RIGHT TO DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

What does this right imply?

Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake. It is the state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect. Human dignity is, therefore, the respect to which every person is entitled.

Are you not guilty?

Aunty, do you have a house help? How are you treating that little girl/boy you brought from the village? Shebi you promised you will send them to school? How far? Have you given them food today? Abi they are sleeping in your otung ikang? Ring worm wan uproot their scalp. Eczema wan tear their skin. Aunty, why are you wicked?

Uncle, that woman you promised love, how far? Your own way of showing love is by beating her up like band abosuru (Apostolic Church band). You don’t have shame abi you no dey fear God? If you want to flex muscle, why you no go fight undertaker? Na woman you wan beat. Tueh!

The other day, you follow burn person wey tiff garri for your area. Garri oh, because of hunger. Now person pikin don die. How many times you don tiff? You dey do yahoo yahoo, you dey do bad bad tings. But you are still alive, walking free. Where is the justice?

Una don call una mama winch. Una don abandon that sick woman for village make e die. Haba! She be winch, na it una never die finish by now? Na wa!

Mr. policeman, which training school did you attend and who trained you? Who told you to torture suspects in your custody? You do all manner of evil in that your station. What is wrong with you people?

And you, oga market seller, who told you that you must touch that woman before she patronizes you? How dare you, sir? Have you no respect or value for women?

Professor Okonkwo, every time, you threaten your students with F should they fail to ‘sort’ you or sleep with you. You talk to them like they are trash. Just look at you! One shame like this, you don’t have. Professor that professes nonsense.

Know today that all these behaviours are unlawful and evil. The law prohibits it. Even your conscience should tell you that it’s wrong.

What does the law say?

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that “all human beings are born equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”. So, not only are we born equal, we are endowed with conscience and should act like we have one. Stop treating people like you do not have a heart. This right prohibits any form of degrading treatment of another irrespective of tribe, sex, colour, religion or nationality. Treat people the way you would want to be treated. Have a heart please. 

Section 34 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria also provides:

Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly:

No person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment;

No person shall be held in slavery or servitude;

No person shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour. 

It is important to note however,  that any labour required in consequence of the sentence or order of a court or any labour required of members of the armed forces or the police force in pursuance of their duties do not come under this rule. Neither does any communal service or compulsory National service come under this rule.

We will take time to break down every aspect of this right during the course of the month. We will shake this table until it breaks. Stop doing private SARS work. BE KIND!


Comments

  1. Uta BasseyJanuary 4, 2021 at 12:42 AM

    Awesome! Aptly written��. Humans need to read this 'cause we've almost lost the human nature and acquired the animal nature.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LouisJanuary 4, 2021 at 8:48 AM

    Really enlightening

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oyike ekoJanuary 5, 2021 at 12:06 AM

    Thank you for this these, people have to be enlightened

    ReplyDelete

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