Executive Secretary National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr Tony Ojukwu has urged incoming ministers to establish human rights in developing government policies.
Ojukwu made the call while addressing newsmen, in Abuja.
Ojukwu said, “The legitimacy of the government in a democratic setting depended on its ability to protect the people, respect their rights and promote same. With that disposition, government provides for the people’s security and ensures their welfare as a highway towards government achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
‘’Therefore, every organ of government must work towards, and align all their operations towards promoting, respecting and protecting the rights of citizens, leading to providing security and welfare for the people and thereby achieving the SDG government.”
The ES further said that mainstreaming human rights into government operations could be achieved through participation, involvement of the people in the formulation and implementation of government programmes, policies and activities.
“Accountability is in implementing the programmes, policies, activities and ensuring that people benefit from the implementation,” he added.
The NHRC boss further urged the incoming ministers to ensure gender equality and non-discrimination in the programmes, policies and activities.
Ojukwu said that important avenue of mainstreaming human rights into government operations was through policy intervention which had been encapsulated into a policy document called the National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Nigeria (NAP)
He said there are various positive expected outcomes of mainstreaming human rights into government operations by the incoming ministers.
“The government will be seen as a people centered government, the SDGs will be achieved to the credit of the government of the day,” he said.
