news Lagos 43
Thursday, January 1, 2015
N47.1bn: Appeal Court Strikes Out Charge Against Akingbola, Dada By Gbenga Soyele, Lagos
The Court of Appeal in Lagos yesterday struck out the N47.1 billion theft charge brought against former managing director of the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc, Dr Erastus Akingbola by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The court in a unanimous decision held that the Lagos State
High Court where Akingbola and one of his associates, Bayo Dada are currently standing trial lacks the jurisdiction to conduct the trial. Specifically, the appellate court held that the subject matter of the alleged offences relates to banking operations and operations of capital issues which fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
The court came to the conclusion while ruling on an appeal filed by Akingbola and Dada challenging the ruling of Justice Lateef LawalAkapo of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja in which the lower court assumed jurisdiction over the matter. The two former bank chiefs had through their lawyers, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Prof Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), filed two
separate applications, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the 22-count charge filed against them by the EFCC. But Justice Lawal-Akapo in his ruling delivered on May 2, 2014 dismissed the applications, holding that the charges preferred against the defendants were within the court's competence and purview to determine. Dissatisfied, the two men had
filed two separate appeals against the ruling and urged the Appeal Court to set it aside. The appellate court in its lead judgement delivered by Justice Amina Aguie (presiding) adopted by other members of the panel, Justice Samuel Oseji and Justice Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo, held that the lower court judge took a narrow view of the matter when he assumed jurisdiction on the matter.
Lagos Seals Off Church For Detaining 2 Officials Lagos State government has sealed off Sunrise Cathedral Church located in Ikotun area of the state for detaining two of its environmental officers who went to the church to instruct the authorities to abate noise pollution from the church. Our correspondent learnt that the officials were detained on the orders of the pastor of church, while carrying out their official assignment after the residents of the area had written to the government to intervene in the nuisance constituted by the church. Following the visit of the officials to the church, they were detained for about three hours before a task force went to their rescue. The driver of the bus the government officials came in was said to have waited for hours outside the gate and had to call the office having noticed that the two staff were not coming out of the church. Piqued by this act, the church was shut down by the state government for detaining the officials and for failing to abate the nuisance. Confirming the incident, the Lagos commissioner for environment, Mr Tunji Bello said, “Upon the receipt of complaints on noise pollution from the church, our officers had gone to carry out monitoring exercise in the premises with a view to encouraging abatement of the nuisance. "However, the pastor of the church and his wife not only prevented them from doing this but also manhandled them and locked them up for up to three hours. “But for the wisdom of the driver who called and informed the office, these officers would have remained in the church custody. It took the intervention of the Task Force on Environmental Offences to secure their release.” Bello, who said the state government would not tolerate environmental abuses, urged all to carry out their businesses and activities with respect for the rights of others. He said the church would be made to respect the laws as no individual or organisation has the right to take the laws in their own hands. By George Okojie, Lagos
Consumers shopping for the New Year at Oshodi-Mafoluku road, Oshodi, Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO BY BENEDICT UWALAKA.
2015: 'Year Of Total Liberation For Nigerian Masses' By Taiwo Ogunmola-Omilani, Lagos
The speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Adeyemi Ikuforiji has described this new year, 2015, as the year of total liberation for the suffering masses of Nigeria. In his New Year message signed by Mr Rotimi Adebayo, his chief press secretary, Ikuforiji declared: " To all Nigerians, who have suffered untold hardship under the strangulating rule of the PDP-controlled federal government in the past 16 years, it is with immense joy in my heart that I say a big congratulations, and welcome to this brand new year 2015, which promises to be the year of total liberation for our people." "As we all make it to this new year 2015, which would not have been possible but
for the grace of the Almighty God over us all, we all should give thanks to God for His abundant mercies over us despite the excruciating pains that our people have suffered. And then, we should all be ready to celebrate this year which I am sure will be the year of total liberation for all Nigerians from all the numerous ills that made life miserable for our people since the PDPled federal government came to power in 1999, " Ikuforiji said. "Now that the Almighty God has made it possible for us all to be alive to witness this new year, which incidentally turns out to be another general election year, what is expected of our people is for them to gird their loins and make up their minds to vote for for a completely new federal government in order to witness total change
at the top," he added. Continuing, Ikuforiji said, "What that move demands from all Nigerians is for them to vote massively for General Buhari and Prof Yemi Osinbajo, his running mate, and all the candidates of our political party, the All Progressives Congress, at all levels". He noted that this will amount to total liberation for the Nigerian masses from the massive corruption, abject poverty, lack, homelessness, worsening blackouts, over-dependence on imported petroleum products, massive youths' unemployment, worsening insecurity nationwide and crass impunity at the highest level of government in the land, which have continued to render Nigerians poorer and hopeless since 1999.
2015: We Need Govt That Caters For Workers – Union By Taiwo Ogunmola-Omilani, Lagos
The national president of the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), Comrade Lateef Oyelekan has said that the union will only support a government that will cater for Nigerian workers.
Speaking at the Delegates Conference of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) in Lagos, the union said that Nigerian workers should only cast their votes for those candidates that would make life better for them. "I want to say here that we are not partisan and have no allegiance to any party, but we would only support any party that distinguishes it-
self as a government of workers and anyone who will support workers to have food on their table", he said. Oyelekan, who noted that his union has supported government in its employment generation by providing jobs for almost 100 Nigerians, lamented that government, however, has not been supportive. He stated that the union with
its lean resources spends between N3million and N4millon every month to keep its businesses running. "It is government that should solve the electricity problem; we have played our part and if we in our small capacity are spending so much, I wonder how much the bigger players are spending".