INFRASTRUCTURE

HOW BUHARI UNVEILED NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL, PORT HARCOURT CAMPUS (VIDEO)

The Nigerian Law School has witnessed unprecedented revamp of its decayed infrastructure under the leadership of Bar Leader and Chairman of the Council of Legal Education (CLE), Chief Emeka Ngige OFR, SAN. 

The latest addition to the list is the state-of-the-art Dr. Nabo Graham-Douglas SAN Campus, Port Harcourt, built and donated to the Council by Rivers State Government under the leadership of its Governor and Life Bencher, Mr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

Commissioned on November 18, 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari (who was represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN), the self-sustaining edifice has been adopted by the Council as a model for future campuses of the Nigerian Law School.

Many leaders of the Bar and Bench as well as key stakeholders in the justice sector attended the commissioning ceremony.

To view the ceremony, click here.

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NEW LEGAL YEAR AND URGENT REFORMS FOR OYO STATE JUDICIARY

BY MUTALUBI OJO ADEBAYO

2022/2023 LEGAL YEAR SERVICE IN OYO STATE – MATTERS ARISING

The celebration of the new legal year in Oyo State calls for a sober reflection in respect of some areas which require immediate and urgent attention.

A special court session is usually held after the mosque and the church services in some jurisdictions to mark the new legal year. The special court sessions are always used to review the outgone year and also to set agenda for the new legal year.

In Ogun State, keynote speaker or guest speakers are also invited during new legal year service week to discuss topical issues of law.

The leadership of the Ibadan Bar should please seek audience with the Bench to bring on board those great innovations. Setting aside 2 days for such programmes is not too much as same would add great colour to our perennial merry making and funfare we are noted for during our new legal year services.

Also, the leadership of the Bar should insist that the established convention and tradition of introducing our newly appointed Judges to the Bar must be respected by the Judiciary. Till date, the set of Judges that were from My Lords, Hon. Justices Adeeyo and Lajide are yet to be so introduced to the Bar. Ditto for all other Judges that were appointed after them into the High Court and the Customary Court of Appeal. All these omission are , to say the least , not commendable at all.

Also, the issue of the amendments to the Oyo State High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2010 has been unduly protracted when one considers that we have not made any amendment to our Rules of court since it was enacted in 2010.

The amendment is not a rocket science and one keeps on wondering why the amendment procedure has been going on ad infinitum.

Some states have amended their rules several times since it was enacted. We can copy and paste the salutary amendments from other jurisdictions.

The best thing would have been for our Chief Judge to introduce to us an amended rules at today’s legal year services.

Since the able Committee saddled with that responsibility is yet to complete its assignment, it won’t augur well for the Bar and the Bench if my Lord, the Chief Judge of Oyo State fails , refuses and or neglect to hold all stakeholders interactive session or workshop to have a robust discussion on the draft of the proposed amendment to the rules before same is assented to by My Lord, the Chief Judge.

Furthermore, my Lord the Chief Judge should not make the same mistake made by a former Chief Judge who sent the Rules to the legislature for enactment because the Rules is my Lord’s Rules and not laws for enactment by the parliament. It is only the amendments to the High Court Law of Oyo State that the parliament can so enact and not the rules of court.

Finally, I am aware that Oyo State Government in 2013 or thereabout awarded the contract for the holistic and comprehensive revision of the Laws of Oyo State to the law firm of Muheez Banire & Associates.

“The publication and presentation of the revised Laws of Oyo State is long overdue in that the last time a review (only on monetary , currency denominations and other sundry matters) was done was in the year 2000 ( about 22 years ago).”

All hands must therefore be on deck to bring this law revision to a close as well. All our neighbouring states have done such a comprehensive revision and review of their laws.

Oyo State Government should also set up an efficient and effective Law Reforms Committee or even a Commission under the office of the Honourable Attorney-General of the State.

Very worthy of commendation is the contract awarded by the Oyo State Government for the rehabilitation and renovation of the decaying facilities and infrastructure at the High Court of Justice premises at Ring Road, Ibadan and Iyaganku. This laudable project or contract would greatly enhance the administration of justice in our state.

However, since Government is a continuity, the state government would have saved the state and the judiciary enormous sum of money if the extent and scope of the jobs to be done in the contract as already captured and mapped out by the Consultants engaged by the state government in 2014, Messrs Remi Osiberu & Associates were factored into this new contract. The said Consultant had already prepared the drawings and bills of quantities of the comprehensive rehabilitation for the Ring Road and Iyaganku premises which would have left the new Contractor to do just a revision of the said Bill of Quantity . It is not too late for the state government to liaise with Messrs Remi Osiberu & Associates over this to reduce cost and also for quality control.

