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Hate Speech: It’s Time To Restructure Nigeria – OPC
The National Coordinator of Oodua Peoples’ Congress, Otunba Gani Adams, says it’s time to restructure Nigeria to curb hate speeches currently being experienced in the country.
Speaking, yesterday, in Lagos, Adams said that hate speeches indicated that all was not well with the country politically.
“With the present hate speeches, it is an indication that all is not well with us politically, and we need to do something fast about it before it degenerates into crisis.
“I have been hearing from the government that there are lots of hate speeches in the country from different groups, even from the political players.
“I believe that under democracy, the government must learn the civil way of addressing such anomaly because of freedom of speech as entrenched in the constitution.
“Also, if anyone says anything that contravenes the law, such an individual is liable to face the full weight of the law but that does not mean government should go overboard,” he said.
Adams said that various groups agitating within the federation are a reflection that injustice was prevailing in the country, adding that only restructuring would help douse the tension.
“We can’t cow people. I am aware of the various interest groups such as Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Arewa youth and other groups.
“With Arewa youth giving October 1 as deadline; I believe that in any society, when injustice prevails, agitations mount for a change. This is what we are experiencing today. This country needs restructuring.
“The only problem we have is that we are not well structured from the time we had our independence; which warranted all these hate speeches flying around.
“In our society, if the right thing is not done, it may bring anarchy; I appeal to the Federal Government, as a matter of urgency, to restructure Nigeria now,” he said.
Adams said that if the country continued without restructuring, many groups will rise to agitate more for their rights.
“This country cannot continue without restructuring because people will express their rights for liberty, and we cannot avoid this. They will continue to agitate.
“If we consider what happened during the military, we will see that we cannot stop agitation from people. We fought the military through agitation and we won.
“At the end, the wish of the people will prevail, so, to reduce all these ugly incidences and to sanitise our society, the government has the responsibility to listen to the people and restructure the country.
“Government must do the wish of the people because democracy is the government of the people, for the people and by the people. We cannot call the people’s bluff,’’ he said.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.