The President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, Edward Asante, has come under immense criticism in Nigeria over a directive he gave to the Director of Administration and Finance of the court to dismiss the Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge without recourse to due process.
According to News reports in Nigeria monitored by ghananewsonline.com.gh, the Akufo-Addo appointee acted contrary to Article 59 (a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulation by directing the Director of Administration to issue alleged termination notice by way of an internal memo which he has no power to do aside the fact that the case is pending in it’s court.
“As Nigerian, repositioning ourselves among the nations within the sub-regional level is very key. Because the way our citizens are being treated is not a good one in the ECOWAS institutions,” one of the reports noted.
The content of the memo available to ghananewsonline.com.gh is captioned “No ACCESS to Office” with an instruction that the Executive Assistant should submit his end of service form and other properties of the court to the Human Resource Manager and would not have access to his office hence.
Other media reports monitored by this portal indicates that the President of the ECOWAS Court seems to be acting above the law and is dragging the Court into disrepute despite his tenure was extended pending when the rightful judges will be nominated, yet he does not want the EA attache to the Nigerian Judge to also enjoy along side with his principal whose tenure was also extended until the Judges who owns the seat from the Junta ruled ECOWAS countries are nominated.
The News reports further stated that since the regional body is under the law, it will be expedient for the ECOWAS Commission President and Nigeria authorities to call him to order as his conducts lately call for questioning, and that there is an express provision in Article 22(2) of the 1991 protocol on the Court that forbids the Commission and ECOWAS institutions from taking any steps that may frustrate the settlement of a matter that is already before the court.
The report also asserted that the EA has a case on this matter filed on 29th September seeking Interim injunction to maintain the status quo until a proper interpretation of the council’s decision extending the tenure of the 3 Judges.
The President of the Court ought to respect the law if he expects community citizens to obey any judgement emanating from the ECOWAS court.
“Nigeria authorities need to rise up to Ghanian oppression of Nigerian citizens” the report concluded.