While hailing the release of former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki and Convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, Labour leader, Comrade Issa Aremu has said they must prove their innocence of the charges against them.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) NEC Member, and General Secretary, Textile Union, Kaduna in a statement on Wednesday said the release of Dasuki and Sowore implies that the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami has resumed duties as the chief law officer of the federation.
Aremu who is equally a Member National Institute, Kuru Jos, said, while burden is on all the state security agencies to allow unfettered judicial process, the released detainees must prove their innocence of the charges against them.
According to him, “It is remarkable that the Department of State Services has finally complied with the court orders directing it to release some detainees the notable being the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore and the immediate-past National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
“With this singular move it should be assumed that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has resumed duties as the chief law officer of the Federation.
“Better late than never. Nigeria has achieved much in quantitative terms, with hundreds of elections, thousands of elected officials at Executive and legislative branches. But there is still huge deficit of democratic culture. It is time to have quality control of Nigeria’s democratic process.
“Authoritarianism has manifested itself in Nigeria through long years of military rule marked by absence of debate, patience, accountability, intimidation, disregard of civil rights, and non-chalance about due process, and the rule of law, by both some state and non-state actors alike.
“We must therefore encourage a new Democratic culture that allows for unfettered abiding faith in democratic process. The burden is on all the state security agencies to allow unfettered judicial process while the released detainees must prove their innocence of the charges against them.
“On the whole, 20 years of democracy task all Nigerians to reinvent a new politics of civic responsibility in which all citizens must shoulder in an organized and disciplined way to demand for free and fair elections and above all accountability from elected officials, failing which we should replace them at election year.
“Indeed it is the insufficiency of democracy that denies Nigeria the much need economic and social development. The challenge therefore more democracy, not less.
“The challenge is to deepen democratic process through all inclusive respect for the rule of law, which must start in the new year with the implementation of the new Minimum wage law by both private and public sector employers.” He said.
