By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja

In a bid to cope with the unfolding challenges in the country, the National Judicial Council (NJC) has become fully digitalized with the completion of the full-scale automation of its meetings and operations.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the Council, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad who disclosed this in Abuja stated that the giant stride was part of measures aimed at ensuring that the justice system is not crippled in the face of threats posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He spoke at the Automation Retreat for members of the Council in Abuja.

“This is intended to herald a regime of electronic system to the Council’s document management, marking a significant departure and paradigm shift from the current paper-based operations”, Justice Muhammad was quoted as saying in a statement by the NJC’s Director of Information, Mr Soji Oye.

The CJN represented at the occasion by the Deputy Chairman of the Council, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, said the NJC Chamber is now re-designed, retrofitted and equipped with a state of the art technology with in-built Security/Access control for the use of Council members.

He added that the re-designed Meeting Chamber has the following features: Voice tracking/audio conferencing; full video/audio recording of meeting with (playback); Call button-for assistance; wireless presentation/video call; video conferencing for members who are not able to attend; Intelligent System Retractable Tables and Enhanced Audio/Speakers Systems.

Other features are; secured access to meeting rooms; acoustic environment to eliminate echo and possible eavesdropping and avoidance of any listening devices; improved lighting and befitting restroom, canteen and lounge.

The features of the E-document management include but not limited to the following: instant access to update version; selective or complete printing; remote access; sharing documents during virtual meetings.

The statement noted that the E-document also has the following security/access or control mechanism: only authorized members and Secretariat can download (if needed); possibility of tracking who and what is done to a document; in case of committee assignments, only committee members can have access to documents pertaining to their respective committees.

Meanwhile the CJN has commended the NJC Secretary, Malam Ahmed Gambo Saleh, for galvanising his staff as well as consultants to achieve what he described as a technological milestone. (Everyday)

The International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law has released a statement that claims the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS) were involved in the four months incarceration and alleged ill-treatment of freed 75 residents of Obigbo town in Rivers State.

Recall that hundreds of arrests were made in Obigbo and a curfew imposed during last year’s EndSARS protests, The curfew on the orders of Governor Nyesom Wike, followed the death of some security operatives and civilians.

The Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) was blamed, and the government ordered soldiers to fish out those behind the attacks.

The leader of Intersociety, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, said on phone on Tuesday that a total of 283 have so far been freed, alleging that an additional 110 are still being kept at a military base in Bida, Niger State, while 26 others remain with the DSS.

He said it is left to the Army to tell Nigerians where they drive the powers to keep Nigerians for months, without informing the public or the families of those held where they are.

According to him, it is the agitation of his group and others that led the Army to begin to hand the detained persons to the Police and DSS about two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the Intersociety statement says the freed 75, allegedly abducted since October/November, 2020, were freed early March after bail was granted by an Abuja Magistrate Court.

The Intersociety full statement reads: It gladdens the heart of International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law to inform the world that the 75 innocent and defenseless Obigbo residents, comprising 55 women and 20 men, all Igbo natives and Christians, have finally returned to Igbo Land and rejoined their families, left for over four months or since Oct/Nov 2020 when they were abducted by soldiers of the Nigerian Army. The 75 abductees were freed on 4th and 5th March 2021, having earlier been granted bail by the Grade 11 Magistrate Court, Wuse 11, FCT Judicial Division, Abuja. While some were abducted between 7pm and 8pm in Obigbo and environs on their way home from work and other lawful social activities and held secretly for days at Headquarters of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt before bundled to the Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja, others were abducted during similar, if not same hours and bundled to Obinze Army Barracks in Owerri, Imo State from where they were disappeared and surfaced next day at Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja. All the freed 75 abductees were abducted at night and moved from 6 Division/Obinze Army Barracks to Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja late into the night or at hours of the blue law.

Among the 75 abductees are 55 women mostly between 18 and 25 years of age. The oldest among the 55 women are between 27 and 39 years of age including mothers of children and the newly married and among those in 18 and 25 years age bracket are university admission seekers, sales girls, hair dressing/plaiting and tailoring apprentices, fresh university undergraduates, etc. There are also hospital staff and a Day-Care proprietress, etc among those in 27 and 39 years age bracket. The 20 men among the 75 abductees are also of productive age bracket (18 years and 35 years and two are in their late 50s and mid 60s) including traders, trade apprentices, panel beaters, Secondary School leavers, university admission seekers, etc. All personal belongings of the 75 abductees including women’s hand bags and their contents, cash sums, mobile phones, identity cards, etc were taken away by soldiers till date and each of 55 women among them was forced to wear in Army captivity same underwear worn at the point of her abduction over four months ago.

