News

Re: Rejoinder: Powerful Lagos, Powerless

Published

2 years ago

November 21, 2023

Editor

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

Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru

Published

1 hour ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.

Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.

La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.

The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.

He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.

News

N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs

Published

4 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to ₦10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.

The facility provides loans ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million under a general category, and ₦5 million to ₦10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.

At the centre of the offering is a 0% interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure.

Repayment is structured over four or six months, allowing businesses to match obligations with their cash flow cycles.

Yemisi Edun, Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.

“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively.

“Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.

This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs.”

“Access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs,” said Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

“By removing the cost barrier and offering quick, flexible funding, this zero-interest loan is designed to safeguard existing jobs, enable businesses to invest in growth initiatives, and foster resilience in challenging economic conditions.”

Women-owned businesses account for a significant share of Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises but continue to face high borrowing costs and limited access to credit.

Through these efforts, SheVentures tackles persistent financing gaps facing women-led businesses, combining targeted funding with broader support to empower women entrepreneurs, encourage business innovation, and enhance their ability to compete on a national scale.

Applications for the zero-interest loan are now open.Apply now.