STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY & DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA. NED Connect Report from NED Grantees in Nigeria

Transcription

1 NED Connect Report from NED Grantees in Nigeria Volume 1, Issue 1, June 2017 STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY & DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA In this Issue: Grooming a new generation of women leaders Providing access to justice Demanding better Police services Young women demanding accountability from legislators

2 Editorial Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Olufunke Baruwa CEO, Nigerian Women s Trust Fund Editor: Anthony Abu Research & Information, Nigerian Women s Trust Fund Assistant Editor: Ememobong Molokwu Nigerian Women s Trust Fund Writers/Contributors: Abdulrazak Alkali OCCEN Sylvester Uhaa CURE Ruth Okugbeni CLEEN Simeon Karu YMCA Victor Okechukwu CWSI Michael Karikpo ERA Strengthening Democracy and Development in Nigeria In Nigeria NED supports over 30 civil society organisations and development partners working to entrench good governance, accountability, inclusion, active citizenship and social justice. Thus NED Connect was birthed in response to the need to coalesce the efforts of her grantees in Nigeria. This first edition of the NED Connect Newsletter is the network s attempt to document the rationale and objectives of NED Connect as well as publicise the work of grantees across Nigeria. This first edition features the following impact stories: Organisation for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN) on capacity building for youth; CURE- Nigeria chronicled its work which provides legal services for the indigent; Environmental Rights Action (ERA) on strengthening the capacity of host communities in the Niger Delta states, Women Studies and Intervention s Women Awake for Political Action (WAPA) advocacy work with traditional leaders; Young Men s Christian Association (YMCA) paints the picture of the ideal Africa, CLEEN Foundation writes on success of its partnership program with the military; while the Nigerian Women Trust Fund is raising a critical mass of female active citizens to close the intergenerational gap in governance at all levels in her Young Women Leaders Project currently in higher institutions in Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi and Imo States. NED Connect Newsletter will continue to chronicle annually how NED grantees work in Nigeria to transform Nigeria s democratic governance and create a better society for everyone. - Anthony Abu, Editor NED grantees in a meeting, at Women Fund Abuja Office, October 2016

3 AboutNED Connect THE MAKING OF NEDCONNECT NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY GRANTEES IN NIGERIA WORKING TOGETHER T he aim of the NED Grantees was to create a platform for the grantees in Nigeria to interact and collaborate to improve programming and synergy with support from NED. It took a while to get the grantees to committing to a meeting but eventually the first meeting was convened in October 2016 for this purpose to encourage networking among NED grantees and engender visibility of impact of grantees works in Nigeria. Thus, NEDConnect was birthed for learning, capacity building and knowledge sharing. The maiden meeting provided a platform for grantees to discuss the future of NEDConnect as well as possible areas of collaboration. NED grantees in attendance include YIAGA, OCCEN, Youth Arise, CURE-Nigeria, YMCA, Youngstars Foundation; those who joined on Skype include Future Project, CLEEN, LITE, CCIDESOR, Inclusive Friends Association, WINEED and Environmental Rights Action. The meeting therefore agreed that the objectives of NED Connect will be collaboration and synergy among NED grantees in Nigeria; visibility for our work and the NED; knowledge sharing and capacity building. A google spread sheet was created for all grantees to fill in the their details so others can see opportunities for collaboration and to share the following information: thematic focus, location, possible areas of collaboration/support to other NED grantees. The collaboration is expected to eventually go beyond NED s work and beyond the NWTF s project life cycle with a number of activities including: Periodic newsletters to bring to visibility NED grantees projects and to encourage synergy among grantees and other CSOs. The newsletter is planned to be once a quarter. It was resolved 1 that the newsletter should be e- copies as well as hard copies. However, the first edition should be in e-copy and disseminated electronically while subsequent editions will be in hard copies. This will require much funding which participants at the meeting and online agreed should be footed by grantees without having to ask NED. A percent contribution by all grantees should be able to pay for the design and printing. It was agreed that press conferences be held to culminate with international and local events and serve as an avenue to amplify the key messages of NED Grantees and emerging issues around our work. The target audience will be the media, development partners, government, CSO and the electorate. Since then, NED grantees have supported each other in some ways, especially YIAGA s and CCIDESOR s participation in Women Fund s Young Women Leaders Debate in Kogi and Owerri in 2017 respectively.

