Month: June 2024

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has congratulated Comrades Marathon champions, Piet Wiersma of the Netherlands and South Africa’s Gerda Steyn, for winning the 97th edition of the marathon on Sunday.

Wiersma won the men’s race ahead of South Africa’s Dan Moselakwe, while Steyn won the women’s marathon, clocking a time of 5 hours 49 minutes.

‘I am elated to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Comrades Marathon. All who participated in the 97th edition of the Comrades Marathon are champions in their own right and their efforts have made the country and the province proud.

‘On behalf of the provincial government and the people of KwaZulu-Natal, we congratulate the over 20 600 runners from different countries of the world who came to KwaZulu-Natal to participate in this gruelling 86-kilometre uprun marathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. We also appreciate the spectators who lined up along the route to cheer up the runners and kept them motivated’ Dube-Ncube said.

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ll wishes for officers in Comrades

The Premier also acknowledged the 5 000 volunteers, who kept the runners safe and hydrated throughout the marathon and worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the event.

She said the race is indeed not just a race, but a celebration of human potential and community made possible by the runners’ unwavering commitment and hard work.

‘This race continues to be a beacon of hope and a symbol of what is possible when we come together in the spirit of unity and perseverance. The Comrades Marathon is often revered as the ultimate human race, and is a unique and historic event that transcends the boundaries of sport.

‘It embodies the very essence of human endurance, camaraderie, and the pursuit of excellence. This year’s marathon has once again highlighted the remarkable feats that can be accomplished through perseverance and an unwavering commitment to one’s goals.

Dube-Ncube also noted that this year’s Comrades brought a much-needed economic boost to the economy of the prov
ince, with both Pietermaritzburg and Durban reporting high accommodation occupancy rates.

The Premier further acknowledged the sponsors who continue to make the Comrades Marathon a global iconic event.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Edward Asante, says the adoption of the electronic case management system (ECMS) by the court is crucial to efficient contemporary justice delivery.

Justice Asante stated this at the unveiling of the ECMS sensitization and training programme on Monday in Lomé, Togo, the court stated.

Asante explained that the programme was for lawyers from member states, stressing that it marked a crucial step in improving access to justice and efficiency of judicial procedures within the ECOWAS region.

‘The main objective of this programme is the sensitisation and training of lawyers and government agents from ECOWAS member states on the use of the new electronic filing and case management system.

‘The adoption of the ECMS marks a crucial step in improving access to justice and efficiency of judicial procedures within the ECOWAS region,’ the CCJ President said.

Asante disclosed that the Court accelerated its transition towards digitalisation of judicial procedu
res by adopting practical guidelines for ECMS and virtual hearings following the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘The notable innovations include electronic filing of documents, electronic service of notices of registration and the holding of virtual hearings, which all represent a significant advancement in the court’s modernisation of judicial processes.

‘Furthermore, it aims to make the court more accessible and efficient by allowing lawyers to file documents, receive notifications, and attend virtual hearings via a secure web interface,’ he added.

Asante said the initiatives aimed to equip legal practitioners with the necessary knowledge to use the ECMS effectively.

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He stressed that the court had played a central role in interpreting and applying Community legal texts and protecting human rights since 2005.

The CCJ president said the Lomé programme was the first in a series of sensitisation and training programs, with tw
o others slated for Accra, Ghana (for anglophone lawyers), and Praia, Cape Verde (for lusophone lawyers).

He, therefore, encouraged all the participants to seize the opportunity of the training and fully engage in it.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CCJ is ECOWAS’ judicial organ, mandated to resolve disputes related to its treaties, protocols and conventions, and also entertain individual human rights violations complaints.

It was established under the Lagos Treaty of 1975 and became operational in 2001.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mr Mohammed Ndarani, says the Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC) should be properly funded to deliver on its mandate.

Ndarani said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that the commission should be enabled to deliver on its mandate by constantly researching, reviewing, and reforming laws in the land.

