A WEEKLY pull-out 27.03.2018 ‘NigeriaN ELITE EVADE Taxes’ Professor Abiola Sanni 2/DASHBOARD 27.03.2018 Doctrine of Covering the Field Page 4 ‘Democratise Award of SAN Rank,’ – Falana Page 5 Lagos CJ, Sagay, Osipitan, Magu, Others to Grace NBA Rights Symposium Page 6 Lawyer: National Assembly Can Reorder Elections Schedule Page 6 QUOTABLES ‘Oil prices were at an average of $110 a barrel, and only N99 billion was spent on Power, Works, and Housing; and in one day, a hundred billion was issued, and people essentially shared it. When we talk about our economy, we talk about it as if it’s not that bad. ‘A Lawyer That is abnormal. I’m not saying that corruption under this administration, has been completely dealt with. Must be a Mini No, certainly not. Where corruption has become Encyclopaedia’ systematic, such as we have in our country today, you can’t deal with it in one fell swoop. It’s not possible ‘ Page 6 – Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria ‘We have been in negotiations with this faction of insurgents for quite a while, and one of the understandings was that, while we negotiate towards a total cessation of hostilities, there would be no abductions. So, for us, it was a moral issue. The The Passing of Government, led by its negotiators, reminded them of the agreement that there would be no abductions, that a Legal Icon: they had breached the agreement. That was why there was no swap. There was no money paid. Any other Chief Idowu story to the contrary, is false.’ Sofola, MON, – Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Lawyer, Honourable Minister of Information and Culture SAN Page 13 COLUMNIST ABUBAKAR D. SANI Abubakar D. Sani holds a Bachelors degree The Use of from the University of Maiduguri, and has been in active private legal practice since he Social Media was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987.He is the Principal of Abubakar D. Sani & Co., which has Within offices in Abuja and Kano. " INSIGHT" aims the Legal to unravel, analyse and proffer solutions to nu- merous anomalies in Nigerian law and practice, particularly Profession statutes, vis-a-vis the Constitution, International Treaties Page 14 and Conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory, Judicial Precedent and other relevant statutes and issues. ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE EDITOR JUDE IGBANOI DEPUTY EDITOR AKINWALE AKINTUNDE REPORTER TUNDE BUSARI GROUP HEAD OCHI OGBUAKU II ART DIRECTOR /3 Dapchi and the Shame of Northern Elite Return of Dapchi Girls and pass the GCE O levels or whatever 30%, while Kenya has spent 23%. In am extremely happy that majority examinations they now take to complete Nigeria’s case, it is interesting that the of the Dapchi girls have been secondary school, not understanding Military Governments spent more on returned to their families, safe, English? Are the examinations taken education, and that there has been a sound and unspoiled. I mourn in Vernacular/Hausa? downward trend from 1999 when Nigeria with the families that lost their Section 18(1) & (3) of the 1999 Constitu- became a democracy, from about 11% beloved daughters. May God tion of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to 7% budget allocation. Meanwhile, strengthen and comfort them, (as amended) (the Constitution), provide recurrent expenditure has been on a during this difficult time. Amen. respectively that “Government shall direct constant rise, which goes to show that As for Leah Shuaibu, the only its policy towards ensuring that there are Government is run more inefficiently young lady in this batch of girls equal and adequate educational opportu- without proper focus on crucial sectors ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE that is still in captivity, because she refused nities at all levels”, and “Government shall like education, as the years go by! to denounce her faith, I pray that God strive to eradicate illiteracy” providing willI touch the hearts of her abductors, when practicable, free education from Honourable Kazaure so that she will be returned home to primary to tertiary level, and even adult The other day, I saw a video clip THE her family unharmed. Amen. education programmes. It seems that, of Honourable Gudaji Kazuare, APC successive Governments have failed in Member representing the Kazaure/Roni/ Can the Girls Speak English? delivering on the constitutionally provided Gwiwa/Yankwashi Federal Constituency ADVOCatE That said, what struck me about the educational objectives, especially to some of Jigawa State, talking about Women [email protected] Chibok and Dapchi girls, is that at of the Northern States. Why are their purportedly to mark International secondary school level, these girls seem cut-off marks so low? Women’s Day. Honourable Kazaure is [email protected] unable to express