Home Blog Page 299

NCAA says, ‘If your flight departs at 6.30am and you stroll into the airport at 6.12am, you are late!’ as Air Peace accuses Oshiomhole of ‘disrupting’ operations after missing flight

The spokesperson of the National Civil Aviation Authority NCAA, Michael Achimugu, has taken to social media to educate Nigerians on the timelines of air operations. 

In a post shared on X, Achimugu disclosed that a passenger is expected to be at the airport two hours before their flight. He opined that a passenger is deemed late if he or she arrives at the airport 10 minutes before the scheduled departure of their flight.

In two videos circulated on Wednesday on X, Oshiomhole could be seen addressing an official at the airport and also sitting in front of a gate at the terminal.

Addressing the incident via a statement, the airline accused the politician of disrupting its airport operations after missing a scheduled flight.

“The prominent individual in question arrived at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (Zulu Hall) at approximately 06:10 AM for Flight P47120 scheduled to depart Lagos for Abuja at 06:30 AM,” the statement reads.

“In line with our standard on-time departure policy, the boarding process had closed, and the flight departed as scheduled.

“Upon being informed of the missed flight, the politician resorted to violence, physically assaulting our staff and forcefully barricading the terminal’s entrance.

“He went as far as sealing the entry gate and manning the access point, effectively obstructing other passengers from gaining entry into the terminal.”

According to the statement, the “unacceptable” behaviour caused significant disruption to ongoing operations and affected numerous travellers scheduled for various flights.

Air Peace said it activated an operational contingency plan to board affected passengers through an alternate terminal, ensuring the continuity of their travel plans.

“We are deeply saddened that such a high-profile figure displayed conduct so unbecoming and disruptive to fellow passengers and our personnel,” the airline said.

“Air Peace maintains a zero-tolerance stance on violence or any form of aggression against our staff and passengers. We urge all guests, to remain civil and cooperative at all times.

“Aviation operations are bound by strict timelines and safety protocols, and we remain committed to upholding these standards while delivering safe and timely services to the Nigerian public.”

Air Peace reaffirmed its commitment to upholding discipline, integrity, and respect for due process, adding that “no individual is above these values”.

Amazing hurdler goes viral with 50 million views completing last 10.5 metres with two forward somersaults for a win

A viral video of track star-in-the-making Brooklyn Anderson who claimed the 100m hurdle 5A state championship, has garnered over 50 million social media views. The reason – her spectacular finish at Thurston, where she lost balance clearing the last hurdle and stumbled, but stayed in the lane with two forward somersaults to reach finish line first on May 31 in 14.93 seconds.

“Nobody’s ever cheered for me that loud before,” she was quoted as saying by Huff Post.

According to NBC, the Oregon high school junior athlete blew away the competition at Eugene’s Track & Field Championship. “The last hurdle she clips and trips before somersaulting through finish line. Thankfully Brooklyn was OK due to her quick thinking and her Gymnastics background. She was also way in the lead earning her first place,” NBC said.

She told The Oregonian, “All I remember is resorting back to my gymnastics career. I wasn’t sure how far back everybody else was behind me, so I just knew to just keep rolling because I really wanted to finish first.”

On Instagram, she wrote, “Wow, what a memorable season. Year 3 is one for the books. Thank you everybody for the support, and especially thank you to the most amazing heat of girls a girl could finish a race with. You guys are awesome. GO COLTS #jryear #somersault #track #100mhurdles.”

The Oregonian called it “one of the most unique finishes to a race in Hayward Field history.” That must mean something because the iconic University of Oregon’s stadium in Eugene is more than 100 years old and has hosted national championships and Olympic trials, including last year’s qualifiers for the Paris Olympics.

The left-lead leg hurdler was cruising anyway but her somersault finish just added a new way to rolling to the deep.

Culled from IndianExpress.com

Reno Omokri vs Reno Omokri: A chronicle of contradictions

By Valentine Obienyem

History is a patient scribe. It waits – sometimes in silence, sometimes in agony- for men to reconcile their words with their deeds. In the tumultuous marketplace of Nigerian politics, many parade as prophets: bold, eloquent, impassioned. But few sustain the moral weight of their own declarations. They burn bright with outrage one moment, only to flicker and fade under the pressure of convenience the next.

Among such voices is Mr. Reno Omokri, whose career has oscillated between pseudo-activism and betrayal, between truth-telling and tactical forgetfulness, between sycophancy and boot-licking. Once, he thundered against impunity in high places, naming names and summoning moral outrage with a clarity that stirred even the indifferent. He did not merely criticise Bola Ahmed Tinubu; he condemned him as a drug lord, a moral disgrace, and a national embarrassment unfit to touch the seat of power. His language was not careful, it was combative. His tone was not speculative, it was surgical. All in all, he etched in acid, Tinubu’s life portrait. But alas, such fury, unmoored from principle, often burns out before it builds anything of substance.

