Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has denounced Nigeria’s startling number of violations of human rights.
He was disappointed that the nation is still known throughout the world for its human rights abuses.
In a statement released on Tuesday in honor of 2024 Human Rights Day, Obi denounced the misuse of the state’s power for the exploitation of its inhabitants.
As we celebrate Human Rights Day, I’m once more lending my voice to the worldwide community.
According to our understanding, human rights are a universal aspiration that illustrates the unalienable rights to which all people, including Nigerians, are entitled, regardless of their ethnicity, socioeconomic standing, or religious beliefs.
Human rights are seen as the cornerstone of inclusive, equitable, and peaceful society.
Therefore, on a day such as today, we should assess our own progress or regression in upholding our citizens’ human rights.
“As much as I would like to extol our country, the stark realities that Nigerians face on a daily basis are heartbreaking,” he said.
Obi brought attention to a number of human rights violations in Nigeria, including as the abuse of public office and power by politicians, unlawful detentions, and security agency murders.
He bemoaned the fact that the nation ranks 21st on the list of countries with the worst human rights records, highlighting the increasingly unfriendly atmosphere for journalists and the fact that they are being detained for carrying out their lawful responsibilities.
The egregious disregard for citizens’ human rights, abuse of authority and public office, extrajudicial arrests and punishments for alleged wrongdoing, and numerous other examples of human rights violations are alarming and confront us.
According to a recent report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), it gets almost two million complaints about violations of human rights each year from the masses.
It is important to remember that millions of other people lack the voice to speak up and ask for assistance, as well as the strength of character to confront the violation of their rights.
Unfortunately, our country has continued to be infamous for violating human rights. In 2022, we were ranked 21st out of the nations with the poorest records for violations of the rule of law and human rights worldwide. According to the Fragile State Index for 2023, we are likewise the fifteenth worst state out of 177 nations.
“We are currently among the most hazardous and challenging countries for journalists in West Africa, in addition to consistently denying the citizens their right to freedom of speech,” he said.
The former governor of Anambra State also urged the country’s authorities to uphold the rule of law and defend citizens’ rights. He urged the nation to be united despite differences in religion and ethnicity.
Therefore, we must stop on this perilous path of destruction that is impeding our progress.
The greatest intangible asset a country can possess is respect for human rights and the rule of law, which not only promotes national harmony but also attracts outside organizations and foreign investment.
“I hope that by commemorating today’s occasion, we as leaders will start to advocate for the protection of our people’s rights.
“I also hope that we, the people, start to see each other as fellow human beings and start to tear down the barriers of religion and tribe,” Obi continued.