A Yenagoa based Lawyer, Ebi Robert has reacted to a press statement released by the Nigerian Coalition for the International Criminal Court in commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Rome Statute, urging the coalition to change the narrative. According to him, he sees no reason why Nigeria and other African countries will be righteously playing the ”good brother role” when those who are to live by example have failed in doing that. ”I am not against the fight against crimes against humanity. In fact, I believe in the principles of Humanitarian Law. But what I dislike is the attitude of Nigeria and other African countries trying to play the ”good brother role” all the time, when those who are to live by example have failed in doing the needful. ”I see no reason why a country like the United States of America will refuse signing the Treaty, while other African countries are always the first to sign and ratify such Treaties. America should live by example,” he said. Speaking further, he said that US Defense Secretary under Bush Administration Donald Rumsfeld, had once said that US had a number of serious objections to the International Criminal Court, such as the fact that there is a lack of adequate checks and balances on powers of the Court’s prosecutor and judges; the dilution of the U.N. Security Council’s authority over international criminal prosecutions; and the lack of any effective mechanism to prevent politicized prosecutions of American service members and officials. According to him, these are simply excuses given by the US so that they can easily perpetrate whatsoever wrong they feel should be perpetrated. ”The excuse given by the US does not go down well with me. They signed the Treaty and later withdrew after failing to ratify same. This same US has also failed to fully ratify the Kyoto Proto and it is on record that US is a major emitter of green house gases. ”US is not the only major country that has failed in signing the Treaty. China is one of such, including India, Russia and Indonesia,” he added. He therefore urged the coalition to channel their effort into strengthening the African Union to change the narrative. ”My charge is simple: Change the narrative. Africa should have her own International criminal Court. Enough of all this hypocrisy of the big powers. ”The 20th Anniversary celebration of the Rome Statute to me is not worth celebrating until those who are to live by example do the needful. The fight against crimes against Humanity can still be fought in another way. I know that Treaties are agreements not forced on state parties because of state sovereignty, but the truth is that a convention like the Rome Statute is too big to be placed on the back of an ant,” he said.]]>

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