A university Don, Professor Wahab Egbewole has harped on the need to make the Nigerian citizens benefit from the socio-economic rights.
He noted:”At a time when many nations have continued to hold on to the historical disadvantage of socio-economic rights to justify their non-implementation and enforcement, some nations have blazed the trail by establishing an enforceable rights regime for socio-economic rights.”
Speaking on ‘Fundamental Human Rights in Nigeria: Myth or Reality? Investigating the Concept within Islam’, at a lecture organized by the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria, he said Nigeria could learn from India and South Africa in making the Nigerian citizens benefit from the socio-economic rights.
“It is noteworthy that while the judiciary in India has adopted expansive and derivative interpretations of the civil and political rights to breathe life into the socio-economic rights, South Africa appears more radical in its approach by enshrining socio-economic rights in its constitution, and more importantly making it enforceable rights through the courts,” he stated.
On the concept of human rights within Islam, Prof Egbemode of the Faculty of Law,University of Ilorin said “the right of Muslims to practice their religion as guaranteed by the Constitution can only be achieved through the principles of Islamic law.”
He however noted:”Muslims have not engaged the law enough to the extent of realizing fully the guaranteed rights as Muslims.”
The don urged Muslims in the legal profession to make available to the citizens their expertise in a way to make Muslims enjoy the rights available to them.
“We need, within the context of our religious and professional callings, engage more in pro bono services for the purpose of making fundamental rights truly available to Nigerian Muslims,” he stated.
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