ECOWAS Court: Staff who claims violation of his fundamental Human Rights has no case – Snr Lawyer
According to the senior lawyer, staff matters in ECJ are subject only to the ECOWAS Commission Staff Regulations, which provides the proper procedure for handling staff matters.
A former employee of the ECOWAS Court of Justice (ECJ), Temitope Obasaju Stephen, has approached the Court with an application for the enforcement of an alleged violation of his fundamental human rights, particularly his rights to work and gainful employment by the Court, contrary to Article 33 of its own rules.
He says the alleged violation of his rights is contrary to Article 23(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Article 6 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and Article 15 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Consequently, Temitope is seeking the relief of the ECJ to order his immediate reinstatement and payment of all his salaries and entitlements for the period starting the date of extensions of all the Judges contracts until the new office holders take over.
According to Temitope, he was employed in 2018 as an Executive Assistant to a Nigerian Judge of the Court, with the express provision that his employment would end at the expiration of the tenure of the Judge. He is alleging in the suit that his employment was terminated midway and he did not get any opportunity of going through a disciplinary process.
Additionally, he is seeking the relief of the ECJ to guarantee his continued employment with the Court following the extension of the tenure of the judge – an extension only at the discretion of his employer, the judge.
Our correspondent’s investigations into the matter have however revealed that Temitope’s suit has not been perfected to enable the Court schedule it for hearing.
The procedures for filing applications before the ECJ, stipulates a reviewing tray where applications are considered on merit and fitting into established templates of bringing applications before the court. These processes last between two to three months.
According to a senior lawyer who spoke with our correspondent on conditions of anonymity, from his first review of the application, it may not scale the merit scrutiny of the Court as it was being wrongly treated as a human rights violation instead of a staff matter that should go through the administrative procedure for Community staff. He wondered why a lawyer, who was at a point involved in writing legal opinions for a judge, would bring such an application and proceed to launch sub judicial comments against the Court ostensibly for delaying the case.
According to the senior lawyer, staff matters in ECJ are subject only to the ECOWAS Commission Staff Regulations, which provides the proper procedure for handling staff matters.
He said Temitope’s application fell on the scrutiny of common sense. “How can he allege violation of his human rights when that was availed to him when he was employed to work as an Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge” but failed in rendering competent services to his boss resulting in his redeployment on compassionate grounds pending the expiry of his term as contained in his letter of employment.
Our correspondent further learnt from insider information at ECJ that, Temitope has received several competence queries over poor legal research and advice to his boss. Accordingly, it was confirmed that his boss, requested his removal from his position.
Sources at the ECJ said that it was only in the bid to provide some soft landing for Temitope that instead of his outright sack, he was moved to the research and documentation directorate of the ECJ to enable him serve the remaining period of his tenure of employment, dated to end in August 2022, at the expiration of the tenure of his original boss, exactly what happened in September this year.
According to the senior lawyer in Abuja who spoke to our sources on Temitope’s application and claims, his bogey claim that his tenure is tied permanently to the term of his initial boss has no merit. In the learned view of the senior lawyer, his engagement by ECJ for the Nigerian Judge was specific to the initial term of his boss. He also said he is not a staff of the ECJ approved by the ECOWAS Commission, rather, an aide appointed to support a statutory appointee for a specific period.
As a result, the senior lawyer said, “his appointment is not a siamese twin to the appointment of the Nigerian Judge,” adding that “his appointment ends at the completion of his tenured employment, subject only to a renewal at the recommendation of his boss based on his the competent discharge of his tasks and roles,” which he did not attain.
On Temitope’s claim that a letter of disengagement should be written to him, stating clearly reasons for his disengagement by the ECJ, our correspondent gathered from the Abuja based lawyer that, “nothing can be more presumptuous, his contract specifically stated when his tenure of engagement by the ECJ ends, why seek a non-existent expectation, all that happens usually is that the administration department will request him to sign the end of contract documentations which will show his severance entitlements and that’s it”
“It will be interesting to see how this application survives the scrutiny of ECJ and the rigors of staff regulations in the ECOWAS Commission,” the lawyer said.
The lawyer wondered why Temitope will indulge in prejudicial comments and a “vicious media campaign that smacks of desperation on the case, including expecting the Court to suspend action on his employment without a Court order.
Moreso, the lawyer wondered why Temitope will go off tangent by commenting on the recruitment of staff of the Court that has no “bearing with the case but a pathetic attempt to besmirch the court.’
“I understand that interview of the staff mentioned in his press campaign are handled by an inter-institutional committee of Heads of ECOWAS institutions and the process handled by an external consultant,” the lawyer concluded.
By Our Correspondent
The Senior lawyer speaking on piont of anonymity should get his facts correct and disclose his identity if he is sure of his competence. Let me challenge him to an open debate.
By the grace of God till date, No researcher in the ECOWAS Court of Justice has been able to match my skills and number of research judgement opinion. When it comes to competence, no researcher in ECOWAS Court can match me I humbly submit.
In my first year alone amongsr five judges and 23 judgements , I single handedly wrote about 12 judgement, the record are there. The most sound and classic judgement of the Court from Fr. SOLOMON to Obinna Umeh are all the product of my intellectual property.
May be the anonymous lawyer needs to understand the suit of 29th September in question and the prayers. Needles to lecture the anonymous lawyer that when you seek an interim injunction, in modern international law practice, you grant the injunction to maintain res or statute quo before determination of jurisdiction.
I am clearly aware of staff regulations and clearly aware of internal mechanisms, the more reason you should speak to the President of the Court to issue termination letter stating adequate reasons. In case the anonymous lawyer is not aware, no judge qualifies for reappointment after four years absolute tenure. The council decision of 12th August gave extension of tenure and not reappointment. I will be glad to debate with the anonymous lawyer from the court working for the President of ECOWAS Court of Justice.
The Senior lawyer speaking on piont of anonymity should get his facts correct and disclose his identity if he is sure of his competence. Let me challenge him to an open debate.
By the grace of God till date, No researcher in the ECOWAS Court of Justice has been able to match my skills and number of research judgement opinion. When it comes to competence, no researcher in ECOWAS Court can match me I humbly submit.
In my first year alone amongsr five judges and 23 judgements , I single handedly wrote about 12 judgement, the record are there. The most sound and classic judgement of the Court from Fr. SOLOMON to Obinna Umeh are all the product of my intellectual property.
May be the anonymous lawyer needs to understand the suit of 29th September in question and the prayers. Needles to lecture the anonymous lawyer that when you seek an interim injunction, in modern international law practice, you grant the injunction to maintain res or statute quo before determination of jurisdiction.
I am clearly aware of staff regulations and clearly aware of internal mechanisms, the more reason you should speak to the President of the Court to issue termination letter stating adequate reasons. In case the anonymous lawyer is not aware, no judge qualifies for reappointment after four years absolute tenure. The council decision of 12th August gave extension of tenure and not reappointment. I will be glad to debate with the anonymous lawyer from the court working for the President of ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Good morning everyone, my name is Mohammed from the ECOWAS COMMISSION, I was very disappointed when I saw this response from an anonymous lawyer trying to defend the President of the ECOWAS Court and it’s management without putting the facts in a clearer context.
