Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Vol 9 No 6 27th Oct 2008

READERS’ PAVILION
SQUIB
The Editor,
I love the Squib very much and you know it. However there are far too many mistakes in the last edition that I read (Vol. 9 No. 5). The mistakes, are editorial and are unpardonable for a magazine of the status of the Squib. You should not supply the fuel to those who want to incinerate you with blunders such as these. You should pay more attention to editorial details to make the magazine error free. If the problem is that you don’t have enough time to do proper editing, you can turn the magazine into a bi-monthly instead of a weekly.
Reverend Omole
Editor’s Note: - Thanks for your concern, we’ll improve.

NEW SANS
The Editor,
We thoroughly enjoyed your discourse on the New List of Potential Senior Advocates of Nigeria. I agree with your observation that a lot of money is involved in scaling through hurdles. And, of course, connection matters, it is because of connection that you see some children of judges and senior advocates on the list. On their own they are not good even for mention. I believe you know our boss Clement Obi Okwusogu but you didn’t mention or discuss him in your write up.
Editor’s Note: - But it was some gossips at work in that write-up and not me. Well it’ll be nice for Bros Obi to become a S.A.N, I have been told by more than one witness that he is a fine advocate. Besides, that’s one more silk one feels free to horse about with. But he should stop contesting with me, for the attention of pyts especially during NBA Conferences and NEC meetings.

FAKE LAWYERS
The Editor,
The recurrent issue of persons who are not genuine lawyers and undetected for such a long time is another instance of decay in our system. It is high time we re-visited the stamp and seal suggestion made by Mrs. Funke Adekoya SAN some few years ago in addition to signing all legal documents with date of call to the Bar of the Legal Practitioner.
I have already indicated my year of call and admission number on my letter headed papers!
G.O.A Ekisola Esq.
Editor’s Note: - Good idea.

Monday, October 20, 2008

22ND SEPTEMBER 2008 EDITION


THE EDITOR’S SPARK
Hi friends,
Most likely this morning (Monday 22nd September 2008) one Mr. Sampson Abimbola Bamgbose will face a court of law, for among other things, unlawfully practicing the legal profession in Nigeria. The man is not your rum of the mill impostors. For 19 years, Bamgbose has been at his trade, fooling everybody as it were, until nemesis eventually caught up with him.
The story of this clever rogue whose last bus stop is Ikorodu, Lagos makes our cover. It is a story that indicates that there may be many other Bamgboses, even in the upper exhelon of the profession. So cleverly did this fraudster ingrained himself in the profession that the possibility of having even fake judges in our country exist.
The leadership of the Ikorodu Bar which unmasked Bamgbose paid a courtesy visit to the head of the Lagos State Judiciary, His Lordship, the Chief Judge, Adetula Alabi J. in his office on the 18th of September 2008. That visit makes up our Bar & Bench News section of this edition. All your ‘Sweet Regulars’ but two- the Book Excerpts and Art Quake are in the house, talking of the Learned Squib, Squib Society, Art Attack, Monitor, Readers Pavilion, Case-law and Diary. They all are as usual simply ‘squibicious’.
Well, until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy. Do not take your songs to the grave unsung. Give life your best shots. The Heavens will not fall!

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Vol 8 No 37 21st July 2008


Hi friends,
This, if you like, is a summer edition, coming straight right on the first day of the annual vacation (Lagos State Judiciary). In Onitsha Anambra State, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NBA meets this week from the 23rd to the 25th July. Top of the agenda of the meeting is to approve the provisional list of candidates for the August 2008 general elections.

On our cover this week, is Okey Owhonda Esq, a leading candidate for the post of General Secretary of the NBA. His interview with us, where he discusses his dreams and plans for the NBA is our cover story.

About a year ago, Lagos state repealed her Coroner’s Law and came out with a new law, which however is, it appears, giving medical practitioners sleepless nights. The doctors are not keeping quiet over the matter. We publish here, a recent press statement of the Nigerian Medical Association on the matter, courtesy of the Saturday Vanguard newspaper of 19th July 2008.

The administration of Criminal Justice Law is another new law in Lagos State. Fortunately it is not controversial despite many interesting innovations it contains. Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa’s paper entitled Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2007. Reforms relating to non-custodial disposition options in Lagos State discusses one such innovation is herein published. The paper delivered on 3rd June 2008 at the Interactive workshop on the law is entitled.

