FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE LIMITATIONS IN THE ERA OF COVID19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA

FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE LIMITATIONS IN THE ERA OF COVID19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Humanrightsarethoseprivilegeswhicheveryindividualisentitledtobyreason ofbeingahumanbeing.Ontheotherhand,fundamentalhumanrightsareprivileges entrenchedinthelawsofacountry,ofwhichitscitizensandindividualslivingtherein areentitledto.Fundamentalhumanrightsareundoubtedlyanecessarycreationforthe evasionofananarchical,barbaricandlawlesssociety.Notwithstanding,therearestill legallimitationstotheserights.Theselimitationsamongstotherreasonsexistto ensurethattheenjoymentofanindividual’srightdoesnotleadtotheinfringementof another’sright.Consequently,thisresearchispartlyfocusedatlookingthoroughlyat theserights,theirlimitationsgenerally,andalsospecificallyduringtheCovid19 pandemicinNigeria.WorthyofnoteisthefactthatthroughouttheeraoftheCovid19 pandemic,nostateofemergencywasdeclaredinNigeria.Theresearcherfocusedon thefailuretodeclareastateofemergency,thenexaminedtheconditionsforthe declarationofastateofemergencyandacomparativeexaminationoftheexerciseof emergencypowersinNigeria.Theresearchmethodologyemployedissolelydoctrinal, thus,caselawsandstatuteswouldbedescribedandanalyzed,withtheexclusionofany fieldwork.

 

CHAPTERONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1BACKGROUNDTOTHESTUDY

Fundamentalhumanrightsareprivilegesentrenchedinthelawsofacountry,of whichitscitizensandindividualslivingthereinareentitledto.Humanrightsasawhole hasitsinceptiontracedto539BCwhenCyrusthegreatmadecertaindeclarations.^[1]Withsocialevolutioncamethedevelopmentofotherrightsacrossalljurisdictions;from theinternationalspheredowntothenationalsphere.Notably,thefundamentalhuman rightsfoundinthelawsofvariousnationsaremainlytracedtothoserightsinthe internationalsphere.

TheNigerianConstitutionisthelawwhichharborsthevariousfundamental rightsofthenationNigeria.Theserightswhichnumber12intotalarefoundinChapter IVofthe1999ConstitutionoftheFederalRepublicofNigeria(CFRN).Forthepurpose ofenforcement,thecourtshavebeenconferredwiththemandateofdoingso.

Generally,inNigeriaaswellasothernations,thelimitingoftheserightswould subjecttheoffendertosanctions.Notwithstanding,therearevariousinstancesinthese nations,wherethelimitingofsuchrightswouldnotamounttoanunlawfulact warrantingsanctions.Therearevariousreasonsforsuchlimitationswhichareaptly capturedintheexceptionsoften.Apopularrationaleisconnotedinthestatementof JusticeOliverWendellHolmes.Hesaid:“Therighttoswingmyfistsendswherethe otherman’snosebegins”.^[2]Theaboveconnotesthatthough“A”hasacertainright,in theinstancewhere“B’s”rightwouldbeviolatedonthegroundofA’senjoymentofhis, A’srightshouldbelimited.

TheeraoftheCovid19pandemicinNigeriareiteratedthefactthattheserights arenotabsolute.Rightssuchastherighttomovement,religion,expression,association etc.werealllimited.Theselimitationswouldbeplacedonthescaleofthelawinthis thesistodetermineiftheymatchuplawfully.

AloomingquestioninNigeriawhichhassubsistedthroughouttheCovid19erais whetherthefailurebythegovernmenttodeclareastateofemergencywasproper.A stateofemergencywhichisbestdefinedbydescriptionreferstoasituationofnational dangerordisasterinwhichagovernmentsuspendsnormalconstitutionalproceduresin ordertoregaincontrol.^[3][4]InNigeria,thePresidentisthesoleindividualempoweredto issueastateofemergency.Thisisinaccordancewithsection305(1)ofthe1999CFRN asamended.Consideringthedefinitionofastateofemergency,iftheNigerian Presidentweretoissuesuchaproclamation,thiswouldmeanamoretight-fisted controlofitscitizensandaliens.ItwasevidentthatNigeriaCentreforDiseaseControl (NCDC)guidelinesonCovid19wereflouteddespitethevariouspetitionsbythe governmentforcitizenstoobey.

ThefloutingoftheNCDCguidelinesasstatedabove,withtheconsequential effectsofithasbeenamainreasonforthefloatingquestionsomewhatchallengingthe governmentsinaction.Thisthesiswouldseektoresolvethisquestion.

