October 1: Nothing to celebrate, Nigerians are hungry, suffering says CDHR

As Nigeria celebrate sixty four years independence, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights,CDHR today said it does not think Nigeria has anything to celebrate this year. 

CDHR National President, Debo Adeniran made the assertion in his address to the nation at a press conference in Warri, Delta State. 

Adeniran who was represented by the Delta State Branch Chairman of CDHR, Comrade (Elder) Amrevuahwor Peter Edariese said,"Nigerians are neither happy nor free after 64 years of political independence from Colonial Britain. The Nigerian masses are poor and hungry.

"Since coming to power, the Tinubu administration has imposed unprecedented hardship on millions of Nigerians and pushed them into multi-dimensional poverty and monumental misery. 

"Many working families are at the point of starvation. Several people have lost their jobs. The middle class has been destroyed. The rate of suicide is increasing. Despite this, President Tinubu continues to drive forward these criminal anti-human policies as shown by the about 300% increase in petrol price in September compared to the situation in May 29,2023."

Adeniran urged the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's led federal government should look critically with urgent implementation the following recommendations. 

According to him,"Nigeria is unnecessarily encumbered by the weight of its top-heavy and unwieldy system of government it unburdened itself with. Our government consists of three tiers of federal, State and local. Each tier consists of three arms, executive, legislative and judiciary. The Federal legislature is bicameral with the Senate and House of Representatives. We would like to recommend that a unicameral legislature in the mould of House of Representatives is cheaper, easier to maintain and make government  business simpler and faster and should be adopted in Nigeria. At the end of the day, if Senate is now fashionable, they should name the National Assembly, Senate or simply make it National Assembly. Election of members should be based on the same criteria upon which House of Representative members were elected. 

"It is also our recommendation that the three tiers of government be reduced to two; the federal and local governments. There's no need for State government. State government are just discomforting interlopers, whose roles can be better played as local government. State governments are the veritable excuses why Local governments had not been functioning optimally. That is why State governments don't want autonomy for local governments. 

"We are aware that the constitution provides that at least one cabinet minister should be appointed from each of the component states, our recommendation is that Ministers and state commissioners should also be elected by their respective states or constituencies same way that the federal and state legislators are respectively elected. The President should only have opportunities of appointing personal assistants and not even special advisers. Ministers should play roles of advising the President on sectional issues. The President and ministers should only appoint few assistants whose emoluments would be borne by the government for himself and his ministers. Any public servant who wants more assistants should remunerated them from their personal resources. He should nonetheless put a limit to the number of Assistants employed for them. 

"Release all #ENDSARS and #EndBadGivernance protesters, journalists, whistle blowers and other victims of state repression unconditionally. 

"Reduce the cost of governance, place all political office holders on the minimum wage. Scrap security vote and constituency allowances. 

"Provide free and compulsory primary and secondary education for all Nigerian children. Reduce tertiary education school fees. Give Nigerian students grant and not loans. 

"Immediate prosecution and jailing of all corrupt politicians, judges, police, public servants and state officials. 

"Massive investment in public works, social infrastructure and industrialisation to create decent jobs for all. 

"Genuine electoral reform. For independent candidature, diaspora voting and a truly independent electoral body. 

"Say No to IMF neo-liberal policies. Reverse hike in fuel price and electricity tariff back to pre-May 29,2023 level. Make government-owned refineries work to guarantee affordable fuel products. 

"Reduce food prices and end hunger. Support farmers to ensure sustainable food production. 

"End insecurity, banditry, terrorism and violent crimes. Prosecute culprits and their sponsors. For a robust security architecture and adequate support for soldiers at the front and their families" amongst others.