ABUJA — Human rights violations have continued to be on the increase in Nigeria because majority of Nigerians are not yet aware of their rights and privileges, Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Prof. Ben Angwe, has said.

Angwe, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard Newspapers in Abuja, yesterday, said the rights of Nigerians would continuously be trampled upon by malevolent forces as long as individuals and groups were not aware of what they were legally entitled to.

The NHRC boss noted that from the commission’s finding, the poor and the elite in the society were ignorant of their rights and privileges and were, therefore, not in a position to seek redress even when they were wronged.

Angwe said: “In a situation where most people are not even aware of their rights, it makes it very difficult for us to be able to protect them. People need to know where their rights begin and end so that they can begin to respect those of others in this country.

“When I talk about people not knowing their rights I am not just talking about poor people, I am talking about even the educated and well placed Nigerians. The elite are still not aware of their rights.”

The NHRC boss said in a bid to reverse the high level of ignorance exhibited by Nigerians on human rights issues, the commission had begun a serious sensitisation programme aimed at changing the attitude of Nigerians towards their rights.

He said: “First, the commission has started a process of translating the provisions of the Constitution and the relevant instruments regarding the rights of Nigerians into some major languages. These will be distributed free to all Nigerians.

“We are also having town hall meetings where the people are educated on their rights. A few days ago, we inaugurated Human Rights Education programme in schools.”

Henceforth, the commission is going to preach human rights issues every week to two schools across the country and we also have a radio and television programme to shed light on human rights matters.”

Angwe disclosed that as a result of the rigorous enlightenment campaign by the commission, Nigerians had begun to use the agency in seeking redress for their rights violations.

According to him, the commission receives no fewer than 200 petitions daily from aggrieved Nigerians and has designed a programme to be able to attend to the avalanche of issues addressed to it by Nigerians.

Angwe said the commission had opened 13 offices across the country to be able to provide easy access to Nigerians to reach the agency to attend to their problems, promising to open such offices in two thirds of the country before the end of the year.

On how to ensure the autonomy of the commission, he said the amendment of the law establishing the commission had taken care of its independence, as it was now possible for the agency to carry out its assignment without let or hindrance.

He said: “Indeed, since I assumed duties, we have not been having that kind of relationship with the government as far as our operations are concerned.

“We have been operating independently and I have never received any call from anywhere trying to dictate to me what we should so or not. The government has never told us to act in any particular manner or whatever.”

 http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/10/why-rights-violations-are-high-in-nigeria-nhrc-boss/