THE NATION, SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
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Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday voided the recently conducted South West zonal congress of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The congress produced former Ekiti State governor, Segun Oni, as the party’s National Vice Chairman (South West). Justice Okon Abang, in a ruling, set aside the said congress on the grounds that it was held in violation of a subsisting order of court, directing parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the suit instituted by the Dayo Soremi-led faction of the party in Ogun State. The judge observed that despite that the party’s former National Vice Chairman, South West, Alhaji Tajudeen OLadipo’s lawyer, Waheed Lawal, undertook to ensure that his client take no further steps in respect of the issues raised by the plaintiff, Oladipo proceeded to conduct the congress and put the plaintiffs in a position of disadvantage. Justice Abang deprecated Oladipo for conducting the congress despite the court order, describing him as an individual without respect for the due process of law and the rule of law. He held that his action was meant to foist on the court a state of helplessness by taking a short cut “which now amounts to a nullity.” “Any responsible citizen of this country, no matter his position, ought to respect the court’s order particularly when processes and such orders are served on them. They should allow the court to decide the case one way or the other. “I will not allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to act in a manner that challenges the majesty of the court and likely to bring the court to disrepute or odium. The conduct of the zonal congress by Alhaji Tajudeen, despite a subsisting court order, is mischievous,” the court held. Justice Abang described the action of the party leaders in the South West as “reckless, disgraceful and high-handed”, noting that “it signposts their disdain for the observance of the rule of law.” “Disobedience to court orders is an endemic disease that has eaten deep into the fabric of this country. A court must enforce the law in a manner that will ensure the attainment of social reengineering,” the court held. Justiec Abang said but for the fact that the plaintiffs had not filed committal applications against the defendants, he would have
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Oni loses seat as court voids South West PDP congress Eric IKHILAE
shown them some lessons that “court orders are meant to be obeyed.” Justice Abang, aside voiding the congress, also set aside the list of delegates sent to the party’s headquarters by the Ogun chapter and the nullification of the nomination of Tunji Akinosi, Segun Sowunmi and Pegba Otemolu as delegates from Ogun chapter. The court also gave an interim injunction restraining the PDP by its national organs – National Working Committee, National Executive Committee, its South West zonal organs and their officials from taking any disciplinary actions against them in respect of purported queries for Chief Soremi, the Chairman of the party’s Harmonised Executive in the state and others, including Prince Buruji Kashamu, pending the determination of the substantive suit. It also restrained the party, its
organs and officers from taking disciplinary actions against the plaintiffs and their supporters in respect of the congresses they conducted in the state pursuant to the judgment by Justice Charles Achibong on January 27 this year. Justice Abang also compelled the PDP by its organs and officers to “accept, recognize and utilize the results of the congresses conducted at ward, local government and state levels of the party under the leadership of the applicants.” The court further ordered the party to accord the officers elected from the said congress all necessary recognition and facilities recognized in the party’s constitution. The court discountenanced the argument by defendants’ lawyer, Chief A. O. Ajana, that the party’s former Zonal Legal Adviser, Waheed Lawal, who represented Oladipo in the case was not briefed. Justice Abang held that it was not the duty of the court to enquire whether or not a lawyer representing a party has such party’s mandate.
The judge also held that it was not the law that a lawyer must first file a memorandum of appearance before he is accorded audience in court as against the argument by Ajana. The court’s ruling was on an application by members of the Harmonised Executive of the PDP in Ogun State represented by Dayo Soremi, Engr Bayo Dayo and Hon Taiwo Abisekan. Named as defendants are the PDP, former Acting National Chairman, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Tajudeen Oladipo, Uche Secondus, Olusola Oke and Prof Rufia Alkali. Soremi and others had sued, challenging the legitimacy of queries for Soremi and the Secretary to the Harmonised Committee, Pegba Otemolu, by Oladipo, on the bases of which they were threatened with disciplinary measures. They also queried the legitimacy of a published directive purportedly made by Alkali, barring the party from conducting congresses in the state, allegedly cancelling those earlier conducted and
•From left: Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Adegboyega Adetoun; Special Adviser to the Governor on Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Funmilayo Esho Williams, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola and Mrs. Susan Okanlawon during Mrs Aregbesola’s investiture as a patron of the Nigeria Girls Guide Association, Osun State chapter at the Goverment House, Oke-fia, Osogbo yesterday.
