NIMASA, MWUN Parley Over Pay For Sacked NNSL Seafarers

By

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December 7, 2023

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN have begun discussions on how to resolve the lingering issue of terminal benefits of Seafarers whose appointments were terminated due to the liquidation of the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line, NNSL.

The Director General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, and the Vice President of the Nigerian Labour Congress who is also the President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, jointly announced an agreement for physical verification of the affected seafarers/next of kin as the case may apply; the nature of appointment of all affected seafarers, and the exact amount due each beneficiary.

The NIMASA DG also assured the Union that theirposition will be communicated to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, to ensure Government takes all necessary actions to bring to a conclusion, the issue of NNSL.

“The issue of industrial harmony in the maritime sector is of uttermost interest to our administration at NIMASA. We have been at this for a while. NIMASA had offered 100 million naira as settlement, which the Union declined. We have also discovered that some of those demanding settlement did not even have any employment letter. We will follow the lead from our supervising Ministry and ensure the physical verification exercise is brought to a logical conclusion. Our Honorable Minister will be duly updated by the Agency. I look forward to closing this issue in months to come”, the DG said.

On his part, the President General, Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Comrade Adeyanju restated the commitment of the Union to peaceful resolution of disputes; to ensure the rights and privileges of workers are well protected, without disrupting productivity in the Maritime Sector. He commended the Jamoh led Management at NIMASA,urging others to follow suit.

“I will like to commend NIMASA under Dr Jamoh, for the unflinching commitment to industrial harmony. He is always a phone call away to resolve any issue. Yes, NIMASA offered 100 million naira to offset the terminal benefits. However, if others like Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Shippers Council and the rest also add funds, there will be enough to go round the expected beneficiaries. As we did for dockworkers when a flat rate of two hundred thousand was paidduring port concession; that is what we want, putting into consideration the realities on ground now.

Emefiele’s Kinsmen Allege Persecution, Plead For Release, Blame Ordeal On Buhari’s Naira Redesign

By

Ayodele Oni

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December 7, 2023

0

By Ayodele Oni

Kinsmen of the embattled immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, ((CBN)Dr. Godwin Emefiele, have described his continued detention as a vendatta over the Naira redesign policy under the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Recall that a couple of months to the last general elections, the CBN under Emefiele, carried out a redesign of some Nigerian currency denominations which include N1,000, N500 and N200 notes.

This action which caught some politicians unawares, checked money politics such as votes buying. President Bola Tinubu was one of those affected, and he and a number of his loyalists alleged a number of times that he was the real target of the redesign.

On assumption of office, President Tinubu using agents of state, including the State Security Service, (SSS) arrested Emefiele and on release after months, the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, (EFFC) took him into custody and arraigned him.

Elders and Stakeholders of Emefiele’s community, Agbor, have fingered his role in the Naira redesign policy as the root cause of his problems. They pointed out that the Policy was a baby of former President Muhammadu Buhari which Emefiele was directed to carry out, and wondered why he is the target of the Buhari policy.

In a statement, they stated that “The traducers of our brother are willing to break any law of the land and deny him any basic freedom and rights in order to punish him for carrying out his statutory duties during his time as governor of CBN.

“There’s no doubt that Emefiele’s unjust detention, emotional torture and rubbishing of his image has to do with President Muhammadu Buhari’s naira redesign policy of last year.

“Recall that the APC federal government had moved to change the face of Nigeria’s currency in the run up to the 2023 elections. The reasons stated were: to reduce inflation and shore up the currency’s value by calling in huge cash stockpile in the hands of politicians.

“President Buhari had stated openly that he desired a free and fair election that was not mired by vote buying.

This policy which was obviously initiated by President Buhari didn’t go down well with many APC candidates and politicians who saw it as a ploy by the presidency to hamper their electoral chances.

“The policy seemed to be designed to starve them vote-buying cash. They had even dragged the CBN and the president to court then.

“Today, Emefiele is being punished for taking directives from his boss, the former president Buhari in the course of a routine, legitimate, government business.

“Emefiele who has been the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for the past nine years is currently being sequestered and shackled like a common criminal by the Nigerian state he has served so diligently over these years.

“A few days after the inception of the current administration (on May 9th precisely), Mr. Emefiele was suspended from office as governor of the CBN for no stated reason. This was done regardless that his position is tenured and still subsisting – until his removal was announced while still in detention.

