By Innocent Anaba

As the human rights community in the country awaits the constitution of a fresh Governing Council for the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, stakeholders have called for its restructuring, with the appointment of capable hands to run it for the maximum benefit of Nigerians.

Stakeholders are of the view that such persons should be able to run the commission without allowing individual differences undermine its noble objectives.

It will be recalled that in 2010, stakeholders, with the collaboration of the National Assembly and civil society, successfully advocated the passage of the NHRC Amendment Act 2010, which, among other things, empowered the commission to compel evidence, investigate human rights violations, register its decisions with the high court and get its finances as a first line charge on government finances.

The Act also gave the commission independence in its operations and not subject to the directives of any authority or person, secured tenure of members who cannot be removed before the end of their tenure without an act of misconduct and whose removal shall be subject to the concurrence of the Senate.

Among the comity of national human rights institutions, the statute of the commission is adjudged to be the best.

As it is with most institutions in the country, the enabling act setting up the NHRC is second to none, but in terms of serving Nigerians who are the primary focus by way of advocating and protecting their rights, it had been a question of unfulfilled expectations.

The general opinion is that if the commission is left in the hands of persons who know what to do, it should be the hope of the common man and thus realise the dreams of its founding fathers and government.

But that has not been the case.