Disobedience to court order: Commit Emefiele to prison, plaintiff tells court

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

One Olalekan Popoola, is before a Federal Capital Territory High Court, seeking imprisonment of Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, for his failure to immediately obey the order of the Supreme Court over naira redesign policy.

In suit number CV/2757/2023, the plaintiff is seeking an order of the court committing the Mr Emefiele to prisons for having disobeyed the interim order and Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Appeal No: SC/CV/162/2023 between Attorney General of Kaduna State and nine orders against the Attorney General of the Federation amd 2 Orders.

My Popoola, also wants the court to declare that the subsequent or any compliance by the Defendant with the interim orders and Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Appeal No: SC/CV/162/2023 between Attorney General of Kaduna State & 9 Ors v. AttorneyGeneral of the Federation & 2 Ors does not operate to exculpate him of the earlier disobedience of the interim orders and Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria at the material times.

He told the court, “the Defendant, while holding office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on 26” October, 2022 issued a directive introducing new N200, N500 and N1000 bank notes.

“Based on the policy/ directives, the termination date of use of the old N200, N500 and N1000 bank notes was set to be 31* day of January, 2023.

“Some aggrieved State approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria in its Original

Jurisdiction, whereupon the Supreme Court made interim order directing that the old N200, NS00 and N1000 will continue to be legal tender in Nigeria.

“Also, on 8th February, 2023 the Supreme Court also made an interim order and also on 3rd March, 2023 the Supreme Court delivered its Judgment in Appeal No: SC/CV/162/2023 between Attorney General of Kaduna State & 9 Ors v. Attorne i . Y General of the Federation & 2 Ors, that the old N200, N500 and N1000 will continue to be a legal tender in Nigeria eria.

“The Defendant, as the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria is the party saddled with the responsibility of comply with the orders of the Supreme Court by ensuring, amongst other things, that the “old version of 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes shall continue to be legal tender alongside with the new or redesigned version until 31 12 2023”.

“The Defendant is directly affected by the Orders of the Supreme Court and has the duty to ensure the “reception of old 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes and the swapping of same with new naira notes shall continue till 31% December, 2023.”

“The Defendant has a duty and legal obligation to obey the Orders of the Supreme Court. The Defendant deliberately disobeyed the Orders of the Supreme Court.

“The Defendant did not comply with the interim orders of the Supreme Court made on 8th February, 2023 or the Judgment of the Supreme Court made on 3rd March, 2023.

The action of the Defendant is illegal and amounted to disobedience to Orders of the Court, for which he is liable to be committed to prison.

L –R , Vice President , Women Development , Abuja Chambers of Commerce and Industry , Mrs. Rose Nwosu ; Director General , Governors Forum , Asishana Okauru ; Nate Okauru ; former Executive Chairman , Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) , Mrs. Ifueku Omoigui –Okauru and the Executive Secretary , Guaranty Trust Bank , Oseni Elamah at the 2nd. Memorial mass service of Dr. Nowamagbe Austin Omoigui held at the Holy Trinity Church Maitama , Abuja ….yesterday ( 18th.

APRIL 2023 )

Group sensitises civil society, humanitarian workers on mental health

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Good Deeds, a global movement of people dedicated to doing good has sensitised civil society organisations and humanitarian workers on mental health and selfcare while providing humanitarian services.

The Focal Person of the group in Kaduna State, Mrs Itama Okhuelegbe, said at the event in Kaduna, that the exercise was to also appreciate civil society and humanitarian workers for their selfless service to humanity.

The event was organised in collaboration with the Thinkers Children Foundation, as part of activities to mark the 2023 Good Deeds Day.

Okhuelegbe explained that the Good Deeds Day sought to promote people giving back to their community, thereby promoting harmonious relationships among people.

She said that since 2007, Good Deeds Day had been uniting people from around the world with the aim of spurring them to help others and do good for their communities.

“The act of charity and good deeds towards people in need, or communities in despair, is never forgotten by their recipients.

“Today, we are celebrating civil society organisations, individuals and groups rendering humanitarian services first responders to people in need, putting smiles on people’s faces and keeping families together.

“We want to thank groups and individuals that have been rendered selfless help to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, marginalised, neglected, and exploited groups.

“We want more people to become ambassadors of doing good things to those in need in whatever way they can – feeding the hungry, providing shelter to the homeless, and clothing the poor, among other good deeds,” she said.

While acknowledging the good deeds of humanitarian service providers, Okhuelegbe, however, stressed the need for humanitarian and development workers to also care for themselves to avoid mental breakdown.

On his part, Mr Peter Ebeh, Senior Psychologist with Neem Foundation, Kaduna Office, described mental health as emotional, psychological and social wellbeing of people.

According to him, mental health affects how people think, feel, and behave.

“It particularly determines how people handle stress, anxiety, depression, and insecurity; how they relate to others and the kind of choices they make”, he said.

He pointed out that with too

This Honourable Court has the jurisdiction to enforce the orders/Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria by committing the Defendant to prison. . There is need to enforce the Orders/ Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria by committing the Defendant to prison.”

Sickle Cell: Government tasked to sensitize citizens

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Founder of Sickle Cell Patients Health Promotion Centerville (SCPHPC) Kaduna Hajiya Badiya Magaji

Inuwa has called on the federal and state governments to rise to the challenge of ensuring proper sensitization about sickle cell disease among Nigerians much demand on the humanitarian workers, they could encounter stress, which in the long run, would affect their mental health.

She asserted this while speaking to our Correspondent in Kaduna yesterday.

According to her, Sickle cell anaemia is a terminal disease so should be accorded the same importance like Malaria and HIV/AIDS.

She expressed dismay that the government at all levels are not given the required attentions.

Hajiya Badiya stressed the need for government to make Nigerians go for their genotype tests before marriage, as a way of reducing the disease in the country.

She noted that those suffering from sickle cell disease needs to be shown love and care as a way of encouraging them to fight the disease.

“People need to know that in the attempt to do good and extend a helping hand without taking care of themselves, they may end up in a dysfunctional mental state.

“There is, therefore, the need for people to balance their work with self-care, to be able to function normally and maintain stable mental health,” he said.

One of the participants, Mr Sunday Awulu, Secretary, Kaduna State Branch, Nigerian Red Cross, acknowledged the absence of a balance between humanitarian work in the field and the workers’ self-care.

Awulu identified psychological stress due to pressure to meet set targets as one of the major causes of mental breakdown among humanitarian workers.

Hajiya Badiya also called for support for parents and relatives of those living with sickle cell disease, stressing that majority of them pass through great challenges while taking care of their family suffering from the disease.

She explained that SCPHPC has gone into collaboration with those living with sickle cell to create more awareness of what those living with the disease pass through and the need for all to come together to support and help them where necessary.

She urged the National Assembly to have a legislative law that would give special attention to sickle cell patients and provide affordable treatment for them, saying many were facing stigmatization in society.