Nigerian musician and activist, Folarin Falana, also known as Falzthebahdguy, has written a protest letter to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The letter he titled, “Request for reconstitution of the governing council of the national human rights commission for the discharge of its functions with respect to cases of human rights violation in Nigeria” was addressed to the President amidst the ongoing #EndSARS protest going on across Nigeria.
In his two page letter, Falz requested that there should an immediate reconstitution of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission which should be done transparently.
According to him, the constitution states that this governing council should be in place to attend to reports of any human rights violation reports by Nigerians and not that a special committee be set up in a rush when there are urgent needs for intervention.
His Excellency,
President Muhammadu Buhari G.C.F.R.,
Presidential Villa,
Aso Rock,
Abuja, FCT,
Dear Mr, President,
REQUEST FOR RECONSTITUTION OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FOR THE DISCHARGE OF ITS FUNCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO CASES OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN NIGERIA
I hereby write to Your Excellency as regards the above topic,
It has been brought to my knowledge via a statement by your Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adeshina, that the Federal Government has accepted the 5-point request of the ENDSARS protests presented by well-meaning Nigerian youths
This statement went on to state that there would be an independent investigation Panel to look into the violations ofHuman Rights by the defunct SARS and other segments of the Nigeria Police,
Quoting Mr Adeshina’s statement : “The Forum agrees to the setting up of this independent panel by the National Human Rights Commission within the next one week“
It is pertinent to note that Section 5 the National Human Rights Commission (Amendment) Act 2010 empowers the National Human Rights Commission itself to receive complaints and investigate all alleged cases of human rights violations in Nigeria and make appropriate recommendations to the President.
The detailed and concise provisions of this Section adequately empower the Human Rights Commission to look into these cases by itself The Commission need not set up another panel for the exercise of its functions.
More importantly, the National Human Rights Commission ought to have a Governing Council under Section 2 of the National Human Rights… (fl three other persons to represent a variety of interests; and (g) the executive secretary of the Commission.
As it stands now. the National Human Rights Commission has remained without the Governing Council since 2015 and still remains without it. The unfortunate circumstance has led to the aggravation of human rights abuse
According to Section 7(3) of the National Human Rights Commission Act, the Executive Secretary of the Commission does not have the power to act without a Governing Council
In the light of the foregoing. I hereby call on Your Excellency to immediately reconstitute the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission and to do so publicly as well as transparently in order to restore the confidence of young Nigerians in your proposed police reform process.
Failure to do this would force young Nigerians to believe that the continuous refusal to re-constitute the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission is a deliberate attempt to mislead us into thinking genuine efforts are being made at reforming the Nigeria Police, when in truth the opposite is the case
I am confident that Your Excellency will grant my humble request in order to guarantee the protection of the fundamental human rights of all Nigerians
Yours faithfully,
Folarin “Fall” Falana
