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Ex-Gov Yahaya Bello’s Wife ‘Dropped From List Of Judges Approved For Appointment Into Kogi High Court

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

SaharaReporters reported on January 8 that seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria had sued the NJC and the Kogi State government for shortlisting Amina for appointment into the state’s judiciary.

The Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC) has finally dropped the name of Amina Bello, the wife of the fugitive and immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, from the list of nominees to be appointed as judges of the High Court of Kogi State.

In the Originating Summons with Suit No: FCT/ABJ/CS/05/2024, the Plaintiffs are Chief Yunus Ustaz Usman and J.S. Okutepa. Others namely Patrick Okolo, Abdullahi Haruna, Reuben Atabo, Shaibu Aruwa and Johnson Usman argued that the selection process violated regulations and constitutional principles of fairness, equity, and merit.

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Recall on October 26, 2023, that about 17 SANs from Kogi State had called for the suspension of the appointment of new Judges into the state judiciary until certain criteria were met.

The lawyers made the demand in a letter to the Chief Judge and Chairman of Kogi State Judicial Service Commission, Justice Josiah Majebi, which was dated October 20, 2023.

Titled “RE: Provisional Short-list Of Candidates Of Ten Judicial Officers Of The High Court Of Justice Shariah Court Of Appeal And Customary Court Of Appeal,” the indigenous Kogi SANs stated that the appointment of Judges to superior courts of record is regulated and requires provision of basic facilities such as availability of courtrooms/Judges chambers, official cars, residential accommodation as well as equipped library in Judges’ chambers, citing Rules 1-5 of National Judicial Council Revised Guidelines.

In the 12-point issue raised in the letter signed by Yunus Ustaz Usman, Life Bencher for himself and on behalf of 16 other SANs, the legal practitioners also pointed out that the proposed candidates listed for appointments of judges did not reflect a geographical spread. They described the list as lopsided and to the disadvantage of other parts of the state.

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According to the letter, the candidates listed for the Customary Court of Appeal are all from Kogi Central. They noted that there was no candidate from Kogi East or Kogi West, adding that there were qualified persons from Kogi East and Kogi West who were not selected.

However, on Thursday, the former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof Chidi Odinkalu, took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to say the NJC appeared to have finally dropped Amina Yahaya Bello, wife of fugitive Yahaya Bello from the list of nominees to be appointed as judges of the High Court of Kogi State. He described it as a “defeat for the forces of #genitalization of the judiciary in #Nigeria.”

According to the post, the NJC approved four names for the appointment, namely: “Joseph Sunday Ajesola, Ojoma Rachael Ojoma, Bahamas Kadiri; and Ezema Beatrice Ada.”

He added that the NJC also recommended the appointment of five Kadis as well as a judge for the Customary Court of Appeal.

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Thanking Yunus Ustaz (SAN) and Jibrin (SAN) for leading from the front, Odinkalu, who has been a vocal critic of the Nigerian judiciary, wrote: “Breaking: In a defeat for the forces of #genitalization of the judiciary in #Nigeria, @njcNig appears finally to have dropped Amina Yahaya Bello, wife of fugitive, @OfficialGYBKogi, from the list of nominees to be appointed as judges of the High Court of Kogi State.

“Those approved for appointment are:

1. Joseph Sunday Ajesola

2. Ojoma Rachael Ojoma

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3. Bahamas Kadiri; &

4. Ezema Beatrice Ada

“Also recommended are 5 Kadis as well as a judge for the Customary Court of Appeal.

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I Can’t Feed My Family Again; I Make N20,000 Daily But Spend N17,000 On Fuel — Taxi Driver Laments

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Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

A commercial driver identified as Wahab Ajibaye based in Ilorin, Kwara State has expressed frustration over the rising fuel prices, saying it has left him struggling to provide for his family.

Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

He said: “I am buying fuel for N1100 and I make N20,000 (daily) but I take only N3,000 with me to my house (after work). I am the owner of my car but I am no longer making enough to cater to my children and my wife. The All Progressives Congress (APC) government will not end well. Nigeria is becoming worse and we pray God takes away this set of current leaders.”

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Ajibaye blamed the ruling APC government for the hardship faced by Nigerians, saying, “Their government is bringing more suffering. They’re not ashamed, despite many Nigerians cursing them. They should rethink.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had recently agreed that the policies initiated by President Bola Tinubu resulted in growing economic hardships in Nigeria.

The party in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka had said this, while responding to a former national vice chairman (North West) of the party, Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

Recall that Lukman had berated the party for bad governance, adding that former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have failed to deliver on their campaign promises.

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Lukman, therefore, urged opposition leaders to unite and work hard to defeat the APC-led government in 2027.

But reacting, Morka in a statement on Tuesday argued that President Tinubu was taking bold measures to reset the country’s “long broken economy”, explaining that his reforms had increased economic hardship in the country.

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LASG shuts down Idera market over ‘environmental pollution

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) says it has sealed off the Idera market in the Oshodi metropolis.

In a statement on Thursday, Ajayi Lukman, LAGESC spokesperson, said the agency sealed the market due to unhygienic practices and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, which contravened the environmental law of the state.

He said the measure was taken to enforce adherence to environmental cleanliness across registered markets in the state.

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‘‘Our operatives stationed across the Oshodi division during routine market monitoring identified the filth, unhygienic practices, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse around the Idera Market area, which prompted us to seal off the market until further notice,” the statement reads.

Lukman quoted Olaniyi Cole, the corps marshal of the agency, as decrying the level of hygiene at the market, which could lead to an outbreak of diseases.

He said Cole frowned at the inability of the market leadership to provide a valid waste collection contract, which resulted in the heaps of refuse in the facility.

He added that the display of wares for sale on road setbacks, lay-bys, medians, verges, kerbs, street trading, and hawking remained banned in the metropolis.

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The LAGESC corps marshal reiterated the ban on the sales, distribution, and usage of styrofoam in the state, noting that anyone found culpable would be punished decisively.

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Hours to Edo guber polls, major opposition candidate crumbles structure for Ighodalo

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Hours to the Edo State governorship election, the guber candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP)Amb Osalumese Areloegbe on Thursday morning collapsed the structure for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie Esq.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Benin City, Areloegbe said his decision to collapse the structure for the PDP candidate was because he believed that Ighodalo had all it would take to govern the state to greater heights.

According to him, I urged all my followers and supporters to disregard any information that I have aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

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“I am supporting Asue Ighodalo because he is competent, not that I am not competent but I believe Asue is on the forefront. That is my reason for supporting his candidacy.

“My party is aware because they have been having a series of negotiations for us to align with the APC, and I told them categorically that I am supporting PDP. My eighteen local government followers are in full support of my decision, I mean 100 per cent supporting the PDP candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie in this election.

“My choice for Asue Ighodalo is because, apart from myself, I see him as the next better candidate that I can support and I can put my weight on because he has the capacity, mentally, physically and otherwise to pilot the affairs of Edo State to greater heights.

“The national secretariat of my party, APP – they are in Abuja and I am in the state, and know much more of what is happening in Edo State. They are not here and don’t know what is going on here in Edo. And I am in a position to tell them what will be better for the Edo people.

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“There is a parable that says, ‘You cannot shave a man’s head when he is not present’. I am here in Edo State and I know who to support and why I am supporting him. The national leadership might have taken a different tone, but this is what I and my followers have chosen.

“We had a series of other politicians who had made such decisions before. That is why I agreed with the support of my supporters to collapse my structure for the governorship candidate of the PDP Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie.”

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