Bayelsa Guber: Reps Receive Report On Alleged Military Brutality
— Aug 25, 2016 5:30 am | Leave a comment
The House of Representatives Committee on Army yesterday received a comprehensive report on an alleged abuse of human rights by the Nigerian Army during the 2015 governorship election in Bayelsa state.
The report was put together by the Save Ijaw Nation, a civil society organisation.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Rimamnde Kwewum while receiving the report, noted that electing a leader is exclusive right of the people and the right shouldn’t be denied under any guise.
He explained that denying the people the right to freely choose their leaders is the greatest form of corruption.
“The most important right of the people, after their right to life, is the right to decide who their leaders are, the greatest corruption we can have is to take away the right of the people to choose, there is no corruption that is greater than that. We pray that the electoral reforms initiated by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan will be observed. We will look at the report, and also extend it to the House Committee on Electoral Matters. I will not say anything now, since the committees have not studied through the report,” he said.
Convener of the group, Mr. Idris Usman, while presenting the report emphasised the need to identify perpetrators of various human rights violations and bring them to book.
He also urged the committee to take appropriate actions on the recommendations of the report.
“We saw the need to expose what happened in Bayelsa during the last governorship election, it wasn’t a pleasant experience, so we took it upon ourselves to expose the abuse of human rights and killings. Although, election is over, there is the need to call those who perpetrated these abuses to order and they should be held accountable,” he said.
Usman added that the report detailed the account of lives and properties lost during the electioneering period.
“We documented the lives and properties that were lost. There are still IDP camps in Bayelsa state, where people cannot return back to their community. We are calling on relevant authorities to ensure that this report is not swept under the carpet.
The report was put together by the Save Ijaw Nation, a civil society organisation.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Rimamnde Kwewum while receiving the report, noted that electing a leader is exclusive right of the people and the right shouldn’t be denied under any guise.
He explained that denying the people the right to freely choose their leaders is the greatest form of corruption.
“The most important right of the people, after their right to life, is the right to decide who their leaders are, the greatest corruption we can have is to take away the right of the people to choose, there is no corruption that is greater than that. We pray that the electoral reforms initiated by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan will be observed. We will look at the report, and also extend it to the House Committee on Electoral Matters. I will not say anything now, since the committees have not studied through the report,” he said.
Convener of the group, Mr. Idris Usman, while presenting the report emphasised the need to identify perpetrators of various human rights violations and bring them to book.
He also urged the committee to take appropriate actions on the recommendations of the report.
“We saw the need to expose what happened in Bayelsa during the last governorship election, it wasn’t a pleasant experience, so we took it upon ourselves to expose the abuse of human rights and killings. Although, election is over, there is the need to call those who perpetrated these abuses to order and they should be held accountable,” he said.
Usman added that the report detailed the account of lives and properties lost during the electioneering period.
“We documented the lives and properties that were lost. There are still IDP camps in Bayelsa state, where people cannot return back to their community. We are calling on relevant authorities to ensure that this report is not swept under the carpet.
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