The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, has called on the Federal government pay more attention to the human rights violation in the North East.
He also urged the Federal Government to step up its efforts to ensure that normalcy is restored in the region. Mahmoud spoke at a programme organised by the NBA Human Rights Institute organised to mark this year’s World Human Rights Day.
The NBA President said, “Government should continue to pay more attention to human rights situation in the North- East. “The government should also step up its efforts top bring normalcy to the region.
” The people in these region cannot continue to live in fear. It is the responsibility of any responsible government to protect the lives and property of its people”. According to the NBA boss, there is the need to address human rights violations in the North East in order to protect those who lack the power to protect themselves.
Also at the weekend, a senior lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) lamented at the rate in which corruption has become deeply rooted in the country. He said that corruption has grown in a variety of political and economic environments but thrives when bad government makes it impossible to control.
Jacobs, who spoke at this year’s United Nations Anti-corruption day in Abuja, organised by the NBA Anti-corruption Committee however commended the effort of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in the fight against corruption.
While calling on Nigerians to support Buhari-led government in its anti-graft war, Jacob added that corruption will continue to thrive until Nigerians are ready to tackle it. He said, “Corruption will thrive when there is a low and irregular salaries for officials with large dependants, availability of multiple opportunities for personal enrichment, (such as mineral and oil rich environment), the size and growth of public spending will help to define the possibilities of corruption and extensive discretion over the allocation of economic cost and benefits”.
He listed inadequate and ineffective controls, policing, detection and prosecution of corruption cases as reasons why corruption has continued to thrives in the country.
“In a society where you can easily escape from justice, corruption will go to high heavens. These are major factors that greatly encourage corruption in our society.
“Thus, the incidence of corruption is a result of the strength of incentives of opportunities, the availability of means and the risk of punishments. So corruption thrives in bad governance, where controls are weak, where one can avoid the consequences of his act, where one can compromise the system, where one can engage high-profile senior lawyers to set him free and where one can bribe himself out of criminal investigation and prosecution.
“It is in view of this that a corrupt nation or people will stifle the Rule of Law and deride it. Corruption is anti-ethical to the concept of Rule of Law. Whereas, corruption is often associated to uncivilised and underdeveloped nations, the Rule of Law on the other hand distinguishes a civilised society or nation from an uncivilised one.
“Although, the rule of law is indispensable to any democratic and civilised society, it is however not sufficient for the elimination of corruption.
In an uncivilised society, the law of the jungle or the right of might prevails, in such a society there is no security for the weak and the poor who live at the mercy of the powerful and the rich.
“On the other hand, in a civilised society dealings between the individuals as well as between the individual and the state are governed by the laws which establish the right and obligation of each side.
Corruption therefore when it takes the form of misuse of state authorities and resources for personal gains, generally implies a violation of the law of the land.
Its antidote therefore is the rule of law which dictates the equality of citizens before the law and their entitlement to a fair trial and due process in case of any criminal charge or determination of their civil right and obligation.
“An effective Criminal Justice System is a key aspect of the Rule of Law since it is the mechanism put in place to redress grievances and bring action against individual for offences against society” He also said an effective criminal justice system should be capable of investigating and adjudicating criminal offences successfully and in a timely manner through a system that is impartial and inadequate and ineffective controls, policing, detection and prosecution of corruption cases. -discriminatory and free of corruption and improper government influence.
