CDHR Elects New Executives, condemns falling standard of justice delivery, Vows To Defend Democracy And Human Rights

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, has elected fresh executives to run the affairs of the human rights group.

The group, between Friday, October 27 to Sunday, October 29, 2023, gathered at Pa Imoudu Hall, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin, Kwara State, for its Annual General Conference, AGC.

The conference, under the leadership of Comrade (Dr.) Osagie Obayuwana, which had delegates from State branches across the country also had partners, collaborators associates, friends and observers from the Nigeria Labour Congress, Kwara State branch, Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), as well as the media.

In considering the realities of the state of Nigeria, speakers at the event which included the guest speaker, Comrade Owei Lakemfa, guest of honour, Comrade Issa Aremu and

Comrade Malachy

Ugwummadu, immediate past President who stood in for the Chairman of the Board of

Trustees, Femi Falana SAN, unanimously affirmed that “Rights of Nigerians have continually been abused and threatened to be further abused.”

Among other things, the group noted that the “Economic and Social Rights of Nigerians have been the most threatened and abused rights,

especially with the rising incidences of economic deprivation, economic exclusion, suffocating hardship, worsening exchange rate regime, declining value of the Naira. ”

The argued that “An attack on our standard of living is an attack on our Human Rights; thus, Cost of Living

Adjustment (COLA) must be realistic and acceptable. Nigerian workers are constrained and denied their rights to adequate, fair and regular

Wages. Worse still, workers are suffering from non-payment or negotiated fraction of

Salaries, ” the group said.

Further, CDHR lamented that

“The struggles, legacies, principles of integrity and commitments of late Pa Michael Imoudu,

(Labour Leader No. 1) should be consciously emulated by Nigerians and all leaders.

They noted that “Fight against corruption has been lopsided and delegates perceived that corruption is directly responsible for the high level of hardships, deprivations and poverty plaguing the mass of Nigerians across the country. ”

In like manner, delegates fully agreed that corruption must be

fought, and more so with perceivable transparency and menace of avoidable killings and community displacements persists, adding that there has been double

standards by state actors, including security agencies, especially due to the worsening level of

insecurity in the country and the self-centred approach of security agents.

As a remedy, the gathering, under the theme “Our Rights: Non Negotiable” stated that the group must rise up to its responsibilities by addressing the prevailing menace in the system.

“There is crucial need for strong, focused and committed Human Rights Organisations to stand

in defence of the Rights of citizens and to promote coalitions to build a strong resistance to all

forms of human rights abuses, ” they demanded.

Arising from that, delegates at the AGC further resolved as that:

1. We are committed to continue the struggle for the defence of the rights and fundamental

freedoms of Nigerians, especially their Economic and Social Rights.

2. We must prevail on Governments at all levels to prioritize and advance the conditions for

survival, improved welfare and sustainable standard of living as crucial basis for the

consolidation of democracy, peace, security and sustainable development.

3. We strongly condemn all policies and legislations that create and worsen the hardship of

Nigerians and threaten our survival.

4. We condemn the rapidly declining value and falling purchasing power of the Naira.

5. We reject the astronomical increase in the prices of petroleum products under the guise

of petroleum subsidy removal and urge that existing and new refineries should be

refurbished and built to guarantee local production of crude.

6. We condemn the degrading and dehumanising policy of “palliatives” that have reduced

our Citizens to beggarly and helplessly impoverished second class citizens in their country.

7. We condemn the apparent insensitivity to the plights of Nigerians by the Legislators in

National and State Assemblies in their misplaced priorities and condemn the indifference of

the Executive under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Ministers to the economic

hardship of Nigerians.

8. We condemn the Judiciary on the falling standard of justice delivery and for the eroding

confidence of the people and hopelessness in the outcomes of judicial proceedings,

considering the recent damning remarks comments of Sen. Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa

and now My Lord, Hon. Justice Musa Dattijo JSC (rtd) in their valedictory speeches.

9. We condemn the apparent reckless extravagant and exorbitant lifestyle of public office

holders, particularly the expenditure on luxury vehicles by members of the National

Assembly while Nigerians are suffocating under hardship and deprivation.

10. We demand that heads of security formations at all levels of the Police, Military and ParaMilitary institutions must take and indeed be made to take full responsibility for insecurity

and abuse of citizens’ rights in their areas of operation.

11. We strongly condemn any and all forms of double-standard of responses and concern by

security authorities to situations of crisis; all citizens are entitled to protection and adequate

attention to secure and safeguard lives and property.

12. We demand that employers, especially the public sector, including MDAs, must take the

issue of payment of fair and regular wages to workers and pensioners even more

seriously.

We condemn failure to pay workers’ and pensioners their entitlements.

At the end of the election and the AGC, the following Comrades were elected:

Debo Adeniran, President; Olayinka Folarin,Vice President; Kabiru Muhammed Ibrahim,General Secretary; Ejike Nwokoro,

Assistant General Secretary and

Helen Oluwatoyin Akomolafe as

Treasurer.

Other elected executives include

Henry Peter Ekine, Legal Adviser; Afeez Olayinka,Publicity Secretary and J. E. Osaigbovo, Internal Auditor.