By Danlami Nmodu
#TrackNigeria – The National Judicial Council,NJC has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s acceptance of Justice Walter Onnoghen’s voluntary retirement as a move “in the best interest of Nigeria.”
Soji Oye, Director, Information, NJC, said in a statement after a meeting Monday that, “Council at the end of its deliberations, thanked the President for the acceptance which was in the best interest of Nigeria.”
It could be recalled that President Buhari had in a statement Sunday accepted the voluntary retirement of Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria .
The former CJN was recently dragged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged failure to declare his assets.The the chain of events afterwards culminated in his voluntary retirement from service which President Buhari has now accepted.
In a statement after the NJC meeting,Oye disclosed that “The National Judicial Council held an Emergency Meeting today to take formal note of the acceptance of the voluntary retirement of Hon. Mr. Justice W. S. N. Onnoghen, GCON, as Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.
The NJC spokesman further revealed that, in fact, “The President’s acceptance of the retirement is in line with Council’s recommendation to the President on 3rd April, 2019.”