“The time-hallowed tradition was bastardised by the British colonial masters in order to weaken the authority of the monarch, abolish slave trade, extend British Protectorate, and promote Royal Niger Company commercial enterprise”. By Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, Last week, I commenced a discussion on the concept of traditional rulership in the pre-colonial and colonial Nigeria, […]

By Chief Afe Babalola SAN, Last week I discussed the need to ensure that Judges are paid adequately. This is with a view to preventing a situation in which they would be tempted or compelled to look to others for their means of sustenance. Such a development will not only prevent corruption, it will also […]

By Chief Afe Babalola SAN, Under what circumstances can a Judge give judgement against the President, members of the National Assembly, the Police, the Army without fear or favour, bearing in mind the conditions under which they serve? It is my view that the conditions of service, including salaries, provision of vehicle, maintenance and fuel, personal […]

By Aare Afe Babalola, SAN It is unfortunate that since Nigeria’s Independence in 1960, the state has been wallowing in the abyss of misrule and has been struggling tenaciously to sustain genuine democracy and the judiciary has been saddled with the role of stabilising Nigeria’s democracy. When we look at our political system of government, […]

By, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN Introduction: Since the Colonial days, Ekiti has always been land-locked, airport-locked, rail-way locked, industry-locked and power-locked, a development that has adversely affected the economic development of Ekiti State. Conversely, most of the other states in the country have well macadamized dual-carriage roads, airports and rail links. Ekiti State […]

The recent restriction placed on motorcycle riders (Okada) and tricycle operators (Keke Marwa) in Lagos State has once again brought to the fore the problem of unemployment in Nigeria. While government has given numerous reasons, including public safety, to justify its actions, opponents of the ban, including the riders themselves, have argued that the ban […]

By Aare Afe Babalola Set up a monitoring team of six successful and contented Nigerians who have never been involved in politics Since his death in 1998, the late General Sani Abacha has remained in the news not only for the documented brutality of his regime but also the seemingly never-ending efforts to repatriate funds […]

I HAVE received several responses from readers on the need for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference before the next general elections scheduled for 2023.

TRUTH be told, Nigeria cannot afford the extension of the warped 1999 Constitution and the attendant sufferings it has imposed on majority of Nigerians for another four years. The consequences can only be imagined. I would, therefore, like to personally appeal to President Buhari to follow up on what he began towards the end of last year by surprising Nigerians with a Bill to the National Assembly asking for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference.

AS 2019 was winding down, Nigerians in different places, including schools, universities, offices, churches, mosques, market places most deservedly discussed what Nigeria would be like in 2020 having regard to the multifarious problems that afflicted Nigeria in 2019.

LAST week I examined the ongoing dispute between organised labour and some state governments over the implementation of the new minimum wage.

AS Nigerians mark the beginning of a new year, it is certain that the controversy surrounding the adoption and implementation of a new minimum wage of N30,000 (Thirty thousand Naira) which started in 2018 will again snowball into 2019. This is despite the decision of the Federal Government to begin the implementation of the new wage at the Federal Level. However, as many state governments are yet to indicate their commitment to the new wage structure, organised labour has again threatened to continue the agitation for a nationwide implementation.

RECENTLY, and indeed in  times past, Nigeria had led global demographics in open defecation. The blight of open defecation has, among the issues plaguing the nation, put Nigeria in negative limelight in world polity. Therefore, in this edition, I shall discuss the spate of open defecation in Nigeria as well as the adverse health implications of this unwholesome act, and possible solutions to ensure its complete eradication in Nigeria as a whole.

LAST week, I discussed the entitlement of Nigerian citizens to liberty, and particularly when charged with the commission of an offence, the right of the person to presumption of innocence and bail. This week, I intend to discuss the rather unfortunate trend in the prescription of very harsh, near impossible conditions imposed by judges in our courts for the grant of bail. I will equally give a brief highlight of what operates in other jurisdictions in terms of bail and conditions for its grant.

By Afe Babalola TERTIARY education in Nigeria is undertaken via two primary fora: polytechnics and universities. While polytechnic education is usually geared towards technical and vocational education, usually in the field of technology, applied science, commerce and management, university education is not limited to technical or vocational teachings alone, but encompasses an array of topical […]