My attention was drawn to the Honorable President of the ECOWAS Court response to all my allegations in a Ghana online publication on Friday October 28th , 2022.
I was however not surprised that the anonymous spin Doctor Senior lawyer rather than addressing issues decided to question my professional competence and defend the conflict of interest of the President in appointing his EA as a principal Research officer of the ECOWAS Court of Justice despite not been grounded in that department and coming 5th out of 12 candidates on the original interview competition score sheet before it was altered, (FORGERY BY JUDGES ); the EA was now given first position with 89% and I was moved to 11th position with 32.5%; Not minding that all the questions asked are researchers common daily working tools, no technical managerial questions on Terms of Reference of the Job and long before then, we have been the one researching and writing most of the President most sound Chambers judgements Despite our alleged incompetence and softlanding.
What can we say than to clarify the issue knowing that keeping good records and timelines could be very difficult for people who ordinarily abandon their primary assignment, rarely stay on their duty post but, travel round all the time in the name of mission to earn per diem. I do understand and will help them with timeline that could help them think deep before they attempt their next distortion of issues with their trainee spin doctor Senior anonymous lawyer from the Registry in Abuja.
Before I proceed, their response of October 28th in question on Ghana online news accused me of incompetence and that I was given soft landing by been redeployed to the Research Department after reinstatement. Needless to remind them that I single handedly wrote 12 of the 23 judgement the court pronounced in the year 2018 to 2019 , before I was unlawfully terminated, it may also interest you that the Nigerian Judge Chambers I handled , was unable to write a single judgement for over 10 months or more after I left, a food for thought to determine who is doing the work or who is incompetent.
For people who are interested in reading his lordships and his spin doctor distortion of event in detail can go to the link below:
ECOWAS Court: Staff who claims violation of his fundamental Human Rights has no case – Snr Lawyer
Going on with my timeline dealing with the genesis of the personal vendetta from the President of the Court against me and his abuse of office is recorded below:
I was employed as Executive Assistant to the Nigerian Judge in 2018, invited all the way from United Kingdom by a letter of appointment signed by the President of the Court in the person of Justice Amoako Edward Asante.
In 2019 July after refusing to be compromised to vary Judgement opinion to give loophole for a party to comeback for judgement review in the case of Telecom Workers of Nigeria v. FGN; because of some money involved, as I then insisted that any extraneous information not before the Court will not be considered in my draft, also after writing 12 out of the 23 judgement of the Court amongst 5 judges Chambers within a year, I was accused of incompetence, not taken through disciplinary procedure as prescribed in the staff regulations of ECOWAS; issued a termination letter which the President of the Court claimed he was forced to sign by the Nigerian Judge, despite knowing that it is contrary to specified laid down disciplinary procedure in ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
For six months I was going through my appeal and by a letter dated 17th December 2019, signed by the same President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice- Edward Amoako Ashante, THE ALLEGATIONS WAS WITHDRAWN on the instruction of the council of ministers, President of the Commission and the management of the Court and I was reinstated and redeployed to serve in the Research Department because the Nigerian Judge was forbidden from having another EA , as punishment from the council for wrongful termination and my office as Executive Assistant was still restored and attached to her office as the Nigerian Judge. I wonder how a Senior anonymous lawyer does not understand the meaning of a withdrawn allegations?
After resumption of office in January 2020, I was passed through various stage managed disciplinary in a bid to revenge for their inability to dismiss me but I survived all by the grace of God. I was accused of misplacing Chambers books which were later found inside the Chambers, I was then threatened with war by a memo then; I believe the on going war which they are now using the opportunity of the extension and tax payers money to wage against me.
At the Research Department as fate will have it, after the retirement of the former Principal legal Research officer, I became the most senior Research officer assisting the Director of Research on all official issues and conservatively till date have written over 60 or more judgement and Research opinion on various legal issues. How can an incompetent and someone given a softlanding achieve or accomplish this record?
I guess the trainee spin doctor anonymous lawyer from Abuja was too much in a hurry to cross check his facts if he has any.
In May 2022, we were invited for an interview for the position of Principal Research officer in which I have been acting in the capacity. It took miracle to get my invitation letter two days to the interview as the original invitation was intercepted till date.
The President of ECOWAS Court contrary to the rules of engagement in ECOWAS Staff Regulations sat with other head of institution to impose his own Executive Assistant as the Principal Research officer.
