Oyetola: Celebrating Human Rights With Sustainable Development Goals

By Olowogboyega Oyebade

Did you join others on 10th December, 2018 to celebrate the 70th edition of the World Human Rights Day? Do you know that the celebration is not over? Do you know that the Governor of the State of Osun, Mr Gboyega Oyetola is celebrating the occasion by creating a nexus for human rights and Sustainable Development Goals in his policies? Do you know that modern governance should create this mix? Do you know that human rights have now been made patronizing by developing them to Sustainable Development Goals? You care for more? Come along.

Have you read 2017-18 report by Amnesty International? Do you know that Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, China and Venezuela were among the top human rights violators in the world? Are you aware that the radar of human rights violations caught Turkey and Russia as major violators of human rights? Do you know that Donald Trump-led United States of America and the European Union were listed as potent human rights violators? Do you know that the “hate-filled rhetorics” of President Trump were regarded as weapons of mass destruction? Do you know that the European Union was added to this list of infamy for its failure to help refugees entering its member States and watching them die in misery and squalor? Can you see that the breach of human rights is a beast of all nations? Come along. The words of Duke Senior in Shakespeare’s “ As You Like It” cut in: “ We are not alone unhappy.”

Do you know what we call human rights and its coverage? Are you aware that we are all involved to make these rights meaningful as our shared humanity? Do you know that they sign-post equality, justice and freedom to prevent violence and sustain peace in the world? Do you know that if we dance away from these values, the entire world is at risk of devastating war? Yes! The words of Eleanor Roosevelt interlude:
“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

The 2nd World War was fought with devastating ferocity. Fifty million lives fell by rockets, mortars and mines. As the war broke out, the leaders of opinion were charting the cause of peace. One of such great minds was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the then President of the US. In 1941, he articulated the “four freedoms” — freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear, thus creating the template for the Allied powers to establish the UN. The war ended in 1945. In 1946, the United Nations Economic and Social Council established a Commission on Human Rights, under which a nine-member drafting committee was inaugurated. President Roosevelt was made the chairman. The committee was invested with the mandate to formulate a new charter on human rights. This committee did the draft between 1947 and 1948 and concluded its assignments in May 1948.

The committee submitted the draft to the UN General Assembly. The words of Roosevelt resonate again:
“We stand today at the threshold of a great event, both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind. This declaration may well become the international Magna Carta for all men everywhere.”

Do you know that human rights are not legally binding in themselves? Do you know that these rights can be derogated or vitiated by certain circumstances including the protection of other people, in the cause of quenching a riot, in the defence of property, or in the cause to bring a suspect to arrest, or public safety and/ or in the execution of the sentence of a court of competent jurisdiction? Yes! Do you know that the civilization of a country is measured by how well it complies with the observance of human rights? Do you know that the world still faces grave violations of human rights? From Chechnya to Yemen, from Israel to Saudi Arabia, from the Vatican City to Angola, from Egypt to Nigeria, the gory stories of human rights violations dominate the landscapes. The 2018 Human Rights Watch’s report cuts in: “The result has been a frontal assault on the values of inclusivity, tolerance and respect that lie at the heart of human rights…. Indeed, certain populists seem to relish breaking the taboos that embody these values.”

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December to commemorate the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year’s Human Rights Day marked the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is a charter that proclaims the inalienable rights which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being without race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status forming any point of reference. Do you know that human rights are now by our collective international design, at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Do you know Sustainable Development Goals? Come along, please. Mandela in his book, “No Easy Walk to Freedom” cut in: “We are looking forward to a non-racial, just and egalitarian society in which colour, creed and race shall form no point of reference”.

The month was July. The year was 2011. The place was Indonesia. A UN mini conference was held to prepare for the big UN Conference in Brazil in 2012 popularly called Rio+20 conference. In the conference, Colombia proposed the idea of the Social Development Goals and was adopted by the UN Department of Public Information 64th NGO Conference in Bonn, Germany held later. Specifically in January 2013, the UN General Assembly inaugurated a 30-member Open Working Group to identify specific goals for the SD Goals. The committee was to prepare a proposal for consideration during the 68th session of the General Assembly to be held in September 2013 and September 2014. The committee submitted its report on 19th July 2014 to the General Assembly containing 17 SD Goals and 169 targets to the 68th session. On 5th December 2014, the UN General Assembly accepted the Secretary General’s Synthesis Report that stated that the agenda for the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals process would be based on the new proposals. They were developed to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which ended in 2015.

