News

Re: Rejoinder: Powerful Lagos, Powerless

Published

2 years ago

November 21, 2023

By Bola Atanda Lawal, Abeokuta

I wish to add my own voice to the ongoing healthy discourse on the above by pointing out some contradictions in one Mr Adedayo Oshodi’s rejoinder to Dr Lasisi Olagunju’s Monday Lines column on the proposed appointments into the Supreme Court.

Mr Oshodi submitted (or admitted) that Lagos and Ogun States were paired for appointments into the Supreme Court, yet he admitted that when Justice George Oguntade from Lagos State retired in 2010, he was replaced with Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour from Lagos. Shouldn’t that slot have gone to Ogun State or could it be that Ogun was too illiterate to have a qualified candidate for a seat in the Supreme Court? Indeed, I have just been told that the last Justice from Ogun State judiciary to be at the Supreme Court was Justice Ebenezer Babasanya Craig who retired in 1989 (34 years ago). Lagos has monopolised the joint slot of the two states for going to 40 years!

Note that Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, whom Mr Oshodi claimed stopped the rotation of Supreme Court seats among states, became the Chief Justice of Nigeria in July 2012. She retired in November 2014.

In anycase, Oshodi’s claim that Justice Aloma Mukhtar stopped pairing of states when she took over as CJN is difficult to believe. Why did he think the Federal Judicial Service Commission put state of origin in front of each of the names it recommended last week?

I also find it curious that Mr Oshodi is justifying the choice of a Lagos-born Justice for the extant slot because, according to him, “the slot available was vacated by a Lagosian in the person of Hon. Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, who retired on 22nd March, 2021 after he was appointed on 16th September, 2010.” This argument is rather funny especially coming from a lawyer. So, when Justice Olufunlola Adekeye from Ekiti State retired in 2012, why was she not replaced with another justice from Ekiti State? Why did that slot go to Justice Kudirat Kekere Ekun from Lagos?

Mr Oshodi in his concluding paragraph argued that the nomination of the two gentlemen from the South West was based on what he called “merit and the time honored tradition of the Nigerian judiciary for seniority.” This is against the facts that are in public domain. The seniority list at the court of appeal shows that the No. 2 man in that court is from the South West (Osun); No. 3 is from the South West (Ekiti); No. 14 is also from the South West just as No. 15 South West (Osun). So, where is “merit and seniority” and justice in jumping over these seniors to pick No. 22 as the priority candidate for the zone?

Mr Oshodi, a lawyer, claimed that balancing in the judiciary is based on the “six geo-political zones (NW,NE, NC, SW, SE, SS) not based on states as suggested by Olagunju.” Could that mean that our judiciary at the highest level does not know that the 1999 Constitution, as amended, does not recognise zones? No where in the constitution is Oshodi’s so called zones mentioned. What the constitution recognises are states.

Oshodi rightly stated that the constitution mandates govt agencies to respect what he called “fulfilment of federal character principle” to avoid lopsided “appointments into national institutions”, yet he took a position that did violence to that provision of the constitution. If there are four slots for a highly educated region like the South West, how can one state out of six take two and a lawyer working for a senior advocate will put pen to paper to justify it? Haba!, It is sad that we are discussing the Supreme Court here. Now we know that, indeed, gold rusts.

News

Edo Assembly Recalls 324 Employment Letters

Published

24 minutes ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Edo State House of Assembly Service Commission has cancelled earlier employment offered to 324 personnel.

In a statement jointly signed by Ezehi Igbas and Mrs Isoken Nehi-Olotu, Chairman and Secretary of the commission respectively, declared the employment letters issued to the 324 affected persons null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

The statement said issuance of employment letters to the affected persons was unauthorized, illegal and unlawful.

The statement reads: “The Edo State House of Assembly Service Commission hereby tenders an unreserved apology to all recipients of the unauthorized and unlawful employment letters and deeply regrets all inconveniences caused to all persons affected by its actions.”

News

NUJ Reacts As Sacked Edo Taskforce Boss Assaults EBS Staff

Published

34 minutes ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

Sacked boss of the defunct Edo Public Safety Response Team, Kelly Okungbowa popularly known as Ebostone on Wednesday assaulted two staff of the Edo Broadcasting Service at the government house.

