Nigeria
Court rules on suit over Olubadan’s seat
File Photo An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, on Friday, dismissed a suit filed by the Seriki chieftaincy lineage seeking the nullification of the appointment of Oba Saliu Adetunji as the Olubadan of Ibadanland. Olalekan Fakunle, Rasheed Abinupagun, Gabriel Amao, all of Seriki line, had approached the court, challenging the appointment of Mr. Adetunji. They are also challenging the consistent occupation of the Olubadan throne by both the Balogun and Olubadan chieftaincy lines. While dismissing the case for lacking in merit, Justice Muniru Owolabi said that it was not the business of the court to promote the claimants to the position of Olubadan and other vacant positions in the Olubadan-in-Council. Justice Owolabi said that the 1959 Chieftaincy Declaration of Oyo State had regulate...
Justice Onnoghen: Why I was sacked as CJN
The Leader Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, on Friday, stressed that Nigeria as a nation may not record any meaningful achievement in life until they are able to free the nation’s judiciary from the stronghold of politicians. Onnoghen who spoke publicly for the first time since his removal from office two years ago, attributed his sack to political manuevre. The former CJN, who was speaking at the unveiling of a book titled ‘Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, Practice, Procedure, Forms and Precedents’, by a legal luminary, Chief Ogwu James Onoja (SAN), attributed his sack to political intrigues. Onnoghen revealed that prior to his removal, he was accused by the executive of having met with former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in Dubai, United A...
Minister confirms new date for National Sports Festival
The ministers of youths and sports development, Sunday Dare, yesterday confirmed April 2nd to April 14th as the new date for the 20th National Sports Festival to kick-off. He made the announcement during a visit to the Edo State Government House in Benin City, the Edo State capital. He also announced that Edo State will be used for the National Camp in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games taking place later this year. Dare said further that the Federal Government is determined to go ahead with the Unity Games which is the sequel to participation at the Tokyo Games. However, he noted that due to logistics under the circumstances occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of athletes has been reduced from 14,000 to 8,000 athletes. Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki in response as...
NJC recommends appointment of 18 justices for Appeal Court, others
The National Judicial Council (NJC) under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, has recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari, the appointment of 18 Justices into the bench of the Court of Appeal. The NJC similarly recommended to eight governors including that of Delta, Rivers, Ebonyi, Kogi, Jigawa and Nasarawa, the appointment of eight judges as Heads of Court in their affected states. The affected judicial officers according to a statement by the Director, Information, NJC, were considered for appointment by the NJC’s Interview Committee at the NJC’s 94th Meeting held on December 17 and 18, 2020. Among those recommended for appointment into the bench of the appellate court are; Justice Bature Gafai, Justice Muhammad Sirajo and Justice Waziri Abdul-Az...
Bandits kill 13, injure 7 in Kaduna
Thirteen persons have been killed by bandits following multiple attacks on communities in Zangon Kataf, Kauru and Chikun Local Government Areas of Kaduna state. Seven people were also injured while 56 houses and 16 motorcycles were burnt by the hoodlums. The Kaduna state commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan confirmed the killings in a statement on Friday in Kaduna. According to him, the killings were reported to the Kaduna State Government by troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH). He said, in Gora Gan village, Zangon Kataf LGA, bandits killed one Irmiya Godwin who was returning from the farm while his brother escaped. The commissioner said, in another incident in Kizachi village, Kauru LGA, bandits killed 10 people, while four others were injured, adding t...
Ogun council polls: Governor Abiodun urges OGSIEC to conduct credible election
Ogun State governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has urged members of the newly inaugurated Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) to be transparent in their dealings with all political parties. The governor said this Friday while swearing-in the newly constituted 6-man electoral commission at the Executive Council Chambers of Governor’s Office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital. Abiodun specifically charged new OGSIEC members to make fairness, firmness, dedication and objectivity their watchword as the state prepares for the local government poll to be conducted later this year. The governor said the inauguration was a demonstration of his administration’s commitment towards ensuring that democratic dividends get to the grassroots through electoral processes at the local gover...