I must not conclude this piece without congratulating the Ibadan Bar , all other Bar Associations in Oyo State – Oyo, Ogbomoso and Saki, the judiciary of Oyo State and indeed the Governor and the Government of Oyo State over the historic appointment of our own Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON as the Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari.

My Lord, the newly minted Chief Justice is a worthy and proud Ambassador of Oyo State Bar, Oyo State judiciary and Oyo State Government.

It is my fervent prayer that the good Lord shall make the tenure of the new CJN a new dawn of glorious era , unprecedented positive growth and developments for the judiciary, the legal profession in Nigeria and the entire mankind.

May the good Lord also endow My Lord, the CJN with the needed knowledge, wisdom, the best of health and abiding grace of God to discharge creditably and justly the enormous responsibilities of that exalted office, Amen.

Happy New Legal Year 2022/2023.

Dated this 17th day of October, 2002

JCI Senator Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo,
Asiwaju of Ita-Ege & Idi-Aro,
Ward 5,
Ibadan South-East Local Government Area,
Oyo State,
Nigeria.

* MUTALUBI OJO ADEBAYO is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria-designate and former Oyo State Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice. He can be reached at debayoojo90@gmail.com

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INFRASTRUCTURE DISPUTE MANAGEMENT CONFAB HOLDS IN ACCRA OCT. 31

A two-day dispute management conference themed “Dispute management in Africa infrastructure projects” will hold at The Lancaster, Accra, Ghana on October 31 and November 1, 2022.

Tagged “DiMAP 2022,” the conference is organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce International Arbitration Centre (LACIAC) and The Ghana Arbitration Centre in collaboration with Aluko & Oyebode; Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah among others. It is supported by African Arbitration Association (AAA) and The School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

The hybrid conference will witness an Opening Ceremony and Keynote Address, Plenary sessions, Breakout sessions, and Reception and Dinner among others.

Among the topics to be dissected at the first plenary session are “Identifying and Managing Risks: the Ideal Management Strategy/Plan,” “Nipping Disputes in the Bud: Strategies for Reducing the Risk of Disputes in Construction Projects,” and “Contractual Dispute Resolution Mechanisms.” The second plenary session will dwell on “Africa’s Infrastructure Gap, the Impact of Disputes and What African States Must Do.”

Dispute Management in Africa Infrastructure Projects (DiMAP) is an annual practical training workshop for persons involved in managing risks, claims and disputes involving infrastructure and construction projects in Africa. DiMAP is a programme of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce International Arbitration Centre (LACIAC) and has often been arranged in collaboration with African representatives of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). The trainings focus on oil and gas, power and renewable energies and public infrastructure projects.

Click here to view the programme.

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LAW SCHOOL: NYESOM WIKE GIFTS EMEKA NGIGE BEST BIRTHDAY PACKAGE

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike has delivered a fitting birthday gift to the Chairman of the Council of Legal Education (CLE), Chief Emeka Ngige SAN with the completion of Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt. Ngige turns 61 years today, July 11, 2022.

The CLE Chairman has been passionate about revamping the moribund infrastructure at the Nigerian Law School. Aside from securing several projects notably from Lagos and Rivers State Governments, the alumni and other stakeholders, Ngige spearheaded an ambitious “Nigeria Law School Support Initiative” which was launched during his 60th birthday to further the objective of positioning the Nigerian Law School as a world-class citadel for the training of lawyers.

At a gathering where Wike handed over more land title documents and hint on completion of the Law School Campus project to the authorities, Ngige described Wike as a promise keeper, adding that he promised to deliver on the audacious project a month before the deadline.

Governor Wike on the occasion re-emphasised that the Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt has been delivered to be self-sustaining.

Ngige, following the latest project inspection and receipt of the further titled documents said: “July 21, 2021, when we came for foundation laying, His Excellency promised this project will be delivered in one-year. Behold, today is June 27, 2022, not up to July yet and he had delivered.

“Recall that when we were doing the ground breaking ceremony, His Excellency promised that every month he will give this campus N10 million for four years, and will be given in advance, that is about N480 million to run this institution.

“When I learnt that he had acquired adjoining property, houses, shopping malls and other business facilities for the Law School to rent out to raise revenue to run this institution. I can tell you it is unparalleled.”

A fulfilled Wike on the occasion, said: “We are using this opportunity to present Certificate of Occupancy of the property acquired and paid for by the Rivers State Government for the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Nabo Graham Douglas, Port Harcourt Campus to you (Chairman).

“We are giving the property to you for the purposes of making some revenue to run this campus. Whatever revenue derived is to be utilised for this campus alone.

“Soon, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and Director-General will meet to prepare a Memorandum of Understanding. It will ensure that you won’t take revenue from here to subsidise for other campuses. Any money you make here, put it here in this campus.”

