In praise of CDHR

Special appreciation to my dear brother Comrade Barrister Malachy Ugwummadu and other national officers of Committee for the Defence of Human rights (CDHR) for the extended invitation as the Guest Speaker at the organization’s 2017 National Conference in Kaduna at the weekend.

When the going was tough in Nigeria in late 80s and early 90s under the military dictatorship, only the tough comrades stood to be counted on the side of the oppressed and persecuted. The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) was formed in April, 1989 by scores of small professionals, friends and associates who felt concerned about the detention of the trade unionist, Mr. Femi Aborishade.

Aborishade was one time the Head of Education department of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC). He was unjustly incarcerated in 1989 by the Military Government under the obnoxious State Security (Preventive Detention) Decree No. 2 of 1984 for daring to demand for democratization. The nascent concerned group, known as the “Free Femi Aborishade Committee” vigorously campaigned for the release of Mr Aborishade from custody.

The Committee eventually transformed nationally to defend the rights of many Nigerians whose rights were randomly violated by the then rampaging military regimes under obnoxious military decrees. Almost 20 years after uninterrupted civil rule, it’s time we recognized the historic role of progressive organizations like CDHR in fighting for democracy we now take for granted.

I bear witness that for almost 30 years CDHR has emerged as a strong African institution of strong men and women with conscience who at the risks of persecutions challenged military and civilian dictators and stood to defend , sustain and promote fundamental human rights of all Africans as guaranteed in the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. I was the Deputy Chairman of the 2014 National Conference sub-Committee on Labour, Civil Society and Sports. Civil society made up of trade unions and human rights organizations such as CDHR matters if we must sustain our democracy and enthrone good governance.

Trade unions, students’ movements and varying forms of civil society have been at the fore front of the struggle against colonialism, for democracy and development dating back to early 19th century. Indeed Nigeria parades robust trade union movements, vibrant civil society organizations as well as students’ movements with varying characteristics of a pluralist society that Nigeria is.

Nigeria has undoubtedly made much progress in democratic process, with serial national, state and local government elections including internal parties’ democratic elections. However this democracy needs urgent quality control. It must deliver the promises of re-industrialization, provision of water, light, roads and security. Only vibrant civil society groups such as CDHR and trade unions could serve as a check on the political class over non- service delivery. Nobody should weaken the civil society through another regulation overload. On the contrary the legislators must strengthen civil society through enhanced capacity building for civil society to serve as a check on bad governance.

Reinventing civil society means building internal democracy in civil society organizations and creating governance structures that facilitate accountability. Civil society groups can only give what they themselves must have; accountability and internal democracy. With regular annual national conferences, elections and mass participation of members drawn from over 40 branches all over the Federation, CDHR approximates a dynamic and progressive organization. The theme of the Kaduna Conference: Human Rights Issues in Restructured Democracy was apt. The 1999 constitution with all its limitations has robust human rights clauses. Nigeria has ratified scores of international conventions on human, workers’ and women rights. However, Nigerians’ constitutional rights were being implemented more in the breach than compliance. One fundamental human right under attack in Nigeria is the right to life. The constitution states every person has a right to life and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offense of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria. With widespread extrajudicial killings, armed robberies and kidnappings, sadly it is a sad commentary to say animals tend to have right to life than humans. It is a paradox that with a serving President, Vice President, the ministers and governors, local governments chairmen, including community chiefs as well as security agencies, Nigeria lacked governance with respect to security of lives and properties as contained in 1999 constitution.

Last week, addressing the monthly meeting of senior police officer, Commissioner of Police and above, InspectorGeneral of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, decried the kidnapping of the Divisional Police Officer attached to the Sarkin Pawa Police Division in Munya local government area of Niger state, Amos Ali, his orderly and four others, on October 16. He said, kidnapping of police officers was an “embarrassment” to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). And that’s where the problem lies. Is it when police officials are occasionally kidnapped or when Nigerians are hourly robbed and kidnapped that was embarrassing? The IGP should be reminded that he presides over Nigeria Police Force (NPF) not Police Police Force (PPF). His mandate is to protect all Nigerians not just the President, the governors and legislators or the Police. It was time there were consequences for those elected and appointed to protect Nigerians in the case of any security system failures. The motto of NPF reads “Police is your friend”.

The IGP and Nigeria Police must be alarmed that his “friends”, (who are 180million Nigerians) are increasingly unsecured. Governors who cannot protect lives and properties ought to resign just as commissioners of Police who watch while robbers and kidnapers reign should be sent out of the Force. Conversely we must promote and motivate security workforce who deliver security service.