By Victoria Ojeme
A map of Nigeria
ABUJA: European Union Ambassador to Nigeria Ketil Karlsen on Tuesday disclosed that EU has concluded plans to provide basic social service support to Nigerians especially the most vulnerable group in the country.
Consequently, Karlsen stated that the EU has help returned sixteen thousand one hundred and two Nigerians in 2019 back home and provided them with new opportunities.
Karlsen made this known during the Nigeria-European union dialogue on human rights at the National Intelligent Agency (NIA) office in Abuja.
READ ALSO:Concerned Nigerians protest Iran, AI’s involvement in unrest plot
He said, “EU has engaged in political dialogue and developmental cooperation programmes in Nigeria with about 87 million human rights issues ongoing, established fifteen sexual assault referral centres in Nigeria, launched the sexual offenders register in 2019, supporting the correctional services, providing aid to stranded Nigerians in Libya and as at today the EU has help returned sixteen thousand one hundred and two Nigerians back home and providing them with new opportunities.
While noting the above, the ambassador said that the dialogue was an opportunity for them to discuss about the insecurity in Nigeria with particular reference to the north east and the need for humanitarian aid to the IDP’s, adding that an estimated number of 7.7 million people are in need of humanitarian aid, and the EU is looking at how it can provide best human rights condition for such victims of conflict.
In his remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama while speaking with the jouralist, said the partnership and dialogue between the EU and Nigeria on the human right matters is a good one, adding that the federal government of Nigeria have the obligation to promote and respect the human rights of Nigerians.
He said, “Human rights is the bed rock of Nigerian democracy with both the legal and regulatory framework and has done alot to put in place a robust legislature in the field of human right and institution buildings like human right commission and NGOs who are monitoring and tracking the observance of human right activities in the country and also they have introduced the human right desk in ministry of defence and other security forces in the country to institutionalised the culture of respect to human right in various agencies especially the security agencies.
While responding to the question from press on specific issues discussed at the dialogue meeting, Onyeama highlighted the following as notable issues discussed, “The reform of the judicial and implementation of the administration of criminal justice act, Torture, Human rights and counter – terrorism, women rights, gender based violence (fight against all forms of violent), gender equality and empowerment, female genital mutilation, children’s right (Health, Education) child marriage, the impact of corruption, youth empowerment, right of persons with disabilities and human rights of older persons and ageing amongs others.
Disclaimer
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.