South-south governors may
have resolved to intervene in the resignation saga of the embattled Chief
Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
The governors intend to meet
President Muhammadu Buhari with a view to persuading him to accept Onnoghen’s
resignation letter.
Buhari is yet to act on the April
4, 2019, letter or the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC)
that the CJN be compulsorily retired.
Onnoghen turned in his letter 24
hours after the NJC met and decided that he had to go having lost the moral
authority to continue as CJN with the litany of allegations bordering on
misconduct against him.
It was gathered that the
majority of the South-South governors have bought the idea of intervening in
the Onnoghen matter.
It was also learnt that Onnoghen
actually attempted to negotiate his exit with three conditions before the NJC
advised the President to retire him.
The presidency rejected the Onnoghen exit conditions and
opted to see his trial through at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
One of the conditions was for the
federal government to enter a nolle prosequi at the tribunal.
He also asked that the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should discontinue his
investigation/trial, and that his suspension be lifted to allow him to return
to office after which he would voluntarily resign within four weeks.
On Thursday however, the tribunal
convicted him for failing to declare his assets as required by law, and ordered
his immediate removal from office as CJN.
Investigation revealed that the
South-South governors, some of whom have no personal relationship with
Onnoghen, have requested audience with Buhari.
The meeting was expected to be
held last Thursday but the conviction of Onnoghen same day by the CCT caused a
delay as one of the issues was overtaken by the judgment.
Sources said the governors are
keen on getting a dignified exit for Onnoghen, who is from the geopolitical
zone.
They were said to have consented
to a ‘political solution’ to the CJN matter.
A source familiar with the
development said: “The South-South governors want the presidency to close the
chapter on Onnoghen by accepting his voluntary resignation/ retirement. This is
why they believe a political solution is better than this messy affair.
“They have sought audience with
the President on how to find an amicable solution to the travails of Onnoghen.
“They are buying into the
recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to allow Onnoghen to
retire with full benefits and retain his membership of the Council of State.
“They do not want the CCT matter
to drag on for more months. They also do not want Onnoghen subjected to a
separate trial by the EFCC on other allegations against him.”
It was unclear when the governors
will meet the President again.
Before the conviction of the CJN
on Thursday, he had resigned or retired after much pressure and following the
decision of the NJC advising Buhari to retire him.
“The NJC decision shocked
Onnoghen and he lost the last straws he was clinging to. At this point, he
offered to resign/ retire accordingly,” another source added.
The Presidency, in rejecting
Onnoghen’s conditions for stepping down, believed that the law be allowed to
run its course.
A government source said: “The
conditions were untenable and the presidency told the intermediary that
investigative reports on Onnoghen were awesome for three separate trials.
“This was how the negotiation
deal collapsed and Onnoghen was left to bear his cross at the CCT. If the CJN
had made some concessions, maybe his case would not have reached this level.”
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