Japhet Peter D

When statutes limit judicial meddling in party affairs, judges must show restraint, adhere to the law, and focus on cases properly before them. We call on the National Judicial Council to make regulations that will sanction any judge who knowingly assumes jurisdiction in matters clearly barred by law, grants orders in respect of intra-party disputes in violation of statutory provisions, or lends the authority of the court to partisan political maneuvering. The NBA will not shy away from drawing the NJC’s attention to the actions of any judicial officer found to have acted in a manner inconsistent with the judicial oath, constitutional responsibilities, and the preservation of public confidence in the courts. The NBA will not hesitate to activate its constitutional responsibility to protect the integrity of the justice system. The NBA calls on the Independent National Electoral Commission to exercise its expanded supervisory powers with utmost neutrality, independence, and fidelity to democratic values. The Commission must not, under any circumstances, be perceived as a participant in political engineering or as an institution whose regulatory authority is deployed in a manner that weakens political pluralism. The Chairman of INEC, being a distinguished Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is uniquely positioned to appreciate the constitutional implications of these developments. The NBA expects that the Commission, under his leadership, will ensure that its actions reflect independence, fairness, and strict adherence to democratic norms. The Bar is closely watching the conduct of the Commission and expects that its regulatory role will strengthen, not diminish, confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process. The Bar will deploy all lawful mechanisms, engagement, advisory opinions, strategic litigation, and disciplinary processes, to ensure that lawyers do not weaponize the legal process so that the judiciary is not misused. Lawyers must remain officers of the court, not architects of procedural manipulation. Nigeria’s democracy must not be weakened by legal maneuvering, institutional capture, or the misuse of judicial authority. The courts must remain arbiters of justice, not instruments of political advantage. Electoral institutions must remain neutral umpires, not participants in political contests. The electoral institutions must operate within the bounds of constitutional democracy. MAZI AFAM OSIGWE, SAN PRESIDENT

Dear Samuel Adegoke, I will continue to disparage all attempts to charge a percentage of property value for witnessing a signature. Perhaps your doctor should be charging a percentage of your net worth for prescribing a malaria tablet for you or your mechanic should charge a percentage of the value of your car for changing the oil. Set a flat fee for routine services like this (like is done in other countries) and I will gladly pay. If, instead, you want to take 10% of the value of a property I am taking a mortgage to buy, I will reduce my offer to N3K next time. Thank you.

Dear Dr. Joe, This your comment is absolutely misleading and disparaging for a profession you claim to be a member. It’s not in your place to ridicule a professional charge in such a manner you did here. Learned silk is entitled to his/her charge, so also the lawyer who charged you lesser. Let’s not pretend as if in other society you won’t pay these fees without even ridiculing the work.

So this is how we are thinking of redesigning the Igbo apprenticeship program “Igba boy”. For the pilot program, we will likely take in 200 persons to engage in the training on global quality carpentry, bricklaying, tilling, plumbing, HVAC, POP and electricals. The trainees will engage in an intensive 1 year program which they will be housed and fed. No holidays during the program. An additional 3 months will be on business and commercialization. Once they complete the cohort and they meet the standards set, they will be settled with a good amount of money to build on the business arm of their skills. Those who don’t meet up will be dropped off from the program. We will be visiting training centers in Togo and Germany in the coming weeks to solidify our plans and training partnerships. Let’s brainstorm… what do you think?

First class Honors, B.Eng Computer Engineering.