News

Government to embark on sale of military assets, drones, others

Published

10 hours ago

November 21, 2024

British government will sell military assets, including HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, by March 2025, as part of a plan to save £500 million over five years.

Defence Minister John Healey announced the move on Wednesday, explaining the decision to scrap several Royal Navy ships, drones, and helicopters, Reuters reports.

“These will not be the last difficult decisions I will have to make,” Healey told Parliament.

HMS Northumberland, the Army’s Watchkeeper Mk 1 drones, 14 older Chinook helicopters, and several Puma helicopters are also set to be retired.

He said these changes would save the Ministry of Defence £150 million in two years, adding, “These decisions will deliver better value for money and ensure we are in a better position to modernise and strengthen UK defence.”

Blaming the “fiscal inheritance” from the previous government, Healey said Britain’s allies had been informed of the cuts. Defence spending is expected to reach 2.5% of GDP in the future.

News

Reps Urge NOA To Educate Nigerians On VAPP Act

Published

25 seconds ago

November 21, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

…want increase funding to women affairs ministry

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has called on the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to raise awareness campaigns to educate the public on the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act (2015) across the thirty-six (36) states and FCT.

The House also directed the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to increase funding to the Ministry of Women Affairs in order to establish survivors shelter homes ensuring they have access to necessary care and support.

The House further urged the State Houses of Assembly to push for motions on the domestication and implementation of the VAPP Act (2015).

These resolutions was sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on the “INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN”, by Rep. Kafilat Ogbara on Thursday at plenary.

Rep Ogbara noted that the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is observed annually on November 25th, serving as a global reminder of the need to eradicate violence against women in all its form.

According to Ogbara, violence against women is a pervasive violation of human rights that affects millions of women and girls around the world, manifesting in physical, sexual, and psychological harm.

She said: “Aware that the United Nations has identified the elimination of violence against women as a critical component of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls”.

She expressed worries that systemic discrimination, cultural norms, and societal attitudes contribute to the perpetration of violence against women, necessitating comprehensive strategies for prevention and response.

Ogbara who is also the Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs, is worried that violence against women and girls remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.

“Informed that Violence against Women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development, peace as well as to the fulfilment of women and girls’ human rights. The promise of the sustainable development goals to leave no one behind cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to violence against women and girls.

“Also informed that it is crucial to raise awareness about the various forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, sexual harassment, trafficking, and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage;

“Important that support services for survivors of violence, such as legal aid, counselling, and shelter must be strengthened and made accessible to all women in need;

“Whereas, education and community engagement are essential in changing societal attitudes and promoting respect for women’s rights”, she added.

The House adopted the motion and mandate the Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development to establish mechanisms to monitor progress on the effectiveness of the VAPP Act (2015).

News

Bill To Increase FCT High Court Judges Pass Second Reading

Published

52 minutes ago

November 21, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The bill sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, Rep. Babajimi Benson, Rep. Akin Rotimi, and five others, is titled: “A Bill for an Act to Amend the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (Number Of Judges) Cap H6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Provide for Increase in the Number of Judges in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and for Related Matters (HB.1635)”.

Leading the debate on its general principles, one of the co-sponsors Rep. Jonathan Gbefwi stated that the Bill seeks to address a fundamental aspect of the judiciary’s ability to deliver timely justice, which is an increase of the number of judges in the High Court of the FCT, Abuja, from the current maximum of seventy to a minimum of one hundred Judges.

Rep. Gbefwi noted that the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory stands as a crucial pillar in Nigeria’s judicial framework, serving not only the residents of Abuja but also, in many respects, playing a pivotal role in cases of national importance.

He recalled that at the beginning of the 2022/2023 legal year, the FCT High Court carried forward 12,513 pending cases from the previous year, underscoring a substantial backlog and over the same period, the court assigned an additional 5,952 new cases, bringing the workload to a level that greatly strains available judicial resources.

According to him, as it currently stands, the High Court of the FCT is limited in the number of judges it can engage, and this inadequacy significantly affects the rising volume and complexity of cases brought before it.

The lawmaker expressed optimism that by increasing the number of Judges, this amendment is anticipated to reduce delays in case resolution, ensuring more efficient handling of cases, and consequently, enhancing public confidence in the judiciary.

He said: “The Bill which was read the first time on Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024, seeks to address a fundamental aspect of our judiciary’s ability to deliver timely justice, by seeking to increase the number of judges in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja stands as a crucial pillar in Nigeria’s judicial framework, serving not only the residents of Abuja but also, in many respects, playing a pivotal role in cases of national importance. However, as it currently stands, the High Court of the FCT is limited in the number of judges it can engage. This inadequacy significantly affects the rising volume and complexity of cases brought before it. The court’s current judge complement, though dedicated, is insufficient to keep up with these caseloads. The considerable backlog, reflects the limitations faced by the court in addressing the high volume of cases, which is only anticipated to increase with Abuja’s population growth and economic development.

“Mr. Speaker, Honorable Colleagues, this amendment is crucial; it is no doubt a necessary intervention to uphold the principles of timely justice, judicial efficiency, and the rule of law in Nigeria. I urge all members to lend their support to this Bill, as it represents a concrete step towards strengthening our judiciary and ensuring that justice remains accessible and expeditious for all Nigerians.”

The House unanimously adopted the Bill when put to a voice vote by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, it was passed for second reading and referred to the Committee on FCT Judiciary and constitution review for further legislative action.

News

Reps want more FCT High Court Judges

Published

54 minutes ago

November 21, 2024

Naijablitznews

The House of Representatives at the plenary on Thursday passed through second reading a Bill seeking to amend the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Act to provide for an increase in the number of Judges in the FCT High Courts.

The proposed legislation was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Hon. Babajimi Benson, Hon. Akin Rotimi, Jr and five others.

Leading the debate on its general principles, one of the co-sponsors Hon. Jonathan Gbefwi stated that the Bill seeks to address a fundamental aspect of the judiciary’s ability to deliver timely justice, which is an increase of the number of judges in the High Court of the FCT, Abuja, from the current maximum of seventy to a minimum of one hundred Judges.

He noted that the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory stands as a crucial pillar in Nigeria’s judicial framework, serving not only the residents of Abuja but also, in many respects, playing a pivotal role in cases of national importance.

He said that as it currently stands, the High Court of the FCT is limited in the number of judges it can engage, and this inadequacy significantly affects the rising volume and complexity of cases brought before it.

He expressed optimism that by increasing the number of Judges, this amendment is anticipated to reduce delays in case resolution, ensuring more efficient handling of cases, and consequently, enhancing public confidence in the judiciary.

Gbefwi said, “I stand before you today to lead the debate on the general principles of a Bill for an Act to Amend the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (Number of Judges) Act, Cap H6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Provide for Increase in the Number of Judges in the High Court of the Federal
Capital Territory, Abuja; and for Other Related Matters. The Bill which was read the first time on Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024, seeks to address a fundamental aspect of our judiciary’s ability to deliver timely justice, by seeking to increase the number of judges in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja stands as a crucial pillar in Nigeria’s judicial framework, serving not only the residents of Abuja but also, in many respects, playing a pivotal role in cases of national importance. However, as it currently stands, the High Court of the FCT is limited in the number of judges it can engage. This inadequacy significantly affects the rising volume and complexity of cases brought before it. The court’s current judge complement, though dedicated, is insufficient to keep up with these caseloads. The considerable backlog, reflects the limitations faced by the court in addressing the high volume of cases, which is only anticipated to increase with Abuja’s population growth and economic development.

“Given the rapid expansion of Abuja’s population, coupled with an
increasing caseload spanning various legal domains, the need for additional judges has become pressing. This amendment Bill is therefore introduced to address these systemic challenges by increasing the statutory number of judges for the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. This Bill proposes an amendment to Section 1 of the extant Act to increase the number of Judges in the FCT High Court from the current maximum of seventy Judges (arising from the 2016 Amendment of the Act) to a minimum of one hundred Judges thus allowing for greater judicial capacity to address the current and future needs of the court. Mr. Speaker, Honorable Colleagues, this amendment is crucial; it is no doubt a necessary intervention to uphold the principles of timely justice, judicial efficiency, and the rule of law in Nigeria. I urge all members to lend their support to this Bill, as it represents a concrete step towards strengthening our judiciary and ensuring that justice remains accessible and expeditious for all Nigerians.”

The Bill was thereafter put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Rt Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, it was passed for second reading and referred to the Committee on FCT Judiciary and constitution review for further legislative action.