News
Osun lawmaker appeals court judgment barring him from rendering pro-bono service
A member of the Osun State House of Assembly, representing Oriade State Constituency, Kanmi Ajibola, has appealed the judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, which barred him from appearing in court to render free legal services for indigent suspects facing criminal charges.
Kanmi, a lawyer and a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilesa Branch, had sought the court’s permission in suit No. FHC/OS/CS/42/2023 to allow him to continue defending clients pro bono even while serving as an assemblyman.
Striking out the suit, Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel had said the lawmaker’s request was against the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits public servants from engaging in self-serving activities or businesses.
Dissatisfied with the lower court judgment, Ajibola filed seven grounds of appeal at the Court of Appeal, Akure.
He argued that the judge erred in law as he looked only in one direction of the case without carefully considering other facts of the matter.
The activist politician in his notice of appeal argued that the pro bono service which he has been rendering since 2000 is a public interest duty and not a personal interest or a private business, trade, or profession for money making.
He noted that the reason he filed the suit was that he was being threatened anytime he tried to defend those who had trumped-up criminal matters but were unable to hire lawyers to defend them in court.
According to him, the two respondents in the case, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Attorney-General of Osun State, did not deny this fact.
While noting that the lower court misinterpreted and misapplied the provisions of paragraphs 1, 2 (a), and (b) of the Fifth Schedule, Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution in his case, Ajibola said the lower court did not consider paragraph 18 of the affidavit in support of his originating summons where he cited the roles the Prisoners Aid Initiative, a non-governmental organization (NGO) he registered in 2008, has been playing and how several inmates have benefited from his free legal services.
Apart from using this medium to secure the freedom of many innocents who were being subjected to trumped-up charges across the country, Ajibola informed the court that he was using the same NGO to assist the government in the area of prison decongestion.
CREDIT: DAILY POST
Dangote Refinery has announced that it will need to export 95-97 percent of its Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) due to low interest from Nigerian marketers. The refinery, which processes 650,000 barrels per day, revealed that only 3 to 5 percent of petrol marketers are purchasing its fuel.
Devakumar Edwin, Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, shared these details during an X Space session hosted by Nairametrics on Wednesday. He highlighted the challenges facing both the Dangote Refinery and Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Edwin explained, “I’m selling 2 to 3 percent to small traders who are willing to buy, while the remaining 95 to 97 percent has to be exported,” referring to the local sales of the refinery’s products.
This situation arises as the NNPCL’s deadline for adjusting the Dangote Refinery’s fuel distribution approaches without a clear plan in sight. It is worth noting that while Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, has announced the refinery’s initial petrol rollout, its distribution to marketers is contingent upon NNPCL’s decisions.
The final sixteen teams for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia have been determined following the conclusion of the group stage.
In recent matches, Ghana triumphed over New Zealand with a score of 3-1, and Japan secured a 2-0 victory against Austria.
As a result, Japan has advanced to the Round of 16, joining the other 15 teams in this knockout stage.
The Round of 16 matches are scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
The full lineup for the Round of 16 is as follows:
- Spain vs Canada
- Brazil vs Cameroon
- Colombia vs South Korea
- Mexico vs USA
- North Korea vs Austria
- Germany vs Argentina
- Netherlands vs France
- Japan vs Nigeria
The Nigerian Army has refuted claims of widespread resignations among its soldiers due to issues like corruption and low morale.
In a statement, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, dismissed these reports as unfounded.
A news outlet had alleged that numerous Nigerian soldiers were resigning because of corruption and low morale. However, the statement condemned these allegations as misleading and a deliberate attempt to create discontent and undermine the Nigerian Army’s reputation and the dedication of its personnel.
Major General Nwachukwu clarified that, similar to other military organizations worldwide, service in the Nigerian Army is voluntary rather than mandatory. This means that personnel have the freedom to resign following established procedures.
He explained that the resignation process allows personnel to prepare and manage their entitlements, including pensions and gratuities, as outlined in the Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service (Officers/Soldiers).
Contrary to the report’s implications, the statement emphasized that Nigerian Army personnel are highly motivated, and their welfare is a priority under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.
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