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Ambode tasks judiciary on speedy dispensation of justice

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Friday urged the state judiciary to step up in the area of speedy delivery of justice, without compromising the fundamental principle of fair hearing and the rule of law.

Ambode made the call at the swearing-in ceremony of Justice Opeyemi Oke as the new Chief Judge of the state at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

Oke came into office following the exit of Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, who attained the statutory retirement age of 65 on Sep.24.

The new Chief Judge joined the State Judiciary as a Senior Magistrate on May 1, 1986 and was appointed a Judge of the High Court on July 17, 1996. She becomes the 6th female and 16th Chief Judge of Lagos State.

Ambode Governor congratulated Oke on her confirmation by the state lawmakers, describing it as a positive affirmation of her competence, experience and character to preside over the sacred temple of justice in Lagos State.

“I have absolute confidence in your intellectual capacity to steer the ship of the state judiciary on a smooth sail.

“One area of our judicial system which I consider as work in progress is the speed of justice delivery in the State.

“We have made significant progress in this regard with the various reforms that have been initiated and implemented, however, I believe strongly that we can do more by stepping up our efforts.

“I do understand that our judges are currently facing enormous work load due to the fact that the Lagos judiciary is the busiest in the country and this will naturally affect the turnover of cases in our courts.

“It is for this reason that I once again recommit our administration’s determination to seek a significant increase in the number of judges that we have on the Lagos bench,” he said.

Ambode said his administration planned to establish a designated Commercial Courthouse with the objective of ensuring speedy consideration of commercial matters.

“There is no gainsaying that Lagos is the commercial nerve centre of the country and it deserves a modern state-of-the-art first class Commercial Courthouse to speedily address commercial disputes in the State.

“It is hoped that this courthouse will accommodate all commercial-related organs of the judiciary in order to drive commerce and improve the ease of doing business.

“Our administration will continue to cooperate with the judiciary in developing and implementing appropriate strategies to ensure justice is done speedily.

“I want to assure you of our commitment to do whatever is required of us to ensure that the on-going reform in the judicial sector achieves the desired effect,” Ambode said.

In his remarks, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, said the event marked the beginning of a new dawn for the state judiciary.

According to him, it provides the direction for renewed vigour in the discharge of the highest standard of responsibility and the dispensation of justice in accordance with the rule of law and good conscience.

Oke, in her remark, pledged to make speedy dispensation of justice and zero tolerance for corruption the hallmark of the judiciary in the state.

She said that she would ensure an efficient, effective and transparent judiciary where there would be total confidence of the public in their ability to provide quick dispensation of justice.

The Chief Judge lamented the high number of old cases, saying that the total number of cases from five years upwards in the Lagos Judicial division could be estimated to be in the region of 4, 000.

According to her, when cases drag for over five years and above, they constitute an embarrassment to the image of the judiciary.

“We need an urgent and immediate plan to clear the backlog of old cases. We, therefore, suggest a Backlog Elimination Programme to tackle the issue of backlogs and congestion.

“The task requires extra work, more efforts and resources, new hands, including judicial officers,’’ she said.

Oke said that information technology would be deployed to achieve an efficient and effective judiciary.

“I’m calling on all and sundry to support and put our shoulders together and get the Lagos State judiciary moving at the fastest pace possible, without compromising on the virtues of love, equity and justice,” Oke said.

NAN

October 20, 2017
Court orders six strokes of cane on man for stealing ladder

A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Friday ordered that 28-year-old man, Ibrahim Yunisa, be given six strokes of cane for stealing a ladder.

Yunisa, of no fixed address, had pleaded guilty to one-count charge of theft and begged for leniency.

The Judge, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, told the convict that he mitigated the sentence because he pleaded for leniency.

Sadiq said the court might not be lenient with him the next time he appeared.

Read also: http://staging.thenationonlineng.net/police-arraign-man-stealing-cooking-pot-ibadan-poly/

The Prosecutor, Mrs Florence Avhioboh, told the court that the convict committed the offence on Oct. 12.

