The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has appealed to Nigerians to support the Human Rights Fund which remains unfunded till date as United Nations decries global escalation of human rights abuses.
Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Tony Ojukwu SAN, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja during an awareness walk to commemorate the International Human Rights Day.
Dr Ojukwu urged Nigerians to contribute to the promotion of human rights by donating resources.
The awareness walk witnessed the Executive Secretary leading other Nigerians to embark on the awareness walk from Eagles Square, Central Area to the Commission’s headquarters at Maitama.
The event had as its theme: ‘Equality – Reducing inequalities and advancing hunan rights’.
It was organised in partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), funded by the European Union and implemented by International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
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.
Speaking to reporters, the Executive Secretary underscored the need for Nigerians to recognize that protecting human rights is a collective responsibility that goes beyond government efforts alone.
He lauded RoLAC for its valuable support, which helped ensure the programme’s success.
His words: “We need resources, because all these things cannot be done without resources. The government is trying, but they can do a lot better, they can do a lot more. And also note that it is not only for government to assist in addressing human rights violations.
“Private individuals, companies, can also donate. It doesn’t have to be cash, they can donate equipment. They can donate computers, they can donate laptops, they can donate vehicles. They can donate facilities, tables, chairs, all those kind of things, they all help.
“So we call upon Nigerians to see the addressing rights of Nigerians as a common problem, not only to be left to government. There is a Human Rights Fund, nobody has donated one naira to that fund. Why can’t we have a lot of private individuals in this country that can afford to donate M100 million, and it will not mean anything to them.
“And they will be happy that the number of displaced persons, that the number of people begging on the streets, the number of children who cannot go to school, the number of women who are thrown out of their homes, the number of children who are wandering on the streets who have no shelter. All these are, you can see, when you watch the dashboard every month, you see how many children have been abandoned, because the parents can no longer be the responsibilities”.
On her part, the Chairperson, Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Salamatu Suleiman, said commemoration of human rights day should not be confined to one day but celebrated everyday.
She said emphasis must be placed on out-of-school children, stressing that if they are educated, it will eliminate vices in the society.
The International Human Rights Day is celebrated annually on December 10 to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It is the highpoint of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence which commenced on November 25.
On his part, the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, in a message explained that “Human rights are not abstract ideas or ideologies. They are about who we are, and how we live. They are grounded in facts, in law and in compassion. They embody our needs and our hopes.
“A safe home. Food and clean water. Health care. Education. Decent work and a liveable minimum wage. To live in peace. To be free to express your opinion. Human rights do not belong to any political party, or to any region of the world.”
He regretted that even as Human Rights Day, is being marked today, but it is a time when human rights are not only violated, but also increasingly instrumentalized.
According to him, “As we look back at the year, I would like to highlight three key issues that continue to have massive ramifications for human rights around the world.
“The proliferation of armed conflict, the erosion of respect for international law in the conduct of hostilities, and the apparent indifference of powerful actors to immense numbers of casualties and suffering.
“The focus on waging war and disinformation as a distraction from some of the biggest challenges to our long-term security – the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, as well as the huge inequalities in the world.
“The disregard for international law and apparent indifference to civilian lives and infrastructure have been starkly in focus in the conflict in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Lebanon, as well as in Ukraine, Sudan and Myanmar, to name a few very stark examples. My Office has continued to report to the world, in detail, on the human suffering wrought in conflict.”
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