The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), has held its annual Ashura procession in Abuja.
According to a top member of the Shi’ites group, Abdulai Musa, the procession started in Wuse market and ended around Berger about from 8: oo am and ended by 8:30 am.
PHOTOS: IMN
He was taken to the station instead where the beating continued and he died in the station. The police claimed he committed suicide
The plan by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to unveil a new policy for okada operators is generating mixed reactions from experts. ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE reports.
For many reasons, it seemed the only exciting news for Lagosians, as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu reeled out his achievements last Friday, was his willingness to enforce the restriction law on commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada riders.
At a ceremony marking the first 100 days of his administration at Agidingbi, Ikeja, Sanwo-Olu said the review became necessary to enable the government control commercial motor cycle operations and assure residents of safety.
“It has become imperative for us as a government to map out new policies that would guide how okada riders operate in Lagos State. This would stem the tide of accidents and indiscriminate use of okada on Lagos roads,” Sanwo-Olu had said.
The Ban/ Restriction
Since the Lagos State Traffic Law came into effect on August 22, 2012, Okada operators have operated as outlaws.
Citing safety issues, the government had embarked on massive clampdown, which has over the years, impounded eight million motor cycles and sent them to the state’s scrap yards.
Section 3 (1) of the law had restricted Okada operators from 475 roads, highways and bridges. Though the government never totally banned them from all her roads, it restricted motorcycles with lower than 200cc to the inner city roads.
Factors ranging from dangerous road attitudes, armed robbery, stealing to flouting of traffic laws were some of the reasons for the restriction.
But for a megacity like Lagos, what constitutes inner city roads? Though the annexure of the law was clear on the roads on which commercial motorcycles were banned, the lacuna and ignorance soon gave way to extortion by security operatives who go on random raiding just to “get some quick dough”.
Some Okada riders accused policemen of harassment even when they plied routes not listed by the law. “Even on the inside roads, dem dey catch us,” said John Abaji said.
But was there a compelling need to take the okada operators like Abaji off major roads? Indicators showed several reasons.
At the Igbobi Orthopedic Hospital, a ward, prior to 2012, was dedicated to okada accident victims. Same goes for the government hospitals as well as private and trado-medical facilities, which are usually crammed.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) statistics as at 2012 showed that no fewer than 107 persons died of okada accidents every day, while 512 persons sustained various injuries. According to the statistics, 442 okada accidents were recorded daily in the state in 2012 alone.
Insecurity compounded the growing accident ratio. The then Lagos State Police Commissioner, Umaru Manko, accused Okada operators of robbery. For him, it was either they are the criminals or they collude with criminals for quick get-away.
The police had profiled Okada as the single most dangerous phenomenon in the state then. Security reports showed that most cases of mugging and burgling are carried out with okada.
The restriction brought sanity on these two major areas, as a drastic reduction in accidents, injuries and deaths as well as cases of their involvement in crime has been recorded year on year.
The mop up itself has sprung two schools of thought in the transportation sector. While some scholars agreed with the government that okada operation, being a circumstantial phenomenon, has no place in the state’s transportation architecture, another school of thought canvassed their recognition.
According to the first school, to which the immediate past Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation Dr Taiwo Salaam belongs, the state had no record of Okada as a form of transportation business until the dawn of the Fourth Republic. They argued that the operators must be muzzled by the force of law and replaced by public buses.
The second school of thought, however, insisted that the okada operators must continued to be accommodated in transportation planning by the government.
They argued that denying their existence or their activity and planning a policy without them is akin to the government hiding its head in sand like the ostrich.
While for seven years the first school of thought seemed to have its way and hold sway, continued degeneration of state’s infrastructure have remained the single most potent trigger fueling its continued existence.
The worsening and road crisis inherited by Sanwo-Olu, not only nullified arguments to stamp out Okada operators, it made it the preferred option by commuters desirous of moving about in the state.
Nothing made the case for a revisit of the law more compelling than the arrest, penultimate Friday, of a truck load of 135 youths and 45 Okada by the Police at Agege. The truck from Jigawa, had brought the men into Lagos to “eke out a living on okada business”.
New operators
But even more significant is that the state’s transportation ecosystem has significant transformation since 2012.
While motorcycles with engine capacity of about 100 or lower held sway up until 2012, a new set of entrepreneurs driven by technology, have taken the sub-sector by storm, setting up tech-driven hailing app companies round okada operations.
