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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education has declared that the country has absolutely nothing to celebrate, owing to the spate of insecurity and economic hardship.
The Centre warned that the country was sliding deeper into political decay, economic collapse and social disintegration.
Its executive director, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, described Nigeria as a country haemorrhaging politically, economically and socially; where promises of democracy, prosperity and justice have given way to repression, poverty and fear.
According to him, after independence, the hope of the nation’s founding fathers for unity, dignity and progress has given way to frustration.
He said barely two years into President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the political class has abandoned governance for early electioneering, with ministers and governors focusing on campaign rallies rather than tackling widespread hardship and insecurity.
He faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its disturbing silence as politicians violated the Electoral Act.
Also, he accused the judiciary of being compromised by corruption, political interference and chronic inefficiency, adding that public confidence, once anchored on the courts as the last hope of the common man, is now eroding fast.
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He said: “While the government propagandists spin tales of reform, stability and progress, the reality for millions is one of repression, poverty and fear. Sixty five years after independence, the hope of Nigeria’s founding fathers for unity, prosperity and dignity has given way to frustration, as anniversaries now remind citizens of unfulfilled promises and a nation still struggling to define its destiny.
“The dream of democracy, prosperity and justice is being eclipsed by a rising tide of impunity and neglect. Institutions meant to protect and serve the people have fallen silent, paralysed by complicity or captured by power. This silence is not peace. It is abandonment. It is betrayal. The time for passive hope has passed. The time for courageous, collective action is now.”
On the economy, Zikirullahi lamented that the country is in crisis, saying that inflation stands at 20.4 percent, Naira trades at N1,501.45 to the dollar, youth unemployment exceeds 40 percent and more than 130 million people live in multidimensional poverty.
He warned that journalists, activists and opposition voices face unprecedented harassment, saying that over 70 cases of media intimidation were recorded in 2024 alone, while peaceful protesters during the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations were met with deadly force.
He cited the ongoing prosecution of activist Omoyele Sowore and punitive restrictions on civil society organisations as part of a wider effort to silence dissent.
He called for urgent reforms, including electoral law enforcement, judicial independence, anti-corruption investigations without sacred cows, investment in health and education, creation of Abuja State for indigenous peoples, and full implementation of the Oronsaye report to cut governance costs.
“Nigeria stands at a precipice. The choices we make today will determine whether we descend into chaos or rise to reclaim our democracy and dignity.
“Democracy is not a luxury, it is a lifeline. When it dies, tyranny thrives. Let us rise not in anger, but in resolve. Let us demand accountability, justice and inclusion. The future of our nation depends not on the courage of a few, but on the conscience of us all,” he said.
