The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Maitama

  • Court dissolves 5 year old marriage over crisis

    An FCT High Court, Maitama, on Tuesday dissolved the five- year- old marriage between Mr Agada Egwu and Onyowo, over Onyowo’s refusal to consummate the marriage and deserting the matrimonial home.

    The judge, Justice Jude Okeke, in his judgment on the divorce petition filed by Egwu, held that the marriage has broken irretrievably.

    “The court is satisfied with the evidence of the petitioner, that the respondent did not only refuse to consummate the marriage, but also deserted the petitioner for over a period of one year.

    “The respondent undeniably parked out of her matrimonial home since June 2014, the petitioner has satisfied the grounds provided by Section 15 (2) (a)and (b) of the Matrimonial Causes Act, 2004,’’ Okeke held.

    The judge said that evidences before the court were sufficient to grant dissolution of the marriage contracted under the Marriage Act on June 19, 2012 at the Marriage Registry, Makurdi.

    Okeke who reviewed the evidence, noted that immediately after the marriage on June 19, 2012, the wife changed from a caring and loving wife she presented herself prior to the marriage.

    The husband’s efforts to unravel the sudden change proved abortive. She suddenly hated him, and treated him with scorn that made him reluctant to come home after close of work, but he still endured.

    In his effort to resolve this problem, he reported to his pastor and some relatives yet it was not resolved.

    He said his wife denied him conjugal rights and he reasoned that because of this the marriage did not produce any child

    Okeke noted that while the petitioner was away in June 2014, the respondent who left the matrimonial home earlier to Makurdi, came and parked her belongings

    In 2015, the traditional marriage was annulled, with the return of the bride price he paid on her.

    The court noted that the respondent did not file any reply though represented by a counsel.

    Okeke said that “the court has no option than to act accordingly.’’

  • Court convicts Polish woman, firm over N9m fraud

    Court convicts Polish woman, firm over N9m fraud

    A Polish woman, Dora Gilmaska and her company, Icon Media and Marketing Agency Limited were Thursday convicted for fraud by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama, Abuja.

    Justice Abubakar Umar, in a judgment Thursday, found the two guilty of one-count charge of fraud brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    This information is contained in a statement issued Thursday by the Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren.

    “Gilmaska was found guilty of forging and issuing a dud cheque of N9million to one Tayo Olugbemi sometime in 2012.

    “She was arraigned on November 7, 2012, and upon arraignment pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    “After diligent prosecution, Justice Umar found Gilmaska guilty and she was consequently convicted.

    “However, her sentencing has been reserved till October 4, 2016,” Uwujaren said.

  • Court sacks PDP acting chair, Secondus

    Court sacks PDP acting chair, Secondus

    • Orders Secondus to vacate office in 14 days

    Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the High Court of the Federal Territory (FCT), Maitama, Abuja has sacked the Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus.

    The judge, in a judgment in a suit by former Political Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak, held that Secondus was occupying the party’s Chairmanship seat illegally.

    Justice Baba-Yusuf noted that Secondus was from Rivers State, and not North-east geopolitical zone to which the PDP zoned the position.

    He gave Secondus 14 days within which to vacate the office and directed that the plaintiff or any other party member worthy of that position should take Secondus’ place.

    Lawyer to the PDP and Secondus, Chuwan Isaiah Paul, said the party will appeal the judgment and seek a stay of its execution to allow the party’s  current leadership prepare for its national convention slated for March next year.

    Justice Baba-Yusuf upheld rejected argument by Secondus and PDP (listed as defendants in the suit) that Gulak lacked the locus standing to initiate the suit having allegedly defaulted in the payment of party’s due.

    The judge also rejected the defendants’ argument that Gulak failed to explore the party’s internal mechanism for dispute resolution before approaching the court.

    The judge had, on November 30 reserved judgment in the case after entertaining argument from parties.

    Gulak had argued that Secondus was occupying the position illegally. He contended that by virtue of the provision of Article 47(6) of the party’s constitution, “the 2nd defendant (Secondus) form Rivers State, cannot replace the immediate past Chairman, Alhaji Muazu, who left office about seven months ago.

    He faulted the defendants’ claim that the party’s elders were working on a process to ensure a replacement for Muazu by next March,

    Gulak argued that it was unlawful and a breach of the party’s constitutional provisions for Secondus to hold office for over seven months in Acting capacity and refuse to allow a member form the geo-political zone where the last chairman came from to replace him.

  • Ensure justice, Maitama Sule tells President-elect

    Ensure justice, Maitama Sule tells President-elect

    Elder statesman and Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule has urged the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, to make justice and fair play his watchword.

    He stressed that with peace and stability, Nigeria would readily take its place as the leader of the black race.

    Sule spoke to reporters at his home at Dawaki Road in Nassarawa Local Government Area, yesterday, where he described President Goodluck Jonathan as a statesman for conceding defeat and congratulating the winner of March 28 presidential election.

    He called on Nigerians to eschew ethnic sentiments and religious bigotry, which are factors militating against the country’s socio-political and economic development.