She said the theft was reported at Karmo Police Station by Jacob Friday of Mararaba area in Nasarawa State.

She added that the convict, who was found with the ladder at Dape village, Abuja, could not give satisfactory explanation on how he got it.

Avhioboh said Yunisa had confessed that he stole the ladder at a building under construction in Abuja, an offence against Section 288 of the Penal Code.

NAN

October 20, 2017
My husband has turned me into a punching bag, woman tells court

A 20-year-old loveless marriage between Bukola and her husband, Jimoh Olajire, was on Friday dissolved on the orders of an Ibadan Customary Court, citing wife’s battering.

“My husband has turned me into a punching bag; beating me all the time unmindful of the burden of single-handedly feeding the six children of our union.

“I am tired of the marriage and I want it dissolved,” the estranged wife told the court.

Upholding the request of the woman, the President of the court, Chief Mukaila Balogun, said the dissolution of the marriage had become necessary because the evidence before it showed that there was no more love between them.

Balogun added that the respondent has agreed to the dissolution of the union as requested by his estranged wife, the court is handicapped to mediate in a bid to resolve the matter.

“Based on this evidence, the marriage is thereby dissolved and the custody of the first three of the six children of the union is given to the respondent.

“The remaining three children should remain with the plaintiff (Busayo).

“The respondent should forthwith pay N9,000 monthly as feeding allowances for the three children in the custody of the plaintiff,” the court ruled.

Earlier, Busayo, who had approached the court for dissolution, accused her ex-husband of turning her to a punching bag.

She also accused the man of neglecting his responsibility as a husband and father to the six children and herself.

“My husband was in the habit of beating me always without considering my efforts in single-handedly feeding the six children of our union.

“He used to accuse me wrongly of having extra-marital affair with his junior brother.

“The allegation is disgusting and embarrassing because I see no reason why my husband would believe such,” she said.

In his defence, Olajire denied the allegations, but urged the court to uphold the divorce request being sought by his wife, whom she described as “a disobedient wife”.

He urged the court to grant him the custody of the six children of the marriage.

NAN

October 20, 2017
My husband seeks his father’s permission before intercourse, wife tells court

A 22-year-old housewife, Rashidat Adewuyi, told an Idi-Ogungun Customary Court in Ibadan on Friday that her father-in-law slept on the same bed with her and her husband whenever he visited them.

Rashidat made the statement on Friday when she testified in a divorce petition filed by her husband, Lukman Adewuyi.

She said her marriage of two years with Lukman had been characterised by agony and regrets due to interference by her father-in-law, who never allowed her to have free access to her husband.

According to Rashidat, her husband always takes permission from his father on every issue between her and her husband.

“Even he seeks his father’s permission before intercourse and my father-in-law always sleeps on the same bed with me and my husband whenever he visits.

“I used to dress or change my pants in the bathroom because my father-in-law would not leave our one-room apartment whenever I wanted to dress up,’’ she said.

Rashidat further said that her father-in-law instigated her husband to file the petition so as to have total control over him.

She urged the court to grant the prayer of the petitioner but that he be given responsibility to maintain the only child of the relationship.

Earlier, Lukman had pleaded with the court to dissolve the marriage on the ground that the respondent wanted to stab him to death.

He said his wife was in the habit of cursing him and threatening to kill him whenever they had a quarrel.

“There was a particular night that she brought out a knife and wanted to stab me because another woman called my cell phone number.

“It took the intervention of my landlord before she agreed not to stab me and such incident made me to file a divorce suit,” Adewuyi said.

The President of the court, Chief Mukaila Balogun, and the court assessors, Aare Samotu and Ganiyu Alao, made efforts to prevail on the couple to resolve the matter amicably but failed.

The court, thereafter, ordered the dissolution of the marriage as the parties wished.

