The Governors of Borno and Rivers State have been selected among others and emerged winners of the 2021 Human Rights Awards, scheduled for Friday.
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu Esq, disclosed in Abuja as the Commission prepares for the commemoration of the 2021 International Human Rights Day Celebrations.
Recalled that in demonstration of the Commission’s commitment to public participation and transparency in the process of selecting the awardees, had on the 12th of November announced the commencement of a voting process to be done online in partnership with a civil society organization, The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER).
NHRC employed the new media platform to request members of the public to vote for nominees of their choice with the special web domain www.nhrcawards.ng, dedicated to the exercise.
The awards which are in three categories had the Federal Government Agencies, Governors and Civil Society Organizations who have distinguished themselves in the advancement of human rights in Nigeria as part of nominees for the 2021 human rights awards.
Consequently, the following personalities emerged winners at the end of the voting process. In the state Governor’s category, Borno state Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum and his Rivers state counterpart, Governor, Barr Nyesom Wike, both emerged tops as the best performing Governors in the area of improving the livelihoods of citizens thereby providing the enabling climate for the protection of their human rights in Northern and Southern Nigeria respectively.
In the MDAs category, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHDA) emerged winner as the best human rights compliant government agency of the year on account of the agency’s impactful service delivery to the electorates.
Similarly, in the category of Civil Society Organizations, Women Advocacy Research and Documentation Center (WARDC) made the list as the best CSOs in promoting and advancing human rights in Nigeria.
The objective of this award is to among other things encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in all spheres of life, as nations are judged today by their human rights records.
The human rights boss however call on everyone in Nigeria to play a role in building a culture of respect for human rights to have an egalitarian society. ‘Human right is justice and justice is peace’ Ojukwu said.
The winners will receive their awards on the 10th of December 2021, as part of events commemorating the third edition of the human rights awards.
Other NGOs who are runners-up in the CSOs category would be awarded motivating certificates of recognition in their efforts of promoting and protecting human rights in Nigeria.
The runners-up are Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Action Aid Nigeria, Global Rights Nigeria, Project Alert on Violence Against Women, according to the Deputy Director, Public Affairs Division of the Commission, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed.