ECOWAS Swears In Five Judges As Faye Demands Justice The Public Can Trust
The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has sworn in five new judges, with ECOWAS Chairman and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye urging them to strengthen public confidence in regional justice through impartial and credible decisions.
The judges, Désiré Henri Aihou of Benin, Justice Awa Bah of The Gambia, Charlyne M. Brumskine of Liberia, Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu of Nigeria and Yaouza Ouro-Sama of Togo, took their oath on Tuesday at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja.
Faye said the new judges were assuming office at a critical time for West Africa, marked by political, economic, security and environmental challenges.
He charged them to uphold the rule of law, protect citizens’ rights and resist pressure from any quarter when deciding cases.
“The credibility of the Court” would depend on the quality of its decisions and the trust they generate among citizens, he said.
ECOWAS Commission President, General Birame Diop, described the ceremony as a commitment by the judges to citizens and to a common regional legal order.
He said the Court had become one of ECOWAS’ most accessible institutions because individuals can approach it over alleged violations of their rights.
Diop also said work is underway on a possible Appellate Chamber for the Court and urged member states to implement its decisions effectively.
The five judges will serve four-year, non-renewable terms and are expected to elect a President and Vice-President from among themselves for two years.
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