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Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021 — 13<br />
By Ikechukwu<br />
Nnochiri<br />
ABUJA—FOLLOWING a<br />
petition the national leadership<br />
of the All Progressives<br />
Party, APC, lodged against<br />
three Justices, the Supreme<br />
Court, yesterday, suspended<br />
hearing on the legal dispute<br />
surrounding the Senatorial<br />
bye-election that held in Imo<br />
North on December 5, 2020.<br />
It will be recalled that the<br />
Independent National Electoral<br />
Commission, INEC had<br />
at the end of the Senatorial<br />
bye-election, returned the APC<br />
as the winner.<br />
The electoral body based its<br />
decision not to return any candidate<br />
for the party on the fact<br />
that there were many conflicting<br />
court decisions, for and<br />
against the two main contenders<br />
from the APC ticket-Senator<br />
Ifeanyi Ararume and Mr.<br />
Chukwuemeka Francis Ibezim.<br />
Both Ararume and Ibezim<br />
have been laying claim and<br />
counter claim to the candidacy<br />
of APC in Imo North Senatorial<br />
district.<br />
However, the Federal High<br />
Court in Abuja, in a judgement<br />
by Justice Taiwo Taiwo delivered<br />
on March 18, ordered<br />
INEC to issue Certificate of<br />
Return to Ararume.<br />
The order came on a day<br />
another High Court sitting at<br />
Owerri, gave a counter order<br />
that barred the electoral body<br />
from issuing Certificate of<br />
Return to Ararume.<br />
The Supreme Court had<br />
earlier adjourned to hear an<br />
appeal Ibezim lodged against<br />
the concurrent verdicts of<br />
both the Federal High Court<br />
and the Court of Appeal in<br />
Abuja, which nullified his candidacy<br />
on the ground that he<br />
made false declaration in documents<br />
he submitted to<br />
INEC.<br />
However, at the resumed<br />
proceedings in the matter yesterday,<br />
the apex court, suspended<br />
further hearing on the<br />
appeal, sine-die (indefinitely),<br />
owing to the petition by the<br />
APC.<br />
The party, in the petition<br />
that was signed by its Acting<br />
National Chairman and Governor<br />
of Yobe State, Mai Mala<br />
Buni, alleged that three Justices<br />
of the Supreme Court,<br />
held nocturnal meetings with<br />
the Peoples Democratic Party,<br />
PDP, so as to scheme it out from<br />
the Senate seat.<br />
In the petition, the APC, specifically<br />
fingered Justices<br />
Mohammed Musa Dattijo,<br />
Abdu Aboki and Helen Ogun-<br />
:Vanguard News<br />
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058<br />
INSPECTION: Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (middle); Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure,<br />
Greg Nnaji (left) and the Project Manager, IDC Construction Ltd, Mr. Youssef Zghaib, when the governor inspected<br />
progress of work at the ongoing construction of flyover bridge at T-Junction, Abakpa Nike, Enugu, yesterday.<br />
Ibezim vs Ararume: S'Court suspends hearing<br />
over APC's petition against 3 Justices<br />
wumiju, as those that participated<br />
in the said meeting.<br />
Acting National Chairman<br />
of the APC, Buni, claimed that<br />
information at the disposal of<br />
the party, indicated that the<br />
three apex Justices, held meeting<br />
with PDP leadership and<br />
allegedly perfected the means<br />
of giving the senatorial seat<br />
to the PDP candidate in the<br />
bye election.<br />
Consequently, when the<br />
matter came up yesterday,<br />
Justice Dattijo who led a fiveman<br />
panel of Justices of the<br />
apex court that are presiding<br />
over the appeal, announced<br />
the suspension of further proceedings<br />
in the matter, pending<br />
the resolution of the damaging<br />
petition.<br />
Justice Dattijo bemoaned<br />
that the APC had by the petition,<br />
called the integrity, reputation<br />
and honour of the<br />
three Justices to question,<br />
stressing that the issue must<br />
be resolved first.<br />
