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OPINION: Powerful Lagos, Powerless Osun State
Published
2 years agoon
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Editor
By Lasisi Olagunju
If I were a politician, my devotion hours would be to the courts instead of pouring oil on INEC and voters, deities of limited powers. If the gods complain, I would ask them where they were when ugly death was killing sinners and saints. The buck – our electoral buck – stops at the courts. That is our reality.
A list of candidates for elevation to the Supreme Court was released last week by the Federal Judicial Service Commission. Every Nigerian should be interested in every name on that list; they are the electors of our future presidents and governors and lawmakers. They will decide the price of rice and beans tomorrow. Whether salaries and pensions will be paid and drugs will be affordable for the sick are attached to tomorrow’s decisions of the Supreme Court. It is our electoral college. We should ask questions on its proposed justices. How did the nominated get on the list? What qualified them to be there? What disqualified others who are not there? Why is Lagos on the list when it has already filled its quota?
History is replete with cases of people who went to bed free, slept too much and woke up a conquered people. Conquest used to be by the force of arms; now it is mostly through the courts. In Nigeria, the courts are the new military; they take and distribute power to politicians. To live well, escape poverty and captivity, we should take interest in our law courts and in those who sit in judgement there. How are the courts, particularly the Supreme Court, constituted? Ask questions; insist on answers.
The courts are under threats of abduction, immediate past president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, warned at the International Bar Association (IBA) conference in France last week. He described the selection process of Nigerian judges as “bizarre”. He said there was “a deliberate attempt” by the Nigerian political class “to capture the judiciary.” He added that they are “achieving results.” He painted the picture of a helpless nation. I agree with him.
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There are 22 jurists on the nomination list released last week, but like in Animal Farm, the chosen are not equally favoured. The big men of power who drew the list put ‘priority’ in front of some; they stamped ‘reserve’ in front of others. What was the criterion (or were the criteria) for giving some priority over the others? Seniority? The seniority list in the Court of Appeal is publicly available on the court’s website; the nominations mock it, particularly for the South-West. Check the nomination list. Crosscheck it with the seniority list of justices of the Court of Appeal. In all the other five zones, seniority appears to have counted in arriving at the recommendations. But, in the South-West, it is a no. So, what was the goal of the appointers? And this is where I am going. I plead that you follow me.
I am from Osun State and I am interested in how it is affected by that list. There are two nominees from the South-West; one was chosen from Lagos and one from Osun State. The one from Lagos has a crown of ‘priority’ placed on it; the gentleman from Osun State is put on the reserve bench. The truth is: Lagos has no slot to fill; it already has Justice Kudirat Kekere Ekun as the number two of the Supreme Court. The slot is ordinarily for Osun State to fill and there is a history to that claim. Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, JSC, was the last candidate from Osun State on the Supreme Court bench. Ayoola retired at age 70 in October 2003. He was 90 last month. In simple arithmetic, for the past 20 years, Osun State has not been represented in the apex court – the result of a deliberate act of misallocation. And I will explain.
Listen. How many justices are supposed to be on the Supreme Court? The court itself answers that question on its website: “The Supreme Court of Nigeria consists of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and such number of Justices of the Supreme Court, not exceeding twenty-one, as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. Presently, the Supreme Court is made up of the Chief Justice and nine (9) other Justices.” A CJN plus 21 justices cannot go round all the 37 states of Nigeria at the same time. When eight masquerades are on the line and there are six bean cakes, the system has a way to get every ancestral costume round the basket of cakes. There is always a way. For the Supreme Court slots to go round, the states are paired or combined in twos and threes and allotted slots which rotate between or among them. Ekiti and Osun states are a pair here.
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Justice Olufunlola Oyelola Adekeye got on the Supreme Court bench representing Ekiti State in March 2009. She retired from the Supreme Court in November 2012. Her exit created a vacancy that should, by right, be filled by Osun State. But smart Lagos, which already had Bode Rhodes Vivour occupying its own slot, got up in July 2013, did a fast one and took what should go to Osun State. It happened and there was no protest from Osun State. You wonder why? It was because Osun State of that era was a colony of Lagos. What happened was a case of olówó gbà’yàwó òle (the rich snatched the fool’s wife). They do that very often. Instead of Osun State’s Justice Jimi Bada of the Court of Appeal moving up to his rightful place at the top, Lagos snatched the slot for its Kudirat Motomori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun. The Centre of Excellence then had two slots while Osun State had zero. It is because of ‘Gbajue’ steps like this that the hinterland people like me (àwa ará òkè) always salute Lagos as Eko Ile Ogbon (Eko, home of wisdom).
The wisdom of Lagos here means craftiness and determination. It gets anything it wants because it is Lagos. If you don’t have money, everything you have amounts to nothing – including your wisdom. Lagos is rich both in means and guile – and that combination is lethal. Osun’s strength is more in needless crises and in acquiescence to rape of all kinds.
The retirement of Justice Bode Rhodes Vivour in 2021 should ordinarily reset justice for Osun State at the Supreme Court. But no; it does not appear this will happen. Instead of returning the snatched slot to Osun State after Rhodes-Vivour, Lagos is now positioned to grab it as an addition to Kekere-Ekun. The Federal Judicial Service Commission headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria last week nominated Hon. Justice Adewale Abiru from Lagos State as South-West’s ‘priority’ nominee to join Kekere-Ekun who is already representing Lagos. Check the seniority list of the Court of Appeal where all the candidates were drawn from, Abiru has seniors in the South-West; two of them from Osun State. One of the two from Osun is, in fact, the number two in that court -Justice Jimi Olukayode Bada; another is number 15, Justice Tunde Awotoye. The favoured Lagos man, Abiru, is number 22 – far behind those two. They ignored numbers 2 and 15 and went for number 22 – because he is from Lagos. Even if, for whatever reasons, those two seniors refuse to move up and the choice of the commission is Osun State’s Justice Olubunmi Oyewole (number 32), should he be made to be a ‘reserve’ candidate as the commission has done given the fact that the slot is for Osun State to fill?
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In all these, we’ve seen how untrue our laws are that Nigerian states are equal. There is no equality of states in Nigeria; there are 22 Supreme Court seats for 37 states, Lagos alone takes two. Why is Lagos investing its men in the courts, particularly the Supreme Court? Lagos may be plain-speaking but it is never plain-dealing; it cheats, and it does it without consequences. I call Lagos the Napoleon of the West; it fights for other Pigs by cheating them. When an elder plays a game of ayò with a younger person, he must win, whatever it takes. Kí ni wón nfi àgbà se? What is the usefulness of age if you cannot deploy it to cheat children? That is the political and moral compass of the political entity called Lagos. If you like, disagree with this and flaunt Osun as the elder because it is the ‘cradle’, the ‘beginning’. But, know this: in Yorubaland, the rich is the elder – Olówó l’àgbà. Anyone with loads of years without money exists to be ignored, cheated and exploited.
I suspect the courts are being eyed by interests because with their gavel, judges confer privileges, advantages and freedoms. They also oppress and subjugate. Check how the original owners of lands in the United States lost their rights over their lands and were converted into tenants. Read Lindsay Robertson’s ‘Conquest by Law’ (2005), how the American Supreme Court awarded “all discovered lands” to European “sovereigns” and gave “occupancy rights” to the original owners. How did it happen? Would it have happened if the judges were not of European origin? The Nigerian people have their feet firmly on that route. Their own conquest by law will be complete and completed soon unless they cap their sleeping hours.
A whole country can be helpless. Nigeria is. My dictionary says ‘helplessness’ means “weak or dependent: a helpless invalid deprived of strength or power; powerless; incapacitated.” A whole people can be helpless, especially if they choose to. The 1823 American case referenced above, Johnson v M’Intosh, gave birth to the Discovery Doctrine which, if applied here, would bequeath River Niger and all its lands to Mungo Park and his descendants. Fortunately, our politicians and the judges have not thought of importing it into our laws complete with affidavits averring that they are heirs to Mungo Park’s estate. They may still do it, once they are through with the construction of the courts in the image of their desires.
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The Supreme Court should be the afflicted’s locus amoenus, a pleasant place of refuge, safety and comfort. But how do we tell the story of a court built of blocks of injustice? That is what I see in those who have enough taking from those who have none right inside the temples of justice. Our ancestors had neither good names nor prayers for warlords who pull straws from their neighbours’ roof so that theirs would stop leaking. The current flood from the rains will wash away the house of justice if the owners look on. It is almost a week since that Supreme Court list was out, I have not heard a whimper of protest from those holding the short end of the stick. Osun’s forbearance is legendary. But is it not stupidity to stay in queue when the other party wants everything? Lagos that has Surulere (patience is profitable) has never believed in waiting for its turn.
“He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want” (Proverbs 22:16). Enablers of iniquity have not read that verse in their Bible. They have also not read Romans 12:19. – “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” To those who are Muslims and who excuse evil for reasons of class, creed and ethnicity; to them that teach or plead or enforce acquiescence as evil multiplies itself, I commend the words of the Prophet as reported by Abu Sa’id al-Khudri: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever among you sees evil, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot do so, then with his tongue. If he cannot do so, then with his heart, which is the weakest level of faith” (See Sahih Muslim, 49).
