Over a year ago, I wrote an article on xenophobia being a dent on the black populace and down the line the pathetic and reckless maiming of lives has continued and reached its crescendo thus triggering a serious backlash from those that have been victimized either directly or indirectly. But what is rather perturbing is the prolonged silence of the government over this matter; why must the government wait for the people to show their frustrations on South-African owned businesses before coming to terms with the reality on ground?

That brings to the fore the competence of our leaders in dealing with this sort of problem and speaking out on behalf of their citizens who are treated with disdain in South Africa. And, while the xenophobic trends in South Africa might have highlighted the maladroitness of the Nigerian government - with her citizens being significantly affected by the attacks - it has to be said that the African Union deserves some sticks too.

It is however of necessity that I start from the home-front, and it is in this stead that I will first like to commend the efforts of Honourable Abike Dabiri who has been quite proactive in her capacity as the Chair of the ‘‘Nigerians in Diaspora Commission‘‘. She has thus far been very vocal in seeking justice for Nigerian citizens who have been killed or adversely affected by the spate of killings in South Africa - and even in some other foreign nations. Beyond her efforts however, the Nigerian government has been passive in its approach towards addressing this issue which has so far left these unfortunate events to fester as we have it today. How does one explain the protracted silence of the government over incidences that has its citizens molested and killed in a foreign land time and again?

he only reason officials from South African commission will implausibly come out to deny that these attacks are targeted at Nigerians - and probably people from other nations - is because of the lacuna and incompetence [on the part of the Nigerian government] in doing what is needful. Since there has been no definitive actions taken by the government, individuals like Thabang Mokhoena (@Teq_Mokhoena), who take pleasure in seeing a fellow human moan to death will not cease to make a mockery of the nation on the pages of social media. It is saddening that numerous lives will be obliterated and the seating government of an acclaimed giant will keep developing cold hands and not be able to grasp the bull by the horn

On its part, the South African government with the country’s law enforcement agency appear to be out depth when it comes to curtailing these incidents…or could it be that they are all in this together? How does one explain the picture of the South African police officer laughing as he watches a foreigner burn to death or the statement attributed to South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Police, Bongani Mkongi who seems to support or fuel the trend? Why should someone like him even hold such a sensitive post as he does if the government is desirous of quelling the fiery menace of xenophobia? Let us call a spade what it truly is; South Africa have half-baked politicians at the helms of affairs - ours cannot be said to be very different, by the way. What has become of diplomacy and the promotion of international politics?

Where is your voice, African Union?

Xenophobia is not a new thing; it has been on for decades now, and it is not just about Nigerians as citizens of other African nations have been involved too. So, how is it that the leaders of different African nations have not found a lasting solution to this very menace that have bedevilled the peaceful co-existence of the black race? We should not be so overwhelmed by the need to institute sound economic and socio-cultural frameworks that we forget that the life of every African citizen [irrespective of his/her geographical location] matter a great deal. The government of South Africa must be called to order and if need be, rendered help to fight xenophobia to a standstill. If xenophobia is to be quelled, it has to be on a united front just as was the commitment to free the then grossly apartheid nation. Africa must unite to deal with this scourge and the onus is on her leaders to take a stand and be counted.

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) invites application from interested and qualified Primary school pupils for its 2019 POST PRIMARY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD.

See also:NLNG Undergraduate ScholarshipandNLNG Postgraduate Scholarship.

Eligibility Criteria:

Any prospective beneficiary must:

• Be an indigene of NLNG host communities.
• Be a basic 5 or 6 pupil
• Provide his/her Basic Five result
• Must provide an attestation letter signed & stamped by the Head Teacher of his/her school (contact number of the Head Teacher also to be included)
• Provide an indigene confirmation letter signed by the CDC Chairman or Chief in his/her community.
• Provide letter of identification from his/her Local Government Council.
• Not be a child or ward of staff of Nigeria LNG Limited.

Method of Application

Interested persons should follow the link belowto apply.

APPLY HERE ---------- OFFICIAL LINK

Scholarship Application Deadline: May 13, 2019.

Please note that all applicants must:

• All requested documents must be attached to avoid disqualification.
• Applicants must fill in valid contact details as these will be used to communicate status of application.
• Application will be disqualified for non-adherence to criteria for this scheme.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for the selection test.

Source: Scholarships And Aid

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) invites applications from interested first year undergraduates in Nigerian Universities for its 2019 Under-Graduate Scholarship Award. The Scheme seeks to promote academic excellence by supporting top- grade Nigeria students through tertiary institutions.

This was founded as a critical component of education intervention programme for our host communities in 1998 and later opened up to the rest of Nigeria in 2003.

