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Sanitise judiciary, SANs, rights activists urge incoming CJN
Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and other justice sector stakeholders have urged the incoming Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to prioritise the sanitisation of the Judiciary.
A former Deputy Director of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Ernest Ojukwu (SAN), Prof. Samuel Erugo (SAN), and other senior lawyers noted that the Judiciary currently suffers from low public confidence.
They said this anomaly requires urgent attention to restore integrity to the system.
The senior lawyers spoke yesterday in Abuja at a roundtable discussion on how to address key issues undermining Judiciary’s institutional integrity, effectiveness and service delivery.
The event was organised by the Tap iNitaitive For Citizens Development and the Network of University Legal Aid Institutions (NULAI), Nigeria.
The speakers urged Justice Kekere-Ekun to reform judicial appointment process to eradicate nepotism and favouritism, which they claimed has been rampant.
They also touched on the need for the incoming CJN to address challenges relating to abuse of ex-parte orders, conflicting judgments by courts of coordinate jurisdiction and related problems.
Ojukwu, Erugo and the others stressed the need to reform the process of dealing with election petitions and political cases and work on how to enhance discipline and accountability in the system.
Ojukwu advised the incoming CJN to always be guided by the principles of equity, fairness, and justice.
He called for a process that would reduce the influence of the Judiciary in the resolution of election disputes so that political leaders would be the true choices of the electorate, and not the court.
Erugo suggested that the Supreme Court should be reformed in a way that it can review its own judgments, especially when there is a public outcry.
Also, the Executive Director of Tap Initiative, Martin Obono, noted that the National Judicial Council (NJC), which supervises the appointment of judicial officers, attracted public criticism recently over allegations that the outgoing CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, influenced the appointment of some family members.
Obono claimed that the NJC ignored its guidelines in recent appointments, adding: “There have been reports of insider subversion of the applicable rules governing judicial appointments, such as the reported appointment, in one instance, of a candidate who scored zero in the NJC interview.”
He asked the incoming CJN “to commit explicitly to a policy of restoring integrity and merit to judicial appointments”.
The lawyer noted that achieving this would entail the introduction of transparent processes of selection, advertisement of judicial vacancies, as well as the nomination of candidates, interview, short listing and selection.
Another contributor, Folarin Aluko, said: “There should be a clear practice direction on management of territorial jurisdiction overlaps.
“It is suggested for this purpose that the structure and scope of such overlaps be agreed at the All Nigerian Conference of Judges and the Practice Directions should be uniform across all the court systems in the country.”
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See Photos of World’s Tallest and Shortest Women Meet for Afternoon Tea in London
The world’s tallest woman and the world’s shortest woman met for the first time this week, sipping tea from china cups — and bonding over what they have in common while celebrating their differences.
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Rumeysa Gelgi, from Turkey, stands at 7 feet and 0.7 inches, while Jyoti Amge, from India, is 2 feet and 0.7 inches.
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
Jyoti Amge, shortest woman, and Rumeysa Gelgi, tallest woman, meet for the first time and share afternoon tea
“You’re so beautiful,” said Gelgi, 27. “Thank you — you too,” replied Amge, 30.
Their meeting, over afternoon tea at London’s Savoy Hotel on Tuesday, came ahead of Guinness World Records Day, which is held annually in November to mark record-breaking achievements and encourage people to attempt records. The pair have been honored as “World Record icons” in the 70th anniversary edition of the Guinness World Records book.
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“Meeting Jyoti for the first time was wonderful,” Gelgi said in a release Wednesday. “She’s the most gorgeous lady. I was waiting to meet her for a long time.”
Gelgi said the pair bonded over their love for makeup, jewelry and doing their nails.
Video footage showed them sitting down for tea, cakes and sandwiches stacked next to them, with the London Eye visible from the window.
Amge said in the release that she was “so happy to look up” and see the world’s tallest woman, whom she called “good-natured.” She added that it was difficult at times for the pair to make eye contact “due to our height difference.”
“Guinness World Records is all about celebrating differences,” its editor in chief, Craig Glenday, said in a statement ahead of Guinness World Record Day, which is on Thursday.
“By bringing together these two amazing, iconic women, they can share their perspectives on life with each other and, also, with us,” Glenday said.
Gelgi’s record-breaking height is due to a rare genetic condition called Weaver syndrome, which causes rapid growth, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
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The primary symptom is growth and bone development that occurs faster than usual, making those affected taller than average. People with Weaver syndrome may have rigid muscles and difficulty extending their elbows or knees.
Gelgi used a walking aid for support during the pair’s meeting. Her case of Weaver syndrome was the 27th ever diagnosed and the first in Turkey, according to Guinness World Records.
Weaver syndrome is generally caused by changes in the EZH2 gene, according to the NORD, though the organization notes that some people with Weaver syndrome do not have a mutation in the gene.
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Amge, an actor who played the character of Ma Petite in the television series “American Horror Story,” has a genetic growth disorder that occurs in the early stages of fetal development, known as achondroplasia.
According to Johns Hopkins, the condition causes shorter bones, abnormally shaped bones and shorter stature. While the genetic defect can be passed from parent to child, in about 80 percent of cases, achondroplasia results from a spontaneous mutation that occurs in the developing embryo.
On Thursday, Gelgi shared photos on Instagram of the two exploring London despite the cold weather, posing side by side in front of Tower Bridge.
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