By Umar Muhammad Shira
A Non governmental Organization, Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN) has asked Nigerians to place priority on supporting good policies aimed at enhancing human right and good governance in the Nigeria.
The NGO which is currently rolling out advocacy and awareness campaign across the country on the implementation of the Nigerien Police Act 2020, says, under democracy, citizens participation in strengthening policies for good governance is a matter of fundamental duties.
Speaking during a Media Town Hall meeting in Maiduguri for Media Practitioners in the North-East geopolitical Zone, the Programme Officer of the organization, Mrs Zainab Waziri, called on media to spearhead a consistent awareness creation on the content of the Nigerian Police Act for citizens to become familiar with its key provisions which were enacted to support human dignity and respect in line with international best practices.
She said, Partners West Africa Nigeria, which is also known as Rule of law and empowerment Initiative, as a non-governmental organization, is currently involved in enhancing citizens’ participation and improving security governance in Nigeria and West Africa as a whole .
Mrs Waziri, explained that the effort to educate citizens on contents of Police Act became necessary looking at poor understanding among the citizens towards its diligent implementation.
She called on the Media to publicize the provisions of the Act for the Citizens to know their right in the face of interaction with the Nigerian Police.
Speaking on the key areas bordering on Human Rights and Police Code of Practice, a lead Facilitator at the Town Hall Meeting, Dr Kelechi Akubueze, said Nigerians are entitled to rights protection even when persons are on investigation.
He highlighted key improvements in the new Police Act 2020, which include banning of Torture in whatever situation, respect of citizens right on statement documentation while under investigation, right to legal representation, procedural search, unjustifiable arrest of relatives in place of a suspect, among others.
Dr Kelechi Akubueze called on Nigerian Police to properly educate its Officers and Men so as to uphold virtues of rule of engagement warning that, human right groups, Civil Society Organizations and Activists are becoming more united to keep vigil eyes on the performances of the Nigerian Police under the new Act.
According to him, with this new development, Nigeria is standing in a core tenets of democracy where citizens rights and rule of Law are accorded top priorities in the scheme of things which is a departure from the old order inherited from colonial period.
Turning to the Media, he said, as watch dog of the society, he pointed out that, their primary role transcends beyond news reporting but also, investigative Journalism, corruption uncovering, stalling abuse of office and human right protection.
He solicited Media partnership to work with National Human Right Commission and the Partners West Africa Nigeria, to support the evolution of an egalitarian society with high respect to human rights and due process.
The Maiduguri town Hall meeting was facilitated with a support from the UKaid project and it attracted Media participants from the six states in the North-east during which, elaborate discussion was made a called was made as a resolution for the Federal Government and the Nigerian Police Force to devolve aggressive strategy for the implementation of the New Police Act to meet citizens desire for dignified service apparatus as Nigeria propelled under Constitutionalism and international charters for enhance human rights and welfare.
