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!

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!

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!

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

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

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