By TINA TIMOTHY

Anti-democratic forces are holding Nigeria under grip and the time to rescue the country from its shackles is now, the International College of Democracy and Human Rights Scholars (Inter-College-DRS) has said.

The group, comprising over one hundred erudite academics, international democracy and rights campaigners, religious leaders, lawyers and activists, gave the charge in a statement issued in Enugu on Thursday, July 28, 2022. The statement was signed by Prof Jerry Chidozie Chukwuokolo, High Chief Prof Justice Chidi, Dr. Patrick Mbum, Emeka Umeagbalasi, Rev Dr Ahaz Taye, Comrade Aloysius Emeka Attah, Justus Ijeoma Esquire, Engineer Ikenwoke Nwandu, and Chidimma Udegbunam Esquire.

Inter-College-DRS in the statement commended the two-day solidarity protest by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliates in solidarity with the strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), an action which was caused by government’s failure to honour agreements reached with ASUU since 2009. Inter-College-DRS described the nationwide NLC protest as ‘a welcome beginning of final push by democratic forces to rescue Nigeria and Nigerians from shackles of Nigeria’s anti-democratic forces.”

Part of the statement reads: “The International College of Democracy and Human Rights Scholars, comprising over one hundred erudite academics, int’l democracy and rights campaigners, religious leaders, lawyers and activists; has viewed the two-day solidarity protest by the Leaders of the Nigerian Labor Congress and its affiliates as ‘a welcome development and beginning of final push by democratic forces to rescue Nigeria and Nigerians from shackles of Nigeria’s anti-democratic forces’. The Nigerian Government must be compelled by all democratic forces led by NLC and ASUU to end the protracted industrial action of the country’s academic teachers’ union by adhering strictly to outstanding Memorandum of Understandings and Memorandum of Agreements between the Nigerian Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since 2009 and thereafter. The insensitivity towards the ASUU’s protracted industrial action since 14th February 2022, a period of five months and fourteen days, by the present Government of Nigeria and its Sub-National Components is also a clear confirmation that ‘anti democratic forces have taken over the Government of Nigeria and most, if not all its democratic institutions listed under Section 153 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 as amended.”

In a similar vein, the group has expressed worry that the prolonged and protracted strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has forced University Students into immoralities and crimes.

“The protracted strike action by ASUU, it must be recalled, was embarked upon following the non-implementation or failure by the Government to honor several Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) reached between ASUU and Federal Government and its Sub-National Components since 2009 and thereafter. The protracted strike has also grounded and ruined the academic activities of the country’s tertiary institutions and exposed students to immoralities and crimes including prostitution, cyber crimes, parental disobedience, kidnapping, sexual violence (.i.e. open and captivity rape or sexual harassment), human trafficking, drug trafficking/addiction; armed robbery, cultism, political thuggery, touting and other forms of crimes against persons and properties. The protracted strike action has also brought about intellectual idleness and mental and material poverty and caused serious setbacks and decays in the country’s tertiary education,” the group stated.