Justice Mary Odili to Chair NEAPS 2025 Advisory Committee

The organisers of the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS) yesterday announced Justice Mary Ukaego Odili, retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and a renowned figure in Nigeria’s judicial history, as Chair of its Advisory Committee for the 2025 edition of the awards.

The statement by the Founder of NEAPS, Ms Mariam Mohammed, also announced Mr. Ako Abbah, an Assistant Director in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), as Secretary of the NEAPS 2025 Advisory Committee.

Other members of the NEAPS 2025 Advisory Committee are Yemi Candide-Johnson (SAN) Senior Partner, Strachan Partners; Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, The Presidency; Shaka Momodu, Editor, THISDAY Newspaper; Stella Din Jacob, Director of News, TVC News; Musikilu Mojeed, Editor-in-Chief, Premium Times; and Yemi Adebowale, Journalist/Columnist and Chairman/CEO Storkgate and Associates.

Ms Mohammed in her press statement said: “The NEAPS 2025 Advisory Committee, comprising prominent leaders from various sectors, was assembled to ensure that the awards continue to reflect the highest standards of transparency, merit, inclusiveness and national relevance. Its role is instrumental in maintaining the prestige and credibility of the awards.”

The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), continues to collaborate with The Best Strategic PR (TBS) for the annual NEAPS awards.

Now in its third year, NEAPS provides a national recognition platform that celebrates individuals and institutions demonstrating exceptional performance, integrity, and innovation in public service.

It also promotes a culture of accountability, inspires ethical leadership, and highlights efforts that significantly contributes to national development and the common good.

Through these awards, NEAPS encourages best practices in governance and public administration and fosters public trust by honoring those who have shown measurable impact in service to the nation.

The maiden edition of the NEAPs Awards held in October 2022, at the State House Conference Center, Abuja, honoured 44 Nigerians, with the then President Muhammadu Buhari presenting the awards.

The second edition in 2024, also held at the State House Conference Center, Abuja, honoured 49 Nigerians. At the award, President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said he was truly delighted to witness the second edition of NEAPS, and thanked TBS led by Ms. Mariam Mohammed, “for this initiative and for deploying one of the best indices to determine the level of performance of Public Officers.”

The Best Strategic PR is a Strategic Communication and Policy advisory firm. The firm is at the forefront of galvanizing support for the promotion of Nigerian ideals and the achievement of sustainable development goals, through effective partnerships with government, International NGOs, diplomatic community, multinational companies and individuals.

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    Conviction of Simon Ekpa: Learn from Finland, NBA Tells Judges, Prosecutors 

    Alex Enumah in Abuja 

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on Nigerian judges and prosecutors to take a cue from Finland, following the speedy trial and conviction of Simon Ekpa on terrorism-related charges.

    A District Court in Finland, in a judgment, sentenced Ekpa to six years in prison after finding him guilty of terrorism-related charges.

    According to the judgment, Ekpa was found guilty of participating in a terrorist organisation and publicly incited crimes for terrorist purposes.

    Ekpa, who is based in Finland, is known for being behind the enforcement of a sit-at-home order every Monday in the South-east in solidarity with the actualization of a Biafra nation and also in protest of the continued detention of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr Nnamdi Kanu.

    Reacting to the conviction, the President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), who said he was yet to get full details of the Finland court judgment, stated that he was very impressed with the short time it took to conclude investigation and trial.

    Osigwe stated this while presenting the communiqué from the NBA’s Annual General Conference (AGC), which held in Enugu recently.

    “I look at the time it took to do the trial,

    and the sort of evidence relied on by the court in order for them to arrive at a decision. That should be a lesson for us,” he said.

    The NBA president noted that trials take a longer time in Nigeria because “most judges still write longhand” instead of embracing technology, adding that investigators and prosecutors should endeavour to get enough evidence, build up a good case before going to court.

    Osigwe also called on security agencies to awake to their responsibilities in checking abuse of social media, adding that: “Persons who have access to social media should be careful how they utilize them to promote hate or terrorism.”

    He said: “We should look at those who are using it to provide ethnic hatred, to promote terrorism, and get hold of such, and try them,” rather than filing cyber-bullying charge against citizens in political matters.

    Meanwhile, the NBA faulted the invitation of awardees of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), by the Department of State Service (DSS).

    According to the body, sending a confidential report in respect of each of the awardees would have been enough instead of the grilling of the nominees.

    “It does not require DSS inviting them,” he said, adding that “unfortunately, our members went there without informing us”.

    A life bencher and former General Secretary of the NBA, Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN), had condemned the clearance of awardees by the DSS, noting that it undermines the independence of the legal profession.

    However, the Supreme Court, in its response, had pointed out that the screening was in line with Paragraph 23 (2) of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee Guidelines, the body which is conferring the SAN rank on the lawyers.

    But, the NBA is of the position that the job of the DSS should not go beyond sending confidential report on a nominee, because most of the information has already been volunteered by the lawyers themselves including reports from judges before whom the lawyers appear.

    “Court records are there, Heads of Courts also write confidential report,” he added.

    The post Conviction of Simon Ekpa: Learn from Finland, NBA Tells Judges, Prosecutors  appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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    Alex Enumah in Abuja  The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on Nigerian judges and prosecutors to take a cue from Finland, following the speedy trial and conviction of Simon
    The post Conviction of Simon Ekpa: Learn from Finland, NBA Tells Judges, Prosecutors  appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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