The day was the 25th. The month was September. The year was 2015. The flag of the Millenium Development Goals was lowered at the floor of the UN General Assembly. On that glorious day, the UN came up with Resolution 70/1 of the UN General Assembly titled]: “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”On that day, 193 member nations of the UN including The goals are independent and cover all social and economic development issues including poverty, hunger, health, education, global warming, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, urbanization, environment and social justice?

Goal 1of the SDG says : “No poverty”. This goal wants to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. The goal sees poverty as more than the lack of income or resources. It holds that poverty is inherent if the people lack basic services such as healthcare, security, and education. The people are seen as poor if they, in any way, experience hunger, social discrimination, and exclusion from decision-making processes. The identifiable challenges to this goal include: inequality, increasingly fragile statehood, and climate change.

Goal 2 of the SDGs says: “Zero hunger”. It proposes end to hunger, achievement of food security and improved nutrition, and promotion of sustainable agriculture. It is noted that Agriculture is the largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 per cent of the population. It is the largest source of income for poor rural households. Incidentally, women make up about 43 per cent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, and over 50 per cent in parts of Asia and Africa but only have 20 per cent access to land. The targets include maintaining genetic diversity of seeds, increasing access to land, preventing trade restriction and distortions in world agricultural markets to limit extreme food price volatility, eliminating waste with help from the International Food Waste Coalition, and ending malnutrition and under-nutrition of children.

Goal 3 of the SDGs states: “Good health and well-being for people”. The goal wants to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The goal wants to reduce under-five mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births, maternal mortality to less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births, increasing access to clean water and sanitation and reducing incidence of malaria, tuberculosis, polio, and the spread of HIV/AIDS. It wants to achieve universal health coverage, including access to essential medicines and vaccines and ends preventable death of newborns and children under 5. It directs its focus to prevent and treat substance abuse, deaths and injuries from traffic accidents and from hazardous chemicals, air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

Goal 4 of the SDGs emphasises “Quality education”. It aspires to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all. The goal wants to address the problems of 103 million youth worldwide who still lack basic literacy skills out of who more than 60 percent are women. It wants to ensure that by 2030, all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality elementary, middle and high school education. The goal seeks quality early childhood education and effective learning environments.

Goal 5 of the SDG deals with “Gender equality”. It proposes to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. It believes that providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will nurture sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large. The goal goes further to pursue issues unique to women and girls such as traditional practices against all women and girls in the public and private spheres such as female genital mutilation, child marriage, rape, kidnapping and other forms of molestation.

Goal 6 of the SDGs emphasises “Clean water and sanitation”. It wants to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Research shows that safe drinking water and hygienic toilets protect people from diseases and enable them to be more productive economically. The goal calls for “Equitable sanitation”to address the specific needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations, such as the elderly or people with disabilities. It is canvassed that water sources are better preserved if open defecation is ended and sustainable sanitation systems are implemented. The goal wants to accelerate progress to end open defecation in endemic countries such as Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

Goal 7 of the SDG wants to create “Affordable and clean energy”. It wants to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. It wants to improve energy efficiency and enhancing international cooperation to facilitate more open access to clean energy technology and more investment in clean energy infrastructure. It aspires to promote clean fuels and technology and discourages oil pollution. Goal 8 emphasises ‘Decent work and economic growth.” This goal aspires to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. The goal recommends 7 per cent annual growth in gross domestic product (GDP) for the least developed countries couple with diversification and upgraded technology along with innovation, entrepreneurship, and the growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It targets to reduce youth unemployment and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment. It advocates for policies for sustainable tourism that will create jobs, promote domestic financial institutions and increasing Aid for Trade support.

Goal 9 advocates for “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure”. It aspires to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. The goal canvasses for industrialization which is seen as a major source of employment. It advocates that the higher the manufacturing value added per capita, the more prosperous the people will be. It pleads for maximum communication and electricity coverage for all parts of the world. Goal 10 talks of “Reducing inequalities”. The goal notes the inequalities within and among countries which must be reduced. It advocates for a reduction in the cost of exporting goods from least developed countries. It calls for “duty-free treatment”. The goal canvasses only 3 percent as the cost that international migrant workers would pay to send money home (known as remittances) as against 6 per cent charged by post offices and 11 per cent charged by commercial banks charge.

