CSO charges Nigerians to speak up against maltreatment

By Bode Olagoke

Abuja

A Civil Society Organisation, Citizens of Impact, has asked Nigerians to speak out against numerous social, economic and political vices confronting them.
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja at the awareness campaign for human dignity and social justice, organised to sensitise Nigerians, Executive Director of the group, Comrade Daniel Seun Olatunde said “if 20,000 citizens repatriated from Libya come together to demand a thing from government, within 72 hours, there will be result.”
While calling on Nigerians to wake up from their slumber and take ownership of what rightly belong them, Olatunde lamented that if the recently approved $1Bn to fight remnants of Boko Haram in the North-east is deployed to empower Nigerians, hunger and the level of poverty in the country will be a thing of the past.
Speaking on the reason for the awareness campaign, Comrade Olatunbosun said every human being deserves to live a dignified life, “We believe that that every individual can make a contribution to ensure that all people live with dignity.
“By saying that no one deserves to be mistreated due to gender, race, ethnicity, creed, ability or orientation, we stand together with all community groups to say no to discrimination and yes to inclusion.
“The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended also in Chapter 4- 34. (1) Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly- (a) no person shall be subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment; (b) no person shall be held in slavery or servitude; (c) no person shall be required to perform forced or compulsory.”
The group is asking the government to focus more on youth empowerment and employment to reduce violence, crimes, terrorism and extreme poverty in the country and also guide against slave labour, domestic and child labour.
“The Nigerian government must treat human rights nationally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing, and with the same emphasis. While the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be borne in mind, it is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
“That the Nigerian government and the international community should tackle poverty, social, economic exclusion, unemployment, Right of the minorities, ethnic groups clashes, drug trafficking, Human Trafficking, Violence, corruption in and out etc
“Improve the quality of education through adequate learning infrastructure in public schools. “Make our public school competitive”.

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