The Buhari Media Organisation
(BMO) has said the ruling of the Court of Appeal that the suspended Chief
Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, face trial before the Code of Conduct
Tribunal (CCT) is a vindication of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group said this in a
statement signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, its Chairman and
Secretary respectively.
They stated that the ruling by
the Appeal Court re-affirmed the fact that Justice Onnoghen has a serious
matter to answer to, and that the Tribunal has the powers to entertain that
matter rightly, and as such also has the power to make an order for his
suspension pending the conclusion of the matter.
The group also noted that the
ruling of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Abdul Aboki, further affirms that:
“the call by Paul Usoro (SAN), chairman of the NBA that the courts be boycotted
showed that the man who heads the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) lacks an
understanding of basic principles of the rule of law and does not appreciate
the issue of jurisdiction of courts to matters.
“We also commend the various NBA
branches that did not heed the senseless call for a boycott, but went ahead to
attend court sessions and honour their clients and the temple of justice.
“This also shows that Paul Usoro
has lost his credibility in the NBA due to his proclivity to defend corruption
and stand for what is wrong – a characteristic that should not be synonymous
with the Nigerian Bar Association.”
The BMO also called on the NBA
Chairman to recuse himself from membership of the National Judicial
Council(NJC), stating that a man who is facing serious allegations of
corruption with the EFCC should not be found deciding the fate of people with
similar moral burdens.
The statement noted that the NBA
Chairman had also brought disrepute to the association, stating that the NBA
was becoming an institution of ridicule because of the tainted leadership of
Paul Usoro. “This should not be so as the association is made up of thousands
of members with honour and integrity who should not be identified with
corruption”.
The group noted that Paul Usoro
was now also using the NBA as a tool to fight the institutions fighting
corruption.
“Paul Usoro, a man facing serious
allegations of corruption in the court is now using the Nigerian Bar
Association to fight the institutions constitutionally mandated to fight
corruption, including the courts.
“His kangaroo instruction to
legal practitioners to boycott the courts was not just embarrassing and
unfortunate; it was a mockery and an insult to the legal profession. Asides the
fact that lawyers owe it as a duty to represent their clients in courts, they
are not meant to insult their practice and the temples of justice by boycotting
the courts.”
The group noted that the call for
a boycott of courts by Paul Usoro was indeed corruption fighting back.
The group stated that Paul Usoro
already had a damaged reputation, and lacked moral authority to lead the
Nigerian Bar Association, stating that his leadership was bringing the
association to disrepute.
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