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Breaking! Confusion Rocks NFF Serves Amend Motion On Wrong Law Firm We Are Taken Aback – BSN Sports Lead Counsel …Says Justice Delayed Is Not Justice Denied The Nigeria Football Federation case against BSN Sports over publication of unpaid bonuses of the Falconets could not go on as scheduled because the plaintiff lawyer stated wrongly pointing out to the supposed served motion for amendment of their original processes. When the hearing of the case came up on Tuesday, 25th June 2019, at the FCT High Court, Kwali before Justice Anna Iyabeni Akobi, the plaintiff lawyer started by bringing out the wrongly served amendment process filed in court and seemed like a drama and dream to the defendant counsels who have neither seen nor heard about it until that moment. www.bsnsports.com.ng lead counsel, Barrister Ihensekhein Samuel Jnr, an activist, human right and criminal lawyer who had won many high profile cases in the past was surprised to hear the claimant’s lawyer saying that amended process has been duly served to him on the 11th June 2019. BSN Sports’ lead counsels therefor called the attention of the judge, Justice Anna Iyabeni Akobi to that effect then, vehemently objected and smartly argued that they have not been served. The court looking at the endorsement of service actually noted that BSN Sports (the defendant and defendant’s counsels) are not properly served. And the court in its wisdom called for the service of the motion to the defendant lead counsel to correct both service of originating processes sought to be amended and motion to amend as the case was adjourned to 7th October, 2019. In his words: “We are surprised and taken aback by the plaintiff counsel that a process that have not been served on us, which we saw for the first time in court and purportedly was served to a wrong law firm quite different from the substantive counsel handling this matter which is Pathlegal & Co.” Barrister Sam Jnr told journalists. “And so it was in that premise they have to seek for another date in order to correct service of the amended process.” He continued. He laid the blame for the adjournment at the door step of the claimant who failed to properly served the defendant. “The fallout of today’s (Tuesday) proceeding is simply on the hand of the plaintiff who could not take proper step to see that the service was properly served on either the defendant or defendant counsel.” “On our own part, myself (the lead counsel) and my learned colleague (second defense counsel) Barrister Fayaienjigha Israel Jacob are ready and we have even filed our statement of defense, witness statement of note as well as accompany documents and we are ready to move on with the hearing of this case. “This case is to let the world know the truth regarding www.bsnsports.com.ng publication on the unpaid bonuses of the Falconets and some certain state of affairs in glasshouse. “We are much ready but as it goes and it stays, justice delayed will not be justice denied. “The plaintiff for whatever reason are not able to move their motion to regularise the process they have filed before the court as they seek to amend their court process that was served before this court and that has not served on us and we kicked vehemently against it because service of court process in our jurisprudence whether in civil or criminal matter is very important as it goes to the nutshell and jurisdiction of the case itself. And the court in fairness ordered that will be served that motion for them to amend their processes, statement of claim and writ of summons that was served earlier and that we have received after today’s court proceeding .” He assured all and sundry and all football fans following the case that they are capable of arguing the case to a logical conclusion where justice will prevail at the end end of the case. “On our own side, we will put again another strong defense to what they have served so that at the end of the day, justice can be said to have been done in this case. The defense counsels believed that the court in its wisdom will allow justice to prevail and the truth will be known to the world. “With the way it is going, at the conclusion of this matter, there will be a just determination of some certain state of affairs relating to the Publisher, www.bsnsports.com.ng, Mr. Niyi Busari and Ms Ruth David who is acting on behalf of the NFF over unpaid allowance and bonuses of Falconets before the world cup are actually paid or not.” He concluded. NFF had dragged an online sports newspaper, www.bsnsports.com.ng to FCT HigC court in Kwali over a publication of a report on unpaid bonuses of the Falconets before the U20 Women’s World Cup in France titled “U20 World Cup: Allowance Scandal Hits Falconets.

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…We Are Taken Aback – BSN Sports Lead Counsel

…Says Justice Delayed Is Not Justice Denied

 

The Nigeria Football Federation case against BSN Sports over publication of unpaid bonuses of the Falconets could not go on as scheduled because the plaintiff lawyer stated wrongly pointing out to the supposed served motion for amendment of their original processes.