“The following day, (June 10), our brother was virtually ‘abducted’ from his Lagos home by officials of the Department of State Service (DSS) and flown to Abuja in a manner fit only for a renegade.

“Our brother has not been allowed to return home since then.

Almost six months after, Mr Emefiele has remained in the custody of the DSS; and lately, the EFCC.

“No charge was filed against him for a long spell of incarceration. Several court orders had been secured for his release but they were serially and flagrantly disobeyed by the DSS.

Judging by the ferocity with which Emefiele is being pursued, it seems someone wants him dead.”

They pointed out that despite series of court judgement granting Emefiele freedom, he remains incarcerated.

“It noteworthy that nearly half a dozen courts in Nigeria had ruled in favour of outright release of Emefiele or that he be granted bail. But all the orders were shunned by the DSS.”

The statement, signed by Kachikwu Kanene appealed passionately to President Tinubu to intervene and ensure the release of the former CBN governor.

“We appeal that with the elections over, and the diadem won and lost, President Bola Tinubu should be magnanimous in victory and allow our brother to return home with some honour and dignity to take his well deserved rest along with other former Buhari appointees who have returned to their homesteads unmolested.”

Following is the full text of the statement.

EMEFIELE: AGBOR STAKEHOLDERS APPEAL TO TINUBU

“We, the stakeholders and elders of Agbor stock have watched with concern and indeed, consternation, the relentless hounding and persecution of our brother and mentor, MR GODWIN EMEFIELE.

Emefiele who has been the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for the past nine years is currently being sequestered and shackled like a common criminal by the Nigerian state he has served so diligently over these years.

A few days after the inception of the current administration (on May 9th precisely), Mr. Emefiele was suspended from office as governor of the CBN for no stated reason. This was done regardless that his position is tenured and still subsisting – until his removal was announced while still in detention.

“The following day, (June 10), our brother was virtually ‘abducted’ from his Lagos home by officials of the Department of State Service (DSS) and flown to Abuja in a manner fit only for a renegade.

Our brother has not been allowed to return home since then.

“Almost six months after, Mr Emefiele has remained in the custody of the DSS; and lately, the EFCC. No charge was filed against him for a long spell of incarceration. Several court orders had been secured for his release but they were serially and flagrantly disobeyed by the DSS.

“Judging by the ferocity with which Emefiele is being pursued, it seems someone wants him dead.

WHAT IS EMEFIELE’S OFFENCE?

“Recall that in February, DSS had told the world that its preliminary investigations revealed that Emefiele committed various acts of terrorism financing and involvement in economic crimes of national security dimension. But to our surprise, when Emefiele was finally arraigned at the Federal High Court Ikoyi, Lagos after six weeks of further investigations, all they could charge him for was illegal possession of one single-barrel shotgun and ammunition. No mention was made of economic crimes or terrorism financing.

It is remarkable that though Emefiele was hurriedly removed from his Ikoyi residence on June 10, a shotgun was to be found in the same house on June 15th while he was being held in Abuja. This is a pointer to the fact that the evidence against Emefiele was only being dredged up after he was arrested. Now the only charge the DSS preferred against Emefiele was possession of a shotgun and few rounds of ammunition.

“But most troubling is that our brother was again bodily prised from the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) by officials of the DSS in flagrant contempt of the Lagos court that had granted him bail and specifically ordered that he be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre. But to the shock of Nigerians, the DSS had secured an anticipatory order from another court to counter the orders of the court they were arraigning him in. The question is: what is the special interest on our brother?

SERIAL CONTEMPT AND DISOBEDIENCE OF THE COURTS:

“It is noteworthy that nearly half a dozen courts in Nigeria had ruled in favour of outright release of Emefiele or that he be granted bail. But all the orders were shunned by the DSS. Here are a few:

■On December 29, 2022, Justice M.A. Hassan of the FHC, Maitama, FCT, Abuja, issued a restraining order on the DSS to among others, refrain from arresting, detaining, proceeding against him, breaching or interfering with his personal liberty and freedom of movement; or taking any other steps against him in connection with any other allegation… before or from any other courts from the date of this judgment of Justice M. A. Hassan.

■ On July 13th, 2023 another FCT High Court (Justice Hamza Muazu) sitting in Maitama Abuja, had ordered the DSS to charge Emefiele to court or release him.

