The London School of Economics and Political Science, which hosts former Nigerian leader, Olusegun Obasanjo to a public lecture on March 18, has taken the unusual step of banning the public from the event. The target is the planned protest by Nigerians of Obasanjo’s participation. In an update provided on its website this morning, LSE officials acknowledged the protest plans.
The notice, posted at 10a.m., states: “ Due to the planned disruption of this event by protesters as advertised on several websites, LSE under its obligation to uphold the right of free speech has changed the entry requirements for this event so that entry is open only to LSE staff and students and invited guests. LSE regrets the inconvenience this causes to those from outside the School who wanted to attend. Subject to no technical problems with the recording, a podcast will be available for anyone to listen to 2-3 working days after the event.”
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Saharareporters was first to report on 8 March that a group based in London plans a massive protest against Obasanjo because of the atrocities he committed while he was president of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007.
The convener of Liberty Forum, Kayode Ogundamisi, has requested England-based Nigerians, and Nigerians either traveling through London or living elsewhere but are willing to participate in the protest, to send text messages to 07951402986 or to signify their availability on that day to him by e-mail at: [email protected].
Later today, Mr. Ogundamisi expressed dismay at the panicky measures taken by authorities of the LSE to guarantee an African despot freedom of speech by disinviting members of the public who plan a peaceful protest of Obasanjo’s actions in office, some of them being direct victims of the pseudo-democrat’s disastrous reign in Nigeria. The group’s leader promised that intense mobilization would continue in the hope of being able to exercise the group’s fundamental freedoms to protest against the presence and participation of a despicable individual at the famous institution.
Mr. Ogundamisi urged the LSE to show tolerance for opposition by letting members of the public participate in the event. He, however, promised that should the LSE refuse the protesters entry, they will reach out to rights conscious students of the institution to engage the dictator inside the venue while the group would picket the LSE at the perimeters of the campus as allowed by law.
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The Liberty Forum and other groups are concerned that the international community, led by such institutions as the United Nations and the LSE, has embarked on a subterranean scheme to help Obasanjo rehabilitate his unearned image as a statesman. Recently, the UN appointed Obasanjo Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The DRC is the subject of the event at LSE, under the title, “Eastern DRC: what should the international community be doing?”
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