NEW YEAR 2022 PRESS STATEMENT RELEASED BY THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS (CDHR), NIGERIA COMR. DR. PRINCE KEHINDE TAIGA.

All protocols duly observed.

Cascaded by

Wilson Macaulay

Ward

08030886420

Compliment of the season to all our patriotic and distinguished members all over the Nation, and to every Nigerians out there.

I want to thank Almighty God for his Grace and mercy over our lives especially throughout the great year 2021. Despite all the challenges, trials and a whole lot that comes our way in the past year, we were still able to soldier on to this new year 2022.

Special thanks to every members of the National Executive Committee of our noble organization CDHR, all branch and units leaders for their strong and courageous support throughout this past year 2021 in the face of the daunting leadership crisis that we faced. I also want to thank Almighty God for the success of our respective programs this past year 2021; especially our AGC at Asaba, Delta State and our Human Rights Conference and Leadership Training at Abule Egba, Lagos State among others. It can only be God for the numerous journey mercies, protection and provisions for all our members nationwide.

To God indeed be all the Glory.

In this new year 2022, as a member of CDHR and that of all Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria we must be courageous enough to standard against human rights abuses of any kind, lend our strong voices to the voiceless and be bold enough to speak truth to power as we get closer to year 2023 General elections. And is a year that every Nigerians that really want the best for this nation to make every effort to getting themselves registered for the INEC Permanent Voters Card (PVC), so that we can all exercise our fundamental right to voting the best personalities in all level of government that will help us steer the nation out of the leadership quagmire that we are in today as a nation.

We therefore hope that as an organization in partnership with relevant groups and other organizations we will be able to carryout massive sensitization of Nigerians that will encourage them to get registered and get a PVC.

I want to use this medium to call on all political office holders to not allow the preparations for 2023 general election be an hinderance to them in carrying out their constitutional supported people's responsibility instead of allowing the election preparation hinder them from their respective responsibility to the people.

I also call on all our anti-corruption agencies to make fighting and winning corruption their core focus this year 2022, as against the media trial and online conviction which has been the order of the day this past years. Our anti-corruption agencies can't be claiming to be fighting corruption and yet none of the politicians and people that are being alleged of corrupt practices has ever been convicted in any court of law. I want to believe that the EFCC and ICPC can start with the recent revelation from the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, who disclosed that 15 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies failed to remit N127.13bn revenue to the Consolidated Revenue Fund between 2017 and 2019.

The OAuGF made this known in its 2019 Annual Report on Non-Compliance, Internal Control, and Weakness Issues in MDAs of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the year ended December 31, 2019, which was submitted to the National Assembly. I believe our anti-corruption agencies should be able to work in collaboration with the OAuGF in making sure that everyone found culpable in this kind of revelation should be made to comply with their remintance as expected.

As much as we are optimistic and hopeful that Nigeria is going to be great and better under this President Buhari led Federal Government this year, we are still very much on alert to talk, stand and work against any move of the government by way of policies or law that we cause untold hardship on Nigerians this year. Especially with the planned removal of Subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as Petrol which will automatically cause an increment of the price of the product by February, 2022 as it is a wrong timing in which Nigerians are going through serious difficult time. A difficult time that will get worse should there be any increment in the pump price of Petrol.

We urge the federal government to suspend such plan at this time of our living.

Fellow Nigerians, I must commend everyone of us for our high level of perseverance in the face of so many hardship experienced this past year 2021, especially with the increment in most essential commodities and the high level of insecurity around us.

And that's why we are using this opportunity to implore the government at all levels to take seriously the provisions of Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution which mandates that the security of lives and property must be the prime duty of government. Nigerians do not consider the persistent scourge of kidnapping, rural banditry and terrorism which has claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed a lot millions of naira worth of property as anything worthy of experiencing again in this year 2022. We demand that the government should use every means possible, both kinetic and non-kinetic methods to address issues of high level of insecurity in Nigeria.

We must not forget to commend the effort of the Nigerian Football Federal ably led by Amaju Pinnick for the great work they have been expiditing ever since he came into power as the Chairman of NFF especially with the recent qualification of the Super Eagles of Nigeria for the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) at Cameroon starting this January 9th and also their qualification to the last stage of qualification to the QATAR 2022 FIFA World Cup. As an organization, we wish the Super Eagles the very best in their outing for the AFCON at Cameroon, as we hope that they will come back to the country with the golden trophy come February.

And to all our astute and distinguished members of CDHR across the entire Federation, we the entire members of NEC want to assure you that this year will be far greater than the past year as we hope to grow exponential both numerically and in terms of Capacity. As much as we will do everything possible to ensure peaceful coexistence among ourselves, we also won't tolerate any form of indiscipline and corruption among us. As we must do everything within our power to show that we are the right Comrades that will be able to do the right thing in speaking for the voiceless, fight against the oppressors of the fundamental Human Rights of the people and also stand for justice all the way.

As much as we are willing and ready to follow up the petition that we submitted against our former President Barr Malachy Ugwummadu and against the suspended President Dr Osagie Obayuwana bordering on complaint of Official corruption, misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds for self aggrandizement at EFCC, we also be extremely focus with our plans in making sure that CDHR Nigeria will get better and stronger among Committee of CSOs.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome us all to this brand new year 2022 with the hope and believe that we will surely be better than the way we were this past years individually and collectively as a Nation.

As a Nigerian, we must have a mindset that we are all expected to add our quota to the betterment of this nation irrespective of our class. Remember, eradication of corruption begins with me and you and mustn't be left alone to the government or any of their agencies alone.

I wish you all a successful and prosperous new year 2022.

God bless YOU!

God bless CDHR!!

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!