PRESS STATEMENT
A YEAR AFTER MY ONE MONTH INCARCERATION FOR “CONTEMPT OF COURT”: JUSTICE YET TO BE SERVED.
Exactly one year ago, precisely on July 27, 2022, I was remanded in the Correctional Centre (prison) for one month by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, His Lordship, Hon. Justice Ekaette Fabian-Obot, for alleged contempt of court.
The Chief Judge never gave me the opportunity to defend myself. I was not put in the dock. I was not tried. No charge was prepared against me or read to me. No opportunity was given to me to say anything.
I flew into Uyo from Abuja the previous day to represent Leo Ekpenyong, Esq. in two libel suits filed by the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel and Senator Effiong Bob.
I arrived the court that historic morning in company of my colleague, Augustine Asuquo Esq, hoping to offer my professional services to my client as required of me. However, it was obvious that the agenda for the day was specifically to send me to prison for daring to file applications asking the Honourable Chief Judge to recuse herself from the two libel cases on grounds of bias or likelihood of bias.
Before that day, His Lordhsip had threatened to send me to prison and had called me the most unprintable names imaginable. One would have thought that when the impartiality of a court is being challenged by way of an application for recusal, the court should stay action on every other matter and determine such an application which goes to the very heart and foundation of our justice system.
In this case, I filed the two motions for refusal on the 23rd day of June, 2022. The two cases came up on the 24th day of June, 2022; and the 29th day of June, 2022 and again on the 27th day of July, 2022.
If the excuse for ignoring the motions on 24th and 29th June, 2022 was that they were not ripped for hearing, what was the excuse for not taking the applications on the 27th July, 2022? Should a court continue with hearing of the substantive case when there is a pending motion calling into question, the neutrality of the court? I will leave this question for the courts, and possibly the National Judicial Council (NJC) to decide.
Anyone who has concerns on whether these motions for recusal were well founded in law and in facts, should kindly take time and read through the said motions and examine the grounds and evidence in support thereof.
Introducing Hi-wear, a pair of smart shoes I made with my team. These shoes counts your steps, measure your weight and track your location. What are your thoughts on them? @Google@tayoainafilms@fosudo#tech#techtrends#prototype
Someone sent me some screenshots he saw here on twitter weeks ago. In the screenshots, a guy narrated how his father once told him how he once connived with someone at his mother's place of work just to prevent her from getting the deserved promotion she was aiming for back then.
To be a disabled Nigerian is a lonely, scary and isolated place. I have often struggled to articulate my Nigerian experience in a way people could understand.
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Bloopers 🤪🤪🤪🤪... you don't stand a chance at what you've not made effort towards.
Thanks to my amazing team of coaches.
.@chonkeajoseph
.@runwithsuzan
.@lemon8designz
I will like to personally invite you to R.I.D.E 1.0 (Revolutionary Ideas with Dynamic Effects).
RIDE™ is an initiative of the Mountain Top Center of #TTC. It was set up with the aim of inspiring and unleashing greatness in young and upward mobile professionals...
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@irizzzy_ I experienced a miracle for the first time during the 10:00am service at The Transforming Church (TTC) where reluctantly followed my mum to along side my sick wife. I have heard of Rev. Sam Oye through my mum as she frequently prays every morning with Rev. Oye. On that beautiful