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Onnoghen: Middle Belt Forum Calls on Buhari to Resign, Says President Cannot be Trusted

Published

6 years ago

January 30, 2019

Eric

The Middle Belt Forum comprising 14 states of the Federation has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to tender his resignation letter, saying that the President can no longer be trusted.

The group made their position known in a statement made available to the press, and signed by its President, Dr. Pogu Bitrus.

They said however, if the President fails to resign, he should be voted out of office in the forthcoming polls.

See the statement:

SUSPENSION OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA, HONOURABLE JUSTICE WALTER SAMUEL KANU ONOGHEN, GCON:

Recall that the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) had in a press statement made in conjunction with its partners from the South South (PANDEF), the South East (Ohanaeze Ndigbo) and the South West (Afenifere) deprecated the unconstitutional and illegal purported removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) His Lordship, Honourable Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onoghen, GCON and called for the immediate reversal of the suspension. This was on Friday, 25th January, 2019.

Several days after we made the call, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR has refused, failed or neglected to reverse himself. The peoples of the Middle Belt have sought legal advice and reviewed the circumstances of the purported suspension viz-a-viz the Constitution of Nigeria and the law. Our findings are as follows:

The Motion Ex-parte upon which the purported suspension was predicated was filed on the 10th of January, 2019. When the matter came up on the 22nd day of January, 2019 for the arraignment of the CJN, the CJN through his lawyers challenged the jurisdiction of the Tribunal while the Prosecution sought to move the Motion to direct the CJN to step aside and after the stepping aside, direct the President to swear in the next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court to fill the vacuum. The Tribunal after listening to both sides ruled that it would take the objection to its jurisdiction first and thereafter, take the Motion of the Prosecution, if necessary. The Tribunal then adjourned to the 28th day of January, 2019 for the hearing of the two motions.

On Friday, 25th January, 2019, the President claimed that he had been served with an ex-parte order directing him to suspend the CJN and swear- in the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

The order the President claimed to have relied on in suspending the Chief Justice of Nigeria is as follows:

That the Defendant/Respondent shall step aside as the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, National Judicial Council over allegations of contravening the provisions of the Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 pending the determination of the Motion on Notice dated 10th January, 2019.

That the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall take all necessary measures to swear-in the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council in order to prevent a vacuum in the Judicial Arm of Government pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

4. Order 1 was directed at the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice W.S.N. Onoghen, GCON to act by stepping aside from his office. His compliance with that order would have created a vacuum. Order 2 directed at the president was predicated upon compliance with order 1. Until that order was complied with, order 2 would be inchoate and the president could not act in compliance with the order as there would be no vacuum as was the case in the instant case.

5. The Tribunal is vested with the inherent powers to enforce compliance with its own orders as part of the dignity of the Tribunal. The refusal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria to comply with the order immediately conferred on the Tribunal the powers to enforce the order which should have been activated in accordance with the procedure laid out by the law.

6. The President rather than allowing the due process of the law, chose to overthrow the Constitution and the law by unilaterally suspending the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onoghen, GCON from Cross River State and the only Southerner in the last 32 years to head that arm of Government of the Federation; and immediately swore-in Justice Tanko Mohammed, CON from Bauchi State in the North thereby ensuring that the three Arms of Government are headed by Northerners.

7. The Order above clearly did not empower the president to suspend the Chief Justice of Nigeria nor could the order have done so as that power lies squarely in the purview of the National Judicial Council. The position of the law today is as pronounced by the Court of Appeal in the Nganjiwa case.

8. The action of the Executive Arm in using the Code of Conduct Tribunal to harass, intimidate and embarrass the Chief Justice of Nigeria is insensitive, deceitful and calculated to deepen the division in Nigeria along religious and regional lines and stands condemned by the peoples of the Middle Belt and all people of good conscience across Nigeria. That action was in crass violation of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act which prohibits reference to the Code of Conduct Tribunal persons who have admitted in writing any omission(s) in their Asset Declaration. For the avoidance of doubt, Section 3 of the Act provides:

3. Functions of the Bureau
The functions of the Bureau shall be to-
(a) receive assets declarations by public officers in accordance with the provisions of this Act;
(b) examine the assets declarations and ensure that they comply with the requirements of this Act and of any law for the time being in force;
(c) take and retain custody of such assets declarations; and
(d) receive complaints about non-compliance with or breach of this Act and where the

Bureau considers it necessary to do so, refer such complaints to the Code of Conduct Tribunal established by section 20 of this Act in accordance with the provisions of sections 20 to 25 of this Act:

Provided that where the person concerned makes a written admission of such breach or non-compliance, no reference to the Tribunal shall be necessary.

