The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Challenging

  • ‘Law School was challenging after studying abroad’

    Augustine Ezeanochie aspired to become a lawyer so he could defend his people. The Middlesex University, England alumnus tells ROBERT EGBE how he fulfilled this dream in 2016.

    Family and I

     

    My name is Augustine Chinonso Ezeanochie. I was born on November 14, 1984 to the family of Mr and Mrs Augustine Onuchukwu. I am the last born in a family of four children. My father is dead, but my mum, a public school teacher, is alive. We are from Ihiala town in Ihiala Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State. My hobbies are politics, mentoring and travelling.

     

    British education

    I graduated from Middlesex University, Hendon Campus in London, the United Kingdom (UK) in 2013, with a Second Class Upper (2:1) Honours degree in Law.  I also obtained my Masters in Law from the same school. I was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2016 after attending the Nigerian Law School, Abuja campus. I’m the only lawyer in my nuclear family.

     

    ‘I wanted to defend my people’

    Where I come from, people were being maltreated and marginalised. There was nobody to defend them, especially in my nuclear family, so, I felt becoming a lawyer would give me the opportunity to defend my people at all times. This is what inspired me to study Law.

     

    ‘Law School was challenging’

    Law School was not easy, especially for those of us who studied abroad in a different jurisdiction. The Council of Legal Education makes it compulsory that we must understand the Nigeria’s legal system before we can proceed with procedural law, which really made it challenging.

     

    ‘Call to Bar was amazing’

    The turnout of my family members and some of my friends at my Call to Bar was really amazing. My mum in particular was really proud of me and it was a great day for her to have me as her son.

     

    ‘First solo court appearance’

    It was a really exciting experience because it was something I was looking forward to. When I started practising, I was privileged to go to various courts with my seniors several times and I was able to learn a lot. So, my confidence had been built up through that, although I had a few challenges responding to the judge when asked questions on things your mind could not go to.

     

    ‘Most embarrassing day’

    My most embarrassing day in court was one of the days I was before a judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja. I was handling a political party case against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC’s counsel, who had not prepared before coming to court and didn’t want the matter to go on that day, left the courtroom as soon as it was time to hear our matter. Thus, the judge took a date for adjournment immediately. I tried to explain what had just happened to My Lordship, but she ignored me, stood up and left. I became frustrated in the courtroom because the opposing counsel outplayed me in a matter that needed urgent hearing.

     

    ‘Many young lawyers are suffering’

    It is really disappointing when you hear how little junior lawyers’ salaries are. Only very few law firms pay reasonably well. A great percentage of lawyers are suffering.  Most times seniors are very reluctant to teach you the job. I’m only trying to cope for now since my major concern is to gain more experience so that I can make myself opportunity-ready. Sometimes the pay can be so discouraging to me, especially because I came from a foreign jurisdiction where my fellow lawyers are highly paid.

     

    ‘Marriage’

    Well, I have no problem with a woman’s profession in my choice of a wife. What I look out for is someone who can understand my vision and purpose. A wife material can be found in any profession.  Although my chances of getting a lawyer as a wife is very slim, because, in my experience, many of our lawyer ladies allow the profession to control them.

     

    What I would change about law

    Well, it may be difficult to change some things that I have noticed. For instance, we are all addressed as male in the legal profession, using the word ‘gentlemen’ for both ladies and men. Female Judges are also addressed as ‘sir’.  That change has to come from the professional body that sets standards for our professional cultures and practices.

     

    ‘Who I look up to in the legal

    profession’

    I look up to the likes of former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Presidents Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) as well as Chief J.K. Gadzama (SAN), in whose Abuja law firm I was privileged to train.

     

    SAN, Professor or Judge?

    I would have loved to become a SAN but the process for conferment of the title seems to be unfair, thus many persons with the title appear to be unqualified for it or were not given on merit. So, this sometimes discourages those who have sincere passion for the profession. However, I may likely consider becoming a professor since I’m already working on my academic progression.

     

    The future

    I have plans of going into politics in the future. Leadership is something I feel I have the quality for. I have held various leadership positions, both in Nigeria and while studying in the UK. For instance, I won an election at the Students Representative Counsel (SRC) level while at the Law School, Abuja to represent foreign students. I also headed a committee as the chairman. So, I see myself as a leader anywhere I am.

     

     

     

  • Ajimobi: Challenging the status quo

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State cannot be called a gate crasher in the comity of elites in Nigeria, having paid his dues in the corporate world at the highest level. With a father that played an active part in the politics of the South-west as a lawmaker in the Second Republic, the murky waters of Nigeria’s polity should also not be seen as an unfamiliar terrain to Ajimobi. Having risen to the pinnacle of the corporate ladder as Managing Director of Shell-National Oil after a 26-year distinguished career in the oil industry, the governor brought a wealth of experience into politics. Therefore, his desire to challenge the status quo by bringing his managerial acumen in the corporate world to bear on the governance of Oyo State would expectedly attract resistance from the old guards.

    The obvious reason is that his pragmatic approach to issues is alien to them and is therefore regarded as an affront to their authority as wheeler-dealers in the political game. It is crystal clear that courage and sense of purpose are strongly required by any political leader desirous of effecting complete change in a political system as ours in Oyo State. Those bent on business as usual are often wont to confront the game changer with barrage of criticisms, campaign of calumny, blackmail, deliberate falsehood, mudslinging, vilification and the related.   Such embarrassing moments oftentimes pit such beleaguered leaders against their immediate and extended family members who, out of fear of the unknown, mount pressures on them to abandon the struggle, no matter how genuine their intentions may be. Governor Abiola Ajimobi may have unwittingly created more enemies for himself in Oyo State as a harbinger of a new social order. His altruistic style of governance attracts negative comments majorly from the opposition political parties. His sophisticated approach to governance is deemed complex and alien to the average citizens who are used to the superficial style of governance. It is indubitable that only the deep minded and far sighted can decipher and interpret correctly the laudable objectives of Ajimobi’s programmes and policies.

    For instance, his prudential principle of managing the lean resources of Oyo State leading to the cutting down of unnecessary expenditure and wastages has earned him the nickname “Ajirebi” (harbinger of hunger). Furthermore, his administration’s zero tolerance for street trading and erection of structures under high voltage transmission lines, as well as his insistence on strict adherence to building codes to prevent avoidable deaths, flooding and other environmental hazards are misconstrued as wickedness and acts of political victimisation. These misconceptions are predicated on ignorance and refusal of the citizens to change their old habits, whereas, the government’s intention is targeted at securing clean environments, as well as the protection of lives and property.