I actually expected absolutely mute to what ever correspondence coming out from Mr Temitope Stephen and the management to have called him in private to sort out all the issues rather than coming to a national media to respond.
I’m a professional staff at the ECOWAS commission and I am very familiar with all the existing laws and regulations especially relating to staff issues.
Mr Stephen outline the facts especially when the management terminated his appointment in 2019 but was restored at the level of the Council of Ministers after the facts were discovered that the management was at fault.
I don’t need to go into the details because it will damage the reputation of the Nigerian Judge whom appointed him(Mr Stephen) and what transpired.
The ECOWAS Staff regulations is clear on the areas of what ever appointment given to a staff be it permanent, temporary and contract, that an end of contractact notification or notice for a period should be given and in the case of Mr Stephen that his appointment is for a fixed term, a month end of contract notification ought to have been given to him by the president of the ECOWAS Court Justice or his representative.
As regards to the extension, the law is very clear, even though the Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge was nominated by her the judge,ratified by the president and the Office of the Auditor General of the institution, the contract appointment is tied to her and he’s entitled to the extension unless the Nigerian Judge is changed by the government, what this means is that her contract is not a new one and by extension all her handlers are to enjoy the statutory flavour because his contract is tied to hers.
This is the area at which the Council Of Ministers based their argument in 2019 by restoring Mr Stephen appointment and asked the management of the ECOWAS Court to pay him all his entitlement for the period that he was absent from duty.
Further more, the COM instructed the ECJ through the office of the AG to redeployed The EA to Nigerian Judge because he has loss professional relationship with his principal on the job and another internal staff be moved to her office for avoidance of unnecessary litigation.
There was a similar case at the ECOWAS Commission between the commissioner Administration and His EA too then and such solution adhered to.
In the area of competency, I will advise this anonymous lawyer to go on a serious research about the said Mr Stephen,
He (Mr Stephen)was know for a hard working even the President of the court attested to this number of time when he visited the AG many times, the President of the court confirmed to the AG that Mr Steven is a renowned researcher and is an asset,even the then President of the ECOWAS commission was happy with that recommendation.
On the area of the P5 research position interview ,we all know what happens at the Management Succession Committee interview in room 535 of the ECOWAS Commission, The record is there and all of us that were at the interview hall knew what happened.
Although the President of the court of justice wasn’t seated at the interview as a result of conflict of interest, he told the committee that he had two candidates varying for the position, he then moved to the AG’s office and asked the vice President of the ECOWAS Court of justice to represent him,but at the decision level, the President of the ECOWAS Court was there and one of his interests between the Court Registrar (CR) position and the P5 research position persisted and the then President of the commission openly told him that the CR position is a no go area, that the whole ECOWAS will go down if anything contrary to what the current CR scored is altered because he was ahead of the lady from the Gambia whom scored 83% but was promised that he will offer her another P5 position which he agreed.
So, the EA to the President of Court that scored low and came 5th on the list of 12th participants, the then President of the ECOWAS Commission and the President of the court called on the the commissioner HR to work on the existing plan and today, the position of the Research officer P5 was later given to the EA to the President of the court.
So, it will not be nice if the management of the ECOWAS Court of justice and the President are out to defend nothing outside what the anonymous lawyer was informed of.
I’m a staff of the ECOWAS Commission and will be anonymous but gave one of my name until the anonymous lawyer brings out his name for us to know each other.
What is paramount here is that both Mr Stephen and the management of ECOWAS COURT OF JUSTICE are wrong by not managing our internal crisis however, they should correct the wrong immediately.
How will the world and other international organisation look at the Community Court that was supposed to be a safe heaven for the community citizen and now dealing with it’s own and the President on this controversy.
I beg the management and the ECOWAS President commission who is the chief legal officer to interview before it will get out of hand .
The case filed by Mr Stephen before the ECOWAS Court of justice should be given attention they is abused on his rights of employment is abuse already and ECOWAS professional staff representatives informed the President of the court on this development but the President of the ECOWAS Court of justice told them that he wasn’t at the position to offer or extend any contract of Stephen, the the Nigerian Judge requested for a new EA.
The world is watching, I keep receiving calls from all Nigeria government agencies regarding this situation.
Is not a good one for our institution.
Thank you for all your time.
[29/10, 10:30] Idris EA Admin ECOWAS Commission Suleiman: Good morning everyone, my name is Mohammed from the ECOWAS COMMISSION, I was very disappointed when I saw this response from an anonymous lawyer trying to defend the President of the ECOWAS Court and it’s management without putting the facts in a clearer context.
I actually expected absolutely mute to what ever correspondence coming out from Mr Temitope Stephen and the management to have called him in private to sort out all the issues rather than coming to a national media to respond.
I’m a professional staff at the ECOWAS commission and I am very familiar with all the existing laws and regulations especially relating to staff issues.
Mr Stephen outline the facts especially when the management terminated his appointment in 2019 but was restored at the level of the Council of Ministers after the facts were discovered that the management was at fault.
I don’t need to go into the details because it will damage the reputation of the Nigerian Judge whom appointed him(Mr Stephen) and what transpired.
The ECOWAS Staff regulations is clear on the areas of what ever appointment given to a staff be it permanent, temporary and contract, that an end of contractact notification or notice for a period should be given and in the case of Mr Stephen that his appointment is for a fixed term, a month end of contract notification ought to have been given to him by the president of the ECOWAS Court Justice or his representative.
As regards to the extension, the law is very clear, even though the Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge was nominated by her the judge,ratified by the president and the Office of the Auditor General of the institution, the contract appointment is tied to her and he’s entitled to the extension unless the Nigerian Judge is changed by the government, what this means is that her contract is not a new one and by extension all her handlers are to enjoy the statutory flavour because his contract is tied to hers.
This is the area at which the Council Of Ministers based their argument in 2019 by restoring Mr Stephen appointment and asked the management of the ECOWAS Court to pay him all his entitlement for the period that he was absent from duty.
Further more, the COM instructed the ECJ through the office of the AG to redeployed The EA to Nigerian Judge because he has loss professional relationship with his principal on the job and another internal staff be moved to her office for avoidance of unnecessary litigation.
There was a similar case at the ECOWAS Commission between the commissioner Administration and His EA too then and such solution adhered to.
In the area of competency, I will advise this anonymous lawyer to go on a serious research about the said Mr Stephen,
He (Mr Stephen)was know for a hard working even the President of the court attested to this number of time when he visited the AG many times, the President of the court confirmed to the AG that Mr Steven is a renowned researcher and is an asset,even the then President of the ECOWAS commission was happy with that recommendation.
On the area of the P5 research position interview ,we all know what happens at the Management Succession Committee interview in room 535 of the ECOWAS Commission, The record is there and all of us that were at the interview hall knew what happened.
