Outgoing President of the African Development Bank (AFDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has emerged as incoming President after a long drawn battle.

He was cleared of all allegations of impropriety and fraud by the bank’s ethics committee following allegations of graft by the  United States government, however, the US still insisted on a fresh and ‘in-depth’ investigation into the allegations.

Adesina, in a statement described the allegation as one calculated to tarnish his reputation.

However, analysts have cautioned he should watch his steps, given that powerful foes do not give up easily.

Adesina stood alone in the election, but was endorsed in a virtual general meeting on Thursday.

The first hint of his re-election was when a presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, tweeted, “Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has been re-elected as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). With this re-election, he will spend another 5 years supervising the affairs of the Bank. Congratulations!”

AfDB is yet to issue a formal statement.

Quick dispensation of justice was on the mind of President Muhammadu Buhari at the opening of the 60th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) where he threw a nagging poser: “Why can’t we have time limits for all cases? Why can’t we put in place the rules that will say that a criminal trial all the way up to the Supreme Court must end in 12 months, and that a civil trial must not exceed 12-15 months? I think that, for me, will be stepping forward.”.

Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, the President entered the discourse at the virtual opening session of the Conference themed “Step Forward”, which he said translates into “taking responsibility”, he explained that the situation has become necessary given the current and pre-existing challenges confronting the system.

“Step forward means taking responsibility. It may also mean making progress, boldly taking on the challenges of the future.”

The President listed a few areas where “I believe we need to step forward and resolve some of the nagging problems of our systems of administration of justice.”

Going personal on the issue of delay in trials, the President referred to his experience at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunals in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2019. He said until recently, court trials had been “terribly slow” and capable of frustrating genuine efforts aimed at promoting general progress of the society.

He said “I am not a lawyer but I have been both a casualty and a beneficiary of the judicial process. I was before the courts for two and a half years- 27 months from 2003 in the now famous case of Buhari and Obasanjo. It took me two and a half years to fight for a four-year Presidential mandate.

“In 2007, I was again in court for 20 months, almost two years, also as petitioner and later then appellant in the case of Buhari and INEC. And in 2011, again as petitioner in the case of CPC and INEC. I spent another 8 months in court. At the end, I lost all three cases. I wondered then why it needed to take so long to arrive at a verdict.

“In 2019, my status improved, I was now no longer petitioner, I became first respondent in the case of Atiku and Buhari and the whole process took barely 6 months.”

Still on the areas requiring reform, President Buhari said “the second issue for me is the multiple and sometimes conflicting orders of courts. Recently, my party, the APC, had an internal crisis. In the six-week period before I chaired the meeting of the party to resolve the issues, there were at least 10 different conflicting rulings of the courts across the country.

“Again I am not a lawyer, but surely these sort of multiple and conflicting rulings of courts sometimes ex parte, really make a mockery of the judicial process.”

Continuing, the President said “third issue is the seeming bias towards technicality over the clear common sense justice of cases. If justice is to be seen to be done, then the outcomes of cases must make sense to the average person and not just to the refined minds of learned persons alone. Justice must make sense to lawyers and non-lawyers alike.”

“My fourth issue”, the President said, “is on the appointment of judges. I believe that we must continuously improve on the selection processes for appointment of the men and women who serve as judges.”

“First we must cast our nets wider in search of judges, especially at the appellate level.  Second we must put in place primarily merit-based selection processes including mandatory tests and interviews for all applicants for judgeships.

“While our Constitution urges Federal character for balance, this is not an excuse for mediocrity. If a particular zone is to produce a judge why can’t we find the best talents in that zone. Our country has excellent men and women everywhere,” the President said.

President noted that “Reform is urgent because the fabric of our society is stitched together by our system of justice and law enforcement. We cannot afford to have the stitches come undone.”

While urging stakeholders in the sector to further leverage technology to enhance the speed of court processes, the President said “digitization of court processes, records and services is very much the new frontier of justice delivery and will dramatically enhance access to justice and affect trial timelines.”

