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CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT |
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A
PROFILE
OF CHRRD’S
PROGRAMMING: Pioneering
Public Complaints and Conflict Resolution Panelling in Nigeria: 1999-2001 AUTHORS: MASHOOD ERUBAMI, TOMI FASIDI & IAN YOUNG Download a Word version of this document (437 kbytes) CONTENTSPioneering
Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution in Nigeria
Testimonials
Received for CHRRD’s Conflict Resolution Panel
FIGURE
1. 1999-2001 RECEIVED CASES
BY NATURE OF COMPLAINT
FIGURE
2. 1999-2001 RESOLVED CASES
BY NATURE OF COMPLAINT
FIGURE
3. RESOLVED CASES BY MODE OF
RESOLUTION
TABLE
2. RECEIVED & RESOLVED CASES:
DETAILED BREAKDOWN
The Centre for Human Rights Research and Development (CHRRD) is an independent non-governmental organisation which started operation in 1992. It started as an anti-violence campaign outfit to respond to the prevailing despotic attitude of most members of the Road Transport Workers (NURTW). CHRRD’s CommitmentIts commitment to the promotion of universal respect for human rights, and adherence to its standards is strengthened by the list of professional workers on its staffing who assist its work towards building an effective and relevant human rights outfit. Since its inception in 1992, it has developed procedural systems of work , and accountable forms of organisation and control, gender balancing in its internal functions, in its mandate and strategies of development. The Centre’s programs are designed to nurture, advance and consolidate Nigeria’s nascent democracy through promotion of cultures of better human rights and democratic practices at domestic and public levels. Recent Activities, 2000/20011. Successful facilitation of town hall meetings in the 16 Local Government Councils of Kwara State, and 21 Local Councils of Kogi State, between elected and electorates from the various constituencies sponsored by USIS. 2. Successful facilitation of CBO (Community-BasedOrganisation) involvement and participation in Kogi State, between elected representatives and voters from diverse backgrounds, sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation to enhance civic participation. 3. Production and Public Presentation of an Educative Film capturing the violence attitude of the members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, as it affects human rights and internal democracy, sponsored by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in the states of Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo and Kwara. 4. Secured Working Partnership with Oyo State Government and its Legislative House of Assembly for the establishment of Human Rights and Good Governance Directorate and Committee, respectively. 5. Secured Working Understanding with the Attorney-General’s Office in Oyo State and at the national level on law reforms and legal supports advocacy. 6. Secured Working Understanding with the National Human Rights Committee, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory on diverse human rights issues and penal reforms advocacy. 7. Facilitated in collaboration with Unity Agenda Forum (UAF). Celebrated resolution of factional dispute within the dreaded O’odua Peoples’ Congress (OPC), with the support of the USAID/OTI, ending years of blood-letting an violent attacks on innocent citizens which had led to untimely deaths of Nigerians. 8. Published a forty-page pamphlet on “Know Your Rights” for the education of citizens in both rural and urban areas. Thematic Programs1)
CIVIC
PARTICIPATION a)
CITIZEN
CONSTITUENCY CULTIVATION PROJECT b)
LEGISLATIVE
CONSTITUENCY CULTIVATION PROJECT 2)
HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER TRAINING AND
DEMOCRACY EDUATION 3)
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND RESOLUTION EDUCATION (PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL) a)
CHRRD also established the first Conflict
Resolution Clinic to receive and at on reports from disputants and
complainants of human rights violations.
The Centre receives an average of 100 cases per week, and has become a
conspicuous third force in civil mediation processes, promoting peace in the
society and coming after the courts and the police. b)
LEGAL AIDS CLINIC 4)
CRIMINAL AND CIVIL: JUSTICE PROJECT a)
PRISON WATCH b)
POLICE WATCH c)
FAITH WATCH d)
MEDIA CAMPAIGN 5)
ELECTION MONITORING Pioneering Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution in NigeriaThe Centre was formed to promote and protect human rights and monitor its violations. This it does more particularly in urban and rural areas of Nigeria because human rights issues in rural areas have to date received very little attention from Nigerian human rights organisations, most of which are in Lagos.
CHRRD engages in both preventive and remedial conflict management and resolution activities supported by institutional platform for management and resolution. The conflict resolution panel is headed by the Executive Director of the Centre, Mr. Mashood Erubami. Other members of the panel include Mr Tunde Ojehomon, Mr Segun Ogundipe and supportive defense counsels. Since its inception in 1999, over 1,100 complaints have been heard from members of the public and acted upon by CHRRD staff. In 1999, such complaints were heard five days a week. In the year 2000, complaints were heard in person on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and this is what obtains at present. Such complaints range from gender discrimination, child abuse, wrongful dismissal issues, family, land, debt and tenancy disputes. As can be seen from the Figure 3 (pg. 9), the most successful mechanism for resolving disputes has been letter writing. When complainants come and state their grievance, we then write to the other party (the party complained about) either inviting them over to our Centre, or writing to them to state their own sided of the matter. Another mechanism which we use for resolving conflicts is panel sitting which involves inviting both parties to our Centre and having discussions with them. Other mechanisms include face to face discussions, telephoning, mediation, visiting the affected areas, media campaign, advice by the panel, and personal discussions. Out of the seventy cases that were resolved, eighteen cases were resolved through panel sitting, and 18 further cases through face to face discussions. These two methods of dispute resolution have proved to the most successful methods.
