NHRC

AGOMOH, TOP RIGHTS ADVOCATE, BAGS UN C’TE MEMBERSHIP

Foremost human rights advocate and Executive Director of Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Dr. Uju Agomoh has been elected as a member of the United Nations Sub-Committee on Prevention of Torture (UN SPT). The election was held at Geneva, Switzerland on 20th October, 2022.

The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) is the international body established by the OPCAT. Consisting of 25 independent experts, the body has a preventive mandate focused on a proactive approach to preventing torture and ill treatment.

The SPT has a dual mandate to monitor conditions in detention and treatment of persons deprived of their liberty through country visits, and to advise on OPCAT implementation, in particular support the establishing and functioning of National Preventive Mechanisms.

Agomoh is the Founder and Executive Director of PRAWA, a Nigerian civil society organisation which promotes human rights especially of persons in prison and helps those who have survived prison to successfully integrate into the community.

She holds degrees in Law, Criminology, and Psychology which makes her strongly positioned to contribute to the work of the SPT through a holistic and multidisciplinary outlook.

Over the past 20 years, Agomoh has held key positions in global, regional and national institutions working to prevent torture through detention monitoring, security sector reform and support to survivors of torture. These include serving on the Executive Committee of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT); the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Global SOS-Torture Covid 19 Crisis Action Group, and the Independent Investigation Panel of Inquiry on the Nigeria Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The highly decorated rights activist has personally carried out over 1000 prison monitoring visits covering about 150 prisons in 32 countries, providing her with extensive expertise in detention monitoring methodologies and engagement with detention authorities and detainees.

She is also a Council Member of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission and the Special Rapporteur on Police, Prisons and Centers of Detention (2001 – 2008); Co-Chair of Development Law Group (DLG) of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law (2021 – 2023), and Co-Lead in the development of the harmonized curriculum for security agencies training institutions in Nigeria including thematic areas of Human Rights, Rule of Law, and Civil -Military Relations. She led the development of National Legal Aid Strategy of Nigeria 2016-2022.

Agomoh has conducted visits to places of detention in more than 32 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. She is a Fellow of the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation (IPPF) with a specific focus on overuse of imprisonment and fairness and consistency in administrative and judicial decisions (2017 to present); Expert, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) on development of guidelines on rehabilitation of prisoners (2017); Visiting Expert on treatment of women prisoners, United Nations Asia and Far East (UNAFEI, 2015); Member, Executive Committee (Representing Sub Saharan Africa), International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT, 2012-2016), and Member, World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) Global SOS-Torture Covid 19 Crisis Action Group (September 2021-December 2022).

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  • EDITOR'S CHOICE
  • Jul 16, 2021
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ODINKALU APPOINTED PROFESSOR BY TOP US VARSITY

Vocal human rights activist, Professor Chidi Odinkalu has been appointed a ‘Professor of Practice’ by one of America’s elite universities, Tufts University.

In a press release dated July 14, 2021 the leading university stated that Odinkalu, a former Chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), “will join Fletcher’s multi-disciplinary faculty focused on preparing tomorrow’s leaders to use the latest legal, political, economic, and business thinking to generate policies and inform decisions that shape global events.”

According to Kelly Sims Gallagher, Academic Dean at The Fletcher School, “Chidi Odinkalu is a renowned human rights activist with a distinguished record of public service who has spent more than three decades working at the front line of human rights law and research, development advocacy, international institutional law and governmental policy.”

The statement added that Odinkalu’s “profound contributions to the advancement of human rights intersect with Fletcher’s mission and core values,” adding that “We are delighted to welcome him to the Fletcher community.”

Tufts University is reputed as a leader in American higher education, distinctive for its success as a moderately sized university that excels at research and providing students with a personal experience. According to the university “Our unique combination of research and liberal arts attracts students, faculty and staff who thrive in our environment of curiosity, creativity and engagement.”

Below is the full text of the press release.

Human Rights Activist Chidi Odinkalu joins The Fletcher School
July 14, 2021

The Fletcher School is pleased to announce the appointment of international human rights law expert Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, PhD to a Professor of Practice faculty position for a three-year term beginning in the Fall of 2021.

He will join Fletcher’s multi-disciplinary faculty focused on preparing tomorrow’s leaders to use the latest legal, political, economic, and business thinking to generate policies and inform decisions that shape global events.

“Chidi Odinkalu is a renowned human rights activist with a distinguished record of public service who has spent more than three decades working at the front line of human rights law and research, development advocacy, international institutional law and governmental policy,” remarked Kelly Sims Gallagher, Academic Dean at The Fletcher School.

