olaboy33:
The number of non-Covid 19 daily deaths due to negligence and unnecessary panic from hospitals around the country has been on a steady rise and might be more than Covid 19 deaths.

Economic regression, avoidable deaths, loss of livelihood, Budget cuts... These are what innocent Nigerians are suffering and would suffer because our leaders have refused to think.

Malaria(a norm here) was rebranded, sold to us and as expected, we fell for it.
We copied lock down from Italy and US with more than 100,000 deaths and a sustainable economy to our country with less than 1000 deaths and a very fragile economy.

Yet, no one is complaining.

Not so! We tried to make our voices heard this morning. Radical Agenda for the NBA led by Adesina Ogunlana was at the Ikeja High Court this morning to protest the continued closure of the courts and attendant hardship upon both litigants and lawyers in the private sector.
https://web.facebook.com/1015994297/videos/10220068157426986/

NOETHNICITY:
Dirty GO from top to bottom
I see tru all his lies everytime he tells a lie

A preacher once held a crusade where he had no choice but to use an interpreter that was drunk, yet God still honoured His Word and touched people through the preaching. Let all pentecostal GOs be liars and scammers, God is still God and uses them to heal the sick and oppressed: do not base your faith on the leaders but on the Word. Imperfect as it is, without the hope and encouragement offered by the church through some of these pastors, many people would have committed suicide in these difficult times; so try not to throw out the baby with the bath water.

Riofidelio:
Jesus was arrested,beating,tried falsely,judged wrongly and executed by those who were not feeling comfortable with His claims. But notice Pontius Pilate,he see Jesus as just a mentally unstabled guy so he was not concerned with what Jesus is saying. What about majority in Judea? Jesus was like a psychopath to them! But to Satan's agents like you they're threatened by what harmless Jesus and His easygoing followers are claiming! You're calling the most peace-loving group on Earth murderers, those who's religion has taught them never to carry harmful weapons. Now it's clear i've been wasting my time with a lunatic! Farewell.

Abuses from either person unnecessary; you two sheathe your swords and let God fight for Himself! Original question: i simply say i'm busy & shut my door. Sincerely, Christians should borrow a leaf from Jehovah's Witnesses with the way they train and teach their children! They so hammer their doctrines into them right from babyhood that it's a waste of time getting into an argument with their adults; only the Holy Spirit can change/convince anyone. Personally, my JW seamstress knows she cannot discuss religion with me (that is how we keep the peace & get along); but she gives me parenting advice that i take in good faith.

Hello all, please I need a fairly used Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet (+ keyboard) from anyone willing to sell to me at reasonable cost. I have tried to replace the cracked screen of mine without success. Kindly contact me on 08095319033

Lagos, Feb, 21 2015 An independent organisation comprising of only lawyers on Saturday held a rally in Ikorodu, Lagos State, to educate the public on the need to ensure violence-free elections.

Lawyers in their numbers started a road walk from the High Court to the main Ikorodu roundabout distributing hand bills and fliers to people.

Dotun Adetunji, the president of the Nigeria Bar Association, Ikorodu branch, urged the public to go out and cast their vote for candidate of their choice and coordinate themselves during the elections.

Adetunji appealed to the youths not to involve themselves in election violence, saying they should shun politicians who may want to use them as thugs during and after the elections.

He urged the people to support Buhari-Osinbajo candidature in the forthcoming presidential election.

"We know where we are going, people should be going with the tempo they are coming from and never be discouraged.

"We have to be hopeful and continue to be very wise in choosing a better candidate that will be good and effect change in our country," Adetunji said.

Adesina Ogunlana, the coordinator of the 'Lawyers 4 change' said that the association's idea was to sensitise the people at the grassroots to vote for the candidate that could bring positive change.

Ogunlana disclosed that the association had organised the same programme at Osogbo, Ibadan, Abuja and Ilorin, adding that it was going to do the same in Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, and Ijebu Ode.

He added that the country would overcome the challenge facing it concerning the threats posed by the Boko Haram or any group planning to disrupt the coming elections.

"Nigeria is a very resilient country, we will survive, we survived Ebola and the Civil war, so we will survive the Boko Haram," Ogunlana said.

Dave Ajetomobi, the organising secretary, also urged the public to go and get their Permanent voter Cards (PVCs) so that they would be able to cast their votes.

