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Court Sacks Ekiti Oba Over Improper Selection Process

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The High Court of Justice, Ikole Ekiti Division , has removed the Owa of Odo Ayedun Ekiti, Oba Ilesanmi Ajibade over gross abuse of tradition in his selection process.

The Court upheld the position canvassed by the Claimant, Prince Adekunle Adeniyi that he remains the most appropriate person for the coveted seat, having participated in the selection process conducted by six kingmakers in the town.

Adeniyi in the suit number HCL/12/09 filed at the Registry of the Court on July 10, 2013 , sought a declaration nullifying the selection of Oba Ajibade(15th respondent) and an order directing the Governor of the State (10th respondent ) to approve the nomination of the claimant.

Other reliefs sought include: a declaration that the appointments of the warrant chiefs(11th to 14th defendants) was illegal and an order setting aside the nomination of the15th respondent( Oba Ajibade) .

Joined in the suit as respondents were: Pastor Isaac Aluko(1st), Chief Aribisala(2nd), Chief Olu Areola (3rd), Chief Kayode Osho(4th), Chief Amos Jegede (5th) and Miss Oyenike Ojo (6th).

Others include: The Secretary, Ikole Local Government(7th), Special Adviser, Chieftaincy Matters(8th), Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice(9th), Governor of Ekiti State(10th) Mr Joseph Oluyi(11th), Mr Aderemi Akinola(12th), Mr Adeniyi Oluyi(13th), Mr Mike
Farunmona(14th) and Oba Ilesanmi Ajibade( 15th respondent)

The claimant called two witnesses during the trial and tendered three Exhibits, which include a programme of coronation and official presentation of staff of office ,a letter from Odo Ayedun kingmakers to the claimant for him to fill the vacant stool, a letter from the claimant to the office Director of Civil Litigation , Ministry of Justice and another letter from the claimant to the late Elekole of Ikole Ekiti, Oba Adeleye Adetunla, who is the supreme head in the
area.

The claimant also claimed that setting aside his nomination for the coveted seat by the kingmakers and set up another selection process where the 15th respondent was ‘wrongful nominated’ was illegal , null and void.

Delivering his judgement on June 28, 2016 , a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti ,on Monday, Justice Abiodun Adesodun agreed with the position canvassed by the claimant that the selection of the 15th respondent was illegally done.

“It is my humble opinion that conducting the selection process on the 29/1/10 during the pendency of this case by the defendants was in contempt of this court. They cannot now approach the court for redress without purging themselves of the contempt.

“The whole exercise , that is the appointment of warrant chiefs , the second nomination exercise of 29th January , 2010 and the appointment of the15th defendant, from the circumstances of this case and the evidence on record is nothing short of an exercise in futility.

“Come to think of it, the 15th defendant was purportedly appointed or elected Owa elect on 29th January, 2010 and his appointment was approved 3rd February 2010 five days after the election contrary to section 13(2) of the Chief Law which stipulated mandatory 21 days, why the hurry in this case?”, the judge queried.

Justice Adesodun added that the claimant has been able to establish his case based on the pleadings and the totality of evidence before the court as to entitle to him reliefs sought.

“It is hereby declared that the selection of the claimant to fill the vacant stool of Owa of Odo Ayedun is valid and legal. It is equally declared that the notice of intention to set aside the nomination of the claimant to the vacant stool of Owa of Odo Ayedun is illegal, null and void.

“I also grant an order directing the 10th defendant to approve the nomination of the claimant as the Owa of Odo Ayedun, I also declared that the nomination of the 11th -14th defendants as warrant chiefs is null and void.

“I also grant a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants, privies or any other person from appointing warrant chiefs or taking any further step to disturb the nomination of the Claimant as Owa of Odo Ayedun.

“On the whole, the claimant’s action succeeds,” Justice Adesodun declared.

The Judge told the parties to bear their own cost.

BIG STORY

Detained Binance Executive Gambaryan Drags EFCC, NSA To Court

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Tigran Gambaryan, the CEO of Binance who is currently in detention, has claimed that he has been violated in his fundamental human rights by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission and Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser.