It must be reminded that the 75 Obigbo abductees including 55 women and 20 men were abducted by soldiers of the Nigerian Army, held for days at the headquarters of 6 Division and Obinze Barracks and bundled to Mogadishu Army Barracks in Abuja, located very close to Aso Rock-the seat of Nigeria’s Presidential Power where they were secretly held outside public or their families’ knowledge or information for over four months. Their abduction and captivity were also done amidst grave inhuman conditions and without court trial. According to testimonies of most of the freed abductees, “they were transferred to DSS and Police facilities after being held in Army captivity for months”. In other words, they were transferred to DSS and Nigeria Police facilities few weeks before they regained freedom through Court bails following our advocacy campaigns and public outcries. While 53 women were released from the hands of DSS, 22 including 20 men and two women were freed from the hands of the Nigeria Police Force. Till date, Nigerian Army and its immediate past Chief of Staff-Retired Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (principal perpetrators) and authorities of DSS and Nigeria Police Force (conspirators) have refused to speak on their roles in the abductions.

Intersociety wishes to state again that by the existing laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria including Decided Cases (Case-Laws), the Armed Forces Act of 2004 and the 1999 Constitution, the Nigerian Army or any other branch of the Armed Forces is disempowered from arresting, detaining, investigating and prosecuting civilian citizens not subject to the Armed Forces Act of 2004 and the Nigerian Security Agencies Act of 2004, governing the conducts of DSS, the Service is disempowered from usurping the core duties of the Nigeria Police Force such as investigation, arrest, detention and prosecution of civilian citizens or their discharge and acquittal. DSS is also disempowered by the referenced laws including Sections 35 and 36 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution from accepting civilian citizens abducted or illegally arrested and held for months by any branch of the Armed Forces particularly the Nigerian Army for purpose of incarcerating them further and unlawfully without trial. The Nigeria Police Force as lawful or authorized investigating, arresting, detaining and prosecuting authority, is barred by Law from holding civilian citizens without public knowledge and trial outside the constitutionally prescribed periods.

Freed Abductees’ Ten Days Tortuous Journey Back To Igbo Land

Apart from spending heavily to secure bail sureties for the 75 freed Obigbo abductees and feeding, cleaning, clothing (including new panties and brassieres, soaps and sponges and sanitary pads for each of the 55 women), foot-wearing, treatment (first aids), lodging (hotels within and outside Abuja), transporting (within and outside Abuja and rejoining him or her with his or her family) each of them; all running into millions of naira, it was also ten days tortuous journey of the abductees back to Igbo Land. During the ten days (5th to 14th March 2021) tortuous journey from Abuja to Igbo Land, the traumatized and the fainted were revived and conveying vehicles broke down severally. Funds also became a major hindrance.

Malicious surveillances and roadblocks were also mounted by detailed security agents so as to do the untoward. Some media practitioners were infiltrated or hired by malicious security agents and spying others including those working for the immediate past Chief of Army Staff (key perpetrator of the conduct atrocity crimes). They had bombarded us with calls pretending to be “professional” and “sympathetic” journalists “seeking to speak with the women especially the raped or their families”; whereas their sole mission was hostile journalism. In the end, the ten days tortuous journey of the 75 abductees back to Igbo Land, despite encountered challenges and difficulties, was hugely successful, thanks to doggedness of Barr Richie Okoroafor, leadership of IPOB and others contacted including lawmakers, etc. The highlight of it all was the historic visit to the freed female abductees by three parents: a father and two mothers and they can be spotted in front of the two photos attached.

Names Of Freed 55 Igbo Christian Women

They are: Ijeoma Francisca, Pauline Anyanwu, Grace Samson, Rebecca Ibeanusi, Ebere Uchechi, Emmanuella Oluchukwu, Okafor Uloma, Peace Amaka, Eberechi ibe, Ekene Silver, Grace Anwulika, Mba Asiegbu, Modesta Umezie, Blessing Paulina, Joy Anozie, Amarachukwu Believe, Amadi Chinasa, Onwuka Uzoma, Chidinma Ukachukwu, Chioma Isaac and Peace Isaac (sisters), Ebube Aneto, Tina Emeka, Stephanie Sunday, Mercy Chidinma, Diri Ibe, Mirabel Angel, Nwosu Abigail, Uwaoma Queen, Sarah Alo, Sandra Evoh and Cynthia Evoh (sisters), Bridget Dede, Erica Ndubuisi and Ujunwa Ndubuisi (sisters), Oluchi Mercy, Uchendu Priscilla, Goodness Kaima, Mama Nnamdi (39 years old), Ekpere Odinanka, Nwoji Mary, Rosemary Ogudike, Happiness Odinaka, Georgina Umunze, Ngozi White, Atumofe Charity and Atumofe Precious (sisters), Amaka Ebere, Clementina Obiageli, Success Florence, Dike Amara, Kelechi Orji and Ukaamaka Oluchi (all released from the hands of DSS after being held for months and transferred by Nigerian Army) and Joyce Igwe and Ujunwa Felix (freed from the hands of the Nigeria Police Force after being held for months and transferred by Nigerian Army).

Names Of Freed 20 Igbo Christian Men

They are: Precious Ibe, Okonkwo Peter, Basil Anyanwu, Apostle Collins, Emeajokwu Bright, Nonso Isaac, Kennedy Samuel, Ugwu Odinnaka, Hossana Gregory, Ambrose Kenechukwu, Timothy Onyeama, Raphael Adam, Lucky Okolie, Richard Okpara, Emmaus God-Day, Chibuike Andrew, Kenneth Onuigbo, Patrick Uzoma, Anthony Okparaego and Uche Paul (all freed from the hands of the Nigeria Police Force after being held for months and transferred by Army).

Credit:Everyday

The 1999 constitution as amended is very clear about the concept of Federal Character. It says that the composition of the government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or any of its agencies” (Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution).

“Pursuant to this, the appointment of Ministers, shall reflect the Federal Character of Nigeria…the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each state who shall be an indigene of such state.”

(section 147 (3) 1999 Constitution). “Appointment to the offices of the Secretary to the Government, Head of Service, Ambassadors, Permanent Secretaries shall have regard to the federal character,” (section 171 (5) 1999 Constitution).

Hence, in search of a viable federalism, the federal character principle was inserted to ensure equitable sharing of posts and even distribution of natural and economic resources. It is a legal weapon put in place to regulate appointments, promotions, security of tenure and severance in every government department. Invariably, a definitive power sharing rules.

The germane question is to what extent has the federal character principle promoted the sharing of power and resources amongst the states?

Several researches by scholars have shown that while ethnic and religious diversity as such is not necessarily related to an increase in the risk of violent conflict, severe inequalities between culturally defined groups have been shown to significantly increase the risk of violent group mobilisation in diverse societies. Such inequalities have also plagued Nigeria both before and after independence.

Nigeria counts hundreds of ethnic groups, although the three major groups together, i.e. the Hausa-Fulani, the Yoruba, and the Igbo, are estimated to encompass about 60% of the population.

 Nigeria is also diverse in terms of religion, with Christianity and Islam each being practiced by about half of the population. While Islam is widely practiced in the North, a considerable number of Christians are living there as well, in particular in the North-Central region. Similarly, while Christianity is prevalent in the South, there is also a considerable number of Muslims in the South, in particular in the Southwest.

At independence, Nigeria became a federal state with three autonomous regions: the North, East, and West. The federal government was dominated by the Northern region, which was by far the largest one.

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This structure of ‘unequal federation’ pitted the regions and dominant ethnic groups in each region against one another.

Arguably, the most important cleavage exists between the North and the South of the country, and is rooted in these regions’ different ethnic, religious, political, and economic make-up.

While the South feared the North’s demographic majority, the North worried about losing out to the relatively higher educated Southern elites, particularly in the public service.

Tensions also exist between the Eastern and Western regions. Furthermore, this tripolar structure also generated disaffection among ethnic minority groups.

Even though the 1958 Willink commission of inquiry into minority fears of domination noted the concerns of these groups, they were largely ignored in the move toward independence.

However, over the years measures have been taken to allay the fears of minorities and to also avoid the domination of the country by one ethnic or religious group.

 The 1977 Constitution Drafting Committee canvassed options for the adoption of the federal character principle in the 1979 Constitution as strategy for peace, equity and stability.

 It argued that: “There had in the past been inter-ethnic rivalry to secure the domination of government by one ethnic group or combination of ethnic groups to the exclusion of others.

