Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international non-governmental organisation, on Thursday, urged the President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu to place human rights at the centre of both domestic and foreign policy considerations.

Tinubu’s inauguration is billed for Monday, following his victory in the February 25 presidential election, according to the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1.

HRW, In a statement published on its website, noted that the election was “blighted by logistical failures and violence at the polls”, despite repeated calls to authorities to pursue accountability for past elections-related abuses and address widespread insecurity.

“Barring a potential opposition victory in petitions to overturn election results, President-elect Tinubu, who is scheduled to be sworn in on May 29, is due to inherit a set of complex national crises including worsening banditry in the Northwest, separatist agitation in the Southeast, and the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.

“At this pivotal moment for Africa’s most populous democracy, President-elect Tinubu should place human rights at the center of both domestic and foreign policy considerations”, the group said.

The NGO further advised Tinubu to take aim at critical levels of insecurity, ensure protection for civilians and accountability for rights abuses, protect Nigerians’ rights to freedom of expression, and prioritise efforts toward the realisation of an adequate standard of living for all.

Also, the President-elect was reminded that Nigeria has a pivotal role to play, particularly in the West Africa region, by supporting constitutional democracies and standing up for fundamental rights and democratic freedoms.

HRW asked the former governor of Lagos state to promote the independence and respect for the rulings of African human rights institutions and regional courts, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice.

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As part of efforts aimed at alleviating poverty, unemployment and social vices in the country, a non-governmental organisation under the aegis of Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre (AARC) has trained and empowered over 200 youths with requisite entrepreneurial skills to be self-reliance.

Speaking at the graduation and distribution of working tools to young people who have undergone several forms of vocational training at the centre on Wednesday, in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman, Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre (AARC), Oloye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke noted that the only way to minimize poverty and curb social vices among youths in the country is the human development through vocational training and entrepreneurial skills.

Adegoke, who is the Executive Director Finance and Chief Financial Officer of OES Energy Services stressed that the training and empowerment will go a long way in reducing poverty, joblessness and the attendant crimes among the youths in the society

The Ajia Balogun Olubadan of Ibadanland also maintained that when youths are engaged and impacted with Knowledge through vocational training and studies, social vices and poverty would be reduced to the barest minimal.

While urging states and federal government to invest more on
vocational studies, Adegoke insisted that government can reduce social vices among the youths through handiwork rather than focusing alone on white collar job.

According to him, “there is poverty and unemployment in the land coupled with the consequences such as social vices, which we can reduce drastically if the government, corporate bodies, foundation and individual philanthropist can invest in vocational studies, by doing so many youths will be engaged and they will be far away from social vices, that can dent their image and that of their families.

“In my own little way in contributing to youth development and poverty alleviation, my foundation, Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre has device a vocational training for youths in several aspects such as candle and soap making, hairdressing, chalk making, tailoring, computer engineering, POP and others.

“We are presenting working tools to about 75 of them today, out of 200 as first batch to follow Covid-19 protocol, another two batches will follow in the next few weeks time. Parts of what we are distributing include sewing machines, hair dryer, laptops and computers, generators, cash and other working implements.

“We have trained people on how to be self-reliant and to become an entrepreneur. This will help in alleviating the poverty level in the state and country at large, and to generate income for themselves. The way the country is going now, you cannot rely on white collar job.

“We are also orientating the beneficiaries to be self-reliant instead of waiting for white-collar jobs that we all know are not there. They will be taught to have a saving culture.

“This kind of programme will put an end to youth unrest because when youths are gainfully engaged, they would not have time for unproductive activities like engaging in violent acts and all that”, he concluded

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The Company said the scholarship has become an annual event meant to contribute to the educational development of the people and the area and position them in right place in the scheme of things in Ogun state and Nigeria in general.

Speaking during the presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries at Ibese Plant, the Acting Plant Director of Dangote Cement, Ibese, Mr. Louis Raj, informed that the management decided to increase the number of beneficiaries to 115 from the previous 80 so that more children of the area could benefit.

He also noted that the decision was meant to encourage the young ones to go to school as a sure way of building them mentally and morally so that they be good to themselves and the society.

According to him, the scholarship award is just one of the many Social Services the Company has committed itself to and continue to provide other social services as a way of giving back to the society within which it operates.

Raj stated that the scholarship award and other CSR projects were being undertaken as a way of saying thanks to the people for maintenance and sustenance of peace in the area pointing out that it was the prevailing atmosphere of peace that make the company to operate smoothly.

He expressed the management gratitude to the royal fathers and other community leaders whose efforts have accounted for the peace and tranquility, noting that the company would wish the spirit of peaceful coexistence continues.

The General Manager, Government and Community Relations, Joseph Alabi while giving the breakdown of the scholarship said the award covered 115 students of Yewa origin studying various courses across several higher institutions of learning in the country.

Some of the schools where the beneficiaries are studying include Polytechnics, Universities, College of Educations, College of Technologies, and secondary schools scattered across Ogun state.

Alabi also announced a list of candidates from the host communities who have been selected to attend Dangote Academy for training in various arts and vocations pointing out that the training will equip them with wherewithal to work and do their own business whenever they chose to.