A total of 2,833 undergraduates from various universities in Nigeria have benefited from the scholarship scheme with a spend of over N600 million. The introduction of online application and use of social media (Facebook) for information dissemination in 2012 made the selection process more efficient and cost effective, and increased awareness. The value of the scholarship has been reviewed upward from N100, 000 to N300, 000 per awardee for an academic year and it runs throughout the duration of the students course.

Eligibility Criteria:

Any prospective beneficiary must:

• Have excellent/very good West Africa School Certificate (WASC) or National Examination Council (NECO) result at ONE sitting
• Have a top score at the Joint Admissions & Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination
• Be a certified Full-Time Year-One student of any Nigerian University at the time of application
• Not be on any other Scholarship Award from other companies or agencies
• Not be a spouse, child, ward or direct relation of staff of Nigeria LNG Limited

Method of Application: Interested persons should follow the link belowto apply. All applications MUST include the following scanned copies as attachments:

• Passport sized photographs
• WASC or NECO result
• JAMB result
• University admission letter
• University student ID card
• LGA Letter of identification

APPLY HERE OFFICIAL LINK

Scholarship Application Deadline:May 13, 2019.

Note

• Applicants must fill in valid contact details as these will be used to communicate status of application
• Application will be disqualified:
  • For incomplete attachments
  • Non-adherence to advertised criteria.

Source: Scholarships And Aid

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) invites applications from qualified candidates into the NLNG Post-Graduate Scholarship Scheme for Masters Degree Programmes in the United Kingdom in September 2019. The Scheme seeks to grow a pool of high potential Nigerian graduates and professionals with competitive advantage.

This scheme was launched in October 2012 with an annual intake of 15 beneficiaries to study in leading UK universities with an award value ranging between N9 and N11 million, depending on the course of study and course duration.

Eligibility Criteria

• Have provisional admission from any of the underlisted UK institutions to study any of the following disciplines: Engineering, Geosciences, Environmental Sciences, Management Sciences, Information Technology, Law, and Medicine:
  • University of Aberdeen
  • University of Manchester
  • University of Cranfield
• Possess minimum of 2nd Class Upper degree in a relevant field of study
• CompletedNYSCprogramme
• Obtained not less than a 8.0 IELTS score
• Not be no more than 30 years of age as at the time of application
• Be resident in Nigeria
• Provide letter of identification from respective Local Government Councils.
• Provide letter of consent from employer (if in service of any organization)
• Possess international passport valid for travel, at least, one year from September 2019
• Be able to obtain UK Tier-4 student Visa upon being successful
• Provide evidence that they are available to travel in September 2019 if selected
• Not a direct relative to staff of Nigeria LNG Limited

Method of Application

Interested persons should follow the link belowto apply. All applications MUST include scanned copies of the following documents:

• International passport bio-data page
• First Degree certificate
• NYSC certificate
• Provisional admission letter from indicated UK institutions
• IELTS result
• LGA Letter of identification
• Employer consent letter (where applicable)

APPLY HERE OFFICIAL LINK

Scholarship Application Deadline:13th May, 2019..

Note

• To fill in valid contact details as these will be used to communicate status of application
• Only shortlisted applicants shall be invited for the selection interview/test.
• Applicants are advised to check their mailbox regularly for information on status of their application. Application will be disqualified:
  • For incomplete attachments
  • Non-adherence to advertised criteria.
• NLNG is not under obligation to offer any kind of employment to successful candidates upon graduation, neither are candidates bonded to NLNG on account of this scholarship.

Source: Scholarships And Aid

A Sharia Court II, sitting at Magajin Gari, Kaduna on Tuesday sentenced 20-year- old Farida Taofiq and Raihana Abbas to two months in prison each for wearing skimpy dresses.

Taofiq and Abbas, residents of Argungu road in Kaduna, were convicted after they pleaded guilty to constituting public nuisance and indecent dressing.

The two convicts however pleaded for leniency saying they won’t repeat such crime again.

The Judge, Mallam Musa Sa;ad-Goma, however gave the convicts an option to pay N3,000 fine each.

Sa’ad-Goma also ordered them to return to their parents’ homes.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Aliyu Ibrahim said that Taofiq and Abbas were arrested on April 16, at a black spot along Sabon Gari road roaming the street in skimpy dresses.

“When they were asked where they were going, they said that they were going to a friend’s house who just put to bed”, the prosecution said.

Ibrahim said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 346 of the Sharia Penal Code of Kaduna state.

