BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

THE United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, yesterday, called on all countries of the world to uphold the ideals of human rights.

He made the call in a statement to mark the 2013 International Human Rights Day, which also marks 20 years of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly in Vienna in 1993.

This was coming as Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, reiterated its determination to protect citizens’ rights, especially women and children, who are being molested daily.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, yesterday, alleged that over 1,400 suspects were currently being detained illegally at various military camps in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

Describing prolonged detention of suspects  as “unacceptable,” it urged the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Chief of Defence Staff to grant its members access to all the detention facilities within the three northern states.

Also, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State (SAN) pledged total commitment to protection of citizens’ rights in the state, including the rights of the disabled, while the wife of the Oyo State governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, called on stakeholders to work together to make the state’s goal of ensuring respect for human rights a reality.

Mrs Ajimobi, in a statement by her Special Assistant, Media, Mrs Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare, said it was a major vision for the present administration in Oyo State to ensure that the rights of all citizens, especially the disadvantaged members of the society, are protected.

Leading rights activist and former President of the NBA, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, said he was sad that across the globe economic rights of people were still being trampled upon, while the gap between the rich and the poor increased.

To make the world a better place, he said, the rising gap of inequality and imbalance between the haves and have-nots must be closed drastically.

Ki-moon in his message said: “Promoting human rights is one of the core purposes of the United Nations, and the organisation has pursued this mission since its founding.

“Then, as now, the key to success is the political will of member states. It is states, in the first instance, that are obliged to protect human rights and prevent violations at a national level, and to stand up when other states fail to live up to their commitments.

“This is not always easy and over the past 20 years we have seen genocide and many other appalling and large-scale violations human rights and humanitarian law.

“Improving on how the UN system prevents and reacts to impeding catastrophes is at the heart of a new initiatives. The Rights Up Front Action Plan aims to ensure the UN system and all staff recognise the central place of human rights in the organisation’s collective responsibilities.”

The NHRC Executive Secretary, Professor Bem Angwe represented by the acting Coordinator, South-West zone, Mr. Barnabas Ibe, reiterated the commission’s determination to fight and defend women’s rights and children who are exposed to domestic rights violation.

He noted that a lot of rape incidences against minors are reported daily, which he said call for concern.

Ibe, who spoke after a walk round Ikeja area of Lagos State, said: “For us in Nigeria, we have to contend with a lot of rights violations ranging from economic and social deprivations, domestic violence, discrimination against women, child abuses and neglect to even human trafficking, kidnapping and senseless bombing and killing of innocent citizens.”

He said no nation was insulated from human rights violations, noting that efforts must be made to put mechanisms in place for victims of human rights violations to have effective remedies.

To mark the day, Lagos State government organised a talk shop. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, who represented the governor, said a predominant goal of the state is to ensure respect for human rights, especially for disadvan-taged members of the society.

He called on the Federal Government and other states in the federation to take a cue from the Lagos State Special People’s Law 2011.