Nigeria’s democratic deficit grew wider in 2012 as nervous leadership under President Goodluck Jonathan moved to weaken the elements of democratic governance that pose the most serious threats to repressive and corrupt rule: independent civil society groups, a free press, and the rule of law, Freedom House said in its latest report released Thursday.
The annual report by the US-based non-governmental organization found 90 countries now enjoyed full freedom, up from 87 nations in 2011, but 27 countries placed saw new restrictions on the rights of assembly, expression, and the media. The Freedom House Annual Survey employs a Civil Liberties checklist to help monitor the progress and decline of human rights worldwide. Each country is rated on a seven-category scale, 1 representing the most free and 7 the least free.
Nigeria declined four places from 2012, scoring 4 on seven and was ranked 89th out of the 150 countries surveyed in the report. It is rated “partly free”. Nigeria’s decline can be attributed in large part to worsening conditions in the north, where the militant Islamist group Boko Haram waged a campaign of terror targeting government personnel and Christians, drawing a harsh and at times disproportionate response from the security forces. The conflict in the north narrowed the space for civil society and limited the population’s freedom of movement. Nigeria’s score also declined due to continued, unchecked corruption and the suppression of civil society during fuel-subsidy protests in January.
“Nigeria, another country plagued by Islamist militants, suffered a less dramatic decline but received a downward trend arrow due to continued rampant corruption, the suppression of civil society during fuel-subsidy protests as well as restrictions on its activity in the north, and limitations on freedom of movement as a result of violence associated with the militant group Boko Haram,” the report noted.
Freedom House was categorical that “Nigeria is not an electoral democracy” because “…since the return of civilian rule in 1999, elections have by and large been chaotic affairs often marked by vote-rigging and violence. This has been particularly the case in the Niger Delta, where many prominent politicians reportedly sponsor criminal gangs to target opponents.”
The report also indicted the Jonathan administration for failing to tackle the pervasive corruption in the country. “Corruption remains pervasive, with government efforts to improve transparency and reduce graft proving cosmetic in nature… It is estimated that nearly $400 billion in oil revenue has been stolen or squandered since independence” According to the report, corruption is a way of life in Nigeria. “Security forces commit abuses with near impunity, and corruption pervades their ranks. A report issued by Nigerian and US watchdog groups noted that police kill, torture, and rape suspects to force confessions and extort bribes. Police officers who routinely abuse their power are often supported by a chain of command that encourages and institutionalizes graft.”
The report quoted the London-based human rights group, Amnesty International (AI) as accusing Nigerian military forces currently deployed to quell the terrorist activities of Boko Haram in the northern parts of the country of randomly targeting unarmed civilians. “Extrajudicial killings of prisoners have been reported, and torture and general ill-treatment of suspects are widespread,” said the report.
Since President Goodluck Jonathan’s inauguration, the report noted that Nigeria has suffered a series of high-profile attacks by the extremist Boko Haram sect, prompting a brutal crackdown by the security forces, adding that the Jonathan administration is burdened by factionalism, corruption, and communal polarization.
The findings for Freedom in the World 2013 reflect a complex picture for the state of global freedom. On one hand, the number of countries ranked in the “Free” category increased to 90, an impressive share of the world’s 195 sovereign states. At the same time, more countries, 27, suffered significant setbacks in their freedom indicators than showed notable gains, 16; marking the seventh consecutive year in which declines outnumbered improvements.
