The Nation Newspaper

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  • Lawyer urges Supreme Court to stop Mimiko from increasing court fees

    Lawyer urges Supreme Court to stop Mimiko from increasing court fees

    AN Akure lawyer, Titiloye Charles, has filed an application before the Supreme Court to stop Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko and the Chief Judge (CJ) of the state, Justice Sehinde Kumuyi, from further increasing court fees, pending the determination of the appeal before the apex court.

    Titiloye averred that on February 9, last year, the governor increased the court fees through a circular letter written by the Chief Registrar of Ondo State.

    He said despite the fact that the case was still pending before the Supreme Court, the governor and the CJ were attempting to again increase the fees under the guise of revenue generation.

    Titiloye noted that the commercial affidavit, which the governor imposed on the Judiciary, is unknown to any law in Nigeria or legal practice in any state in the country.

    The lawyer prayed the Supreme Court to order an accelerated hearing of the matter and intervene to prevent the litigation from becoming unaffordable to the indigent clients who daily approach his law office for help.

    The appeal in the substantive suit bothers on the constitutionality of increment of court fees in Ondo State Judiciary by Mimiko, the head of the executive arm of government in the state.

    As at press time, Mimiko and CJ had been served with the application.

    But no date has been fixed for hearing in the matter.

  • Ashafa: no disunity among ACN senators

    Ashafa: no disunity among ACN senators

    THE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) senator representing Lagos East, Gbenga Ashafa, yesterday debunked the rumour that there is a cold war among the party’s senators.

    In a statement in Lagos, the lawmaker said ACN senators remained united and committed to effective representation of the party.

    He said the party’s lawmakers would also ensure that government policies impact positively on the people they represent at the National Assembly.

    Ashafa explained that the rumour was part of some publications that some ACN senators were behind the alleged removal of George Akume as Senate Minority Leader.

    The lawmaker explained that as the Secretary of the ACN Senators’ Caucus Forum, he attended regular meetings where national issues were discussed for the unity of the senators.

    He said: “This is a forum that brings together a group of extremely patriotic individuals that have the unique privilege to be elected by the good people of Nigeria to serve.

    “As we meet regularly, issues affecting the lives of common Nigerians have been our focal point. I can’t recall anytime personal issues became an agenda or item for discussion.”

  • Alleged witchcraft: Ekiti opposes case transfer

    Justice A. Adesodun, sitting at the Ekiti Vacation Court of the State High Court, yesterday ordered Mr Adedeji Oladele, the defence counsel in the case of alleged murder of Mrs. Rebecca Adewumi, to open a fresh application in Ado Judicial Division.

    The state counsel, Mr Femi Onipede, had averred that it is a basic condition that the prosecution decide the court where to institute and/or retain its case.

    Justice Adesodun, who was a vacation judge, said the vacation would end tomorrow and that he would be unable to entertain any new application on any case except such case is transferred to Omuo Judicial Division, where he serves.

    Oladele, who had planned to move an application for bail for the three accused, who are in prison custody, said he would prefer to open an application to transfer the case to Omuo.

    The defence counsel told the court that the alleged act was committed in Omuo and that it would be convenient for the parties to hear the case in the town.

    But Onipede averred that the case was instituted in the Ado Judicial Division by the prosecution and that it could be changed only if that is the preference of the prosecution.

    The government lawyer added that the defence lacked such legal preference.

    Abey Feranmi, Orojo Olatunbosun and Adesola Adewumi were charged with murder, conspiracy and trial by ordeal.

    They were arrested on the orders of Police Commissioner Sotonye Wakama and remanded in prison custody since 4 September.

  • Two victims of Ogun community’s road crash identified

    THe identities of two of the victims of the accidents that occurred at Mobalufon junction, Ijebu-Ode, on Sagamu-Benin Expressway, were yesterday unveiled.

    The accident, involving a truck and two passenger buses, occurred on Tuesday.

    Report put the casualty figure at 30. Sixty-six other people were said to have sustained injuries.

    The victims were: a 21-year-old daughter of a prominent Islamic cleric in Ijebu-Ode and a young man, whose marriage had been fixed for this month.

    The cleric’s daughter was said to have alighted from a bus coming from the Tai Solarin University of Education, (TASUED) before she was crushed.

    Tunji, who would have consummated his marriage before the end of the month, was the other victim identified yesterday.

    It was learnt that seven bodies were deposited at a mortuary in Ijebu-Ode.

  • Oyo ACN accuses PDP, Accord of frustrating bridge project

    Leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State have accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party (A) members of frustrating the construction of the collapsed Apete Bridge in Ibadan, the state capital.