Goal 11 talks of “Sustainable cities and communities”. It advocates that our cities should be made inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. It seeks to achieve this by ensuring access to safe and affordable housing. It seeks to reduce the estimated 880 million people living in urban slum in the world. It advocates for urban renewal and the maintenance of good landscapes in our communities. Goal 12 talks of “Responsible consumption and production’. It seeks to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. It seeks to do this by using eco-friendly production methods and reducing the amount of waste. It advocates for a dynamic national recycling policy. It calls for the implementation of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production as a global commitment to accelerate the shift to sustainable consumption and production in various countries.

Goal 13 deals with “Climate action’. The goal enjoins all of us to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy. The goal believes that economic development and climate change are inextricably linked, particularly around poverty, gender equality, and energy. It is against this background that the UN encourages the public sector to take initiative in this effort to minimize negative impacts on the environment.

Goal 14 talks about “Life below water”. It advocates a careful conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. It is realized that oceans and seas cover about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and are essential for making the planet livable. It is a notorious fact that rainwater, drinking water and climate are all regulated by ocean temperatures and currents. Incidentally, over 3 billion people depend on marine life for their livelihood. Science has equally proved to us that oceans absorb 30 percent of all carbon dioxide produced by humans to balance the ecosystem. Oceans are the world’s largest sources of protein. Hence, marine life needs to be protected from pollution. The goal is canvassing for a reduction in the use of plastics. It is pleaded that improving the oceans contributes to poverty reduction, as it gives low-income families a source of income and healthy food. The beaches and ocean water provide opportunities for tourism and employment, and reduces poverty.

Goal 15 espouses “Life on land”. It enjoins all of us to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. The goal wants us to preserve bio-diversity of forest, desert, and mountain eco-systems, as a percentage of total land mass. The goal enjoins us to restore degraded forests and land lost to drought and flood. It calls for more attention to preventing invasion of introduced species and more protection of endangered species.

Goal 16 advocates for “Peace, justice and strong institutions.” It calls for the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provision of access to justice for all and building of effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. It calls for a reduction in violent crime, sex trafficking, forced labour, and child abuse. The goal calls for an end to sex trafficking, forced labour, and all forms of violence against and torture of children. The goal targets universal legal identity and birth registration, ensuring the right to a name and nationality, civil rights, recognition before the law, and access to justice and social services.

While Goal 17 advocates for “Partnerships for the goals”. The goal wants to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. The goal sees international cooperation as key to achieving each of the 16 previous goals. Goal 17 is included to assure that countries and organizations cooperate instead of compete among themselves.

Do you know that one major challenge to the attainment of the SDGs in many countries is inadequate sensitization of the public of the goals and impacts? Do you know that studies show that more than 50 per cent of the population is unaware of what the SDGs seek to achieve? Do you know that we all carry this responsibility to engender inclusiveness? The words of Alfred Nobel cut in: ‘To spread enlightenment is to spread prosperity.”

Are you aware that the challenge to quality education pursued by sustainable development goals lies in the seeming disparity among the tiers of government in relation to education budgets and policies? Do you know that all tiers of Government in Nigeria are not compliant with the 26 per cent UNESCO standard for Education Budget for countries? Do you know that this is damnable to achieve quality education by 2030? Yet, we budget more than that for all our elections. Another main challenge dwarfing the attainment of quality education for all is the high spate of abductions in our schools by organized terror groups. The abductions of Chibok and Dapchi girls from their hostels are enough bad news for our country. The kidnapping of students in Lagos and Ogun States are major set-backs to quality education.

Another major challenge confronting Sustainable Development Goals and making them so difficult in Nigeria to become Human Rights is the issue of corruption which has caused embarrassing institutional break-down f for the attainment of the goals and for the promotion of human rights. Edmunk Burke says: “Among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist.”
Equally, Nigeria has slip-shod rule of law that looks like a failed State. For instance, in the State of Osun, there are two Federal Prisons in Ilesa and Ile-Ife. Reports show that 80 per cent of the in-mates are awaiting trial. Many of them have spent more years in prison awaiting trial than the years they could have spent, even if they were convicted. There are not enough vehicles to carry suspects from prisons to court. Yet, our elites spend billions of Naira on burial ceremonies in the same cities of Ilesa and Ile-Ife every weekend. To many of the in-mates, the road to justice is solidly blocked. Unknown to us, human rights are the potent drivers of Sustainable Development Goals. There is the need to stop impunity. Impunity has elevated corruption as a national way of life. Integrity is on a sudden flight. There is the need for all of us to stand for what is right. The executive must not relent. The Judiciary must not falter. The Legislature should respond to Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The Section makes provisions for its oversight function. S.88 (1) says:
“subject to the provisions of this constitution, each House of the National Assembly shall have power by resolution published in journal or in the official Gazette of the Government of the federation to direct or cause to be directed an investigation into:- (a) any matter or thing with respect to which it has power to make laws; and (b) the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department charged or intended to be charged, with the duty of or responsibility for – (i) executing or administering laws enacted by the National Assembly, and (ii) disbursing or administering moneys appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly.”

