Today marks the 5th anniversary of a growing and active club in Ogoni, called HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS CLUB; popularly known by the name HURAC. It all started in 2008, and was officially launched in RIVPOLY Secondary School on this day in 2009.
Below is an article detailing the history, aims and objectives of the club, and what it has achieved so far and its idea of the future.
Its Inception And History:
HURAC is a human rights club instituted by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), which is open to all secondary schools within and outside Ogoni and also to all intending members. Its history dates back to when a summit was called in 2008 by MOSOP and the mandate was given to all the secondary schools that attended to set up the club in each of the schools
In accordance to the mandate given my MOSOP at the summit in 2008, the batch 4 students, identified as the INTELLECTUAL ELITE BATCH of RIVPOLY Comprehensive Secondary School started the club in their school and the club was subsequently approved by the school’s current Principal, Mr Godswill Emmanuel Ndee, who was then the Vice Principal of the school. It`s currently operating in Riv-Poly secondary school, its Bori Unit headquarters, and also in CSS Bori, ACGS Bori, BMGS Bori and some Port Harcourt schools. It had Mr Kate, Wisdom Deebeke – who is currently the club International Representative – as its pioneer Senior Chief Co-ordinator as at then. It was officially inaugurated on January 16th, 2009 in Riv-Poly by the current MOSOP President, Mr Legborsi Saro-Pyagbara during the Ledum Mitee-led admistration with Mr Tuaka Jeremiah Nwidum as the appointed Chairman as at then. It aims at educating members and the public on their fundamental human rights, human rights advocacy, human rights abuses and campaign, etc. To add to its many roles, it now publishes news and articles to keep Ogonis home and abroad abreast of current happenings within Ogoni, Rivers state, the Niger Delta Nigeria and the world at large, and to inform the international community about the Ogoni plights.
Pictured Above: Members Of the Club with the current MOSOP president and other MOSOP members during the January inauguration in 2009
Now Internationally Recognised:
Over the last 5 years, the club has become very popular among Ogonis, and other people due to its active presence on social media. In July 2012, the club announced that it had launched 4 websites, each dedicated to the club itself; news from within Ogoni and the world at large; an online forum for Ogonis and a website that tells the Ogoni history and its plights respectively. The creation and launching of these websites brought the club to international limelight in July 2012 as the development was featured on many newspaper media including OgoniNews.com and the UNPO websites. Ever since then, it has continued to receive public attention from all over the world. To prove this, the club recently released her website report on January 2nd which saw the various websites being accessed by over 87 different countries worldwide.
When asked what people like most about the club, most of the responses have been the club’s role in delivering news updates to Ogonis home and abroad. However, people have expressed sadness over the limitation placed on the club to only operate in secondary schools. In reply, the club has always responded that all are welcome to become members, as it has a wing of it called ”ALUMNI” made up of school leavers. To facilitate this, it has created a section on her website where intending members could easily fill in an online form as a request to become a member of the club.
Involvement & Outings:
The club has also taken part in series of seminars, lectures, talk-shows, symposia organised by MOSOP in partnership with UNPO, USAID, UN and many other international human rights organisations. Through these seminars members of the club have developed some human rights and advocacy skills which have empowered them to be future leaders and which they use to train other members at the club meetings. All of these seminars had taken place in Port Harcourt and the members being lodged in hotels over days.
Shown to the right (pictured) is the Club International Representative, Mr Kate, Wisdom Deebeke and Mrs Murphy Maggie at one of the club human rights and advocacy seminar in ClockTower Hotel, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. It was at the seminar that Mr Kate together and Ms Nwako Barikpoa were vested with the power to act as the club International Representatives. Before then, Mr Kate was the club Senior Chief Co-ordinator, an office he relinquished to Mr Ogbomene Barikpoa on the day of his send-forth in 2010.
Organisation:
The club is currently under the leadership of Mr Kate, Wisdom Deebeke, who is the club International Representative, and Mr Ogbomene Barikpoa who is the club Senior Chief Co-ordinator in charge of the Bori Unit. Each school, referred to as a division, where the club operates has its own president elected yearly and other executive members who assist in the day to day activities of the club. In addition to the president, each division also has a chief co-ordinator (different from the president) who reports the activities of the division to the Unit Senior Chief Co-ordinator to ensure checks and balances in governance. Divisions within an area are classified into a Unit. For example, Bori is a Unit with many divisions spread around the schools in Bori. The Members meet in each division every Thursday or Friday Afternoon after 2:00pm to discuss human rights issues and learn more about human rights advocacy and activism. A trained person is sent to lecture the members on each meeting day.
The Future Year Ahead & Beyond:
Looking at the future, the club aims that one day HURAC would be established in almost all secondary schools in Ogoni and that the state and federal governments shall see the need to make the club mandatory in all secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Again, it sees a future where the club would serve as an avenue for Ogonis to report their complaints of human rights abuses and where people would always find solutions to such abuses, trauma and violence. HURAC foresees a future when Ogonis shall no longer be marginalised, and when the people would have to control their own God-given resources and benefit from these resources. It foresees a tomorrow when the rights of everyone, every tribe, every nation shall be respected and when everyone’s human rights abuse would be judged according to the morally accepted laws of the land. It also has many projects which it aims to embark upon in the coming years.
General Information:
Everyone is welcome to join HURAC and to participate in the activities of the club form time to time. No registration fee, but commitment is required of everybody who wishes to join. Should you be interested, or would want to know more information about how the club operates, please send an email to enquiry@huraclub.org or membership@huraclub.org or visit our CONTACT US page.
Happy 5th Anniversary!!!
This information is brought to you from the Office of
HURAC International Representative, & Site Admin, Mr Kate, Wisdom Deebeke. For & On Behalf Of All HURAC Members.
