36 — Vanguard ,
FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013
Court bars NBA from collecting practising fee BY INNOCENT ANABA & BARTHOLOMEN MADUKWE
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, restrained ed the Nigerian Bar
Association, NBA, from collecting the newly introduced practising fee for lawyers in the country. The court ordered the association to revert to the
status quo, pending the determination of the substantial suit filed by some lawyers. Trial judge, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, made the
order, following an application for injunction by the plaintiffs counsel, Mr Tunji Gomez, praying the court to halt the collection of the new fees.
Group backs Jonathan on amnesty for Boko Haram BY FESTUS AHON
UGHELLI-PRESIDENT of Delta Political Network, DPN, Mr Princewill Ejogharado, yesterday, said there was no need for President Goodluck Jonathan to negotiate with the Boko Haram Islamic sect, noting that after careful examination of the group, it “had decided to throw its weight behind the President’s position on our Northern brothers’ agitation for amnesty
for Boko Haram.”. Ejogharado in a statement said “The President should not negotiate or grant amnesty to a faceless group, which has been killing Nigerians living in the North and until the Northern leaders and elders are able to persuade the group to come out in the open. “We berate those equating Boko Haram to the Niger
Delta militants. Niger Delta militants were not faceless. The Niger Delta militants paraded known names such as Asari Dokubo, Tompolo, Boyloaf and others. “And the quick response of the Niger Delta leaders like Chief Edwin Clark, Chief James Ibori, Chief D. Alamesiegha, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and others, who personally went into the
creeks to persuade our brothers to lay down their arms and accept the Federal Government’s hand of fellowship as proposed by then President Musa Yar’adua of blessed memory. “We appeal to the President to include other ethnic groups such as the Urhobos and the Isokos in the amnesty programme. They are being left out in the programme."
UFGGOV faults critics of Bayelsa information committee
A Socio-political pressure group based in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, United Front for Good Governance, UFGGOV, has faulted the oppositions to the newly inaugurated Committee on Public Information Management, arguing that it will greatly bridge the seeming i n f o r m a t i o n dissemination gap between the government and the public. The group in a statement in Yenagoa, by its Secretary, Mr. Timothy Kigimukumo noted with dismay, the unnecessary controversy the inauguration of the committee had generated in some sections of the media, with some fifth columnists seeing it as an attempt to pocket the media. Kigimukumo said, there was no iota of truth in the report that the governor was trying to gag the press.
From left: Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta State Governor; Elder Godsday Orubebe, Minister of Niger-Delta Affairs and Arc. Darius Ishaku, Minister of State for Niger Delta, during the Minister's courtesy call on the Governor, at the Government House Annex, Warri, yesterday.
University of Uyo disowns media report on fake doctor BY TONY NYONG
UYO-The University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Akwa Ibom State, has denied media reports that one Usen Effiong, was apprehended by the internal security of the hospital and handed over to the police on Tuesday for pretending to be a medical doctor and consulted for the hospital. The hospital said that the
media report, that the fake doctor had been consulting and attending to patients in the hospital was ‘absolutely false’ as all the doctors and other categories of medical personnel in the employment of the hospital are well trained and easily recognizable. In a statement, yesterday by Director Corporate Affairs, S.O Williams, UUTH explained that the
Akpojene withraws resignation letter as President General of IDU UGHELLI-PRESIDENT General of Isoko Development Union, IDU, Chief Gregory Akpojene, has withdrawn his resignation letter as President General of IDU. Akpojene had on February 26, 2013 resigned his position as head of the cultural body of the C M Y K
Isoko people, IDU. Akpojene in a statement, yesterday said; “You may recall that I resigned my position as the President General of IDU recently. The news of my resignation led to series of meetings of patrons and leaders of
thoughts of Isoko nation. “Arising from this intervention, I have withdrawn my resignation and will continue with my leadership of IDU. The inconveniences caused by my former announcement is highly regretted.”
said Effiong was found loitering around the Out Patient Department of the hospital and was picked up by the university’s security and handed over to the police. It said Effiong’s movement was suspicious even though he was wearing a ward coat, thereby giving people the fake impression that he was a medical personnel with the Teaching Hospital. “The attention of UUTH management, has been drawn to the news item on the arrest of a ‘’fake medical doctor ” at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo on March 26, 2013 by both print and electronic media. We wish to say that the contents of the news do not in any way represent the true position of what happened as the new casters did not bother to cross check and confirm the facts from the authorities of the University of Uyo
Plaintiffs in the suit are Mr. Seth Amaefule, Miss Amaka Aneke, Mr Celestine Nwankwo, Mr Charles OlaOni, and Mrs Tayo Arojo. They had asked the court to make an order of mandatory injunction, compelling the defendants to continuously collect the fees as it were on January 1, 2012. The plaintiffs had challenging the upward review in the practising fees for legal practitioners in the country, and averred that with the current fees regime, lawyers with less than five years standing at the Bar, were now to pay N10,000, as against N2, 000 the previous fees. Counsel to the plaintiffs, Gomez, who moved the motion for the interim order, urged the court to grant the prayer of the plaintiffs and make an order restraining NBA from collecting or enforcing the new fees regime. Gomez also asked the court to stop the defendants from sending text messages to lawyers, persuading them to pay the new practising fee, until the case was finally determined. Defendants in the suit are NBA President, Mr. Okey Wali; General Council of the Bar; the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, chairman NBA Lagos Branch, Taiwo Taiwo, among others.
Group expresses readiness to develop Agbor A GROUP, Agbor Opinion Social League, has expressed its readiness to help address the infrastructural problem bedeviling Agbor community, saying that the overall development of Agbor has always been their top priority. Chairman of the group, Dr. Cletus Otene, said the group was established to address the infrastructural problem in Agbor, adding that the development of Agbor had always been their top priority as they will continue to champion the course till every part of Agbor was developed. Otene, while playing host the President General of Agbor Community, MajorGen Nick Agbogun (rtd), and some members of his executive at Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government Area, Delta state, promised on behalf of members of the group to give full support to the Gen. Agbogun led executive, so that together they will achieve their aim of making Agbor a better place to live.