A high court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital has
nullified the proclamation made by the state government to relocate
the headquarters of Ilejemeje local government area from Iye-Ekiti
to Eda-Oniyo.
The state government through the deputy governor, Otunba Bisi
Egbeyemi had on Monday made a proclamation announcing the
relocation of the headquarters to Eda-Oniyo citing the December 14
2018 judgement of the supreme court.
Ruling on the application by the claimant (Iye-Ekiti) on
Wednesday,the presiding Judge, Justice Abiodun Adesodun said the
first and second respondent should have waited for determination of
the suit before the court before making the proclamation.
Justice Adesodun described the decision of the government as an
act of, ” executive rascality and self help ” adding that the
status quo should be maintained pending the final determination of
the case.
Counsel to the claimant, Taiwo Kupolati while making his final
address argued that the decision of the government contravened the
local government administration law of 1999 which recognized
Iye-Ekiti as the headquarters of Ilejemeje local government
area.
Kupolati said the community was not joined in the suit leading
to the judgement of the supreme court, noting that there was no
statute backing the proclamation of the government on the
relocation.
He called on the court to enforce the right of the claimant and
save the state from what he described as “absolute
recklessness.”
Counsel to the first(state government) and second(Attorney
General) respondents, Yetunde Kolawole revealed that the state
government made the proclamation based on the verdict of the
supreme court.
Kolawole added that it would amount to contempt of court for the
state government to jettison the decision of the apex court in the
country.
On his part, counsel to the third respondent( Eda-Oniyo Ekiti),
Deji Adetifa argued that the court could not go against the
judgement of the supreme court, disclosing that the law recognized
hierarchy of court.
He noted that the claimants should have approached the supreme
court if they had any grievance on the ruling not the high court,
urging the court to dismiss the suit with huge cost against the
claimants.
“Assuming without conceding that the claimant has genuine
grievances against the supreme Court ruling, the appropriate thing
is to go back to the apex court for review not this court.
“Coming here is a wrong place and we want the court to decline
the invitation to embark on judicial rascality,” Adetifa said.
Justice Adesodun however fixed November 19,2019 for judgement on
the case.
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Senator Ndume in Gwoza
Ndume, Namdas: N100bn for Armed Forces in 2020 budget
grossly insufficient
The Chairmen of the National Assembly (NASS) joint committee on
Army, Senator Muhammed Ali Ndume and Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas have
bemoaned the low budgetary allocation for the Nigerian Armed
Forces, saying the N100bn allocated to the Armed Forces in the 2020
appropriation bill is grossly insufficient.
They both made this known when they led a delegation of the
Senate and House Committee on Army, to visit the Chief of Army of
Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, at the
Army Headquarters in Abuja.
Sen. Ndume, who acknowledged the efforts of the Army in tackling
insurgency, and other emerging security threats across the country,
said there is need for their joint committee to robustly engage
with the leadership of the Army with a view to addressing some of
their challenges.
“Our NASS’ joint committee is very important. We fill in the gap
for the Nigerian Army in the NASS. Among other things, we are glad
that the Army is living up to expectation in tackling the myriads
of threats to internal security in the country,” he said.
On his part, Hon. Namdas, lauded the Army for independently
sourcing for funds to execute some of its programmes and activities
such as manufacturing of various equipment of warfare such as
Armored Personnel Carriers, gun trucks, bullet vests and other
modern fighting ammunition.
Namdas, stressed the need for government to create what he
called a ‘war budget’ for the Army in order for them to permanently
wipe out terrorists and end insurgency in the North East.
He further disclosed that a bill on how the Army can be adequately
funded independently without relying on the allocation captured in
the national budget has already been tabled on the floor of the
house.
Responding, Lt. Gen. Buratai, assured the Committee members that
the Army, under his leadership, will continue to carry out its
constitutional responsibilities diligently, responsively and
professionally.
He said though the Nigerian Army has continue to sponsor its
officers and men for training both locally and internationally,
more funds are required to help them effectively prosecute some of
its operations and programmes.