Balogun also ordered the plaintiff to pay N3,500 as monthly feeding allowance for the only child of the union and warned the parties to maintain the peace and stay away from each other.

NAN

October 20, 2017
We will use tourism, festivals, carnivals to boost revenue – LASG

The Lagos State Government ( LASG ) on Friday said that it would use tourism – related activities such as festivals, carnivals, exhibitions and conferences to boost the revenue base of the state.

Mrs Adebimpe Akinsola, Acting Commissioner of Tourism, Arts and Culture, said that tourism is a veritable platform that can be used to drive revenue earnings of a state.

According to her, the policy thrust of the government is to partner with the private sector in boosting the revenues of the state.

“The government door is open for public and private partnership to increase its Internally Generated Revenue ( IGR ) through tourism and other related activities.

“Lagos State Government is ready to partner any individual and corporate body with laudable initiative that will move the tourism industry forward, and indeed other sector of economy, ”she said.

Akinsola said that festivals draw attention of international participants, tourists and investors closer to feel and see what a state or country could offer in terms of its tourism, arts and culture potential/assets.

“It will also help to boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs for indigenes, boost commercial activities, increase hotels and other related tourism outfit patronage, ”she said.

She said that local and foreign visitors would visit tourist sites, patronise local cuisines, buy locally-made goods/souvenirs and also do business.

“When hotels and other tourism outfits are selling, they pay their tax, and by extension, revenue is coming to the state,” Akinsola said.

The acting commissioner assured local and international tourists/visitors of maximum security in all the tourist sites across the state.

“The government is working closely with security agencies to ensure adequate security in the state.

“As far as security is concerned, all hands are on deck to combat any unforeseen challenges; the emergency and safety in Lagos State is intact, ”she said.

She said the Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration was working assiduously in placing the state as premium destination for tourism.

“The state government has partnered many organisations on tourism programs such as beer festival, tourism summit, art exhibitions, cultural day and several others.

“Government is still ready to collaborate with more organisations and provide opportunities for new investors in the sector,”she said.

NAN

October 20, 2017
NIMC advises Nigerians to obtain national identification numbers

Mr Aliyu Aziz, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission ( NIMC ), has advised Nigerians and other residents in the country, to get their National Identification Numbers ( NINs ).

Aziz said in a statement on Friday in Lagos that Nigerians should regard the NIN as a most crucial feature of their lives, since it was the unique identifier for all in the country.

He said that Nigerians should regard the NIN the same way Social Security Number was regarded in the United States, the National Insurance Number in the United Kingdom or AADHAR number in India.

According to him, what is common in all the countries mentioned is just the number.

“Therefore, you need a unique NIN from cradle to grave,” he said.

The NIMC boss advised Nigerians and residents in the country to present themselves to be enrolled for NIN to avoid any rush.

He said that rush might arise with the enforcement of the mandatory use of NIN for transactions and access to services, as stipulated in Section 27 of the NIMC Act of 2007.

“By law and along the entire lifecycle of individuals in Nigeria, you need to present your NIN, whenever you need to be identified for services such as passport issuance.

“You will need to present NIN during banking services, land transactions, insurance services, pension, health insurance, payment of taxes, voter’s registration, consumer credits and all government services.

“In all these, there is nothing temporary about the NIN slip issued after registration, the NIN is your identity and is considered more important than the card.

“NIMC’s current focus is on the number – NIN, and not the card.

“We are already in a digital economy driven by unique index numbers and not by physical tokens such as a card.

“The law specifies that we should issue general multipurpose smart cards as the exercise continues,’’ he said.

Aziz said the commission was mindful of the demands of the public for the physical cards and efforts were being made to meet them.

The NIMC director general said however that provision of the physical cards had huge financial implication for the nation.

According to him, the number of people with their NINs is 23.3 million, an increase from seven million in November 2015, when he took over the mantle of leadership in NIMC.

“So, please enroll for the NIN, encourage everyone you know to do same, including children and legal residents.