Time, relentless and unsentimental, tests every conviction. It exposes not just what a man believes, but how much of it he dares to remember. Reno Omokri, who once braved the biting cold of Chicago to unearth court records with journalistic resolve, now is fleeing from the very ghosts he raised. The hand that once pointed unflinchingly at the throne of corruption now trembles or gestures vaguely elsewhere. The voice that once declared a man unworthy of office now mumbles falsehoods while retreating behind euphemism. And herein lies the tragedy, not merely a lie, but the quiet, imperceptible betrayal of one’s own truth.

For when a man recants the intensity of his former clarity, he does not merely change his mind – he fractures his credibility. He becomes a modern-day Alcibiades: eloquent yet unreliable, gifted yet treacherous, a man whose brilliance serves no cause but his own ambition. His loyalty shifts with the wind; his convictions collapse under the weight of self-interest. His retreat is not a revision but a rupture – a wound on public trust.

This compilation stands as both a mirror and a reckoning. The words that follow were not forged by his enemies, nor are they distortions by partisan hacks. They are Reno Omokri’s own: written, tweeted, and spoken with moral fervour and journalistic certainty. These were not idle remarks – they were convictions etched into the public sphere with the tone of a man who knew what he was saying and believed every word.

To forget such declarations may be a failure of memory. But to pretend they were never uttered is a deeper dishonour: a betrayal of history, and a silent mutiny against the very notion of principled dissent. What remains of moral advocacy when its loudest champions cringe at the sound of their own truths?

Let us therefore return to the record – not rumour, not reinterpretation, but the unfiltered register of the man’s own voice. These are the statements of Reno Omokri, preserved in their original intensity, when Tinubu was a villain, and Peter Obi a moral light that illuminated the world.

On Bola Ahmed Tinubu: A National Disgrace

In his most incandescent moments, Reno Omokri painted Tinubu not as a flawed politician, but as a criminal element whose very presence in Nigerian politics was a danger to the republic:

“The bigger issue with Tinubu is not his certificates, or lack of them. It is the fact that he is a known drug lord who was involved in a heroin drug cartel in the US and forfeited millions in drug funds to US authorities. As any lawyer will tell you, a forfeiture is an admission of guilt.”
— Reno Omokri

“Tinubu is a known drug lord who belongs in jail, not Aso Rock!”

— Reno Omokri (2022)

“Bola Tinubu is not a fit and proper person to occupy the office of the President of Nigeria.”
— Reno Omokri

“I personally went to court in Chicago to verify that Bola Tinubu is a certified drug lord!”
— Reno Omokri

“If anybody can get close enough to Bola Tinubu to take a sample of his hair or urine… a laboratory can analyse whether he still takes drugs – and what kind.”
— Reno Omokri (2022)

“The ‘Harass Tinubu Out of London’ protest against a drug lord at Chatham House was a resounding success!”
— Reno Omokri

“If you condemn Hushpuppi and you do not condemn Bola Tinubu, you are a hypocrite.”
— Reno Omokri

“Nigeria cannot have a known drug lord as her President. God forbid. I also challenge Tinubu to take a drug test with the NDLEA.”
— Reno Omokri

“I challenge BAT: if you were not involved in a heroin drug cartel… then take me to court.”
— Reno Omokri

“It will be a shame if Tinubu gets anywhere near Aso Rock. A nation with a drug lord as President is a nation whose passport is automatically suspect.”
— Reno Omokri

On Peter Obi: A Model of Integrity

In stark contrast, Reno once revered Peter Obi with a near-devotional tone, celebrating his frugality, leadership, and incorruptibility:

“Peter Obi is an excellent man. Of all the Southern candidates, none is close to him in terms of records of past performance. He became a governor without a godfather.”
— Reno Omokri

“Peter Obi raised the bar of leadership in Nigeria. Can you believe that since he left office, he has not taken anything – not a penny – from the state?”
— Reno Omokri

“Obi’s detribalised mindset sets him far above his contemporaries.”
— Reno Omokri

“I am so proud of ex-Governor Peter Obi. I am very proud of the man. Do we still have people like him in Nigeria?”
— Reno Omokri

“In Peter Obi, Nigeria has hope for stellar and exemplary leadership.”
— Reno Omokri