    The situation becomes more challenging as the opposition elements take advantage of the masses’ resistance to change by distorting facts and firing undeserved salvos in the direction of the governor. It is obvious that the governor’s attempts at changing the status quo in an apparently hostile political environment are daunting, yet, surmountable. I have no doubt in my mind that at the end of his tenure, Governor Abiola Ajimobi shall surely be appreciated by the populace for leaving behind an enduring and befitting legacy.

    The recent review of the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration is another area where Governor Ajimobi has grossly been misunderstood. But, for his resilience, the fierce resistance from familiar quarters almost thwarted the exercise. Till date, it’s on record that only few opposition politicians have been stoking this ember of resistance to the review. Understandably, the revered Olubadan, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Adetunji, who had earlier disagreed to the review from the clip of a video that has gone viral, later agreed, only to turn back again to disagree with the governor on the move. Had Baba considered the many benefits of the review in the larger interest of the concerned parties, he would have given Ajimobi a pat on the back for elevating the status of the Olubadan chieftaincy. The call for the creation of Ibadan State can now be reinforced given its new status, unlike before when it had Olubadan as the only beaded crown Oba. Unfortunately, Kabiyesi’s misplaced fear of a whittled influence and the involvement of politicians that have axe to grind with Ajimobi have given the whole saga a new coloration.

    Little did many armchair critics and commentators on the issue know that the Olubadan Chieftaincy declaration was not cast in iron. For starters, the dynamism of the chieftaincy is manifest in the fact that between 1820 and 1929, the traditional ruler of Ibadanland was known as Baale, until 1930 when Oba Okunola Abass became the first holder of the Olubadan title. And not until 1976 did an Olubadan wear a beaded crown. More so, several attempts had been made by past governors, including ex-Governor Rashidi Ladoja, who set up the Justice Adio Commission of Inquiry, to review the chieftaincy declaration but they could not muster enough courage to see the proposed review through. Again, from what we have read and which has not been debunked, the move by Ajimobi was in response to clarion call by the members of the Olubadan-in-council, eminent citizens, respected elders of the land and the umbrella body of socio-cultural groups in Ibadanland, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes.

    It is worth stating here that any leader desirous of changing the status quo must not only be daring, but must also be prepared to pay the price. Such a leader also needs courage, focus and perseverance, all of which, interestingly, are possessed by the governor. It is also gladdening to note that majority of the citizens have appreciated Governor Ajimobi’s efforts, which are directed at improving their lot in the state.

    The conflict of interests among members of the political class has always pitted the masses against the government, with the latter cashing in on the gullibility of the former. As Governor Ajimobi labours hard to give Oyo State a new lease of life, my appeal to the citizens, including political opponents, is to view his programmes, policies and projects from a wider compass rather than from a narrow compass of politicking. Let those beating the drum of war sheathe their swords in the interest of the generality of the people.

     

    • Adebiyi , a public affairs analyst, writes from Ibadan.

     

  • Emerhor: Why I‘m challenging Okowa’s victory

    DELTA State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Olorogun O’tega Emerhor has explained why the party is at the tribunal to challenge the declaration of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the contest.

    Emerhor said the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is a massive fraud that has no bearing to the will of the electorate. According to the APC standard bearer, the total number of votes announced by INEC exceeded that of the certified accredited number of voters.

    He said Okowa polled 724,680 votes, but according to INEC’s certified records, only 709,700 voters were accredited for the exercise. According to the Returning Officer, Prof. Bio Nyananyo, Ogboru got 130,028 votes, while Olorogun Emerhor finished in the third position with 67,825 votes. Prof. Nyananyo said 1,017,796 out of the 2, 044,372 registered voters were accredited for the election and that the exercise recorded 931,808 valid votes, while 24,913 ballots were rejected.

    The APC candidate, who is one of the three candidates challenging the declaration of Okowa as the Governor-elect, is seeking a cancellation of the election and the ordering of a re-run, based on the malpractices perpetrated in favour of the ruling PDP in the state.

    Emerhor alleged that card readers were not used in many areas during the election and that the results were fabricated and allocated, in violation of the electoral laws and INEC guidelines.

    He said the PDP unleashed a deliberate and well-orchestrated war on voters in the most parts of Delta North and Delta Central to disrupt the voting process. He said: “In this wise, PDP strongmen and their security attaches working with thugs recruited for this purpose were deployed to seize results sheets, cart away materials or disrupt voting generally and particularly in strongholds of the APC. A few local government areas and voting points were spared to serve as points to showcase purported free and fair election, and even at that the PDP resorted to vote buying in such voting points.”

    He noted that the violence and commotion were designed as a smokescreen for cooking up figures by the PDP and its accomplices in INEC. He added: “These figures are then allocated whimsically to the three main contending parties! While it is true that card readers were used only at voting points reserved to showcase a proper election, generally the use of card readers was not only ignored, but results were fabricated 100 per cent. This happened because the state government power and machinery were brought to bear to seize INEC’s machinery in order to deliver a pre ordered voting pattern.”

    Emerhor said the perpetrators of the fraud deliberately placed the Labour Party (LP) second, to give the impression that the APC is weak or nonexistent in the state. In this regard, he added, the PDP was allocated 79 per cent of the votes, while the Labour Party and the APC were given 14 per cent and 7 per cent respectively. “This is to pull wool over the eyes of political analysts,” he said.

    The LP’s candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, has also rejected the declaration of Senator Okowa as the Governor-elect, saying his party would ensure that the results declared by INEC are upturned at the election tribunal. “The rigging is too senseless to ignore,” he added.

  • Why I‘m challenging Ugwuanyi’s victory, by Ezea

    Why I‘m challenging Ugwuanyi’s victory, by Ezea

    Enugu State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Okey Ezea spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU in Lagos on the outcome of the general elections and why he is calling for the cancellation of the results.

    As the Enugu State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, what are your reflections on the recent elections?

    It was a very bad election. The election was marred by violence, thuggery, intimidation and harassment by the police and the thugs hired by the PDP to ensure there was no free and fair election in Enugu State. They had the money, they had the media hype that they were so popular. If you that popular, I wonder why you should be bringing in thugs, buy up the police, the SSS, the Army and other security agencies. The thugs had a free day. In Enugu State, voters were attacked. In fact, in my own polling unit, the thugs that came were escorted by thugs by policemen from the Government House. The thugs were led by one Vic Eze. Another thug is called Beka and another one is named Bishop. I could recognise these three thugs. The policemen came in a luxurious van to attack me and my ward people to ensure that no vote came out of my ward. In other wards, there were ballot snatching. If course, there was ni result sheet anywhere, perhaps, except in my ward. They never made use of the card reader. Of course, we know that the PDP is averse to the card reader. In 90 percent of Enugu State, card readers were never used. There was multiple thumb printing. I have it on the video. There were people coming to the polling booths with all manner of PVCs. In Enugu State, not up to 50 percent of PVCs was in the hand of their owners. These people made sure that the PVCs meant for the people of Enugu State were seized by the PDP. INEC gave the PVCs to them.

