News

Ex-Presidents, Obasanjo reminisce on democracy at Ozekhome’s birthday bash

Published

4 hours ago

October 19, 2024

At the birthday celebration for distinguished lawyer Mike Ozekhome, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan shared insights on the state of Nigeria’s democracy, underscoring concerns about the judiciary’s role.

Obasanjo, in his opening remarks, praised Ozekhome as an “extraordinary man” and highlighted his radical advocacy for political and social change.
He emphasized the importance of Ozekhome’s work, encouraging continued efforts in educating future generations.

Jonathan, co-chairing the event alongside Obasanjo, expressed deep worries about the judiciary’s current trajectory.

He pointed to a troubling ruling that allowed a ward chairman to expel a national chairman of a political party, stating, “This judgment has turned the cone upside down.”

He warned that such decisions could destabilize the political landscape, making it crucial for legal professionals to remain impartial and resist political pressures.

He lamented the excessive number of election-related cases flooding Nigerian courts, a situation he felt was detrimental to democracy. “Most countries don’t experience this level of litigation,” he noted, advocating for a more stable political process that could prevent crises within parties.

Both leaders emphasized the need for a robust judiciary that upholds justice and supports democratic stability. Jonathan called for a review of recent judicial decisions, asserting that the integrity of Nigeria’s political system is at stake.

The event did not only celebrated Ozekhome’s contributions but also served as a platform for addressing pressing issues in Nigeria’s political landscape, highlighting the vital intersection of law and governance.

Abansanjo in his opening remarks said, “Leet me start by congratulating Mike and his family, but particularly his wife, for occasion, for this occasion. When I accepted Mike’s invitation to write a tribute and to also make a statement in a video, I thought my job was done.

“I didn’t realize that he would ask me to be chairman, because when I realized that my brother and colleague, President Goodluck Jonathan, was coming, I thought he will be made the chairman of this occasion.

“But when I was called, then I decided we have got two chairmen for this occasion. So, we are co-chair. But before I give President Jonathan the opportunity to say his statement as a co-chair, I have two or three words to describe Mike.

“And the first one is that he’s an extraordinary man. Extraordinary man. And I thought I will live by that until yesterday I was out.

“And when I was coming back home, a friend of Mike called and said, where will you be tomorrow? And I said, tomorrow I will be attending a double ceremony for a friend who is celebrating his birthday and who also at the same time is presenting 50 books. And he said, who is that friend? I mentioned his name, Mike. Oh, and his reaction was, oh, he’s one of those radicals.

“So, I thought that, well, I have said that this man is an extraordinary man. When my friend said he’s one of those radicals, I did not know what to say. So, when I got home, I took my dictionary because I don’t know whether I will want to tell Mike that he has been described as a radical.

Or whether I will not.

“So, I took my dictionary. And of course, dictionary never lies. It will tell you. So, I look at the word radical, and it says, a person who advocates thorough or complete political or social change. Ah, I like that.

“So, I said, well, look, I will add that to my description of Mike. Mike is a person, and I also add a little bit of mine to the dictionary definition. So, I now read it out to you what I put down.

“Mike is a person who advocates thorough or complete political or social change with conviction, courage, and integrity. And that is the man that we have come to honor. Mike, happy birthday, and more grease to your elbows.

Jonathan on his part thanked Obasanjo saying, “Your Excellency, In fact, President Obasanjo described me as his younger brother.

He’s my father, I am not his younger brother, and he’s somebody I admire so much, even before I got into politics.

So, thank you, sir, for giving me this opportunity. You have brought me to speak at this time.

“I would have been made to speak maybe towards the last. And you have now upgraded me to be a co-chair. Thank you so much.

“So, as a co-chair, the chairman has already said what we should say. I don’t want to belabor the issues. And more so, like President Obasanjo said, I wrote the forward of one of the books and I also made the brief remarks in the video that maybe they will play on the multimedia and so on.

“So, I may not even want to talk about Mike because I made some statements, especially on the video. “But looking at the titles of the 50 books, then you’ll see that Mike is more than even being a radical.

“Because if you look at the various titles cut across almost all spheres of life, political science, law, history, biography, philosophy, health, etc., he’s writing like the philosophers of old, in those days when knowledge was not compartmentalized.

“And one philosopher can talk across the sphere of knowledge, and that is Mike. We thank God for creating people like you that can educate our children and continue to do your work.