themselves in English said to have obtained his WASC at the Language. Each time any of them has Low Budget Allocation for Education age of 22 in 1994, and did not seem to appeared on television to give some Why is it that people like Governor further his education after that. The video “IT IS TIME TO account or the other of their ordeals, Nasiru El-Rufai, who said that he is was hilarious, and at the same time, DECLARE A STATE OF the accounts have been given in Hausa. a beneficiary of our public education sad and somewhat derogatory towards Last Thursday, I watched a clip of an system, are properly educated and women. His command of the English EMERGENCY IN THE interview of one of the Dapchi abductees, articulate, while we now have secondary Language was rather poor, leaving a lot AREA OF EDUCATION Khadija Grema, recounting their ordeal. school students in the same system, to be desired. He referred to women as The whole account was animatedly given that cannot even express themselves ‘womens’ and children as ‘childrens’, IN NIGERIA, BEFORE IT in Hausa. My question is, do these girls in English? The answer is that, our saying that women should only be giving not understand the English Language? I educational system is in shambles! so much opportunity, so that they do IS TOO LATE. IF NOT, am beginning to suspect that they may The quality of our educational system not take over from men. That women ONE DAY IN THE NOT not! Considering the fact that English in Nigeria, has fallen to rock bottom, were meant to serve men, and that if is our official language in Nigeria, and ground zero. In our grandparents days, they took over the Chamber (which he TOO FAR FUTURE, WE pupils and students are supposed to be those that studied up to ‘Standard 6’, pronounced as ‘Chambas’), they would taught in English, how can this be? that is, passing out of Primary School, mess up! I know that members of the WILL WAKE UP AND There is a message which has made the seem to have been more literate and House of Representatives travel abroad DISCOVER THAT WE rounds on social media, about the National educated, than some of our Secondary to meet their counterparts, and attend Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) School finalists of today. all sorts of programmes; I wondered ARE ONE OF THE MOST cut-off mark for each State in Nigeria, Successive Nigerian Governments, whether Honourable Kazaure would BACKWARD COUNTRIES for the 2017/2018 session. Where Imo have failed to allocate enough funds understand anything, if he was part State has the highest cut-off mark of 66% for the development of education. While of any of those trips abroad, and what IN AFRICA, BECAUSE without any discrimination between males UNESCO has recommended that 15%-20% positive contribution he would be able and females, for the same examination, budget allocation for education is the to make. Making the kind of submission WE ARE A MOSTLY Sokoto State has the lowest cut-off mark international benchmark, Nigeria has he made on the floor of the House UNEDUCATED NATIOn” of 7% for females, while Zamfara State consistently been allocating something of Representatives at a forum abroad, comes in second to the last with 14% for in the region of 6%-7% since the return would be seen as the ‘faux pas’ that males and 12% for females. According to civilian rule, less than half of the it was, highly offensive, derogatory to the table, Yobe has 20% while Borno recommended budget allocation. It is and discriminatory (to use the latest has 33% cut-off marks for both sexes. therefore, no surprise, that our educational Nigerian slang, “hate speech” against My next question is, how does a person system is in such a deplorable condition. women!). Yet he holds such an esteemed Hawking. who only needs 7%, which is closer to 0%, For 2018, the budgetary allocation for position, and is responsible for making and an abysmal failure by any standard education in Nigeria its 7.04%, that is, laws etc for the country! State of Emergency worldwide, get into the same class and about N60.5 billion or so out of an N8.6 Honourable Kazaure, "It is not It is time to declare a state of emergency compete with someone that gets 66%? A trillion budget. Other smaller African scientific proof of gender equality in the area of education in Nigeria, before person that gets 7%, I am sorry to say, countries, spend more on education than that is required, but general ac- it is too late. If not, one day in the not too knows next to nothing! How does such a Nigeria. Ghana has spent up to 31% of ceptance that women are at least the far future, we will wake up and discover person, go through secondary education, its budget on education, Ivory Coast equals of men or better."~ Stephen that we are one of the most backward countries in Africa, because we are a mostly uneducated nation.