The right to FREEDOM OF SPEECH obviously includes the right to free expression of opinion and the freedom to hold steadfast to one’s conscience. It also carries with it the prerogative to express contrary opinion from government official position without molestation, intimidation or abuse.
Unfortunately, the impression one gets from the actions and pronouncements of the current state government suggest that the administration is not only adverse to free speech and the free expression of opinion in the public domain, it is also prepared to hoodwink, blackmail and even run those who hold contrary view from its official pronouncement, out of the state. As a matter of fact, it is common knowledge that the administration has not only turned the state media outfits into biased megaphone of its compromised perception of the purpose of government, it has also ensured that citizens are shut out from expressing their views, where those views appear unsupportive of the administration’s numerous policy failures.
A few weeks ago, the good people of Edo State were rudely woken up by radio and television announcements to the effect that the state government has placed a ban on religious worship in the Government Reservation Area (GRA).
This decision is probably the most daring attempt by any government in the country to curtail the inalienable right to FREEDOM OF WORSHIP, which freedom definitely includes the freedom to choose the place to worship without any let or hindrance whatsoever. The announcement is also the clearest testimony of the contempt in which the state government holds the law-abiding people of Edo State, as no one or group is known to have complained against religious worship in the GRA. In any event, virtually all worship centres in the GRA have existed long before the inauguration of the current administration. It is therefore baffling to imagine how and why the government came to this very cynical decision. It’s more worrisome that government has threatened to revoke the right of occupancy of worship centres that do not comply with its decision.
While we advise the good people of the state, particularly those directly affected by the strange decision, to take all lawful steps to protect their freedom of worship, we appeal to the state government to salvage whatever is left of its fast deteriorating image by rescinding this very unsupportable and unfounded decision.
When it rode to power on 12th November 2008 on the strength of the overwhelming goodwill of the good people of Edo State, this administration swore to keep its campaign promise to abolish poverty and want in the state. As a first step, it promised to provide jobs for the teeming number of unemployed or to facilitate the provision of jobs. 7 years after, even its most rabid supporters, who continues to thin out by the day, will admit that not only has this government woefully failed to provide or facilitate the provisions of jobs, it has actually taken deliberate steps to deny jobs to the people of Edo State.
A good illustration of this terrible situation is government’s decision to award contracts, on the few occasions it chooses to do so, to persons residing outside the state, to execute projects which could easily be done in the state to boost employment. Earlier this year, after placing a number of Edo youths on casual employment for many years, the state government laid them off without compensation. This has increased the long list of the unemployed. Even those who are lucky to remain in their employment are getting the roughest deal of their lives, as most workers, especially of the state local government service and lecturers in state tertiary institutions, are owed months of unpaid salaries. Judiciary staff in the state has had their legitimate emoluments seized in the past several months for daring to embark on a national strike to press for compliance with a judgment of court delivered in their favour. Even those who manage to earn salaries are suffering under the yoke of very high personal income tax burden, the highest in the country; while their wages have remained static.
From the look of things, it is becoming obvious that when the promise to abolish poverty and want was made, members of the administration had themselves in mind, not the good people of the state. From the life-style of those occupying the commanding heights of the administration, it is easy to observe visible uplift in the quality of their lives at the expense of the vast majority of Edo people who languish in extreme want and abject poverty. What is more, even the vulnerable, physically challenged persons and albinos amongst us are not spared.
Since coming to government, this administration has completely ignored the conditions of these people. Without fear of contradiction, we can confirm that all efforts made by these groups in the state to receive government attention have been rebuffed. The rehabilitation of public schools that the governor sings about as his most remarkable achievement did not consider the existence of physically challenged persons as no provision were made for their accessing these renovated classrooms. Does the government respect their rights as human beings and Edo citizens or has their physical challenges erased their rights to amenities or FREEDOM FROM WANTS?
Perhaps one of the most disturbing propensities of the present administration is its penchant to promote brigandage in the state through sponsorship of miscreants who parade themselves as transport or other union members of various descriptions. These miscreants are known to harass innocent market women, bus, lorry and tipper drivers and business owners forcing them to pay numerous levies and taxes many of which are not backed by any known law of the state. Apart from contributing to deepening the problem of poverty and want in the state, the unwholesome activities of these miscreants, who deploy violence as their modus operandi, seriously compromise the people’s FREEDOM FROM FEAR, leaving the people at the mercy of these miscreants. Since the inauguration of this administration, Edo State has literally remained under siege as a result of the violent activities of these state sponsored miscreants.
They are known to have beaten up union members of the state public service and violently chased away peaceful protesters against the oppressive and anti-people policies of this administration. They are regularly seen in government house and official events, to the dismay of well-meaning people of the state. Never before has the business of government been so recklessly compromised! Never before have the good people of Edo State been under such atmosphere of pervasive fear!!
Government as an institution is a product of human creation and must therefore not wage war on the source of its authority. We hope government would reflect on the significance of this day and recognise the rights of Edo people to freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear
#TheFutureIsNow
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