REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN JUDGMENT IN NIGERIA   by Bolarinwa Awujoola.

REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN JUDGMENT IN NIGERIA by Bolarinwa Awujoola.

1.0       
As of today, the applicable law on the registration of foreign
judgments in Nigeria is the Reciprocal
Enforcement of Judgments Ordinance, Cap. 175, Laws of the Federation of
Nigeria, 1958 (REJO).
See Witt &
Busch Limited v. Dale Power Systems Plc (2007) 17 NWLR (Pt. 1062) 1.
By
extension, the Reciprocal Enforcement of
Judgments Rules, Cap. 175
Laws of
the Federation of Nigeria,
1958 (REJ
Rules)
is also applicable. It becomes pertinent to highlight the relevant
portions of the REJO and REJ Rules.

2.0       
Section 3
(1) of REJO provides thus:
“Where a judgment has been obtained in the
High Court in England or Ireland or in the court or session in Scotland, the
judgment creditor may apply to a High Court at any time within 12 months after
the date of the judgment or such longer period as may be allowed by the court
to have the judgment registered in the court….”
3.0       
Section 3
(2)
of the REJO provides thus:
No judgment
shall be ordered to be registered under this Ordinance if –
(a)              
the original
court acted without jurisdiction; or
(b)              
the judgment
debtor, being a person who was neither resident within the jurisdiction of the
original court, did not voluntarily appear or otherwise submit or agree to
submit to the jurisdiction of that court; or
(c)               
the judgment
debtor, being the defendant in the proceedings, was not duly served with the
process of the original court, and did not appear, notwithstanding that he was
ordinarily resident or was carrying on business within the jurisdiction of that
court or agreed to submit to the jurisdiction of that court; or
(d)              
the judgment
was obtained by fraud; or
(e)              
the judgment
debtor satisfies the registering court either that an appeal is pending or that
he is entitled and intends to appeal against the judgment; or
(f)                
the judgment
was in respect of a cause of action which for reasons of public policy or for
some other similar reason could not have been entertained by the registering
court. 
4.0       
Rule 12 of the REJ Rules also provides that:
The judgment debtor may at any time
within the time limited by the order giving leave to register after service on
him of the notice of registration of the judgment apply by petition to a Judge
to set aside the registration or to suspend execution on the judgment and the
Judge on such application if satisfied that the case comes within one of the
cases in which under section 3(2) of the Ordinance no judgment can be ordered
to be registered or that it is not just or convenient that the judgment be
enforced in Nigeria or for other sufficient reasons may order that the
registration be set aside or execution on the judgment suspended either
unconditionally or on such terms as he thinks fit and either altogether or
until such time as he shall direct; provided that the Judge may allow the
application to be made at any time after the expiration of the time mentioned.”
5.0       
Thus, by Section 3 (1)
of REJO, a judgment creditor (the
Applicant) may apply to a High Court in Nigeria, within 12 months of the judgment, for leave to register a foreign
judgment. When the Applicant is unable to register same within the allowable 12 months period, the Applicant may
apply to the court for extension of time to register. By a combined reading of Section 3 (2) of REJO and Rule 12 of the REJ Rules, upon service of the notice
of registration or the order granting leave to register the foreign judgment on
the judgment debtor (the Respondent), the Respondent may, within the time given
in the order, apply to the Court, vide a Petition, for the setting aside of the
registration or the order granting leave to the Applicant to register the said
judgment or for the suspension of execution of the judgment if the foreign
judgment falls within any of the circumstances highlighted in Section 3 (2) of REJO and Rule 12 of the REJ Rules.
6.0       
Whilst the provisions of the law appear substantially to be self-explanatory,
some of the said provisions are however shrouded in controversy. An example is
the nebulous provision of Section 3 (2)
(f)
of REJO. This provision will certainly warrant the posing of certain rhetorical
questions like; what will amount to a ‘cause
of action which for reasons of public policy or for some other similar reason
could not have been entertained by the registering court?’;
in Rule 12 of the REJ Rules, what ‘is not just or convenient?’ and what are ‘other sufficient reasons?’
7.0       
Since the REJO and the REJ Rules referred to above do not define “public policy”, “other
similar reasons”, “what is just and convenient” and “other sufficient reasons”,
the reasonable inference that can be made from the said open-ended provisions
is that the registering court has wide discretionary powers to set-aside and/or
refuse the registration of a foreign judgment depending on its interpretation
and/or definition of the above provisions. We hope someday soon, the Supreme
Court will make definite and definitive pronouncements on the application
and/or interpretation of Section 3(2)
of REJO and Rule 12 of the REJ Rules.
8.0       
For now, one can safely conclude that the facts and circumstance
of each case will determine the application and/or interpretation of the
provisions of Section 3 (2) of REJO and Rule 12 of the REJ Rules.
By Bolarinwa Awujoola.
PROFILE: FIDELIS ODITA QC SAN

