The Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly,NEYGA, has criticised the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, for describing as “a travesty” Tuesday’s judgement of an FCT High Court awarding N100 million in damages against the NGO.
In addition to the N100 million, the court ordered SERAP to publish apologies in two national newspapers and two television stations to the two Department of State Services operatives defamed by the NGO.
Shortly after the court rose, SERAP issued a statement dismissing the judgement as a “travesty,” a “blow to civic space in Nigeria,” and “a troubling pattern under the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of using defamation laws to punish legitimate criticism and suppress accountability.”
In a statement issued Wednesday in Kaduna, NEGYA described SERAP’s comments as “deeply troubling and irresponsible for a group that purports to promote socio-economic rights and accountability.”
Said NEGYA: “We are saddened by the deeply troubling and irresponsible outburst by SERAP in the wake of the Tuesday judgement by an FCT high court. Shocking is SERAP’s attempt to link the judgement to an attempt to gag free speech” in a statement issued by NEYGA’s spokesperson, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan-Musa.
The statement reads further:
“On the surface, SERAP pretends to live by its name- promoting socio-economic rights and accountability. Deep down, however, it would seem that SERAP would rather every other person or group, but itself, be held accountable.
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“Isn’t it hypocritical for SERAP to be hailing the exparte order granted by a Federal High Court against the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission but thumps the judgement of a court of coordinate jurisdiction as ‘a travesty?
“To be sure, the socio-economic rights SERAP purports to promote is not the exclusive preserve of the NGO, or of any person or group of persons. That point was clearly made by Justice Halilu Yusuf. In his judgement, the learned judge stated that SERAP cannot seek to hold others accountable and yet not want to subject itself to the scrutiny of accountability when it defames innocent citizens.
“It is disappointing that SERAP that has over 30 pending court cases against agencies of the Nigerian government, would describe the judgement of a high court as a “travesty ” simply because it didn’t go its way.
“NEYGA advises SERAP to tow the path of civility which, surprisingly, the two DSS officers towed. In times past, the DSS and their officers would have resorted to self-help. This is the first time in Nigerian history that security personnel who felt hurt by the actions of others approached a court for remedy.
“That SERAP, which still has the window of appeal in this matter up to the Supreme Court, can afford to call the judgement of a high court a ‘travesty,’ goes to show how toxic and intolerant the NGO is.
“Finally, we commend the DSS Director General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, for offering both operatives the golden opportunity to take the matter to court. The DSS leadership has proven that individuals have a right to protect themselves
“This noble action by the DSS leadership, not only has helped enrich our jurisprudence, but would help other security agencies realize that they, like other Nigerians, have rights which nobody can breach without consequences”.
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