The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA ) has canvassed bipartisan and pan- Nigerian support for the newly appointed Director General of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) Mr. Lawal Daura.

HURIWA has also called on the political class both in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the new national ruling party of All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop overheating the polity with meaningless debates on whether the new Secret Police Chief is a card carrying member of any political party or not.

HURIWA has a message for Nigerian politicians: “Please let the DG of DSS carry out his national assignments because Nigeria is at the crossroads in terms of security of lives and property and those saddled with the national duties of protecting lives and property of Nigerians must be insulated from political squabbles and must be supported to carry out their duties without let or hindrance.

“Enough of these market traders kind of brickbats by the two main political parties over the membership or otherwise of the new DG DSS in any political party. The job of national security requires minimal or no distractions or politically orchestrated meaningless verbal exchanges capable of driving a wedge between the diverse configurations of our nation. Nigeria is in a time of delicate balance and only patriotism and multidimensional support base are needed now.”

HURIWA said it has since discovered that indeed the newly appointed Director General of DSS at a time he was accused of being a card carrying member of the then opposition APC and was made a member of the Intelligence subcommittee of the Presidential campaign council he was indeed an independent Nigerian who had left public service and so has the constitutional right to so choose how to associate politically.

The group also asserted that with his new appointment which demands total professional competency and strict patriotism devoid of mundane partisanship the newly appointed director general of DSS who for now is in acting capacity will do the needful to divest himself of all party affiliations to devote his entire working life for the time he will be on board as the head of the Nigeria’s foremost secret police to the pure professional and undiluted patriotic and nationalistic service to the fatherland.

In a statement signed jointly by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA wants the political parties to concentrate their energies and efforts towards nation building through the implementation of the range of capacity building programmes for her registered members on how to contribute constructively towards the socio-economic development of the nation state and the citizenry.

“ Opposition political parties mustn’t just play to the gallery all the time but must churn out concrete economic alternatives and quick win strategies to defeat their opponents in a democratic free and fair contest,” it stated.

The group also said opposition politics is not all about constant negative attacks nor is the fact that a party is in power all about viciously going after members of the leading opposition parties but democracy should and must be based on putting out structures and programs for the collective emancipation of the disadvantaged members of the public and the institutionalisation of social justice, equity and respect for the principle of rule of law.

It recalled that even the nation’s highest court had ruled that there was nothing untoward on every Nigerian belonging to political party in line with the provisions of the Constitution which prescribes freedom of political association which is the reason why even the central body representing Nigerian workers the Nigerian Labour Congress is an institutional member of the registered Labour Party of Nigeria.

HURIWA said there was nothing criminal or immoral if the newly appointed DG of DSS was made in his personal capacity as the then member of the Intelligence subcommittee of the Presidential campaign council of the then Presidential flagbearer of APC, Muhammadu Buhari, provided that he was merely a private citizen called upon to render professional consultancy services to a legally registered political party which was validly and actively seeking the mandate of Nigerians to take over political power nationally.

The group added that the only time anyone can validly raise objection is now if the DG of DSS is seen attending political meetings of any of the registered political parties even in an individual basis so long as he remains the Director General of Department of State Security in Nigeria.

•Photo shows Daura.

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