SERAP Urges Buhari To Publicly Commit To Rule Of Law
Written by darling on May 30, 2019
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to publicly commit to making every day of his stay in Aso Rock a ‘Rule of Law’ Day.
SERAP, in a statement by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, on Wednesday urged President Buhari to ensure that every segment of his government’s daily operations is lawful and rule-of-law compliant, for the sake of fairness and justice.
The organisation said, “Making a public commitment to dedicate every day of your second term as a Rule of Law day will help to ensure that decisions of our courts are fully obeyed, refocus, improve and reinforce the anti-corruption agenda.
“It will also serve as a reminder that no one has immunity from the law, not even the government.
“The deficits in the rule of law have been particularly notable in three areas: failure to obey decisions of Nigerian courts, failure to push for transparency in asset declarations by high-ranking public officials and failure to push for unexplained wealth orders against former presidents and former governors and other senior public officials suspected of living on proceeds of corruption and dirty money,” it added.
SERAP also urged President Buhari to use the opportunity of his second term to commence implementation of his commitment to the rule of law by immediately obeying decisions of Nigerian courts.
It asked the President to promote transparency in assets declarations by publishing details of his assets and encourage Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to do the same.
The organisation decried the rate at which governments have disobeyed court orders, stressing that such an act was capable of rendering the judiciary powerless.
“Ignoring or refusing to obey decisions of our courts is implicitly rendering the judiciary powerless to enforce constitutional and legal rights, violating the separation of powers, undermining the rule of law, and ultimately, raising serious question marks on the government’s commitment to fighting grand corruption,” SERAP said.
It added, “Persistent disobedience of decisions of our courts by the government has opened the way for many state governors to do the same within their states, including by using anti-media laws to suppress the civic space, target journalists and human rights defenders, grant to themselves pensions for life and commit grand corruption and other appalling atrocities.”
