MY mind raced back 34 years as I stood on Saturday in the assembly of human rights defenders who had gathered in Ilorin. Back in 1989, some of us had the choice either to surrender or confront the rampaging Generals who had seized both power and the national treasury and were ruling Nigerians as they would: a conquered people.
We were unapologetic that what we wanted changed, was the political system. It was a purely voluntary organisation and many made lots of sacrifices like Femi Ojudu who helped build the secretariat at Imaria Street under the leadership of Ransome-Kuti; Femi Falana whose chambers handled civil rights cases, especially those involving students, pro bono; and Sam Omatseye who helped build the Lagos branch.
In what became the Pro-Democracy Protests and Struggles, CDHR members were quite active with Ransome-Kuti leading the charge. In Lagos, for instance, most sectors into which the mega city was sub-divided for action, were led by CDHR leaders: Femi Falana in charge of Ikeja, Debo Adeniran in the Ogba-Fagba axis, Shina Loremikan taking charge of Ipaja and Sylvester Odion-Akhaine, sent to Lagos Island.
I told the assembly this October 28, 2023 that I salute all who fought against military dictatorship and particularly remember those who lost their lives like the 118 killed in Lagos on July 6, 1993 following the massacre by the military.I asserted that human rights emanate from natural rights, the most fundamental being the right to life. I posited that life is irreplaceable and once taken, cannot be restored; once it snaps, it cannot be retied.
Dr Obayuwana, outgoing CDHR President and former Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, said Nigerians being hungry is a violation of citizen rights, adding: “An attack on our conditions of living, is an attack on our human rights.” He said the ever-rising inflation and Naira devaluation have drastically shot up the prices of drugs leading to needless deaths in the country.
Aremu said labour and the human rights movement should be actively involved in partisan politics like Imoudu was from colonial times. He added that without political power, all struggles will come to naught and urged that a struggle be waged to make the fundamental principles of the Constitution justiciable.