It is, therefore, essential to have some provisions to ensure that the predominance of persons from a few ethnic or other sectional groups is avoided in the composition of government or the appointment or election of persons to high offices in the state.”

To address the above anomalies, the Federal Character Commission was established in 1996. The mandate was to work out equitable formula subject to the approval of the National Assembly for the distribution of all cadres of post in the public service, armed forces, police force and other government security agencies.

 It is quite worrisome that 25 years on, the Federal Character Commission has not been able to fulfill its mandate and things have gone from bad to worse in recent times.

 President Muhammadu Buhari, was sworn in on May 29, 2015, and since his emergence it appears the federal character has been abandoned.

In the views of many Nigerians particularly those from the South, most of the appointments of the administration are lopsided as it favoured the North.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, recently reiterated that the essence of the federal character is to “avoid the concentration in a few ethnic hands or geographical places, as we currently have in the leadership of our security apparatus”. Consequently, there is deep-seated divide in Nigeria.

Unable to bear what it considered the present administration’s abandonment of the federal character any longer, some Southern leaders last year headed to the court.

 Recall that some leaders of the South last year filed a suit at the Federal High Court to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged marginalisation in appointments made by his administration since 2015.

The leaders, in the suit filed on their behalf by 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) led by Chief Solomon Asemota and Chief Mike Ozekhome, asked the court to fine the president and three other defendants in the suit N50 billion for allegedly violating provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the federal character principle.

Those sued alongside the president include the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Clerk of National Assembly and the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

The plaintiffs, led by Chief Edwin Clark, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Dr. John Nnia Nwodo, Dr. Pogu Bittus, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Alaowei Bozimo, Mrs. Sarah Doketri, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife and Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), accused the Buhari administration of deliberately marginalising the South.

According to them, the present composition of the government of the federation, and most of its agencies, especially as regards the composition of the security and quasi-security agencies do not reflect the federal character principle.

They added that there is a predominance of persons from a few states and sectional groups in positions of authority and consequently threatening national unity and integration.

Some of the issues brought before the court for determination include whether it was not “reckless and adverse to the interest of Nigeria” for the president to obtain a loan facility from the Islamic Development Bank, African Development Bank, the World Bank, China, Japan and Germany amounting to $22.7 billion, for infrastructural development, only to allocate the bulk of the fund to the North.

The plaintiffs also want the court to declare that the loan facility purportedly for infrastructural development wherein less than one per cent of the amount is to be allocated to the South-east for specific infrastructural development, violates Section 16 (1) (a) (b) and S16 (2) (a) (b) (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Similarly Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, in a statement he issued last year titled, “Between ‘Dividers-In-Chief’ And ‘Dividers-In-Law’” accused the Buhari administration of lopsidedness in appointments to key top positions.

He said, “ Lop-sided appointments to crucial positions in Civil Service and parastatals!

Consider the prime economic cash cow – petroleum – exposed a few months ago as a reeking cesspit of nepotism. Who is the Minister of Petroleum under whose watch such an unprecedented contempt for geographical parity –uncontroverted till today — became entrenched?

That happens to be none other than the nation’s president – and he did make a show of astonishment at the gross disparities, promised to subject the anomaly to immediate enquiry.”

As the country continues to search for a viable federal system, this column proposes inclusion, that is, the deliberate creation of political and social structures that will allow adequate participation by the divergent multi ethnic groups and even spread in the allocation of resources.
Aluta Continua!

First Published in Leadership Newspaper

The consumer price index, which measures the rate of increase in the price of goods and services, increased to 17.33 percent in February.Advertisement

This is the highest point since April 2017.

According to the CPI/Inflation report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday, the food inflation stood at 21.79 percent, the highest point since the 2009 data series began.

More to follow…

(TheCable)

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has carpeted the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) over moves to charge each lawyer N10,000 to enable them revalidate their status as CAC accredited agents.

In a statement made available to CITY LAWYER, the lawyers’ body described the revalidation exercise as “insensitive,” adding that it “smacks of utter bad faith on the part of the CAC to proceed with this policy without due consultation with the NBA whose members make up over 80% of the customer base of the CAC.” The NBA also lampooned the nation’s corporate registry over persistent poor services.

CITY LAWYER reliably gathered from a source at NBA HOUSE that the NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata had vigorously engaged the CAC leadership immediately news of the revalidation exercise was made public, leading to “slight relaxation” announced by the national registry.

