The Ekiti government will, on July 1, inaugurated a committee saddled with the responsibility of developing a human rights action plan.
Newsmen report that the inauguration of the committee is sequel to the directive by Gov. Kayode Fayemi to the state Ministry of Justice to that effect.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Olawale Fapounda, in a statement issued on Monday in Ado-Ekiti, said that the governor had stressed the need to put measures in place to protect and promote human rights in the state.
He announced the composition of the advisory and technical committees for the development of the State Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Right (SAPHR).
According to him, the action plan is aimed at auditing the human rights situation in the state.
Fapohunda, while identifying the areas in need of improvement, also highlighted the measures that could be adopted to build and entrench a human rights culture for the benefit of all.
“The SAPHR specifically projects an opportunity for identifying and agreeing on areas of cooperation between government departments, the private sector, civil society in general and other players so that together, we can improve the protection and promotion of human rights in our state.
“It will also be used by the government and the organs of civil society to monitor and access the observance of human rights and to gauge the commitment of government to the protection of human rights,” he added.
Aside himself being the Chairman of the advisory committee, the committee also named the Chairman, House of Assembly committee on Judicial and Legal Matters, Tajudeen Akingbolu, as member.
Other members, according to him, are representatives of the local governments, the Nigeria Bar Associations (NBA), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA).
Fapohunda also named the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr Lawrence Ojo, and representatives of the Office of Public Defender as members of the Technical Committee.
Others were representatives of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Directorate of Citizens’ Rights, Ministry of Justice and the Balm of Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development (BIGIF).
NAN reports that the committee will be inaugurated on July 1 at the Ministry of Justice Academy, State Secretariat Complex, Ado Ekiti.
