News
Estate Surveyor Files N25M Lawsuit Against NIESV Over ‘Unfair Trial’
An estate surveyor and valuer is demanding N25million damages from the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) the defendants for setting up an “unconstitutional” panel to try her over alleged misconduct.
Mrs Oluwatoyin Ilori filed a lawsuit in Federal High Court in Lagos and wants damages to be paid for inconveniences and the opprobrium she suffered due to the “unlawful/wrongful proceedings and publications thereof”.
The Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) and Sir Nweke Umezuruike are the other defendants.
The plaintiff, through her lawyer Mr J.D. Oloyede, seeks to nullify Section 13 (1) of the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Decree No. 24 of 1975 (now CAP E. 13 LFN 2007) for being unconstitutional because it is inconsistent with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees fair hearing.
She is praying for a declaration that the panel is not a juristic person known to law capable of suing and being sued.
The plaintiff wants the court to declare that the panel, headed by Umezuruike, breaches all known rules of natural justice.
Mrs Ilori is praying the court to hold that the whole proceedings of July 27 and 28, in so far as they offend constitutional provisions, amount to a nullity and must be set aside.
She also seeks an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Tribunal from further proceeding with her trial, as well as an order of restraining the defendants from further publishing the proceedings concerning her.
The plaintiff said Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees the fundamental right to a fair hearing, therefore the rules and practice of fair hearing must mandatorily be observed in all tribunal proceedings.
The plaintiff said she was falsely accused of “surreptitiously colluding” with Messrs Oserepal Nigeria Limited to secure and execute a valuation job on the Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road in Cross River State.
She said she was given 14 days to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against her, but seven days later, she was asked to appear before the panel, only to get there to find that the ESVARBON had set up a Disciplinary Tribunal to try her.
“I was never availed any written report or complaint from any person or quarters to warrant the investigation and trial,” she said.
The plaintiff said the fact that the tribunal was set up before the 14 days had elapsed, and without being allowed to respond to the accusatory letter, showed that the members had arrived at a pre-determined conclusion.
Worse still, she said after the day’s proceedings, the ESVARBON “resorted to social media and other dailies to publish reports” of her being prosecuted, thereby “bringing about unnecessary opprobrium against me.”
She said the Tribunal subsequently adjourned indefinitely, which is “a ruse to cover up for the shoddy preparation for my unwarranted prosecution”.
Mrs Ilori said the delay in the trial had put her goodwill and integrity in her professional capacity under great stress, “especially due to the barrage of misinformation in tabloids and other platforms seen and read all over the world.”
She added: “Two very good clients of mine have withdrawn lucrative jobs from me on account of all they have read about me on account of my persecution by the defendants.”
The plaintiff also filed a separate motion for an order for a stay of further proceedings of the Tribunal, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
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.
Gov Mbah Reshuffles Cabinet, Swears-in Head of Service, 6 Commissioners
Tinubu The Audacity To Hope – Two Years After
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Flags off Free to Shine Campaign Against HIV/AIDS, other STDs in Enugu
LASG Acquires New Outboard Engines For Optimum Boat Performance
Elon Musk builds Hotel in Mars, Sets to launch soon at $5million per night – Photos
