CDHR further stressed 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; adding that corruption must be fought, and more so with perceivable transparency.
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), a civic organisation, has condemned in strongest terms, the continuous abuse and threats to social and economic rights of Nigerians by the President Bola Tinubu-led government through its “anti-people policies.”
The group in a communique released after its Annual General Conference held at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin, Kwara State during the weekend, said that Nigerians’ economic and social rights remain most threatened and abused, especially with the rising incidences of economic deprivation, economic exclusion, suffocating hardship, worsening exchange rate regime, declining value of the Naira.
With the theme of the conference as “Our Rights: Non Negotiable”, CDHR stated that Nigerians’ fundamental rights are non-negotiable and 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.”
The group noted that “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 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.”
CDHR further stressed 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; adding that corruption must be fought, and more so with perceivable transparency.
“Menace of avoidable killings and community displacements persist; there have 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.
“There is a 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.”
The group therefore pointed out that Nigerians must prevail on the 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 in the country.
“We strongly condemn all policies and legislations that create and worsen the hardship of Nigerians and threaten our survival. We condemn the rapidly declining value and falling purchasing power of the Naira.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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,” the group added.