Olumide Akpata
Anambra: JUSUN strike a national issue, not state-driven
The Anambra State Government on Monday said the ongoing strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), was a national issue and not state-driven. Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, Secretary to the State Government, made the assertion, while addressing members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Anambra branch, at a peaceful protest to the Government House in Awka. Newsmen report that the protest followed a directive issued on April 18 by the President of the NBA, Mr Olumide Akpata, to all branches of the association. Chukwulobelu said the executive was aware of the need to ensure that all aspects of the three arms of government function properly. “Your demands on independent judiciary are very important, but it is a national issue. “The fact that the courts are not sitting is not becaus...
Strike: Minister to hold fresh meeting with governors, NBA, JUSUN, others
Labour minister, Chris Ngige, has rescheduled a fresh meeting with the leaderships of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), over the lingering strike that has crippled court activities across the country for two weeks. Representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) are also expected to be at the meeting scheduled to hold in Abuja on Tuesday. Members of JUSUN had on April 6 embarked on the indefinite nationwide strike to press home their demand for judiciary’s financial autonomy. The labour minister had on Thursday announced a last-minute postponement of the meeting he was scheduled to hold with the NBA, JUSUN and other stakeholders over the lingering crisis. The abrupt postponement of the meeting infuriated the leaderships of the body ...
NBA urges judiciary workers to shelve strike
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Monday urged judiciary workers under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) to shelve their plan to begin a nationwide strike on Tuesday. The association in a statement signed by its President, Olumide Akpata, said although it believes in the battle for financial autonomy of the judiciary being waged by the workers, the timing of the planned strike would spell doom for the country considering the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in the last one year. Akpata stated, “However, as commendable and laudable as the proposed strike action may be, the NBA is concerned about its timing and the potentially devastating consequences it would pose for justice administration in the country, particularly coming on the heels of prolonged...
Justice Tsoho: Why court froze #EndSARS promoters’ bank accounts
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, on Tuesday said that contrary to the belief in some quarters that the court intentionally froze the accounts of #Endsars promoters, it only played its part as an interpreter of the law. The CJ noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria had approached the court to ask for an order freezing certain accounts of corporate bodies and names of individuals over suspicion bordering on alleged money laundering. He however stated that the CBN did not attach any names to the applications. Justice Tsoho, spoke at the opening of the 2020/2021 legal year, Abuja on Tuesday. He noted that CBN’s request came about three months before the ENDSARS protest. The CJ was reacting to the speech by the chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumid...
Attempt to split NBA will affect Nigeria’s unity – Group
Pool Photo A group, Northern Youth Initiative for Peace and Good Governance, has flayed the attempt by some lawyers of Northern extraction to split the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA. President of the group, Umar Faruk Lawal, in statement, pleaded that those who were championing the formation of a New NBA should sheath their sword and render the necessary support and advice to Mr. Olumide Akpata led executive for better service delivery. According to the statement, “we carefully and meticulously perused the recent happenings in Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) especially as it relates to the dis-invitation of Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai as key note speaker in NBA 2020 Annual General Conference.” According to him, inspite of the hullabaloo the dis-invitation generated in so...
Senate President congratulates new NBA president
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, congratulates Olumide Akpata on his election as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Lawan also congratulates the other newly elected members of the executive and the entire members of the Association over the smooth conduct of their elections. The Senate President notes that Akpata and his team had convinced their learned colleagues that they possess the experience, integrity and capacity to lead their revered Association and must now strive to live up to the high expectations. He describes the NBA as a pillar of democracy given the pivotal role of the legal profession in ensuring order and justice in the polity. Lawan says the National Assembly and particularly the Senate looks forward to working with the NBA under its new leaders...
