The Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, has said that corruption is at the root of under-development and human rights violations in Nigeria.
Ojukwu made the assertion when members of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, paid him a courtesy visit.
He said human rights is the greatest casualty of corruption.
“There is a nexus between corruption and violation of human rights as corruption impacts negatively on human rights,” Mr Ojukwu said.
According to him, corruption is not peculiar to Nigeria and is in fact, now prevalent in different parts of the world.
“In all such places where it prevails, especially in the public sector, it has retarded general development and impoverished a greater majority of the populace.
“Thus, corruption is a menace that must be stopped if we must raise the standard of living of the people in Nigeria.”
Kolawole Oluwadare, a Deputy Director at SERAP, speaking earlier said that they were at the commission to seek ways of strengthening and reinforcing the fight against corruption in the county through a collaboration.
According to Mr Oluwadare, corruption is fight for everyone one and not just a select few or government alone.
He also presented a report to the commission which he said was launched by SERAP in March aimed at helping citizens understand the ills of corruption and how it affected them.
Some of the recommendations made in the report included that the commission should establish a special task force in collaboration with civil society organizations to effectively investigate allegations of corruption.
SERAP made specific reference to allegations of corruption within the Nigeria Police, the judiciary, the power and education sector which according them, had a high perception of corruption among Nigerians.
The group also urged the commission not to relent in monitoring complaints of corruption within these agencies as well as ensure that there was transparency and accountability in their activities.
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It also implored the commission to advocate for sanctions and prosecution of those reportedly involved in corruption within the agencies.
The group expressed optimism that the commission would rise to its name saying that human rights was the most appropriate tool to use in achieving accountability, transparency and social economic rights.
NAN
