THE Abuja Branch of the Movement for A Socialist Alternative, (MSA) has condemned Thursday’s announcement by FCT Security Committee banning protests in Abuja.
In a press statement on Friday by the branch’s Coordinator, Dimeji Macaulay, the MSA said the ban is completely hypocritical as it contradicts the rights to protest, to association and to thoughts, stressing that the ban violates the supreme law of the land, Nigeria’s constitution, which guarantees every Nigerian citizen.
While commending the efforts of young Nigerians since the commencement of the protest, he charged them to ignore the order and fight on for the liberation of the common man.
“For us in the MSA-Abuja Branch, we salute the resilience that young people have displayed in the last eight days. We charge them to disregard the hypocritical statement of the FCT authorities and fight on for the liberation of the common man.
The MSA stated: “The same FCT Security Committee did not lift a finger during the apparent breach of Covid-19 protocols at the burial ceremony of Mr Abba Kyari, which was held at Gudu Cementry on April 18, 2020. Among other top officials of the government that disregarded the so-called Covid-19 protocol to attend Kyari’s burial was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha. In fact, the political class freely held election rallies in Edo and Ondo states, with thousands of their supporters, including politicians, unconcerned about Covid-19, which the FCT authorities have just remembered.
“Nigerians should not get it twisted; the ‘ban’ on protests in the FCT due to Covid-19 is a ploy to clampdown on protesters that have been peaceful in the face of the organised provocations by the military and state-sponsored thugs. We condemn the attacks on protesters by the military and police and reject this attempt to provide justification for such dehumanising treatment of citizens that are fighting to end just that.
“We call on the security forces to disobey orders that require them to clampdown on this protest. The #EndSARS movement among other issues of good governance is also raising demands for dignifying wages for the military and police rank and file. The era when the officers’ corps enjoy luxury and the rank and file live in poverty must end. This is the reason why the rank and file must see this movement as a struggle to rebuild this country for themselves and the common people.
“We call on all #EndSARS protesters to continue protests until all their demands are met in the same resolute manner they have conducted the movement so far. The movement must equally continue to emphasize, against the misinformation campaign of the Buhari government, that the struggle is beyond SARS as a police unit, but about every element in society that exploits, oppresses and undermine the happiness of the people.”
