The Guardian metro editor wins human rights award

Editor of The Guardian metro page, Bertram Nwannekanma, yesterday, bagged the 2022 Best Human Rights Report awards by Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA).

The newspaper also got acknowledged at the group’s 15-year anniversary in Abuja, with the theme: “How Hard Drugs Fuel Election Violence In Nigeria.”

While presenting the award, chairman of the occasion, Dr. Law Mefor, described media outfit as one of the most outstanding newspapers in human rights report.

The prize was received by the Abuja Bureau Chief, Dr. Bridget Onochie, on behalf of the metro editor. Speaking at the event, HURIWA National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, noted that the first stage of education, preceded by pre-school or nursery education, remains the foundation of every great nation.

He said primary education gives children opportunities to develop their manipulative skills for effectiveness in the society.

The HURIWA boss observed: “Nigeria as a nation, requires adequate human and material resources to improve its social preserves and cultures, enhance economic development and reform the political structure. Therefore, education is seen as a prerequisite for quality manpower development and creation of wealth, a sure path to success in life and service to humanity.”

“There is no gainsaying the fact that education is very vital to the pace of social, political and economic development of any nation. Education is a key investment in any nation with enormous social and economic benefits accruing from it.

“This explains why one of the national education goals is the acquisition of appropriate skills and the development of mental, physical and social abilities and competencies as equipment for the individual to live and contribute to the development of the society (FRN, 2012).”

In his remarks, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig-Gen Mohammed Marwa (rtd), represented by the Secretary, Shedrach Haruna, reiterated that the organisation was working towards peaceful 2023 elections and ridding Nigeria of illicit substances.

He said: “For us as a nation, the election period is filled with anxiety because of its attendant cycle of violence and social upheaval, often caused by unscrupulous politicians, who in their do-or-die effort to capture power, resort to underhand tactics, including arming thugs to disrupt the electoral process. Not only do such behaviours disenfranchise others and prevent them from exercising their civic duty, they, inevitably, jeopardise peace and security in the society.”

Also, Governor Samuel Ortom, who was represented by Michael Mku, commended the HURIWA leadership for its solidarity with the government and the people of Benue Stat over the years.