{"id":7492,"date":"2013-08-01T11:39:55","date_gmt":"2013-08-01T11:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigerian-newspapers\/fg-risks-sanction-for-non-implementation-of-ecowas-court-judgements\/"},"modified":"2013-08-01T11:39:55","modified_gmt":"2013-08-01T11:39:55","slug":"fg-risks-sanction-for-non-implementation-of-ecowas-court-judgements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/fg-risks-sanction-for-non-implementation-of-ecowas-court-judgements\/","title":{"rendered":"FG risks sanction for non-implementation of ECOWAS Court judgements"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Federal Government has been asked to implement judgements by the ECOWAS Court demanding that the government provides education as a matter of human rights and to punish oil companies for causing pollution in the Niger Delta.<\/p>\n

A non-governmental organisation, Socio- Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), said that the Federal government risks regional sanction if it refuses to implement the judgements.<\/p>\n

The organisation, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, and made available to National Mirror yesterday, threatened to seek sanctions against the government if it fails to implement the judgements.<\/p>\n

SERAP said: \u201cThe Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS can also impose economic and political sanctions under article 77(1) for non-implementation of these judgments.\u201d<\/p>\n

It noted that the ECOWAS Court issued two judgments against the Federal Government in two cases brought against it. The first was the 2010 judgement requiring the government to provide free and compulsory basic education to every Nigerian child.<\/p>\n

The second judgement delivered in 2012 unanimously found the government responsible for abuses by oil companies and made it clear that the government must hold the companies and other perpetrators to account.<\/p>\n

SERAP, however, said: \u201cThe government has refused to publicly acknowledge the judgements let alone implement them. This amounts to a flagrant violation of the country\u2019s obligations and commitments under the ECOWAS Treaties and Protocols and shows bad example to other countries in the sub-region that may wish to undermine the authority of the ECOWAS and its court.\u201d<\/p>\n

It said since the first judgement was delivered, more than five million Nigerian children of school age still roam the streets and have no access to primary education, adding that 115 million adults are illiterate.<\/p>\n

SERAP said: \u201cNigerian children still lack access to quality primary education in Nigeria. Also, since the oil pollution judgment was delivered, major oil companies continue through their operations to cause devastation and human rights violations in the Niger Delta with almost absolute impunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. <\/a>A DisNaija.Com<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Source: National Mirror Newspaper<\/p>\n

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