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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.

The Rise And Fall Of Anini ,The Taxi Driver Turn Armed Robber 

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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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Uber Shutdowns Operations in Nigeria

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Ride-hailing company, Uber, has shut down its operations in Nigeria.

In a statement, the company, which came into Nigeria in 2014, said its exit is effective from September 2, 2026.

“We are writing to share some difficult news. After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026.

“Since we first launched in Lagos in 2014, it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of your daily life connecting you with independent transportation providers.

“Whether it was a morning commute, a ride to see loved ones, or exploring the city, thank you for trusting the platform to connect you to a driver to get you there safely. We know this may cause disruption to your routine, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.”

In a memo on Wednesday, the ride-hailing company also announced elimination of roughly 3,300 positions.

The job cuts focused on management and coordination roles, according to its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi.

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“Today, we’re making a number of significant organizational changes across Uber. We are removing layers, simplifying team structures, refining our global location strategy, and focusing our people and investments against the biggest opportunities ahead of us.”

“As a result, we will be reducing the size of our team by about 10%. Everyone whose role has been affected has already been notified, except in countries where we will follow the required local process.

“This wasn’t a decision we made lightly, because it will have a real impact on our teammates and friends who have worked hard for Uber. It’s important to say that these changes are about how we’re organized and what we’re prioritizing, not about anyone’s contributions to Uber, which we will always value.

“I’m sure you’re asking, ‘Why, and why now?’ particularly since our business is performing so well. Over the last 5+ years, Uber has grown by orders of magnitude, with our top line nearly tripling. We’ve built new products, expanded into new businesses, reached more consumers and supported more earners, and become a much larger and stronger company. But that growth has also brought complexity: more layers, more coordination, more fragmented ownership, and in some cases structures that made sense when businesses were smaller but no longer serve us well at our current scale.

“Our opportunity from here is enormous: we have the chance to bring Uber to hundreds of millions more people; to invest even more in drivers, couriers and merchants; and to innovate across our core businesses and build the autonomous future.

“The changes we’re making today are designed to do two things: make Uber simpler and faster, and create more capacity to invest in our future. A leaner organization will mean clearer ownership, faster decisions, and more time spent building rather than coordinating. It will also generate savings that we intend to reinvest in growth, innovation, and the capabilities that will matter most over the coming years.

“It’s our job as leaders to make these difficult calls, and to give you transparency into our thinking and our decision-making process.”

The layoffs are the latest round of job cuts for Uber, which eliminated roles in customer service and HR earlier this year.

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Author of ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ Languishes in Billion Dollar Debt

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Robert Kiyosaki, the author of the bestselling ’Rich Dad Poor Dad’ book, has accumulated an estimated $1.2 billion debt connected to his aggressive real estate investment.

According to reports, the debt is the estimated amount the 79-year-old author and his business partners borrowed to acquire approximately 1,500 property units as Mr Kiyosaki continues to expand his real estate holdings.

Despite the significant debt, Mr Kiyosaki does not appear apprehensive about the liabilities, maintaining that borrowing money to acquire income-generating assets is a strategy commonly used by wealthy individuals.

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“So, I’m a billion two in debt,” the author said on the ‘Get Rich Education’ podcast recently, adding that people “should not do what I do, right? But I studied it since 1974… If you’re going to learn to use debt, you’d better take some education.”

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Mr Kiyosaki’s ex-wife and business partner, Kim Kiyosaki, revealed that the debt did not reflect the amount her ex-husband personally owes.

She stressed that it is connected to the real estate properties owned by them and their business partners, adding that Mr Kiyosaki’s personal share of the liabilities is small.

Vanity Fair estimated Mr Kiyosaki’s share of the debt at around $30 million to $60 million.

“We have a lot of apartment houses with our partners. So technically, yes, we have all this debt,” the ex-wife told Vanity Fair.

Speaking to the magazine, Mr Kiyosaki stated, “If it all comes to hell, you can talk to my attorney. Firewalls—that’s the way the rich play the game.”

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Maulud: Best Choice Specialist Hospital Congratulates Kano Governor, Muslims Globally

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The Chairman of Best Choice Specialist Hospital, Kano, Auwal Lawal Muhammad (Dan Malikin Garo), has congratulated the executive governor of Kano State Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the good people of Kano State and Muslims across the world on the occasion of the Maulud celebration commemorating the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

In a statement he personally signed, Lawal commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his efforts towards fostering unity among the people of Kano State.

According to the statement, the chairman was amazed on how governor Yusuf placing emphasis on the development to the state particularly in matters concerning religion, saying such initiatives would help reduce divisions, promote mutual understanding and strengthen peaceful coexistence across the state.

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He urged Muslims to use the occasion of Maulud to strengthen their relationship with Allah through increased devotion and prayers for peace, stability and prosperity in Nigeria and Kano State.

The Chairman of Best Choice also praised the Governor for his efforts to improve the healthcare sector in the state.

He cited the renovation and upgrading of healthcare facilities, provision of modern medical equipment, as well as the training and development of healthcare workers as some of the administration’s efforts towards improving healthcare delivery in Kano.

Auwal Lawal further commended Governor Yusuf for his dedication, compassion and commitment to the wellbeing of the people, noting that his efforts continue to have a positive impact on the lives of residents across the state.

He prayed for continued peace, unity and prosperity in Kano State and Nigeria, while wishing the Governor and the people of Kano a blessed Maulud celebration now and beyond.

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