The refusal for over two years of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to reconstitute the governing council of the nation’s premier human rights monitoring institution – National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), clearly signposts an administration that has no regard for the human rights of the citizenry.

Leading civil rights group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), which made the assertion in a press statement on Friday, said that beyond the manifestation of very poor human rights record of Buhari’s administration in the last three and half years, the rubbishing of the NHRC could backfire in such a way that it may be downgraded in status internationally by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

It anchored its observation on the fact that for any national human rights institution to enjoy top global rating, it must be independent in terms of management and operation. HURIWA lamented that the lack of a statutory governing board has denied the National Human Rights Commission as it is currently.

Besides, the rights group believes that the lack of a governing board has also crippled the institution and has denied it of the global statute as an independent, impartial and courageous ombudsman for the promotion and protection of the fundamental rights of all citizens as clearly spelt out in the universal declarations of human rights, African charter on peoples and human rights and the Nigerian constitution.

HURIWA accused President Buhari of undermining the independence of the rights institution by allowing it to operate for over two years without a “soul” just as the agency has now been reduced in the estimation of the Buhari administration as a mere government agency as against the clear provisions of the statutory Act setting up the institution which grants it operational and funding autonomy.

HURIWA recalled that the Governing Council is so important, legally, to an extent that the enabling Act states that it shall be responsible for the discharge of the functions of the Commission.

HURIWA said the NHRC cannot function optimally because the enabling law clearly states that the governing council shall be responsible for the discharge of the functions of the Commission which is legally empowered to deal with all matters relating to the protection of human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other International Treaties on human rights to which Nigeria is a signatory; monitor and investigate all alleged cases of human rights violation in Nigeria and make appropriate recommendation to the President for the prosecution and such other actions as it may deem expedient in each circumstance.

It would also assist victims of human rights violation and seek appropriate redress and remedies on their behalf; undertake studies on all matters pertaining to human rights and assist the Federal Government in the formulation of appropriate policies on the guarantee of human rights among other very important functions.

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