Tuesday, February 24, 2009

2ND WEEK FEBRUARY 09 (9TH - 14TH)

SQUIB DIARY

MONDAY 9TH FEBRUARY 2009
Squib’s out. Cover story – Court of Appeal Dams Nigerian Lawyers. Was at the Ikeja High court. For cases. Why are prosecution teams generally lazy or and uncoordinated?
Many of the times they are fond of giving excuses to the court instead of proceeding with their case. Noticed something positive about some leaders of the Tiger branch sartorial elegance. “Everybody” is getting dandy these days. But, em, the way, when will we commence the building of our new secretariat?

TUESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2009
Got quite late to court (Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square. Missing phones, traffic jams, the culprit. Later sailed off the court to Ikeja High Court from there to Sheraton Ikeja to meet a beautiful lady. Well, not in camera. World Bank Project Personnel. Zara by name. Must you know any more? Well the purpose of the meeting had something to do with the Squib. Satisfied now?

WEDNESDAY 11TH FEBRUARY 2009
Was at the Ikeja High Court. Spent long hours at the Bar Centre. Having a leader’s meeting. Tigers’ leadership. Took some “wait and get” passport photographs. Some stories to tell about photographs. Later.

THURSDAY 12TH FEBRUARY 2009
Was at the Lagos High Court. Then very briefly at the Appeal Court. Geckoed freely and widely about. Got to the Ministry of Justice later in the afternoon. For one or two ‘gecko unrelated business. Noticed that offices in the Ministry ’ve gown smaller but neater, even canter. Was bold that the already large Chambers of the Honourable Attorney-General has even grown larger. More people, then, less space. Moved on to the Ikeja High Court. Tied up some lawyers business. Much later in the evening, landed at the Ministry of Justice again. This guy must be chasing something. That, if nothing was chasing him.

FRIDAY 13TH FEBRUARY 2009
Spent some hours at the Bar Centre, Ikeja High Court. Eating, chatting, granting interview. Life in the Tigers’ lair can be fun.

SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2009
Was at the Police College for the Tigers’ Weekend Sports Programme. Even though all those who turned were 51/2, we still had a good time, running about with our 40 years old plus bodies about, playing a similitude of beach soccer.

Friday, February 13, 2009

3RD WEEK JAN 2009 (19TH - 24TH)

SQUIB DIARY

Monday 19th January 2009
The first Squib edition of the year, out. Cover? The 5th Fawehimiism Festival: The Clash of Titans. Left for Abuja, this morning. Myself and Chief G.O.K Ajayi S.A.N. For my case (C.J Lagos Vs Adesina Ogunlana) before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee. The petitioner, Justice Ibitola Sotuminu former Chief Judge, Lagos, absent as usual. No witness in fact for the prosecution. The LPDC could not form quorum. Matter adjourned indefinitely.
Came back safely to Lagos with Chief Ajayi S.A.N. And, can you believe this - Chief paid my air fare back. Business class. Squib got himself a great dad, you say?

Tuesday 20th January 2009
Was at the Ikeja High court today. In the afternoon. Geckoed and lazed about.

Wednesday 21st January 2009
Had a case at the Ikeja High Court. Finished around 11:00a.m. Did a Tigers’ ‘Exco Meeting. Left for the NBA national Secretariat, Lagos with the Chief Tiger, Dave Ajetomobi and a Tigeress. To check upon the Joint Bid of the three Lagos State branches of the NBA (Lagos, Ikeja and Ikorodu) for the 2009 Annual Conference of the NBA. Looked like the Joint Bid would scale through.

Thursday 22nd January 2009
Was at the Ikeja High Court. Late in the afternoon. Went to one or two court to ‘collect’ dates for matters over-ran by the 42 day strike of JUSUN (Dec 1 2008 - Jan 12 2009).

Friday 23rd January 2009
Was at the Ikeja High Court. Nothing much appeared going on. Heard that the meeting of the Lagos Judiciary Workers, called yesterday to “select representatives to dialogue with the state government over workers’ welfare” flopped. The convener was Ismail Adesina Esq. Are the workers in disarray? Squib’s investigation show that there are cracks among the workers. There is a group led by Ismail Adesina Esq. which claims that the State Executives of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigerian (JUSUN), having been sacked by Lagos Judiciary and as such do not enjoy recognition by the government and management and as such cannot represent the workers in negotiation with government. There is also another group known as the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) Lagos State Branch, Judiciary Unit, headed by one Mr. S. Salami. The main grouse of the ASCSN against the JUSUN is that JUSUN is claiming to represent all categories of workers in the Lagos State Judiciary whereas all Senior Staff from grade 07 are members of the ASCSN and not JUSUN.

On Friday 23rd January 2009, the ASCSN came up with a notice to all her members warning them not embark on any strike against the Lagos State Government. However it would appear that the JUSUN led by Mr. Segun Omoboye is the organised group with the greatest influence on the workers, notwithstanding that Omoboye and other leaders of the JUSUN are in Court, challenging their dismissal from service in Court. The JUSUN as at Friday 23rd January 2009 had sent to the office of the Attorney-General Lagos State, the list of five representatives of the workers to discuss and negotiate with the government on the improvement on the welfare interests of the workers. The meeting between the government and the judiciary is heavily supported and monitored by the Nigerian Bar Association, to avoid another labour crisis in the Judiciary.

Saturday 24th January 2009
With five other Tigers, observed the Ikeja Bar Weekly Sporting Day at the Police College Ikeja. Boy, was the harmattan tough, the air was so dry that we could only play soccer for just about forty minutes. But it was fun nonetheless.