By MAUREEN DICK
THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has sensitized stakeholders from the Niger Delta region on enforcement of court judgements in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event held in Port Harcourt, Deputy Director of SERAP, Mr. Kolawole Oluwadare, said the interactive session with stakeholders from the Niger Delta region was aimed at addressing the impunity and constant disobedience to court judgements on environmental rights displayed by companies, government and other influential citizens in country.
He also said the engagement serves to enlighten and empower oil and gas producing communities on how to demand for transparency and accountability in the management of public resources which accrue from their domain.
Oluwadare added that the event was organised majorly to brainstorm and strategize on ways to making sure decisions of the court are obeyed and enforced in the country.
He said: “We have seen the judgement, but how do we make it happen? Today, we are here to brainstorm and strategize on the way into making these decisions of court don’t gather dust, but come out viable for the communities that need them.
“It’s time for us to think creatively, plan effectively and mobilise powerfully so that environmental social justice becomes more than just words on the pages of a book.”
Presenting a paper titled, “Public Interest Litigation and Enforcement of Judgement in Environmental Matters in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria,” a legal practitioner and human rights activist, Chukwuma Chinwo, noted that there is much to be done to ameliorate the suffering of the people of the Niger Delta region against activities of multinationals whose activities destroy the lives of the people on a daily basis.
He emphasized that there is need for collective efforts towards ensuring the enforcement of judgements for the greater benefits of people of the region and further commended SERAP for its numerous fights for social justice in the country.
Chinwo identified some of the factors that hinder the immediate enforcement of a judgement as specific designation of future date, order of stay of execution of the judgement by the trial court or an appellate court, lawlessness shown in recalcitrance by the judgement debtor, challenges of execution when complicated by the relevant agencies, lack of resources to meet the judgement debt, inappropriate mode of execution by the judgement creditor, among others.
He also noted other challenges to judgement executions to include unrealistic claims and awards, interest of the executors, political interests and unwillingness of the executors to execute the judgements.
Chinwo noted that getting judgement executed against multinationals and government agencies is difficult considering the kind of system in operation in the country, but urged the stakeholders not to relent.
Also speaking, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Adaeze Amanda, called for more advocacy on the enforcement of judgements, insisting that justice should not just be an aspiration, but a reality.
Meanwhile, SERAP has inaugurated 16 new volunteer lawyers to offer pro-bono services for oppressed members of the public.
The 16 new volunteer lawyers were drawn from Rivers, Edo, Ondo, Bayelsa and Delta States.
SERAP’s Legal Adviser, Mr. Kehinde Oyewumi, in his address to the volunteer lawyers said the organisation expects them to undertake cases in court for them, offer legal opinion on issues to advance their course, provide update on cases and ensure enforcement of court judgements through their activities.
He also charged stakeholders and community representatives to propagate the message and sensitize the people on the efforts to enforce judgements as well as report cases of human rights violations to SERAP.