    How can these allegations be proved?

    Some of them were arrested. In Eziagwu local government, someone was arrested with 10, 000 PVCs. During the presidential election, someone was arrested in Ikano east with 4,000 PVCs. The same person was declared the winner of the House of representatives election. In Ifeanyi Ugwanyi polling booth, somebody was arrested with about 700 PVCs. It is on record. The person was interviewed. I have the evidence. The election as a sham. It is unfortunate. With all our protests to the REC, the REC went ahead of announce the result of the fraudulent election. Even, before the election, a highly placed person in the PDP was brandishing the result sheet. I confronted the REC for distributing result sheets in Wednesday.  He said it was an instruction from the headquarters to avoid logistic problems. I said, why not wait till the morning of Friday. We couldn’t verify the result sheet. INEC colluded with the PDP in Enugu. They abandoned the use of the card reader. So, the election in Enugu State was a farce, just like the presidential election, where they just sat down and wrote the results. There was no way, with our campaigns, our efforts, that Buhari will score less than three per cent in Enugu State. It was ridiculous.

    What is your next line of action now?

    We are going to the tribunal. We want to present our matter to the tribunal. We are saying there was no election in Enugu State, that the result should be cancelled and a fresh and new election should be conducted under a free and fair atmosphere, with the security coming to supervise the election so that it will not be a free for all thugs.  Those who supervised the election should leave Enugu so that EOs from Sokoto, Oyo, Ondo will come to Enugu to conduct a free and fair election.

    What is the chance of getting justice at the tribunal?

    I think with the coming of the new government, the attitude at the tribunals and courts generally will not be business usual. It is only in Nigeria that the PDP will rig an election and ask you to go to the court and the judgment will be influenced. But, I hope with the new government in place, it won’t be business as usual. I think there will be a new attitude.

    What is your advice to the Southeast, base on the recent voting pattern?

    It is a tragedy that our brothers and sisters in the PDP did not allow our people to express their political wishes through the ballot box. What came out as votes from the Southeast was a concoction of some people who did not wish Southeast and Nigeria well. In my own ward, Buhari scored 508 votes. Jonathan scored 500 votes. It was close. Where did they get over 500,000 votes? Who are the voters that voted for the PDP. They just concocted figures. As it is today, the APC does not have a senator in the whole of the Southeast. May be, there is one of two members of the House of Representatives or Assembly.

    What will be the effect on the Southeast in the new dispensation?

    The effect is that the Southeast will not be part of the principal officers in the National Assembly because the principal officers of the Senate and House will come from the party that has the majority of members. The APC has the majority. There is virtually no APC member of the National Assembly from the Southeast. So, we have lost out.

    Don’t you think that this is also an advantage because there will be a virile opposition and there will be no one party state?

    It would have been, if it was the real wish of our people. Our people were clamouring for change. It was the first time a real election was to be held in the Southeast since 1999. In 1999, a lot of local governments were being ruled by the AD, APP and PDP people. From 2003, they stopped election in the Southeast. People were just writing results. So, our people did not vote the way it was portrayed. It is not true. Despite the dominance of the PDP in the past 16 years in the Southeast, our people were yearning for change. Today, they are unhappy. They feel frustrated that a few individuals, who want to claim ownership of the Southeast, a few individuals who do not think of tomorrow, except their pocket, have brought us to this mess.

    What will be your prayer to the tribunal; to declare you winner or declare the election null and void?

    It will be fraudulent for me to say there was no free and fair election-no car reader, no result sheet, there was snatching of ballot boxes, results were just written- and ask the tribunal to declare me the winner. It will be a contradiction. What we want is the cancellation of the fraudulent exercise so that a new, orderly, free and fair election will be conducted. Neutral police and neutral INEC officials should conduct fresh elections in Enugu State. If this is done, the APC will win.

    Now that Gen. Buhari is taking over the baton next month, what are your expectations?

    The expectation by Nigerians is very high. There could even be frustration over rising expectations. They will want Buhari to wrought magic, which he cannot do, because the rot started many years ago. Yiu don’t expect him, even in one term, to correct the ills. But, it is a good step forward, A game of 2,000 miles stars with one step forward. The first thing to do is to tackle corruption. He should out institutions in place to tackle corruption.

  • Challenging youths to dare

    Challenging youths to dare

    Students of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) participated in a leadership training organised by the British Council to drive sustainable development and innovation. SARAT ALABIDUN (300-Level Chemistry) r

    YouthS must drive sustainable development and explore their minds to shape their future.” With these word Prof Nasiru Yauri, one of the facilitators at the British Council Active Citizens Training held last Wednesday at Youth Friendly Centre of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), challenged the youth to dare.

    The training was organised with the aim of engaging the youth in building trust and sustainable development.

    It started with globingo, an interactive game in which about 40 of the participants asked one another questions and competed for the first position. The ability to answer questions faster was the key to survive in the game. It was also an avenue for the organisers  to know the participants.

    As the contestants introduced themselves to the facilitator, one of the participants, Sherifah Ahmadu, said: “We need to know our identities as well as that of others in order to know what people hold dear to their hearts.”

    Each participant explained his views on the “tree of expectations”, a method used by the organisers to recognise everyone’s strengths and the positive results they could get using those strengths. The participants learnt how to interact with people from various backgrounds after the first day’s training ended.

    The Day Two training started with a game titled: “Four Words”, which was aimed at fostering dialogue and enabling people to reach agreement on controversial issues. A story was told of how people see things differently and express different views about a subject matter.

    “A dialogue is not necessarily a consensus, neither is it an argument,” Prof Yauri told the participants. The attendees were divided into groups, with each having a task to tell a story using illustrations to describe dialogue. It was a creative session as the different groups came up with interesting stories that explained the true essence of dialogue and why it must be constructive. The training ended with the participants leaving with understanding of working together and sacrifice.

    On Day Three, participants were led in a procession to a serene environment within the campus, where they reflected on challenges facing their communities and the social action projects they could carry out to help solve those problems. The students came up with practicable ideas that could be introduced to reduce the challenges. They learnt about community mapping, which the organisers described as the first steps in project planning.