1.2STATEMENTOFTHEPROBLEM

Whenthereissituationofnationaldangerwhichthreatenstheveryexistenceof anationorstate,theidealactionwouldbeforthegovernment(PresidentorGovernor asthecasemaybe)todeclareastateofemergency.Thoughthiswasthepredicament NigeriafacedattheearlystagesoftheCovid19outbreak,nostateofemergencywas declared.Othermeanswere,andarestillbeenutilizedinanattempttocurtailthe predicament.OneofthesemeanswastheinvokingoftheQuarantineActbythe Presidenton29^thMarch,2020inLagos,AbujaandOgunstate.^[5]A14-daylockdownwas tocommenceasofMarch30^thintheabovestateswhichwereadjudgedtocontribute thehighestpercentagetoCovidcasesintheNation.Anotherschemeemployedwasthe continuousadmonishmentbytheChairmanofthePresidentialTaskForceonCovid19, BossMustapha,forthecitizenstofollowtheNigeriaCentreforDiseaseControl(NCDC) guidelinesonCovid19.TherewasalsoconstantcounselbyStateGovernorsonthe needforcompliancewiththeCovid19protocols.

Despitethepresenceoftheabovemeasures,thecountryisstillfacingthe aforementionedpredicament.Thisloomingproblemhasledtoalotofknownand unknowndeaths.Ithasalsocausedindividualstobeisolatedfromtheirfamilies unwillingly.ThecountryhasalsobeenputonalistofnationsinUnitedKingdomof whichitcitizenswouldrequirea10dayquarantinebeforebeingallowedintothesociety. Thisprohibitionhasrecentlybeenlifted.Asaresultoftheseprevailingissuescausedby theCovid19virus,thisthesisisfocusedonprovidingasolutiontotheproblem.

1.3AIMSANDOBJECTIVES

Theaimofthisthesisistodiscusstheconceptoffundamentalhumanrightsas wellasthelimitationstheretointheeraoftheCovid19pandemicinNigeria.The followingaretheobjectivessetouttobeachieved:

• Toprovideadetailedhistoryontheconceptoffundamentalhumanrights
• Tohighlightanddiscussthevariouslegislationsborderingon fundamentalhumanrights
• Todiscussthevariousexceptionswhichrevolvearoundtheconceptof fundamentalhumanrightsandshowcasetheirpresenceduringtheCovid 19pandemicinNigeria
• Tohighlighttheneedforthedeclarationofastateofemergencywhichis primarilyaimedatnotifyingcitizensthattheirrightsmaybelimited.

ExtentofitsSurvivalundertheQuarantineAct1926[2020]

1.4SCOPEANDLIMITATIONOFSTUDY

Thisthesiswillfocusontheemergenceanddevelopmentoffundamentalhuman right.Withregardstothelegislationswhichwouldbediscussed,onlyinternationallaws anddomesticlawsinNigeriawouldbeconsidered.Thediscussionoftheexceptionsto thefundamentalhumanrightsasseenduringtheCovid19pandemicwouldbelimited toitspresenceinNigeria.

Thelimitationsfacedinthisstudyincludeselectingasinglereferencematerial outofconflictingonesandthelackofproperidentificationforcertainrelevantmaterials whichservedasreferencematerials.

1.5SIGNIFICANCEOFTHESTUDY

Aclearpresentationofthefactthatfundamentalhumanrightsarenotabsolute woulddoawaywiththepreconceivednotionstilllingeringintheheartsofsomewellmeaningNigerians.Covid19hasbroughtalongsideitanentourageofproblems,hence, providingasolutiontoreduceitseffectsiswhatthisthesisseekstoachieve.

1.6RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY

Theresearchmethodologyemployedisdoctrinal.Thismethodologyinvolvesthe useofprimaryandsecondaryresearchmaterials.Theprimarysourcesincludecase laws,internationalanddomesticlaws.Thesecondarymaterialsontheotherhand includesourcessuchasarticles,textbooksandjournalsborderingonthethesis.

1.7LITERATUREREVIEW

Thearticletitled‘HumanRightsevolution,abriefhistory’writtenbyMarcoSutto^[6]standsshouldershighamongstothersofsimilarsubject.Theaforementionedarticle dealtsuccinctlywiththehistoricaldevelopmentofhumanrightsaswellascertain pivotalinternationalstatutesborderingonhumanrights.Hisworkwasthusanonnegotiablereferencepiece

A.M.Adebayo’sannotatedversionofthe1999ConstitutionoftheFederal

RepublicofNigeria^[7]isagotoareaforfundamentalhumanrightsinNigeriaandtheir exceptions.Thebookisfilledwithalltheprovisionsonfundamentalhumanrightsin Nigeriaaswellascaselawsborderingoneach.Byreasonofthefactthatthe exceptionstothefundamentalhumanrightsareboxedupintheveryrightsthemselves, Adebayo’sworkwasofgreatimport.

