It is not about being eloquent; matters of the Judiciary are not for eloquent speakers or natural thinkers.

Court orders are Orders where Reliefs are sought! As long as Orders have been made, they are enforceable until a higher court says otherwise. And that is why the Appellant, Gov Fubara is on his way to the Supreme Court even though his case is helpless. Only a political Solution can help him now.

The law is clear. Defection means you have first left your party and joined another party by registration in your Ward. After which you can now flaunt your membership card or flag. You don’t announce your membership before you are registered. What if the party refuses to accept you? The only evidence of membership of a party or organisation or even a Church is your name listed in the membership register and an ID or card or another evidence issued to you. That’s how it is also with leaving your party for another. You can announce that you are leaving but it can only amount to legality when you fulfill the requirement for the membership of the other party. Let me even stop here. The judgment of Justice Lifu of the FHC Abuja has punctured that issue of defection. You need to get it. It has further validated what Justice Gbasam of the Rivers State High Court had earlier ruled. The Governor failed to give reasons at the trial court why he presented the budget to Ehie Edison. That’s what the Appeal Court ruled. He cannot remedy it at a higher Court. Section 109 subsection 1g is very clear. Individual members of the Assembly represent different constituencies where they were voted for. If they are leaving for another party, they MUST write their individual letters to the Speaker who will read each of the letters according to this section. There is nothing like group defection with a group letter, which even doesn’t exist. The onus is on those who claim that the 27 lawmakers have defected to prove their case with evidence before the FHC as stated by the Constitution. We are still waiting for that evidence till now. Dem go explain tire, no evidence.

On the So-Called Affidavit:

Let me also help you to comprehend the facts of the matter as it lies with the laws: the issue is not before any court as it stands now. It was a suit filed by Amaewhule and 26 others before Justice Okorowo formerly of the FHC. The Affidavits were not pleaded before the court. With the Judge promoted to the Appeal Court, the case can only be reassigned to another Judge by the CJ of the FHC. Till today, it has not and the litigants are no longer pursuing the matter having gotten Justice from the Court of Appeal. It may also interest you to note that the so-called Affidavit of “we defected” has been amended to read “intention to defect”. So, where does your argument fit in? You don’t need to dissipate energy. This is for the benefit of those who may unknowingly believe the distorted position on the matter.

The Governor-elect of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Wednesday, told banks and other financial institutions to avoid approving loans to any government official in the outgoing Godwin Obaseki-led administration.

Okpebholo appealed in a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday night. Less than one month to hand over of power in Edo state, the Governor-Elect,  Senator Monday Okpebholo, has the raised alarm over the massive looting of government funds and properties by officials of the out-going administration.

In a statement, Senator Okpebholo accused the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration of taking unscrupulous loans from banks and other financial institutions while government officials were also feasting on properties including vehicles, furniture and rice, looting them with careless abandon.

Okpebholo in the statement said: “With a great shock, we regret the widespread reports of looting of government funds and properties by officials of the out-going administration from the Government House, Benin City.

“It is sad that barely one month to handover, the out-going administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki is still allegedly obtaining loans from banks and other financial institutions under very shady headings.

“We are also aware of the massive looting and vandalisation of properties including vehicles, furniture, gadgets, household utensils and even carpets from offices and residences of Edo state Government.

“This unacceptable behavior undermines the trust and faith of our citizens in those entrusted to serve them in the past 8 years.”

Sounding a note of warning, the statement added that “banks and other financial institutions are by this notice, cautioned to desist from any dealings that will undermine the finances of the state, especially giving out of loans to government at this period of transition.

“The Accountant General of Edo state, is hereby advised to uphold the principle of integrity in his duty, as the only act that will put his name in gold. There will be dire consequences for any act of impunity and stealing on any person or institution found wanting in this regard.”

Okpebholo, however added that the incoming administration will continue to monitor the situation until the last day of the out-going administration.

The statement concluded by saying that Okpebholo will not condone any form of unethical behavior as he stresses zero-tolerance for corruption.

Some residents of Lagos State have expressed concerns over the proposed move by the state government to ban single-use plastics (SUPs) and sachet water, saying that it will lead to loss of jobs and disrupt economic activities.

