National Human Rights commission has said that equality treatment of all human beings would reduce friction and promote peace in the society.
The executive secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu SAN, stated this in a press statement at the commemoration of 2021 International Human Rights day.
Explaining the theme : ” Equality – Reducing inequalities, Advancing Human Rights”, he said, “the word equality speaks to the very foundational principle of human rights which is non discrimination or equality of treatment of all human beings irrespective of circumstances of birth, age, colour, gender, religion, political opinion, etc.
“The theme equally brings back nostalgia of the milestone provisions in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), 1948. Article1 of the UDHR provides that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Equality of treatment of all human beings in all circumstances will reduce frictions and promote peace in our societies.
“As a commission charged with the responsibility of promoting and protecting human rights in Nigeria, the theme also speaks to the central mandate of the commission. The principle of non discrimination is the pivot upon which all our advocacies and other promotional activities rotate. It is also on this principle that the commission emphasises the need to adopt human rights approach to all operations of government and other activities”, he said.
Director Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Center, Ebonyi state, George Etamesor, expressed concern over the rate of abuse of human rights in the state, even as he pointed out that some of these abuses were coming from security personnel including the Ebubeagu security outfit.
Etamesor noted that there is hope for improvement and maintained that it is not only security agencies that participate in
human rights abuses as individuals; civilians abuse each other’s right on daily bases.
“Against my rational mental judgment, I will say that the human rights abuse in Ebonyi state is very poor. But just like I always say, there is hope, we can always do better.
“But as it stands today, human rights abuses are very prevalent. First of all, as we know, it is not only security agencies that participate in this. It is even among us, each abusing the rights of the other.
“But the one that is now more prevalently disturbing today is that of this state security outfit, Ebubeagu. Theirs is just something else, probably because they are not trained.
“Their human rights abuses are very rampant. In Ebonyi state, respect for human rights is extremely poor.”
Also, the coordinator, National Human Rights Commission, Ebonyi state, Christopher Okorie, said apart from abuses by security agencies with state actors keeping mute, gender based violence, specifically against women was statistically prevalent in Ebonyi state in the forms of rape, spousal battery, wife abandonment, violation of girls, among others.
He noted that violence against women and girls are getting out of hand and rights groups needed to carry out the campaign to stem the tide.
He encouraged all victims of human right abuses to report at the commission’s office at the Federal Secretariat, Nnorom street, Abakaliki, for necessary action.
