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Obedience To Court Order Not Negotiable Under My Watch – CJN Kekere-Ekun Warns
The newly-inaugurated Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Motomori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, vowed on Monday in Abuja that obedience to court orders will not be negotiable under her watch.
She said that no individual or institution, irrespective of their standing, would be permitted to treat judgments of the court with levity or disregard.
The CJN spoke on the occasion of the commencement of the 2024/2025 legal year and the inauguration of the 87 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) held at the Supreme Court.
Justice Kekere-Ekun stated that the judiciary stands resolute in ensuring that the sanctity of legal decisions is upheld in line with the rule of law.
To achieve this new narrative, the CJN canvassed that all hands must be on deck in fostering an unwavering commitment to the full enthronement of the rule of law.
“Disobedience to court orders or non-compliance with judicial directives is a direct affront to democracy and an invitation to anarchy.
“As such, it is critical that we respect and observe all the features of an enduring democracy, for in doing so, we maintain the delicate balance that sustains our society.”
“Let us, therefore, work together collectively and tirelessly to ensure that Nigeria continues to abide by the rule of law, upholds the best democratic practices, and remains vigilant in the protection of citizens’ rights.
“The rights of every Nigerian must be valiantly safeguarded against oppression and impunity, utilizing the full array of legal instruments at our disposal.”
Maintaining that a new dawn and a new era in the Nigerian judiciary has come with her appointment, Justice Kekere-Ekun assured Nigerians of her commitment to work diligently to improve public perception of the judiciary.
According to her, “Over the years, various factors have contributed to the negative image of the judiciary. However, we are determined to change the narrative and make the judiciary a source of pride for all Nigerians.”
“When the legal compass of a nation falters, everything suffers, including public and international perception.”
“The attitude of some of us in the justice sector is sometimes less than salutary, and that has contributed to the current image deficit of the country’s legal system.”
The CJN condemned the forum shopping by some lawyers, which she claimed has led to the emergence of conflicting orders by courts of coordinated jurisdiction.
To address this ugly trend, the CJN vowed that there will be consequences for any act of indiscretion that could bring the judiciary to disrepute.
Zenith Bank, one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, has restored improved services across its electronic transaction channels, ensuring customers have seamless access to banking services.
In a statement released on Thursday via its X handle, the bank confirmed that customers can now conveniently conduct transactions across various platforms following a recent upgrade. These enhancements follow temporary glitches caused by routine IT maintenance aimed at optimizing service delivery.
Zenith Bank reiterated its commitment to providing improved services and highlighted the various channels available for customer transactions, including:
– Zenith Bank Debit, Credit, and Prepaid Cards
– Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
– Point of Sale (POS) Terminals
– Zenith Bank Mobile App
– Internet Banking Platform
– Zenith Agents nationwide for agent banking
Customers are also encouraged to visit any of the bank’s branches across the country for in-person transactions.
Zenith Bank reassured further improvements in service delivery following the IT infrastructure upgrade. Customers with bulk payments and salary requests are encouraged to present payment mandates at any Zenith Bank branch nationwide for expedited processing.
Zenith Bank remains dedicated to enhancing customer experience and ensuring reliable banking services across all platforms.
For further inquiries, customers can contact Zenith Direct at +234 201 278 7000, 0700ZENITHBANK, or 0904 085 7000. Alternatively, they can send an email to [email protected].
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, in conjunction with the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has recovered six more bodies from the boat mishap incident in the state.
The Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Arah, who confirmed the development, said the bodies were recovered between 6:00 pm on Thursday and 9:00 am on Friday.
Arah stated that the recovery of 6 more bodies brought the total number of deaths to 42 on Friday morning.
According to him, a search and rescue operation was ongoing to recover victims from the water.
JomogNews had reported that a boat conveying 300 people with the majority going for Mawlid Celebration at Gbajibo in Mokwa LGA capsized, a short distance to the victims’ destination.
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Embattled Rivers State factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Tony Okocha, has admitted to rigging local government elections under former governor Rotimi Amaechi’s tenure.
Okocha said his rigging of local government elections under Amaechi’s tenure was not a secret.
Okocha served as the Chief of Staff to Amaechi from 2007 to 2015.
However, in an interview with Channels TV programme, Okocha said he should be praised for being a whistleblower.
According to the embattled APC chairman, election riggers should not be behind bars.
He said, “On the issue of whether I rigged the election, I did not hide it. I should be praised as a whistleblower.
“If you were an armed robber yesterday, and today you came to confess that you stole something somewhere yesterday. Are you saying that the law will now take a retroactive effect? The answer is No.
“The reason why we say and keep saying is because of what is going on as we speak. When you have an idea of a thing and you see the other person also wants to use the tactics that you already know, you will shout. That is the reason why we went to court.”
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