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The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), a non-governmental organisation, has appealed to relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts towards protection of human rights to advance national integrity.
ANEEJ`S Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor made the call during his welcome address at a 2-day workshop for journalist and civil society organisations on Freedom of Information (FOI) on Monday in Benin.
The workshop, was sponsored by European Union and executed by the British Council as part of implementing the Civil Society Advocacy to Support Anti-corruption and Rule of Law in Nigeria (CASARN) project.
According to him, there is need for effective collaboration between government and non-governmental organisations to sustain human rights in the country.
He said actualizing CASARN project would help to achieve the feat in the country.
“The goal of the CASARN project is to enhance governance in Nigeria by strengthening rule of law and the protection of human rights by reinforcing prevention mechanisms and enhance civil society and public engagement.
“The project is also aimed to enhance Nigerian government by contributing to the fight against corruption,”he said.
Ugolor said one of the project`s objective was now to support medial and CSOs advocacy for implementation of Open Government Partnership (OGP)commitments in Edo to improve oversight, transparency and accountability in the management of resources.
The executive director said the project was also targeting corruption preventive measures in the state.
“In the document, concrete commitments have been proposed for implementation across five thematic areas of fiscal transparency, anti-corruption, service delivery and inclusion, access to information and citizen engagement.
“It is in pursuance to the access to information commitments that the draft FOI law has been proposed,” he said.
According to him, the CASARN project has been designed to target some of the issues captured in the OGP State Action.
In her part, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, the Edo State Attorney – General and Commissioner for Justice, said a committee had been set up few months ago to work on a draft of FOI law for the state.
She the committee had come up with a draft bill’ noting that the drafted bill had been discussed and reviewed within the government circle.(NAN)
– Aug. 17, 2020 @ 23:52 GMT |
Tags: NGO solicits protection of human rights for national development
