As the world today mark the International Human Rights Day, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has reinstated its commitment to ensuring that the right of all Nigerians, especially the girl child is adequately protected.
In line with the theme for this year’s celebration; “Stand Up For Human Rights”, the President of the NBA, Mr. Paul Usoro SAN expressed the Association’s resolve to ensure that issues of Human Right abuses in Nigeria is drastically reduced, if not totally eradicated.
The NBA at its just concluded National Executive Council Meeting (NEC) as a show of its commitment to the 2018 theme decried the spate of human right abuses in the country and as part of its resolutions at the conclusion of its NEC meeting declared that it would ensure that all perpetrators of human right abuses would be made to face the appropriate sanctions.
The NBA NEC resolution stated that of particular concern is the sexual harassment of young teenage girls, with a recent case being that of 13 year old Ochanya Elizabeth Ogbanje who was sexually abused and violated for six years by her uncle Mr. Andrew Ogbuja and his son Mr. Victor Ogbuja in Benue State.
To this end, the NBA pledges to collaborate with relevant local and international human rights organizations/agencies to ensure that issue of protecting human lives and stemming human rights abuses are dealt with.
Furthermore, in an interview with the Assistant Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Habeeb Lawal, he described as “unfortunate” the case of young Ochanya and noted that her case has become a turning point on the need for all Nigerians to stand up for the right of the girl child. He urges that justice should be served on anyone found complicit in the death of Ochanya. He also used the opportunity to assure Nigerians that the NBA is taking issues of Human Right Abuses seriously and will not relent until cases of abuses are given the seriousness it demands.
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