A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, has sentenced the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali-Baba, to three-month imprisonment.

The IGP was sentenced over his alleged refusal to obey a sister court judgement reinstating a police officer, Patrick Okoli, who was compulsorily retired back to work.

Justice Bolaji Olajuwon, in a ruling on the contempt proceedings filed by Okoli’s lawyer, Arinze Egbo, also warned Alkali-Baba against non-compliance with the earlier court judgement.

Justice Olajuwon warned that if the IGP failed to purge himself of the contempt, he shall be liable to another three months jail term.

By

Ayobami Adedeji Society 2022-11-29

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola says Nigerians, especially the political class are the most litigious people on earth putting the judiciary under a lot of pressure.

Justice Ariwoola made the assertion on Monday in Abuja at the special session of the Supreme Court held to mark the begining of the 2022/2023 legal year and the swearing-in of 62 newly conferred Senior Advocates of Nigeria, (SAN).

According to the CJN, in every little disagreement, we rush to court and in every lost case, we rush to appeal even up to the Supreme Court, no matter how little the issue might be.

“That has obviously accounted for the several appeals pending in Supreme Court.

“Though we receive scathing criticisms from members of the public over our over-blotted docket, we are neither in any position to regulate case inflow to the court nor have the supernatural powers to attend to all in one-fell-swoop.

“We have said it repeatedly that ordinarily, most appeals should be allowed to end at the Court of Appeal, but such constitutional provision is yet to be enacted so we have no blame in it.”

He said it was expedient for an amendment of the constitution to stop interlocutory appeals from coming to the Supreme Court and that such appeals should end at the Court of Appeal.

He explained that Nigeria had various alternative dispute resolution mechanisms across the country that could conveniently be leveraged on, with a view to freeing the courts of the incessant case-overload.

The CJN said that during the 2021/2022 legal year alone, the apex court entertained a total of 1,764 cases, comprising of motions and appeals.

Out of the figure, he said the justices of the court heard 816 Civil, 370 Criminal and 16 Political matters, making a total of 1,202 motions.

He further said, the court considered a total number of 562 appeals, comprising of 341 Civil, 186 Criminal, and 35 Political. A total number of 154 judgments were delivered in the year.

“Our pending (backlog) civil appeals are 4,741 while the number of pending (backlog) criminal appeals is 1,392.

“On the other hand, we have 751 moribund appeals for disposal. That brings the total number of pending (backlog) appeals in this court to 6,884.

“Out of the 4,741 appeals in the court’s docket, 1,495 have briefs filed and exchanged and are ready for hearing; whereas, the remaining 3,246 appeals are having about 10,000 motions, with some contentious and others innocuous in nature.

“As for the pending 1,392 Criminal Appeals, 461 already had briefs filed and exchanged and are ready for hearing. The remaining 931 appeals have about 2,000 different motions for hearing to determine their eligibility for hearing.

“However, the identified 751 moribund appeals are to be disposed of for non-compliance with the Supreme Court Rules, i.e. Order 8 Rule 8”, he said.

Justice Ariwoola said that the court had between Oct. 2021 and Sept. 2022, made a total of 3, 563 convictions.

“Available facts on judicial activities in various jurisdictions across the globe still emphatically confirmed that the Supreme Court of Nigeria remains the busiest and most hardworking Supreme Court in the world.

“It is on record that we work from Monday to Friday every week. We conduct sittings on daily basis. It is only on Wednesdays that we do Chamber sitting to consider non-contentious matters. On Fridays, we deliver judgments and rulings.

“I We are humans and equally have blood running through our veins; if no one praises us, we have the inalienable right and obligation to praise and eulogise ourselves,” the CJN said.

The CJN reiterated that contrary to speculation from some quarters, the Nigerian judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, has strived to remain independent and withstand external influence.

“The Nigerian Judiciary, to a very large extent, is independent in conducting its affairs and taking decisions on matters before it without any extraneous influence.

“At the Supreme Court, without mincing words, we are completely independent in the way and manner we conduct our affairs, especially in our judgments.

“We don’t pander to the whims and caprices of anybody. If there is anybody to be feared, I must say with full confidence, that it is only the Almighty God. We will never be subservient to anyone, no matter his position or influence in the society.’”

He, however, expressed concerns that with regards to financing, the Nigerian judiciary could not be said to be completely independent.

“Nevertheless, I will make it clear to whoever that cares to listen that when the Nigerian Judiciary is assessed from the financial aspect, we are yet to be free or truly independent.

“The annual budget of the Judiciary is still a far cry from what it ought to be. The figure is either stagnated for a long period of time or it goes on a progressive decline when placed side-by-side with the current realities in the market.

