By Usman Usman Garba
The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt the unsustainable borrowing trajectory and pay attention to job creation, investing in local industries, and empowering youth.
The call was made by Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, Executive Director, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Monday, at BON Hotels, Nassarawa GRA, Kano.
Dr. Zikirulah lamented how young people are unemployed, underemployed, and hopeless,l as well as the way crime becomes a refuge in the nation rising tide of armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry and cybercrime which is a symptom of systemic neglect and policy failure.
He also described the recent wave of defections by opposition governors and lawmakers to the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections as not a coincidence but a calculated and coordinated assault on the foundational principle of political pluralism which is part of the betrayal of the democratic mandate entrusted to these officials by the people.
“Nigeria’s democratic experiment is under siege. The space for political expression, dissent, and pluralism is shrinking at an alarming rate. Even more disturbing are widespread media allegations suggesting that these defections are being engineered through inducements and bribery.
“The silence of the government in the face of such grave accusations is not neutrality it is complicity. When those in power refuse to speak out against corruption, they become enablers of it,” emphasized Zikirulah
The CHRICED Director has equally expressed his disappointment for the revelations that lawmakers allegedly pay between N1 million and N3 million to present motions and bills in the National Assembly.
He said, “These allegations, which remain unchallenged by the leadership of both chambers, expose a corrosive culture of transactional politics that undermines legislative integrity and erodes public trust in our democratic institutions.”
Dr. Zikirulah has also hinted out that the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume once stated on national television that aides in the Presidential Villa demand bribes before granting access to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the presidency has yet to respond to such serious allegation, further deepening the perception of a government disconnected from the principles of transparency and accountability.
For security purposes, the Director expressed his dismay as Nigerians are living in fear for banditry, terrorism, ritual killings, and communal violence while farmers couldn’t have access to their lands and children couldn’t attend school, and Investors are often fleeing.
CHRICED has therefore urged the federal government to urgently overhaul its security architecture, invest in intelligence gathering, and prioritize the protection of lives over political survival.
“Security is not a privilege it is a constitutional right. A nation that cannot protect its citizens cannot legitimately claim authority.” CHRICED declared .
On behalf of CHRICED, the Director has called on every Nigerian-civil society actors, journalists, faith leaders, traditional rulers, business owners, and ordinary citizens to rise above apathy and fear.
Urging all to reclaim their democracy from the grip of corruption, rebuilding economy on the foundation of productivity and inclusion as well as restoring dignity to every citizen, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, or social status.