The NLRC has the responsibility to conduct research, take and keep under review, all federal laws, with a view to their systematic and progressive development and reform.

It is mandated to do so in consonance with the prevailing norms of Nigerian society, to codify such laws, eliminate anomalies, repeal obsolete, spent, and unnecessary enactments, reform procedural laws in consonance with changes within the machinery of administration of justice.

The Commission can also, among other means, perform its functions based on proposals for law reform made or referred to it by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) or the
National Assembly.

It can also, by its own initiative, propose a programme for examination of different branches of law for reform, and submit same to the Attorney-General and the National Assembly.

Ndarani said that the NLRC needed to be more proactive in addressing obsolete and outdated laws in the country.

He noted that the presence of obsolete sections and aspects of the nation’s laws was one of the major problems bedevilling its economic progress and development.

The senior advocate said that such laws do not have any practical relevance to the realities of today’s Nigeria but were still being relied upon as binding.

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‘The presence of laws which are not in alignment with the laws in operation in the countries with which we do business would defeat the intendment of such operations as it would erode the basis for such activity,’ he added.

According to him, such laws also erode and retard administration of justice based on the nature of
their prescriptions and fines imposed, when considered against present day realities.

‘Examples include Sections 210 (Witchcraft) and 370 (Bigamy) of the criminal Code Acts and criminal Code Laws of States.

‘Witchcraft Act stipulates that anyone caught practicing magic and witchcraft has committed an offence. The problem is how do you ascertain what is magic and witchcraft? No one has been tried and convicted of this offence till date.

‘Bigamy refers to the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another.

‘It applies to both men and women, especially under the Matrimonial Causes Act. No one has been successfully prosecuted on this offence since the law was made.

‘The legality and validity of this law is put to serious question in the light of cultural and Islamic values which support marriage to more than one wife at the same time”.

He, however, noted that only Lagos State had decriminalised bigamy, which meant that it was no longer a crime in Lagos State to marry
another woman/man, where there was an already existing valid statutory marriage.

He said although NLRC was established in 1979 to reform in consonance with changes within the machinery of administration of justice, it had not been able to achieve much in relation to the mandate.

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Ndarani said that dependence on obsolete and outdated laws limited development of the country.

‘The exclusivity of the rights vested on the federal government is what has made several states lazy as they just wait to receive and share monies accruing to them from the federal allocation every month.

‘These laws make us bound to misguided policies of exploitation, frustrate import – export substitution, and diversification drives,’ he said.

According to him, obsolete maritime laws in the country also result in huge losses.

He said that any law that does not reflect the realities of the present day, in science, technological development, cultural advanceme
nt should not be lavishly deployed.

‘This is one sure path to a better Nigeria and also a good path to pulling this country out of the woods,” the senior advocate said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Wonder Woman has called for increased collaboration by stakeholders to address

menstrual hygiene issues among secondary school students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The group’s Vice President, Anne Dirkling, made the call during sensitisation workshop at the Federal Government Girls’ Collage Bwari, FCT, on Friday.

She said it is normal to sensitise young girls to understand menstrual health hygiene and to normalise as a natural growth pattern for the female.

She acknowledged the struggles of girls and women in Nigeria who faced period stigma in society, which is why the NGO came up with the sensitisation workshop.

She added that the project in support of the French Embassy in Nigeria provided a platform for girls to learn about puberty and adolescence in a safe, open environment.

‘We have containers across the town for people to drop plastic waste, and in exchange, we distribute reusable sanitary pads and soaps,’ she said.

According to her, plastic is n
ot used to make pads but to gather, sell to bottle recycling companies, and use the funds to purchase menstrual hygiene kits for vulnerable girls and women in society.

‘The Plastic Pads Project is conducted in partnership with other parts and Bwari Area Council by placing containers around town to collect recyclable waste.

‘The proceeds are used to provide sanitary hygiene kits, reusable pads, and soap to girls in the community,’ Dirkling said.

