By Francesca Hangeior.
ActionAid Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to ensure the rights and safety of Nigerian youths planning a nationwide protest starting on August 1st.
The organisation emphasised the importance of citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and protest.
ActionAid Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation working to promote social justice, human rights, and poverty eradication in Nigeria, is an affiliate of ActionAid International, a global federation of NGOs operating in over 45 countries.
In a statement on Monday, the Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, said, “We firmly support citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and protest. Every Nigerian has the inalienable right to voice their grievances and demand accountability from their government without fear of violence or retribution.”
The statement highlighted the government’s failure to address citizens’ concerns, leading to repeated violent clampdowns on protesters.
It said, “The federal government must not allow the violent repression of peaceful protesters to continually repeat itself. Any such actions would be a severe violation of human rights and undermine the democratic principles that our nation strives to uphold.”
ActionAid Nigeria demanded that the government address the root causes of the protest, provide adequate protection for protesters, and commit to preventing violent repression.
The organisation also appealed to protesters to maintain peace and order during demonstrations.
It added, “We also enjoin citizens and politicians inclined to form anti-protest groups to respect the rights of their fellow Nigerians to peaceful assembly, and any violations of these rights must be met with the full extent of the law.”