Ekiti
State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has dared the Federal Government to carry out
the alleged plot of preventing him from travelling out of the country.
“Under
the federal system of government, state governors are not appendages of the
President and as a leading opposition figure in Nigeria, he cannot be cowed by
President Mohammadu Buhari and his agents,” Mr. Fayose said via a statement by
his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.
The
governor, who reacted to reports that two governors, one from the Southwest and
another from the South South had been placed on travel restriction on President
Buhari’s order, said whenever he wished to travel out Nigeria, he would do so
in the full glare of the public.
He
said, “I am not surprised or disappointed by this latest plot of the Buhari’s
government because the President Buhari that we know is a man without any atom
of respect for the rights of Nigerians as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of
Nigeria, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on
Human and Peoples’ Rights and this he demonstrated as a military dictator and
now demonstrating as a democratically elected president.”
The
governor said he was however amazed that “this dangerous dimension of
compelling a sitting governor that enjoys Constitutional Immunity like the
President to obtain clearance from the Director General of the Department of
State Service (DSS) before travelling out of Nigeria can ever be contemplated.”
He
said President Buhari and his agents should be mindful of the fact that under a
federal system of government, the states and national government both enjoy
some autonomy, with sovereign power formally divided between the national
government and the States such that each State retains some degree of control
over its internal affairs.
Mr.
Olayinka, who was flanked by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Idowu
Adelusi, said; “Few days ago, when Governor Ayodele Fayose was reliably
informed that President Mohammadu Buhari had directed that he should be banned
from traveling outside Nigeria, he simply took the information as mere rumour,
concluding that disrespect for the constitution of Nigeria and Buhari’s
dictatorship would not be extended to the most ridiculous level of preventing a
governor elected just as the president from traveling out of the country.
“The
thinking of Governor Fayose was that even though the Buhari’s presidency was
capable of even attempting to prevent those opposed to the President from
breathing the air, it must still be sane enough to be conscious of the consequences
of placing any Nigerian under travel ban without an order of the court, not to
talk of a sitting governor that enjoys constitutional immunity like the
President.
“However,
when we read the story titled; “Two govs under watch, face travel ban” published
on Sunday by two major national dailies, we have no option than to once again
alert the public on President Buhari’s new dictatorial plot to infringe on the
constitutional rights of Governor Fayose just because of his critical position
on the President’s dictatorial tendencies.
“The
question is: if Governor Fayose has become a threat to the security of Nigeria
just because he criticises President Buhari and says the truth about his
mis-governance of the country, is this not a confirmation that the President
hates dissenting views?
“Section
35 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that; “Every person shall
be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of such
liberty,” while Section 41 (1) provides that “Every citizen of Nigeria is
entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof,
and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry
thereto or exit therefrom.”
“Article
13 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which Nigeria is a
signatory provides that ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and
residence within the border of each State’ while Article 13 (2) provides that
‘Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and return to
his country,’ ditto Article 12 (2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’
Rights.
“President
Buhari and his agents should also be mindful of the fact that under a federal
system of government, the states and national government both enjoy some autonomy,
with sovereign power formally divided between the national government and the
States such that each State retains some degree of control over its internal
affairs.
“Therefore,
the President of Nigeria cannot lord himself over any State governor and
President Buhari and his agents should accept this basic reality and stop
behaving as if they own Nigeria in totality.
“President
Buhari and his agents, especially his kinsman; Alhaji Lawal Daura of the DSS
need to purge themselves of this blood of dictatorship running in their veins
and be guided by the Constitution of Nigeria.
“Even
ordinary Nigerians do not require clearance from the DSS or any security agency
to travel outside Nigeria unless travel restriction is placed by an order of
the court, not to talk of State Governors that enjoy immunity just like the
President and are not under the control of the President.
“The
president and his agents should know that this is not 1984 when General Buhari,
as a military dictator prevented late Chief Obafemi Awolowo from travelling
outside Nigeria for medical treatment, thereby leading to his (Awolowo)
untimely death in 1987!
“They
should also be reminded that the same way Buhari humiliated the late Ooni of
Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; late Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero and late Obi of
Onitsha, Ofala Akulalia Alphonsus Ogugua in 1984 by seizing their passports and
restricting them to their palaces just because they travelled to Israel for
business, he cannot restrict State governors from travelling outside Nigeria
under whatever guise.
“I
therefore wish to state on behalf of Governor Ayodele Fayose that as an
opposition figure, he cannot be cowed by this pettiness from the presidency.
Governor Fayose, by this press conference is daring President Buhari and his
anti-democratic agents to carry out this evil and shameful plot and let us all
see how far it will take them.
“Anytime
Governor Fayose wishes to travel out of Nigeria, he will do so in the full
glare of the public and we await how he will be prevented from exercising his
rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and
Peoples’ Rights.
“We
also wish to inform the President and his DSS men that as they were disgraced
when they invaded Ekiti State House of Assembly, arresting members of the House
indiscriminately, they will be put to shame this time too.
“Also,
the National Assembly is being alerted of this new threat to the Constitution
of Nigeria by those who swore to protect it. Members of the National Assembly
should by now begin to imagine what will be their fate if attempt is now being
made to place travel restriction on State Governors.
“It
is our considered view that President Buhari should rather concern himself with
the growing insecurity in the country and charge the security agencies,
especially the DSS to perform their functions as enshrined in the constitution
instead of running after petty issues.
“The
President should focus his attention on the economy of Nigeria that is almost
collapsing and stop using his position to oppress other Nigerians. He should
know that Nigerians are only interested in having food on their tables, not the
number of people their President hounds into detention or oppress with his
powers.”
Source: Premium Times
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