“Obi made money for himself in the private sector, and he made money for Anambra State.”
— Reno Omokri

“It is an honour to be associated with a personality such as Obi.”
— Reno Omokri

On Himself: The Vanishing Moral Compass

Sometimes, Reno turned the spotlight on himself—boasting of his mentor, his moral compass, and his refusal to be swayed by sycophancy:

“My Leader (Peter Obi), thank you, sir. I am trying to follow in your esteemed footsteps. You are the best Nigeria has to offer, and we are many treading the path you set for us.”
— Reno Omokri (2020)

Final Verdict: The Collapse of a Witness

Reno Omokri has become the very stinking tale he once told with dramatic flair. Like a prophet who forgets his own revelation, he now stumbles through the alleyways of political opportunism, clutching relevance with hands stained by contradiction. His words have not aged, they remain as damning and potent as ever, but their speaker has withered, receding into the fog of disowned integrity.

The pertinacity with which Reno clings to nonsense, his wilful blindness to counsel, and the consequent prejudice that warps his judgment will certainly doom him to irrelevance, or worse, to the tragic fate of becoming a regrettable footnote in the chronicles of opportunistic politics.

His story is not merely the fall of a commentator, it is the corrosion of character. Reno’s metamorphosis from truth-teller to truth-denier is not just disappointing; it is disgraceful. He has hung his conscience on a hook of expediency and left it to rot under the harsh glare of public memory. And so, we leave him here – not vindicated, not misunderstood, but self-condemned, judged by the one tribunal from which there is no appeal: his own unedited voice.

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

Tribute to a Friend in Our Darkest Hour: Fredrick Forsyth (1938–2025 )

A Profound Salute from a Grateful People

In the quiet of history’s pages, some names resound not by the battles they fought, but by the voices they raised in defense of truth, even when truth was drowned in blood and forgotten by the world. Sir Frederick Forsyth, the legendary British author and journalist, was such a man, a lone Western voice who stood with a brutalized people at their hour of annihilation. Today, as he takes his final bow at the age of 86, every Igbo man, woman, and child owes him not just a minute of silence; but a lifetime of remembrance.

Forsyth was no ordinary journalist. In 1968, when the civil war in Nigeria reached its genocidal crescendo, and when the world turned a blind eye to the starvation, carpet bombings, and mass executions of Igbo civilians, Frederick Forsyth chose conscience over career. He resigned from the BBC because they refused to let him tell the truth, the gory truth of Biafra, of babies bloated from hunger, of mothers clutching lifeless infants, of cities reduced to rubble, and of a people simply seeking to live.

He flew into Biafra when it was a land cut off by land, air, and sea, a land with no hope, no allies, no voice. He became that voice.

His “The Biafra Story”, published while the war still raged, was no mere book, it was a cry from the wilderness, a sacred text of resistance, a beacon that illuminated the scale of horror the Nigerian state visited upon Biafran civilians. Long before the world would learn the term “ethnic cleansing,” Frederick Forsyth documented it with painful clarity. He did not romanticize; he reported. He did not flatter; he testified. And for this, the Igbo Nation shall never forget.

He later penned “Emeka”, a powerful biography of General Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Oxford-educated rebel leader of Biafra, offering Western readers a deep and nuanced insight into the mind of the man who led his people into secession not out of ambition, but in desperate response to pogroms and national betrayal.

Forsyth’s influence endured beyond the war. His works inspired the critically acclaimed Hollywood film, “Tears of the Sun”, starring Bruce Willis, which, though fictional, echoed the Biafran experience and bore the emotional scars of a war the world tried to forget; but which Forsyth ensured would never be buried in silence.

To us, Frederick Forsyth was not just an Englishman. He was a Biafran by conviction. He was an Igbo by empathy. He was our Ezi Enyi, a true friend who stood when it was costly to stand.

In this season of his passing, we weep, not just for the death of a man, but for the fading away of a generation of truth-tellers who could not be bought, who refused to look away when injustice screamed.

We invoke the ancestral spirits of the slain children of Asaba, the massacred of Owerri, the famished of Abagana, and the forgotten martyrs of Umuahia to welcome this man who bore witness to their pain.

May Chukwu Okike Abiama, the Almighty Creator, grant Frederick Forsyth a seat among the righteous.

May the angels who guard the gates of paradise salute him as one who defended the defenseless.

May his soul journey peacefully into eternity, draped not just in British honor, but in Biafran gratitude.

As we, the sons and daughters of a once-rejected people, still rebuild from the ashes of that terrible war, we shall etch his name in our memorials, teach our children about him, and lift prayers for him at our altars.

