Alltimepost.com Sincerity of Purpose
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Tony Ojukwu, SAN announced this at a civil society and human rights defenders forum and human rights expo, an event held in Abuja to commemorate the three decades of the existence of the Commission.
Ojukwu disclosed plans to expand NHRC offices to all 774 local government areas in Nigeria, strengthen early warning systems, enhance monitoring of detention facilities, and address emerging rights concerns such as artificial intelligence, digital surveillance, misinformation, and environmental justice.
Reflecting on the Commission’s evolution, he highlighted the early challenges of building a human rights institution in an era when civic space was limited and added that, with the return to democracy in 1999, the NHRC expanded its visibility and mandate, handling issues ranging from election violence and gender-based abuse to police brutality and discriminatory practices.
A major turning point, Ojukwu said, was the NHRC Amendment Act of 2010, which bolstered the Commission’s independence, empowered it to award compensation, and aligned Nigeria more firmly with global human rights standards.
“Over the years, the Commission has undertaken landmark national inquiries, including the Independent Investigative Panel on SARS and Police Brutality, and the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in the North-East.
“The NHRC now receives an average of two million complaints annually, a figure expected to rise with the digitisation of its complaints system supported by the Government of Switzerland”, the NHRC boss said.
The Executive Secretary disclosed that the NHRC has facilitated five consecutive National Action Plans on Human Rights and recently oversaw Nigeria’s adoption of the first National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights in West Africa.
While celebrating progress, Ojukwu acknowledged ongoing challenges, including insecurity, shrinking civic space, gender-based violence, climate-related impacts, and barriers to justice.
He however emphasized improvements in public awareness, digital access, state-level presence, and the Commission’s collaboration with security agencies.
The NHRC boss paid tribute to civil society organisations and human rights defenders, describing them as “the backbone of human rights protection in Nigeria” whose courage and advocacy continue to drive accountability and justice.
In a keynote speech titled, “From military rule to civilian democracy: Human rights in Nigeria 30 years after and beyond”, Prof Joy Ezeilo, SAN said, the Constitution of Nigeria is being amended because the legitimacy question has not been answered, even though it is a legal document and the Supreme law of the land.
Prof Ezeilo, who is a member of the UN fact finding mission on Sudan and a former UN special rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children said, sustaining democracy require new habits of transparency, inclusion and responsiveness.
“For democracy to thrive, cyberspace must remain open and allow civic participation and to confront the issue of inclusion”, she said and observed that, political, social and economic rights of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) remain undervalued despite appreciable legislative progress.
The keynote speaker said, Nigeria needs to strengthen institutions to ensure accountability for human rights violations by both security forces and public officials.
“We need to enhance civic education to foster a culture of rights and responsibility, improve access to Justice , especially for marginalized groups,” she said.
Source: TRIBUNE
