SERAP urges Buhari to implement report on financial autonomy for judiciary

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has
sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to use
his good offices and leadership position to “urgently publish and
fully implement the recommendations of the report on financial
autonomy of state legislature and judiciary submitted to you in
June 2019.”

SERAP said: “In the context of a growing attack on the country’s
judiciary by the authorities and politicians, the full
implementation of the report will contribute to improving judicial
independence, and respect for constitutional principles of
separation of powers and systems of checks and balances designed to
prevent political interference and ensure respect for the rule of
law.”

In the letter dated 27 September 2019, and signed by SERAP
deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “Equal
treatment before the law is a pillar of democratic societies. But
when judicial financial autonomy and by extension, independence and
sanctity is undermined, the scales of justice are tipped, and
ordinary Nigerians suffer. In fact, when judicial autonomy and
independence is under siege, everyone loses, as the voice of the
innocent goes unheard, while the guilty continue to act with
impunity.”

The letter read in part: “The failure to publish the full
recommendations of the report and to begin to implement them has
continued to undermine the country’s judicial systems, and deny
citizens’ access to justice and basic human right to a fair and
impartial justice system.”

“Ensuring the financial autonomy and independence of the courts
would improve the ability of our judicial systems to deliver
justice effectively and efficiently. It would also allow the court
to jealously guard the rights of innocent men and women, and ensure
that the guilty receive a fair and impartial hearing, as well as
remove the dangerous possibility of summary justice.”

“We urge you to ensure full respect for the rule of law and due
process in words and actions.”

“A financially autonomous judiciary is crucial for the
effectiveness and success of your anti-corruption agenda, and
important for the realization of citizens’ human rights. Unless the
report is fully implemented, trust in the court’s impartiality and
independence will continue to be eroded, and the core judicial
functions, access to justice, and the broader accountability
function of the judiciary, will continue to be undermined.”

“A weak judiciary would mean that impunity for corrupt officials
will remain, as the ability of your government and anti-corruption
agencies to prosecute grand corruption, as well as public trust and
confidence in institutions of government and public officials, will
continue to be undermined.”

“SERAP is extremely concerned about the growing attack on the
independence of the judiciary and the sanctity of our justice
system, particularly the repeated failures by your government,
state governments and politicians to respect and comply with court
decisions and orders.”

“SERAP notes that you received in June 2019 the Report of the
Abubakar Malami-led Presidential Implementation Committee on
Financial Autonomy of State Legislature and Judiciary. The
committee, inaugurated by you on March 22, 2019 was tasked to
fashion out strategies and modalities for implementation of the
financial autonomy of the state legislature and judiciary, in
compliance with Section 121 (3) of the 1999 Constitution (as
amended).”

“When you received the report, you stated that, ‘I went through
a terrible time getting here for the three times I contested
elections. That is why I want to stabilise the system so that
others will not pass through the same experience.’”

“This worrying situation threatens to undermine the judiciary’s
fragile independence, and the sacred constitutional principles of
separation of powers and systems of checks and balances.”

“Continuing refusal to respect and obey court decisions and
orders if not urgently stopped will lead to increased corruption
and impunity. Disobedience of court orders is an implicit
interference in the judicial system, and shows a flagrant disregard
for Nigeria’s Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and international
obligations. Persistent disobedience of court orders and decisions
threatens any gains in the fight against corruption that your
government may have recorded.”

“SERAP is concerned about the growing list of court orders and
decisions that have been flagrantly disobeyed by your government,
the most recent being the order by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, Federal
High Court, Abuja granting bail to the Publisher of
SaharaReporters, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, and the reported attempts by
your government to drag Justice Taiwo before National Judicial
Council (NJC) on account of his decision to grant bail to Mr
Sowore.”

“Other high-profile judgments your government is refusing to
obey include at least three judgments obtained by SERAP. The first
is the judgment by Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari ordering the
government to tell Nigerians about the stolen asset it allegedly
recovered, with details of the amounts recovered. The second
judgment, by Justice Mohammed Idris, ordered the government to
publish details on the spending of stolen funds recovered by
successive governments since the return of democracy in 1999.”

“The third judgment, Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor, a Professor
of Law, ordered the government to publish details of payments to
all defaulting and allegedly corrupt electricity contractors and
companies by the governments of former President Olusegun Obasanjo,
former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, former President Goodluck
Jonathan, and your government.”

“Another court order that is yet to be complied with is the
order for the release of Islamic Movement of Nigeria leader, Sheikh
Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenah, from unlawful detention,
obtained by human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria,
Femi Falana.”

NAF, CBN, IMPR Bag Global PR Awards
in Armenia
The Nigerian Airforce (NAF), the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) and
Image Merchants Promotions have bagged the Golden World Awards of
Excellence in Public Relations in Yerevan, Armenia.

The awards instituted by the International Public Relations
Association (IPRA) recognise most outstanding PR campaigns across
the globe.

While the Nigerian Airforce won the Crisis Management category
of the award for its counter-terrorism campaign, the Central Bank
of Nigeria bagged Crisis Communication award for deploying social
media to counter rumours on a fire incident at its
headquarters.

The campaigns by the two Nigeria’s organisations were
coordinated in collaborations with the Image Merchants Promotion
Limited publishers of PRNigeria^[1] and Economic
Confidential.

Previous winners of the Golden World Awards from Nigeria
included the Nigeria Prison Service, the Centre for Crisis
Communication and Office of the National Security Adviser. All the
awards had also received African Public Relations awards on
Superior Achievement in Branding Reputation and Engagements.

Speaking at the event, the IPRA
President, Svetlana Stavreva said the 2019 awards are the world’s
most diverse, fierce and creative PR Competition, showing how
global professional are setting new standards for meaningful
communication.

She said “A Panel of International Jury from 23 countries
shortlisted the finalists online in the first round while another
Panel of Judges convened in London to select the eventual winners
on a single intensive workday using IPRA’s custom-built GWA
system.”

While receiving the award on behalf of the Nigeria air force,
the Chief of Administration, AVM Kingsley Gompen Lar and Director
of Public relations, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola acknowledged
the foresight of NAF leadership in repositioning the service into a
highly professional and disciplined force that is well respected at
home and abroad.

The PRNigeria^[2] founder, Yushau Shuaib
commended the organisers of the award for recognising PR campaigns
from Nigeria among the winners of Golden World Awards in the last
four years.

“The awards demonstrate the need for communicators to always
adhere to ethical standards, promote best practices and ensure
transparency in PR campaigns through deliberate plans of action,”
Shuaib said.

About 30 countries across the continents were represented at the
award. While government agencies in Russia, United Kingdom, Turkey,
China, UAE, Saudia Arabia, Indonesia and Norway received awards at
the event, majority of the campaigns were coordinated by PR
agencies.

Some of the PR agencies that received the Golden World Awards
included Dentsu Public Relations Inc, Global Media Alliance, Weber
Shandwick, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Image Merchants Promotions,
Stratcomm Africa, HVDM, Sunny Side-Up, FleishmanHillard and Orta
Communications.

Among the popular brands whose campaigns received the awards
include Google, Coca Cola, Tetra Pak, HSBC, Siemens, IKEA,
McDonald’s, Roche Pharmaceutical, Fords, Adidas, Pan American
Energy. University of London, Aramco among others.

By PRNigeria^[3]