AN ETHICAL EVALUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA: LESSONS FROM JUSTICE OPUTA PANEL
Damian Tersoo Anyam 1, Vincent Onah Ekle 2 & Solomon Terungwa Gbagir 3
Department of Philosophy, Benue State University, Makurdi 1
Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, Benue State University, Makurdi 2
Department of Religion and Philosophy, University of Mkar-Mkar-Nigeria 3
Corresponding Email: terungwasolomon@gmail.com 3
Abstract
From the pre-independence constitutional conferences, through the First and Second Republics and the various military dispensations, to the present democratic government, human rights questions have received merited attention in legal and political discourses. There has been a sustained struggle for the protection of human rights of individuals, groups and communities in Nigeria. The Oputa Panel is one among the eloquent testimonies of these concerted efforts to promote and protect human rights and justice in the country as it examined instances of human rights abuses from 1st January 1984 to 28 May 1999. This study undertook an ethical evaluation of human rights in Nigeria while drawing lessons from Justice Oputa Panel. The paper used the analytic and evaluative methods. The analytical method focused on the Christian perspective on rights as well as presented the Oputa panel as a watch-dog for rights abuse in Nigeria. The evaluative method discussed the ethical implications of the justice Oputa panel for human rights in Nigeria. The study found that the promotion of human rights and transitional justice must be guided by principles of justice, compassion, and reconciliation. This ought to be grounded in a Christian ethical framework. From a Christian perspective, human rights are not merely a product of human convention, but are rooted in the biblical teachings on the inherent worth and dignity of every human being. The study therefore, concluded that there is need to promote human rights and transitional justice and this study provides valuable lessons and insights for policymakers, civil society organizations, and faith-based communities.
Keywords: Human Rights, Oputa Panel, Justice, Christian Ethics.
