Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, O.C.J Okocha has called for the withdrawal of the Hate Speech Bill from the National Assembly.
O.C.J Okocha said this while speaking at a seminar organized by the Human Rights Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA Port Harcourt Branch.
The legal luminary said the Hate Speech Bill is an infringement on the freedom of Speech of Nigerians.
OCJ Okocha also asked lawyers to brace up to ensure that the Hate Speech Bill did not see the light of the day.
He also said that the seminar will enable the public to learn more about their rights and how to prevent themselves from human rights violations.
Also speaking, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, C.I.Enweluzo said some limitations in some sections of the constitution are hindering the rights of citizens in the country.
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C.I.Enweluzo some sections in chapter two of the constitution did not provide the government roles in providing the social and economic rights of the citizens.
He noted that such flaws in the constitution did not give the citizens an opportunity to ask the government any question on how to improve their economic wellbeing.
In his comment, the Head of Service, Rivers State Rufus Godwins called for a total review of the nations’ constitution.
He said the present constitution was a document handed by Nigerians by the military before the return of democracy in 1999.
Rufus Godwins said Nigerians need to come together and draft a workable constitution that would suit the needs of the citizens.
The Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of NBA Port Harcourt Branch Chidi Ekeh said the aim of the seminar was to raise awareness over the number of human rights violations in the country.
He said that NBA is concerned over the increased human rights abuses meted on the citizens and is working towards curbing the trend.
Our correspondent reports that the theme of the seminar is Human Rights Violations in Contemporary Nigerian Environment: Challenges and Solutions. The Role of Lawyers in Human Rights Protection.
