Resignation only meaningful option for suspended Chief Justice – BMO
President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to suspend the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, should be regarded as a conscious shift of
policy to fast track the fight against corruption, the Buhari Media
Organisation (BMO) has said.
The group pointed out that the CJN’s suspension is in line with the
President’s vow to respect the rule of law as demonstrated in this case
by the order issued by the Tribunal on January 23.
It said: “President Buhari’s action cannot be said to be unilateral
because it was based on the order of a duly constituted tribunal and it
will pave way for the case against the suspended CJN to be heard on
merit rather than a situation where it would be stalled by unnecessary
judicial subterfuge which are associated with high profile cases in
Nigeria.
“We consider the indefinite postponement of the statutory meeting of
the Nigerian Judicial Council NJC by Justice Onnoghen as one of those
unbridled manipulations of the judicial process.
The postponement of the NJC meeting is a brazen abuse of office by
Justice Onnoghen to prevent the other members of the Council from
intervening in the Asset Declaration scandal which may either lead to
his being suspended or being asked to recuse himself while the other
members take a second look at the implication of the grave corruption
allegation hanging on the head of the country’s judiciary.
“So, from whichever angle one looks at it, it would be difficult to
fault the President’s action with all the facts at his disposal as well
as the CCT suspension order.”
BMO consequently urges Nigerians across the country to rally around the
President at this critical time and ignore attempts by the opposition
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential candidate to
obfuscate the issue with a view to scoring political points.
“No one should be surprised that Atiku and his corruption-loving party
would jump into the fray in a public show of defence of the suspended
Chief Justice as it is in line with their tendencies to defend the worst
forms of value erosion that continue to assail our national sensitivity
in recent times.
It tells you all you need to know about a Presidential candidate that
has vowed to enrich his friends obviously through corrupt means if (God
forbids) he becomes President.
“But there is no way President Buhari, with his disdain for corrupt
acts, would pretend that all is well in a situation where the head of
the nation’s judiciary would have undeclared sums of money running into
millions of dollars in accounts hidden from public scrutiny.
“We urge Nigerians across divides to show support and solidarity with
the President in his bid to fast track the fight against corruption no
matter whose ox is gored,’ it said,
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