Revelation emerging now from the comment of an anonymous Muhammad on the Ghana on line news who also, challenge the anonymous senior lawyer from Abuja to reveal his identity; confirms what we already know and enumerated in detail how the final score sheet of the interview of the Principal Research officer P5, was doctored and the President of the Court Executive Assistant came from 5th position out of the 12th contestants; to become the first with 89% mark and I was moved to number 11 with 32.5% out of desperation to install his Executive Assistant at all cost and hopefully make it impossible for me to contest the decision. We are challenging the ECOWAS Commission to release the original score sheet and clear themselves from the allegations of FORGERY and OPEN DAY PEN ROBBERY done in conjunction with a Judge and probably with the knowledge of the spin Doctor anonymous Senior lawyer from the Registry of the Court , who should advise his principal to do the correct thing, humble himself, apologise and stop dragging the name of the institution, it is not a personal property or family business for some Ghanian and their cabal loyalist.
My petition against the decision of the President of the ECOWAS Court for conflict of interests in appointing his EA as principal Research officer is still begging for attention and is part of all what this victimisation is all about, even though my petition have not been answered till date because as usual the records have been falsified and backdoor collusion done with his brother Ghanian AG, to vet and issue letter of appointment, it is the same AG office The President of the Court and his management willed the Court permanent building to like a personal property without wide consultation, may be as compensation for all the backdoor manipulation favour of compromising the vetting system from the Auditor General of ECOWAS Office (AG).
My people has a saying that truth has no colour, if the truth is suppressed for years, it will one day come back out to reveal itself. The anonymous online commentator on Ghana online from the ECOWAS Commission says it all on how the interview manipulation was done to favour the President of ECOWAS Court Executive Assistant; part of the source of what all this personal vendetta is all about to get me out of the system.
Despite the fact that all the Judges and their Executive Assistants that belong to the last tenure which ended August 26th, 2022 ought to leave, as it is a 4 years absolute tenure, to which the President of the ECOWAS Court has served a notice since June 18th advising us to get ready to complete all our retirement proceedings, the council because of the Junta problems in the 3 affected West African members state decided to extend the tenure of Ghanian, Nigeria and Ivory Coast Judges, pending the time the nominated judges from the countries will come for their position.
By the Council decision approved by the Authorities of Head of State and Government signed on the 12th July, 2022, granting extension of tenure to all 3 judges from Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, there was no reappointment as no Judge is entitled to reappointment , after serving four years absolute tenure; it will amaze you that in the Decision of the council, the word appiont or reappointment did not appear in anywhere rather, Extension, Maintain and nomination where the key words used; I wonder how and where the senior spin doctor anonymous lawyer find in the books, where authority was conferred on the judges to reappoint EAS or reinterprete the decision of the council as reappointment. May be the senior lawyer needs refresher course in elementary law on the rules of interpretation of unambiguous statute.
With regards to internal procedure and the case filed before the court on 29th September, they are different issues. By the time the case was filed, it was in anticipation of preventive violation of my human rights; seeking Interim injunction to maintain status quo until determination of the substantive suit seeking interpretation of the extension.
Of course the law lord who is above the law Contrary to 1991 protocol on the Court specifically Article 22(2), decided to ignore the regulations in thirst for his personal vendetta for daring to challenge his authority and accusing him of conflict of interest in appointing his EA as principal Research officer despite not been part of the Research Department and less qualified than I do.
On the notice of end of contract or termination which the President of the ECOWAS Court has refused to issue till date , it is a mandatory requirement in the ECOWAS Staff Regulation that the head of institution shall issue one month notice to professional Staff in lieu of termination in Article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulation.
The spin doctor anonymous senior lawyer from Abuja seems to have forgotten his elementary law that extension nullifies the initial end date of contract and err in law in assuming that I just need to sign disengagement form, I wish it was so and same also with all the judges and their Assistants whose tenure all ended on the 26th of August , I mean all the five judges to make way for new ones.
Assuming but not conceding it was so, then all the 3 judges with their Executive Assistants has their original tenure end date as 26th August 2022 and all ought to go, as no one is entitled to reappointment after serving four years absolute which we all have done.
