16th December, 2010
A rights activist and former scribe of Campaign For Democracy (CD), Dr. Sylvester Odion-Akhaine, has declared that there are more human rights abuses in Nigeria under the current democratic practice.
The obviously disappointed Akhaine made the declaration while making a speech during the annual Democracy Lecture of the Centre for Constitutionalism and Demilitarialisation in Lagos recently.
According to him, “I thought that now that we are in democracy, one would think that issues of human rights should take the back stage because our elected state officials expected one caring for our people politically as well as socio-economically.
“Human rights violations in the last 11 years have maintained a steady curve with fluctuating intensity. By now, you are familiar with Odi and Zak Ibiam killings by security forces. There have been other chilling cases of violation. In fact, I am alarmed by all the cases,†he stated.
Akhaine, who spoke bitterly against these human rights violations in Nigeria, however, maintained that it really cuts across the length and breath of the country, blaming government for master minding them.
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