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Onnoghen owes Nigerians apology, not sympathy

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Chieftainf the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Arise who represented Ekiti North Senatorial District between 2007 -2011, has said the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen deserves no sympathy but rather apologize to Nigerians.

Arise expressed reservations on the stance of the National Judicial Council (NJC) on the trial of the suspended CJN Justice Walter Onnoghen.

Speaking with The Nation in Ado-Ekiti, the former Lawmaker argued that the system of government being practiced in Nigeria only recognizes the supreme ourt as the final arbiter in any case.

He described the suspended CJN’s saga as an embarrassment not only to the judiciary but a stigma on the country as a whole.

The former Lawmaker said with the existing constitutional debacle arising from the case, Nigeria could take advantage of the controversy and make correction on some flaws inherent in the Constitution.

He disclosed that the suspended CJN could have saved himself and the nation from the mess ,if he had taken what he termed ‘path of honour ‘ and resigned from his former position, “saying no individual could be larger than the judiciary.

“Well, it is an unfortunate scenario that we found ourselves. Ordinarily Onnoghen should have saved the judiciary ,saved this country and also saved his name by simply resigned from office

“Whether it is allegation, confirmation or deliberate misrepresentation.Whatever the case may be ,once Onnoghen has owned up and said he forgot to make the declaration of his assets ,he should have resigned and apologize to Nigerians that he ,as an individual who represents an institution. And no individual should be larger than the judiciary. It is not worth what it has been subjected to.

“There is no room for apportioning blame at this time .The President acted based on advise from the Attorney General of the Federation ,who is the number Law Enforcement Officer of the country .

“When you look at the whole scenario, it appears that it challenges the essence of our constitution .How do you have somebody who has admitted to violating the law of the land to continue to lead that sensitive arm of government?”, he queried

“Obviously, there is no basis for justification, either morally or legally looking at the reactions of several organizations .The NBA , South South Governors Forum and others. .

“Yes, there is a little bit of controversy in the constitution .The constitution says when a judicial officer commits an offense ,he or she should be refer to the Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC) for sanction

“It is the same constitution that says when a public servant fails to declare his or her asset or made false declaration , such officer would be sent to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for prosecution and administration of justice .And a number of guidelines were stated there in .”

“The issue now is which one is superior? Is it the court or the NJC ?with the system of government that I believe we are practicing the NJC cannot be a parallel court to CCT.

“When you say the supreme Court is the final arbiter in any case .That is the Supreme Court .So ,is the NJC now saying it is equivalent to supreme Court .So,invariably the answer to is no,that means something needs to be clarified on the roles of the NJC and the Courts when breach of the law is involved.

“As a nation, even though we are learning by the day this democracy is not a perfect system of government .It is a system that allows for learning ,make correction and improves upon and add value , as we progress as a nation.

“It is even good that this scenario came up .And whatever the weaknesses are,in our constitution can be corrected as we move forward”, Arise said

 

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Update : Road Crash: Anthony Joshua Hospitalised, Two Confirmed Dead — Ogun Police Spokesperson

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Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been hospitalised after a road accident in the Makun area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.

Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, confirmed this in a statement.

The incident occurred shortly after 11 am on Monday.

Our reporter, who was at the scene, said the crash happened just before the Danco Filling Station in Makun, ahead of the Sagamu Interchange on the Ibadan-bound axis.

Adeniyi Orojo stated that the Lexus Jeep carrying Joshua, with number plate KRD 850 HN, collided with a stationary truck.

The eyewitness revealed that Joshua sustained minor injuries, while two others died at the scene.

“It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV. Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him. A passenger sat beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed.
His security detail followed in the vehicle behind.

“Other eyewitnesses and I began the rescue and flagged down oncoming vehicles for help. Minutes after the crash, Federal Road Safety Corps officials arrived. The passenger beside the driver and the person beside Joshua died on the spot,” he said.

In a statement sent to Newsthumb on Monday, Oluseyi confirmed that Joshua and other injured persons were involved in a car accident and rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

He said, “The Ogun State Police Command confirms a road accident today in front of Sinoma, before Danco, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. Anthony Joshua and other injured persons have been rushed to the hospital.

“Further updates will be communicated.”

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Tinubu Leaves Nigeria for Europe, UAE to Attend ADSW 2026 Summit, Says Onanuga

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Lagos on Sunday, December 28, for Europe, continuing his end-of-year break and ahead of his official trip to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed AlNahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2026) Summit, which will take place in the emirate early in January.

The weeklong summit is an annual event that mobilises leaders from government, business, and society to chart the next era of sustainable development.

With the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go”, ADSW will connect ambition with action across innovation, finance, and people, showcasing how the world can move forward with confidence.’

The President will return to the country after the Summit.

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BREAKING: Fayose Alleges N45.5bn from N50bn Ibadan Explosion Fund Diverted by Makinde for Political Ambitions

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Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has released what he described as documentary evidence to support his claim that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, received N50 billion from the Federal Government as a special intervention fund following the January 2024 explosion in Ibadan.

Fayose made the documents public on Sunday in a statement accompanied by a memo from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

He said the disclosure followed a challenge by Makinde to substantiate his earlier claim that the Oyo State Government received the funds.

“Two days ago, I stated on national television that Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde received N50bn from the Federal Government as intervention for the Ibadan explosion. Yesterday, the governor asked me to provide evidence, and here is the evidence he requested,” Fayose said.

The former governor further alleged that only N4.5 billion was disbursed to victims of the explosion, accusing Makinde of diverting the remaining funds for personal political ambitions.

“Only N4.5bn was paid to victims of the Ibadan explosion. The rest, alongside other intervention funds, was diverted to fund his presidential ambition. This, in part, explains the crisis in the PDP and his frequent attacks on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration,” he alleged.

Fayose further said he was compelled to release official documents, despite his reluctance to do so, in the interest of transparency and public accountability.

“Even though it is not in my character to go public with official government documents, I had to do this so Nigerians will know who is saying the truth and who has not been sincere with the people of Oyo State,” he said.

The former governor said that Makinde’s alleged disclosure of detail from private meeting with President Tinubu made fuller public disclosure necessary.

He challenged the governor to take legal action if he believed the allegations were false, insisting that he had sufficient proof to defend his claims.

“I challenge Governor Seyi Makinde to sue me on this. There are also proofs of other intervention funds received from Tinubu’s administration by the Oyo State Government which the governor refused to disclose to the people,” he said.

He further claimed to have documentary evidence of Oyo State’s actual Internally Generated Revenue, contrary to figures publicly stated by Makinde, noting that he would release the details at a later time.

“There are documentary evidences on the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State, as against Governor Makinde’s claim, but we will keep our gunpowder dry for now.

“My name is still Ayo Fayose. I don’t say what I can’t prove,” he said.

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