……. lists achievements in the last one year
In its avowed commitment to advance human rights, the dignity of man and enhance freedom of worship in Edo Central Senatorial District, the Uromi Justice Development and Peace Caritas Initiative (Uromi JDPCI) is again rallying stakeholders in the human rights community and justice sector to strengthen legal aid services and referral mechanisms for victims of human rights violations.
In a welcome address at the Annual Stakeholders’ Conference/ Coordination Meeting 2025, the Executive Director of Uromi JDPCI, Very Rev. Fr. Fidelis Arhedo pointed out that the conference brought together stakeholders from legal community, security agencies, healthcare workers, community leaders, and human rights community to brain storm on the progress the fate based organisation has made in promoting human rights in Edo Central Senatorial District, discuss challenges and strengthen the shared resolve to uphold the rights of vulnerable members of the communities.
Father Arhedo who spoke through the Deputy Executive Director of Uromi JDPCI, Rev. Fr. Ferguson Ukpebor at the conference with the theme: “Enhancing Legal Aid Services, Improving Referral Mechanisms, and Fostering Stronger Government-Civil Society Partnerships,” also appealed to stakeholders to give the issue of abuse of male minors serious attention noting that young male children are being abused and called for concerted efforts to protect them and nip the new trend in the bud.
“Today, we reflect on our progress in promoting human rights in Edo Central Senatorial District, discuss challenges, and strengthen our resolve to uphold the rights of vulnerable members of our communities.
The theme focuses on making Iegal aid services more accessible to victims of violence, abuse, and injustice. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring that when individuals speak up, they are swiftly connected to the appropriate support services through a robust referral system. It also underscores the need for government agencies, communities, and civil society organizations to collaborate more closely, combining our efforts to protecting human rights and improving justice for all individuals”.
While enumerating steps to be taken to strengthen referral mechanisms, Arhedo called recruitment and training of volunteer legal professionals and paralegals, communicate benefits of referral mechanisms to stakeholders, outlining roles and responsibilities and promotion of policies that support legal aid services.
“To achieve these goals, we must assess the need for legal aid services by evaluating the types of legal issues people face through surveys, focus group discussions, or by interviews. We must also develop a service delivery model that addresses the diverse needs of the community, whether through Iegal clinics, pro bono services, or Iegal education workshops.
“Recruiting and training qualified legal professionals and Paralegals on issues of human rights is essential to provide effective support. Implementing a victim intake and referral process will ensure that victims of Human rights violations are connected to the appropriate assistance they need. Monitoring and evaluating our efforts will help us assess victim’s outcomes and satisfaction enabling continuous improvement in our services to humanity. At the same time, advocacy efforts are needed to address systemic issues and promote policies that support Iegal aid services and ensure equal access to justice for all.
“In terms of strengthening referral mechanisms, it is essential that we clearly define and communicate the benefits of collaborating with justice actors, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations (CSOs).
“Formal partnerships and agreements should outline roles, responsibilities goals, and communication protocols to ensure everyone is aligned and working toward common objectives. Regular meetings, check-ins, and capacity-building opportunities will help bridge capacity gaps and maintain effective coordination which fosters a culture of trust and mutual respect. We must collect and analyze data on the effectiveness of these referral mechanisms and celebrate successes and good practices to keep our momentum high”.
While appreciating the assistance of MISEREOR in the execution of the programmes of Uromi JDPCI, Fr. Arhedo also acknowledged the contributions of the human rights clubs in the various communities in Edo Central Senatorial District.
“I extend my heartfelt thanks to MISEREOR for its collaboration with Uromi JDPCI in this impactful project in Edo State. I also appreciate all of your contributions to promoting human rights.
I would like to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the Human Rights Clubs across the five Local Government Areas within our Senatorial District. These clubs, through their dedication, have been instrumental in promoting human rights education and providing paralegal services”.
In an interview on the challenges confronting effective working of referral mechanism, the Deputy Executive of Uromi JDPCI, Rev. Fr. Ukpebor singled out fear of reprisal from violators of human rights among other factors.
“One of the challenges is the fear of retaliation. Most people in the various communities we’ve been to always complain that they’re afraid that the perpetrators and violators of human rights will come after them and that at the end they’re bullied, harassed, molested and sometimes even killed if care is not taken. So, because of that we also sensitise them on the backings they have. For instance we always train different officers in different sectors as they have identified them. We train the police and other security agencies on the need for confidentiality and protection of complainants, that no matter what it is, they should be able to be responsible for the information availed them.
The other issue is lack of legal support and in most cases they don’t have the means to seek legal advice and have access to justice. But we always tell them that in most of the cases, like the issue of rape they don’t need to spend any money to have access to justice and that all they need to do is to report. So, in all, ignorance of their rights is prevalent and that’s why we’re there to educate them. We have human rights clubs in communities to enlighten them on their rights and that has aided a lot to seek referral”, he said.
On his part, Emmanuel Asibor Esq a Magistrate in the Edo State judiciary who gave the keynote address on the theme of the conference called for public awareness to enlighten members of the public on the availability of free legal services from the Legal Aid Council by those whose rights have been infringed upon. He also called on those whose rights have been trampled upon to make themselves available in Courts to testify when their cases have been charged to Court, adding that in the absence of witnesses in Court, their matter can be struck out for lack of diligent prosecution.
“There should be a mechanism to gravitate the expected beneficiaries, that’s the vulnerables to these intervention agencies. There should be enlightenment and awareness creation to make the people aware”.
While enumerating the achievements of Uromi JDPCI between April 2024 and March 2025, the Programme Officer, Dr. Mike Iyiobhebhe noted that the fate based organisation has made remarkable strides in advancing human rights education, community advocacy, social justice initiatives targeted interventions, including advocacy visits, sensitization campaigns, capacity-building sessions, and stakeholder engagements, Uromi JDPCI empowered individuals and communities across Edo Central Senatorial District.
He listed the achievements to be specifically in the areas of “Community Sensitization and Advocacy on human rights, Expanding the human rights education and paralegals scheme, Advancing legal reforms and customary laws and practices codification; Capacity building and trafor human rights advocates, Empowering adolescents through human rights education; Strengthening justice for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence SGBV survivors, Special events and awareness campaigns.
“Over the past year, Uromi JDPCI has made significant strides in empowering communities, strengthening justice mechanisms, and promoting human rights awareness. The impact of these efforts is evident in the increasing community engagements, policy shifts, and tangible behavioral changes recorded across Edo Central Senatorial District.Moving forward, Uromi JDPCI will:Deepen stakeholder engagement with government and law enforcement agencies for sustained justice interventions.Scale up capacity-building efforts for paralegals, human rights advocates, and adolescent human rights clubs.Ensure continuous monitoring and impact assessment to measure long-term sustainability and effectiveness.Through collective action and strategic partnerships, Uromi JDPCI remains committed to fostering a society where justice, dignity, and human rights are upheld for all”.