Although the President of the court of justice wasn’t seated at the interview as a result of conflict of interest, he told the committee that he had two candidates varying for the position, he then moved to the AG’s office and asked the vice President of the ECOWAS Court of justice to represent him,but at the decision level, the President of the ECOWAS Court was there and one of his interests between the Court Registrar (CR) position and the P5 research position persisted and the then President of the commission openly told him that the CR position is a no go area, that the whole ECOWAS will go down if anything contrary to what the current CR scored is altered because he was ahea
[29/10, 10:34] Idris EA Admin ECOWAS Commission Suleiman: ahead of the lady from the Gambia whom scored 83% but was promised that he will offer her another P5 position which he agreed.
So, the EA to the President of Court that scored low and came 5th on the list of 12th participants, the then President of the ECOWAS Commission and the President of the court called on the the commissioner HR to work on the existing plan and today, the position of the Research officer P5 was later given to the EA to the President of the court.
So, it will not be nice if the management of the ECOWAS Court of justice and the President are out to defend nothing outside what the anonymous lawyer was informed of.
I’m a staff of the ECOWAS Commission and will be anonymous but gave one of my name until the anonymous lawyer brings out his name for us to know each other.
What is paramount here is that both Mr Stephen and the management of ECOWAS COURT OF JUSTICE are wrong by not managing our internal crisis however, they should correct the wrong immediately.
How will the world and other international organisation look at the Community Court that was supposed to be a safe heaven for the community citizen and now dealing with it’s own and the President on this controversy.
I beg the management and the ECOWAS President commission who is the chief legal officer to interview before it will get out of hand .
The case filed by Mr Stephen before the ECOWAS Court of justice should be given attention they is abused on his rights of employment is abuse already and ECOWAS professional staff representatives informed the President of the court on this development but the President of the ECOWAS Court of justice told them that he wasn’t at the position to offer or extend any contract of Stephen, the the Nigerian Judge requested for a new EA.
The world is watching, I keep receiving calls from all Nigeria government agencies regarding this situation.
Is not a good one for our institution.
Thank you for all your time.
I noticed that the second message from anonymous Muhammad has the name of a colleague and the time it was copied from his wassap number.
Kindly remove the one that has the name and wassap number of the colleague, delete completely. The colleague drew my attention to the awaiting consideration response and copied me, when you did not review on time, I copied from wassap and pasted it not knowing the wassap and name of the colleague is also copied. The error is regrettable, kindly delete the second Muhammed response. Thank you.
[…] ECOWAS Court: Staff who claims violation of his fundamental Human Rights has no case – Snr Lawyer […]
[…] ECOWAS Court: Staff who claims violation of his fundamental Human Rights has no case – Snr Lawyer […]
TAKING THE PRESIDENT OF ECOWAS COURT AND HIS ANONYMOUS SPIN DOCTOR LAWYER THROUGH IMPORTANT TIMELINES.
My attention was drawn to the Honorable President of the ECOWAS Court response to all my allegations in a Ghana online publication on Friday October 28th , 2022.
I was however not surprised that the anonymous spin Doctor Senior lawyer rather than addressing issues decided to question my professional competence and defend the conflict of interest of the President in appointing his EA as a principal Research officer of the ECOWAS Court of Justice despite not been grounded in that department and coming 5th out of 12 candidates on the original interview competition score sheet before it was altered the EA was now given first position ; we have been the one researching and writing their Chambers judgements.
What can we say than to clarify the issue knowing that keeping good records and timelines could be very difficult for people who ordinarily abandon their primary assignment and travel round all the time in the name of mission to earn per diem. I do understand and will help them with timeline that could help them with their next distortion of issues.
Before I proceed, the response in question accused me of incompetence and that I was given soft landing by been redeployed to the Research Department after reinstatement. Needless to remind them that I wrote single handedly 12 of the 23 judgement the court pronounced in the year 2018 to 2019 before I was unlawfully terminated, it may also interest you that the Nigerian Judge Chambers I handled , was unable to write a single judgement for over 10 months or more after I left, a food for thought to determine who is doing the work or who is incompetent.
For people who are interested in reading his lordships and his spin doctor distortion of event in detail can go to the link below:
https://ghananewsonline.com.gh/ecowas-court-staff-who-claims-violation-of-his-fundamental-human-rights-has-no-case-snr-lawyer/
Going on with my timeline dealing with the genesis of the personal vendetta from the President of the Court against me and his abuse of office is recorded below:
I was employed as Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge in 2018, invited all the way from United Kingdom by a letter of appointment signed by the President of the Court in the person of Justice Amoako Edward Asante.
In 2019 July after refusing to be compromised to vary Judgement opinion to give loophole for a party to comeback for judgement review because of some money involved: also after writing 12 out of the 23 judgement of the Court amongst 5 judges Chambers within a year, I was accused of incompetence, not taken through disciplinary procedure as prescribed in the staff regulations of ECOWAS: issued a termination letter which the President of the Court claimed he was forced to sign by the Nigerian Judge, despite knowing that it is contrary to specified laid down disciplinary procedure in ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
For six months I was going through my appeal and by a letter dated 17th December 2019, signed by the same President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice- Edward Amoako Ashante, the allegations was withdrawn on the instruction of the council of ministers, President of the Commission and the management of the Court and I was reinstated and redeployed to serve in the Research Department because the Nigerian Judge was forbidden from having another EA , as punishment from the council for wrongful termination and my office as Executive Assistant was still restored and attached to her office as the Nigerian Judge.
After resumption of office in January 2020, I was passed through various stage managed disciplinary in a bid to revenge for their inability to dismiss me but I survived all by the grace of God.
At the Research Department as fate will have it, after the retirement of the former Principal officer, I became the most senior Research officer assisting the Director of Research on all official issues and conservatively till date have written over 60 or more judgement and Research opinion on various legal issues. How can an incompetent person do this?
In May 2022, we were invited for interview for the position of Principal Research officer in which I have been acting in the capacity.
The President of ECOWAS Court contrary to the rules of engagement in ECOWAS Staff Regulations sat with other head of institution to impose his own Executive Assistant as the Principal Research officer.
Revelation emerging now from the comment of an another Muhammad on the Ghana on line news confirms what we already know and enumerated in detail how the final score sheet of the interview of the Principal Research officer P5, was doctored and the President of the Court Executive Assistant came from 5th position out of the 12th contestants; to become the first with 89% mark and I was moved to number 11 with 32.5% out of desperation to install his Executive Assistant at all cost and hopefully make it impossible for me to contest the decision. May be the spin Doctor anonymous Senior lawyer from the Registry of the Court should advise his principal to do the correct thing, humble himself, apologise and stop dragging the name of the institution, it is not a personal property or business.
My petition against the decision of the President for conflict of interests in appointing his EA as principal Research officer is all what this victimisation is all about even though my petition have not been answered till date became as usual the records have been falsified and backdoor collusion done with his brother Ghanian AG to vet and issue letter of appointment, it is the same AG office The President of the Court and his management willed the Court permanent building to like a personal property without wide consultation, may be as compensation for all the backdoor manipulation of compromising the vetting system from the Auditor General of ECOWAS Office (AG).
