Chief Ogwu Onoja SAN today unveiled the long awaited Book : Fundamental Rights (Enforcement
Procedure) Rules, 2009
At the unveiling, hold at the Bar and Bench event Centre, Chief Ogwu Onoja SAN Road, Wuye Abuja,
The activity commended by 10 a.m.,have the Executive Govenor of Rivers state, Governor Nyeson Wike represented by The Attorney General of Rivers State
According to the Book reviewer, the two books explore the subject matter of Rules of law, Fundamental Rights and its various learnings, a subject that has
bedevilled Nigeria and the root cause of constitutional conflicts in the country, attempting to shed light on its former CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen said Democracy is doom without strict adherence to the Rules of Law, also on the roll call are also some respected Judges which include
- Hon justice hussein Yusuf FCT High Court
- Charles omakieno
- Stephen jona adah court of appeal
4.Engl J. O Mauoju - Hon justice J.J Tsho
- Hon justice W.S.N. Oneghen.
- Hon Justice Ekwo
- Hon Justice Maha
Among the respected silk present are : -
Bar Dayo Akpata SAN
- Prof Z. Ada Go. SAN
- Prof O.I Amucheaz SAN
- Tunde Babalola SAN
- Chief Kanu Agabi SAN
- Chief Godwin Obk SAN
- Sir Steve Ada SAN
- Chief Chris Uche SAN
- Patrick Okolo SAN
- Funmi Oudari SAN
11.J. U. K Igwe SAN -
Adegboyega Awomolo SAN .
-
Abdulahi Haruna SAN
The Unedited Speech of the author, Chief Ogwu Onoja SAN
I am exceedingly happy and full of immense gratitude to God for making this day a reality. The book: Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009 ‘Practice, Procedure, Forms and Precedents’ is a project I conceived in 2009, the very year it was enacted by the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, His Lordship, Honourable Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, GCON (of blessed memory) pursuant to his powers under the provision of Section 46 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). All these years, I had in my possession, and had cause to continuously review, the manuscript that birthed this book. The book being unveiled today is nothing but “a miracle” child conceived and birthed in crisis of covid-19 pandemic and my health challenges of 2020. The unveiling of this book today is nothing more than a testimony to the fact that God indeed is the Master of all things and will see to their accomplishments at His own time and place.
Fundamental rights are the sets of rights that have been recognized by the
laws and constitutions of nations. These rights are deemed sacrosanct and
are associated with a high degree of protection against the invasive tactics of
agents of states and individuals. Part IV (sections 33-44) of the Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) clearly stated these
inviolable rights. These rights which are enforceable by the courts pursuant
to their judicial powers under section 6(6) of the 1999 Constitution, ordinarily
will be mere wishes of the legislators, if there were no mechanism for their
enforcement by the courts. The enactment of the FREP Rules, 2009 by the
Chief Justice of Nigeria, (a clear improvement over the abrogated 1979 FREP
Rules), became necessary to provide a simplified format for enforcing the
rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
One of the overriding objectives of FREP Rules, 2009 is to simplify the process of human rights enforcement before our Courts and to address the issues of urgency and the required speed in ameliorating rights violations. The book being unveiled today, has laid bare the provisions of the FREP Rules, 2009
analysing same, order by order, and chapter by chapter supported by case
laws in deserving situations. This publication therefore, is to create
awareness and advance the cause of fundamental rights proceedings in our
courts. It generously serves as a useful compass to Judges and Justices of our
Superior Courts and lawyers who are every day actors in fundamental rights cases.
The book is divided into two indispensable volumes as a reader will not get
satisfaction from reading a volume of the book without going through the
other. For ease of appreciation, some selected unreported decisions of
judges of the various High Courts have been provided in the book to aid
lawyers, researchers and litigants in fundamental rights proceedings. This is
to showcase some of the brave decisions of Judges of the Federal and State
High Courts and National Industrial Court as Courts of first instance in FREP
litigations.
This book, with all modesty, is a continuation of our legal dissertation of the
various Rules of Courts in Nigeria. It is a humble attempt at exposing the study
and analysis of the provisions of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement
Procedure) Rules, 2009 as an indispensable piece of legislation for legal
practitioners, judges, public litigation interest groups, the academia and
researchers with interest in the practice and procedure applicable under the
fundamental rights enforcement.
May I express my deepest appreciation to my noble lords present here today
starting with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Dr. Ibrahim
Tanko Muhammad, CFR, who spared his time to write the foreword to this
book, and the former Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Honourable Justice John Tsoho, President of the National Industrial Court,
Honourable Justice B. B. Kanyip and the Chief Judge of FCT High Court,
Honourable Justice Salisu Garba other justices, my learned brother silks, my
colleagues in the outer bar, our amiable book reviewer, members of the
editorial board, staff of O. J. Onoja, SAN & Associates, Bar and Bench
Publishers, friends and well wishers, those who have joined us on various
platforms and the general public for making this occasion memorable. You
have all made this huge sacrifice out of your tight schedules and it is my prayer
that God rewards you accordingly.