June 29, 2008
Social Action, a Nigerian civil society organisation on Sunday, June 29 inaugurated The Chima Ubani Centre (for Political Education and Legal Resources) in Port Harcourt. The Centre will organise programmes that aim at restoring alternative education, solidarity building and political actions for citizens' rights activists, students and youth groups, NGOs and other organisations in civil society in Nigeria with a focus on connecting local issues and activists with the national and international contexts and emerging regional and international networks against neo-liberal globalisation.
The Chima Ubani Centre will be working directly with community activists, civil society actors and academics in projects that seek to reach and connect community groups, women, youths and other segments of civil society involved in struggles for survival and environmental and social justice in Nigeria towards collective self-analysis with the aim of regenerating the movement for peoples' power.
The opening was witnessed by many social justice activists that included Trustees and members of Social Action and colleagues of the late Nigerian pro-democracy leader, Chima Ubani who died in a car crash on his way from a political rally against civilian dictatorship and treasury looters.
Bamidele Aturu, renowned legal practitioner, pro-democracy leader and Trustee of Social Action said, “The uniqueness of the centre which is committed to propagating anti neo-liberal globalisation makes one hopeful that the world is not irredeemable and that there are Nigerians who understand their historic duty to participate in overthrowing the prevailing hegemony. I am happy that the centre demonstrates that we are not all given to charlatanism and opportunism. It is also fitting that the centre should be named after that worthy son of the world, Chima Ubani, who waged a relentless war against oppression in all its ramifications. I have no doubt that the centre will live to our earnest expectations of facilitating social change,”
Comrade Abiodun Aremu, Convener of the United Action for Democracy (UAD) in his speech at the opening said that with the benefit of his interaction with the founders of the Chima Ubani Centre, for the purpose of political education, “I have no doubt that the initiative will enhance the creation of new social forces and contribute to the intellectual sharpening of the struggle for social transformation of Nigeria.”
Dr. Ike Okonta, Nigerian writer and journalist, and a member of the Governing Board of Social Action described Chima Ubani as “a man of peace who met a violent end while fighting the cause of the poor”. He said, “It is a good thing that Social Action is continuing where our fallen friend left off. The difficult work of freedom is really never done, and I cannot only commend Chima’s tenacity, clarity and generosity of heart to the new Centre.”
Also speaking at the occasion, Uche Onyeagocha, former member of the House of Representatives, lawyer and democracy activist said, “The Chima Ubani Centre for Political Education is a first in the process of re-directing the bankrupt Nigerian democratic experiment.”
Earlier, Isaac Osuoka, Director of Social Action had announced that "the Chima Ubani Centre shall organise programmes and activities to promote the ideals of social justice and popular democracy that Chima Ubani died for". He said the Centre "will be open to all Nigerians seeking for social change in an era of state impunity, corporate abuses and mass impoverishment."
For media enquiries, contact:
Ken Henshaw
Tel: 08034053707
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Social Action
33, Oromineke Layout, D-Line, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
The Chima Ubani Centre will be working directly with community activists, civil society actors and academics in projects that seek to reach and connect community groups, women, youths and other segments of civil society involved in struggles for survival and environmental and social justice in Nigeria towards collective self-analysis with the aim of regenerating the movement for peoples' power.
The opening was witnessed by many social justice activists that included Trustees and members of Social Action and colleagues of the late Nigerian pro-democracy leader, Chima Ubani who died in a car crash on his way from a political rally against civilian dictatorship and treasury looters.
Bamidele Aturu, renowned legal practitioner, pro-democracy leader and Trustee of Social Action said, “The uniqueness of the centre which is committed to propagating anti neo-liberal globalisation makes one hopeful that the world is not irredeemable and that there are Nigerians who understand their historic duty to participate in overthrowing the prevailing hegemony. I am happy that the centre demonstrates that we are not all given to charlatanism and opportunism. It is also fitting that the centre should be named after that worthy son of the world, Chima Ubani, who waged a relentless war against oppression in all its ramifications. I have no doubt that the centre will live to our earnest expectations of facilitating social change,”
Comrade Abiodun Aremu, Convener of the United Action for Democracy (UAD) in his speech at the opening said that with the benefit of his interaction with the founders of the Chima Ubani Centre, for the purpose of political education, “I have no doubt that the initiative will enhance the creation of new social forces and contribute to the intellectual sharpening of the struggle for social transformation of Nigeria.”
Dr. Ike Okonta, Nigerian writer and journalist, and a member of the Governing Board of Social Action described Chima Ubani as “a man of peace who met a violent end while fighting the cause of the poor”. He said, “It is a good thing that Social Action is continuing where our fallen friend left off. The difficult work of freedom is really never done, and I cannot only commend Chima’s tenacity, clarity and generosity of heart to the new Centre.”
Also speaking at the occasion, Uche Onyeagocha, former member of the House of Representatives, lawyer and democracy activist said, “The Chima Ubani Centre for Political Education is a first in the process of re-directing the bankrupt Nigerian democratic experiment.”
Earlier, Isaac Osuoka, Director of Social Action had announced that "the Chima Ubani Centre shall organise programmes and activities to promote the ideals of social justice and popular democracy that Chima Ubani died for". He said the Centre "will be open to all Nigerians seeking for social change in an era of state impunity, corporate abuses and mass impoverishment."
For media enquiries, contact:
Ken Henshaw
Tel: 08034053707
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Social Action
33, Oromineke Layout, D-Line, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
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