My people has a saying that truth has no colour, if the truth is suppressed for years, it will one day come back out to reveal itself. The anonymity online commentator on Ghana online from the ECOWAS Commission says it all on how the interview manipulation was done to favour the President of ECOWAS Court Executive Assistant; the source of all this vendetta is all about.
Despite the fact that all the Judges an EAS that belong to the last tenure which ended August 26th, 2022 ought to leave, as it is a 4 years absolute tenure, to which the President of the ECOWAS Court has served a notice since June 18th advising us to get ready to complete all our retirement proceedings, the council because of the Junta problems in the 3 affected West African members state decided to extend the tenure of Ghanian, Nigeria and Ivory Coast Judges, pending the time the nominated judges from the countries will come for their position.
By the Council decision approved by the Authorities of Head of State and Government signed on the 12th July, 2022, granting extension of tenure to all 3 judges from Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, there was no reappointment as no Judge is entitled to reappointment , after serving four years absolute tenure; it will amaze you that in the Decision of the council, the word appiont or reappointment did not appear in anywhere rather, Extension, Maintain and nomination where the key words used; I wonder how and where the senior spin doctor anonymous lawyer find in the books, where authority was conferred on the judges to reappoint EAS or reinterprete the decision of the council as reappointment. May be the senior lawyer needs refresher course in elementary law on the rules of interpretation of unambiguous statute.
With regards to internal procedure and the case filed before the court on 29th September, they are different issues. By the time the case was filed, it was in anticipation of preventive violation of my human rights; seeking Interim injunction to maintain status quo until determination of the substantive suit seeking interpretation of the extension.
Of course the law lord who is above the law Contrary to 1991 protocol on the Court specifically Article 22(2), decided to ignore the regulations in thirst for his personal vendetta for daring to challenge his authority and accusing him of conflict of interest in appointing his EA as principal Research officer despite not been part of the Research Department and less qualified than I do.
On the notice of end of contract or termination which the President of the ECOWAS Court has refused to issue till date , it is a mandatory requirement in the ECOWAS Staff Regulation that the head of institution shall issue one month notice to professional Staff in lieu of termination in Article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulation.
The spin doctor anonymous senior lawyer from Abuja seems to have forgotten his elementary law that extension nullifies the initial end date of contract and err in law in assuming that I just need to sign disengagement form.
Assuming but not conceding it was so, then all the 3 judges with their Executive Assistants has their original tenure end date as 26th August 2022 and all ought to go, as no one is entitled to reappointment after serving four years absolute which we all have done.
The spin Doctor anonymous Senior lawyer from Abuja who has now become the unofficial spoke man for the President of the Court failed woefully to check the timelines or date line of the contradictory memos his principal wrote and signed, let me refresh your memory:
18th August 2022, The President of ECOWAS Court of Justice addressed a memo to the Director of Administration and Finance advising him that the decision of the council of 12th July 2022, confirms the extension of the tenure of the 3 judges , he went further in the last paragraph of the memo to confirm that the remaining two judges from Cape Verde and Sierra Leone with their TWO EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS; who will be leaving should have their payroll regularise until the arrival of the judges who will be taking over from them. It is clear enough that the memo confirms that other 3 judges and their EAS continues in office by virtue of the extension.
Perhaps the anonymous senior lawyer can tell us what happened between 18th August 2022 and the new memo dated 21st September 2022 in which the President of the ECOWAS Court now reprobated and misinterprete the extension decision to mean new tenure and reappointment; empowering the Judges to change their EAS if they so wish.
I will save you the trouble, the gap was when the President of the ECOWAS Court discovered that there is a petition against him on the conflict of interest in appointing his EA as principal Research officer and quickly want to get rid of me to cover their tracks of victimisation.
No one is doubting senior anonymous lawyer that consultant shortlist and I was shortlisted and that it is an inter institutional interview, but the regulations of ECOWAS Staff clearly states that interested persons must declare their interest and recuse themselves, the President of the ECOWAS Court did not declare his interest nor recuse himself but, went ahead to sit in the decision making council to enforce the imposition of his EA as principal Research officer contrary to the rules of engagement and that is my main complaint on the conflict of interest contrary to Article 5 (3f) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
My Senior anonymous lawyer from Abuja, doing a spin doctor work requires a lot of research which unfortunately you did not get right but moved by emotion because you are benefiting from the bastardised administrative and management system of the court today.
Finally, let me not forget to remind you that the records of my over 60 Research and Judgment opinions can be verified from your Director of Research.
Also a quick lecture that in modern international law practice, Interim injunction or Interim measures applications are determined immediately and granted or denied before the issue of Jurisdiction or passing through the system of the Court is determined, you sure need to update your knowledge.
If there are other issues you need clarification about in this your new chosen field of spin doctor practice, I will offer you free tutorials as one who has been opportune to be a philosopher, media practitioner and an international lawyer combined.
Do not forget also that the Chambers which accused me of incompetence was not able to write or pronounce a single judgement for almost one year after I left for my softlanding place in th Research Department of the Court; where I have produced over 60 various research opinions.
Distortion of facts especially from a senior lawyers raises serious questions of competence and moral integrity and should be discouraged.
when you get your facts correctly, I will be glad for an open debate in any media of your choice but this your mission of falsification arrived dead like a dodo.
Good luck in your newly chosen spin doctor career and spoke person of the President of the ECOWAS Court of injustice as the people now change the nomenclature to, our senior anonymous lawyer from Abuja.
Further investigation and information can be obtained on the records from the Nigerian Executive Assistant Temitope Obasaju Stephen.
Another reminder, we are still expecting the letter for termination of my contract with one month notice pursuant to Article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations, to enable me start the internal proceedings.
Needless to remind you that in the eye of the law i still remain a bona-fide ECOWAS Court Staff until you issue me the notice of tenure termination stating reasons.
I hope you are convinced and will be kind enough to advise your client the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice in the person of his Lordship Justice Edward Amoako Ashante to comply by issuing the notice of termination, if he is not claiming to be above ECOWAS Court , ECOWAS Staff Regulations and ECOWAS community law.
Thank you senior anonymous lawyer from Abuja for giving me the opportunity to shed more light on the issue at stake.
Most obliged and thank you for speaking the distorted angle of the story of your client.
Be reminded of a wise quote as follows “WHEN FALSEHOOD BECOMES AN INSTITUTION, TRUTH LOOKS LIKE REBELLION. ”
I leave you to ponder anonymous lawyer from Abuja and wish you good luck in your newly chosen career as spin doctor and do not forget to enrol for further training in the field.
Temitope Obasaju Stephen Respond from Abuja.
[…] ECOWAS Court: Staff who claims violation of his fundamental Human Rights has no case – Snr Lawyer […]
ARE THE ECOWAS COMMUNITY CITIZENS SAFE IN THE HANDS OF JUDGES THAT VIOLATES ECOWAS LAW?
For over one month today, we have been pleading and persuading the President of ECOWAS Court Justice Edward Amoako Ashante to see reasons to comply with the ECOWAS Staff Regulations to issue end of Contract notice to The Nigerian Judge Executive Assistant Temitope Obasaju Stephen but,to no avail, he has refuse to comply, placing himself above the laws of ECOWAS community that he was employed to interprete and uphold.
