By Danlami Nmodu
Nigeria’s Civil Liberties Organization,CLO has slammed President Goodluck Jonathan over his administration’s romance with Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir
Mr Ibuchukwu Ezike the executive director of CLO said the rights group “ is worried about Nigeria’s romance with a man who has been named by the world as a terror killer against human beings at a time the government is claiming to be fighting terrorism.
“We are more worried by the fact that some reputable human rights groups, including the Nigerian Coalition on International Criminal Court (NCICC) had condemned the proposed visit of President Omar to Nigeria and urged Nigerian government not to allow him entry into the country. Yet, this appeal was grossly disregarded.
“Omar is in Nigeria to attend the African Union (AU) Summit on HIV/AIDS scheduled to take place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Monday & Tuesday, July 15 and 16, 2013.
According to the statement “For Nigeria to accept Al Bashir in the country is a clear manifestation of the fact that the government of Goodluck Jonathan is in support of the gruesome murder of the victims of his genocide and war crimes.
“It also means that Nigeria’s claim for respect for human rights and rule of law is a farce and that this has vindicated CLO’s position that Nigerian authorities have no respect for human lives, due process, human rights and the rule of law and that the fight against terrorism by it is a deceit that has exposed itself.
“By this ignoble act, Nigeria which touts itself as the giant of Africa has become the first country in the West African sub region to host the killer and foremost human rights violator.
The CLO position below:
RECEPTION FOR OMAR AL BASHIR,AN ENEMY OF HUMANITY: IS NIGERIA ACTUALLY COMMITTED TO FIGHTING TERRORISM AND ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ?
———-Asks CLO.
One of the enemies of mankind and President of Sudan, Omar AlBashir, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Genocide & crimes against humanity arrived Nigeria in the evening of Sunday, July 14, 2013, amidst celebrated reception by the Nigerian authorities.
President AlBashir is indicted for war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan where over 200, 000 persons were killed and hundreds of thousands of others maimed.
Nigeria signed the Rome Statute which established the ICC in 2001 and had nominated a Judge to the Court and, therefore, has both moral and legal duty to respect the order of the court which has issued a warrant of arrest against Al Bashir. Four African countries; Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia had refused Al Bashir’s entry into their countries. CLO is worried about Nigeria’s romance with a man who has been named by the world as a terror killer against human beings at a time the government is claiming to be fighting terrorism.
We are more worried by the fact that some reputable human rights groups, including the Nigerian Coalition on International Criminal Court (NCICC) had condemned the proposed visit of President Omar to Nigeria and urged Nigerian government not to allow him entry into the country. Yet, this appeal was grossly disregarded.
Omar is in Nigeria to attend the African Union (AU) Summit on HIV/AIDS scheduled to take place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Monday & Tuesday, July 15 and 16, 2013.
For Nigeria to accept Al Bashir in the country is a clear manifestation of the fact that the government of Goodluck Jonathan is in support of the gruesome murder of the victims of his genocide and war crimes.
It also means that Nigeria’s claim for respect for human rights and rule of law is a farce and that this has vindicated CLO’s position that Nigerian authorities have no respect for human lives, due process, human rights and the rule of law and that the fight against terrorism by it is a deceit that has exposed itself.
By this ignoble act, Nigeria which touts itself as the giant of Africa has become the first country in the West African sub region to host the killer and foremost human rights violator.
CLO joins all other organizations, groups and individuals who /which have condemned this act to condemn the federal government’s action in its entirety and urges the international community to urgently take actions that will call, not only Nigeria, but other countries that may plan to indulge in similar acts in future to order.It will be recalled that AU had condemned the issuance of Warrant of Arrest against President Omar, dismissing it as a foreign domination and imposition by the western world. But we maintain that why AU took this decision against ICC’s arrest warrant in defence of Al Bashir is because most of its members are dictators and violators of human rights and would not want such fate to befall them after they committed such infractions against the African people.
CLO calls on the ICC, Human Rights Council and other UN mechanisms to rise up to the challenge as no village or society can live in isolation of the others in the world today. AU’s position on Al Basir’s case is condemnable and amounts to monumental threat to human rights in the Continent. We maintain that the best way for African Leaders to refuse foreign imposition or domination is not in this case but to ensure that the huge resources in Africa are patriotically harnessed and used for the interest of all the African peoples and not in defending autocratic rulers who infringe on the legitimate rights of their citizens.
Signed
Comrade Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi Ezike,
Executive Director,
Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO).
ibuchilauta@yahoo.com &
ohabuenyiezike@yahoo.com.
