Flowerbud News

Author: Ibrahim Abusadiq

  • Court remands couple in Correctional custody over alleged murder

    A couple, Tayo Olaobaju, 31 and Arike Olaobaju, 23, who allegedly murdered a 60-year-old man, Mr Moses Eze, were on Monday sent to correctional custodies by an Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court.

    The Magistrate, Mr Olukunle Owolawi, who did not take pleas of the defendants, ordered the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and send it to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

    Owolawi ordered that the husband, Tayo, be remanded in Ile-Ife Correctional Custody, while his wife was sent to Ilesa Correctional Custody.

    He adjourned the case until Oct. 4 for mention.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, ASP. Joseph Adebayo, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on Aug. 21 at about 7:20a.m at Igboya Area of Ile-Ife.

    Adebayo said that the defendants assaulted Eze by beating him, which led to his death.

    He said the offences contravened Sections 316, 319(1) and 324 of the Criminal Law of Osun, 2002.

  • Kogi governorship: Bello emergence a walk over victory for us – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Monday that with Gov. Yahaya Bello as the APC flag bearer it would easily win the Nov. 16 governorship election in Kogi.

    Mr Bode Ogunmola, the PDP spokesman in the state, made the remark in a statement in Lokoja.

    Ogunmola said the poor performance of the governor in the last three and half years and public resentment against his administration would ensure “a sweat-less victory’’ for PDP.

    “PDP has long been praying for the APC to make mistake of re-presenting Bello for the governorship poll.

    “It is a well known fact that the governor cannot win any local government in Kogi due to his poor performance, and the way and manner the resources of the state is being massively looted.

    “His desperation to return is to save himself from going to prison over looted funds. That was why he had to spend hugely to get strong contenders disqualified.

    “If he succeeds in fooling the leadership of his party and the delegates, we are confident that he cannot fool Kogi electorate who are victims of his monumental misgovernance,’’ Ogunmola said.

    However, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, the Director-General of Media and Publicity of the governor, assured that Bello would continue to concentrate on governance in spite of preparations for the Nov. 16 poll.

    Reacting to the PDP’s statement, Fanwo told newsmen that the governor would not bandy words as he had responded adequately to the PDP in February and March (general elections) with unprecedented defeat.

    “We are even stronger going into the November Governorship election. The governor won’t talk. He believes in allowing his results speak for him,” Fanwo said.

    He stressed that delivering democracy dividends to the people would continue to remain “on the front burner of the present administration”.

    “Gov. Bello will not remove his feet from the pedals of governance and in his drive to deliver democracy dividends to the people of the state”.

    Fanwo said the governor had remained “humble in victory”, saying the best way to react to the ‘stupendous victory’ at the primaries was to continue to give his best to the people.

    According to him, the governor will campaign with the work he has done since taking over the mantle of leadership in the confluence state.

    “GYB is gradually redefining governance and politics. While others talk, he works and his work speaks for him.

    “The naysayers said he was not popular and he defeated the opposition in the general elections like never before in the political history of our dear state.

    “The Aug. 29 governorship primaries in the state have again made a resounding attestation to his political credentials.

    ‘“In victory, he has remained humble. He has stretched an olive branch to all contestants in the primaries to join hands with him to deliver victory to the APC on Nov. 16.

    “As we continue our electioneering, our projects will continue and those completed will be commissioned.

    ‘“Gov. Bello was elected to serve and he will continue to serve even into his second term in office,’’ he said.

    The director-general urged the people to remain steadfast in supporting Bello’s administration, assuring that they would never be disappointed.

  • NEMA distributes farm inputs to 9,000 flood victims in Jigawa LG

    By Nabilu Balarabe
    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has provided farm inputs for 9,000 victims of the 2018 flood in Kirikasamma Local Government Area of Jigawa.

    The Information Officer in the area, Alhaji Sanusi Doro, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kirikasamma on Monday.

    He said NEMA’s officer in-charge of the distribution, Mr Olanrewaju Kazir, had stated that the exercise was ongoing in areas hit by flood in the state.

    “Each of the victims, who are predominantly farmers had received 40 kg bag of rice/sesame; a sprayer, one bottle of pesticide and one bottle of herbicide.

    “The officer also assured the victims that nine bags of fertilizer would later be given to each of them, if they showed evidence of putting the inputs to use,” Doro said.

    He said Kazir had cautioned the beneficiaries against selling the inputs, saying doing that would jeopardise government’s efforts in job creation and food security.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2018 flood had killed 21 persons and ravaged over 200 communities across the state.

