Writing in the Nigerian national daily, ThisDay, head of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association Boma Ozobia has argued for Nigeria to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka later this year.

See extracts below:

The 5th and Current Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Kamalesh Sharma is visiting Nigeria at about this time and as is this case with these visits, various matters of mutual concern will be tabled for discussion between the government of Nigeria and the visiting dignitary. I trust the current situation in Sri Lanka will be top of the agenda. I trust also that the Secretary General will be urging Nigeria through its government to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) due to take place in November in Colombo, Sri Lanka except the Sri Lankan government retraces its steps and reinstates the Chief Justice of that Commonwealth nation immediately or in any case before the CHOGM.

We complain about impunity in this Country, but never in the history of Nigeria, even in the dark days of military dictatorship have we experienced what the good people of Sri Lanka are currently being subjected to, certainly, no government of Nigeria would attempt such a blatant and ‘in your face’ disregard for the rule of law.

We cannot ignore it and pretend [the impeachment of the chief justice] did not happen, if at all Nigeria is represented at the CHOGM in Sri Lanka it should be solely because we went there to deliver this message to President Rajapakse and family that, ‘this blatant disregard for the principles of separation of powers between the three arms of government and attack at the fundamental principles of the rule of law must stop forthwith.’

See here for full opinion.