PROFILE: FIDELIS ODITA QC SAN

Fidelis Oditah, is a Queen’s Counsel, a Senior
Advocate of Nigeria and a Professor of Law at Oxford University. Fidelis
practises as a QC at 3/4 South Square, London and at ODITAH, Legal
Practitioners & Arbitrators, in Lagos, Nigeria.  His extensive
practice area has included Company Law, Capital Markets, Corporate Finance,
Asset-based financing, Projects, Financial Services, Banking and Commercial
Arbitration. This first class scholar and an alumnus of the Universities of
Lagos and Oxford, United Kingdom, has an extensive legal practice in Nigeria
and UK. In England, he specialises in chancery and commercial work, with
emphasis on insolvency and restructuring work. He has acted and/or advised on
virtually all major corporate insolvencies in the UK in the last two decades.

In Nigeria, his practice encompasses energy,
projects, corporate and general commercial law. He has advised and acted for
the Federal Government of Nigeria in a number of the most significant energy
and power matters, and for many large and medium sized companies. He has extensive commercial arbitration practice as counsel and also sits
frequently as an arbitrator in a broad range of commercial disputes. He began his legal career at Oxford
University, England in 1989 where he taught corporate finance, corporate
insolvency, company law, contracts and trusts for many years before going into
full time commercial practice.
Born in Nigeria on 27 March, 1964, the son of a
Head Teacher, Fidelis graduated at the age of 20 from the University of Lagos
with a first-class law degree and scooped 12 of the 13 prize awards. The
following year he graduated with the highest first-class honours awarded by the
Nigerian Law School in 1985. Between 1985 and 1986 he undertook his National
Youth Service Scheme at the Nigerian Law School where he engaged as a lecturer
until August 1986. In September of he came to study at Magdalen College, Oxford
University with the benefit of a Commonwealth Scholarship. At Oxford, Fidelis
obtained a Bachelor of Civil Law in 1987 and a Doctor of Philosophy of Law in
1989, completing his thesis in just two years.
He was called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in July
1992, did pupillage from January to December 1993 and took silk in April 2003,
at the age of 39 and after a mere 10 years at the Bar of England and Wales. In
2004 he became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He also served as a consultant to the United
Nations Commission on International Trade Law from 1995 until 1999 and he is
President of the African Users Council of The London Court of International
Arbitration (LCIA), a member of court (governing council) of the LCIA, a member
of the Board of Trustees of Foundation for International Arbitration Advocacy
(FIAA).

