Five governors from the
south-south have asked Walter Onnoghen, the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), to
ignore the summons by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The governors, who met in Abuja
on Sunday, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of not having any regards for the
feelings of the Niger Delta.
The Code of Conduct Bureau has
filed charged bordering on non-declaration of assets against Onnoghen and is
expected to appear the tribunal on Monday.
The governors said the trial is
“directly aimed at humiliating the nation’s highest judicial officer and a
prominent son of the region” and described it as “totally unacceptable”.
The communique was signed by
Governors Henry Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ben Ayade
(Cross River), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) — all
members of the PDP.
Godwin Obaseki (Edo), the only
APC governor from the south-south, did not attend the meeting.
FULL TEXT OF COMMUNIQUE
An emergency meeting of the
governors of the states of the South South geopolitical zone, held at the
Bayelsa State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja on Sunday, January 13, 2019.
The meeting, called at the
instance of the Governor of Bayelsa State, the Honourable Henry Seriake
Dickson, who is also Chairman of the South South Governors Forum, was attended
by the Governors of Cross River State, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Delta States.
The meeting deliberated on the
recent happenings at the Supreme Court involving the Chief Justice of the
Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen and resolved that the action against him
constitutes a setback to the gains of the nation’s democratic experience of 20
years.
We note that under Section 158(1)
of the 1999 Constitution, the National Judicial Council, has ample powers to
deal exhaustively with matters pertaining to allegations of misconduct and
discipline of Judicial officers. Specifically, the NJC has the powers and clear
procedures for investigating allegations, and recommending appropriate
sanctions or disciplinary measures against judicial officials as a matter of
first instance before any further steps.
The judicial pronouncements in
the cases of FGN Vs Justice Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court (January 9,
2018) and Justice Ngajinwa Vs FGN 2017 at the CCT have given validation to the
express provisions of the constitution on this issue.
We note that the attempt to drag
the CJN to the CCT is also a grave and dangerous escalation of the assault on
institutions of state including the National Assembly and the judiciary
We believe that the President,
Muhammadu Buhari has a constitutional responsibility and huge moral obligation
to defend our democracy.
Therefore, we consider this step,
which is directly aimed at humiliating the nation’s highest judicial officer
and a prominent son of the region, as totally unacceptable as it is reflective
of the South South story of endless marginalization and intimidation. The
unceremonious removal of former Acting Director General of the Department of
State Service, Mathew Seiyefa and his replacement is still very fresh.
We note that the unfortunate
action against the CJN further reinforces the perception that the Buhari
administration has no regard for the sentiments of Nigerians, in particular the
people of Niger Delta, and the rule of law
It is a fact that this
administration has a penchant for flagrant disobedience of and disregard for
legitimate and valid court orders.
We expect President Buhari to
know that democracy cannot survive without respect for the constitution, strict
adherence to the rule of law, and separation of powers as enshrined in the constitution.
We strongly believe that the
regrettable development at the Supreme Court at this critical time, when
preparations for the general elections are wobbling (with serious concern about
INEC and security agencies) is capable of causing avoidable anxiety, tension
and possible breakdown of law and order in the country.
We note further that the action
undermines confidence not only in the judiciary but also the electoral process
that has already commenced, in view of the pivotal role that the judiciary
plays in the process of electoral adjudication.
We affirm President Buhari should
know that the continuous assault on critical institutions of state is a
defining feature of a dictatorship, and that the President is obliged to live
up to his word that he is a born-again democrat, as he assured Nigerians in
2015.
Based on the foregoing, we hereby
call on the President:
1) To condemn without any
equivocation, this assault on the CJN and the judiciary especially coming after
similar assaults on the National Assembly, to save the country from this
embarrassment and global contempt.
2) We call on the CJN to ignore
this so-called Court summon from the CCB and the provocative call for his
resignation in some quarters.
While we are not opposed to a
genuine fight against corruption, such an action must always be anchored on the
rule of law.
We also decry the massive buildup
of arms by APC leaders and members across the Niger Delta with the intent to
cause mayhem and a general breakdown of law and order during the elections.
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Asking Onoghen, the CJN, not to appear before CCT, is a show of what the governors of PDP are made up off. This is a show of rascality. This is unhealthy. I do understand that an independent body carried out investigation on the CJN, and not the federal government of APC. We are watching.
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