As the national election is underway, we must discern. President Buhari has shown more commitment to the project called Nigeria. To allow him to continue to due the good job is not a bad idea at all. We must put our eyes on the ball on the character of those we are sending to the National Assembly. All candidates of the APC are quality minds. We have to vote for Dr SRJ. We have to promote Hon. Famurewa to Senate. Engineer Oriolowo will make a good difference in the Senate. We must vote for APC candidates to make the difference that we want.

Hurray, the Governor of the State of Osun, Mr Gboyega Oyetola has joined the world to implement Social Development Goal 1 that says: No to Poverty”. He wants to achieve this lofty dream by providing for the people basic services such in healthcare, security, and education. Our Governor has complied with the international charter that declares “Zero hunger”. He has put machinery in motion to promote sustainable agriculture and guarantee food security for our people. Our Governor has keyed into Goal 3 of the Social Development Goals that emphasizes good health and well-being for people. He had caused a visitation to the State General Hospital, Ejigbo to see things for himself. He has constituted an ad-hoc Steering Committee for Health pending the constitution of the State Executive Council.

He has promised to rehabilitate all the hospitals in the nine Federal Constituencies and all Health Centres in all the wards in the State. He has promised to make functional the State Health Insurance Agency to bring qualitative medicare for all our people. He has energized the Primary Health Care Agency to drive the Health Policy of the State. Mr Gboyega Oyetola wants to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. He is strongly committed to reduce under-five mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births, maternal mortality to less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births, increasing access to clean water and sanitation and reducing malaria, tuberculosis, polio, and the spread of HIV/AIDS. The Governor of the State in line with international standard wants to achieve universal health coverage, including access to essential medicines and vaccines and ends preventable death of newborns and children under 5. He has directed his focus to prevent and treat substance abuse, deaths and injuries from traffic accidents and from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

Mr Gboyega Oyetola has shown commitment to Goal 4 of the SDGs by promising to pursue “Quality education”. He has put in place a Steering Committee to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all. He wants to address the problems of more than 300, 000 out of school children in the State who still lack basic literacy skills, out of who more than 60 percent are women and girls. He wants to ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality elementary, middle and high school education. The goal seeks quality early childhood education and effective learning environments.

The Governor has shown commitment to prosecute Goal 5 which deals with “Gender equality”. He wants to achieve this by giving equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes to nurture sustainable economies in the State of Osun. He has put on the front burner in earnest all issues affecting women and children including traditional practices against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, such as female genital mutilation, child marriage, rape, kidnapping and other forms of molestation.

Our Governor has shown commitment to Goal 6 as he emphasises “Clean water and sanitation”. He wants to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Research shows that safe drinking water and hygienic toilets protect people from disease and enable societies to be more productive economically. Therefore, toilets in schools and work places are specifically mentioned as a target to measure. Do you know that Mr Gboyega Oyetola has keyed into Goal 8 that emphasises ‘Decent work and economic growth.”This goal aspires to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. He has emphasized the commitment of his administration to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and the growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is targeted to reduce youth unemployment and operationalize a State-wide strategy for youth employment. He wants to fashion out policies for sustainable tourism that will create jobs. He is already networking with reputable mining corporations to invest in the mining concerns in the State that will absorb hundreds of thousands of our school leavers without compromising the environment.

Within this short time, Mr Gboyega Oyetola has adopted Goal 9 which advocates for “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure”. He has promised the people that he will complete all the projects that were yet to be completed by the immediate past administration of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. He aspires to build more resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation in the entire State. Equally, he has enjoined the Ministry of Information in the State and other mass media to publicise the comparative advantage of the State over others in terms of electricity supply. He promises to woo more investors to the State to locate industries in Osun instead of relocating to Ghana because of issues relating to electricity.

With Mr Gboyega Oyetola in the cock-pit of the State, the people of our State are enough good news. We are good under his watch to enjoy Sustainable Development Goals as Human Rights in the State of Osun.