News
JUSUN Strike Bites In Rivers …As FG Kicks
The strike action embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) took a more debilitating dimension yesterday as litigants and lawyers in the state were denied access to the Federal High Court Complex.
Our Correspondent, who visted the Federal High Court and Appeal Courts reports that the premises of both courts were under lock and key.
According to our correspondent, lawyers and litigants were shocked as they were denied entrance into both complexes.
One of the litigants, Nwubi Samuel, who said he had a matter scheduled for ruling yesterday, added that the strike will have a negative impact on the society.
According to him, the ruling was set to free an accused person who has been awaiting trial for over four years.
On his part, Mr. Adidu Onyebi, described the strike as a major setback in the country’s justice administration, and called on all the parties in the matter to find a lasting solution to the crisis.
Speaking, one of the lawyers, Barr. Akpokuche Omesurum urged the Federal Government to address the problem, and ensure that the lingering issues are settled.
Meanwhile the Federal Government yesterday faulted allegations by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria that it did not comply with the judgement which barred the executive from holding on to funds meant for the judiciary.
The judiciary workers had on Monday embarked on an indefinite strike to protest the non-compliance of state governments with the court order on financial autonomy for the judiciary.
The court order was granted by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja on January 13, 2014.
The strike had paralyzed activities at the courts across the country as litigants and lawyers were denied access to the premises.
But reacting to the allegation of not complying with the court order, the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Jonah Otunla, said during an interview with journalists in Abuja, that the Federal Government had always ensured compliance.
He said, “The first impression I should correct is that the Office of the Accountant General was never a party to that litigation.
“But without any prejudice to that and also reminding you that the federal government has been acting consequently with what it should do.
“We’ve always been giving National Judicial Council its money as a first line charge without interference with how they manage the funds.”
Otunla explained that at the last Federation Account Allocation Committee meeting held on December 16, a nominal distribution for money was made to the various state judiciaries.
This move, he noted, was stopped by the states to enable them (states) carry out what he referred to as reconciliation of figures.
He said, “At the last Federation Accounts Allocation Committee meeting, the OAGF made a nominal distribution for money to be remitted to the various state judiciaries but the states said they should give them more time to reconcile their figures and they rightly declined that we should not effect the deduction.
“So at the Federal Ministry of Finance, we have tried our very best to ensure that the judgement is abided with. So the fault is not really ours.
“I think some states have even gone as far as to challenge the judgement and it’s not really on the part of the OAGF to deduct the money of state when they say don’t.”
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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