She emphasised the importance of normalising menstruation where girls could openly discuss and understand menstrual health, noting that ‘this would be possible by encouraging conversations and providing necessary products.

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‘The initiative aims to empower girls, reduce school absenteeism, and ensure they remain confident and focused on their education.’

The NGO Programme manager, Mr Kumbet Longdi, said the aim of the workshop is to inspire girls to take action for a period-friendly environment, thereby encou
raging them to gather plastic waste in exchange for sanitary pads.

One of the students, Blessing Efeoghene, who came overall best in the questions and answers session, commended the NGO for the initiative, saying ‘we will ensure that more plastic waste are gathered and deposited in the container given to us by the NGO.’

Thr News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the programme, a container was launched at the school, and 170 menstrual hygiene kits were distributed to the students.

The group explored various aspects of menstruation, societal perceptions, and the importance of menstrual health and hygiene through educative sessions and games with the students.

NAN reports that menstruation, or period, is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman’s monthly cycle, indicating the absence of pregnancy.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The first sitting of the National Assembly is expected to be held at 10am on Friday.

This, according to a statement released by the Office of Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

South Africans cast their votes on 29 May in the country’s most contested elections since the dawn of democracy.

Section 51(1) of the Constitution empowers the Chief Justice to call the first sitting of the National Assembly after national elections.

‘During the first sitting of Parliament the Chief Justice will administer the prescribed oath or affirmation, as the case may be, to members of the National Assembly.

‘This is an oath or affirmation of faithfulness to the Republic and obedience to the Constitution which section 48 of the Constitution requires members of the National Assembly to take before they may perform their duties as members of the National Assembly,’ the statement read.

This will be preceded by the election – by the members – of the Speaker of the National Assembly.

‘Once the Speaker of the National Assembly has bee
n elected, he or she will then preside over the election of the Deputy Speaker. After the Deputy Speaker has been elected, the Chief Justice will then take over again and preside over the election of the President,’ the office explained.

The first sitting of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) is expected to be held on Saturday.

‘The Chief Justice will swear in, and administer the prescribed affirmation to members of the NCOP and thereafter preside over the election of the Chairperson of the NCOP. Thereafter, the Chairperson of the NCOP will preside over the election of the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP,’ the statement said.

According to the office, Judges-President in the provinces have been designated by the Chief Justice to ‘determine the first sittings of the Provincial Legislatures in their respective provinces’.

‘In terms of the Constitution such sittings are also required to take place not more than 14 days after the declaration of election results. The Judges-President will administer the pr
escribed oath / or affirmation to members of the Provincial Legislatures, preside over the election of the Speaker of the Legislature and the election of the Premier,’ the statement said.

The sitting of the National Assembly and the NCOP will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigeria Youth League (N-Youth League), Robinson Adakosa, says the League will expose budding and skillful players to limelight.

Adakosa stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

He said that the management of the league would ensure that its objective of getting the best legs from the grassroots was actualised.

He thanked the Ministry of Sports Development for endorsing the upcoming N-Youth League.

Adakosa also expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and the Federal Capital Territory Football Association (FCT-FA), for their support.

He said the endorsement by the football bodies was a proof that the sports administrators want the best for the country’s football from the grassroots level.

The administrator said that their actions also showed that they believe in the youths to be the projectors of Nigerian football to the outside world.

He pro
mised not to let Nigeria down, adding that management will give its best in ensuring that the objective of the competition was strictly adhered to.

‘Our target is to expose budding, skillful and talented players to the national and international limelight.

‘Our target is equally to promote Nigerian football on the global stage. So, with the endorsement of the League, we promise not to let Nigeria down.’

‘We will make sure that the League is in line with the best global practices and regulations governing football worldwide,’ Adakosa stated.

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While noting that registration for participating clubs has commenced since June 1, he urged that the rules and guidelines should be strictly followed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2024 Nigeria Youth League will commence in September.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria