National News
ECOWAS Court Takes Decision on Mali Versus Société Damou-So SARL Case
ECOWAS Court Takes Decision on Mali Versus Société Damou-So SARL Case
By: Michael Mike
The ECOWAS Court of Justice, on Tuesday October 31, 2023, delivered its decision in the case between the State of Mali and Société Damou-So SARL in which the applicant requested a review of Judgment No. ECW/ CCJ/JUD/22/21 rendered on June 25, 2021 by the Court in case no. ECW/CCJ/APP/10/18.
The applicant, Republic of Mali mentioned that Société Damou-So SARL, a real estate development company registered in Mali, acquired plots of land from the government of Mali, but irregularities were discovered in the records of these land transactions. In 2015, the National Directorate of Lands and Cadastre canceled these transactions, including those of Damou-So SARL.
The applicant explained that Hamady Kindy, manager of several companies, including Damou-So SARL, contested the revocations by bringing the case before the Supreme Court of Mali. In October 2015, the Supreme Court annulled the revocations made by the National Directorate of Lands and Cadastre, thus restoring the property rights of Damou-So SARL.
Nevertheless, a case was brought by Damou-So SARL before the ECOWAS Court and in the judgment:
It declared that the applicant’s property rights had been violated by the respondent.
It dismissed other allegations of violation of the applicant’s rights.
It ordered the respondent to pay compensation to the applicant for seven expropriated lands.
Also, it ordered the respondent to submit a report on the measures taken to implement the Court’s orders.
The applicant now (Republic of Mali) sought a review of the decision of the ECOWAS Court citing two new facts discovered after the Court’s decision.
In its response, the defendant, La Société Damou-So SARL, explained that although it held copies of the land titles, they were no longer useful because the land to which these titles relate are no longer in its possession. According to Société Damou-So SARL, a bailiff noted in January 2017 that the plots had been divided and inhabited by occupants and construction sites. Despite warnings from local authorities, the new occupants continue to occupy these plots.
The defendant indicated that another bailiff noted in January 2018 the presence of houses under construction, completed houses, construction materials, and bricks on its land. It claimed that the local mayor justified these divisions, based on decisions to cancel administrative acts of transfer.
According to the defendant, it is evident that its land has been expropriated, which, in its view, prevented the applicant from requesting and obtaining a review of the decision under Article 25(2) of the July 1991 Protocol relating to the Court.
By its decision of October 31, 2023, the Court retained its jurisdiction to hear the request for review explaining that the contested decision – judgment no. ECW/CCJ/JUD/22/21 of June 25, 2021 – was rendered by the Court at its seat, and it is the only one authorised to rule on the request for review.
However, it declared the applicant inadmissible in its request for review of judgment no. ECW/CCJ/JUD/22/21 of June 25, 2021. It explained that the facts invoked by the applicant did not exist at the time of the pronouncement of the contested judgment and that it cannot therefore validly serve as a basis for an appeal for review.
The Court emphasised that both facts relied on by the applicant to support its request for review of judgment no. ECW/CCJ/JUD/22/21 of June 25, 2021 do not meet the criteria set by Article 25 of Protocol A /P1/07/91 relating to the Court which provides that “The request for review of a decision is only opened before the Court when it is based on the discovery of a fact likely to exercise a decisive influence and which, at the time of the decision, was unknown to the Court and the applicant, provided, however, that such ignorance is not the result of negligence. »
It added that in the absence of such a fact in the present case, the request for review filed by the applicant in violation of the relevant provisions of article 25 of Protocol A/P.1/07/91 of 6 July 1991 must be declared inadmissible.
The panel of three (3) judges on the bench is composed of:
Hon. Judge Gbéri-Bè Ouattara, Presiding / Judge-Rapporteur
Hon. Judge Dupe Atoki, Member
Hon. Judge Claúdio Monteiro Gonçalves, Member.
ECOWAS Court Takes Decision on Mali Versus Société Damou-So SARL Case
JAJI LAUDS SANWO-OLU, GBAJABIAMILA
· CALLS EX-SPEAKER BRIDGE BUILDER, REDEEMER OF THE MASSES
By: Our Reporter
Lagos politician, Oladipo Jaji, on Saturday described the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila as the champion of the people’s cause and bridge between all divides.
‘’Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila is kind, upright, conscientious and deeply religious’’
He also described the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu as a resourceful and persistent organizer.
Jaji in a statement in Surulere commended the former Speaker of the House of Representatives for his brilliant dramatization of politics as the medium of empowerment, development, education and leadership.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain applauded Sanwo Olu for handling development issues in Lagos State with general skill and efficiency.
The gender conscious governor was also praised for sustaining peace, developing a new moral climate and executing several projects across the state.
Jaji praised Gbajabiamila for carrying the load of the president’s office with calm, deepening grassroots democracy, giving a greater sense of security to the people, empowering the youths and enriching their knowledge to enable them garner necessary experiences for higher challenges.
‘’Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila unlocked new energies in the good people of Surulere. He also rekindled hope in other parts of Lagos State’’.
The dashing leader was applauded for standing up for the people, encouraging the women and stimulating the imagination of politicians in Lagos to new visions of things to be done.
Particularly, Jaji hailed Gbajabiamila for his deep sincerity, intellectual ability and dedication to public service.