The residents, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, appealed to the state government to rethink the proposed ban.

Recall that Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, during a stakeholders’ workshop, recently announced plans to ban SUPs and sachet water by January 2025.

Wahab said the policy is designed to establish sustainable guidelines for managing plastic waste while protecting public health and the environment.

He noted that styrofoam and single-use plastics take centuries to degrade, making the ban essential for environmental protection.

Wahab said the Lagos State Government was working closely with private sector organizations to provide alternatives for styrofoam containers and other SUPs while supporting research into new technological solutions.

The proposed ban has sent shockwaves through the manufacturing and retail sectors, sparking fears of job losses, economic disruption, and uncertainty among stakeholders.

The ban has also raised concerns among water vendors who rely heavily on sachet water for their livelihood.

A Lagos resident and Sales Manager at Aremson Water Ltd., Ojo First Gate, Mr. Akinyemi Bolaji, told NAN that the ban would make a lot of people unemployed.

“I am more particular about employment. The ban will not favor anyone, and it will make thousands of people lose their source of livelihood.

“On the other hand, what is the reason for the ban? People are consuming it daily, so is there any way the government is putting it out to give people clean water?

“There should be other alternatives to curb the whole recycling issue,” he said.

While commending the government for the initiative, he, however, appealed for a better alternative to ensure the ban won’t affect the jobs of people in the water business.

“The government should help in educating the people on proper disposal, as it’s written on the body of the plastic.

“Eradicating all these factories that produce the SUPs is not the best way. It’s a solution in one aspect and hazardous in another,” he said.

He advised the government to place a bin at every bus stop and house to curb the problem of single-use plastics blocking the drainage.

A retail water seller, Mrs. Vera Osiyemi, said that sachet water had been the best way of curbing cholera.

“I don’t think it is going to be possible. This is what everyone consumes. If the government bans it, does it mean we are going back to our old way of selling iced water?”

“The solution is to create awareness, educate the people on how to dispose of it properly, and provide bins. Just like we had in the old days, it was in every house,” Osiyemi said.

Another seller, Mrs. Afusat Ajibola, said that the ban might not be possible because the main idea was to get clean water.

“So, if the government eventually bans it, it will result in a serious cholera outbreak.

“It is not possible. The government can ban it, but it cannot work. There is no way we are going back to selling iced water,” she said.

She added that the government might have a way of controlling those who consume it.

“It is to provide bins and continue to keep Lagos clean,” she said.

Another retailer, Miss Joy Okafor, said she was not aware of the proposed ban.

“Even if there would be a ban, we should understand that it’s not just the single-use and sachet nylon water that block the drainage.

“There are other causes, like disposables, as well.

“The government knows what is best, but in this case, it is not possible. Will they provide clean pipe-borne water for streets and houses?

“What will be the next step of the government? The only thing I’m seeing is more unemployment, because people sell it to make ends meet,” she said.

She said the government should look for a means to curb the problem at disposal and not banning it.

Mr. Chinedu Eze, a water distributor, said he was uncertain about what would happen next after the ban.

“I have been in the business for years. Now, I’m uncertain about the future. This isn’t just about access to water; it’s about the survival of thousands of us,” he said.

Another Lagos resident, simply identified as Mummy Boma, a street vendor, told NAN that the proposed ban would affect her livelihood.

“Selling pure water helps me feed my children and send them to school. Bottled water is too expensive to buy or sell in bulk.

“The government should rather enforce stricter regulations on sachet water producers to ensure better quality control and hygiene standards,” she said.

A resident and medical doctor, Dr. Olufemi Adeyemi, opined that Lagosians could lose access to potable and affordable water due to the ban.

“Though some sachet water contains contaminated water due to lack of regulation, the government needs to provide alternative safe water sources before any ban is enforced.

“Without proper preparation, banning ‘pure water’ could leave millions of Nigerians without a reliable and affordable water option.

“Instead of an outright ban, the government could invest in public water systems to ensure a reliable supply of clean water in both urban and rural areas,” he said.

He added that this would reduce the population’s dependence on sachet water.