This year’s Law and Social Development lecture organised by Bamidele Aturu & Co will hold on October 29 at the Banquet Hall, Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, by 11 a.m. Topic: Social security: Taking the lives of Nigerians seriously.
Tag: LAW
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LP chief seeks law to punish erring public officers
NO fewer than 30 of the 62 political parties belong to the the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Chairman of Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwanyawu, has alleged.
He said the 30 parties are either owned or sponsored by the PDP.
Only nine political parties, he said, have functional offices in Abuja as stipulated by the electoral laws.
Nwanyawu also said that Nigerians should salute the courage of President Goodluck Jonathan for upturning the plan by the Governor of Central Bank Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to introduce N5000 banknote against the wishes of Nigerians.
Delivering a lecture entitled: “Transformation of Nigeria Politics: The Labour Party Perspective” at the Institute of Security Studies in Abuja at the weekend, Nwanyawu called on the National Assembly to make a law that will punish public officers who deliberately misadvise the government as well as laws that will make electoral fraud impracticable..
He said: “Out of the existing 62 political parties in Nigeria, 30 of them are owned by the PDP out of which just nine have functional offices in Abuja while the rest have their offices in their briefcases.
“The best political system for Nigeria is a two party system. Such arrangement will make it difficult for rigging because it is just two parties, there will be no need for anybody to carry ballot boxes because there won’t be such opportunity. Touts will not have jobs and the electoral tribunal will be useless because a clear winner will emerge just as was the case in 1992 general election between the SDP and NRC. The issue of merger or alliance will not arise because it is just two of them and they have different ideologies.”
He also advocated for the removal of immunity clause on criminal matters and such crimes against the state in a way that even governors and all those in the position of authority will be made to face law when found wanting.
He noted that the Nigerian judicial system is in deep rot, a reflection of the deep rot in the nation’s political system. “Understaffed, under-motivated and underpaid, Nigerian justices and the institutional structure they service are very open to political contamination; are morally and ethically compromised; and dispense justice in a manner that services the rich and harms the poor, the powerless and the voiceless”, he said.
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Reps to change revenue law
The House of Representatives is set to enforce its power to review the revenue sharing formula. A bill for the amendment of Section 162 (2) scaled second reading yesterday at the first plenary of the second session of the Seventh Assembly.
The “Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Section 162 (2) to provide for the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) to table directly before the National Assembly (NASS) the Commission’s proposals for revenue allocations” was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers.
Its sponsor, the Chairman, Committee on Rules and Business, Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP, Taraba), said the current arrangement that allows for five-year review, among other provisions, has given too much room for interested party’s interference and bureaucratic tapery.
According to him, the option given to the Commission to present the proposal to the President before being forwarded to the National Assembly by the President was erroneous.
The Chairman, Committee on Finance, John Enoh (PDP, Cross River), noted that it was unfortunate for the House not to have reviewed the revenue sharing formula since 1999, contrary to constitutional provision that stipulates five-year review by the leg
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Oyo indigenes in Law School get N10m bursary
The Oyo State Government has distributed cheques worth over N10 million as bursary awards to its indigenes at the Nigerian Law School for the 2011/2012 academic session.
The Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Adetokunbo Fayokun, during the distribution in Ibadan, said the gesture was aimed at assisting them financially.
According to her, the state government was unaware of the importance of their school programme, and the huge financial resources required, hence the need to come to their aid.
Promising that government would continue to implement policies that would enhance the educational development of the youth in the state, Fayokun urged them to reciprocate the gesture by being more committed to their studies.
The commissioner also enjoined them to be good ambassadors of the state and shun all acts that could bring disrepute to their families, the state and the nation.
The Chairman of the state Scholarship Board, Dr. Adekiitan Babalola, in his remarks, prayed Governor Abiola Ajimobi for approving the bursary to the students.
He said arrangements had also been concluded for the payment of 2011/2012 bursary awards to final year students of Oyo State origin in all federal and state-owned tertiary institutions nationwide.
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Jonathan challenges Judiciary
The Judiciary has been urged to embark on a comprehensive reform to enhance capacity, efficiency and productivity.
President Goodluck Jonathan spoke at the opening of a Federal High Court, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital yesterday. He said this was one of the challenges the Judiciary has to overcome.
Represented by Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio, the president challenged the Federal Court to meet the demands of prompt justice administration and strenghten the faith of Nigerians in the Judiciary.
Jonathan said: ‘’It is the sacred duty of the Judiciary to help ensure stability within the polity through the promotion of the Rule of Law, strict guardianship of the Constitution, and constant and unfailing application of the principles of justice. The Judiciary cannot afford to compromise the essential principles set out in our Constitution to ensure justice for all Nigerians irrespective of their political disposition, tribe and race.
‘’One issue of constant concern to all our compatriots is that the wheel of justice, still grinds rather slowly in our courts. It is instructive, however, that the Federal High Court, has committed itself to turning the wheel faster and this we applaud and hope you will devote time to in your conference. Rest assured that we are prepared to support all efforts to enhance the dispensation of justice.”
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Kwara gets Acting Chief Judge Bamgbola
Kwara State Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed yesterday swore in Justice Ayinla Bamgbola as the Acting Chief Judge.
His predecessor, Justice Raliat Elelu-Habeeb, bowed out of office last Friday, having attained the retirement age.
Ahmed urged the new chief judge to carry the judiciary workers along.Judicial workers in the state under the aegis of the Judicial Workers Union of Nigeria and the former chief judge had a running battle over alleged non-payment of workers’ benefits.
The governor said: “Your appointment is based on our belief and respect for constitutionalism, rule of law and responsiveness to quick dispensation of justice.
“You are charged to maintain the reputation of the judiciary and motivate judicial officers to accord priority to trials that will accelerate the decongestion of prisons. You must carry the judicial officers and other workers along in your operations.“Let me emphasise that we shall also continue to upgrade the facilities to ease your operations. Government will ensure infusion of new blood into the judicial system to ease the work load of our judges.
“Nigeria’s judicial system recently became the subject of widespread criticism for its perceived inability to keep the legislature and the executive in check.
“I assure the judiciary and its officers of our determination to support the dispensation of justice and the performance of other roles.”