Litigation: Lagos targets reduction of debts

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has vowed to ensure that liabilities and judgment debts incurred against the state due to negligence of public officers are reduced.
The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye (SAN), said this on Wednesday in Alausa, during a workshop organised by his ministry for the state’s civil servants.
The workshop with the theme, ‘Attaining excellent disciplinary standard and avoiding government liability in employer-employee dispute’ was the second in the ministry’s series of workshops aimed at reducing government’s liabilities.
Ipaye said the governor was worried about public officers’ untimely supply of or failure to give essential information to litigation officers leading to government having to pay for avoidable damages.
He said government’s liabilities often arose in cases of employer-employee disputes years after principal officers who took decisions leading to litigation had retired.
The Solicitor-General of Lagos State and Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), also affirmed government’s resolve to tackle avoidable debts.
He also warned that any public officer whose failure to supply necessary information resulted in a judgment debt against the state would be held responsible.
“Henceforth, any public officer, who through his negligence or indolence allows the government to incure avoidable liabilities will be held responsible,” Pedro said.
He expressed worry over situations in which government had to reinstate some workers after five to 10 years they were sacked and needed to pay their arrears for the period such workers did not work for.
He attributed the reversal of dismissal of some workers by the courts to the failure of some principal officers to take appropriate steps to discipline erring workers.
According to him, many sacked workers who were truly due for dismissal, had to be called back because due process was not followed while taking disciplinary steps against them.
In his address, Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Olujobi Ososanya, represented by Mr. Israel Alagbe, urged the participants to embrace the tool of arbitration in settling legal disputes.
Ososanya, also the Chairman, Lagos State Civil Service Commission, expressed hope that the workshop would engender effective employer-employee relationship in the state.
By Ade Adesomoju                           Courtesy Of: Punch

UI students protest Boko Haram threats, halt exams

There was confusion at the University of Ibadan on Wednesday as the Students Union Government of the institution besieged examination halls and disrupted the ongoing second semester examinations.
The protest, it was learnt, led to the temporary suspension of the examination.
According to the SUG, the action was in response to the growing anxiety over alleged plan by the dreaded Boko Haram sect to attack the institution and other universities in the country.
Because of the Boko Haram scare, the institution had since Monday tightened security within the campus.
The protest, carried out in a commando-like manner, reportedly started around 8.30am. The angry students who were said to have been led by the SUG President, Tokunbo Salako, reportedly demanded that examination should be stopped until the safety of lives of the students and staff of the institution was guaranteed.
It was learnt that the students union had on Tuesday night gone round the halls of residence to solicit students’ support for the protest.
The SUG demanded that the school authorities should explain what they had done so far to guarantee safety of lives of the students in view of the alleged threat.
The students also expressed apprehension following power outage and epileptic water supply experienced in the institution in the last few days.
The protesting students stormed all the faculties to stop the conduct of the examination.
The students, who met stiff resistance at the Faculty of Arts, tore some examination papers and scripts and forced the management and the students out of the halls.
A students who spoke on the condition of anonymity queried, “How on earth are we expected to perform well when there is no light and water to read for the exam? In fact, the school authorities have kept us in the dark about this story of Boko-Haram targeting the school.
“We only got to know about it in the newspapers and the school has not deemed it fit to inform us either through memo or by inviting the student leaders. That is too bad. We all know that terrorist attacks happen where there is a large crowd. This is more likely during examination periods.”
Students, who had reported for their examinatio, expressed shock over the protest. They expressed fears that the ASUU warning strike billed to start from September 26 could catch up with them if the examination did not hold on time.
Calls made to the Public Relations Officer, UI, Mrs. Joke Akinpelu, were not picked as at press time. However, reports had it that the authorities of the university were meeting to take a position on the protest.
By Akinwale Aboluwade                                   Courtesy Of: Punch