4 What first-time IT managers really need to know. GROOMING A NEW GENERATION OF YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS I n 2015 Nigerian Women Trust Fund initiated the Young Women Leaders Project. This project has been running since then and has been implemented in Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Owerri and is set to take off in Ekiti and Jigawa state in July The aim of the project is to strengthen young women with the advocacy, organizing, and leadership skills necessary to participate in political decisionmaking processes. At present, the political and traditional governing bodies marginalize young women, preventing them from fully engaging in local governance. Consequently, these governing bodies fail to address the social, economic, and political concerns of these young women. The project targets young women between the ages of and actually been implemented in Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Bingham University, Keffi, Federal Polytechnic, Lokoja and Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Activities of the project include training workshops, peer education, learning visits, community mobilizing, legislator engagements, and debate and essay competitions. The young women have displayed impeccable leadership prowess by engaging heads of selected communities for improved young women s political participation in the communities, leading the communities to engage their legislators to request for interventions on issues and problems that affect girls and women; carrying out peer education, reaching out to over 2000 peers; competing impressively in debate and essay competition. 2

5 Women Fund Young Women Leaders mobilising Communities, engaging Legislators in Kogi and Imo State 3

6 Young Women reaching out to peers in Kogi and Imo State 3

7 CAPACITY BUILDING FOR YOUTH ACTIVISTS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA strengthening the capacity of youth to engage with political actors and promote public accountability in the target states O rganization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN) with support from National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is implementing 12 months project to strengthen youth political participation in north-western states of Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa. The project is aimed at strengthening the capacity of youth to engage with political actors to promote public accountability in the target states. This brief focuses broadly on OCCEN s eight months activities covering May to December 2016 programs for strengthening youth participation in politics. The project in its early stage came up with a sound 3 day workshop on the 13 th -15 th June, 2016 which was named capacity building training for youth activists on democracy and civic engagement after which a subsequent good five key activities were also implemented included a Kano Town Hall Meeting on strengthening young women participating in politics, a Jigawa Town Hall Meeting on Jigawa State 2017 budget, a Town Hall Meeting on amplifying youth voices in the political space. Others are National Youth Day for Democracy 5 which was held on the 18 th of October to mark the day, and radio program on civic and political education in kano and Kaduna. All these aforementioned activities were successfully implemented and command a lot of recommendations from both participants and other stakeholders.

8 Women Fund Young Women Debate/ Essay Competition in Imo and Kogi 6

9 LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR INDIGENT DETAINEES Barristers Ndubuisi Kalu and Bilkisu Irama with ex-inmates of Kuje prison The NED grant is covering four critical areas of CURE-Nigeria work: Legal aid, advocacy, Newsletter, and research. after their discharge at the Federal High Court, Abuja Our legal aid program provides legal representation for indigent detainees in Kuje, Suleja, Keffi Old and Keffi New Prisons. We have secured the release of 86 detainees from 2014 till date from different courts. About 26 cases are ongoing. Also, our newsletter, The Advocate is published bi-monthly as a tool to highlight issues needing reforms. We have published 14 editions since 2014 with the NED funding. The executive director, Mr. Sylvester Uhaa speaking at a roundtable conference for criminal justice actors in Benue State CURE-Nigeria have also conducted a survey on Female detainees/convicts and children living in prison in Nigeria in 6 North-Central States in 2015 and has recently conducted a similar research in 4 States in Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Enugu Prisons. The findings of the survey are being used to advocate humane and gendersensitive sentences for women, particularly pregnant women and nursing mothers, as well as to advocate for a national policy that takes care of the needs of children living in prison with a mother. Officers of the female prison Kirikiri, Lagos, CURE-Nigeria and National Human Rights Commission staff after the survey of inmates of the prison recently. 7