    The participants were divided into groups for discussions; each group presented its strategy to solve identified problems.

    The final day activity was on project planning and how the participants could actualise their social action projects in their communities. Each group thought of social action plan it could carry out and engaged other groups in implementing the objectives.

    They were also taught problem-solving skills and final evaluation of projects through record keeping and recognising its success and failures.

    Prof Yauri said: “We have trained you, and we are now going to let you go out into the society to make positive impacts. You have become tributaries from which other tributaries can be formed.”

    Participants spoke about their experience after the training. Enitan Adekunle, a 300-Level Education and Extension Services student, said he learnt the virtue of selflessness and mutual respect. He said: “I learnt that everything should not always be about me, but everyone in the society. I learnt how to interact with people and how to engage in dialogue. The training has opened my eyes to the virtue of selflessness and mutual respect.”

    Another participant, Abdulmajeed Abdullah, a 300-Level Modern and European Languages student, said: “I was taught how to start a dialogue and the importance of constructive dialogue. I learnt problem-solving skill through the group discussion and I have already started my social action project on the internet to practicalise what I have learnt from the training.”

     

     

    eports.

  • ‘Miracle Baby my most challenging case’

    ‘Miracle Baby my most challenging case’

    Not many still remember the case. The Miracle Baby saga was a sensational case which enjoyed wide media coverage. It was handled by former Lagos State Chief Judge Justice Ayotunde Phillips, who retired last Saturday. In the case, a 65-year-old woman and a young girl lay claim to the maternity of little Bose, who became known as Miracle Baby. Justice Phillips ruled in favour of the young mother. She describes the matter as one of the most challenges in this interview with ADEBISI ONANUGA. She also speaks on challenges faced by the judiciary, such as corruption, delay in justice administration and the judiciary workers’strike.  

     

    In the course of your career, you must have been influenced by somebody. Who has been most influential in your life?

    Yes, my father really. That is why I am fulfilled today and I thank him for that.

    If you have not read law, what would you have studied in the university and how did your father influence your choice of study?

    To be honest, before I went to the university I wanted to read History or just a general degree. I never thought of having a career but my father called me and said now you have passed your HSC, what do you want to do. I said I wanted to read History. He said no, that I should think of getting a profession. And that if I read History the best I could  do was to get a master and lecture in the university but that if I choose a profession like Law, I could work for the rest of my life and the sky would be my limit. And I now realise that was a very good advice. So, he told me to read Law. In fact, he took my papers to the Faculty of Law to meet the Dean, who was then Dr. Elias and I was admitted to read Law and that  is where it has found me today.

     

    So, having read Law, why did you then take to the Bench as against the Bar where you normally find  most budding lawyers?

    To be honest, I thought that the Bench was too weak at a time and that I could do it differently and still do it well. So, my thought then was that “I’m going to vie for the Bench and do it as I see it fit’’. My father was a Judge. I more or less saw him working so I became attracted to adjudication and doing what is right. So, I said let me try this and do it my own way. That’s what made me come to the Bench, to be able to dispense justice, and dispense justice even with a human face. That the law and the rules on one side and common sense and decency on the other side and where the two meet you find that not only have you dispensed  justice but that even the person who is found culpable, the person who is found liable, the person who is adjudicated as being wrong would know within himself or herself that he or she is wrong. And I’ve had a couple of cases like that in my career where the defence lawyers even said we thank you my Lord, we would abide by your decision. And only a few of them went on appeal, most of them accepted what I did  because they trusted it and they knew in themselves that what I did was  not wrong. So, that was my reason of taking to the Bench and I’m very fulfilled in that I’ve come, you can still be friendly, approachable, you can still live your life and still do justice and have people respect your decisions. That was why I joined the bench and I think I’ve done it my own way and so far, I’ve not got too many negative reports.

     

    Being on the Bench is one thing but getting to the pinnacle of one’s career is another. How did you feel the day you were sworn-in as the Chief Judge of the Lagos State by Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) two years ago?

    I felt very fulfilled, it just shows that you don’t have to lobby, you don’t have to make a nuisance of yourself as it were. If you trust in God and you do your work properly and you keep above boards, you don’t get involved in any scandal, and in Lagos State, it is done by seniority. Once you get to that point where you are number two and you are younger than number one, you will definitely succeed number one. And that’s why I thank the Lagos State Judiciary so much because we have it in place, there’s no hop, step and jump. You wait for your turn. When your turn comes, you will be the Chief Judge in so far the person ahead of you is not younger than you. If the person ahead of you is younger than you, definitely you will retire before you get there. But if the person is older than you, definitely you will get there and you would be fulfilled and then you will be able to contribute your quota not only on the bench as a judge but administratively because you are going to wear three caps. You are going to wear the political cap because it’s a political office, you are going to wear the administrative cap and then still be a serving judge. And I felt very good, very fulfilled and I was glad that I would be able now to contribute again in my own way and my own little bit to the administration of justice in Lagos State in particular and in Nigeria in general.

     

     

    It has never been a smooth ride for those at the top. What would you say have been the  challenges you encountered as a Chief Judge?

    My first challenge was with the union, Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). It was then led by Mr. Adekanye and he came into my chambers and said: “Excuse me, you know you’ve been a good mummy to all of us. I just came to tell you that we have a nagging problem about N10,000 allowance”  and that if I didn’t find a way of paying that allowance they were ready  to down tools. That happened even before I was sworn in. In fact, it was as soon as I was announced as successor to my predecessor. They came to welcome me and then he brought a long list of demands, the chief of which was the N10,000 allowance.

    He said I should leave other demands to give priority to  allowance issue, and  threatening to go on strike if they were turned down. He said: “We know you are our mummy but when a child is hungry, he doesn’t  know any mummy. That was my first challenge, how  am I going to pay this N10,000. So, I called one or two of the principal officers then, Mr. Safari now Justice Safari, who was the Chief Registrar and we had a discussion then. So, I called the person  in charge of money and asked how much we get every month, he told me and I said go and calculate how much it will be to pay all the staff N10,000. He calculated it to be a sizeable sum and I said I have to pay that money to give myself peace and make my children happy. You know we mothers, we have to be very careful before we think about ourselves, we have to think about our children. Once your child is happy, he would do well in school and you too will be happy. And I asked is it okay for me to take that money, and they said yes, the money is ours. I will decide how it’s going to be spent. And I said from this minute pay them the N10,000 each. And within three weeks of my being sworn-in, I was sworn-in on June 14, 2012, so the money was for June salary. So, three weeks later they got the alert and they came to my office prostrating, kneeling down and that’s where their prayers for me started. And I don’t think they have stopped those prayers for now. I wake up in the morning I pick my phone prayers from anonymous numbers praying for me, for my children, and my children’s children. So, that was my first challenge and since that time I had no problem with them at all. The atmosphere is calm, even the strike they are on now, they came to explain to me that they are very sorry but it is for the betterment of the Judiciary and it is something they have to do but that it will not disrupt activities marking my retirement. And they all turned up en masse for the novelty match, they have really honoured me. They’ve spoken so well about me in all nooks and crannies of this country. When I meet other sister Chief Judges, they ask me what are you doing in Lagos that they love you so much and I say I don’t know, maybe it is the N10,000 allowances. But I thank God. That was my only challenge that I had.

