Respect our judgements, ECOWAS court begs Nigeria, others

By Awaal Gata

 

Abuja

 

Th e Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has pleaded with Nigeria and other ECOWAS member states to always heed its verdicts.
Speaking at the offi cial opening of the 2017/2018 legal year of ECOWAS Court in Abuja yesterday, its President, Justice Jerome Traore, noted that the court’s judgements were valueless if not implemented.
Th e court had ordered the release of a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), being detained by the Department of State Service (DSS), but the order was not obeyed.
However, according to Traore, there could not be judicial effi ciency without the enforcement of the court orders.
He said: “Now to talk of judicial effi ciency is to talk fi rst of all of justice delivered in reasonable time.
“Our English-speaking friends rightly say ‘Justice delayed is justice denied,’ don’t they? Th us, ‘diligence’ which does not sacrifi ce serenity on the altar of speed, is without doubt, a guarantee of quality and judicial process.
“Again, to talk of judicial effi ciency, is to talk of enforcement of court decisions in the best possible time and in good faith.
” Blueprint reports that the ceremony was attended by the representatives of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN); Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello; Minister for State for Foreign Aff airs, Khadijat Buka; and the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Mousapha Cisse Lo.

 

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