Speaking on his administration’s efforts at addressing security concerns, President Buhari said his government acknowledges the apprehensions of the people, and restated the commitment to address them.

He however noted that “the fight against insecurity and to establish law and order, requires the full cooperation of all especially the various structures for law enforcement and administration of justice at all levels,” referring to how both the Federal Government and the States need to work together on prosecuting criminal cases for instance. 

“If like some of us, you listen to the radio, you will often hear ordinary people asking questions about why criminals have not been sent to jail. So for example, they would ask why a suspected murderer has not being prosecuted.  Of course the question many will ask is, ‘so, what is Buhari doing about that?’.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad restated the commitment of the judiciary to adapt to changes within and around its environment, citing the adoption of virtual court proceedings as an example.

He said the judiciary under his watch will not condone practices that have, over the years, negatively impacted the image of the justice sector, noting that abuse of court processes, among others would no longer be tolerated.

The week-long event will feature discussions and presentations by distinguished personalities and scholars with a focus on the theme “Step Forward”.

Everyday

 Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has challenged the Nigeria Bar Association to work towards reforming the Nigerian judicial processes to ensure the speedy dispensation of justice in the country.

Professor Osinbajo posed the challenge on Wednesday when he virtually declared open the Annual National Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Lagos, where he represented President Muhammadu Buhari.

The vice president wants to see judicial reforms that will fast track all court cases so that the longest will be a maximum of 15 months.

“Reform is urgent because the fabric of our society is stitched together by our system of justice and law enforcement,” he said.

“We cannot afford to have the stitches come undone. The first issue I would like to commend to your consideration is the terribly slow pace of trials in our courts.”

For Osinbajo, fixing a time limit as has been done with cases in the Supreme Court might lead to speedy trials.

“My question then is that why can’t we have timeliness on all cases? Why can’t we put in place the rules that will state that a criminal trial all the way to the Supreme Court must not exceed 12 months in duration?

“Why can’t we do the same for civil cases even if we say it that civil cases must not go beyond 15 months – between 12 and 15 months? I think that for me will be stepping forward.

“The question of speed raises a related concern in the context of a competitive global economy, a speed of our legal institutions and processes must match up with the global pace of transactions,” he said.

Besides speedy dispensation of court cases, Osinbajo noted that multiple and conflicting court orders are making a mockery of the judicial process while highlighting the need for reforms in that area.

Source: Channels TV

Sunday Shodipe, a suspected serial killer in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, says a herbalist mounted pressure on him to escape from police custody.

The 19-year-old disclosed this on Wednesday when he was paraded by Nwachukwu Enwonwu, the state commissioner of police.

Shodipe was arrested alongside two others in June in connection with a series of killings in Akinyele local government area of the state.

He, however, escaped from Mokola station where he was kept on August 11 but was rearrested on Sunday.

Explaining his escape, Shodipe said he fled the police station to carry out rituals in the interest of one Idris Ajani, a 50-year-old herbalist he was arrested with.

He said the herbalist threatened him in custody, saying there would be dire consequences if he did not escape to continue the killings.

He added that he killed another woman while he was on the run.

“Baba( herbalist) had been telling Officer Funsho to open the gate to allow us to take our bath but the officer did not answer him,” Shodipe said.

“Baba later told the officer that he needed to drink gin as an herbalist to prevent spirits from draining his blood but the officer still did not answer him.

“Baba had been blaming me for telling the police and the public that he was the one that sent me to kill and that I would have been released from the custody if I had been untruthful.

“Baba also told me that something terrible might happen to him if he stayed too long in police custody because of the sacrifices he had not been performing since his arrest.

“So, when the police later allowed me to go and bath in the evening at about 7.pm, I used the opportunity to escape and went to Akinyele to kill another woman.

“Baba sends me out and tells me to kill by reciting his name, Idris Adedokun Yunusa Ajani, in incantations. So, I killed the women to ensure Baba’s safety.”

The suspect added that he ran to Bodija where he was rearrested to fend for himself by carrying a luggage using a cap to conceal his identity.

