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How do you explain fundamental human rights?

Traditionally, the time period fundamental rights is utilized in a constitutional context while the term ‘human rights’ is used in global law. the two terms refer in large part to the equal substance as may be visible, for example, through the various similarities among the charter of essential Rights of the EU and the European convention on Human Rights.

The EU has come to use essential rights to explain the responsibilities of the European and its Member States closer to all of us in the EU. To preserve it easy, the toolkit makes use of the expression ‘fundamental rights’ all through.

Human rights are inherent to all humans, whatever our nationality, vicinity of residence, intercourse, national or ethnic origin, coloration, faith, language, or any other fame. we're all equally entitled to our human rights with out discrimination. those rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible. customary human rights are often expressed and guaranteed with the aid of law, in the forms of treaties, normal global law, preferred principles and other assets of worldwide law. worldwide human rights law lays down responsibilities of governments to behave in certain ways or to chorus from certain acts, if you want to promote and shield human rights and essential freedoms of people or businesses.

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Do you think all the citizens have these rights, or is it only made for the rich? (You can give examples if any).

Theoretically, all fundamental human rights are entitled to all citizens regardless of social or economic status. In reality, however, the enjoyment of many such rights is not adequately available to the poor and most marginalized sections. Rich and influential persons enjoy better access to justice, quality education, and health services, which poor people sometimes cannot enjoy either because of limited resources or simply corruption.

For example, although in Nigeria, every citizen has a right to a fair hearing, the well-off can afford to hire better lawyers, while the poor are prone to delays in justice delivery or wrongful imprisonments due to lack of money to hire lawyers. Freedom of speech exists, but some outspoken critics-activists and journalists-have been harassed, arrested, and even killed for speaking against the government or powerful elites.

Have you been deprived of expressing your fundamental human rights before? What action did you take?

Yes, many Nigerians, including myself, have faced situations where their rights were violated. A common example is police harassment, where law enforcement officers unlawfully detain and extort money from innocent citizens.

My immediate reaction, in this case, was to stand my ground and claim my rights. I made sure I remained calm as I asked for the legal justification of the action taken against me. I even reported the case to some human rights organizations that could intervene and offer legal assistance. In other cases, social media has also been a powerful tool for exposing human rights violations and seeking justice.

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Mention and explain at most three fundamental human rights of your country

Right to Life

This is the most fundamental right, as it ensures the protection of human life. It is only when the law allows that anyone should be killed, for instance, in self defense or when executing a court sentence. Unfortunately, issues such as extrajudicial killings by security forces and terrorist attacks have violated this right in Nigeria.

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Right to Freedom of Expression

Every Nigerian is to freely give his or her thoughts, opinions and beliefs without being threatened or suppressed. This right allows journalists, activists, and citizens to speak against the government or social injustice. But the government has also been known to circumvent this right by arresting its critics or shutting down media platforms.

Right to Education

Education is paramount for national development and individual empowerment. There is a constitutional imperative for government to make basic education universally accessible to Nigerians. Poor funding and mismanagement, however, have deprived many, and most particularly rural, children of access to it

Which of the fundamental human rights should be removed from the law. (Give your reasons).

No fundamental human right can ever be removed, for all have important roles in protecting individual freedom and dignity. Nevertheless, a few can have to be changed or reworked in terms of regulating them in a way that will not enable them to be abused.

For example, freedom of association can allow one to join any group, including political parties and unions. As critical for a healthy democracy, it at times has facilitated violent groups and cultism in Nigeria. Instead of abolishing such a right, laws can become stricter in a way that will not enable groups to utilize them for criminality but will preserve the fundamental principle of association.

In conclusion, fundamental human rights are a part of a fair and balanced society. As much as such rights apply to everyone, in practice, poor citizens have a reduced opportunity for accessing them compared with rich citizens. Nevertheless, citizens cannot forget such rights and must demand them through legal recourse, activism, and awareness-raising campaigns.

I invite @jozzie90 @bessie2023 and @samuelnkenta

cc: @steem4nigeria