“Well, because Mike is a very senior lawyer. So, I know so many senior lawyers are here, both at the bar and the bench. So, in such occasions, we only use such platforms to pledge, especially those of us who are into the political environment, that the way things are going in this country, especially listening to the judgments being given regarding political cases, which Baba will not want to go in, but I can go in.

“We are beginning to see that democracy in Nigeria is like a cone that is being turned upside down. And if you turn a cone upside down, and the top is supposed to be big, even if it’s a little roundish, and you manage to stand it, it cannot be so stable. The slightest perturbation, it will fall.

“When I listen to senior lawyers like Olisa Agbakoba, who was making comments on some Supreme Court judgments, I felt very sad that the country has gotten to that level.

“I’m pleadkng that if democracy will endure, the people both at the bar and the bench should not be carried away by political influence. That is the only way.

“And that is the only way we can stabilize the political process. I know the lawyers enjoy, during the middle of the election, the avalanche of litigation, because it’s like Christmas for lawyers, but most countries don’t go that way, People don’t go to courts. But in Nigeria, pre-election matters, election matters fill all the courts.

“This does not give a good sign for democracy. Comparing Nigeria to other African countries, and some countries outside Africa that have been able to get involved in the electoral processes. So, to me, it worries me.

“In fact, towards the end of this month, I’ll be going to Botswana. I want to go and see what others do. And you come back home and see what we do.

“It worries us. There is a particular judgment that has been haunting, and I need to mention that luckily I’m not a lawyer. I’m saying that from a layman’s view.

:Most very senior lawyers are here. That really turned the cone upside down. And if the courts don’t really look into this and rectify it, it will create so much instability in the political system that it will affect all of us.

“Even those who claim to have succeeded, their victory song will not last long, because we will all be victims. Where the courts say a ward chairman can expel a national chairman of a political party, this is not in line with national justice.

“The law is to control human behavior, and human behavior must follow our God-created systems. You cannot tell me that a head of department, for example, in a university, can expel the vice chancellor.

“So how can the Nigerian laws tell me that a ward chairman can expel a national officer of a political party? And since that judgment has been given, it has created all kinds of instability in the party. In fact, my PDP is in crisis because of that judgment.

“APC was also in crisis because of that judgment. And I’m not looking at it from a legal perspective, because I don’t know anything about the law. But when I look at how nature works, I have never seen a system where a subunit can discipline the top.

“For PDP, of course, Baba knows, in the constitution of PDP, if a national officer, even in your state, cannot discipline you, not to talk about a ward officer that are not even members of NEC, the National Executive Council.

“We are saying that a ward chairman of a party can suspend and expel a national chairman of a political party. I’m pleading with the Supreme Court to review that judgment.

“Because that judgment has turned the cone upside down. And the political process in the democracy is wobbling. I don’t want to go more, but let me just use this as an example.

“Baba, thank you for bringing me. Let me join you to congratulate Mike Ozakome, the wife and the family, for this 67th birthday celebration.

“Let me also, as the co-chair that I’ve been promoted to, thank all of you for coming to celebrate this family and celebrate this man that has made significant impact in the groups of Nigeria, especially his struggles for good governance and political leadership.

Concluding, Obasanjo said,

“I thank you all. I just want to thank you for the comment you made about political judgment. And you said I wouldn’t say anything.”

News

Police deny chasing man to death in Lagos canal

Published

2 hours ago

October 19, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

A tragic incident occurred in the Ipaja area of Lagos State on Wednesday when a young man fell into a canal while allegedly being chased by police officers.

In a post on X.com on Thursday, #Omorhemi, who claimed to be a friend of the victim’s wife, alleged that the police stopped the man on a bike, searched him, and accused him of being a “yahoo boy” due to his tattoos.

Sharing videos from the rescue effort, she wrote, “Yesterday morning, police chased my friend’s husband till he fell into the canal. They took his slippers and money that fell and left when people started shouting. This happened at federal bus stop, Ipaja Ayobo axis. He is currently unconscious at LASUTH. He is still on oxygen.”

“The officers were on mufti. They stopped him on bike, the bike man left. They searched him, insisting he is a Yahoo boy because of his tattoos, and started cocking their guns that they would shoot him. He started moving away, saying he’s not, and they started following him till he ran,” she added.

On Friday morning, #Omorhemi gave an update that the young died.

“He has given up! Yet to tell the wife as of now. I am not pleased to inform you that this young man died in the middle of the night.

