Onnoghen's Travail: The Silent, Clear Message
It is no longer news that Justice Walter Onnoghen, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the first southerner to have assumed that position for decades, is to face the Code of Conduct Tribunal on count charges bothering on asset declaration.
The date is Monday, 15th January, 2019.
The crime is nondisclosure of his domiciliary accounts
It's no longer news that summon to this effect has been made to the Chief Justice requesting his presence in court, which is the Federal High Court in Abuja.
It is also not news that the allegations for which Justice Onnoghen is arraigned were said to have been committed in 2005 and 2016.
But in all these, what is not news and which is the big issue is the question on why it is now that this prop up accusation is coming. Just few days to the elections.
What also is not news, and which ipso facto is a grave concern, is the speed at which the president had asked the CJN to submit himself for trial.
It is indeed a grave concern because by statutory procedures, the CJN should have been submitted to the internal mechanism of scrutiny of the National Judicial Council, which afterwards if necessary shall submit him to trial.
But this is not what we are seeing. And by this submission to trial which is to happen on Monday, 14th January, the office of the CJN would definitely not be occupied by Onnoghen. Implicatingly, there would be a replacement that shall act.
After submission to trial, the other nagging question is whether Onnoghen will have that morality to continue as CJN. I fear he'd recuse himself. Therefore, the person acting shall continue to act.
Who is this person that would replace Onnoghen? The most senior judicial officer in line, of course. And this believably is a northerner.
In all these, is there understandably any connection between this travail of Justice Onnoghen with the 2019 elections? Is it an indication of a subtle interest in the purported outcome and the legal razzmatazz?
This is day one rape of the 2019 elections... I fear. But like they say, only time will tell!
The date is Monday, 15th January, 2019.
The crime is nondisclosure of his domiciliary accounts
It's no longer news that summon to this effect has been made to the Chief Justice requesting his presence in court, which is the Federal High Court in Abuja.
It is also not news that the allegations for which Justice Onnoghen is arraigned were said to have been committed in 2005 and 2016.
But in all these, what is not news and which is the big issue is the question on why it is now that this prop up accusation is coming. Just few days to the elections.
What also is not news, and which ipso facto is a grave concern, is the speed at which the president had asked the CJN to submit himself for trial.
It is indeed a grave concern because by statutory procedures, the CJN should have been submitted to the internal mechanism of scrutiny of the National Judicial Council, which afterwards if necessary shall submit him to trial.
But this is not what we are seeing. And by this submission to trial which is to happen on Monday, 14th January, the office of the CJN would definitely not be occupied by Onnoghen. Implicatingly, there would be a replacement that shall act.
After submission to trial, the other nagging question is whether Onnoghen will have that morality to continue as CJN. I fear he'd recuse himself. Therefore, the person acting shall continue to act.
Who is this person that would replace Onnoghen? The most senior judicial officer in line, of course. And this believably is a northerner.
In all these, is there understandably any connection between this travail of Justice Onnoghen with the 2019 elections? Is it an indication of a subtle interest in the purported outcome and the legal razzmatazz?
This is day one rape of the 2019 elections... I fear. But like they say, only time will tell!
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