“His profound contributions to the advancement of human rights intersect with Fletcher’s mission and core values,” she added. “We are delighted to welcome him to the Fletcher community.”

Odinkalu’s background reflects an extensive record of research, publishing and teaching in the areas of human rights, development law and public policy throughout Africa, Europe and the US.

Most recently, he was part of a three-member team that mediated the readmission of The Gambia into the Commonwealth, where he litigated human rights before national and regional courts as well as in transnational contexts.

From 2011 to 2015, he chaired Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, the country’s lead institution for the protection of human rights and promotion of human rights policy. He also worked within human rights philanthropy.

For 10 years prior, he was involved in drafting the Protocol for the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights through to adoption by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1998.

In 2004, he led the advocacy effort for its entry into force with the creation of the Coalition for the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. For more than three years, until 1993, Odinkalu was head of legal services for the Civil Liberties Organization in Lagos, where he was responsible for litigation, advocacy and constituent building strategies, as well as managing relationships with the military government and its institutions.

“I am honored to join the Fletcher community and look forward to working with Fletcher’s students, faculty and administration to apply intellectual and strategic innovation to the most pressing challenges in governance and international human rights law,” said Odinkalu.

A native of Nigeria born into internal displacement during the country’s civil war, he received his PhD in law from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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PRAWA, GENEVA CENTRE TO TRAIN JOURNALISTS, CSOs ON VOLUNTARY PRINCIPLES TODAY

The Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) in partnership with the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) and other agencies will today at 9:30 am host a virtual training session for journalists and civil society organisations (CSOs) on the topic, “Promoting respect for human rights, drawing on the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.”

Other partners for the training programme are the Nigeria Police Force, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and African Union Watch.

According to a statement by Dr. Uju Agomoh, Executive Director of PRAWA, the workshop objectives are to:
1. Create awareness on the nexus between Security, human rights, business/development amongst civil society organizations and the media.
2. Build the capacities of civil society organizations and the media towards promoting public awareness on the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights as well as supporting other related initiatives on security, human rights and business.
3. Sensitize civil society organizations and the media on the Voluntary Principles App and encourage its utilization.

The forum will feature a Welcome Address by Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi (mni), NSCDC Commandant General; Remarks by Anna Maria Burdzy, Project Coordinator, Business and Security Division, Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) and Joel Bisina, Executive Director of Lite Africa & Co-Chair, National Working Group on Voluntary Principles.

Goodwill messages will also be delivered by Mr. Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission and Dr. Feyi Ogunade, Executive Director, African Union Watch, while Dr. Agomoh will give her remarks about the project and an overview of the workshop.

The technical session will witness the following presentations:
“Understanding the nexus between security, Human rights and Development” by Mr. Honest Offor, Senior Programme Officer, PRAWA; “Introduction to Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights” by Linda Reuben, Asst. Program Officer, PRAWA, and “The International Code of conduct for private security services providers (ICOC) and the Montreux Document – Sharing of Experiences and Best Practices” by Chinwike Okereke Esq., Executive Director, Afrilaw Foundation.

Other papers are on “Gender Perspective in the provision of Security and human Rights – Impact on Extractive Industry” by Ogechi Ogu Esq., Deputy Director, PRAWA and “Promoting the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights – The Role of the Media & Civil Society Organizations” by Emeka Nwadioke Esq., Lead Partner, Emeka Nwadioke & Co. & President, City Lawyer Magazine.

The presentation on the Voluntary Principles App will be done by Mr. Tobia Adedokun, IT Consultant, PRAWA while Dr. Agomoh will draw the curtains on the workshop with a presentation on “Reflections, Recommendations & Next Steps.”

The programme will be anchored by Mr. Chris Okwui, Manager, Love FM, Umuahia and Mr. Dahiru Muhammed, Assistant Programme Officer, PRAWA (Kano).

The project is carried out under The Security and Human Rights Implementation Mechanism (SHRIM) “Enabling Multi-Stakeholder Action with the support of the United Kingdom.

To join the virtual workshop, please click on the link below:
https://zoom.us/j/98076090388?pwd=ZGFXeTJNR2pNd3FHc2UxQzd4citVZz09. Other login details are: Webinar ID: 980 7609 0388 and Password: 772235. For enquiries and technical support during the webinar, please contact dmuhammed@prawa.org or call/whatsapp +2348062722311.

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