Daily Trust
By Atika Balal, 20 February 2012
The National Human Rights Commission is to set up a Human Rights Institute as a specialized centre for research, training and human rights education.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe disclosed this over the weekend while receiving a delegation from the Amnesty International on an official visit to the Commission.
The Centre when fully operational, according to Prof. Angwe, will be a citadel of academic programmes in the field of human rights and related areas.
While noting that work on the proposed institute had started, Prof Angwe said the institute will support government in formulating and evolving policies that relate to the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria.
He called on Amnesty International to partner with the Commission in providing technical and intellectual support to the proposed institute.
Lucy Freeman, who led the team from Amnesty International, pledged to support any project by the Commission aimed at advancing the course of human rights in Nigeria.
In a related development, the Right to Know (R2K), a non-governmental organization advocating for public access to information, has called on the NHRC to take the lead in the advocacy for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act.
Maxwel Kadiri, Associate Legal Officer, Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), who spoke on behalf of the R2K team, said, with adjudicating powers conferred on it under the Amendment Act, 2010, the NHRC is in the best position to ensure that the FOIA achieves its purpose.
Responding, Prof. Angwe promised to team up with the R2K to educate and enlighten Nigerians on the merits of implementing the FOIA and urged state governments to adopt the Act.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201202200161.html
By Atika Balal, 20 February 2012
The National Human Rights Commission is to set up a Human Rights Institute as a specialized centre for research, training and human rights education.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe disclosed this over the weekend while receiving a delegation from the Amnesty International on an official visit to the Commission.
The Centre when fully operational, according to Prof. Angwe, will be a citadel of academic programmes in the field of human rights and related areas.
While noting that work on the proposed institute had started, Prof Angwe said the institute will support government in formulating and evolving policies that relate to the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria.
He called on Amnesty International to partner with the Commission in providing technical and intellectual support to the proposed institute.
Lucy Freeman, who led the team from Amnesty International, pledged to support any project by the Commission aimed at advancing the course of human rights in Nigeria.
In a related development, the Right to Know (R2K), a non-governmental organization advocating for public access to information, has called on the NHRC to take the lead in the advocacy for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act.
Maxwel Kadiri, Associate Legal Officer, Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), who spoke on behalf of the R2K team, said, with adjudicating powers conferred on it under the Amendment Act, 2010, the NHRC is in the best position to ensure that the FOIA achieves its purpose.
Responding, Prof. Angwe promised to team up with the R2K to educate and enlighten Nigerians on the merits of implementing the FOIA and urged state governments to adopt the Act.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201202200161.html
Long overdue. One can only hope the promises being made on this Human Rights Commission will be satisfied.
ReplyDeleteLong overdue indeed!
ReplyDeleteIsn't interesting that in a country of 150million people there were no Human Rights Institutions! This goes to show the inhuman treatment the every Nigerian who does not have anyone in power is going through.
ReplyDelete