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UPDATE: Lagos Lawyers Shun NBA’s Directive On Boycott Of Courts

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Eniola Olayemi

 

Some Lagos lawyers who had cases fixed for hearing on Tuesday came to court in defiance of directive issued by the National Bar Association (NBA) asking lawyers to boycott courts for two days.

The reporter reports that the Federal Government had on Jan. 25 suspended the Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, from office over his failure to declare his assets as required of every public servant.

Government had acted on a motion exparte granted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal and replaced Onnoghen with Justice Tanko Mohammed as an acting CJN.

Consequently, NBA at its National Executive Council meeting held on Jan. 28 adopted a resolution asking members to boycott courts over what they tagged illegal suspension of the CJN.

NAN judiciary correspondent who went round courts in Lagos, including the Igbosere High Courts and Magistrates’ Courts, to monitor the situation, reports that the courts sat, proceedings went on and lawyers were in court.

However, the Court of Appeal Lagos did not sit because, according to the workers, the court was observing its conference week.

Some of the lawyers told NAN that they could not obey the directive because they owe it as a duty first to be in court to represent their clients who pay their fees.

One of the lawyers, Mr Daniel Idibia, a Lagos-based lawyer, said: “I have to respect the man who pays my fees, my clients; NBA on the other hand takes money from me.

“I pay my practicing fees, my Bar Association dues; those are monies coming from my clients.

`What will I tell my clients whose case is coming up today if I boycott court, will I say that NBA says I should not come to court, will that pay my fees?

“In law there is a saying, when two competing priorities are equal the first in time prevails. I have gotten a date for my clients’ case before NBA boycott date; therefore my client’s case supersedes that of NBA.”

He however advised NBA not to step into the arena of politics rather the association should strictly deal on matters relating to law.

Idibia also noted that the CJN had admitted that he made a mistake by not declaring his foreign assets in the Code of Conduct form.

He said that the CJN should have stepped aside after admitting the mistake due to the position he held in law.

“To me, nobody is invading the judiciary, if we are to fight corruption, it should start from lawyers.

“We are not going to fight corruption in abstraction. If this matter had happened to an ordinary civil servant, it will not be heard.

The person would have been tried by the Code of Conduct Tribunal,” Idibia said.

Another lawyer, Miss Amaka Agbazu, said that she did not comply with the NBA directive because the association had not been fair to young lawyers whose rights were trampled upon.

“Last year we heard that a young lawyer was attacked by the police but NBA did not do anything about it, now they are calling for boycott because it is CJN.

“So, if it’s the CJN or any of the senior lawyers the whole judiciary should stand still.

“What is happening might not be right apparently because procedure has not been followed but right of everybody should be put into consideration.

“Lawyers are in court and proceedings are going on, nobody was prevented from entering the court or sent out of court,” Agbazu told NAN.

In his own opinion, Mr Jude Ozemhoya, said lawyers should respect the resolution as issued by the NBA.

“I came to court because of the pressure from my client who is facing a criminal charge whom I cannot leave alone and subject him to the whims and caprices of the prosecution.

“However, some of my colleagues believe that NBA’s decision is political be it that the Senate has approached the Supreme

Court for the interpretation of the affected sections of the law.

“NBA should have waited for the apex court’s decision,” Ozemhoya said. (NAN)

 

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LASTMA RECOVERS 2 DEAD BODIES, AS TRUCK RAMMED INTO A MOTORCYCLE PLYING ONE-WAY IN LAGOS

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……motorcycle operator later died at the hospital.

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) today recovered 2 dead bodies trapped under an empty long ‘Man-Diesel’ truck by Barracks Bus-stop along Lagos- Badagry Expressway, Lagos.

The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA Mr. Adebayo Taofiq confirmed that the 2 (two) recovered dead bodies were passengers on a motorcycle riding on direction prohibited by law ‘One-way’ on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

While these two (2) motorcycle passengers died instantly, the rider later died at a hospital around Satellites Town.

Preliminary investigations revealed that a truck driver while on a top speed lost control as a result of a rear busted tyre and rammed into a motorcycle plying one-way by Barracks Bus-stop inward Iyana-Iba along Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

While the truck driver ran away after the accident, Police men from ‘Onireke’ Police Division’ took away the recovered two (2) dead bodies.

