Silence of Civil Society Encouraging Southeast Insecurity, Says Human Rights Activist
Comrade Osita Obi
Kenechukwu Ofomah, Awka
Human rights activist Comrade Osita Obi has stated that until civil society awakens from its slumber and demands accountability from both the Federal Government and the governors of Southeast states, insecurity and unlawful killings in the region will persist.
Comrade Obi made this remark in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, on Tuesday.
His statement comes in the wake of a report titled “A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in Southeast Nigeria,” launched in Enugu last week by Amnesty International Nigeria.
The report accuses Southeast governors of failing to take the necessary actions to curb assaults, killings, enforced disappearances, human rights violations, and other acts of violence committed by both state and non-state actors.
It also revealed that Amnesty International’s attempts to engage with the governments of various Southeast states to discuss the findings and propose solutions were largely ignored, except by the Anambra State Government, which responded.
Obi, convener of the Recover Nigeria Project, expressed the view that civil society in the region has been overly passive, as evidenced by its failure to hold the government accountable for security challenges.
He further alleged that civil society an essential part of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) has become a mouthpiece for governments, singing praises of those in power to the detriment of the populace.
“The civil society is not performing; it seems they have become toothless bulldogs,”
“Some of the insecurity we witness is sponsored by top government officials and senior security agencies.
“When we hear about ‘unknown gunmen,’ we actually know who they are,they come from our own communities.
“If civil society lacks the coercive powers of the government to arrest these perpetrators, then they should at least hold those responsible for security to account. But instead, they have become praise-singers,” Obi lamented.
He also criticized the silence and passivity of civil society in the face of “criminals, kidnappers, cultists, and armed robbers” being elected into public office.
According to Obi, once such individuals assume power, it becomes nearly impossible to correct the situation, regardless of how much civil society protests.
The activist advocates for a radical approach of civil disobedience by civil society mobilizing citizens to take to the streets to protest and demand that the government fulfill its obligations to the people.
“When I say civil disobedience, I mean peaceful protests where people occupy public spaces. I do not mean violence.
“If a governor sees five to ten thousand citizens on the streets demanding answers, he will be compelled to listen and act.
“The civil society must stop being docile and reclaim its rightful role. I am advocating for civil disobedience because all the talk has not produced results,” Obi insisted.
