ActionAid Nigeria has decried the current situation of the government, politics, the economy and security during the last quarter, particularly as they affect vulnerable groups: women, children, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
In a Press Release Issued by the Board of Trustees, ActionAid Nigeria calls for solid institutions capable of independent interpretation and implementation of public policy objectives in Nigeria.
The Group added that the anti-corruption fight should go beyond the politicians’ focus and beam its light on the public servants and banks. Commensurate sanctions must be meted out to perpetrators of malfeasance and corrupt acts to serve as a deterrent to others as a way of forestalling the culture of wrongdoing in public offices.
ActionAid Nigeria stated that bullying in schools is an unacceptable culture, and school administrators, parents and relevant government educational authorities must create a functional mechanism for reporting and dealing appropriately with the act to kick it out of our schools for the safety of our children.
The Group calls on the executive arm of government to be more responsible with the use of state power so that its conduct will not be seen to be coloured by partisan politicking.
ActionAid Nigeria further stated that Nigeria needs to tackle the growing construction of structurally distressed buildings that endanger Nigerians by cracking down on unscrupulous real estate developers.
“The Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria – CORBON, whose function is to establish and oversee the construction industry and coordinate its development, must work with other critical stakeholders to ensure stricter measures to enforce regulation in the building and construction sector.
Vote trading has continued to feature in Nigeria’s elections and will remain so if perpetrators go unpunished.
Action AidNigeria calls for the establishment of the National Electoral Offences Commission to prosecute electoral offenders.
The Group further added that INEC Adhoc staff should be retrained on the electoral processes, especially operating the Biometric Voters’ Accreditation System (BVAS).
“INEC should take lessons from the Anambra polls and re-evaluate its readiness for subsequent elections. There is a need for the review and clean-up of the national electoral voters’ register for citizens to ascertain the real numbers of eligible voters across the country.”
Bandits committing heinous crimes against the Nigerian state must be treated as terrorists to enable the military to adopt the necessary rule of engagements against them. The Group added.
Implementing the recommendations of the Judicial Panels set up across the country to investigate the SARS related abuses and other matters presents an opportunity for the current administration to take a strong stand against human rights violations in the country. This includes disciplinary actions and dismissal of security officials indicted in the investigations and the immediate release of citizens arrested during the protests, and compensation of those found to have been abused.
The Group further calls on the Federal Government through the National Orientation Agency to intensify the campaign on COVID-19 vaccination and co-opt religious and traditional rulers as champions to reduce misconceptions and myths surrounding the vaccination, especially in the face of the emergent Omicron variant.
ActionAid Nigeria further calls on the Federal Government to promptly implement all contents of the FGN/ASUU agreement. Government should declare a state of emergency on education to rebuild it and ensure that the poor children get quality education.