Latest and Current Articles, Items & News on Sahara Reporters

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Debo Onifade - The President (through his VP) recently said during the opening ceremony of a Nestle manufacturing plant that Nigeria was going to add 5,000MW to the grid supply.  He didn't tell us how!  I also recently read on President Jonathan's facebook page that Nigeria has hit 4,000MW for the first time in 10 years and a few of my friends called to tell me they were excited about this.

Source: Power Supply:  We Need The Facts

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SaharaReporters, New York - Plans by the Goodluck Jonathan campaign to "de-ethnicize" the commencement of the presidential campaigns hit a major snag yesterday as youth in Lafia, the capital of Nassarawa State, pelted Mr. Jonathan's convoy with stones. Our sources said the rampaging youths were supporters of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change.



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PM News, Abuja - The President of the Court of Appeal [PCA], Justice Ayo Isa Salami yesterday dragged the Chief Justice of Nigeria [CJN], Justice Aloysius Iyorgher Katsina-Alu before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division over his unsolicited elevation to the bench of the Supreme Court.

Named in the originating summons filed by Lateef Fagbemi [SAN] on Salami's behalf as co-defendants are the Federal Judicial Service Commission, the National Judicial Council and the Attorney General of Federation [AGF] as 2nd  to 4th Defendants Respondents.

In an affidavit deposed to personally by Salami, he alleged that Katsina-Alu asked him to compromise the Court of Appeal's verdict on the protracted Sokoto Governorhip legal tussle by either disbanding the original panel, which he [Katsina-Alu] believed  was about to give a verdict adverse to the governor's interest or direct the panel to give judgment in the governor's favour.

He also seeks an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants jointly and/or severally, by themselves, and all officers, servants and functionaries of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or otherwise howsoever, from recognizing, acting on, doing anything in recognition of or putting into effect any decision of the defendants purporting to appoint the plaintiff to the Supreme Court as a Justice of the Court pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Summons.

Source: "Katsina-Alu Asked Me To Compromise Sokoto Gubernatorial Petition"-Ayo Salami

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A civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned Ms. Gabriela KNAUL, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers over alleged "attacks by the Nigerian government on the independence and impartiality of judges, and the consequent denial of the internationally recognized right of the citizens to an effective remedy."

In a petition dated 8 February 2011 and signed by SERAP Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the group said that, "We note that Justice Salami has been an activist judge who has consistently stood for justice and fair play in his position as President of the Court of Appeal. It would seem that the law is being used in this case as an instrument of political manipulation to perpetuate injustice against Justice Salami apparently for future political and election gains of the Nigerian government."

Source: UN Petitioned Over Alleged Harassment Of Justice Salami

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Kashim Shettima has emerged as the new gubernatorial candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Shettima is the favored replacement for Alhaji Fannami Gubio, the party candidate who was assassinated two weeks ago by Islamic militants, Boko Haram in Maiduguri, Borno state.

Prior to his nomination by the party Alhaji Shettima was the health commissioner in the state.

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Emeka Umeagbalasi - The news about the crisis trailing the recent alleged elevation or planned elevation of the President of the Court of Appeal, Honourable Justice Isa Ayo Salami, PCA, to the Supreme Court of Nigeria is not surprising. What is, rather, surprised is that politicians of various interests with their foot-soldiers in the media, NBA, civil society community, etc now have a field day, demonizing one party and canonizing the other.

Regrettably, the almighty Constitution of Nigeria 1999, is now lowered and displaced, and personal interests and unsolicited interpretation of the purely administrative issue now rent the air and got elevated to the status of our Constitution. What is now the order of the day is the promotion of personal interests and counter-personal interests above the spirit and letters of our Constitution, and most importantly, the collective interests of the Nigerian public. It is near accurate to say that the current public comments and debates over the issue are being masterminded by the rightist and the leftist political divides, courtesies of their sympathetic media and other opinions. It may not be wrong, after all, to say that Honourable Justice Salami's alleged elevation or planned elevation has an unhealthy political coloration, but the critical question is: what is his performance ratio since he took over from the distinguished Honourable Justice Umaru Abdullahi, as the Appellate Court head?

Source: Judicial Elevation Crisis: The CJN And The Appeal Court President's Headship Of Nigeria's Apex Judiciary Worst Since 1999

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The 24-member National Judicial council (NJC) of Nigeria has just risen from its emergency meeting today with a decision siding with the President of The court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami,  over the controversy surrounding the prooposed "promotion"  to the Supreme Court as plotted by the Chief Justice Of Nigeria and elements in Goodluck Jonathan's government.

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Citizen Reports/PM, News, Lagos  - The Nuhu Ribadu Campaign Organisation has described the statements credited to President Goodluck Jonathan as "unbecoming of a President" and "one that smacks of desperation."

President Jonathan while flagging off his south west presidential campaign in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital claimed that his party, the PDP "must" win the south west and salvage the region from "rascals."

Source: Apologise To The South West People Now- Ribadu Tells Jonathan

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SaharaReporters, New York - The 24-member National Judicial Council (NJC) of Nigeria rose from its emergency meeting today with a decision siding with the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, on the controversy over his planned "promotion" to the Supreme Court.

Source: Justice Salami's "Promotion" To Supreme Court Shelved By NJC

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SaharaReporters, New York - Justice Mary Odili, the wife of the former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, has been elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Mrs. Odili, who was originally appointed to the Court of Appeal on the South South slot, is being elevated to the court to fill the space left by Justice Nikki Tobi.  Also elevated to the Supreme court are Justices Sylvanus Ngwali Ngwuta and Olu Ariwoola.

Judicial sources told Saharareporters that  Justice Ngwuta will take up the slot formerly occupied by Justice Ikechi Francis Ogbuagu from Abia State, who retired from the Supreme Court in September 2010 while Justice Olu Ariwoola takes the South west slot formerly occupied by Justice Peter Aderemi.

Mary's husband, Peter Odili, ruled Rivers State between 1999 and 2007 and notoriously looted it throughout the period.  He has since then hidden from the law behind a perpetual of injunction by Justice Ibrahim N Buba, who currently serves at the federal high court in Asaba.