soon I will get there



Nothing can stop umu chineke from doing there peaceful protest...

God bless them

Stone Buhari in Japan and have many Pythons dance on your relatives in Eastern Nigeria

Not forgetting that it has been a while since restive Nothern Youths have killed Ibos on a large scale...and they are waiting for an excuse, no matter how lame, to butcher Ibos in Northern Nigeria....Remember they have not forgiven you guys for not voting Buhari

To whom head is given, sense is expected....

You may behave as you like in Diaspora and get away with it...but is all that misbehaviour worth the lives of your relatives in Nigeria?

Every action has a repercussion.....Ibos can wake their own fathers with a bicycle kick just like they did to Ekweremadu.that one is a problem they can settle among themselves in their Umunna village meeting...

But they should not be silly enough to export their their disrespect to Buhari...Northerners value their elders and can bring down hell for them

A word is enough for the ....

Very good news

I’m not an expert but after analyzing the post from beginning to the end, I cannot say anything because as I said earlier, I’m not an expert.

Freedom of speech

It's only in Nigeria that Freedom of speech is been restrained

Talk anyhow and you will end up behind bars

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Freedom of speech everywhere except Nigeria

Hmm if it was here now our government would have sanctioned them

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They thought Japan is Nigeria, where they shoot protesters.

Ordinary #RevolutionNow protest here, they want to kill Sowore in DSS custody

They can protest but they can't attack Buhari cos they would be killed home and away.

He shouldn't be diplomatic with these criminals. I don't know why Igbo leaders find it difficult to hit the nail on the head when dealing with these Ipob miscreants. Ekweremadu was beaten and he couldn't specifically mention Ipob.

This is the same nonsense that Ohaneze man too did. They are either cowed by Ipob or have sympathy for Igbos.

Nwanne, all Igbos don't follow the foolishness and stupidity of Kanu and his disciples. Look them in the eye and tell them the truth.

country where law stand

Operation attack them all

Well spoken Ubani,

I don't think IPOB want to phyiscally assault him. So someone should tell him to crawl out of the hole he has gone to hide and perform the function he went there for. Other African leaders are networking and making deal for short and long term benefit of their country, our own Buhari/Jibrin has been regalling us with photoshop picture of those he travelled to the summit with. If he wanted to see governors does he need to travel to Japan? Couldn't he have summoned them to Asshole Rock?

He should man up and do his job unless he's truly Jubrin trying to hide something.

Nigerians always unite to face others but Buhari or whoever has brazenly brought so much disunity via his utterances, body postures, policies, visitations and so on and so forth!!!

The bitter truth is that the IPOB does not deserve the proscription, the people that actually needs it, he ignored

Put yourselves in their shoes, how will you feel

Buhari should lean frm country pratising true democracy not this tyrany govt he is rurning here in 9ja

Protest is legal anywhere in developed countries.

Thats how you keep governments in check.

Unlike the Zoo.

Good Feedback

This Buhari administration is comedy.

Igbo are the only people that have the capacity to free themselves from the zoo. I urge other small tribes who want freedom to join forces with ipob for their liberation. The yuroba are complecent and the Hausa have been conquered. Nigeria can never work. By 2050 the population will hit 500m and people will be eating themselves to survive.

They would have been arrested if they tried that here in Nigeria. Just like sowore and others. I think the only way our voice can be heard now is protest in other countries. Chai. Democracy does not exist in my country. At least we found a better way to show our plight. Thank God. More to come.

Sellfish:
Stone Buhari in Japan and have many Pythons dance on your relatives in Eastern Nigeria

Not forgetting that it has been a while since restive Nothern Youths have killed Nyanmiri on a large scale...and they are waiting for an excuse...no matter how lame, to butcher Ibos in Northern Nigeria....Rmeember they have not forgiven you guys for voting Buhari

To whom head is given, sense is expected....

You may behave as you like in Diaspora and get away with it...but is all that misbehaviour worth the lives of your relatives in Nigeria?

You are sick in the head and shouldn’t have been born. A bad midwife should’ve stolen you at birth and sold you off for N100 to a babalawo apprentice.

They will not stop peaceful protests, but you can bet they will stop unruly criminal thuggish behavior

slam7000:


You are sick in the head and shouldn’t have been born. A bad midwife should’ve stolen you at birth and sold you off for N100 to a babalawo apprentice.

Stone Buhari in Japan and have your entire village frog-jump from Okigwe to Makurdi

You guys are not the only ones capable of being silly

Freedom of speech in Nigeria leads to arrest

NO FREEDOM of speech IN NIGERIA

NIGERIA is not a country,you get arrested when you protest