These methods have actually proved successful and there have been cases where the complainants have come back to say “thank you” and commend our Centre. An example is the case of Dele Odunowo versus Family of Oyeniyi, which was a tenancy dispute matter. After the matter had been resolved, Dele Oyeniyi gave some part of the money which he was owed him to CHRRD as a donation. Another example is the matter of Alfa K. Sanni versus Mr Dele Olusiji. After Mr Olusiji paid Alhaji, Alhaji donated some money to CHRRD in appreciation.
There have been many success reports emanating from this Centre which include the case of Mr Bashiru Olarewaju, an police officer who was irregularly dismissed. A case of murder had been preferred against him and he was dismissed before he was properly charted. His case was later brought before the court of law. He was not found guilty so he was discharged and acquitted. The intervention of our Centre by contacting the Commissioner of Police to revisit his case led to his reinstatement. Another success story was the case of Mrs. Banke Onoak. She was asked to withdraw from the mining school because she was a woman. Being a feminist, she was also denied employment. Our Centre intervened and through a media campaign, she is presently working at the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals at Osogbo. These are some of the many cases that our Centre has dealt with and have produced positive results. In 1999, we started a radio programme, “Ò wú yé” which was to create an awareness of this Centre to the public. With regards to the media campaign, we have a space in the Nigerian Tribune called “Truth Commission” and this space is used to air the injustice which the masses suffer for example in the form of wrongful termination of appointment and other undemocratic practices in the society. Challenges & ProblemsIn spite of these achievements and success stories, there are problems which this Centre faces. From the detailed statistics (pg. 8-12), it can be seen that only a fraction of the reported cases were resolved: 85 cases have been officially recorded as “Resolved” out of the 1,142 handled from 1999 to 2001, or 7.4%. This is due to many reasons, and all boils down to inadequacy of funds. Many cases are unresolved because people who come to our Centre are indigent, and have a pre-conceived idea that our services are rendered free of charge. Actually, the Centre presented the picture of free services but later, due to costs for example, costs of writing letters and posting them, telephone bills, we started asking them to pay a minimal sum. When we ask them to pay an amount which would aid the resolution of their complaints, they stopped coming. Whereas most of the cases involved the powerful in the society, which in extreme caaes require litigation or prosecution, particularly where violators refuse to submit to our jurisdiction. The volunteer lawyers maintained by the Centre require transport allowances, and small stipends to sustain their services, which most often are not readily available. The effect is that most of the good cases in this category are prolonged, or lost from ab initio for lack of material capacity. The Need for External FundingAs can be seen from the above, outside funding assistance will further aid the resolution of these cases. For instance, there will be no need to ask victims to pay any amount, or, where necessary, charge only a solidarity fee. Also, funds would aid better follow-up because we need to travel at times or where we have to send letters through express delivery which is expensive, the costs of these would be taken care of through funding. Furthermore, the CHRRD Board of Trustees includes Barrister Kunle Adeigbe and Barrister Niyi Akintola (Senior Advocate of Nigeria). They were offering their services at a free cost but it is now becoming very difficult to obtain their services at that. Hence, the CHRRD has some projects in mind that would aid in the resolution of these cases. A sustainable legal aid service is one of the projects that we want to put in place. This will certainly need a lot of funding as more people will come to our Centre knowing that no legal fees would be demanded from them.
CHRRD is a non-profit organisation and as such the only way it can live up to its name is through continued funding, either privately developed, or publicly supported. Testimonials Received for CHRRD’s Conflict
Resolution Panel
Translated
from the Yoruba letter from Mr. Wasiu Salami to CHRRD, dated 2000.IV.20,
concerning the successful resolution of a tenancy dispute:
Letter from Mr Salmoni K. Enitan to CHRRD, 2001.V.16, concerning the successful resolution of a debt recovery case:
Statistical Profile
FIGURE 1. 1999-2001 RECEIVED CASES BY NATURE OF COMPLAINT
FIGURE 2. 1999-2001 RESOLVED CASES BY NATURE OF COMPLAINT
TABLE 1. RECEIVED &
RESOLVED CASES: BY BROAD CLASSIFICATION
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