The spin Doctor anonymous Senior lawyer from Abuja who has now become the unofficial spoke man for the President of the Court failed woefully to check the timelines or date line of the contradictory memos his principal wrote and signed, let me refresh your memory:
18th August 2022, The President of ECOWAS Court of Justice addressed a memo to the Director of Administration and Finance advising him that the decision of the council of 12th July 2022, confirms the extension of the tenure of the 3 judges , he went further in the last paragraph of the memo to confirm that the remaining two judges from Cape Verde and Sierra Leone with their TWO EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS; who will be leaving should have their payroll regularise until the arrival of the judges who will be taking over from them. It is clear enough that the memo confirms that other 3 judges and their Executive Assistants which i am one from Nigeria, continues in office by virtue of the extension. How come I am the only one of the three others been victmised for personal reasons known to the two judges as part of the alliance deal to get a third term reelection as President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Perhaps the anonymous senior lawyer can tell us what happened between 18th August 2022 and the new memo dated 21st September 2022 in which the President of the ECOWAS Court now reprobated and misinterprete the extension decision to mean new tenure and reappointment; empowering the Judges to change their Executive Assistant if they so wish.
I will save you the trouble, the gap was when the President of the ECOWAS Court discovered that there is a petition against him on the conflict of interest in appointing his EA as principal Research officer and quickly want to get rid of me to cover their tracks of victimisation.
No one is doubting senior anonymous lawyer that consultant shortlist and I was shortlisted and that it is an inter institutional interview, but the regulations of ECOWAS Staff clearly states that interested persons must declare their interest and recuse themselves, the President of the ECOWAS Court did not declare his interest nor recuse himself but, went ahead to sit in the decision making council to enforce the imposition of his EA as principal Research officer contrary to the rules of engagement and that is my main complaint on the conflict of interest contrary to Article 5 (3f) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.
My Senior anonymous lawyer from Abuja, doing a spin doctor work requires a lot of research which unfortunately you did not get right but moved by emotion because you are benefiting from the bastardised administrative and management system of the court today.
Finally, let me not forget to remind you that the records of my over 60 Research and Judgment opinions can be verified from your Director of Research.
Also a quick lecture that in modern international law practice, Interim injunction or Interim measures applications are determined immediately and granted or denied before the issue of Jurisdiction or passing through the system of the Court is determined, you sure need to update your knowledge.
If there are other issues you need clarification about in this your new chosen field of spin doctor practice, I will offer you free tutorials as one who has been opportune to be a philosopher, media practitioner and an international lawyer combined.
Do not forget also that the Chambers which accused me of incompetence was not able to write or pronounce a single judgement for almost one year after I left for my softlanding placement in the Research Department of the Court; where I have produced over 60 various research opinions.
Distortion of facts especially from a senior lawyer raises a very serious questions of competence and moral integrity and should be discouraged.
When you do get your facts correctly, I will be glad for an open debate in any media of your choice but this your mission of falsification arrived dead like a dodo.
Good luck in your newly chosen spin doctor career and spoke person of the President of the ECOWAS Court of injustice as the people now change the nomenclature to, our senior anonymous lawyer from Abuja.
Further investigation and information can be obtained from the records of work of the Nigerian Executive Assistant Temitope Obasaju Stephen in your archive or from the Director of Research and Documentation of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Another reminder, we are still expecting the letter for termination of my contract/notification of end of contract with one month notice pursuant to Article 59(a) of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations, to enable me start the internal appeal proceedings.
Needless to remind you that in the eye of the law i still remain a bona-fide ECOWAS Court Staff until you issue me the notice of tenure termination stating reasons and you may wish to advise your principal or client about this in case you forget, Senior anonymous spin Doctor lawyer from the court Registry in Abuja.
I hope you are convinced and will be kind enough to advise your client the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice in the person of his Lordship Justice Edward Amoako Ashante to comply by issuing the notice of termination, if he is not claiming to be above ECOWAS Court , ECOWAS Staff Regulations and ECOWAS community law.
Thank you senior anonymous lawyer from Abuja for giving me the opportunity to shed more light on the issue at stake.
Most obliged and thank you for speaking the distorted angle of the story of your client.
Be reminded of a wise quote as follows “WHEN FALSEHOOD BECOMES AN INSTITUTION, TRUTH LOOKS LIKE REBELLION. ”
Forget not also to remind your principal or advise him to conduct opinion poll amongst the ECOWAS Court Staff and you will surely get the result that over 95% of your staff are opposed to the relocation of the Court office to Gudu area of Abuja. Accept the open challenge please to conduct the poll.
I leave you to ponder anonymous lawyer from Abuja and wish you good luck in your newly chosen career as spin doctor and do not forget to enrol for further training in the field.
Temitope Obasaju Stephen Respond from Abuja.