MagnusL.andMarkKarticleon‘Asmanystateofemergencydeclarations duringthefirstwaveofthepandemicasintheprecedingdecade’wasalsoreviewed. Thisarticledealtsuccinctlywiththeamountofstateofemergeicneswhichwere declaredduringthefirstwaveoftheCovid19outbreak.Thisinformationwasnecessary inconductingthisresearch.

TheBackgroundofHumanRightswrittenbyYouthforHumanRightswas anotherresearchmaterialconsulted.BesidesmakingreferencetoMarcoSutto’swork onthehistoricaldevelopmentofhumanrights,YouthforHumanRightsarticlestated abovewasalsoused.

HansBetal,‘StatesofEmergency’wasalsoconsulted.Hisworkwas instrumentalinprovidngsufficientmaterialsonstateofemergency.

‘ObasanjoDeclaresStateofEmergencyinPlateauState’writtenbyTheNew Humanitarianwasapivotalmaterialincomprehendingwhattookplaceduringthestate ofemergencydeclared.

Whilesearchingformaterialswhichdiscussedstateofemergenciesdeclaredin othercountries,AmnestyInternational’sarticleon‘Thailand’sStateofEmergency shouldnotInfringeonHumanRights’wasmadeuseof.

Inmakingreferencetomaterialwhichdealtwithreasonsforlimitationsof fundamentalhumanrights,Caplan’sarticleonLibertyhasitsResponsibilitieswasused. However,itwasnotasdetailedasexpected.

Thearticleonthecomparativeexaminationofexerciseofemergencypowers (Nigeria,IndiaandEgypt)writtenbyDamfeboK.DerriandPerekedouJamesFaweiwas anothermaterialused.Thisworkwasconsideredbecauseitisapivotalmaterialwhen dealingwithstateofemergencyinNigeria,IndiaandEgypt.Byreasonofthefactthat thisresearchbordersonstateofemergencyinabovementionedcountries,thiswork wascritical.

SegunDawoduarticleon‘TheCrisisinWesternNigeria’wasmadereferenceto. Thisarticledealtextensivelyonthehappeningswhichswelleduptothedeclarationofa stateofemergencyinNigeriaundertheTafawaBalewagovernmentintheyear1962.

Otherliteraryworkswouldbeconsideredduringthedetailedexplanationofthe varioussubheadings.

1.8SYNOPSISOFCHAPTERS

Thisthesisisdividedintofivechapterswhichinsuchmanner:

ChapterOneistheintroductorypartofthisthesis.ChapterTwodealswiththe conceptualandhistoricalframework.ChapterThreeontheotherhandisconcerned withthelegalframeworkoffundamentalhumanrights.ChapterFourcontainsthe problemofwhichthisthesisseekstoresolveandthevariousmeasuresputinplacein anattempttoresolvetheissuewerealsoappraised.ChapterFiveconcludesby summarizingtheprecedingchapters,statingsomeobservationsandmaking recommendations.

[1] M.Sutto,HumanRightsevolution,abriefhistory(2019)TheCoESPUMAGAZINE

<https://www.coespu.org/index.php/articles/human-rights-evolution-brief-history>accessed3

September2021

[2] A.Caplan,LibertyhasitsResponsibilities(2013)

<https://www.Tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.4161/hv.26252?scroll=top&needAccess=true>accessed3 September2021

[3] Simpson,J.,2021.Stateofemergency.In: OxfordDictionary,2nded.[online]NewYork:Clarendon

Press,p.1.Availableat:<https://www.lexico.com/definition/state_of_emergency>Accessed8October

[4]

[5] M.A.EdwinASynopticOverviewoftheQuarantineAct;ThePresidentsDirectiveonStatesandthe

[6] M.Sutto,HumanRightsevolution,abriefhistory(2019)TheCoESPUMAGAZINE

<https://www.coespu.org/index.php/articles/human-rights-evolution-brief-history>accessed3 September2021

[7] AdesanyaAdebayo,1999ConstitutionoftheFederalRepublicofNigeria(PrincetonPublishingCompany 2012)

FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE LIMITATIONS IN THE ERA OF COVID19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA

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