From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
In reaction to the call by the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice to refrain from issuing orders and judgments that are impossible to enforce, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CNN), Olukayode Ariwoola, has said that the region’s Judicial Council is going to look at the issue of the enforcement of judgments emanating from the ECOWAS Court.
He made the disclosure Thursday while speaking to State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after he led members of the ECOWAS Judicial Council to meet with President Bola Tinubu.
He said that two committees had already been established by the ECOWAS Judicial Council, one to examine rules and the other to examine the execution of community court judgements.
Ariwoola, who said he had been elected as Chairman of the ECOWAS Judicial Council, when asked if the issue raised by Fagbemi came up in the discussions with President Tinubu, said he already told him that that matter would receive attention from the Council.
“Attorney-General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, gave that as part of his pitch at the opening session on Tuesday and that is part of my remarks to Mr. President, also this morning, that the issue on the enforcement of the judgments of the community court is going to be looked into.
“We’ve set up two committees; one to look into the rules and the other to look into the position or the status of the enforcement of judgments of the community court and as I told Mr. President, by the time the Council concludes its meeting, the recommendations will show that we have worked so hard to support the Commission”, he said.
Speaking about the meeting held with President Tinubu, Ariwoola said “the meeting with Mr. President went on beautifully. This is a courtesy visit on Mr. President by the ECOWAS Judicial Council and as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, I was elected the Chairman of the ECOWAS Judicial Council.
“The Council has been having its meeting at the Council Hall of the National Judicial Council since Tuesday and that’s why we planned to visit Mr. President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and we were granted the honour to make this visit to appraise His Excellency about what transpired at our meeting.
“We planned to submit our recommendations to the authority when we conclude our meeting. It has been wonderful,” he said.