Uncategorized

Opinion: An Openly Partisan Chief Justice of Nigeria

Published

2 years ago

November 29, 2022

Eric

By Farooq A. Kperogi

When Justice Tajudeen Olukayode Ariwoola was appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria, I was excited for two reasons. One, he comes from Oke-Ogun, a part of Oyo State, nay western Nigeria, that is perpetually located on the political and symbolic margins of Nigeria’s Yoruba world.

My enduring passion for the dispensation of representational justice to all groups in Nigeria conduced to my feeling of joy. That someone from Iseyin, a sleepy mid-sized town in what is arguably Yorubaland’s backwater, became CJN not because of where he comes from but on merit has a significance that most Nigerians don’t and can’t appreciate. The sense of communal fulfilment that his appointment has inspired in Oke-Ogun has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Two, after I familiarized myself with his professional trajectory, I came away with the distinct impression that he understood the weight, solemnity, and impartiality that his responsibility as CJN requires. I thought he would be a comforting departure from his predecessor who was suddenly and deliberately promoted to his position only as a strategy to give a legal imprimatur to Buhari’s planned electoral fraud in 2019—after the illegal removal Walter Onnoghen because he was suspected by influence peddlers in Buhari’s Aso Rock to be sympathetic to PDP.

But it is now emerging that Justice Ariwoola may just be as partisan, as compromised, as purchasable, and as clueless as his predecessor—if not more so. On Friday, newspapers reported Justice Ariwoola to have attended a ceremonial dinner party organized for him on Thursday by Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike—of course, with Wike’s four duteous gubernatorial courtiers in tow—after commissioning projects Wike completed in Port Harcourt.

During the dinner, the CJN needlessly thrust himself in the murkiness of political partisanship when he openly identified with Wike’s ongoing gladiatorial political combat with PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and PDP chairman Iyiorcha Ayu. He said he was happy that Seyi Makinde, the governor of his state, was part of the PDP governors who are revolting against their party’s presidential candidate.

“That is why we should not be scared to have these men of the integrity group,” he said after eating his fill of Wike’s dinner goodies. “And I am happy that my own governor is among them because he would try to imitate his friend and in-law because we came here to marry for my governor. So, Governor Wike will always threaten that he will call back his sister if my governor fails to play ball. That is why you see him following His Excellency because my governor is afraid of his wife being recalled.”

He obviously said that in jest, but as English poet Geoffrey Chaucer pointed out in The Cook’s Tale in 1390, many a true word is spoken in jest. In other words, people often betray their true thoughts and perspectives on issues in humorous remarks. Humor vitiates the directness and hurt of some uncomfortable truths.

The CJN deployed the cover of humor to insert himself into the partisan disputes of a major political party whose litigations he might be required to adjudicate in the coming weeks and months. How can the other people he doesn’t support expect justice from him?

Well, as if to make it clear that his partisanship isn’t unintentional, after his partisan postprandial humor, he descended into cheap, vulgar, undignified, and saccharine extolments of Wike’s putative accomplishments in ways that would shame professional griots.

“The things that [Wike] is bestowing to generations unborn will be hard to beat,” he said. “That’s why he says it all. Anytime he has the opportunity, he will say. Yes, he would not be in office forever, but whatever time he has to spend in office, let it be spent very well.”

The CJN, who is constitutionally required to transcend petty political partisanships, was just getting started in his disgraceful and embarrassing hagiographic adoration of Wike. He continued: “I was telling somebody that [Wike] started far below from being council chairman, and the Lord saw in him a son worth raising. I have no doubt the sky is still the limit for Your Excellency. The whole world is seeing what you can do, seeing what you are doing, and wants it replicated. It has to be replicated.”

I honestly feel embarrassed on the CJN’s behalf. The man seems to have lost his calling. It’s evident that he would do better as a praise singer who extols the virtues of rich crooks than as a judge who is required to dispense justice to all parties who come to him.

The sorts of mortifyingly cloying praises that Justice Ariwoola heaped on Wike in Port Harcourt on Thursday usually come from people who are financially compromised, who are dazed by the enormous financial inducement that they received from the object of verbal worship, and who are going out of their way to justify the financial investment in them. He spoke like the piper whose tune was called by the person who paid for it.

Before I am misunderstood, I am not, by any means, suggesting that the CJN was financially induced by Wike. I’d hope that he has good enough ethical consciousness to resist that. But I can’t help but point out that there is an eerie parallel between his mawkish utterances and the maudlin utterances of paid praise singers, and that’s unmentionably horrible for a CJN.

Maybe it’s because I haven’t paid enough attention, but I had never seen a CJN who ever threw his dignity in such tatters before a partisan political crowd as Justice Ariwoola did in Port Harcourt. It’s bad enough that he attended a partisan political event during an election season; he made it worse by leaving no one in doubt that he doesn’t even pretend to be aboveboard.