"The PVC is the weapon everybody has to choose candidate of his/her choice," Ajetomobi said.

source: news agency of nigeria

I bet you wonder at the heading here – ‘Uppercrustism.’ Probably you did a double take – Uppercrustism? Gosh, ‘wazdat’ in the name of the Queen of England?
You may think you’ve just come across a stretchy unit of (perhaps) jaw-breaking balderdash but I assure you, you actually know what Uppercrustism means.
I concede however that you may not know that you know that you do not know that you know! Ha, ha ha!
Uppercrustism, oh yes, that’s what we are talking about here. Not[b] ‘Uppercutism.’[/b] That’s another word for another day. Well let’s get down to the business of unraveling the meaning of the sensation – Uppercrustism; though I seriously doubt whether its meaning needs any special perspicacity for appreciation.
The reason is obvious - you see, Uppercrustism is clearly everywhere. Everywhere, as in, everywhere. It is a socio-political principle of life. A rigid, narrow position that does not submit to the populism or egalitarianism of say perhaps Jeremy Bentham or the idealism of Democracy.
The Christ, the true coin from Bethlehem said He came to give life and life more abundantly – apparently to anybody who cared to come to him.
The Uppercrustist however says, “I have come to give the good life, to only a few (those in my class) and the good life more abundantly to only a few (those in my class).
Analysts often say the chiefest problem of this country is corruption, but a more deadly poison ravaging the country’s system is ‘Uppercrustism.’
As a political philosophy, Uppercrustism does not believe that it is good, necessary or worth the while of those charged or self charged with the community administration to look out for the good of the majority of the people.
As far as the Uppercrustist is concerned, there are only two classes in the society, the SUCKED and the SUCKER. The sucked are the vast majority and they live only for the comfort of the suckers.
The sweat of the sucked, their tax, their labour and indeed their very blood is taken from them and converted to royal nectar to feed the fat cat class of suckers.
The SUCKED never control the levers and powers of community governance. They are literally the scum of the earth – the artisans, the petty traders, the shopkeepers, the low level civil servants; perpetually sentenced to living out their lives from hand to mouth.
Government always belongs to the SUCKERS. They are the ones that the Prophet Samuel of the Holy Bible had in mind when he said, “Your king would take the best of your estate, your wives, your oil, your daughters would be his concubines and your sons would be his servants and soldiers.”[/i]
The Uppercrustists are not without the milk of human kindness, nor are they strangers to providing benefits. But their kindness is not the Managing Director of MUNIFICENCE UNLIMITED  or the Chief Executive Officer of[b] BENTHAM INCORPORATED[/b].
The Uppercrustists distribute the commonwealth, to only the uncommon people:- members of their class; they take care of their ilk, splendidly, very marvelously. 
To prove this point, I only need cite one example. Nothing farfetched or brought forth from a distant far. Last week Thursday, the Lagos State Governor came to a certain road in Ikoyi, Lagos called Bourdillon Avenue. It was not a pleasure trip for H.E.  He came to present five newly completed houses to the Lagos State Judiciary.
The houses were smart, sweet, grand, and cute, almost to the point of classical exoticness or exotic classicalism. If a poor man, a permanent member of the holloi polloi club of all round poverty achieves the Rapture of the Bible and lands in any of the Ikoyi houses, Heaven will forgive him should he mistake the houses as a portion of the much awaited PARADISE! Walahi! And if he was told he was still very much on the planet earth, then he would simply apply to be allowed a stay-put; there is no point seeking for any other paradise!
Each of those houses, were it to be sold, would fetch no less than two hundred million naira. I said the houses were built by the Lagos State Government and handed over to the State Judiciary. Now who do you think the Judiciary would hand over the houses to?
Your guess is as good as mine. You know such paradise copies will not go to court registrars, court clerks, registry officials, typists, secretaries, drivers, sheriffs, etc. Who as they say, “dash monkey banana?”
The recipients are judges. As far as I know Lagos State High Court judges number only about 55 while the other category of workers of the High Court are as I learnt, over a thousand.
On each of the 55 judges, even including retired ones, the Government sees nothing wrong in spending hundreds of millions of naira by providing “befitting salaries,” “befitting modes of transport,” “befitting houses,” “befitting wardrobe allowances,” “befitting medical expenses,” which in truth means that the Government maintains the judges in very comfortable circumstances of life.
The question we need to ask ourselves is – why should people holding political, legislative and judicial posts earn salaries and remunerations like spoilt princes and live life like potentates? Why should working for Government in a country of mass poverty, mass unemployment, mass illiteracy, etc., now become an avenue for a life of luxurious comfortability?
Why is nobody thinking of putting aside a sum like five hundred million naira specially and specifically for the junior workers of the Judiciary?
During the famous 9 day strike in January 2012, against the removal of fuel subsidy, a protester bore a protest message which read thus: “one day, the poor will have nothing to eat but the rich.”[i]
That message was no joke. Very real. Let Uppercrustists beware and start a meaningful and transparent spread of the commonwealth to all and sundry. To avoid a terrible back-lash in the near future.
“A word is enough for the wise.”

