Metro

Niger junta sues Tinubu, ECOWAS over border closure, economic sanctions

Published

5 months ago

November 23, 2023

The military junta in Niger Republic has sued Nigeria’s President and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Bola Tinubu, over economic sanctions and the closure of its borders by the regional bloc since the July 26 coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power.

Joined in the suit at the ECOWAS court in Abuja, which will be decided on December 7, are the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS and two others.

At the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, the junta leaders who were represented by their team of lawyers led by Moukaila Yaye, argued that the sanctions imposed on the country by ECOWAS led by the Nigerian President, “have occasioned adverse effects on the Nigerien people, including shortage of food, medicine, and electricity, due to the closure of borders and cut off of electricity supply by Nigeria.”

In its written motion, the applicants asked the court for interim orders that would compel the Authority of Heads of State and Government to immediately suspend the sanctions, arguing that the respondents had overreacted by imposing the sanctions which were not successive and that Niger was treated unequally and unfairly compared to the other three ECOWAS member states – Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, that also experienced coup d’état in recent years.

In the initiating application, the applicants, the State of Niger, six Nigerien organisations, and a Nigerien national asked the court to declare the measures taken by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS during its extraordinary sessions of July 30 and August 10, 2023, allegedly aimed at restoring constitutional order in the Republic of Niger, illegal.

They requested the court to nullify all decisions of these ECOWAS organs imposing sanctions, including the decision to resort to military intervention in the Republic of Niger.

The applicants also asked the court to declare its competence to examine the case and declare the application admissible in accordance with the court’s texts.

In its response, the Authority of Heads of State, the Mediation and Security Council, and the ECOWAS Commission, represented by François Kanga-Penond, raised an objection to the inadmissibility of the application and asked the court to reject the request of the applicants.

Kanga-Penond told the court that coup d’état was not recognised in a democracy and that the junta did not have the legal capacity to bring a case before the court, adding that the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum had a pending case before the court in which he was challenging the legitimacy of the same junta.

Kanga-Penond stressed that the lack of legal capacity of the junta to approach the court robbed the court of the jurisdiction to examine their request for interim measures.

Related Topics:#COUP #NIGER REPUBLIC ECOWAS Featured Junta Sanctions

Click to comment

Metro

Mapanza traditional council shares positive outlook on media rights, freedom of expression

Published

17 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Jonathan Muchindu, a representative of the Traditional Council of Mapanza Chiefdom in Choma District, Southern Province, Zambia, asserts that the media in Zambia currently enjoys “total” freedom of expression.

Muchindu attributed this position to the advancement of civilization, which he identified as a significant factor in ensuring media freedom.

He emphasized the role of the media in providing citizens with the necessary information to make informed decisions.

In an exclusive interview with Zambia Monitor in Choma, Muchindu, who also serves as the Director of the Zambia Corruption Prevention Watchdog, described the media and its content as essential elements akin to “food on the table.”

“We are truly privileged to witness the advancements in civilization. Previously, the media was confined to the hands of a few individuals, and its reach was limited.

“However, with the advent of technology, accessing news through various platforms such as radio and television has become commonplace.

“The media has evolved into an indispensable source of information, and its participation is now integral to our daily lives,” he remarked.

When questioned about the operational landscape of the media, Muchindu expressed confidence that no media entity currently faces undue interference or censorship.

“From our perspective, both in rural villages and urban centers, we have not encountered instances where journalists or media outlets have been subjected to harassment or undue influence.

“This collaborative effort had ushered in a sense of enlightenment among the populace, allowing for open discourse on governance matters, particularly in the realm of politics.

“The media enjoyed the same freedoms as ordinary citizens, and there is unequivocal liberty in its expression,” Muchindu concluded.

The declaration by the Traditional Council of Mapanza Chiefdom underscored a positive outlook on media freedom in Zambia and reaffirmed the critical role of the media in fostering informed public discourse.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

Nigeria loses N1.29trn annually to crude oil theft, vandalism— Reps Speaker

Published

24 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has revealed that the country loses a whopping sum of N1.29 trillion to crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other forms of criminality in the oil sector.

Tajudeen, who spoke at the commissioning of the Nigerian Navy Training Command at Eleme, Rivers State in South-South Nigeria on Friday, said about 300,000 barrels of crude oil were also lost per day to oil theft by bunkerers.

Tajudeen who was represented at the event by the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, stated that the crude oil theft and pipeline vandalization has continued to pose a challenge to the Nigerian Navy which has hindered the service from rising up to its mandate of contributing to the survival of the national economy.

“Unfortunately, it is estimated that Nigeria loses over 300,000 barrels of crude oil daily to oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other forms of criminality. This has led to revenue losses estimated at N1.29 trillion annually,” the Lower Chamber Speaker said.

Speaking further on steps taken to curb the menace, Abbas said:

“Concerned about the adverse effects of oil theft in Nigeria, I inaugurated a special committee on Crude Oil Theft Loses on November 22, 2023, to determine decisive remedial actions to be taken.

“I commend the Nigerian Navy on the steps taken so far, and I urge the Navy to sustain the momentum.”

Also speaking, Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, thanked the Rivers State Government for the donation of the entire complex to demonstrate the existing cordial relationship between the Nigerian Navy and Rivers State.

Ogalla said the relocation of the Headquarters Naval Training Command from Lagos to Ebubu-Eleme in Rivers State would bolster human capacity development of personnel of the Nigerian Navy.

“It will also assist in providing the enabling environment for learning and enable us to carry out the statutory manning of the entire state, and national security of our country.

“This is in line with Mr President’s mandate given to us to provide the enabling environment for the harnessing of the enormous economic potential inherent in our blue economy for the overall good, national prosperity and development.”

The Naval chief assured that the Nigerian Navy would continue to carry out operations to ensure security of the nation’s maritime domain as well as secure Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta region.