Headlines
Court Adjourns Ambode’s Bus Probe Suit Against Lawmakers Till Nov 20
A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has adjourned hearing till November 20, 2019 in a suit filed by the immediate past Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to stop the state House of Assembly from probing him over the 820 mass transit buses purchased by his administration.
Justice Y.A. Akinsanya ordered Ambode and the lawmakers to maintain the “status quo” pending the hearing of the suit.
The adjournment followed a request by the lawmakers’ lawyer, Adenike Osinowo, for time to study Ambode’s suit and file appropriate response.
Osinowo said the court processes were served on her late on Tuesday.
She said, “We were served the Motion on Notice very late yesterday (Tuesday) and we shall be opposing the motion.
“We shall be asking the court for a date to regularise our processes.”
While adjourning for hearing, Justice Adesanya directed the parties to the case maintain the status quo.
The judge on Tuesday declined hearing an ex parte application by Ambode’s lawyer, Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), to make orders of injunction against the lawmakers.
Rather than entertain the ex parte application, Justice Adesanya directed the ex-governor to put the defendants on notice and adjourned till Wednesday for hearing.
In the suit, Ambode urged the court to restrain the lawmakers “from compelling the claimant, in any manner whatsoever, to appear before the defendants pursuant to the resolution passed by the defendants on August 27, 2019 or any other resolution passed in respect of the subject matter of this suit”.
He urged the court to declare that “it is not lawful for the defendants to represent or continue to represent to the public that the claimant, Akinwunmi Ambode, procured 820 buses in breach of budgetary approval”.
In his statement of claim, Ambode accused the lawmakers of deliberate misrepresentation of facts, contending that contrary to their claims, “the procurement of the 820 buses was captured in the 2018 Appropriation Law which was duly approved by the House”.
He said, “In Section 1 of the bill, the 1st defendant (House of Assembly) authorised the total budget for the year 2018 to be N1,046,121,181,680, comprising the sum of N347,038,938,872.00 only and N699,082,242,808.00 only as the recurrent and capital expenditures, respectively.
“Part of the items authorised by the bill under Capital Expenditure was: ‘LAGBUS Public Transport Infrastructure; part financing of 820 buses’ which was Item 8 under Schedule 1- Part C of the bill.”
He added, “Having prescribed the manner of withdrawal of funds in Sections 3 and 4 of the 2018 Appropriation Law, it was unconstitutional for the House to attach another condition in Section 9 of the law for further approval to be sought before incurring any expenditure on the purchase of the buses.”
The Punch
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