On 20th January 2012, NBA Ikeja branch members were received by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola S.A.N and the Lagos State Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye.
The branch chairman, Adebamigbe Omole on behalf of the branch first commiserated with Governor Fashola on the recent loss of his uncle and then stated its concerns:  embarrassing developments in Lagos State - specifically the presence of soldiers on its streets which was a breach of the fundamental rights of the people and which was uncalled for, there being no state of emergency to warrant their (soldiers) presence and so something had to be done.
Branch Chairman Omole, a senior branch member - Mr. Femi Falana and the branch’s General Secretary, Adesina Ogunlana then presented the Letter of Protest to Governor Fashola. Thanking the Bar for coming, the Governor stated that he had written to the President on the matter. He said politicians must learn to tolerate criticism of their policies and that the story about the soldiers being members of Operation MESA (a team created and funded by the Lagos State Government) was untrue. “Operation MESA does not occupy streets and they go about their duties in their branded vehicles, “ he stated. Governor Fashola added that Lagos state was doing something about the situation and people should remain calm and peaceful that the people of Lagos had fought and won many battles and this would be no different.

[size=14pt]NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION IKEJA BRANCH

20th January, 2012[/size]

Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola S.A.N
Governor, Lagos State
Lagos State Government Secretariat,
Alausa, Ikeja,
Lagos.

Your  Excellency,

PROTEST AGAINST OCCUPATION OF LAGOS BY MILITARY PERSONNEL AND FORCES

Our Branch is constrained to forward this petition to your exalted office, as regards the presence of military personnel in some key areas of the Lagos mega-city to wit Ojota, Yaba, Fadeyi, Iyana-Ipaja, Ikorodu, Iyana-Oba and Badagry since Monday 16th January, 2012.

The soldiers, as is now well known in the public domain were deployed to Lagos State by the President of the Federal Republic and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria ostensibly to prevent and crush the popular and peaceful protest against the recent hike in the pump price of petroleum (from N65.00 to N141.00).

Since this military occupation, the Gani Fawehinmi Park Ojota in particular, has become inaccessible to Lagosians and other Nigerian Citizens, while the presence of the military in the other afore-mentioned places is intimidating and scary.
Our Branch feels very embarrassed at the presence of soldiers on Lagos Streets and spaces, which are exclusively the physical territory and jurisdiction of the State and not of the Federal Government.

Our Branch feels very embarrassed at the presence of soldiers on Lagos Streets and spaces when there is no WAR or INSURGENCY in the State, likewise there is no breakdown of law and order or any state of emergency declared.

Our Branch feels very embarrassed that in Lagos State, the acclaimed Centre of Excellence Nigerians cannot freely and peaceably gather and express their views in the state due to her occupation by armed military personnel.

In consequence, the fundamental rights of our people to wit, freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of association all recognized and enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria are so blatantly breached.

We respectfully and with all sense of responsibility express our fears that the sheer presence of the military personnel in Lagos can be exploited by mischief makers and enemies of Lagos State to cause or trigger off mayhem, leading to a breakdown of law and order in the state.

We are aware of your Excellency’s broadcast of Monday 16th January, 2012, decrying the deployment of troops. However, we believe that government of Lagos should do much more than a broadcast in seeing that normalcy returns to Lagos at the soonest.

Lest we forget, we respectfully take the liberty to remind the Lagos State Government that it was very much a part of the decision to formulate and implement the fuel subsidy removal policy and so ought to realize the social consequences of such an unpopular policy.

We charge your government to roll out its own palliatives derived from the “gains” of the oil subsidy as well as ensure that the billions of naira that would accrue to the coffers of the State are used fully, meaningfully and exclusively for the benefit of the people of Lagos State.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Adebamigbe Omole Esq.                                                                  Adesina Ogunlana Esq.
Chairman                                                                                              General Secretary

[b]PRESS RELEASE

The Good people of Nigeria.

The Nigerian Bar Association Ikeja Branch strongly and unequivocally disassociates itself from the recent announcement of the suspension and truncation of the protest and strike of the Nigerian people against the hike in fuel price by the NLC/TUC. Even before Monday, the 9th day of January 2012, the Ikeja Bar had started a campaign against the said hike in line with the directives of the National Executive Committee meeting of the NBA held at Eket in November 2011. From the 9th till today the 16th January 2012, the Ikeja Bar was in the forefront of the protest against the fuel price hike using the platform of the organised labour as well as that of the Civil Society Group whilst not losing our lawyers identity.

Much to our chagrin, grave disappointment and unimaginable shock, labour which had appeared seemingly resolute in the stand against the hike in fuel price suddenly capitulated, dramatically somersaulted and shamelessly backpedalled on the very popular stand that the pump price of PMS remains N65.

We make bold to say that the announcement by Labour that it has accepted the N97 per litre price of PMS as unilaterally fixed by the repressive Federal Government of Dr Jonathan is completely unacceptable to us. We consider the acceptance by Labour to be a betrayal of the masses of Nigerian people and an unholy compromise of the sovereignty of the people of Nigeria with a Government that has shown gross insensitivity to their needs, demands and yearnings.