He is the author of many books and learned articles in periodical journals, but
his best known publication is probably Legal Aspects of Receivables Financing,
published in 1991, a leading text in its field, which is an expanded version of
his doctoral thesis. He was also the founding editor of Company, Financial and
Insolvency Law Review. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Insolvency
Lawyer, a member of the Chancery and Commercial Bar Associations and was a
member of the Financial Law Panel Working Group on E-Commerce between 1999 and
2002.
Fidelis was a Fellow and Tutor in Law at Merton
College, Oxford and Travers Smith Braithwaite Lecturer in Corporate Finance Law
at Oxford from 1989 until 1997.  He resigned in order to practise
full-time at the Bar.  However, he remains a visiting professor at the
Oxford University Faculty of Law. Chambers 2002-2003 edition described
him as having a “huge brain” and that “what he doesn’t know is probably not
worth knowing”. 
In an article in Nigerian Village Square,
published in 2006, author Eugene Uzum looked back to Fidelis’ graduation day at
the University of Lagos and described him as a “softly-spoken and unassuming
encyclopedia of law, jokingly referred to as Fidelism.” 
Fidelis is married with children.
HOW TO SERVE A NOTICE TO QUIT IN LAGOS

HOW TO SERVE A NOTICE TO QUIT IN LAGOS

Credits – google
A number of landlords and estate agents have always wondered
how to best rid themselves of very stubborn tenants without erring in law,
apparently some of these tenants unscrupulously seek to exploit the lacuna in
the law just so they can live in a property for years without paying rent, I have
heard of such tenants and the landlords are usually always bitter about such
situations. Some landlords have always resulted to self-help by forcefully evicting
the said tenants but a recent decision of the court where such a landlord was
directed to pay damages and compensation to the forcefully evicted tenant will
seek to discourage many others. 

The Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 provides that parties can
provide for how a notice to quit can be given in the tenancy agreement,
however, when there is no such provision, Section 13 of the law provides that:- 

Where there is no stipulation as to the notice by either
party to determine the tenancy, the following shall apply –

  • a week’s notice for a tenant at will
  • one (1) month’s notice for a monthly tenant
  • three (3) month’s notice for a quarterly tenant
  • six (6) month’s notice for a yearly
    tenant.
It’s important to note that when the
tenancy is for a fixed period (e.g. one year) and such period has expired but
the tenant refuses to give up possession, if the  landlord intends to recover possession, he
shall serve a seven (7) days written notice of his intention to apply to
recover possession. Such notice will be classified as properly served when
handed to the tenant in person; to an adult residing on the premises; by
courier to the address or posting same on a prominent part of the premises.
Upon expiration of the 7 day ultimatum,
if the tenant still refuses to give up possession, the landlord may file a
claim for recovery of possession against the tenant in the magistrate court or
high court where the premises is located.
A court can also order possession if
the tenant is in arrears of rent; has breached any covenant in the agreement;
where the premises is required for personal use by the landlord and where the
premises requires substantial repair. A court shall also have power to make an
order for possession upon proof of facts that; the premises is used for immoral
or illegal purposes; has been abandoned; is unsafe and constitutes a danger to
the public or the tenant simply constitutes a nuisance.  
Adedunmade Onibokun, Esq
@adedunmade
INFO ABOUT YOUR CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT

INFO ABOUT YOUR CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT

credit – recereateconsulting.co.uk
A contract of employment is a
contract between an employer and employee in which the terms and conditions of
employment are stated. The term “employee” denotes anyone who is employed under
a contract of employment for remuneration and an employer is such person who
employs an employee. 
An employment contract is an
agreement which carries with it an obligation to pay wages in return for
service and a corresponding right of control on the part of the employer.
Before an employer/employee can make claims under the contract of employment,
such party must prove that the existence of a contractual relationship. 