He said: "Let me confirm to<br />
all counsel in this matter that<br />
the Interim National Chairman<br />
of the All Progressives<br />
Congress (APC) had written a<br />
petition against me and two<br />
other Justices of this court,<br />
namely Helen Ogunwumiju<br />
and Abdu Aboki accusing us<br />
of having a meeting with<br />
By Victor Ahiuma-<br />
Young<br />
OWERRI—THE Federal<br />
Government yesterday in<br />
Imo State, pleaded with organized<br />
labour not to disrupt<br />
the nation's industrial peace<br />
because of the bill before the<br />
National Assembly that seeks<br />
to remove the minimum<br />
wage from exclusive legislative<br />
list to concurrent list, saying<br />
Nigeria is a signatory to<br />
International Labour organization,<br />
ILO, conventions on<br />
minimum wage and wage<br />
fixing.<br />
Speaking through the Minister<br />
of Labour and Employment,<br />
Senator Chris Ngige,<br />
the government which made<br />
the appeal at the meeting of<br />
the National Labour Advisory<br />
Council (NLAC) in Owerri,<br />
Imo State, said the Nigerian<br />
government adopted and ratified<br />
the ILO Convention 28,<br />
the Minimum Wage Fixing<br />
Machinery Convention of<br />
1928 (No.26) and the Minimum<br />
Wage Fixing Conven-<br />
members of the People’s Democratic<br />
Party (PDP) to subvert<br />
justice in the case".<br />
He said the APC alleged,<br />
that "my humble self had led<br />
my two brothers to attend a<br />
meeting with members of the<br />
PDP to strategize on how to<br />
subvert the outcome of this<br />
case.<br />
"I must say that this is most<br />
unfortunate and my heart<br />
bleeds for this country.<br />
"If people as highly placed<br />
as the interim Chairman of<br />
the APC would open his<br />
mouth and make this weighty<br />
statement against innocent<br />
Justices of this court, then I<br />
say my heart bleeds.<br />
"We are not interested in any<br />
matter and I challenge him<br />
and the party to substantiate<br />
his allegation that my humble<br />
self attended a meeting<br />
with members of the PDP with<br />
a view to subverting the interest<br />
of their party.<br />
"This is a reckless and irresponsible<br />
statement. That is<br />
how these useless statements<br />
were made in the past and<br />
that is why we are not taking<br />
it lightly.<br />
"If they have honour, let<br />
them substantiate their allegations<br />
and I will not leave a<br />
day longer in this court.<br />
"So, this matter is adjourned<br />
sine die, and parties should<br />
approach the Chief Justice of<br />
Nigeria "<br />
Responding, counsel to<br />
Senator Ararume, Ahmed<br />
Raji, SAN, distanced himself<br />
from the petition.<br />
Raji said he was shocked to<br />
hear about the allegations<br />
made against the Justices.<br />
He said: "This is very very<br />
shocking. I swear with my last<br />
day in this court that I, Ahmed<br />
Raji knows nothing about this<br />
issue and I condemn it with<br />
all the strength in me.<br />
“I sympathise with your<br />
lordships and whatever measure<br />
your lordship deems appropriate,<br />
we are fully in support",<br />
he added.<br />
On his part, counsel to the<br />
APC, Mr. Umeh Kalu, denied<br />
knowledge of the petition,<br />
saying he was only hearing<br />
about it for the first time.<br />
“I am taken aback by this. I<br />
have never in my life met with<br />
the interim chairman of the<br />
APC.<br />
"In matters of this nature, we<br />
normally deal with the legal<br />
adviser.<br />
"In the first place, PDP is not<br />
a party in this matter".<br />
Though all the parties distanced<br />
themselves from the<br />
petition, the panel went ahead<br />
and adjourned the appeal indefinitely.<br />
Don't go on strike because of minimum wage<br />
bill, FG begs labour •Says Nigeria, signatory to ILO<br />
conventions on wage fixing<br />
tion of 1970 (No131).<br />
According to him, from<br />
these conventions, the Minimum<br />
wage Act was signed in<br />