10 Welcome Speech to the Roundtable for Criminal Justice Actors in Benue State, organised by Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants and the Benue State High Court of Justice, Makurdi. Delivered by Mr. Sylvester Uhaa, Executive Director, CURE-Nigeria. ccording to a report on pages A of the Daily Trust last Sunday, the present prison population stands at 69,200. Out of this figure, 47,817, representing 69 percent, are awaiting trial. As we know, This gathering therefore, is to bring together the key players in the criminal justice system in the State to talk to each other, challenge each other and together begin to look for solutions to the numerous challenges facing our justice system. We gather here as friends and partners to work together in the spirit of dialogue, and not to accuse or blame one another, and if we must do so, we do it constructively, keeping in mind that we have all played a part in one way or the other in creating the problems that we have in the justice system today. to do to occupy their days in prison. A small percentage attends the few workshops or education programs available in some prisons. Others languish in their cells, wait for visits, become cleaners of a small area, or use drugs to pass the time. The only investment in the prison is towards securing inmates, while on a daily basis prisoners, many of whom are able bodied, intelligent and capable people, walk aimlessly around prison yards. BUILDING MORE PRISONS AND JAILS WILL NOT SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS many detainees stay on pre-trial longer than convicts and far longer than they would have stayed in prison if they had been convicted. As a result, our prisons are overstretched and overcrowded, but they have also become breeding grounds for diseases and criminality, with huge consequences on prison inmates, their families and society. Many prisons, particularly in big cities, are holding thrice their designated capacities, making the prisons impossible to manage and often resulting in jail breaks. In addition, there are either too little or no rehabilitation programs available in the prisons. Inmates go out of prisons worse than they went in. This situation is a time bomb that will soon explode. As organisers, it is our expectation that you are all here to participate actively, not to watch and listen to proceedings because your input is vital and valuable in finding the solutions we desperately need. If we leave here and things remain the same way three months down the line, then we would have wasted our time, energy and resources in organising this event. We must not allow that to happen. My over 12 years of prison and justice reforms gives me a privileged insight into the difficulties prisoners face. The current criminal justice and prison regimes disturb me greatly. It is deeply troubling to witness firsthand the utter and total boredom of hundreds of men and women who have little or nothing 8 Prisons in Nigeria are harsh places of detention and in no way conducive to the change of life that inmates need. Neither are the prisons places of rehabilitation or preparation for reintegration into society. There is a growing sense within our society even among some of us in this room that locking offenders up and throwing away the key is the only realistic response. Those who hold public office appear reluctant to lead a public debate that will explore the root causes of crime and examine the radical alternatives to imprisonment because they do not want to be seen as being soft on crime. Organisations like ours are providing that platform. Continued on page 17

