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South West
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Politicians responsible for rot in judiciary, says Fayemi
Police stop Okada riders’ protest
KEMI OLAITAN
FRANCIS SUBERU
IBADAN
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he Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has laid the blame for the rot in the nation’s judiciary on the doorstep of politicians, saying they paid judges and lawyers to protect their interests. Fayemi, who stated this in Ibadan while speaking with journalists during a condolence visit to the family of the late Justice Kayode Eso, said the judiciary has become the microcosm of the Nigerian society,
whereby one cannot attack the judiciary without attacking the politicians. He said if those at the bench could do a quarter of what the late legal luminary did while in active service, “we will not be complaining of the troubles we have in the judiciary today.” His words: “Nigeria has missed a colossus of integrity, uprightness and decency. I can never find the right word to describe him, but all I can say is that people should try as much as possible to walk in the path he tread, because that is what has been lacking in
our country. “If we all do half of what he did to bring honour and credibility to the judiciary, Nigeria will not be where it is today. We all know what is going on in the judiciary now. “It is saddening to note that the judiciary has become the microcosm of the Nigeria society, we cannot attack the judiciary without attacking the politicians, because some of them give those in the judiciary incentives to be corrupt, we cannot isolate all these things that have bedeviled our country, but
we must restore hope to our country.” Fayemi said Justice Eso represented the very best in terms of integrity and character and speaks the truth at all times.” He continued: “He demonstrated what it meant to be a forthright person. He was always on the side of the truth and justice and he inspired many of us. He was a rare commodity in Nigeria of today, he was one of the people you can be referred to as a mentor in the truest sense of the word, who at all times you could count on to say the truth.
“As somebody who has gone through the crucible of the courts in Nigeria and in my own struggle as a democrat, papa was our unsolicited consultant, because he took it upon himself to monitor what was going on with my case, as he believed that I was on the side of the truth, that was why you can see people thronging here to pay homage to truth, courage, justice and decency. “I can tell you that Hon. Kayode Eso, in all respect, I knew how revered he was in the circle of the international community of jurists.”
Pensioners beg Amosun to pay them 19 months’ gratuities FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA
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embers of the Ogun State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) yesterday appealed to the state government to pay their 19 months gratuity that had been stopped since May, 2010. The pensioners also called on Governor Ibikunle Amosun, to use his position as the executive governor of the state to enforce the payment of all the outstanding arrears accruing from 2007 till date. Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abeokuta, to commemorate the 2012 National Pensioners Day, the unions’ state Chairman, Chief Kessington Odukoya, called on the authorities concerned to make the report of its 2010/2011 verifications exercise open, which he said had been shrouded in secrecy. Stressing that the union has being in good relationship with the state government, the chairman further said that it was not unmindful of the huge amount of unpaid gratuity inherited by the present administration. The pensioners, however, appealed to Governor Amosun to gear up the monthly release in respect of the outstanding gratuity. “We are not unmindful of the huge amount of unpaid gratuity inherited by the present administration, yet we want to seize this opportunity to appeal to the government to gear up the monthly release in respect of outstanding gratuity. The last payment was in respect of May, 2010.”
Participants at a protest against the Lagos Traffic Law organised by the Joint Action Forum to mark the International Human Rights Day in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA
Obasanjo lauds Aregbesola, unveils Ige’s statue WALE FOLARIN OSOGBO
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ormer President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday commended Governor Rauf Aregebesola for the works he is doing in Osun State just as he showered encomium on his late Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige. The occasion was the visit of the Owu Foundation delegation led by Obasanjo to Aregbesola in the state capital where he unveiled the new statue of the late governor of old Oyo State built at the entrance of the Governor’s Office in Osogbo. This was just as Aregbesola said that it is not for nothing that people of the
Obasanjo
South-West have always called for true federalism because by their nature, the Yoruba people flourish on federalism. Obasanjo came in company with delegate of Owu Development Foundation, ODF, in respect of a rift over the Orile-Owu stool. While unveiling the statue, Obasanjo commended Aregbesola for deeming it fit to honour Ige whom he described as a rare Yoruba personality. He said: “Ige was a national leader. Especially in the South-West, his impact was highly commendable. It is a representation of the remembrance of a high calibre Yoruba personality whose efforts for the advancement of his people will always remain in the sands of time.” Aregbesola said that once the powers that be recognises in the Yoruba people a lover of federalism and freedom, they would find the Yoruba the best of people to befriend and be with.
He said: “Yoruba thrive on federalism. What I want the country to know is the fact that as far as our autonomy and freedom are recognised, we could be the best any people could have as neighbours. “But every effort to infringe on our freedom and autonomy would breed tragedy and disaster. For as long as people do not recognise this salient fact to the extent that we even fought ourselves to defend our autonomous existence, Yoruba can be best of people. “We defend our rights, be it political, social or economical or cultural. This is the essence of our initiative on regional integration. And I want to believe that in the innate part of Chief Obasanjo’s mind, he supports our integration agenda.” Aregbesola also extolled the virtues of the former president, saying every Yoruba man must be proud of his achievements, which explains why the Osun State Government accord-
ed him honour which he rightly deserved. He said: “It is not for nothing that Chief Obasanjo is a Yoruba person. As a Yoruba man, we must be proud of his achievements. “It is in recognition of your feat as individual as a Yoruba person that we have deemed it necessary and important to accord you the respect.” In his remark, Obasanjo said the kingship tussle is an unfinished matter, saying his visit was to intimate the governor of the progress report on the matter. The former President disclosed that his mission in the state is for peaceful resolution of the kingship tussle in Orile-Owu. He said: “I was here to visit and intimate you with the progress we have recorded over the leadership tussle in Orile-Owu. When I was called to intervene, I discovered that things were drifting and we needed to arrest the situation before it degenerates.”
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he planned protest by commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as ‘Okada’ riders, yesterday met a brick wall as the protest was halted after an address by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Tunde Shobulo, who led armed mobile and regular policemen to stop the protest. The Okada operators had planned to register their grievances by protesting against the new Lagos Traffic Law which prohibited them from operating on 475 routes within the Lagos metropolis. The riders had converged in large numbers at the Labour House, Yaba, around 8.00am and were planning to march to the Lagos State Government House, Alausa, Ikeja; but they had only got to Agege area when the protest was peacefully halted. The protest was coordinated by the Joint Action Forum (JAF) and supported by civil society groups, led by Aremu Abiodun and Ayodele Akele.
N168m scam: My invitation not conviction –Ogun Speaker FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA
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he Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi, yesterday said that his invitation to appear before the Head of the Investigation team of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the inflation of contract was not a conviction, but rather a routine exercise of the commission. The Speaker, who was reacting to reports which said he has been indicted in the process that led to the procurement of official cars for the 28 lawmakers in the state, also said that he was not worried about the invitation as the procurement of the cars followed due process. Adekumbi, who spoke yesterday through his Special Assistant on Media, Akinola Waheed, also declared that he was ready to answer to any question bothering on the petition by those he called “faceless petitioners.”