The incident happened during an empowerment programme for 250 special people in the state at the Festival Hall, government house.

It was gathered that trouble started when nine others who were not captured in the programme stormed the venue, to protest their exclusion.

At that moment, the Edo Broadcasting Service cameraman at the venue was attacked by Okungbowa, who felt he (the cameraman) was recording the commotion.

The reporter, Juliet Aisien, immediately stood up to defend her cameraman and explain the need for Okungbowa not to assault her cameraman and that they belong to a state-owned outfit.

Okungbowa, who was piqued at this point, hit the reporter on her shoulder when he attempted to slap.

Reacting to the development in a statement, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, condemned the act and described it as an attack on press freedom.

The statement signed by Festus Alenkhe and Andy Egbon, Chairman and Secretary respectively, reads: “The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, condemned in strong terms the assault on Juliet Enabulele Asein, a reporter with the Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS), who was assaulted and manhandled by Kelly Okungbowa (Ebo Stone) at a public function in Benin City on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

“The leadership of the union considers this act as a blatant attack on press freedom, the safety of journalists, and the right of media professionals to carry out their lawful duties without fear, intimidation, or violence.

“The NUJ further warns that attacks on journalists in the line of duty will no longer be tolerated, and urges members of the public, especially public figures, to exercise restraint and show respect for the constitutional role of the media in strengthening democracy and promoting accountability.

“The Union calls on the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to immediately arrest Kelly Okungbowa, investigate him and bring him to justice.”

Recalled that in March, Governor Monday Okpebholo suspended indefinitely the activities of the Public Safety Response Team headed by Kelly Okungbowa.

There have been several complaints about the activities of the body, with the latest resulting in the death of a two-year-old girl on Wednesday.

At Ring Road in Benin, officers of the PSRT attempted to take over the steering wheel of a moving vehicle, causing the driver to lose control.

The bus then veered off the road and rammed into a roadside POS kiosk where the young girl and her mother were standing, killing the child instantly.

Also in the same month, operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested Okungbowa for alleged naira abuse.

News

Kingsley Aigbangbee: A Name Built On Grassroots Impact

Published

3 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

In communities across Edo State, development is often spoken of in promises, big words waiting for action. But every so often, a name emerges that shifts the conversation from expectations to evidence. In IGUOSHODIN–NEBUDIN In Ovia North East Local Government Area that name is Kingsley Aibangbee… a man whose work has quietly reshaped everyday life. His approach is rooted in a timeless philosophy once echoed by an American president: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

For Aibangbee, this message is more than a quote, it is a blueprint.
September 2023 marked a turning point for Orenolomi Secondary School. Once a tired structure with fading walls and empty classrooms, the school had become a symbol of abandonment. But that changed when Aibangbee stepped in. With no fanfare, no political stage, he reconstructed the school completely, restoring not just a building, but the future of hundreds of children.

Yet, for him, the work wasn’t finished. A school is only as strong as the people who keep it running. So he employed four teachers—paid directly from his own pocket—who remain on his payroll to this day. In an era where many wait for government intervention, his actions stood out as a reminder of what one individual can choose to do for the many.

But Aibangbee’s impact didn’t stop in the classroom.
Every student received free uniforms and writing materials a simple gesture that removed financial barriers for families and drew many children back to school. In homes where survival often competes with education, this support made all the difference.
Beyond education, the heartbeat of the community, its economy also felt his touch. A modern market now stands proudly in IGUOSHODIN–NEBUDI, built through his effort. What used to be makeshift stalls and risky trading corners has transformed into a structured, safer space where local traders can earn their living with dignity.

Across the community, the message is resounding, Kingsley Aibangbee isn’t waiting for government rescue, political promises, or applause. His story reflects a quiet revolution, one built on service, sacrifice, and an unwavering belief that true leadership begins where the people stand.

In every corner of IGUOSHODIN–NEBUDIN, in every classroom, every uniform, every stall in the new market… his actions echo the challenge of that famous American quote. Not what your “country can do for you but what you can do for your country”!!!!