A contract of employment can be oral,
written, or partly oral and written; it may even be inferred or implied from
the conduct of the parties, though most contracts of employment are either oral
or written.
When an employee begins work, the
labour act states that such employee must be given his contract of employment within 3
months and it should state:
  • The name of the employer
  • Name, address of the employee and the
    place and date of his engagement.
  • The nature of the employment
  • If for a fixed term, the date the
    contract expires
  • Appropriate medium and method to
    terminate the contract
  • Rates of wages and method of
    calculation/payment
  • Any special conditions of the
    contract; and
  • Any terms or conditions relating to: hours of work; holidays and holiday pay; and Incapacity for work due to sickness
    or injury, including any provisions for sick pay.
It should be noted that contract sof
employment are not binding on the family or dependants of the worker unless it
contains a provision to that effect. Also persons under the age of 16 re not
capable of entering contracts of employment except such contracts are for
apprenticeship. Also, no contract of employment can bar a worker from belonging
to a trade union. 
A contract of employment can be
terminated by:
  • Expiry of the period for which it was
    formed
  • Death of the worker
  • By notice
Where it’s a contract of 3 months or
less, one day notice should be given. One week notice if more than 3 months but
less than 2 years; two weeks notice where the contract has lasted for more than
2 years but less than 5 years and one month, where the contract had continued
for 5 years or more. Usually most contracts of employment
provide either one month or 3 months notice or one month or 3 months’ salary in
lieu of notice.
Adedunmade Onibokun, Esq.
@adedunmade
PROFILE: – H. ODEIN AJUMOGOBIA SAN

PROFILE: – H. ODEIN AJUMOGOBIA SAN


Born
in 1956 in Akuku-Toru, Rivers State, Ajumogobia holds law degrees from the
University of Lagos (1978) and Harvard (1988). He lectured at Lagos University
before founding his own practice, Ajumogobia and Okeke, in 1984, his practice
areas include: Commercial litigation and arbitration; Environmental Law and oil
pollution litigation; Transportation law with a specific interest in Aviation
Law. Recently he was appointed as a member of the ICC International Court of
Arbitration, Paris. 
  

Ajumogobia
became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2003, and was appointed Attorney General
and Commissioner of Justice for Rivers State in 2003. Ajumogobia is a Member,
Council of Legal Education; Member Executive Committee of NBA; Member, Body of
Benchers (2003- 2007); Chairman, Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency
(2005-2007); Minister of State for Energy (Petroleum) and Head of Nigeria’s
Delegation to OPEC (July 2007-December 2008).
 
He was appointed Minister of State of Petroleum
Resources and Supervising Minister Ministry of Power and Head of Nigeria’s
delegation to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF (January2009-March 2010);
Member National Economic Council; Member, Honorary Investment Council; Member,
National Privatisation Council; Member, National Independent Power Programme;
(2007- 2010) Minister of Foreign Affairs (April 2010 – May 2011): Member,
National Security Council, President UN Security Council (2010) Chairman
Council of Ministers of Ecowas States; Co- Chairman (with H.E. Miguel Angel
Moratinos Cuyaube- Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain of
Political Dialogue between EU and ECOWAS Luxembourg (2010); Co-Chairman (with
H.E. George Rebela Chicoti Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola),
International Contact Group on Guinea Bissau at UNGA (September 2010).

Odein
Ajumogobia is an Ijaw (Kalabari) from Abonnema in Rivers State. He is married
to Awuneba Ajumogobia FCA (née Iketubosin) also from Abonnema, Rivers State.
They have a son and three daughters. Ajumogobia also has wide musical interests
including – the piano, organ and voice; and he has recently taken up the guitar
and saxophone; he is a keen chess, squash and table tennis player. 
 
His
publications include: Chapters in Aircraft Finance, Registration Security &
Enforcement ed. Mcbain & Hames (Longman 1990); Aircraft Liens and detention
rights ed. Graham S. McBain (Sweet & Maxwell 2001); Contributor to WIPO
publication “Preparation of Franchising Guide for Developing Countries;
Enforcement of Foreign Judgements; edited by Louis Garb and Julian Lew(Kluwer);
International Product Liability (Aspatore 2004).
HOW TO PROVE YOUR PARTNER COMMITTED ADULTERY IN COURT

