The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to “immediately take meaningful steps to implement several judgments obtained by SERAP against the Federal Government.”
Renowned activist, Femi Falana (SAN) presented SERAP Law Report to the public on Wednesday, December 8; at the Media Briefing organized by SERAP in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation, USA.
According to SERAP some of the judgements expected to be obeyed include verdicts to raise money to fund the budget, reduce the growing level of borrowing, and also address the escalating rule of law crisis in the country.
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The organisation said, “unless the judgments are immediately implemented; SERAP will consider pursuing contempt proceedings against the Federal Government in national courts, and also international sanctions against the administration for its persistent disobedience of court judgments.”
According to the organization, “among the several judgments the Buhari administration has failed to obey is the judgment by the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja; which awarded N30m as compensation for the ill-treatment of journalist Agba Jalingo; who faced trumped-up and also politically motivated charges of treason.”
The statement, read in part: “Another judgment the Buhari administration is failing to implement is the judgment; by the ECOWAS Court which found the government responsible for abuses by oil companies; and directed it to hold to account the companies and other perpetrators of oil pollution in the Niger Delta.
“We urge President Buhari to without further delay publicly instruct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN) to ensure the effective implementation of all of the judgments obtained by SERAP and other outstanding judgments.”
Falana also said: “SERAP has embarked on public interest litigation in order to promote accountability as well as transparency; in line with the tenets of the rule of law and constitutionalism. The publication of SERAP Law Report could not have come at a better time than now; that anti-democratic forces are bent on imposing fascism on the country.
“It is sad to note that many of the judgments delivered in favour of SERAP have been ignored; by the Federal Government contrary to Section 287 of the Constitution which has imposed a binding obligation on all authorities; and persons in Nigeria to comply with the verdicts of all courts. I enjoin SERAP to take advantage of the provisions of the law to enforce the judgments without any further delay.”