  • Don canvasses support to grow apples in Nigeria

    By Raphael Enwelu
    Prof. Ikechukwu Ojukwu, Department of Microbiology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has called on interested individuals and groups to grow apples in large quantity in Nigeria.

    Ojukwu, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Monday, said the abundance of apple in the country would curb importation.

    “I have a farm at Nnobi which I have developed for the purpose of growing apple.

    “People from far and near have been visiting the farm to gain knowledge of how to start theirs.

    “When such is spread all over the country, there will not be need to be importing apples which comes from Ghana and  Cameroon because they have the soil for growing apple,’’ he said.

    Ojukwu called on agricultural stakeholders at the federal, state and local government levels to support the effort.

    “There are enormous financial gains in it which will boost the nation’s GDP,” he said.

  • Zimbabwe civil servants accept 76% salary increment with negotiations for more still on

    Zimbabwean civil servants have on Wednesday, accepted a 76 per cent salary adjustment offered by the government with effect from Aug. 1.

    The state media reported that negotiations for higher wages are still on.

    The Herald newspaper reported that the least-paid worker will now earn 1,023 Zimbabwean dollars (about 102 U.S. dollars or 37,000 naira) per month, up from 582 Zimbabwean dollars per month.

    The decision to accept the government offer followed a meeting between the civil servants’ umbrella representative body, the Apex Council, and government representatives.

    The civil servants umbrella body was led by the Secretary for Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare Simon Masanga at a National Joint Negotiating Council meeting on Tuesday.

    Apex Council chairperson Cecilia Alexander said that a cost of living adjustment of the total package would be implemented from beginning of August.

    Alexander said they had provisionally agreed to the offer while they continued with negotiations.

    “It must be reiterated that this is a provisional agreement meant first and foremost to allow the government to cushion its impoverished civil servants.

    “Our substantive demand of 4,750 dollars, which is benchmarked against the interbank rate, still stands and negotiations still continue towards that end,” she said.

    The government had offered the 76 per cent cost of living adjustment which the Apex Council neither rejected nor accepted.

    The council, however, went back to consult with its members and on Tuesday gave the feedback that sealed the deal.

    However, teachers on Monday rejected the offer, insisting that the employer paid them nothing more than 4,600 Zimbabwe dollars per month, which the government said it could not afford.

     

  • Plateau Assembly approve Lalong’s request to appoint 15 Special Advisers

    The Plateau House of Assembly has approved the request by Gov. Simon Lalong to appoint 15 special advisers to serve in his government.

    The approval followed a communication from the governor on Wednesday seeking the approval of the assembly to appoint 15 special advisers.

    The governor said that the governor’s request was in accordance with section 196 Sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    “In my bid and determination to form a formidable team that will help me achieve my mandate, I hereby seek the approval of the House to appoint 15 Special Advisers to serve in my government,’’ he said.

    The House, thereafter, approved the governor’s request through a voice vote.

    NAN

  • Court dismissed case of alleged defamation

    By Sani Abdulrahman

    A Sharia Court ll, sitting in Magajin Gari, Kaduna State, on Wednesday dismissed a of defamation filed against an engineer, Sulaiman Kabala, who allegedly called his neighbour a witch,

    The Judge, Murtala Nasir, dismissed the case, after the complainant, Salamatu Sani,70, wrote to the court on Aug. 22, sent informing it of her request to withdraw the suit.

    The Judge said that under  Section 156 (2) of the Kaduna State Sharia Penal Code 2002,the court  has the authority to dismiss such cases as requested by the complainant.

    Earlier, the defendant, Sulaiman Kabala, an engineer, through his Counsel, Denis Usman told the court that his client has obliged to the complainant’s request.

    NAN reports that Kabala, 37, who lives at Kabala Coustin, Kaduna, was charged with two counts of defamation and threat to life which contravened sections 137 and 232 of Kaduna State Penal Code, 2002.

    Sani, told the court that on Aug. 6, Kabala threatened to kill her with a knife.

    She claimed that Kabala, accused her of making his daughter ill.

    ”He called me a witch. I have witnesses and I am ready to present them”, Sani said.

    NAN

  • NBA conference condemns sexual harassment of female lawyers by senior colleagues

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs Mia Essien, on Tuesday decried sexual harassment of female lawyers by their senior colleagues, urging that lawyers’ Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) should condemn sexual assault and bullying.