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Terms such as runs, wickets, sixes and so on are not the kind of words that the average Nigerian sporting fan is interested. In his world, those words are drowned by familiar ones like goals, throw-in, free-kick, etc., and this is simply down to the bias we have towards football in this part of the world. The love for the round-leather game has thus relegated other sports to the backwaters. As such, Nigeria’s participation in other sports has now dwindled while some have not even taken flight at all. One of such sports that is hardly found on the lips of Nigeria sport lovers is the game of cricket.

The only idea some persons have about the game is probably impacted while watching one of those ODIs or test games shown on Supersports channels. And in some other instances, you might have seen a couple of aspiring lads - whom you might have even tagged ‘day-dreamers' - who were raring to give the sport [of cricket] a try and place Nigeria's name on the world map, competing alongside top-performing nations like India, Australia, West Indies, South Africa, and the likes. Well, that dream seems to be finding its wings at this point. Much of the credit must go to the Nigerian Cricket Federation led by Professor Adams Ukwenyi and of course, the young men who qualified the nation for the next ICC U-19 world cup tourney that will be held in South Africa next year.

Heroics of the U-19 ‘Green Yellow'
Only a few – among those who knew about their participation in the qualifiers – would have given Nigeria a chance to make a significant impact at the qualifying rounds that took place in Namibia. But lo, and behold, the boys went, saw, and conquered all – including Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Namibia – that were thrown their way; coming out of the qualifying series unscathed. Winning all five games means the victory was not a flash in the pan, especially when you consider the fact that some of their opponents are no stranger to the game of cricket.

Despite the odds – talk about the unsupportive ambience at home and suchlike – that were against them, they did rise to ensure that Nigeria qualify for a major cricket tournament for the first time. I perceive self-belief and determination would have played a huge part in their success story. The game of cricket may be relatively unknown in Nigeria, the feat of this U-19 team led by captain Sylvester Okpe could be the ember that is needed to ignite the love for the sport and endear the Nigerian cricket teams [across all age grades] to the heart of Nigerians. By the way, those who have spent time watching or even playing the game know just how exciting the game could be with some zesty runs, deadly wickets and powerful sixes unraveled by participating teams.

Nigerian cricket federation has indeed given so much to the development of cricket in the country, and this victory shows how far they have come. That said, one cannot but expect that the Federation we keep doing its utmost to ensure that the boys [and Nigeria in particular] are not just counted among the number but leave a meaningful mark on the world stage. The Nigerian cricket team is a promising one and one that is worth investing in – here is a call for the intervention of corporate bodies in the development of the sport in Nigeria.

How shall I end this piece without doling out the roll call of the heroes that qualified Nigeria for her first ever international cricket world cup? So, here we have them:

• Sylvester Okpe (captain)

• Mohammed Taiwo

• Isaac Danladi

• Olayinka Olaleye

• Abdulrahman Jimoh

• Shehu Audu

• Sulaimon Runsewe

• Miracle Ikaige

• Rasheed Abolarin

• Ifeanyichukwu Uboh

• Peter Aho

• Emmanuel Boniface

• Samuel Mba

• Akhere Isesele

• Coach: Uthe Ogbimi

County Spreads
How do you like to have your bread served? With jam or mayonnaise spread in-between or with some delicious stew? Well, for those of us who love to indulge in some fatty goodness, any of the following spreads should present a healthy choice. Besides, you might find them useful as intensifier or a fitting condiment for doing your baking.

Blue band: Blue band is certainly not an unfamiliar brand in Nigeria. It is one of the few brands that has so far stood the test of time. This spread which is made from top quality vegetable oil, has low fat content, and it is rich in vitamins A, D and E as well as some essential minerals.
Blue band is good for kids as it promotes growth and development; adults are, of course, not left out from enjoying its tastiness. It is available in 250g, 450g and 900g packs, and it could cost between N600 - N1,400 depending on the size.

Golden penny: Golden penny spread is another nutritious one that is filled with goodness for gourmets. It is a rich source of essential vitamins like vitamins A, B6, B12, D, E, folic acid and niacin. Like Blue band, it is also available in 250g, 450g and 900g pack sizes. The price is between N300 – N1,500. It will make a great complement on your meal whether you just spread it on your toast or use it in some other ways.

Mamador: By producing the ‘Classic spread' through its Mamador brand, PZ Wilmer continues to sustain its commitment towards doling out healthy and tasty edibles – Mamador vegetable cooking oil should definitely ring a bell here. Mamador Classic spread contains vitamins, soy lecithin, sodium and essential fat. It is free from cholesterol and trans fat. The product is only available in 250g and 450g packs; the price for the 250g pack is N350 while the 450g pack is between N650 and N750.

Oldenburger: German dairy product manufacturer, Oldenburger abides by its rule of making quality consumables with this highly nutritious butter. Oldenburger butter will make such a wonderful delicacy that your taste-bud will find too hard to resist. It contains essential fat, protein as well as other vital nutrients. The butter is available in two varieties – the salted and unsalted. The salted 250g Oldenburger butter sells for between N1,200 - N1,500 while the unsalted variety cost about N3,200. The price is on the high-side, no doubt, but I make bold to say that it is the price paid for good taste + appetizing flavour.

Flora: I find it hard to leave this (Flora) butter out of this review…the reason is down to the nutrients and rich buttery taste every scoop delivers. It is made from vegetable oils sourced from Sunflower, linseed and rapeseed, and it is rich in vitamins A and E. It is available in different blends with each having varying mixture of ingredients. By the way, Flora used to be a Unilever brand before it was sold off to KKR. Based on my submission earlier; this is not supposed to make the cut as it is somewhat scarce to come by but for its richness I couldn't just leave it out. So, whenever you come across this buttery delight, you should not hesitate to lay your hand on it and savor the taste. The 500g pack of Flora cost about N3,300.

Summerfield county: To bring this review to a close, I shall take a look at a spread made wholly from plant-based ingredients. Summerfield is cholesterol-free and contains essential fat as well as some beneficial vitamins. The quality put into making the spread is simply top-notch and you will certainly love the taste. It is available in 500g pack which cost between N950 - N1,100.

Re: Re: [Review of Always Ultra](lady care & Diva sanitary Pads)

Stepping out in confidence means a whole lot to a lady. This is why she will always ensure that everything from her hair down to the toe-nail is spot on – not necessary to catch anyone's attention; she just wants to be cool. As such, she is conscious to have the right accoutrements readily available for her use. But it is not always about clothing apparels, pairs of shoes, wrist-watches and other niceties, she does care about that which is hidden from public’s view. This is one of the reasons why she will carefully select a good sanitary pad brand that will not reveal or cause any mess, and is capable of keeping 'secret things’ secret why she’s on the go.

So without further ado, we bring you a review of 5 top sanitary pads that ladies love to use:

Always Ultra Thin: As you might have already known, Always is from the stable of Procter & Gamble, a company known for quality. Why the Always brand has a variety of products, we will like to focus on Always Ultra thin, an hygienic pad that has been designed to make you feel comfortable and collected. With its Leak guard core, you are assured of getting up to 8 hours of protection; staying fresh and Furthermore, the flexing-wings attached to it will give you better coverage without making you feel awkward in any way.

Pros

• Good fit
• Wonderful protection
• Very comfortable
• Absorbs well and leaves no leak

Con
None

Price: N850 per pack of 8 pads

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Angels Secret: Looking for another well-made sanitary pad that gives great comfort and keeps things tidy? Then you may not have to look any further than this piece from JM Ocean Avenue. The unique feature about Angels secret sanitary pad is the negative ion core integrated into it. This helps to balance pH and hormone levels, and reduces inflammation and odor. And what is even more amazing is it anti-leakage design; it has got seven different layers but it is yet very soft. The first layer is made of 100% cotton so you do not have to worry about irritation. It is also claimed that this pad enhances circulation of blood, regulation of menstrual cycle, and also relieves cramps.

Pros

• Breathable
• Efficient Leak-proof design
• Very soft
• Anti-bacterial capability
• Quick absorption

Con
None

Price: N2,300 - N2,500 per pack of 8 pads

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Diva: Diva sanitary pad is another popular one in the market today. This sanitary pad is quite affordable, considerably soft and comfortable. Some persons who have previously tried it have however complained about it being somewhat thick thus bringing about some feeling of discomfort. This may just be an exception as many other customers have shown satisfaction after using the product to keep the flow in check. A pack of 50 Diva Long Slims pads goes for N2,600 while Diva Regular slims cost N1,600 per pack of 10 pads.
Pros

• Very affordable
• Secure fit
• Breathable

Con

• May be somewhat bulky

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Lady care: Lady care is a quality brand of sanitary pad made by Sankin Nigeria Limited. Its range of products entails Lady care Regular and Lady care Premium. The pad is made from cotton material and it is designed for heavy flow. Plus, it is equipped with wings to ensure that it is held in place thus preventing side leakage.

Pros

• Comfortable
• Very soft
• Good quality
• Breathable

Con

• None

Price
Lady care Regular: N450 – N550 per pack of 10
Lady care Premium: N450 - N550 per pack of 8

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Virony: Here is a sanitary pad that is currently enjoying rave review for its efficiency in providing ladies with good protection. Though it is thin, it absorbs really fast, and it is able to take care of heavy flow. Virony sanitary pad is also equipped with extended wings for an appreciable coverage. The pad is scented with menthol which may impact anti-bacterial function and also improve blood circulation.