9. Charging the Chief Justice of Nigeria was wicked and deceitful and capable of igniting a breakdown of law and order or even civil war. The peoples of the Middle Belt, in any war between the North and the South, would bear the brunt of the crisis and will resist anyone who deliberately desires to set the nation on fire.

10. The National Judicial Council (NJC) had in different cases reprimanded judicial officers who acted in the manner Justice Tanko Mohammed acted by unconstitutionally presenting themselves to be sworn in where they should not have done so.
a. Under Justice Mariam Alooma-Muktar as Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Justice Peter Agumagu of the Rivers state judiciary was suspended indefinitely and eventually compulsorily retired for accepting to be sworn-in as Acting Chief Judge by Governor Rotimi Amaechi without the recommendation of the NJC.
b. Justice Theresa Uzokwe of Abia state judiciary was suspended as Chief Judge and Justice Obisike Orji was sworn in to act in her place by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. The National Judicial Council with Justice Tanko Mohammed in attendance, reversed the action as unconstitutional and suspended Justice Obisike Orji for presenting himself to be sworn- in as Acting Chief Judge without reference to the NJC.

11. On the basis of the above, we the peoples of the 14 (Fourteen) States of the Middle Belt hereby declare as follows:
1. We the peoples of the Middle Belt region, as true Nigerians, believe in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, therefore, any person or group of persons who breach the Constitution or act in such a manner that will jeopardize the corporate existence of Nigeria and precipitate a humanitarian crisis of international dimension is an enemy of the Middle Belt and indeed of the Nigeria people.
2. That we cannot trust the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to be fair and just in carrying out his functions as the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. His conduct is capable of setting this country on the path of anarchy and avoidable civil war.
3. We call on the President, having blatantly breached the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which he swore to uphold and his Oath of Office to immediately resign. In the event of his refusal to do so, we call on all the peoples of the Middle Belt and all our allies to reject him at the polls.
4. We call on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to immediately remove Justice Tanko Mohammed from office for presenting himself to be sworn-in unconstitutionally as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria when he was never recommended by the NJC.
5. We call on the international community to be proactive and prevent a descent into international humanitarian crises that may be occasioned by the disdain and contempt of the President for Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law.
Thank you.

God bless the peoples of the Middle Belt!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Dr. Pogu Bitrus
President

Featured

Presidency Condemns Misrepresentation of Shettima’s Comments

Published

20 hours ago

July 11, 2025

Eric

The Presidency has dismissed claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent comments were directed at the political situation in Rivers State or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s constitutional decisions on the matter.

In a statement on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, the Presidency described the reports as a “gross misrepresentation.”

The statement clarified that Vice President Shettima’s remarks at the public presentation of a book by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), were misconstrued by some online platforms and individuals.

“These reports have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda,” it stated.

“They twisted his account of how the administration of former President Jonathan considered removing him as Borno Governor during the insurgency to falsely link it with current events in Rivers State.”

The Vice President, who spoke at the launch of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block in Abuja on Thursday, was said to have referenced the past solely to commend Adoke’s professionalism while in office, and to reflect on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution regarding federal and state relations.

“For the avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional measure implemented was a suspension, not an outright removal.

“This action was taken in response to the grave political crisis in Rivers State at the time, with the governor facing a looming impeachment and the State Assembly complex under demolition,” Nkwocha clarified.

The Presidency insisted that the action taken by President Tinubu in declaring a state of emergency and suspending the Governor was fully in line with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which authorises such measures when there is a breakdown of public order requiring extraordinary intervention.

According to the statement, the President’s proclamation invoking Section 305(2) was subsequently ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly, confirming the legitimacy and constitutional propriety of the decision.

“The action of President Tinubu in suspending Mr. Fubara and others from exercising the functions of office averted the governor’s outright removal. To conflate suspension with removal is misleading,” the statement further noted.

Nkwocha also stressed that Vice President Shettima’s comments were delivered extemporaneously and intended to underline the importance of public accountability and historical documentation.

He referenced the Vice President’s mention of past public servants, including Adoke and former Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to illustrate principled leadership.

“His remarks were not in any way a criticism of President Tinubu’s actions, which the Vice President and the entire administration fully support and stand by without reservation,” the spokesman stated.

The Vice President, the statement added, remains in “loyal concert” with President Tinubu and is committed to implementing all constitutional measures necessary to safeguard democracy and uphold order across the country.

