New SAN, Paul Obi Tasks CJN on Judicial Reforms, Hails Crude-for-Naira Policy

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Sir Paul Obi, has urged the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to sustain the ongoing reforms at the apex court and the entire Nigerian judiciary to overcome the current challenges in the justice sector.
The senior lawyer also commended the federal government for embracing the Dangote Refinery and approving the crude-for-naira policy.
Obi stated these recently in Abuja at a ceremony organised to celebrate his elevation to the prestigious rank of SAN.
Obi, the Company Secretary of NIPCO Plc, was among the 87 successful lawyers recently conferred with the rank by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC).

Addressing journalists, Obi, who said he was 34 years at the Bar, thanked God for the honour to be a member of the “inner bar”, adding that the procedure for applying for the SAN rank was rigorous and very credible.
The senior lawyer, who emerged successful at his first application, advised lawyers to study the guidelines to ensure that they are technically qualified before they apply.
He said: “Yes the process is rigorous, but it has a high degree of integrity. It could be fine-tuned here and there, but all in all, it is a very credible and transparent process.”

Speaking on the high pump price of petrol, Obi commended the federal government for embracing the Dangote Refinery and for authorising the payment for crude oil supplied by the NNPC Limited to local refineries in naira.
Obi said the policy would curb the current volatility in petroleum pricing in the country and ease the people’s suffering.
“It is good that the government is trying to do the right thing. They have embraced the Dangote Refinery and are supplying crude oil to it in Naira, which frees the pressure on foreign exchange in the country.

“If one or two of the government’s refineries start working, then the pressure we are having in that sector will certainly reduce, if not wiped off. If the government’s refineries are working, everybody will be happy,” he said.
While faulting the process adopted in deregulating the nation’s petroleum sector, the senior lawyer stated that, “it is good to deregulate, because that would free funds for the government and will also engender healthy competition in the industry but, there are certain fundamental things that should have been done before this full deregulation”.

According to him, one or two government’s refineries should have been made to work before the deregulation.
He added that, “with them (public refineries) working or even one or two of them working, and Dangote’s own working, the Nigerian citizens and masses would not have been suffering what they are doing today if these (government’s) refineries were put in place before deregulation”.
Among dignitaries at the well-attended event were Justices Emmanuel Agim and Chioma Nwosu-Iheme (both of the Supreme Court), Justice Kenneth Amadi (of the Court of Appeal) and Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu (of the Federal High Court).
 Also at the event were Justice Emmanuel Sanyaolu (a retired judge of the Federal High Court), and Justice M. A. Oyafajo (of the Oyo State judiciary).
Justices Sadiq Abubakar and Tijani Abubakar (both of the Supreme Court) were represented.