CASER Set to Rock Abuja with Human Rights Musical Fiesta

CASER Set to Rock Abuja with Human Rights Musical Fiesta

Ojukwu, Shekarau, Ogbechie, others to grace occasion with special fire effect

Organizers of the 2020 Human Rights Musical Fiesta have informed that all is set to roll out the drums Wednesday 10th of December 2020 at Nicon Luxury, Abuja to celebrate the International Human Rights Day as declared by the United Nations, even as the day marks the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Human Rights Lawyer and Executive Director, Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER), Mr. Frank Tietie, who is originator and promoter of the fiesta, in a statement made available to the media said, the fiesta will feature: The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Tony Ojukwu, who will be declaring the fiesta open, the Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Chapter, Dr. Hauwa Shekarau, she is a renowned Gender Rights Advocate and School Par Excellence, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Emmanuel Ogbeche and Ace Broadcaster, Mr. Felix Mamode Akugha, all will be providing special ambience to fire the night.

Tietie, said: “In 2016, we at CASER created the human rights musical fiesta to be an evening event that combines the cultural art forms of music, singing, dance and the spoken word to re enact the human rights message and to increase the consciousness and understanding of human rights in personal terms, among the generality of Nigerian citizens.

The first edition of the fiesta in 2017, according to him, featured the legendary Ras Kimono (of blessed memory) and Orits Wiliki, both foremost Nigerian human rights crusaders who used their music to promote respect for human rights. And since then, we have kept the tradition with the support of individuals and groups.

According to him, CASER relied much on the help and support of other organizations to start and sustain the annual fiesta tradition. CASER is particularly grateful for the support it has received in the past from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Amnesty International (AI), Nigeria.

On media support to bankroll the event, he averred: “CASER is not unmindful of the huge role of the Nigerian media, in supporting its work of human rights promotion since 2012. Particularly, CASER is grateful to Akugha and Obiora Ilo for the initial, massive number of live television appearances they gave to Frank Tietie, CASER founder and director, to promote human rights themes from 2015 and 2018, adding: the management of Crowther Radio, Love FM 104.5 FM, Abuja was of immense support through the partnership of the Omnibus Human Rights Show since 2017.

He acknowledged that various foundational support gave CASER the much needed impetus to consolidate its works of human rights promotion among Nigerian citizens of all strata, adding that CASER has relied on local funding for all of its human rights promotional activities.

He added that funding has come primarily from individual donations and gift-sales of human rights crested T-Shirts and face caps, stressing that “our thinking is to get Nigerians to own their version of human rights promotion by getting them to invest their money in it. Foreign funding, we thought, distances the individual Nigerian who may be tempted to see Human rights as foreign and alien to African cultures and traditions.” Tietie, said.

“The year 2020 has been marked by horrendous events which include COVID-19, ENDSARS fatalities, the bloodstains of Lekki tollgate shootings and a seemingly unfriendly human rights environment in Nigeria.

“Yet we have decided to continue to raise the human rights consciousness by continuing in the fiesta tradition, in the hope that Nigerians, both in civil authority and law enforcement together with everyday people will come to a better understanding of how a human rights based approach to governance holds the key to better living standards for all Nigerians, thereby ensuring the peace and prosperity of Nigeria.” the CASER boss, said.

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