CDWR CONDEMNS THE BAN ON TWITTER BY THE BUHARI-LED REGIME FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS MUST BE RESPECTED

CALL A 24 HOUR GENERAL STRIKE TO KICK START CAMPAIGN TO DEFEND DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS AND LIVING STANDARDS

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) condemns in strong terms the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria by Muhammadu Buhari-led regime. We also condemn the government’s order to arrest and prosecute Nigerians who use Twitter after the ban. The action undermines free speech and democratic rights in Nigeria. The ban will also negatively affect small businesses and jobs that depend on Twitter to transact business and for jobs.

We observe the dangerous degeneration of the Buhari-led government into a full-blown Police State reminiscent of a dictatorial military regime. The Buhari-led government has repeatedly harassed and attacked activists, journalists, media houses etc. Most Nigerians are under economic, social and political siege! Activists have been arrested, detained and attacked for protesting unfair and anti-people policies. We witnessed how the Buhari regime and the military brutally attacked and suppressed the ENDSARS protest leaving deaths, sorrows and blood.

These attacks are the typical Buhari regime’s responses to agitation against its anti-people policies and obvious failure to resolve any of the problems bedevilling the country including insecurity, the rising cost of living, ailing economy, factory closures amid rise in exchange rate, mass job losses, lack of basic infrastructure and nationality question. Buhari regime’s agenda is to hold the working people down in subjugation and slavery to allow a few privileged self-serving bourgeois elite to continue the loot and exploitation unchallenged.

The CDWR demands the reinstatement of Twitter and respect for freedom of speech and democratic rights. We also demand an end to all forms of attacks currently going on including the release of all detained activists and protesters and compensation to all victims of brutality of the Police/Military.

In the same vein, we are also critical of big media, including the big tech, which are in the hands of tiny oligarchy, business moguls and capitalist states across the world. They are as well used to undermine the interest of the working masses and the poor. So, CDWR calls for democratic control of the big media by the working people. This will make it possible for the media to serve the interest of all.

We call on Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to end their strategic alliance with the self-serving capitalist ruling elite and government and instead seriously mobilize the working people and the poor against all anti-poor policies, attacks on democratic rights and failure over the insecurity by the Buhari government. We have consistently proposed the launch of sustained mass action with, as a first step, a one-day warning general strike to kick start a campaign to defend democratic rights and living standards, linking to building a socialist movement that can end the capitalist system with is plunging Nigeria and Nigerians into an abyss.

Comrade Rufus Olusesan

National Chairperson

Comrade Chinedu Bosah

National Publicity Secretary

E-mail: [email protected]