“On Wednesday, a few hours after the incident, the wife went to the police station, Area P, to report. The officers told her they were the ones that pushed him. She couldn’t wait and wasn’t stable while still trying to get the husband to receive the best treatment. All hands have been on deck to make sure the man survived, which was why follow-up at the station was not done,” she wrote.

In a statement on Friday evening, the Lagos State Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, provided a different account of the incident, stating that the police did not chase or interact with the man, but rather, he ran and jumped into the canal after seeing the police approaching.

Hundeyin wrote, “The police visited the scene and met eyewitnesses on ground who voluntarily gave their statements regarding the unfortunate incident.

“At about 10 am on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, somewhere around Gowon Estate, the young man was a passenger on a motorcycle riding against traffic.

“Immediately they sighted the police approaching in their vehicle; the rider made a sharp U-turn while the passenger jumped off the motorcycle, crossed the road, and ran through the nearby tipper garage.

“People in the garage who saw him running towards the canal and at the same time emptying the contents of his pockets agitatedly warned him about a canal ahead. He did not stop but unfortunately jumped into the canal.”

Hundeyin maintained that the police officers did not interact with the victim or chase him.

He added, “The police officers, startled at his knee-jerk reaction, stopped their vehicle, alighted, and went in the direction of the canal.

“The people around informed the police that the young man jumped into the canal. They all went to look, waited some minutes, and did not see him, upon which the police left, believing he successfully evaded them.

“The police officers did not speak with him, did not touch him, did not chase him, did nothing. The young man simply saw them and bolted.

“Water Tipper Garage, Mosan, Okunola, Ipaja. That is the exact location for those who might wish to visit for verification.”

The spokesperson also expressed condolences to the victim’s family, saying, “May God give his family the fortitude to bear the sad loss. Amen.”

He further assured the public that the police would not tolerate any unprofessional behaviour from their officers.

“Lagosians are assured that #LagosPoliceNG, under CP Olanrewaju Ishola, would not condone any form of unprofessional conduct on the part of its officers,” he said.

News

DSS slams N5.5b suit against SERAP over alleged false claims

Published

2 hours ago

October 19, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Department of State Services (DSS) has instituted a N5.5billion defamation suit against a group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) for allegedly making false claims that officials of the agency invaded its (SERAP’s) Abuja office.

In the suit, filed in the names of two of its officials – Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele – the DSS stated among others, that the alleged false claim by SERAP has negatively impacted on its reputation and that of the two officials involved.

The suit, filed on October 17 by DSS’ team of lawyers, led by Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), marked: CV/4547/2024, has SERAP and its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare listed as defendants.

The claimants stated, in their statement of claim, that, in line with its practice of engaging with officials of non -governmental organisations operating in the FCT to establish a relationship with their new leadership, it directed the two officials – John and Ogunleye – to visit SERAP’s office and invite its new leadership for a familiarisation meeting.

They added that in carrying out the directive, John and Ogunleye paid a friendly visit to SERAP’s office at 18 Bamako Street, Wuse Zone 1, Abuja on September 9 and met with one Ruth, who upon being informed about the purpose of the visit, claimed that none of SERAP’s management staff was in the country and advised that a formal letter of invitation be written by the DSS.

The claimants, who claimed that their interactions with Ruth were recorded, said before they immediately exited SERAP’s office, Ruth promised to inform her organisation’s management about the visit and volunteered a phone number – 08160537202.

They said it was surprising that shortly after their visit, SERAP posted on its X (Twitter) handle: @SERAPNigeria, claiming that officers of the DSS are presently unlawfully occupying its office.

The claimant added that “on the same day, the defendants also published a statement on SERAP’s website, which was widely reported by several media outfits, falsely alleging that some officers from the DSS, “described as ‘a tall, large, dark-skinned woman’ and ‘a slim, dark skinned man,’ invaded their Abuja office and interrogated the staff of the first defendant.

“In their statement, the defendants also urged the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to immediately direct the DSS to end its intimidation, harassment and attack against the first defendant and the threat of arrest against its directors.

“Due to the false statements published by the defendants, the DSS has been ridiculed and criticised by international agencies such as the Amnesty International and prominent members of the Nigerian society, such as Femi Falana (SAN).

“Due to the false statements published by the defendants, members of the public and the international community formed the opinion that the Federal Government is using the DSS to harass the defendants.”

