Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an
\nurgent appeal to three UN special rapporteurs urging them to use their
\n“mandates to urgently request the Nigerian government and the leadership
\nof the National Assembly to immediately reverse the unlawful,
\ndisproportionate and discriminatory budget cuts to education and
\nhealthcare, and to stop the authorities from spending N27bn to renovate
\nthe National Assembly complex.”<\/p>\n
The special rapporteurs are Ms. Koumbou Boly Barry, Special Rapporteur
\non the right to education; Mr. Dainius Puras, Special Rapporteur on the
\nright to health; and Mr. Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on
\nextreme poverty and human rights.<\/p>\n
In the revised 2020 budget approved yesterday, the Federal Government
\nreportedly gave the National Assembly N27bn for the renovation of its
\ncomplex and cut health, Universal Basic Education budgets by over 50
\npercent. While the health budget is reduced from N44.4bn to N25.5bn, the
\nUBE budget is reduced from N111.7bn to just N51.1bn.<\/p>\n
In the urgent appeal dated June 3, 2020, and signed by SERAP deputy
\ndirector Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “Nigerian
\nauthorities are putting politicians’ allowances and comfort before
\ncitizens’ human rights. The budget cuts show a failure to address the
\ngrowing economic and social inequality in the country, and to genuinely
\naddress the consequences of COVID-19 on the poor and marginalized
\ngroups.”<\/p>\n
According to SERAP: “Nigeria’s budget deficits are caused by excessive
\nexpenditures on politicians’ allowances and mismanagement. Nigerian
\nauthorities would only be able to commit to fiscal discipline if they
\nprioritize cutting the allowances of lawmakers and the costs of
\ngovernance in general, rather than cutting critical funding for
\nhealthcare and education.”<\/p>\n
SERAP said: “We believe that alternative policies and measures, such as
\nreducing the costs of governance, including the excessive allowances for
\nhigh-ranking public officials and the lawmakers, would have been a more
\nappropriate solution to addressing budget deficits, as this would
\nincrease the available resources for healthcare and education, which in
\nturn would contribute to reducing socio-economic inequality.”<\/p>\n
The urgent appeal, read in part: “Nigerian authorities also ought to
\nshow that the budget cuts to healthcare and education are necessary and
\nproportionate, in that they must be justifiable after the most careful
\nconsideration of all other less restrictive alternatives, for example,
\nexcessive allowances for Nigerian lawmakers, and excessive costs of
\ngovernance, in general.”<\/p>\n
“According to SERAP’s information, criteria established in international
\nstandards have not been duly justified in the implementation of the
\nbudget cuts to healthcare and education. Instead, the cuts appear to be
\ndiscriminatory against those most vulnerable to poverty and exclusion,
\nand are not protective of the minimum core content of several human
\nrights.”<\/p>\n
“One of the pillars of the protection of the rights to healthcare and
\neducation is the obligation to progressively realize the rights set out
\nin the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
\nmaking use of Nigeria’s maximum of available resources.”<\/p>\n
“The budget cuts by Nigerian authorities are therefore of special
\nconcern as they directly affect the minimum core content of these
\nrights, and impact directly or indirectly and disproportionally on those
\nindividuals already discriminated against or living in most vulnerable
\nsituations.”<\/p>\n
“The number of Nigerians living in extreme poverty has increased since
\nMay 2015. The reduction in healthcare and education budgets would
\nexacerbate the prevailing inequalities, poverty, and create a vicious
\ncircle of reduction in spending, and increments in socio-economic
\ninequalities.”<\/p>\n
“Without your urgent intervention, the Nigerian government and National
\nAssembly would continue to spend the country’s maximum available
\nresources to satisfy the opulent lifestyles of politicians rather than
\ncomplying with Nigeria’s international human rights obligations to
\nrespect, protect, promote and fulfill the rights to healthcare and
\neducation the poor and marginalized groups.”<\/p>\n
“In compliance with article 2.2 of the Covenant, and the provision on
\nthe progressive realization of the rights to healthcare and education,
\nStates including Nigeria government and the National Assembly should not
\nadopt an impermissible retrogressive measure, unless strictly
\njustifiable.”<\/p>\n
“Retrogressive measures, meaning taking steps that would reduce the
\nenjoyment of the rights to healthcare and education, are only
\npermissible under certain strict circumstances.”<\/p>\n
“SERAP believes that the onus is on the Nigerian government and the
\nNational Assembly to demonstrate that their proposed budget cuts will
\nmeet all their human rights obligations, notably by ensuring that
\nmeasures during times of acute economic distress are legitimate, with
\nthe ultimate aim of protecting the totality of human rights.”<\/p>\n
“SERAP believes that the budget cuts undermine the minimum core content
\nof the rights to healthcare and education, and are discriminatory, in so
\nfar as they would increase socio-economic inequalities and undermine the
\nrights of disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups, who
\nwill be disproportionately affected by the cuts.”<\/p>\n
“The budget cuts are also inconsistent with Nigeria’s commitments to
\nimplement Sustainable Development Goals.”<\/p>\n
SERAP, therefore, urged the special rapporteurs to put pressure on the
\nNigerian government and the National Assembly to:<\/p>\n
Take immediate action to reverse the budget cuts to healthcare and
\neducation and to redirect the N27bn for the renovation of the National
\nAssembly complex to increase healthcare and education budgets;
\nProvide information and details of impact assessments undertaken prior
\nto cutting the budgets for healthcare and education;
\nProvide details of initiatives to cut the costs of governance;
\nProvide information about the government and National Assembly’s plans
\nto ensure that people will enjoy access to healthcare and quality
\neducation; and the authorities’ plans to maintain progress towards the
\nachievement of the SDGs, including to ensure inclusive and equitable
\nquality education for all;
\nProvide details on specific steps taken to protect the rights of
\nvulnerable and disenfranchised groups to access quality education, and
\nto achieve the right to health of women and core-obligations which
\nencompass maternal health care<\/p>\n
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an urgent appeal to three UN special rapporteurs urging them to use their “mandates to urgently request the Nigerian government and the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49993,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n