1981.<br />
Delivering his inaugural<br />
address, Ngige said much as<br />
he supported the Organised<br />
Labour 100 percent on the bill<br />
pending before the National<br />
Assembly, organised labour<br />
should not embark on strike<br />
because of the issue, saying ,<br />
"Although the council has<br />
been inactive, the Ministry in<br />
the spirit of Tripartism has<br />
ensured and maintained a<br />
sound tripartite relationship<br />
with Social Partners.<br />
"For example, during the<br />
negotiation for the national<br />
minimum wage from 2017<br />
to 2018, we used the tripartite<br />
plus composition of government,<br />
employers, employees<br />
and other interests and for<br />
other interests. We made sure<br />
that it reflected the members<br />
of this council.<br />
"That was why we got the<br />
Nigerian Governors Forum<br />
(NGF) involved in that negotiation<br />
and we called it tripartite<br />
plus. The chairman of that<br />
minimum wage committee,<br />
Ama Pepple came from outside<br />
as an experienced technocrat<br />
who had been the<br />
Head of Service of the Federation,<br />
Minister and Clerk of<br />
the National Assembly. We<br />
invited her to give that plus<br />
the effective ingredient that is<br />
needed, so also the state governments.<br />
"Mr. President of NLC, you<br />
didn't need to thank me for<br />
what I said about the minimum<br />
wage bill because I was<br />
re-echoing what the Nigerian<br />
government stood for by<br />
adopting the ILO Convention<br />
28, the Minimum Wage Fixing<br />
Machinery Convention of<br />
1928 (No.26) and the Minimum<br />
Wage Fixing Convention<br />
of 1970 (No131). From<br />
these conventions, the Minimum<br />
wage Act was signed in<br />
1981. So, I am with you 100<br />
percent but I don't want you<br />
to go on strike on that."<br />
I picked Abaribe from gutters<br />
—Kalu<br />
ABA—CHIEF Whip of the<br />
Senate and former Governor<br />
of Abia State, Senator<br />
Orji Uzor Kalu, has taken the<br />
Senator representing Abia<br />
South Senatorial zone, Enyinnaya<br />
Abaribe, to the cleaners.<br />
Abaribe was Kalu’s deputy<br />
during his first term as Abia<br />
governor. The deputy governor<br />
was later impeached.“<br />
Kalu, on Monday, also said<br />
he was thankful to God to<br />
have been imprisoned for six<br />
months, declaring that God<br />
allowed the conspiracy of his<br />
enemies because “it is part of<br />
my life script.<br />
“The billionaire businessman<br />
and politician made the<br />
revelations in Aba North<br />
Ward 1 during his ward to<br />
ward campaign for All Pro-<br />
gressives Congress,APC, candidate,<br />
Chief Mascot Uzor<br />
Kalu, for the Aba North/South<br />
Federal Constituency byeelection<br />
scheduled to hold on<br />
Saturday.<br />
The former governor was<br />
responding to statements from<br />
Abia State Governor, Okezie<br />
Ikpeazu and Abaribe, accusing<br />
him of unrecovery from<br />
Kuje Prison experience.<br />
Ikpeazu and Abaribe, in<br />
their reactions had stated that<br />
Kalu’s suggestion that road<br />
projects in Aba are funded by<br />
the Niger Delta Development<br />
Commission (NDDC) and the<br />
Federal Government “is a<br />
clear pointer that something<br />
is wrong with him.<br />
‘‘It is either he is yet to fully<br />
recover from the effects of his<br />
several months of incarceration<br />
at the Kuje prisons or he<br />
is just plain ignorant.” the governor’s<br />
statement read.<br />
Lawyers, judiciary workers in<br />
Imo suspend court sittings over<br />
alleged abduction of colleague<br />
OWERRI—Lawyers and<br />
judiciary workers in Imo<br />
suspended court sitting yesterday<br />
to protest against the kidnap<br />
of a lawyer Barr. Chima<br />
Awurum.<br />
Awurum was kidnapped by<br />
gunmen last Friday in<br />
Mbano/Etiti, Imo.<br />
Secretary of the Imo branch<br />
of the Nigerian Bar Association,<br />
NBA, Chinedu Agu, said<br />
in a memorandum yesterday<br />
