When we talk of the degenerating level of the culture of impunity in the country a lot of media attention is fixated on the federal government, rather than in the states where some governors have turned themselves into demi-gods over their people.

A journey into the last six months of year 2019 would reveal no less than five states who have acted in violation of the law and in flagrant disobedience and disregard for fundamental human rights against their people. Some of the culpable states include; Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Gombe, Lagos and Zamfara amongst others.


Among the leading cases is that of a journalist, Agba Jalingo in Cross River State, who has been in custody for nearly four months. He was arrested by the police in Lagos on August 22, over alleged disturbance of public peace.

Jalingo’s only sin was his publication of an article in July, 2019 where he had demanded the whereabouts of the sum of N500m approved and released by the Cross River State Government for the floating of the Cross River Microfinance bank.

Authorities also charged Jalingo with two counts of terrorism, stemming from Jalingo’s alleged plans to work with Sowore, “cult members,” and a local prince to “commit acts of terrorism” to unseat Ayade, according to the charge sheet.

Also guilty of gross abuse of the rights of its citizen is Cross River’s neigbhour, Akwa Ibom, where a banker is currently languishing in detention for allegedly insulting the governor on his Facebook page.

The banker, Michael Itok, was arraigned before a magistrate court in Uyo, by the State Security Service, SSS. He was accused of writing numerous articles against the Akwa Ibom governor, Udom Emmanuel, and other officials of the state government.

Mr Itok, 21, is a marketer with Prudential Microfinance Bank, Uyo.

The charge against the bank marketer reads, “That you, Mr Michael Itok and another now at large, sometimes in October, 2019 at 1000 Units Housing Estate, Idu Uruan, Uruan Local Government Area, within the Uyo Magisterial District did constitute yourself into a nuisance by publishing damaging and annoying articles on your Facebook page with the aim of harassing, blackmailing and bringing to disrepute His Excellency Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel and other staff of the Akwa Ibom State Government House, and thereby commits and offence punishable under Section 6(1) (f) of the Akwa Ibom State Internal Security and Enforcement Law, 2009.”

Still on Akwa Ibom is the case of a female photojournalist, Mary Ekere who was remanded in prison for taking photos while the Akwa Ibom State Waste Management Agency officials were raiding Ibom Plaza in Uyo and seizing items belonging to the traders in the area.

Ekere, who is a reporter with the Post Newspaper, was allegedly stripped naked by thugs allegedly working for the agency while taking photos of the raid.

According to reports, Ekere was beaten and dragged into a waiting vehicle and taken to the agency’s office. She was later arraigned before the Sanitation Court and remanded in prison.

However she was released after perfecting her bail in the sum of N 10, 000. Another issue of government high-handiness and gender discrimination is that of a female judge in Gombe, Justice Beatrice Iliya, who lost the seat of the state chief judge allegedly because she was a female.


In a swift reaction, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Nigeria condemned the development, saying Iliya is a noble lady who is not due for retirement in three years.

“We therefore strongly object to the planned swearing in of a junior male judge as Chief Judge in her place for whatever reason,” FIDA had said.

Amidst the criticism, however, the Gombe state came out to deny any gender discrimination against Iliya revealing that the body National Judicial Council (NJC) had failed to recommend her for appointment as substantive Chief Judge.

Nigerians who spoke on the issue said government at all levels have a role to play in reversing the ugly trend.

According to the Country Director, Amnesty International, Osai Ojigho, Nigeria in recent times is recording and observing quite a level of abuses going on in the states. She called on the Cross River State government to prove that it is accountable to the people by releasing Agba Jalingo immediately and unconditionally.

Speaking on the plight of some Lagos residents who have lost their homes as a result of government’s action Ojigho however urged the new administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu to show respect for the rule of law and obey the order of the court that directed the settlement of the displaced inhabitants of the Otodogbame riverine communities in Lagos state.

“For three years now Amnesty International and other groups have been calling on the Lagos state government to resettle the people of Otodogbame, who were forcefully evicted in 2016 and 2017 despite court order asking the government not to carry out the forced eviction. Even after the eviction happened the high court gave a ground breaking decision calling on the state to resettle and to find means through which it can alleviate the suffering of the people who were evicted from those water front communities to give way for luxury houses.

He however urged Nigerians to hold the state governments accountable, stressing that most of the electoral offences and killings are mostly perpetrated at the state level. “As things stand now you cannot see any credible election holding in any of the states, and it cuts across all the political parties in the country. While stating that the same thing is obtained at the state houses of assembly, Suraj regretted that one cannot find any form of good governance in the states because most the state lawmakers are in the pocket of the state governors.

He said based on such setting, officials in the states get away with all manner of corruption and misuse public funds.

He said the level of impunity is so high that in one particular state “a family was arrested by the government of a state simply because the child sent an SMS to the governor requesting for the payment of the parent’s salary. In another instant students were rusticated or arrested on campus for criticizing the government and the governor of the state.

He called on the federal government to shift focus tO such states because according to him, the federal government has sole responsibility under the constitution and international agreements to promote and protect the fundamental rights of Nigerians. Suraj also advised the citizens to stand up for their rights and adopt the method of naming and shaming such state governments.
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/12/17/seven-nigerian-states-with-increasing-cases-of-rights-violation/

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Summary pls

helinues:
Summary pls

Lazy youth . I will try and highlight the important parts.

Vanhooijdonk:

Lazy youth . I will try and highlight the important parts.

Something you should have done before.. Who is more lazy between you and me now?

How can you talk about states when the number one citizen don't obey court orders