Speaker to Nigerians: 'Military Psyche, a Past Issue'
By Ndubuisi Ugah
Nigerians have been urged not to allow the trauma of what transpired during the past military regimes to distort their visions and aspirations especially in supporting President Olusegun Obasanjo in his resolve to evolving policies that would usher in the dividends of democracy to the citizenry.
Making the call, at the opening of a two-day training workshop on Institutional Capacity Building for NGOs in Nigeria, the Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Titilayo Oseni said "one of the main casualties of our many years of military rule in Nigeria was human rights".
She explained that "previous military governments, before the democratic elections of April, 1999 systematically violated the human rights of Nigerians", adding that "the large-scale denial of human rights reached the highest form under the General Sani Abacha regime".
The Speaker noted that "the regime was so thorough in its violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms that the international community severally cited the military government of Nigeria for gross and persistent human right violations".
According to her, "Nigeria also has a long and proud history of struggle for the protection and promotion of human rights", since the struggle was fought by ordinary women and men at great personal sacrifice, often with the loss of many lives".
Oseni remarked that the enthronement of democracy in the country in 1999, however, paved a new era in the country's march towards joining other democratic nations across the would.
"The democratic elections in 1999 ushered in the begining of a new era, that is, the building of a Nigeria founded on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights and freedom", she stressed.
As a way out of the psche incidence, Oseni urged the participants to ensure that the objectives for which the workshop was conceived was realised in terms of assisting current efforts of government in building a country that would be fair to all its citizens, especially where "all individuals feel and know that they are valued members of society and that they have rights that respect human dignity, promote human development, foster human equality, and advance human freedom".
She pointed out that it was imperative that Nigerians are appropriately engaged through government institutions constructively on ways to better promote and protect the rights of Nigerians, especially those who are vulnearble in our society.
"You will agree with me that we still live with much of the terrible legacy of many years of military rule. Not all of our people enjoy the human rights which were fought for and which many gave their lives. Our country is presently tackling problems of poverty, umemployment, access education, healthcare and social services to mention a few", Oseni added.
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