BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has again urged the federal government and states in the North-East reflected as having issues to settle in the Special Independent Investigative Panel (SIIP North-East) on human rights abuses by the military while fighting insurgency to ensure speedy implementation of its recommendations to bring healing to those affected.
Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, gave the charge on Tuesday at the NHRC concluded its 16-Day activities lined up to mark this year’s International Human Rights Day themed “Our Rights, Our Future- Right Now”
Dr. Ojukwu said Reuters, a foreign Media Organization, levelled grave allegations of human rights violations against the Nigerian Army, alleging that it has been involved in a secret systematic and illegal abortion programme leading to the abortion of 10,000 pregnancies, massacre of children and other forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the course of its operations in the troubled region but failed to appear before the panel to answer some vital questions.
He said the Panel visited military formations in the Boko Haram ravaged region, ransacked and combed remote and hard-to-reach communities and came out with findings that will stand the test of time.
According to Dr. Ojukwu, “the report categorically exonerated the Nigerian military from the aforementioned allegations, confirming that there was no secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme, let alone wilful killing of children perceived to be offsprings of Boko Haram in order to stop a regeneration of insurgency.
“As expected, the Panel recommended institutional reforms cutting across the military, some State Governments in the area, International Non-governmental Organisations and the need to pay compensation in an isolated case where the military was deemed by the Panel to have operated unprofessionally.”
Ojukwu also reeled out some of the achievements recorded by the Commission within the period under review, including the setting up of panel on rights violations by the defunct Special Armed Robbery Squad (SARS) and commended the federal ggovernment for releasing over N500m with which victims and their relatives were compensated.
Speaking further, Ojukwu said he is delighted that the Commission successfully collaborated with other human rights defenders in carrying out various human rights programmes which set the tone for the day’s commemoration.
“For instance, the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign has gained traction in the 36 States of the Federation raising more awareness about gender-based violence, promoting gender equality, and advocating for policy and legislative reforms to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.
“This year, we expanded our sensitization campaigns, increased engagement with stakeholders, built capacity for responders and also leveraged social media platforms to amplify messages, raise awareness and also engaged with the public.
“We deepened our collaboration with civil society organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders to amplify our efforts and ensure a coordinated response to gender-based violence.”
“The Commission has for the 5th time earned Grade A Status, awarded by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and has thoroughly and objectively investigated allegations of gross human rights violations,” Ojukwu noted.
The ES also thanked the United Nations and it agencies including the OHCHR, UNODC, UNDP, UNICEF, as well as Ford Foundation, the EU and Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, among other partners, for their support to the Commission.
Speaking at the event, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria.
He said that this year’s theme, serves as a strong reminder that human rights are the cornerstone of a just, equitable, and peaceful society adding that it emphasizes the imperative of collective action to safeguard the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, and to ensure that all persons enjoy their rights and freedoms without discrimination or distinction.
Fagbemi said “the Federal Government has taken concrete steps to strengthen the institutional framework for the promotion and protection of human rights.
“These include the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission, the passage of the Anti-Torture Act, the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act and the ratification of several international human rights treaties.
“In May this year, the President approved and gazetted that the National Human Rights Commission be designated as the National Preventive Mechanism of Nigeria (NPM) in fulfillment of Nigeria’s international obligation under the optional protocol to the UN convention against torture.”
The Chairperson, Governing Council of the Commission, Dr. Salamatu Suleiman, said commemoration of Human Rights Day should not be confined to one day but celebrated every day.
She said emphasis must be placed on out-of-school children, stressing that if they are educated, it will eliminate vices in the society.
Earlier, Ojukwu had led participants on an awareness road walk that commenced from the Eagle Square to the Maitama Secretariat of the Commission.
Participants carried placards bearing messages, including calls to action such as: ‘Stand for equality, fight for humanity’, ‘human rights are universal rights. Let’s protect them’, ‘Human rights know no boundaries’, ‘Break the chains of inequality, advance human rights’, among others.
