AHEAD of President Muhammadu Buhari’s
visit to the United States tomorrow, Human
Rights Watch has written to US president
Barack Obama asking him to discuss
violence and corruption in Nigeria and make
Buhari endorse gay rights as issues Nigeria
must address.

In a letter dated July 15, 2015 signed by its
Executive Director, Kenneth Roth, the
international rights organisation told Obama
that Buhari’s visit offered an opportunity to
re-evaluate US-Nigeria partnership, while
asking him to address the three issues and
“speak publicly about them.”
“As you know, the conflict in the northeast
between the militant rebel group Boko
Haram and Nigeria’s security forces has
become increasingly deadly and is one of
the critical challenges facing Nigeria’s new
administration. An estimated 8,000 civilians
are believed to have been killed since 2010,
of which some 400 have died in Nigeria
since Buhari’s inauguration on May 29.
“Nearly one million people are displaced.
Boko Haram has targeted civilians in
Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad,
abducted hundreds of women and girls, and
forcibly conscripted young men and boys,
and destroyed villages, towns, and schools.
While recent military operations by the
Nigerian army and neighboring states has
pushed Boko Haram fighters out of dozens
of towns and resulted in the rescue of over
700 hostages, the violence persists.
“During his inauguration speech, Buhari said
“[w]e shall overhaul the rules of
engagement to avoid human rights
violations in operations. We shall improve
operational and legal mechanisms so that
disciplinary steps are taken against proven
human rights violations by the Armed
Forces.” We urge you to build on this
commitment by encouraging the
development of clear and public rules of
engagement, based on respect for human
rights, under which every member of the
security forces is expected to operate.
“We also urge you to press Buhari to
immediately suspend any member of
Nigeria’s security forces, including senior
officers, where there is credible evidence of
their involvement in serious human rights
abuses, and investigate and prosecute them
in accordance with international fair trial
standards. As part of his efforts at security
sector reform, it is likely Buhari will request
increased US and international support for
Nigeria’s counter offensive against Boko
Haram and for its security and police forces.
If security assistance is increased, we urge
you to set clear benchmarks that ensure
respect for human rights.

“Finally, psycho-social care for all victims of
the northeast conflict is rightly a priority for
your administration. We encourage you to
continue your strong support in this area
and urge Buhari to develop a detailed plan
to ensure the basic rights of all victims,
including medical and mental health
services, as well as education for school-
aged victims in displaced persons camps
and host communities.
Corruption and weak governance
“Corruption and weak governance mean
that Nigeria’s tremendous oil wealth, which
could have been used to improve the lives
of ordinary Nigerians, continues to be
squandered and siphoned off by the
governing elite, leaving poverty, malnutrition,
and mortality rates among the worst in the
world. These problems are most acute in the
North – the country’s poorest region – but
also in the resource-rich Niger Delta where
widespread poverty and unemployment,
exacerbated by environmental degradation
and corruption, have created popular unrest
and facilitated the growth of extremist
groups.

“The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission and its public sector
counterpart, the Independent Corrupt
Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission, have failed to effectively tackle
high-level corruption and financial crimes in
the country. A number of senior state-level
officials, including former governors, have
recently been arrested and face prosecution
for corruption. Buhari will need to go further
and match his anti-corruption rhetoric
during the election campaign with a
readiness to confront entrenched corruption
and lack of transparency in the conduct of
government business. This will include
addressing recent scandals around
unilateral withdrawals and unapproved
spending of crude oil earnings by the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
and the Federal Ministry of Finance as
exposed by the office of the Accountant
General of the Federation.

“To this end, we urge you to press Buhari to
fully investigate and prosecute, in
accordance with international fair trial
standards, all cases of corruption
implicating senior political figures and
improve the independence of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission through
greater security of tenure for the
commission’s chairperson. We also hope
you will encourage the enactment of federal
and state transparency laws that require all
members of the National Assembly, federal
ministers, the president, and state
governmental officials to issue and publicise
annual declarations of the total value of all
personal assets.”
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

“In a country where LGBT rights were
already under threat, the Same-Sex
Marriage (Prohibition) Law, which President
Goodluck Jonathan ratified in January 2014,
has entrenched discrimination even further.
The new law criminalizes public displays of
affection between same-sex couples and
penalizes organizations advocating for the
rights of LGBT people. The law could inhibit
the right to health by criminalizing outreach
to LGBT groups. The vaguely worded law
contradicts Nigeria’s Constitution, as well as
its obligations under regional and
international human rights treaties, including
the African Charter on Human and Peoples’
Rights and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights. Given the high
priority your administration has assigned to
LGBT issues, we urge you to call on Buhari
to repeal the Same-Sex Marriage
(Prohibition) Bill.

“Against the odds, Nigeria has succeeded in
carrying out mostly peaceful presidential
and gubernatorial elections. This outcome is
a landmark for Nigeria, but the country faces
some very serious economic, social, and
security challenges in the coming period. We
appreciate the cautious approach your
administration took with the previous
administration and hope you will continue to
call for greater respect for human rights and
the rule of law as an essential component of
Nigeria’s ability to manage these challenges
effectively.

tribuneonlineng.com/human-rights-watch-asks-obama-force-buhari-endorse-gay-rights

We accept

the dullard will agree, mumu man

US and OBAMA behind BOKO HARAM .....buhari it will be political sucide for you ti accept gay rights in our country.... we shall resist gay with all our blood and it will even be better to do away with us and allign with russia and china for support.

this goes along way to show that US have something to do with this bokoharam issue.what nonsense PMB will never succumb period.

presher:
the dullard will agree, mumu man

Imagine d black Id!ot calling someone a dullard..smh

Okwala haaa

vecman22:


Imagine d black Id!ot calling someone a dullard..smh

if he is a black idiot. What are you?

Ok make my daughter go marry that Obama daughter

Daughterzion:
if he is a black idiot. What are you?

Am yur sugar daddy

vecman22:


Imagine d black Id!ot calling someone a dullard..smh

lol who is this frustrated fool

Continu

vecman22:

Am yur sugar daddy

am sorry to say this but i think u are sick

Daughterzion:
if he is a black idiot. What are you?

imagine the audacity of the fool,

vecman22:

Am yur sugar daddy

am sorry to say this but i think u are sick

NEVER NEVER NEVER

Daughterzion:
if he is a black idiot. What are you?

imagine the audacity of the fool,certificateless buhari is not in my league

Dats rubbish! Simply shows they are involved in all this...
We shouldn't let them dictate for Nigeria except u all want this project to fall. One Nigeria One Nation. Peace be with you all.

Daughterzion:
if he is a black idiot. What are you?

Irony innit

Shut up ur dirty mouth dia.ode

vecman22:

Imagine d black Id!ot calling someone a dullard..smh

I never said this before......... "Iranu Abasha."

Bubu is a fool,i kn he will accept.

Dollyak:
Irony innit

how

Daughterzion:
am sorry to say this but i think u are sick

Am letting you go because you are a girl.. pls dnt try mentioning me again...

presher:
imagine the audacity of the fool,certificateless buhari is not in my league

as in eh

Daughterzion:
how

Lord give me strength. Never mind

Brightology2:
Shut up ur dirty mouth dia.ode

Thunder fire you..

Daughterzion:
as in eh

they worship politicians who are just there because of opportunity

hh

vecman22:


Am letting you go because you are a girl.. pls dnt try mentioning me again...

whatever......?