<h4>Beko Ransome</h4>
<p> ;</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://openlife.ng/">OpenLife Nigeria</a></strong> reports that the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) gathered at Rights House, Ikeja, Lagos, to mark the 20th annual memorial anniversary of Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Nigeria’s pioneering human rights activist and the first national president of CDHR.</p>
<p>The solemn yet celebratory event drew distinguished guests, comrades in the struggle, members of the Ransome-Kuti family, and an assembly of civil society actors committed to the defense of human rights across Nigeria.</p>
<p>The theme for this year’s memorial &#8211; &#8220;Cyberstalking Law: An Attempt to Stifle or Rob Citizens of Freedom of Expression and the Press?&#8221; underscored the ongoing relevance of Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti’s ideals in contemporary society.<br />
The programme reflected on the state of civil liberties in Nigeria, particularly concerning freedom of expression in the digital age.</p>
<p><strong>A LIFE DEDICATED TO JUSTICE AND FREEDOM</strong></p>
<p>In an impassioned address, Debo Adeniran, President of CDHR, reminded attendees that the memorial is more than a remembrance.<br />
He stated that it is a celebration of conscience, courage, and a life wholly dedicated to the service of humanity.</p>
<p>“Twenty years after his passing, the name Beko Ransome-Kuti still resonates in every space where injustice is confronted and where the oppressed dare to hope,” Adeniran said.</p>
<p>He described Beko not merely as a medical doctor but as a moral doctor for a nation wounded by repression, a man who stood resolutely against military dictatorship, impunity, and the silencing of dissent.</p>
<p>Dr. Beko’s legacy, the president emphasized, is not confined to historical memory.</p>
<p>His leadership in organizations such as the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Campaign for Democracy, CDHR, Centre for Constitutional Governance, Citizens Forum, and Lagos State Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) laid the groundwork for a vibrant civil society in Nigeria.</p>
<p>Through these roles, he championed the cause of human rights even in the face of imprisonment, harassment, and grave personal risk.</p>
<p><strong>LESSONS FOR TODAY’S ACTIVISTS</strong></p>
<p>Adeniran called on civil society to draw inspiration from Beko’s life and courage.</p>
<p>“If Beko were alive today,” he noted, “in the face of our current security challenges, economic hardship, and moral uncertainties, he would organize, mobilize, and demand accountability.”</p>
<p>He highlighted that Beko’s activism would extend to challenging insecurity, economic inequality, corruption, and state excesses, framing these issues as fundamental human rights concerns rather than mere policy failures.</p>
<p>The president also urged civil society to maintain independence, principled action, and unity, warning against complacency and the temptation to compromise with injustice.</p>
<p>For Adeniran, honoring Beko is not only about remembrance but action: advocating in the media, standing in courtrooms, maintaining integrity in personal conduct, and defending the rights of all Nigerians, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation.</p>
<p><strong>CARRYING THE TORCH FORWARD</strong></p>
<p>The 20th memorial served as a call to arms for contemporary activists.</p>
<p>Adeniran reminded attendees that Beko Ransome-Kuti’s struggles must not be archived merely in history books; rather, they must be continued in daily engagements.</p>
<p>His vision of an egalitarian Nigeria a society where justice is not selective, leadership is accountable, and citizenship is dignified remains a guiding principle for civil society.</p>
<p>“Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti showed us that one life, lived with conviction, can challenge a regime and inspire a generation. The question before us today is simple: will we carry the torch forward? May we find the courage to answer yes,” Adeniran concluded, evoking resounding applause.</p>
<p>The event was a poignant reminder that while decades may pass, the values <a href="https://www.vanguardngr.com/">Beko Ransome-Kuti</a> embodied courage, integrity, solidarity, and unwavering commitment to human rights remain as urgent and necessary today as ever.</p>
<p>For Nigeria’s civil society, the memorial was not only a commemoration but also a renewed pledge to uphold and defend the rights of all citizens.</p>
<p>Below is the full speech by CDHR President, Comrade Debo Adeniran</p>
<p><strong>SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT, COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS (CDHR), AT THE 20TH MEMORIAL OF DR. BEKO RANSOME-KUTI HELD AT THE RIGHTS HOUSE ON THE 10TH OF FEBRUARY, 2026</strong></p>