“This is necessary as all other government agencies will follow soon and make their respective announcements on the mandatory use of the NIN,’’ he said.

NAN

October 20, 2017
Plague kills 94 in Madagascar, WHO working to prevent spread

A plague epidemic has killed 94 people on the island of Madagascar and could spread further, the WHO said on Friday.

WHO’s Africa emergencies director, Ibrahima Fall, told reporters in Geneva the organization was racing to stop both the Madagascar plague and an outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in Uganda that it was confident it could contain.

The world body said plague is endemic in Madagascar, but the outbreak that has caused 1,153 suspected cases since August is especially worrying because it started earlier in the season than usual.

The WHO said it has hit towns rather than rural areas, and it is mainly causing pneumonic plague, the most deadly form of the disease.

The outbreak already looks big when compared with the 3,248 cases and 584 deaths reported worldwide from 2010 to 2015.

Fall said the risk to Madagascar remained very high, although the international risk was very low.

WHO has delivered antibiotics to Madagascar to treat up to 5,000 patients and as a prophylactic dose for up to 100,000 people who might be at risk, as well as 150,000 sets of personal protective equipment.

He said about 2,000 healthworkers are tracing people who have had contact with plague sufferers, which should allow the disease to be controlled relatively quickly.

“I‘m confident that with the strong team we have on the ground, combined with more partners coming and health workers, we will be able very quickly to reverse the trend.”

In Uganda, WHO hopes to halt an outbreak of Marburg, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, which killed a 50-year-old woman on Oct. 11, three weeks after her brother died of similar symptoms.

“The positive thing is that Uganda is very used to managing this kind of outbreak,” Fall said. In the past decade, Uganda has already had four outbreaks of Marburg.

An outbreak can kill up to 90 per cent of the people who catch the disease.

Several hundred people may have been exposed to the virus at health facilities and at a traditional burial of the dead woman’s brother, who worked as a game hunter and lived near a cave inhabited by Rousettus bats, natural hosts of the Marburg virus.

One suspected case and one probable case are being investigated.

“The teams have already investigated the area, identified potential contacts and monitoring these contacts.

“We are getting daily updates from the team, we are confident that… we will be able to contain it very quickly,” Fall said.

NAN

October 20, 2017
Police arraign housekeeper over N3.5m jewellery theft

The police on Friday arraigned 18-year-old house keeper, Patience Ejebong in an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State over theft of her employer’s jewelries worth N3.5 million.

Ejebong was arraigned alongside an alleged accomplice, Timothy Uteng, 31, on two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

The prosecuting officer, Sgt. Samuel Mishozunnu, told the court that the defendants and others at large committed the offences in July at Plot 511, Unit 2, Lekki Gardens Phase 2, Ajah, Lagos.

He said the defendants conspired and stole a gold watch, three bottles of designer perfume and a gold necklace.

Mishozunnu, who said the items were valued at N3.5 million, belonged to the complainant, Mrs Akingbade Oluwatosin.

According to the prosecuting officer, the offences contravene sections 287 (7) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The duo, however, denied any involvement in the crimes and filed oral application for bail, arguing that the alleged offences were bailable.

They also argued that the prosecution team was yet to prove to the court that they actually stole the items.

The defendants vowed to be in court to stand justice if admitted to bail.

The prosecuting officer, who did not object the application, however, added that bail was at the discretion of the court.

The Magistrate, Mrs O. O. Otitoju, therefore, granted the applicants bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

She said the sureties must be gainfully employed and must show evidence of tax payment to Lagos State Government and adjourned the case until Oct. 25 for mention.

NAN

October 20, 2017
INEC begins staff training on voter education in Ebonyi – REC

Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has begun training of its staff on voter education to end voters’ apathy in the Ebonyi state in preparation for 2019 elections.

The Ebonyi Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Godswill Obioma, made this known in an interview on Friday in Abakaliki.

