PILIWA NIGERIA HOLDS INAUGURAL MEETING.

Public Interest Lawyering Initiative of West Africa (PILIWA) has held its Inaugural Meeting in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.

Barr. Chima Williams in his remarks said that he was delighted to welcome all participants to the ancient city of Benin where the Oba is the real king. He reiterated that the gathering was that of familiar faces that have been working together for many years. He went on to say that it was no accident that PILIWA was taking off in Nigeria because Nigeria has always been big brother to other African Countries.

He told the participants that  the first thing that  PILIWA did was to identify those lawyers, whether Law teachers, Practicing lawyers, older and younger ones and even those in politics that have public interest, passion and the zeal to support those community indigenes and people who may not be capable of paying lawyer's fees for their services and who may not be able to find credible lawyers to handle their cases without compromising to take bigger amount of money from opponents.

Barr. Chima itemized the focus on forming PILIWA as; to become one big family, create opportunities to interact with lawyers from other countries, to carry out research among lawyers for better understanding, to offer young lawyers mentorship as much as possible to give them foreign tools, to introduce public interest coalition business in local content etc.

He emphasized that all participants in the Meeting were foundation members of PILIWA Nigeria who would work together to actualize the PILIWA Nigeria Mission and Vision and also work together for public interest litigation especially as it has to do with protection and preservation of citizen's Rights like Environmental Rights, Human Rights, Livelihood Rights and all the Rights needed to be covered would be taken care.
According to him, " PILIWA  does not just win cases in the four walls of the Courts. That is why we bring everybody together, experts from other fields like the Medical Doctors, Engineers, Laboratory Scientists, Community leaders, Youth Organizations and the Media to give clearer pictures on the issues that PILIWA will want to challenge or contend. Therefore, PILIWA is not restricted to lawyers only".

He emphasized that  the Media plays a sort of balance to support PILIWA. He said that the Media  helps in amplifying  cases that are public in nature when  taken to Court by  PILIWA and when that is done, everybody involved in the case would be on his or her toe. 

Jonathan Kaufman, the Regional Host of PILIWA, gave the background of PILIWA.
  According to him, "PILIWA was launched in 2016. It comprised old and young lawyers. PILIWA is in about nine  African Countries including Sierra Leone, Cote d' Ivoire, , Mali, Ghana, Egypt,  Niger, Senegal and Nigeria".
On Research, Recovery and Evidence gathering, Kaufman said that it has  been challenging because the sued Company normally have the information needed to prosecute the case and as a result, such company would never make the information available. He went further to say that inspite of the shortcomings, lawyers in some countries like Sierra Leone and London have been of tremendous help in information gathering. He also acknowledged Consultants, Citizens and Journalists as means of information gathering.
He hinted that Nigeria as a large Country would not have National body only, but would be spread accross the Country to have meaningful impact.

In his contribution, Mohammed Ndayako, Seniour Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) advised members of PILIWA not to allow their claims to be frivolous because that would put them in a situation where they might not be trusted.

At the end of the deliberations, PILIWA Nigeria was formally inaugurated by the Regional Host, Jonathan Kaufman as follows;
Barr. Chima Williams - Coordinator/Country Focal Point
Mohammed Ndayako (SAN) - Legal Adviser
Kalu Emmanuel Chisom - South East Coordinator
Courage Nsirimovu - South South Coordinator
Redzi Jugo - North Central Coordinator
Igbuan P. Ilofuan - Edo State Coordinator
Okparaulu C. Chris - Rivers State Coordinator
Kemefa Francis Opusigi - Bayelsa State Coordinator.
L- R: Jonathan Kaufman (Regional Host) in a group photograph with the inaugurated members, Joseph Alegu, Redzi Jugo, Chima Williams, Mohammed Ndayako, Kalu Emmanuel Chisom and Courage Coordinator.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

APC, NOT A REHABILITATION CENTRE - OSHIOMHOLE

Image
The former Governor of Edo State, who was also the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and now the Distinguished Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate, Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole has declared that the All Progressives Congress, APC is not a Rehabilitation Centre where recancitrant people especially politicians are harboured. He made this declaration when he paid condolence visit to the family of late Esongban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri. On his way out, Journalists asked him for his reaction  to the political feud between the Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu. The Distinguished Senator Comrade Oshiomhole said that he would not have loved to talk about it because it was a mourning period as a result of the home call of Chief David Edebiri whom he referred to as his father.  In his response, he said that all Edo State needed was peace. According to him,  "I read
Read more

ELECTORAL DIALOGUE ON GAS FLARED PENALTIES HOLDS IN BENIN.

Image
A One-day Electoral Dialogue on Gas Flare Penalties had held in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Welcoming Participants who were drawn from Communities affected by gas flare, the Civil Society Organizations and the Media, Barr. Chima Williams, the Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) told them that Benin City is unique in the Campaigns to end gas flaring in Nigeria because according to him, "the first case ever filed in any Nigeria Court to demand for an end to gas flaring was at the Federal Court here in Benin City, in the case of Jonah vs Shell. That judgement was given on the 14th of November, 2005, exactly 10 years, 4 days after the  State murder of Late Ken Saro Wiwa". L-R: Barr. Everest Nwankwo, Prince Barbs Preye Pawuru, Hon. Asonsere, Leftist Omobude Agho and Barr. Chima Williams (Members of Panelists) He said that that judgement though still in the Court of Appeal formed the bedrock for the campaigns to
Read more

100 DAYS IN OFFICE: ALENKHE MATCHING WORDS WITH ACTION

Image
By Francis Akhigbe During his campaigns to be the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Comrade Festus Alenkhe assured Journalists in Edo State of his determination to reposition the Union and restore the dignity and integrity as the 4th Estate of the realm. He termed his Mission as" Fresh Breath for Edo NUJ. He rolled out  20 items as his Programme of Action, namely; (a) Free Internet Service which he promised to provide within 72 hours on assumption of office as the Chairman of NUJ. (b) Training of Journalists (c) Provision of Functional E- Library (d) Protection of Journalists (e) Maintenance of the Toilet        Facilities in the Press Center. (f) Compendium of all Journalists in       Edo State Council (e) Facelift of the NUJ Press Center (f) Comprehensive Health Care for        Journalists (g) Insurance Scheme for        Journalists   (h) Patnership with Government,                 Private and Corporate                        Inst
Read more