Pros

• Breathable
• Reasonably priced
• High absorbency
• Good coverage

Con
None

Price: N1,200 - N1,500 per pack of 30.

Traders of african is a pan-africa company that source for and supply various products offline for buyers.
we have soybean available for sale.!

Contact us on 081003477196 for more details. thanks.

Traders of african is a pan-africa company that source for and supply various products offline for buyers.
we have soybean available for sale.!

Contact us on 081003477196 for more details. thanks.

As the curtain draws close on the 2019 Presidential/NASS elections with congratulatory messages raining in on the winners and losers being urged to be magnanimous in defeat, we will like to take a look at some of the highlights of the just concluded elections. So, here are six (5) things we learnt from the exercise:

Low participation
One thing that was obvious across board was the low turn-outs of registered voters at different polling stations. It is estimated that, barring the voters who were disenfranchised in one way or the other, about 35% of the 84,004,084 registered voters participated in the election. This means that less than half of the electorate partook in a process that eventually determined the political destiny of a nation as vast as ours. Well, retrospectively, one cannot but consider that the sudden last-minute rescheduling of the election [from February 16 to February 23] could have taken its toil on the response of the electorate. Nonetheless, there is no ruling out the fact that a host of legible voters seemed to be disinterested in partaking in the process as they did not have faith in any of the top aspirants thus choosing to tread the path of abstinence. At the end, the February 23 Presidential/NASS election was greeted by poor turn-out.

The third force that never was
The likes of Omoyele Sowore, Kingsley Moghalu, Fela Durotoye and some others did their bit – or may be gave their best shot – but it was never going to be enough. We all knew beforehand that each of them will not be able to stand up to the crowd-pulling capability of the top two (political parties/presidential aspirants) but they deserve some commendation for staying in the race to the very end. And though we may not know the impact their collaborative effort might have generated but it was certain that, some Nigerians would have very much appreciated the existence of a third force that is capable of shaking the political landscape for the emergence of a new Nigeria – the third force was just a daydream at the end.
That said, I do not think we have to wait for years to see that third force. As the saying goes, “the journey of a thousand mile begins with a single (purposeful) step”; these individuals have started something and now is not the time for them to hole up. They have got to make attempts to remain relevant in Nigeria’s political schematics; becoming notable and constructive oppositions [through their party platforms] with an overarching objective of contributing to nation-building. More so, they got to devote time, effort and resources towards the advancement of politics at the grass-root level. Having a third force [that is well-founded and proactive] could be essential in ensuring that we do not towards becoming a one-party state especially at the centre.

Democracy under siege?
Democracy avails the citizens of a nation the opportunity to choose their leaders without any impedance. As such, it is imperative that the necessary machinery be set in place to ensure that people freely express their opinions through the vote they cast without nursing fears. However, seeing people scampering about for safety as they were faced with threats while at the polling unit coupled with the burning of sensitive electoral materials and hearing of the discrepancies that trailed the past electoral exercise does auger ill for our democracy – there is an attack on the democratic process. Plus, I wonder if the obsessive power mongers – the political desperadoes – will ever embrace the tenet of fair play as we often see in the game of football.

The Northern and Southern divide
The presidential election showed us that Nigerians are highly divided along ethnic lines even when it comes to issues of national development. While the top two presidential aspirants are of northern origin, their running mates came from different geographical zones, and one could see [from the voting trend] that this played a part in swaying voters. But this is not to say that there were no few remnants who were out to vote for national development. However, it has to be stressed that there is a need for Nigerians to look beyond ethnicity in such a matter like deciding who takes over the mantle of leadership. National development is only going to be possible if we, as a people, stand together in unison – maintaining a good bond – to speak against the ills of our leaders as we chart the course for a new Nigeria.

Upset is possible in the Nigerian political space
We have also seen some upsets in the just concluded election. The major talking point is, of course, about the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki who lost his constituency’s mandate, having been upstaged by a certain Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Another one (upset) is Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s loss to Mr. Bolaji Tunji while vying for the Oyo South Senatorial District seat. Also, the likes of senators George Akume, Godswill Akpabio and Andy Ubah were taken to the cleaners in their bid to claim a seat in the 9th Senate. Looking at the other side of the coin, that these top politicians failed in their ambition goes to show the people’s need for a change. The people might have succeeded in passing a message that performance trumps personality/name to these veteran political stakeholders. Additionally, I feel the umpire (that is, INEC) deserves some commendation for allowing event follow due course in this respect.

