Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), on Thursday held a town hall meeting with the aim of achieving through the rule of law, citizens security.
To enhance citizen’s rights protection, the organisation said it does this through research, collaborative advocacy, capacity building, dissemination of information and integrating implementation of government policies, such as United Nations Resolution 1325, Women Peace and Security Second Generation National Action Plan ( NAP2), Prevention and Countering Violent Extremism National Action Plan (P/CVE NAP), Administration of Criminal Justice Act/Law (ACJA/L), UN Resolution 2250 amongst others which are complementary to our strategic objectives.
These are complementary to PWAN’s strategic objectives, according to its Program Officer, Ijeoma Igwe.
She revealed these at a Town Hall Meeting of Human Rights Activists, the Police Act 2020 and Regulations, in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
Igwe said PWAN, with support from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), is implementing the project “Enhancing Police Governance: Deepening Understanding of the Police Act 2020 and Regulations that enhance police governance, deepening understanding of the Police Act 2020 and Regulations, across the six geopolitical zones in the country, specifically, Kano, Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Plateau, Borno and the FCT.
The project seeks to address critical gaps in the understanding and application of the Police Act 2020 and accompanying regulations within the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
This is mainly the backing that led to the townhall meeting, improving more understanding of human rights.
“Through this town hall meeting today, we aim to promote awareness of citizens’ rights under the Police Act 2020, allowing us to address the gap in public knowledge regarding human rights and the provisions of the Police Act 2020”, she said.
“Many citizens remain unaware of their rights under the Act, and as a result, may lack the confidence to hold the police accountable for misconduct or abuses of power”, Igwe added.
She concluded that by adhering strictly to these objectives, the rights of Nigerians will not be infringed but, protected. “All Nigerians would know their rights whenever they have contact with the Police”.
Specific objectives of the Police Act 2020 and Regulations, according to her, include responsiveness, equity, justice and fairness, respect for human dignity, safeguarding the fundamental rights of Nigerians, sensitivity to the needs and well-being of the general public, effective prevention of crimes without threatening the liberty and privacy of persons, professionalism through training, among others.
The town hall session covered key aspects of the provisions of the Police Act 2020, and police regulations, all of which are important to creating a transparent and accountable relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.