Headline

Why Onnoghen, Mohammad May not Return as CJN

Published

5 years ago

February 2, 2019

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

When President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, January 25, 2019, hid behind a mere order from the Code of Conduct Tribunal to suspend the Chief Judge of Nigeria, he must have known that he was heading for a constitutional precipice. That is because Section 292 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly forbids him to do so. He must have known because erudite legal luminaries in his cabinet such as the workaholic Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, and the Minister of Justice/Attorney General, Mr Malami must have told, advised and hinted him the consequence. But Mr President went ahead and suspended the CJN and followed it up with the immediate appointment and swearing in of another Justice of the Supreme Court, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad.

But because the whole shenanigan took place just weeks before the much expected general elections, the actions were interpreted based on how one understood it or on which side of the divide one finds himself. It must be noted that the sacking of Onnoghen and the appointment of Mohammad assumed both political, regional and ethnic colouration. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spoke vehemently against it while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) supported wholeheartedly. Some supported the action just because Buhari, their herodid it, some others reacted negatively just because their candidate, Atiku Abubakar held a press conference and condemned the act. Most of these people can hardly argue the reasons behind their stance other than it is for Buhari or it is for Atiku. And that informs number one reason both legal will not return as CJN.

An executive that understood it has messed defended its action by saying that Onnoghen was beginning to frustrate his corruption trial across the courts, thereby acting as a judge in his own case. The President’s suspension address stated clearly that Onnoghen should have resigned after he was caught red handed and he should have let his trial proceed without him on the bench. No one however remebered that the CJN had already owned up to the mistake of non declaration of asset – a situation that under law settles the matter. But the Presidency could care less. It went ahead and trampled upon the constitution.
Though no one has complained that his money was stolen nor any case of fraud established against the CJN, it is worth knowing that the following were traced to him as unclosed assets:
USD account from October, 2012 to September, 2016 — $1,922,657.00
GBP (£) account from 2012 to September, 2016 — £138, 439.00
Euro account as at September 30, 2016 — €55,154.00
Naira account from September, 2005 to October, 2016 — N91, 962.362.49

To add insult to injury, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Units (NFIU) and other security agencies like the Department of State Security (DSS) claim to possess dossiers of Onnoghen’s illicit financial dealings and records of his phone conversations with persons intent on perverting the course of justice. These are still mere claims but very heavy.

Disciplinary action for judges rests with the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the removal of a CJN can only be successfully implemented if 2/3 of the senate support the president’s action. Buhari’s action on all of this appears premeditated and is clearly an abuse of due process.

Onnoghen, by all intent and purpose, is now a tainted man and no tainted man with allegations of corruption hanging over his head should be allowed to head the nation’s judiciary; while investigations into his activities continue apace. A lot of people believe that President Buhari should lift the suspension on Onnoghen to pave the way for his resignation. If that was the government’s initial intention; it was well achieved cause Onnoghen can no longer have the moral justification to hold an office as sensitive as the CJN.

On the part of the Ibrahim Tanko Mohammad, he willfully jumped into a pit either dug for him or not. The mere fact that he accepted to be sworn in as the Acting CJN knowing that there was a constitutional breach on the part of the government, made him culpable, and the National Judicial Council will not forget nor forgive.

More so, Mohammad had been at the forefront of sanctioning other judges who erred in like manner; the case of Justice Obisike of Abia State is still very fresh in the minds of judicial followers. He cannot hold on to the postas a precedence has already been set.

During the week, the NJC sat and recommended that both legal chiefs be queried based on the petitions against them. They were given just seven days as against the regular 14 days to turn in their responses.
Sources have informed the Boss that no matter how well the responses are crafted and presented, it is a foregone alternative that the men’s time in the active legal profession is over.

If the two judges are punished with dismissal as the case may likely be, the beneficiary will be the third most senior Supreme Court Judge, Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour of Lagos State.

Talk about providence!

Headline

Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

Headline

Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

5 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

1 week ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”