SERAP inaugurates volunteer lawyers to handle human right abuse in Rivers

The Socio Economic Rights and Accountabiity Project (SERAP)  has inaugurated a 19-member volunteer lawyers to handle human right abuse cases in the Niger Delta on pro bono. 

Inaugurating the volunteers in Port Harcourt on Friday, SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the volunteers have seven terms of reference that have to do with handling cases concerning rights abuse and enforcement of court judgements that protects environmental and social justice.

He listed terms of reference to include giving legal opinion on issues concerning SERAP; to appear and brief SERAP on cases concerning it; ensure the enforcement of court judgements that protects human rights and social justice;  and report cases of human rights violations.

He called on the volunteers to give in their best as their terms of reference concern issues that have to do with humanity.

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Earlier, the Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr Anthony Ojukwu, called for a collaborative effort to ensure full enforcement of court judgements that protect and promote environmental justice in the region.

Ojukwu, who spoke through the Commission’s Director, Legal Services and Enforcement, Rabi Auwalu, at an interactive session organized by SERAP said the environmental and social challenges faced by the Niger Delta region have far-reaching implications, not only for the local communities but also for the nation.

He said, “The environmental and social challenges faced by the Niger Delta region have far-reaching implications, not only for the local communities but also for the nation. We must come together to ensure that decisions and court judgements that protect and promote justice in the region are complied with and enforced to the letter.

“The Commission has actively engaged with various initiatives to address these challenges. Our collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and other stakeholders in the Environmental Rights Action (ERA) conference highlighted the importance of legal frameworks in ensuring environmental justice. Moreover, our participation in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) forums underscored our commitment to sustainable development and human rights in the region.

“The Commission has had the privilege of collaborating with SERAP on several impactful initiatives, including the recent 35th Anti-Corruption Situation Room (ACSR) Conference in Rivers State, which focused on addressing environmental degradation and human rights abuses in the Niger Delta. Additionally, SERAP’s active participation in the nationwide protests against bad governance and the protection of digital rights has been instrumental in raising awareness and fostering meaningful dialogue on human rights concerns.

“As a responsible government agency saddled with the duty of promoting, protecting, and enforcing human rights with the culture of respect for the rule of law, the Commission and every stakeholder present must strive to develop workable solutions to guarantee the full enjoyment of judgements by beneficiaries. We firmly believe that any judgement that is not wholly and effectively enforceable is not worth the paper it was written on.

“I am confident that our collective efforts will yield actionable solutions that will drive and strengthen our capacity to enforce decisions and court judgements. By so doing, we can make a difference in the lives of the people in the Niger Delta region, ensuring that their rights to a clean and biologically rich environment are respected and protected.”