A group, United Civil Society Organizations, has called on the Federal Government to be observant of the presence and use of foreign symbols during protests of whatever form may undermine national security and stability.
The group, during a press conference held on Sunday in Bauchi, called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, take action against foreign interference in Nigeria’s domestic affairs.
According to them, “It may also give undue leverage to external entities seeking to exploit domestic issues for their agendas, as it has been seen how foreign actors colluded with unpatriotic citizens to destabilise many African countries, including Sudan, Libya and Mali, to mention but few”.
In the text of the conference jointly signed by Comrade. Aliyu Z. Mukaddas, Coordinator and Comrade. Mu’azu Bala, Secretary, the group stated, “We believe that displaying foreign flags during the last nationwide protest against bad governance tagged #EndBadGovernmentinNigeria was an attempt to undermine national sovereignty and we believe that holding those accountable for acts that undermine our country’s sovereignty is essential for preserving the integrity of our democratic institutions and processes.”
The group warned the Nigerian government not to tolerate any form of foreign interference which poses one of the greatest threats to national security, our way of life, and our economic prosperity and sovereignty.
It stressed that” We must shine a light on these threats and come together as a country to defend our nation from any interference. Sovereignty is a substantive term designating supreme authority over some polity. Sovereignty is, therefore, the power of the state to make and apply its laws and to control its affairs without the interference of other states.”
According to the group,” It is the full right and power of a governing body over itself, without any interference from outside source or bodies.
They added that Nigeria reserves the right to be insulated from suggestions and or interference with respect to wholly internal affairs and commends international laws, customs and norms that mandate and require nations and the comity to respect this prerogative to all.
This issue is very critical, and we are urging the government to deal with any entity within the country found to have directly or indirectly supported the flying of a foreign flag within the country during and after the protest.
The text added, ”Addressing these foreign influences is essential to preserving our national stability, ensuring that Nigeria’s decisions and policies remain in the hands of its people.”
The group urged the government to take decisive action against those responsible for the provocative, unpatriotic and divisive act to prevent its future occurrence.
“Consequently, we call on the security operatives to continue to maintain peace, law, and order in the country in line with the necessary conventions on human rights to which Nigeria is a signatory, as the safety and security of all Nigerians are paramount,” It added.
They further stressed,” We also emphasise that while the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to the consolidation of democratic governance, the display of foreign symbols in this context is a violation of our laws, national unity and sovereignty that must be condemned by all patriots.
The freedom to exercise one’s rights ends at the point at which the exercise of that right harms another.”
According to the group,” These protesters who were exercising their fundamental human rights to peaceful assembly, as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), some of them have crossed their boundaries and we demand the government to take legal action against them to serve as deterrence to others.”
It then demanded from the government that “There are several offences created by law that relate to the National Flag and the use of any flag in Nigeria; Nigeria Police should seize and remove any flag that is being used to commit an offence in any part of Nigeria.
The punishment for offences relating to the national flag is N150.00 only, and there is no option of imprisonment; the punishment is unpatriotic and cannot deter offenders. It is a mockery of today’s reality”.
It called on the Federal Government to see the need for the National Assembly to amend the Federal Law (The Flag and Coat of Arms Act of 1960) to include only imprisonment as the punishment and to do away with the option of a fine.