You will find the views of the learned professor useful. Only a few of your Sweet Regulars to wit, The Learned Squib, Case Law, Readers’ Pavilion make this edition. Don’t forget this is a ‘summer’ edition. So bear with us.

Almost hidden in the edition is a write up which asks and tries to answer a very germane, if rather strange question – Is the NBA dying? What do you think?

Well, until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy. Do not go to the grave with your songs unsung. Give life your best shots. The Heavens Will Not Fall!


Adesina Ogunlana

Editor-in-Chief

Saturday, June 14, 2008

9th June 2008


EDITOR’S SPARK


Hi friends,
For the umpteenth time, our cover story dwells on the NBA Ikeja branch. There is a reason for this continuous focus on that bar – it is the most important of all the bars in Lagos State and still remains under the threat of the malevolent dynamics of self-destruct.


Last week Monday (June 2) the Tiger Bar at her Annual General Meeting moved so dangerously close to the chasm of disintegration but rescued itself from hurtling down to certain doom, almost at the last moment.
Our cover story is a full account of what actually transpired at the AGM and showing clearly why a new Executives Committee has not yet emerged to replace the Niyi Idowu administration whose tenure under the Ikeja bar branch’s bye-laws expired on June 2 2008.


In our Bar & Bench News pages we publish the papers of Mr. Supo Sashore S.A.N, the Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Lagos State, titled “New Roles and Responsibility for Agencies Involved in Criminal Justice – Administration, delivered at the MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos on Tuesday 3rd June 2008 at an Interactive Workshop On Administration of Criminal Justice Law


All your Sweet Regulars save Diary and Book Excerpts are in the house. You are obviously in good company, dear readers.
Well, until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy.
Do not take your music to the grave. Give life your best shots. The Heavens Will Not Fall!


Adesina Ogunlana

Editor-in-Chief


Wednesday, June 4, 2008

2nd June 2008

READERS’ PAVILION

ADEOLUWA
The Editor,
It is because of you that Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa the chairman of the Electoral Committee of the NBA Ikeja branch resigned his appointment. He said he could not endure the constant abuse and blackmail against his person in the Squib.
Editor’s Note: - Really? What blackmail? What abuse? Calling a spade, a spade is blackmail and abuse? I think, not. The reason why the man resigned was because he had no guts to do the right thing.

UNFAIR
The Editor,
You have not been fair to me in some of your reports about the forthcoming elections of the NBA Ikeja branch. You know me and have my phone number, yet you did not call me to verify the allegations against me in the petition of Lateef Abdusalam to the Electoral Committee, before publishing same. Worse, even after I gave you a copy of my reply to Abdusalam’s petition you refused to publish same. Also in your analysis of the chances of the candidates, you gave the impression that Abdusalam is senior to me at the bar, whereas he is actually my junior.
S.O. Omodara Esq.
Editor’s Note:-
You are entitled to your opinions, but the fact is that the Squib has been fair to you. The intention behind publishing the petitions was not to investigate their validity or otherwise but merely to show that those petitions existed. Secondly I didn’t even your phone number and even if I did I wouldn’t have called you up on the matter. Thirdly I didn’t know who was the senior between the two of you. Fourthly, I didn’t publish your response in the subsequent edition (Vol 8 number 30, May 26 2008) because it was not relevant at all to any of our stories in that edition.

UNFAIR
The Editor,
I have just read your latest edition of the Squib (Vol 8number 30, 26 May 2008) and unlike the preceding one, where you were fair to me in your report, this time around, you weren’t. The man you praised to the high heavens, in our Committee (Electoral Committee of the NBA, Ikeja branch) that is, Mr. Gbenga Akingbehin is actually the problem of the Committee. Though, he is the Secretary of the Committee, he never kept any minutes of the Committee because he was always coming very late, two, three hours behind schedule. You were saying Akingbehin is a University Lecturer and all that, but I myself am the Legal Secretary of a Delta State Government agency.
Rex Onobrakpeye Esq
The Editor’s Note: -
We did not praise Akingbehin to high heavens as you claimed in our report. We only described him as ‘the member that appeared to be the most stable of the Electoral Committee members’. And, is it not true that he is a University don?