He explained that only 30 per cent of eligible voters participated in the electoral process in the state, saying that the commission was determined to change the situation for the better.

He said that the training was designed to build capacity of the trainees so as to be able take voter education to the grassroots and to effectively mobilise the people to participate in the electoral process.

The REC said that the training of the commission’s staff on voter education was part of strategies and preparation to ensure mass participation in the 2019 general elections in the state

According to him, voter education is a critical component in the electoral process because it is used in mobilising the voter to carry out their civic duties at a stipulated time.

The INEC chief noted that the beauty of participatory democracy rest in the ability of greater number of the people to participate in the process of choosing their leaders.

“Lack of proper voter education has made most eligible voters to shun participation in the electoral process and such a decision often results in the emergence of non-credible leaders.

“It is an important civic responsibility of every adult to participate in all the electoral processes including voter registration, voting in an election and ensuring that your votes are protected.

“A situation where only insignificant 30 per cent of eligible voting population participate in the electoral process is unacceptable and we are working hard to change the people’s mindset,” Obioma said.

Obioma also called for support from the media, traditional rulers, politicians, their supporters and other stakeholders in the political process in ensuring the success of the voter education in the state.

NAN

October 20, 2017
‘Obiano spent N44bn on 101 inherited projects’

Mr Mark Okoye, the Anambra Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, has said that the Gov. Willie Obiano’s administration had spent N44 billion on projects inherited from his predecessor.

Okoye made this known in Awka on Friday that Obiano, who assumed office on March 17, 2014 inherited 101 projects from the former Gov. Peter Obi’s administration out of which 51 have been completed.

He said it was not true to say that the current government in Anambra was not doing anything on capital projects.

“N44 billion has been spent on inherited projects, there are 101 of them and 51 of them have been completed.

“Another N30 billion was spent on projects initiated by this administration and are at various stages of completion. It will be unfair to say that we have not done anything on infrastructure.

“You cannot keep the over 48, 000 civil servants both at the state and local government levels hungry because you want to build infrastructure alone,” he said.

The commissioner said Obiano deserved second term because “he had done noble’’ by ensuring that the economy of Anambra remained viable and did not go into recession.

He said there had been steady increase in the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) of Anambra since the inception of Obiano administration which he attributed to the economic policy direction of the governor.

Okoye said that it was not true that the government had spent over N400 billion cumulatively in the budget proposal from 2014 till date.

He said the total expenditure for the period was about N270 billion as budget implementation for any fiscal year had not exceeded 65 per cent.

“There has been steady growth in our state economy.

“In 2013, our GDP was N2.8 trillion, in 2014 when this administration came in, it was about N3.2 trillion; it rose to about N3.7 trillion in 2015 and to N3.8 trillion in 2016; it means Anambra did not go into recession.

“This is possible because of the economic policy implemented by the Willie Obiano’s administration through his developmental agenda.

“A budget is essentially a proposal which is sent to the legislature for approval and if accepted it subjected to implementation.

“Implementation is driven by revenue which is sourced internally and externally, and in these years, maximum budget implementation was 65 per cent and if you discount 35 per cent from that figure you will see that the total expenditure is between N260 billion and N270 billion.

“Half of that expenditure goes into recurrent expenditure like payment of salaries, gratuities and pensions. About 120, 000 school children between primary one and primary three are being fed daily by the government.

“We are not where we want to be yet, but we are on the right path,” he said.

Okoye said the ongoing Anambra International Trade Fair was a good testimony of the productive capacity of Anambra as it was featuring largely locally made goods.

“You can see the effect of what we are doing in the trade fair where most of the products on exhibition are locally made, they are harvested, processed and package in Anambra State and it was not like that four years ago.

“You will agree with me that if re-elected, Gov. Obiano will transform the fortunes of Anambra beyond imagination in the next four years.

“Our people will be happy because they would have seen that state economy had been fully diversified from oil,” he said.

NAN

October 20, 2017