Author: Naomitheboss

The federal executive council (FEC) has approved a new policy for tollgates across the country.

Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, disclosed this at a media briefing on Wednesday.

According to a statement by Tolu Ogunlesi, presidential aide, the council granted approval of the ‘Federal Roads and Bridges Tolling Policy and Regulations’ at its meeting on Wednesday.

While noting that the tolling system will prioritise the use of technology, some highlights of the regulations include recommended tolling fees for vehicles as follows: “Cars: N200; SUVs: N300; Private Buses: N300; Commercial Buses: N150, and Luxury Buses and Trucks: N500.”

Mohammed Fawehinmi, the first son of the late human rights lawyer Chief Gani Fawehinmi, is dead. He was aged 52.

He died on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties.

Mohammed had a law degree from the University of Buckingham, England, and was called to the Nigerian bar in 1998.

In 2003, he had a terrible accident in Lagos, which affected his spinal cord and confined him to a wheelchair.

The accident also changed his life, the way he never envisaged.

Mohammed Fawehinmi was unmarried before his death. As he said in an interview in 2018,
the accident affected his life in many ways.

“I just felt that I shouldn’t bother any woman with my condition. I didn’t want anybody to marry me out of pity. Even though I always have females around me, it is not every woman that can stay with a person with a disability of my kind.

“Most of the women I have met in recent times are not the ones that can stay with a man, they are the type who would want to attend parties and keep all sorts of friends instead of looking after me. Of course, a few have come close to what I want but the temperament is nothing to write home about”.

Femi Falana, an activist lawyer, has disclosed that the Benin Republic government refused to put freedom fighter, Sunday Igboho, on a waiting plane after his arrest in the French-speaking country in July.

Falana said the Nigerian government told their Benin Republic counterpart to repatriate Igboho, after his arrest.

The Senior Advocate spoke during an interview on BBC Yoruba on Tuesday.

He noted that the Benin Republic, however, informed the Muhammadu Buhari-led government to understand that obeying the law is sacrosanct to them.

According to Falana: “The Nigerian government asked the Benin Republic government to repatriate Sunday Igboho. In fact, we heard they had even sent an aircraft to be used to bring him down to Abuja.

“The Benin government made its Nigerian counterpart to understand that this is not a lawless society.”

Ghanaians seeking to travel to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can now do so with ease following the approval of visa free deal between the two countries.

An agreement to offer visa free entry to Ghanaians and UAE passport holders has been approved by Parliament.

The visa waiver agreement, which was contained in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Ghana and the UAE on mutual exemption of entry visa requirements, is in respect of diplomatic, service/special and ordinary passport holders.

The agreement was executed on November 18, 2019 with the object of waiving the visa requirements for these passport holders in Ghana and the UAE, who can stay for a period not exceeding 90 days.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, presented the MoU to the House on May 26, 2021, which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs for consideration and report in accordance with Order 140(4) and 183 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.

Chairman of the Committee, Bryan Acheampong indicated that during a presentation of their report that Ghana/UAE had had fruitful cooperation, indicating that the two countries were desirous to take the bilateral relations to another level.

According to him, the agreement constitutes a comprehensive framework on visa regimes for both countries and does not impose obligations on the two parties to admit people who are considered to be of questionable character into their territories.

He reported that neither did the MoU impose any financial obligation on the two countries nor provided direct financial gains from its implementation.

The Abetifi MP said the agreement had been fashioned in a way to create a win-win situation for both countries, and added that relaxed visa entry requirement is expected to yield tremendous benefits to citizens of Ghana and UAE through improved relations, trade and bilateral co-operation.

Mr. Acheampong stated that visa waiver arrangements to facilitate the movement of diplomats and government officials are common, except that this one makes ordinary passport holders beneficiaries.

