Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu
Dogara, has said that the National Assembly is willing and ready to
domesticate international treaties aimed at safeguarding human
rights.
He made this known when he received the President of the
International Criminal Court, Judge Chile Ebue Osuji, at the
National Assembly on Thursday.
The Speaker, who raised concerns about the emergence and
strengthening of far-right groups and the dangers inherent in the
trend, highlighted the importance of the Court in keeping such
tendencies at bay and preventing crimes against humanity from
occurring.
“The difficulty is that so many national figures may not support
the very ideals and philosophy behind the Court in the sense that a
lot of people who have acquired this immunity and the impunity that
we are talking about would not want to account to any international
body; but with the accentuation of far right politics across the
world, chances are that some of these crimes that jolted humanity’s
conscience may be repeated. Except there are bodies like this that
can step in at the right time to ensure that individuals who are
accused of these heinous crimes against humanity are brought to
book, then there will be no let in the accentuation of this kind of
ideology.”
He also pledged Nigeria’s continued support for the
International Criminal Court.
“You rightly pointed out that what we have in our national creed
even though we’re struggling to live up to it as a nation is what
the court seeks to promote; and that means that we should redouble
our efforts in supporting the ideals upon which the international
criminal court was founded.”
“We will continue to support the ideals upon which the court was
founded, more so now that we have our own. By doing that, we will
be living up to our national creed of ensuring that justice is done
regardless of whatever happens.”
Speaking on the Rome Statute, the Speaker said that he agrees
with the fundamental principles. He, however, added that the
procedure governing the domestication of treaties grants the
Executive and not the Legislature, the power to initiate the
process.
“On the issue of the domestication of the Rome Statute, I
personally believe in the fundamental principles and I’ve studied
it myself, but there has been no communication as such because
there are provisions in the Constitution dealing with the processes
or procedure by which treaties can be domesticated locally; in most
cases, it is not something that members of parliament can activate.
It is normally at the level of the Executive that these treaties
are forwarded to us for domestication and we have dealt with quite
a number of them but unfortunately, this one has not been
transmitted to the National Assembly.”
He then suggested that since efforts were being made to
kickstart the process of domesticating the Kampala Convention, then
perhaps the Rome Statute should also be included.
“In our engagement to the Executive, thankfully, the chairman
house Committee on judiciary is here and he will work with his
counterpart the chairman committee on justice to see what we can do
about that, but we’ve been discussing the Kampala amendment with
ICHR, they have cause to discuss it anytime they come visiting but
that one is in the front burner but if we can put the two together
and take it all at once, that would be very helpful.”
“We will do our best as a parliament that is responsive to
ensure that not only are we securing the freedoms of our people
nationally but as we compete in the global space, if we have
issues, we should have a body that will be able to ensure that
justice is done.”
Earlier, the President of the International Criminal Court,
Judge Chile Ebue Osuji, commended Nigeria for remaining consistent
in supporting the ICC and contributing to efforts geared at
establishing an international community where peace and justice
reign.
“Nigeria has always supported the ICC in trying to build an
international community where peace and justice reign supreme. That
is what the Court stands for and a key aspect of that is that when
crimes that shock the conscience of humanity are committed – crimes
like genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, now we also
have the crime of aggression – when they are committed, they
disturb international peace and security and it is important that
human beings should not feel a sense of impunity when they engage
in conduct of that nature. That is what the court stands for and
that is what I represent.”
“I thought I’d come and express my appreciation for the support
the government has given me and also the support that government
has given the court in pursuit of that objective, that vision of
the world.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu
Dogara, has said that the National Assembly is willing and ready to
domesticate international treaties aimed at safeguarding human
rights.
He made this known when he received the President of the
International Criminal Court, Judge Chile Ebue Osuji, at the
National Assembly on Thursday.
The Speaker, who raised concerns about the emergence and
strengthening of far-right groups and the dangers inherent in the
trend, highlighted the importance of the Court in keeping such
tendencies at bay and preventing crimes against humanity from
occurring.
“The difficulty is that so many national figures may not support
the very ideals and philosophy behind the Court in the sense that a
lot of people who have acquired this immunity and the impunity that
we are talking about would not want to account to any international
body; but with the accentuation of far right politics across the
world, chances are that some of these crimes that jolted humanity’s
conscience may be repeated. Except there are bodies like this that
can step in at the right time to ensure that individuals who are
accused of these heinous crimes against humanity are brought to
book, then there will be no let in the accentuation of this kind of
ideology.”
He also pledged Nigeria’s continued support for the
International Criminal Court.
“You rightly pointed out that what we have in our national creed
even though we’re struggling to live up to it as a nation is what
the court seeks to promote; and that means that we should redouble
our efforts in supporting the ideals upon which the international
criminal court was founded.”
“We will continue to support the ideals upon which the court was
founded, more so now that we have our own. By doing that, we will
be living up to our national creed of ensuring that justice is done
regardless of whatever happens.”
Speaking on the Rome Statute, the Speaker said that he agrees
with the fundamental principles. He, however, added that the
procedure governing the domestication of treaties grants the
Executive and not the Legislature, the power to initiate the
process.
“On the issue of the domestication of the Rome Statute, I
personally believe in the fundamental principles and I’ve studied
it myself, but there has been no communication as such because
there are provisions in the Constitution dealing with the processes
or procedure by which treaties can be domesticated locally; in most
cases, it is not something that members of parliament can activate.
It is normally at the level of the Executive that these treaties
are forwarded to us for domestication and we have dealt with quite
a number of them but unfortunately, this one has not been
transmitted to the National Assembly.”
He then suggested that since efforts were being made to
kickstart the process of domesticating the Kampala Convention, then
perhaps the Rome Statute should also be included.
“In our engagement to the Executive, thankfully, the chairman
house Committee on judiciary is here and he will work with his
counterpart the chairman committee on justice to see what we can do
about that, but we’ve been discussing the Kampala amendment with
ICHR, they have cause to discuss it anytime they come visiting but
that one is in the front burner but if we can put the two together
and take it all at once, that would be very helpful.”
“We will do our best as a parliament that is responsive to
ensure that not only are we securing the freedoms of our people
nationally but as we compete in the global space, if we have
issues, we should have a body that will be able to ensure that
justice is done.”
Earlier, the President of the International Criminal Court,
Judge Chile Ebue Osuji, commended Nigeria for remaining consistent
in supporting the ICC and contributing to efforts geared at
establishing an international community where peace and justice
reign.
“Nigeria has always supported the ICC in trying to build an
international community where peace and justice reign supreme. That
is what the Court stands for and a key aspect of that is that when
crimes that shock the conscience of humanity are committed – crimes
like genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, now we also
have the crime of aggression – when they are committed, they
disturb international peace and security and it is important that
human beings should not feel a sense of impunity when they engage
in conduct of that nature. That is what the court stands for and
that is what I represent.”
“I thought I’d come and express my appreciation for the support
the government has given me and also the support that government
has given the court in pursuit of that objective, that vision of
the world.”