NJC Hands Onnoghen, Ag.CJN 7 Days To Respond To Allegations
The National Judicial Council, NJC, on Tuesday, waded into the crisis rocking the judiciary, by directing the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, to within seven working days, respond to corruption allegations against him.
NJC which is the organ of the judiciary responsible for the Appointment, Promotion and Discipline of Judicial Officers, also gave the Acting CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad, the same number of days to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for submitting himself to be sworn-in by President Muhammadu Buhari as Onnoghen’s replacement.
The legal body took the decision at the end of an emergency meeting it held in Abuja over last Friday’s suspension of the CJN by President Buhari.
Specifically, the NJC, directed the suspended CJN to respond to a petition that was lodged against him by one Zikhrillahi Ibrahim of Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civil Education.
It was learned that the petitioner is accusing Onnoghen of being in possession of funds and properties that are way beyond his legitimate earnings. On the other hand, the Council, asked the Acting CJN, Justice Muhammad, to directet two separate petitions that were entered against him by a group under the aegis of Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative, as well as by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Chief Olisa Agbakoba, SAN.
Agbakoba had in his petition, urged the NJC to determine the propriety of Justice Muhammad, accepting to be sworn-in by the President in place of the suspended CJN, despite being aware of the implication of his conduct.
According to Agbakoba, by submitting himself to the President to be sworn-in as acting CJN, Justice Muhammad, lent himself to constitutional infraction by the executive arm of government.
He recalled that Justice Muhammad was a member of the panel that sanctioned Justice Obisike Orji of Abia State for allowing himself to be sworn-in as Abia State Chief Judge by the state’s governor, without recourse to the NJC.
Consequently, Agbakoba, accused the Acting CJN of engaging in an act of judicial misconduct.
Meanwhile, the NJC, in a statement that was signed by its Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, said would forward another petition that was filed against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Mr. Danladi Umar, to the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC. The CCT Chairman had on January 23, issued the ex-parte order President Buhari relied upon to suspend Onnoghen and swore in Muhamadu who is the most senior jurist of the Supreme Court, to replace him.
A group under the platform of Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative, had urged the NJC to sanction the CCT boss for engaging in “reckless abuse” of his judicial powers.
However, the Council, said the FJSC was the appropriate constitutional body empowered to deal with issues the petitioner raised against the CCT Chairman. Already, the NJC, said it has furnished both Onnoghen and Muhammad with copies of the petitions against them, adding that it abridged their response time to 7 days, owing to the “gravity of the matters involved”.
Besides, though every serving CJN is statutorily empowered to preside over activities of the NJC, however, the Council, before its meeting, asked both Onnoghen and Muhammad to recuse themselves. In their stead, the former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Umaru Abdullahi, was elected to act as the Interim Chairman of the NJC, pending the resolution of the crisis. The Council said it would reconvene its sitting on February 11.
