Nigerian Group Vows to Join Nationwide Protests Against Hunger and Bad Governance
A group, the Conference for the Actualisation of Human Rights (CAHR), has pledged to join Nigerians in a nationwide protest against hunger and bad governance in the country. The protest, scheduled to take place from August 1 to August 10, aims to demand an end to hunger, bad governance, and the protection of human rights in Nigeria.
At a press briefing in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, CAHR’s National Director, Barr. Maxwell Omemiroro Ogedegbe, Delta State Director, Prince Ukuanovwe Godstime Oj, and National Public Relations Officer, Elder Atiku Sunday, made the vow. The group also promised to provide legal and moral aid to support protesters.
According to Ogedegbe, CAHR will provide legal and moral support to fellow protesters demanding an end to hunger, bad governance, and the protection of human rights in Nigeria. The group emphasized the legal rights of citizens to protest, citing several court judgments that have established that protesters do not need police permits to exercise their constitutional rights.
CAHR urged the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to maintain peace and provide a conducive environment for protesters. The group called for the government to provide health facilities and first aid services, access to water and sanitation, protection from police brutality and harassment, and ensure the rights of vulnerable groups, including women, children, and persons with disabilities.
The group argued that the protest is a constitutional right, stressing that the government has a duty to protect and facilitate it. CAHR warned against any attempts to suppress or intimidate protesters, emphasizing that it will provide legal support to those arrested or detained.
Delta State Director, Prince Ukuanovwe Godstime Oj, aligned with the National Director’s views, calling on Nigerians, especially Deltans, to join the protest in large numbers. He criticized Tinubu’s “careless utterances” and the fuel subsidy removal, which he said has led to “skyrocketing inflation, widespread hunger and poverty, increased cost of living, and suffering and agony for the masses.”
Oj urged the government to tackle the “subsidy scam,” reinstate the subsidy regime, and address the root causes of hunger and bad governance. With this vow, CAHR has joined the growing chorus of Nigerians demanding change and an end to the current economic and political crisis in the country.
