Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has called on the federal government to expand the whistle blower policy for the anti-corruption war, to arms proliferation, in the bid to stop the rate of killings in various parts of the country.
He however harped on the need to ensure that fundamental human rights are upheld in the implementation of the policy.
Ekweremadu who spoke when he received a delegation of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on a courtesy visit yesterday, expressed worry at the rate of insecurity in the country, which he noted would continue, if illicit arms are not mopped up.
“We just considered the report of the Senate Committee that investigated conflicts in many parts of Nigeria, especially the killings in Southern Kaduna. We asked the committee to go back and do more work because the matter is such a very serious one. I also made it clear that it is important that just as we have addressed the issues of money laundering and corruption with the whistle-blower policy, it is time for us to bring that to bear on the issue of arms proliferation in the country,” he said.
“People keep arms all over the place and some people know where they are. It is time that those who know where these arms are, to be able to blow the whistle on them so that the security agencies will be able to go after them and ensure that they are seized and destroyed. So long as we have arms all over the place, the killings will continue” Ekweremadu added.
Deploying the whistle blower policy should however not be used to abuse citizens’ rights to privacy, Ekweremadu warned adding that invasion of privacy without concrete evidence and due process is unacceptable.
He lamented that magistrate courts allegedly collude with security agencies to invade citizens’ homes with some spurious warrants, a development which takes the country back to the dark ages.
Commending HURIWA for its consistency in championing the rights of Nigerians, Ekweremadu added that legitimate steps must be taken to preserve human rights as well as uphold constitutionalism and rule of law.
The National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, lauded the efforts of the Senate at promoting democratic values, and defending the separation of powers.
He noted that the recent amendment to the Electoral Act, with approval for electronic voting, would strengthen the country’s democratic processes.