<p><em>Distinguished guests, comrades in the struggle, members of the Ransome-Kuti family, ladies and gentlemen,</em></p>
<p><em>We gather here today not merely to remember a man, but to honour a movement. We gather to celebrate a conscience. We gather to salute a life that was wholly spent in the service of humanity, the life of Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti.</em></p>
<p><em>Twenty years after his passing, the name Beko Ransome-Kuti still resonates in every space where injustice is confronted and where the oppressed dare to hope. He was more than a medical doctor; he was a moral doctor for a nation wounded by repression. He diagnosed tyranny, prescribed courage, and administered resistance.</em></p>
<p><em>Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti dedicated his life to the defence of human rights at a time when doing so meant imprisonment, harassment, and even death. He stood firm against military dictatorship. He fearlessly challenged impunity. He spoke truth to power when silence would have been safer. As a unionist at the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) level, he rose to become the Chairman of NMA Lagos. </em></p>
<p><em>Through his leadership in organizations such as the NMA, Campaign for Democracy, CDHR, Centre for Constitutional Governance, CCG, Citizens Forum, Labour and Civil Society Coalition, LASCO and Chairman of the Management Board of Lagos<a href="https://www.vanguardngr.com/"> University Teaching Hospital LUTH,</a> etc and his pivotal role in strengthening the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), he helped institutionalize the struggle for civil liberties in Nigeria.</em></p>
<p><em>He understood that human rights are not privileges granted by the state but inalienable entitlements of every citizen. Whether it was the unlawful detention of activists, the suppression of free speech, or the brutalization of citizens, Beko stood on the side of the defenceless. He gave voice to the voiceless and courage to the fearful. Even when incarcerated, his spirit remained unbroken.</em></p>
<p><em>His contributions to the emergence and growth of civil society in Nigeria cannot be overstated. At a time when civic spaces were shrinking, he helped expand them. </em></p>
<p><em>He built alliances across ethnic, religious, and ideological divides. He nurtured young activists and encouraged collective action. Today, the vibrant network of civil society organizations in Nigeria stands on foundations that Beko and his contemporaries laid with sacrifice and conviction.</em></p>
<p><em>If Beko were alive today, in the face of our current security challenges, economic hardship, and moral uncertainties, he would not retreat into cynicism. He would organize. He would mobilize. He would demand accountability. </em></p>
<p><em>He would insist that insecurity, whether from banditry, terrorism, or state excesses, is fundamentally a failure of governance. He would challenge economic policies that deepen inequality and impoverish citizens. He would remind us that corruption is not merely a financial crime but a human rights violation that steals dignity and opportunity from the people.</em></p>
<p><em>Beko would also call us to introspection. He would urge civil society to remain independent, principled, and united. He would warn against division, complacency, and the temptation of compromise with injustice. He believed that activism must be anchored in integrity and sustained by solidarity.</em></p>
<p><em>Comrades, the best way to honour Beko Ransome-Kuti is not through speeches alone. It is through action. It is through courage in the courtroom, vigilance in the streets, advocacy in the media, and integrity in our personal conduct. It is by defending every Nigerian regardless of status, ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation whose rights are threatened.</em></p>
<p><em>Let this 20th memorial not be an end in itself, but a renewal of commitment. Let every activist here recommit to the ideals for which Beko lived and suffered. Let us ensure that his struggles are not archived in history books but continued in our daily engagements.</em></p>
<p><em>We must strive for the egalitarian society he envisioned, a Nigeria where no one is deprived of their rights and entitlements by the state; where justice is not selective; where the rule of law prevails over the rule of force; where leadership is accountable and citizenship is dignified.</em></p>
<p><em>Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti showed us that one life, lived with conviction, can challenge a regime and inspire a generation. The question before us today is simple: Will we carry the torch forward?</em></p>
<p><em>May we find the courage to answer yes.</em></p>
<p><em>Thank you.</em></p>
<p><em>Debo Adeniran</em></p>
<p><em>President, CDHR</em></p>

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