Enwonwu said Shodipe, who was in police custody due to the congestion at the Nigeria Correctional Service facility in the state, would now be taken to the facility.

“The police officer involved in Shodipe’ s case is paying dearly for it and he is still in police custody facing disciplinary action which has been completed at the level of the command and forwarded to Abuja,” Enwonwu said.

The Chairman, Board of Directors, First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika wants Nigerians to take their destiny in their own hands and build the country.

Awosika who was speaking during the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 2020 Conference on Tuesday, believes that instead of complaining about issues plaguing the country, Nigerians, particularly lawyers, would have to take extra steps to address those challenges.

“With all due respect and no offence meant,” she said, “I just want us to know that for us to build a nation we all dream of, the one we complain about every day, we are going to have to go outside of ourselves; we are going to have to decide that enough is enough and it is time to use everything that we have to make a difference.”

According to her, the NBA should take stock of its activities since existence and reflect on the impact the body has had over the years.

For the banker, the NBA has all it takes to be a major building block in the country, citing their knowledge and expertise as well as number.

“For sixty years with thousands of members, with thousands of lawyers and many new lawyers graduating every year, how has the country been fully impacted by the knowledge that we have and the understanding that we possess in terms of building an equitable country where justice reigns? she asked.

Awosika added that whether at the political or judicial level, the NBA, has “the strength of number, we have the capacity through knowledge. We have the power of influence at every level.”

‘Am I a Nigerian?’

This year’s NBA conference runs from August 24-26, 2020, and will have several dignitaries including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in attendance.

The event will also see the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and a former Education Minister, Obiageli Ezekwesili speaking.

According to the NBA, the theme of this year’s conference is: ‘Am I a Nigerian – A Debate on National Identity, the Indigeneship-Citizenship Conundrum.”

The Federal Executive Council has approved N722.3 million for eight field forensic auditors to audit the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The payment will come directly from the Presidency as the National Assembly is on break and the 2020 budget for the NDDC has not been passed.

Channels Television learned the field auditors will also look into the 12,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta.

The Minister of Niger Delta, Mr Godwill Akpabio, disclosed this on Wednesday after the virtual FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The NDDC became a subject of controversy over allegations of corruption in the award of contracts and the non-payment of Nigerian scholars under the payroll of the commission.

Following this, the National Assembly invited Akpabio and the NDDC boss, Daniel Pondei to probe the activities of the agency.

Appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC in a public hearing on July 20, Akpabio accused the lawmakers of benefitting from most contracts awarded by the commission.

However, this did not go down well them as the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila threatened a legal action should the Minister fail to name the purported lawmakers involved in the contracts.

The House also asked Akpabio, to publish the names of the members of the National Assembly who got contracts.

In a statement issued on July 28, the spokesman for the House and Committee Chairman on Media Affairs and Publicity, Benjamin Kalu, said that the minister had alleged that 60 percent of all the NDDC projects were awarded to members of the lawmakers between the months of January and May 2020.

Kalu explained that following the claim, the leadership of the 9th House issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Akpabio to publish a list of the lawmakers.

The House spokesman revealed that the lawmakers evaluated the minister’s letter and the directive to press charges against him have not been lifted.

Also, President Buhari reacted to the controversy trailing both the commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The President who spoke after the Sallah service on July 31, said some people trusted by his administration have abused the privilege.

Senate Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning has directed the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, to investigate the payment of $18.323billion being dividends accrued to the country from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, between 2004 and 2020.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Solomon Adeola, gave the directive following disclosures from NLNG officials during the panel’s stakeholders’ interactive session on the 2021-2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), in Abuja.

Adeola, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Kayode Odunaro, in Abuja, the AGF was mandated to investigate the amount was actually remitted to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and how much was actually remitted to the Federation Account.

The AGF was also to determine if there was any deduction by NNPC, how much was deducted and who authorized the deductions as well as the exchange rates that applied for the amount that was remitted over the years under reference.