11 STRENGTHENING LOCAL WOMEN LEADERS AND THE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY OF NOSDRA ON OIL SPILLS Brief sent in by Environmental Rights Action (ERA) capturing its work in strengthening the capacity of oil host communities in Niger Delta states W ith Endowment support, Environmental Rights Action (ERA) will continue to strengthen the capacity of oil host communities to participate effectively in government regulation of the oil industry in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers states. It will empower an additional six communities in Bayelsa, four communities in Akwa Ibom, and two communities in Rivers to promote transparency and accountability in oil spill prevention and oil spill response, improving community trust in government institutions, and reducing the propensity of conflict. ERA will pay particular attention to creating space for women to play leading roles in these processes throughout the project. ERA will work with local communities, women s groups, and landlords to oil operators to identify 20 people per state to participate in an oil spill and Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) training. Joint Investigation Teams are government investigative units tasked with inspecting the cause of an oil spill, the volume of oil spilled, and the size of the area affected by the spill. Moreover, these teams determine the appropriate level of compensation to be paid to victims of the spill. Representatives of regulatory agencies, state ministries of environment, local communities, and security agencies are supposed to be included in these teams; however, they are traditionally underfunded and heavily reliant on oil company support. Communities therefore view them as extremely biased. ERA will train the monitors to participate in these investigations to improve their transparency and accountability, and thus reduce conflict. It will train the monitors in legal and regulatory frameworks governing oil spills and post oil spill processes in Nigeria, as well as best practices from around the world. Participants will consider oil spill regulatory and response framework reforms for the Nigerian government. Three two-day trainings will be held, one in each state. Former project participants will attend the JIV trainings to share lessons learned and to promote project sustainability. A NOSDRA facilitator, as well as two resource persons, will assist with these trainings. ERA has secured an invitation from NOSDRA permitting training participants to shadow its officials on at least one JIV in each state, to enable them to learn first-hand how the Nigerian 9 government assesses oil spills and awards compensation. ERA will organize three two-day workshops on leadership and negotiation skills for an additional 60 women leaders. One workshop will be held in each state for 20 women. This training will aim to strengthen women s capacity to fully participate in pre and post oil spill response mechanisms, and to actively reduce conflict and violence in their communities. Women will learn about empowerment, leadership, communication, stress management, conflict resolution, and gender sensitization. Dr. Otive Igbuzor of the African Center for Leadership, Strategy, and Development will facilitate the training. Participants from both the women s leadership trainings and the JIV trainings will conduct small step -down trainings to share their knowledge and enhanced capacity with other members of their communities. ERA will support fourstep down trainings for 20 community members each. ERA will engage a women s leadership specialist to assist in facilitating these workshops, as well as two resource persons.

12 DEMOCRACY REQUIRES THAT ALL PERSONS BE TREATED EQUALLY Brief sent in by Centre for Women Studies and Intervention s on its Women Awake for Political Action (WAPA) supported by NED 2016 in Kogi Political participation is the legal activities by which citizens aim at influencing the selection of government functionaries who run the affairs of the state, influence their decision making process and government policies. It is the gate way to the democratic system of representational government in which the people exercise sovereign power directly or indirectly. Although democracy requires that all persons be treated equally and considered autonomous and self- determining, women in Nigeria are extremely marginalized in political participation and decision making. As a result, women have limited influence over state policy formulation and decision making. Kogi State is one of the states in Nigeria where women are left behind in decision making. There are only three female members of the House of the Assembly among twenty six males. It is against this back ground that the Women Awake for Political Action (WAPA) as an intervention project formulated and implemented by CWSI and supported by NED, is geared towards strengthening women s political participation in democratic processes in Kogi State. Capacity building, advocacy and awareness creation are the project activities designed to actualize an outcome of increased meaningful participation of women in political processes cum election of more women into political spaces as well as inspire 10 amplification of women s voices to speak up and speak out in order to achieve inclusion of women in decision making. Based on the programs implemented and the outcomes achieved so far, it is submitted that the WAPA project is having positive effect on Kogi communities. There is reasonable ground to hope that the aim of promoting women s full participation in political and public life through enhancing political participation and legal rights of women will materialize.

13 WAPA, engaging traditional leaders, equipping stakeholders 11

14 DARE TO LEAD campaign: reach out to communities on political inclusion Young Women Leaders in Kogi came together and launched the Dare to Lead Initiative on Saturday July 8, This is one an outcome of a year-long engagement with the Young Women Leaders project from June 2016 June Dare to Lead is an attempt to demonstrate the skills learnt during the project aimed at creating awareness and inspiring other young women to engage with the democratic process in Nigeria with an eye on The initiative was launched at the Lokoja market with a rally themed Dare to Lead. During the rally, the Young Women Leaders educated the public on the dangers of being indifferent to politics and specifically admonished the young women present to step up as active citizens. A drama presentation capturing the consequences of poor governance occasioned by citizens nonchalant attitude towards the electoral process was presented to amplify the key message of the rally; IEC materials including flyers emphasizing key messages were also distributed to the audience. Some of the issues discussed include: importance of the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR), accountability, transparency and good governance, issue based debates and elections, voting without bias during elections and engaging representatives after elections. The women lamented the deplorable state of infrastructure (water, power, health etc), the insincerity of the political class, marginalization of women, among others; which all pointed at the need to vote more strategically. The Market Woman Leader (iya oloja) commended the efforts and courage of the young women in speaking out against injustice and calling out young women for strategic participation in governance. The women promised to be more critical of whom they vote in subsequent elections and pledged to support competent female candidates come