“Prices of goods and services are not getting less or friendly to buyers; while at the same time, our purchasing power is abysmally low and weak enough to transmit on the same wavelength with the market forces.

For his part, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, (SAN), said he was optimistic that the recent approval for the increase in the salaries and allowances of judges would boost their moral.

“I like to place on record that since inception, this administration, in line with its commitment to promoting the rule of law, has accorded top priority to the funding of the judiciary.

“As a result, we have ensured a progressive budgetary allocation to the judiciary which has seen an increase from N73 billion in 2015 to over N130 billion in 2022 and a further increase of N150 billion has been proposed for 2023.

“In addition to the foregoing, we have provided special intervention when the need arises, particularly, in meeting the huge cost of running election tribunals”,Malami said.

He said the collective efforts of the judiciary was needed to attain desired levels of good governance and development.

“Since law and development are interwoven, then positive changes in the judiciary will by necessary implication serve as precipitating factors for the much-needed developments in our national polity.

“We continue to solicit the support and cooperation of the judiciary in this regard”, he said.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman, Body of Benchers, Mr Wole Olanipekun (SAN) corroborated what the CJN said adding that it would be a relief if some political cases do not end up in court.

Recall that dignitaries including the governors of Kogi, Ondo, Gombe and Plateau as well as some minister attending the event.

By

Ayobami Adedeji Society 2022-11-29

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is set to embark on a one-day nationwide protest rally over the implementation by the Federal Government of a “no-work, no-pay” policy for lecturers in the country.

The protest will be organised at the branch level of the union across public university campuses nationwide and it will take place as a free-lecture day for all lecturers who are members.

The chairman of ASUU, University of Lagos (UNILAG) branch, Dr. Dele Ashiru,told newsmen on Sunday.

According to him, every university where ASUU has members has been directed to choose a day within the week to hold a special congress and also go on protest rally within their campuses.

He said UNILAG-ASUU had fixed Tuesday, November 15, for its own rally.He said the aim of the protest rally is simply to draw the attention of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora to ASUU’s strong dissatisfaction of the Federal Government’s attempt at casualisation of the academics in the country by using ‘no-work, no-pay policy’ to remunerate them.

He insisted that university lecturers are intellectuals and professionals and cannot, therefore, be treated like casual workers.Ashiru pointed out that just as other lecturers in other branches of ASUU would do, all members of ASUU, UNILAG branch, are also expected to attend the congress and participate fully in the protest rally.

He said casualisation of academics, who are intellectuals by any reason is totally alien to the academic system anywhere globally.

According to him, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, wants to prove that he knows more than every other person in the world but we will show him that his attempt to cage the lecturers, particularly from engaging in unionism would never come to pass as far as Nigeria is concerned.

By

Ayobami Adedeji Society 2022-11-14

Two persons were on Thursday burnt to death, three injured while 12 vehicles were also affected in an early morning tanker explosion at the Ilo Awela area of Sango Tollgate on the Lagos -Abeokuta expressway.

Mrs. Florence Okpe, the Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun confirmed the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta.

“FRSC carried out a rescue operation at about 1:30 am Thursday involving a Tanker laden with PMS while ascending Ilo Awela slope adjoining Abeokuta– Lagos section of the expressway, fell and went into flame”.

“Men of the fire service were contacted immediately and the area was cordoned to prevent secondary crash”.

“As at 4: 05 am, a total of 12 vehicles were involved. They comprised of three luxurious buses, four tricycles, three motorcycles, one yellow bus, and a tanker”.

“A total of three persons were rescued to Ota General hospital; two male adult and only female adult seriously burnt”.

“Two bodies burnt beyond recognition have been evacuated from the scene,” she said.

She added that “the suspected cause of the multiple crashes was mechanical deficiency”.

