Address human rights violations and stabilize the economy - HRRG to govt
The Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) has called on the government to address issues of human rights violations in the country and put up measures to stabilize the falling economy. This came in light of the 2022 Human Rights Day celebration.
According to HRRG, when one right is not respected, it affects others. For instance, a violation of the right to adequate housing triggers the violation of other rights. In Ghana, due to the economic crisis in the country, many individuals are not able to further their education due to increased tuition fees.
"That is when one right is not respected, it affects others. For instance, a violation of the right to adequate housing triggers the violation of the rights to rest, education, work, and so on. These are economic, social, and cultural rights that we uphold and hold dear to our hearts...due to the economic crisis in the country. Many individuals are not able to further their education due to the increased tuition fees, denying them the right to education." HRRG stated.
Read the full release below:
For Immediate Release December 10, 2022
To All Media Houses
2022 Human Rights Day: Gov’t should help address human right violations, restore economy back to life-HRRG
The Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), a vibrant Ghanaian advocacy group with a global reach as part of its annual celebrations commemorates the 2022 World Human Rights Day which falls today December 10 with a call on the government to rise up to the occasion and holistically address issues of human rights in the country
In seeking to address the issues of human rights violations to bring the country closer to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 has over the years put mechanistic approaches in place such as educating the general public about the importance of Human Rights as well as bringing up to speed advocacy initiatives needed to deal with the increasing violations of human rights in the country which requires immediate attention.
The theme for this year's commemoration of Human Rights Day: “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for all", resonates with our mandate at the Human Rights Reporters Ghana, an NGO which seeks to end human rights violations in the country at all cost to ensure everyone’s rights are respected, protected and fulfilled.
We believe the right to life, education, freedom of speech and movement, rights to own property, and rights to belong to a family and a nationality among others ought to be respected. These rights mean choice and opportunity for all and are therefore prerequisites to a sustainable life.
It is however very vital for us to note that these fundamental rights are indivisible, interconnected, and interdependent. That is when one right is not respected, it affects others. For instance, a violation of the right to adequate housing triggers the violation of the rights to rest, education, work, and so on. These are economic, social, and cultural rights that we uphold and hold dear to our heart
Looking at the current economic situation of our beloved country Ghana, the right to life which includes having your basic needs met like food, clothing, and shelter as well as the right to own property and have a family are curtailed due to the economic crisis in the country. Many individuals are not able to further their education due to the increased tuition fees, denying them the right to education.
Currently, prices of goods and services have skyrocketed denying ordinary Ghanaians the right to own their own property, and basic necessities like water, food, and healthcare among others. Since human rights are interconnected and indivisible, the denial of Ghanaians of these rights affects others as well, making the individual not well adjusted to the environment.
On this special day which marks International Human Rights Day 2022, we are calling on the government of Ghana to put proper measures in place to help restore the economy back to its normal state so that the ordinary Ghanaian will live a meaningful and well-sustained life.
Moreover, we call on the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana Police Service to investigate incidents of gross abuse and brute canning of some former students of the Annor Adjaye Senior High School located at the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region and the Agogo State College located in the Asante Akim North District of the Ashanti Region.
These students were brutally canned by some teachers living visible marks and blood stains on vital parts of their bodies, an act which goes contrary to the Ghana Education Service ban on corporal punishment in schools.
We believe the actions of the teachers who inflicted cane wounds on students are uncalled for and criminal therefore needs to be condemned by the GES, and, investigated and if found culpable, the appropriate sanctions should be meted out to the culprits without delay.
Again, as we celebrate this day of freedom, dignity and justice for all, we appreciate the efforts of the founding fathers who have brought to bear the importance of our Fundamental Human Rights and hold them in high esteem.
“To deny people their human right is to challenge their very humanity"-Nelson Mandela
Thank you.
Signed
Joseph Wemakor
Executive Director
Tel: 0243676813
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