News

SANs List Expectations As S’Court Justices Rise To 21

Published

1 year ago

February 27, 2024

Editor

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on Monday, swore in 11 new Justices of the Supreme Court, bringing the number of Justices on the apex court bench to 21.

The development was hailed by Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who expressed the hope that it would translate to the clearing of the huge backlog of cases at the Supreme Court.

The swearing-in of the 11 Justices comes over two months after they were screened and confirmed by the Senate, acting on the recommendation of President Bola Tinubu.

Before now the number of Justices on the Supreme Court bench went down to an all-time low of 10, as opposed to 21 recommended by the Constitution.

The appointment of an additional 11 Justices, giving the Supreme Court its full complement of Justices, followed agitations and calls from several quarters on the declining manpower at the apex court.

At the swearing-in, which took place at the Main Courtroom of the Supreme Court in Abuja on Monday, the CJN noted that the 11 new Justices were joining the apex court bench “at a time when the rank had been grossly depleted to an all-time low of 10 Justices for a number of reasons, mainly retirement, and deaths.”

“The inability of the court to meet up the statutory full compliment of 21 Justices had lingered on for too long,” the CJN remarked.

Speaking with The PUNCH, a former Attorney General of Abia State, Chief Awa Kalu (SAN), said with the Supreme Court now having its full complement of Justices, “we expect them to crack down on the backlog of cases in that court. That is the expectation of everybody, and it is a legitimate expectation.”

Similarly, human rights lawyer, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), said, “It is commendable that we have 21 Justices, but I believe it goes just beyond numbers.”

Adegboruwa said the appointment of the 21 Justices must be complemented with the provision of necessary equipment that would aid justice delivery at the apex court.

He said, “It’s important that there is a paradigm shift that will focus on equipping the Justices with the needed infrastructure and personnel to perform.

“Then limit the number of interlocutory appeals that go to the Supreme Court so that it can properly focus on policy decisions that will give a guideline on serious legal matters.

“Then the quality of the judgment. To avoid matters in which we have conflicting judgments, there’s a need for the Supreme Court to sit down and to exert its previous decisions with the purpose of harmonising seemingly contradictory views that have been expressed by the apex court.”

Meanwhile, the CJN, at the swearing-in of the Justices, charged them to brace up for the work ahead and to be prepared to face criticisms from the public.

He said they must discharge their duty in fairness and uprightness, knowing that they were representatives of God on earth.

Justice Ariwoola said, “See yourselves as the representatives of God on earth because any judgment given at this level can only be overturned in heaven.

“There is no way you can please human beings, especially litigants. The easiest way to fail in life is by trying to please everyone. The only deity you can fear is the Almighty God. Once your judgment is in consonance with what God expects from you, and is also in accordance with the Constitution, you should consider yourself the happiest and freest person on earth.”

The CJN also cautioned the Justices against allowing their ambition to cloud their sense of judgment.

“Your moral uprightness, integrity, and respect for the constitution and other extant laws in operation must be unwavering and unassailable,” he added.

The new Supreme Court Justices are Justices

Jummai Sankey, Chidiebere Uwa, Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, Haruna Simon Tsammani, Moore Adumein, Obande Ogbuinya, and Stephen Adah.

Others are Habeeb Abiru, Jamilu Tukur, Abubakar Umar, and Mohammed Idris.

News

Okpebholo’s ₦100b Loan Generates Reactions, Controversy

Published

41 minutes ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

A Hundred Billion Naira loan approved by the Edo State House of Assembly as support for Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration in delivering key infrastructural projects across the state is generating controversy and reactions from the public.

In a phone-in programme on Benin-based B-Side Radio 98.1FM, while some callers asked the presenter to crosscheck if the loan really amounts to ₦100b or ₦100m, some questioned the rationale behind such a huge loan.

Also, while some callers chided Okpebholo’s administration for such a huge loan, some callers into the programme asked if such a huge loan is what the state needs at the moment in whatsoever infrastructure it may be used for, arguing that poverty and insecurity has taken over the state.

The callere urged the governor to address pressing issues such as insecurity and hardship rather than things that ordinarily does not add values to their lives.

The Edo State House of Assembly had yesterday
approved a ₦100 billion loan facility from First Bank of Nigeria PLC to support Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration in delivering key infrastructural projects across the state.

According to the State Assembly, the loan will be utilized to finance major infrastructural developments, contractor financing, and urban renewal projects in line with the Governor’s five-point development agenda.

These projects are expected to boost economic growth, improve transportation, create job opportunities, and enhance the overall quality of life for Edo citizens.