     

     

    To what extent did  your decision affect your budget?

    When you are at the helm of affairs, you have to make decision. And you make decisions not to please yourself or make yourself comfortable because as a leader you are really a servant. And I always say to be a good leader, you have to be a good servant because you are serving the people whom you are leading indirectly. If they are not happy, you are not happy. Everybody knows that we are taking these chunks from our running cost and we are making do with the rest. So, we are blocking holes here and there, say let’s do this, we pay half now and balance later and so on. So, we found out that we’ve been able to manage things. It has been rough this year because last year globally, I think the estimated revenue did not come in and so every department of government have suffered the cost. No new contract has been awarded; the emphasis now is on completing the on-going projects, more so, as the government is going to change hands next year at the executive level. So all of us are going to take the cut and when you take your cut, you cut your coat according to the cloth or size and make do with what you have. So, I’m not finding it too difficult but I’ve not done much as I would have loved to do. I had to abandon a few of my ideas but in my handing over note, I am going to put those ideas down for the incoming Chief Judge. If she thinks they are worthy, she can take them up. There are so many things we want to do like the ceremonial court. We should stop going to Igbosere for valedictory and all that. In the courts they are building now, there is a special ceremonial court, a huge court where all the judges would sit, the public would sit in the gallery, there will be changing room for judges and lawyers, there will be toilet facilities, there will be a restaurant where you can have refreshments after. So, we are building that, we’ve started that, the governor has approved it and they’ve given us land for that. So, that’s a project I would have loved to start, lay the foundation and all that but government’s work is continual, you can’t do it all. Even if I have five years as Chief Judge, I’m sure I will still leave a lot behind; there will still be a lot to be done.

    We have the Tapa Commercial Court project that will cost about N1.5 billion, where all the commercial court would be is where the Tapa Magistrate Court is now. It will have courtrooms, libraries, restaurants, changing rooms, judges’ recreation rooms, conference rooms. That one is on course, the file actually has gone to the governor but it has not been approved yet because there’s no money for it in the budget. So, that is also pending and there are so many things still pending because of finance, may be when the Judiciary becomes autonomous we would be able to do things on our own.

     

     

    What are some of the innovations and reforms you introduced into the justice delivery system?

    I’m sure you’ve heard of the Judicial Information System, it was started by my predecessor. The contract was awarded before I came on board and they have started to put the infrastructure in place but I just made sure that the whole system was put in place properly and became functional. So now lawyers can file from their offices. But for now, it is just that they can’t pay yet because there are still issues with the Naira Master Card due to some technical things that only accountants can understand. But at least lawyers can access the website, upload their documents and then come to pay for them in the court.

    The libraries are now been upgraded as I speak, the contracts have been awarded. Igbosere has started to work, Ikeja is yet to start but the money has been given for them to upgrade. All the judges and magistrates, I made sure that they are all gadget compliance as I call it. I’m an IT savvy person. I love gadgets, my I-pad is my fifth child, I carry it around with me anywhere I go I read my speeches from my I-pad, all the judges have Ipads, all the magistrates have gadgets. And then, at the magistracy, I’m trying to enforce and implement the 2009 Magistrates Court Laws. If you notice, the latest thing we have done is that all of them are now wearing robes. So, just a few of the things I’ve mentioned, we have done to uplift the Lagos State Judiciary and even make it greater. And I was telling the governor when he came in last week to commission the Achieve and that’s the last thing I’ve done. The Achieving of all our files,  put all our files in the achieve, put them online so that any time you want access information on any file in respect of any case, it would be easily accessible. We won’t dumb them in one room where rats and cockroaches will be feeding fat on them. We now had to preserve our documents, you know our documents are very, very important. So, you find that these are things we have put in place to make sure that the Lagos State Judiciary is above all.

    So, my vision for the Lagos State Judiciary in some five, ten years is that they should demolish some building in Ikeja here and build high rise courtrooms, state of the art courtrooms, conference rooms, waiting rooms, restaurants, family courts and things like that. We’ve started work on the Family Court too, we’ve got land for that too so that where they build the ceremonial court there would be Family Court too. So, we would have special court for family matters just like we are going to have special court for commercial matters. All these I’ve laid the foundation for and I hope my successor would build on it.

     

    Why is prison congestion still a problem despite the efforts of your administration to decongest prisons in Lagos State?

    I really don’t know but I’ve thought about it. In May this year, myself and members of the Judicial Service Commission went to the United Kingdom to talk to our counterparts over there . I really thank God for that trip, it was arranged for us by a company here in Nigeria. It was a beautiful experience. In England, they have ‘Sentencing Guidelines’. When the man showed us the book, it was very voluminous and I’m not exaggerating. Sentencing Guidelines where they have envisaged every single, possible eventuality that can come up in a criminal case. The Guideline says Magistrates and Judges should do and handle cases, when this happen do this, when that happens do that. I think we need something like it here and we need real guidelines too. I tried to work on it but I was so busy doing so many things and my time was too short, so my successor would have to handle that. We need to put special guidelines for our magistrates. Of course, the police have their own fare of the blame, so do we as judicial officers. There are certain defendants that should not go into prisons. With the community service, the probation, all those new innovation that has been introduced by the Criminal Administration of Justice Law in Lagos State 2011 those are the things we need to look into now and utilize to the maximum to ensure that we don’t congest the prisons.

    Some of you follow me when I go on prisons decongestion visit, the least I ever released from any prison is 50 but by the time I’m leaving another 75 are going in. The people appreciate what I’m doing but I think there’s something wrong with the system and we need to address that. So, I think with a Sentencing Guidelines, bail guidelines, full implantation of  the new features introduced by the Criminal Administration of Justice Law in Lagos State 2011 and above all training and further training and more training of our judges and magistrates on this issue, we should be able to conquer it. But right now, we seem to be using the backroom to win the war.