They added that the defendants’ statements caused harm to the claimants’ reputation because the staff and management of the DSS have formed the opinion that the claimants did not follow orders and carried out an unsanctioned operation and are therefore, incompetent and unprofessional.

The claimants also stated that the defendants’ statements caused harm to the claimants’ reputation because staff of the DSS have formed the opinion that the ridicule and criticisms received by the DSS are a result of the claimants actions.

They added that as a result of the defendants’ false statements, the claimants are the subject of an ongoing investigation by the DSS; they have been made to make statements, subjected to interrogations, faced a disciplinary panel and now suspended from the DSS pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

The claimants are therefore praying the court for the following reliefs:

*An order directing the defendants to tender an apology to the claimants via the first defendant’s (SERAP’s) website, X (twitter) handle, two national daily newspapers (Punch and Vanguard) and two national news television stations (Arise Television and Channels Television) for falsely accusing the claimants of unlawfully invading the first defendant’s office and interrogating the first defendant’s staff.

*An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N5billion as damages for the libelous statements published about the claimants.

*Interest on the sum of N5b at the rate of 10 percent per annum from the date of judgment until the judgment sum is realised or liquidated.

*AN order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N50million as costs of this action.

The case now assigned to Justice Yusuf Halilu of Court 13 of the High Court of the FCT, is yet to be scheduled for hearing.

News

Anxiety as kingship tussle tears Delta community apart

Published

3 hours ago

October 19, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

There is a looming crisis in Aboh Kingdom, Ndokwa East LGA, Delta state, over the choice of Obi Gregory Oputa (111) as king.

The enthronement of the new monarch has caused sharp division among prominent indigenes of the community.

The four quarters that produce the king are Umu Ogwezi, Umu Ossai, Umu Obi and Umu Ojugbele.

The new monarch, Prince Gregory Oputa, was enthroned as the 20th Obi of Aboh on September 15, 2024.

The Nation gathered that the crisis has pitted Hon Olise Imegwu, former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Chief Ajieh Ogwu, President General, Aboh community and the four quarters that make up the kingdom against the new king and some prominent traditional title holders in the community.

But the group backing the new monarch including Chief Paul Esumei, Ndanike of Aboh, Chief Ifeanyi Odili, Iyasele of Aboh, Chief Kenneth Odili, Ozeh of Aboh, and Isagba Ajieh of Aboh, Chief Chris Ogwu, in a statement yesterday, threatened legal action against any individual or group misinforming the public or casting aspersion on the new monarch.

They urged Aboh indigenes to support the new monarch.

According to them, “it is a thing of joy that His Imperial Majesty, Obi Oputa III has emerged in the person of Prince Gregory Oputa and it is our duty as indigenes of Aboh to accord him the respect he deserves as his subjects.

Continuing, “there is no dispute arising from the emergence of the new King, Prince Gregory Oputa as due process was followed before he was crowned as the King amid jubilation by the people of Aboh Kingdom.”

“Those who were interested in becoming the King should know that traditionally, the stool is no longer vacant as all the rites have been performed and it is impossible for us to have two Kings in Aboh Kingdom at the same time.

“We should also bear in mind that it is the exclusive responsibility of the King makers to select who becomes a King in Aboh and they have discharged their functions diligently according to the criteria based on age-long custom and tradition of Aboh Kingdom.

“We have implicit confidence in Obi Oputa III in his ability to take Aboh to greater heights; we are also praying that his reign will usher in a more peaceful and prosperous Aboh Kingdom for us to take our pride of place once again as a revered Kingdom in the world.

“For the few persons who are not residing in Aboh but are committed to sending out messages that there is crisis in Aboh over the Kingship, we advise that you should make efforts to visit home and see the joy on the faces of our people, and also, enjoy the peace that now pervades Aboh Kingdom.

“We also advise those few individuals, their cronies, media houses, including social media influencers, to stop all forms of actions that will cause disaffection in the Kingdom or project our King negatively before the world.

“From now on, legal processes would be instituted against any individual, or organisation that misinforms the public or casts aspersions on our revered Imperial Majesty, Obi Oputa III.

It will be recalled that Dr Olise Imegwu led a protest to Asaba, Delta state capital, denouncing what he described as the imposition of the new king on Aboh indigenes.

Imegwu said due process was not observed in the crowning of the new monarch and challenged the new king to show the world the video of his crowning and who performed the ceremony.