After the controversial interpretation of the extension of tenure decision of Council signed on 12th July, 2022, out of personal vendetta to exclude Mr. Stephen, it seems the law Lord have send a clear message to the ECOWAS community that they the appointed judges are above the law and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
It will be recalled that on 13th of October around 5pm in the evening, the Director of Administration and Finance acting on the instruction of the President of the Court, issued an internal memo titled denial of access to office and in the memo allegedly terminated the appointment of the Nigerian EA with immediate effect, acting in the capacity in which he has no authority to do so. Since the 14th October, the Nigerian EA has been denied access to his office and Court promises without any known infraction of the law.
The ECOWAS Staff Regulation states in ARTICLE 59: TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENT
(a) The Head of Institution may terminate the appointment of a staff member
for any of the following reasons by giving three months’ written notice if
the staff member holds a permanent appointment and one month’s written
notice if the staff member holds a confirmed fixed-term appointment.
The Head of Institution may terminate the appointment of a staff member
on a fixed-term contract by giving a month’s written notice at any time
during the staff member’s probationary period for· any of the reasons set
out below, or without notice at the end of the probationary period, if the
appointment has not been confirmed under the conditions spelt out in
these Regulations.
The question still remains same after one month why is the President of the ECOWAS Court refusing to a give one month mandatory notice to the Nigerian EA Temitope Obasaju Stephen if they no longer need his services and if he is confident he is acting in accordance with the law or if he is not afraid of what will be the consequences of an action he knows to be wrongful termination.
The Nigerian EA Temitope Obasaju Stephen is still using this media to appeal to all members states and the President of the ECOWAS Commission as the chief legal officer to compel the ECOWAS Court President to issue the one month mandatory notice pursuant to ECOWAS Staff Regulations or on the alternative allow the staff access to office to continue his research duties. The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice must be compel to act and make a choice of one, no one is above the law.
If the President is insisting on violating community law with impunity and bringing the reputation of ECOWAS Court to disrepute, we think it is time for his country Ghana to recall him back home in the interest of preserving the sanctity of the ECOWAS community law.
We ask the question again, why is it so difficult for the President of the ECOWAS Court Justice Edward Amoako Asante to obey and issue the end of contract one month notice if he is acting in accordance with the applicable extant law of ECOWAS community and staff regulations?
We do hope he will be persuaded to comply or follow the path of honour and dignity by resigning having failed to uphold his oath of office to protect ECOWAS community law as a Judge of ECOWAS Court.
The Nigerian EA Temitope Stephen says he still remains a bona-fide ECOWAS Court Staff until such a time he receives the official one month notice of end of contract as stipulated in Article 59 of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
Human Rights Abuse, ECOWAS Court Staff Call on Nigeria Attorney General and Minister of Justice to Intervene.
A victimized staff of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Temitope Obasaju Stephen, Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge has call on the Nigeria Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN to save his job for him as the leadership of the court under Justice Amoako Anshante is head bent to push him out of the service without due process which is against every known international protocols.
According to him, the situations has got out of hands, hence he is left with no other options than to call on appropriate authority with the region especially his own country to intervene in the impunity been perpetuated at the court without recourse to adhering to the rules and regulations.
According to him, It all started in July 2019 according to the account of the Executive Assistant when, He was unlawfully terminated without due process for refusing to be compromised by the Nigerian Judge, the President of the ECOWAS Court claimed then that he was forced to sign the dismissal letter by his colleague the Nigerian Judge without going through due process as they are now reenacting.
It was through the intervention of the Nigerian authority and the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, the EA was reinstated and redeployed to another department with a caveat that he remains the bona-fide EA to the Nigerian Judge who was then forbidden to hire another EA as punishment for breaking the rules and procedure of ECOWAS.
Since resumption back in January 2020, the Nigerian EA was subjected through various kangaroo disciplinary procedures for flimsy reasons by the cabal of the Court who felt uneasy by his continuous presence in the court but he survived all.
For desperate want of power to remain in office, the Nigerian judge and Ghanian President of the Court went into alliance for his 2nd term in office ; even though it was suppose to be the turn of Cape Verde judge then , in exchange for a P4 Research Position to act as EA to Nigerian Judge in 2020 with a stage managed charade interview which brought in the lady p4 Research officer seconded to serve as Nigerian Judge EA since she has been penalized from having another EA except Temitope Stephen who is now been victmized.
The same EA was accused of exposing their unpopular decision to relocate to Gudu and how they were circumventing bidding procedures of ECOWAS for the renovation contract of the office located in a very security volatile and dangerous area.
The building which is also described as unfit for habitation was also recently requested to be subjected to integririty test having had the walls broken and elevator installed without due process.
A recent interview took place for P5 Research Position in which the President now colluded with his cabal to install his own Ghanian EA as Research principal officer despite not been grounded in that area.
It was recently discovered that the President of the Court EA was moved from 5th position out of 12 candidates and his mark altered to 89% to perfect the game plan of imposing him as Principal Research officer as revealed by one Mohammed in Ghana online news publication.
When the President discover that the Nigerian EA petitioned on his conflict of interest in appointing his own EA contrary to ECOWAS Staff Regulations, their cabal now devised an opportunity of the extension of tenure to get rid of the Nigerian EA.
The thirst for vendetta by the Court cabal necessitated the change in the Memo of 18th August 2022 confirming the Nigerian EA Temitope Stephen as part of the people included in the extension of tenure.
However by an after thought , The President of ECOWAS Court of Justice reprobated and change the decision of the council by another memo of 21st September 2022 to authorize the Nigerian Judge to change the bona-fide EA Temitope Stephen on the argument that they are starting a new tenure, which is not the case as no Judge is entitled to reappointment under ECOWAS regulations, their tenure is four years absolute.
Legally speaking, the 3 judges picked for extension of tenure are not part of this tenure as they are standing in for the 3 junta ruled countries until the nominated judges can come for their seats. Again the 3 of them colluded again to seize power through majority voting from the bona-fide tenure owners- the Judges from Sierra Leone and Cape Verde in other to protect their personal interests and that of their cabal members, hence the reappointment of the President of ECOWAS Court for a third term.
The question remains that if it is a new tenure, then the judges ought to go for a selection process before the ECOWAS Judicial council which they don’t qualify for.
To use the grace and privilege of extension of office to remove someone you don’t like from office and violating the EA human rights is not only ridiculous but fall short of moral standards expected from a judge.
The EA insist that the President of the ECOWAS Court should give him the mandatory one month notice pursuant to the relevant articles of the staff regulations but, the President who seems to be above the law has refused to comply till date.
The EA wonders why it is so difficult to issue a notice of end of contract stating the reason with adequate notice?
What a shame that judges who should protect human rights of community citizens of ECOWAS are the one now violating the rights of her employees.
Why is the ECOWAS Commission President and the members state mute on this case, are they complicit or part of the cabal that has personal interest and benefiting from the back door contracts award on the Gudu office with inflated contract sum figures and employment in the ECOWAS Court been shared amongst themselves and their loyalist.