From 2015, when Adetayo Bamiduro and Chinedu Azodoh co-founded Max.ng, and pushed MaxOkada, they have revolutionised okada transportation business, opening the eyes of youths to the huge potential in a sub-sector written off by the state.
In an interview with, Azodoh disclosed that within three and a half years, Maxokada has completed one million trips and emerged as the leading logistics partner with Jumia, Nigeria’s leading online retail outlet.
The Maxokada success story has also berthed several operators, such as Gokada, the latest being ORide, all promising commuters an opportunity to reduce their travel time by half.
Azodoh said the operators were not breaking any laws. For him, Maxokada should be commended for taking hundreds of youths out of poverty. On the average, its riders receive between N50,000 and N80,000 monthly, and testimonies abound of how many were finding a rhythm by opting to operate their okada.
He stated the company invests on top of the rate engines and crash helmets, with none of its machines being anything lower than 200cc. It embarks on aggressive training and re-training to drum its no-accident policy down the hearts of operators. Overall, Anazodoh said okada hailing firms had contributed to unlocking the economy that was almost prostrate as many roads became impassable in the last five years.
Anazodoh ’s position was re-echoed by Gokada, which only in July, at a meeting with Sanwo-Olu had expressed its readiness to invest in the state’s waterways.
Dean of the Lagos State University School of Transportation (LASU-SOT) Prof Samuel Odewunmi said transportation planning would continue to fail in the state if the government refused to acknowledge the role okada operators, especially the tech-driven ones, were playing in the business of transportation.
Odewunmi said though the inclusion of Okadas as a recognised means of transportation may look demeaning, acknowledging their role is admitting the problem from where planning its mitigation and eradication becomes realisable.
He said study has showed that okada has become ubiquitous as a means of transportation that no family in Lagos can ever say he has never ridden one before.
According to him, okada, especially now that we have a more modern and comfortable ones operated by those who saw it as a business, would continue to throve if the roads remain deplorable.
He praised the Transportation Commissioner Dr Frederic Oladeinde, for returning the okada issue to the round table. If properly harnessed, he said, the subsector could be a money spinner.
Closing eyes to reality
Oladeinde said: “You cannot close your eyes to them. It is only a government that is not ready to govern that would say it won’t recognise them. Whether you recognise them or not, they are here and will continue to exist because people are patronising them massively.”
He said the government was right in going back to the drawing board to rework the traffic law and to come up with an outcome that will be binding on all stakeholders be it okada, bus, truck or private or other road users.
“We need, for instance, to critically study the okada system, we need to understand it to enable us plan adequately. Understanding them will reveal why they continued to be patronized and how we can squeeze them out. For example, nobody will ply okada when you have an air-conditioned bus. It is because all other things have failed that we have them in operation. I think it is thriving because it is the last option for our people. A student going for exams will hop on okada if he is stuck in traffic. If he is to obey you and avoid okada, what options does he have? What magic would take him closer to the exam hall?
Mathew Akinola, a planner said, it is ironic that a government that impounds okada is not only according okada unions recognition, but also collects revenue from them.
Akinola, who praised the governor for his “willingness to reappraise the okada issue”, said the first thing the government needed to do was to know the quantum of the problem, i.e. the number of okada operators.
He, like Odewunmi, believes that knowing them would help weed out faceless operators. “One of the several questions transportation planners must answer in coming up with new regulations is, ‘how many are they?’ Part of the regulations should be to ensure that operators are registered with their unions. This will ensure that you sanitise them and prevent the various abuses associated with their operation i.e., robbery, kidnapping, accidents etc,” he said.
But Odewunmi urged Lagosians not to be too hasty, until they do not know what the government is up to. “The devil is in the details,” he said, so we must interrogate to know what the government wants to do.
He counselled against the civil servants turning the exercise into another money-making exercise. The idea is to help sanitise the sector. The idea is to regulate the operators.
“To do this, you must ensure they are carried along. That way you not only get their buy-in, but also be assured of their total compliance. That is the only way they would also be able to pay any fee charged by the government, believing that the policy is in their own interest,” Odewunmi stressed.
Power supply is a major problem in Nigeria, which the Federal Government has battled unsuccessfully. But, solar power is coming to rescue. Bayero University, Kano (BUK) is now home to Africa’s largest off-grid solar hybrid power plant (7.1MW), writes CHINAKA OKORO
Things are not the same again at the Bayero University, Kano. Poor electricity supply to the campus has made students unable to study seamlessly.
The Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is struggling with power supply. One of its ways out is the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) through which electricity is provided to universities and rural communities. BUK is the latest beneficiary.
Last Tuesday, BUK became home to the largest off-grid solar hybrid power plant (7.1MW) in Africa. Residents, as well as students, were jubilant at the inauguration. Now, 55,815 students and 3,077 members of staff of the institution have access to electricity supply from the university’s 7.1MW solar hybrid power project.
The project at Bayero University, Kano is the second to be inaugurated under Phase 1 of the Energising Education Programme (EEP) that will deliver clean and sustainable energy, using solar hybrid and/or gas-fired captive power plants. The inauguration at Bayero University, Kano included the launch of 11.41KM of street lighting as well as a world-class renewable training centre.
To realise the policy of training students in renewable energy, the rural electrification agency established what it called the Female Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Students Internship Programme where female students were trained in renewable energy.
At the inauguration of the BUK off-grid solar hybrid power plant, 20 female students who participated in the internship programme graduated. The female students, who received practical training during the course of the project construction, were awarded certificates of completion.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo noted that the programme aligned with the Buhari administration’s Next Level Roadmap and upholds the Federal Government’s adherence to global best practice in the provision of cleaner sources of energy.
He reiterated that “the Energising Education Programme is strategic to fulfilling Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as it aims at reducing Nigeria’s carbon footprint using renewable energy technologies, in line with the Federal Government’s mandate and efforts to increase renewable energy.”
Osinbajo expressed his happiness over the unveiling of the largest off-grid solar hybrid power plant in Africa.
Enumerating the benefits of the project, he said: “The installed 7.1MW decentralised solar hybrid power plant funded by the Federal Government’s green bond will supply over 58,000 students and members of staff with clean, safe and reliable electricity. I am sure that the entire student body, management and members of staff of the Bayero University are proud to be beneficiaries of this, most especially as the only Federal University in Kano State and one of the longest-standing ones.
“As a result, students can now focus on their academics and vocational training in a safer and illuminated environment.
“This significant initiative upholds the Federal Government’s adherence to global best practice, as we transit to cleaner sources of energy in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. These projects being implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) are strategic to fulfilling our commitments to the Agreement as they strive to reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint.
“The leveraging of renewable energy technologies is in line with the Federal Government’s mandate and related activities. Nigeria’s plans to reduce carbon emissions by 20 per cent unconditionally and 45 per cent with international support by 2030 aim at limiting the damaging effects of climate change.
“Our policies and objectives under the Energising Education Programme in this administration’s Next Level roadmap remains the same. The ultimate goal is to increase access to modern technical education in safe and illuminated learning environments, empower the girl child and create jobs in the power sector value chain, among others.
“Thus far, this project created 182 energy-related jobs from power system engineers to electricians as well as trained 20 young female STEM students with the skills to contribute to strengthening our energy sector. It is initiatives such as this that creates an impact on Nigeria’s socio-economic growth.”
Osinbajo commended ministries of Power and Environment, METKA, the Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency, Damilola Ogunbiyi and her team.
Minister of Power Sale Mammansaid he was delighted to be part of the historic moment.
Mamman commended the 20 participants of the Female STEM Internship Programme as they graduate, even as he implored them to be focused as Nigeria needs their skills to develop.
Ogunbiyi expressed her delight that the agency was able to inaugurate another university project, under Phase 1 of the Energising Education Programme at the Bayero University, Kano (BUK).
“The EEP project at BUK is the second to be inaugurated. The first was the 2.8MW solar hybrid plant at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo Ebonyi State on August 2, 2019, It is noteworthy that Bayero University project with an installed capacity of 7.1MW, is the largest off-grid solar hybrid power plant in Africa.
“Another important component of this project is the Female STEM Internship Programme, where 20 BUK female students received training in the design and construction of the solar hybrid power plant. Under the tutelage of the solar developer, these women received hands-on field and classroom training through the course of this project’s implementation.”
Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said Kano State is committed to fostering technical and practical training. Therefore, the EEP programme is strategically aligned to the state level job creation and capacity building objectives.
“Now our students can study without ceasing without fear of power failure or insecurity on the university campus, thanks to the reliable electricity and installation of 11.4Km of streetlights across the campus.”
