Deployment of soldiers undemocratic, provocative – Lagos House

The Lagos state House of Assembly has described as provocative and undemocratic the decision of the Federal Government to deploy soldiers on the streets of the state in a bid to prevent protests over the withdrawal of subsidy on petrol.

The House took the position on Tuesday at a press conference.

Speaking through the House spokesman, Hon. Segun Olulade, the lawmakers said: :We want to condemn in strong terms the present occupation of different parts of Lagos by military personnel to disrupt a largely peaceful protest by law abiding citizens of Lagos.

“We view this action on the part of the President as provocative and undemocratic, particularly in a democratic dispensation.

“This House of Assembly believes this unilateral action from the Federal Government is a call to anarchy and destruction of public peace that lacks any trait of civility and considered as an aggression against the peace loving people of Lagos.”

Also present at the press conference were other lawmakers including the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo; Majority Leader, Hon. Ajibayo  Adeyeye; and Deputy Whip, Hon. Rotimi Abiru.

Olulade described the deployment of soldiers as being reminiscent of the “sad period of the reign of the military junta in Nigeria,” which must be erased completely in the life of the country.

He therefore called on President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently withdraw the military from the streets of Lagos.

Attesting to the fact that the protest in Lagos was largely peaceful and civil, Olulade said: “It is not out of place for Nigerians to protest and react to issues.

“But this must be observed in relation to the provision of the law, which was hitherto adhered to throughout the period of the protest.

“Indeed, the people have the right to protest and react to issues, especially to policies that have economic interpretation, just like the increment in the pump price of petrol.”

He added that protesting is an expression of the fundamental human rights of Nigerian as entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The House also sympathised with the relations of those who lost their lives during the protest.