Laa na udo, Frederick Forsyth.

Laa na udo, ezi enyi anyị.

Rest in peace, our brother, our voice, our friend.

May the soil of the land you loved embrace you with warmth.

May heaven remember you as we on earth will never forget.

21 gun salute to the immortal pen that gave Biafra a voice.

Farewell, O great soul.

— tpmifeanyi Aguikwu —

African Bar Association mourn Justices Uwais and Abutu

The African Bar Association (AFBA) has condoled with the Supreme Court and the Federal High Court over the passing of the ex-Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice M.L. Uwais and a former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice D. D. Abutu.

The association, in two separate letters to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, sent their condolences.

The letters read:

We, at the African Bar Association, received with shock but with gratitude to God,  the news of the demise of Late Justice  Mohammed  Lawal  Uwais (CJN RTD).

This is a man that served  Nigeria with dignity,  courage and integrity at the Supreme  Court of Nigeria as a justice and reached the apex as Chief Justice of Nigeria.

He was a golden gift to the judiciary.  He carried out his judicial functions bearing in mind that justice matters.  In the administration of the affairs of the Supreme  Court, he displayed frugality and accountability in financial matters.

He was a very good friend and partner of the Bar and worked harmoniously even after retirement to establish and propagate the ideals of the legal profession.

The legal profession has lost one of its finest to the cold hands of death, though inevitable.

We mourn with you and other serving and retired colleagues in the Supreme  Court of Nigeria, we mourn with the immediate family, starting with our colleague  Maryam   Uwais,  his amiable wife and other dutiful children left behind.

As we mourn, we remember his legacies of judicial uprightness,  his judgments which are not only telling truth to power but also give justice deservedly.

We will all miss him, but consoled that he lived a fulfilled life and exited at a good ripe age.  We pray that  Aljana  Firdausi be his lot and that Almighty  Allah forgive him his trespasses.

High  Chief  Ibrahim Eddy Mark, President, AFBA.

The second letter, addressed to the Chief Judge of the Federal  High Court, reads:

We are in receipt of the news of the death of Justice  D.  D.  Abutu  (Rtd), Former  Chief Judge,  Federal  High  Court.

We are aware that he held office as a judge and later Chief Judge, Federal High Court.

We are also aware that he dutifully served his country in the judicial positions he held to the best of his ability and with integrity.

We mourn with you and your serving and retired brother Judges in this monumental and painful loss.

Having served creditably and without blemish, we are not only mourning his loss but also celebrating his worthy service both on the judicial stable and administrative work as Chief Judge, Federal High Court.

He has gone to meet with his creator,  as there is time to be born and time to die. We pray that Almighty God, the creator, receive his departed soul in his bosom and forgive his trespasses.

We also pray that the good Lord grant his family the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss.

High  Chief  Ibrahim Eddy Mark

President

Mabel Adinya Ade’s reflection on June 12 and Nigeria’s democracy

A DAY OF DEMOCRATIC IRONY AND A CALL TO RECLAIM NIGERIA’S DEMOCRATIC PROMISE

June 12 stands as a monumental day in Nigeria’s political history. A day when Nigerians rose above ethnic, religious and regional divides to vote in an election that was widely adjudged free and fair. The 1993 presidential election, won by Chief MKO Abiola, symbolized national unity and democratic potential. Its annulment by the military was a betrayal of the collective will of the people. Decades later, the shadows of that betrayal still linger, casting doubts on whether Nigeria has truly embraced the spirit of democracy. Today, democracy in Nigeria faces profound challenges. Although we operate under a civilian government, the principles that underpin true democracy justice, accountability, inclusion, and freedom are steadily being eroded.

The Current Democratic Landscape puts Nigerians’ freedom of expression under threat. Young Nigerians are harassed, arrested, and detained simply for speaking out on social media or through artistic expression. Instead of serving as a platform for public discourse, the civic space is being muzzled. The arrest of citizens for dissenting views reflects a growing intolerance that undermines democratic norms. Worsening insecurity further betrays the essence of democracy.

In the Middle Belt, including Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Taraba and several other states, lives are lost daily to violent attacks, in the North East, banditry, and insurgency. Families are slaughtered in their sleep, and entire communities are displaced. The growing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), the alarming out-of-school children statistics, and Nigeria’s unenviable position as the country with the highest rate of child malnutrition all speak to the failure of governance.

The cost of living in Nigeria today is unbearable. Food insecurity and unemployment are driving millions into deeper poverty. Youths, who should be the drivers of innovation and economic growth, are disillusioned and frustrated by the absence of opportunities and responsive leadership.