Speaking during the plenary session, the Majority Leader, Hon. Jonathan Ibhamawu, highlighted several key projects the loan would support. These include the construction of flyover bridges at Ikpoba-Hill, Dawson Junction, and Adesuwa Junction in Benin City, as well as the development of major roads in Edo Central ,Edo South and Edo North Senatorial Districts.

Hon. Ibhamawu also explained that while the state government has budgeted for these developments, revenue allocations from the federal level have fallen short of expectations, making the loan necessary to meet the administration’s goals.

The Speaker, Hon Blessing Agbebaku, emphasized that his local government Owan West and other local government would also benefit significantly from the infrastructural projects. The loan approval was passed through a voice vote by the lawmakers, after which the Speaker directed the Clerk, Alhaji Yahaya Audu Omogbai, to forward clean copies of the resolution to the Governor.

News

IPOB Rejects FG’s Ranching Proposal, Says It’s ‘Land Grabbing’

Published

2 hours ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

The Indigenous People of Biafra, has condemned the announcement by President Bola Tinubu, proposing the establishment of cattle ranches in Abuja, the ancestral homeland of the Gbagi people and other states across the country.

The pro-Biafran group said the move is nothing but Ruga repackaged and a sinister land-grabbing strategy cloaked in government policy.

In a press statement released on Tuesday, IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, said it is a shame that in the 21st century, the Federal Government is prioritising cow colonies over education, security, and innovation.

Powerful said what began as the “need for grazing” centuries ago led to the total subjugation of proud territories, adding, “the rise of alien emirates, and the transformation of indigenous owners of the land into strangers in their ancestral homes. Abuja is about to witness the same fate if this madness is not stopped.”

The statement read in part, “President Tinubu unaware that no sensible country in the world keeps cattle around its capital city?

“Let him point to any major city—from Nairobi to New Delhi, São Paulo to Seoul—where cattle are granted permanent settlements around central governance zones.

“This absurdity is uniquely Nigerian, and disgracefully so.”

While saying that the land around Abuja belongs to the Gbagi people, Powerful said, “To dispossess them by executive fiat is an unforgivable act of aggression and cultural genocide.”

He added, “Today, the Gbagi are being pushed to the margins; tomorrow, there will be an Emir of Abuja. And in 60 years—just like what befell the Hausas—the Gbagi will be footnotes in history, reduced to relics of their own heritage.

“Let it be known that IPOB shall resist any attempt—direct or indirect—to impose this toxic expansionist agenda anywhere in Biafraland. No inch of our territory will be given for herder settlements, cattle corridors, or so-called ranching. Our forests, our villages, our farmlands are sacred to us—not bargaining chips in a federal contract of death.

“Let them be transported by rail, just as is done in civilised societies. That’s how a serious nation handles its livestock economy—not by slaughtering indigenous peoples and seizing their homes under the guise of ranching.”

According to him, no progressive nation erects ranches next to homes, schools, and marketplaces. The fact that this administration cannot comprehend this basic logic is a reflection of its failure, not ours.

“IPOB stands with the Gbagi people and every other indigenous nationality facing existential threats from Fulani neo-colonial conquest dressed up as national policy. Our diversity must be respected, our cultures preserved, and our ancestral lands protected. Let the killings in the name of cows stop. Let the bloodletting cease. Let Nigeria choose reason over ruin,” the statement added.

News

MultiChoice Cuts DStv Decoder Price By 50% To Attract Subscribers

Published

2 hours ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

MultiChoice Nigeria has slashed the price of its DStv decoder by 50 per cent, dropping it from ₦20,000 to ₦10,000.

The company announced that the move aimed to attract more customers and curb declining subscriptions.

According to the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, John Ugbe, in a statement released on Tuesday, the offer was a way of rewarding customer loyalty and delivering enhanced value to subscribers.

“We want to ensure our customers feel appreciated and have access to the best entertainment every day. The ‘We Got You’ campaign is about making premium content more accessible and showing that DStv offers something for everyone, not just football fans.

“By repositioning itself as a platform for daily value, DStv aims to encourage content discovery across a wider array of genres, including movies, drama, kids’ programming, and news.

“This means more channels, more shows, and more reasons to tune in every day,” the statement added.

The company also announced a promotional offer granting subscribers a free upgrade to the next DStv package tier when they pay for their current plan in full between June 16 and July 31, 2025.

Multichoice maintained the price slash, and the free upgrade initiative is a response “to the noticeable economic impact on the everyday lives of Nigerians.”

This was coming after it lost 1.4 million subscribers between March 2023 and March 2025.

Recall that MultiChoice Nigeria increased its DStv and GOtv bouquet prices three times within 12 months — first in April 2023, followed by another hike in November 2023, and a third announced in April 2024, which took effect on May 1.