■ On July 14th, 2023, Justice Bello Kawu of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja voided Emefiele’s arrest and detention as a violation of a subsisting judgment and order of Hon. Justice M.A. Hassan.

“These judgments and more were ignored.

THIS IS VENDETTA OVER NAIRA REDESIGN POLICY:

“The traducers of our brother are willing to break any law of the land and deny him any basic freedom and rights in order to punish him for carrying out his statutory duties during his time as governor of CBN.

There’s no doubt that Emefiele’s unjust detention, emotional torture and rubbishing of his image has to do with President Muhammadu Buhari’s naira redesign policy of last year.

Recall that the APC federal government had moved to change the face of Nigeria’s currency in the run up to the 2023 elections. The reasons stated were: to reduce inflation and shore up the currency’s value by calling in huge cash stockpile in the hands of politicians. President Buhari had stated openly that he desired a free and fair election that was not mired by vote buying.

This policy which was obviously initiated by President Buhari didn’t go down well with many APC candidates and politicians who saw it as a ploy by the presidency to hamper their electoral chances. The policy seemed to be designed to starve them vote-buying cash. They had even dragged the CBN and the president to court then.

“Today, Emefiele is being punished for taking directives from his boss, the former president Buhari in the course of a routine, legitimate, government business.

FINAL WORD AND APPEAL:

“We, the stakeholders and leaders of Agbor are pained that our brother is being ridiculed and dragged in the muck by a country he served so creditably well. And we now have strong fears that someone wants out brother dead.

“Recall that Emefiele, a successful banker who as managing director of the biggest and most profitable bank in Nigeria before he was headhunted to run the apex bank, was one of the pillars of the Buhari administration and the APC government.

“It’s on record that Emefiele went beyond the call of duty to initiate far-reaching fiscal and developmental initiatives in agriculture, infrastructure and poverty alleviation.

“We remember that before the currency redesign episode, Emefiele’s CBN was hailed as the face of the Buhari administration and the signpost of critical achievements in rice production and agric development in general. Even though no single case of corruption has been levelled against Emefiele and the CBN, yet President Tinubu has just ordered a forensic audit of the apex bank. It is uncanny that CBN is the only federal institution being so x-rayed after eight years of Buhari.

“On this note, we appeal that with the elections over, and the diadem won and lost, President Bola Tinubu should be magnanimous in victory and allow our brother to return home with some honour and dignity to take his well deserved rest along with other former Buhari appointees who have returned to their homesteads unmolested.

We make bold to say that but for the ugly political turn of events in the APC, Emefiele was serving out his term as a hero of the Buhari era.

“Once again, we plead with our president:

PLEASE LET OUR BROTHER GO!

LONG LIVE AGBOR!
LONG LIVE DELTA STATE!!
LONG LIVE NIGERIA!!!

FOR: AGBOR STAKEHOLDERS FORUM
KACHIKWU KANENE “

Emefiele: Agbor Stakeholders Appeal To Tinubu (Advertorial)

By

The Source

-

December 7, 2023

0

Full Text:
Emefiele: Agbor Stakeholders Appeal To Tinubu
We, the stakeholders and elders of Agbor stock have watched with concern and indeed, consternation, the relentless hounding and persecution of our brother and mentor, MR GODWIN EMEFIELE.

Emefiele who has been the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for the past nine years is currently being sequestered and shackled like a common criminal by the Nigerian state he has served so diligently over these years.

A few days after the inception of the current administration (on May 9th precisely), Mr. Emefiele was suspended from office as governor of the CBN for no stated reason. This was done regardless that his position is tenured and still subsisting – until his removal was announced while still in detention.

The following day, (June 10), our brother was virtually ‘abducted’ from his Lagos home by officials of the Department of State Service (DSS) and flown to Abuja in a manner fit only for a renegade.

Our brother has not been allowed to return home since then.

Almost six months after, Mr Emefiele has remained in the custody of the DSS; and lately, the EFCC. No charge was filed against him for a long spell of incarceration. Several court orders had been secured for his release but they were serially and flagrantly disobeyed by the DSS.

Judging by the ferocity with which Emefiele is being pursued, it seems someone wants him dead.

WHAT IS EMEFIELE’S OFFENCE? Recall that in February, DSS had told the world that its preliminary investigations revealed that Emefiele committed various acts of terrorism financing and involvement in economic crimes of national security dimension. But to our surprise, when Emefiele was finally arraigned at the Federal High Court Ikoyi, Lagos after six weeks of further investigations, all they could charge him for was illegal possession of one single-barrel shotgun and ammunition. No mention was made of economic crimes or terrorism financing.

