• Stakeholders Advocate Equity As Panacea For Peace
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Pauline Tallen has disclosed that the Federal Government would soon launch an action plan to curb cases of female genital mutilation in the country.
Tallen spoke at the event to mark the 2021 International Human Rights Day, with the theme, “Equality-reducing inequality, advancing human rights,” held in Abuja.
She said female mutilation was currently one of the greatest human rights violations against women in the world, adding that all forms of abuse against women could destroy the family, home and the core existence of humanity.
Tallen revealed that currently, 28 states in the country had domesticated the Child Rights Act, but did not go further to implement the act.
MORE FROM AFRIUPDATE
Meanwhile, all stakeholders in rights’ advocacy have recommended safeguarding of rights and equity of human beings as a panacea for peace.
The Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Hussaina Sulieman, said: “Equality and non-discrimination are core principles of human dignity and are fundamental to other key principles of human rights, such as participation and freedom of speech.
“Respect for human rights and equality of all people are key to prevention of conflicts and crises. Tackling the root cause of conflict involves making deliberate efforts to address grievances, eliminate inequality and exclusion.”
NHRC Executive Secretary, Anthony Ojukwu, emphasised the need to safeguard the rights and dignity of human beings for peaceful coexistence.
Former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of international Affairs , Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, in a lecture, said “leadership selection process in Nigeria was fraught with fraud and irregularities, such that the rights of citizens cannot be guaranteed by those brought on board by the process .”
Entitled: “Promotion and protection of human rights in the post-COVID-19 era: Challenges of international operation and reactive attitudinal disposition,” he said human rights comprise of fairness, justice and equity.
He sought refocusing of NHRC for better performance, stressing the commission should pay more attention on how to prevent abuses than being reactive.
Follow our socials Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google News.
