Buhari finally constitutes human rights commission board — after five years

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally constituted the governing board of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

In a letter to the senate, the president named Salamatu Suleiman, a former minister of women affairs, as chairman of the 15-member board.

The letter which was read at Tuesday’s plenary session was titled, ‘Request for confirmation of appointment of the chairman and members of the National Human Rights Commission (board) pursuant to section 2(3) of the NHRC act as amended’.

The NHRC act provides for a governing council which shall be responsible for the discharge of the functions of the commission.

But Buhari had failed to reconstitute the NHRC board after the tenure of the last council expired months after his election in 2015.

In the letter, details of which were obtained by TheCable, the president named Tony Ojukwu, NHRC executive secretary, and 13 others as members of the governing board.

WHO IS THE BOARD CHAIRMAN?

A law graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Suleiman was appointed minister of women affairs and social development in December 2008 during the Yar’Adua administration.

In 2012, she was named commissioner in charge of political affairs, peace and security at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) commission, a role she occupied until 2016.