Friday, May 30, 2008

The Squib Vol 8 No 29 19th May 2008


Hi friends,

Last week the Squib wrote (on her cover page) that the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch was on trial.

The committee chaired by Taiwo Adeoluwa esq was saddled with the great responsibility of conducting elections into the Executive Committee of the branch in June. Unfortunately the latest news has it that the committee is unwilling to do her duty. In a recent letter to the chairman of the Ikeja Bar the Adeoluwa committee gave reasons for her inaction. How tenable are these reasons and what are the consequences of the decision of the committee?

Find out answers to this question and more in our certainly explosive cover-story at http://www.squibcoverstory.blogspot.com

We have two guests in this edition. The first is Mr. Ike Uko, former Assistant Publicity Secretary of the NBA (national) and now an aspirant for the post of Treasurer in the coming August 2008 NBA General Elections.
In an interview with us, Uko also a former Secretary of the NBA Lagos bared his mind on the eligibility of candidates on the August 2008 elections of the NBA and the need to adhere to the provisions of the NBA in the conduct of the elections.Read at http://www.squibinterview.blogspot.com

Our second guest is Mr. Dave Ajetomobi the out-going 1st Vice-Chairman of the NBA Ikeja branch and a leading candidate for the post of chairman of the Tiger branch.
Ajetomobi in his interview talked about the impeding crisis in the Ikeja bar, his chances of winning the election and sundry things.
You will enjoy both interviews.
Your Sweet Regulars to wit Art-Attack, Art-Quake, Learned Squib,http://www.learnedsquib.blogspot.com Professor’s Podium, Monitor. The Reader’s Pavilion, Diaryhttp://www.squiblogg.blogspot.com and Case Law http://www.squibcaselaw.blogspot.com are all present. You will, needless to say find them quite interesting.

Well until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy. Don’t take your music to the grave. Give life your best shots. The Heavens will not fall!

Monday, May 5, 2008

MARCH 5 2008


EDITOR’S SPARK

Hi friends,
Last week was a heavy one for the legal profession as at least two notables left these shores for the great beyond.
The first was Mr. Abraham Adesanya, the long, ailing Afenifere leader. The octogenarian breathed his last on Sunday 27th April, 2008.
The second was Professor Jadesola Akande, former Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University. Married to the late, famous Chief Debo Akande S.A.N, Jadesola Akande made out a great name for herself distinct from her husband’s.
This edition is special, and dedicated to the fond memory of this consistent, courageous, social and gender activist, who rejected the comfort and safety of her class to speak truth to power. You will enjoy our cover story.
We must hereby express our sincere appreciation to Honourable Justice Coker (of the Ikeja High Court), Professor Jadesola Akande’s daughter, for her kindness in allowing us access to some pictures of her mother, dad and grand-parents.
Our Bar Watch page reveals certain aspects of the politicking going on in the Tiger Branch of the NBA as the branch elections get closer by the day.
All your Sweet Regulars, except for SQUIB BOOK EXCERPTS are intact. That means you have quite a rich gravy before you. Well, until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy. Don’t take your music to the grave. Give life your best shots. The Heavens Will Not Fall!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Vol 8 No 19 3rd March 2008


THE EDITOR’S SPARK

Hi Friends,
Mr. Femi Falana is a well known Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist. He is not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria yet, though for no lack of trying. Does he deserve to be a Senior Advocate? Falana answers question in the positive in the letter he wrote the Chief Justice of Nigeria, recently, protesting the failure of his application to be honoured with the Senior Advocate of Nigeria title. That letter is our cover story. We await your reactions.
Otunba T.O.S. Bensn S.A.N the colourful, if loud politician and lawyer from Ikorodu died recently. One of those who paid tributes to him is Nurudeen Ogbara the Chairman of the NBA Ikorodu branch. Ogbara’s handsome tribute was delivered during the special valedictory session organized for the late nationalist by the Lagos State Judiciary on Thursday the 28th February 2008. We publish it.
Your ‘Sweet Regulars’ are especially delicious this week. Honest. I recommend you dine slowly on these delicacies - SQUIB DIARY, READERS PAVILION, ART-QUAKE, ART ATTACK, LEARNED SQUIB, THE PROFESSOR’S PODIUM, CASE LAW and MONITOR. They are not only sweet, but hot.
Well, until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy. Do not take your music to the grave. Give life your best shots. The Heavens will Not Fall!