     

    What has been your experience with the judicial staff, the judges, and magistrates?

    I have received maximum cooperation from them. You know where you have a lot of women it is always very difficult. But as woman, I have not had any problem with any of them. You might know that I have an open door policy, so when a judge or magistrate comes to my chambers you can come in without being announced and discuss any problem at all, personal, official or other problem can be discussed with me. And they see me more like a big sister. Those who are much younger see me like a motherly figure while those of my contemporaries see me like a big sister and we speak honestly to ourselves. If I receive report about anyone of them, I summoned the person to chambers and we talk heart-to-heart and tell them how I feel and let them know how I would have handle the situation and they listened. So, I have had no problem whatsoever with them, I am very, very happy. I really appreciate the cooperation I received from every single one of them, the males and the females, the judges and magistrates. And I hope that they would give my successor the same cooperation and love they have shown me. I have had really a good time with them and I really appreciate them.

     

    Corruption has been a major problem in Nigeria, as a stakeholder in the Judiciary how do you think the problem of corruption can be addressed in the Judiciary?

    There are two parts of the judiciary, the judicial officers and the support staff. As regards the judicial officers just make them comfortable. In Lagos State Judiciary now in my two years tenure, no judge or magistrate was reported to me on the allegation of corruption. There was an instance I must confess and we dealt with the situation and the magistrate has been separated from the service when we find out that the complaints were getting too much and some of the allegations confirmed to be true. But apart from that, I have had no problem whatsoever with my judicial staff. In respect of the support staff, there are still one or two bad eggs that we have heard reports of. Some of them have been removed for bad behavior;, one or two that were caught with their hands in the cooking jars as they say, those two have also been separated from the service. We still have this nagging problem because even just yesterday the Code of Conduct Bureau Commissioner and Director informed me that some people are still taking money from those who want to sign Code of Conduct forms. I have asked the Chief Registrar to look into it because we are yet to identify whether it is our staff or some touts. You know we still have problem of touts. But luckily for us, the Judicial Information System has removed the issue of signing affidavit and that kind of thing as far as the High Court is concerned. I will not deny that the problem might persist but the best way to tackle it is to tackle it head on and once you catch anybody you deal with that person accordingly. By the time two, three persons lost their jobs, it will send a lesson to others to stop.

    But generally, in Nigeria workers are not very happy with their remunerations. There’s need for total and thorough overhaul of the public service salary structure to meet the present day Nigeria. We all go to the same market and we still buy the same gari, tomatoes and pepper. So, government need to take the welfare of the workers more seriously, once that is done I’m sure to most people, except you are born greedy or a born criminal, you will not need to be corrupt, extort money or to steal. If you have good salary, nice place to stay in and of course good transport to and from work. I think government still need into the welfare of the workers when that is done there will be less fraud.

     

    Don’t you think there’s need to also look at the appointment of those who are being appointed to the Bench as a way of curbing corruption?

    Yes, we need to appoint judges now on merit and when I say merit, you don’t need to be   brilliant alone, you need to have a character that is above boards. The Constitution provides that any legal practitioner who is ten years at the bar and above is eligible for appointment as a judge. In ten years, if you bring a private practitioner or even you’ve been working with the ministry or a corporation or a bank or wherever you may be, you would have acquired your reputation. And if there’s any coma, any black spot in that person’s reputation you are automatically disqualified from being considered a judge. But you know in Nigeria today, you might want to go by merit and somebody come to say this is my brother, he wants to be a judge because we want a judge in our family and they just put him there without even him being tested. And of course, when you get the wrong people on the Bench you are going to get bad report about that person. They say one bad apple spoils the whole apples, the judicial appointments are very sensitive.  Once one is tainted,  it will taint everybody. They will say that’s how they are. The Lord is elevating you by making you a judge, the Lord is elevating you above your peers, you are going to be adjudicating over your peers. In order to do this, no bad words must be said about you because once you are bad then you don’t belong to the class of people who are to adjudicate and to find your fellow citizens wrong.

    So, the appointment process, I must say that the NJC has put guidelines in place. In fact, one of the guidelines that surprised me when I saw it was that the governor is not to be involved in the process at all. Is there in the guidelines. So, they’ve done their best to make it transparent but you know the Nigerian factor. Because the same governor who is not supposed to be involved in the process will still be the one to approve the appointment and even swear them in. All the NJC does is to say Chief Judge Lagos we approved your list then I will send the list to the governor. If the governor does not like say number six on the list what should we do? We are stuck. He would say I’m not going to swear in number six. So, we still have to look at the process of appointment of judges.

    In my father’s day, because I remembered how my father did it many times in my presence. He would call a lawyer and say Mr. X I’ve noticed the way you comported yourself in my court, I’ve noticed the way you handled your cases and I’ve seen that you have appeared before me in several matters, would you like to be appointed a High Court Judge? That’s how it was done in the good old days. When it comes to the legal profession, I am a traditionalist, I believe in tradition because that is what separates the legal profession from any other profession. And that’s why we call it the Noble profession. But with politics and politicians here and there, I must confess we are not getting the best people on the bench.

     

    Talking about tradition, would you approve of female wearing trousers in the Bar?

    Oh yes, there is no male or female at the Bar, we are all gentlemen of the Bar. There’s nothing wrong with that, it is what is in your brain, how you can present your case. Just dress formally, I approve wholeheartedly.

     

    There has been agitation for total independence of the Judiciary. Would you say Lagos State has been able to achieve this?

    Well I will say 75 per cent not totally. In fairness to Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) I’ve rarely ask for anything and he does not give but we still have to line up with other ministries and parastatals to collect money. That situation, may be, should stop. That is why the present strike action that is on-going is well structured, is well thought of, is well founded and is on very strong ground. The court has even now ruled that we must be independent and the relevant sections of the Constitution must be complied with. So, we should be independent so we can handle our own projects ourselves, we can spend our own money ourselves and of course any Chief Judge, or Chief Registrar or Director of Finance and Admin who meddles with government funds will just have to face the music. There’s only one thing that reminds me to be in the Judiciary, reminds me to put the proper departments in place because when now you are going to handle projects, you are going to need engineer, you are going to need quantity surveyors, so maybe we may have to work something out with the Ministry of Works by way of consultancy. But the Constitution  states clearly that we should be independent. Even people have stated reasons that we should be at par so when we are adjudicating we shouldn’t think that if I do this thing against the governor I may not get the money we have requested for a particular project. So, things like that. Our capital project is what is left for us to handle on our own. Monthly running cost we get our money, we run the court. It’s just the capital projects that we are yet to handle on our own in Lagos State. So, I very much support it and it’s the constitutional provision and we have to obey the Constitution of the land.

