Emeka Ibemere
What is going to be your contribution to make peace
affordable in Nigeria, during and after the general election which comes up
earlier in the year 2015?
Are you worried about
the drum beats of war concerning the 2015, election? Are also concerned with
the future of Nigeria after the 2015 elections? Do you want a united and
forward moving Nigeria beyond February 2015? Are you prepared to pay the price
to make this happen?
If your responses to these questions are in the affirmative
to the preceding questions, then join the CLEEN Foundation and other Civil
Society Coalition to run with RUN - Rally for a United Nigeria.
The ‘Mother of all rallies’ took place in Abuja, Lagos and
Owerri, Imo State Capital on 18 December 2014, simultaneously, as the election
draws near. The essence of the rally was to bring to the notice of Nigerians,
the danger posed to the corporate existence of the entity called Nigeria; due
to the manner Nigerian politicians are going about the election next year.
According to the organizers of the rally, CLEEN Foundation’s
Raphael Mbaegbu, Program
Officer - Research and Strategy Development, Nigeria is facing sever challenges
and its necessary to sensitize Nigerians about the oncoming election.
“Rally for United Nigeria is a non-governmental,
non-religious, and non-partisan platform for Nigerians to advance the cause of
peace and unity before, during and after the 2015 elections. Everyone who
shares our aspiration is welcome to connect with us”, he added.
“Rally for a United Nigeria (RUN) is led and driven by
concerned Nigerians from different socio-political backgrounds committed to
working for a peaceful, progressive and united Nigeria”.
CLEEN observed that the country is living on challenging
times and in the build-up to the forthcoming general elections; the political
class appears to have increased the tempo of divisive politicking.
“Rather than focus on the things that bind us together, they
take advantage of some of the existing fault lines to further divide our
people. We are much more than the existing fault lines we are a people united
by common sufferings”.
According to the organization, the past few months have seen
the national coffers rapidly depleted with the current fall in oil price from
$140 per barrel to $80 dollar per barrel; where 95% of our foreign currency
comes from oil and the devaluation of the naira by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Group stated that the fall in oil price becomes a major
threat to nation’s economy because Nigeria has overtime experienced a
consistent drain in the economy due to gross mismanagement of funds and
impunity for corruption.
“How do you build a nation on a mono-economy where funds
cannot be accounted for? The reality is that the ordinary Nigerian remains the
victims; they are the civil servants whose salaries will be adversely affected,
the entrepreneur whose cost of production outweighs profit, the ordinary
citizen who cannot afford a good standard of living. The 2015 budget presented
already shows that we are in for hard times and if radical action is not taken
we are headed for an economic crash worse than the 1980s”.
Continuing, the CLEEN Foundation bemoaned the fate of the
Nigerian youths are in the labour market for years without job which the
attributed to poor standard of education system which has failed to refocus the
youths and build them stronger to be independent.
“Our bulging youth population remains largely unemployed and
served by a weak educational system failing in its role in building young
people that can face the challenges of our time and compete fairly in a highly
competitive market. Their continued neglect promises catastrophic consequences
that will affect us all”.
The Group lamented over the war of attrition that is going
on in the country without any hope of the war ending in near future. According
to them, pockets of ethnic clashes, criminality and unwanted killings are
enough to derail the vision of the founding fathers of Nigeria.
“Ongoing insurgencies in the North- Eastern parts of the
country and pockets of communal violence in other parts have resulted in
alarming carnage and a humanitarian crisis comparable only with the Nigerian
civil war. It is not just a North- Eastern problem -the continuing insecurity
across the country has placed further strain on our already distressed
economy”, CLEEN Foundation stated.
“The southward spread of the conflicts also threatens our
continued collective existence. Also a major threat is the recent huge small
and light weapons influx which we must not neglect. The crises of ethnic,
religious and perhaps cultural diversity unfortunately combines with the
general atmosphere of insecurity to create some combustibility, which we need
to address if Nigeria will remain as one indivisible country post elections in
2015”.
CLENN Foundation also warned politicians to desist from
using inflammatory words capable of causing war during the election. According
to the Group, “Words and action drive war or peace. It is possible to limit the
penetration of hate speech, incitement to violence and politically induced
inter-ethnic or inter-religious crises by saying and doing the right things”.
The group said hate speech played a huge role in fuelling
the genocide in Rwanda as well as post-election violence in Kenya. It has the
capacity to do the same in Nigeria. “Therefore, we must stand together to
reclaim our country before it is too late”.
Meanwhile, with the sensitivity of the election period the
group said that what Nigeria need now are honest and independent institutions
to conduct the much need election. According to Mbaegbu, the institutions must
be impartial, free and fair and ready to be courageous to do their constitutional
duties perfectly.
“We cannot afford to have the independence and impartiality
of Institutions of Security and law enforcement, and our Judiciary compromised.
Nigerians deserve and must demand good service and accountability from State
Institutions”, he stated. “We need to mobilize our country men and women across
the federation to sign up to hate-speech free and violence free elections and
to demand that political candidates focus on addressing the issues stated above
with a bid to moving us forward as a united country and not further divide us”.
“We also need our identity and faith Institution to remain
non-partisan as they join in mobilizing citizens for peaceful elections and a
United Nation. Our faith and identity can only thrive in an environment of
peace”.
CLEEN called every true Nigerian that it’s their right to
support this because it is in our collective interest that the country remains
united beyond February 2015. According
to the group, every Nigerian has the honest role to play by telling the
politicians that Nigeria belongs to all of us and that Nigerians cannot afford
to stand-by and watch the politicians to destroy the nation’s common heritage.
“We invite true- spirited Nigerians to join us in rallying
for a united Nigeria in the period leading to and after the general elections
in February 2015. Our tools of engagement will include research, advocacy,
mobilization and capacity strengthening. Nigeria and Nigerians will be our sole
focus”, CLEEN demanded.
CLEEN promotes public safety, security and justice through
empirical research, legislative advocacy, demonstration programmes and
publications in partnership with government, civil society and the private
sector.
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