    Essien, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Legal Practice (NBA-LP), made the call at the Showcase Session of the 59th NBA Annual General Conference (AGC) at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.

    The session had the topic: “Bullying and Sexual Harassment in the Legal Community”.

    “There are situations where senior lawyers travel with junior female colleagues and make no hotel reservations for such females,” she said.

    She said that such females ended up in the rooms of their principals, who deliberately did so to sexually exploit them.

    According to Essien, while the RPC talks about ethical conduct for legal practitioners, it says nothing about sexual harassment or bullying of lawyers.

    “I urge the NBA to ensure an amendment of the RPC to reflect these issues,” she said.

    Essien said that lawyers were expected to know that sexual harassment and bullying were condemnable and thus, should conduct themselves in the most ethical manner.

    The senior advocate said that there was a difference between bullying and correction of a junior colleague, which she described as a key element of legal practice.

    “It is important to be courteous as a lawyer; courtesy demands that you offer your seat to a senior colleague who is standing up in court, and also to speak with respect to seniors.

    Another panelist in the session, Mr Ogaga Emoghwaren, described sexual harassment as an unsolicited, unwelcomed and unexpected sexual advance to elicit unwanted sexual relationship.

    He described bullying as the act of intimidating a weaker person to make him to do something against his will.

    Ogaga said that although sexual harassment of lawyers by their seniors in courtrooms was not common, there existed sexual harassment in law firms.

    “I encountered a situation where a young female lawyer ran out of her principal’s office crying; when I interrogated her, she described her principal as a beast who just raped her,” he said.

    According to Ogaga, unwillingness of victims to open up, made sexual harassment and abuse to be increasing.

    He noted the young female lawyer who was allegedly raped, refused to formally complaint for fear of sack.

    Ogaga also blamed the situation on poor enforcement of laws against sexual abuse.

    “Although there is a law criminalising the offence of rape; more proactive measures must be put in place to tackle the menace,” he said.

    Another panelist in the session, Mrs Awulika Osuigwe, said that sexual molestation in workplaces had been going on unnoticed due to poor reportage.

    She advised that females should report acts such as slapping of their buttocks by men.

    On bullying at workplace, she claimed that it was mostly done against females, most of whom were not afforded opportunities like their male counterparts.

    She described it as gender discrimination.

    “Sometimes, a principal will prefer to take a trip with a male colleague, and the excuse is that the female may not be intellectually capable.

    “In some places, married women are given specific periods for pregnancy, if they must keep their jobs,” she said.

    Osuigwe described the acts as gender bias, calling for a change of attitude by employees and superiors.

    Chief Assam Assam, also a panelist in the session, said that bullying also thrived in courtrooms and among judges.

    “I encountered a scenario where two members of the bench sitting on appeal, engaged in a face-off and rained abuses on each other before a full courtroom,” he said.

    According to him, some judges bully lawyers appearing before them.

    “For a person to be appointed a judge, he must be psychologically checked,” he said.

    In his remarks, the NBA President, Mr Paul Usoro, gave the assurance that in the next one year, his administration would take steps to adequate address the issues.

    He advised lawyers to make complaints about sexual harassment for measures to be taken.

    NAN reports that the International Bar Association Report was launched during the session by its President, Mr Horatio Neto of Brazil.

    The 59th NBA-AGC had the theme: “Facing the Future”.

    About 10,000 people are participating at the six-day conference to end on Thursday.

    NAN

  • Court refuses to grant Sowore’s application challenging detention

    By Taiye Agbaje

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, refused to grant the motion filed by Mr Omoyele Sowore, Convener, #RevolutionNow protests, challenging his detention for 45 days by the Department of State Security (DSS).

    Justice Nkeonye Maya, who declined all applications by Counsel to Sowore,, Mr Femi Falana , SAN, sent the case back to Justice Taiwo Taiwo for further hearing.

    Falana, who had asked the court to set aside the exparte order granted by Justice Taiwo, also applied for oral bail when Justice Maha rejected the earlier application.

    Sowore. who is presently in detention had, on Aug 9, approached the court, seeking an order to vacate the ex parte order that gave the DSS the legal backing to detain him for 45 days.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Taiwo Taiwo had, in a ruling on Aug. 8 in an exparte application, ordered Sowore’s detention for the said period to enable the DSS carry out and conclude its investigation on allegations levied against him.

    The DSS had also, on Aug. 20, challenged the court order, allowing it to detain Sowore for 45 days against its request of 90 days pending investigation.

    NAN