Evil will grow and flourish if it is manured with helpless acceptance. And that will be the death of Nigeria, its democracy and our freedoms. Khalil Gibran (1883-1931) was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist. He warned us never to refuse anything by accepting it; he said we should never nurse half hopes and fight half battles. He wrote many powerful lines, the most engaging are in his book, ‘The Prophet’ with the avant-garde poem ‘Do Not Love Half Lovers’. I reproduce it here: “Do not live half a life/and do not die a half death/ If you choose silence, then be silent/When you speak, do so until you are finished/If you accept, then express it bluntly/Do not mask it./If you refuse, then be clear about it/for an ambiguous refusal is but a weak acceptance./Do not accept half a solution/Do not believe half-truths/Do not dream half a dream/Do not fantasize about half hopes/ Half the way will get you nowhere/You are a whole that exists to live a life/not half a life.”
I pray we listen – and loudly refuse to choose silence.
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NCAA Seeks K1 De Ultimate’s Arrest, Petitions AGF, IG
Published
9 hours agoon
August 7, 2025By
Editor
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has formally petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police, asking them to investigate and prosecute veteran Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, over an incident that occurred aboard a domestic ValueJet flight.
The incident, which happened on Tuesday, reportedly disrupted standard operational procedures and has raised serious concerns about passenger behaviour and compliance with aviation safety protocols.
According to preliminary reports, K1 De Ultimate was allegedly involved in conduct during ValueJet flight VK201 that contravenes the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.
According to a statement signed by the agency on Thursday, it noted that in the petition, the NCAA urged the Attorney-General and the IGP to “launch a thorough investigation into the incident” and commence “appropriate prosecution in accordance with the provisions of the Nigeria Civil Aviation regulations 2023 supra and all other applicable laws.”
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In a further move to reinforce compliance and accountability, the Director General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo has issued an advisory to the Airline Operators of Nigeria recommending that K1 De Ultimate be placed on a No-Fly List for all commercial flights pending the conclusion of the investigation.
The advisory, according to the NCAA, is in line with international aviation best practices designed to ensure the safety of passengers, crew, and aircraft operations.
The statement read, “In a letter addressed to both the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police, the NCAA called for a comprehensive criminal investigation and the initiation of appropriate prosecution in accordance with the provisions of the Nigeria Civil Aviation regulations 2023 supra and all other applicable laws.
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“Furthermore, and in light of the growing concern, the Director General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, has also issued an advisory to the Airline Operators of Nigeria, urging the immediate consideration and institution of a No-Fly List for K1 De Ultimate (on any commercial flight), pending the outcome of official investigations.
“This advisory is in line with global aviation standards that prioritise the safety of passengers, crew, and airline operations.
“The NCAA reiterates its commitment to ensuring that no individual, regardless of their status or public image, undermines the integrity of our aviation industry as passengers are held to the same standards of behavior and compliance within Nigeria’s airspace.”
The Authority emphasised that aviation safety and discipline remain non-negotiable and that the industry cannot afford to tolerate acts that could endanger lives or compromise the integrity of flight operations.
News
FG Unveils Four Water Projects In Ogoni, Commits To Implementing UNEP Report
Published
9 hours agoon
August 7, 2025By
Editor
The Federal Government has commissioned four new water projects in Ogoniland, with renewed commitment to addressing public health concerns and full implementation of the report of the United Nations Environment Programme.
The water projects located in Bodo community (Gokana LGA), Eteo (in Eleme LGA), Uegwere-Boue, and Taabaa communities (both in Khana LGA) now brings the number of Ogoni communities with reticulated potable water to 40, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, has said.
Also unveiled was a new HYPREP Area Office in Kpor, headquarters of Gokana LGA, which aims to improve engagement with host communities.
Speaking at the ceremony in Bodo community on Thursday, Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas, described the development as a major step in the federal government’s resolve to restore the dignity of the Ogoni people after decades of environmental degradation from oil pollution.
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Abbas stated, “The biggest victim of pollution is water. Water is what gets polluted first, and so the whole essence of HYPREP is to restore water, land, and a better environment. Access to clean and safe water is not just a basic necessity, it is a fundamental human right.”
While noting that the projects are not just infrastructure, but “symbols of hope, equity, and justice” for communities that had long suffered the impacts of oil-related pollution.
