The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, SAN, on Wednesday addressed journalists in Kano following the Stakeholder’s Consultative Forum on Business and Human Rights, held under the framework of a Tripartite Partnership to support National Human Rights Institutions.
Ojukwu decried the exploitation of labour by some companies, describing it as a tactic used to boost profits at the expense of human dignity. “The issue of exploration by labour is one tactic deployed by companies to enhance their profit,” he said. “The guiding principles of doing business and human rights is saying business is not all about profit. It needs to be ethical because it doesn’t make sense you’re exploiting people. You can still make profit without exploiting your workers.”
He commended the Nigerian government for adopting the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, which he said underscores the responsibility of the state to protect human rights, the obligation of businesses to respect them, and the need for accountability in cases of violations. “What we are now promoting is consciousness people have to conduct their business in an ethical and responsible way,” he stated.
Ojukwu emphasized that enforcement of these principles would be anchored on mechanisms such as human rights due diligence, human rights impact assessments, and business impact assessments. “All businesses need to comply with the certificate on a yearly basis,” he explained. “Under due diligence, the labour of the company have something to do. Why it’s happening now is because nobody is checking what the company is doing. But now that the National Action Plan is being adopted, due diligence will show the level of compliance of every company. The National Human Rights Commission will drive the process. I’m sure with time all these kind of things will no longer be there.”
On the implementation of the EndSARS Commission of Inquiry recommendations, Ojukwu revealed that the NHRC has paid over N500 million in compensation to victims of rights violations. “It has never been done in the past in Nigeria. People whose rights were violated were paid in line with what the Constitution of Nigeria said,” he noted. “We recommended that some officers be disciplined, be prosecuted.”
He added that the NHRC Governing Council had visited the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Argungu, in August to discuss the implementation of these recommendations. “Incidentally, the current IGP requested us to submit the report to him. So it’s not like we have forgotten. I want to assure that these recommendations will be implemented by time, even though some of the police officers occupy high positions.”
Addressing the issue of underfunding, Ojukwu acknowledged it as a global challenge for human rights institutions. “The issue of underfunding of the National Human Rights Commission is a top one all over the globe,” he said. “I have engaged the federal government and I assure you that they will change the situation. Our funding will be enhanced.”
He also disclosed efforts to amend the NHRC Act to activate the National Human Rights Fund, which would support the Commission’s operations. “Measures have been taken to see how we can alleviate the poor funding of the Commission,” he added.
On the rising cases of sexual and gender-based violence, Ojukwu praised the establishment of the sexual violence register domiciled at NAPTIP. “I commend the initiative to name and shame the offenders,” he said. “The issue of sexual and gender-based violence is becoming so endemic in this country.”
He stressed the importance of public awareness and education in combating the menace. “I try to check through research whether this is connected with poverty, ignorance. We can do away with this through sensitization and awareness. If you don’t know your right, you can’t protect it. It is good to know your right.”
Continuing his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu, SAN, emphasized the critical role of education in safeguarding children from abuse and exploitation. “It is of paramount importance to educate the girl child and boys on how to protect themselves against perpetrators,” he said, stressing that awareness and knowledge are powerful tools in the fight against human rights violations.
Ojukwu commended the Kano State Government for prioritizing education, describing it as a visionary investment in the future. “I commend Kano State Government for taking education as its key priority. The reward will be in the future,” he noted. “Any government that invests in education empowers its own people, so I commend the Kano State Governor for taking this step. The reward may not be today, but in the very near future.”
He expressed optimism that the combined efforts in human rights awareness and educational development would yield significant progress in the state. “I strongly believe that with the level of awareness of human rights and the investment in education, human rights violations will be drastically reduced very soon in Kano,” he concluded.