HOW TO PROVE YOUR PARTNER COMMITTED ADULTERY IN COURT


Credits – informationnigeria.org

Adultery is sexual intercourse between two persons of whom
one or both are married but not married to each other. Being able to prove
adultery is quite a difficult task especially if you have to show that there
was in fact sexual intercourse involved. Only an admission of the act or evidence
depicting the actual act is 100% proof of adultery because to prove adultery,
one must show that there was penetration of the male organ into the woman.  The courts are aware of this fact, thus in
proving the existence of adultery; the courts will rely on indirect or
circumstantial evidence. The following are ways of proving adultery, though some
are circumstantial, others are more definite:- 

  • Evidence of disposition and opportunity; for instance, if a  married woman had been taken out clubbing for
    over 7 hrs after dark, only for her date to bring her home, followed by both
    alighting from the car and kiss passionately. That’s a strong evidence showing that
    they had opportunity.

  • Cohabitation: where a married man/woman lives together under
    the same roof with another person, adultery is strongly presumed. 

  • Confessions: An admission of adultery is proof of same. 

  • Entry in Register of birth: An entry into the register of
    birth by a woman showing that someone other than her husband is the father of her
    child amounts to a confession of adultery against her. 

  • Blood tests: Blood tests can be used to ascertain the
    paternity of a child and as such can be used as evidence of adultery, if the
    child according to blood test is not the true child of the man. 

  • Birth of a child after gestation period: When a wife gives
    birth to a child, more than 280 days after her husband had sex with her, it
    constitutes proof of adultery against the wife. 

  • Visits to Brothels: When a ma visits a brothel frequently,
    its proof of adultery. 

  • Infections: Contracting a STI is proof of adultery except it
    was proven that the STI was gotten via innocent causes. 
  • Conviction for sexual related offences: When a married man is
    convicted for raping or committing any sexual offence against someone who is
    not his wife, it is strict proof of adultery.

Adultery must be voluntary, thus a married woman who is raped
cannot be guilty of adultery by virtue of that act. 
Adedunmade Onibokun
@adedunmade
dunmadeo@yahoo.com
LEARN THE MEANING OF THESE LEGAL TERMS

LEARN THE MEANING OF THESE LEGAL TERMS


 

Credit – www.artcleaning.co.uk


A Felony
means an offence on conviction for which a person can, without proof of his
having been previously convicted of an offence, be sentenced to death or to imprisonment
for 3 years or more, or which is declared by law to be a felony.
Indictable
offence
” means any offence –
1.    
Which on conviction may be punished by a term of imprisonment exceeding
two years; or 
2.    
 Which on conviction may be punished by imposition of a fine
exceeding four hundred naira;
Not being an offence declared by the law creating
it to be punishable on summary conviction.
Legal
Guardian
” in relation to an infant, child, young person, or juvenile
offender, means a person appointed, according to law, to be his guardian by
deed or will, or by order of court of competent jurisdiction.

PROFILE: – CHIEF BAYO OJO SAN

PROFILE: – CHIEF BAYO OJO SAN

Christopher Adebayo Ojo, SAN
is a former Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As such, he is
also a past head of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Justice. He is a legal
practitioner and is licensed to practice in Nigeria, England and Wales.
Chief Bayo Ojo hails from Ife-Ijumu,
Kogi State, in central Nigeria. He had his primary school education in Maiduguri
and Kaduna and his post-primary education at Zaria in Kaduna State. He worked
briefly as a civil servant in Ilorin, Kwara State, before he proceeded to the University
of Lagos where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Law in June 1977. Chief also did
his LLM at the world-acclaimed London School of Economics and Political
Science.

