Metro

#EndBadGovernance: Nigerians have right to peaceful protest, Presidency says

Published

3 months ago

July 30, 2024

Ahead of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests organised by aggrieved Nigerians over the hardship, high cost of living and hunger in the country, the Nigerian Presidency has said citizens have the constitutional right to peaceful protest and no one can deny them this.

The declaration by the presidency came just as many government officials, governors, political leaders, traditional and religious leaders have called on Nigerians to shelve the protests in the interest of the country.

While those against the mass protest fear it could be hijacked by hoodlums, the presidency, however, say citizens have the fundamental right to peaceful protest as a pillar of democratic governance.

Special Adviser to President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, who stated the Presidency’s position on the planned protest, said no one has the right to stop peaceful protest in the country, adding that it is the power of protest that brought the return of democracy to Nigeria.

“There is nobody within our administration that has the standing, the command, or the gravitas to tell Nigerians that they cannot peacefully protest and that they cannot peacefully protest in any part of the country,” Ngelale said in an interaction with journalists.

“We are not in office to dominate our people, we are in office to serve our people. And this is the position of the president.

“President Bola Tinubu has been very clear that the notion of peaceful protest is a central component of an effective function in democracy.

“Anyone who disagrees with the notion from inside the government, the notion that we are here to serve our people and not dominate them, they are lining up themselves against the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who will defend the right of Nigerians to peaceful protest in any part of the country. And we want to be very unequivocal about that,” Ngelale noted.

Related Topics:#Presidency EndBadGovernance Featured Hardship Hunger Protests

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Metro

33.1m Nigerians to face food crisis in 2025– Report

Published

11 hours ago

November 2, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A new report released on Friday by the Cadre Harmonisé (CH) for the month of October has predicted that as many as 33.1 million Nigerians in 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would face acute food and nutrition crisis between June and August 2025, an increase from the approximately 25 million people currently experiencing food crisis in the country.

The prediction which was contained in the CH Analysis Report released during a workshop in Abuja, was jointly conducted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and other partners.

The report also the states projected to be affected as Sokoto, Zamfara, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Taraba, Katsina, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Plateau, Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger, and Benue.

Others are Cross River, Enugu, Edo, Abia, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kwara, Ogun, Lagos, Rivers, and the FCT, which also includes 514,474 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

FAO Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Kouacou Koffy, who spoke at the presentation of the report, called for urgent attention and a unified approach to address food and nutrition security in the country.

“With the concerted efforts of the government, CH stakeholders, and the international community, we can move closer to alleviating hunger and reducing suffering for Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations.

“We are facing unprecedented challenges affecting livelihoods and food and nutrition security globally, regionally, and nationally,” he said.

Koffy lamented that Nigeria is experiencing a combination of shocks, including economic factors affecting the prices of staple crops and agricultural commodities, climate-related events such as floods and droughts, and insecurity.

He explained that the goal of CH workshops is to analyse available food security data and contributing factors to identify populations and areas at risk of food and nutrition insecurity in the country, with a view to proposing appropriate measures to prevent or mitigate ongoing food crises.

“CH analysis is the most reliable and widely accepted early warning tool for humanitarian programming, food security, and livelihood response targeting, as well as for prioritising development programmes.”

Also speaking at the workshop,
Temitope Fashedemi, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, pledged the government’s commitment to applying the findings of the report to guide food and nutrition security programmes across states, while Balama Dauda, CH Focal Person for the National Programme on Food Security, identified key drivers of the food crisis as high prices of foodstuffs and non-food items, flooding, and insecurity.

Metro

Detained Zambian journalist Zgambo released on K10,000 bail after two weeks

Published

1 day ago

November 1, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Prominent Zambian journalist, Thomas Zgambo, who was in detention for two weeks on allegations of criminal defamation against President Hakainde Hichilema, has been released on a K10,000 bail.

Zambia Monitor reports that the 52-year-old Zgambo was arraigned at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court on charges of libel and seditious practices, and was granted bail by Magistrate Chrispin Hampungani.

According to the newspaper, the charges alleged that Zgambo, alongside co-accused, Steve Zimba, engaged in seditious activities through a Facebook page, “Zambian Whistleblower – ZWIB.”

The two were accused of publishing posts targeting President Hakainde Hichilema, claiming conflicts of interest involving government-linked business dealings.

“Additionally, Zgambo faces libel charges under Section 191 of the Penal Code for alleged defamatory remarks posted on “Zambian Whistleblower” on May 5, 2022,” the report said.

The accusations also included claims that State House aide Lawrence Mwanayanda and United Capital Fertilizer Zambia executive Chance Kabaghe planned to single-source government fertilizer supplies for personal gain.

During the bail hearing, Zgambo’s lawyer, C. Nyimbili from Makebi Zulu Advocates, argued that his client posed no flight risk or threat to witnesses.

“The accused is of fixed abode and can secure sureties to ensure his court attendance,” Nyimbili stated, adding that Zgambo is a law-abiding citizen.

After he pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him, Magistrate Hampungani granted the bail request, ordering Zgambo to post K10,000 in recognizance, with two sureties to match the amount. The Magistrate also fixed November 29 for a plea hearing.