Delta group vows to join planned nationwide protest, promises legal support

A group, the Conference for the Actualisation of Human Rights, CAHR, has vowed to join Nigerians in the proposed nationwide protests against hunger and bad governance in the country.

The protest is slated for August 1 to August 10.

Barr. Maxwell Omemiroro Ogedegbe, Prince Ukuanovwe Godstime Oj and Elder Atiku Sunday, National Director, Delta State Director and National Public Relations Officer, of the group, respectively, made the vow at a press briefing in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

The group also promised to provide legal and moral aid to support protesters demanding an end to hunger, bad governance as well as the protection of human rights in Nigeria.

Ogedegbe said, “We 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.

The CAHR urged the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to maintain peace and provide a conducive environment for protesters by providing health facilities and first aid services, access to water and sanitation, protection from police brutality and harassment, and also 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.

It 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.”

He urged the government to tackle ‘subsidy scam’, reinstate the subsidy regime and address the root causes of hunger and bad governance.