The prominent civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has lambasted the Executive Secretary of the NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF NIGERIA Mr Tony OJUKWU for going cap-in-hand to foreign operated businesses in Nigeria to beg for sponsorship.
“It beggars belief and is indeed an unprecedented act of betrayal and compromise that the public funded national rights commission that should act as an independent investigator of all human rights-related infractions including the pervasive human rights violations against Nigerians working in foreign owned and operated companies in Nigeria is seen openly or clandestinely in an unholy communion with these same entities that the commission ought to provide oversight functions.”
“It is the height of ethical depravity and the greatest show of shame that the head of this government funded agency that became financially and operationally independent in 2010 with wide ranging amendments to its enabling Act costing the tax payers hundreds of millions of Naira to be seen begging companies to fund a movie. So what will happen if these companies are accused by their staff members especially Nigerians of gross human rights violations given that in the recent times there have been well documented empirical evidence of grave human rights abuses of Nigerians by owners of foreign administered businesses in Nigeria?”
HURIWA further maintained that this move by mr Tony OJUKWU is inappropriate and clearly violates the provisions of the enabling act setting up the rights commission as would be cited below.
In a statement in which HURIWA asked the management of NHRC to rescind its beggarly tendencies and properly discharge her mandates, the Rights group averred that the commission’s mandates did not envisage that the management could go to the ridiculous extent of becoming a corporate beggar to even companies set up by foreigners in Nigeria which are amongst the largest abusers of the employment rights of Nigerians with many of them using Nigerian workers as modern day slaves.
HURIWA recalled that the NHRC (Amendment) Act, 2010 has conferred on the Commission additional independence and strengthened the Commission’s power with respect to promotion and protection of human rights, investigation of alleged violation of human rights and enforcement of decisions. The Amendment Act has also widened the scope of the Commission’s Mandate to include vetting of legislations at all levels to ensure their compliance with human rights norms.
Specifically, the NHRC is mandated to:
Deal with all matters relating to the promotion and protection of human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international and regional instruments on human rights to which Nigeria is a party;
Monitor and investigate all alleged cases of human rights violations in Nigeria and make appropriate recommendation to the federal government for the prosecution and such other actions as it may deem expedient in each circumstance;
Assist victims of human rights violations and seek appropriate redress and remedies on their behalf
Undertake studies on all matters pertaining to human rights and assist the Federal, State and Local Governments, where it considers it appropriate to do so, in the formulation of appropriate policies on the guarantee of human rights;
Publish and submit from time to time to the President the National Assembly, the Judiciary, State and Local Governments, reports on the state of human rights promotion and protection in Nigeria;
Organize local and international seminars, workshops and conferences on human rights issues for public enlightenment;
Liaise and cooperate, in such a manner as it considers appropriate, with local and international organizations on human rights for the purpose of advancing the promotion and protection of human rights;
Participate international activities relating to the promotion and protection of human rights;
Maintain a library, collect data and disseminate information and materials on human rights generally
Receive and investigate complaints concerning violations of human rights and make appropriate determination as may be deemed necessary in each circumstance;
Examine any exiting legislation, administrative provisions and propose bills or bye-laws for the purpose of ascertaining whether such enactment or proposed bill or bye-laws are consistent with human rights norms;
Prepare and publish, in such a manner as the Commission considers appropriate, guidelines for avoidance of Act or practice with respect to the functions and power of the Commission under this Act;
Promote an understanding of public discussions of human rights issues in Nigeria;
undertake research and Education Programmes and such other programmes for promoting and protecting human rights and co-ordinate any such programme on behalf of the Federal, State or Local Government on its own initiatives or when so requested by the Federal, State or Local Government and reports concerning the enactment of Legislation on matters relating to human rights; on its own initiative or when requested by the Federal, State or Local Government, report on action that should be taken by the Federal, State or Local Government to comply with the provisions of any relevant international Human Rights Institutions;
Refer any matter on human rights violation requiring prosecution to the Attorney General of the Federation or of a State as the case may be;
Where it considers it appropriate to do so, act as a conciliator between parties to a complaint;
Carry out all such other function as are necessary or expedient for the performance of these functions under the Act.
In such manner as it considers appropriate in all
HURIWA recalled that the executive Secretary of the commission, Mr Tony OJUKWU, led his team on a courtesy visit to CHI limited in Lagos on Wednesday and was quoted in the media as openly begging for financial sponsorship from this foreign company.
HURIWA citing media reports stated that the executive secretary said: “There is no doubt that the commission is the only government institution statutorily mandated to promote, protect and enforce human rights in Nigeria, we cannot do it alone. “Our determination to keep advancing the course of human rights has brought us here today to partner your esteemed organisation to support the commission in its quest to take the knowledge of human rights to the doorsteps of every household in Nigeria.” Ojukwu said that as part of human rights education activities, the commission in collaboration with Pillars of Hope Africa Initiative was carrying out advocacy through a television drama series called, ‘Silent Prejudice’. He said that the TV drama series was aimed at bringing out the ills and gross human rights violation associated with discrimination on the grounds of social status called Osu caste system, mainly practiced in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria.
Condemning the beggarly attitude which compromises the mandates of the Rights Commission, HURIWA said the executive secretary expressed hope that this advocacy programme would lead to the total abrogation of the obnoxious culture which had no place in modern civilisation.
HURIWA quoted him as begging thus: “May I use the opportunity of this visit to ask that your esteemed organisation supports the commission in succeeding in this advocacy by way of placing an advert to sponsor the programme, `silent prejudice’.
“It has viewership of over 50 million Nigerians both at home and abroad,” Ojukwu said.
HURIWA will be writing to the National Assembly to ask the committee on Human Rights and Justice to call the management of the HUMAN RIGHTS Commission to order to stop disgracing the Federal Republic of Nigeria even as the Rights group said the National Human Rights commission should publish her annual incomes and expenditures in line with the principles of transparency and accountability.
