Below is a full transcript of President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech on the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Nkanu Onnoghen.
“Fellow Nigerians,
A
short while ago, I was served with an Order of the Code of Conduct
Tribunal issued on Wednesday 23rd January 2019, directing the suspension
of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel
Onnoghen from office pending final determination of the cases against
him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and several other fora relating to
his alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
2.
The nation has been gripped by the tragic realities of no less a
personality than the Chief Justice of Nigeria himself becoming the
accused person in a corruption trial since details of the petition
against him by a Civil Society Organization first became public about a
fortnight ago.
3. Although the allegations in the petition are
grievous enough in themselves, the security agencies have since then
traced other suspicious transactions running into millions of dollars to
the CJN’s personal accounts, all undeclared or improperly declared as
required by law.
4. Perhaps more worrisome is the Chief Justice
of Nigeria’s own written admission to the charges that he indeed failed
to follow the spirit and letter of the law in declaring his assets,
citing ’’mistake’’ and ’’forgetfulness’’ which are totally unknown to
our laws as defences in the circumstances of his case.
5. One
expected that with his moral authority so wounded, by these serious
charges of corruption, more so by his own written admission, Mr. Justice
Walter Onnoghen would have acted swiftly to spare our Judicial Arm
further disrepute by removing himself from superintending over it while
his trial lasted.
6. Unfortunately, he has not done so. Instead,
the nation has been treated to the sordid spectacle of a judicial game
of wits in which the Chief Justice of Nigeria and his legal team have
made nonsense of the efforts of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to hear the
allegation on merit and conclude the trial as quickly as possible
considering the nature of the times in which we live.
7. Whether
deliberately or inadvertently, we have all seen the full weight of the
Chief Justice of Nigeria descend on the tender head of one of the organs
of justice under his control. There is simply no way the officers of
that court, from the Chairman to the bailiffs, can pretend to be
unaffected by the influence of the leader of the Judiciary.
8.
Not only the trial court, but others have been put on the spot.
Practically every other day since his trial commenced, the nation has
witnessed various courts granting orders and counter-orders in favour of
the Chief Justice of Nigeria, all of them characterised by an unholy
alacrity between the time of filing, hearing and delivery of judgment in
same.
9. The real effect has been a stalling of the trial of
Justice Onnoghen, helped along by lawyers who insist that these orders,
whether right or wrong are technically valid, and must be obeyed till an
appellate Court says otherwise. No doubt, that it is the proper
interpretation, but is it the right disposition for our nation?
10.
Nigeria is a constitutional democracy and no one must be, or be seen to
be, above the law. Unfortunately, the drama around the trial of the
Chief Justice of Nigeria has challenged that pillar of justice in the
perception of the ordinary man on the street. For it is certain that no
ordinary Nigerian can get the swift and special treatment Justice
Onnoghen has enjoyed from his subordinates and privies in our
Judicature.
11. In the midst of all these distracting events, the
essential question of whether the accused CJN actually has a case to
answer has been lost in the squabble over the form and nature of his
trial. This should not be so.
12. If Justice cannot be done and
clearly seen to be done, society itself is at risk of the most
unimaginable chaos. As a Government, we cannot stand by wailing and
wringing our hands helplessly but give our full backing and support to
those brave elements within the Judiciary who act forthrightly,
irrespective of who is involved.
13. As you are all aware, the
fight against corruption is one of the tripod of policies promised to
Nigerians by this administration. Needless to say that it is an
existential Policy which must be given adequate attention and commitment
by all the three arms of government. The efforts of the Executive will
amount to nothing without the cooperation of the Legislature and
especially the Judiciary.
14. It is no secret that this
government is dissatisfied with the alarming rate in which the Supreme
Court of Nigeria under the oversight of Justice Walter Onnoghen has
serially set free, persons accused of the most dire acts of corruption,
often on mere technicalities, and after quite a number of them have been
convicted by the trial and appellate courts.
15. Since there is
nothing the Executive Arm can do after the apex court of the land has
spoken on any matter, several of these individuals walk free among us
today, enjoying what are clearly the proceeds of the corruption which
for so long has defeated the efforts of this nation to develop and
prosper.
16. It is against this background that I have received
the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal directing me to suspend the
Chief Justice pending final determination of the cases against him. It
also explains why I am not only complying immediately, but with some
degree of relief for the battered sensibilities of ordinary Nigerians
whose patience must have become severely over-taxed by these anomalies.
17.
In line with this administration’s avowed respect for the Rule of Law, I
have wholeheartedly obeyed the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal
dated 23rd January 2019.
18. Accordingly, I hereby suspend the
Honourable Mr. Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen, GCON as the Chief
Justice of Nigeria pending final determination of the case against him
at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
19. In further compliance with
the same Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, I hereby invite
Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed JSC, being the next most
Senior Justice in the Supreme Court, to come forward to take the
Judicial Oath as Chief Justice of Nigeria in an Acting Capacity.
20.
Fellow Nigerians, we can only stand a chance to win the fight against
Corruption, and position our dear nation for accelerated development
when we stand together to contend against it.
Thank you and may God bless our country.
Source:- Politicsngr
Share your thoughts