Stakeholders on human rights issues Wednesday converged on Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city to brainstorm on interventions and gains recorded by the country on rights of the people as well as challenges facing the full realization of expected goals.
At the gathering, organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the participants were challenged to take critical look at the alternative report with a view to making inputs as well as to address areas that may not have been captured.
According to Chief Tony Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the Executive Secretary of NHRC, the gathering was a validation meeting which seeks to produce an alternative report to the one the Commission had already prepared in order to have a comprehensive document that would be submitted to the United Nation’s Human Rights Council (UNRRC) in connection with the 4th Circle Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Chief Ojukwu, who holds the national honour of Order of the Federal Republic, OFR, therefore urged participants to feel free to look at issues around the areas earmarked for discussion and make their inputs in order to have a robust document on interventions and gains on human rights issues as well as challenges and the way forward,
He said that the review covers both the past four years and the next four years.
He said- “As you are aware, the UPR mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council is a process that reviews the human rights records of all UN member states. The state-driven process under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council provides opportunity for Nigeria to declare actions she has taken to fulfill her human rights obligations to improve the promotion and protection of human rights in the country.
“Nigeria’s active participation in the 4th review circle will provide the federal government the opportunity to re-asses its constitutional obligations to, on a regular basis, guaranty the welfare and security of the citizenry. This will task government and relevant stakeholders to address root causes of inequalities, conflicts and other structural gaps in the country.”
Ojukwu who was represented at the preliminary stage of the meeting by the Director, Civil and Political Rights, NHRC, A. A Yakubu, told the gathering that the report will provide Nigeria with an agenda for Nigeria to identify its human rights priorities and accelerate the implementation if the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and national development plans.
He said- “The trajectory towards the 4th Circle has achieved significant milestone considering Nigeria’s active participation since the inception of the UPR process in 2008. At inception, Nigeria expressed assurances as encapsulated in her statement of commitment to submit herself to the UPR mechanism and corporate fully with the Human Rights Council, non-members as well as regional organisations and civil societies, make the Human Rights Council a credible, strong, fair and effective UN Human Rights body.”
According to the Chief Human Rights Officer in Nigeria, the validation meeting, seeks to take a critical look at the alternative report, to ensure its accuracy and relevance towards addressing realities in the country, adding that- “We should scrutinize its content, identify any gaps or areas of concern, and collectively ensure that it represents all the steps that Nigeria has taken to fulfill her international human rights obligations as well as challenges faced by the country.”
While responding to questions by Nationwide Reports, the Director, Civil and Political Rights, NHRC, A. A Yakubu, acknowledged that the Commission ought to have shared the report with stakeholders days before the meeting to enable them study it properly before the day in order to make well informed inputs. He however said that the stakeholders were present at all the meetings preparatory to writing the report and were well abreast with the issues being discussed.
Among agencies and non-governmental organizations represented at the meeting include the Federal Ministries of justice, Interior and Women Affairs. Also represented are Legal Aid Council, NEMA, NAPTIP, Albino Foundation and many others.