The whole of Nigeria is proud to have the like of the late Oba Odulana - President Buhari

Dignitaries from all walks of life on Friday paid their last respect to the departed monarch, the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1, as his remains was committed to mother earth, according to Channel News.

Leading Dignitaries at the funeral service which was held at the St. Peters’ Cathedral Aremo Ibadan, was the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari.

President Buhari called on Nigerians to emulate the exemplary lifestyle of Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I as an epitome of honesty, courage and dignity, according to the report.

In the message delivered by Prof. Osinbajo, the President said that the departed monarch exhibited the fear of God throughout his lifetime and this informs the progress made in Oyo state.

The President stressed the need for Nigerians to work towards being celebrated while alive and to leave a good legacy after death.

He said, “The whole of Nigeria is proud to have the like of the late Oba Odulana because of his life of honesty and forthrightness.”

Eminent personalities from all walks of live joined the chief mourner and host Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to bid the foremost king final farewell.

Among them were the Governors of Osun and Lagos State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola and Mr Akinwumi Ambode, as well as the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu.Leading Dignitaries at the funeral service which was held at the St. Peters’ Cathedral Aremo Ibadan, was the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari.

President Buhari called on Nigerians to emulate the exemplary lifestyle of Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I as an epitome of honesty, courage and dignity.

In the message delivered by Prof. Osinbajo, the President said that the departed monarch exhibited the fear of God throughout his lifetime and this informs the progress made in Oyo state.

The President stressed the need for Nigerians to work towards being celebrated while alive and to leave a good legacy after death, in the report.

He said, “The whole of Nigeria is proud to have the like of the late Oba Odulana because of his life of honesty and forthrightness.”

Eminent personalities from all walks of live joined the chief mourner and host Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to bid the foremost king final farewell.

Among them were the Governors of Osun and Lagos State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola and Mr Akinwumi Ambode, as well as the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu.

In his remarks, Governor Ajimobi paid glowing tribute to what he called the exemplary attributes of the late traditional ruler saying he left an indelible mark in the sands of time in the areas of politics, civil service, military and other leadership positions he was privileged to occupy before his ascension to the throne.

In his sermon, the Archbishop of the Diocese of Ibadan North, Church of Nigeria – Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Olusegun Okubadejo said that the myriad of orations and tributes from different categories of people were testimonies to the fact that the revered monarch had secured heaven.

The priest challenged all and sundry to be cognizant of the need to live a life that would guarantee them good names and legacies after their death.

Supreme Court: Reasons For Rivers, Ogun Election Ruling

The Supreme Court has given its reasons for upturning the judgment of the Rivers State governorship election petitions tribunal, and that of the Court of Appeal.

Giving reasons for the judgment, the court holds that the tribunal was induced by hearsay evidences, raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Dakuku Peterside in the petition filed against the conduct of the 2015 governorship polls in the state. according to Channel News.

The court further holds that the respondent in the appeal (APC) failed to substantiate its claims in line with its proof of evidence as to the allegation of massive rigging and violence in 23 local government areas of the state as it was only able to substantiate its claims on four of the affected areas.

The apex court, in a lead judgment delivered by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun had on January 27, 2016 upturned the ruling of the tribunal and the appellate court, thereby upholding the election of Mr Nyesome Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected Governor of Rivers State, in the report.

The Supreme Court also gave its reasons for upholding the election of Senator Ibikunle Amosun as the Governor of Ogun State against Mr Adegboyega Isiaka of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The court said that it dismissed the appeal in favour of Amosun on the grounds that it lacked sufficient evidence to back up its claims.

The court declared that the appellant court called only nine witnesses for just 12 polling units out of the total of 1,672 polling units in contention, and given the nature of the inadmissible evidences tendered, the appeal was “dead on arrival”.

Florida woman arrested after her father found her drunk and naked while she was babysitting a young child

                                                         OKALOOSA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Whitney Kilcrease, 24, faces charges of child neglect after she was found blacked out drunk while caring for a young child.

A 24-year-old Florida woman was charged with child neglect after her father found her naked, drunk and unconscious while she was babysitting a young child.

Whitney Kilcrease told cops that she started swigging Captain Morgan rum after her father left the house to run errands and left the child in her care.

When her dad came home, Kilcrease was lying face down and inexplicably undressed while the kid played beside her, according to NWF Daily News.

It was unclear whether the child was related to them.

Kilcrease’s dad was able to get the child out of the house while the belligerent woman went ballistic and started throwing things after regaining consciousness.

When cops arrived, Kilcrease was still smashed and was "unable to stand" on her own, according to the report.