Eight suspected Boko Haram bombers arraigned

The State Security Service on Tuesday arraigned eight Boko Haram members on two counts charge of criminal felony and conspiracy.
Shuaibu Abubakar, Mohammed Danladi, Salisu Ahmed, Ahmed Hassan Ezimakpo, Umar Babagana, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adams and Umar Ibrahim were arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Wuse, Zone 2 at about 1: 40 pm.
Aged between 20 and 35 years, the suspects were brought to the court by heavily armed SSS operatives. They were accused of planting the bombs that killed 16 people at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) office in Suleja, Niger State on April 8, 2011. Also, they were alleged to have planted another bomb that killed three persons at the All Christian Fellowship Church, also in Suleja; a bomb blast that killed three persons in Bawri, a satellite town in the FCT.
All but one of the suspects pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge, which was read in English but translated to Hausa when they said they did not speak English.
The charge sheet says the eight suspects are accused of conspiring “to do an illegal act to wit, planting and detonating explosives at different places which caused grievous bodily harm and killed about 22 people at different places.”
The 4th accused, Ezimakpor, a miner, who spoke shortly after the charge was read, narrated how he joined the sect, saying he joined the group as a preacher. He told the court he would plead guilty to only one of the charges, because he introduced the supplier of cortex wires (used in the detonation of explosive devices) to the mastermind, one Bashir, and his co-accused persons. The wires were sourced from a mining site in Nasarawa State. Our correspondent learnt that Hassan’s mother is from the South-East while his father hails from Niger Republic.
The prosecuting counsel, Cliff Osagie, told the Magistrate, Biola Oyewole, that he would adopt the First Information Report filed before the court earlier. He stated that the SSS intended to bring more accused persons in connection with the bombings, adding that many suspects were being arrested “as we speak.”
He informed the court that investigation had been concluded and he was prepared for the trial even as he appealed to the court to remand the accused persons in the SSS custody.
Ezimakpor explained that he had visited Abuja on May 3, 2011, where he ran into the 3rd accused, Salisu Ahmed, with whom he had proselytized as members of Boko Haram, between 2008 and 2009.
According to Ezimakpor, he lost interest in the sect later and changed his mobile phone number. He gave his new number to Ahmed and warned him not to share it with anyone, but he (Ahmed) gave the number to Bashir, who is at large.
“Bashir called me at Madala, (Niger State) for a meeting. He told me he had a message to train Boko Haram members for the revenge of (ex-sect leader) Mohammed Yusuf’s death. So they taught us how to handle AK-47. After that, Salisu, Bashir and I took an oath. After the pledge, I told Bashir I was not satisfied, that I was no longer interested in the Boko Haram movement.
“I changed my number and travelled to Nasarawa State. Bashir later called me and asked me to supply cortex wire. But I said I couldn’t. He insisted, saying I should connect him with a person that could supply the wire. As he insisted, I was afraid and I told him I would connect him to a labourer at the mine,” Ezimakpor said. According to him, two rolls of cortex wires were later supplied to the 2nd accused person who then delivered them to Bashir.
At this point, Osagie interrupted Ezimakpor’s narrative, saying his defence would be taken during the trial.
The Magistrate asked the accused persons about their lawyers and seeing that they had no legal representation, informed them they had the right to have a counsel. Oyewole then adjourned the matter to October 4, 2011.
By Adelani Adepegba, Abuja                                Courtesy Of: Punch

President asks Senate to confirm Musdapher as CJN

President Goodluck Jonathan has written to the Senate to confirm the appointment of Justice Dahiru Musdapher as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Jonathan’s letter, which was dated August 22, 2011 was read to members of the Senate by Senate President David Mark on Tuesday
Jonathan said, “In conformity with Section 231(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which gives the President the powers to appoint a CJN, acting on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council and subject to confirmation of the appointment by the Senate, I have the honour to forward the nomination of Justice Dahiru Musdapher, CON, CFR, as CJN.”
The Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, also said the name of the President of the Court of Appeal would be presented for confirmation.
The President also, forwarded the name of Mr. Darius Ishaku as ministerial nominee representing Taraba State. Ishaku replaces Dr. Obadiah Ando, who was rejected by party members and senators from the state.
Jonathan, however, dropped the nomination of Prof. Mohammed Tabi’u as a Resident Electoral Commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission, representing Jigawa State.
Tabi’u was replaced by Mikaila Abdullahi in the list of eight nominees awaiting the Senate’s confirmation.
Other nominees are Sylvester Ezeani(Anambra), Dr. Lawrence Azubuike(Imo), Sam Olumekun(Ondo), Prof. Istifanus Dafwang(Plateau), Mrs. Gesila Khan(Bayelsa), Mr. Samuel Madaki(Taraba) and Dr. Gabriel Ada(Cross River).
The President also forwarded a list of five names for confirmation by the Senate as members of the Independent Corrupted Practices and other-Related Offences Commission.
They are Alhaji Abdullahi Ado Beyero (North-West), Alhaji Isa Salami(North-Central), Ekpo Owo Nta(South-South), Prof. Olu Aina(South-West).
By Oluwole Josiah, Abuja                              Courtesy Of: Punch

Ogun CP consoles robbery victims

The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Mr. Nicholas Nkemdeme, on Tuesday, paid a visit to the State Hospital Ijaye, Abeokuta to sympathise with members of staff and patients who were robbed of their valuables in the hospital on Sunday.
Nkemdeme, who was accompanied by some senior officers of the police, re-assured them of his readiness to beef up security in the hospital and the entire state.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Tuesday, the visit to the hospital availed the police commissioner an opportunity for an on-the-spot assessment of the robbery incident.
Adejobi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said in the statement, “The Commissioner of Police sympathised with the victims whose handsets and valuable items were carted away by the satanic elements. He re-assured the patients and management of the hospital of his readiness and commitment to beef up security in the hospital and other state at large.
“The Commissioner of Police then reiterated on his order that the matter be thoroughly investigated as there are indications to the involvement of some insiders.”
The police boss also advised the management of the hospital to circulate the distress call numbers of the command to all members of staff so as to avoid the reoccurrence of such incident in the future.
He urged members of the hospital community to be more security conscious by putting up measures that would prevent hoodlums from gaining access to the hospital’s premises, adding that uniformed and plain cloth policemen would be deployed to the hospital and other ones for their effective protection.
The Chief Matron of the Hospital, Mrs. A. O. Akinsola, who conducted the CP and and his entourage round the scenes of the robbery incident, promised the readiness of the management to assist the Police to beef up security around the hospital.
By Ade Adesomoju                                   Courtesy Of: Punch

Appeal court adjourns ruling on Akpabio, Udoedeghe

The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar, Cross River State has adjourned the judgement in the appeal filed by the Akwa-Ibom State Action Congress of Nigeria governorship candidate, Chief James Udoedeghe, against Governor Godswill Akpabio, of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The judgment, which was expected to be delivered on Tuesday, was adjourned to Thursday, September 15.
Giving reasons for the adjournment through Justice Massoud Abdulraham Oredola in the sitting that lasted about 20 minutes on Tuesday, the judges said some of the briefs were filed by the parties just the previous day and also that some of the authorities cited were not reported.
The judges, however, assured that the judgment would not lapse.
Reacting to the development, counsel for Akpabio, Chief Duro Adeyele, SAN, said, “The reasons given are plausible reasons. Some of the papers containing our argument, briefs were not made available to some of the justices, possibly due to mix up of the registry. But the good court is still within the time set down for such to be done by the constitution. And so there is no fear of the judgment lapsing.”
By Mudiaga Affe, Calabar                         Courtesy Of: Punch

N7bn scam: EFCC invites Deputy Speaker, others

The Deputy Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Kolawole Taiwo, and four other principal officials were on Tuesday guests of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja.
Asource in the commission said the four principal officers – Rotimi Abiru, Ajibayo Adeyeye, Abdulrasaq Balogun and Lola Akande – were interrogated by a team of EFCC operatives at about 10.00am at its headquatres.
Details of their arrest were still sketchy as at press time.
A source close to the ant-graft agency said that Taiwo’s interrogation as well as other four principal officers, was part of the commission’s efforts at getting to the root of the alleged fraud.
It was not clear as at 7.15pm last night whether the officers would be detained by the EFCC as they were still being questioned.
When contacted, EFCC’s Head (Media and Publicity), Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed the interrogation of the lawmakers but refused to explain further.
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji was about a fortnight ago, picked by operatives of the commission over alleged misappropriation of N7bn.
His arrest was said to have been sequel to a petition written against him by a civil rights group, Kick Against Corruption and Anti-corruption Vanguard, alleging that the speaker mismanaged N7bn running cost in 12 months.
In the petition purportedly signed by one Mr. Olawale Williams, KAK had, among other things, alleged that the lawmaker diverted the money and laundered it abroad through an automobile firm, Brown Motors, allegedly owned by him.
Both Ikuforiji and the members of the House of Assembly had faulted the allegation.
The lawmakers wondered how much the Assembly had collected in the past one year for the Speaker to be able to mismanage N7bn.
By Friday Olokor, Abuja                  Courtesy Of: Punch