BUK Vice-Chancellor Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello said he was delighted about the history made by his institution.
“The Federal Government’s EEP project could not have been implemented at a better time for BUK, where over 55,000 students and 3,000 members of staff will now experience teaching, learning and research in an environment that is safer with access to clean and reliable electricity..”
The Managing Director, METKA West Africa Limited, the EPC contractor, Mr. Evangelos Kamari said: “The state-of-the-art solar hybrid power plant will result in carbon dioxide savings of 108,875,120Ibs, a feat we as green contractors are proud of.”
Dignitaries present at the landmark occasion were Mr. Goddy Jeddy-Agba, Mallam Adamu Adamu, Alhaji Nasiru Gawuna, Dr. Mohammad Mahmoud, Alhaji Sabo Nanono and Mrs. Nike Giwa.
The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Akwagaga Enyia, has urged the contractor handling the commission’s 13-floor permanent corpotate headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to work expeditiously towards early completion of the project.
She spoke on Monday during an inspection of the headquarters complex on Eastern By-Pass, Port Harcourt.
The NDDC chief, who was accompanied by directors and engineers of the commission, expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work at the main office building and the ancillary structure.
She said: “I am not impressed with what I saw today (yesterday). I am not happy that after all these years, this is the level of work done. I will be here to work, if need be, to ensure that by December, the work will at least get up to 80 per cent.
“From time to time, I will be here to do my work. If necessary, I will bring my table and my chair here to work, because we must get value for money.
“I will be happy if when paid, the progress made will be exactly the work done. I can assure you that the government is ready to release fund to ensure that the project will be completed as soon as possible.”
Enyia also stated that the contractor had assured her that the project would be ready by June next year, declaring that she would hold the contractor to his words.
The choice of running mate to the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has thrown the party into crisis ahead of the November 16 election.
The issue was said to have assumed a dangerous dimension following the insistence of the state Governor, Seriake Dickson, to zone the slot to his western senatorial district in order to pave the way for the incumbent senator representing the zone, Senator Lawrence Erwujakpor to emerge as the running mate.
Despite earlier denials, Dickson was said to have perfected the process of making Erwujakpor, who hails from his Sagbama Local Government Area, a running mate to enable him realise his senatorial ambition.
The stakeholders under the auspices of Bayelsa East Forum for Justice (BEFJ) said having picked the candidate from the Bayelsa Central, it was natural to select a competent party man with requisite political clout and popularity from the East.
Speaking in Yenagoa on Monday, Eribo described the feelers that the slot for running mate had been zoned to the West as sad and an attempt to deprive the people of the East their due.
Eribo warned that if not rescinded the move was capable of handing over the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Also Concerned Bayelsa PDP Stakeholders (CBPS) condemned in strong terms the decision of Dickson to zone the running mate of the party to his senatorial district.
The concern stakeholders, in a statement, described the decision as an outrageous political mistake that would work against the PDP in the November 16 governorship election.
In the statement by Chief Ere Opukiri and Omonibo ThankGod, the stakeholders rejected the governor’s action.
Another group under the auspices of Youths for Douye Diri further called Dickson not to facilitate the emergence Ehrudjakpor as running mate to their principal.
Secretary-General of the group, Comrade Beinbebo Akpiri, said the report that Dickson had settled for Ehrudjakpor was a sad political development for the PDP.
Akpiri warned against the imposition of Ehrudjakpor on the party, stressing that it would not fly because of the current political realities.
But the State PDP Chairman and Secretary, Moses Cleopas and Chief Godspower Keku, in a statement, said since the party’s candidate came from the Central Senatorial District, Diri was at liberty to select any suitable person from either the East or the West.
They said the party would be left with no option than to zone the speakership and other offices in the party and government to the remaining zones for equity and fairness in accordance with the established tradition in the state since 1999.
Benue State pensioners on Monday booed House of Assembly Speaker Titus Uba when he met them at the entrance of the Government House in Makurdi.
On Monday marked the sixth day the pensioners have been sleeping at the entrance of the Government House.
The Speaker angered the pensioners when he said Governor Samuel Ortom, during a meeting with the lawmakers, told them that the pensioners had agreed to vacate the Government House entrance if paid two-month pension arrears.
The pensioners booed the Speaker and chorused: “It’s a big lie; we must be paid six-month pensions before we leave the Government House.”
