National Orientation Agency (NOA) and other stakeholders have expressed readiness to partner the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the implementation of its National Action Plan (NAP) for the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights in Nigeria (2024 -2028).
The stakeholders gave this assurance in Awka, Anambra state at the Pre-Zonal Consultative Meeting organized by (NHRC) in partnership with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Security Agencies.
Speaking at the meeting, the State Director of NOA in Awka, Barrister Lady Ifeoma Chijioke, decried the high level of human rights abuse in the country and thanked the organizers for the engagement, especially now that Nigeria is passing through many tribulations following human rights violence.
She commended the Commission’s leadership for the great job they’re doing, pledging NOA’s readiness to collaborate with the NHRC to fast track NAP speedy implementation for human rights promotion, protection and enforcement in the country.
Earlier, Executive Secretary NHRC, Abuja, Dr Tony Ojukwu (SAN) described NAP as guiding document for promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria in line with the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, Austria in 1993.
Ojukwu, represented by the Head of the Monitoring Department of the Commission in Abuja, Dr. Benedict Agu explained that Nigeria adopted its first NAP for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in 2009-2013 in line with the declaration.
“This served as framework to implement Nigeria’s international human rights commitments and guide coordinated action across government institutions in the country.
“Following the expiration of the NAP 2009-2013 plan, the NHRC championed and led a decade -long consultative process involving wide-range of stakeholders.
“The event will further allow us to strengthen synergy between MDAs and CSOs to recognize that sustainable human rights protection can only be achieved through coordinated and all-inclusive action in Nigeria,” he added.
Anambra State Co-ordinator of the Commission, Obinna Maduforo said the event aimed at strengthening the stakeholders’ engagement and contributions for effective implementation of NAP 2024-2028 through inclusive consultation and alignment.
“We need to strategize because there are evils on the ground. The NAP was put in place by government for promotion and protection of human rights and we cannot do it alone, hence our collaboration with NOA, MDAs, CSOs, CBOs, to achieve better results,” he noted.
Highlighting the NAP overview, Ebonyi State Co-ordinator of the Commission, Onyekachi Okorie regretted that people violate human rights on daily basis without knowing it, calling on all and sundry to be part of the nationwide awareness creation by the Commission with a view to bringing the issue of human rights abuse in the country to barest minimum.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