    The elder statesman hoped  that if Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religion, culture and political inclination, could come together, the country would be a better place to live.

    On Buhari’s victory, he said: “The message I have for him is that I hope and pray that he does justice to all. Justice is the most important thing; for the world can never be governed by force, never by fear, even never by power. In the end, what governs is the mind. What conquers is the spirit. And the weapons of governing with the mind and spirit are justice and fair play.

    He hailed Nigerians for the “most hotly contested and most heated election”, adding that “despite heat, despite the tension, Nigerians came out to vote peacefully”.

    To President Jonathan, he said: “Jonathan is not a politician, he is a statesman. A politician thinks of only how to win an election, but a statesman thinks of the nation.  Jonathan thinks of the nation and he is thinking ahead.”

  • 2015: Maitama, Nwabueze call for national conference

    2015: Maitama, Nwabueze call for national conference

    Eminent Nigerians, including Alhaji Yusuf Maitama and Prof. Ben Nwabueze, on Saturday rose from a meeting in Lagos, calling for a national conference before the 2015 elections.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting, held under the aegis of Project Nigeria, was jointly chaired by Maitama and Nwabueze.

    Addressing journalists after the closed door meeting, Nwabueze said that “any election held before such a conference considering the situation in the country may spell disaster.”

    “The convoking of the national conference is essential before any elections are held,” he stated.

    He said Project Nigeria would facilitate the forging of a national front, comprising various groups, to press on the Presidency and National Assembly, the demand for a national conference.

    “The team will meet with the president and leaders of the national assembly and submit a memorandum on the conference.

    “The memorandum will spell out how delegates are to be chosen, the preparation of a draft constitution and preparation of a referendum,” he said.

    He said there was need for Nigerians, both as members of ethnic, civil society groups and individuals, to deliberate and agree on what terms and conditions of living together.

    “The conference will also adopt a constitution whose source is the people. A constitution that will ensure justice, peace, development and progress to all Nigerians, “he said.

    Maitama, who led the Northern Elders Forum to the meeting, said that justice was the key to power all over the world.

    He said that dialogue was important because “contact removes conflict.”

     

     

  • Nigeria ‘ll bounce back, says Maitama Sule

    Nigeria ‘ll bounce back, says Maitama Sule

    Alhaji Maitama Sule has urged Nigerians to rekindle hope in the country saying Nigeria will bounce back from the seeming precipice to which it has moved.

    Speaking in Lagos on Sunday as a special guest of foremost constitutional lawyer, Prof Ben Nwabueze, the convener of Project Nigeria, Sule argued that all great countries of the world have had their challenging moments which they overcome through perseverance.

    The former ambassador explained that the country is passing through a phase in its life and would heal in due course. His words: “This is the time to think about Nigeria, the time is not to apportion blame or to point accusing fingers to one another. The question is not who is wrong, let us come together and think of Nigeria first, Nigeria is a great country but essentially all of us need to come together to establish peace and love among ourselves irrespective of religion or tribe that is the one thing that will make Nigeria great.”

    While praying for Nigeria to get it right in order to establish itself in the comity of nation, he stressed that even though the country was undergoing leadership crisis and near total collapse of basic infrastructure hope was not lost as God is in control.

    He said: “Nigeria can take her place in the comity of nations if we love ourselves and put the interest of the country uppermost in our mind. In spite of all the things that are happening today, I still remain optimistic, I still remain hopeful, I believe by the grace of God we will over come these difficulties.”

    Citing the various ethnic and religious crisis going on in different parts of the country as some of its darkest moments, he restated the need to be united in order to build a prosperous and economically viable country that could set the platform for African renaissance.

    “If we have the political clout and the will power to be united, Nigeria will lead the rest of Africa. But firstly, let Nigerians make up their mind to think of Nigeria first, to place the country above personal and pecuniary interests, be our brother keeper that is when the country will be salvaged.”

    His host, Prof Nwabueze while expressing the belief that Project Nigeria would point the way forward on how to get out of the myriad of problems confronting the nation, maintained that at the very moment a national conference was imperative.

    He said: “Project Nigeria is essentially for Nigeria, we want to save the country, we believe that it can be saved and we can do a lot more for our country. There should be a national conference where we would sit down to look at the issues that can help galvanise a better Nigeria.”

    Responding to some questions raised on conference which the country had had in past without positive effect, the previous conferences lacked the capacity to address the issues that had undermined the unity of the country.

    He said: “We have not had any national conference, we have had conferences and so on but we have not had a national conference where the ethnic nationalities will be brought together to sit at the conference table, so that they can discuss the fundamental issues on how the entire people of this country can live together in peace and harmony.”

    “This project will work out some modalities though they are not final because we are still fine tuning. We will put ideas together that is what it takes and how it has to be done. If we don’t do it that way we are merely postponing the evil days, when we run away from a national conference.”

    Nwabueze who explained that if the issue of national conference is not taken with seriousness it would have consequences that would be inimical to the progress of the nation.