that there must be strict compliance<br />
with the directive to<br />
down tools.<br />
Agu said that the request to<br />
suspend court sitting was approved<br />
by the Acting Chief<br />
Judge on the state, Ijeoma<br />
Oguguo and signed by the<br />
Chief Registrar, C.N Okereke.<br />
The memorandum read:<br />
Obi congratulates Nwabueze at 90<br />
Arewa youths laud Ugwuanyi on<br />
peace, economic prosperity<br />
THE NATIONAL Execu<br />
tive Council and members<br />
of Arewa Youth Forum (AYF),<br />
both in the country and the Diaspora,<br />
have lauded Governor<br />
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu<br />
State for his untiring efforts<br />
in ensuring peace, economic<br />
prosperity and a unified Nigeria.<br />
In a congratulatory message<br />
to Gov. Ugwuanyi on his<br />
57th birthday, the National<br />
President of Arewa Youth Forum,<br />
Gambo Ibrahim Gujungu,<br />
on behalf of the forum, described<br />
the governor as “a<br />
worthy son of Nigeria, a humane,<br />
simple, humble, focused<br />
and accessible leader”.<br />
The Northern forum told<br />
"The Office of the Chief Registrar,<br />
High Court of Imo<br />
State, has declared that in<br />
solidarity with the Mbano/<br />
Etiti Branch of the NBA, the<br />
High Courts and Magistrates<br />
Courts will not sit on Tuesday.’’<br />
Meanwhile, some litigants<br />
were seen at court premises<br />
looking frustrated over the<br />
sudden development.<br />
A litigant, Mr Kingsley Anyawu,<br />
told the News Agency<br />
of Nigeria (NAN) that his case<br />
had lingered due to long adjournments<br />
and courts boycott.<br />
Anyawu condemned the<br />
kidnap of the lawyer and appealed<br />
to security agencies to<br />
find lasting solution to insecurity<br />
in the state.<br />
THE IMMEDIATE past<br />
Vice Presidential candidate<br />
of the PDP, Mr. Peter Obi<br />
has joined other Nigerians of<br />
goodwill in congratulating<br />
Prof. Ben Nwabueze who<br />
turned 90 yesterday.<br />
In a message made available<br />
to the press by his Media<br />
Office signed by Mr. Valentine<br />
Obienyem, Obi said that<br />
people like Prof. Nwabueze<br />
deserved to be celebrated for<br />
their contributions to their<br />
communities, the country and<br />
humanity at large. “<br />
He exemplifies the beauty<br />
of using one’s gift to serve humanity”,<br />
Obi said.<br />
The former governor recalls<br />
that Prof. Nwabueze has<br />
served the nation in various<br />
capacities, including being<br />
the Federal Minister of Education.<br />
He however said that<br />
what stood him out of the park<br />
was his contributions to scholarship<br />
as a lecturer and author<br />
of many books that have<br />
continued to address aspects<br />
of constitutionalism, politics,<br />
rule of law and jurisprudence.<br />
He however, notes that<br />
when “nonagenarians that<br />
were evidently committed to<br />
better Nigeria as Nwabueze<br />
reflect on the Nigerian condition,<br />
that the feeling will certainly<br />
be that of regret at what<br />
the country has turned into.”<br />
Obi therefore concludes:<br />
“beyond panegyrics, the debt<br />
the younger generations owe<br />
the older ones is to become<br />
the instrument for the actualisation<br />
of the country they<br />
dreamt of during independence.<br />
Gov. Ugwuanyi that “your<br />
untiring efforts aimed at ensuring<br />
a unified Nigeria is established,<br />
well appreciated<br />
and documented, given by<br />
your good virtues and all-inclusive<br />
leadership style”.<br />
According to them, “you<br />
(Ugwuanyi) have within the<br />
shortest period of your political<br />
career made yourself to be<br />
an astute and exemplary leader<br />
who has committed the<br />
greatest part of his cherished<br />
days on earth to Nigeria’s<br />
quest for economic prosperity,<br />
peace and national unity.<br />
“We at Arewa Youth Forum<br />
are happy to be associated<br />
with you in upholding this<br />
spirit of nationhood.‘‘