    The bridge was washed away during last year’s August 26 flood.

    The party leaders urged well-meaning residents to prevail on PDP and Accord members to allow the construction of the bridge.

    They addressed reporters in Ibadan, at the anniversary of the chairman of Ido Local Government Area, Prof Joseph Olowofela, in office.

    Before last year’s flood, the Apete Bridge served residents of about five communities, including The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

    Prof Olowofela and a member of the House of Assembly, Wahab Oladejo, representing Ido State Constituency, blamed the failure of the contractor to complete the bridge on PDP and Accord members in the area.

    The ACN leaders said the opposition members had incited the public against the contractor, adding that this forced the government to revoke the contract.

  • Old students urged to join social network

    THE new president of the Old Students’ Association of Baptist High School (BHS), Iwo, Osun State, Mr King Aremu, has urged his colleagues to join the social network, facebook.

    Aremu gave the charge in his acceptance speech as the new president of the association.

    He said the school would celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2015, adding: “We will be talking about the Diamond Jubilee. The celebration is a vision the new executives shall conceive immediately. The task is about reaching out to thousands of old students among who I have been seen on facebook.

    “Henceforth, I will post the new development to them. I’m, therefore, calling on all of you to come on facebook in the task of giving back to the school.”

  • Funeral for community leader

    A community leaderin Rivers State, Mrs Maria Lidia Hart Amanya, is dead.

    She was 83.

    The late Mrs Amanya will be buried on September 28 at her home Umuokoronkwor, Okwizi community in Egbema, Ogba Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.

  • Army chief inaugurates projects in Edo

    Army chief inaugurates projects in Edo

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, has hailed Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole for strengthening the cordial relationship between the military and civilians in the state.

    Ihejirika spoke at the inauguration of projects built by the state government and donated to the Army.

    They include roads at the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army; five blocks of 25 classrooms; a hall; 10 toilets; and a borehole at the Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport in Benin.

    The army chief said: “The President would be happy that while he is transforming the country, you are transforming the state. We have inaugurated a series of projects built by the state government and donated to the Army. The group you have targeted are the leaders of the nation. By transforming the school, you have transformed their lives.

    “The excitement demonstrated by the pupils and parents also demonstrates the excitement in the Army. It is impossible for the Federal Government to rehabilitate all the schools in the barracks. It is against this background that we appreciate what the governor is doing in the barracks and in Edo State.

    “The inauguration is a representation of other projects in other barracks. We have seen the furniture and the governor has promised to build the primary school. I have no doubt in his ability to do it because of his antecedent.”

    Oshiomhole said the military is part of the society and is entitled to benefit from what the government.

    He said he is convinced that a soldier would perform his duties better, if he is assured of quality education for his children.

    The governor said: “I believe the least we can do for the future of Nigeria is to give our children quality education.

    “We must restore integrity to public schools, so that the children of the poor would not have inferiority complex.”

    The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. M.D. Abubakar; Provost-Marshall, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Raphael Isa; Commander, 4 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Abel Umahi; Commander, 81 Air Maritime Group, Air Commodore Umar Atiku; Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport, Benin, Brig.-Gen. Nienge; Director, Miltary Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Tijani Jubrin; and the Commissioner for Police, Edo State, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, were also at the ceremony.

     

  • Five die in Delta road crash

    Five members of a family yesterday died in an accident on the Onitsha-Benin Expressway.

    The accident occurred at Ubulu-Okiti Junction in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

    It was gathered that the victims were travelling from Ekiti State to Awka in Anambra State.

    Sources said the Toyota Hilux conveying them lost one of its tyres and skidded off the road.

    The victims include a man, his expectant wife, two children (a male and a female) and a steward.

    The bodies of the victims were evacuated by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

    They have been deposited at the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba.

    An 82-year-old relative of the victims, a woman, who was also in the vehicle, miraculously survived the accident. Another passenger, also a member of the family, was rushed to the intensive care unit of the FMC.

     

  • 140 Nigeria policemen in Mogadishu for peace keeping

    140 Nigeria policemen in Mogadishu for peace keeping

    ONE hundred and forty officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force have arrived in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia to participate in the ongoing AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) peacekeeping operations..

    A statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Addis Ababa by the Peace and Security Department of the AU Commission yesterday, said that the Formed Police Unit (FPU) from Nigeria would join other unit from Uganda who were already in Mogadishu.

    Mr Boubacar Diarra, the Special Representative of the AU Chairperson for Somalia , said in a statement that the arrival of the second AMISOM Formed Police Unit was a clear demonstration of the AU’s commitment to support Somalia in its endeavour to improve the security situation in the country especially in the liberated areas.