Wike conducted Ngige with Director-General of Nigeria Law School, Prof. Isa Chiroma, SAN, and other dignitaries round structures within the Law Campus that are completed and ready for formal handover, according to a THISDAY report.

He said with construction work on all the structures in the campus now completed, the state government awaits the Council of Legal Education to choose a date when they desire the campus be formally handed over to them.

Wike later took Ngige and other officials on a guided tour of the new Law School campus. 

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  • EDITOR'S CHOICE
  • Feb 05, 2022
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  • Comments Off on OYO STATE COURTS: THE TASK BEFORE MAKINDE

OYO STATE COURTS: THE TASK BEFORE MAKINDE

In this article, MR. IBRAHIM LAWAL, Head of Chamber, Olujinmi & Akeredolu, decries the squalid state of infrastructure at the Oyo State High Court of Justice, Ring Road, Ibadan and urges Governor Seyi Makinde to replicate the revamp of his private residence around Kolapo Isola Estate with the court premises

The Oyo State High Court of Justice, Ring Road, Ibadan, is the seat of the judiciary, the third arm of government. Apart from the fact that it hosts more than fifteen Court Rooms, the office of the Chief Judge of the State is there. The Judicial Service Commission, a body saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the appointment and welfare of judicial officers, has its office within the premises. It also houses the Probate Registry as well as the Court Registry.

This complex, arising from its centrality to the filing of judicial processes and the nature of the services it renders to the members of the public, attracts a constant stream of vehicular and human traffic. It is patently unjust for the Government to leave the whole complex in its present squalid circumstances. It has become urgent for the managers of administrative affairs in the State to address this deplorable situation.

A new visitor to the Court premises may be compelled to believe that all is well, especially when he/she does not have any reason to move beyond the first Car Park. Any venture into the so called extension, the second car park, reveals putrescence. Nobody with a modicum of self-respect will attempt a revisit after the first experience. Cars, drivers, litigants and lawyers bear the unmistakable imprimatur of pervasive decadence, occasioned by perennial neglect. Construction site workers have better tales to tell. Visitors to the premises are most reluctant to repeat the unpleasant duty, if they are obliged to do so. Lawyers and litigants have sorry tales of embarrassing moments during their visits. The roads are simply impassable and messy. The Court Rooms need urgent attention. They are too hostile to the business of adjudication which requires deep intellection. They are repulsive to decency. It is unjust to have the courts in the erstwhile capital of the defunct Western Region, the most advanced in all ramifications, reduce to a huge joke.

May we appeal to the Executive arm of government to come to the aid of the judiciary as urgently as the current partisan consideration will permit. The current hardship can be mitigated by the Governor. He is a man of exquisite taste. The intervention of the State at his private residence around Kolapo Isola Estate is a pointer to the quality of job he can bring to existence. We will not be asking for too much if we demand that the Governor intervene to save the Judiciary from further mockery.

* Ibrahim Lawal is the Head of Chamber, Olujinmi & Akeredolu.

Copyright 2020 CITY LAWYER. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use. The views expressed in this article are entirely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of CITY LAWYER or its management.

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  • EDITOR'S CHOICE
  • Jul 24, 2021
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  • Comments Off on GLITZ, GLAMOUR AND NAIRA RAIN, AS NGIGE TURNS 60

GLITZ, GLAMOUR AND NAIRA RAIN, AS NGIGE TURNS 60

The Chairman of Council of Legal Education (CLE), Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN recently celebrated his 60th birthday anniversary. Organised by his Committee of Friends led by Mr. Chijioke Okoli SAN, he used the occasion to launch his pet project, the “Nigerian Law School Support Initiative” aimed to revamp the decaying infrastructure at the Nigerian Law School. The event turned out a naira rain for the initiative, even as Ngige encouraged more donors to commit to the project by paying into the “Council of Legal Education” account on REMITA platform.

CITY LAWYER recalls that among those who felicitated with Ngige, fondly called IKEMBA n’ALOR, were President Muhammadu Buhari; Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim T. Muhammad; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; Attorney-General of the Federation & Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN and many of Ngige’s classmates and alumni associations.

The colourful ceremony which was heralded by a Thanksgiving Mass at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, Yaba was witnessed by the cream of Nigeria’s political class and Bar and Bench. Below are some of the faces at the events.

