STATE OF LAGOS MAGISTRATE COURTS SHOCKS ASSEMBLY MEMBERS

Lagos State House of Assembly has decried the poor state of facilities and other infrastructures in the State magistrate courts.
The shocking revelation played out recently when the Chairman House Committee on Judiciary and LASIEC, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuoso led a delegation to inspect facilities at Ikeja Magistrate Court, Ogba Magistrate Court, Igbosere Magistrate Court as well as Igando Magistrate Court over alleged poor facilities at the court premises.
Hon. Tejuoso dısclosed that several petitions have been received from different quarters concerning poor facilities, structural and other amenities at the State magistrate Courts but as a proactive legislative institution, the committee on judiciary was mandated to carry out diligent investigation with a view of unraveling the concerns raised by spirited  Lagosians in the various petitions received.
“As part of our oversight function we are here to inspect the court premises and verify the issue in order to come up with resolutions to the House for further steps to be taken”, she said.
At the Ikeja Magistrate Court, the commıttee observed that the court rooms were small, with tattered furniture, defected floors whıle the aırconditioners are in a state of disrepair among several appallıng facılıtıes.
A magistrate at one of the Court also complained of leaking roof and unavailability of CCTV which poses a security risk during court sitting both to herself and court users.
At the Ogba Magistrate Court, the Committee received series of complaints, especially on poor power supply to the court whıle the elevators at the premıses were not functioning, a sıtuatıon similar to what obtained at Igbosere magistrate court where there has been no water supply in recent time.
Speaking with the Committee, the Chief magistrate at the Ikeja Magisrate Court, Justice Oyekan Abdullahi submitted that “I hope this oversight function is what you will continue to do; we are expecting tremendous changes that will bring comfort to magistrates while performing their duties”.
Similarly, at Igbosere Magistrate Court, the Chief Magistrate, Sola Doyin lamented the poor state of almost all the Air conditioners since 2010.  According to her, the doors of the Court rooms are falling apart and there has been no water supply to the court and the facility manager has failed to discharge his duties.
At Igando Magıstrate Court, Hon. Tejuoso noticed that the Court did not have a dedicated convenience facility both for the magistrate and visitors to the court.
Speaking, the Deputy Chief Magistrate of Ogba Magistrate Court, Mrs. Awope, explaıned that most of the air conditioners have not being functioning well, sayıng they have been usıng their money to repair some of it. According to her, magistrates share elevators with other people and the generator light that is supposed to last for four hours hardly exist.
Whıle roundıng off theır vısıt, the Committee summoned all the contractors that handled various projects in the state magistrate courts. They included; Cantrillion investment limited, Segeto Limited, Ministry of works and Ministry of Judiciary for briefing to form part of the Committee’s report to be presented to the House for action and ıt’s resolution on the Committee’s findings.

Politics Friday page 4. Pix- Olubadan

Eze Ndigbo controversy: I cannot equate myself with Olubadan – Anozie
Head of Igbos in Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr. Alex Anozie has clarified the controversy surrounding the issue of Eze Ndigbo of Ibadan and Oyo State stressing that no Igbo man in Ibadan would equate himself with the Olubadan of Ibadan land who is held in high esteem by all and sundry.
Dr. Anozie in a statement issued in Ibadan clarified that an Ibadan High Court on February 18, 2014 ruled that he (Anozie) should remain the Head of Igbos in Ibadan adding: “no superior court has ever vacated that order”.
The clarification was sequel to reports that another person, Chief Aloy Obi was claiming to be the head of Igbo in Ibadan.

His words: “I am very much aware that there is no any court’s stay of execution standing against that judgment up till now. The case is still at the Court of Appeal. I was invited once by the Olubadan in Council where I met Aloy Obi and Baale Ekotedo. I was surprised to see Aloy Obi there because the court has ordered him to stop parading himself as the leader of Igbos in Ibadan”.
On the title of Eze which is the bone of contention, Anozie said: “I am aware that our Association of Ndi Eze in diaspora has spoken on that and not me because it is a registered body with CAC Abuja. So whatever will be the fate of that title should be a collective decision”.
He disclosed that during their meeting with the Olubadan-In-Council “there was no time we deliberated again and agreed on anybody outside me becoming Igbo leader or head in Ibadan. Even the Balogun of Ibadanland confirmed to our hearing that they only wanted the Eze title to be removed”, he stressed.
Anozie added that much as he respected the Olubadan-In-Council and its position, he would want it to be on record that he was one of the trustees of Eze title and its founding member adding that scrapping it would be a joint decision of Ndi Eze in Diaspora.
Anozie said: “Since we all believe in the rule of law, we should allow the court’s judgment on the matter to remain as it is for now”.
In a similar development, Senator Lekan Balogun, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland has advised the Igbos to let the court of law adjudicating on their leadership matter decide it adding that the Olubadan-In-Council should not be dragged into such conflict.