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Vol 8 No 18 25th February 2008

THE EDITOR’S SPARK

Hi Friends,
It is almost always a sorry sight to see a legal practitioner in the dock - particularly so when accused of non-political crimes. On 29th January, 2008 that ugly fate befell one Barrister Obiorah Umeh, when he was arraigned before Magistrate court 3 Ikeja for joining another person to forge the judgment of an Ikeja High Court.
Is Barrister Umeh guilty as charged? Find out more details in our cover story.
Last year, I, the editor of the your darling magazine Adesina Ogunlana Esq. wrote an open letter to the Lagos State House of Assembly demanding probe and sanctions against the headship of the Lagos State Judiciary over the bewildering affair of delayed re-assignment of case files by the Chief Judge, Adetula Alabi C. J. I received a written response from the House of Assembly dated 14th December, 2007 to his petition. Published together in this edition are both the editor’s petition and the Lagos State House of Assembly’s response. Readers should please tell us later what they make of the letters.
Last week, NBA activists and leaders gathered in Makurdi Benue State, precisely on the 21st February, 2008 to attend the 1st Quarter National Executive Council meeting of the association. Your Squib was there and brought some ‘gists’ and pictures of the event.
Very happily, all your Sweet Regulars except the SQUIB KUDOS and BOOK EXCERPTS are present in this edition – Diary, Readers’ Pavilion, Monitor, The Professor’s Podium, The Learned Squib, Squib Society, Art Attack And Art - Quake. Quite a lot to chew on!
Well, until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy. Don’t take your music to the grave. Give life your best shots. The Heavens Will Not Fall!


Adesina Ogunlana
Editor-in-Chief

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Vol 8 No 17 18th February 2008

The Editor’s Spark
Hi Friends,
How was your JUSUN - made holidays? Well the strike of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, which shut down courts for 9 days ended suddenly more or less as it started.
Our Cover Story is on a certainly retrogressive “Inclusion Policy” of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association. The so called “Inclusion Policy” is a double speak for an extension of an already controversial “Zoning Formula” which prescribes the rotation of the post of President among three loose regions of East, West and North.
Before Agbakoba’s ascendancy to the leadership of the NBA, the Zoning Formula was unofficial and **** only to the post of President, the most important office in the NBA. Now, the NBA president and his co-travellers want the ‘ZF’ official, permanent and even extended. This is the big agenda at the forthcoming meeting of the NBA in Makurdi this week, 20-21 February 2008. But will the scheme succeed? Our Squib feature pages are devoted to the reaction of one Mr. Moroof Lateef, to our Vol. 8 Number 3 (8th October, 2007 edition) cover story entitled “JUDGE SENDS BLASTER TO PRISON FOR 60 DAYS ONLY.” The ‘blaster’ in that write-up is none other than Moroof Lateef, a self described “Commercial Law Practitioner” who got the jail term from Honourable Justice Morenike Obadina of the Ikeja High Court, for contempt of court. Lateef feels oppressed however by the honourable judge, whom he has subsequently taken out a suit against. He also forwarded his reaction to our story. The reaction is published fully, with scant editing. Also re-published is the judgment of Obadina J. that landed Moroof Lateef in jail. Ademola Adewale Esq. a.k.a Professor perhaps the most consistent contributor in the Squib now has a column here. Fittingly, Adewale’s column is named - The Professor’s Podium. Every week, or fortnightly, starting from today the learned Squib’s ‘Professor’ of Law, a 1985 graduate of Law from the University of Ife will put on display his deep, histo-sociological cum intellectual appreciation of issues in the legal and judicial world. The Professor’s Podium is a very welcome addition to your Sweet Regulars (SR). This week, the Monitor, Book-excerpt and Squib Kudos are not in the SR line-ups. The other guys -Pavilion, Diary, Learned Squib, Case Law, Art Attack and Art-Quake are all in. You will enjoy them. True.
Well, until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy. Don’t take your music to the grave. Give life your best shots. The Heavens Will Not Fall!

