GOVERNORSHIP candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Kwara state in the coming election, Comrade Issa Aremu, has asked President Muhammad Buhari to revisit recommendation of 2014 constitutional conference especially the aspects that have to do with the appointment of judicial officers.
“Process leading to and concerning the appointment of Judicial Officers should be advertised, done openly and transparently and essentially on merit,” he said.
Speaking on the recent suspension of Justice Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari in Ilorin on Sunday, Aremu called for a critical evaluation of administration of justice in Nigeria rather than what he called “ongoing partisan diatribes” and heated controversies over what is right or not.
In his address entitled: Judiciary on Trial: “Justice Mustafa Akanbi and Gani Fawehinmi at Times Like This,” Comrade Aremu observed that given the importance of rule of law, equity and justice to sustainable democracy, more than ever before, Nigerian judiciary needed reform and restructuring as a precondition for the transformation of Nigeria from corruption and underdevelopment to development and prosperity.
Recalling the steadfastness and principled positions of late Justice Mustapha Akanbi, the pioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Ommision ( ICPC) and human rights lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi on reforming judiciary and fighting corruption, Comrade Aremu wondered what would be the reactions of the late luminaries to the current developments in the judiciary sector.
According to him, while “devil is in the technical details of the suspension of Mr Onnoghen” he said the substantive allegations and causal defence of the CJ fanning ’mistake’’ and “forgetfulness’’ on the imperative of assets declarations should be of concern to all.
“In a country that has been running huge budget deficits, it is curious that a public officer of CJ standing could have surplus accounts in millions of foreign currency” adding “that he who dispenses justice to all must be accountable for his or her source of wealth.”
He recalled that in his classic Book: Audacity of Hope, the former America President, Barack Obama noted that some countries like “Nigeria …have developed two legal systems — one for foreigners and elites, and one for ordinary people.” He hailed President Buhari who in his address on the CJ urged the need to fight corruption.
Comrade Aremu also wondered why for whatever reason the head of the nation’s judiciary would be evading accountability by ‘shopping’ for restraining court orders wondering what National Industrial court had to do with the allegation of assets declaration.
The LP candidate observed that suspension of a CJ who has the power to constitute election tribunals on the eve of 2019 elections must necessarily raise eyebrow and suspicions.
He, however, advised that rather than agonising over the trial and suspension of the Justice Onnoghen, all stakeholders in the Judiciary sector and Nigerian democracy must organise to save the administration of justice from the perception of corruption, double standards and self-help.
According to him what was also at stake on the CJ saga is character and morality of some public officers.
Comrade Aremu urged that lawyers, especially Senior Advocates ( SANs) should defend justice not seeking ‘judgements’ that favoured the privileged in the society.
In the same spirit, Aremu said, the Nigeria Bar Association President, Paul Usoro who is being tried for allegations of corruption should resign.
“At a time like this, I wonder what would be the reaction of late Justice Mustapha Akanbi and Chief Gani Fawenhinmi. They would ask the NBA President to resign for him not to use his Bar status to pervert justice,” he observed.
It will be recalled that on January 10, the executive filed charges against the head of the country’s judicial arm, accusing him of asset declaration offences.
The government said it was only in 2016 after the controversial crackdown on judges that Mr Onnoghen partially declared his asset, but still failed to declare a series of bank accounts, denominated in local and foreign currencies, linked to him at a Standard Chartered Bank branch in Abuja. Amounts running into millions of dollars are said to have been traced to the CJN’s personal accounts by security agencies, all undeclared or improperly declared as required by law.
The government consequently filed six charges of the non-and fraudulent declaration of assets by Mr Onnoghen, with the trial expected to commence at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The development has generated a lot of reactions with some for and others against the move by the Federal government, some for and against the embattled CJ.
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