1. CHIEF SUNDAY ADEYEMO IGBOHO MATTER IN BENIN REPUBLIC.
2. 
   We are happy that we succeeded in preventing his unlawful deportation to Nigeria by the Nigerian government. We still insist that the Rule of Law and due process must be followed. Pressure is being mounted on the Benin Republic government not to buckle under the overbearing and corrupting influence of Nigeria. We thank Yorubas worldwide for mounting daily pressure on the Benin Republic government to free the victim of State Terror without delay.
3. 
   Even though there is no formal Charge against him anywhere apart from the informal allegation for which he was remanded in Prison custody by the Court, there is a limit to the number of days he can be remanded under Benin law. Lawyers are busy taking some legal steps towards securing his release as soon as possible. His wife has been allowed visitation right to him.
5. SUNDAY IGBOHO VS ATTORNEY GENERAL AND SSS AT THE HIGH COURT OF OYO STATE, IBADAN.
6. 
   Consequent upon the application ex-parte argued by Chief Yomi Aliyu SAN, the court granted order restraining the Federal Government of Nigeria, the SSS and all security agencies from arresting, detaining, harassing, molesting or blocking the accounts of Chief Sunday Igboho pending the determination of the substantive Suit. This is a major victory which guarantees that even of Chief Sunday Igboho enters Nigeria today, he cannot be arrested lawfully. The case has been adjourned for further hearing.
8. CASE OF THE 12 PERSONS ABDUCTED FROM THE IBADAN HOUSE OF CHIEF SUNDAY IGBOHO ON JULY 1, 2021 AND DETAINED IN ABUJA SINCE THEN.
9. 
   After hearing argument on the application filed by Pelumi Olajengbesi Esq. the Court granted bail to all the detainees on terms. There is need to satisfy the conditions attached by the Court to the bail granted before they can be released from SSS custody.
11. MATTER OF OBA OGBONI BAKARE DETAINED FROM THE LAGOS RALLY.
12. 
    Oba Ogboni Bakare has also been granted bail by the Magistrates Court consequent upon the DPP advice which absolved him of the charge of the murder of the lady felled by police bullet at the Ojota rally on July 5.
14. INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT OF COMPLAINT OF CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY (YORUBAS) LODGED AGAINST NAMED FUNCTIONARIES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA BY A COALITION OF YORUBA SELF- DETERMINATION GROUPS.
15. 
    The complaint prepared by Attorney Omojola as acknowledged by the International Criminal Court is still undergoing processing. There is need for all groups in each Country to begin to mount pressure on their home governments to push for the official investigation of the complaints by the ICC prosecutor. This can be done by sending copies of the petition to
    
16. GENERAL NOTE PAYMENT OF LEGAL FEES
18. 
    In view of our experience in the manner several groups engaged and paid other lawyers apart from those engaged with the approval of Professor Banji Akintoye for the Chief Sunday Igboho Benin Republic Intervention and pending the emergence of the imperative Central Coordinating Platform for the Yoruba Nation project, we strongly advise that payment of professional fees be routed through Professor Banji Akintoye to whom we have forwarded the recommended lawyers’ fees for proper coordination and accountability. This will enable us avoid lamentation by donors whose donations were not routed through the coordinated channel.

We urge that individual groups should refrain from payment of professional fees directly to lawyers contrary to the advice we have given. The Yoruba Nation project is a huge project which will require huge funds as we progress hence money should be conserved and not wasted in uncoordinated multiple payment to lawyers and other professionals for the same job. While we commend the zeal of all our groups to be counted among those who responded to the needs of the agitation for Yoruba Nation, we urge that resources be managed with wisdom.

Thanks.
OLASUPO OJO
CO-ORDINATOR, LEGAL AFFAIRS

Sources in the diplomatic, close the former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo say’s the Ex president travelled to Zanzibar, an island in Tanzania, on August 1 and rerouted to the Francophone country.

He was said to have travelled to Benin Republic in the guise of condoling with Nicephore Soglo who recently lost his wife – Roseline Soglo.

Roseline died on July 25 at the age of 87 in Cotonou.

Soglo was president of Benin Republic from 1991 to 1996.

TheCable understands the former Beninise president and Obasanjo have maintained a warm relationship over the years.

“He’s asking the Beninise authorities to grant the separatist leader asylum, and not to return him to Nigeria.

“The former president intervened on the request of some south-west leaders.”

Igboho was arrested by Beninise security forces while attempting to flee to Germany.

The Department of State Services (DSS) raided his residence in Oyo on July 1, killing two people and arresting 12 of his supporters.

He has been in detention in Cotonou since his arrest.

An aide of Obasanjo confirmed the former president was in Benin Republic.

TheCable learnt Obasanjo returned to Nigeria by road through Idiroko land border in Ogun stat