It is remarkable that though Emefiele was hurriedly removed from his Ikoyi residence on June 10, a shotgun was to be found in the same house on June 15th while he was being held in Abuja. This is a pointer to the fact that the evidence against Emefiele was only being dredged up after he was arrested. Now the only charge the DSS preferred against Emefiele was possession of a shotgun and few rounds of ammunition.

But most troubling is that our brother was again bodily prised from the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) by officials of the DSS in flagrant contempt of the Lagos court that had granted him bail and specifically ordered that he be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre. But to the shock of Nigerians, the DSS had secured an anticipatory order from another court to counter the orders of the court they were arraigning him in. The question is: what is the special interest on our brother?

SERIAL CONTEMPT AND DISOBEDIENCE OF THE COURTS: It is noteworthy that nearly half a dozen courts in Nigeria had ruled in favour of outright release of Emefiele or that he be granted bail. But all the orders were shunned by the DSS. Here are a few:

■On December 29, 2022, Justice M.A. Hassan of the FHC, Maitama, FCT, Abuja, issued a restraining order on the DSS to among others, refrain from arresting, detaining, proceeding against him, breaching or interfering with his personal liberty and freedom of movement; or taking any other steps against him in connection with any other allegation… before or from any other courts from the date of this judgment of Justice M. A. Hassan.

■ On July 13th, 2023 another FCT High Court (Justice Hamza Muazu) sitting in Maitama Abuja, had ordered the DSS to charge Emefiele to court or release him.

■ On July 14th, 2023, Justice Bello Kawu of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja voided Emefiele’s arrest and detention as a violation of a subsisting judgment and order of Hon. Justice M.A. Hassan.

These judgments and more were ignored.

THIS IS VENDETTA OVER NAIRA REDESIGN POLICY: The traducers of our brother are willing to break any law of the land and deny him any basic freedom and rights in order to punish him for carrying out his statutory duties during his time as governor of CBN.

There’s no doubt that Emefiele’s unjust detention, emotional torture and rubbishing of his image has to do with President Muhammadu Buhari’s naira redesign policy of last year.

Recall that the APC federal government had moved to change the face of Nigeria’s currency in the run up to the 2023 elections. The reasons stated were: to reduce inflation and shore up the currency’s value by calling in huge cash stockpile in the hands of politicians. President Buhari had stated openly that he desired a free and fair election that was not mired by vote buying.

This policy which was obviously initiated by President Buhari didn’t go down well with many APC candidates and politicians who saw it as a ploy by the presidency to hamper their electoral chances. The policy seemed to be designed to starve them vote-buying cash. They had even dragged the CBN and the president to court then.

Today, Emefiele is being punished for taking directives from his boss, the former president Buhari in the course of a routine, legitimate, government business.

FINAL WORD AND APPEAL: We, the stakeholders and leaders of Agbor are pained that our brother is being ridiculed and dragged in the muck by a country he served so creditably well. And we now have strong fears that someone wants out brother dead.

Recall that Emefiele, a successful banker who as managing director of the biggest and most profitable bank in Nigeria before he was headhunted to run the apex bank, was one of the pillars of the Buhari administration and the APC government.

It’s on record that Emefiele went beyond the call of duty to initiate far-reaching fiscal and developmental initiatives in agriculture, infrastructure and poverty alleviation.

We remember that before the currency redesign episode, Emefiele’s CBN was hailed as the face of the Buhari administration and the signpost of critical achievements in rice production and agric development in general. Even though no single case of corruption has been levelled against Emefiele and the CBN, yet President Tinubu has just ordered a forensic audit of the apex bank. It is uncanny that CBN is the only federal institution being so x-rayed after eight years of Buhari.

On this note, we appeal that with the elections over, and the diadem won and lost, President Bola Tinubu should be magnanimous in victory and allow our brother to return home with some honour and dignity to take his well deserved rest along with other former Buhari appointees who have returned to their homesteads unmolested.

We make bold to say that but for the ugly political turn of events in the APC, Emefiele was serving out his term as a hero of the Buhari era.

Once again, we plead with our president:

PLEASE LET OUR BROTHER GO!

