By Emeka Nze
Abuja
Foremost human rights/pro-democracy group, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), has said the brand of democracy being practised in Nigeria today was not the type the Nigerians hoped and fought for.
In a statement signed by its liaison officer in Abuja, Comrade Chidi Ekpewerechi, the group stated that CLO is “embarrassed that from May 29th, 1999, when the Nigerian people forced the discredited Nigerian military out of active politics till date, nothing has changed.”
The group noted that issues of good governance, deepening democracy, access to justice, fighting corruption, security of life and properties of citizens, poverty amongst others have remained static since the advent of the present dispensation.
It regretted that “those who occupy positions of authority in Nigeria have failed woefully to give honest and transparent leadership, having subsumed accountability at the altar of corruption, saying that looting of public treasury has become the order of the day, as the practical burden of poverty and economic hardship has continued to deal with our people.”
The CLO, therefore, commended the House of Representatives for initiating various probes towards making people public office holders to give account of their stewardship to the people.
According to it, the federal government should release all probe panel reports, mostly those that bordered on corruption, looting and mismanagement of public funds.
It urged government to do everything within the law to protect the lives and properties of people living in Nigeria.
The group further demanded that presidency should call the petroleum minister to order, and direct her to go before the National Assembly members and account for her stewardship to the nation.
It enjoined Nigerians to be very vigilant on governance and issues that deepen democracy so that their effort prior to 1999 would not be in vain.