Gambaryan, in an originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24 sought a declaration that his detention and seizure of his international travel passport, contravened Section 35 (1) and (4) of 1999 Constitution.

He urged the court to order the NSA and the EFCC to release him from their custody and return his international travel passport with immediate effect.

Gambaryan also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further detaining him in relation to any investigation into or demands from Binance.

He also urged the court to order the respondents to issue a public apology to him.

Gambaryan averred that he was in Nigeria alongside fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla to honour the invitation of the ONSA and EFCC to discuss issues relating to Binance in Nigeria.

Anjarwalla escaped from the guest house where he and Gambaryan were being held

He argued that he had not committed any offence during the meeting, and neither was he informed in writing of any offence he personally committed in Nigeria at any other time.

“The only reason for his detention is because the government is requesting information from Binance and making demands on the company,” he added.

The fleeing Anjarwalla also filed a similar suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/355/24.

At the proceedings on Thursday, T.J. Krukrubo (SAN) appeared for the plaintiffs, while the respondents had no representation.

Krukrubo informed the court that the respondents were served two days ago.

Shortly after that, he announced to the court that he was withdrawing from the matter as counsel for the fleeing Anjarwalla.

He did not give reasons for his withdrawal.

The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, adjourned the matter till April 8.

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BIG STORY

President Tinubu’s 50-Member Emergency Teams Get Six Months To Fix Economy

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Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Wednesday established a 31-man Presidential Economic Coordination Council comprising himself, the Vice President, Senate President and the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, among others.

A 19-member Economic Management Team Emergency Taskforce was also formed by Tinubu, who gave them instructions to convene twice a week and produce a detailed six-month plan of economic interventions by 2024.

The Federal Executive Council gave its approval to the Economic Management Team Emergency Taskforce on Monday.

The President ordered that the six-month plan be put into action right away, within two weeks of the EET’s inauguration.

The EET comprises ministers, four governors and some members of the economic management team as well as the private sector.

The EET is to report to the Presidential Economic Coordination Council headed by Tinubu.

The PECC comprises 13 ministers, the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Yemi Cardoso, and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, among others.

The council also includes 13 persons drawn from the organised private sector including Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; UBA Chairman, Mr. Tony Elumelu; BUA Founder, Abdulsamad Rabiu, among others. The members of the organised private sector would serve on the council for a one-year tenure.

Tuesday’s move is “in furtherance of his administration’s efforts at re-engineering the nation’s economic governance framework,” the Presidency said in a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu establishes comprehensive economic coordination and planning system for Nigeria.’

It comes weeks after the President created an economic advisory committee comprising the federal government, sub-nationals and the private sector, on February 25.

Upon assuming office 10 months ago, the Tinubu administration discontinued subsidies on petrol, which, he said, would save the government monies for infrastructural expansion.

He also unified the foreign exchange rates to curb currency arbitrage.

However, these moves sparked major instability in the value of the naira and heaped hardship on Nigerians as food prices soared.

In February 2024, N1,900 was exchanged for one USD in the black market.

The naira has recently seen a steady climb against the US dollar, exchanging N1,300/$ at the official market on Wednesday.

Ngelale who announced the economy-focused initiatives said the setting up of the PECC and the EET was a strategic move to ensure robust and coordinated economic planning and implementation to tackle the challenges head-on.

Members of the PECC include President Tinubu as Chairman, Vice President Kashim Shettima as Vice-Chairman; President of the Nigerian Senate; Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum; Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security; Aviation and Aerospace Development and Budget and Economic Planning.

Others include Ministers of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; Industry, Trade and Investment; Labour and Employment; Marine and Blue Economy; Power; State, Petroleum Resources; State, Gas; Ministers of Transportation and Works.

Other members representing the organised private sector include Ms. Amina Maina, Mr. Begun Ajayi-Kadir, Mrs. Funke Okpeke and Dr. Doyin Salami, Mr. Patrick Okigbo, Mr. Kola Adesina, Mr. Segun Agbaje, Mr. Chidi Ajaere, Mr. Abdulkadir Aliu and Mr. Rasheed Sarumi.

