The Director-General, International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS), Dr. Tony Ofoyetan, has said, government and security agencies cannot stop citizens from exercising their fundamental human rights, stressing further, that protest is a sign of exercising grievance on bad governance, and reiterated the need for people oriented policies, not world bank policies. The DG who was engaged on a telephone interview yesterday also advised security agents to be professional in their work while engaging protesters if eventually the national protest holds. Mark Orgu, reports.
Excerpts
Is this national protest necessary, looking at the security implications
People have the right to express their own displeasure, and it is not a national threat, it would only become a national threat to security if they are not allowed to express themselves and given the opportunity, that alone will cause violence.
So, for issue like this that has to do with civil protest, it is the responsibility of the police to coordinate and provide security in such a manner that protesters are not going to bear all the risks that they are planning, and , most importantly, miscreants should not be allowed to join the protest-that is the way it should be done. The police should coordinate them in such a manner that they do not vent to the point of going to attack any national physical infrastructure and also hoodlums should be prevented. It is the responsibility of the police in this regard.
What about unforeseen circumstance of uprising
You can never say you are afraid that they might be breakdown of law and order, therefore, citizens should not protest , and you keep doing that all the time. It would get to the extent that citizens won’t bear the denial again and what the government is avoiding is what they will go for straight. My advise is, security men and women should be professional in managing any protest.
Previous protests have always resulted to serious violence. Aren’t you worried that we might have the Kenyan’s experience if citizens should go ahead, looking at the character of security men towards protests.
When you hear violence in protest, the question should be, what led to that violent? If people are gathered and the only thing they do is to carry placards and speaking big English; all you need to do is to be at their back and ensure that people that are coming in and out are those that are not injurious-that’s all. But what do you see in most cases, you will see law enforcement agents coming there with teargas even with live ammunitions at times, shooting to the air with stray bullets and before you know what is happening or in the process of protesters running for their dear lives, anger will crop up, people will begin to destroy things , and it will no longer be protest, it will be rebellion. So, it is the responsibility of the security officers to ensure that they don’t go to the extent of creating unnecessary chaos among them. If they create that chaos among them that is eventually what will happen. Let them say whatever they want to say and go to their respective homes. The Endsars you are talked about, it started peacefully, it was perfectly organized until the security agents came in an attempt to dispatch them, it ended up in calamity.
Looking at the way security is in the country, do you think it is necessary to go on with this kind of protest?
There is the difference between security and the physiological needs of the people. The police will not want citizens to go on with the protest but the question is, am I going to give them money to feed themselves or am I going to attend to their physiological need? The best solution is for government to look inward and educate people about oriented policies and not world bank oriented policies. Once that is done, I am sure that there will be no issue of protest but I also believe that the protest might not hold.
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