The statement highlighted qualities of poise and endurance, integrity and honesty of purpose, loyalty and ardor.
It also emphasized Gbajabiamila’s largeness of vision and inexhaustible energy.
‘’I wish His Excellency, Governor Babatunde Sanwo-Olu and Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila robust health, much joy and unlimited strength’’ the statement added.
JAJI LAUDS SANWO-OLU, GBAJABIAMILA
National News
At Launch Of Ethiopia’s GLI, VP Shettima Urges Practical Action Against Climate Change
At Launch Of Ethiopia’s GLI, VP Shettima Urges Practical Action Against Climate Change
** Says Nigeria, Ethiopia have the largest stake in Africa’s future by keeping continent green
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on nations of the world to be decisive about combating climate change, saying it is a danger that must be arrested with practical actions.
According to him, while the global threat is not one that can be resolved in a conference room, it requires each country to respond to the peculiarities of the ecological burdens confronting them.
The Nigerian Vice President, who stated this on Friday during the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative (GLI), in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, said he was delighted to share in the joy of Ethiopia’s resolve to confront the threat posed by climate change “with clarity, courage, and conviction.”
The Ethiopian Green Legacy Programme, which is designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
Senator Shettima, who is in the East African country for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, implored nations to enhance their climate plans by doubling their adaptation and mitigation efforts.
He said, “We have long accepted that climate change is not a problem to be solved in a conference room; it is a danger we must arrest with practical actions, with each nation rising to the occasion by responding to the peculiarities of the ecological burdens they face.
“Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative is one such response. It is an inspiring blueprint to reimagine the future. The promise of GLI is the dream of every nation. It is a lesson in vision, in purpose, and in audacity. For those of us who have followed this programme, the numbers are staggering, but the impact is even more compelling.
“To plant 20 billion seedlings within four years, to establish over 20,000 nurseries, and to create hundreds of thousands of green jobs is to show that the future is something we must plant, nurture, and build.”
VP Shettima noted that he was not in Ethiopia to only share in the country’s joy and exchange ideas but to also convey what he described as the deep and abiding solidarity of his boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the people of Nigeria.
Applauding those who made the Green Legacy Initiative a reality, he assured Ethiopia of Nigeria’s unflinching support, adding that both countries have the largest stake in Africa’s future.
“Ethiopia and Nigeria are the two most populous countries in Africa. This distinction is not just statistical; it is existential. It means we have the largest stake in Africa’s future. It means that more of our people are exposed to the peril of climate change, and it also means that we face the highest cost of inaction.
“This is why we are not mere spectators in this fight. We are partners. We are participants. And we are prepared to play our part to keep Africa green,” the Vice President pledged, just as he said it is the promise Nigeria and other nations have been making at the Conferences of the Parties (COP) every year.
“It is the pledge we renewed at the last COP in Azerbaijan. And today, we gather not only to stand by this promise but to celebrate the path Ethiopia has illuminated for the world,” he added.
Senator Shettima thanked the government and people of Ethiopia for the warmth and generosity extended to him and other members of the Nigerian delegation.
He said they felt at home, “not just because of the hospitality shown to them, but because the launch of the Green Legacy Programme resonates with the aspirations “to leave behind a planet fit for the dreams of generations to come.
In his address at the event, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on African countries to make the Green Legacy a culture, adding that Ethiopia was proud of Nigeria and its bold move to embrace the green initiative.
The Prime Minister called for partnership across African countries, stating that it was time to place less emphasis on foreign aid and begin to focus more on indigenous and home-grown domestic ideas and visions.
“This year’s Green Legacy is to rise by planting, and it is in consonance with our plan to shock the world with our Green Legacy vision. We never received any aid when we set out to achieve our 20 billion tree planting initiative.
“We thank Nigeria for supporting and accepting this initiative. With its population and growing economy, we are sure that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as exemplified by the esteemed presence of Vice President Kashim Shettima, will go a long way in raising the awareness and collaborative effort needed amongst African countries,” the Prime Minister said.
He further expressed optimism that with Ethiopia’s hosting of the forthcoming United Nations summit on Climate Change, the stage is set for all hands to be on deck to achieve one of Ethiopia’s biggest green revolution plans.
Earlier in the day, Vice President Shettima was guided through Ethiopia’s Unity Park, Science Museum, and the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum, which showcase Ethiopia’s historic and transformative trajectory.
At Launch Of Ethiopia’s GLI, VP Shettima Urges Practical Action Against Climate Change
VP Shettima Arrives For Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme Launch
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived at the venue for the official launch of Ethiopia’s flagship Green Legacy Programme in Addis Ababa.
The project is part of Nigeria’s commitment to regional and continental collaboration on climate action and aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritizes environmental sustainability, food security, and green economic growth.
VP Shettima is in the company of the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed.
The Vice President, who is on an official state visit to Ethiopia, will participate in the launch ceremony of the environmental initiative aimed at combating deforestation and mitigating climate change effects.
The Green Legacy Programme targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period to enhance biodiversity and address environmental challenges across Ethiopia.
This initiative aligns with Nigeria’s existing endeavours in afforestation and reforestation, such as the Great Green Wall project, which focuses on restoring damaged environments, combating desertification, and fostering climate resilience throughout the Sahel region.
VP Shettima Arrives For Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme Launch
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