A Chief Justice who doesn’t have enough moral compunction and ethical restraint to know that he shouldn’t attend a partisan political event during a campaign season— and should guard against being seen as supporting a partisan political cause— can’t be trusted to be impartial to people who are not in his good graces. He denudes himself of even the pretense to impartiality, and that’s a shame.

This isn’t about Atiku Abubakar or Iyiorcha Ayu. It is about the integrity and independence of Nigeria’s judiciary. If the CJN can profess open support for a partisan group and its cause because a governor who is notorious for inducing people with money to buy their loyalty invited him to commission a project and fed him lavishly thereafter, anyone can get him to do their bidding.

I have no confidence in a CJN who is as deficient in self-worth as Justice Ariwoola.

Twitter: @farooqkperogi

Uncategorized

Madam Beatrice Abiodun Awomosu Thanks God at 80

Published

2 months ago

January 17, 2025

Eric

By Ruth Udeme

Joy indescribable, was written all over the face of Madam Beatrice Awomosu, when close family members and friends gathered in Ibadan, Oyo state to celebrate her entry into the octogenarian club.

The elegant matriarch, who is the mother of the stylish CEO of Jummhy Exclusive Fabrics, Mrs Jumoke Oyeneyin, marked her special 80th birthday in the house of the Lord, a recognition of His grace and divine mercies in her life over the years.

The thanksgiving service, which was held at Christ The Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Ibadan was a glorious outpouring of hymns, songs, praises and prayers all the way.

The officiating minister, who delivered the sermon, described the celebrator as an unwearied leader in the vineyard of the Lord, praying that God will shower her with excellent health and keep her alive to continue enjoying her children and grand children.

In her remarks, during the ceremony, her elated daughter, Mrs Jumoke Oyeneyin, who was filled with happiness that her mother was healthy and strong at 80, also noted that the hand of God was indeed upon the family.

The lively service was soon concluded after which guests moved to the Sunlight Royal Event Center, in the heart of Ibadan, for a classy one-in-town reception.

The venue had been creatively transformed by the inimitable Finesse Events who planned the event. Guests were pampered like royals, Choice drinks and gourmet dishes of various kinds flowed freely.

The ceremony was compered by Gbenga Adeyinka 1st, and had excellent music contents from great performers such as Beejay Sax, King Sunny Ade and Aristos Band.

Phots: Ken Ehimen

Uncategorized

Senate Approves Tinubu’s ₦1.77trn Loan Request

Published

4 months ago

November 21, 2024

Eric

The Senate has granted approval to the ₦1.77 trillion ($2.2b) loan request of President Bola Tinubu after a voice vote in favor of the request.

The Senate presided by Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, approved the loan after the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts chaired by Senator Wammako Magatarkada (APC, Sokoto North) presented the report of the committee.

The request which was submitted by the President on Tuesday is part of a fresh external borrowing plan to partially finance the N9.7 trillion budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year.

Tinubu had on Tuesday written to the National Assembly, seeking approval of a fresh N1.767 trillion, the equivalent of $2.209 billion as a new external borrowing plan in the 2024 Appropriation Act.

The fresh loan is expected to stretch the amount spent on debt servicing by the Federal Government. The Central Bank of Nigeria recently said that it cost the Federal Government $3.58 billion to service foreign debt in the first nine months of 2024.

The CBN report on international payment statistics showed that the amount represents a 39.77 per cent increase from the $2.56bn spent during the same period in 2023.

According to the report, while the highest monthly debt servicing payment in 2024 occurred in May, amounting to $854.37m, the highest monthly expenditure in 2023 was $641.70m, recorded in July.

The trend in foreign debt servicing by the CBN highlights the rising cost of debt obligations by Nigeria.

Further breakdown of international debt figures showed that in January 2024, debt servicing costs surged by 398.89 per cent, rising to $560.52m from $112.35m in January 2023. February, however, saw a slight decline of 1.84 per cent, with payments reducing from $288.54m in 2023 to $283.22m in 2024.

March recorded a 31.04 per cent drop in payments, falling to $276.17m from $400.47m in the same period last year. April saw a significant rise of 131.77 per cent, with $215.20m paid in 2024 compared to $92.85m in 2023.

The highest debt servicing payment occurred in May 2024, when $854.37m was spent, reflecting a 286.52 per cent increase compared to $221.05m in May 2023. June, on the other hand, saw a 6.51 per cent decline, with $50.82m paid in 2024, down from $54.36m in 2023.

