15 WAYS TO PREVENT YOUR RIGHTS FROM VIOLATIONS
The first way to prevent human rights violation is adequate knowledge of human rights. As we all know, information and knowledge, they say is power. What do we mean by know your rights? it simply means that, you have to possess the knowledge of human rights and equally know what to do and where to go to seek redress if your rights are violated.
2. Never give bribe
One of the easiest ways to get violated is giving bribes.
It would interest you to know that, if you give bribe once to get favor,you are likely to give bribe over and over again to get anything done even if you are not required or demanded to do so. Therefore, if you have given bribe once and for any reason, you refused to give bribe another time due to whatever reason,you are likely to be violated by your previous collaborators.
3. Insist on your rights
In this part of the world, I have encountered many people who are of the view that, insisting on your rights is like wasting your time because you stand to loose more than you gain. However, what they didn't know is that, when you insist on your rights,it can't be a waste of time, but instead, you are rather making the other person accountable and insisting on the right thing. The time you invest in insisting on your rights can be said to be a time devoted to public service for your own good and the general good of the society.
4. Educate the violator
If people are allowed to do the wrong thing unchallenged over and over again, they later see such act as being a right. This means that, once violating others becomes part and parcel of people, their ability to see it as something wrong dies naturally. Therefore, when you encounter a prospective violator or a confirmed violator, educate them. When you educate a violator, you are indirectly appealing to his or her raw emotions and raising their dead conscience. This is in addition to the fact that you will always insist on your rights and never give in to being violated.
5. Be ready to commit your time
Remember, the rights you enjoy today were not there before now, some people sacrificed their time for you to enjoy such liberty. Therefore, if others can commit their time for you, you must also be ready to commit your time for yourself. People invested time and energy in coming up with the universal declaration of human rights,they spent time before the world accept the fact that, we are all born free and equal in rights and dignity. Therefore, what is worth doing is worth doing well. if you want to be educated, you must be ready to commit your time to going to school. If you want to be an artist, you must be ready to spend time in studio's and if you want to be a writer, you must be ready to commit your time to reading and writing. It's the same with with your rights. If you want to enjoy a life devoid of violation, you must be ready to invest your time.
6. Never let go when you are violated
When you are violated by whoever,never let go. write letters,short notes on social media, talk to the media, approach the authority to complain and seek redress. If need be, engage the service of a lawyer or meet human rights organizations for assistance. Note that, If you are violated once, you are likely to be violated over and over again,but accepting such violation is like accepting failure, never accept failure. Continue to challenge it until you defeat it and get justice.
7. Expose the culprit and publish your encounter
It is always good to take pictures,audio or video record of violation. Everyone want to be seen as good, that is why people protect their images at whatever cost. Families encourage their children to conduct themselves well in public and never to soil the good name of their family.
When you expose the culprit of violation, such individual tries to deny or correct the act. When people know they will be exposed and subjected to public criticism,they commit less violation. If people identify you as a human right defender, nobody want to toy with you.
Let me use the example of what happened in Edo state between Edo state Governor, Adams Oshiomole and the widow trader recently which led to the ''go and die'' saga. If Adams Oshiomole know he his being recorded, he would never violate the widow. At first, when the news of the governor violating the widow broke out, he denied. But when the video came out, there is no place to hide. The governor was forced to apologize and compensate the widow.
It is worth to note that, Governor Oshiomole didn't apologize or compensate the widow because he was sorry, he did so because of the exposition and ridicule that may follow from the public. Even today, if Governor Oshiomole his certain that nobody is watching, he his likely to violate other people again. Who knows, he may have done over 1000 of such violation before he was exposed.
8. Challenge your violation in court
Do you remember the case between a popular Yoruba artist, Mr. Babatunde Omidina popularly known as 'Babasuwe' and NDLEA?
He was arrested at the airport by NDLEA and accused of carrying hard drugs. Babasuwe was subjected to several test which is fine,but they went out of the way by subjecting him to several inhuman treatments and at the end, nothing was found on him. Oyagbe ti, babasuwe said.
After he was freed, Babasuwe dragged NDLEA to court for abuse and violation and he was compensated with N25million by the court. This is to tell you that, for every abuse or violation you suffer, there is compensation awaiting you to claim it. Worthy to equally note is that, in a country where public officers violate people with ease, some people's job is claiming compensation from violators, they have no other business. Claim yours.
9. Take pictures,voice or video recording to back up your claims
It is easy to deny claims of violations, but as they say, pictures don't lie. However, In this modern era, we have seen pictures lying with several Photoshop creations. Still, it is important to take pictures and if possible,audio and video records. The Alu4 incident where 4 young promising and innocent Nigerians were gruesomely murdered in broad day light is still very fresh in my memory. What exposed the culprits was the recorded video posted online. Though, the victims are dead, but the violators are presently under custody undergoing prosecution.
10. Protect the right of others
Like the south African popular saying 'Ubuntu', which means, i am because we are. The violation of one, is the violation of all. Therefore, if someone is being violated, it is our responsibility to come to their aid and join in the pursuit of justice. If you see any violation, call those you know who can assist, if you don't know anyone, share the story with the media or online or any other medium and get people to be aware. If you don't have access to any of the above, you are a vital element yourself. Show concern, solidarity with the victims, approach the authority on their behave or help confront the violator. When you do this for others, be rest assured, many would do the same for you.
11. Never violate others
You can't be a violator and not be violated, this is a natural law. Human rights itself means, do not violate and don't be violated. if you violate others,it is likely that you will be violated with no one coming to your aid. Some people violate others where they are powerful, and cry for being violated in another way. This is not right. We are expected to protect people and not to violate them in what ever capacity we are,just as we expect not to be violated. Knowing how hard we feel when we are violated, we should also try to avoid the temptation of making others go through what we don't want to go through.
12. Speak politely and softly, not forcefully with vulgar words
Speaking rudely to violator is not a good way to correct them or to protect your right, it actually make the victim more prone to violation. When you speak to people harshly,they tends to reply you in the same manner,and if they are in the position to do more than talk,they do so with anger. You must cultivate the habit of speaking politely while maintaining your stand. Using Vulg,abusive or insulting words while trying to prevent your rights from being violated is not the best. Be matured and responsible both in words and action.
13. Be right and stay upright
You cant be wrong and claiming right, you have to be right to be protected by law. As long as you are right, the law will always be there to protect you. Even if those in authority are against you,the law is behind you. So, while being on your rights, you must stay upright and not do what would implicate or complicate your situation. The law can easily turn against you if you act without thinking of the consequences. Don't act rash out of anger, be right and stay upright.
As soon as you report a case to higher authorities,it is your duty to always follow up the case. Even in court, you must follow up to get justice. It is wrong to report a case and never follow up, it would be assumed that you are not sure of what you reported. But when you report a case, always spare time to go ask about the progress and be willing to add additional information if need be. If they abandon your report and you show up asking, definitely, they must continue to work on it until the end. If you didn't follow it up,you already helped them kill the case.
15. Educate everyone around you.
A Yoruba proverb says, ''olowo kan laa rin olosi mefa, olosi ni ohun na'', meaning that, a rich man among 6 poor people is also a poor man. This means that, an educated fellow in the midst of ignorant people is also an ignorant person. This can only change if he or she tries to educate those around him. It is important that we educate everyone around us about human rights, just as we know, let them also know so we can compliment each other. As soon as we all know our rights, know where and how to seek redress when violated,know who and where to report violations, certainly, we can live a life devoid of extreme human right violations. Mr. Rights
Written By Abdulrazaq O Hamzat