NAN-H-86
Council
By Angela Atabo
Abuja, June 15, 2017 (NAN) Say No Campaign, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) has called on Acting President Yemi Osinbanjo to constitute the governing council of the National Human Rights Commission.
Convener of the group, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja said that the last governing council of the commission was dissolved in 2015
He said that absence of a council had had negative effect on the commission, charged with the protection of human rights in the country.
He said that the group had forwarded a letter to Osinbajo on the issue.
According to Nwagwu, absence of a governing council weakens the commission when it comes to fostering human rights awareness and preventing discrimination.
He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had at a Commonwealth Conference for Civil Society at Commonwealth Secretariat, United Kingdom, affirmed Federal Government’s commitment to rule of law and respect for human rights.
He said that without a governing council, the National Human Rights Commission would be ill-equipped to take steps to prevent discrimination, initiate inquiries on issues of human rights abuses and promote human rights compliance.
Nwagwu said that a fully constituted governing council for the commission would strengthen the machinery for the defence of human rights in a non-adversarial process, using mediation and conciliation.
He added that the failure to fully constitute the council could be perceived as lack of respect for the rights of Nigerians by the present administration.
He said, “As a platform of Nigerians committed to fighting corruption, impunity, poverty, violence and other governance challenges in Nigeria we urge the president to immediately constitute full governing council for the commission.’’ (NAN)
ATAB/OPI/OPI
Edited by Olisa Ifeajika