Falana urges African govts to uphold socioeconomic rights

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on African governments to uphold and ensure full respect for human, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights within their domestic legal systems.

He said that it is time for African governments to end the artificial dichotomy between political and civil rights, and socio-economic rights, as well as rights to sustainable development, peace and a healthy environment.

Falana stated this in his keynote address during a public forum on Law and Freedom of Expression in West Africa organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa in Accra, Ghana.

In his paper, titled “Civic Expression, Media Freedom, Law and the Fight Against Impunity,” the human rights lawyer said that in defending freedom of expression and press freedom in Africa, it must be realised that the majority of the African people are unable to express themselves due to lack of education.

He said: “To enable all citizens to enjoy the human rights to freedom of expression, we should join the campaign for the actualisation of the right to education as guaranteed by Article 17 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.

Falana, therefore, said it is high time such an alliance is forged in each country to defeat the repressive governments that are involved in the recolonisation of the African people with the support of imperialism.

He, however, recommended that the defence of human rights should no longer be limited to political and civil rights, adding that the defence of socio-economic rights should be prioritised in the campaign for human rights enforcement.

“Governments must be made to respect freedom of expression and press freedom to enable journalists to discharge the duty of promoting public accountability and transparency.

“The provisions of the Cybercrime Act, which restrict press freedom and other political and civil rights of the people should be challenged in domestic courts and regional courts.

“The media should engage in a rigorous campaign to prevent parliaments from enacting anti-media laws. The media and citizens should make use of the Internet and social media in a very responsible manner.

“To check abuse of the use of social media, a law should provide for the appointment of an independent body in every country to speedily attend to online defamation and sanction erring journalists and other persons.

“The constitutional validity of the criminal code relating to sedition and criminal libel should be tested in courts,” Falana further said.