DEMOCRACY WITHOUT INCLUSION: THE CASE OF WOMEN.

 Despite women’s active participation in Nigeria’s democratic struggles, their representation in governance and decision-making continues to decline. This exclusion contradicts the very essence of democracy, which demands equal representation and participation. If Nigeria is truly committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 5 on gender equality, it must take concrete steps to increase women’s representation in politics.

The National Assembly must prioritize and pass the Special Seats for Women in Parliament Bill. This will institutionalize proportional representation and reserve seats for women, as practiced in several progressive democracies. It is not about tokenism: it is about correcting structural imbalances and ensuring that women’s voices are heard in decisions that affect their lives and the nation’s future. It is imperative for Democratic Institutions to safeguard and strengthen our democracy, Nigeria’s key institutions must rise to the occasion: Political Parties must reform themselves to become more democratic, inclusive, and issue focused and not toll the line of one-party system and money politics. They must create enabling environments for youth, women, and persons with disabilities to contest and win elections and not just be used as crowd pullers or supporters.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must remain impartial, and transparent. The integrity of elections begins with the credibility of the electoral body. INEC must resist all forms of manipulation and ensure that votes count, results are not doctored, and the will of the people is respected.

The National Assembly, Judiciary, and Security Sector must live up to their constitutional roles. The doctrine of separation of powers must be upheld, not merely in theory but in practice. The legislature must boldly check executive excesses. The judiciary must remain the last hope of the common man impartial, fearless, and immune to political pressure. Security agencies must be neutral, professional, and protective of all citizens, not tools for political intimidation. Civil Society and the Civic Space must be protected and encouraged. Democracy thrives when citizens can organize, speak out, and advocate without fear. Civil society organizations, media, and activists must be allowed to engage freely in holding power to account and promoting social justice.

June 12 should not just be a date on the calendar, it must be a national call to renew our democratic commitment. It must remind us that democracy is not about elections alone. It is about how we are governed, how power is distributed, and how justice is ensured.

Nigeria has a long way to go. But the path to true democracy is still open if we choose it. We must demand better. We must protect our freedoms. We must include all voices, especially women, youths, and the vulnerable. And above all, we must never forget that democracy is only as strong as the people’s ability to defend it.

 In this 2025 June 12 remembrance, let it be known that we do not just remember history we reclaim it, and we recommit to building a Nigeria where democracy is real, inclusive, and truly for the people.

HAPPY DEMOCRACY DAY!

After two decades of democratic rule, Nigeria still grapples with deep-rooted inequality and exclusion — Women in Politics Forum

Women in Politics Forum Statement on Nigeria’s Democracy Day – June 12, 2025

Today, as Nigeria marks Democracy Day, Women in Politics Forum (WIPF) joins millions of Nigerians to reflect on our journey toward a more inclusive and equitable democracy. While democracy remains the best system for safeguarding rights, freedoms, and development, we must critically examine the extent to which it has served all Nigerians; particularly women, youth, and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).

Despite over two decades of democratic rule since the inception of her 4th Republic in 1999, Nigeria continues to grapple with deep-rooted inequality and exclusion. The principles of citizen participation, equality, and inclusion (which are hallmarks of any vibrant democracy) are still far from being realized. Women, who make up nearly half of the population, remain grossly underrepresented in elected positions. The same holds true for youth and PWDs, who face systemic barriers in political participation, candidate selection, and electoral processes.

The rejection of previous constitutional alteration bills that aimed to advance gender equality sent a disheartening message to millions of Nigerian women in March 2022. However, we see a renewed opportunity in the current constitutional amendment process to address these historic imbalances through bold and inclusive legislation. At the heart of this opportunity is the Special Seats Bill, which proposes reserved legislative seats for women at the state and federal levels. This is not just a bill, it is a national imperative as any democracy that excludes nearly half its population is neither representative nor sustainable.

WIPF calls on the National Assembly, state legislatures, political parties, and all democratic stakeholders to act in the spirit of June 12 by embracing equity and passing the Special Seats Bill into law. This single act would demonstrate a genuine commitment to building a more inclusive Nigeria, a Nigeria where leadership is not defined by gender but by competence and shared national values.

As we celebrate this Democracy Day, we urge Nigerians to remember that democracy is not just about elections. It is about participation, justice, and inclusion. Women are not asking for favors; we need our place in shaping Nigeria’s democratic future. The time for rhetoric has passed, now is the time for action.

Long live Nigeria. Long live democracy.

