Govt Pledges To Promote Rule Of Law, Human Rights

The Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro, yesterday in Abuja restated the Federal Government’s determination to respect human rights and promote the rule of law.
Moro gave the assurance at a seminar on “Strengthening Accountability and Changing Culture to Facilitate the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims in Places of Detention,” organised by the Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA).
The theme of the seminar was: “Amplifying the Prevention of Torture and Rehabilitation of Survivors to Change Communities in Africa.“
Moro said that Nigeria had signed and ratified the UN Convention Against Torture, Cruelty, Inhumane and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) and Optional Protocol, which recommended the establishment of National Preventive Mechanism.
He said that Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution provided for fundamental rights, including prohibition of torture, adding that “ evidence collected under torture is also inadmissible in the court of law in Nigeria.“
The minister noted that prevention and provision of effective rehabilitation to torture survivors, required legislative reforms and concrete steps to ensure implementations of relevant legislation, policies and international human rights standards.
“It requires human, technical and economic resources to accomplish these. The best option rest on developing attitudes and practices amongst staff and personnel of the law enforcement and security agencies as well as the general public which denounces torture.”
Moro, who was represented by the Director Para-Military Service of the ministry, Mr Kent Amuga, expressed hope that the seminar would serve as good example in promoting awareness on torture.
The Chairman of the Governing Board of PRAWA, Mr Gabriel Toby, said the theme of the seminar was a clarion call on human rights defenders, particularly the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims to rise up to the task of fighting the monster of torture.
Toby, who was the former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, said that PRAWA had intensified efforts at achieving a torture-free society and providing quality rehabilitation to many victims.
He said the organisation had fostered a partnership with the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Prisons Service, to engage and build the capacity of prison health workers in the rehabilitation of victims of torture.
“ This intervention guarantees early provision of support to the victims and helps to alleviate some of the effects of torture in addition to ensuring all round care for the victims.”
He said the organisation was currently working with the Nigeria Police Force to develop a Human Rights Training Manual for all police training institutions with inputs from stakeholders.
Also speaking, a member of the Judicial Service Commission, Hajiya Fatima Kwaku, appealed to the Federal Government to provide necessary facilities to security operatives to carry out investigations without torturing the offender.
Kwaku stressed the need for the Police to re-orient its members on fundamental rights of citizens, saying that “without educating the police, nothing will change“.