Author: Lawbreed Limited

• Paper delivered by Honourable Justice Abiodun A. Akinyemi at the Public Lecture organised by the Association of Private Practising Surveyors of Nigeria (Ogun State branch), on Thursday, the 10th of February, 2022, at Abeokuta. INTRODUCTION Land is a highly coveted asset. All over the world, individuals, communities and even nations, attach so much importance to it, because of the vital role it plays in human existence. Man is by nature, a land animal, therefore, without land, he cannot survive. He cannot live in water, or in the sky, but on land. Land is his natural habitat, where he lives…

Indications are that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) may have renewed calls for the expulsion of some sections in the Finance Act, insisting that its autonomy remains sacrosanct. The Commission which has a Constitution mandate to monitor revenue accrual into the Federation Account and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account to the three tiers of government had gone to the Federal High Court to seek interpretation of the Finance Act, 2021 which was just passed on 31st December, 2021. According to the Commission, the Finance Act does not possess the powers to stop its operations or monitoring activities…

The supreme court has nullified President Muhammadu Buhari’s executive order 10. Buhari, on May 22, signed the order granting financial autonomy to the legislature and the judiciary in the 36 states of the federation. The order empowers the accountant-general of the federation to deduct funds for the state legislature and the judiciary from the federation allocations to the states. However, all the 36 states through their attorneys-general filed a suit on September 17, 2020, contending the constitutionality of the executive order. The plaintiffs said with the executive order, the federal government’s responsibility of funding capital and recurrent expenditures of state…

Neither the executive nor the legislature has the right to initiate amendments to Electoral Act, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof Yakubu Mamood said yesterday. He said the slow pace of work on the reworked Electoral Act Amendment Bill is beginning to take a toll on the commission’s preparation for the general election in February next year. Yakubu spoke yesterday in Abuja at a one-day Policy Dialogue organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in collaboration with Westminister Foundation for Democracy (WFD). He was represented by his Chief Technical Adviser, Prof Bolade Eyinla. The INEC…

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Delta State, Isaiah Bozimo Esq, has assured staff that the welfare of the ministry of justice will continue to be his priority. The Attorney-General, who was at the Warri Zonal office of the Ministry of Justice, said he was satisfied with the staff attendance ratio and commitment to their duties. Bozimo, who was conducted round the offices by Mrs Zino Aikpoko-Martins, the Zonal Coordinator of the office, charged the staff to be more dedicated and committed to their duties at all times. He pointed out that government would not condone absenteeism and dereliction of…

Suleiman Adamu, minister of water resources, says efforts are ongoing to ensure that the water resources bill is passed in 2022. Adamu spoke on Thursday while featuring on ‘Good Morning Nigeria’, a Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) programme. In 2020, Nigerians had expressed reservations over the bill on the grounds that certain provisions of the proposed legislation will give the federal government undue control over water resources. In August 2021, the minister had said the controversy generated over the bill was caused by “deliberate misinformation”. Speaking on the latest development regarding the bill, Adamu said the proposed law is important to…

The House of Representatives on Thursday ordered an immediate investigation into the importation of toxic fuel and the roles played by regulatory agencies in the ports. Adopting a motion for investigation, members of the House insisted that the act of importing toxic fuel was deliberate and should not be allowed to go unpunished. The investigation is to cover the roles played by the NNPC Limited, the Nigeria Customs Service, Standard Organisation of Nigeria and other agencies that are supposed to play critical role in the importation and dispensing of the fuel. Members of the Green Chambers insisted that those responsible…

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said that the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approved the granting of citizenship to 286 foreign nationals out of the 600 who applied. He disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja. Ogbeni Aregbesola stated that he presented to the council the approval made by the Advisory Committee on Nigeria citizenship, comprising the first set. He explained that another set is expected to be presented by the end of the first…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on the Federal Government to urgently consolidate its fiscal policies to create space and reduce debt sustainability risks. It specifically urged the government to increase Value Added Tax (VAT) from the current 7.5 percent and remove fuel subsidy without further delay in order to enhance long-term, inclusive growth. This is contained in the 2021 IMF Executive Board Article IV Consultation with Nigeria, which was concluded on January 31, 2022, and released Tuesday. The IMF’s report said: “Nigerian economy is recovering from a historic downturn benefitting from government policy support, rising oil prices and…

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Olumide Akpata, on Tuesday in Lagos, said he would submit a recommendation on remuneration scale for lawyers to the National Executive Committee within the next two weeks. Akpata made the disclosure in a statement following the submission of a 126-page report by the Remuneration Committee of the NBA. The said report was submitted on Monday night by the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Anthony Nwaochei, alongside other members of the committee. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NBA President, had in March 2021, set up the remuneration committee…