By

Ayobami Adedeji Society 2022-10-06

The memory of Professor Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, came alive as Zenith Bank Plc named the iconic building housing its Unilag Branch and the University of Lagos (Unilag) Alumni in his honour on Friday, November 25, 2022.
In his opening remarks at the commissioning ceremony, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc and Chairman of the Body of Banks& CEOs in Nigeria, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, lauded the Founder and Chairman of the bank, Jim Ovia, CFR, for being physically present at the commissioning of the building to honour the memory of his late friend, Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, who served on the board of Zenith Bank as a Non-Executive Director, and for his passion for youth education and digital learning. He noted the remarkable and continued commitment of Jim Ovia, CFR, to education and youth development in Nigeria, especially through the setting up of James Hope College, a co-educational institution which offers a combination of British and Nigerian curricula, and the James Hope University, which is billed to commence academic activities next year. He also extolled his philanthropy through the setting up of the Jim Ovia Foundation and Mankind United in Total Support for Education Initiative, which has awarded scholarships and produced over 1500 graduates from among indigent people who would not have had the benefit of having a university education. Onyeagwu also recalled how the bank’s partnership with the University of Lagos began in 2001 with the donation of the first ICT centre, when the Founder and Chairman was the Group Managing Director/ CEO of the bank. According to him,'Today, Zenith Bank has built not less than 15 ICT centres in various tertiary institutions and cities all over the country. And I just want to say that no single institution or individual has been able to accomplish what we have done in that respect. And this is a demonstration of the passion our Founder and Chairman has, not just for education, but also for digital learning and computer literacy. This is in addition to several other support to the university, including the institution of Academic Excellence Awards in 2001, where the best graduating students from selected departments – Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Economics and Accounting, receive awards with financial rewards (currently NGN500,000) and employment opportunity, and the donation of 3,500 tablets to enable indigent students of the university to learn online effectively in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic”. Onyeagwu noted that the building is a strong statement of Zenith Bank’s sustainability initiatives as a signatory to several global sustainability frameworks including the United Nations Principles for Responsible Banking, as it incorporates many of the elements that make a facility environmentally friendly and sustainable. Speaking at the commissioning of the iconic building, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel noted the huge contributions of Zenith Bank and, in particular, Jim Ovia, a man he described as a father, to the development of Nigeria. In his words,” when you see things being done consistently in the right way, there is always a man pointing in that direction. A lot of people ask me how come you are doing so much in public service; I say I come from a background where my mentor told me that
you don't report efforts, you don't give excuses, but you report results. So no matter the situation, even in the midst of an economic recession, in the midst of Covid, you should not stop development and performance. As far as you are from the Zenith family, you are expected to have that creativity and ideas that can make you produce results. In Zenith, we say only the paranoid survive. So I really want to appreciate what I am seeing here today”.
Whilst thanking the alumni association and the school authority for their collaborative efforts towards achieving capacity development, which he described as the bane of Nigerian society, he expressed his delight and honour to commission a building named after the revered Late Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, who touched and impacted so many people while he was alive.
In his address, the National President of Unilag Alumni Association, Dr. John Momoh, thanked the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank as well as the management of the bank for the magnificent building and Mrs. Sola Ibidapo-Obe for accepting the association’s request to name the building after her husband as a lasting legacy in his honour. He encouraged everyone to take good care of and maintain the building to serve the university community for years to come. In her remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, acknowledged the invaluable contributions of Zenith Bank to the development of the school, promising to work with the Alumni association to ensure that the facility serves not only the Alumni but also the entire students populace. She thanked the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia, for donating 3,500 tablets to the university, which ensured that students who could not afford laptops for e-learning during the covid-19 pandemic were not left behind. In her remarks, the wife of the Late Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, Mrs. Sola Ibidapo-Obe, thanked the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia, CFR, for immortalising her late husband with such a great edifice named after him. Recalling how close he was to her late husband, Mrs Ibidapo-Obe said: “You are my husband’s friend. Dr. Jim Ovia has demonstrated the love that does not die in his friendship with my beloved husband. When he fell ill, Dr. Jim Ovia was there from day one till the last moment. I could feel the way he felt. From then, I knew that he was a genuine friend. He tried his best to ensure my husband survived, but he did not”. The iconic building, which sits on a total site area of 950m 2 , was constructed by a team of world-class builders who had the mandate of delivering the best quality possible. The iconic  structure is a smart building that incorporates many of the elements that make a facility environmentally friendly and sustainable, including a grid-tie solar system that sustains
power load on solar and not on a generator or national grid, an inverter-driven VRF air conditioning system and motion sensor lighting to enhance energy efficiency, perforated

aluminium composite panels for natural lighting and ventilation, free Wi-Fi system to provide
internet access for students, fire management systems, including fire hydrant, smoke
detector, and fire alarm system, and a LED screen installed on the building for the
dissemination of information. The iconic building will house the Unilag Branch of Zenith
Bank Plc and the operations of Unilag Alumni. Of the total 1,665m 2 of floor area designated
for office use in the four-storey building, 585m 2 will be used by Unilag Alumni.

By

Ayobami Adedeji Society 2022-11-28

The Lagos State Police Command on Saturday said an autopsy conducted on the corpse of Ifeanyi Adeleke confirmed that the three-year-old died as a result of drowning.

The police also stated that two suspects arrested in connection with the tragic incident are still being quizzed.

“The two suspects are still with us. The autopsy has been concluded. The autopsy confirmed that he (Ifeanyi) died by drowning,” Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin told journalists on Saturday.