Uba said the Benue Pension Bill, which was expeditiously passed by the Eighth Assembly, was assented to by the governor, who had since inaugurated members of the PENCOM Commission, who would soon address their plight.
He said the commission would give succour to the retirees, adding that they had a mandate to source funds from financial institutions through negotiation, to offset their pension arrears.
“We are not here to negotiate with you, but to sympathise with you over your plight. As a House, we will not support anything evil against our constituents. We will continue to be on your side. You are our fathers and some of us will join you one day.”
The Chairman of Concerned Benue Pensioners, Peter Ikyado, said the two-month pensions (April and May), which the governor promised to pay this week, is for 2018.
He said they wrote letters to the government and other stakeholders before embarking on the protest.
“We are demanding to be paid at least six-month pension arrears. We cannot pay our children’s school fees. We cannot afford good food.
“Three days ago, three of our members, David Atsanan (Ushongo), Joel Ijir(Oju) and Kiishi Dom(Gboko) died, while one Yaaakur sustained compound fracture.
“We are dying. Your fathers are dying and you do not care about us. We want to die here at the Government House. We are now internally-displaced pensioners,” Ikyado added.
The Nation gathered that the pensioners have been sleeping at the main gate of the Government House since September 4 to demand payment of 25-month pension arrears amounting to over N25billion.
Pensioners in Benue State have turned down Governor Samuel Ortom’s advice to vacate the entrance to the Government House in Makurdi.
The pensioners last Wednesday moved to the entrance of the Government House, sleeping on mats.
The pensioners vowed to occupy the seat of power until their pensions and gratuities amounting to N25billion are paid.
They said they had not been paid for 25 months.
Their leader, Mr. Peter Kyado, said they would remain at the Government House gate until the governor meets their demand.
Governor Ortom, who cut short his trip to Abuja to address the pensioners, said: “I’m ashamed that my government has been unable to meet its financial obligation to the pensioners, who are senior citizens.”
He described the situation the pensioners found themselves as sad, but promised to address their plight.
The governor said he met about N17billion as gratuity and N34billion as pension arrears when he took over the mantle of leadership, but had reduced the amount before the state found itself in a difficult financial situation.
He called for understanding from the pensioners.
Ortom said his administration had taken steps to address the problems through domestication of pension law to ease their plight.
He said as a palliative measure, he had obtained a bank overdraft of N611 million, adding that “between Monday and Tuesday the pensioners will be paid two- month pensions.”
However, the pensioners, who are between 60 and 70 years, refused to leave the Government House entrance “until the government meets our demand.”
As at 5pm on Monday, the pensioners were still observing their ‘sit out’ protest at the main entrance of the Government House.
Eleven persons were reportedly killed on Monday, while others sustained injuries in a fatal accident on the Lafia-Akwanga Road in Nasarawa State.
The accident occurred at Endehu hill, popularly called “Many have gone”, the same spot where the Nasarawa State deputy governor’s convoy was attacked recently.
The accident, which happened some few minutes to 11am, involved a trailer loaded with cement, a Sharon car and a motorcycle.
Our correspondent, who visited the scene of the accident, reports that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the police and travellers helped in the rescue operation.
The Nasarawa State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Ismaila Kugu, confirmed the accident to reporters in Lafia.
He said of the 11 victims, nine were men while two were women.
An eyewitness said the trailer with number plate Kano-KMC 523 YD, loaded with cement and heading for Lafia, crushed the Sharon car marked Nasarawa-LFA 497 ZY, killing the nine occupants.
The eyewitness said the trailer also crushed the motorcyclist to death, while one of the occupants of the trailer died in the accident.
He said the trailer allegedly had a brake failure and hit the rear of a moving truck with registration number Gombe-GME 466 XA, conveying beans from Gombe to Aba in Abia State, before it lost control and crushed the Sharon car, killing the occupants.
The bodies have been deposited at the General Hospital in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
One person has been reportedly killed in a crash on the Bauchi-Jos Road at Miri village, on the outskirts of Bauchi.
This followed a head-on collision between a commercial Vectra and Sharon car.
The incident, which occurred yesterday, left seven students of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi injured.
Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) spokesman Rilwan Sulaiman, while confirming the accident, said the Sharon was conveying ATBU students to Bauchi before it collided with the Vectra car. The driver of the Vectra car died on the spot.
He said the body has been deposited at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the Supreme Court of Nigeria to determine the status of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to clarify whether it is an organ of the executive or a quasi-judicial tribunal vested with criminal jurisdiction.