Kaduna government asks primary 3, 2, 1 to resume March 22
Kaduna State Government has approved March 22, as the third phase resumption date for primary 3, 2, 1 and Early Child Care Development classes in public primary schools across the state. Mr Idris Aliyu, the Director Schools Management, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, announced the resumption in a statement in Kaduna on Friday. Aliyu said that government has reviewed the COVID-19 situation in schools and decided it was safe for the remaining classes in public primary schools to resume learning. “In view of this, the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board is urging parents and caregivers to send children in the stated classes to school to continue learning. “The State COVID-19 Task Force will continue monitoring all schools to ensure that safe learning environments agains...
President Buhari appoints Adedeji Zacch as NSDC scribe
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mr Adedeji Zacch as the Executive Secretary of National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) for an initial term of four years. Buhari made the announcement in a statement on Thursday by Mr Willie Bassey, Director of Information, office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The statement said that Zacch’s appointment was in accordance with the provision of Section 5 (1) of the National Sugar Development Council (Establishment Act, 1993). Newsmen report that Zacch holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Accounting and Masters degree in Accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun. He also holds Executive Certificate in Economic Development from Harvard, Kennedy School of Government, Boston, ...
Ekiti governor suspends ongoing recruitment of teachers
Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has suspended the ongoing teachers recruitment exercise over economic crisis posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The governor directed immediate refund of money paid by successful candidates in the recruitment exercise conducted by the State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM). Mr Babatunde Abegunde, Chairman of TESCOM, who made this known in Ado Ekiti on Thursday said the directive was due to the commitment of the governor to the general welfare of the people in the state and the need not to make new entrants into the public service suffer unduly. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 100 candidates may have been affected by the directive. Abegunde explained that monies to be refunded covered those paid by the candidates for the p...
Bayelsa governor promises to investigate youth’s ‘death’ during police operation
The governor of Bayelsa, Douye Diri, has ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a youth on Thursday, in Ovom community, Yenagoa Local Government Area (LGA), of the state. Newsmen gathered from residents of the area that the young man was allegedly shot by a policeman, at Ovom surburb. Mr Diri gave the directive on Thursday, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, after being briefed about the incident in Uyo, where he is attending a state cabinet retreat. He also directed that an autopsy be carried out to determine the cause of death. The governor promised that the government would ensure perpetrators of the dastardly act are uncovered and brought to book. “Human life is sacred. As a responsible government, we would not shy away from o...
Ogun government sets up coronavirus vaccination centre for journalists
The Ogun State Government on Thursday said it will begin to vaccinate journalists against COVID-19 on Friday, which it said was part of efforts aimed at ensuring that the Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine is brought nearer to the people The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kunle Somorin, disclosed this in a statement, adding that the facilitation centre was set up to main-stream journalists into the vaccination process because they are frontline workers. “Journalists are frontline workers and deserve to be treated specially because their profession exposes them so much to the ravaging virus. They, like health workers and security people, were on the road when everyone else stayed at home at the height of the pandemic,” the statement said. ‘Therefore from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Frid...
Ekiti governor’s wife calls on government to remove tax on sanitary pads
The wife of Ekiti State Governor, Mrs Bisi Fayemi, has called on government to remove taxation on sanitary pads and engage in its local production to make it less expensive. She said this on Thursday at the inauguration of project P4iGC3, Pad for Improved Girl Child Education, by Balm in Gilead Foundation For Sustainable Development, BIGIF in Ado-Ekiti. Mrs Fayemi explained that such government’s policy was needed to promote the girl-child upbringing and keep them in school. “In rural areas, women do not have access to sanitary products. It is safe to say that one in every three girls in the country cannot afford safe and hygienic sanitary pads for proper menstrual hygiene management” she said. She also called for the sensitisation of adolescent girl child on menstrual health management to...
