The Muslim Public Affairs Centre, MPAC, has called on the Nigerian authorities to follow up their diplomatic statements with concrete action.
Welcoming the Federal Government’s renewed support for Palestinian statehood, the need for the Nigerian government to match its word with action, the organization believed has become necessary.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its Executive Chairman, Disu Kamor, the group who applauded Nigeria’s endorsement of the two state solution and its reaffirmation of the Palestinian people’s rights to independence, freedom, and dignity, described the government’s position as “principled, timely, and necessary”.
“As the UN General Assembly convenes amid growing international recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state, Nigeria’s voice grounded in a legacy of anti-colonialism is especially important,” the statement read.
The group emphasized that statements alone are insufficient in the face of ongoing human rights abuses.
It called on the Federal Government to take more assertive steps, such as imposing sanctions on Israel, ending all security and intelligence with Israeli institutions, particularly in the area of counter-terrorism, and joining South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice against Israel over alleged genocide and crimes against humanity.
“The recognition of Palestine is not a diplomatic favour it is a legal and moral obligation grounded in international law. Justice for Palestinians must move beyond rhetoric,” Kamor said.
MPAC reaffirmed its solidarity with the global movement for Palestinian statehood and urged Nigeria to take a more proactive and leading role on the international stage.