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An Abuja High Court on Friday dismissed a criminal summons issued on September 12 by a magistrate’s court against Senator Monday Okpebholo concerning alleged certificate forgery. Justice Charles Agbaza ruled that the entire proceedings before Magistrate Abubakar Mukhtar of the Wuse Magistrate Court in Abuja were void, stating that the summons was issued beyond his
Court dismisses criminal summons against Edo governor-elect Okpebholo

An Abuja High Court on Friday dismissed a criminal summons issued on September 12 by a magistrate’s court against Senator Monday Okpebholo concerning alleged certificate forgery.

Justice Charles Agbaza ruled that the entire proceedings before Magistrate Abubakar Mukhtar of the Wuse Magistrate Court in Abuja were void, stating that the summons was issued beyond his jurisdiction and contained errors of law.

Justice Agbaza agreed with Okpebholo that both the proceedings and the criminal summons were illegal, unconstitutional, and violated his fundamental human right to a fair hearing as guaranteed under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

DAILY POST reports that Magistrate Mukhtar had ordered Okpebholo to appear in court on September 20, just before the governorship election in Edo, over allegations of a false statement regarding his date of birth made by Aginbatse, a state indigene.

He faced accusations of providing conflicting dates of birth in his nomination forms submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the election.

Okpebholo’s defence counsel, Andrew Emwanta, in a motion dated and filed on October 21, argued that the action was intended to prevent Okpebholo from running as a candidate in the September 21 poll and to disqualify him on false pretences.

He also sought a declaration that the entire proceedings and criminal summons were illegal, unconstitutional, and violated his client’s fundamental human rights.

He also requested a prohibition order to stop the magistrate from continuing with the case, No. CR/W22/816/2024, initiated by Aginbatse.

Emwanta argued that the magistrate did not have jurisdiction to handle this matter, as it was a pre-election issue, and Section 29 of the law grants jurisdiction to the Federal High Court.

In his judgement, Justice Agbaza agreed with Emwanta that the magistrate should have taken into account the evidence presented by Okpebholo before issuing such an order.

The judge, therefore, prohibited the magistrate from proceeding with the case.

However, he said that the magistrate had the discretion to set a hearing date for the matter before him.

Court dismisses criminal summons against Edo governor-elect Okpebholo

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As the Freedom Of Information (FOI) Act awaits domestication in Akwa Ibom State, a civil society organisation, Connected Development (CODE) has encouraged the state government to muster sufficient political will to train its staff in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, on the provisions and importance of the law. Prof Adewale Aderemi, Director, Democratic Governance
Train MDAs, others on provisions of FOI Act – CSO tells Akwa Ibom Govt

As the Freedom Of Information (FOI) Act awaits domestication in Akwa Ibom State, a civil society organisation, Connected Development (CODE) has encouraged the state government to muster sufficient political will to train its staff in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, on the provisions and importance of the law.

Prof Adewale Aderemi, Director, Democratic Governance at National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) gave the charge in Uyo on Friday during a capacity building workshop for all the 26 state legislators and aides, organized by CODE in partnership with OXFAM.

Aderemi who spoke on ‘Strategies and Steps in Domesticating Freedom of Information Act’, said such trainings would not only enable government officials to understand the importance of disclosing information on request for accountability but reduce corruption and enhance intelligent public relations.

He also noted the importance of wider consultations of relevant stakeholders before promulgation of the act so as to capture local realities and allow the people own it (law) thereafter.

According to him, “For any law to work well, you need to take ownership of it. You need to direct your interest and know that you designed it and calibrated it to suit your own local exigency.

“The National Act may not tick all the boxes in regards to Akwa Ibom, I think that in domesticating it, Akwa Ibom should make it work. The state as a matter of urgency should not only pass the bill but should muster sufficient political will to make it work and train its MDAs , record keepers on the provisions of the Act

“It is important that in promulgating that act there should be a wide spread consultations so that local realities are captured.”

Presenting a paper on ‘Social Media and State Legislation’, Ruth Okafor, Programme/ Community Development Associate of CODE urged the legislators as well as the executives to consider using social media to engage meaningfully and robustly with the public especially the youths.

She noted that effective use of social media in engagements should not foreclose the use of other traditional and conventional methods of communication such as the radio, television or newspaper.

Okafor explained that the use of social media by government does not only increase accessibility and reach but cost effective for public engagement and feedbacks even as she noted that it enhances transparency and accountability.

She said, “Government bodies and legislators should also use social media to proactively disclose information. They should be shown how other governments, agencies use platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to publish reports, budgets and other public interest information.”

Train MDAs, others on provisions of FOI Act – CSO tells Akwa Ibom Govt