THE NIGERIAN
5 MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013
News Group Demands Apology From UMUAHIA- The Civil LiberChief Judge ties Organisation (CLO), Abia chapter, has called on the acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Shadrach Nwanosike, to apologise to the people for falsifying his age. Mr Pedro Azuogu, the Chairman of the organisation, made the demand during an interview with newsmen in Umuahia. Azuogu was reacting to the directive by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for Nwanosike to proceed on compulsory retirement after he was found guilty of age falsification. “It is unfortunate that His Lordship towed that inglorious path to elongate his stay in office. “On the side of law, what has happened is a case of perjury and I sympathise with him,” the chairman said. He said the NJC was right in taking such decision after proper scrutiny of all available documents. Azuogu said the council had already given him a soft landing by telling him to resign instead of outright dismissal, which he said would have been a colossal loss.
“It is not fair that he who protects the law defiles it. He should apologise to Nigerians and the NJC on its part should let the matter be,” he said. He said the crime of false declaration of age was phenomenal in the country, adding: “It is not such offence you curb by law but through ethical re-orientation.” Azuogu advocated for an ethical re-orientation on the issue of false declaration of age by public servants. Meanwhile, the Judiciary Monitoring Committee of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Aba branch, has called for the prosecution of Nwanosike over the matter. Chief Ukpai Ukairo, the Chairman of the committee, said such disciplinary action would serve as deterrent to others who might contemplate doing same. He said the action of the acting chief judge had brought to fore the rot in the state judicial system. “The acting chief judge should not only resign but also be prosecuted because falsification of age is a criminal offence.
“We commend the NJC for the steps it has taken and this will serve as a deterrent to other judges involved in criminal activities,” he said. The news of the compulsory retirement of Nwanosike came when he was billed for a jail delivery in Aba Prisons. Efforts to get the Chief Registrar, Mrs Nnena Ndukwe, to comment on the development failed as she declined comments. The NJC, under the chairmanship of Justice Aloma Mukhtar, had during a two-day meeting in Abuja established that the acting chief judge falsified his age and subsequently recommended his compulsory retirement.
R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, former Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora and former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake (middle), during the 3rd Day Fidau prayer for Governor Fashola’s father, Late pa Ibrahim Ademola Bayo Fashola at Ladipo Labinjo Street, Surulere recently.
Culpable Homicide: Court Remands
MAKURDI- A Makurdi Magistrates’ Court has remanded two men standing trial for alleged criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide. The police prosecutor, Patrick Sunday, told the court that one Hannah Boshen of Yandev Street
in the Wadata area of Makurdi, reported the matter to the police. “Boshen’s sister-in-law, Nnena Boshen of the same address, reported that her husband, Mr Tertsea Boshen, went to Udei village but called later to say he had been kidnapped.
2 Persons
“Boshen told his wife that he was taken to a bush in Adaka village by some persons who conspired with one Torhide Akosu, a friend of his, and forced him to drink mixture sus-
Electoral Commission To Introduce Call Centres ENUGU- The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) has said that it would introduce call centres during the November 2 council polls in the state. The ENSIEC Chairman, Dr Boniface Eneh, who spoke at the release of the 2013 election timetables in Enugu, said the centres would help to ensure free, fair, credible and violencefree elections. Eneh said the centres would be equipped with communication gadgets to receive complaints from electorate with a view to tackling them. “We are trying to liaise with an international organisation to help us in organising call centres, where we will be attending to the challenges of the electorate as they come. “It is going to be a replica of what INEC is doing,’’ he said. He said the commission, with the approval of INEC, would
introduce more polling units in the state to bring them closer to the electorate. Eneh said the commission had visited the 2,959 polling centres in the state to ensure that they were actually polling centres. “We will make sure that election materials are not delivered to anybody’s house, which has been disguised as polling centre,’’ he said. The chairman said that candidates for the chairmanship and councillorship posts would
pay a non-refundable fee of N200, 000 and N50, 000, respectively. He said that the processes for the elections would last from September 20 to October 29. Mr Steve Oruruo, Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Enugu state chapter, commended the commission for the early release of the timetable. Oruruo assured the citizens of the state of the party’s commitment to present reliable candidates, who would deliver dividends of democracy if elected.