Lagos moves to replace striking doctors
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R. Ore Falomo, the Chair man of the Medical Advi sory Committee (MAC) to the Lags State governor, has said that the striking doctors in the state may soon lose their jobs. According to him, the state government has started recruiting medical doctors to replace those on strike. He said the state government took the step to prevent deaths and
Wale ADEPOJU ensure patients in any of the the state-owned hospitals get prompt treatment. Falomo, who briefed journalists on the ongoing strike by the state doctors under the umbrella of the Medical Guild, said the strike embarked upon by the physicians had left much to be desired as many patients had died, adding that other
patients may suffer similar fate, if nothing was done to address the problem. He said the striking doctors violated the Hippocratic Oath that guided the medical profession which states that a doctor must avoid the death of patients irrespective of their grievances or socio-economic status and also finish every medical procedure they have started on any patient or discharge or refer them to another health facility.
Govt faults medical personnel on tax deductions
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HE claim by striking doctors in the service of the Lagos State Government that their taxes are being overdeducted from their salaries has been faulted by the government. Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Taxation and Revenue, Bola Sodipo, addressing journalists at the ongoing ministerial press conference yesterday, said that claim was far from the truth since there was no discrimination in
Miriam NDIKANWU tax deductions of workers. Sodipo explained that the government operates a tax policy in line with the Federal Government provisions for states of the federation, saying there was more to the doctors’ strike than just tax deduction. He said it was wrong for the doctors to dictate to the government how much they should earn. He challenged the state Medical
Guild to come out with evidence to back up their claim on the tax deductions. The Special Adviser said the government recorded an improvement in her Internally Generated Revenue by a growth of 15 per cent, adding that this had made the state less reliant on allocations from the Statutory Federal Allocation Account and providing the state government with the needed funds to implement developmental projects.
“If doctors go on strike, it is to let the government know they are angry, but it should not be used to kill patients who are in pain,” he added. He said medical doctors outside the Medical Guild were against the strike currently embarked upon by their counterparts, while condemning them for declaring an indefinite strike in spite of ongoing negotiations with the government. Falomo said: “We are not justifying strike or no strike, but this a noble profession that has to do with lives and this is why we are saying that there are better ways to achieve their aims and objectives instead of embarking on strike at the slightest opportunity. Nobody can pay doctors enough, but they should change their methodology. They are to stop death, reduce pain and discomfort and be at peace when they go to their maker.” He said the MAC had charged the specialists on ground to take care of emergency surgical procedures and services, adding that medical doctors on the national service will be assigned to emergency services.
threatening disciplinary measures against anyone who disobeyed the said directive. Justice Abang adjourned to May 2 at 12 noon for the hearing of the defendants’ notice of preliminary objection and the substantive suit which particularly seeks to enforce the judgment by Justice Achibong to the effect that the Soremi-led Executive represents the party’s authentic leadership in the state.
Nigerians urged to be creative
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HE Special Adviser to the Lagos State Government on Regional Integration, Rev. Adetunji Adebiyi, has said that the state is working round the clock to ensure that it remains a symbol of Nigeria’s hope for good governance and incorruptible leadership for the greatest good of the greatest number. Adebiyi, who represented Governor Babatunde Fashola at a public presentation of a book titled “Nigeria... A Future in Ruins” by Dr. Jimanze Ego-Alowes, challenged Nigerians to be creative and re-order their thinking from that of managers of foreign capital to that of builders of a new local capital that would help fight against poverty and re-awaken the entrepreneurial enthusiasm in them. This, he said, would eventually help to transform the country’s economy. He added that the state would continue to engage the best brains in rendering excellent service to the country’s citizens who poured in from North, East and South as well as foreign nationals who had made the city their home, apart from being an age-long international centre of commerce. Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Chief Kingsley Ikpe, advised that to avert further ruins of the nation’s economy, its economic planners must stop relying much on imports and seek ways to encourage productivity, if it hopes to remain relevant in the global competitive market Ikpe, who described the work as deep and incisive, lamented that lack of knowledge was keeping Nigeria away from development. He, however, said “it is not yet midnight for the country as it can still turn its dwindling economic fortunes around.” He further said: “Our people should be productive. We should stop importing things that we can make. It is not right that we are a petroleum producing country, yet we import petroleum products from the UK. So, our planners must make sure that this country is industrialised and the industrialisation should begin with value-added industries. Industries that can add value to cassava, rice, yam and so on. Once we do that, jobs would now be created for the people and we would become self-reliant.” He also advised the country’s leaders to learn to live less on politics as a way of making money or being self -dependent, adding that self-dependency would come from the country’s industries. The seasoned stockbroker blamed the continuous dwindling fortune of the country’s economy on emphasis on importation and challenged the government to invest more in infrastructure and great companies that would in turn produce values that would be far more than what was invested. On his part, the book reviewer, Joe Igbokwe, described the work as a masterpiece, but warned that “if the country does not understand its past, there is no way it can fashion its future.”