LONG LIVE AGBOR!
LONG LIVE DELTA STATE!!
LONG LIVE NIGERIA!!!

FOR: AGBOR STAKEHOLDERS FORUM
KACHIKWU KANENE

CBN Fails Nigerians Again; Banks, POS Operators Lament Cash Shortages Ahead Yuletide

By

James Orji

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December 7, 2023

0

The Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents has warned that the problem of cash shortages currently facing the country will likely get worse ahead of the yuletide and New Year festivities.

The warning comes amidst efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to manage the problem.

The apex bank had issued three statements in the last one month assuring Nigerians that it is on top of the situation. From all indications, it doesn’t seems so considering the harrowing experience many Nigerians are facing in the midst of all of these to satisfy their cash transaction.

Not a few Nigerians insist that the Oluyemi Cardoso-led bank seems to have run out of ideas on how to solve the problem. He needs to do more, according to them, to justify his appointment as Nigeria’s top banker.

On Thursday the Vice President of the association, Obioha Oti called on the CBN to intervene before it is too late.

Oti while speaking on Channel Television Business Morning, disclosed that the problem is gradually getting out of hand, to the extent that his members are now resorting to buying cash from petrol stations and other business outlets in other to meet customers’ demands.

“If the situation is not resolved before next week, there will be a serious crisis,” he said, noting that the current problem is a result of the Supreme Court ruling regarding the expiration of the old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes by the end of the year.

Recall that the CBN said last week that the March 2022 Supreme Court ruling which sought to invalidate the old naira as legal tender, has been vacated.

The assertion was contained in a statement signed by the bank’s Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Sidi Ali.

According to the apex bank, the old and new naira notes are to be used side by side for cash transactions.

The statement said, “Following the order of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, granting the prayer of the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation to extend the use of old Naira banknotes ad infinitum, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed all its branches to continue to issue and accept all denominations of Nigerian banknotes, old and re-designed, to and from deposit money banks (DMBS).

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Supreme Court ordered that the old versions of N200, 500, and N1,000 banknotes shall continue to be legal tender, alongside the re-designed versions.

“Accordingly, in line with Section 20(5) of the CBN Act 2007, all banknotes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), will continue to remain legal tender, indefinitely.

“Members of the public are enjoined to continue to accept all Naira banknotes (old or re-designed) for their day-to-day transactions and handle these banknotes with the utmost care, to safeguard and protect the lifecycle of the banknotes.

“Furthermore, the general public is encouraged to embrace alternative modes of payment, e-channels, in order to reduce pressure on the use of physical cash.”

Despite the assurance by the CBN that it is on top of the situation, cash problems persist across the country with no end in sight to it, according to those monitoring the situation.

The situation has now opened an opportunity for POS operators and other money agents to do brisk business, though, the operators insist that they are not the cause of the problem.

The operators have increased their charges blaming it on the rising cost of operation.

Some POS operators while speaking with the magazine said they no longer get cash from the bank, and that they are going through the same problems other Nigerians are facing.

“We no longer get enough cash from the banks. The commercial banks no longer have enough cash in their ATMs as well. When we go to the counter, they only pay us a meager amount of what we requested,’ an operator in Ikeja told the magazine.

On their part, some spokespersons of commercial banks said on Thursday that they can only make the cash made available to them by the CBN to customers.

“It is not our function to print money. That is the duty of CBN. We only give to customers on demand what we get from CBN. Besides the current cash scarcity is an artificial one. Hopefully it will go away in a matter of days,” a top commercial bank official said.

Frank Kokori, Former NUPENG General Secretary Is Dead

By

Ayodele Oni

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December 7, 2023

0

By Ayodele Oni

Foremost Trade Unionist and former General Secretary of the National Union of Petroleum, Energy and Gas (NUPENG, Chief Frank Kokori is dead.

The trade unionist died at 1:30 am Thursday, December 7, 2023.The passage of the octogenarian was made public about 2:30 am by his Personal Assistant, Atawada Barry Oke.

He said the former labour leader’s health relapsed on Monday as he was unable to interract with people around him while he was placed on life support.

Kokori’s death came barely one month after he cried out from his hospital bed on Thursday, November 9, 2023, that he had been neglected and abandoned to die in spite of his huge contribution to the democratic growth of the country.

After leading a vibrant pro-democracy struggle for the revalidation of the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential election, Kokori later retired into a quiet life until recently when he reportedly took ill. He was diagnosed with kidney ailment.

