CITIZENS COMPASS— The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Lagos State Branch, has appealed to its members to uphold unity of purpose regardless of all odds.
The Committee made the appeal at its November Branch General Meeting on Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Making the appeal, the Branch Chairman for the Committee, Comrade Adewale Ojo, applauded the.members for their patriotism with one of their own.
The meeting provided an opportunity for members to deepen their understanding of the principles of activism and human rights. The impressive turnout reflected the purposeful leadership and organizational foresight of the current state executive led by Comrade Wale Ojo.
Ojo urged members to remain committed and ready for the challenges ahead, emphasizing teamwork and solidarity. He cited the recent case of Comrade Segun Oluwasanmi, during which branch members demonstrated unity by showing up at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in solidarity with their colleague.
Comrade Ojo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building institutional synergy through collaboration and training. He announced plans to invite resource persons for advocacy and paralegal sessions to further equip members for human rights interventions.
In his lecture, veteran activist, Comrade Rasak Oladosu, popularly known as Boosker challenged members to reflect deeply on the moral foundation of the nation:
According to him, “What creates a nation is truth, justice, and peace. People may tell you to be happy and worry less, but there can be no peace without justice.”
He lamented the prevailing injustice and institutional decay in Nigeria, noting that citizens have been forced into self-help due to government failures.
“The government is supposed to provide water, yet you dig a borehole, the government is supposed to build roads, yet communities contribute money to fix them. The government should ensure security, but you now employ vigilantes. That is national collapse,” he stated.
Buttressing the lecture with his personal experience of detention during the military era, he reflected on the decline of civic consciousness and the disunity within civil society organizations, warning that the erosion of solidarity among activists has weakened the movement.
“The nation’s building should not be left in the hands of politicians alone as civil societies must rebuild their credibility and independence. Without financial autonomy and unity, activism will remain vulnerable.”
He concluded by describing the current state of insecurity as evidence of a broken nation:
“People receive warnings of bandit attacks, but security agencies do nothing until the havoc is done. When citizens defend themselves, they are disarmed.”
In a chat with some of the attendees, they expressed delight at the turnout.
