By Oghenero Orovwuje
Members of the Delta State Human Rights Committee have been charged to redouble their efforts towards making the work of the committee more visible in the state.
The Governor of Delta State and Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic party Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, gave the charge when the committee presented a one year report of its activities to him.
Governor Okowa who is the Chairman of the Committee, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, said that the committee was set up to foster a good relationship between the citizens and residents of the state with the Nigerian Police.
He noted that it was only Delta State that had set up such a committee which, he said, had improved the relationship between citizens and residents on the one hand and the Police on the other hand.
He thereafter called on residents and citizens in the state to channel their complaints on human rights abuses to the committee and assured that if a case was established, it would be fairly treated.
Presenting the report of the committee, the Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Isaiah Bozimo, revealed that the committee investigated several complaints submitted against the Police and one against the personnel of the Nigerian Navy.
Mr Bozimo listed other complaints handled to include cases of extortion, allegedly perpetrated by Police personnel, invasion of students hostel at the Delta State Polytechnic in Ogwashi Uku by the Police, extortion by an operative of operation Delta Safe and extortion by personnel of the Delta State Traffic Management Agency (DESTMA).
He said the committee also visited the Nigerian Army, 63 Brigade, Nigeria Navy, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service , Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps to communicate its mandate to the security agencies and solicit their co-operation.
Mr Bozimo added that the committee was partnering with the public by engaging in media advocacy and sensitising citizens and residents in the state on its objectives.
He expressed gratitude to the state government for establishing the committee which, according to him, would become a bastion of hope for maltreated citizens.
