Dogara, Bruce, others to brainstorm on terrorism, human rights

SPEAKER, House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara and Senator Ben Bruce have been nominated to join other international speakers and stakeholders in continuation of efforts to curb activities and impact of terrorism in Nigeria in a seminar put together by a civil society organisation: Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC).

The seminar tagged, “Global War Against Terrorism: For Nigeria, A Choice Between Law and Life”, is expected to add impetus and proffer solution to Nigeria’s commitment to getting rid of terrorism and its impact on her national life.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the Executive Secretary of SHAC, Ibrahim Abubakar explained that the seminar has become imperative in view of some subjective assessment done on the fight against terror by the organized force in Nigeria, adding that there was a need for collective and objective assessment of the war.

Abubakar stressed that SHAC has spent quality time over the years monitoring crisis situations across the country and in recent years concentrated both in the North and south-eastern part of the country.

“In the course of our work, we have noted that ongoing conflicts across the world have been assessed with such worrying relativity that the issues are easily confused. The standards for evaluation are dangerously fluid and definitions constantly shift depending on who is doing the evaluation, who is being evaluated and where the evaluation is taking place.

“With Nigeria and the Boko Haram terror group, this kind of subjective assessment of the crisis situation has proven to be out-rightly dangerous and sometimes purely irresponsible when viewed against the greater responsibility to humanity, which is safeguarding the well-being of local populations that are the victims of terror attacks.

“The legitimate authorities – military and security agencies that are saddled with curtailing these terrorists are now branded as if they are the ones committing crimes when in reality they are the ones preventing further carnage against the innocent civilian populations.

SHAC Executive Secretary maintained that the attempt sometimes to make military and security personnel fighting Boko Haram and other threats to the sovereignty of Nigeria appear like criminals is often hidden behind acceptable global standards for human rights observance by military and law enforcement agencies but noted that there were a lot of greyness on what the standards are as they tend to take on different definitions while acquiring new details where Nigeria is involved.

He said it was in the light of the damage the crisis has brought on the land and the views expressed with a view to thwarting the efforts of the government to end the menace that the seminar is planned to attempt in correcting the ills.

“It is therefore imperative that the issues around humanitarian and human rights issues are better articulated to put both practitioners and citizens in a better position to understand what is at stake. This is why the Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) is organizing a two-day seminar that will assemble stakeholders to interrogate the issues and proffer useful suggestions on how to proceed in the times ahead.”

According to SHAC, participants are drawn from Nigeria and abroad to cover those working in crisis management, academics, judiciary and NGOs. These participants boast a collection of people that have proven pivotal in shaping how Nigeria is perceived.

The Seminar will take place between Wednesday December 13th and Thursday December 14th 2017 at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.