The ECOWAS Court of Justice has ruled in favor of a former commissioner who was removed from his post early. The court awarded Prof. Nazifi Darma 50,000 dollars in damages over the dismissal. Judges found that his removal before the end of his tenure was not lawful. Beyond the damages, the court ordered that he receive back pay for the remainder of the term he should have served. That means the judgment covers both a lump sum and the salary he lost out on. Darma brought the case against his dismissal and the regional court sided with him. The decision confirms that cutting an official's tenure short carries a financial cost for the institution responsible.