The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on Nigerians to report human rights violations to the appropriate government agencies.

Hilary Ogbonna, the NHRC senior human rights adviser, said this on Monday at the Youth Dialogue on Human Rights organised by the United Nations (UN) and the commission in Abuja.

The dialogue was to commemorate International Human Rights Day, marked yearly on December 10, to create awareness and mobilise political will to promote respect for the rights and freedom enshrined by the declaration of human rights adopted by the UN.

Mr Ogbonna urged youths to be cognisant of the existing instruments that the government had passed into law before talking extensively about them and added that some of the human rights in existence had been passed into law long before now, including the Universal Basic Education (UBE) which is a human right law in Nigeria today.

“So when you go to your states, UBE is now a law, and it is a human right, also is the human rights under the Child Rights Act that is applicable in the FCT and more than 20 states in Nigeria. It is important you have that knowledge,” stated the NHRC official.

According to him, the right to health in chapter two of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is captured as unenforceable.

“But (the) government has gone beyond that to pass the National Health Insurance Act. Also (the) government has passed the National Primary Healthcare Act,” the NHRC senior adviser further said. “All of these acts impose obligations on (the) government to guarantee the right to health. I’m saying this so that you will not use your hand to short-change yourself.’

(NAN)