Our position on this matter is that the Nigerian masses should ignore Labour and continue their peaceful opposition to the increase in the pump price of PMS. We have said it before that Government cannot be above the Governed since the former is the servant of the latter and the vast majority of the Nigerian people after listening to all manners of argument on the issue have remained resolute that pump price should remain at N65. We call on all other professional groups whether blue collar or white collar to join us in continuing the peaceful protest and resistance to the increase in pump price. Nigeria belongs to all of us and not only to the cabal and their cohorts in Government who believe that they have a monopoly of wisdom and are the Encyclopedia of knowledge. The blockade, the invasion and unlawful occupation of the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Square Ojota and several parts of Lagos like Yaba, Ojuelegba, Palmgrove, Anthony and Maryland by millitary personnels and other security forces is unconstitutional, oppressive, obnoxious, abuse of power, reckless, provacative and a disturbing throw back to the fascism of the millitary years. Likewise, the tear gassing of our colleagues, Bamidele Aturu, Ebun Adegboruwa and other citizens this morning whilst in a peaceful procession along Ikorodu Road as well as the prevention of Femi Falana from accessing Gani Fawehinmi Park Ojota and the NLC Secretariat, Yaba by the military is equally unconstitutional and condemnable. Nigerains have a right to go to every part of Nigeria in peaceful assembly and without participation in any criminality. Both Sections 40 and 41 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 supports this contention.

Finally, our passionate appeal is that the protest against increase in pump price MUST continue. N65 or nothing!


DATED THIS 16TH DAY OF JANUARY 2012.


ADEBAMIGBE OMOLE.                                                                                      ADESINA OGUNLANA
(CHAIRMAN).                                                                                                         (GENERAL SECRETARY)[/b]


http://thots4naija..com/2012/01/nba-ikeja-press-release.html

[b]Monday, 16th January, 2012 at about 11.30 a.m, NBA Ikeja branch members got to the Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota. There we discovered that a ring of police, navy and army officers had cordoned off the Park. We demanded access into the Park as it was our constitutional right to be able to assemble there and we were directed down the lines to their leaders until we got to one Lt. Col. A.A. Alabi. We read him Section 40 & 41 of the Constitution. We told him that their Commander-in-Chief had sworn an oath to obey the Constitution. He was polite but unyielding – they had been instructed not to allow people into the Park. We then went to the Labour House at Yaba. We were still there when we heard the announcement that the leadership of the NLC/TUC had called off the strike!
OUR POSITION: The NBA Ikeja intends to sue the Federal Government for preventing us from exercising our fundamental rights as well as seek the possibility of extending opposition to the N97 fuel price which is unacceptable.[/b]

[b]Morning of 13th January 2012, we went to Labour House – the Secretariat of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) at Yaba. From there, a Fuel Price Hike Protest Procession to Mushin on foot, was organized. Our numbers swelled to about 3000 as we proceeded. We stopped at various points along the way to address the people and the message was very well received. At Mushin, Labour leader and former ASUU President, Dr. Dipo Fashina once again addressed the crowd. Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja branch chairman, Adebamigbe Omole also spoke.
Thereafter, we joined a motorcade to Oshodi. There was nobody to address as the usually ever busy Oshodi was deserted (everyone was probably in Ojota). We disbanded to allow the muslims in the motorcade go for Jumat service.
We got to Ojota around 2p.m by which time the Save Nigeria Group had announced the suspension of the Protest until Monday but we still met about 3 million protesters who refused to go home - it had a carnival like atmosphere. Stayed about 40 minutes and returned to our Ikeja High Court base. SUBJECT TO OUTCOME OF TALKS GOING ON WITH THE GOVT., FUEL PRICE HIKE PROTEST RESUMES ON MONDAY 16TH JANUARY, 2012. [/b]

[b]Thursday morning (12th January 2012), saw an increase in the number of lawyers that turned up at the Ikeja High Court for the Fuel Price Hike Protest.
We joined the NLC/TUC train on a condolence visit to the family of the murdered Ademola Aderinto at Ogba.
Two boys masquerading as part of the train of protesters were arrested by the crowd while robbing passersby. The train moved to Agbotikuyo junction at Agege and held a rally there. The rally was addressed by Dr. Dipo Fashina, a.k.a “Jingo.” His message was clear: Resistance to the fuel price hike must continue. “Enough is enough!,” reiterated Dr. Fashina.
We then made our way to the the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Ikeja to stage a protest; saw many intending passengers who appeared stranded.
All through the city, there was total compliance with the strike order of the NLC/TUC. There were masses of protesters gathered in many areas of Lagos - from Lagos Island to LASU. However we heard reports of some small criminal gangs in a few neighbourhoods setting up roadblocks for extortion or even outright robbery of passersby.
The NLC/TUC train decided to move on to Ikorodu but we went to the Gani Fawehinmi ‘Freedom Park’ at Ojota. The crowd of protesters there was even more than the previous day; at least 3.5 million! The police there were so overwhelmed by the sheer number of people that they just sat in their vans while some people made fun of their barking dogs. Never before has such event recorded a crowd of such gargantuan proportions! Crowd control at this Ojota rallying point has been almost entirely in the hands of the Save Nigeria Group and by self policing, while the NLC/TUC Group has been quite strategic, carrying out sensitization campaigns to various parts of the metropolis.
We eventually made our way back to our ‘war camp,’ the NBA Ikeja Secretariat. WE TAKE OFF AGAIN TODAY 13TH JANUARY, 2012, FROM THE IKEJA BAR CENTRE TO CONTINUE THE PROTEST.[/b]