Vol 8 No 16 4th February 2008

Hi Friends

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Vol 8 No 15 28th January 2008

THE EDITOR’S SPARK

Hi friends,
In this edition, we strayed just a little out of normal home grounds, if you know what I mean, to the office of the incumbent Commissioner of Police Lagos State, M.D Abubakar to get an interview. As you’ll find out, the straying may not actually be a frolic after all, since the C.P’s views and comments on issues raised with him should not bore any legal practitioner or even any enlightened mind.

We have two guests this week; Mrs. Tejumade Oke and the Squib Professor of Law, Ademola Adewale Esq. Oke, the Director of Centre for the Rule of Law reflects on the rights of women in her write-up while ‘Professor’ Ademola takes a critical look at the role of individuals vis-à-vis institutions in the crusade against corruption in Nigeria.

You do not have a full compliment of your Sweet Regulars (SR) this week. For example the Cartoons are still absent, likewise Book Excerpts, Squib Diary, and Squib Kudos. Nonetheless you will, we trust, find that the remainders of the SR, to wit, Readers’ Pavilion, Monitor, Case Law and The Learned Squib are great compliments to the main items. PLEASE CLICK IN THE BRACKETS BELOW TO READ THEM:
( www.learnedsquib.blogspot.com )
( www.squibreaderspavilion.blogspot.com )
( www.squibcaselaw.blogspot.com )

Well, until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy. Don’t take your music to the grave. Give life your best shots; the Heavens Will Not Fall!

Adesina Ogunlana
Editor-in-Chief

Related links: www.squibanticorruption.com
www.adesinaogunlana.blogspot.com

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Vol 8 No 14 21st January 2008

THE EDITOR’S SPARK

Hi friends,
Last week, the NBA Ikeja Branch held the 4th Chief Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture. The lecture, a festival to celebrate the ideas and life of Chief Gani Fawehinmi, since inception bears the tag “FAWEHINMIISM”
The Squib however chose to dub the 2008 edition of the Gani festival “RIBADU-HINMIISM.” In case you are curious about this appellation, you’ll do well to go and read our Cover Story.(
www.squibcoverstory.blogspot.com)

Starting from this edition, Your ‘Sweet’ Regulars’ gets a new member. This latest member goes by the name ‘SQUIB KUDOS’ and is dedicated to recognizing the positive acts and conduct of the personnel of the Judiciary at any level, as well as those of counsel and litigants.
This we believe, will encourage the continuation and emulation of such positive deeds and attitudes. So, we’ll be glad to hear and read from our dear readers about the “good deeds” of our judges, magistrates, court registrars, counsel etc. (
www.squibkudos.blogspot.com)

For this edition, we have the Monitor, Readers’ Pavilion, Case Law, (
www.squibcaselaw.blogspot.com) Learned Squib, (www.learnedsquib.blogspot.com),Diary(www.squiblogg.blogspot.com) and SQUIB KUDOS, making the Sweet Regulars. CLICK IN BRACKETS TO READ. The Cartoons are still missing. We are on the search for Cartoonists. Do you know of any one?
Well, until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy. Don’t take your music to the grave. Give life your best shots. The Heavens Will Not Fall!

Adesina Ogunlana
Editor-in-Chief

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Vol 8 No 13 14th January 2008

THE EDITOR'S SPARK
Hi friends,
Where are my cards, wines, chickens, turkeys, rams (live or roasted), etc? I asked you first, so dear readers should not bother the Squib about their new year gifts. Am I glad to see all of you again in the lawyers' parliament after all these days and weeks of sundry festivities?Well, the New Year is already on the move and things are already happening. Our Cover Story is about the latest silk addition to the Ikeja Bar - Dele Adesina Esq., SAN, particularly, how he, from a struggling background made it to the top of his profession, and still rising.Your Sweet Regulars are not all in the house. The Cartoons, Monitor and Book Excerpts are absent. Please bear with us for this week. But even at half-strength, you'll certainly find your SR quite a delight.While we pray for a prosperous and triumphant year for all men and women of goodwill, we serve notice that your darling Squib will not repent of its hard-hitting and daring style and methods.Well, until when next the parliament opens, do not take it easy. Don't carry your music to the grave. Give Life Your Best Shots. The Heavens Will Not Fall!