by Our Reporter

The Federal Roads Safety Commission has filed a Motion in the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Abuja in Suit No. SC/117/2010 seeking for an Order for enlargement of time for it to cross-appeal against the Judgment of the Court of Appeal, Calabar Judicial Division in Appeal No. CA/C/17/2008 delivered on the 24th November, 2008.

It will recall that the Court of Appeal in a land mark judgment delivered on the 24th November, 2009 had held by virtue of the principles of federalism the Federal Road Safety Commission has no power to operate in State Roads particularly Marian Road, Calabar which is constructed and maintained by the Government of Cross River State of Nigeria not the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The Court of Appeal held further that the jurisdiction of the Federal Roads Safety Commission is only restricted to maintaining safety on Public Highways or Roads owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Court of Appeal held that the word'' public highway'' used by the legislature of Section 16 (1) of the Federal Road Safety Commission Act, 2004 means public highways as defined by section 28 of the Federal Highways Act, Cap. F, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

That it also means that road specified as Federal Highways by the Federal Highways (Declaration) Order No. 1, 2 and 3. The Motion was filed on the 7th June, 2010 in the Registry of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Abuja by the Counsel to the Commission, Rob Iweka, SAN.

In the affidavit in support of the Motion, the Commission averred that it was unable to file the Cross-Appeal within the 90 days allowed by the Supreme Court Rules from the day of delivery of Judgment because the registry of the Court of Appeal, Calabar delayed in making available a copy of the judgment to enable it filed its Notice of Appeal.

In his reaction to the Motion, the Respondent, Barrister Okoi Obono-Obla urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the Motion for being incompetent. The Respondent averred in his Counter-Affidavit that the delay in obtaining a copy of a judgment is not a good reason why the Commission refused to file it Notice of Appeal within time. No date has been fixed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria for hearing of the Motion.

by Our Reporter

The outgoing General Assembly Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (PCN), Right Rev. (Dr.) Ubon Bassey Usung, has urged the President Good luck Jonathan to maintain the tributes he has already built by being sincere, honest to everybody, treat people equally not minding where such people come from particularly in Niger Delta.

“Let him know that God created all of us in his own image and we are his people, 2011 is at the corner, I advise him to honest, be sincere and truthful when he is dealing with electorate, let him not promise them what he will not be able to do, let him not bribe people to vote for him and he should ensue Nigerians free and fair elections”

Speaking with our correspondent shortly after farewell service organized by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Rev. Usung also urged the President to uphold the policies of government adding “Let there be no bending of the rules, when the game is up, you start bending the rules to favor you”

“When you said there is no third term, let there be no third term, let people not over night hurried you to bend the policy to favor certain people, allow the policy to be tested and use for some time before any changes, don't shift the goal post while the game is already on, when the game is through, then you can think of amending the rule, not when the game has already started” the Clergy advised.

Rev Usung explained that the emergence of Jonathan was a God's blessing to Nigeria, God knew that with Jonathan there will be peace in this country, otherwise, we were shifting to a fall and the country almost collapsed but with his emergence, God brought we have peace and salvation.

The Clergy however, call on other men of God to be humble, surrender themselves to God and allow God to direct their affairs, “If you don't do this, you may not succeed, that is one of the thing that has made me attend the height I had attended” and commended his immediate family for understanding that he was the father of all when he was serving.

Hear the Moderator, “My greatest blessing was the family I had, they understand that that I am called to be a father to all people, at night, morning and afternoon, they cooperated and supported, they were my strongest back bone after God, I love them” noting that he served God for 40 years.

In a sermon at the service held at the Hope Waddel Parish, Bishop Eneobong Ephraim of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World incorporated, Calabar described Bishop Usung as a man who has fully identified with the Kingdom of God having thrown away the things pertaining to the kingdom of the flesh where the natural man belongs.

According to him, “Rev. Usung has fought the good fight; he has obeyed the rules of the game as commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ,” and however charged the retiring cleric to continue the Lord's course for the remaining days of his life on earth.

Rev. Usung's tenure saw the upgrading of facilities at the General Assembly office, Aba, ensured the taking over of the Mary Slessor Hospital, Itu and Union Secondary School, Ibiaku all in Akwa Ibom State, a N25million investment in some parts of the country as well as the establishment of the Presbyterian Press Limited for all sorts of commercial printing jobs.