“In Dangote Group, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to our communities is our watchword and focus. Giving scholarships, construction of roads and drainages, provision of transformers and other projects to connect communities to national grid, among others are what will do every year. We award scholarships to communities in order to give the communities part of wealth being created.”

“I think everything is not about money but the main benefit is to provide them the opportunity to have better education and in the future, if they are good students, well-qualified, we will also offer them opportunities to work here at Ibese Cement Plant. This is part of CSR to ensure good relations, good partnership with our communities,” he added.

In his remark, the Olu of Imasayi, Oba Gbadebo Oni said the host communities are happy with Dangote Cement with its handling of community issues, saying Alhaji Aliko Dangote deserves all the cooperation his people could muster for citing the cement plant in their land and then taking care of the people and the communities.

He promised that his people would continue to give peace a chance always because to whom much is given, much is expected. The Monarch said the education scholarship is the best thing that has happened to the host communities because the issue of quality education cannot be quantified in monetary terms.

The scholarship according to him, has offered a big relief to parents who have to struggle so much to ensure their children school fees are paid, saying they will forever be grateful to the management of Dangote cement.

It would be recalled that the company had some years ago instituted scholarships for the indigenes of any of the host communities in any higher institution and secondary schools with the management saying it was poised to making life more meaningful to all members of the host communities with a promise to ensure that all projects meet the specific need of each community.

Also, the Dangote Cement Plc, Gboko factory in Benue State had also given out N20 million worth of scholarships to indigent students from the firm’s host community, Mbayion, as part of its CSR in the last one year.

The Group also emerged Nigeria’s best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Company according to a survey by Governance Advancement Initiative for Nigeria (GAIN), an NGO.

Dangote was the adjudged overall winner among 25 Nigerian and multinational companies operating in the country in 2016, scoring 6.3 per cent, followed by Nestle with 5.51 per cent and Etisalat with 5.45 per cent.

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They made the call in Ibadan during a programme tagged:”End Female Genital Mutilation Poster Art Competition Award Ceremony”.

Speaking on the rationale behind the campaign, the Programmes and Media Manager,One life Initiative for Human Development, Mr. Sola Fagorusi said the idea is to reduce the prevalent level of female genital mutilation in Nigeria.

Continuing ,Fagorusi stressed :”To ensure that the next generation of mothers won’t indulge in mutilation. The global figure says that 200 million girls have actually been mutilated . 10 per cent of the statistics is in Nigeria. The implication of this is that 20 million girls have been mutilated”.

Speaking further on the effects of FGM, Fagorusi pointed out that it makes the female to suffer from shock which may result in death.

He further said it could cause obstruction for women in labour and difficulty in delivery and Vesico vagina Fistula.

He said:”According to Director General of Vesico Centre in Ebonyi. Ebonyi is number two in term of national ranking  FMG.

It has psycho-social effect  where the woman doesn’t enjoy sexual union with her husband and cause broken home”.

Participants at the event

Puncturing  the insinuation that if a female is not mutilated, she would be promiscuous, Fagorusi said:”Promiscuity has nothing to do with mutilation. We are talking about character and value system. If parents bring up their children properly then we won’t be talking clitoris or any part of the body responsible for indulging in female genital mutilation.

“And again,the girl will not be promiscuous with herself”, saying sexuality education should be given to boys and enlightening the boys in a way to protect  their wives.

He also faulted the belief that When a child’s head touches the clitoris the child will die , but saying medical experts said that doesn’t have anything to do the delivery.

“Also, they claim that it is part of our religions as instructed in the Qur’an and the Bible,we go out with clerics, Pastors and I. mams on our advocacy campaigns. No part of the holy books that say a female must be mutilated.

On the claim that is part of culture, Fagorusi said,”Culture is dynamic and changes with civilization. This is not to discountance the quality and importance of culture but we are saying that in this particular instance culture does not stand especially when there is no medical verification”.

He said there are laws  such the Child Right Law 2006 in Oyo State, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act,2015, and Violence Against Women Prohibition Law Oyo State 2016 which all frown at the practice.

“We are saying despite all the laws people still antagonise you when you go for advocacy in places like Kajola,Oyo,Ogbomoso and others”, he remarked .

Consequently, Fagorusi called government to bring an end to the practice, adding that ,”Government needs to do more in tern of intervention”.

His words:”National Orientation Agency (NOA) as part of its mandate should look into harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and early child marriage and enlighten the people.

“In addition, government needs to use the media by sponsoring programmes and complementing what NGOs are doing”.

Speaking from legal perspectives, Barrister Ronke Ige from Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC)  described it as a family crime, saying there are various legal provisions locally, nationally and internationally to seek redress on the  matter.

Quoting relevant laws such as Violence Against Persons. Prohibition Act 2015; Violence Against Women Prohibition Law Oyo State 2016 Sec.6 (1) and punishable under sect. 6 (2), Ige said no person shall be subjected to torture or to in human or degrading treatment.

According to the legal mind, it is against Cap 1V  Section 34 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution which talks about dignity of human beings.

She called on the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related matters (NAPTIPP) which is mandated to administer the provisions of this Act and collaborate with the relevant stakeholders including faith-based organizations (NGOs).

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