15 THE AFRICA WE WANT Report sent in by Young Men s Christian Association (YMCA), Bauchi T he YOUNG MEN s CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION (YMCA) Bauchi vision is empowering young people for the African renaissance. Its mission is to facilitate relevant community based programmes and services that develop the mind, spirit and body of the youth and the less privilege on the basis of equality and justice and in accordance to the Christian mandate. YMCA Bauchi envisions a strong and vibrant society through effective youth participation and it has key areas of work in: Leadership and Capacity Building Trainings which is aimed at developing leadership skills among young people, to strengthen their understanding of the fundamentals of democracy and human rights, camps, conferences and self-help projects. Strengthen and Support adoption of Healthy Reproductive and HIV prevention behaviour among the poor and most at risk population (MARPs) Non-formal Education Welfare and Support (NEWS) targeted at Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), the girl child and the Internally Displaced People (IDPs). Vocational Skill Training where life skills on General Woodwork and Furniture Making are taught to young minds for a selfsustainable future. With the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) support, the Young Men s Christian Association Bauchi (YMCA) is empowering the youth with leadership skills and knowledge on the fundamentals of democracy and human rights to enable them foster a democratic culture in Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, and Plateau states. These Northeast and North Central states have long experienced economic and political marginalization, inter-communal conflict, and more recently, the impact of the Boko Haram insurgency. With a new administration in the presidency and renewed efforts to defeat Boko Haram, there once again is optimism in the region, and a sense that people s lives are improving. YMCA hopes to tap into this renewed energy by providing young leaders with the skills needed to take up leadership roles in their communities. To this end, it has employed the African Alliance of YMCA s Subject to Citizen (S2C) leadership modules and the African Union Agenda 2063 as guiding frameworks for its young leaders development program. S2C s core components are Personal Identity, Transformative Masculinity, Economic Renaissance, and Civic Engagement. Agenda 2063 is a call for action to all segments of African society to work together to build a prosperous and united Africa based on shared values and a common destiny. The YMCA has two Foundational Trainers/Change Agent/Catalyst from each project state, to assist in project implementation. A total of 96 participants have been trained in a 5-day S2C Camp who in turn have returned to their various communities for community engagements. Approximately 671 persons have been reached through various project activities within Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Plateau States respectively. Education on Civic Activism through democracy clubs in their respective schools and communities. Trainings also cover Awareness Creation and Skills Formation for Civic Activism; Attitude change and transformation; and moving from youth activism to civic action in the context of democracy and human rights. Trainings focus on the S2C and Agenda 2063 manual to guide implementations. With guidance from the foundational trainers, these youth leaders will also design and implement advocacy campaigns targeting their local governance priorities. Issues that could be considered include religious extremism, prison congestion, environmental degradation, and youth unemployment. At the end of the project, YMCA will organize a three-day national youth conference for 60 youths, where Youth participants will present key suggested youth policy reforms to the committee and ask for concrete commitments. 13

16 MONITORING GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NIGERIA Report sent in by YNaija The Future Project (TFP) is a registered not for profit nongovernmental organization. TFP is an umbrella of development projects that seek to empower young people, redirecting their energy and focus towards adding value to themselves and society. TFP is a social enterprise set up with a strong commitment to youth development in Africa, while finding effective and innovative ways of addressing social issues. TFP has a strong focus on fostering Enterprise and Governance in young Africans, thereby equipping them to take charge of the continent s economy and polity. The Future Project has a network of funders and partners including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Tony Elumelu Foundation, Microsoft Nigeria, the US Government and the British Council. Our recent project supported by NED is YMonitor, an online portal that highlights crucial accountability issues as it relates to governance on various levels. It is set up to track public issues, provide accurate information through the media and generate actions that influence governance outcomes. It brings governance and accountability issues closer to the digitally connected citizen, to track data, identify trends, aggregate stories that encourage active citizenship, and stimulate the government to make better, more inclusive choices. Find out more on NED has 29 grantee organizations in Nigeria. In 2015 NED Nigeria program funding was $1,173,127. In 2016, this was increased 14

