The Federal government on Friday launched a National Action Plan to end and prevent the emergence of new statelessness cases in the country.
Statelessness is a situation in which a
person is not recognised as a national of any state under the operation of its
laws.
Speaking during the event in Abuja, the
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said statelessness violates the
non-discriminatory provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
He added that there was the need to
urgently end statelessness as a stateless person constitutes a security threat
to the country.
“A stateless person without allegiance or
commitment to a state remains a veritable security risk, especially when
statelessness is caused by war, disputed territories, nomadic-pastoralist
migration, foundlings etc.
“Statelessness is an affront on personal
dignity, liberty and human rights of affected persons. As such, no person
should be allowed to pass through such a horrific situation. We should
recognise that it is an unfortunate situation foisted on affected persons by
circumstance. I assure you that we shall provide decisive, visionary and
exemplary leadership to achieve zero-level stateless person status by 2024.”
He also said discriminatory provisions in
the Constitution had been identified, adding that chapter III, Section 25 (1)
(b) which states that “every person born in Nigeria after the date of
independence either of whose parents or any whose grandparents is a Citizen of
Nigeria by birth’’ Children of Naturalised Nigerians after their parents have acquired
Nigerian citizenship are not Nigerian citizens by birth, has not profited from
this constitutional provision of registration of their birth.
“I have submitted a memo to the President
for the reinstatement of grant of Nigerian citizenship by confirmation to these
categories of stateless persons in line with provision of Chapter III (2) (I)
as administrative relief, pending amendment of relevant laws to clear any
ambiguity. This will reduce existing situations as well as prevent new cases of
childhood statelessness as it relates to children of naturalised Nigerians.
“Chapter III, Section 26 (1-2a) states: –
subject to the provisions of this Section 28 of this Constitution, a person
whom the provisions of this Section apply may be registered as a Citizens of
Nigeria; any woman who is a or has been married to a Citizen of Nigeria,” the
minister said.
Aregbesola, however, said to mitigate the
effects of these discriminatory provisions, he had equally forwarded a proposal
to the President for approval of the re-introduction of Temporary Resident
Permit to these categories of persons as administrative relief to prevent
statelessness.