A Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Chima Centus Nweze has tasked Non-Governmental Organizations, NGOs, in Nigeria to rise up to their duties of fighting violence against women and children.
He said the NGOs should stop complaining of inconsistencies in domestic and international laws but find a blended approach in order to use both instruments in fighting the cause.
Justice Nweze, who was speaking at the National Day of Tribute in memory of late Mrs Oby Nwankwo in Enugu charged all NGOs in Nigeria to take up the challenge if they treasured the memory of the late human right advocate.
He said, if we treasure the memory of Oby, we must do something urgently. Our litigation strategies must change. I challenge all the NGOs here seek ways to align local instruments with various charters and international instruments.
“Find how you can use the instrumentality of the law to arrest situations where young women and children are victims of violence. This blended approach has been implemented in Uganda, Malawi, Ghana and South Africa.”
“Each time a lawyer comes to court, he will begin to talk of inconsistencies with custom and conscience and all of that. No, we have passed beyond that. The international instruments are there.
“The courts have given you a clue as to what to do and so our challenge to you today is to evolve a blended litigation strategy, how you can use domestic strategies especially the constitution in liaison with these instruments. Nobody says you can not do that,” he added.
In her tribute, the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice NP Emehelu, who was represented by Justice Angela Aniede, extolled the virtues of late Mrs Obiageli Nwankwo, describing her as an amazon who defended the defenceless.
“The voiceless were given voice and the defenceless were defended. The people she touched in unique ways will miss her. We should learn from her example. Our lives are like open book, we should learn to lead exemplary lives,” she said.
Mrs. Obiageli Theodora Nwankwo was born in 1956 and served in the Anambra State Judiciary as Chief Magistrate for 23 years before she voluntarily retired in 2004 to pursue a career in human right activism.
She was an expert in litigation, judicial duties and development work. She died in the US on the 9th of December 2017.
Other dignitaries at the event included Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, former Governor of Anambra State, Mrs Virgy Etiaba, Prof Joy Ezeilo, Mrs Maryam Uwais, amongst others.
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