HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS INVESTIGATION COMMISSION REPORT

(aka OPUTA PANEL REPORT )

 

 

NIGERIAN DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT (NDM)
Washington, DC, USA.
 
"That the World May Know"
      PRESS RELEASE:  NDM Releases Full Version of Oputa Panel Report



January 1, 2005

Adobe Reader Required (Download) 


A/ Release of Unofficial Oputa Panel Report

In solidarity with the Civil Society Forum (CSF) in Nigeria, the Nigerian 
Democratic Movement (NDM), a Washington-based pro-democracy organization 
since 1993, hereby releases unofficially the full Human Rights Violations 
Investigation Commission (HRVIC), popularly called the "Oputa Panel Report",  
as ten Portable Document Format (PDF) files as follows:
  1. Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations 
  2. Volume One
  3. Volume Two
  4. Volume Three
  5. Volume Four
  6. Volume Five
  7. Volume Six
  8. Volume Seven
  9. Volume Eight
  10. Volume Nine
    
    
    
    B/  Availability of Report in Different Formats
    
    For those who have access to the Internet, full information about the Oputa 
    Panel is available in:
    
                       http://www.nigerianmuse.com/nigeriawatch/oputa
    
    For those who do not readily have access to broadband Internet, and hence may 
    not have ready access to all the above files' URLs, the report is also 
    available on Compact  Disc (CD) [ with a PDF reader included ] if you make a 
    request by sending a note to ndm@nigerianmuse.com.  Instructions and costs 
    will be sent privately.
    
    
    C/  Un-official Nature of the Report
    
    This report is NOT a leak, rather a determination of the Civil Society in 
    Nigeria to spend its own money (rather than wait for government money), time 
    and effort to make it available to the world at large.   The Commission did 
    its work in the public domain; the report has ALWAYS been available in the 
    public domain, but Civil Society in Nigeria had been waiting for two-and-a-
    half years (since it was submitted to President Obasanjo in May 2002) to have 
    the Federal Government spend money to publish it.  Now that it is clear that 
    it is unwilling, unable or incapable of spending that money, we have decided 
    to relieve it of that burden.
    
    There are no hard feelings.
    
    
    D/  Court Injunctions
    
    We  are aware of challenges to the legality of the Oputa Panel before several 
    courts in Nigeria, all of which, being so far unresolved, stop the Federal 
    Government from carrying out some or all of the recommendations of the Oputa 
    Panel report.    None of the injunctions issued from the courts has stopped 
    its publication.  We respect the courts in the country, but are hopeful that 
    the Federal Government will VIGOROUSLY defend itself in those courts, so that 
    the time, money and effort spent in all the nation-wide sittings of the Panel 
    will not be in vain.  Otherwise, future efforts to solicit the participation 
    of the Nigerian public in discourses, for example the upcoming "National 
    Dialogue," will always be met with understandable skepticism.
    
    
    E/  The Duty of Civil Society and Citizens of Nigeria in 2005 and beyond
    
    The NDM calls upon all members of organized Civil Society and all the 
    Citizens of Nigeria to re-dedicate ourselves in this New Year 2005 and beyond 
    towards ensuring greater transparency, accountability and integrity of ALL of 
    our political and public officials.  The wide dissemination of the Oputa 
    Panel Report in various formats - including translation of its 
    recommendations in various Nigerian languages -  is a good starting point, as 
    well as support for Electoral Reform, and the recently-announced revenue-
    focused "Citizens for Public Accountability and Integrity in Nigeria (C-
    PAIN)".  
    
    On its part, the NDM promises to re-engage in the dialogue which must 
    lead to a New Nigeria.
    
    
    F/  The Press as the Fourth Estate
    
    The NDM particularly urges the Press in Nigeria to do everything that it can 
    to disseminate these transparency, accountability and integrity efforts as a 
    public service, and with minimal cost to the long-suffering citizens of 
    Nigeria.
    
    
    God Bless Nigeria !  God give its leaders integrity !  [Amen]