The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has commenced separate enquiries into allegations that an automobile manufacturing company, Volkswagen, has flooded the Nigerian market with substandard vehicles as well as a petition alleging human rights violation by the Enugu State government.
The commission through its executive secretary’, Professor Bem Angwe, announced its enquiries in response to separate petititions filed against Volkswagen and the Enugu State government by human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana(SAN) and Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network(CRRAN).
The petition against Enugu State government is titled “Human Rights Situation Worsens in Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA), as Officials Mutilate two Citizens’ Legs During their Revenue Drive”, while the one against Volkswagen, is titled, “Request to Urgently investigate Volkswagen’s business in Nigeria to see if cars sold to Nigerians rigged carbon emissions data and potentially in breach of human rights.”
In the petition, Mr, Falana urged the commission to “urgently investigate Volkswagen’s business in Nigeria to see if cars sold to Nigerians rigged carbon emissions data and potentially in breach of human rights to life, health and a general satisfactory environment guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”
Falana regretted that that the Standards Organisation of Nigeria(SON), earlier cleared Volkswagen of wrong doing, and urged the NHRC to reverse the decision of SON.
In the petition of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network(CRRAN), signed by its president Olu Omotayo, the group alleged that officials of ESWAMA had battered and broken the limbs of messrs Mohammed Koma and Haruna Koma, gatemen at a house where its officials had gone to extract environmental tax.
Source: Leadership NG