Lastma Ogunremi Olanrewaju (Lastma Commander Area D) who led the recovery operations and his team immediately evacuated the truck and motorcycle off the road for an unhindered free vehicular movement around the Expressway.

The General Manager of LASTMA Mr. Bakare-Oki Olalekan while warning truck drivers to always stop over speeding however appealed to motorcycle operators to stop playing one-way including all restricted routes across the State.

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REA to Deploy NASENI Renewable Technologies To Light Up Rural Areas in Nigeria 

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.. To Partner NITDA On Local Content Development

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Khalil Halilu and the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad have agreed to work together to deploy NASENI Solar resources and other renewable energy technologies, to increase electricity supply to Nigeria’s rural areas.

This commitment was the outcome of discussions between the two chief executives in Abuja on Friday September 15, 2023, when the EVC/CEO of NASENI visited the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) office as part of his efforts to engage with stakeholders to promote the adoption of NASENI’s technologies.  

Mr. Halilu, who assumed office two weeks ago as NASENI’s chief executive, said, “The focus is to hit the ground running by nurturing effective collaborations with the right stakeholders who will assist NASENI to fulfil its mandate of providing the science and engineering infrastructure base for Nigeria’s businesses and economy to thrive.” 

According to him, “The strategy, going forward, for NASENI includes knocking on the doors of potential end-users of the Agency’s technology and engineering products, making off-take of our Research & Development (R&D) easy, while also bringing the direct impact of our work to bear on the Nigerian economy.”

The two chief executives pledged to work together to bring down the cost of solar power installation in rural areas, through efforts such as increased local production of solar panels by NASENI. The overall goal, according to the REA MD, Ahmad Salihijo, is to facilitate the Federal Government’s ambition to achieve the electrification of Nigeria’s rural areas in record time.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Halilu visited the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, on a similar mission. The two CEOs emphasized the need to look inward and develop local content (human and material) capacity to transform the economy.

Halilu sought to leverage on the long-standing relationship between himself and the NITDA boss, and also between the two organisations, to share experiences and best practices in management and in resource optimization.

Abdullahi disclosed that NITDA’s strategy of focusing on changing both the mind-sets and skill-sets of its staff are two critical factors that have helped the Agency achieve up to 62 percent of its goals and objectives within two (2) years, ahead of its four (4) year projection. He noted that the same approach would work for NASENI, as long as there was a well-thought-out strategic plan, and clarity of vision and goals.

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kidnapping: Again, So-Safe rescues victim, arrests suspect in Ogun

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AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps also known as So-Safe Corps has captured a kidnap suspect alive, rescuing the victim in Ogun.

This is contained in a statement issued from the Office of the State Commander of the Corps, Commander (Dr) Soji Ganzallo through the office of the Director of Information and Public Relations of the Corps, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf.

Ganzallo said that on 13th July, 2023, the Headquarters of the Corps charged the Ijebu Zonal Command under ACC Marcus Ayankoya to rescue a woman who was kidnapped at about 2200hrs on her way back from market.

Ganzallo noted that he instructed his men to swing into action and get the culprits alive and to ensure the victim gained freedom in earnest and they went after them immediately.

He explained that the State Headquarters of the Corps was briefed as the operation was on that the kidnappers collected the victim phone, gold jewelry, N100,000 in her possession and 1 Atm Card and they drove her away with her car.

The team could not catch up with them because of Logistics issue.

Ganzallo later disclosed that the team did not relent untill they were informed of a strange footprints on a farmland at Oke-Ako Community in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area .

The Commander then instructed the Isiwo/Itamapako Divisional Officer of the Corps, SC Aderibigbe M.O to mobilize and lead his Special Squad to deal with the suspected kidnappers decisively. The kidnappers were tracked down after rigorous search for them as they tried to move the victim to a new location.

Ganzallo reported that
there was a gun duel between the crime suspects and the Corps before the criminals bowed to the superior response of the Corps, while one of the kidnappers, who is 32 years old named Tunde Salami and a resident of Ibadan, Oyo State was captured alive and the kidnap victim was rescued unhurt.

Ganzallo also said that the rescued victim was traumatized but not harmed.

One locally-made pistol was also recovered from the suspect.

The apprehended kidnap suspect and the rescued victim had been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force, Obalende Divisional Police Headquarters.

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