A legal practitioner, Baba Sadique Zankawah, has advocated more resources for the Commission on Human Rights and Administration Justice (CHRAJ) to enable it work effectively.
He said the country looked up to the commission to promote human rights, accountability and deliver administrative justice yet it lacked adequate logistical support to deliver on its mandate.
He was speaking on the topic; “The role of CHRAJ in safeguarding human rights in Ghana; Achievements, challenges and future prospects” at the CHRAJ@30 virtual forum held on Tuesday.
The event which is part of activities to mark the commission’s 30th anniversary aimed to increase public awareness of the commission’s core mandates and garner support for its work.
The CHRAJ@30 anniversary celebration is on the theme: “Promoting and protecting human rights and ensuring transparency and accountability in public service delivery.”
Mr Zankawah said over the last three decades of the commission’s existence, it had shown commitment to its duties and national interest through the cases it had dealt with.
However, he said, the regional offices of the Commission, for instance, were not well positioned in terms of logistics in handling the cases and other duties as expected.
He, therefore, called on the State to provide sufficient financial support for the country to benefit more from the commission.
A Senior Lecturer and Vice Dean, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, University for Development Studies (UDS), Dr Eliasu Mumuni, who spoke on the role of the media urged the media to continue championing human rights.
However, he said, the media’s effectiveness in advocating for human rights, transparency, and accountability depended on its freedom and independence, ethics, and commitment to impartial reporting.
“Press freedom ensures journalists can report without fear of persecution, harassment, or censorship. Supporting a free and responsible media environment is vital to its effectiveness in promoting and protecting human rights,” he said.
A private legal practitioner, Lambon Sampson Bikilati, called for concerted efforts to address gender-based violence and discrimination to help achieve gender equity in Ghana.
Aside from enforcement of laws on witchcraft accusation, he called on the Ghana Education Service to help educate school children about such human rights violations.
He also called on metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to set up toll free numbers and other avenues to enable people report human rights violations.
Mr Bikilati commended ongoing efforts in the North East Region to reintegrate persons accused of witchcraft into the communities to enable them have normal lives.
The CHRAJ, which was established in 1993 under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana by the CHRAJ Act, 1993 (Act 456), has three broad mandates; promotion of human rights, administrative justice and anti-corruption.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
