Freedom Concert 2024 an electrifying evening of solidarity, struggle and emancipation
Freedom Concert 2024 an electrifying evening of solidarity, struggle and emancipation
By Freedom Concert Planning Committee
On Friday the 13th of December this year, activists gathered together for a freedom concert titled “The forgotten people” at a garden in Abuja. The activists gathered for a night of solidarity, music for human rights and emancipation.
This year Freedom Concert will continue to be a memorable event for the participants. The event has families, friends, comrades and different performing artists. The event was unforgettable evening for many first comers. There are so many solidarity speeches during the events and also campaigns with different slogans.
End the war in Gaza and sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela now.
Comrade Dimeji Macaulay the Co-promoter of Freedom Concert, A socialist, internationalist and trade Union activist made it clear during this year’s edition of Freedom Concert in Abuja that the situation of things in the country isn’t palatable and there is need for us to come together and discuss all the issues in social terms. The Freedom Concert is an annual social gathering for activists and the masses to come together to sing, dance and discuss local and international issues.
During this event Mr Dimeji Macaulay talked about the title of this year’s musical concert for the forgotten people, we were the forgotten people and the suffering people around the world. The suffering is not limited to Nigeria or Africa, but across the world. He also said that the inflation rate is 34.4 percent. The economic crisis continues, and repression also continues. We need to do something about this crisis that has increase poverty amidst abundance. The insecurity has increased, and our lives are no longer safe.
The present ongoing ethnic cleansing in Gaza, we must demand end to the war in Gaza and a lasting solution. The economic sanctions against Cuba, Venezuela and many other countries around the world for standing against United States of America bullying. While Cuba has been under sanction for over five decades, Venezuela has been under sanctions for over a decade. The World capitalist system is responsible for the suffering amidst abundance.
We all need to understand that as we speaking the world have about 27 countries that’s under colonisation. Among them is Puerto Rico which is under the United States of America. The Western Sahara that’s under Morocco and have his people living in refugee camps at Tindouf, Algeria for over five decades. The Canaries is under the Spanish government, Turks and Caicos has been holding hostage by the United Kingdom. Western Papua is under Colonialism by Indonesia.
Dimeji Macaulay ended by calling on comrades we need a world free from sanctions, neo liberalism, oppression, corruption, wars and colonialism.
Activists call for immediate and unconditional release of Activist Dele Farotimi
During the event Agena Robert Ande the representative of the Take it Back Movement in FCT while delivering is solidarity messages call for immediate and unconditional release of Mr Dele Farotimi. He condemned the manner in which Dele Farotimi was arrested and detained for writing is personal experience in legal practice in Nigeria.
It’s injustice to arrest and ask him to provide evidence inside prison. We’re facing a lot of attacks presently in Nigeria, there’s attempts to silence us as activists and also to deny people freedom of assembly and association.
Despite the economic crisis and level of insecurity, Nigeria Police has become tools in the hand of the politicians and the rich. The truth is that we must reject all this and fight back. While Dele Farotimi was denied bail and all other people were suing him everywhere former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello was given bail of 500m on the case of mismanaging close to hundred billion of Kogi State people.
In his contribution, Babatunde Oluajo also known as Sankara called for untied actions from all groups to fight for political alternative and also immediate release of Dele Farotimi, dropping off charges against the 11 end bad governance protesters. He said the power is on the street we need to grab it. The ruling class and their political parties have failed to solve Nigeria social and political problems. We’ve enough to take care of everyone but the greed of fee politicians continues to increase poverty. Other activists at the event chant free #FreeDeleFarotimi.
Peter Okokoliko, a community organiser and human rights activist call for need to decongest Nigeria correctional Centre. He decried the rate at with innocent people are languishing in jail, a lot of youth are in detention because of civil matters, and they are wasting away because the society isn’t organised to give justice. Many of them would have been useful to expand the production and research but they’re in detention for no reason.
The Concert ended with many astonishments and hope for more fruitful engagement in future.