• Oshiomhole extols ex-aide's virtues
UPHOLDING an earlier verdict, the Court of Appeal in Benin City has given a 60-day ultimatum for the Police to pay the N5 million damages awarded against it by a Benin High Court over the detention of Executive Director, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) Rev David Ugolor.
Meanwhile, Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Monday said he brought Oyerinde who hailed from Osun State along with him to Edo State because, aside the late aide's brilliance and selflessness; he wanted somebody to constantly remind him of the ideas that propelled him into pro-people struggle.
Ugolor was accused of complicity in the murder of Principal Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Olatain Oyerinde May 4 last year.
He was in prison custody for 41 days before he was granted bail and later discharged and acquitted.
A Benin High Court awarded the N5 million as compensation but it was appealed by the police.
The three-man panel of justices headed by Justice Helen Olagumwumiju also yesterday struck out the stay of execution filed by counsel to the Inspector-General of Police (lGP) and Attorney General of Federation (AGF), Michael Ehunde.
She held that the judgment sum of the lower court should be paid into an interest yielding account pending the determination of the substantive appeal filed by the police.
Counsel to the respondent (Ugolor), Olayinwola Afolabi had argued that the motion of appeal was incompetent, legally virus and urged that it should be struck out accordingly.
The Appeal court ruling is coming eight months after Justice E.A Edigin of a Benin High Court ordered the police to pay the activist the money.
After listening to the submissions of both counsel, the court declared: "It's hereby ordered that the judgment sum of N5 million be paid to the Deputy Chief registrar of this court within 60 days; and shall immediately deposit same in an interest yielding account."
Speaking at Oyerinde's first year remembrance, the governor said: "When I was coming to Edo, I told Oyerinde that you drafted the vision and my mission statement and we agreed on all the challenges we will face and how we will move Edo State forward and you and I have always wondered why when people get into office, they forget their past, you see a journalist, when he becomes the press secretary, he will join in dealing with journalists, you will see a lawyer when he becomes Attorney General, he will be defending why government will not obey a court order and begin to give distinction between judgment and declaration so I said to him, I don't pray that we get to government and begin to act this way so you will join me and try to put a rope around my waist so that when I derailed, you will pull it and remind me that that was not our idea and God knows Olaitan did that to the best of his ability. It is impossible for me to find a replacement and even if I can buy a replacement, it is not possible for the children to have another father."
The Guardian