He was former Head of Chamber,
Oniyangi & Co. and founded Bayo Ojo & Co. in 1986. Elevated to the
prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1999, he was
elected President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) in 2004. Subsequently,
he was appointed Attorney General and Minister of Justice by President Olusegun
Obasanjo. 
During his term as
Attorney-General, he regularly appeared in court personally to argue cases on
behalf of the government. Previous attorneys-general had mostly preferred to
engage lawyers in private practice to appear for the government. He was noted
for his brilliant efforts in decongesting Nigerian prisons by engaging lawyers
in private practice to defend various individuals who were being held by the
state without trial.
As Attorney General and Minister
of Justice, he also undertook numerous reforms in the Justice sector
including the development of eight critical bills. In addition, he
reformed all the investment laws in Nigeria. He also advised on the
exit of Nigeria from foreign debts owed to the London and Paris Clubs. Regarded as one of the leading
lights of Arbitration and ADR in Africa, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN is Africa’s representative at the Board of Trustees of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London
I was opportune to meet Chief
Bayo Ojo at the Esq. Arbitration International School held in Lagos and I was
amazed at his humility and grace. We talked about policy making in Nigeria and
how there was a dire need for credible and sound policy makers in the country.
He was also gracious enough to give me practice tips and career advice.
@adedunmade
PROFILE: GBENGA OYEBODE MFR (CHAIRMAN)

PROFILE: GBENGA OYEBODE MFR (CHAIRMAN)

Gbenga
Oyebode MFR has been described by International Financial Law Review IFLR 1000
(the guide to the World’s leading Financial Law Firm) as ‘one of Nigeria’s most
prominent Lawyers’ and by Chambers Global as a ‘consummate deal maker who has
received pundits from clients and peer alike for his corporate expertise’. 
Mr. Oyebode is a
Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (admitted June 1980)
and an Attorney-at-law of the Supreme Court of New York State (admitted
November 1983). He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the American
Bar Society of International Law. He holds a Master of Laws from University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (1982) and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the
University of Ife (1979).
Gbenga worked as an
Associate with White & Case, New York between 1982 and 1983. He joined Gulf
Oil Company, Lagos and Houston between 1983 to 1985. Was a partner with the law
firm of  Ajumogobia, Okeke, Oyebode and
Aluko [Barristers, Solicitors and Notaries] between 1985-1992 before he became
the Managing Partner, Aluko & Oyebode in 1993. 

Gbenga is currently the Chairman of the
Management Board at Aluko & Oyebode and in that capacity coordinates
the various practice areas of the Firm. In addition to his managerial role, he
heads the Firm’s corporate and energy practice areas. Gbenga has extensive
experience in corporate and commercial practice with a special emphasis in the
following practice areas:
  • Oil and
    gas and power projects
  • Foreign
    Investment and Privatisation
  • Telecommunications
  • Project
    Finance
  • Aviation
Gbenga has also been involved in the
negotiation of complex commercial agreements for a wide variety of transactions
and is a
Fellow of the Chartered Institute
of Arbitrators (UK) (FCIArb). He was conferred with one of Nigeria’s highest
honours, the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR) in
the year 2001. He was also conferred with the Belgian Royal Honour of ‘Knight
of the Order of Leopold’ in 2007. He is the Chairman, Okomu Oil Palm Plc and
also serves on the Board of MTN Nigeria and Crusader Insurance Plc. Mr Oyebode is also the Chairman, Access Bank Plc. Forbes described Gbenga as on
e of Nigeria’s most renowned commercial lawyers and stated that the value of his shareholdings  is worth tens of millions of dollars. 
Gbenga
Oyebode has presented many papers including:
  • Law firm partnerships in Nigeria – pitfalls
    to avoid 
  • Legal Practice as a Business – The
    Legal Practitioner’s Perspective
  • The Budding Lawyer in a Global
    World: Challenges and Opportunities
  •  Partnerships in Nigeria – Prospects
    & Challenges: A Law Firm’s Perspective 
  •  GSM: Opportunities, Challenges and
    Impact on the Nigerian Economy: Pertinent Considerations in the Legal Framework
    of an Efficient GSM Industry in Nigeria
  •  Legal Issues in Oil & Gas
    Project Finance.
  •  Petroleum Exploration and
    Development in West and Southern Africa (Legal Perspectives: Anglophone
    Countries).
  • Ownership and Control Issues
    regarding Oil & Gas and Hard Minerals in Areas of Disputed Borders: A West
    African Perspective.
  • Project Financing in the Nigerian
    Petroleum Industry – The Oso Condensate Project.
  • The Governmental Regulatory Approval
    Processes in Nigeria of Acquisition and Disposal of Oil Producing Properties
  •  Governmental Regulatory Approval
    Processes in Nigeria on Acquisition and Disposal of Oil Producing Properties

