NIGERIAN GOVERNOR COMMENDS ECOWAS COURT FOR ITS APPROACH TO CITIZEN SENSITIZATION

The governor of Nigeria’s Enugu State, His Excellency Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on Tuesday, 15th October 2019 praised the ECOWAS Court for its inclusive approach to the sensitization of citizens on the Court describing it as a ‘welcome development that will enhance peoples’ knowledge of their rights and ways to remedy the violations of such rights.’

Receiving a five-member delegation of the Court, led by a Judge of the Court, Justice Dupe Atoki, who paid him a courtesy call as part of a five day sensitization campaign in the state, the governor commended the Court for its decision to hold one of its sensitization for 2019 in the State after a previous one held during the first week of October in the country’s Lagos State.

He said the state was ‘elated and proud that an international court is undertaking such an activity in the state in order to sensitize our people on the Court,’ which is evidence of the Court’s desire to improve citizen awareness of its availability as recourse for the violation of their rights.

The governor acknowledged the critical role of the judiciary for the protection of the rights of the citizens as well as the economic and political integration of Member States and urged the Court to continue its laudable efforts.

In her comments, Justice Atoki expressed gratitude to the Governor for receiving the delegation despite his tight schedule and for all the facility made availability to the delegation which has facilitated the success of the campaign.

She made a brief presentation of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, its mandate, mission, composition and the benefits for ordinary citizens and used the opportunity to highlight its human rights mandate which allows aggrieved parties to file cases for the violation of their human rights without the exhaustion of local remedies.

She gave a summary of the activities of the delegation in Enugu and cited, among others, the visits to the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General and meetings with the Bar Association and students of the faculty of law of the Enugu Campus of the University of Nigeria.

She also told the governor that the delegation has undertaken a live radio program in which citizens phoned in and engaged with members of the delegation on various aspects of the Court including how to access it for the violation of their human rights.

The sensitization mission is designed to engage with political and judicial stakeholders in the state.