“We dare the president of ECOWAS Court of Justice to rise up to the challenge to issue end of Contract notice/ letter stating reasons as specified in the Staff Regulation if he is confident that he is not doing anything illegal ” .
ARE THE ECOWAS COMMUNITY CITIZENS SAFE IN THE HANDS OF JUDGES THAT VIOLATES ECOWAS LAW?
For over one month today, we have been pleading and persuading the President of ECOWAS Court Justice Edward Amoako Ashante to see reasons to comply with the ECOWAS Staff Regulations to issue end of Contract notice to The Nigerian Judge Executive Assistant Temitope Obasaju Stephen but,to no avail, he has refuse to comply, placing himself above the laws of ECOWAS community that he was employed to interprete and uphold.
After the controversial interpretation of the extension of tenure decision of Council signed on 12th July, 2022, out of personal vendetta to exclude Mr. Stephen, it seems the law Lord have send a clear message to the ECOWAS community that they the appointed judges are above the law and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
It will be recalled that on 13th of October around 5pm in the evening, the Director of Administration and Finance acting on the instruction of the President of the Court, issued an internal memo titled denial of access to office and in the memo allegedly terminated the appointment of the Nigerian EA with immediate effect, acting in the capacity in which he has no authority to do so. Since the 14th October, the Nigerian EA has been denied access to his office and Court promises without any known infraction of the law.
The ECOWAS Staff Regulation states in ARTICLE 59: TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENT
(a) The Head of Institution may terminate the appointment of a staff member
for any of the following reasons by giving three months’ written notice if
the staff member holds a permanent appointment and one month’s written
notice if the staff member holds a confirmed fixed-term appointment.
The Head of Institution may terminate the appointment of a staff member
on a fixed-term contract by giving a month’s written notice at any time
during the staff member’s probationary period for· any of the reasons set
out below, or without notice at the end of the probationary period, if the
appointment has not been confirmed under the conditions spelt out in
these Regulations.
The question still remains same after one month why is the President of the ECOWAS Court refusing to a give one month mandatory notice to the Nigerian EA Temitope Obasaju Stephen if they no longer need his services and if he is confident he is acting in accordance with the law or if he is not afraid of what will be the consequences of an action he knows to be wrongful termination.
The Nigerian EA Temitope Obasaju Stephen is still using this media to appeal to all members states and the President of the ECOWAS Commission as the chief legal officer to compel the ECOWAS Court President to issue the one month mandatory notice pursuant to ECOWAS Staff Regulations or on the alternative allow the staff access to office to continue his research duties. The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice must be compel to act and make a choice of one, no one is above the law.
If the President is insisting on violating community law with impunity and bringing the reputation of ECOWAS Court to disrepute, we think it is time for his country Ghana to recall him back home in the interest of preserving the sanctity of the ECOWAS community law.
We ask the question again, why is it so difficult for the President of the ECOWAS Court Justice Edward Amoako Asante to obey and issue the end of contract one month notice if he is acting in accordance with the applicable extant law of ECOWAS community and staff regulations?
We do hope he will be persuaded to comply or follow the path of honour and dignity by resigning having failed to uphold his oath of office to protect ECOWAS community law as a Judge of ECOWAS Court.
The Nigerian EA Temitope Stephen says he still remains a bona-fide ECOWAS Court Staff until such a time he receives the official one month notice of end of contract as stipulated in Article 59 of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
WHO WILL BE THE JUDGE IN ANY CASE AGAINST THE PRESIDENT OF ECOWAS COURT OF JUSTICE THAT IS ABOVE THE LAW?
Recapping the series of media awareness of the autocratic pick and choose administrative style going on in the ECOWAS Court of Justice , I just asked myself who will be the Judge when the time comes for filing a case against the interested President of ECOWAS Court of Justice who obviously have demonstrated that he is above the law and get away with anything he does, including varying the decision of the council with regards to the interpretation of the extension of tenure provision.
I reasoned to myself if there is still any case before the court that can be salvage technically and legally speaking. This is a big pussle I am trying to resolve, to be or not to be.
With regards to the case filed on 29th of September for preventive violation of my human rights, I was amazed that the suit which are in three parts were disrespected by the President of the Court and the action rendered useless because, the first part sought injunction to stop the envisage violation pending the interpretation of the extension clause, lo and behold , The President of the Court ignored the suit filed for preventive violation and went ahead on the 13th October 2022, through an internal memo to stop me from having access to the office and immediate termination from 14th October through the office of the Director of Administration and Finance.
The question is, when the Court has violated her own rule 1991 protocol on the Court, Article 22(2) by their actions to escalate the dispute, rendering the action incompetent, can we really say the action still subsist before the Court having been overtaken by the actual violation that is been tried to be prevented by the action of the Court in violation of her own rules?
Article 22( 2) protocol 1991 on the Court states that when a case is pending before the Court, the Commission and all ECOWAS institutions must not do anything to escalate it or make the peaceful resolution of the case difficult.
Had the injunction been granted on the 29th of September or soon thereafter, the 13th of October denial of access to office memo and immediate termination of appointment would not have happened, and we would not have been where we are today.
We are yet to file an action on unlawful termination because the President of the Court of Justice Edward Amoako Asante is yet and refusing to issue the one month mandatory requirement notice of termination of tenure contrary to Article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations. How then can we file an action against the Presiden without the notice which he is deliberately circumventing, placing himself above the laws to frustrate me from instituting any internal and Judicial proceedings that will challenge his actions.
I was amazed when I heard that the Head of Communication of the Court waited for me to exit a radio program on roots fm 97.1 last Thursday before coming on air to say I have a case before the court filed on 29th September 2022, I wish it were so and if the Court has obeyed the rules to hear and grant injunction to maintain status quo, then the purpoted dismissal of 13th October would not have happened. So legally speaking the said suit is devoid of purpose now.
On the issue of conflict of interest of installing his EA who came 5th out of 12 candidates as principal Research officer P5, my petition is still calling for attention before the Commission to look into the forgery and alterations of mark, vetting behind the scenes and issuance of appointment to a less qualified person in an international organisation of repute like ECOWAS. Are we now sending a message to the society that forgery is permissible when done by people in authority? A call to the President of the Commission and Nigeria government to ensure that investigation is carried out on this weighty allegations and my petition given due attention.
On the Gudu project and the inflated contracts circumventing bidding procedures to favour interested persons; with alterations on the structure of the building by breaking the walls to install elevator not originally part of the building design, we are still appealing to the society of Engineers for integrity test and the relevant authorities to check the books of the Director of Administration and Finance of ECOWAS Court.
In conclusion, who will judge the ECOWAS Court President and his cabal who have proven to be above the law and seems to be getting away with everything.?
The whole ECOWAS community is waiting for the answer to the question: who will stop the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice or is he truly above the law and can get away with anything he chooses to do?
A passionate appeal by Temitope Obasaju Stephen the Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge to the authorities concern to look into all the allegations.