Ebere Ifendu

President, Women in Politics Forum (WIPF)

A Double Open Letter/Rejoinder to Femi Falana, SAN And Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo, SAN: Advocacy Is Not Only in The Courtroom or by Protests on The Streets (What About Legislative Advocacy, or The Advocacy of The Pen or Keyboard?)-A brief history of activism from June 12, 1993 to internet warrior lawyers

By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja

Dear Femi Falana, SAN and Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo, SAN, Sirs,

With the utmost respect, I write this letter in my capacity as the Executive Secretary of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners-ALDRAP.

We are a professional Association of Legislative lawyers who are committed to promoting professionalism in both legislative drafting and legislative advocacy as sub-discipline within the legal profession in Nigeria. This is the same way that legislative drafting and advocacy is held in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Yahaya Dan-Zaria, Clerk to the House of Representatives, National Assembly, who happens to be a lawyer is a Fellow of our Association.

Last year, our Association-ALDRAP filed a lawsuit against the National Assembly to stop the enactment of a law seeking to extend the age of retirement of the former Clerk to the National Assembly from 60 to 65 years. Due to our efforts, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria declined assent to the said Bill.

The purpose of this write-up, is not to challenge both your narratives but to make a little addition or footnote.

Femi Falana, SAN has recently referred to the new breed of public interest lawyers as “internet warriors”!!!

Another member of the 1993 set of human rights activist (Ayo Obe) refers to them as “keyboard warriors”!!!

It is true because the landscape of the struggle has changed.

In the year 1993, there was no internet, therefore the only method(s) and tools at the disposal of activists lawyers was either courtroom advocacy or protests on the streets to express their displeasure against the obnoxious decrees of military regimes.

Nowadays, however majority of the “obnoxious” Bills, legislation and actions of the government are published online, therefore, it is logical that public interest advocates and lawyers must respond on the same online and social media platforms (in addition to either courtroom or legislative advocacy)!!!

The fundraising for the ENDSARS protests of the year 2020 was exclusively done online by “keyboard warriors”!!!

So rather than regarding this new generation of public interest lawyers as PSEUDO because they do not resort to street protests, their methods of legislative advocacy and legal writing advocacy should be appreciated because it is also as effective for delivery of results and outcomes.

As potent as courtroom advocacy and street protests.

In his own write-up dated 10th June 2025, Mutalubi OJO ADEBAYO, SAN truthfully stated as I would paraphrase: “…with the demise of Gani Fawehinmi, (and Bamidele Aturu) the remaining genuine and sincere human rights activists are Femi Falana, SAN, Ayo Obe, Nurudeen Obara,…”

There is no doubt that these listed human rights activists/lawyers contributed to the struggle against military regimes of Buhari, Babangida and Abacha (1983 to 1998).

It is true that their major methods were courtroom advocacy and protests on the streets.

However, with the inception of the nascent democracy from the year 1999, with the return of the legislature as witnessed by the inauguration of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, a new addition emerged.

Legislative drafting and advocacy as a new form of advocacy which was missing during the long years of military rule because the military regimes were characterised by abolition of the Legislature.

For example, the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 is a direct result of the legislative advocacy of civil society organisations .

“Nigeria’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Act was signed into law on May 28, 2011, after the longest legislative debate in the history of Nigeria. The debate lasted for over 12 years. The law was passed to enable the public to access government information, in order to ensure transparency and accountability.” See https://gravitasreview.com.ng/product/nigerias-freedom-of-information-act/#:~:text=Nigeria’s%20Freedom%20of%20Information%20(FOI,to%20ensure%20transparency%20and%20accountability.

The skills and knowledge for conducting Legislative Drafting and Advocacy is as intensive as courtroom advocacy.

Since the year 1995, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) and other universities in Nigeria have offered Master of Laws (LLM) in Legislative Drafting programmes.

This underscores the importance and recognition of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy as a distinct area of specialisation in the legal profession.

To conclude, as if to buttress the important role that lawyers who possess this skill set (Legislative Drafting and Advocacy) are supposed to play in public interest advocacy, Femi Falana SAN has just authored a piece which I would reproduce below as follows:

“The situation will get worse as long as Nigerian lawyers are not prepared to intervene in the running of the affairs of the country.

It is indisputable that

Nigerian lawyers have become internet warriors instead of ensuring that relevant laws are enforced.

The Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education Act, Child’s Rights Act, and Child’s Rights Laws applicable in the 36 states have provided that every Nigerian child shall receive free and compulsory education from primary school to junior secondary school.

Yet, we have 18.5 million out-of-school children, the highest number in the world!

In line with the UBE  Act, FG contributes 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund annually, but state governments have failed to contribute counterpart funds to access the matching grant.

