The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has charged Nigerians to have faith in government institutions with the belief that those institutions exist to not only serve them, but to protect their rights.

He said problems tended to arise when there were fears that the rights of citizens were being undermined either by acts of omission or commission by the authorities.

The Minister gave the charge in an address he delivered at the 2019 Human Rights Summit/Awards held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja, Sunday 8th December.

The Minister who was represented at the occasion by the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Umar Gambo Jibrin, noted that the theme of the Summit/Awards, “Adopting Rights-Based Approach in the Public Sector Sustainable Development Agenda “, was not only appropriate but also could not have come sooner as the government was working fervently to strengthen public institutions and make them more functional and accountable to the people of Nigeria.

He implored participants at the summit to work out modalities that would ensure that institutions of government meet the expectations of the citizenry in all ramifications.

He stated that the FCT Administration was continuously ensuring that the rights of all residents were well protected and had taken measures to that effect. One of such measures according to him is the strengthening of the FCT Judiciary to better cope with the rising population in the territory and ensure quick dispensation of justice.

The Minister assured that the FCT Administration was also in partnership with other relevant stakeholders such as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) in the promotion and protection of human rights, saying that the partnership was to ensure that the perpetrators of rape and other forms of abuse get the punishment they deserve and victims properly rehabilitated. He added that NAPTIP has now been inaugurated into the FCT Security Committee.