The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) and National Human Rights Commission have embarked on an awareness walk to commemorate International Human Rights Day.
This is even as the commission has appealed to Nigerians to support the Human Rights Fund, which has remained unfunded.
The executive secretary of NHRC, Dr Tony Ojukwu SAN, stated this in Abuja at an awareness walk to commemorate International Human Rights Day.
Dr Ojukwu urged Nigerians to contribute to the promotion of human rights by donating resources.
The exercise witnessed the executive secretary leading other Nigerians to embark on a road walk from Eagles Square, Central Area, to the commission’s headquarters at Maitama.
The event had the theme “Equality – Reducing inequalities and advancing human rights.”
It was organised in partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), funded by the European Union and implemented by the 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’ and ‘Human rights are universal rights. Let’s protect them’, ‘Human rights know no boundaries’, and ‘Break the chains of inequality, advance human rights’, among others.
Speaking to journalists, the executive secretary underscored the need for Nigerians to recognise that protecting human rights is a collective responsibility beyond government efforts alone.
He lauded RoLAC for its valuable support, which helped ensure the programme’s success.
In 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.” Also, note that it is not only for the government to assist in addressing human rights violations.
“Private individuals and companies can also donate. It doesn’t have to be cash. They can donate equipment. They can donate computers, laptops, and vehicles. They can donate facilities, tables, chairs, and all those kinds of things; they all help.
“So we call upon Nigerians to see addressing their rights as a common problem, not something to be left to the 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 who can afford to donate M100 million, and it will not mean anything to them?
“And they will be happy with the number of displaced persons, 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 look at 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 chairman of the Commission’s Governing Council, Dr Salamatu Suleiman, said the 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, vices in society will be eliminated.
The International Human Rights Day is celebrated annually on December 10 to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It is the high point of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, which commenced on November 25.