Below is the full text of the NBA statement.

CAC DIRECTIVE ON RE-VALIDATION OF ACCREDITED AGENTS: THE POSITION OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION

The attention of the Nigerian Bar Association (“NBA”) has been drawn to a directive credited to the
Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (“CAC”) to the effect that accredited agents of
the CAC, including lawyers, are to revalidate their status as agents with the CAC and pay the sum of
Ten Thousand Naira (₦10,000), failing which the defaulting agents may be unable to access the CAC’s
Portal.

Since the news broke out, the NBA has been engaging with the CAC on this subject. The ostensible
reason given by the CAC for this directive is to checkmate the spate of proxy interactions with the
Portal and to weed out from the CAC’s Database, accredited agents who are either now deceased or
have emigrated out of the country and/or changed their location.

Whilst this objective may be well intended, the position of the NBA on the issue is as follows:
1. The NBA takes the view that it is both insensitive and smacks of utter bad faith on the part of the
CAC to proceed with this policy without due consultation with the NBA whose members make up
over 80% of the customer base of the CAC. This is in spite of the fact that the NBA-CAC Task Force
has been in constant touch with the CAC regarding improving efficiency and processes at the CAC.

2. While we appreciate that following engagements with the CAC, the Commission has extended the
deadline from 31st March 2021 to 10th June 2021 and has also clarified that the payment will be
one-off fee, the NBA remains of the view that it is possible to achieve a clean database of accredited
agents by requiring those who had been previously accredited by the CAC to simply update and
revalidate their records on the CAC portal (at no cost) or lose their accreditation by the new
deadline. The obligatory charge imposed by the CAC should not apply to existing users but only
to those customers who have never been accredited by the CAC and who now seek to be part of
the system.

3. The NBA is deeply concerned about the timing of this policy, which is coming at a time when many
lawyers have endured epileptic services from the CAC and have either lost the faith of their clients
or have been de-briefed by clients who believe that the lawyers treat their instructions with levity.
This state of affairs is what has led to the establishment of the NBA-CAC Taskforce to facilitate
regular interface with the CAC in resolving issues associated with the its services. Available
reports from the Taskforce indicate that in spite of its engagement with the CAC, the service levels
are still quite abysmal.

4. The NBA strongly urges the CAC to reconsider its position with respect to the payment of the
revalidation fee by existing users, and more importantly to continue to work assiduously towards
improving customer experience by resolving the several complaints by users of the system and
enhancing efficiency. Resolving these issues will not only be beneficial to the CAC and its
customers but will significantly advance the Federal Government’s Policy on Ease of Doing
Business in Nigeria.

Members of the NBA can be assured that we will continue to engage the CAC on these and other related
issues that affect their dealings with the Commission.

OLUMIDE AKPATA
NBA PRESIDENT
12th March, 2021

Credit:citylawyermag

• Siasia cheers winners

By Rahila Dauda

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Unity Bar, Abuja at the weekend dealt a heavy blow to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Abuja with a 4 -1 goal score.

The friendly which took place at the FIFA Goal Project Field had the legendary Samson Siasia, dignitaries from both the medical and legal fields in attendance.

Distinguished Learned Silks Chief Ogwu James Onoja, SAN and Mr. Moses Ebute, SAN were also in attendance to cheer the Unity Bar team.

The match with the motto “promoting friendship through sports”, kicked off at about 10:00 am shortly after both teams exchanged pleasantries.

The first goal came seven minutes into the commencement of the match with Otiga David, Captain of the Unity Bar team, scoring for the Unity Bar.

The second goal came in at about 13 minutes later in favour of (NMA) while the second goal for the NBA came in a short while after by Simon Kansio.

About 8 minutes after the second goal NBA scored a third goal.

Emmanuel Simon aka Babban striker sealed off the Unity Bar team’s victory with a fourth goal, 10 minutes into the second half while also maintaining lead possession throughout the match.

Players were later treated to a sumptuous reception by Chief Onoja, SAN.

Chairman of the Unity Bar Sports Committee Mr Afam O. Okeke expressed appreciation the team and assured them of the Committee and NBA’s commitment to supporting the team. He also encouraged them to aim for the NBA President’s cup

Jubilant Captain of the Unity Bar team, Mr Otiga David, Esq.  in his vote of thanks conveyed his gratitude to all who came to support them.  He specially showered appreciation on the Coach, Mr Agbolade Dosunmu for his support and commitment.