     

    You have been on the Bench for a very long time as a judge and as the Chief Judge, from your experience, how can we eliminate delays in our criminal justice system?

    When I was appointed in 1994, we were then still living in the dark ages, we were writing in long hand, no computerization, no power, sometimes you can’t sit in court for a week because of no power. Then the salary was about N4,800 per month it was terrible. Then we were operating the 1994 Rules. But with time, we got the new Rules 2000 and then Justice Sotiminu came on board as the Chief Judge and we started using 2004 Rules and that’s where things began to change. Then we had front loading of our processes and then computers. I think I was about the first person to start using a laptop. In 1997, a friend of mine Mrs. Joseph called me one day and said you still have a long time on the Bench, is this how you are going to be writing? You will kill yourself, for 20years you will be writing and by the time you are leaving your hand would have folded. So, she was making fun of me and she said she just bought a Toshiba laptop and that I should go and buy one and call one of these young men to teach me how to use it. So, I asked the guy who was taking me for exercise if he knows somebody who does computer and he said yes that there was somebody in his church. So, when the guy came to see me he said My Lord don’t start with laptop, start with a desktop, that is how to start learning. So, that is how he taught me how to use computer and I was using one hand. But one day my son, saw me and say mummy use the two hands, how long will it take you to write a judgment with one hand. So, that was how I started using the two hands. And that’s how I started on my own to make the job more interesting for me.

    Now when the 2004 Rules came on board, we now know everybody needed to know more about computer. I remember Justice Ade Alabi the two Chief Judge ahead of me, arranged for us o go for computer classes in Alausa at the Computer Centre and we all went one by one. And some of the older judges couldn’t really pick it up but we the younger ones quickly picked it. And when the Millennium judges came on board from 2001, then we now have some young minds, fresh young bloods and everybody is using computer. You will find out that all of us are now using computers and laptops now. It was very bad, very difficult then but now it is much easier, even the lawyers all of us are now computer literate. The rules even demand that you must know how to use computer otherwise, you won’t be able to work well.

     

    On the issue of importance of training for judicial officers, how much training was organized for them during your tenure?

    I’ve organized a lot, we’ve trained a lot. First of all, from our annual retreat, the judges go on retreat every year so do the magistrates. We get resource persons to talk to us about our health or topical issues. For the magistrates believe it or not criminal matters and land loads and tenants. For the judges, they talked to us about the new Rules, how to enforce the Rules and things like that. And then we’ve done training for the Registrars, both here and a few of them abroad. We couldn’t really afford to send too many abroad but  some of them have gone abroad even for management training and all that. I’ve tried to emphasise a lot on training, especially the Registrars during vacation like this, this is time when the Registrars can benefit from training because the courts are not sitting. I think in my first year some of them went to Ghana and the magistrates too. We have done quite a bit on training; we have done a lot of conferences abroad and locally for the judges, magistrates and even registrars. Not everybody because we couldn’t afford it but as many we could accommodate.

     

    How do you relax while on the bench despite your tight schedule?

    I watch movies, I have what they called Apple TV and I downloaded all my favourites series like Law and Order. It’s terrible, this job has affected me; anything legal is what I watch now – I watch Law and Order, Bursting Legal, The Brief – all those legal programmes; I’ve downloaded them all onto my laptop and I use Wi-Fi to screen it to my television. That’s how I relax. I sit down, put my feet up with a cup of tea may be some biscuits. That’s my main form of relaxation, watching movies and watching those programmes.

     

    So, MiLord, how do you intend to spend your retirement?

    I’ve been working non-stop for 40 solid years. I was called to the bar in June of 1974 straight to Youth Corps, that one is work not enjoyment. Came back from Youth Corps in June of 1975, got married in October of 1975 and I’ve started working. Throughout my pregnancy I was working. My daughter was two months old when I began work again in LSDPC in 1977. So, everyday I’d woken up in the morning to go to work except for when I’m on vacation and that is just two, three weeks in a year. So, I’m looking forward very much to waking up in the morning and having absolutely nothing to do because it’s strange to me. I still woke up this morning to come here. My children are actually worried about me I must confess. Because they believe it’s going to affect me. They say what are you going to do with yourself mummy? I said of course, I’m going to enjoy myself and lie down and be totally jobless for once in my life. And then I will travel, I want to go back to Australia and explore those places I’ve been hearing about, I will travel. I want to go away on holiday and not know when I will come back. Out of all my friends I’m the only one that is still working, all of them have retired and they are waiting for me.

    I was worried at first I must confess. Six, seven months ago that please I’m going to retire, what am I going to do but now I can see a beautiful life for myself after retirement. You know they say that rest is sweet after labour, I have labored, I’m now going to rest and enjoy

     

    Which of the cases you handled did you find most challenging?

    I found the Miracle Baby case a bit challenging. I did the Miracle Baby case and it was quite challenging. And then I’ve done some land matters. I’ve done one recently, I delivered the judgment about two, three weeks ago where we had about 26 witnesses and we had several legal issues. The judgment runs into about 90 pages, I delivered it about three weeks ago just before the vacation started.

    For the land matter, two contending parties all bought land from one family and each one says the land is mine, the claimant says the land was his, the defendant too says the land was his. You know land matters are always intricate, a lot of issues come that has to be considered and I found that very challenging. As I was writing the judgment, you get to understand the issues involved. But for the Miracle Baby case, in particular I think more because of the outside attention. There was a lot of media attention and I refused to talk to the press, I refused to appear on the television, in fact I drove them from my court that they should not come into my court. That was challenging but I was glad that at the end of the day, the person who I found to be the mother of the child was the true mother of the child because you could even see from the facial resemblance. And the mother still sees me and she will come to introduce herself. So, those were some challenging cases.

     

    So, which is your memorable day on the Bench?

    I think the day I was sworn-in as a Chief Judge because that was a beautiful day. The day I could stand up before everybody and give my assurance speech to say I would do this and I would do that and the Lord blessed my utterances on that day because most of the things I said I would do I have done. What I’ve not completed at least I have started. Because that was the icing on the cake, like you’ve worked for all these years, I could stand there, I was not sick, I was not blind and they did not manage to carry me there, I stood there in good health and besides God see me through it all. I think that was a memorable day for me.

