CDHR elects Obayuwana Osagie as new President

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has elected Dr Obayuwana Osagie as its new President for a tenure of two years.

Obayuwana was elected at the annual general conference of the CDHR held last weekend in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of CDHR, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), in his speech at the opening of the 2019 annual general conference of the human rights organisation, said “what Nigeria has at the moment is not a democracy but a civil rule,” saying “we need to redouble our efforts as we did during the inglorious days of the military regime and demand for a true democracy as patriotic Nigerians.”

Falana said: “Our country as you are all aware is once again in trouble. We cannot afford to go to sleep. CDHR was at the forefront of the struggle at redeeming and recovering our country from militarisation during the period of the military regimes we once had.

“What we call democracy is not democracy, it is a civil rule and this civil rule has endangered our lives, our free movement and our free association by the reckless arrests, detentions and intimidations of those who speak out against oppression and injustice in our country. The task of CDHR is perhaps more greater than ever before.”

He said “I read of a disturbing phenomenon in Delta State. Two journalists were taken to court and charged for insulting a former Chief of Defence Staff. In Cross River State, Agbani Jalingo is standing trial for insulting the governor of that state by exposing corruption. Of course, you are all aware of Omoyele Sowore and his charges. And of course, those of you who are not lawyers will not understand the court conditions imposed on Sowore by the State.

“The last time we had such bail conditions was way back to the colonial regime where people were restricted to particular parts of the country. We can recall that of Pa Imoudu who was restricted to the Auchi area of the country for three years before he could be released to come back to Lagos to lead the Nigeria workers to where we are today.”

Falana counselled the CDHR members to stay united, focused and organise themselves properly, saying “no political party has criticised Buhari’s regime for intimidating and harassing the Nigerian people because if they are the once also in power, they would have done the same thing.

He maintained that it was time the CDHR got all the human rights organisations together and do those things usually done during under the military.

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Falana also posited that “the people united can never be defeated. That means we need to get ourselves united once again to do the needful. They have gone to a few places. They are coming for all of us if we don’t get organised. I charge you all here today to go to back home to be determined to wage a serious war against the oppressors and dictators in Nigeria.”

In the election conducted into the various offices, Comrade Obayuwana Osagie was elected unopposed as the new President of CDHR while others elected were Comrade Kehinde Prince Taiga as the Vice President; Comrade James Chikwendu as the General Secretary; Comrade Atahiru Ibrahim as the Assistant General Secretary and Comrade Sola Kolawole as the Treasurer.

Others are Comrade Violet Ekumankama as Legal Adviser; Comrade Gerald Katchy as the Public Relations Officer and Comrade Ayuba Musa as the Internal Auditor.

Osagie in his acceptance speech pledged his readiness to work with the other new members of the executive and the entire membership of the CDHR to bring about the desired restoration, progress and development needed by the organisation and the country.

He called on all the structures of the CDHR at all levels to savour the historic moment and expressed appreciation for the support given him by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees as well as the roles played by Mr Falana towards restoring the lost glory of the organisation.