The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CNN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on Thursday, February 22, announced that the ECOWAS Judicial Council would address the issue of enforcing judgments from the ECOWAS Court.
Justice Ariwoola made this disclosure during a press briefing at the State House, Abuja, following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, which he led alongside members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Judicial Council.
The CJN stated that the ECOWAS Judicial Council had established two committees to examine the rules and address the enforcement of judgments from the regional court. He responded to remarks made by Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Latest Fagbemi, during the Statutory ECOWAS Judicial Council meeting in Abuja on Tuesday. Fagbemi emphasized the importance of the ECOWAS Court of Justice enhancing its jurisdiction and ensuring that its judgments and orders are enforceable.
When asked if the matter raised by Fagbemi was discussed with President Tinubu, Justice Ariwoola, who has been elected as Chairman of the ECOWAS Judicial Council, affirmed that he had informed the President that the issue would be addressed by the Council.
He said: “Attorney-General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), gave that as part of his pitch at the opening session on Tuesday and that is part of my remarks to Mr. President, also this morning that the issue on the enforcement of the judgments of the community court is going to be looked into.
“We’ve set up two committees; one to look into the rules and the other to look into the position or the status of the enforcement of judgments of the community court and as I told Mr. President, by the time the Council concludes its meeting, the recommendations will show that we have worked so hard to support the Commission.”
Speaking about the meeting held with President Tinubu, Justice Ariwoola said: “The meeting with Mr. President went on beautifully. This is a courtesy visit on Mr. President by the ECOWAS Judicial Council and as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, I was elected the Chairman of the ECOWAS Judicial Council.
“The Council has been having its meeting at the Council Hall of the National Judicial Council since Tuesday and that’s why we planned to visit Mr. President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and we were granted the honour to make this visit to appraise His Excellency about what transpired at our meeting.
“We planned to submit our recommendations to the authority when we conclude our meeting. It has been wonderful.”
