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Court increases salaries of CJN, others, directs FG to comply

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The National Industrial Court, NIC, sitting in Abuja, in a landmark judgement on Friday, reviewed and increased salaries of judicial officers in the country.

The court, in the judgement that was delivered by Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osagie, noted that salaries of judges and justices have been stagnated for over 14 years.

It held that despite the increased workload on judicial officers, they have continued to suffer in penury owing to their “extremely low salaries and allowances”, which the court described as “very embarrassing”.

“There is no doubt that from evidence adduced before this court that salaries payable to judges as well as their conditions of service, has been greatly altered to their disadvantage.

“Judicial officers are daily impoverished by the devaluation of the Naira.

“They have suffered financial hardship and embarrassment owing to their poor pay. It is a shame to the country.

“Inspite of this, our judges have continued to carry out their statutory duties.

“Justices are themselves victims of a great injustice. What an irony”, Justice
Obaseki-Osagie added.

She held that judges in the country have the right to have their salaries reviewed upwards, periodically, adding that the NIC, being the court that determines labour and employment related matters, it has the constitutional power to compel FG, through its agencies, to upwardly review the remuneration of judicial officers.

Consequently, the court, made an order, increasing the salary of the Chief Justice of Nigeria to N10million, while that of justices of the Supreme Court and President of the Court of Apeal was increased to N9m.

Likewise, the court increased salaries of Court of Appeal Justices, Chief Judges, President of the Industrial Court, Grand Khadis and President of Customary Courts to N8m, even as it ordered FG to forthwith, pay N7m to other judges, monthly.

The court directed that the order should be served on the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN.

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LASTMA rescues driver trapped in Lagos highway crash

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Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority have rescued a truck driver who was trapped in a life-threatening accident while driving along Mobolaji Johnson Avenue along Alausa in Ikeja.

This was disclosed in a statement made available to our correspondent by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq on Friday.

According to the statement, the driver whose truck was overloaded with nylon materials was involved in the ghastly accident and was rescued by LASTMA operatives who provided a swift response to the accident scene.

The statement reads, “In a harrowing accident earlier today, a truck loaded with nylon materials and bearing registration number USF 104XU was involved in a severe crash by Mobolaji Johnson Avenue along Alausa in Ikeja.

“The driver of the truck, who became trapped in the wreckage, sustained significant leg fractures during the incident.

“The prompt response of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) rescue team proved crucial in extricating the injured driver from the crushed cabin.”

The statement furthered that the victim was taken by the Lagos State Ambulance service to the nearest hospital for treatment.

It added, “After the successful rescue, LASTMA officials handed the driver over to Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), who transported him swiftly to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.

“Security personnel from the Alausa Police Station were on-site throughout the operation, ensuring a secure environment as the LASTMA team carried out their critical rescue work.”

The General Manager of LASTMA also expressed his sympathy to the injured driver. And while cautioning on the dangers of overloading he urged drivers to prioritize road safety and regulations.

“The General Manager of LASTMA expressed heartfelt sympathy for the injured driver and extended his best wishes for a full recovery.

“He also took the opportunity to reiterate the dangers of overloading, emphasizing that truck drivers must observe load limits to maintain vehicular control and facilitate safer turning on the roads.

“He urged all drivers to prioritize safety, adhere to regulations, and take proactive measures to prevent such accidents.” The statement concluded.

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NNPC boss Kyari loses 25-year-old daughter

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Fatima, the daughter of Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, has died.

Fatima died on Friday at the age of 25.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima led other mourners to attend the funeral prayers for the deceased at the Annur mosque in Abuja, the country’s capital.

In a statement, Shettima commiserated with Kyari’s family over the loss.

“Vice President Kashim Shettima has condoled with the family of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Malam Mele Kyari, over the loss of his daughter, Fatima Kyari,” the statement reads.

“Aged 25, the late Fatima passed away on Friday.

“VP Shettima, who prayed for the peaceful repose of the late Fatima, asked God to grant the family the strength to bear the painful exit of their daughter, who was in her prime.”

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Court rejects Binance executive’s bail plea — second time in five months

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A federal high court in Abuja has refused to grant bail to Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Limited.

In a ruling on Friday, Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, held that the application constitutes an abuse of court process, considering that the defendant has entered an appeal against a previous court ruling on the same issue.

Nwite held that the fact that a defendant in custody is of ill health does not automatically mean he is entitled to bail.

He held that the defendant had failed to show evidence that the Correctional Service facility could not attend to his medical needs or take him to a specialist for further medical attention.

“This application is bound to fail,” Nwite said.

The judge ordered the prison authorities to take Gambaryan to a standard specialist hospital within Abuja, for a period of three days, under security supervision.

BACKGROUND

In April, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Binance, a cryptocurrency firm, and Gambaryan, on allegations of money laundering.

On May 17, the court refused Gambaryan’s first bail request. The Binance executive later collapsed in court due to “ill-health”.

Gambaryan’s legal team and his family have raised the alarm that he could die in the Kuje prison if his health continues to deteriorate.

His wife, Yuki, said Gambaryan’s health was getting worse, adding that he needed “highly specialised and risky surgery” to treat the herniated disc in his back.

Gambaryan’s health had led Nwite to issue an arrest warrant against Abraham Ehizojie, a medical doctor at the health facility in Kuje correctional centre, over his failure to produce the executive’s medical report.

On September 2, the EFCC objected to the health claims made by the Binance executive after Iheanacho filed a counter affidavit to the bail application.

Mordi had informed the court of another bail application — which was filed on August 28 — seeking his client’s release on medical grounds.

However, the prosecution filed a counter affidavit opposing the bail application.

Ekele Iheanacho, EFCC counsel, said he has perused the defendant’s medical records and his health challenge “is not as serious” as it has been portrayed.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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