THE Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, has called on stakeholders to continue to advocate, educate and act in ways that would help uphold the dignity, freedom and Justice of all Nigerians.
The Executive Secretary, represented by Plateau State Coordinator of NHRC, Mrs. Veronica Abe, made the call recently, at the Awareness Walk on the occasion marking the 2023 International Human Rights Day and 75Th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Jos, the state capital.
He said, “this international human rights celebration is a call to action. It reminds us that the journey towards human rights requires not only grand gestures, but also the sum of daily actions. It is in our communities, our workplace and our individual interactions that we can build a culture of respect, tolerance and Justice.
“Let us carry the spirit of this International Human Rights Day celebration forward beyond the week. Let us continue to advocate, to educate and to act in ways that uphold the dignity, freedom and justice of all in Nigeria.
“Together, we can build a future where human rights are not just words on papers, but the bedrock of our society. Thank you for being an essential part of this transformative International Human Rights Day and 16 Days of Activism celebration. Let us continue to work together, advocate together and most importantly, stand together for human rights”, Ojukwu enthused.
On her part, the Director General of Gender and Equal Opportunity Commission, Barr. Mrs. Olivia Dazyem, said, Governor Caleb Mutfwang was deeply committed to the defense of the rights of people on the Plateau and has promised to work with NHRC, CSOs and organisations that respect human rights.
Also, the State Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Barr. Izang Aware, has pledged the association’s readiness to partner with NHRC to advocate human rights issues and assist any person whose rights were violated even if they do not have the finances to pay for legal fees.
Meanwhile, the Plateau State Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs. Nene Dung, said they were working on how to break the culture of silence about rape cases by creating more awareness. Emphatically, she said, “Do not keep quiet and die in silence”
There were goodwill messages by the Representative of the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Sunday Dombin, the Ministry’s Director of Planning and Research Statistics; Nanret Agaba, Ministry of Justice; Caroline Onwuezobe, TearFund; WFW; WOWICAN, CWEENS; FOMWAN; NOA; SFGC; Plateau State Disabilities Commission and others respectively.
The participants thereafter, walked from Beach Road to the Ahmadu Bello Way Jos and through Rwang Pam Street and back to Main Street, buttressing their messages and displaying postcards with inscriptions condemning gender based violence as drummers kept entertaining as they matched.
