In the effort to obey court judgment in Nigeria, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged stakeholders to enforce environmental justice in the Niger Delta.
In the engagement programme held today at Casoni Hotel in Port Harcourt, the keynotes were drawn from the National Human Rights Commission and the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The engagement session with the stakeholders was aimed at tackling impunity for disobeying court judgments on environmental rights in Nigeria.
During the session, SERAP educated the oil and gas communities on the need to demand transparency and accountability as part of the essentials of managing public resources.
As a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), SERAP is an advocacy organization working to promote transparency, accountability, and respect for socio-economic rights in Nigeria.
Mr. Kolawole Oluwadare, the group Deputy Director, described the interactive session as dynamic and thanked the organisers, the Ford Foundation, for this initiative.
According to Mr. Oluwadare, the event focuses on brainstorming and strategizing to ensure that the court decisions are enforced.
Dr. C.A.J. Chinwo, in a paper titled “Public Interest Litigation and Enforcement of Judgment in Environmental Matters in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria,” calls for collaboration to improve the lives of the residents in the Niger Delta region against industrial degradation.
Chinwo emphasized that the pollution from the oil sector has destroyed the flora and fauna, leaving several ill effects on the lives of the residents.
Highlighting the factors that halt the enforcement of court judgment, Chinwo noted they include specific designation of future dates, and order of stay of execution of the judgment by the trial court or an appellate court, among others.
Adaeze Amanda, representing the Federal Ministry of Justice, stressed the need for the call to order, noting that justice was not an aspiration but a reality.
Commending the NGO, Mrs. Rabin Awa, the Director of Legal Services and Enforcement, condemned the negative impacts of oil activities from companies in the Niger Delta on the environment, health, and source of livelihood.
Mores, 16 new volunteer lawyers from Rivers, Edo, Ondo, Bayelsa, and Delta states were inaugurated.
Mr. Kehinde Oyewumi, the legal adviser for SERAP, addressed the participants, urging the volunteers to actively follow up on court cases for the organization, provide legal opinions to support their mission, offer updates on ongoing cases, and ensure the enforcement of court judgments through their efforts.
To this end, he urged community stakeholders present to educate and sensitize their people on the need and efforts to enforce judgment and report cases of human rights violations to SERAP.
Speaking to NEW DAILY PRIME and other media representatives, he appealed to them to continue in their good work to ensure that change occurs in affected communities.