According to the statement, Mrs. Eyono Fatai-William, the general manager (External Relations and Sustainable Development) of NLNG had presented a financial summary of the company from 1999-2019 and said the NLNG had paid a dividend of over $18 billion to Nigeria between 2004 and 2019.

Fatai-William also insisted that the NLNG is committed to a culture of transparency and integrity.

However, when Adeola asked the Accountant General of the Federation, to confirm if the dividend was actually paid into the Federation Account, he said it was difficult to immediacy determines if it had been paid because the dividend is usually paid to the NNPC – that represents the Federal Government in the NLNG.

Adeola therefore directed the Accountant General to investigate the payment and report back to the Senate within two weeks.

Nigeria has about 53 per cent shares in the NLNG, according to the statement.

A Senior magistrate court of Katsina State in Funtua has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of two (2) officers in the Department of State Services (DSS) in Katsina State namely Ibrahim Abubakar and Usman Abubakar for assaulting a practicing lawyer, Naziru Suleiman Esq.

“Their arrest warrant was due to their absence before the court without satisfactorily excusing themselves, which constitute disrespect to the court and therefore a contempt”, as quoted in the order.

In the court order seen by Katsina Post dated 12th of August and signed by Shamsu Umar, the magistrate court asked the Commissioner of Police Katsina State to effect the arrest under the provisions of Sections 24 (1) and 30 (f) and 62(1) of ACJL Katsina State.

“The Court having heard the Application for the bench warrant against the defendants from the learned counsel to the complainant for the absence of defendants before the court for their trial.

“The Court is of the view that the application is of merit by the following reasons: Firstly, as rightly stated by the learned Counsel for the Complainant, this case is a criminal before the Court and the presence of the defendants is necessary couple with the fact that the duplicate of the Court summon is signed by one Abubakar Abdullahi of DSS Office Katsina on 5 August 2020.

“Also that the Court bailiff have sworn to an Affidavit of Service to the effect of carrying out the service as ordered by the Honourable Court which request the Director DSS Office in Katsina to serve the defendants who are his personnel serving at Funtua Office for their appearance before this Honourable Court for their trial.

“Their absence today before this Honourable court without satisfactorily excusing themselves, Constitute to disrespect to the Honourable Court and therefore a contempt, accordingly bench warrant is hereby issued against the defendants, the arrest warrant shall be issued to Commissioner of Police Katsina State to effect the arrest under the provisions of Sections 24 (1) and 30 (f) and 62(1) of ACJL Katsina State 2019.

“The case is adjourn to 27″ of August 2020 for Mention.”

The arrest warrant was issued following application for direct criminal complaint of criminal conspiracy 59 (2), assault or criminal force 237, criminal intimidation 373, (a) and use of insulting or abusive language contrary to section 375 and 372 penal code by a team of fifteen (15) lawyers led by Lawal Amah Esq dated 14th July, 2020 before the court requesting for criminal summons to against the Defendants.

“Kindly cause a criminal summons to issue against the Defendants on the following terms:

“The Complainant in the course of discharging his constitutional duties. On the 10” July, 2020 at about 6:02pm went to the office of department of state services (DSS) to accompany his client invited by the department.

“On reaching the department office at Funtua The Complainant was accosted by the Defendants To the extent that the defendant slapped the Complainant and pushed him out of his office as if that is not enough, they went on to intimidate and insult the Complainant by uttering the following word:

“Dan ubanka ka fita duk wanda zaka gaya mawa, ka gaya mashi nan ba katu bace” meaning: “This is not court of law, go and tell anybody you so wish”.

“Na bugi banza, rubuce-rubuce ne suje suyi, ba abinda zai faru, Meaning:

“I have beaten an idiot and that nothing will happen let them write to anywhere”.

“Your worship it is on these premise we are lodging a Complaint of criminal conspiracy 59 (2) assault or criminal force 237 criminal intimidation 373 (a) and use of insulting or abusive, language contrary to section 375 and 172 Penal Code Law Katsina State 2019”.

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