The Presidential/NASS election might have come and gone but with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar rejecting the results, most recently tabling his demands to the Abdulsalami led peace committee and looking to go to the tribunal, more drama could unfold in the days ahead. In the meantime, it is hoped that, with President Muhammadu Buhari retaining the seat of power, the next level promised will be an all-inclusive nation-building [and nation-bonding] drive that put the interest of the masses first above other sentiments.

Note: These are the personal opinions of the Writer.

Section 254 A (i) of the CFRN (third alteration) Act established the NIC of Nigeria.

Composition of National Industrial Court – The president and such other number of judges as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly

Constitution of National Industrial Court – one judge or a panel of three judges as may be directed by the president of the court.

Appointment to National Industrial Court – appointed by the President on recommendation of NJC and senate confirmation. Other judges are appointed by President and on recommendation of NJC – section 254 B (1) & (2).

Qualification for National Industrial Court – qualified to practice as a legal practitioner and has been so qualified for a period not less than 10 years and has considerable knowledge and experience in the law and practice of industrial relations and employment conditions in Nigeria.

Jurisdiction of National Industrial Court – section 254 C. The jurisdiction of the NIC has to do with employment conditions and industrial relations, labour. It covers Factories Act, Trade Dispute Act, Trade Union Act, Labour Act, Employees’ Compensation Act, International Conventions relating to labour, employment, workplace, industrial relations or matters connected therewith, chapter IV as it relates to employment, labour, industrial relation, trade unionism, employer’s association. The jurisdiction of the NIC is extant notwithstanding the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, High Court of States and High Court of FCT.

In case of dispute involving federal government and its employees, the cases of NEPA v. EDEGBERO, KRPC LTD v. ONUORAH should be used in determining which court between the Federal High Court and NIC has jurisdiction. The question of jurisdiction is very important as a court without jurisdiction hearing a matter would amount to effort in nullity.

Where a court lacks jurisdiction and party bring a matter before it, it can lead to abuse of court process, also non-professionalism and show of incompetence in the legal practitioner. It can lead to delay of justice. It can make the subject matter of action statute barred.

Parties cannot by themselves confer jurisdiction on a court. If a counsel brings an action to the wrong court and the court denied jurisdiction and the case becomes statute barred, the legal practitioner has breached the rules of RPC on competency – Rule 16 RPC.

The legal practitioner can be sued for negligence which amounts to professional misconduct. RULE 14(5) RPC.

The Court of Appeal, for election to the office of the president and vice president. This is an election tribunal for the purpose of elections and appeal from it lies to the Supreme Court.

The National and State House of Assembly election tribunal as contained in section 1 of the CFRN (second alteration) Act, sixth schedule.

Composition – is a chairman and two other members. The chairman shall be a judge of a High Court and other members (two) shall be appointed from judges of a High Court, kadis of a Sharia Court of Appeal, or judges of a Customary court or other members of the judiciary not below the rank of a chief magistrate. Section 1(2) CFRN (second alteration) Act.

Appointment – the chairman and other members are appointed by the president of the Court of Appeal in consultation with the chief judge of the state, grand kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the state or the president of the Customary Court of Appeal of the state. Appeal from the National and State House of Assembly lie to the Court of Appeal and ends there – section 7(3) CFRN (second alteration).

The governorship election tribunal has the same as the National and State House of Assembly in section 2 of CFRN (second alteration) Act. Appeal from the governorship election tribunal lie to the Court of Appeal and then to the Supreme Court. Section 6(2)(e)(vi) CFRN (second alteration) Act. It is the only election tribunal that enjoys two appeals.

The jurisdiction of the Magistrate court has a flat rate. In Lagos state under the Magistrate Court Law, the flat rate is N10, 000, 000 (ten million). Their jurisdiction is in the following areas

• Personal actions arising from tort and contracts
• Action between landlord and tenant for possession
• Action for recovery of any penalty, rates, expenses etc
• Appointment of guardian ad litem
• Power to grant injunctions

A Magistrate court would have jurisdiction when excess of claim is abandoned. It does not have jurisdiction in issue of title to land or any interest in land; issue as to the validity of devise, bequest or limitation under any will or settlement.

District courts have civil jurisdiction in north. The Sharia Court of Appeal must be established for the FCT but for other states, it is optional. Same for Customary Court of Appeal.

Customary and Area Courts
In the south, it is the Customary court. In Lagos state, the AG of Lagos state is empowered under the Customary Court Law to establish a single grade of customary court. The Customary court has jurisdiction over persons who are subject to customary law. In the north, appeal lie from upper Area court to Sharia Court of Appeal.. The jurisdiction of the Area court is subject to that contained in the warrant establishing it.

Section 270(1) CFRN, 1999 creates a High Court for each state and section 255(1) CFRN, 1999 create the High Court of the FCT.