On whether the two principal suspects will be charged in court, the police spokesman said, “I don’t want to preempt that, the investigation is still ongoing.”

Hundeyin also debunked rumours that actress Eniola Badmus was arrested in connection with the case.

Reacting to the claims, Hundeyin said, “The story is false, nothing like that happened,” Hundeyin said.

By

Ayobami Adedeji Society 2022-11-06

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is reportedly set to hold an emergency meeting on its industrial strike on Wednesday.

An insider told TheCable that the outcome of the meeting would then be sent to the union’s national body, which is expected to have a meeting on Thursday during which a decision on the lingering strike would be made.

“They are planning to call it off very soon. All schools are planning to hold an emergency meeting tomorrow. They have called for it,” the source said.

“When they vote, they will send their decision to the national body. And by Thursday, the national body will meet, take a decision, and announce it.”

The source also added that Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, played a key role in the progress made with the federal government.

TheCable had reported how Gbajabiamila assured Nigerians that there would soon be information on the outcome of the meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on the strike.

The house of representatives had, in September, met with government officials on resolving the issues that led to the strike.

The source added that the federal government had also agreed to pay the backlog of the union’s salary arrears.

“The house of representatives speaker played a pivotal role in every progress made recently. IPPIS will still be used for now, but ASUU will meet with the accountant-general to discuss how they can factor their allowances into the salary,” the source said.

“The accumulated and unpaid allowances are part of the issue. The federal government has also agreed to pay the backlog of their salaries.”

Another source also confirmed the development to TheCable.

The source said the appeal court ruling that ordered the union to resume work immediately is part of the reasons ASUU is planning to put an end to the strike.

On October 7, the appeal court asked ASUU to obey the order of an industrial court which directed the suspension of the strike before seeking to appeal.

“There’s an emergency meeting of ASUU FUNAAB tomorrow for updates and then referendum,” the source said.

“Remember the appeal court ruling that we must call off the strike before our appeal can be heard? That’s why the union must call off the strike on or before October 17.“As part of the efforts to make ASUU call off the strike, the union continued their meeting with the speaker of the house of representatives yesterday.”

By

Ayobami Adedeji Society 2022-10-12

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria ordered the Academic Staff Union of Universities to go back to work.

The Federal Government in a suit before the court prayed for the order for ASUU to call off its seven months strike.

If you recall.the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, on behalf of the Federal Government had filed the matter before the court by way of referral to resolve the issue of the ongoing strike by ASUU.

Mr J.U.K Igwe, SAN, counsel to FG in his submission had informed the court that the application for the injunction was dated Sept. 12 and filed same date.

He added that the application was brought in pursuant to the rules of the NICN 2017 proceeding.

Igwe further stated that it was predicated on 11 ground, supported by 21 paragraph affidavit deposed to Mr Okechukwu Wampa, a Legal Adviser in the Ministry of Labour and Employment , attached with three exhibits and an undertaking as to damages deposed to by Wampa.

He also urged the court to grant the prayer sought and proceeded to adopt in its entirety and totality the written address, adding that the claimants had met all the requirements to enable the court grant the injunction

He cited that claimant’s action was not apprehensive and regarding damages, he said the lost time of seven months of the strike could not be regained.

He concluded  by saying that going by the provision of section 18 (1) (e) of the Trade Disputes Act 2004, that a worker should not embark on strike when a matter is already before the court,  urged  the court to grant the injunction.

Mr Femi Falana SAN, counsel to the defendant stated that he had  before the court a nine paragraph counter-affidavit filed on Sept. 16 deposed to by the president of ASUU

He further submitted that attached to the affidavit was eight exhibits accompanied by a written address and proceeded to adopt same as their argument in opposition to the interlocutory injunction.

Falana in addition argued that the minister lacked the power to order the court in the referral to direct ASUU to call off its strike.

He averred further that once a referral was before a court, no party could go outside of it.

Falana in his argument also pointed out that the claimants did not follow due process in part 1 of TDA 2004 that stipulated that only an individual has the right to approach the court as a trade union will first need to go to Industrial Arbitration Panel ( IAP), before coming to the court.

He said union can only approach the NICN to appeal the decision of IAP.

Falana also said that the letter that accompanied the referral had the name of the Attorney-General as a party in the suit, but that however, the application filed before the court was without the name.

He also said that the referral asking for accelerated hearing was not necessary as there was not urgency in the matter as the strike had lasted for seven months

He also submitted that the balance of convenience was not on the side of the claimants and that the conducts of the claimants in the prayer for the court to interpret the 2009 Agreement should be discountenanced.

He finally urged the court to dismiss the application or direct parties to the IAP.

(NAN)

By

Ayobami Adedeji Society 2022-09-21