17 Fostering Civil Military Relations in Nigeria Report sent in by CLEEN Foundation The CLEEN Foundation established in 1998 and registered with the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission as a nonprofit organization with the Vision to be the leading civil society organization on public safety, security and justice in Africa. Our mission is to To promote public safety, security and justice through empirical research, legislative advocacy, demonstration programmes and publications in partnership with government, civil society and the private sector In pursuant of this mission we are guided by certain core values namely, Professionalism, Integrity, Team Spirit, Respect for Human Rights and Innovation. Presently, the CLEEN Foundation has offices in Lagos, Abuja and Owerri in Imo State of Nigeria. T he key objective of this project is to build, support and sustain initiatives aimed at promoting positive civil-military relations between the civil society and the military to improve accountability, security and national cohesion in Nigeria. Project activities have included steering committee meetings, National Stakeholders Dialogues on Civil Military Relations, National and zonal level Roadmap Review Workshops, Advocacy meetings with the Military, collaboration with key oversight bodies such as the 15 National Human Rights Commission and the Public Complaints Commission and a public enlightenment programme on radio on fostering civil military relations in Nigeria. Other activities lined up are public presentation of the Roadmap for fostering civil military relations and a publication of papers presented at various dialogue workshops. The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution remains a strategic partner in the project and has co-facilitated various civil military relations forums with the CLEEN Foundation. Continued on pg 18

18 Fostering Civil Military Relations in Nigeria At the Launch of the Human Rights Desk by the Nigerian Army in February, 2016 Roadmap Review Meeting in Southwest Lagos-Group work Opening Ceremony of one of the National Stakeholders Dialogue Advocacy Visit to the former Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Army Headquarters Maj. Gen Nicholas Rogers A Steering Committee Meeting at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution Zonal Roadmap Review Workshops in the North east, Maiduguri