“When I tried to talk to Whitney, her speech was slurred and unintelligible,” an Okaloosa County deputy wrote in the report.

Kilcrease was taken to a local hospital where it was found she had a blood alcohol content of .305, nearly four times the legal limit.

Her court date is Feb. 16.

CJN, NBA President fault corruption tag on Judiciary

Nigeria’s Chief justice, justice Mahmud Mohammed has condemned the recent criticism of the judiciary regarding recent judgment of political case.

Justice Mohammed said the barrage of criticisms against the judiciary is as a result of ignorance of the operations of the judicial system while Alegeh faulted the general condemnation of the third arm of government.

They spoke in Abuja at a valedictory court session held in honour of retiring Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Muhammad Saifullahi Muntaka-Coomassie.

The judiciary has been under attack recently over its handling of corruption and electoral cases. Also recently, President Muhammadu Buhari was quoted as expressing doubt about the commitment of the Judiciary to his government’s anti-corruption war.

The CJN said: “I make bold to declare that the qualities of conscience and duty are essential to the functioning of our Judiciary.”

He noted that the Judiciary, “though constantly striving to redress wrongs and tilt the balance in favour of that which is right, has recently had to face the backlash of misguided opinions fashioned without due consideration of the law and rationale for the system of government that we operate.

“The judiciary is duty bound to act in accordance with the dictates of the law as it stands and not as critics would like it to be. In this sense, naive idealism is, but a pale limitation of legal certainty and it is in observing the career and jurisprudence of such eminent jurists as my lord, Honourable Justice Muntaka-Coomassie that we see this most clearly.”

Justice Mohammed spoke glowingly about Justice Muntaka-Coomassie, who started as a Magistrate in Kaduna. He expressed the hope that he will now have time for his family and “to catch up with old friends. I am also sure that it will be great to lie in bed till any chosen hour on a Monday morning.”

Alegeh deplored what he described as the “generalisation and/or categorisation” of the Judiciary as corrupt and a stumbling block to the Buhari administration’s war against corruption

The NBA President also pledged the support of the bar to resist any attempt to intimidate or harass judicial officers.

“Whilst acknowledging that there may be a few bad eggs in the system, the NBA restates unequivocally that ýthe categorisation of the entire judiciary as corrupt is a misconception and will stand solidly behind the judiciary in any attempt to intimidate or harass its personnel.”

“The NBA however wishes to souýnd a note of warning to the few bad eggs in the system to desist from further causing untoward embarrassment to the judicial arm of government and will henceforth petition any judicial officer involved in or suspected to be involved in any corrupt or fraudulent transaction to the appropriate quarters for action. We believe that a word is enough for the wise and that wise counsel will prevail in this regard.

Alegeh called for the full compliment of justices of the Supreme Court from 15 to “the constitutional quota of 21.”.

He suggested an arrangement where the apex court occasionally holds special sessions in various regions to deal with cases from such regions, an arrangement he argued, was capable of reducing the litany of appeals and workload of the court.

On welfare, Alegeh suggested the extension of the current practice of building houses for retiring CJNs o other Justices of the apex court

Justice Muntaka-Coomassie disappointment about the state of affairs in the Judiciary.

“I am using this medium to appeal to governments at all levels to free the Judiciary from the bondage it has been subjected to over the years. Let it not just be said to be independent, but should indeed be seen to be transparently independent.

“There should not be any string attached. We should not also like to negotiate our financial independence. Let the Judiciary take its destiny in its hands. Enough of being fed with the crumbs from the master’s table.

I have devoted 38 of my 70 years to services to my fatherland. I came into service with great enthusiasm and expectations, but unfortunately, I am today retiring with maginal satisfaction. My regret, from all indications, is the regret of many of my retired colleagues.

“The Nigerian Judiciary is only third arm of government on paper. It has always been treated like a paper tiger in the scheme of things. I want to use this opportunity to call on the relevant authorities to put the Judiciary in a proper perspective. It should be placed and treated as the third arm of government in every meeting and programs as enshrined in the Constitution,” Justice Muntaka-Coomassie said.

With AIT News

Army Asks EFCC To Investigate 12 Officers

The Nigerian Army has forwarded the names of 12 officers to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation.

A statement by a spokesman for the Army, Colonel Sani Usman, said three serving and one retired Major Generals, three Brigadier Generals, four Colonels and one Lieutenant Colonel were in the list, Channel News reported.

The Army stated that at the end of the Commission’s investigations those found culpable would be tried by a military Court Martial.

No reason was given for the submission of the officers’ names to the anti-graft agency, but the agency has of late heightened the fight against corruption, taking top government officials of the past administration to court for money laundering and other related charges.