Concluding, the Presidency called on media organisations and political actors to desist from misrepresenting public remarks for sensational or partisan purposes.

“We urge media organisations and political actors to desist from the destructive practice of wrenching statements from context in order to fabricate nonexistent conflicts,” Nkwocha said.

Featured

Rehabilitation Challenges: Sale of Refineries Remains a Possibility, Says Ojulari

Published

20 hours ago

July 11, 2025

Eric

The Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Bayo Ojulari, has acknowledged growing complexities in the effort to revamp Nigeria’s state-owned refineries.

Although the Port Harcourt refinery began processing crude oil again on November 26, it was later shut down in May for maintenance.

Meanwhile, rehabilitation work is still ongoing at the Warri and Kaduna refineries.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg on the sidelines of the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, Ojulari said NNPC is in the process of reassessing its refinery strategies, with plans to conclude the review by the end of the year.

“So refineries, we made quite a lot of investment over the last several years and brought in a lot of technologies. We’ve been challenged,” he said.

“Some of those technologies have not worked as we expected so far. But also, as you know, when you’re refining a very old refinery that has been abandoned for some time, what we’re finding is that it’s becoming a little bit more complicated.

“So we’re reviewing all our refinery strategies now. We hope before the end of the year, we’ll be able to conclude that review. That review may lead to us doing things slightly differently.”

When asked whether the review could result in selling the refineries, Ojulari said a sale remains a possibility.

“But what we’re saying is that sale is not out of the question. All the options are on the table, to be frank, but that decision will be based on the outcome of the reviews we’re doing now,” he said.

Ojulari also addressed the cost of oil production in Nigeria, stating that operating expenses range between $20 and $30 per barrel.

“For the cost of crude production, there’s a capital cost and there are the operating costs,” he said.

“The operating cost right now in Nigeria is hovering over $20 per barrel, which is quite high.

“Part of that is because of the investment we’ve had to make in terms of security of our pipelines, which as you know, today we have 100 percent availability of our pipelines. That came out of significant investment.

“So we believe with time, with stability, that cost will start going down, but for now it’s somewhere between $25 and $30 a barrel.”

Looking ahead, Ojulari said NNPC aims to increase Nigeria’s oil output to 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the year.

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Review Your New Visa Rules, Tinubu’s Govt Urges U.S.

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2025

Eric

The Federal government has responded to the United States’ recent visa rules that reduce how long Nigerian visitors can stay in the United States and limit them to one entry per visa by calling on Washington to reconsider its new visa policy.

The U.S. Department of State had recently updated its non-immigrant visa policy for several countries, including Nigeria, on Tuesday.

Under the new rule, most non-diplomatic and non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerian citizens will now be valid for only three months and allow just a single entry into the United States.

The changes took effect immediately.In a notice published on its website, the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria state: “Those U.S. non-immigrant visas issued prior to July 8, 2025, will retain their status and validity. We wish to underscore, that as is standard globally, visa reciprocity is a continuous process and is subject to review and change at any time, such as increasing or decreasing permitted entries and duration of validity. You can view the latest information on visa reciprocity schedules for all countries at travel.state.gov.

“The Federal government responded to this by describing the new US directive as “misaligned with the principles of reciprocity, equity, and mutual respect” that ought to govern bilateral engagements between friendly nations in a statement released on Wednesday through Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson.

The Federal government said it views this development with concern and keen interest, particularly given the longstanding cordial relations and strong people-to-people ties between our two countries.

“The attention of the Federal government of Nigeria has been drawn to the recent decision by the United States Government to revise its visa reciprocity schedule for Nigerian citizens, limiting the validity of non-immigrant visas including B1/B2, F and J categories to three months with single entry,” it stated.

“The Federal government views this development with concern and keen interest, particularly given the longstanding cordial relations and strong people-to-people ties between our two countries. The decision appears misaligned with the principles of reciprocity, equity, and mutual respect that should guide bilateral engagements between friendly nations.”

It also claimed that this restriction places a disproportionate burden on Nigerian travellers, students seeking academic opportunities, professionals engaging in legitimate business, families visiting loved ones, and individuals contributing to cultural and educational exchanges.

The government also said it understands that every country has the right to make its own immigration rules, but it hopes the U.S. will “reconsider this decision in the spirit of partnership, cooperation, and shared global responsibilities.”

It also added that diplomatic engagements are ongoing, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains committed to pursuing a resolution that reflects fairness and upholds the values of mutual interest.