The Senate on Tuesday directed the Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Foreign Affairs to investigate allegations of ill treatment and other xenophobic attacks on Nigerian Judges and other legal personnel serving in The Gambia.
The Senate’s decision was sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator David Umaru, who called the attention of the Federal Government to the alleged ill treatment of one Richard N. Chenge.
Umar said while serving under the Bilateral Cooperation Agreement as the Director of Public Prosecution in The Gambia, Chenge was declared persona non grata and ordered to leave the country with 72 hours.
He informed the lawmakers that some of the judges and other legal personnel who served in the Gambian Judiciary and Ministry of Justice have been complaining of ill treatment, hatred and xenophobic treatment.
Enumerating what Nigerian judges and legal personnel are subjected to, Umaru stated: “Refusal to provide working facilities to enable them discharge their official functions effectively and underpayment of salaries and in some cases refusal to pay same as and when due.
“Refusal to provide accommodation to judicial officers seconded to The Gambia from Nigeria, eviction of some with members of their families from their rented or hotel accommodation without alternative accommodation provided.
“Arbitrary removal or dismissal from office without reasonable cause and without recourse to the neither the bilateral agreement nor the Gambia Judicial Service Commission.
“Deliberate and unfair exclusion of Nigerian Judicial officers seconded to the Gambia from foreign training programmes.
“Constant harassment, threat of deportation and regular issuance of short notice to Nigerian officers to leave The Gambia for delivering judgement against government of The Gambia and official intimidation, taunting and labelling Nigerian Judicial officers seconded to the Gambia as ‘incompetent’ or ‘mercenaries’ who are working against the interest of the Gambia, etc.”
The Senate in its resolution mandated its Standing committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Foreign Affairs to investigate the status of the Bilateral Cooperation Agreement between Nigeria and The Gambia and make appropriate recommendations.