Composition of States High Court – a chief judge and such number of judges as prescribed by law of the House of Assembly of that state or Act of National Assembly for FCT.

Constitution of States High Court – at least one judge of the court. If the state high court is more than one judge then all the judges must be judge of the state high court. This is the decision of Oloriegbe v. Omotosho.

Appointment to State High Courts – chief judge is appointed by the governor on recommendation of NJC and confirmation by the House of Assembly of the state. For other judges, no need of confirmation by House of Assembly – section 271(1)(a) & (b) CFRN 1999.

Qualification to State High Court – at least 10 years at bar.

Jurisdiction – subject to section 251, 254 of the third alteration of the CFRN, 1999. The National Industrial Court and Federal High Court are courts of enumerated jurisdiction. Thus once a matter is not within the jurisdiction of the state high court. Despite the restriction on the jurisdiction of the state, it is still the court with largest jurisdiction. Once jurisdiction given to other court is not specify to be exclusive, it share concurrent jurisdiction with such court. Original jurisdiction relate to wills, title to land inter alia. It has appellate jurisdiction to hear matter from the Magistrate (south) or District (north) and supervisory jurisdiction over Customary and Area courts.

Section 249 (1) of CFRN, 1999 created the Federal High Court.

Composition – a chief judge and such other number of judges as prescribed by the Act of National Assembly.. section 249(2) CFRN 1999.

Constitution – section 253 CFRN at least one judge

Appointment – section 250, same as Court of Appeal

Qualification – at least 10 years at the bar.

Jurisdiction – section 251(1) (a)-(s) CFRN, 1999. In addition to other jurisdiction to be conferred by an Act of National Assembly, it has exclusive jurisdiction in the following matters

• Revenue of the government of the federation whether it or its organ as a plaintiff or defendant.

• Taxation of a company, bodies established to carry on business and persons subject to federal tax. Companies Income tax – Federal High Court; Personal Income Tax – state of residence; residents of Abuja are subject to federal taxation but those in other states, Personal Income Tax.

• Customs, excise duties, export duties, claim against Nigeria Customs Service or any member or office relating to performance of their duties.

• Banking, bank, other financial institution. Action between bank and bank. Action against CBN relating to final measures. However, no exclusive jurisdiction as between transaction involving a customer and his bank. There is a difference between banking policy and transaction (concurrent with State High Court), policy-mergers, revocation of banking license, capital, examination of banks, fiscal measures are within the exclusive jurisdiction of Federal High Court.

• Operation of CAMA or any law replacing CAMA. For instance, removal of a director by Federal High Court

• Any law on intellectual property, copyright, patents, business name, trade mark, industrial designs.

• Admiralty matter, shipping, carriage by sea, River Niger, River Benue, other inland waterways designated to be international waterways, federal ports.

• Diplomatic, consular and trade representation

• Citizenship, deportation, extradition, immigration, emigration, nationalization

• Bankruptcy and insolvency

• Aviation and safety of aircraft

• Arms, ammunition, explosives

• Drugs and poisons

• Mines and minerals

• Weights and measures

• Interpretation of the constitution that affect federal government or any of its agencies.

• Action, declaration, injunction affecting validity of executive or administrative

• Such other exclusive civil jurisdiction to be conferred on it by an Act of National Assembly.

Section 237(1) CFRN creates the Court of Appeal

Composition - President of the CA plus not less than 49 is outdated provision, as at the last time there is a bill before the National Assembly proposing at least 89 justices - President plus 89 justices with at least 3 learned in Islamic law and 3 in Customary law.

Constitution: At least 3 in exercising an original jurisdiction and in appeal from Sharia Court of Appeal or Customary Court of Appeal, 3 justices learned in Islamic personal law or customary law as the case may be. Section 247(1)(a)&(b) CFRN.

Qualification: At least 12 years at the bar.
Jurisdiction: The Court of Appeal has both original and appellate jurisdiction. Original jurisdiction - section 239(1)

• Valid election to the office of the president/vice president.
• The term of office of president/vice president has ceased
• The office of the president/vice president has become vacant.

Appellate jurisdiction - section 240 of CFRN

• State High Court
• Federal High Court
• High Court of FCT
• Customary Court of Appeal of a state
• Court martial
• Sharia Court of Appeal of FCT and a State
• National Industrial Court
• National and State House of Assembly Election Tribunals
• Governorship Election Tribunal
• Code of Conduct Buruea Tribunal.