Tinubu mandated the EET to formulate and implement a consolidated emergency economic plan in “furtherance of the President’s collaborative approach toward achieving economic resilience and growth.”

Members include the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance who serves as Chairman, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Minister of Power, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.

Others are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, National Security Adviser, Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor of Anambra State, and Governor of Ogun State.

The Governor of Niger State, Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, GCEO, NNPC Limited, Director-General, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Economists, Dr. Bismarck Rewane and Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa are also members.

On the operations of the EET, the Presidency said “Over the next six months, the EET will focus on the rapid implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of critical initiatives, strengthening the Tinubu-led administration’s collective approach to advancing Nigeria’s economic objectives.”

It also revealed that the Economic Management Team, established in October 2023, and chaired by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, would serve as the working group under the PECC, “playing a crucial role in the economic governance structure established by the president.”

Consequently, the Economic Management Team, which traditionally meets monthly or as required, will suspend all meetings for the duration of the EET’s six-month mandate.

The EMT comprises the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, who served as its Chairman, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Minister of Works, and Minister of Labour and Employment.

Other members are Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Minister of State, Gas, Minister of Power, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

The Presidential Spokesman, Ngelale, noted that, “The Chairman of the EMT may, as needed, call on any Federal Minister or Head of Agency to brief the EMT on key programmes and developments affecting the economy.”

He noted that the President’s formation of the PECC, under his Chairmanship, alongside the creation of the EET, led by the Chairman of the EMT, and the EMT itself, manifests a unified strategy aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s economic management architecture for verifiably improved performance.

“The formation of these teams will complement existing economic governance structures, including the National Economic Council , which is chaired by the Vice-President,” the statement read.

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BIG STORY

Lagos Lawmakers Honour President Tinubu At 72 [PHOTOS]

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Lagos Lawmakers at the State House of Assembly took turns to speak glowingly of Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday as he marks his 72nd birthday on Friday.

The President was praised by the MPs for showing true leadership, in their opinion, by choosing not to celebrate his birthday in light of the national mood.

The lawmakers, however, argued that it was critical to honor the President’s accomplishments as Lagos’s governor as well as his present accomplishments, pointing out that his policies in the State have kept Lagos in the forefront of worldwide recognition.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, while praying for good health and strength for the President, noted that the successes so far achieved by Lagos can be linked to Tinubu’s wisdom and leadership capacity.

“When Asiwaju Tinubu became governor, we all know how much Lagos was earning. He successfully moved the revenue of the state from N600 million to over N8 billion in 2007. He also set in motion strategies for the upward progression of the revenue generation.

“This is not just about his birthday. It is a celebration of Lagos and where his policies have carried us. The Lagos Red Line rail project was unveiled recently and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu reiterated that the achievement can be attributed to Asiwaju who created the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) while he was governor,” Dr. Obasa said.

The Speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, to transmit a congratulatory message to the President on behalf of the lawmakers, staff and management of the Assembly.

In his contribution, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Noheem Adams, prayed that the steps currently being taken by the President would bring Nigeria out of its challenges.

While the Deputy Majority Leader, Adedamola Richard Kasunmu, described Tinubu as a compassionate leader, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh (Ajeromi-Ifelodun 1) said Tinubu’s journey has been one of successes as seen in Lagos and his current administration at the centre. He prayed that the President’s current policies will also be beneficial to every citizen.

On his part, Hon. Sylvester Ogunkelu (Epe 2) recalled how Obasa prayed in 2019 that Tinubu would be president adding that Tinubu had shown his leadership acumen by deciding not to celebrate this year’s birthday.

Hon. Foluke Osafile (Amuwo Odofin 1) commended the President’s current steps while Hon. Adewale Temitope (Ifako Ijaiye 1) prayed that God continue to direct Tinubu’s paths and also keep Lagos lawmakers soaring.

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