The request was contained in a communiqué issued after the 59th Annual General Conference (AGC) and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association held at the Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was signed by NBA President, Paul Usoro (SAN) and Chairman, Technical Committee Association on Conference Planning, Gbenga Oyebode.
It was sequel to the contentions by senior lawyers who were panelists at the AGC of the NBA over the removal of the immediate past former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.
While some of them argued that the tribunal is under the Executive arm, others said it should be responsible to National Judicial Commission (NJC).
The NBA noted that the status of the CCT has remained a gray area in Nigerian jurisprudence which has given rise to great contention.
The communiqué which was presented to journalists in Lagos during the weekend recognised the rule of law as one of the core fundamental values in a democracy, predicated on an independent judiciary, independent bar, separation of powers and access to justice.
It urged the people and governments to respect rule of law always, stressing that they have a duty to protect, safeguard and advance it at all times.
It identified the poor socio-economic situations as a contributory factor for the increase in kidnapping and terrorism.
“Government is urged to adopt policies that support socio-economic empowerment” adding “there should be in addition holistic and total enforcement of the Criminal Justice Act 2015, Criminal Justice Laws of some of the states, the anti-kidnapping provisions of the Criminal Code Act and the Kidnapping Laws of some of the States, Terrorism (Prevention) Act and Fundamental Human Rights to reduce the act of kidnapping and terrorism”.
The communiqué urged judicial officers to be independent, courageous and unbiased in the execution of their functions without regard to the appointing authority in order to bolster and retain confidence of investors, businesses and the public in the judiciary.
Acknowledging the commitment of government under the Sustainable Developmental Goal 5 on Gender Equality and Female Empowerment, and the dismissal record of the country on gender equality, it urged government to engender gender equality in the Nigerian Constitution, enact laws that will eliminate gender inequalities, strengthen and mandate institutions to implement gender mainstreaming.
It sought amendment to political party constitutions, judicial activism in the interpretation of laws and cultural norms and support of prominent male champions are required for the attainment of the Sustainable Developmental Goals 5.
The NBA described Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as a serious epidemic destroying many communities.
It advised that laws with severe punitive measures for sexual offenders should be enacted to curb the trend.
It said awareness programmes and community dialogue on GBV should be promoted to remove the stigma around GBV.
“In view of the increased attack on children and minors in various incidences of violence against persons, particularly GBV, the Child’s Right Act 2003 should be reviewed or amended to reflect current trends”, it stated.
The communiqué further lamented the prevalence of bullying and sexual harassment in the legal profession and advised that the menace should be specifically addressed in the Rules of Professional Conduct of the legal profession, adding that the requirement for the signing of a code on bullying and sexual harassment by lawyers should be given serious consideration.
It acknowledged the effect of a globalised business environment, the desire of Nigerian lawyers to build regional and global law firms and noting the inadequacy of the regulatory framework in the country on the current and future realities of cross-border trade in legal services, the Conference resolved that the NBA should work with the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Solicitor-General of the Federation to amend existing laws and draft new laws to introduce appropriate innovative structures and models that will advance the developmental interest of Nigerian lawyers and legal services delivery standards.
The communiqué further asked government trade negotiators to involve the NBA and the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) negotiations on services while enjoining legal practitioners to study the agreement, and fully understand the opportunities it presents and be well-prepared to take full benefit of AfCFTA.
The NBA stated that this had become imperative “having realised that the AfCFTA will, upon its full implementation, impact the legal profession in the continent”.
It acknowledged that infrastructure funding deficit was one of the biggest challenges to development in Nigeria.
It counseled government to explore alternative financing structures such as Sukuk, asset securitisation, land value capture, infrastructure-cum-sovereign bonds and pension assets to plug the vast financing gap, improve public financial management and resolve regulatory and institutional challenges.
The conference, according to the association, achieved the objective of speaking to the task of “Facing the future”, not just by the NBA, representing all of the legal system, but also the nation, and the continent with new initiatives for taking our people forward.
“In terms of the overarching policy objective, the message of the conference is to move from dialogue to taking positive steps to resolve current problems in a manner that takes us into the future; and helps us achieve our true potentials through scalable and sustainable solutions that will impact the daily life of Nigerians; and through solutions anchored on the true rule of law, fair treatment of our women and youths and inclusion of all in the benefits of technological innovation and new thinking,” it stated.