But his luminous era as a Trade Unionist and his years in retirement have come to an end with his passing on Thursday, December 7, 2023, at the age of 80. His passing coincided with his birthday.

‘Madam Justice’, Chioma Nwosu-Iheme Goes To Supreme Court

By

The Source

-

December 7, 2023

0

By Charles Igbo

On Wednesday, December 6, 2023, “Madam Justice”, the Honourable Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, PhD, was alongside 10 other Judges of the Court of Appeal, recommended to President Bola Tinubu for elevation to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The other Judges recommended with her for elevation to the Supreme Court by the National Judicial Council, NJC, during its 104th Meeting on December 6, 2023, where it considered the list of Candidates presented by its interview Committee are:

*Hon. Justice Jummai Hannatu Sankey, OFR.

*Hon. Justice Chidiebere Nwaoma Uwa.

*Hon. Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani.

*Hon. Justice Moore Aseimo Adumein.

*Hon. Justice Obande Festus Ogbuinya

*Hon. Justice Stephen Adah

*Hon. Justice Habeeb Adewale Abiru

*Hon. Justice Jamilu Yammama Tukur

*Hon. Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar

*Hon. Justice Mohammed Baba Idris.

A number of Justice Nwosu-Iheme’s friends who know her story call her Madam Justice It is a name which at once brings pain, but pain which eventually turned to laughter and praises to God.

The name was given to her by blood thirsty gunmen who kidnapped her in Benin on October 30, 2019.

At the time of her abduction by the gunmen, she was the Presiding Judge of the Benin Division of the Court of Appeal. The gun-toting men were vicious. They shot and killed her Police Orderly – an Orderly she still mourns, and whose nuclear family’s responsibilities she took over, thereafter.

Due to her carriage, even in the face of the dangerous and vulnerable position she found herself, the gunmen, treated her with absolute respect without knowing her identity. A day later when her abduction made the headlines in both the conventional and non-conventional medium, the gunmen became aware of her identity. Thereafter, they began to treat her with both respect and reverence.

They bought her new bedsheets and new towels and new wrapper, and began to call her “Madam Justice.” When she told the story of her two-weeks experience in the hands of the kidnappers, a few of her relieved friends began to, jokingly, call her “Madam Justice.”

Nobody who has followed the career progression of the Honourable Justice Nwosu-Iheme would express surprise that she finally made it to the Supreme Court of Nigeria. She is as fearless, courageous as she is professional.

Her name entered national consciousness when, as a Judge of the Imo State High Court, she handled the tough and dangerous case of the “Otokoto Saga” which shook Imo State to its foundation. Recall that it was the case of a minor who hawked ground nuts in the Amakohia area of Owerri, but was lured into the then bustling “Otokoto Hotel” by criminals, who killed him, beheaded him, and buried his headless body on the Hotel premises. While a couple of Judges washed their hands off the case and refused to handle it, the then young Justice Nwosu-Iheme took it up.

Nwosu-Iheme was first appointed a Judge of the Imo State High Court in 1995. In 2008, she was elevated to the Court of Appeal and has headed a number of the Court’s Divisions. She is the first female Nigerian Judge to earn a PhD in Law. She is, also, the second female Judge from Imo State to be appointed to the Supreme Court. The first was the Honourable Justice Mary Peter-Odili.

Justice Nwosu-Iheme hails from Nkwere, Imo State. She is married to Hon. (Chief) Uzoma Nwosu-Iheme, a very successful businessman and entrepreneur. Their marriage is blessed with equally very successful children, including her only daughter, a Medical Doctor (an Oncologist). One of her twin boys, Uzoma, is married to Hon. Justice Njide Nwosu-Iheme, the last child of the former Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili and his wife Honourable Justice Mary Odili Peter-Odili, JSC, rtd.

The Supreme Court which has only 10 Supreme Court Justices, presently, will, for the first time, have its full complement of 21 Judges when the 11 new recommended Justices are sworn in.

Arewa Coalition Accuses President Tinubu Of Persecuting Northern Leaders

By

Ayodele Oni

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December 6, 2023

0

By Ayodele Oni

A Coalition of Arewa community in the South West has accused President Bola Tinubu of the persecution of prominent Northern political leaders.

The Coalition spoke in Ibadan,Oyo state capital on Wednesday through Alhaji Shehu Idris, Vice Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum and Women Leader,Aisha Ismail.