 

When the hearing of the case came up on Tuesday, 25th June 2019, at the FCT High Court, Kwali before Justice Anna Iyabeni Akobi, the plaintiff lawyer started by bringing out the wrongly served amendment process filed in court and seemed like a drama and dream to the defendant counsels who have neither seen nor heard about it until that moment.

 

www.bsnsports.com.ng lead counsel, Barrister Ihensekhein Samuel Jnr, an activist, human right and criminal lawyer who had won many high profile cases in the past was surprised to hear the claimant’s lawyer saying that amended process has been duly served to him on the 11th June 2019.

 

BSN Sports’ lead counsels therefor called the attention of the judge, Justice Anna Iyabeni Akobi to that effect then, vehemently objected and smartly argued that they have not been served. The court looking at the endorsement of service actually noted that BSN Sports (the defendant and defendant’s counsels) are not properly served. And the court in its wisdom called for the service of the motion to the defendant lead counsel to correct both service of originating processes sought to be amended and motion to amend as the case was adjourned to 7th October, 2019.

 

In his words: “We are surprised and taken aback by the plaintiff counsel that a process that have not been served on us, which we saw for the first time in court and purportedly was served to a wrong law firm quite different from the substantive counsel handling this matter which is Pathlegal & Co.” Barrister Sam Jnr told journalists.

 

“And so it was in that premise they have to seek for another date in order to correct service of the amended process.” He continued.

 

He laid the blame for the adjournment at the door step of the claimant who failed to properly served the defendant.

 

“The fallout of today’s (Tuesday) proceeding is simply on the hand of the plaintiff who could not take proper step to see that the service was properly served on either the defendant or defendant counsel.”

 

“On our own part, myself (the lead counsel) and my learned colleague (second defense counsel) Barrister Fayaienjigha Israel Jacob are ready and we have even filed our statement of defense, witness statement of note as well as accompany documents and we are ready to move on with the hearing of this case.

 

“This case is to let the world know the truth regarding www.bsnsports.com.ng publication on the unpaid bonuses of the Falconets and some certain state of affairs in glasshouse.

 

“We are much ready but as it goes and it stays, justice delayed will not be justice denied.

 

“The plaintiff for whatever reason are not able to move their motion to regularise the process they have filed before the court as they seek to amend their court process that was served before this court and that has not served on us and we kicked vehemently against it because service of court process in our jurisprudence whether in civil or criminal matter is very important as it goes to the nutshell and jurisdiction of the case itself. And the court in fairness ordered that will be served that motion for them to amend their processes, statement of claim and writ of summons that was served earlier and that we have received after today’s court proceeding .”

 

He assured all and sundry and all football fans following the case that they are capable of arguing the case to a logical conclusion where justice will prevail at the end end of the case.

 

“On our own side, we will put again another strong defense to what they have served so that at the end of the day, justice can be said to have been done in this case.

 

The defense counsels believed that the court in its wisdom will allow justice to prevail and the truth will be known to the world.

 

“With the way it is going, at the conclusion of this matter, there will be a just determination of some certain state of affairs relating to the Publisher, www.bsnsports.com.ng, Mr. Niyi Busari and Ms Ruth David who is acting on behalf of the NFF over unpaid allowance and bonuses of Falconets before the world cup are actually paid or not.” He concluded.

 

NFF had dragged an online sports newspaper, www.bsnsports.com.ng to FCT HigC court in Kwali over a publication of a report on unpaid bonuses of the Falconets before the U20 Women’s World Cup in France titled “U20 World Cup: Allowance Scandal Hits Falconets.

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Upcoming 2024 Promotion examination exercise will be on Computer Based Test (CBT) -Prof. Olaopa

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—-says wage and compensation dimension of meritocracy must be addressed in civil service

Joel Ajayi

In his effort to scale-up the ongoing reform in the Commission and the necessity to achieve his objectives in the Federal Civil Service; the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa has said that the Commission’s 2024 Promotion examination exercise will be on Computer Based Test (CBT) in line with the modernization and digitization program in the Federal Civil Service. He also said that restoring competency based HR practice and merit system in civil service will be meaningless if the intended reforms fail to address the wage and compensation dimension of meritocracy.