19 Continued from Page 8 Unfortunately, we have as a society that has opted to bury its head in the sand. The hard facts indicate that we have got it wrong. We have lost the plot, and now need to move towards a response to crime that will address the real issues rather than continuing to respond with a prison system that is failing miserably for offenders, victims and society at large. I want to remind this gathering that prison is of limited protective, deterrent or corrective value and wish to recommend that the use of imprisonment should only be a last resort. It is high Nigeria moved fully into the 21 century and developed an approach to incarceration that offers more to prisoners and the community than simply secure custody. A situation whereby our prisons are becoming more and more like warehouses for the poor, economically and socially marginalised, offering no hope for those imprisoned and to the wider community that may be under the illusion that imprisonment will bring real change should be rejected. I am surprised by the total lack of political will and lack of investment in justice and prison reforms in Nigeria over the years, especially by the state governments, who have never been interested in prison reforms simply because the prisons are on the exclusive list. For instance, it is very common to hear of donations of vehicles to the NPF by State Governors, but you can hardly hear of donation of one vehicle to prisons located in the state even when these prisons do not have vehicles to transport inmates to courts. May I take this opportunity to remind the states governments that while the NPS is the exclusive responsibility of the Federal Government, the greater proportion of inmates that reside in the prisons located in each state are the indigenes. For example, 98 percent of the proportion of inmate in Makurdi Prison is indigenes of Benue State. There, the Benue State Government will do itself a lot of disservice if it continues to neglect the prisons. However, as a person of hope, I believe that change is always possible, and that it is never too late to learn. I would hope, therefore, that while we have not learnt any lesson from other jurisdictions, a summit like this might give us an opportunity to examine seriously the direction our penal system is taking. Politicians, communities, Government departments and bodies, the judiciary, all need to engage in serious dialogue with a view to finding more positive ways of dealing with crime. The power of the police is neither in the gun, nor in the arbitrary arrest and detention of citizens. The power of the police lies in working with communities In conclusion, may I take this opportunity to call on President Buhari to place emphasis on justice and prison reforms and prisoner rehabilitation and reintegration and take immediate steps to decongest the prisons. Also, I call on His Excellency, Governor Ortom to invest in justice/ prison reforms and prisoner rehabilitation. I call on the Benue State House of Assembly to expedite actions on the domestication of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 to allow for the expansive use of alternatives to incarceration as a panacea to prison congestion. I have a word for the police. The power of the police is neither in the gun, nor in the arbitrary arrest and detention of citizens. The power of the police lies in working with communities to achieve safety of lives and properties. For the judges and magistrates, the words of Justice Mokgoro of the Constitutional Court of South Africa in 2006 on the important link between constitutional values of dignity and the traditional notion of Ubuntu, may be worth paying attention to. This is what he said: 17 In our constitutional democracy the basic constitutional value of human dignity relates closely to Ubuntu or botho, an idea based on deep respect for the humanity of another. Traditional law and culture have long considered one of the principal objectives of the law to be the restoration of harmonious human and social relationships where they have been ruptured by an infraction of community norms. It should be a goal of our law to emphasise, in cases of compensation for defamation, the re-establishment of harmony in the relationship between the parties, rather than to enlarge the hole in the defendant s pocket, something more likely to increase acrimony, push the parties apart and even cause the defendant financial ruin. Similarly, in the 2008 judgment in S v Shilubana, restorative justice was used. The accused had been convicted of stealing seven chickens and sentenced to nine months imprisonment by the trial court. Judge Bosielo of the High Court noted on appeal that the complainant would most likely have been more appreciative of a sentence of compensation than imprisonment. In the words of Eric Holder, a former AG of the United States although we can all agree that incarceration is sometimes necessary for public safety in our work to protect the American people, we must recognise that incarceration alone does not provide the entire solution. Simply building more prisons and jails will not solve all our problems. Any effective and economically sustainable public strategy must include investments that will help reduce recidivism and to address the root cause of crime. Finally, I call on the Federal and state governments to eliminate the death penalty from their penal laws. The recent alleged execution of 3 death row inmates in Benin Prison, as reported in the media has cast a dark shadow on our human rights record at the global level. I am particularly concerned that the inmates who were executed had not exhausted their appeals at the Court of Appeal and the Governor had been informed of their pending appeals in a letter on December 21/2016 and asked to suspend the planned execution. This is unlawful and barbaric. Sylvester Uhaa, Executive Director, CURE-Nigeria.

20 Cont d from pg 15 The main output document of the project is the roadmap for fostering civil military relations in Nigeria. It details issues and challenges of civil military relations with recommendations going forward. Hopefully, the roadmap will be a useful tool for stakeholders (state and non-state) and the military to engage each other and other related institutions for positive relations in the country. The impact of the CMR project by CLEEN Foundation project can be seen first in the positive disposition, participation and total support by the military to the project. In line with the need for a better understanding of civil military as pathways to sustainable peace in the country, the military is beginning to re-orientate itself to gain and sustain public confidence in areas where they are being deployed. These can be seen in various initiatives and quick impacts projects undertaken by the Nigerian Army and Air Force and the recognition of the importance of civil military relations in recent policy documents by the federal government. Our advocacy efforts also included meetings with the Human Rights Desk of the Nigerian Army to move out of the Army/Defence Headquarters. This was largely achieved in collaboration with other stakeholders. Our weekly radio programme with the Armed Forces Radio has drawn wide listenership in increasing public understanding of the different aspects of civil military relations in Nigeria. It also provided platforms for callers feedback on civil military issues as it concerns the citizens. The Armed Forces Radio particularly attests to the importance of the programme for their station. African Centre for Human Advancement and Resource Support Independent Advocacy Project Human Rights Justice and Peace Foundation C/O: Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Block A1, Valley Estate, 3rd Avenue, 37 Road, Gwarimpa, FCT Wwww.womenfund.org info@womenfund.org