A human rights advocate, Barrister Higher King, has said that the people of Nigeria should have new Nigeria with ongoing protests in the country.
Speaking in an interview, Barrister King said that reforms needed in the country could come by force or peaceful means.
He said that things were degenerating and that reforms would be needed after sixty years of the country’s independence from Britain.
The human rights advocate said: “I think it’s good (for Nigerians to have a new Nigeria and) not this kind of Nigeria we are talking about… because it’s degenerating. No improvement …we are not young at sixty. Nigeria is not young at sixty”.
He said that progress made in the country in the past had diminished saying that no aspect of life in the country has improved.
The human rights advocate said that while he would not call for revolution as done in other countries, Nigerians should be willing to talk about the future of the country.
He said the country would need to deal with the issue of ethnicity in the bid to solve the problem of disunity in the country.
Barrister King said: “We are not united. We are divided at all front(s). We are divided everywhere. Let them not pretend (and) sweep anything under the carpet”.
He said what would save the country was for people to wake up to the reality of the need for reform and do what should be done for the country.
He also said that the ongoing protests were as a result of “bottled-up emotions” over the dishonesty, brutality, cheating and indiscipline of the police over the years.
He said there had been oppression on civilian population in the country by the police and said that although he supports the call to reform the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), he would not support calls to end the existence of the police special unit.
Barrister King said the existence of a police special unit would be needed to tackle armed robbery in the country.
He also admitted that over fifty per cent of SARS operatives had been brutal and called for reforms in the police special unit.
He also said that he was with young men and women asking for reforms all over the country and said although the government has granted some of their demands, there should be more reforms in the country.
He was however uncertain whether the alleged police brutality was reflection of bad governance in the country, but said it was inherited from the British.
He said that the ruling class had tendency to suppress opposition members and appealed to the country’s military not to interfere with the ongoing protests so as not to escalate the situation.