[b]Yesterday 11th January, we (NBA Ikeja branch members) proceeded to Ogba where there was an initial hesitation of mourners to hold a rally for Ademola Aderinto the slain youth, as it was rumoured that they would be cracked down upon by the police; however we encouraged the rally to hold. There, Adebamigbe Omole, our branch chairman assured them that we would ensure that Ademola’s case was not swept under the carpet and that his killer would be prosecuted. We went on to Ojota to join protesters there. By about 2 p.m, our chairman, Omole addressed the crowd – no less than 2million in number, encouraging them to continue with the protest: 65 naira per litre or nothing; the government was elected by the people and if the majority of the people say they do not want a particular policy, the government must listen. From Ojota we went to SCID Panti. There we met with the head, Deputy Commissioner of Police Yuguda Abdullahi who said trigger happy DPO who shot Ademola was in his custody and assured us that he would indeed be prosecuted. WE CONTINUE WITH PROTEST TODAY, 12TH JANUARY 2012. TAKE OFF IS FROM THE IKEJA HIGH COURT, LATEST 8.30 A.M.[/b]

More people joined the protest on the 2nd day of strike and we were at least 700,000 in number as we marched from Yaba to Tafawa Balewa Square. Tense moment though on Lagos Island, as we encountered a group of about a 100 area boys – they are usually engaged in turf wars and they could have hijacked the situation; some motorists actually began to reverse in panic,  however they allowed us pass without incident upon sighting our banner. Protest continues today.[size=14pt][/size]

Lawyers, please join us at the Ikeja High Court on Tuesday 10th January 2012 by 7a.m[color=#000099][/color]

Our problem is colonial mentality and the belief that the English Language is more superior. In Lagos, I have witnessed a barely literate mother with that belief speaking to her small child in English! It is no surprise that those who raise children abroad do the same.

THE LEARNED SQUIB [www.learnedsquib..com]

“Omi n be larin obinrin
omi wa ni raja
omi wa no rogo
omi tun wa lagbedemeji ara won
omi, omi,
omi ti baba mu
ti o gbodo f’omo e mu
aani; Sola mama de be
hun o bu tire fun o
omi”
Ligali Mukaiba
(A popular Nigerian Apala music exponent)

“women have brooks
in their loft, the brooks
in their crook, the brooks
also in their midsections, the brooks
the brooks (so sweet and sacred)
that the father cannot share with his son
rather, he forbids, saying:
my son, don’t even get near there
I’ll fetch yours for you.”

Most literate Nigerians have heard or read about the very serious allegations levelled against former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Horrible allegations - that he not without his will, bedded, a woman outside his command, when the woman in question happens to be the lawfully wedded wife of his (Obasanjo) son, Gbenga. The ‘alleger’ is none other than Gbenga who further declared that prior to his wife’s despoilation by his father, the woman’s very father a certain Otunba, had ploughed her severally in the past. To this shocking disclosure, Chief, the General Olusegun Obasanjo has kept quiet, very quiet. In other turbulent situations and challenges, the old soldier had been known to declare quite imperially - “I dey Kampe.”

In short for the General, in this case, mum has been the word. Not so for the vast majority of the Nigerian public. Of course, you can trust our people to talk, especially when it is about a sordid, tasty and juicy sex-related scandal pertaining to a not so much beloved public figure. Believe me, everybody is talking about this presidential incest matter. Everybody is casting stones at the Obasanjos. As far as most people are concerned, Gbenga’s allegations are nothing but the horrible truth. After all, they say, no child will dare raise such terrible allegations against his father, if they be untrue. Secondly, the very fact that the allegations are contained in a sworn affidavit confirms its very veracity to people. The voice of the people, it is said, is the voice of God. As far as I can see, the voice of the people on this matter is that:

(a) Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has shamelessly, recklessly, stupidly, shockingly slept with his son’s wife. But is this voice, the true position?
Is it really true that the “father of Modern Nigeria” has ever gone beyond “konko below” with son’s wife?
Interestingly, very interestingly, the public is not asking Gbenga to substantiate his howitzers against his father, and ahem, his father-in-law. Nobody is asking Gbenga pertinent questions such as

(a) When did your rival and father have sex with your wife?
(b) Were you ever there when the dirty tango was on?
(c) How many times did Segun and Moji tango?
(d) Were you told by somebody else about the affair between your father and your ‘field?’
(e) If yes, who is that person(s)?
(f) Before now, have you ever confronted your father or and your field about what you saw, heard or told about their unholy act?
(g) Have you only just known about the liaison between your father and your field or why have you not spoken up until now?

