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Femi Kehinde Drags Law Firm, Oyo Govt, Others to Court over Legal Fees Payment

Published

4 years ago

July 10, 2020

Eric

The law firm of Ned Nwoko Solicitors has been taken before the Federal High Court, Abuja, along with the Oyo State government and eight others over the refusal of the law firm to pay 40 per cent of the sum of the N1 billion paid to it by the state government through the incorporated trustees of Nigerian Governors’ Forum.

The plaintiff, Honourable Femi Kehinde, the principal partner of Femi Kehinde and Co. had, in a Writ of Summons numbered FHC/ABJ/ CS/212/20, filed through his counsel, Bola Aidi, prayed the court to order Ned Nwoko Solicitors to pay him “the sum of N400 million, being 40 per cent of the N1billion (first tranche) paid to the first defendant (Ned Nwoko Solicitors) as legal fee for services rendered by same as it relates to the Oyo State government for the recovery of foreign debts.”

While Ned Nwoko Solicitors, Lillian Ngozichukwu Nwoko, Honourable Chinedu Munir Nwoko, Lina’s International Limited and the Oyo State government are first to fifth defendants in the suit filed on March 3, 2020, the Incorporated Trustees of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Ministry of Finance and the Attorney-General of the Federation are listed as sixth to 10th defendants.

The plaintiff also prayed the court for an order compelling the first defendant, which is a registered law firm with the Law Society of England, to pay him N20 million, representing 40 per cent of a consent judgment as well as another £159,098.00 as expenses incurred for prosecuting an arbitration in a London court.

The plaintiff said in a statement of claim that the first defendant engaged his services in 2007 to handle all issues pertaining to Oyo State foreign debt and that the condition for his engagement as an agent to the first defendant was dependent on the first defendant being appointed as solicitors to the Oyo State government to recover its foreign debts within four weeks. He averred that the conditions, as contained in a retainership letter as a local attorney on March 24, 2007, including collation of all information and documentation of the various loans and agreements since 1982, provision of support needed by Ned Nwoko Solicitors, including litigation in any Nigerian court in any matter arising from proposed contract with Oyo State, among others. “The retainership agreement states clearly that the plaintiff will be entitled to 40 per cent of whatever was received from the Oyo State government and that remains the understanding of parties,” he said.

According to the plaintiff, the Oyo State government enjoyed its services as an agent of Ned Nwoko Solicitors from December 7, 2007, to February 23, 2011, when a total sum of $148,231,966.94 million (paid in five tranches) was received by the state government. He said the Oyo State government refused to comply with the terms of the agreement and did not pay Ned Nwoko Solicitors, a situation he said made the first defendant give the plaintiff the go-ahead to commence arbitration proceedings in London against the Oyo State government.

“The plaintiff paid several trips to the Alaafin of Oyo, not only to seek his intervention before commencing the arbitration but to also inform him why it will be impossible not to issue a subpoena to his majesty in the arbitration proceedings,” he said.

He said the Alaafin wrote letters to the then governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala on March 13 and May 19, 2009, on the matter, in order to broker a peace to no avail and that a total cost of £159,098.00 was incurred from prosecuting the arbitration proceedings in London. When the matter came up on Monday, the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, adjourned till October 5.

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Airforce Confirms Nigeria’s Readiness to Acquire 24 Fighter Jets from Italy’s Leonardo

Published

6 hours ago

April 20, 2024

Eric

By Reuters

Nigeria plans to acquire 24 fighter jets from Italy’s Leonardo (LDOF.MI), opens new tab to modernize its fleet and bolster its air force, air force spokesperson Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet said on Friday.

The aircraft will arrive the country in four batches of six jets each, the air force said. Africa’s most populous nation will receive the first six M-346 fighter aircraft before the end of the year, Gabkwet said in a statement.

The news followed a visit by Claudio Sabatino, Leonardo vice president, to Nigeria’s air force chief in Abuja on Wednesday.

Leonardo will provide a minimum of 25 years maintenance support, the air force statement said.

Nigeria is trying to boost its ability to combat insurgency especially in the northeast of the country where Boko Haram militants and the Islamic State regional affiliate is active. Also kidnapping and banditry is rife across the country.

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Stay Away from CBT Centres, JAMB Warns Parents, Threatens Arrest

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

As this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) begins on Friday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has vowed to arrest parents found near any Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre during the 2024 UTME exercise.

The directive was issued at the final briefing of the CBT centre owners, which was held virtually on Wednesday, 17th April, 2024.

The spokesman for JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, said this directive became necessary following the intrusive disposition of some parents during the Board’s previous exercises.

Benjamin, who quoted JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said any parent, who disobeys the order would not only be arrested but his ward would also be disqualified from sitting for the examination.

Oloyede explained that this measure became necessary as it has been discovered over time that many of these intruding parents are facilitators of examination infractions while others have, by their actions, disrupted the Board’s examinations in the past.

He added that some miscreants also disguise as parents to infiltrate the centres to perpetrate all forms of infractions.

“The Board’s helmsman noted that going by the extant national policy on education, a candidate for the examination must have attained the age of 17 years.

“Therefore, it is evident that these parents had not allowed their wards to pass through the classes as defined in the document, hence the desperation to follow their wards to the examination venue with the aim of compromising examination officials.

“At any rate, it is clear to any discerning observer that these parents deserve to be sanctioned as they had obviously ‘smuggled’ underage children into the ranks of those scheduled to sit the examination,” the Board note through a statement.

Furthermore, the Registrar said all arrangements have been concluded for the conduct of the 2024 UTME, which will be held in over 700 CBT centres across the nation.

He disclosed that the Board expects a seamless exercise but it has nevertheless made adequate provision to tackle any technical glitch that might occur in the course of the examination.

He, however, warned that if a session experienced any technical challenge, candidates in subsequent sessions would be allowed to sit their examination as scheduled while the candidates in the challenged session would be rescheduled for the last session for the day or the following day or even further depending on the centre schedules.

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Oyo Govt Demolishes Operational Base of Yoruba Nation Agitators

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

The Oyo State government, on Wednesday, demolished a building serving as the operational base of the Yoruba Nation agitators led by Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, in Ibadan.

Onitiri-Abiola, one of the widows of late Bashorun M.KO Abiola, had declared the creation of the so-called Yoruba Nation in a video posted online, which has been widely condemned.

Last Saturday, some armed men in military uniforms invaded the Oyo State Secretariat, with the motive to forcefully take over the State House of Assembly, before they were dislodged by the combined efforts of police and troops for the Nigeria Army 2 Division..

Mr. Fatai Owoseni, Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Seyi Makinde, confirmed the demolition of the house located at Toye Oyesola Street in Ibadan South West Local Government Area.

Already, no fewer than 29 suspects – including a lecturer – arrested in connection with the foiled armed invasion were on Wednesday arraigned by the police before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan.

In a case with charge number Mi/520c/2024 between the Commissioner of Police and the 29 suspects, they were accused of a seven-count charge of treasonable felony, unlawful society, illegal possession of firearms, and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Inspector Bakare Rasaq, the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, said the offence contravenes, and is punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.