PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Nigeria's main opposition party, CSOs reject Buhari's travel ban
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) – Nigeria’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and civil society organisations on Sunday rejected the travel ban on over 50 high-profile Nigerians and said it should be immediately lifted and the order rescinded.
Presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu on Saturday announced that the travel ban is part of the implementation of Presidential Executive Order Number 6.
The unnamed individuals will be banned from travelling outside the country pending the determination of their corruption cases in order to ensure that all assets within a stated minimum value are not dissipated or tampered with.
But the main anti-corruption CSO, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), said that the travel ban order done “without any legal basis and a judicial authorization is clearly arbitrary, repressive and illegal, as it breaches constitutional rights and the country’s international obligations, which protect the rights to freedom of movement, to leave one’s country, to privacy, and to due process of law”.
The organisation said a travel ban by its nature is an interference with the right to leave one’s country. It is neither necessary nor proportionate to prevent dissipation of stolen assets or stop politically exposed persons from tampering with any such assets.
SERAP in a statement signed by its deputy director, Timothy Adewale, said the travel ban would seriously undermine the government’s expressed commitment to combat grand corruption and violate the country’s international human rights obligations.
It said it would play into the hands of high-profile corrupt officials by feeding into the narrative that the fight against corruption is targeted only at political opponents.
“The travel ban and mass surveillance will distract the authorities from taking legitimate action to recover stolen assets, effectively punish high-ranking corrupt officials and portray the government as unwilling to embrace the rule of law in its fight against corruption, thereby making it difficult to obtain the necessary support and cooperation of countries keeping stolen assets.”
SERAP said the travel ban will also strain the government’s relationships with partner countries, on whom it will inevitably rely for vital asset recovery cooperation, undermining the effort to bring them closer.
By alienating these partners, the government could lose access to important information and mutual legal assistance necessary to effectively recover stolen assets and bring corrupt officials to justice, it said.
The PDP said that the action was an attempt by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to foist “a full-blown fascism” on the country.
The opposition party stated that “this draconian step" is clearly targeted at members of the opposition parties, perceived political enemies of President Buhari, well-meaning Nigerians, including members of the business community, religious leaders, former political leaders and traditional rulers, who are perceived to be averse to President Buhari’s re-election bid.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said in Abuja that the order a direct clampdown on democratic order and an overthrow of the rights of citizens as guaranteed by the Constitution,.
The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CUPP), an amalgam of opposition parties, said in a statement by its Spokesperson, Mr Ikenga Ugochinyere, that the President’s action was “the final unveiling of forewarned tyranny".
“The action of the President is nothing but another futile attempt by the Presidency to muscle the opposition and deny them the required funds for the election; but this is coming too late in time as Nigerian electorate is already fully mobilised and ready to punish bad governance with their votes,” it said.
However, the acting National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Yekini Nabena, said the President’s action was in tandem with the dictates of the law as “we don’t know what the opposition PDP is afraid of".
He said the President is acting within his powers, adding: "The war against corruption is real and only those who have something to hide are afraid. As a party, we support Mr. President in the war against corruption.”
-0- PANA MON/MA 14 Oct2018
Presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu on Saturday announced that the travel ban is part of the implementation of Presidential Executive Order Number 6.
The unnamed individuals will be banned from travelling outside the country pending the determination of their corruption cases in order to ensure that all assets within a stated minimum value are not dissipated or tampered with.
But the main anti-corruption CSO, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), said that the travel ban order done “without any legal basis and a judicial authorization is clearly arbitrary, repressive and illegal, as it breaches constitutional rights and the country’s international obligations, which protect the rights to freedom of movement, to leave one’s country, to privacy, and to due process of law”.
The organisation said a travel ban by its nature is an interference with the right to leave one’s country. It is neither necessary nor proportionate to prevent dissipation of stolen assets or stop politically exposed persons from tampering with any such assets.
SERAP in a statement signed by its deputy director, Timothy Adewale, said the travel ban would seriously undermine the government’s expressed commitment to combat grand corruption and violate the country’s international human rights obligations.
It said it would play into the hands of high-profile corrupt officials by feeding into the narrative that the fight against corruption is targeted only at political opponents.
“The travel ban and mass surveillance will distract the authorities from taking legitimate action to recover stolen assets, effectively punish high-ranking corrupt officials and portray the government as unwilling to embrace the rule of law in its fight against corruption, thereby making it difficult to obtain the necessary support and cooperation of countries keeping stolen assets.”
SERAP said the travel ban will also strain the government’s relationships with partner countries, on whom it will inevitably rely for vital asset recovery cooperation, undermining the effort to bring them closer.
By alienating these partners, the government could lose access to important information and mutual legal assistance necessary to effectively recover stolen assets and bring corrupt officials to justice, it said.
The PDP said that the action was an attempt by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to foist “a full-blown fascism” on the country.
The opposition party stated that “this draconian step" is clearly targeted at members of the opposition parties, perceived political enemies of President Buhari, well-meaning Nigerians, including members of the business community, religious leaders, former political leaders and traditional rulers, who are perceived to be averse to President Buhari’s re-election bid.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said in Abuja that the order a direct clampdown on democratic order and an overthrow of the rights of citizens as guaranteed by the Constitution,.
The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CUPP), an amalgam of opposition parties, said in a statement by its Spokesperson, Mr Ikenga Ugochinyere, that the President’s action was “the final unveiling of forewarned tyranny".
“The action of the President is nothing but another futile attempt by the Presidency to muscle the opposition and deny them the required funds for the election; but this is coming too late in time as Nigerian electorate is already fully mobilised and ready to punish bad governance with their votes,” it said.
However, the acting National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Yekini Nabena, said the President’s action was in tandem with the dictates of the law as “we don’t know what the opposition PDP is afraid of".
He said the President is acting within his powers, adding: "The war against corruption is real and only those who have something to hide are afraid. As a party, we support Mr. President in the war against corruption.”
-0- PANA MON/MA 14 Oct2018