Yet everybody, well almost everybody has reached the firm, even irrevocable conclusion that Baba Iyabo has drunk from the same brook, (may be even more than) with his son.

This clearly is a case of trial before trial, worse, conviction before trial. Not only is there no fair hearing, there is no hearing at all for the father of Modern Nigeria in this case, and in fact nobody is interested in hearing Olusegun Obasanjo’s side. He is not only guilty as charged, but guilty ab-initio.

Yet, the case is before a court of law. The judge who will entertain the matter is not a deaf-mute. He is not a ghost or a “spirit.” He is not averse to watching the television or listening to the newspapers. In many regards, he is like any other Nigerian. Yet he is a judge. Sworn to do justice. Justice according to facts. Justice without fear or favour. Justice without partiality.
In the circumstances of this “you-chop-my-special-meat” hoopla raised by Gbenga Obasanjo against his father, Olusegun Obasanjo and for which the father has already suffered crucifixion in the market of public opinion, how many judges can handle this case, without bias for and against Obasanjo senior?

Few I suppose. Only few souls can bear to toe the narrow rocky, thorny path of impartial adjudication when the easy, smooth and wide way of Barrabasism exists.

This is in my humble opinion is the affliction of some judges handling the so called EFCC cases. When an accused is brought before them, especially the so called “big crooks” with their reputation of being fraudsters going quite ahead of them, the judges simply give their consent to the conviction passed on the unfortunate fellows in the court of public opinion and then impose befitting sentences on them.    Let our judges search their consciences….

I love my three daddies; Daddy 1, Daddy 2, Daddy 3. And, I love them in equally unequal proportions. All of them are in their seventies. One gave birth to me, the second gave bliss to me and the third gave backing to me. Don’t tell me you don’t understand riddles.  Of these three daddies, the one I see most frequently is Daddy 3 and is the only one of my daddies who still goes on wearing natty suits and ties.

Sometimes, we travel together, especially to a golgothaic arena in the centre of Nigeria. Of course Daddy 3 is always on hand to ensure that no crucifixion of me takes place and that my {some say, stubborn} head stays on my shoulders. See [http://www.learnedsquib..com][/url]

Of course we don’t travel in silence. We talk, we gist and almost always on serious issues. Daddy 3 is a mine of information especially on law, politics and history. And what great ideas he has!

Daddy 3 is, as well known quite principled and a first class legal mind, but only relatively few people can claim to know him closely enough.  Daddy 3 is now an old man. Then, he will become a grand old man and then one day he will become a 'was.' Of course I don’t want that to ever happen, yet mortality, reality teaches us, is an inescapable fate of all humanity.

Fortunately, however there is a solution to the   problem of mortality. An ever effective remedy and which turns mortality to immortality. That remedy is in putting pen to paper, about one’s ideas, one’s life, one’s dreams etc.

That’s the main reason, Mr. William Shakespeare still frolicks with us, any time. Even tomorrow good old Willie will still “dey kampe” because his ideas and thoughts have been immortalised in all those great works of his. Remember Julius Caesar?  What of Merchant of Venice? Othello, nko?

Even right here in Nigeria, I know of such immortals. I know of Fela ‘Omo Iya Aje’, I know of Obafemi Awolowo. The former waxed records, the latter wrote books. Both had books written about them. How then can they die?

Of course when Chinua “Things Fall Apart” Achebe finally goes to the land of Eneke the Bird, where hopefully he will meet the master fabuist, Amos Tutuola, he will yet remain with us, hale and hearty.  The same happy fate surely will befall Kongi, the action-packed Nobel Laureate.

This is the fate I want to befall Daddy 3. I don’t want him to go the way of that wizard of law, F.R.A Williams who knew so much but wrote so little.  And not that F.R.A did not write; the problem was that the colossus was only writing briefs and not books.

I now invite every man and woman of good-will to join me to appeal, urge, persuade, enjoin, encourage, advise Daddy 3 to drop everything and face Project Immortality now!

Walahi, that baba is too precious, to be allowed to just disappear into eternity like that without adequate and permanent representations of his genius on our terra-firma.

ASSIGNMENT FOR MY FRIENDS:

1. Anytime you meet Chief G.O.K Ajayi SAN. After greeting him, politely ask, “Chief, when are your books coming out?”

2. Continue to send SMS to Chief G.O.K Ajayi SAN, asking, “Chief, when are your books coming out?”


P.S. Daddy 2 is a philosopher. For a feast of ideas, you can meet him at:
[http://www.numberphilosophy..com][/url]

Since 7th August 2007 when Chief Magistrate O. A. Isaac of Igbosere Magistrate Court Lagos delivered judgement in charge No. A/10A/2006 C.O.P vs. Ibinabo Fiberesima, tongues have continued to wag. Many observers consider the judgement rather curious and in dissonance with the gravity of the offence committed by the accused person. The entire controversial judgement is published after the drama-piece introduction. Please see [http://www.squibcoverstory..com] for the judgement.