The coalition stated that “The information reaching us on a daily basis is alarming. Our people in the various States in the North are mostly of the view that this Government is working to suppress the North.

“Amongst other things they seem to be suppressing our leaders as stated above, and are also subverting the will of the majority of the Northern Electorate.

“This is clear from the election cases in Plateau, Zamfara, and Kano. As we all know, these three states are volatile states! The perceived daylight robbery and truncation of the will of the people through the courts might not be accepted by the people.

“There is, unfortunately, a feeling by our people that this is all being caused by the inordinate 2nd term ambition of President Bola Tinubu who hasn’t even settled into his first term! Anti Yoruba sentiments are growing in the North for this reason.

“Our independent minded leaders in the North are being dealt with “politically” by this government. All ahead of 2027 even before the end of 2023!!

“Former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufa’i who worked on his colleagues in the North to sway victory for President Tinubu was disgraced and in a “game” played by the government, his nomination was rejected by the Senate during the confirmation process, allegedly on spurious claims of not scaling security screening.

“Sen. Danjuma Goje, Senator Abdulazeez Yari and others have also suffered politically in one way or the other. Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso is also under attack and fighting for the survival of Kano State.

As our counterparts in Kano, the Yoruba community have cried out last week through a press conference, the growing political tension in Kano is alarming, and it needs to be swiftly addressed by Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through non-interference into the matters of the judiciary as an independent arm of government.

“Finally, we are told that ” Law is Social Engineering”. We trust that the Supreme Court, a co-equal arm of government, will redeem the image of the Judiciary and not allow it’s institution to be used by a recklessly power hungry arm of government to ignite Nigeria!”

The coalition also condemned the hardship being faced by Nigerians, ocassioned by the harsh economic policies of the present administration.

“We are all witnesses to the economic and political difficulties being faced by the citizens of our country especially those in the Northern part of the country.

“INEC failed to deliver free, fair and transparent elections and this is made evident by the cases in our electoral Tribunals and appellate courts after the 2023 elections.

“The economy is bad. The Naira has lost value. Food is more expensive and Unemployment is very high. All these have led to higher costs of feeding, education, health, accommodation and transportation.

“Yet the APC Federal Government is still borrowing and spending so much money on unnecessary travel, renovation of buildings and cost of governance. These people do not care about the “common man” of Nigeria.”

Lawyers’ Group Gives Ondo Attorney General Seven Days To Resign, Gives Reasons

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Ayodele Oni

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December 6, 2023

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By Ayodele Oni

The political crisis in Ondo State is assuming another dimension as a group of legal practitioners in Ondo State under 100 Ondo State Lawyers For Democracy, has asked the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, in the State, Charles Titiloye, to resign his appointment.

The Lawyers’ Group premised its demand on alleged “Unlawful and Unconstitutional Acts” by the Commissioner

A letter on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, addressed to the Attorney General and signed by five officers of the group, stated that “It has come to our attention that several acts and omissions by the government of Ondo State have been carried out unlawfully and unconstitutionally, which raises serious concerns about the integrity and effectiveness of your leadership in upholding the rule of law.

“Firstly, we must bring to your attention the illegal inauguration of the newly appointed Local Government officials, which was done in direct disobedience to an Order of the State High Court.

“Such a blatant disregard for a court order undermines the very foundation of our judicial system and erodes public trust in the government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.

“Furthermore, it has been widely reported that despite the incapacitation of the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, you have refused to advise on the commissioning of the Deputy Governor as Acting Governor.

“This refusal raises serious concerns about the proper functioning of the government and the adherence to constitutional provisions in times of executive incapacitation.

Another troubling aspect is your defense of the government against the accusation made by your senior colleague and a respected counsel, Dr Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, regarding the alleged forgery of the incapacitated governor’s signature by some members of his cabinet of which you are one of them.

“Your denial without basis and apparent lies in this matter only serve to further undermine public confidence in your ability to uphold justice and truth.

“Moreover, we must express our concern over your unconstitutional and shallow interpretation of the law. As the Attorney General, it is your duty to provide accurate and sound legal advice to the government, ensuring that their actions remain within the boundaries of the constitution.

“However, your interpretations have been questionable and have raised doubts about your understanding of constitutional principles.

“Given the gravity of these issues, we respectfully request that you consider resigning from your position as Attorney General of Ondo State within seven days.

