Notable human rights activities, lawyers, friends, well-wishers and the media congregated at the Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, IHRHL national headquarters, Rukpokwu, Rivers State, Port Harcourt, to honor, and to keep alive, the ‘build Human Rights and build the Society for better’ legacy of the founder of the organization, late Comrade Anyakwee Nsirimovu,.
At a press briefing held Monday, May 9, 2022, and graced by the likes of the vice-chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof Nlerum Okogbule, Hon. Celestine Akpobari, Comrade Finyface Dumname of the Youths and Enviromental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), Emmanuel Fubara, esq., Chief Constance Meju, and other civil society actors, executive director of IHRHL and wife of the late Anyakwee Nsirimovu, Mrs. Mgbechi Anyakwe announced the institution of the Human Rights Education Fund in honour of the Comrade Anyakwee Nsirimovu.
“Today, the Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law remembers with fond memory it’s founder and forerunner, Anyakwee Samuel Nsirimovu who passed away on May 8, 2020.
“Over 37 years ago, Mr. Nsirimovu established IHRHL with a mission to promote human rights knowledge and advocate the protection of the same as the first building stone for a suitable, functional democracy. We look back with great pleasure on a life well spent in services to people and unwavering commitment to this meaningful cause”, Mrs Anyakwee stated, recalling that Nsirimovu was especially passionate about human rights education and its ability to address injustice, poverty and create opportunities for all members of society.
She said, on the 2nd memorial of his passing on, IHRHL wishes to introduce the Anyakwee Nsirimovu Memorial Education Fund, an annual instrument, offering assistance to indigenous youths of the Niger Delta with specific interest in the protection and promotion of human rights, pointing out that the fund seeks to honor the memory of the long distance runner and ensure that the baton of social justice on the race to a better Nigeria is passed to equipped and passionate individuals to continue the race.
“IHRHL notes that education is a foundation for the development and progress of every society. It is the bedrock of human development which catalyzes global development”, she said. According to her, Article 26 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and UNESCO Convention Against Discrimination in Education (CADE, 1969) recognizes the right to education as a basic human right fundamental for every member of society. She noted that Education as a human right means the right to education which is legally guaranteed for all without any discrimination and states have an obligation to protect, respect and fulfill the rights to education.
On behalf of IHRHL, she pledged transparency in the execution of the legacy project.
“As IHRHL bears the responsibility of managing this fund, we pledge to uphold utmost transparency and fairness throughout the rigorous selection process which spans May – August, “To effectively manage the process of selection, IHRHL shall set up a panel of volunteers that will ensure that the process of selection is not only fair but inclusive and non-discriminatory”, she stated, adding that the press briefing serves as a call to aspirants in the human rights community who are law students in year four, interested in doing their final year project on Human Right to apply, hence applications will be received in hardcopy at the IHRHL Office at Rukpokwu”.
Mrs Anyakwee said the aim is to raise louder, voices for a better society.
“It is our earnest hope that in ourstrive to continue Anyakwee’s legacy, we help raise louder voices advocating for a better and inclusive Nigerian deal. In the ever resounding words of Anyakwee, ‘the voice of the truth must never die,” she stressed, and thanked all present for their show of love and solidarity to IHRHL.
In his contribution, human rightsactivist and vice chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof Nlerum Okogbule expressed excitement at the occasion, saying: “I appreciate this Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL) for this very good initiative of recognizing the commitment and sacrifice of the founder of the Institute by initiating and instituting this fund for law students.
He described the project as commendable.
“I want to say that the right to education is the fundamental right that can unlock some of the challenges that we have not only in the Niger Delta, but in the whole Nigeria, and I think that this step that has been taken by the institute is quite commendable, and I want to appreciate the institute for doing that”.
Prof Okogbule assured that the process of selection is going to be transparent for Law students, pointing out that it is important we have a process as people involved in human rights activities, a process that is transparent to ensure that people actually benefit from the scheme.
He described human rights as something that is very crucial for the development of any society.
Okogbule recalled: “Several years back, way back in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was stated expressly, after the Second World War, a lot of challenges in the world, people now realized that the only thing that can ensure (peace) is that we begin to look at human beings as humans, it is when we recognize the existence of these indelible rights to life, to education and to facilities that are available in the society.
“The African Charter on Human and Peoples Right has said that Nigeria has a duty to ensure the enforcement of the Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, and one of the rights enshrined there is the right to education, something that is basic”.
Also speaking, Hon Celestine Akpobari expressed delight at the honour done the late Anyakwee Nsirimovu by the Institute: “I appreciate the institute yet again for taking steps to immortalize our departed leader”, he said, adding, “there wouldn’t have been any better anniversary gift than setting up this fund because Anyankwe was a man of books, anywhere you see him you will see books”.
According to Akpobari, there’s no better way to bring in more persons into the human rights community than this, to join the crusade and struggle;this is just one step, and I know several other steps would be taken to better immortalize him the way he would have loved’
Finyface Dumname of the Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), could not hide his joy on the occasion, as he said: “This is very timely. I commend the Institute of Human Right and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL) for keeping up the work of late Senior Comrade Anyankwee Nsirimovu whom we also named our Conference Centre after, and because of the foundation he laid in the area of human rights, people like us are building on the foundation, that legacy’, pointing out it formed the “basis of our formation of the One Million People Volunteer Scheme of Human Right Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta in 2019”.
Dumname insisted that naming their hall after A Ayankwee was giving a kind of boost to the Centre, because there they talk about human rights and the hall where they train people on human rights is also named after the human rights icon.
He said the event also coincided with the conclusion of a course with the International Institute of Human Rights in Canada, and called on the management of IHRHL to sustain the vision and legacy of the founder.”
Responding to questions on eligibility for the fund, an executive director of IHRHL, Courage Nsirimovu Esq. said: “We are just starting the fund and we can’t put it out for all law students, we are trying to be very strategic. We are looking out for law students that are very mature; they have made up their minds, and they are interested in human rights
“We would consider the student provided the student applied but the whole idea is to build our human rights community, because whoever gets this fund will be registered with this organization, and in the long run, there would be that communication”.
Courage Nsirimovu stressed that the ideal thing is that the fund is for indigent person; saying that, if an indigent person is not interested in what they are doing, he’s definitely not going to get it.
“I think the panel would do a great job following our criteria, and it is not discriminately. We are partnering with other organizations to keep the flame of IHRHL burning, and the ideals and legacy of Anyankwee Nsirimovu sustained”, he assured
He further said if a particular law student pushes forward to the extent that the project he’s writing on is on human rights, it is clear that is what the student is interested in doing, and such a student would be supported, hinting that IHRHL will set up a selection panel before August, as forms will be issued out on August 25, before then interview process by a panel.
“The fund is about building up the human rights community. So if the rich person is interested in the human rights community, the panel will decide whether or not he is to be funded because it would be superfluous to give it to him if he doesn’t need the fund. However, If that student is interested in human rights, he will be supported”, he stated.
