A civil society organisation, Centre for Social and Economic Rights, have condemned the actions of the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, denouncing his mobilisation of opposition political figures from the southeastern region of Nigeria to Lagos state to protest the enforcement of its physical planning laws at Lagos Trade Fair Complex.
The Lagos State Government had earlier carried out an enforcement law against illegal structures erected against the state’s physical planning laws.
Obi, who had earlier led a delegation of opposition leaders to the market to assess the scene of the enforcement, condemned the demolition, insisting that traders secured necessary permits.
However, in a statement signed by the organisation’s executive director, Nelson Ekujumi, made available to TVC on Wednesday, he described his actions as a “reckless, irresponsible, crude, lawless, condemnable and provocative politicisation of the Lagos State government’s enforcement of building laws in the state.
The statement reads, “The Centre for Social and Economic Rights (CSER) also used the occasion of Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary celebration to lambast the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, for his reckless, irresponsible, crude, lawless, condemnable and provocative politicisation of the Lagos State government’s enforcement of building laws in the state.
“According to the group, Mr Peter Obi has once again demonstrated by his utterances while on a visit with some other persons to the demolished illegal structures at the trade fair complex on the Lagos Badagry expressway, that he is a man at war with a society built and sustained by law and order”
The group noted that the Lagos State government, just like any other government in any part of the world, has a responsibility to uphold law and order to protect life and property, which is its primary responsibility.
It said, “We were shocked and dumbfounded by Mr Peter Obi’s description of a state government’s enforcement of the laws in line with its statutory function as ‘A test of impunity, justice and compassion’, which is regrettable.
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