 

  • EDITOR'S CHOICE
  • Jul 14, 2020
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  • Comments Off on ECNBA SET TO ROLL OUT VOTING GUIDELINES, MEET CANDIDATES

ECNBA SET TO ROLL OUT VOTING GUIDELINES, MEET CANDIDATES

BY EMEKA NWADIOKE

• BARS ELECTION DEBATE PLATFORMS
• EXTENDS VERIFICATION DEADLINE
• MAY VARY VOTING FRAMEWORK
• WARNS CANDIDATES AGAINST FLOUTING CAMPAIGN RULES

The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) will soon issue guidelines for voting in the forthcoming NBA National Officers Elections.

In a statement today titled “On the march” and made available to CITY LAWYER, the ECNBA also allayed concerns that it is not carrying along some key stakeholders in the electoral process, saying it would soon meet candidates in the elections.

Apart from extending the deadline for the troubled verification exercise, the electoral committee also warned candidates to “take down all help desks, debate platforms (virtual or physical), and or voting desks set up for the purpose of the elections and which are capable of compromising the integrity of the process,” adding that “The Committee will not hesitate to sanction any candidate who deliberately flouts the provisions of the Constitution and the ECNBA Guidelines for the elections.”

In an indication that it may depart from the previous voting framework adopted in two previous elections, the electoral committee said in the statement signed by the electoral committee Chairman, Mr. Tawo Eja Tawo SAN that the voting guidelines “shall amongst other things provide for a place, time and platform to be utilized for electronic voting for the elections to enable our members to vote without difficulty.”

Paragraph 2.4(c) of the Second Schedule to the NBA Constitution (as amended) provides that “The ECNBA shall issue guidelines for conduct of electronic voting, which shall amongst other things provide for verification of voters, place, time and platform to be utilised for electronic voting for each particular election year taking into consideration the state of available technology and Information Technology infrastructure of the branches in order to afford all registered voters the opportunity to vote.”

The committee also warned candidates against breaching the electoral guidelines, saying: “The candidates, their supporters, as well as NBA Branches, are advised to take down all help desks, debate platforms (virtual or physical), and or voting desks set up for the purpose of the elections and which are capable of compromising the integrity of the process. The Committee will not hesitate to sanction any candidate who deliberately flouts the provisions of the Constitution and the ECNBA Guidelines for the elections.”

Below if the full text of the statement.

ON THE MARCH

1.0 Preamble

As we gradually approach the NBA National Officers elections slated for July 29, 2020, we deem it imperative that we keep our esteemed members informed and clarified on salient issues that may impact on the electoral process.

2.0 Qualification of Aspirants & Publication of Lists of Voters

Following the call for nominations and expression of interests, the ECNBA determined the qualifications of the Candidates and circulated a full list of properly nominated candidates for the 2020 National Officers elections after exhausting all constitutional processes.

3.0 Verification.

The ongoing verification exercise is a very important stage in the election process primarily to ensure smooth access to one’s portal on the NBA website and verify or update one’s details and password (where necessary) before the 2020 elections. While verification has been an ongoing exercise for all members of the Association, it is more critical for eligible voters to ensure a hitch-free log-in for the elections. All voters who have successfully completed the process will be notified of same before the elections. Furthermore, the exercise shall also take care of the observations made on the published eligible voter’s list. We commend all who have duly verified in readiness for the elections and those yet to do so are advised to proceed without delay. Members are also advised to utilize the NBA help desks for the purpose of verification support and refrain from disclosing their log in details and passwords to others in order to avoid the danger of proxy voting.

In response to the commendable upsurge in verification of members, the ECNBA has decided to extend the deadline for verification of Voters to Monday 20th July 2020. The number of verification support lines will also be increased.

4.0 Going Forward.

The Committee frowns at activities that detract from the objectives of an inclusive free, fair, and credible poll for our Association. The Constitution has prescribed the manner of and mode for campaigns for the elections; as such, any electioneering campaign activity outside of this is unacceptable to the Committee. The candidates, their supporters, as well as NBA Branches, are advised to take down all help desks, debate platforms (virtual or physical), and or voting desks set up for the purpose of the elections and which are capable of compromising the integrity of the process. The Committee will not hesitate to sanction any candidate who deliberately flouts the provisions of the Constitution and the ECNBA Guidelines for the elections.

In the coming days, the Committee will put forward the Guidelines for electronic voting which shall amongst other things provide for a place, time and platform to be utilized for electronic voting for the elections to enable our members to vote without difficulty. Further education in the process will also be made available to Voters.

The ECNBA in the coming days will also interact with stakeholders within the limits of the Presidential Task Force Covid-19 Protocols and with due regard for the safety of our members and the need to obey the laws of the land. Participants to the interactive sessions will be communicated in due course.

5.0 Conclusion

The Committee remains committed to inclusive free fair and credible elections and solicits the cooperation of our highly respected members in our march to 29th July, 2020.

Dated this 14th day of July 2020.
Tawo E. Tawo, SAN
Chairman, ECNBA

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