1st Gecko: Life is indeed cheap, very cheap in Nigeria.

2nd Gecko: Life? What life?

1st Gecko: Human life, I mean.

2nd Gecko: No, human life is precious in Nigera.

1st Gecko: How can you say that, when in Nigeria, a doctor’s life is worth only N14,285.00 per year and just about N1,200 per month!

2nd Gecko: What are you talking about? Where did you get your figures from?

1st Gecko: That means you are not abreast of news in our town. I got my figures from a judge and of course judges don’t lie.

2nd Gecko: A judge told you that a doctor’s life is worth only N14,285.00 a year and N1,200.00 a month in Nigeria? Haba! Which judge is that? You must be kidding!

2nd Gecko: I’m not kidding. The judge is one Chief Magistrate O.A. Isaac.

2nd Gecko: Iro ni! (unbelievable). I know that Chief Magistrate. He cannot say that. When did he say that?

1st Gecko: Relax, brother; your questions are too many. Chief Magistrate Isaac made the declaration in a judgement he gave against Ibinabo Fiberesima, a former Miss Nigeria who killed a 54 year old medical doctor with her borrowed Jeep.

2nd Gecko: I still do not understand.

2nd Gecko: You will soon understand. You see at the beginning of the case, the woman pleaded not guilty and trial commenced. At the end of the day, the Chief Magistrate found the woman guilty and then sentenced her to 7 years imprisonment…

2nd Gecko: That’s good now. What’s wrong with that? She by her carelessness took a human life.

1st Gecko: Oh, but that’s not the end of the judgement. The judge said she may not go to jail afterall if she can pay a fine of N100,000.00.

2nd Gecko (incredulous): Come again; hundred what? Hundred thousand naira or hundred thousand dollars?
1st Gecko: One hundred thousand naira!

2nd Gecko: Iro ni (that can’t be true). I know Chief Magistrate Isaac. He is not a baby magistrate. You must be joking.

1st Gecko: I am sure you will believe me, if you read his judgement.

2nd Gecko: I say I don’t believe you. How can a fine of N100,000.00 be a substitute for a jail term of seven years?

1st Gecko: But that’s what the noble magistrate ordered in his judgement.

2nd Gecko: I say I don’t believe you. How can that be? So if the woman had killed a carpenter maybe she’ll be asked to pay only N5,000.00. I don’t believe you.

1st Gecko: You are a real doubting Thomas. But if you read the judgement, you’ll be free of your doubts.

2nd Gecko: Ha, ha. So if it was a Chief Magistrate or a Judge that the woman killed with her vehicle, will the judge even give her the option of paying fines?

1st Gecko: Well, you answer that question yourself. Do you still doubt what I said about the Ibinabo judgement?

2nd Gecko: Yes, no magistrate will make such orders; let me see it.

1st Gecko: Here it is[http://www.squibstory..com]. I wish you a happy, if sad reading.

Being abusive is not a solely Nigerian trait. You only need to take a look at the message strip of Big Brother Africa 2!