Olaopa who stated this on Thursday at the maiden Federal Civil Service Commission’s Monthly-Seminar Series for officers on grade levels 14 and above; opined that his numerous engagements with the Chairman, National Income, Salary and Wages Commission whose insights were re-assuring and solution context was important in the Commission’s reform agenda.

The event which gave the Hon. Commissioners and Management Staff opportunities to express their view witnessed Commission’s Director of Promotion; Mr. Sani B. Torankawa presented a Seminar-paper tagged: “Institutional framework and procedures for the conduct of Directorate level Promotion Examination: Guaranteeing Integrity, Credibility Transparency and Accountability”.

Chairman in his opening speech disclosed that the objective of the maiden-monthly-seminar series was designed to institute a seminar-space and learning-lab for federal officers. He added that the seminar was one of avenues the Commission deepens the sharing and learning of key reform issues and benchmarking in Nigeria.

He said the Commission will transit through the upcoming 2024 Promotion examination exercise from analogue to Computer Based Test (CBT) in tandem with the modernization and digitization of Federal Civil Service core operations.

Reeling out how the digitization is going to be implemented, Olaopa said the Commission will roll out an online-recruitment portal that will be accessible to all Nigerians and which will allow eligible candidates to pre-fill recruitment form and update them from time to time in preparation for the placement of adverts for recruitment into the public service and to the Federal service and in preparation for assessment and interview.

The Chairman revealed that henceforth eligible candidate will undergo computer based test and oral interview with result collated and released real-time.

He further revealed that the Commission was going into out-sourcing contract with National Open University and by extension with Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) both as technical partners with a view to take advantage of their infrastructure, networks and experience for online-accreditations, computer based test and examination as well as promotion-interview for officers in the Federal Service starting with Directorate level officers.

Talking about the maiden seminar, he disclosed that the event was convened to critically examine some of the first level issues and risks associated with the planned transition from analogue to online-computer based assessment processes as they touch on promotion exercise for Federal civil servants.

“We are not just looking at digitizing our online processes, computer based processes; we are also going to listen to some of the stakeholders who have been in this service, who have observed the way promotion are conducted”.

According to him, a lot of technical conversation will follow going-forward where some experts including Ministers that are doing well in computerization of their services will be invited to critique what the Commission is doing as part of due diligence to make sure that the Commission is doing the right thing.

He asserts that social-media orientation will be carried out where sets of media-clip will be made available to all civil servant to enable them to know the process for computer based assessment. He added that civil servants will also be taking through some orientation sessions conducted by the Head of Service in form of mock-test to prepare officers for 2024 promotion examination scheduled to hold in the 3rd quarter of this year.

Citing COVID19 pandemic as a case in point, he pointed out that ICT were used to work remotely from office seamlessly; saying that Commission will not be distracted by voices that believes that the initiative will not work. He stressed that the Commission will continue to perfect the process as the program is being deployed. He said, “We are going to do it whether we score 50 per cent or whatever”.

He informed that apart from digitization and computerization program being contemplated by the organization, there were other phases to be unveiled in due course which will be geared towards Commission’s reform plans once the endorsement of the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is secured.

He emphasized that the Commission’s staff capacity and institutional structure need to be upgraded to sustain the momentum that various reform will create. He noted that as all efforts are channel to strengthen the professionalism of the Federal bureaucracy, the establishment of professionalized and modernized Federal Civil Service in line with the Renew-Hope Agenda of the government cannot be overemphasized.

The high point of the event was panelists/speakers presentations delivered by Mr. Ataboh Ademu-Director (Learning & Development)-OHCSF represented by an Asst. Director-Dr. Mohammed Bashir; Prof. Olugbenga D. Ojo-Director (Examination & Assessment-NOUN); Dr. Ahmed Dunoma Umar-Permanent Secretary-Fed. Min. of Youth Development; Mr. Olu O. Ilesanmi-Rtd Fmr. Permanent Secretary, Fed. Ministry and Mr. Mato Yusuf Abdullahi Director (ICT)-FCSC. This was followed by Q & A session.

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