A non -partisan forum of patriotic Nigerians, N-Katalyst has called on Nigeria to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2013 scheduled to hold in Sri Lanka.
A statement signed by Dr Jibrin Ibrahim and Boma Ozobia for N-Katalyst called on Nigeria to among others “Boycott the CHOGM currently scheduled to hold in Colombo, Sri Lanka in November 2013, unless the Sri Lanka government reinstates Dr. Shirani Bandaranayke as Chief Justice of Sri Lanka.”
The group said ,“various credible reports detailing the abuse of process in the impeachment proceedings against the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayke and notes in particular the report conducted for the Bar Human Rights Commission of England and Wales.”
N-Katalyst also said, “that the various reports have reached a similar conclusion namely that the Chief Justice was removed in breach of the guarantee of judicial independence, which Sri Lanka is bound to uphold under international law and as a member of the Commonwealth.”
The group also urged Nigeria to “Recommend the immediate suspension of Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth until such time as the Chief Justice is reinstated to the CMAG”.
In addition, Nigeria has been called upon to “recommend the relocation of the November 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting away from Colombo or a downgrade of representation to ministerial level.”
N-KATALYST STATEMENT
N-katalyst is a non partisan forum of patriotic Nigerians drawn from across different sectors and backgrounds, with a deep commitment to the promotion of Nigerian unity, actualization of progressive change in the polity, promotion of justice in the social, political and economic spheres, and respect for human rights and the rule of law.
N-katalyst:
Notes that Sri Lanka is scheduled to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2013 and the Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma was recently in Nigeria to discuss the agenda for this meeting with the Government of Nigeria.
Notes the various credible reports detailing the abuse of process in the impeachment proceedings against the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayke and notes in particular the report conducted for the Bar Human Rights Commission of England and Wales.
Notes that the various reports have reached a similar conclusion namely that the Chief Justice was removed in breach of the guarantee of judicial independence, which Sri Lanka is bound to uphold under international law and as a member of the Commonwealth.
Recalls that the Commonwealth Heads of Government adopted the Commonwealth (House) Principles on the Separation of Powers and Independence of the Judiciary here in Nigeria in 2003. By virtue of its membership of the Commonwealth, Sri Lanka is committed to these principles, which provides that, “Judges should be subject to suspension or removal only for reasons of incapacity or misbehaviour that clearly renders them unfit to discharge their duties.”
Notes further that the Sri Lanka government still has serious questions to answer concerning the manner it prosecuted the last stages of the war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in 2009, which involved the death of an estimated 40,000 Tamil civilians, and that on March 22, 2012, the United Nations Human Rights Council had passed a resolution criticizing the Sri Lankan government for “not adequately address[ing] the serious allegations of violations of international law” in connection with that war.
Recalls further that at the first Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting in December 1995, following its creation in November 1995, its primary focus was on the political situation in Nigeria at the time and its first official action was to endorse the CHOGM suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth imposed in November 1995 and lifted only lifted in May 1999 following Nigeria’s return to democracy.
Therefore calls on the government of Nigeria to:
1. Recommend the immediate suspension of Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth until such time as the Chief Justice is reinstated to the CMAG.
2. Recommend the relocation of the November 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting away from Colombo or a downgrade of representation to ministerial level.
3. Boycott the CHOGM currently scheduled to hold in Colombo, Sri Lanka in November 2013, unless the Sri Lanka government reinstates Dr. Shirani Bandaranayke as Chief Justice of Sri Lanka.
Signed:
Dr Jibrin Ibrahim
Boma Ozobia
For N-Katalyst.