THE LEARNED SQUIB: POSTPONED ENGAGEMENT By Adesina Ogunlana
My dear Ibis,
The love of my (extra-professional) life, how are you? As you know, I am always love-lorn on account of your prolonged absence from my side. I know we’ve been communicating regularly by way of telepathy and telecast since you left our judicial shores (albeit rather hurriedly) in March 2004. Of course as they say darling mine, face to face is better than a thousand letters.
My dear, for how long shall we postpone the D-Day? In October 2004, our ‘engagement ceremony’ was to hold in that sunny city, El-Rufai land. Of course, I was there, not alone by any means. My folks were with me. In fact, my dad and head of family, Chief, the Odole of Ife, was there with us physically.
Alas, you did not show up. Your people were also absent. Worse, there was no reason given for the shocking absence. But we were not too dismayed since the organizers of the engagement assured us that it was still very much on and that we would in no distant future be notified of the new date.
Some, in our party, however complained about your absence and lack of notice. To them, that was bad manners. I allowed them their say, after all opinions are free, but facts are sacred! The fact is that YOU LOVE ME and have done more than anybody else to prosper the SQUIB ENTERPRISE. From the bottom of my heart, I say God bless you my love.
When year 2004 ended without any notice of the resurrection of our engagement, enemies of progress and Doubting Thomas’s started muttering. When 2005 came and went, the mutters became sneers. Then 2006 came and went and the sneering turned into sniggering.
By early 2007, the sniggers turned into open and unguarded derision. I was accused of impudence, of over ambition, of conceit in ever hoping to acquire or capture or otherwise appropriate you in legal-judicial matrimony.
But I refused to be discouraged. Love, after all, is patient and endures all things – including wicked jibes. I remember that Jacob Isaac, a Bible patriarch waited the whole of fourteen years to acquire Rebecca, the love of his life. If Jacob could do that, with hard labour, for a woman who was no match for you in terms of beauty, brains, poise and possession, then why should I wilt and falter because of a mere four-year wait?
Of course my faith in our love did not go unrewarded. For lo and behold, on April 21, 2007 – two hundred and eighty-three days after our aborted November 2003 engagement, the notice of our new engagement ceremony date came from El-Rufai land via satellite. Date: May 7 2007. What a romantic choice of date. You could imagine my joy.
Girlie dear, I was more than happy. Those who had been mocking me suddenly went dumb. I was the one now prancing about. Of course I always knew that you, in retirement or not, could never forget me. I know the joy, the excitement I gave you. The passion, the torrid sessions, the explosions, not to talk of the collisions. In short, I was and still am, the hot stuff in your fur.
I was sure that this time, the engagement was for real. Though virtually all my friends opted out of attendance, my father the redoubtable Chief, came along with me.
We were armed, sorry, we went along with all the stuff demanded on the Engagement List. Stuff like preliminary objections, principles of fair hearing, locus standi, and questions of jurisdiction, form competence and many other weapons of love-fare!
On 7th May 2007, the officiating priests turned up. Of course we were there too but alas, you, the lead actress, the star, the queen of the set did not show up again. I was to say the least, devastated. Coming all the way from Lagos was no joke. All my dreams, hopes of beholding your lovely form vanished brutally. The reason for your absence was given, but since I considered it rather curious, I will not go into that. All I know is that I love you, and that you love me.
Please be informed my dear that, a new date has been fixed for our engagement. It’s a date in July 2007. You know July is a special month to me, being the month of my birth.
I plead with you, with all I hold dear, to show up on that day. Let’s do this thing once and for all. Let’s shame our mockers, who say our engagement will never be. And I beg of you, please don’t send down proxies.
Ibis darling, you are the one I need. My very object of desire, not anybody else. Please show up in July. And don’t come alone. Of course I will be there too. Chief too, will be there.
My dear, we all look forward to seeing you.
Yours forever
Serubawon Legality.

THE GLORY COURT By Adesina Ogunlana
Surely you must have heard about the writer’s block – that situation where a pen pusher draws blank from his brain bank, staring into space, at a loss at what to put down.
Last Friday I was in that semi-idiotic state (where instead of concentrating on turning out sensible stuff down these pages, my mind kept flitting to my salacious brunch in hot detention in a food flask somewhere in the car) when I suddenly took notice of the drivel on the television and saw the legend BREAKING NEWS: SUPREME COURT REINSTATES JOSHUA DARIYE TO OFFICE AS GOVERNOR OF PLATEAU STATE, AFFIRMS COURT OF APPEAL RULING.
Oh was I happy? Surely I didn’t raise a whoop of joy but my innards screamed my gladness. Boy, oh boy! Joshua Dariye back in office, in from the cold of mendacious impeachment. Of course it was not of Dariye that pleasantness cosseted my heart at the hearing of the news. Can’t be. For one, I have met the guy only once and on that occasion he appeared very much a ‘guy man,’ if you know what I mean.
The occasion in reference was the 2004 NBA JOS ANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE. The occasion was wrapped up with a dinner at the Government House. The fare that night was sweet but not as sweet as Dariye’s tongue. Glib, smooth, even silky, best described that tongue. The tongue of a fibber.
But Dariye had his difficulties. Political difficulties, and when push came to shove, contrary to all known laws and principles of Mathematics, six out of twenty-four members of the state’s parliament successfully impeached Dariye.
It was a very absurd situation but to the hatchet that was used to do the deed, that is the EFCC and its admirers like Chief Gani Fawehinmi S.A.N, Dariye’s sack was proper, very proper. After all, according to them, Dariye is a rogue, a thief.
What they refused to understand or accept is that when the thief is a state governor, such a thief cannot be given short shrift. You have to follow due process in removing him from office. Then you prosecute him.
Now Dariye is back in the saddle, courtesy of the Supreme Court. And the Supreme Court was right. 6 of 24 can never measure up to 18 which is the two-thirds of 24 the required number needed for proper impeachment.
Again and again the Judiciary demonstrates its firmness, fairness and wisdom in discharging her duties, especially at the higher appellate levels. The judiciary has risen wonderfully and abated the rascality of the legislature and recklessness of the executive.
This is one good reason why victimized politicians and their supporters should have faith in the Judiciary and refrain from self-help. Verily I say unto such people, with the Supreme Court still around and intact, everybody should ‘kulu temper.’