Former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili has issued a strong statement via her X handle, criticizing the Nigerian government for its handling of economic hardship and its increasing use of security forces to harass and intimidate citizens.
She described the current situation as a “severe economic hardship” imposed by the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ezekwesili noted reports that the latest victims of this draconian crackdown on rights are the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its President, Joe Ajaero. In her statement, she questioned what could be motivating the administration to create “horrible tension” in an already distressed country.
She outlined three urgent actions that the government must take to de-escalate the situation:
- The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police must immediately comply with the constitution by releasing Joe Ajaero, vacating the premises of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), returning confiscated documents, repairing damaged properties, and compensating for all inflicted losses.
- The DSS and the Nigerian Police should release all #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters who are being unconstitutionally detained or prosecuted, due to what she called the “intoxication and intolerance” of the current administration.
- The Nigerian government, along with the National Assembly, should initiate a Citizens-led National Conversation and Constitutional process to address these critical issues.
Ezekwesili emphasized that Nigerians, acting collectively, will not tolerate any form of draconian rule again, urging the government to halt further actions that could deepen the country’s current crisis.