“We will make choices that will be of interest to our people. We want to continue enjoying peace in this state. “We will sensitise our people appropriately to work according to the guidelines,’’ Oruruo assured. Mr Thompson Orji, who represented APGA, Enugu State, said ENSIEC should ensure that enough policemen were on duty at the polling centres. “We want a free and fair election. If we see that the elections are free, fair and credible, there will be no point writing peti-
tions or going to court. “We hope that security agencies will work effectively to ensure that opposition parties are not stampeded,’’ Orji said. Some members of the civil society group, who spoke at the occasion, appealed to the commission, stakeholders, media and security agencies to ensure that the elections were peaceful.
pected to be poison. “The victim was later found unconscious and taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, where he died.’’ The police said that investigation led to the arrest of Akosu of No. 24, Yandev Street, Wadata, and Tersoo Abayol of No. 12, Zaki-Biam Street, Wadata, over the alleged crime. The prosecutor said that chlorine and alum were recovered in the home of Abayol following police investigation. When the case came up for mention, the plea of the accused persons was not taken for lack of jurisdiction. The prosecution said investigation into the matter was still in progress and requested for another date to mention the case. The Magistrate, Mrs Lillian Terseer-Tsumba, adjourned the case to September 19 for mention.
Use Pilgrimage For Spiritual Transformation, Commission Advises of the North-West zone of the KADUNA- The Executive he visited Governor. Mukhtar October 28. Nigerians Secretary of Nigeria Christian Yero of Kaduna State to Opara added that arrange- commission. Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Mr John Okpara, has urged Nigerians to use pilgrimage as tool for moral and spiritual transformation. Okpara made the call when
sensitise Christians pilgrims to the Holy Land in 2013. “Ours is to use pilgrimage as a tool for moral and spiritual transformation. We are using it to bring families together and
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (3rd left), first lady of Lagos State, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola (4th left), widow of late pa Ibrahim Ademola Bayo Fashola, Mrs. Cecilia Fashola (2nd left), Alhaji Bintu Tinubu (left) and Governor Fashola’s siblings, Mrs. Arinola Fuwa (3rd right) and Ms Yinka Fashola (right) during the 3rd Day Fidau prayer for Governor Fashola’s father, late pa Ibrahim Ademola Bayo Fashola at Ladipo Labinjo Street, Surulere recently.
to pray for our nation’’, he said. He said the Federal Government had approved the exchange of one dollar to N146 for Christian and Muslim pilgrims. “ This has helped us to bring a reduction in the cost of the holy pilgrimage to Israel. Those that will be going to Israel alone would enjoy 12 per cent reduction. “Those that will be going to Rome or Greece and Israel combined will enjoy 20 per cent reduction. “ This brings the package to Israel to N358,000, while those that will be going to Rome or Greece will pay N421,000. “The physically challenged and elderly persons will pay N365,000, that is another nine per cent reduction in the total cost of the pilgrimage’, he said. According to him, the commission allocated 1,000 seats to Kaduna state pilgrims in the exercise scheduled to start in
ments were in place for Kaduna pilgrims to take off from Kaduna rather than from Abuja in order to minimise hardship and security challenges. He said the commission had introduced family pilgrimage to instill moral values in the society, particularly among youths. “We are losing our family values and system. Most of the crimes committed today are mainly committed by youths. “We believe that we can get them right. The Bible says if the foundation is not right, what can the righteous do? “ We believe that if 3050,000 Nigerians undertake this pilgrimage, and each and every one of us comes back to affect 10 to 20 lives in no distant time, millions will be affected morally and spiritually.’’ The executive secretary appealed to the State Government to redeem its bus and land pledge as part of the requirements for establishment
Responding, Governor Yero assured the commission of the state government’s support, adding that it would provide a bus and land for the north-west zone to be located in Kaduna. He emphasised the need to strengthen the relationship between Christians and Muslims, adding that such would promote peace and the development of the state. The governor expressed satisfaction with the introduction of the family pilgrimage, urging parents to use as an instrument to instill good moral upbringing in their children. “Family value is the only way we can restore our country back to the path of greatness. This is an area that we have so much neglected. “We have set aside our good cultures and traditions and have accepted some values and traditions which do not add value to us. They only destroy us’’, he said.