This year’s Human Right Programme shall commence on the 25th day of November, 2024 and end on the 10th day of December, 2024 with the theme “ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE BORN FREE AND EQUAL IN DIGNITY AND RIGHT”

We thank our amiable president, Mazi Afam Josaiah Osigwe, SAN for giving us the privilege and opportunity to mark this year’s Human Right Programme in an all inclusive, splendid and spectacular manner. The zeal and commitment of members of the Bar in making the event truly a reflection of the Nigerian lawyers yearnings and aspirations cannot be overemphasized.

All the vice chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association in the 132 branches are strongly committed in making this year’s Human Right Activism a huge success. We are aware that all the branches have formed the Human Right Committee, those who have not done so, are urged to do so immediately on or before the 25th day of November, 2024.

While the NBA national is expected to pay curtsey visit to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, they shall also pay curtsey visit to the Inspector General of Police, Comptroller General of Correctional Centre and other security formations.

The branches are in the same vein required to pay visit to the Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of their various states, Commissioner of Police of their states and other security formations in their various states. They are expected to visit all police stations with the view to assisting them to obtain justice. In doing so, they shall endeavor to visit police stations with learned magistrates and compile the list of all the released suspects.

We passionately plead with the chairmen of various branches of the NBA nation wide to support and encourage their vice chairmen by working with them for the success of this year’s Human Right Activism. This is because the success of their vice chairmen will be minimal without their support. The success of this year’s Human Right Activism is not attributable to an individual or group or to their self aggrandizement but rather for the glory of the mother body NBA in particular and Nigeria in general.

We have lined up awards of honour for the best branch of Nigeria Bar Association and these will be given to the branch with the highest number of released suspects from police station and the highest number of inmates released from the correctional centres. We hope the branches are ready?

This is an opportunity to show Nigerians that we care for the right of our citizens. We are truly the voice of the voiceless and the hope of the common man. No Nigerian should be in doubt of lawyer’s contribution to the stability of this nation and the wellbeing of her citizenry. We therefore ask: “are we ready for this year’s sixteen Days of Human Right right Activism?”. We challenge the vice chairmen and urge them to take this responsibility with pride.

Looking forward with so much expectations from distinguished colleagues. We urge us all to key in especially during the police station visit, correctional centre visit and above all, road walk to the National Assembly on the 9th of December, 2024 and the ground finale on the 10th December, 2024 at the NBA secretariat, Abuja.

Thanks.

S. U. Anyia Esq.
1st Vice president NBA and chairman Human Right Institute.