Pius Dukor.
The Niger Delta Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Coalition has blamed the Federal Government for the delay in the implementation of the decision of the United Nation Universal Periodic Review which Nigeria reviewed some years ago.
The Human Rights Coalition Coordinator Mr. Legborsi Saro Pyagbara dropped the hint while addressing the 18th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council presently taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from the 12th to 30th September 2011. Mr. Legborsi alleged that the Nigeria government has failed to develop an elaborate plan for the implementation of the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review.
“Two years after the government committed itself to carrying out programmes and activities for the realization of the outcome of the review since June 2009, an annual human rights dialogue have not been held to this day”. the activist had alerted.
This, Mr. Pyagbara asserted does not augur well for the protection of human rights in the country.
The UPR Coalition spokesperson in a statement warned that nation states dealing with the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review and other human rights mechanisms will go a long way in the stabilization of the protection of human rights in their respective countries. He regretted that despite effort of United Nation, Nigeria still play with the human right record, positing that the disturbing failure of the government to implement the outcome of the UPR risks casting serious doubt on the country’s image and will be a blot on its human rights records.
This, the coordinator stressed, will not be a positive development for a country positioning herself as a responsible member of the comity of nations.
He therefore called on theNigeriagovernment to set up strong machinery for the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Universal Review of Nigeria to enhance and expand the protection of human rights in the country.
It would be recalled that in February 2009, theNigeriagovernment had the assessment of the implementation of its human rights obligations and responsibilities by the United Nations Human Rights Council through its Universal Periodic Review Mechanism. At the end of the review, several recommendations otherwise called the Universal Periodic Review (IJPR) outcome were made to theNigeriagovernment, which the country accepted to implement to enhance human rights protection in the country.
The Secretary-General of the Body, Mr. Andrew Udo Samuel has called on other Human Rights Activists in the country not be discouraged by the antics of federal government but should continue to uphold the practice of human rights and its principles. ####