I am still denied access to the office till date by a memo of 13th October by someone who does not possess the authority, while the President of the ECOWAS Court still remains adamant and refuse to issue one month end of contract notice contrary to Article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
Does the Court really expect community citizens to take her pronouncements and judgements seriously when they violate their own employee human rights with impunity? A food for thought while we are still expecting the President of ECOWAS Court to do the correct thing.
The question remains, what is so difficult about issuing the one month notification of end of tenure with adequate reasons if the President of the ECOWAS Court; Justice Edward Amoako Ashante is acting in accordance with the law?
[…] ECOWAS Court: Staff who claims violation of his fundamental Human Rights has no case – Snr Lawyer […]
[…] ECOWAS Court: Staff who claims violation of his fundamental Human Rights has no case – Snr Lawyer […]
A CALL FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF THE ECOWAS COURT PRESIDENT FOR VIOLATING ECOWAS COMMUNITY LAW.
The ECOWAS Staff Regulation is the guiding law and manual binding on all ECOWAS Staff on all matters, but the President of the Court seems to possess an exception to bend the law.
Just like his colleague in the Parliament did, at the time of this report, the President of ECOWAS Court has gone again to collude with his country men in the Auditor General Office of ECOWAS for vetting and has issued an employment letter for a P4 Executive Assistant to Nigerian Judge position while the incumbent is yet to be issued a one month notice of end of contract as required by Article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulation; we understand the recruited Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge has since resumed work about two weeks ago.
We have been reporting this Staff case threatened with disengagement even though he filed before the ECOWAS Court an action to prevent the violation of his human rights on 29th September 2022, which was ignored contrary to Article 22(2) of protocol 1991 on the Court which advised stay of action when any case is filed, he has been denied access to the office till date and no official notification has been issued with regards to his employment contract termination as required by law.
It came to a peak on Wednesday October 13th when by a memo the personnel department expect the Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge to sign end of contract paper for calculations of his entitlement even though no notice has been written to him but a memo denying him access to his office with immediate effect on the 14th of October, signed by the Director of Administration and Finance who described himself as an executioner during the conflict.
The Director of Administration and Finance insisted that a general memo issued to over 10 people on September 21st is sufficient notice while forgetting that it was contradictory to an earlier memo dated 18th August confirming that the EA is included in the extension of office.
It is indeed a very doggy move.Tired about the cowboy style operation of the management of the ECOWAS Court, the EA requested that they give him an end of contract notice stating reasons why he is not part of the extension period which other EA colleagues are enjoying.
The management has refused up till the time of writing this report to comply and the staff denied access to his office as we report, it is believed that Nigeria government investigation on this matter has not yielded any results because they keep contacting the Nigerian Judge and other Nigerian officials who are complicit in the matter.
The ECOWAS Staff Regulation expressly states in Article 59 (a) about separation from contract as follows:
” The Head of Institution may terminate the appointment of a staff member for any of the following reasons by giving three months’ written notice if the staff member holds a permanent appointment and one month’s written notice if the staff member holds a confirmed fixed-term appointment.”
Latest Investigation reveals that the management has gone to collude with the Auditor of ECOWAS office to issue a vetting clearance empowering them to issue a new letter of appointment to another person while the incumbent is still in office and the person has resumed work while, the incumbent is still legally on service having not been issued a disengagement letter in accordance with the law.
The question remains why is the President of the ECOWAS Court reluctant in issuing a termination or notice of termination till date? Because he is above the law and no one seems to be able to call him to order.
In a related development, the Nigerian EA still has a petition before the ECOWAS Commission awaiting consideration on the conflict of interest of the President of the Court in appointing his EA as the Research Department Principal officer by been part of the decision taking contrary to Staff Regulation of ECOWAS Article 5 (3f) which reads as follows:
“A Staff member who is part of the decision-making process for a recruitment and has interests in that process or any other process shall disclose that interest and recuse him/herself from the process.” The President of ECOWAS Court did not recuse himself but also aided the manipulation of the result of the interview in favour of his Executive Assistant who came 5th in the interview.
It will interest the community to know that while the petition is still awaiting consideration, the President of the Court has also gone to collude with his Ghanian brothers in the office of the Auditor of ECOWAS to vet and has issued appointment letter to his EA who has since resumed as Research P5 Officer. Latest revelation emerging from Ghana online publication reveals that the said Executive Assistant to the ECOWAS Court President actually got 5th position out of 12 candidates that took part in the interview, but the President abused his office by manipulating the process, altering the score record to give the position to his Executive Assistant.
The ECOWAS Commission and the Nigerian authority we believe are investigating the matter and will soon correct the President of the ECOWAS Court who obviously seems to be above the law of ECOWAS community until otherwise is proven.
Furthermore, after the interview and appointment of the new Chief Registrar, the President unilaterally appointed three P5 Officer Position in the Registry and issued letters of appointment without competition or advertisement; no single Nigeria among the three, contrary to the rule in the ECOWAS regulations that appointment must take cognisance of ensuring even representation of all countries in staff appointments.
We doubt if there is any single P5 Nigerian Officer in the Registry, Research Department of the Court today, indeed only the Chief Accountant seems to be the only Nigerian holding a P5 position in the Court currently. Is this a fair distribution or share for Nigeria who practically sponsors over 60 percent of ECOWAS bill?
The Rule says the Head of institution may appoint people who perform well in an interview to the same positions if there are still available vacancies in the same level or Band.
The Registrar position is a D2 and far apart in hierarchy to that of P5 position, the President of the Court ought to advertise and open the Three P5 positions in the Registry for competition, same as the P4 and P3 positions in the Research Department as the regulations prescribe.
It is no longer news that Nigerians have been marginalized in the ECOWAS body, Nigeria as a country foots the bills, as we write no single Nigerian is in Managerial or Director position in the ECOWAS Court of justice and we are about to lose another staff through personal vendetta for whatever reason best known to the President who has turn the court into a personal business and no Nigerian including the Government seems to be able to challenge or investigate the action of the President of the ECOWAS Court of justice or Court of Injustice as the staff now labels her.
Around February 2022, Three Researcher including two Nigerian were disengaged orally contrary to the rules of engagement in labour and contract law.
As we write this reports, the vacancies in the Research Department has been shared and kangaroo charade interview is been planned to allocate the positions to their own personal candidate through usual backdoor manipulated process.
Infact, appointment letter is about been issued for a P4 Research Position without interview or advertisement conducted.
Also, the President of the Court ignored PROTOCOL 1991 on the court in Article 22(2) which forbids any ECOWAS institutions from doing anything that will escalate and make settlement of a dispute before the court difficult. The EA has a case filed before ECOWAS Court on 29th September seeking amongst other interim injunction to maintain status quo but the President of the Court seems to be above the law.
He noted that Nigerians has been enslaved in their country with the lopsided promotions and employment victimizing their citizens in the Court and yet those authority in the country are not doing anything to address the situation as no one including the EA have been invited nor communicated with in regards to all the petition relating to promotions and compromised employment procedure before the Commission, yet people are resuming work as new staff without due process.