By virtue of the second alteration to the 1999 constitution, in section 246(3) the decision of the Court of Appeal in respect of appeals arising from the National and State Houses of Assembly Election petition Tribunal shall be final. Also, the decisions in respect of civil appeals from the NIC is final. Section 243(4)

Non-governmental organizations are usually set up with the intention of contributing to the development of communities. They are always out to solve challenges that might have left people [within their area of influence] in poor conditions. However, there are a number of factors that could limit the impact of an NGO, and one of such is finance. The fact that NGOs are not established for profit-making purposes could even make the financial burden hard to bear thus leading to its closure. And it is for the reason of sustaining the activities of different NGOs that some funders exist.

So, besides the humanitarian aids and/or philanthropic donations that may come from individual partners, families, friends and some private organizations, you [as an NGO] can get help from the following international funders:

Oak Foundation
Oak Foundation is committed to providing funds for organizations that have the drive to better the lives of others within the society particularly in the areas of human rights, child abuse, humanitarian reliefs, issues of environmental concerns amongst other pressing concerns. The foundation makes funds in the region of over US$180 million available annually for different projects. And while a host of their programmes is specific to certain regions or countries, openings still exist for other non-governmental organizations around the world especially developing nations. Visit Oak Fund Website to find out more.

The Nippon Foundation
Japan-based foundation devotes funds to an array of projects that are tailored towards alleviating various concerns. NGOs, in this part of the world, that are dedicated to raising awareness on leprosy and eliminating the stigmatization [that is often attached to the disease] as well as those advancing the cause food security and human capacity building can benefit from the support provided by this foundation. Also, groups [and individuals] that direct their focus on the sustainability of the ocean may also get some help from the Nippon foundation’s programs for global ocean issues. More information at Nippon's Website

Stars Foundation
Stars foundation’s ultimate goal is to put smile on the faces of underprivileged children and young people, and it hopes to reach about 20 million people by the year 2020. The foundation works with and provide support for registered non-governmental organisations that share its vision across the globe. More so, it aims to address issues such as child trafficking, child marriage and every form of child abuse in general. Visit http://www.starsfoundation.org.uk

United Nations Human Rights Commission (voluntary trust fund on contemporary forms of slavery)
The Human Rights arm of the United Nations provides support for NGOs catering to the social, legal, empowerment and medical needs of individuals whose freedom has been ruinously encroached upon in any way – for instance, forced marriage, slavery, forced labour and suchlike. The call for proposal is currently open and you can read more about this at https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/slavery/unvtfcfs/pages/whatthefundis.aspx

Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA)
Advocacy groups within the country [or those outside its border] with great interest in promoting the rule of law, anti-corruption fight, freedom of expression, equality, good governance, and sustainability of democratic process within the West African region may look to OSIWA for some assistance. More information available at www.osiwa.org.

Suez Foundation
Suez foundation focuses on attending to certain basic – water and sanitary needs in particular – and social needs of the underprivileged in different communities across the developing world. More importantly, the foundation tends to direct its resources towards the actualisation of sustainable development goals (SDG). It partners with NGOs that are in tune with this vision, and is open to receiving request for proposal at any time of the year. Read more on Suez foundation’s mission and vision, and how to solicit for fund at https://www.suez.com/en/who-we-are/A-committed-group/The-Fondation-SUEZ.

Abilis Foundation
Abilis foundation is keen on protecting the interest of persons with disabilities. By working with other organisations, it aims to preserve the rights of this set of individuals, and also ensure that they are empowered to the extent of living an independent life. NGOs with this shared vision can go to www.abilis.fi/en/to check out the foundation’s activities.

Air Liquide Foundation
Through its micro-initiative program, Air Liquide Foundation provides funds – not more than 8,000 euros – for registered NGOs as well as other bodies that come up with projects within the scope of its (Air Liquide Foundation’s) vision. The core areas of concern are environmental protection, health, science education and local community development. Link up with the foundation at https://www.fondationairliquide.com/en/one-foundation-four-missions

Addax and Oryx Foundation
This foundation which was established back in 2006, has a mandate to tackle the root causes of poverty in developing nations. It acts to give assistance to small non-governmental and non-profit organizations that work in line with this objective. Plus, it aims to achieve its set goals by empowering people through education; ensuring access to adequate healthcare and promoting sound community development. NGOs with ambition to cater to the needs of the underprivileged within the community can connect with Addax and Oryx Foundation via www.addax-oryx-foundation.org/en/the-foundation/our-mission.php

Van Tienhoven Foundation
Conservation of the ecosystem and endangered species is something that is often confined to the classrooms – rather than the fields – in this part of the world. As such, NGOs that are into upholding this cause may not get enough support on the home-front. This is however where the Van Tienhoven Foundation may come in. The foundation provides financial assistance to the tune of 10,000 euros for organizations that are dedicated to the aforementioned objective. Visit: www.vantienhovenfoundation.com/content.php