By virtue of section 17(2) of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act,  2018, every physically challenged person is entitled to free education from primary school to senior secondary school.

In 1990, FG  established the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education Act to eradicate illiteracy and promote continuous learning by providing  basic education to non-literate adults and youths aged 15 and above through a non-formal approach.

Because the commission is not funded by the FG, Nigeria has 62 million illiterate people.

Lawyers ought to ensure that the commission is well funded by the FG. Lawyers should also lead the campaign for the promotion of adult literacy in the FCT and the 36 states of the Federation.

If lawyers can ensure that the above education laws and other welfare laws are enforced, there will be little money left to steal by the plutocratic ruling class.”

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,

11th June 2025.

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

When Harry was born it turned out Charles ‘wanted a girl’

Prince Charles and Princess Diana emerge from St Mary's Hospital in London with their second son Prince Harry on September 16, 1984

It is no secret that King Charles has a strained relationship with his youngest son.

After quitting frontline royal duties and moving his young family to California in 2020, the Duke of Sussex, 40, has been left in the dark when it comes to his father’s cancer battle, only learning of his recent hospital visit on March 27 through media reports, according to People Magazine.

And when Harry flew across the pond in early April to attend a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London – a mere 2.5 miles from Buckingham Palace – he did not meet Charles.

But the well-documented rift between father and son may go back even further than royal watchers realise.

According to Diana herself, Charles was desperate to have two children – one boy and one girl.

‘I knew Harry was going to be a boy because I saw on the scan,’ she explained to Andrew Morton for his bestselling book Diana: Her True Story In Her Own Words.

‘Charles always wanted a girl. He wanted two children, and he wanted a girl. I knew Harry was a boy, and I didn’t tell him.’

So when Diana gave birth to their second son, Harry, in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital on September 15, 1984, Charles could barely hide his disappointment.

‘First comment was: “Oh God, it’s a boy,” second comment: “And he’s even got red hair,”‘ Diana recounted to her trusted biographer Morton.

In his own bombshell memoir Spare, Prince Harry said he was 21 the first time he heard the story of ‘what Pa allegedly said to Mummy the day of my birth: “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an Heir and a Spare – my work is done.”

‘A joke. Presumably,’ Harry penned. ‘On the other hand, minutes after delivering this bit of high comedy, Pa was said to have gone off to meet his girlfriend. So. Many a true word spoken in jest.’

Outside the hospital, Prince Charles appeared to hide his true feelings and told the waiting journalists: ‘He’s wonderful. Absolutely marvellous.’

It is no wonder the Diana would go on to tell friends that ‘spiritually’ their marriage ‘ended the day Prince Harry was born’, according to Morton.

Charles told his official biographer Jonathan Dimbleby that he picked things back up with Camilla in 1986. Meanwhile it is alleged Diana’s affair with army captain James Hewitt started around the same time.

The royal couple, who had separate bedrooms at their homes for years stopped sharing the same sleeping quarters during an official visit to Portugal in 1987.

The next few years saw Charles and Diana plagued with rumours of marital problems, culminating in the blistering tell-all of the collapse of their marriage as published by Morton in 1992.

The Princess of Wales had secretly contributed to the book by providing Morton with audio recordings which would later be included in a 2017 ITV documentary. 

Diana claims in the recordings that Charles’s disappointment at having a second boy rather than a girl persevered until Prince Harry’s christening on December 21, 1984.

After the ceremony at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, the future king allegedly told Diana’s mother Frances Shand Kydd: ‘We’re so disappointed, we thought it would be a girl.’

Frances then ‘snapped his head off’ and told him he should ‘realise you are lucky to have a child’, Diana added. 

The doomed royal couple announced their separation just months after the publication of Morton’s book in 1992 and finalised their divorce in August 1996.

Elsewhere in Morton’s explosive biography, Diana reveals that the birth of her first son William – the heir – came with its own set of issues.

The Princess of Wales told Morton she had to choose a date to be induced that fit around Charles’s busy polo schedule.

‘When we had William, we had to find a date in the diary that suited Charles and his polo,’ she said.

William had to be induced because I couldn’t handle the press pressure any longer, it was becoming unbearable. It was as if everyone was monitoring every day for me.’

Princess Diana added: ‘Anyway, the boy arrived, great excitement.

‘Thrilled, everyone absolutely high as a kite – we had found a date where Charles could get off his polo pony for me to give birth. 

‘That was very nice, felt grateful about that!’