He urged residents to take ownership of the facilities and protect them from vandalism.
“Today, as we commission these projects, we are not only laying a physical foundation but also upholding human rights. These commitments underscore our shared dedication to the health, dignity, and well-being of our people,” he stated.
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The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to full delivery of UNEP’s report and sustainable development of the Niger Delta region.
“On behalf of the federal government, I affirm our unwavering commitment to the full implementation of the UNEP report. The Ogonis have suffered for too long. It is our duty to address their worries,” Abbas said.
In his address, Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, said progress is also being recorded across other UNEP-aligned thematic areas, including soil remediation, mangrove restoration, health infrastructure, and youth empowerment.
Zabbey stated, “We have completed remediation of 50 simple-risk sites, while work on medium-risk, complex sites is 38% done. Our mangrove restoration project is already 93% complete.”
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He stated that over 5,000 Ogoni youths and women have been trained in 20 skill sets, while 7,000 direct jobs have been created through the programme, which he described as a major boost to local livelihoods and stability.
He said, “Work on the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration and Ogoni Power Project is 90% and 40% complete respectively, while the Buan Cottage Hospital and Ogoni Specialist Hospital are nearing completion at 98% and 86%.
“With the Ogoni Health Study now underway, HYPREP has reached the point of simultaneous implementation of key UNEP actions, remediation, water, health and livelihood, working together to transform Ogoni holistically.”
Managing Director of Renaissance Africa Energy Company, Engr. Tony Attah, represented by the General Manager of Relations and Sustainable Development, Igo Weli, praised the federal government and HYPREP for achieving a key milestone.
“This marks a significant moment in our journey to improve public health and the quality of life of Ogoni people. We also commend the resilience and commitment of the communities. Your support reflects a shared desire for progress,” Attah said.
News
FG Warns Of Flooding In Lagos, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, 26 Others
Published
9 hours agoon
August 7, 2025By
Editor
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency on Thursday warned of potential flooding in 198 local government areas across 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The alert, obtained by our correspondent, covers August 7 to August 21, 2025, a span of 15 days during which vulnerable communities are advised to take precautionary measures.
The alert categorised flood risk levels as very high, high and moderate, depending on local topography and rainfall intensity projections.
The affected states are Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, the Federal Capital Territory, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.
According to NiHSA, very high-risk states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Delta, Gombe, Kebbi, Kogi, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Rivers, Yobe, and Zamfara.
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While states categorised as facing high to moderate risk include Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross-River, Ebonyi, Edo, FCT, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau, Sokoto, and Taraba.
The agency also noted that 832 communities are at risk of varying degrees of flooding.
The alert also warned of the potential disruption of over 100 major transportation routes, particularly in flood-prone areas.
“High likelihood of displacement, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas. NiHSA urges residents in affected regions to remain vigilant, adhere to early warning directives, and cooperate with emergency response agencies,” it stated.
To mitigate the potential impacts of flooding, NiHSA recommended that all emergency management stakeholders should get prepared for response protocols to ensure timely intervention.
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It added, “Communities at risk should put evacuation plans in place.
“Follow up on NIHSA’s state-level weekly forecast for community-specific forecast, and monitor updates from NIHSA.”
The Director General of NiHSA, Umar Mohammed, said, “This alert is issued in line with our commitment to safeguarding lives and property. We call on state governments, local authorities, and the public to take proactive measures to mitigate risk and ensure community safety.”
He emphasised that they will continue to monitor the hydrological situation and provide timely updates as necessary.
On Tuesday, the National Emergency Management Agency revealed that in 2025, no fewer than 191 lives have been lost to the floods that have ravaged parts of the country, while 94 people remain missing.
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The report by NEMA showed that Niger State recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 163 deaths, followed by Adamawa State, where 26 people lost their lives. One death each was reported in Borno and Gombe states.
The data further indicated that, so far this year, the floods have affected 134,435 people across 20 states and 47 local government areas.
Additionally, 48,056 people have been displaced, while 239 injuries have been reported. The floods have also damaged 9,499 houses and affected 9,450 farmlands.
NEMA’s dashboard also revealed that among those affected are 27,121 men, 41,539 women, 60,071 children, 5,704 elderly persons, and 1,874 persons with disabilities.
In 2024, the floods affected 5,264,097 individuals, displacing 1,243,638 people across 35 states and 401 local government areas. The disaster resulted in 1,237 deaths and left 16,469 individuals injured.
Also, 116,172 houses were destroyed, and 1,439,296 hectares of farmland were affected, further worsening the economic and humanitarian impact of the flooding across the country.
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