The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has faulted the concerns raised by the United States, US, and Britain over the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Walter Onnoghen.
MURIC said both US and
Britain should not look at the suspension in isolation but consider the
gravity of the offence committed by Onnoghen.
The statement reads:
“Western
countries should not just jump to conclusions. They should not just
make it look as if the CJN is being suspended to clear the way for some
undemocratic practices. Neither the US nor Britain will allow a judge to
accumulate wealth illegally because it is dangerous for the judicial
system. Heavy cash lodgements in both foreign and local currencies were
allegedly found in the former CJN’s accounts. No responsible government
will ignore that.“While we appreciate the interest of US and UK
in evolving healthy democracies around the world, particularly in
Nigeria, we will appreciate it more if these countries show equal
concern for Nigeria’s war against corruption, particularly in the
judiciary and in the repatriation of Nigeria’s looted funds in those two
countries. Advanced democracies are not under any special obligation to
listen only to the opposition and echo its propaganda. They also owe it
a moral duty to hear the government’s side before making policy
statements.“To this end, we expect that both the US and UK will
equally show interest in the allegation bordering on corruption made
against the former CJN as they have expressed concern over his
suspension. This ought to be done against the backdrop of the reputation
of Nigeria which a former British prime minister described as
‘fantastically corrupt’ but which the present regime of President
Muhammadu Buhari is trying hard to turn around.“It is a
known fact that no war against corruption can succeed if the judiciary
is corrupt. It is the robust judicial system which both the US and UK
enjoy today that allows a conducive atmosphere for democratic principles
of rule of law, liberty and justice.“We seek no less in our
country, Nigeria. We find the alleged involvement of the CJN in
financial misdemeanor sickening, repulsive and outrageous. A civil
society group who could summon the courage demanded his sack. We no
longer have any confidence in his leadership of this country’s
judiciary.“MURIC appeals to Western countries to allow the
Nigerian government to clean its judiciary. It is the last hope of the
common man. The filth in our judiciary will be better understood when we
remember how James Ononefe Ibori of Delta State mesmerized the Nigerian
judiciary for years without being punished. But he was caught in
Britain and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment because the British
judiciary will not take rubbish. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa
State also ran foul of the British judiciary before he jumped bail in
2005. This is one major reason the Nigerian government must be allowed
to clean its judiciary.“We must ask Britain if it can tolerate
what is happening in Nigeria today on her own soil. For instance, the
current British Lord Chief Justice, Sir John Thomas, earns £240,000 per
annum. Will Theresa May, the Prime Minister, keep mum if he receives a
report that his Lord Chief Justice has five bank accounts with more than
$500,000 in each? Can his American counterpart, the US Chief Judge,
John Glover Roberts Jnr, do the same and get away with it under Donald
Trump’s watch? You show concern for Onnoghen’s suspension but not for
the big sums of money he was practically caught with and which he
admitted to. It hurts our sensibilities and you need to make amends.“This
is exactly what we are saying: leave our government alone if you cannot
allow it to happen in your own countries. It has been happening here
for long and now we have a solution to it via a democratically elected
president. We have tons of confidence in Muhammadu Buhari. He sits on
our treasury. He does not steal and he will not allow thieves to steal
our common patrimony. We are satisfied with him as the guardian over our
wealth. We do not care whether he is ‘lifeless’, ‘weak’, or
‘incompetent’. We never had it so good.“Before we take a break,
we appeal to the US and Britain to turn more attention to the
repatriation of funds looted from Nigeria. The two countries will earn
our respect more if this is done. We need the West’s cooperation in our
war against corruption more than we need it in political demagoguery.
Fairness demands that the US which expressed concern over the CJN’s
suspension follows it up with a statement cautioning judges from getting
enmeshed in graft and politicians from getting involved in money
politics.”
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