Barrister Temitope Obasaju Stephen the Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge have for over one month today, been calling out for help through this media and yet to get any concrete respite.
The Researcher was invited back to Nigeria in 2018 to work as Executive Assistant for the Nigeria Judge and soon fell out with her in 2019 for refusing to compromise but accused of insubordination and incompetence.
Every subsequent development after he was reinstated in 2020 suggest that Mr. Stephen is not only competent and hard working with many landmark judgement opinion in his records but also have been constantly been a subject of victimisation as a result of quest for vendetta by the two actors involved in the unsuccessful dismissal in 2019.
The opportunity for revenge opened up when the extension of tenure was approved by council decision of 12th July, 2022 and the challenge of the President of the Court for conflict of interest in installing his own Executive Assistant as Principal Research officer P5 despite coming 5th out of 12 candidates that contested in an interview for the position.
The Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge was tactically and unlawfully denied access to the office by a memo on 13th October 2022 by the Director of Administration and Finance acting for the President till date, contrary to Article 59 (a) of ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
All plea and media campaign for exactly one month today to get the President of ECOWAS Court to comply and issue an end of Contract notice to The Nigerian EA, which is a requirement of the law has fallen on deaf ears.
The question we keep asking is why is it so difficult for a Judge, President of ECOWAS Court who expects community citizens to obey his judgment, to comply with the provisions of the law as in the article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations?
It has become clear now that there are two laws in operation in ECOWAS region, one for the Judges who are above the law of ECOWAS community and the other laws applicable to the rest of the ECOWAS citizens. It is so sad but that is what is evident from all the drama playing out in the court since 13th of October when the violation of the human rights and victimisation of Temitope Obasaju Stephen became obvious.
For the umpteenth time we ask, are we going to allow an individual to redicule and tear apart the vision of the founding fathers of ECOWAS? If judges cannot obey the law they expect other citizens of ECOWAS community to obey, I think its high time the complicit judges be withdrawn home by their respective countries to save the community Court from remaining a laughing stock.
We have obviously descended into a state of anarchy and autocracy with what is happening in the ECOWAS Court of Justice where the President of the Court has obviously continue to maintain that he is above the law of ECOWAS and no one can compel him to comply with the extant provision of ECOWAS regulations; to issue the one month mandatory notice requirement pursuant to Article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
May be it is time for the Ghanian government to recall him back home to go and occupy his seat at the Court of Appeal; we understand by the terms of the appointment, The President of ECOWAS Court is overdue to resume at his seat in Ghana Court of Appeal kept for him for over two years, perhaps he is abandoning that appointment for the ECOWAS Court of Justice office that can allow him to pepertrate his autocratic style of leadership without accountability to anyone; the victim opined.
Coming back to my position as Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge , it will interest the ECOWAS community citizens that I have not been served with end of notification of contract letter till date and the ECOWAS authority is yet to call the President of the Court to order as he continues to make a mockery of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations and ECOWAS community law, which way ECOWAS? Shall we continue in disorder at the leadership level and expect our community citizens to obey the law , especially the order emanating from the Court violating her employees right.
The Gudu project scrutiny and exposure of the shaddy deals going on there I understand is part of my sins to merit the treatment I’m going through from the hands of the interested cabal benefiting from the project. I want to ask if it is sensible to own your own beautiful house in a good location, then you gift it out, to go and rent a dangerous building in a dangerous location for unreasonable amount of rent even though you know the building cannot serve your purpose, that is simply put what is going on in the ECOWAS Court; I never realised I was disturbing some people from profiting and mismanagement of the community tax payers money. No vex biko.
We are still appealing to the Society of Nigerian Engineers to in the interest of the public and safety of life of the citizens conduct an integrity test on the Gudu building which has been structural altered to carry weight of elevator it was not originally designed for.
Also we are appealing to all the relevant anti graft agencies within ECOWAS and Nigeria government to look into the books of the Director of Administration and Finance of the ECOWAS Court to reconcile the bogus inflated contracts award. I am yet to understand how a 1000kva generator going for 53 Million Naira online, can be said to be bought for over 400 Thousand United States of American Dollars amongst so many other inflated contracts.
Please kindly forgive me and issue the end of contract one month notification letter stating reasons why you don’t want to see my face again or why you think extension means exclusion and expulsion of just one person from the rest Executive Assistants. At least I have to know the reasons why you are ending my contract with one month notification in accordance with international labour law requirements. I don’t think I am requesting for too much.
I will not keep quiet until the President of the ECOWAS Court and ECOWAS authorities do the right thing, I have become the voice of conscience and the battle is no longer about me but about correcting the wrongs and treating people with respect particularly my colleagues and all other ECOWAS citizens.
Let the ECOWAS community appeal to the President of the ECOWAS Court Justice Edward Amoako Ashante to stop tearing apart the ECOWAS institutions it took the blood, vision and resources of our founding fathers and ECOWAS state to build. Let the Ghanian authorities call their Representative in the Court to order before the Court becomes a shadow of what it stands for, all because of the action or omissions of just one man. I can understand if we are under military junta rule, which we are now experiencing in this case, despite not being in the situation.
This is a personal page opinion of the writer and victim Temitope Obasaju Stephen. Any counter opinion is welcome by the editor of this paper.