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ECOWAS Court Dismissed SERAP’s Case Prosecuted by Falana against FG

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Malami

 

The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has dismissed six year application (ECW/CCJ/JUD/08/21) filed by the registered trustees of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the Federal Government.

In a judgment which was delivered on 26th April, 2021 the Court which was presided over by Hon. Justice Edward Amoaka ASANTE comprising two other members including Hon. Justice Gberi-Be OUTATTARA and Hon. Justice Januaria T. Silva Moreira COSTA declared the application inadmissible.

SERAP through its solicitors; Olufunmilola Falana (Mrs) Esq, Olusola Egbeyinka, Esq of Falana and Falana Chambers had on 4th April, 2016 filed an application at the ECOWAS against “violation of human rights of Nigerians and other individuals”.

Such rights according to the applicants included the rights to life, to security of the human persons, to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being and right of property, guaranteed by Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 14 of the African Charter, Articles 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Articles 2 and 6(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Federal Government solicitors; T.A Gazali,SAN and Adedayo Ogundele, Esq all of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja advanced responses ranging from:

(a) Denying committing any violation against some groups,

(b) Settlement of compensation, and

(C) Contention that most of the issues were either settled, or at the appeal courts for further interpretation and final resolution.

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The Court further maintained that even where jurisdiction of Court is established, according to Article 10(d) of the Supplementary Protocol of the Court as amended, an application whose subject matter concerns human rights violation shall only be admissible when three criteria are met: the Applicant’s status as “victims” must be established, the non-anonymity of the application and the absence of litis pendence before another international Court or Tribunal.

According to the judgment:
“The Applicant having purportedly initiated the instant action on behalf of a community or group which lacks proper identification, Applicant’s locus standing in the matter cannot be sustained to admit the case for determination.

“Consequently, the action cannot be admitted under such a fatal capacity of the Applicant and same is dismissed in its entirety”.

“It must be further observed that the Applicant NGO has not been directly affected by the alleged violations, therefore it does not fulfill the requirement of being a victim on its own right”.

The Court judgment further stated that “the only ground to admit the case is on proof of the action being action popularis. However, the principles of public interest litigation and action popularis appear non-applicable to this case since the rights complained of, such as the right to life, to property, etc which primarily belongs to the victims and may only be claimed by them or their next-of-kins where necessary, have not been succinctly linked to the general public interest contemplated in the context of an action popularis.

“In the instant case, all the communities or groups on whose behalf the action is purportedly initiated to vindicate any alleged violations of their rights have themselves already taken various legal steps to remedy any wrongs if any.

The applicant case fails to clearly establish any community or groups whose public interest is allegedly breached and needs vindication as claimed,” the Court declared.

Responding to the development, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami described the judgment as a clear vindication of the Federal Government’s efforts towards respecting human rights and international conventions.

In a statement by Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Malami said the judgment has saved Nigeria from payment of billons of Nigeria’s naira for bogus claims.

Malami renewed the commitment of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and that of the Federal Government to protecting the rights of citizens in ramifications as well as protecting the public interest in the discharge of constitutionally recognized mandate.

 

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Former Defence Minister General Abbe Passes On At 75

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Former Military Governor of Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, Major General Godwin Osagie Abbe, has passed away. He was 75.

Abbe served as the Military Governor of both Akwa Ibom State from 1988 to 1990, and River State from 1990 to 1992. He also held the position of Minister of Interior under President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration where he was later redeployed to the ministry of defence

He died in Abuja on Saturday after a long illness.

His academic achievements include a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations from Obafemi Awolowo University and attendance at the United States Army Infantry School, the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College, and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies.

He rose through the ranks to become the General Officer Commanding of the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, and commanded both the Training and Doctrine Command and the National War College.

Abbe retired in 1999 at the rank of Major General and subsequently joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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World Bank Project in Kano Trains 1,000 Healthcare Personnel to Combat Malnutrition

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Dr Umar Yahuza addressing news men

 

Dr. Umar Yahuza, the Project Coordinator for the World Bank-assisted initiative in Kano, known as Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN), has announced the training of 1,000 healthcare personnel in a bid to provide preventive nutrition services to pregnant and lactating mothers.

During a workshop held for the training of healthcare workers, Dr. Yahuza addressed newsmen, highlighting the significance of the ANRiN project, which is funded by the World Bank. He explained that the project aims to change behavior from the grassroots and reverse the negative trends of malnutrition.

Kano State has made significant progress in reducing severe stunting by 9 percent, a notable achievement that underscores the need for continued improvement. Dr. Yahuza emphasized that the N774 being used to train frontline healthcare workers was initially unstructured.

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The journey began with MYCN facilitators in Kano and Lagos, followed by the training of a critical mass of facilitators. Subsequently, 120 healthcare professionals from various health facilities in Kano, including medical doctors and dieticians, were trained.

Currently, training is underway for 484 apex healthcare facilities in Kano. The training is being conducted at eight different points, with 60 healthcare workers being trained at each location, totaling 1,000 trained healthcare personnel under the MYCN initiative.

Dr. Yahuza expressed optimism about seeing an end to malnutrition in the region. He stated, “We are near to seeing an end to malnutrition. We are not late.”

One of the beneficiaries, Rahinatu Ado Ibrahim, shared her experience, saying, “We received capacity building, and there are available resources.”

The ANRiN project is designed to provide comprehensive support to healthcare workers, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to address malnutrition effectively. With continued efforts and collaboration, the project aims to improve the overall health and well-being of the population in Kano State.

 

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Stampede at Catholic Church in Maitama Claims Ten Lives During Food Distribution

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Ten people have been confirmed dead in a stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, on Saturday, 21st December 2024, during the distribution of food items to vulnerable and elderly individuals.

The unfortunate incident, which occurred around 6:30 am, resulted in the loss of ten lives, including four children, and left eight others injured with varying degrees of severity. Four of the injured have been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims are still receiving medical attention.

The FCT Police Command, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the tragedy, extended condolences to the families of the deceased, and wished the injured a swift recovery.

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