     

    Also, what would you like to be remembered for apart from being a Chief Judge with human face?

    I want to be remembered for doing things differently. I think I’ve been different from those that have preceded me. I want to be remembered for my unique way of approaching the administration of justice. Above all, I want to be remembered for having come to make my mark. I don’t like to sing my praises because I really don’t know how to do it but at the end of the day I want history to judge me and I hope history will give me a pass mark.

    What was your first day in court as a counsel like?

    I remember that day clearly. I appeared before Justice Agoro with Mr. Kehinde Sofola. In the car on the way to the High Court, he told me I was going to move the motion. I will never forget that day in my life. I said move motion; when you leave the Law School you don’t really know how to do these things. He then said it’s very easy, you will just say My Lord; this application is brought pursuant to section so so. And as he was talking, I was writing everything. But when we got to court, I thought he was joking that he just wanted me to be prepared. But as Justice Agoro came in, he announced me and said My Lord; my learned friend, Mrs. Olagbende is going to move the application. And I said to myself, this man is serious, so I quickly took that paper and I began to move the motion. Then when I finished I said I so moved My Lord and I sat down. The judge knew me of course because my father was a serving judge. He said well done, is this the first time you are moving? I said yes My Lord. Then Mr. Sofola said you’ve done very well you deserved a gift for that. That was my first day in court.

     

    What is your view on the abolition of death sentence?

    I don’t think death sentence does anyone any good unless the crime committed has been particularly in heinous, that the person does not deserve to live in the society. The greater thinking now is that death sentence should be abolished and I think they should commute it to life sentence. I was asking the Comptroller of Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison on one of my visits there, when last did they carry out execution, he said it has been a long time because the governor has to sign and I don’t think any governor in recent time has sign it. So, I think it is gradually going out of fashion. In Lagos State, this is the second term of Governor Fashola and I don’t think he has signed any death warrant for anybody to be executed. I think it’s dying on its own; they should just let it die and commit it to life sentence.

     

    Do you have any regret as you bow out of office?

    Do I have any regret? I don’t have any regret. I believe the time given to me to serve as Chief Judge is what God has given to me. Some people would say they would like to stay for five years, they would like to stay for 10 years, I believe it is not how long you do a thing but how well. You can be there for six months and make a monumental impact than somebody who has been there for 10 years. And you can be there for 10 years and do nothing tangible. I have no regret, I have come, I have played my part and it is time to leave and I believe I want to leave graciously and I’m bowing out graciously. I’m very, very happy with my career so far and I thank God for giving me long life and good health and I ask for more that I could even enjoy a longer life now in retirement.

     

    How did you end up being a judge?

    I was born on July 25, 1949 in London, England where my parents were studying at the time. When my father finished reading Law in 1959, as it was done in those days, he immediately returned to Nigeria, and started working in the Federal Ministry of Justice as a counsel.

    So, I had my nursery and part of my primary  education in England. When we came back in 1959, I attended Ladi Lak School in Yaba for two years, the latter part of 1959 to 1961. I passed a common entrance examination in 1961 and in 1962  I gained  admission into Queens College. And I was in Queens College, Yaba till 1966 when I did my school certificate examination.

    I  left Queens College and went off to Ibadan Grammar School, where I did my Higher School Certificate (HSC) examination and that’s where my life took a radical posture.  Then there was a different phase of my life all together. I was in Ibadan Grammar School between 1966 to 1968, I then moved to University of Lagos in 1969, read Law, passed out in 1973 with an honours degree. Then I went to the Law School from 1973 to 1974 and I was called to Bar in June 1974. By that time, the Youth Corps Scheme had caught up with us and so we were the first set of lawyers to do Youth Service. I was posted to the then East Central State. So what you have now as Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu and all that was all one state under Ukpabi Asika. He was then the administrator. So, I was posted to Enugu Ministry of Justice as a state counsel for one year. I came back to Lagos in 1975, worked for some time in Kehinde Sofola Chambers and  joined Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) from 1976 to 1977,  and rose from Legal Officer to Secretary and  Legal Adviser. Then I decided in 1990  to move  to the Ministry of Justice in order to get to the High Court because ordinarily, I won’t be appointed from LSDPC. And so  in 1990, I moved to Ministry of Justice; I was Director of Commercial Law for two years and in 1992 to 1994 I became Director of Civil Litigation and in February of 1994, I was appointed a High Court Judge. That’s my life in a nutshell. I’m married to Mr. Folorunsho Phillips, he lives in America. We have four children and four grandchildren, all boys. So, I’m begging them to give me a grand daughter.

     

     

     

  • Challenging Zuma

    Challenging Zuma

    A less dominant ANC would be good for South Africa

    South Africa has a history of pulling back from the brink at the last moment. The ruling African National Congress conference which began on Sunday would be a good place for the political leadership to reflect on how best to do so now. It has been a tumultuous year. Rolling public sector protests and industrial unrest have exposed a festering apartheid-era legacy of inequality, poverty and failing education.

    Since his election in 2009, Jacob Zuma, president of the ANC and the country, has failed to rise to the occasion. Worse, he has accelerated the transformation of the ANC from liberation movement to patronage network. In the face of this year’s crisis in the mining sector he was weak. He is nevertheless likely to prevail in the forthcoming leadership contest with his deputy Kgalema Motlanthe.

    Mr Motlanthe might be the better candidate – he is reputed for his personal integrity, and has a record as a consensus builder. But he is cautious and a stickler for party protocol. Neither he nor Mr Zuma appears equipped to provide the leadership necessary to restructure the economy and imbue an increasingly polarised society with renewed purpose.

    Victory for either will leave the ANC divided. For Mr Zuma it would entrench the ANC patronage system. Those members riding into position on his coat tails will toe the line. But Mr Zuma’s continuing leadership may also galvanise his opponents into a more combative stance.

    In the short run these divisions could be destabilising. A victorious Mr Zuma is likely to seek another five-year term as president in national elections in 2014. Were he then to pursue business as usual, it would risk delegitimising both the ANC and the state in the eyes of frustrated South Africans.

    That would be dangerous. But there are also grounds for hope. Splits within the ANC have paralysed policy making. This week’s party conference could hasten the break-up of the movement, a now unwieldy coalition of tycoons, racial nationalists, populists and unions.

    In the long run this would be good for South Africa. If the ANC is following in the footsteps of other African liberation movements that shed their sense of purpose in the pursuit of power, it is partly because there has been no effective opposition. Competition within the party is to be welcomed. But real political contestation at national level might prevent South Africa from drifting towards a more authoritarian future.

     

    – Financial Times