Culled from Daily Mirror

The Siren Song of Valuations: When “Richest” doesn’t mean “winning”

By Kachi Okezie

The recent pronouncements from Forbes, highlighting the staggering valuations of America’s professional women’s soccer clubs, collectively nearing a monumental $2 billion, are undeniably a cause for celebration in certain circles. With an average club valuation of $134 million, and trailblazers like Angel City FC topping the charts at $280 million thanks to robust sponsorships, merchandise, and ticket sales, the narrative is clear: “smart money” is flocking to women’s sports, and the price tags are only expected to climb higher.

This influx of capital is championed as a vital step, promising financial stability, heightened visibility, and a more professional ecosystem for athletes. However, as a dedicated sports fan, someone who lives and breathes the triumphs and heartbreaks of the beautiful game, my enthusiasm for these burgeoning valuations is tempered by a profound and ever-present concern: do these impressive financial figures truly translate into tangible on-field success and the glorious pursuit of silverware?

Because for us, the loyal supporters who brave the elements, spend our hard-earned money on tickets and jerseys, invest our precious time, and pour our emotional energy into every match, what truly matters is not the bottom line of a balance sheet, but the top of the league table – the sweet taste of victory and the gleam of a championship trophy clutched in our players’ hands.

Let’s be unequivocally clear: strategic investment is the lifeblood of any thriving sports league. It paves the way for state-of-the-art training facilities, ensures superior player welfare, fosters robust youth academies, and cultivates a truly professional environment for athletes. These are indisputably vital steps for the long-term sustainability, growth, and global competitiveness of women’s soccer. But the Forbes valuation, by its very inherent nature, is a precise measure of a club’s business potential and its asset worth, not a reliable barometer of its competitive excellence.

A club can, theoretically, be incredibly valuable due to its expansive market size, its glittering array of celebrity ownership, or its innovative and aggressive marketing strategies, yet consistently languish in the lower echelons of the league standings, far removed from the thrill of contention.

Consider the stark reality that can emerge from such a focus on valuation: a team boasting a massive financial valuation might find itself prioritising off-field commercial ventures, aggressive brand building, or perhaps even just servicing significant debt, rather than channelling those resources directly into the most critical component – the playing squad.

Conversely, a less “valuable” club, perhaps operating with a more modest fan base, located in a less glamorous market, or lacking the star power in its ownership group, might be diligently and meticulously building a cohesive team, shrewdly acquiring under-the-radar talent, fostering an undeniable team chemistry, and prioritizing tactical development with unwavering focus. It is often these latter clubs, operating beneath the glare of the financial spotlight, rather than the Forbes darlings, that consistently challenge for honours, defy expectations, and ultimately deliver the victories that fans crave.

We’ve witnessed this dynamic play out time and again across the vast landscape of professional sports. Historically, some of the wealthiest clubs in various leagues, across different sports, have struggled, sometimes for decades, to translate their sheer financial might into sustained periods of dominance. The allure and glamour of a high valuation attracts significant investment and generates countless headlines, but it fundamentally does not guarantee a well-oiled machine on the pitch.

Winning, in its purest form, demands far more than just a bulging bank account; it requires astute and forward-thinking management, a keen eye for strategic recruitment, the cultivation of an unbreakable team ethos, and a relentless, unyielding pursuit of sporting excellence in every training session and every match.

For us, the passionate fans, the ultimate emotional return on our investment – of time, money, and unwavering loyalty – comes from shared triumphs, from the electrifying thrill of watching our team score a crucial goal, hold a desperate defensive line, and ultimately hoist a hard-won trophy. Our cheers are for exhilarating victories, our tears are for devastating defeats, and our hopes are for future glories. We celebrate stunning goals, impenetrable clean sheets, and dramatic comeback victories; we do not, and quite frankly, cannot, celebrate EBITDA figures or complex revenue multiples. Those are metrics for investors, not for the heart of a fan.

So, while we wholeheartedly applaud the burgeoning financial growth and the much-deserved recognition it brings to women’s soccer – understanding that a healthy financial foundation is indeed crucial for long-term sustainability – let us be vigilant. Let us not, for a single moment, mistake a robust balance sheet for guaranteed glory. The true, enduring measure of a club’s success, in the unwavering eyes of its devoted fans, will always be found where it matters most: on the field, in the relentless pursuit of laurels, and in the joyous, unforgettable moments of collective triumph that forge indelible memories and strengthen community bonds.

Let the smart money flow, yes, but let the primary focus remain firmly, unequivocally, and passionately on what truly matters to those who fill the stadiums: winning.

Kachi Okezie is a sports lawyer and management consultant.

1...298299300...1,434Page 299 of 1,434

TIPS

Load more