By Aluta News
July 29, 2021
Civil Society Organisations, Development Partners, the media and corporate organisations have roles to play in protecting and promoting human rights of Nigerians.
Mr Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), made this known on Thursday during a zoom stakeholders’ meeting on the National Action Plan (NAP) for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Nigeria.
Ojukwu said that the meeting was held to review the NAP 2021 to 2025.
” You are all important stakeholders in the promotion of human rights in Nigeria and we will be failing in our duties, if we do not consult you adequately in developing a document as important and the NAP.
” Frequent and broad consultations are usually prescribed as necessary steps in developing Action Plans on any issue.
” In recognition of the involvement of everyone, it is even more expedient to consult a broad range of stakeholders when the Action Plan is on human rights” Ojukwu stated.
He acknowledged the role of the Federal Ministry of Justice.
“The broad consultations on the NAP 2021 to 2025, started as far back as 2013, at the expiration of the maiden NAP 2009 to 2013.
“Over the years, a number of organisations had contributed immensely in putting together the document which was being presented for review and discussion today.
” Even if you have not been directly involved, you can be rest assured that a representative from your organization or agency had participated at one time or the other in the development of this NAP.
” The need for a NAP on human rights is to demonstrate government’s commitment to promote and protect the rights of its citizens and all within its borders, in line with its domestic laws.
“Fundamental rights and liberties have been guaranteed in Nigeria’s Constitutions since the 1960s” he said.
He said:”you can see therefore that the human rights is not a new or foreign idea and that the government has always provided for the respect of the fundamental rights and freedoms of its citizens.
” The NAP is aimed at assessing how far Nigeria has gone, as an independent nation, in the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as what challenges still exist.”
He acknowledged that like every other nation, there are certainly challenges and gaps in this regard, occasioned by the global trend of events with respect to health, economy and security.
” Governments therefore, are urged to develop an action plan as a commitment to addressing identified challenges and improving the promotion and protection of identified challenges and improving the promotion and protection of human rights generally.
” This was articulated in the Vienna Declaration and Plan of Action in 1993.
” I urge all organisations represented here today to engage with the documentï robustly and ensure that all important aspects are covered and that we have a Plan that addresses a number of challenges we have on human rights in Nigeria.
” While we cannot address every challenge, there are some that cannot be ignored” he said.
He therefore, reminded participants that the NAP is for a four-year cycle and that there would always be opportunities to review and incorporate new and emerging issues in successor Plan.
NAN