By Wandoo Sombo
The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen to resign and allow justice to take its course.
CHRICED is a non-profits organisation that uses civics, advocacy, and outreach to mobilise vulnerable and marginalised segments of the population.
The Executive Director of the centre, Mr Ibrahim Zikirullahi, who made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference, said that the call for the CJN resignation was beyond sentiments and legal solidarity.
The call followed the corruption charges slammed against the CJN at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, accusing him of asset declaration offences on Monday, Jan. 10 by the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Onnoghen, who became the CJN in March 2017, is the first serving CJN to be accused of corruption six months after the homes of several federal judges were searched in an anti-corruption raid.
The government alleged it was only in 2016 after the controversial crackdown on judges that Onnoghen partially declared his asset, but still failed to declare a series of bank accounts and others.
Zikirullahi said that it was shameful that a section of the bar, which would usually insist on the rule of law being followed to the letter, was now reluctant to let the law take its course.
“Instead of allowing the law to take its course, there is now a tendency to rationalise, dodge the real questions and even rely on legal technicality to avoid the key accountability issues that have been raised.
He maintained that no extent of resort to technicality can remove the key questions which remain unanswered.
According to him, those who have left the substance of the matter, which is non-declaration of assets, to embark on a wild goose chase must know that they are part of the problem of this country.
“Those cheering the CJN have been busy trying to depict the issue as executive interference in another arm of government.
“They are failing to realise an important fact that those who have the privilege of holding exalted offices in trust for the rest of Nigerians should lead by example,’’ Zikirullahi said.
He said it was speculative for some commentators to think that the CJN was being targeted so that he could be removed and replaced with someone who will work in the interest of the government in the February elections.
On the issue of the timing of the charges, the CHRICED boss noted that there was no right or wrong time to correct an anomaly.
He said it was immaterial whether the petition was filed by anyone close to the president or not, adding that what was of utmost importance was the merit of the petition.
“For CHRICED, the most important question should be whether the CJN broke the law or not in failing to declare his assets.
“One major and incontrovertible fact which has emerged from the controversy over the CJN’s alleged failure to declare his assets is his own reported admission that he made a mistake by forgetting to declare a number of his assets.
“The number one judicial officer is also reported to have expressed ignorance about the time space within which he should have made the declaration.”
He said the self-indictment was enough for all Nigerians to speak in one voice and denounce the clear infraction on the laws of the land by the head of the nation’s judiciary.
“We are not talking of a magistrate or a high court judge but a judge of the Supreme Court, who happens to be the number one judicial officer of the land; we must forget sentiments and look at facts.”
He said that the posturing of some South-South governors in defence of the CJN should be treated as treason since they swore to protect and preserve the constitution. (NAN)