OPINION- DUTIES OF ALL NIGERIAN CITIZENS

OPINION- DUTIES OF ALL NIGERIAN CITIZENS

I just tried
taking a quick nap during my lunch break but I couldn’t because 2 of my colleagues
were passionately discussing the current Nigerian political situation and the
insecurity in the North-East. I bet you know how that goes, with the sad taste
Boko Haram has left in our mouths and how justice seems only for those who can
afford same, both were full of complains and sadness.  
One is a
mother whose child is in one of the higher institutions in the North and she wished
she could transfer her daughter to a school down South, the other just wished
our political representatives could be selfless rather than go to the National
Assembly to fatten their pockets, egos and obtain government contracts. In fact
she wished the military could come take power from these rascally politicians and
probably shoot them all
, well that was her opinion, before the Nigerian SSS
start looking for me. kindly note that  I
am totally pro-democracy, thank you.

Anyway, since
it was getting hard to nap, I joined the conversation, I told them how I believed
the Nigerian democracy will evolve and how the citizens had a duty to compel
govt. on all levels to deliver. However, stomach infrastructure seems to
largely influence our actions and thoughts. When mounting bills are knocking on
your door and the government doesn’t really input in your daily life, it
becomes a luxury to spend time trying to make governance work since the so
called political office holders are too distracted by party allegiances and personal
ambition to pay attention to the day to day duties of promoting Nationhood. 
One truth I believe
is that Nigerians need to wake up and make government stand straight. We have so much power standing together that politicians must live in fear of public backlash if they do not deliver. While reading
my constitution, I realized the Nigerian book compels citizens to take
Nationhood really serious and goes to the extent of providing duties for every
Nigerian citizen. Section 24 of the constitution says;
It shall be
the duty of every citizen to – 
  • abide by the
    constitution, respect its ideals and its institutions, the National Flag, the
    National Anthem, the National pledge, and legitimate authorities; this goes
    beyond learning how to recite it o.  
  • help to
    enhance the power, prestige and good name of Nigeria, defend Nigeria and render
    such national service as may be required; be a good ambassador of Nigeria,
    don’t be involved in 419 scams, yahoo yahoo, fraudulently lodge our monies
    in foreign accounts or commit crimes only to run away from England dressed as a
    woman, don’t give out pardons to well established government thieves either.

  • respect the
    dignity of other citizens and the rights and legitimate interests of others and
    live in unity and harmony and in the spirit of common brotherhood;
  • make
    positive and useful contribution to the advancement, progress and well-being of
    the community where he resides; don’t squander public funds, destroy public
    infrastructure, make a mockery of your political office or be a cog in the
    wheel of progress, all because you are a local champion and you want to receive
    egunje
    .
  • render assistance
    to appropriate and lawful agencies in the maintenance of law and order; and  this is difficult because the Nigerian
    police work on a first come, first serve basis, na who first complain and pay money
    na him get case
    , you can even go and report and they will say you are
    the culprit, I wonder how those guys think sef
    .  
  • declare his
    income honestly to appropriate and lawful agencies and pay his tax promptly. GEj
    doesn’t like this one sha because he refused to declare his assets a while ago.

If we
followed all of the above, maybe things will get better. 
adedunmade
Onibokun, Esq
@adedunmade