The Nigerian EA said he is ready to abide by whatever decision but insisted that due process must be followed and the ECOWAS Staff Regulation must be complied with if the regional body is not approving going back to the Stone Age where everyone does whatever pleases them.
Nigerian government and people in position of authority are challenged to launch a full scale investigation into all the allegations and issues raised in the ECOWAS Court if that institution must maintain her relevance in the region.
“We are all community citizens of ECOWAS and we demand equal rights and equal treatment in accordance with the directive and Regulations guiding and applicable to all of us without fear or favour”.
He said the President of the Court should comply with the Staff Regulation and the PROTOCOL on the Court as no one is above the Rule of law including Judges.
Silence is admission of truth, the Court of justice of ECOWAS should be fully investigated and investigation to include the bogus Gudu office project been used as money milking of community tax payers funds, as none of the ECOWAS Court management have been able to challenge or dispute any of the allegations against them for over one month of publication now.
What message are we sending to the community citizens of ECOWAS? That it is alright for community officials to manipulate the system and violate ECOWAS community law ?
The Nigerian EA and other victims in the court who has their petition in the Commission are still waiting if anyone in the Commission or Nigeria government will contact them to hear their own side of the story , as the people in authority of the ECOWAS Court institution concern seems to have perfected the art of saying something that is far from the truth to shield themselves.
Would Nigeria and ECOWAS Commission rise up to the challenge of addressing the issues? The Nigerian EA ask, To be or not to be, that is the question for the authorities to answer but posterity will judge all of us.
Charles Ebube
ABUJA.
[…] ECOWAS Court: Staff who claims violation of his fundamental Human Rights has no case – Snr Lawyer […]
ONE MONTH OF UNLAWFUL DENIAL OF ACCESS TO OFFICE AT ECOWAS COURT COURT OF JUSTICE AND NO ONE CAN CALL THE PRESIDENT OF THE COURT TO ORDER.
Barrister Temitope Obasaju Stephen the Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge have for over one month today, been calling out for help through this media and yet to get any concrete respite.
The Researcher was invited back to Nigeria in 2018 to work as Executive Assistant for the Nigeria Judge and soon fell out with her in 2019 for refusing to compromise but accused of insubordination and incompetence.
Every subsequent development after he was reinstated in 2020 suggest that Mr. Stephen is not only competent and hard working with many landmark judgement opinion in his records but also have been constantly been a subject of victimisation as a result of quest for vendetta by the two actors involved in the unsuccessful dismissal in 2019.
The opportunity for revenge opened up when the extension of tenure was approved by council decision of 12th July, 2022 and the challenge of the President of the Court for conflict of interest in installing his own Executive Assistant as Principal Research officer P5 despite coming 5th out of 12 candidates that contested in an interview for the position.
The Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge was tactically and unlawfully denied access to the office by a memo on 13th October 2022 by the Director of Administration and Finance acting for the President till date, contrary to Article 59 (a) of ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
All plea and media campaign for exactly one month today to get the President of ECOWAS Court to comply and issue an end of Contract notice to The Nigerian EA, which is a requirement of the law has fallen on deaf ears.
The question we keep asking is why is it so difficult for a Judge, President of ECOWAS Court who expects community citizens to obey his judgment, to comply with the provisions of the law as in the article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations?
It has become clear now that there are two laws in operation in ECOWAS region, one for the Judges who are above the law of ECOWAS community and the other laws applicable to the rest of the ECOWAS citizens. It is so sad but that is what is evident from all the drama playing out in the court since 13th of October when the violation of the human rights and victimisation of Temitope Obasaju Stephen became obvious.
For the umpteenth time we ask, are we going to allow an individual to redicule and tear apart the vision of the founding fathers of ECOWAS? If judges cannot obey the law they expect other citizens of ECOWAS community to obey, I think its high time the complicit judges be withdrawn home by their respective countries to save the community Court from remaining a laughing stock.
We have obviously descended into a state of anarchy and autocracy with what is happening in the ECOWAS Court of Justice where the President of the Court has obviously continue to maintain that he is above the law of ECOWAS and no one can compel him to comply with the extant provision of ECOWAS regulations; to issue the one month mandatory notice requirement pursuant to Article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
May be it is time for the Ghanian government to recall him back home to go and occupy his seat at the Court of Appeal; we understand by the terms of the appointment, The President of ECOWAS Court is overdue to resume at his seat in Ghana Court of Appeal kept for him for over two years, perhaps he is abandoning that appointment for the ECOWAS Court of Justice office that can allow him to pepertrate his autocratic style of leadership without accountability to anyone; the victim opined.
Coming back to my position as Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge , it will interest the ECOWAS community citizens that I have not been served with end of notification of contract letter till date and the ECOWAS authority is yet to call the President of the Court to order as he continues to make a mockery of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations and ECOWAS community law, which way ECOWAS? Shall we continue in disorder at the leadership level and expect our community citizens to obey the law , especially the order emanating from the Court violating her employees right.
The Gudu project scrutiny and exposure of the shaddy deals going on there I understand is part of my sins to merit the treatment I’m going through from the hands of the interested cabal benefiting from the project. I want to ask if it is sensible to own your own beautiful house in a good location, then you gift it out, to go and rent a dangerous building in a dangerous location for unreasonable amount of rent even though you know the building cannot serve your purpose, that is simply put what is going on in the ECOWAS Court; I never realised I was disturbing some people from profiting and mismanagement of the community tax payers money. No vex biko.
We are still appealing to the Society of Nigerian Engineers to in the interest of the public and safety of life of the citizens conduct an integrity test on the Gudu building which has been structural altered to carry weight of elevator it was not originally designed for.
Also we are appealing to all the relevant anti graft agencies within ECOWAS and Nigeria government to look into the books of the Director of Administration and Finance of the ECOWAS Court to reconcile the bogus inflated contracts award. I am yet to understand how a 1000kva generator going for 53 Million Naira online, can be said to be bought for over 400 Thousand United States of American Dollars amongst so many other inflated contracts.
Please kindly forgive me and issue the end of contract one month notification letter stating reasons why you don’t want to see my face again or why you think extension means exclusion and expulsion of just one person from the rest Executive Assistants. At least I have to know the reasons why you are ending my contract with one month notification in accordance with international labour law requirements. I don’t think I am requesting for too much.
I will not keep quiet until the President of the ECOWAS Court and ECOWAS authorities do the right thing, I have become the voice of conscience and the battle is no longer about me but about correcting the wrongs and treating people with respect particularly my colleagues and all other ECOWAS citizens.
Let the ECOWAS community appeal to the President of the ECOWAS Court Justice Edward Amoako Ashante to stop tearing apart the ECOWAS institutions it took the blood, vision and resources of our founding fathers and ECOWAS state to build. Let the Ghanian authorities call their Representative in the Court to order before the Court becomes a shadow of what it stands for, all because of the action or omissions of just one man. I can understand if we are under military junta rule, which we are now experiencing in this case, despite not being in the situation.
This is a personal page opinion of the writer and victim Temitope Obasaju Stephen. Any counter opinion is welcome by the editor of this paper.