“It is imperative that the government of Ondo State be led by individuals who are committed to upholding the rule of law, protecting the principles of justice, and ensuring the well-being of the state’s citizens.

“As colleagues, we will like to draw your mind to the professional hazard that resorted from the actions and inactions of an Ex-Attorney-General of the Federation, Michael Aodoanka, when faced with a similar situation in the anal of history of the country.

“Further to your call for resignation, we also demand that you immediately put up a letter of apology to the National and the concerned Local body of Nigerian Bar Association within the same seven days.

“In the event that you choose not to resign, please be aware that we will report your conduct to the Legal Practitioner’s Disciplinary Committee, seeking for your name to be struck out from the roll of legal practitioners in Nigeria.

“We believe that such disciplinary action is necessary to maintain the integrity of the legal profession and to safeguard the interests of the people of Ondo State.”

Signatories are Kayode Mogbojuri, National Co-cordinator; Olugbenga Akinkuowo, Co-coordinator; Adewamiri Esther Ojo, Protem Secretary and Fadeshola Ojamomi, Publicity Secretary

Shehu Sani Says Ondo Political Drama Reminiscence Of Late President Yar’Adua’s Era

By

Ayodele Oni

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December 6, 2023

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By Ayodele Oni

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has said the continued absence of Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, from his duty post is not new in Nigeria politics.

Sani criticized the refusal of Akeredolu to resume duties months after his return from overseas medical leave, despite transmitting to the State House of Assembly that he has resumed.

Mr Sani, in a short post, compared the current situation in the state with that of the late President Musa Yar’Adua.

“Ondo State is in the Yar’Adua quagmire situation,” Mr Sani, who represented Kaduna central senatorial district in the 9th National Assembly, posted on X account.

“In 2009, Nigerians witnessed a similar political impasse when Mr Yar’Adua, seeking medical treatment overseas, refused to hand over power to his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan.

“Mr Yar’Adua’s hard-line kitchen cabinet and family members also hijacked the presidency and held on to power by refusing Mr Jonathan to ‘act’ in the absence of the president. It took the National Assembly’s invocation of the “Doctrine of Necessity’’ to resolve the stalemate.

“Ailing Governor Akeredolu, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, was one of the vocal voices at the time, asking Mr Yar’Adua to hand over power.”

However, Mr Sani’s criticism of the continued absence of Mr Akeredolu from the state re-echoed the protests by the opposition groups over the failure of the governor to hand over power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Mr Akeredolu, who is on second-term tenure, has yet to return to the state more than three months after his return to the country from a medical trip overseas.

Different political groups including members of the opposition party have berated the governor for still holding on to power despite his health challenges.

The state government stated Mr Akeredolu still attends to files and official documents on his sick bed despite his health challenges.

“As I’m standing before you now, I sent two files to Mr governor and two files came back within a week and he approved what I asked for,” Bamidele Olateju-Ademola, the state commissioner for information and orientation, said in a recent interview.

Why Ooni Visited Kuje Prison, Says Not For Emefiele

By

Ayodele Oni

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December 6, 2023

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By Ayodele Oni

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has confirmed his visit to Kuje prison early this week but said he was not there to discuss with former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, explained to journalists in Ile Ife that Oba Ogunwusi was at the correctional facility at the instance of a Non-Governmental Organisation, (NGO)owned by one of his wives, Temitope, Hopes Alive Initiative, (HAI), which is on advocacy to the correction centre.

He said the programme, which was organized in partnership with Kuje correctional authority, centred around giving hope to inmates on reintegration into society after completing their terms, and the Ooni was part of it, in commemoration of his eighth anniversary.

“The intent of those spreading the news was to blackmail the monarch; there is nothing hidden about the event. In any case, the king never met Emefiele because it was an official event organized by the NGO in conjunction with the Kuje Correction Centre.

“The programme centres around giving hope to the inmate that, after serving out their terms, they still have hope to reintegrate back to the society. The Arole Ooni was invited to chair the event in commemoration of his eighth anniversary on the throne.

“What is exclusive about a public programme where different public figures spoke and representatives of the inmate also spoke? How then did the Ooni manage to meet Emefiele?

“We must be careful with how people spread falsehoods about people. The video of the event is available to the public. I am not even sure Emefiele attended the programme because he is only in detention and not an inmate yet, so why link the programme to Emefiele? It is simply to achieve blackmail.”