Anti-Poor Policies Of Governor Fashola Of Lagos State

Press Statement By Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) ] – In view of the above, it is the position of the CLO that developments without human faces and which overlook human rights are undesirable projects. In the same manner, Yoruba citizens are said to have been deported to their states of origin while Yoruba communities like Makoko, Badiya and Isefun etc have also been willfully evicted from their God-given residences without alternative options.  The war against okada riders, taxi drivers, traders and now keke riders in the state has only multiplied social crisis and hardship for the citizens instead of solving them as government had falsely made us to understand. Car, laptop and phone snatching has returned to town while kidnapping experiences which were never entertained here has begun to obtain. We no longer understand what security and social crises these anti-people policies are meant to resolve while, in the opposite, increased hunger, poverty, prostitution and frustration mount.


We have also decided to make this statement in order to dissociate the civil society community from the sponsored position of certain government apologists masquerading as civil society groups who rose to support the ungodly action of the government in the aftermath of the widespread national condemnation of the act. The group painted a picture that tend to absolve the government from this crime against humanity, our constitution and human rights.


CLO condemns this action in its entirety and urges the Lagos state House of Assembly to urgently intervene in the matter and call Governor Fashola to order. Also, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) have copious roles to play in ensuring that human rights and the law are not violated with impunity by governments and powerful persons in the society. Human rights and the law are abused because perpetrators are not brought to book. CLO enjoins the NHRC to begin to document incidences of human rights violations in Nigeria with a view to bringing the perpetrators before the International Criminal Court where they will not manipulate the process so that these impunities can abate and citizens’ rights and our law respected.


We insist that as one of the leading stakeholders in the struggle against authoritarian regimes, this is not the kind of government that we fought to install. Lastly, violation of human rights will continue until institutions and individuals entrusted with the responsibilities to check lawlessness and abuses live up to their duties and punish the offenders in line with the provisions of the law. Nobody is above the law and shall never be.


CLO enjoins all men and women of good conscience, civil society organizations, the Federal government and its agencies and the State House of Assembly and the leadership of ruling party in the state to condemn this crime and take urgent steps to redress this ugly trend. Apologies to the victims and adequate compensations by the Lagos state government can help reduce rising tensions and found peace.