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Lawyers in Imo Brand Okorocha ‘Threat to Democracy’
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Imo State Branch has described the State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, as a threat to democracy.
The NBA made the claim in a press statement signed by its Branch Chairman in Owerri, L.U.N. Nwakaeti Esq, saying that Governor Okorocha lied when he denied that he was owing the judges in the state.
“The Government of Imo State has shown that it is a present and looming threat to democracy and Rule of Law,” said Imo NBA.
Barr Nwakaeti lambasted the Governor for denying owing judges in Imo State, describing the denial as one Okorocha’s lies.
Former Governor of Imo State, Dr Ikedi Ohakim, had during a media interaction last Saturday, February 3, 2018, disclosed that Governor Okorocha was owing judges in the state for 16 months, vowing to lead a mass protest against the State Government if it fails to substantially pay the judges by the end of March 2018.
But in his response during a media chat at the Government House, Owerri, on Monday, Governor Okorocha denied owing the judges, saying that he does not pay them.
But NBA in its statement said that the Governor’s denial “represents one of the lies and propaganda for which this government has become known for.”
It further said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the payment of the various categories of allowances like housing, motor vehicle maintenance, security, welfare, (up keep) etc are borne by the state government from funds provided for that purpose, whereas the salaries of the judges are paid directly through the National Judicial Council (NJC).
“The Bar states with sadness that the issue of payment of the allowances of our Judges has been reduced to a political issue by the Government of Imo State in a bid to undermine, muzzle and intimidate the judicial arm of government contrary to the principles of separations of powers enshrined and guaranteed under sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It is very sad that after accessing the funds meant for the above purposes, the government of Imo State in its characteristic manner misappropriates same. This has been going on for the past one year and some months.
“The Bar, being the spokesperson of the Bench, as a result instituted an action on behalf of the Judges of Imo State Judiciary at the National Industrial Court in suit No NICN/OW/58/2017, on behalf of our Judges.”
Imo NBA added: “Nigerians should note that the Government of Rochas Okorocha is hell bent on destroying all institutions in the state that are creations of the laws of the land and these are institutions that ensure the growth and sustenance of our democracy.
“This is a man that has consistently disobeyed the judgments of our courts in a way that calls to question his legitimacy to continue in office as Governor. For instance, the Pensioners of Imo State who are beneficiaries of a judgment of the National Industrial Court on the 5/7/2017 are still battling to get their pay cheques for over two (2) years arrears of pensions and gratuities. It should be noted that the former Chairman of the Pensioners Union for Imo, Mr. Ezeji, died in his sick bed clutching dud cheques issued to him by the Imo State Government.”
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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