News on Buhari's Health: Read Sections 144, 145 And 146 of the 1999 Constitution on what its state about his absence

Current trending report on air on the continued absence of the President Buhari from the country continues to cause discord among Nigerians and various protests like the recent #ResumeOrResign continues to spring up.

Well truth is most Nigerians are confused and not quite aware of what the Nigerian constitution says about a situation like this. 

A little research shows that section 145 of the 1999 constitution says that, 'whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President'.

Truth is, President Buhari did send a letter to the senate before embarking on

POLITICS: PDP Leadership Tussle - Supreme Court Reserves Judgment

 

Current news report as the Supreme Court on Monday reserved judgment on appeal challenging the affirmation of Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who presided, reserved the judgment after counsel to parties adopted their written addresses.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the party had on March 16, filed the appeal against Sheriff’s position.

The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt on Feb. 27 declared Sheriff as the

LAW and Legal update as Sagay wants harsh punishment for corrupt SANs

Latest information reaching us revealed that the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay, on Monday, called for appropriate sanctions against lawyers bringing shame to the legal profession.


It is currently reported that Sagay also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigeria Police to monitor and to investigate the activities of

Read As Nigerian Senate proposes 2-year Jail For Offenders Of Abusive Statements On Social Media

News reviews that A bill seeking a two-year jail term for any person who makes allegation or publishes any statement or petition in the newspaper, radio or medium of whatever description against another person, institutions of government or any public office holder, passed second reading in the Senate, yesterday.

Current and latest news on our news desk reviews that the bill also prescribed that anybody or group of persons who send any false text message or post false message on the

Senate President, Has Donates Pension To Law Graduates

This latest information reaching us on our news desk has it that The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Friday donated his pension as a former Governor of Kwara State to two best graduating students of the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, for the

Nigerian Senate Passes Tobacco Bill Into Law- Read More

The Senate on Tuesday, passed into law, the National Tobacco Control Bill 2015 (Senate Bill) and 2014 (Executive Bill) which seek to repeal the Tobacco (Control) Act 1990.
Read more details below...

The bill specifies the specific places where users of cigarette could smoke and areas where smoking was forbidden.

The 52-clause document also prescribed various punishments for either the smoker who flouts the law or owner of public places who failed to paste ‘No Smoking’ inscription on their premises.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the

‘Stop Begging For Failed Law School Students’ - Nigerian Body Of Benchers

The Body of Benchers, whose responsibility is to admit and call successful students of the School to the bar, has warned Nigerians to desist from begging for the students who failed their final Bar examination.

The Nigerian Law School was said to have recorded mass failure in the 2013/2014 final Bar examination. About 50 per cent of the students reportedly failed the examination.

The body, through its Chairman, Chief Onomigbo Okpoko (SAN), said in a statement obtained on Thursday that it had been inundated with requests of members of the public for waiver and review of the results.

Oscar Pistorius trial: Accused ‘inconsistent’ on gunshots

The judge in the Oscar Pistorius trial has said the accused athlete’s account of the shooting is inconsistent with someone who shot without thinking.

Mr Pistorius has said that he did not intend to kill anyone, but Judge Thokozile Masipa said the height of the bullets suggested otherwise.

Earlier she questioned the reliability of several witnesses in court, while delivering her verdict on the athlete.

Correspondents say this could cast doubt on a key prosecution argument.

The South African Olympic sprinter denies murdering Ms Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year, saying he thought there was an intruder.

The judge could also find him guilty of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, for which he would face a long jail term.

Oscar Pistorius: 10 reasons why he is guilty – or innocent

Oscar Pistorius is on trial for the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The state say he killed her deliberately after an argument; the athlete says he believed she was an intruder. The following are 10 reasons why the judge might find him guilty, or innocent

GUILTY

1) Five neighbours told the trial they heard a woman screaming before what they believed were shots fired, suggesting Pistorius knew who he was shooting.

2) Another neighbour heard a man and woman arguing for an hour before there was the sound of four loud bangs.

3) Steenkamp still had food in her stomach meaning, the state pathologist said, she ate within two hours of her death at 3am. Pistorius said they went to bed at 10pm, five hours before she died.

4) Steenkamp described in WhatsApp messages how she was "scared" of Pistorius and his temper; his ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor testified that he had a bad temper and had fired his gun in anger once before.

Female dominance of Nigerian judiciary worries Senator

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, have expressed serious concern over the female domination of the Nigerian Judiciary at both the Federal and state levels, stressing that the development was putting men at the disadvantaged position.

Enang, who represents the Akwa Ibom South East at the upper legislative chamber, stated this on Saturday when he hosted students of the Nigerian Law School from Akwa Ibom state at his Apo Legislative Quarter in Abuja.

He noted that men over the years have been embracing private practice while leaving the women to take over the bench hence Nigerian leaders at the federal and state levels no longer have any choice other than to pick women as Chief Justices.

Senate embarks on 8 weeks’ vacation, resumes plenary Sept 16

The Senate yesterday proceeded on eight weeks’ annual vacation to resume plenary September 16.
Senate leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, had moved a motion for the adjournment for the Senate to embark on its long annual vacation but also noted that committee work would continue to enable committees tidy up their work for consideration at a special plenary slated for next Thursday, July 24.

Court strikes out Ojukwu’s ‘first son’ Debe’s N100m suit against Bianca, others

The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday struck out a N100 million suit against the family of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

The suit was filed by Chief Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu, who claims to be the warlord’s first son.

He sought the sum as damages for allegedly being excluded by some family members from participating in the burial rites of his late ‘father’.

Justice Okon Abang held that the court lacked jurisdiction to determine whether or not the applicant’s rights were breached.

The judge said the issue of alleged breach of rights was merely incidental to the issue of the applicant’s paternity, which the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain.

“This court cannot conveniently determine how the applicant was humiliated or discriminated against at the burial obsequies of the deceased without determining the parternity issue, whether the applicant is a child or the eldest son of the deceased.

“In the same vein, this court, under Fundamental Rights Procedure Rules or under Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution has no jurisdiction to determine the issue relating to applicant’s paternity.

“Until the paternity issue is resolved, the court that has the jurisdiction to entertain the case cannot really resolve the case of his alleged exclusion from performing the dust-to-dust funeral rite of the deceased,” the judge held.

Justice Abang added: “Put differently, if the applicant was allowed to take part in the funeral rite of the deceased or if the respondents did not allege that the applicant is an illegitimate child of the deceased, the alleged issue of discrimination, humiliation and

Justice ministry to spend N181.3m on clothing in 2014 - Report

According to a report by Punch, the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters will spend the sum of N181.3m on uniforms and other garments in 2014, according to the budget estimates submitted to the National Assembly by Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

A copy of the proposed budget of the headquarters of the justice ministry, which was obtained by a Punch correspondent, revealed that the sum of N181, 391,000 was allocated for “uniforms and other clothing” in 2014.

The sum is part of the total N4.7bn allocated to the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters in the 2014 budget proposal.

However, the nature of the “uniforms and other clothing” was not disclosed.

The ministry is to spend the sum of N1.3bn on legal services in the New Year, while N1.4bn is allocated for consulting and professional services.

Travels, including local and