Daily Independent Online.
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Wednesday, July 21, 2004.
Council of Ministers expand powers of ECOWAS Court
By Onyekachi Eze
Senior
Reporter,
Abuja
The ECOWAS Council of Ministers has
expanded the powers of ECOWAS Court’s to entertain cases brought before
it by individuals and corporate organisations within the member countries.
The Court on April 27, struck out a N5
million case filed by a Nigerian businessman, Olajide Afolabi, over an alleged
violation of his right to freedom of movement of his person and goods by the
closure of the borders with the Republic of Benin by the Nigerian government in
August last year.
Giving her ruling in the case, the
President of the ECOWAS, Justice Hansine Napwaniyo Donli, said according to the
protocol establishing the court, only member countries could be parties in any
case brought before it, saying individuals who have a case would have to be
represented by his country.
At the end of its two-day meeting in Abuja,
the ministers adopted the amendments to some provisions of the ECOWAS revised
treaty of 1993 and the protocol establishing the Community Court of Justice.
The amended provisions, among others, allow
individuals and corporate organisations to have direct access to the Court and thus
expand the Court’s powers to adjudicate on issues relating to the
violations of human rights in line with ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good
Governance, which was adopted in 2001.
