A South-West chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has used the occasion of this year’s World Human Rights Day, which falls on Tuesday, October 10, 2024, to remind both the federal and state governments of the need to always protect citizens’ rights.
He noted that by doing so, citizens could begin to rebuild public trust in the government, foster national unity, and unlock the true potential of the Nigerian people.
Ajadi, who is also known for his activism as a foremost human rights crusader, said there is no better time than the day set aside for human rights to remind the Nigerian government that protecting citizens’ rights is an essential pillar that upholds democracy worldwide.
“Human Rights Day serves as a reminder of the ongoing importance of equality, justice, and dignity for all people worldwide.
The theme for Human Rights Day 2024, ‘Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now,’ highlights the continued relevance of human rights in addressing global challenges,” he said.
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In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, Ajadi noted that many Nigerians are facing untold hardship and that their rights are being trampled upon, knowingly or unknowingly, by agents of the government.
He, therefore, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to educate different security agencies that, in a democracy, citizens must not be denied their inalienable rights.
“Let me use this occasion of International Human Rights Day to call on our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As a known supporter of human rights activism in the country, he should remind various agents of government, especially security operatives, that their main duty is to protect citizens’ rights and safety.
He should let them know that anything to the contrary is not and cannot be associated with democracy.
I also want to implore our human rights activists that as we celebrate this day set aside for our rights, we should not misuse the rights given to us to deny others their own rights. Where one person’s right stops, that is where another person’s begins,” Ajadi said in the statement.
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