- talks tough on Rights protection
By Olanrewaju Adesanya
In commemoration of the ‘World Human Rights Day’, Rights advocates, prominent personalities have urged Nigerians not to be docile concerning the protection of their inalienable rights.
The lead speaker Comrade Debo Adeniran the President of Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and Chairman Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) and
Chief (Engr.) Martins Onovo and leaders of Gani Fawehinmi Organization (GAFORG) made this assertion on Friday at a forum in Lagos.
Comrade Adeniran and Engineer Onovo who spoke to the universal theme and sub theme of the 2025 celebration – “Human Rights our everyday essentials: Nigeria insecurity challenges and the political will of the present government to address it holistically”, take out time to conscientize the participants on the way forward.
Adeniran substantiated the fact that, “No rights is absolute but fundamental human rights is God given. Our rights gets jeopardized if we fail to educate the populace.
“People should understand they have inalienable rights, that is fundamental, something nobody can take away from them.
“They should be ready to defend those rights, even with their lives too, because if you cannot defend your rights it means that you have subjugated your humanity under the dictates of somebody else.
“It is a daily and every minute essential, you have to assert your rights.
“Some of the rights are justiciable while some are not. But we are appealing that the non-justiciable ones under section 2 of the constitution, be made justiciable.
“People should have rights to food and the socials like education, shelter, healthcare, government should be held responsible for it because the purpose of government is to ensure security and welfare of the people.”
He also spoke to the nuances of human rights protection, while giving members copious counsel on the modus operandi of rights advocates.
Onovo who spoke to the sub theme that addressed Nigeria insecurity, affirmed that lack of the political will to tackle insecurity head-long has bedeviled the nation for so long a time.
Onovo said, “If we don’t have the right diagnosis we can’t have the right answer, my diagnosis is that the ruling party from the confession of Kawu Baraje is involved this is not only my opinion, if you listened to somebody like General Danjuma who commanded the Nigerian Army at one point in time, he was also very clear that the Armed Forces are not neutral.
“It is purely lack of political will on the part of the leadership.
“If I am corrupt and you asked me to fight my corruption, what do you expect? I am going to find myself, guiltless.
“If I am the sponsor of terrorism and you expect me to fight it, that will be a futile exercise.
“Look at what we did in Benin Republic, we know the capability of our forces if the will is there.
Onovo also touched on the intended commencement of implementation of the new tax law, citing the extortion tendencies there in.
“I will not call it a tax law, it is an extortion law and it is not going to be tolerated by Nigerians.
“I expect that they know that but if they don’t they will realize it.
“We will not tolerate it, it is extortion, who do you want to tax?
“Unemployed, under employed or who are you going to tax? Ordinary poor people no, we clearly had the personal income tax, the Corporate Income Tax Law CITAL… that is sufficient.
“This is direct extortion, going into people’s account to take their monies and you call it tax.
“The same way we call extortion subsidy that is why you don’t tolerate the first deviation, because when you tolerate the first deviation you have set a precedent.
“So that is not a tax law, it is an extortion law and for people like me it is a joke and when they start it they will see the people’s resistance.
“It is all about a personal and private interest, national interest doesn’t count for anything.
“CBN is shouting concerning withdrawals, because people are rushing to take their money, Is it CBN money? It is thoughtless, you are causing problem in the economy this is wrong, unacceptable and intolerable.” Onovo said.
GAFORG’s President Comrade Solomon Bankole who also moderated the forum in his welcome address, hinted that the group’s resolve is to take up public litigation on issues bothering on rights violations.
According to Bankole overtime yet to be convicted suspects are being paraded and forced to carry indicting placards, not minding if they get acquitted at the end of the day, as the already spoilt image can’t be remedied.
He also condemned the act of seizing phones of arrested individuals at the Police stations as illegal.
GAFORG Public Relation Officer Advocate Akintunde Adedeji was quick to add the significance of the day, “it is a continuation of the legacies of late Chief Gani Fawehinmi to guarantee and protect the rights of Nigerians not minding your affiliations or inclinations.
“Nigerians are not enjoying the rights as enshrined in the 1999 constitution, as amended because some of these rights are been infringed and trampled upon by our state actors.
“We are sounding it so loud and clear to the people at the helms of affair-government, that they should allow the people to breathe and enjoy all this inalienable rights enshrined in the constitution.”
