BY IKENNA ASOMBA
It befuddles many a concerned political watchers that Nigeria despite practising electoral democracy over the last 19 years, is yet to be totally FREE in terms of Political Rights and Civil Liberties.
These inalienable rights seem to be dwindling as the day goes by that Nigeria is now currently having many a political prisoner, with some on exile in other countries.
Unfortunately, in Nigeria, it has now gotten to the point where any citizen who criticises the unfavourable policies and gaffes of government is tagged- “Corrupt,” “Terrorist,” “Wailing Wailer,” hounded by the police, Department of State Services, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other security aparati of the state. Too bad! How did we get here?
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Even press freedom in Nigeria is also on the decline as according to “Reporters Without Borders,” Nigeria had the following rankings on Press Freedom:
2015= 111
2016= 116
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2017= 122
What a decline? This calls for sober reflections.
As if not enough, just recently, “Freedom House,” a United States-based government-funded non-governmental organisation that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights and founded October 1942, released its Data for Freedom in the World 2018, majorly using a yardstick of the level of:
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1. Political Rights and
2. Civil Liberties
Did you know that Nigeria, unfortunately, was among 58 countries and territories qualified as Partly Free, maintaining its earlier position in 2017?
These 58 countries, Nigeria inclusive, represents 30 percent of all countries assessed, and they were home to nearly 1.8 billion people or 24 percent of the world’s total. The number of Partly Free countries decreased by one from the previous year, 2017. Timor-Leste rose from Partly Free to Free.
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On the other hand, the number of countries designated as Free stands at over 80, representing 45 percent of the world’s 195 polities and more than 2.9 billion people—or 39 percent of the global population.
The number of Free countries increased by one from the previous year’s report. Timor-Leste rose from Partly Free to Free.
A total of 49 countries are deemed Not Free, representing 25 percent of the world’s polities. The number of people living under Not Free conditions stood at nearly 2.7 billion people, or 37 percent of the global population, though it is important to note that more than half of this number lives in just one country: China. The number of Not Free countries stayed the same.
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Under the Freedom House Categorisation
1= Most Free
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7= Least Free
Aggregate Score Explanation:
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0= Least Free
100= Most Free
Nigeria, with a population of over 186 million people was ranked a Partly Free Country by Freedom House under the following Scores:
Freedom Rating: 4/7
Political Rights: 3/7
Civil Liberties: 5/7
Press Freedom Status: Partly Free
Net Freedom Status: Partly Free
Aggregate Score: 50/100.
FREEDOM HOUSE 2018 RANKING OF COUNTRIES/TERRITORIES (In Asterics*) THAT ARE FREE
1. Andorra= 96/100
2. Antigua and Barbuda= 83/100
3. Argentina= 83/100
4. Australia= 98/100
5. Austria= 94/100
6. Bahamas= 91/100
7. Barbados= 96/100
8. Belgium= 95/100
9. Belize= 86/100
10. Benin= 82/100
11. Botswana= 72/100
12. Brazil= 78/100
13. Bulgaria= 80/100
14. Canada= 99/100
15. Cape Verde= 90/100
16. Chile= 94/100
17. Costa Rica= 91/100
18. Croatia= 86/100
19. Cyprus= 94/100
20. Czech Republic= 93/100
21. Denmark= 97/100
22. Dominica= 93/100
23. El Salvador= 70/100
24. Estonia= 94/100
25. Finland= 100/100
26. France= 90/100
27. Germany= 94/100
28. Ghana= 83/100
29. Greece= 85/100
30. Grenada= 88/100
31. Guyana= 74/100
32. Hungary= 72/100
33. Iceland= 95/100
34. India= 77/100
35. Ireland= 96/100
36. Israel= 79/100
37. Italy= 89/100
38. Jamaica= 77/100
39. Japan= 96/100
40. Kiribati= 93/100
41. Latvia= 87/100
42. Liechtenstein= 90/100
43. Lithuania= 91/100
44. Luxembourg= 98/100
45. Malta= 92/100
46. Marshal Islands= 92/100
47. Mauritius= 89/100
48. Micronesia= 93/100
49. Monaco= 82/100
50. Mongolia= 85/100
51. Namibia= 77/100
52. Nauru= 81/100
53. Netherlands= 99/100
54. New Zealand= 98/100
55. Northern Cyprus*= 81/100
56. Norway= 100/100
57. Palau= 92/100
58. Panama= 83/100
59. Peru= 73/100
60. Poland= 85/100
61. Portugal= 97/100
62. Romania= 84/100
63. Samoa= 80/100
64. San Marino= 97/100
65. Senegal= 75/100
66. Serbia= 73/100
67. Slovakia= 89/100
68. Slovenia= 93/100
69. Solomon Islands= 72/100
70. South Africa= 78/100
71. South Korea= 84/100
72. Spain= 94/100
73. St. Kitts and Nevis= 89/100
74. St. Lucia= 91/100
75. St. Vincent and Grenadines= 90/100
76. Suriname= 78/100
77. Sweden= 100/100
78. Switzerland= 96/100
79. São Tomé and Príncipe= 82/100
80. Taiwan= 92/100
81. Timor-Leste= 69/100
82. Tonga= 75/100
83. Trinidad and Tobago= 81/100
84. Tunisia= 70/100
85. Tuvalu= 94/100
86. United Kingdom= 94/100
87. United States= 86/100
88. Uruguay= 98/100
89. Vanuatu= 81/100
Nigeria is no where near this list abovementioned.
WAY FORWARD
Going forward, concerned Nigerian citizens at home and in the diaspora must begin to rise up to the occasion, as this country is drifting into a Banana Republic, where political rights and civil liberties have become privileges and not inalienable rights.
Pathetically, many a civil liberties organisations that were once vociferous in Nigeria, have now gone under, since May 29, 2015. Needless mentioning names.
It makes no sense for vociferous citizens, including outspoken members of the opposition to be hounded by state actors like common criminals because they criticise the policies and many gaffes of government of the day.
It makes no sense for our courts to grant bail to Nigerian citizens and the government of the day continues to disobey these court orders, thereby incarcerating them, some even without charge(s) or recourse to rule of law.
The cases of former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki; Leader of the Shi’ite Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El- Zakzaky; Biafran agitators- Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawusi, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Bright Chimezie and other Justice advocates illegally detained in different incarceration centres across Nigeria, are still very fresh in our minds.
In a country that prides itself as the “Giant of Africa” and practising the “Largest Democracy in Africa,” a Separatist Agitator like Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, disappeared into thin air, since September 2017, when the Nigerian Military invaded his ancestral home in Umuahia, Abia State, and nobody can give details of his whereabouts till date? Haba! What kind of country are we running?
Nigerians at home and in the diaspora must begin to impress it on these current rulers to begin to emulate African countries like Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mauritius, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa and São Tomé and Príncipe that are qualified as FREE COUNTRIES by Freedom House.
Nigeria is not a Banana Republic! If this rubbish is allowed to continue, then, the United States President Donald Trump may as well be right to have purportedly said that Nigeria is a “Shithole.”
Ikenna Asomba, a journalist and political analyst writes from Lagos. He is the editor of Diplomatic Watch.
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