CHRAJ goes on public awareness float

Accra, Sept. 16, GNA - Mr. Justice Emile Francis Short, Commissioner of Human Rights and Administrative Justice on Tuesday commended staff of the Commission for their hard work over the years, which has helped earned CHRAJ lot of respect both locally and internationally.

Speaking at the end of an awareness creation float organised by the staff of the Commission through some principal streets in Accra, Mr Short said it was the effort of every worker, which has contributed to the fame and respect that CHRAJ enjoyed.

He therefore, urged all workers of CHRAJ, especially at the regional and district levels to continue to work hard for the Commission to continue to play its important role in society.

The float, aimed at educating the public on the Commission's activities and programmes forms part of the week-long 10th anniversary celebrations started from Kwame Nkrumah Circle through the Kojo Thompson road to the Headquarters of CHRAJ at Old Parliament House, High Street. Workers carried placards, some of which read, "Household chores and Community work are for all the Citizenry, 'Every citizen have a right to Education', 'Stop Female Genital Mutilation' and 'Men and Women have Equal Rights".

They also distributed educational materials, including posters, leaflets, brochures and flyers to passers-by, hawkers, school children, drivers and other spectators who stood along the road to catch a glimpse at the float.

Later in an interview, Mr Short said CHRAJ received an average of 10,000 cases annually, which kept increasing from time to time. He said so far it has recorded 64,000 human right abuses nationwide and has amicably settled about 75 per cent of them.

Mr Short mentioned termination of appointment, non-payment of end of service benefits, wrongful dismissal, discrimination against women, domestic abuse, victimisation and administrative injustice as some of the complaints they received.

Mr Benjamin Kwasi Oppong, a Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ told GNA that many citizens prefer taking their complaints to the Commission than to the Courts because, "we use the mediation form of settling disputes where all parties are involved and are satisfied at the end of the day". 16 Sept. 03