July 2024 recorded a 15.48 per cent reduction, with payments dropping to $542.50m from $641.70m in July 2023. In August, there was another decline of 9.69 per cent, as $279.95m was paid compared to $309.96m in 2023. However, September 2024 saw a 17.49 per cent increase, with payments rising to $515.81m from $439.06m in the same month last year.

Given rising exchange rates, the data raises concerns about the growing pressure of Nigeria’s foreign debt obligations.

Channels TV

Boss Picks

DIAMED CENTRE: Kesington Adebutu is a Father in a million – Daughter, Abiola Olorede

Published

8 months ago

July 20, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

A United States and United Kingdom trained prolific doctor, Dr. Abiola Olorede, the first daughter of accomplished businessman and renowned philanthropist, Sir Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu, is not a run-off-the-mill medical practitioner. She knows her onions, her worth and the mandate she is programmed to fulfill.

She is the Chief Medical Director of the just opened DIAMED CENTRE, a fully equipped diagnostic and medical facility saved with the responsibility of catering to the medical needs of the Nigerian public.

The hospital, which was built and handed over to her by her philanthropic father, is located at Kuboye Street, in the heart of Lekki Island, Lagos.

In this brief chat, the achiever, who lived most of her educational life in Dublin, Poland, expressed her gratitude to a father like no other, and how she and her team intends to make the best of the facility and equipment to totally affect humanity for the better.

Excerpts:

CAN YOU TELL US THE IDEA BEHIND THIS GREAT PROJECT?

Thank you very much, my name is Abiola Olorede, I am a medical doctor by profession. I schooled in Dublin, worked in the United Kingdom and in United States of America. When I came back home to Nigeria after my education including postgraduate studies, I realized that one of the major challenges is that a lot of the diagnostic tools that we need to use for evident-base treatment of our patient were lacking. Since then, I have always had a dream that when i am able to afford it, I will like to have a place that Nigerians can go to as comparable as those round the world because, just as I have always spoken about it, every Nigerian should have any treatment obtainable anywhere in the world in their home country.

CAN I DEDUCE THEREFORE, THAT YOU INTEND TO STOP MEDICAL TOURISM BY ESTABLISHING THIS ALL INCLUSIVE MEDICAL CENTRE?

Hmmm…Intend to stop is a very big word. I am hoping by the service we would offer here, a lot of Nigerians will see it as comparable to anywhere in the world and would want to use it instead of going out of the country. So, a lot of people that go out of the country can benefit from world class treatment in Nigeria.

SO OUT OF ALL YOUR DAD’S PHILANTHROPIC GESTURES, HOW DOES THIS ONE MAKE YOU FEEL?

If you noticed, the Kensington Adebutu Foundation, KAF, as it is fondly referred to, has major pillars and that’s education and health. It does a lot of other projects no doubt. I know that in any society, if the people are not educated, it’s a big loss to the country, if you don’t have the healthy workers too, it’s a big loss. So this brings out much of my pride in the service of Nigeria.

AS A PROUD DAUGHTER, WHAT MORE COULD YOU SAY ABOUT YOUR FATHER?

First of all, I would like to thank him. I tell everybody that he is father in a million. He supported his children over the years, financially, and with wisdom. I’m going up to 60, and my father still supports me pursue my dreams; it’s very rare. I want to thank him from the bottom of my heart. He’s always there, so thank you dad, you are a wonderful dad.

CAN YOU JUST ANALYZE THE KIND OF EQUIPMENT WE HAVE HERE?

We have a lot of facilities that are available, we have 3D monogram, it gives better images, and it’s less painful when you do that. We also have 64 high CT scan, digital X-rays, a lab, Haematology, Dialysis department, Dental suite, Opthalmology and Physiotherapy. We have a fully functional Pharmacy; so it’s like a one stop shop.

We have a Cardiac Suite where you can do ECO and other tests. We engage patients morning to night, make them comfortable as they get their test done. We don’t want you to feel you are in a hospital premises; you come from home and get all your test done.

WHAT DO YOU PROMISE NIGERIANS USING THIS FACILITY?

I promise Nigerians is that only experts, who will give the right diagnosis will be engaged here so we can give world class treatment and service. We want to use evidence and innovations to manage patients. Those are our promises to Nigerians and others as an organization and God will help us deliver all these promises.

AND HOW AFFORDABLE IS IT TO PATRONISE THIS PLACE?

We would try to make it cost effective in as much as medical care is not cheap. I tell people that being healthy is cheaper that being sick and that’s true, and that’s what we hope to accomplish. It is difficult to maintain some of this machines, some of them are very expensive so we must be able to recoop cost to get and replace equipment when due.

Thank you doctor Abiola, you have been very helpful and I wish you well in the management of this facility to the best interest of Nigerians. God bless you ma.

The pleasure is mine