The Director General, Michael Imoudu National Insitute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Comrade Isa Aremu, says military regime has under developed West Africa and had never proven to be better alternative to democracy in instances where such had played out.
Aremu expressed these views in his keynote address at the Biennial convention of the Committee for the Defence of Human Right (CDHR), Kwara state chapter, held in Ilorin, the state capital, North Central Nigeria.
“Regardless of the imperfections of democracy, military regime is not an alternative to democracy,” he said.
He therefore asked civil society organisations to lend their voices in advocating for the military junta in Niger to relinquish power and allow democratic governance to thrive.
Comrade Aremu challenged those justifying the military takeover in Niger to make their reasons “an instrument for campaigns” to enthrone a better democratic governance rather than supporting a military regime.
Aremu urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to explore all avenues for dialogue and ensure that the junta relinquish power and return back to the barrack.
He commended members of the committee for their selfless struggle to protect the rights of the citizens.
The Director General of the institute urged them to combine rights with responsibilities to make it sustainable.
In her remarks at the event, the state Coordinator National Human Rights commission (NHRC), Barrister Jumoke Olaoye, says the commission has recorded over two thousand cases of human rights abuses and violations this year.
According to her, the most prevalent of the human right abuses recorded are child abandonment and wife battering.
Olaoye disclosed that increase in awareness on the activities of the Commisssion made people to voice out violations against their right.
She explained further that the Commisssion has adopted the use of mediation to reduce the cases of human rights abuses to the minimum.
Olaoye noted that the Commisssion also collaborated with traditional institutions and other stakeholders to ensure sustenance of cases resolved.
In his remarks, the National Vice chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human rights, Comrade Ade Ikuesan, advised the citizens to seek for knowledge and also know their right.
He urged the committee members not to close their eyes to any form of human right Violations.
Also in his speech, the Chairman, Committee for the Defence of Human Right, Kwara state Chapter, Comrade Afolabi Lukman said the Committee will collaborate with all relevant government agencies to defend and uphold the rights of the people in the state.
