Court awards N4m damages to Punch, columnist against Obasanjo
An FCT High Court has imposed the sum of N4 million cost in favour of Punch and its columnist, Sonala Olumhense, against former President Olusegun Obasanjo over a defamation suit.
Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi in her ruling held that N2 million to both defendants was the cost of the action.
Obasanjo had filed a defamation suit demanding the sum of N1
The African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said they have voted $1 billion to further deliver special agroindustrial processing zones in 24 states of Nigeria.
This is in addition to an initial $520 million voted by the development partners for the development of eight special agroindustrial processing zones in Nigeria.
President of African Development Bank Group, Dr billion in damages against the newspaper in 2019 following an article which questioned his account of Nigerian history.
According to the copy of the ruling obtained by Daily Trust Saturday, the award followed the application by Obasanjo’s counsel, Emmanuel Bisong Otinyia Esq for the discontinuance of the matter and for it to be struck out.
However, following the application for discontinuance, counsel to Punch and Olumhense, R.O. Adakole and Sam Ogala
Akinwumi A. Adesina, disclosed this at the Norman Borlaug International Dialogue, World Food Prize 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa, United States of America.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is attending the event in pursuance of the food security and diversification policy of the Tinubu administration, had on Wednesday delivered his keynote address at the ongoing dialogue.
Delivering his speech titled, “From Dakar to Des Moines,” Dr Adesina said the decision to pump such huge funds into Nigeria’s agribusiness was part of the resolve to develop Special Agro-Industrial
Esq respectively demanded the payment of N3m in costs for the travels and filing of processes and for the matter to be dismissed.
“Having dismissed this suit, it is trite that costs follow events. Case has definitely incurred a lot of costs and counsel at times has had to travel from outside jurisdiction to attend court.
“Both counsel have sought a cost of N3m only each but I hereby award the sum of N2m only each to the 1st and 2nd defendants as cost of this action,” the judge ruled.
Processing Zones (SAPZs) in 13 countries.
Dr Adesina regretted that while much progress had “been made in African agriculture, 283 million people still go to bed hungry in Africa, about a third of the 828 million people that suffer hunger globally.”
Also speaking during the fireside chat with the AfDB President, Vice President Kashim Shettima who spoke on the Tinubu administration’s initiatives for food security said the quality of present leadership in Nigeria and the rest of Africa will drive transformation in agriculture and other sectors.
Aformer governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Dr Kayode Fayemi, has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory at the Supreme Court, saying the affirmation at the apex court was a demonstration of the principles of fairness and justice.
Fayemi in a statement by Mallam Ahmad Sajoh, Head, Fayemi Media Office, said the victory has further validated the win of President Tinubu at the polls, which was a testament to the faith Nigerians have in the APC and in the president’s ability to steer the ship of the state.
“In celebrating the president’s victory, we must also be mindful of the need to avoid triumphalism,” he said, while acknowledging the importance of running an inclusive government.
He urged President Tinubu to embrace the spirit of inclusivity by reaching out to his political competitors and fostering an atmosphere of unity.
Fayemi congratulates Tinubu on Supreme Court victory